Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Matthew 5:6.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Christ has given a definition of true sanctification. He lived a life of holiness. He was an object lesson of what His followers are to be. We are to be crucified with Christ, buried with Him, and then quickened by His Spirit. Then we are filled with His life.

Our sanctification is God’s object in all His dealing with us. He has chosen us from eternity that we may be holy. Christ gave Himself for our redemption, that through our faith in His power to save from sin, we might be made complete in Him. In giving us His Word, He has given us bread from heaven. He declares that, if we eat His flesh and drink His blood, we shall receive eternal life. Why do we not dwell more upon this? Why do we not strive to make it easily understood, when it means so much? Why do not Christians open their eyes to see the work God requires them to do? Sanctification is the progressive work of a lifetime. The Lord declares, “This is the will of God, even your sanctification” (1 Thessalonians 4:3). Is it your will that your desires and inclinations shall be brought into conformity to the divine will?

As Christians, we have pledged ourselves to realize and fulfill our responsibilities, and to show to the world that we have a close connection with God. Thus, through the godly words and works of His disciples, Christ is to be represented.

God demands of us perfect obedience to His law—the expression of His character. “Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law” (Romans 3:31). This law is the echo of God’s voice, saying to us, “Holier, yes, holier still.”

Desire the fullness of the grace of Christ; yea, long—hunger and thirst—after righteousness. The promise is, “Ye shall be filled.” Let your heart be filled with an intense longing for this righteousness, the work of which God’s Word declares is peace, and its effect, quietness and assurance forever.

It is our privilege to be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. God has plainly stated that He requires us to be perfect; and because He requires this, He has made provision that we may be partakers of the divine nature. Only thus can we gain success in our striving for eternal life. The power is given by Christ. “As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God” (John 1:12).—Letter 153, September 27, 1902, to Brother and Sister S. N. Haskell.

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Ask ye of the Lord rain in the time of the latter rain; so the Lord shall make bright clouds, and give them showers of rain, to every one grass in the field. Zechariah 10:1.

If you will be faithful to God, self shall be crucified; self shall die, and Christ Jesus shall live in us, and He shall be the hope of our calling; we will represent Jesus Christ to the world. Inquire sincerely, “Am I a Christian?” If I am a Christian, I am looking unto Jesus, the Author and the Finisher of my faith. In Him my hopes of eternal life are centered….

We need not worry about the latter rain. All we have to do is to keep the vessel clean and right side up and prepared for the reception of the heavenly rain, and keep praying, “Let the latter rain come into my vessel. Let the light of the glorious angel which unites with the third angel shine upon me; give me a part in the work; let me sound the proclamation; let me be a colaborer with Jesus Christ.” Thus seeking God, let me tell you, He is fitting you up all the time, giving you His grace.

You need not be worried. You need not be thinking that there is a special time coming when you are to be crucified. The time to be crucified is just now. Every day, every hour, self is to die; self is to be crucified; and then, when the time comes that the test shall come to God’s people in earnest, the everlasting arms are around you. The angels of God make a wall of fire around about and deliver you.

All your self-crucifixion will not do any good then. It must be [done] before the destiny of souls is decided. It is now that self is to be crucified—when there is work to do; when there is some use to be made of every entrusted capability. It is now that we are to empty and thoroughly cleanse the vessel of its impurity. It is now that we are to be made holy unto God. This is our work, this very moment. You are not to wait for any special period for a wonderful work to be done; it is today. I give myself to God today….

Are you ready to make the surrender now? You are to put away your sin right now when you see it…. Do not make leeway [that] you are going to overcome by degrees; you are going to try little by little to give up sin. Now, while it is called today, heed the invitation and harden not your hearts.

Oh, my soul, why not leave the cursed thing today? Sin crucified my Lord. Why not turn from it with loathing? Why not love the things that Christ loved, and hate the things that Christ hated? He has made provision ample enough for you that you can, through Him, be more, yea, more than overcomers.—Manuscript 35, September 26, 1891, “Work and Baptism of Holy Spirit Needed.”

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My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations. James 1:2.

If this [falling into divers temptations] is our privilege, and we cannot think that the apostle has led us astray, then let us by faith appropriate the promises of God to us.

“That ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” The Word does not say, “Count it all joy when ye fall under temptations,” but “when ye fall into temptations.” It is not necessary, because you fall into temptations, that you should fall under them. But it is a comfort to know when you fall into temptation that you are sons and daughters of God, and that the trying of your faith worketh—ill will, murmuring, fretfulness? No, patience! And this is an evidence to us that we are sons and daughters of God, if the trying of our faith worketh patience. But Jesus will help us because we look to God for our support and strength in every emergency.

