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True Spiritual Condition ( 19 )

Quotations from the writings of Ellen G. White with the phrase . . .

true spiritual condition

Related Phrases: true spiritual condition of the church
- true spiritual state (below) - - true condition - true condition before God

Some of the time spent in the discussion of business matters should have been spent in earnestly seeking the Lord for divine power and guidance to cleanse their souls from sin and be converted. It has been presented to me that the Lord had rich blessings for His people in Washington. In the publishing work, in the sanitarium, there was a rich spiritual experience that the leading men should have obtained but they did not. But much time was occupied in dealing with difficult problems that should not have been touched until by humiliation of heart and by prayer the converting power of God had been realized. The Holy Spirit was waiting for confessions to be made, but with many there was a blindness as to their true spiritual condition. Confessions should have been made with that humility which results from an abhorrence by the individual of his unconverted soul. -- Letter 162, 1909, pp. 1, 2. (To "Our Responsible Men in Washington," Dec. 1, 1909.) {2MR 51.4}

The Lord would have us awake to our true spiritual condition. He desires that every soul shall humble heart and mind before him. The words of inspiration found in the nineteenth and twentieth psalms are presented to me for our people. It is our privilege to accept these precious promises, and to believe the warnings. I pray that our hearts may be fully awake to the perils that surround those who are indifferent to the soul's eternal welfare. We need to search the Scriptures as never before. The Word of God is to be our educator, our guide. {RH, August 5, 1909 par. 10}

Satan is wonderfully successful in infatuating minds with the ever-varying styles of dress. He knows that while the minds of women are continually filled with a feverish desire to follow fashion, their moral sensibilities are weak, and they cannot be aroused to realize their true spiritual condition. They are worldly, without God, without hope. {RH, March 20, 1958 par. 9} {3SM 245.2} {2MR 3.2}

Nineteenth and Twentieth Psalms Especially for Us -- The Lord would have us awake to our true spiritual condition. He desires that every soul shall humble heart and mind before Him. The words of inspiration found in the nineteenth and twentieth psalms are presented to me for our people. It is our privilege to accept these precious promises, and to believe the warnings. I pray that our hearts may be fully awake to the perils that surround those who are indifferent to the soul's eternal welfare. We need to search the Scriptures as never before. The Word of God is to be our educator, our guide. We are to understand what saith the Scriptures. {3BC 1145.5}

I looked over the large congregation assembled in the tent, and thought, If all who have a knowledge of the truth were carrying its sanctifying influence into their home-life, what a light would they be in the world! Home duties are not to be neglected. It is in the home that the real work of properly training the children is to be done, repressing every wrong tendency, strengthening and developing the right. But all here -- ministers, parents, and children -- needed a work done for them which they did not realize. There was a manifest lack of the Spirit of God. I hoped to see the clouds break; for I knew many would never see their true spiritual condition until they should begin to return unto the Lord with full purpose of heart, with repentance, and confession of sins. Some even of those who were preaching the word were as destitute of the Spirit of God as were the mountains of Gilboa of dew and rain. {RH, October 21, 1884 par. 3}

My brethren, be whole-hearted Christians, or else make no profession of Christianity. To many the words are spoken, "I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot; I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth." Their conduct is not in harmony with God's holy law. They present before the world a life of selfishness, corrupted by sin. They do not love Christ; if they did, they would love their brethren. They do not bear witness by unity and unselfish love for one another that God sent his Son to save sinners, to put the impress of divinity on all who believe on him. Ignorant of their true spiritual condition, they place a high estimate on themselves and their efforts. Boastingly, they say, "I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing." But God says to them, "Thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked. I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see." {RH, February 24, 1903 par. 10}

This is a day of spiritual declension. Clouds and thick darkness obscure the spiritual vision, unless there is a daily enlightenment of the Spirit of God. Many who have had great light and have enjoyed precious opportunities, have, through their misconception of their true spiritual condition, become stumbling-blocks for saints and sinners. Groping in a dim twilight, attempting to walk by their own spirit, they stumble and make very crooked paths, and the lame are turned out of the way. They think they are entertaining the hope of seeing Jesus as he is, and being like him; but they forget to purify themselves as he is pure. {ST, July 21, 1887 par. 10}

These words point out your true spiritual condition. The warning comes: "Dr. Kellogg is not a converted man. Some of his associate physicians are so deceived by Satan that they are unable to distinguish between the true and the genuine, the false and the deceptive. They stand directly in his way, hindering him from making a thorough work of repentance." {SpM 342.3}

true sense of their condition

Such persons might reform if they would have any true sense of their condition and the pernicious influence which they exert, and would make decided efforts to correct their errors. But they do not meditate or pray or read the Scriptures as they should. They are frivolous and changeable. They are anchored nowhere. Those who would be faithful and exert a saving influence upon others find this class a stumbling block in their path, and their work is tenfold harder than it otherwise would be. { 4T 566.1}

true spiritual state

Yet God accomplished His own beneficent purpose in permitting the warning of the judgment to be given just as it was. The great day was at hand, and in His providence the people were brought to the test of a definite time, in order to reveal to them what was in their hearts. The message was designed for the testing and purification of the church. They were to be led to see whether their affections were set upon this world or upon Christ and heaven. They professed to love the Saviour; now they were to prove their love. Were they ready to renounce their worldly hopes and ambitions, and welcome with joy the advent of their Lord? The message was designed to enable them to discern their true spiritual state; it was sent in mercy to arouse them to seek the Lord with repentance and humiliation. Great Controversy, page 353.1 Read entire chapter 19

true spiritual condition of the church

Related Phrase: condition of the church ( )

