Praise God, From Whom All Blessings Flow

The following paper is a compilation of quotes from the Spirit of Prophecy that are arranged in sequence according to the plan of salvation. Each quote contains the word "flow" highlighted in blue print. I found this compilation to be an excellent complement to the paper: "Breath of God the Breath of Life." The paper flows really well from start to finish!


Praise God, From Whom All Blessings Flow

God is love. Like rays of light from the sun, love and light and joy flow out from Him to all His creatures. It is His nature to give. His very life is the outflow of unselfish love. {MB 77.2}

God is the source of life and light and joy to the universe. Like rays of light from the sun, like the streams of water bursting from a living spring, blessings flow out from Him to all His creatures. {SC 77.1}

Such was the condition that existed in heaven before the disaffection of Satan. The heavenly current flowed through the universe of God without one cloud of evil to cast a shadow upon its bright waters. Everywhere spotless purity was reflected as in a mirror. And God was over all. But Satan fell. The human race were created. Adam and Eve fell. And now the Lord Jesus has himself bridged the gulf that sin has made, and the whole scheme of redemption has been put in operation to restore the moral image of God in man. {1888 1428.1}

When the earth was created, it was holy and beautiful. God pronounced it very good. Every flower, every shrub, every tree, answered the purpose of its Creator. Everything upon which the eye rested was lovely and filled the mind with thoughts of the love of God. Through tempting man to sin, Satan hoped to counteract the tide of divine love flowing to the human race; but, instead of this, his work resulted in calling forth new and deeper manifestations of God's mercy and goodness. {7T 87.1}

The value of man is estimated in heaven according to the capacity of the heart to know God. This knowledge is the spring from which flows all power. God created man that every faculty might be the faculty of the divine mind; and He is ever seeking to bring the human mind into association with the divine. {RC 156.6}

The tide of woe that flowed from the transgression of our first parents is regarded by many as too awful a consequence for so small a sin, and they impeach the wisdom and justice of God in His dealings with man. But if they would look more deeply into this question, they might discern their error. God created man after His own likeness, free from sin. The earth was to be peopled with beings only a little lower than the angels; but their obedience must be tested; for God would not permit the world to be filled with those who would disregard His law. Yet, in His great mercy, He appointed Adam no severe test. And the very lightness of the prohibition made the sin exceedingly great. If Adam could not bear the smallest of tests, he could not have endured a greater trial had he been entrusted with higher responsibilities. {PP 60.4}

Man has forsaken God in almost everything, and has turned the attention to self. He has left the pure springs of living waters which flow from the throne of God, and hewn out to himself broken cisterns, which can hold no water. God gave man a probation that he might be fitted for heaven. He was to look upward to God, who was to be the soul's adoration; but talent, skill, and inventive powers are all exercised to make self the supreme object of attention. Man has withdrawn his gaze from Deity, and fastened his eyes upon the finite, the earthly, the corruptible. {RH, December 9, 1884 par. 10}

The adversary of souls is ever on the alert to open channels for the unrestrained flow of evil in our nature, that we have not overcome; for he desires that we may be ruined, and be condemned before God. {ST, August 26, 1889 par. 6}

This spirit of greed and lust is in the world, all about us, but it will not do for us to float along with the current of covetousness that flows on all sides. {ST, January 12, 1891}

Infidelity and skepticism prevail. Iniquity abounds. Corruption flows in the vital currents of the soul, and rebellion against God breaks out in the life. Enslaved by sin, the moral powers are under the tyranny of Satan. The soul is made the sport of his temptation; and unless some mighty arm is stretched out to rescue him, man goes where the arch rebel leads the way. {PUR, May 22, 1902 par. 1}

The only satisfaction Satan takes in playing the game of life for the souls of men is the satisfaction he takes in hurting the heart of Christ. Though He was rich, for our sake Christ became poor, that we through His poverty might be made rich. Yet in view of this great fact, the majority of the world permit earthly possessions to eclipse heavenly attractions. They set their affections upon earthly things, and turn away from God. What a grievous sin it is that men will not come to their senses, and understand how foolish it is to permit inordinate affections for earthly things to expel the love of God from the heart. When the love of God is expelled, the love of the world quickly flows in to supply the vacuum. The Lord alone can cleanse the soul temple from the moral defilement. {CS 136.2}

For ages sin had interrupted the flow of divine benevolence to man; but God's mercy and love for the fallen race have not ceased to accumulate, nor lost their earthward direction. The inhabitants of the world, their reason perverted, have turned the earth into a lazar-house. But God still lives and reigns, and in Christ He has poured on the world a healing flood. In the gift of God's dear Son, a definite view of His character has been given to the race that is never absent from His mind. His very heart is laid open in the royal law. That infinite standard is presented to all, that there may be no mistake in regard to that kind of people God would have compose His kingdom. It is only those who are obedient to all His commandments who will become members of the royal family, children of the heavenly King. {ST, November 17, 1898 par. 8}

Shall man set up his will against the will of God? Shall we be disobedient to the commands of so mighty a Ruler? Shall we contend with the Most High, who is the source of all power, and from whose heart flows infinite love and blessing to the creatures of His care? {LS 230.3}

