Christ declared that, after His ascension, He would send to His church, as His crowning gift, the Comforter, who was to take His place. This Comforter is the Holy Spirit--the soul of His life, the efficacy of His church, the light and life of the world. With His Spirit, Christ sends a reconciling influence and a power to take away sin.
God has instructed me to tell you and all His people to be very careful not to resist the working of the Holy Spirit--the Comforter that Christ sends. Fear to take the first presumptuous step in resistance. When Christ spoke to the disciples of the Holy Spirit, He sought to uplift their thoughts and enlarge their expectations to grasp the highest conception of excellence. Let us strive to understand His words. Let us strive to appreciate the value of the wonderful gift He has bestowed on us. Let us seek for the fullness of the Holy Spirit. . . .
I see no other way for us than to heed the words of Christ, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me" (Matt. 16:24). These words we must obey if we gain eternal life. The Majesty of heaven came to this world to teach us this lesson by a life of constant self-denial. Shall we not heed His instruction?
In order to be saved, we must have a full and complete experience in the things of God. The atonement for sin has been made by the gift of the Son of the infinite God. . . .
To bring the sinner to Christ is the work of the Comforter, the Holy Spirit. The Saviour is the divine Example, the perfection of holiness, and He fashions the soul anew. We are privileged to receive from Christ all the excellence necessary for perfection of character. But in order for us to obtain this excellence, we must show more self-denial, more self-sacrifice.
Christ has made every provision for us to be children of God. Oh, my heart says, Praise His holy name that of His fullness we can receive grace for grace. Let us strive, by receiving His word, to reach the high standard of perfection. We are safe only when seeking the qualities that make us children of God, possessors of sanctified excellence.--Letter 155, Sept. 5, 1902, to Judge and Mrs. Arthur, Adventist attorney at the Battle Creek Sanitarium. TDG 257
Speak and act in harmony with your prayers. It will make an infinite difference with you whether trial shall prove your faith to be genuine, or show that your prayers are only a form. Pr 99
And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— John 14:16 (New King James Version)