Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? John 14:9.

There is a world to be warned, and every effort must now be made to exalt the truth…. The great Teacher held in His hand the entire map of truth. In simple language He made plain to His disciples the way to heaven, and the endless subjects of divine power. The question of the essence of God was a subject on which He maintained a wise reserve, for their entanglements and specifications would bring in science which could not be dwelt upon by unsanctified minds without confusion. In regard to God and in regard to His personality, the Lord Jesus said, “Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father” (John 14:9). Christ was the express image of His Father’s person.

The open path, the safe path of walking in the way of His commandments, is a path from which there is no safe departing. And when men follow their own human theories dressed up in soft, fascinating representations, they make a snare in which to catch souls. In the place of devoting your powers to theorizing, Christ has given you a work to do. His commission is, Go throughout the world and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

Before the disciples shall compass the threshold, there is to be the imprint of the sacred name, baptizing the believers in the name of the threefold powers in the heavenly world. The human mind is impressed in this ceremony, the beginning of the Christian life. It means very much. The work of salvation is not a small matter, but so vast that the highest authorities are taken hold of by the expressed faith of the human agent. The eternal Godhead—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost—is involved in the action required to make assurance to the human agent, … confederating the heavenly powers with the human that man may become, through heavenly efficiency, partakers of the divine nature and workers together with Christ.

Man’s capabilities can multiply through the connection of human agencies with divine agencies. United with the heavenly powers, the human capabilities increase according to that faith that works by love and purifies, sanctifies, and ennobles the whole man.—Manuscript 45, May 14, 1904, “That They All May Be One.”

From The Upward Look – Page 148

A woman will be saved … if she perseveres in faith and love and holiness, with modesty. 1 Timothy 2:15, T.E.V.

There is a higher standard for us to reach. We are not making all that advancement that it is our duty or our privilege to make. How is it that we use the talent that God has given us in temporal matters and not in His service? Ought we not to have greater interest in eternal things than in those things which concern our temporal wants?

We have heard desire expressed that husbands and families should come into the truth. This is right; it should be a prominent wish. But do we do all our duty? Do we make all the advancement that we should? Do we not come far short of our duty in meeting the work of progression? Don’t be a spiritual dwarf. We love to see infants and watch their baby ways, but the same ways would be disgusting if retained until the child was two years old. So the Christian must grow. Be conformed to Christ, not deformed. Just feel as though you were anchored in Christ. Let there be a solidity to the sisters who are alone. Avoid frivolity and keep constantly watching.

The rich blessings of heaven are all ready to be showered upon us. Don’t be selfish. With too many, all there is to religion is: Me and my family. They will not go out of their way to help and bless any others. In such case, God cannot bless them. It is when we are drawn out from self that God blesses us. He wants us to be drawn out from ourselves. That which we sow, we will reap. If you sow selfishness, you will reap selfishness, that is, you will have it fastened upon you. Let us get out of self and talk of the mercies and blessings of God.

Let all the sisters feel that if they haven’t a husband to lean upon, they will lean more heavily upon God. Every one of our sisters can be a living missionary, and can bring light into every meeting. Do we act as though we were called from darkness into marvelous light? or as if we were lugging along a heavy weight? We must talk light and pray light, and light will come in. If only women in the church [would] show that God can work through women. It was Mary that first preached a risen Jesus…. There are richer blessings for those that have the harder conflict, for Christ is a present help in trouble. But we must be divested of selfishness; be acquainted with the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world, and we shall thus grow more and more like Jesus till the crown of immortality is placed upon our brows.—Manuscript 2, May 13, 1884, “Sermon by Mrs. E. G. White.”

From The Upward Look – Page 147

Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men. Proverbs 22:29.

Dear son Edson: I fear that you do not always wisely regulate your labor. You sometimes do too much, and then allow precious hours to pass unimproved, thus creating a necessity for extra exertion. Temperate, persevering, steady labor will achieve far more than can be accomplished by spasmodic efforts….

Labor was appointed to man by his Creator. God provided employment for our first parents in holy Eden. And since the Fall, man has been a toiler, eating his bread by the sweat of his brow. Every bone of his body, every feature of his countenance, every muscle of his limbs, evinces the fact that he was made for activity, not for idleness….

The faithful discharge of life’s duties, whatever your position, calls for a wise improvement of all the talents and abilities that God has given you. Guard against being always hurried, yet accomplishing nothing worthy of the effort. These fruitless efforts are often caused by a failure to do the work at the proper time. Whatever is neglected at the time when it should be performed, whether in secular or in religious things, is rarely done well. Many appear to labor diligently every hour in the day, and yet produce no results to correspond with their efforts….