God prepared the way for the coming of his Son by scattering the Old Testament Scriptures among heathen and idolaters. Divine power went with the Word. It carried with it the evidence of its power; for it bore the divine credentials. Thus the way was prepared for the great Teacher. "But when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth his Son." Christ came to teach lessons that would echo and re-echo from generation to generation. The teaching of the rabbis consisted of a monotonous repetition of maxims and traditions. Christ spoke with an assurance that impressed his hearers. His whole being was charged with divine love. His heart was filled with sympathy for mental and physical distress, which he met wherever he went. He bore a living testimony that he came not to destroy life, but to save it. By look and word he drew men to himself. Sympathy and love flowed from him to the distressed and suffering. The beauty of his countenance and the loveliness of his character attracted the people. No sooner did they look upon his face, and hear his gracious words, than their hearts were filled with a warm glow of love. {YI, September 13, 1900 par. 1

The Lord of glory clothed his divinity with humanity, and came to our world to endure self-denial and self-sacrifice, in order that the moral image of God might be restored in man. All the heavenly attributes were in his heart in abundance, and flowed out in an irrepressible stream of good works. Mark how readily and heartily he ministered to those in need, how his eyes took in the situation of every tempted soul, how his heart was touched with human woe! {RH, March 1, 1898 par. 2}

"And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. . . . And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace." This is the vital current that is to flow from the heart of Christ as living water into the human vessel, from whence it again flows in rich currents, revealing Jesus, the fountainhead. {RH, February 18, 1896 par. 10}

We behold God in Jesus. Looking unto Jesus we see that it is the glory of our God to give. "I do nothing of myself," said Christ; "the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father." "I seek not mine own glory," but the glory of Him that sent Me (John 8:28; 6:57; 8:50; 7:18). In these words is set forth the great principle which is the law of life for the universe. All things Christ received from God, but He took to give. So in the heavenly courts, in His ministry for all created beings: through the beloved Son, the Father's life flows out to all; through the Son it returns, in praise and joyous service, a tide of love, to the great Source of all. And thus through Christ the circuit of beneficence is complete, representing the character of the great Giver, the law of life. {DA 19-21}

Christ represented his Father; he knew how the Father would do under any and every circumstance, and he did just as the Father would do. He made manifest in his work the ways of God. The living God was working through his Son. Jesus, when he was found in fashion as a man, had a realizing sense of the world's needs, and he employed his human, God-given powers for the benefit of men, while in every act of mercy and healing he drew upon the divine power, even the power that made the worlds. The Lord Jesus is all ready to impart the very same aid to all who will consecrate their powers to his service, who feel the need of the impartation of his grace. To all who desire to be recipients of his Spirit, the virtue flows out from Christ. And it is in this way that the character of God, the perfection of Christ and the Father, is brought before the world. The human agent is complete in Christ. Learning in the school of Christ, daily studying his life, we become one with him, and reflect the virtues of his character. {RH, October 14, 1902 par. 11}

The importance and the opportunities of the home life are illustrated in the life of Jesus. He who came from heaven to be our example and teacher spent thirty years as a member of the household at Nazareth. Concerning these years the Bible record is very brief. No mighty miracles attracted the attention of the multitude. No eager throngs followed His steps or listened to His words. Yet during all these years He was fulfilling His divine mission. He lived as one of us, sharing the home life, submitting to its discipline, performing its duties, bearing its burdens. In the sheltering care of a humble home, participating in the experiences of our common lot, He "increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man." Luke 2:52. During all these secluded years His life flowed out in currents of sympathy and helpfulness. His unselfishness and patient endurance, His courage and faithfulness, His resistance of temptation, His unfailing peace and quiet joyfulness, were a constant inspiration. He brought a pure, sweet atmosphere into the home, and His life was as leaven working amidst the elements of society. None said that He had wrought a miracle; yet virtue--the healing, life-giving power of love--went out from Him to the tempted, the sick, and the disheartened. In an unobtrusive way, from His very childhood, He ministered to others, and because of this, when He began His public ministry, many heard Him gladly. {MH 350.1}

Jesus was the fountain of healing mercy for the world; and through all those secluded years at Nazareth, his life flowed out in currents of sympathy and tenderness. The aged, the sorrowing, and the sin-burdened, the children at play in their innocent joy, the little creatures of the groves, the patient beasts of burden,--all were happier for his presence. He whose word of power upheld the worlds, would stoop to relieve a wounded bird. There was nothing beneath his notice, nothing to which he disdained to minister. {YI, May 25, 1909 par. 10}

Christ went about doing good, feeding the hungry, healing the sick, comforting the downcast. None in need of succor went from Him without finding sympathy--sympathy shown not only in word but in deed. In His presence every stricken, sorrowing heart was soothed and lightened. He did not think of Himself or seek His own interests. He lived to benefit others, to bring relief to the suffering and oppressed. The unwearied servant of man's necessity, He was blessed Himself in relieving others. His heart of love was a fountain of blessings that ever flowed forth to gladden hearts. {18MR 175.3}

The Sabbath was Christ's busiest day for healing the sick. On this day He could best reach those who were laboring during the week. Wherever He went, He was a medical missionary, an unerring physician, speaking words of comfort and love. From Him flowed a stream of healing power, and the sick were made whole. He healed men and women with unhesitating willingness and with hearty joyfulness; for He was glad to be able to restore suffering ones to health. {5MR 84.2}

Varied were the circumstances and needs of those who besought His aid, and none who came to Him went away unhelped. From Him flowed a stream of healing power, and in body and mind and soul men were made whole. {MH 17.2}

