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God's Will and God's Way
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Quotations from the writings of Ellen G. White with the phrase . . .
 
GOD's Will and GOD's Way  
 
It is man's work to cooperate with the divine. And it is the very hardest, sternest conflict which comes with the purpose and hour of great resolve and decision of the human to incline the will and way to God's will and God's way, relying upon the gracious influences which accompanied him all his life long. The man must do the work of inclining -- "For it is God which worketh in you [us] both to will and to do" (Philippians 2:13). The character will determine the nature of the resolve and the action. The doing is not in accordance with the feeling or the inclination but with the known will of our Father which is in heaven. Follow and obey the leadings of the Holy Spirit. -- Letter 135, 1898.  {2MCP 757.2}
 
 
The long standing in the way of the work of God as you have done is not that you have not had light and evidence, but your stubborn will, like steel would not give up your will and your way to God's will and God's way. You made the statement in the first meeting we held in the room Brother Jones occupied that you did not oppose Bro. A. T. Jones speaking in the tabernacle on the religious Sunday movement. Will you consider this matter because Brethren Prescott, Amadon, and Sicily brought a united testimony on this matter which called forth from me about a fifteen minutes talk as pointed and earnest as I ever made in my life. I answered, Well, if Elder Smith takes that position God will surely remove him out of the way, for God has not given him the authority to say what shall come into the tabernacle from our own people and what shall not. But if he holds that position we will secure a hall in the city and the words God has given Bro. Jones to speak the people shall have them.  {1888 847.1}
 
 
Man's working, as brought out in the text, is not an independent work he performs without God. His whole dependence is upon the power and grace of the Divine Worker. Many miss the mark here, and claim that man must work his own individual self, free from divine power. This is not in accordance with the text. Another argues that man is free from all obligation, because God does it all, both the willing and the doing. The text means that the salvation of the human soul requires the will power to be subjective to the divine will power. . . . And it is the very hardest, sternest conflict which comes with the purpose and hour of great resolve and decision of the human to incline the will and way to God's will and God's way.  {OHC 91.3}
 
God has given us a revelation disclosing to us divine acquirements. The Lord has presented our duties before us in relation to himself and to our fellow-men. None of us are excusable in following our own way, choosing our own course of action; for God's will and God's way have been presented to us in clear light. We are to represent the character of Christ, to sever from us every disposition, every trait of character, that, if cherished, would make us an influence to lead souls away from Christ in place of leading them to him. As the Bible is a revelation of the will of God to man, we should earnestly study that we may know what is truth, and how to practice it.  {SSW, December 1, 1892 par. 1}
 
Man's working, as brought out in the text, is not an independent work he performs without God. His whole dependence is upon the power and grace of the Divine Worker. Many miss the mark here, and claim that man must work his own individual self, free from Divine power. This is not in accordance with the text. Another argues that man is free from all obligation, because God does it all, both the willing and the doing. The text means that the salvation of the human soul requires the will power to be subjective to the Divine will power. . . . And it is the very hardest, sternest conflict which comes with the purpose and hour of great resolve and decision of the human to incline the will and way to God's will and God's way.-- Letter 135, 1898, pp. 1, 4.  {2MR 177.2}

Always the Lord gives the human agent his work. Here is the Divine and the human cooperation. There is the man working in obedience with Divine light given. If Saul had said, "Lord, I am not at all inclined to follow your specified directions to work out my own salvation," then should the Lord have let ten times the light shine upon Saul, it would have been useless. It is man's work to cooperate with the Divine. And it is the very hardest, sternest conflict which comes with the purpose and hour of great resolve, and decision of the human to incline the will and way to God's will and God's way, relying upon the gracious influences which accompanied him all his life long. The man must do the work of inclining,--"For it is God which worketh in you (us) both to will and to do." And the character will determine the nature of the resolve and the action. The doing was not in accordance with the feeling or the inclination, but the known will of our Father which is in heaven. Follow and obey the leadings of the Holy Spirit.  {6MR 14.3}

If I supposed you thought my letters were written to draw means from you, I would stop my letter writing very decidedly. I do not write because I expect you to send us money, but because I wish to help you with the counsel and the light that God has given me. I do not want John to help us here in Australia if the Lord wants him in any other place. I want God's will and God's way to be my will and my way.  {17MR 60.2}
 
Think of the years we have passed in careless indifference, without thought of service to God --years of self-seeking, when life was one long struggle against God's will and God's way.  {18MR 147.3}
 
the will and ways of God
I was instructed that our conference presidents and those who hold responsible positions in the work should be careful to give no encouragement to the speculative plans for the securing of means, for by these plans Satan will work to confuse the judgment. I was shown that in these last days there will arise many deceptive doctrines. Those who stand as teachers in the cause of truth need to learn the way of the Lord, that they may not be easily deceived by the agencies of evil. The work that is so essential to be done in these last days calls for earnest effort, and lives consecrated to entire obedience to the will and ways of God. {SpTB17a 27.2}
 
Related Phrase:   God's Way and God's Will
 
Submit  to  God's  Will  and  God's  Way
 
The baptism of the Holy Ghost as on the day of Pentecost will lead to a revival of true religion, and to the visitation of angels and the performance of many wonderful works. Heavenly intelligences will come among us, and men will speak as they are moved upon by the Holy Spirit of God. But should the Lord work upon men as he did on, and after the day of Pentecost, many who now claim to believe the truth, would know so very little of the operation of the Holy Spirit, that they would cry, "Beware of fanaticism." They would say of those who were filled with the Spirit, "These men are drunk with new wine." The time is not far off now when men will want a much closer relation to Christ, a much closer union with his Holy Spirit than ever they have had, or will have, unless they give up their will and their way, and submit to God's will and God's way. The great sin of those who profess to be Christians is that they do not open the heart to receive the Holy Spirit. When souls long after Christ, and seek to become one with him, then those who are content with the form of godliness, exclaim "Be careful, do not go to extremes." When the angels of heaven come among us, and work through human agents, there will be solid, substantial conversions, after the order of the conversions after the day of Pentecost. Now brethren, be careful and do not go into or try to create human excitement. But while we should be careful not to go into human excitement, we should not be among those who will raise inquiries, and cherish doubts in reference to the work of the Spirit of God; for there will be those who will question and criticize when the Spirit of God takes possession of men and women, because their own hearts are not moved; but are cold and unimpressible.  {1888 1250.1}
 
 
The time is not far off now when men will want a much closer relation to Christ, a much closer union with His Holy Spirit, than ever they have had, or will have, unless they give up their will and their way, and submit to God's will and God's way. The great sin of those who profess to be Christians is that they do not open the heart to receive the Holy Spirit. When souls long after Christ, and seek to become one with Him, then those who are content with the form of godliness, exclaim "Be careful, do not go to extremes." When the angels of heaven come among us, and work through human agents, there will be solid, substantial conversions, after the order of the conversions after the day of Pentecost.  {2SM 57.2}
 
 
The time is not far off now when men will want a much closer relation to Christ, a much closer union with His Holy Spirit than ever they have had, or will have, unless they give up their will and their way, and submit to God's will and God's way. The great sin of those who profess to be Christians is that they do not open the heart to receive the Holy Spirit. When souls long after Christ, and seek to become one with Him, then those who are content with the form of godliness exclaim, "Be careful, do not go to extremes." When the angels of heaven come among us, and work through human agents, there will be solid, substantial conversions, after the order of the conversions after the day of Pentecost. {YRP 322.2}
 
 
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