The Life of Victory
No Excuse for Sinning. —" Christ always separates the contrite soul from sin. He came to destroy the works of the devil, and He has made provision that the Holy Spirit shall be imparted to every repentant soul, to keep him from sinning. The tempter's agency is not to be accounted an excuse for one wrong act. Satan is jubilant when he hears the professed followers of Christ making excuses for their deformity of character. It is these excuses that lead to sin. There is no excuse for sinning. A holy temper, a Christlike life, is accessible to every repenting, believing child of God."—" The Desire of Ages," p. 311.
Victory Is Possible.—" I saw that none could share the refreshing ' unless they obtain the victory over every besetment, over pride, selfishness, love of the world, and over every wrong word and action."—" Early Writings," page 71.
" Not one of us will ever receive the seal of God while our characters have one spot or stain upon them."—" Testimonies," Vol. V, p. 214.
How Victory Is Obtained.—" 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."—"Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing," p. 203.
" By His perfect obedience He has made it possible for every human being to obey God's commandments. When we submit ourselves to Christ, the heart is united with His heart, the will is merged in His will, the mind becomes one with His mind, the thoughts are brought into captivity to Him; we live His life. This is what it means to be clothed with the garment of His righteousness."—" Christ's Object Lessons," p. 312.
The Place of the WRL—" Everything depends on the right action of the will. The power of choice God has given to men; it is theirs to exercise. You cannot change your heart, you cannot of yourself give to God its affections; but you can choose to serve Him. You can, give Him your will; he will then work in you to will and to do according to His good pleasure."—" Steps to Christ," p. 62.
" God does not design that our will should be destroyed, for it is only through its exercise that we can accomplish what He would have us do. Our will is to be yielded to Him, that we may receive it again, purified and refined, and so linked in sympathy with the divine that He can pour through us the tides of His love and power."—" Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing," pp. 96, 97.
The Place of Individual Effort.—" A noble, all-round character is not inherited. It does not come to us by accident. A noble character is earned by individual effort through the merits and grace of Christ. God gives the talents, the powers of the mind; we form the character. It is formed by hard, stern battles with self. Conflict after conflict must be waged against hereditary tendencies. We shall have to criticize ourselves closely, and allow not one unfavorable trait to remain uncorrected."—" Christ's Object Lessons," p. 331.
Where Piety Begins.—" Real piety begins when all compromise with sin is at an end. . . . Yielding to temptation begins in permitting the mind to waver, to be inconstant in your trust in God."—" Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing," pp. .136, 137.
— Assembled by Meade MacGuire