During every hour of Christ's sojourn upon the earth, the love of God was flowing from Him in irrepressible streams. All who are imbued with His Spirit will love as He loved. The very principle that actuated Christ will actuate them in all their dealing one with another. {LHU 298.2}

It was the joy of Christ's soul to do good to men. Many times He sighed in spirit and was very sorrowful. Many times His tears flowed, expressing His anguish of soul when He beheld the unbelief, the ingratitude, and felt the hatred of those He came to bless and save. Jesus in heaven looks with grief upon the insensibility of souls upon whom the richest of His favors have been poured without effect. He has made man, given him the wondrous faculties of the mind, the noble affections of the heart, and these gifts they use against the Giver. They despise obedience to Christ. Their ears are not inclined to hear His voice, their tongues speak not His praise. {11MR 26.3}

The humanity of Christ received the fallen foe and engaged in battle with him. He was sustained in the conflict by divine power just as man will be sustained by his being a partaker of the divine nature. He gained victory after victory as our Champion, the Captain of our salvation, and the divine approval of God and all the universe of heaven flowed into His soul. His nature was shocked almost unto death, but the heavenly angels ministered unto the suffering One. {16MR 183.3}

Christ overcame Satan on every point. The wily foe could not induce Him to swerve from His allegiance to the Father. "Get thee behind Me, Satan," Christ said; "for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve." The Captain of our salvation overcame for us; Satan left the field a conquered foe. But the strain upon Christ had left Him as one dead. "And, behold, angels came and ministered unto Him." Their arms encircled Him. Upon the breast of the highest angel in heaven His head rested. Divine consolation flowed into His soul. The foe was vanquished. Humanity was placed on vantage ground. Christ had conquered. Those who became partakers of the divine nature would be able to resist the temptations of the enemy. {BEcho, September 3, 1900 par. 12}

"Jesus said, "I lay down my life for the sheep. . .Therefore doth my Father love me." By taking your sins upon myself, I am opening a channel through which his Grace can flow to all who will accept it. In giving myself for the sins of the world, I have prepared a way for the unrepressed tide of his love to flow to men. {PC 339.1}

There stood the Son of God, wearing the robe of mockery and the crown of thorns. Stripped to the waist, His back showed the long, cruel stripes from which the blood flowed freely. His face was stained with blood, and bore the marks of exhaustion and pain; but never had it appeared more beautiful. Every feature expressed gentleness and resignation, and the tenderest pity for His cruel foes. In striking contrast was the prisoner at His side. Every line of the countenance of Barabbas showed him to be the hardened ruffian that he was. Among the beholders there were some who sympathized with Jesus. Even the priests and rulers were convicted that He was what He claimed to be. But they would not yield. They had moved the mob to a mad fury, and again priests, rulers, and people raised the cry: "Crucify Him, crucify Him!" {SJ 136.3}

Christ's enemies had demanded a miracle as evidence of His divinity. They had evidence far greater than any they had sought. As their cruelty degraded His torturers below humanity into the likeness of Satan, so did His meekness and patience exalt Jesus above humanity, and prove His kinship to God. His abasement was the pledge of His exaltation. The blood drops of agony that from His wounded temples flowed down His face and beard were the pledge of His anointing with "the oil of gladness" (Heb. 1:9.) as our great high priest. {DA 734.4}

There is a corrupt harmony in the feelings of all, from the hypocritical priests and the elders down to the most debased. Christ, the precious Son of God, was led forth, and the cross was laid upon his shoulders. At every step was left blood which flowed from his wounds. Thronged by an immense crowd of bitter enemies and unfeeling spectators, he is led away to the crucifixion. "He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth. He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. {ST, August 21, 1879 par. 13}

As man's substitute and surety, the iniquity of men was laid upon Christ; he was counted a transgressor that he might redeem them from the curse of the law. The guilt of every descendant of Adam of every age was pressing upon his heart; and the wrath of God, and the terrible manifestation of his displeasure because of iniquity, filled the soul of his Son with consternation. The withdrawal of the divine countenance from the Saviour, in this hour of supreme anguish, pierced his heart with a sorrow that can never be fully understood by man. Every pang endured by the Son of God upon the cross, the blood drops that flowed from his head, his hands, and feet, the convulsions of agony which racked his frame, and the unutterable anguish that filled his soul at the hiding of his Father's face from him, speak to man, saying, It is for love of thee that the Son of God consents to have these heinous crimes laid upon him; for thee he spoils the domain of death, and opens the gates of Paradise and immortal life. He who stilled the angry waves by his word, and walked the foam-capped billows, who made devils tremble, and disease flee from his touch, who raised the dead to life and opened the eyes of the blind,--offers himself upon the cross as the last sacrifice for man. He, the sin-bearer, endures judicial punishment for iniquity, and becomes sin itself for man. {3SP 162.2}

