DiggingforTruth

Home Prophecy Spirit of Prophecy Section Selected Quotations - EGW ( 6,000 phrases ) Phrase - Heaven ( Separate page ) [ 81 phrases ]

Ratified in Heaven ( 15 ) - Heaven cannot ratify ( 3 )

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

ratified in heaven

Related Phrase: Heaven cannot ratify ( 3 ) -- God cannot ratify (below) - - heaven will ratify ( 5 )

This statement holds its force in all ages. On the church has been conferred the power to act in Christ's stead. It is God's instrumentality for the preservation of order and discipline among His people. To it the Lord has delegated the power to settle all questions respecting its prosperity, purity, and order. Upon it rests the responsibility of excluding from its fellowship those who are unworthy, who by their unchristlike conduct would bring dishonor on the truth. Whatever the church does that is in accordance with the directions given in God's word, will be ratified in heaven. - {GW 501.4} {7T 263.3} Church Manual, page 58

"Whosesoever sins ye remit," said Christ, "they are remitted; . . . and whosesoever sins ye retain, they are retained." [ John 20: 23 ] Christ here gives no liberty for any man to pass judgment upon others. In the Sermon on the Mount He forbade this. It is the prerogative of God. But on the church in its organized capacity He places a responsibility for the individual members. Toward those who fall into sin, the church has a duty, to warn, to instruct, and if possible to restore. "Reprove, rebuke, exhort," the Lord says, "with all long-suffering and doctrine." 2 Timothy 4:2. Deal faithfully with wrongdoing. Warn every soul that is in danger. Leave none to deceive themselves. Call sin by its right name. Declare what God has said in regard to lying, Sabbathbreaking, stealing, idolatry, and every other evil. "They which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God." Gal. 5:21. If they persist in sin, the judgment you have declared from God's word is pronounced upon them in heaven. In choosing to sin, they disown Christ; the church must show that she does not sanction their deeds, or she herself dishonors her Lord. She must say about sin what God says about it. She must deal with it as God directs, and her action is ratified in heaven. He who despises the authority of the church despises the authority of Christ Himself. Desire of Ages. page 805.4

Deal faithfully with wrong-doing. Warn every soul that is in danger. Leave none to deceive themselves. Call sin by its right name. Declare what God has said in regard to lying, Sabbath-breaking, stealing, idolatry, and every other evil. "They which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God." [GAL. 5:21.] If they persist in sin, the judgment you have declared from God's word is pronounced upon them in heaven. In choosing to sin, they disown Christ; the church must show that she does not sanction their deeds, or she herself dishonors her Lord. She must say about sin what God says about it. She must deal with it as God directs, and her action is ratified in heaven. He who despises the authority of the church, despises the authority of Christ Himself. {GW 502.2}

Let the repentance of the sinner be accepted by the church with grateful hearts. Let the repenting one be led out from the darkness of unbelief into the light of faith and righteousness. Let his trembling hand be placed in the loving hand of Jesus. Such a remission is ratified in heaven. {DA 806.2}

Jesus, in giving the disciples their first commission, had said, "I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of Heaven, and whatsoever thou [referring to responsible men who should represent his church] shalt bind upon earth shall be bound in Heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in Heaven." In renewing the commission of those to whom he had imparted the Holy Ghost, he said, "Whosesoever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whosesoever sins ye retain, they are retained." These words conveyed to the disciples a sense of the sacredness of their work, and its tremendous results. Imbued with the Spirit of God, they were to go forth preaching the merits of a sin-pardoning Saviour; and they had the assurance that all Heaven was interested in their labors, and that what they did on earth, in the spirit and power of Christ, should be ratified in Heaven. {3SP 244.2} {6Red 62.1}

The Lord wants you to humble yourself before Him as a little child. When you do this, you will gain a precious experience. I write you this because I desire you to know that the Lord will work with you when you are willing to be controlled by His Spirit. When you give yourself wholly to Him, a great change will be wrought in you. You will have such a love for the truth that wherever you go, you will bear witness to the Lord's power. He will give you a genuine testimony to bear. Then will the Lord pour out upon you His grace and power, and you will enter a new and living way. Christ's righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your reward. Your words and works will be ratified in heaven. As you work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, God will work in you, to will and to do of His good pleasure. Power to overcome will be given you. When the enemy comes in against you like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him. {BCL 66.4}

When you give yourself wholly to the Lord, great changes will be wrought in you. You will have such a love for the truth, that wherever you go you will bear witness to the Lord's power. He will give you a genuine testimony to bear. He will pour out upon you His grace and power, and you will enter a new and living way. Christ's righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rearward. Your words and works will be ratified in heaven. As you work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, God will work in you to will and to do of His good pleasure. Power to overcome will be given you. When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him. {AUCR, August 15, 1904 par. 1}

The prayer of Christ is for all God's ministers. "Sanctify them to Thy service," Christ prayed. Then their credentials will be ratified in heaven. Qualify them for their office in the ministry. I have called them. They have consented to take up the work that is to be done. {4MR 355.1}

