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| Higher education calls for something greater, something more divine, than the knowledge to be obtained merely from books. It means a personal, experimental knowledge of Christ; it means emancipation from ideas, from habits and practices, that have been gained in the school of the prince of darkness and which are opposed to loyalty to God. It means to overcome stubbornness, pride, selfishness, worldly ambition, and unbelief. It is the message of deliverance from sin.-- CT 11, 12 (1913). {1MCP 90.2} |
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| As you seek to obtain a knowledge of the truth, you should seek to obtain an experimental knowledge of Christ, that you may work after His methods. You should pray as did Moses, Lord, reveal to me Thy glory. A revelation of the goodness, the tenderness, and love of Jesus toward fallen man, will cause self to sink into nothingness, and will exalt Jesus. Lift Him up, the Man of Calvary; talk of Jesus and His matchless love. There is where many who present the truth fail. They talk doctrines, but do not dwell upon the matchless, forbearing love of Jesus. {TSA 29.1} |
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| I believe we are on the very borders of the eternal world, and I am seeking to keep in constant communion with God. I prize eternal life and nothing shall separate me from the love of God. I want constantly to educate and train my soul to lean on Christ, to draw spiritual strength from Christ. God intends that we shall have an experimental knowledge of Christ, then we can be faithful witnesses for God, testifying of the grace of Christ in words and actions, by conscious and unconscious influence. {TDG 117.1} |
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| While we know Christ in one sense, that He is the Saviour of the world, it means more than this. We must have a personal knowledge and experience in Christ Jesus, an experimental knowledge of Christ, what He is to us, and what we are to Christ. That is the experience that everyone wants. Now, I cannot have it for any of you, nor can you have it for me. The work that is to be done for us, is to be through the manifestation of the Holy Spirit of God upon human minds and human hearts. The heart must be purified and sanctified. {TDG 213.1} {1SAT 304.2} |
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| The apostle continues, "And to virtue, knowledge." The Lord is not pleased to have any of us remain in ignorance. He would have us put to the best use the talents of reason and intelligence that he has given us. We are not excusable if we allow things of minor consequence to so occupy our God-given time that the mind will not be stored with useful knowledge. The mental powers should be taxed to think, and thus we will gain strength to reach any height in knowledge. We must not be satisfied with reaching a low level. There are high and holy attainments for us to reach. But we shall never make that advancement that God would have us until we have an experimental knowledge of Christ and his work of redemption. We must not allow earthly, temporal interests to absorb our minds and steal our affections from our Creator. Although the world with its customs. maxims, and amusements intrudes itself upon the mind, Christians will show by their words and deportment that they have chosen Christ as their portion; they have chosen to be partakers with him of his self-denying, self-sacrificing life, that they may one day be partakers of his glory. {RH, December 1, 1885 par. 4} |
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| What has Christ not done that fallen humanity might be restored to uprightness, and be reconciled to God? Jesus is the great restorer. In consequence of sin, earth was separated from heaven; but Jesus bridged the impassable gulf, united the fallen world with heaven, linked finite man with the infinite God; upon the mystic ladder, Christ, every lost one may gain heaven. Through the plan of God, every soul who has an experimental knowledge of Christ is to be a co-laborer with him in the saving of other souls. You should ask yourself, "What am I doing for the salvation of those for whom Christ died? Wherein am I a laborer together with God?" The ransom for your soul was paid on Calvary's cross; such love Christ had for you, and now wherein do you manifest love for perishing souls? Do you love others as Christ has loved you? There are lost sheep to be brought to the fold. There are prodigals to be received with love and joy, and brought back to the Father's house. Where are the unselfish, disinterested efforts put forth for the uplifting of the lost, for the healing of the erring, for the nourishing of the weak? {RH, February 10, 1891 par. 9} |
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| But Christ is able to do all that he has promised to do for the sin-sick soul. Those who have an experimental knowledge of Christ can testify to his faithfulness and truth. We may have an appreciation of our sinfulness, and realize that we are full of uncleanness, but as the light of heaven reveals the heart's depravity, we should not become discouraged, for there is help in Jesus for the vilest sinner. The promises of God are for all who will accept them, and Jesus says, Come, and I will give you rest. He does not say, Come, and perhaps I will give you rest, but the promise is positive, "Ye shall find rest." As we take his yoke, and learn of him, we find sweet solace in his promises, and our hope of eternal life grows stronger and brighter. {ST, January 19, 1891 par. 7} |
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| A religion of externals is attractive to the unrenewed heart. The pomp and ceremony of the Catholic worship have a seductive, bewitching power by which many are deceived; and they come to look upon the Roman Church as the very gate of heaven. None are proof against her influence but those who have planted their feet firmly upon the foundation of truth, and whose hearts are renewed by the Spirit of God. Thousands who have not an experimental knowledge of Christ will be swept into this deception. A form of godliness without the power is just what they desire. The Romanist feels at liberty to sin, because the church claims the right to pardon. To him who loves self-indulgence, it is more pleasing to confess to a fellow-mortal than to open the soul to God. It is more palatable to human nature to do penance than to renounce sin. It is easier to mortify the flesh by sackcloth and nettles and galling chains than to crucify fleshly lusts. Heavy is the yoke which the carnal heart is willing to bear rather than bow to the yoke of Christ. {ST, June 30, 1898 par. 11} |
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| In a vision last night I saw you writing. One looked over your shoulder, and said: "You, my friend, are in danger. As God's messenger, I come to say, The less you have to do with the matter concerning which you are writing, the clearer will be your judgment. The scriptures teach you all you can learn regarding God, except that which you may learn through an experimental knowledge of Christ, your Teacher. {SpM 331.5} |
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