It was not the dread of death which caused the inexpressible agony of Jesus. To believe this would be to place him beneath the martyrs in courage and endurance; for many of those who have died for their faith, yielded to torture and death, rejoicing that they were accounted worthy to suffer for Christ's sake. Christ was the prince of sufferers; but it was not bodily anguish that filled him with horror and despair; it was a sense of the malignity of sin, a knowledge that man had become so familiar with sin that he did not realize its enormity, that it was so deeply rooted in the human heart as to be well-nigh impossible to eradicate. It was the guilt of sin, bringing the Father's wrath upon him as man's substitute, that broke the heart of the Son of God. Every pang that he endured upon the cross, the blood-drops that flowed from his head, his hands, and feet, the agony that racked his frame, and the unutterable anguish that filled his soul at the hiding of his Father's face, speak to man, saying, It is for love of thee that the Son of God consents to have these heinous crimes laid upon him; for thee he spoils the domain of death, and opens the gates of Paradise and immortal life. He who stilled the angry waves by his word, and walked the foam-capped billows, who made devils tremble, and disease flee from his touch, who opened the eyes of the blind, and raised the dead to life,--offers himself upon the cross as the all-sufficient sacrifice for man. {PrT, February 4, 1886 par. 1}

"Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar; and they filled a sponge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to His mouth. When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, He said, It is finished." There was a shriek, shrill and agonizing, and the Son of God expired. He died of a broken heart. When the spear was thrust into His side, there flowed forth blood and water. His heart was broken by His mental agony. And the hearts of all who seek the Lord and find Him will be broken as they see the result of sin. {ST, April 14, 1898 par. 10}

It was a costly sacrifice that the Lord of heaven made. Divine benevolence was stirred to its unfathomable depths; it was impossible for God to give more. "God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Why is our gratitude so limited? It is only as a ripple on the surface compared with the great tide of love that flows to us from the Father. {AUCR, October 7, 1907 par. 6}

Who can comprehend the love here displayed? The angelic host beheld with wonder and with grief Him who had been the majesty of Heaven, and who had worn the crown of glory, now wearing the crown of thorns, a bleeding victim to the rage of an infuriated mob, who were fired to insane madness by the wrath of Satan. Behold the patient sufferer! Upon his head is the thorny crown! His life blood flows from every lacerated vein! All this was in consequence of sin! Nothing could have induced Christ to leave his honor and majesty in Heaven, and come to a sinful world, to be neglected, despised, and rejected, by those he came to save, and finally to suffer upon the cross, but eternal, redeeming love, which will ever remain a mystery. {ST, August 21, 1879 par. 10}

The Highest, who was with the Father before the world was, submitted to humiliation that He might uplift humanity. Prophecy withdraws the veil, that we may behold the throne of heaven, that we may see upon that throne, high and lifted up, One who in human form came to our world to suffer, to be lacerated with stripes, and bruised for our iniquities. "The chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed." Before the heavenly universe the Lord of Glory suffered in human form that sin might be pardoned, and sinners redeemed. He died that the love of God, as a mighty helper, might flow to all suffering human beings. Through yielding to sin, man placed his will under the control of Satan. He became a helpless captive in the tempter's power. God sent His Son into our world to break the power of Satan, and to emancipate the will of man. He sent Him to proclaim liberty to the captives, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free. By pouring the whole treasury of heaven into this world, by giving us in Christ all heaven, God has purchased the will, the affections, the mind, the soul, of every human being. When man places himself under the control of God, the will becomes firm and strong to do right, the heart is cleansed from selfishness and filled with Christ-like love. The mind yields to the authority of the law of love, and every thought is brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. The powers, hitherto "members of unrighteousness," and "servants of sin," are consecrated to the service of the God of love. {AUCR, June 1, 1900 par. 10}

The Lord purifies the heart very much as we air a room. We do not close the doors and windows and throw in some purifying substance; but we open the doors and throw wide the windows, and let heaven's purifying atmosphere flow in. The Lord says, "He that doeth truth cometh to the light" (John 3:21). The windows of impulse, of feeling, must be opened up toward heaven, and the dust of selfishness and earthliness must be expelled. The grace of God must sweep through the chambers of the mind, the imagination must have heavenly themes for contemplation, and every element of the nature must be purified and vitalized by the Spirit of God. {YRP 293.3}

From the smitten rock in Horeb first flowed the living stream that refreshed Israel in the desert. During all their wanderings, wherever the need existed, they were supplied with water by a miracle of God's mercy. . . . The smitten rock was a figure of Christ, and through this symbol the most precious spiritual truths are taught. As the life-giving waters flowed from the smitten rock, so from Christ, "smitten of God," "wounded for our transgressions," "bruised for our iniquities" (Isa. 53:4, 5), the stream of salvation flows for a lost race. As the rock had been once smitten, so Christ was to be "once offered to bear the sins of many" (Heb. 9:28). Our Saviour was not to be sacrificed a second time; and it is only necessary for those who seek the blessings of His grace to ask in the name of Jesus, pouring forth the heart's desire in penitential prayer. Such prayer will bring before the Lord of hosts the wounds of Jesus, and then will flow forth afresh the life-giving blood, symbolized by the flowing of the living water for Israel. . . . {TMK 23.4}

In this portion of sacred history is a precious lesson of faith for all who are convicted of sin, and weighed down with a sense of their unworthiness. When they compare their characters with God's great standard of right, they see themselves condemned as transgressors. There is no power in law to free them from their guilt. But as they confess their sins, they can find pardon through Christ. From him flows the cleansing stream that can wash away the stains of sin. When the sinner has come to Christ with contrition of soul, confessing his transgressions, it is then his duty to appropriate to himself the Saviour's promise of pardon to the repentant and believing. He who seeks to find goodness and cause for rejoicing in himself, will always be in despair; but he who looks to Jesus, the author and finisher of his faith, can say with confidence, "I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me." {SW, June 7, 1904 par. 5}

