Jesus died for mankind, and in giving His life He exalted humanity in the scale of moral value
with God. The Son of the infinite God clothed His divinity with humanity, and submitted to the
death of the cross, that He might become a steppingstone by which humanity might meet with
divinity. He made it possible for man to become a partaker of the divine nature, and escape the
corruptions that are in the world through lust. Christ is continually working to uplift and ennoble
man, and He requires that every soul whom He has redeemed from hopeless misery, shall
co-operate with Him in the great work of saving the lost. We are not to lay snares and make
secret plans to draw souls into temptation.
O, if every one could see this matter as it is presented before me in all its bearings, how soon
would they quit with the enemy in his artful work! How they would despise his measures to bring
sin upon the human family! How they would hate sin with a perfect hatred, as they consider the
fact that it cost the life of heaven's Commander, in order that they should not perish, that man
should not be bound a hopeless captive to Satan's chariot, a degraded slave to his will, a trophy of
his victory and his kingdom.
Who will link up with Satan? Who will wear his badge? Who will choose him as a captain,
and refuse to stand under the blood-stained banner of the Captain of our salvation? Christ died
for every son and daughter of Adam; and when the Son of God has expressed such amazing love,
making this great sacrifice for the sinner, in order that through faith in Him he need not perish
but have everlasting life, how can the subject of this great love be indifferent and stand in sin and
disobedience, and not heartily confess Christ without one moment's delay? How can any one love
to do evil? How can the youth prostitute their reasoning faculties to Satan, and give their
influence to that which will weaken their own moral power and efficiency? In doing the will of
Him who loves the world, and who gave His only-begotten Son to die for them, they strengthen
every faculty of the soul, and increase their own happiness and peace.
The Lord has greatly honored men, by giving Jesus Christ to recover them from Satan's
claims. Will you be recovered? Will you have the precious gift of Christ? or will you refuse His
service? Jesus has said, "He that gathereth not with Me scattereth abroad." He has said, "Without
Me ye can do nothing," and, "My grace is sufficient for thee." Every one who seeks to do well in
his own finite strength, will find his efforts a failure; but those who accept Christ by faith, will
find him a personal Saviour. They will enlist in His army, they will become His soldiers, and
fight the good fight of faith. If they are students in the school, they will feel that they are enlisted
to make the school the most orderly, elevated, and praiseworthy institution in the world. They
will put every jot of their influence on the side of God, on the side of Christ, and on the side of
heavenly intelligences. They will feel it to be their duty to form a Christian endeavor society, that
they may help every student to see the inconsistency of a course of action that God will not
approve. They will draw with Christ, and do their utmost to perfect Christian characters. They
will take upon themselves the work of leading the lame and the weak into the safe, upward path.
They will form Christian endeavor meetings to make plans that will be a blessing to the
institution of learning, and do all in their power to make the school what God designed and
signified that it should be. They will have in mind the value and
efficiency of Christian endeavor meetings, in preparing missionaries to go forth to give the
warning to the world.
Students should have their own seasons of prayer, where they may offer fervent, simple
petitions that God shall bless the president of the school with physical strength, mental clearness,
moral power, and spiritual discernment, and that every teacher shall be qualified by the grace of
Christ to do his work with fidelity and with fervent love. They should pray that teachers may be
the agents through whom God shall work to make good prevail over evil, through a knowledge of
Jesus Christ whom He hath sent. May God give the students who attend our institutions of
learning, grace and courage to act up to the principles revealed in the law of God, which is an
expression of His character. Never be found disparaging the schools which God has established.
If you have failed at any time, falling into temptation, it is because you did not make God your
strength, because you did not have the faith that works by love and purifies the soul.
Let every sincere Christian who has a connection with our schools, be determined to be a
faithful servant in the cause of Christ, and help every student to be faithful, pure, and holy in life.
Let every one who loves God seek to win those who have not yet confessed Christ. Every day
they may exert a silent, prayerful influence, and co-operate with Jesus Christ, the
missionary-in-chief to our world. Let every soul -- man, woman, and youth -- grow in excellence
of character and devotion, in purity and holiness, and live with an eye single to the glory of God,
that the enemies of our faith may not triumph. Let there be such a binding together in the bonds
of our holy faith, that our united influence may be wholly on the Lord's side, and may work for
the transformation of those with whom we associate. Let it be made manifest that you have a
living connection with God, and are ambitious for the Master's glory, seeking to cultivate in
yourselves every grace
of character by which you may honor Him who gave His life for you. May the love of Christ
exercise a constraining power to draw others into the path cast up for the ransomed of the Lord to
walk in. When the students in our schools shall learn to like God's will, they will find it
comparatively easy to do it.
If students see defects of character in others, let them be thankful that they have discerned
these defects, and therefore may be put on their guard against them. You will, no doubt, see
persons who are not learning the meekness and lowliness of Christ, but who love display, and are
vain, frivolous, and worldly. The only remedy for such is to behold Jesus, and by studying His
character they will come to despise everything that is vain and frivolous, weak and mean. The
character of Christ is full of forbearance, patience, goodness, mercy, and unexampled love. By
beholding such a character, they will rise above the littleness of that which has fashioned and
molded them, and made them unholy and unlovely. They will say, "I have not sat with vain
persons, neither will I go in with dissemblers." They will realize that "he that walketh with wise
men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed."
Let every one who is seeking to live a Christian life, remember that the church militant is not
the church triumphant. Those who are carnally minded will be found in the church. They are to
be pitied more than blamed. The church is not to be judged as sustaining these characters, though
they be found within her borders. Should the church expel them, the very ones who found fault
with their presence there, would blame the church for sending them adrift in the world; they
would claim that they were treated unmercifully. It may be that in the church there are those who
are cold, proud, haughty, and unchristian, but you need not associate with
this class. There are many who are warm-hearted, who are self-denying, self-sacrificing, who
would, were it required, lay down their lives to save souls. Jesus saw the bad and the good in
church relationship, and said, "Let both grow together until the harvest." None are under the
necessity of becoming tares because every plant in the field is not wheat. If the truth were known,
these complainers make their accusations in order to quiet a convicted, condemning conscience.
Their own course of action is not wholly commendable. Even those who are striving for the
mastery over the enemy, have sometimes been wrong and done wrong. Evil prevails over good
when we do not trust wholly in Christ, and abide in Him. Inconsistencies of character will then
be manifested that would not be revealed if we preserved the faith that works by love and purifies
the soul.
We are not compelled to choose as familiar associates those who reject the love of God that
has been expressed in giving His Son to our world, "that whosoever believeth in Him should not
perish, but have everlasting life." Those who love God will not choose the enemies of God to be
their friends. The question was asked, "Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them which
hate the Lord?" Will you prefer the association of the irreligious and disloyal, to that of those
who are obeying the commandments of God? Will you choose to separate yourself from those
who love God, and place yourself as far as possible from the channel of light? You want to keep
in an atmosphere of purity and faith, and bring into your character principles that will be as solid
timbers. Christians will not choose and cultivate the society of non-Christians. If the Lord gives
you a special position in the world, as He did Joseph and Daniel, then he will sustain and keep
you in the midst of temptation. But you will never be where you will find too much light, in our
world. Then how perilous it is to choose the association of those who love darkness rather than
light, and will not come to the light, lest
their deeds should be reproved.--Review and Herald, Jan. 16, 1894.