"LET THERE BE LIGHT" Ministries
SALVATION THROUGH the TRUTH, part 4a quotes
1) "Is our obedience to God's will (as some assert) composed partly of our efforts and part of God's? No! Such is not the case!" Marked, p 129.
"Forgiveness is a gift, salvation is a gift, and obedience is a gift...He [Christ] wants to give us victory and overcoming as gifts." To Know God, p 101, 112.
"He [Christ] gives us rest...from our own attempt to overcome sin and the devil, and from fighting the battles that Jesus has promised to fight for us." Adventist Review, December 24, 1981, p 5.
2) "...temptation...is the means by which those who claim to be the children of God are tested and tried." SDA Bible Commentary, vol 1, p 1094.
"Temptation is enticement to sin..." Mount of Blessings, p 115-116.
3) "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man..." James 1:13.
4) "Satan seeks to bring us into temptation, that the evil of our characters may be revealed before men and angels, that he may claim us as his own....The enemy leads us into sin, and then he accuses us before the heavenly universe as unworthy of the love of God." Mount of Blessings, p 116.
5) "For we have not an high priest [Christ] which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin." Hebrews 4:15.
"There is no sin in having temptations; but sin comes in when temptation is yielded to." Testimonies, vol 4, p 358.
6) "But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death." James 1:14-15.
7) "The season of temptation, under which, it may be, one falls into grievous sin, does not create the evil that is revealed, but only develops or makes manifest that which was hidden and latent in the heart." Mount of Blessings, p 60.
8) "The strongest temptation is no excuse for sin. However great the pressure brought to bear upon the soul, transgression is our own act. It is not in the power of earth or hell to compel anyone to sin. The will must consent, the heart must yield, or passion cannot overbear reason, nor iniquity triumph over righteousness." Maranatha, p 225.
9) "It is a thought that should arouse Christians to greater zeal and earnestness in overcoming evil, that every defect in character, every point in which they fail to meet the divine standard, is an open door by which Satan can enter to tempt and destroy them; and, furthermore, that every failure and defect on their part gives occasion to the tempter and his agents to reproach Christ." Testimonies, vol 5, p 472.
10) "God's children never claim to be perfect, because they are often weakened by temptation, but they honestly strive for the victory. Satan tempts them to throw away their hope, because they fall under temptation; but they may be reassured by the words of Christ, `I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.'
"Him that cometh to Me, I will in nowise cast out." He came not to save men in sin, but from sin. And all who feel their need of a Saviour, and come to Him believing in His power, will gain the victory over sin. `As many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God.'" The Signs of the Times, February 24, 1898.
11) "The Spirit of Jesus Christ ever has a renewing, restoring power upon the soul that has felt it's own weakness and fled to the unchanging One who can give grace and power to resist evil. Our Redeemer has a broad, comprehensive humanity....The feeblest cry of human suffering never reaches His ear in vain." Spalding and Magan, p 107.
12) "...for without me, ye can do nothing." John 15:5.
13) "All that God requires is simple trust--to drop into His arms with all his weakness, and brokenness, and imperfection, and Jesus will help the helpless, and strengthen and build up those who feel that they are very weakness itself. God will be glorified in his affliction, through the patience, faith, and submission exemplified by him. Oh! this will prove the power of the truth we profess; it is consolation when we need it; it is support when every prop of an earthly nature, which has been a measurable support, is removed." Testimonies, vol 2, p 99.
14) "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." Hebrews 4:16.
"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." Psalms 46:1.
"My help cometh from the Lord....The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul." Psalms 121:2, 7.
15) "There is a mighty power in prayer. Our great adversary is constantly seeking to keep the troubled soul away from God. An appeal to heaven by the humblest saint is more to be dreaded by Satan than the decrees of cabinets or the mandates of kings." SDA Bible Commentary, vol 2, p 1008.
"Satan attacks us at our weak points; but we need not be overcome. The assault may be severe and protracted, but God has promised help for us, and in His strength we may conquer....The precepts and promises of God's word will arm you with divine power to resist the enemy....Satan will be baffled and defeated when he finds the heart preoccupied with the truth of God. We need also to be often found at the throne of grace. Earnest, persevering prayer, uniting our human weakness to Omnipotence, will give us the victory." Our High Calling, p 14.
16) "Satan knows better than God's people the power that they can have over him when their strength is in Christ. When they humbly entreat the mighty Conqueror for help, the weakest believer in the truth, relying firmly upon Christ, can successfully repulse Satan and all his host....
"Satan cannot endure to have his powerful rival appealed to, for he fears and trembles before His strength and majesty. At the sound of fervent prayer, Satan's whole host trembles." Testimonies, vol 1, p 341, 346.
17) "Satan is enraged at the sound of fervent prayer, for he knows that he will suffer loss." Testimonies, vol 1, p 295.
18) "Jesus saith unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth." Mark 9:23.
19) "The Christian life is a battle and a march. But the victory to be gained is not won by human power. The field of conflict is the domain of the heart. The battle which we have to fight--the greatest battle that was ever fought by man--is the surrender of self to the will of God, the yielding of the heart to the sovereignty of love. The old nature, born of blood and of the will of the flesh, can not inherit the kingdom of God. The hereditary tendencies, the formed habits, must be given up." The Signs of the Times, May 18, 1904.
"I saw that the great condescension for man has been made. Jesus condescended to the shameful death of the cross, and now man in his turn must condescend and bow. He must yield up his will and pleasure if he would follow in the only road to heaven. I saw that God would not compel any to be saved. Jesus has made the great sacrifice, and if man will freely, gladly accept it; if he will choose life, he can have it. But his life must be one of continual yielding." Spiritual Gifts, Vol 2, p 278-279.