A prayer meeting will always tell the true interest of the church members in spiritual and eternal things.The prayer meeting is as the pulse to the body; it denotes the true spiritual condition of the church. A lifeless, backslidden church has no relish for the prayer meetings.-- Selections from Testimonies to the Managers and Workers in our Institutions (Ph 149, p 32). Pastoral Ministries, page 183.2

Solemn admonitions of warning, manifest in the destruction of dearly cherished facilities for service, say to us: "Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works." Revelation 2:5. Why is there so dim a perception of the true spiritual condition of the church? Has not blindness fallen upon the watchmen standing on the walls of Zion? Are not many of God's servants unconcerned and well satisfied, as if the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night rested upon the sanctuary? Are there not those in positions of responsibility, professing to know God, who in life and character deny Him? Are not many of those who count themselves as His chosen, peculiar people satisfied to live without the evidence that of a truth God is among them to save them from Satan's snares and attacks? {8T 248.1}

The preached Word will be powerless for the conviction and conversion of souls, while a sleepy, lazy, and backslidden church are all that are left to sustain the efforts of the laborer. The efforts of Christ's ambassadors will be successful only when sustained by an earnest, praying, working people.Prayer meetings are neglected, while concerts, singing schools, and various entertainments are faithfully patronized. "It's only a prayer meeting," is often repeated by church members; I can not call them Christians. Exciting popular lectures will interest the church members and call them out, when the prayer meeting has no attraction for them. This reveals the true spiritual condition of the church. God is not pleased with this state of things. Spiritual and eternal things are not appreciated, while temporal matters are exalted above things of eternal interest. {PH149 31.2}

A prayer meeting will always tell the true interest of the church members in spiritual and eternal things. The prayer meeting is as the pulse to the body; it denotes the true spiritual condition of the church. A lifeless, backslidden church has no relish for the prayer meetings. Young men and women of no depth of religious experience, who are vain and proud and frivolous, can feel no satisfaction in engaging in religious exercises. They prefer to pass the time in flirtations or reading novels, or in other ways of pleasing and gratifying the feelings of the natural heart. {PH149 32.1}

4. The preached Word will be powerless for the conviction and conversion of souls, while a sleepy, lazy, and backslidden church are all that are left to sustain the efforts of the laborers. The efforts of Christ's ambassadors will be successful only when sustained by an earnest, praying, working people. Prayer-meetings are neglected, while concerts, singing schools, and various entertainments are faithfully patronized. "It's only a prayer-meeting," is often repeated by church-members; I can not call them Christians. Exciting popular lectures will interest the church-members and call them out, when the prayer-meeting has no attraction for them. This reveals the true spiritual condition of the church. God is not pleased with this state of things. Spiritual and eternal things are not appreciated, while temporal matters are exalted above things of eternal interest. {PH152 6.2}

5. A prayer-meeting will always tell the true interest of the church-members in spiritual and eternal things. The prayer-meeting is as the pulse to the body; it denotes the true spiritual condition of the church. A lifeless, backslidden church has no relish for the prayer-meetings. Young men and women of no depth of religious experience; who are vain and proud and frivolous, can feel no satisfaction in engaging in religious exercises. They prefer to pass the time in flirtations or reading novels, or in other ways of pleasing and gratifying the feelings of the natural heart. {PH152 7.1}

The first angel’s message of Revelation 14, announcing the hour of God’s judgment and calling upon men to fear and worship Him, was designed to separate the professed people of God from the corrupting influences of the world and to arouse them to see their true condition of worldliness and backsliding. In this message, God has sent to the church a warning, which, had it been accepted, would have corrected the evils that were shutting them away from Him. Had they received the message from heaven, humbling their hearts before the Lord and seeking in sincerity a preparation to stand in His presence, the Spirit and power of God would have been manifested among them. The church would again have reached that blessed state of unity,faith, and love which existed in apostolic days, when the believers “were of one heart and of one soul,” and “spake the word of God with boldness,” when “the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.” Acts 4:32, 31; 2:47. Great Controversy, page 379.1 Read entire Chapter 21

The condition of the church at this time is pointed out in the Saviour's words in the Revelation: "Thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead." And to those who refuse to arouse from their careless security, the solemn warning is addressed: "If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee." Revelation 3: 1, 3. Great Controversy, page 309.3 Read entire Chapter 17

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