"In all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people" (Heb. 2:17), through the atonement. The repenting sinner is to believe in Christ as his personal Saviour. This is his only hope. He may lay hold on the merits of the blood of Christ, presenting to God the crucified and risen Saviour as his worthiness. Thus through Christ's offering of Himself, the innocent for the guilty, every obstruction is removed, and the pardoning love of God flows forth in rich streams of mercy to fallen man. . . . {TDG 38.3}

The transforming influence of truth sanctifies the soul. He loves the commandments of God. His fear and condemnation are gone. The love of Christ, expressed in His great sacrifice to save man, has broken every barrier down. The love of God flows into the soul, and gratitude springs up in the heart that was as cold as a stone. Christ crucified, Christ our righteousness, wins the heart and brings it to repentance. This theme is so simple that children can grasp it, the wise and learned are charmed with it, while they behold it in its depths of wisdom, love, and power which they can never fathom. We want to present this precious truth to the people who are bound in sin. Let all see that Christ was slain for their transgressions, that He desires to save them. {ML 265.3}

In God's forgiveness the heart of the erring one is drawn close to the great heart of Infinite Love. The tide of divine compassion flows into the sinner's soul, and from him to the souls of others. The tenderness and mercy that Christ has revealed in His own precious life will be seen in those who become sharers of His grace. . . . {RC 275.6}

Every soul that believes in Jesus Christ as his personal Saviour, what then? Then the love flows from the heart of God to his heart. What does that heart do then? It turns to serve God and keep His commandments lest it will be found as Adam and Eve were after their transgression. We cannot afford that. We cannot afford to sin. Sin is an expensive business. . . . {TDG 86.2}

When man believes in Christ as his personal Saviour, he is eating the daily bread which has been purchased for him at an infinite cost. As by eating temporal food the physical system becomes strong, so by eating the flesh of the Son of God the spiritual nature is strengthened. God's word is life to all who appropriate it. He who partakes of Christ's flesh and blood is a partaker of the divine nature. He is a branch of the Living Vine. As in nature the branch receives nourishment by its connection with the parent stalk, so the believer receives his life from Christ. A vital, life-giving current flows from the Saviour to him. {YI, July 13, 1899 par. 5}

As the light of Christ is received into the soul, the spirit is softened. The gentleness of Christ is expressed in the life. The personal influence of the humble, consecrated soul, like the fragrance of a flower, extends far beyond himself. There is something about him that does not consist in display. It is a spiritual power which he receives from the two anointed ones that stand before the Lord of the whole earth. The Holy Spirit, coming from God to the instrumentality He employs, flows forth into other lives, making others labourers together with God. {AUCR, June 1, 1900 par. 49}

The appearance of one of these brethren impressed me forcibly; his countenance bore in so marked a manner the impress of the spirit of Jesus that one could but say, This man is indeed born of God. He is poor, dependent upon his daily labor for support, and on account of the Sabbath he expects to lose his position; he is no longer young, and infirmities press upon him; but he has the peace of Christ. The truth he loves has done much for him; there has been a decided change in his whole life. The fountain has been purified, and the change is evinced by the sweetness of the stream that flows from it. The renewed man can say, "For me to live is Christ." {RH, October 19, 1886 par. 8}

The infinite God, said Jesus, makes it your privilege to approach Him by the name of Father. Understand all that this implies. No earthly parents ever pleaded so earnestly with an erring child as He who made you pleads with the transgressor. No human, loving interest ever followed the impenitent with such tender invitations. God dwells in every abode; He hears every word that is spoken, listens to every prayer that is offered, tastes the sorrows and disappointments of every soul, regards the treatment that is given to father, mother, sister, friend, and neighbor. He cares for our necessities, and His love and mercy and grace are continually flowing to satisfy our need. {LHU 45.6}

O how good the Lord is to us all, and how safely we may trust Him! He calls us His little children. Then let us come to Him as to a loving Father. It is His desire that the bright beams of His righteousness shall shine forth from our faces and in our words and deeds. If we will love one another as Christ has loved us, the barriers that separate us from God and from one another will be broken down, and many obstacles that hinder the Holy Spirit's flowing from heart to heart will be removed. . . . Trust Him with all your heart. He will carry you and your burdens. {ML 185.3}

All heaven rejoices at the redemption of the lost race. Christ rejoiced in the secret consciousness of what He purposed to do for man. He desires to do far more abundantly than we are able to ask or think. The fountain of His inexpressible love is inexhaustible, and it flows toward all those who believe in Him. {TMK 107.5}

If God and Christ and angels rejoice when even one sinner repents and becomes obedient to Christ, should not man be imbued with the same spirit, and work for time and for eternity with persevering effort to save, not only his own soul, but the souls of others? If you work in this direction with wholehearted interest as the followers of Christ, discharging every duty, improving every opportunity, your own souls will be gradually settling into the mold of a perfect Christian. The heart will not be sere and unfeeling. The spiritual life will not be dwarfed. The heart will glow with the impress of the divine image, for it will be in close sympathy with God. The whole life will flow out with cheerful readiness in channels of love and sympathy for humanity. Self will be forgotten, and the ways of this class will be established in God. In watering others their own souls will be watered. The stream flowing through their souls is from a living spring and is flowing out to others in good deeds, in earnest, unselfish effort for their salvation. In order to be a fruitful tree, the soul must derive its support and nourishment from the Fountain of Life and must be in harmony with the Creator. {WM 307.1}