Heaven ratifies the decision of the church

“And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church; but if he neglect to hear the church [if he persists in his unreasonable course and will not be corrected, then there is only one more step to be taken, and that is a very sorrowful one], let him be unto thee as a heathen man and a publican. Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” [Matt. 18:18] When every specification that Christ has given is carried out in the true, Christian spirit, then, and then only, heaven ratifies the decision of the church, because its members have the mind of Christ, and do as Christ would do if he were upon earth. { RH July 22, 1890, par. 5 }

“Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” ( Matthew 18:18). When every specification which Christ has given has been carried out in the true, Christian spirit, then, and then only, Heaven ratifies the decision of the church, because its members have the mind of Christ, and do as he would do were he upon the earth.—Letter 1c, 1890. { 3SM 22.1 }

heaven cannot ratify

Related Phrase: God cannot ratify ( 2 ) see below

Jesus adds to the lesson these words: "Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." [Matt. 18:18] This assurance, that after the rules of Christ have been followed to the letter, the decisions of the church will be ratified in heaven, gives a solemn significance to the action of the church. No hasty steps should be taken to cut off names from the church books, or to place a member under censure until the case has been investigated, and the Bible rule fully obeyed. The word of Christ shows how necessary it is for church officers to be free from prejudice and selfish motives. Human minds and hearts, unless wholly sanctified, purified, and refined from partiality and prejudice, are liable to commit grave errors, to misjudge and deal unkindly and unjustly with souls that are the purchase of the blood of Christ. But the decision of an unjust judge will be of no account in the court of heaven. It will not make an innocent man guilty, nor change his character in the least before God. As surely as men in responsible positions become lifted up in their own esteem, and act as though they were to lord it over their brethren, they will render many decisions which heaven cannot ratify. {HM, February 1, 1892 par. 13} {RH, April 16, 1895 par. 10}

Jesus adds to the lesson these words: "Verily, I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." This assurance that after the rules of Christ have been followed to the letter the decisions of the church will be ratified in heaven, gives a solemn significance to the action of the church. No hasty steps should be taken to cut off names from the church books or to place a member under censure until the case has been investigated and the Bible rule fully obeyed. {15MR 194.1}

The words of Christ show how necessary it is for church officers to be free from prejudice and selfish motives. Human minds and hearts, unless wholly sanctified, purified, and refined from partiality and prejudice, are liable to commit grave errors, to misjudge and deal unkindly and unjustly with souls that are the purchase of the blood of Christ. But the decision of an unjust judge will be of no account in the court of heaven. It will not make an innocent man guilty, nor change his character in the least before God. As surely as men in responsible positions become lifted up in their own esteem, and act as though they were to lord it over their brethren, they will render many decisions which Heaven cannot ratify. {15MR 194.2}

"It is folly to bid the sinner come to Christ before being convicted of his sin by being brought before the mirror of the law of God. What is the sinner to be converted from? The transgression of God's law to obedience of it. But if he is told that he cannot keep the law of God, and that if he should attempt it he would be brought into bondage, to what is he then converted, -- transgression of the law to a continuance in that transgression? This is absurd. Yet professed ministers of Christ tell the sinner that he is guiltless while disloyal to the law of God. Such conversions are not ratified in heaven. {ST, July 18, 1878 par. 10}

Writing Article: Will God allow proper procedure to convict the innocent?

God cannot ratify

One of the most deplorable things upon the earth is the fact that there are passionate governors and unjust judges. They forget that they are under the authority of the great Governor, the all-wise God, and that he is above every ruler, prince, governor, or king. Rulers are God’s servants, and they are to serve their time as his apprentices. It is for their good that they faithfully follow the plain “thus saith the Lord,” keeping the way of the Lord to do justice and judgment. They are to exercise their powers without partiality and without hypocrisy, refusing to be bought or sold, scorning all bribes, and standing in moral independence and dignity before God. They are not to connive at one act of dishonesty or injustice. They are not to do a base, unjust action themselves, nor to sustain others in acts of oppression. Wise rulers will not permit the people to be oppressed because of the envy and jealousy of those who disregard the law of God. It was this spirit that ruled the scribes and the Pharisees in their condemnation and crucifixion of the world’s Redeemer. All need to keep eternity in view, and not to act in such a way that God cannot ratify their judgment in the courts of heaven. { RH October 1, 1895, par. 11 }

Rulers are God’s servants, and they are to serve their time as His apprentices. It is for their good that they faithfully follow the plain “Thus saith the Lord,” keeping the way of the Lord to do justice and judgment. They are to exercise their powers without partiality and without hypocrisy, refusing to be bought or sold, scorning all bribes, and standing in moral independence and dignity before God. They are not to connive at one act of dishonesty or injustice. They are not to do a base, unjust action themselves, nor to sustain others in acts of oppression. Wise rulers will not permit the people to be oppressed because of the envy and jealousy of those who disregard the law of God.... All need to keep eternity in view, and not to act in such a way that God cannot ratify their judgment in the courts of heaven ( The Review and Herald, October 1, 1895). { 6BC 1081.9 }

This phrase appears in only these two places

Return to Selected Quotations by EGW page

Return to Phrases related to Heaven page

diggingfortruth.org