Be careful not to fritter away your time upon trifles, and then fail to carry out your undertakings that are of real account. The church and the world need calm, well-balanced men. To run well for a season is not enough. A steadfast adherence to a purpose is necessary in order to secure the end. A distinguished man was once asked how it was possible for him to accomplish such a vast amount of business. His answer was, “I do one thing at a time.” …

Henry Martyn, both as a man and a missionary, depended not a little upon his habits of regularity. To such an extent did he carry these, that he was known in the university as the student who never wasted an hour…. How many youth who might have become men of usefulness and power have failed because in early life they contracted habits of indecision which followed them through life to cripple all their efforts. Now and then they are filled with sudden zeal to do some great thing, but they leave their work half finished and it comes to nothing. Patient continuance in well doing is indispensable to success.

My dear son, be thorough in all you undertake. Rely constantly upon your Saviour; go to Him for wisdom, for courage, for strength of purpose, for everything you need. May the Lord bless you is the prayer of your mother.—Letter 3, May 12, 1877, to her 27-year-old son Edson.

From The Upward Look – Page 146

I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. John 14:6.

In describing His earthly mission, Jesus declared, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives; and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord” (Luke 4:18, 19).

Are we so closely assimilated to Christ that we can represent His work and follow His example? His work gave character to His mission, showing that it was of divine appointment. In His every word and act were revealed tender compassion, love, and mercy. The poorest and humblest were not afraid to approach Him. He always noticed the little children, and they were attracted to Him.

Our Saviour’s words were plain and decided. He did not suppress one word of truth, but spoke the truth with convincing earnestness. And as He spoke, the desponding drew nearer, and were filled with hope and courage. He was the Prince of heaven. He never spoke a word to give needless pain to any trembling, sensitive soul. He looked with sorrow upon those who rejected Him and made light of His words, and said, “Ye will not come to me, that ye might have life” (John 5:40).

Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. His life on this earth was one of self-denial. He comforted and encouraged everyone who came to Him for relief, for they were all precious in His eyes. He ever bore Himself with divine dignity, yet He bowed Himself with tender regard to every member of the Lord’s family. He came to stand at the head of humanity, to give all who believe on Him power to become the sons and daughters of God. Such is the example we are to follow. If it were followed, the enemy would not receive so large a share of attention and honor as he now receives from those who profess to be followers of Christ, but who in reality are following satanic wiles. God sent His Son into the world that those who believe in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. His followers are to show the strictest honesty, justice, and integrity in their every transaction.

Let the work begin sincerely, through reconversion and transformation of character.—Manuscript 53, May 11, 1905, “Unto Seventy Times Seven.”

From The Upward Look – Page 145

Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. John 6:37.

All that Jesus asks of you is to accept the truth of the gospel just as it reads. Its requirements are plain and right to the point. All God requires of you is to believe His Word, to accept a “Thus saith the Lord.” God’s requirements are His communications to His human family. He speaks to them as intelligent, reasoning agencies, who are responsible to render to Him the fruit of righteousness….

Will you take the Word of God just as it reads? Will you as a responsible agent seek to realize your accountability to God? God is the sovereign of the world. He has entrusted human beings with sacred gifts and endowed them with precious faculties. They are responsible to Him for the right use of these endowments….

We have only to come, complying with the invitation, “If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink” (John 7:37). “Him that cometh to me I will no wise cast out” (chap. 6:37). Every human being, as he reads these words, should feel that he is on holy ground. Remember that the life of the only begotten Son of God was offered up for you. As the Holy Spirit impresses Christ’s words on the heart and mind, man must feel that he is in the presence of superior goodness, superseding immeasurably anything that earth can afford. He must feel that he is occupying holy ground, for he is close to the living fountain of mercy and love.

To Moses, Jehovah declared, “I am that I am” (Exodus 3:14). Christ declared, “Before Abraham was, I am” (John 8:58). By this declaration He laid open the resources of His infinite nature, imparting in His words assurance of pardon for the guilty race. He is the Word, conscious of power that He can take up and lay down His life as He chooses [in order] to secure the salvation of those who have fallen under Satan’s falsehoods and intrigues….

Having brought into the world the great treasures of heaven, owned and created by the eternal God, Christ can give to all eternal life. To all who believe on Him as their personal Saviour, He will give an eternal weight of glory.

To us the invitation is given, “Come out from among them, and be ye separate, … and I will receive you, and will be a father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty” (2 Corinthians 6:17, 18). Thus God has declared His covenant of obedience.—Letter 79, May 10, 1900, to a gracious businessman and his Adventist wife.

From The Upward Look – Page 144