The scion becomes a part of the living vine by forming a perfect union with it. Thus it is with the sinner. By repentance and faith, he becomes connected with Jesus Christ, and lives in him. This connection joins soul to soul,--the finite with the infinite. But, contrary to nature, the branch which has been united with the true vine brings forth, not fruit of its own kind, but the fruit of the vine of which it has become a part. The Spirit of Christ, flowing into the hearts of all who are indeed united with him, makes them partakers of the divine nature. They become pure, even as he is pure. Yet true disciples are the last to claim as their own this precious fruit. "Accepted in the Beloved," objects of their Heavenly Father's constant care and unfailing mercy, they feel unworthy of the divine favor, and have too vivid a sense of utter dependence upon God to boast of their exalted position. {RH, September 20, 1881 par. 4}

Now that we are branches of the Living Vine we will be nourished by the sap that flows from the Vine. It flows all the time to every branch, and every branch will bear fruit to the glory of God. "It is your Father's good pleasure" "that ye bear much fruit." Well then, what is our position? It must be a position of living faith. {FW 65.2}

As by eating temporal food the physical system becomes strong, so by eating the flesh and drinking the blood of the Son of God, the spiritual nature is strengthened. God's Word is spirit and life to all who appropriate it. He who partakes of Christ's flesh and blood is a partaker of the divine nature. . . . A vital, life-giving current flows from his Saviour to him. {OHC 209.3}

The words of Inspiration, pondered in the heart, will be as living streams flowing from the river of the water of life. Our Saviour prayed that the mind of His followers might be opened to understand the Scriptures. Whenever we study the Bible with a prayerful heart, the Holy Spirit is near to open to us the meaning of the words we read. The man whose mind is enlightened by the opening of God's Word to his understanding will not only feel that he must more diligently seek to understand that Word, but that he must have a better understanding of the sciences. He will feel that he is called to a high calling in Christ Jesus. {YRP 113.1}

Christ's gracious presence in His Word is ever speaking to the soul, representing Him as the well of living water to refresh the thirsting. It is our privilege to have a living, abiding Saviour. He is the source of spiritual power implanted within us, and His influence will flow forth in words and actions, refreshing all within the sphere of our influence, begetting in them desires and aspirations for strength and purity, for holiness and peace, and for that joy which brings with it no sorrow. This is the result of an indwelling Saviour (Letter 73, 1897).

Persevering prayer has been made a condition of receiving. We must pray always if we would grow in faith and experience. We are to be instant in prayer,--"to continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving." Peter exhorts believers to be "sober, and watch unto prayer." Paul directs: "In everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God." "But ye, beloved," says Jude, "praying in the Holy Ghost, keep yourselves in the love of God." Unceasing prayer is the unbroken union of the soul with God, so that life from God flows into our life, and from our life purity and holiness flow back to God. {ST, August 21, 1884 par. 10}

We are to behold Christ, and by beholding to become changed. We must come to Him, as to an open, inexhaustible fountain, from which we may drink again and again, and ever find a fresh supply. We are to respond to the drawing of his love, to feed on the Bread of life which came down from heaven, to drink of the water of life which flows from the throne of God. We are to keep looking up that faith may bind us to the throne of God. Do not look down, as though you were bound to the earth. Do not keep up an examination of your faith, pulling it up, as though it were a flower, to see if it has any root. Faith grows imperceptibly; and when the enemy rallies his forces to bring you into a critical place, the angels of God will be round about you, and you will have help from on high; for your prayer will be answered in the conflict. If you have genuine faith, you will praise God from whom all blessings flow, and as you praise Him you will realize more of his blessing. As God gives us light, we are to make use of it. We shall have no second ray until we have appreciated and appropriated the first. {BEcho, February 15, 1893 par. 6}

The Lord is looking upon men in the different spheres in which they move, and the character is tested under the different circumstances in which they are placed. The truth, pure, refined, elevating, is a continual test, to measure the man. If truth controls the conscience and is an abiding principle in the heart, it becomes an active, working agent; it works by love, and purifies the soul. But if the knowledge of the truth produces no beauty in the soul, if it does not, subdue, soften, and recreate the man after God's own image, it is of no benefit to the receiver; it is as sounding brass or tinkling cymbal. The truth as it is in Jesus, planted in the heart by the Holy Spirit, always works from within outward; it will be revealed in our words and spirit and actions toward every one with whom we are connected. The wave of truth flowing from the infinitely wise God to His frail human agents, is not subject to the will of man. God prescribes the terms, and specifies every condition upon which we may receive His gifts. With the one party there is infinite power, wisdom, mercy, and goodness; with the other party is weakness, and ignorance, and helplessness, and sin. Even the faculties and resources of men, which God will accept in cooperation with the divine, are ours only in trust. In the great condescension of God to admit finite beings as co-laborers in the saving of the world, He makes it a condition that the human agent shall receive counsel from God, diligently obeying every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. And our success in the religious life will be according to the integrity and thoroughness with which these conditions are fulfilled. {PC 148.2}

Religion is founded upon love to God, which also leads us to love one another. It is full of gratitude, humility, long-suffering. It is self-sacrificing, forbearing, merciful, and forgiving. It sanctifies the whole life, and extends its influence over others. Those who love God cannot harbor hatred or envy. When the heavenly principle of eternal love fills the heart, it will flow out to others, not merely because favors are received of them, but because love is the principle of action, and modifies the character, governs the impulses, controls the passions, subdues enmity, and elevates the affections. This love is not contracted, so as merely to include "me and mine," but is as broad as the world and as high as heaven. It is in harmony with that of the angel workers. This love, cherished in the soul, sweetens the entire life, and sheds a refining influence on all around. Possessing it, we cannot but be happy, let fortune smile or frown. And if we love God with all the heart, we must love his children also. This love is the Spirit of God. It is the heavenly adorning that gives true nobility and dignity to the soul, and assimilates our life to that of the Master. {YI, December 23, 1897 par. 3}

This love is the life of God, working with transforming power in the soul, perfecting Christian character, making human beings partakers of the divine nature. Through Christ this living stream of love and life flows to the world. . . . {UL 129.4}

Religion in the heart, planted there by the Spirit of God produces beauty in the character. It is not as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal. The Spirit of truth, the righteousness of Christ, produces beauty in the soul. It is that inward adorning of great price. The Spirit of holiness if received from God into the inner sanctuary of the soul, will, if it pervades the soul-temple, work outward, moulding and fashioning the character after the divine similitude. The Spirit, the life from Jesus Christ, flows from the soul. It is represented as a well of water, springing up unto everlasting life. {GH, August 1, 1906 par. 1}

The indwelling of the Spirit will be shown by the out-flowing of heavenly love. The divine fullness will flow through the consecrated human agent, to be given forth to others. {2MCP 733.4}

A true, noble life is characterized by thoughtful attention to the needs of others. The love of Christ in the soul is a constant wellspring of joy, ever flowing forth to others. {10MR 55.6}

Only the love that flows from the heart of Christ can heal. Only he in whom that love flows, even as the sap in the tree or as the blood in the body, can restore the wounded soul. {Ed 114 (1903)}

As the plan of redemption begins and ends with a gift, so it is to be carried forward. The same spirit of sacrifice which purchased salvation for us will dwell in the hearts of all who become partakers of the heavenly gift. Says the apostle Peter: "As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God" (1 Peter 4:10). Said Jesus to His disciples as He sent them forth, "Freely ye have received, freely give" (Matt. 10:8). In him who is fully in sympathy with Christ, there can be nothing selfish or exclusive. He who drinks of the living water will find that it is "in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life." The Spirit of Christ within him is like a spring welling up in the desert, flowing to refresh all, and making those who are ready to perish eager to drink of the water of life. {YRP 19.1}

"All ye are brethren" (Matthew 23:8). "Ye are not your own, ye are bought with a price" (1 Cor 6: 19, 20). Our owner is God. The same blood that purchased one brother, purchased the next also, and the next. All are born of God by the same Spirit. All are members of the same body, and are worked by the same Spirit. All feed on the flesh and blood of the Son of God, the Word, which is Spirit and life. The sustenance of all comes from the same source. We must not think it a virtue to differ. We are in close bonds of relationship one with another. If the same vitalizing current is flowing through our minds and hearts, we shall act in harmony. In failing to do this, we deny the Source of all spiritual life. {8MR 69.1}

True sanctification unites believers to Christ and to one another in the bonds of tender sympathy. This union causes to flow continually into the heart rich currents of Christlike love, which flows forth again in love for one another. {TDG 272.4}

We can be happy when we see God in everything. When we can see him in affliction, we have comfort and solace in our sorrow. When the sunshine of prosperity smiles, we recognize that the blessing flows from the fountain of life, and when trial and affliction are ours, we realize that the hand of the Lord is in all our perplexities, and thus we come to understand that sunshine and shadow are needful to perfect the character of the believer, and give him the true joy of perfect trust in God; for through faith he looks beyond the things that are seen to the things that are unseen. He says, "Now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be; but we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." {ST, August 21, 1893 par. 5}

Though invisible to mortal sight, Christ still lives as the Redeemer of the world, the representative of man in the heavenly courts, and the medium through whom all blessings flow to the fallen race. His love is without a parallel. We cannot estimate the value of his life of toil and sacrifice, the precious ransom paid for our redemption. Surely it is not too much to ask the heart's best and holiest affections in return for such wondrous love..... Every branch united to the true vine brings forth fruit, not of its own kind, but that of the vine of which it has become a part. The Spirit of Christ flowing into the hearts of all who are truly united with him, makes them partakers of the divine nature. They will walk in the footsteps of their self-sacrificing, self-denying Redeemer. His purity and love will appear in their characters and their daily lives, while meekness and truth will guide their way. {ST, March 10, 1887}

God has committed to us a special work, a work that no other people can do. He has promised us the aid of His Holy Spirit. The heavenly current is flowing earthward for the accomplishment of the very work appointed us. Let not this heavenly current be turned aside by our deviations from the straightforward path marked out by Christ. {6T 244.2}

The youthful teacher who fears God will be instructed while instructing. And as thoughts of real value flash into his mind, let him offer thanksgiving to God, praising Him as the One from whom all blessings flow, recognizing and acknowledging Him as the source of all true, noble thoughts... {SpM 197.6}

