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| Christians who connect themselves with worldly associations are injuring themselves as well as misleading others. Those who fear God can not choose the ungodly for companions, and remain themselves unharmed. In worldly societies they are brought under the influence of worldly principles and customs, and through the power of association and habit the mind becomes more and more conformed to the worldling's standard. Their love for God grows cold, and they have no desire for communion with him. They become spiritually blind. They can see no particular difference between the transgressor of God's law and those who fear God and keep his commandments. They call evil good and good evil. The brightness of eternal realities fades away. The truth may be presented in ever so forcible a manner, but they do not hunger for the bread of life, nor thirst for the waters of salvation. They are drinking at broken cisterns, which can hold no water. O, it is an easy thing, by association with the world, to catch the spirit of the world, to be molded by a false view of things, so that the preciousness of Jesus and the truth is not discerned! And just to the degree that the spirit of the world dwells in the heart, to just that degree will it control the life. {RH, August 25, 1910 par. 5} |
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| Who can know, in the moment of temptation, the terrible consequences which will result from one wrong, hasty step! Our only safety is to be shielded by the grace of God every moment, and not put out our own spiritual eyesight so that we will call evil good, and good, evil. Without hesitation or argument we must close and guard the avenues of the soul against evil. {AH 403.1} |
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| And Christians who connect themselves with worldly associations are injuring themselves as well as misleading others. Those who fear God cannot choose the ungodly for companions, and be themselves unharmed. In these societies they are brought under the influence of worldly principles and customs, and through the power of association and habit the mind becomes more and more conformed to the worldling's standard. Their love for God grows cold, and they have no desire for communion with Him. They become spiritually blind. They can see no particular difference between the transgressor of God's law and those who fear God and keep His commandments. They call evil good, and good evil. The brightness of eternal realities fades away. The truth may be presented to them in ever so forcible a manner, but they do not hunger for the bread of life, or thirst for the waters of salvation. They are drinking at broken cisterns that can hold no water. Oh, it is an easy thing, by association with the world, to catch their spirit, to be molded by their views of things, so that we do not discern the preciousness of Jesus and the truth. And just to the degree that the spirit of the world dwells in our heart, it will control our life. {2SM 128.4} |
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| It seemed a small matter to our first parents, when tempted, to transgress the command of God in one small act and eat of a tree that was beautiful to the eye and pleasant to the taste. To the transgressors this was but a small act, but it destroyed their allegiance to God and opened a flood of woe and guilt which has deluged the world. Who can know, in the moment of temptation, the terrible consequences which will result from one wrong, hasty step! Our only safety is to be shielded by the grace of God every moment, and not put out our own spiritual eyesight so that we will call evil, good, and good, evil. Without hesitation or argument, we must close and guard the avenues of the soul against evil. {3T 324.2} |
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| Our only safety is in being shielded by the grace of God every moment, and not putting out our own spiritual eyesight so that we call evil good, and good, evil. Without hesitation or argument, we must close and guard the avenues of the soul against evil. {GW92 205.1} {ML 87.4} |
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| "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink; which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him! Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust; because they have cast away the law of the Lord of Hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel." Please read psalms 91, 92, 95, and 96. {PH086 2.1} |
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| Those who choose as their criterion a fellow being, liable to err, liable to apostatize, looking to erring man for guidance, will be left to follow their pernicious ways, and by them the truth will be evil spoken of. Making flesh their arm, they will lead others astray. And when men fall into errors, and reveal plainly the spirit they are of, let them alone, if after following the directions Christ has given, you fail to bring them to repentance. Do not clasp hands with them, giving them high places of responsibility. When you do this, the Lord is ashamed of you, because you call evil good and good evil. Many a man has been destroyed by being flattered and upheld in a wrong course of action. {Ms1-1905.7} Read entire Manuscript |
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| call evil good |
| Like the Pharisees of old, the self-deceived, the self-sufficient, the self-righteous, refuse to be warned. The Lord points out their dangers, but they do not heed his voice. As they assimilate to the world, they become the friends of evil-doers. While God reproves the transgressor, they feel inclined to excuse and encourage him. Thus they say to the sinner, It shall be well with thee. Such persons call good evil, in that they oppose and denounce those who faithfully deliver the messages of warning and reproof committed to them of God. They call evil good by extolling those who have no reproofs to bear and no warnings to give, who pass along in a careless, indifferent spirit, excusing sin, and by their own course encouraging worldliness and backsliding. All these are sanctioning a deception which has proved the ruin of many. The blood of souls is upon them. Their course is more offensive to God than is that of the open sinner. Anciently, the Lord always had among his people faithful prophets, whom, he sent to reprove sin. He has never removed these from his church. Those who rise up against warning and reproof, and seek by their jests, their smart speeches, or their deceptions, to make of no effect the plain words of reproof prompted by the Spirit of God, will find, in the great day of final reckoning, an account against them which they will not wish to meet. {ST, October 4, 1883 par. 20} |
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