20) "The power of God, combined with human effort, has wrought out a glorious victory for us. Shall we not appreciate this? All the riches of heaven were given to us in Jesus....God has resources of power of which we as yet know nothing, and from these He will supply us in our time of need. But our effort is ever to combine with the divine. Our intellect, our perceptive powers, all the strength of our being, must be called into exercise. We must co-operate with God in this work of salvation. If we will rise to the emergency, and arm ourselves like men who wait for their Lord; if we will work to overcome every defect in our characters, God will give us increased light and strength and help." Youth's Instructor, January 4, 1900 (p 439-440).
"When Christ would define the advancement possible for us, He said, `Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.' This advancement is not gained without effort. The Christian life is a battle and a march." The Signs of the Times, May 18, 1904.
21) "And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me." Luke 9:23.
"I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily." 1 Corinthians 15:31.
"Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called..." 1 Timothy 6:12.
"We have before us a warfare,--a lifelong conflict with Satan and his seductive temptations. The enemy will use every argument, every deception, to entangle the soul; and in order to win the crown of life, we must put forth earnest, persevering effort. We must not lay off the armor or leave the battlefield until we have gained the victory, and can triumph in our Redeemer. As long as we continue to keep our eyes fixed upon the Author and Finisher of our faith, we shall be safe. But our affections must be placed upon things above, not on things of the earth. By faith we must rise higher and still higher in the attainment of the graces of Christ. By daily contemplating His matchless charms, we must grow more and more into His glorious image. While we thus live in communion with Heaven, Satan will lay his nets for us in vain." Messages to Young People, p 104.
22) "God knows the feebleness of the body and of the mind, and will require no more of him than He will give him strength to perform." Testimonies, vol 2, p 98.
23) "Christ knew of the long years of conflict to be waged between man and his subtle foe. He is the refuge of all who, beset by temptation, call upon Him. Temptation and trial will come to us all, but we need never be worsted by the enemy. Our Saviour has conquered in our behalf. Satan is not invincible. Day by day he meets those who are on trial, striving by his wiles to gain the mastery over them. But they have a Helper who was tempted in all points like as they are, and who knows how to succor them. Temptation is not sin; the sin lies in yielding. To the soul that trusts in Jesus, temptation means victory and greater strength." Signs of the Times, December 10, 1902.
24) "For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also." James 2:26.
"The prayer of faith is the great strength of the Christian and will assuredly prevail against Satan." Testimonies, vol 1, p 296.
"Behold the Son of God bowed in prayer to His Father! Though He is the Son of God, He strengthens His faith by prayer, and by communion with heaven gathers to Himself power to resist evil and to minister to the needs of men. As the Elder Brother of our race He knows the necessities of those who, compassed with infirmity and living in a world of sin and temptation, still desire to serve Him. He knows that the messengers whom He sees fit to send are weak, erring men; but to all who give themselves wholly to His service He promises divine aid. His own example is an assurance that earnest, persevering supplication to God in faith--faith that leads to entire dependence upon God, and unreserved consecration to His work--will avail to bring to men the Holy Spirit's aid in the battle against sin." Acts of Apostles, p 56.
"Man is Satan's captive and is naturally inclined to follow his suggestions and do his bidding. He has in himself no power to oppose effectual resistance to evil. It is only as Christ abides in him by living faith, influencing his desires and strengthening him with strength from above, that man may venture to face so terrible a foe. Every other means of defense is utterly vain. It is only through Christ that Satan's power is limited. This is a momentous truth that all should understand. Satan is busy every moment, going to and fro, walking up and down in the earth, seeking whom he may devour. But the earnest prayer of faith will baffle his strongest efforts. Then take `the shield of faith,' brethren, `wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.'" Testimonies, vol 5, p 294.
25) "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double-minded." James 4:7-8.
"When the first suggestion of wrong is heard, dart a prayer to heaven, and then firmly resist the temptation to tamper with the principles condemned in God's word." SDA Bible Commentary, vol 3, p 1155.
26) "Each one has a personal battle to fight. Each must win his own way through struggles and discouragements. Those who decline the struggle lose the strength and joy of victory. No one, not even God, can carry us to heaven unless we make the necessary effort on our part." Testimonies, vol 5, p 345.
"We give evidence of the sincerity of our prayers by the earnestness of our endeavors to answer them, to overcome the sins which strive for a place in the life. Our prayers will be ineffectual unless we continually strive to correct that which is wrong and unlovely in our lives. If we ask God to work for us, and then make no effort to conquer self, our prayers will rise no higher than our heads. God helps those who co-operate with him. We can obtain forgiveness only through the blood of Christ. His atoning sacrifice is all-powerful. But in the struggle for immortality we have a part to act. Christ will help those who pray and then watch unto prayer. He calls upon us to use every power he has given us in the warfare against sin. We can never be saved in inactivity and idleness. We might as well look for a harvest from seed which we have not sown, and for knowledge where we have not studied, as to expect salvation without making an effort. It is our part to wrestle against the evil tendencies of the natural heart." Youth's Instructor, March 5, 1903 (p 562).
"There is but one power that can bring us into conformity to the likeness of Christ, that can make us steadfast and keep us constant. It is the grace of God that comes to us through obedience to the law of God." My Life Today, p 100.
* Here are the links to the quotes used for the other parts in this series: