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| We are laborers together with God. The frail instrument is nothing, but worked by the Holy Spirit man can accomplish much. All human effort combined is weakness without the deep moving of the Spirit of God. The Lord is the worker. Without His help the deep learning and restless energy of a Paul, the eloquence and talent of an Apollos, would fall infinitely short of convicting and bringing one soul to repentance. But man is of value if soul, body, and spirit are prepared to cooperate with divine power. While man can do nothing without God, the Lord would do nothing without the human channel through which to communicate His truth to humanity.-- Letter 85, 1898, p. 4. (To C. H. Jones, Oct. 7, 1898.) {2MR 38.3} |
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| But Christ represents his people who have not lost their vital connection with God, as the light of the world. He says: "Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill can not be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." The Jews had erected a partition wall between themselves and every other people, but this was not after the direction of the Lord. When the Lord gives light and knowledge, it is not that men may exclude themselves from others, that they may hide the light in selfishness, so the divine rays shall not come to the people through the human channel that God has appointed; but he gives light, that it may be diffused, that men may see the good works of his followers, and be led to glorify God. {ST, October 29, 1896 par. 4} |
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Working through His Holy Spirit He sanctifies and cleanses the soul temple. Thus, though his whole powers had become deranged, man may be brought back restored to his original relationship to God, and become an agent of good to every other man. In place of the diseased, soul-and-body-destroying principles of evil, he follows heavenly principles. Sanctified by the agency of the Holy Spirit, his influence upon his fellow man becomes aggressive to expel from the earth the evils produced through the satanic perversion of that which God designed should be only good. All these perverted powers the Lord Jesus will turn to His service, and man becomes the human channel to work the will of God to redeem and bring back the people that have broken away from their allegiance to God, and to unite them to their proper Center. {18MR 208.3}
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| Cannot you see that eternal interests are involved in your life practice? Every one is deciding his own destiny. He who reigns in heaven allows every man to take his position to hasten or retard his Lord's appearing. All who consent to be freed from their natural selfishness, and to [be] charged with the Holy Spirit of God, are taking part with God; as the human channel they are pouring forth the currents of a divine influence. Their work has God's blessing within it. They are building upon the foundation, gold, silver, precious stones. When the day of judgment shall try every man's work, of what sort it is, the gold, silver, precious stones, are imperishable; the wood, hay, stubble, are consumed, and the life work of the builder is lost. Just in proportion to man's consecration to God in this life, will be his advancement in the future life. According to its character, his work is rewarded, and determines his place in the temple of God. {1888 1511.1} |