We learn a lesson in these trials…. “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope: and hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us” (Romans 5:1-5). But many are inclined to think, as these temptations fall upon us, that we must give up in discouragement, that we have no power to overcome. This is unbelief. We become weak because we fall under temptation and sin against God with our lips in talking discouragements and doubts, and talk on the off side and not on the side of hope and faith. You know Christ has had all these temptations. He was tempted in all points as we are. Christ says: “For the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me” (John 14:30)….

As a people we are looking for our Lord to come in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. How careful should we be to examine ourselves to see whether we be in the faith. There seems to be a mist hanging before the eyes of many that they cannot really discern spiritual things and the workings of Satan which threaten to entrap and ruin us. Christians will not be the slaves of passions; they will be controlled by the Spirit of Christ. When they get into perplexity they will not lose patience and faith and hope. The Lord Jesus has helped us out of peril and oppressive difficulties and perplexities hitherto, and He can help us out of our present trials.—Manuscript 20, September 25, 1887, a talk given at a workers’ meeting in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

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Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 2:5.

The Jewish Temple was built of hewn stones quarried out of the mountains, and every stone was fitted for its place in the Temple, hewed, polished, and tested, before it was brought to Jerusalem. And when all were brought to the ground, the building went together without the sound of ax or hammer. This building represents God’s spiritual temple, which is composed of material gathered out of every nation, and tongue, and people, of all grades, high and low, rich and poor, learned and unlearned. These are not dead substances, to be fitted by hammer and chisel. They are living stones, quarried out from the world by the truth; and the great Master Builder, the Lord of the temple, is now hewing and polishing them, and fitting them for their respective places in the spiritual temple. When completed, this temple will be perfect in all its parts, the [object of] admiration of angels and men, for its builder and maker is God.

Let no one think that there need not be a stroke placed upon him. There is no person, no nation, that is perfect in every habit and thought. One must learn from another. Therefore God wants the different nationalities to mingle together, to be one in judgment, one in purpose. Then the union that there is in Christ will be exemplified.

I was almost afraid to come to this country, because I heard so many say that the different nationalities of Europe were peculiar, and had to be reached in a certain way. But the wisdom of God is promised to those who feel their need and who ask for it. God can bring the people where they will receive the truth. Let the Lord take possession of the mind, and mold it as clay is molded in the hands of the potter, and these differences will not exist. Look to Jesus, brethren; copy His manners and spirit, and you will have no trouble in reaching these different classes. We have not six patterns to follow, nor five. We have only one, and that is Christ Jesus. If the Italian brethren, the French brethren, and the German brethren try to be like Him, they will plant their feet upon the same foundation of truth; the same Spirit that dwells in one will dwell in the other—Christ in them, the hope of glory. I warn you, brethren and sisters, not to build up a wall of partition between different nationalities. On the contrary, seek to break it down wherever it exists. We should endeavor to bring all into the harmony that there is in Jesus, laboring for the one object—the salvation of our fellow men.—Manuscript 135, 1901, September 24, 1885, “Unity Among Different Nationalities,” a sermon given in Basel, Switzerland.

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Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven. Matthew 18:10.

As the veil which conceals Christ’s glory from our view is drawn aside, the Saviour is shown to be in His high and holy place, not in solitude, careless and indifferent to our needs, but surrounded by thousands and thousands of holy angels, each one of which has a commission to fulfill for the blessing of humanity.

The Saviour is in communication with every part of His vast dominion. He stoops from His throne to listen to the cries of His children. His heart of love is filled with pity and compassion for them. But His greatest grief, I am instructed to say, comes when grief is brought to those whom He has appointed to do a certain work; when someone who does not understand the will of God urges his way in, to cloud judgment by many words. Months and years may be needed to undo the wrong wrought in the few minutes spent in speaking unadvised words.

Oh, we must not grieve the Saviour by our lack of love for one another…. At one time the disciples came to Jesus with the question, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, and said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:1-3)….

We are engaged in a great and solemn work, and we should follow the Saviour closely. He will lead us to higher and still higher planes of truth. “Ye shall see greater things than these,” He says, “only be diligent students.” He opens to inspection the books where the name of each follower is inscribed, and they see with astonishment the record of actions dishonoring to God and actions commended by Him. Each day’s record shows the workings of providence—the efforts of the Lord to keep men meek and lowly, tenderhearted, and pitiful.

Christ hears every word spoken in disparagement of His children. He knows when they become almost distracted in their work because meddlesome persons, instead of attending to their own work, carry a great burden for the work of someone else…. Could the eyes of the one who is cherishing evil surmisings be opened, he would see the Saviour drawing near to the one whom he has accused, bending over him as, full of perplexity, he kneels beside his couch, weeping, and begging the Lord for strength, for wisdom, for His keeping power.—Manuscript 94, September 23, 1904, “The Sin of Evil-speaking.”

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