The minister who has learned of Christ will ever be conscious that he is a messenger of God, commissioned by him to do a work both for time and eternity. It should not be any part of his object to call attention to himself, his learning, or his ability. But his whole aim should be to bring sinners to repentance, pointing them, both by precept and example, to the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world. Self should be hidden in Jesus. Such men will speak as those conscious of possessing power and authority from God, being a mouth-piece for him. Their discourses will have an earnestness and fervor of persuasion that will lead sinners to see their lost condition, and take refuge in Christ. Such ministers will partake of the sympathy and love flowing from Jesus, the great fountainhead, and souls will be touched by their words, prejudice will melt away, and sinners will be converted. {RH, August 8, 1878 par. 7}

The evidence of true value and worth in men who are in responsible positions, is the fact that they have a daily Christian experience in the things of God. They find music in the words spoken by Christ, "But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: and ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning" If men will receive the ministration of the Holy Spirit,-- the richest gift God can bestow,-- they will impart blessings to all who are connected with them. But God cannot reveal himself through some who are entrusted with responsibilities. He cannot make them channels through which his grace and compassion and love can flow; for they insult his goodness by exhibiting a masterful spirit toward those whom they regard as being in error and needing reproof, eclipsing Christ's love and mercy by their own unsanctified passions. The enemy of all good is allowed to rule in their hearts, and their lives will reveal his attributes. They claim that the word of God directs them, but by their actions they say, "We want not thy way, but our way." {SpTA06 34.1}

Jesus says, "Love one another, as I have loved you." Love is not simply an impulse, a transitory emotion, dependent upon circumstances; it is a living principle, a permanent power. The soul is fed by the streams of pure love that flow from the heart of Christ, as a well-spring that never fails. O, how is the heart quickened, how are its motives ennobled, its affections deepened, by this communion! Under the education and discipline of the Holy Spirit, the children of God love one another, truly, sincerely, unaffectedly--"without partiality, and without hypocrisy." And this because the heart is in love with Jesus. Our affection for one another springs from our common relation to God. We are one family, we love one another as He loved us. {5BC 1140.3}

Now, just now, is our day of mercy and salvation. The Lord God, who dwelleth in the holy place, sees every soul that shows contempt for the manifestations of his Holy Spirit. God has revealed himself again and again in a most marked manner in Battle Creek. He has given a large measure of his Holy Spirit to the believers there. It has come unexpectedly at times, and there have been deep movings upon hearts and minds; a letting go of selfish purposes, and a bringing into the treasury many things that you were convicted God had forbidden you to have. This blessing extended to large numbers; but why was not this sweet, holy working continued upon hearts and minds? Some felt annoyed at this outpouring, and their own natural dispositions were manifested. They said, "This is only excitement; it is not the Holy Spirit, not showers of the latter rain from heaven." There were hearts full of unbelief, who did not drink in of the Spirit, but who had bitterness in their souls. On many occasions the Holy Spirit did work; but those who resisted the Spirit of God at Minneapolis were waiting for a chance to travel over the same ground again, because their spirit was the same. Afterward, when they had evidence heaped upon evidence, some were convicted; but those who were not softened and subdued by the Holy Spirit's working, put their own interpretation upon every manifestation of the grace of God, and they have lost much. They declared in their heart and soul and words that this manifestation of the Holy Spirit was fanaticism and delusion. They stood like a rock; the waves of mercy were flowing upon and around them, but were beaten back by their hard and wicked hearts, which resisted the Holy Spirit's working. Had this been received, it would have made them wise unto salvation,-- holier men, prepared to do the work of God with sanctified ability. But all the universe of heaven witnessed the disgraceful treatment of Jesus Christ, represented by the Holy Spirit. Had Christ been before them, they would have treated him in a manner similar to that in which the Jews treated Christ. {SpTA06 19.2}

There are causes for the present coldness and unbelief. The love of the world and the cares of life separate the soul from God. The water of life must be in us, and flowing out from us, springing up into everlasting life. We must work out what God works in. If the Christian would enjoy the light of life, he must increase his efforts to bring others to the knowledge of the truth. His life must be characterized by exertion and sacrifices to do others good; and then there will be no complaints of lack of enjoyment. {3T 381.2}

Let envy and jealousy be quenched in the flow of love from the fountain of God's love. The cry of them that are ready to perish finds swift entrance into His ear. "He shall deliver the needy when he crieth, the poor also and him that hath no helper" {Manuscript 129, 1901}

God's workers today constitute the connecting link between the former workers, the church of history, and the church that is to be called out from the world and prepared to meet their Lord. The tide of spiritual life is to flow through the appointed channels, as in the history of the past. From age to age the light which God has for the world has been imparted to the church militant, and God is continuing to impart precious light. All who receive light are to diffuse it to those who sit in darkness. All the excellencies that have come through the belief of the truth from past ages to the present time, are to be treated with the utmost respect. Let not the truth entrusted to our keeping lose its force and power through our careless misuse of body or mind. {SpTA07 11.1}

We are to be consecrated channels through which the love of Christ flows to those who need help. Every true worker is connected with heavenly instrumentalities. All such are workers together with those who are "ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation." God sends his light to those who keep the windows of the soul open heavenward. Under the Holy Spirit's influence, they work the works of God. He who approaches nearest to obedience to the divine law will be of the most service to God. He who follows Christ, reaching out after his goodness, his compassion, his love for the human family, will be accepted by God as a worker together with him. Such a one will not be content to remain on a low level of spirituality. He will constantly reach higher and higher. {RH, May 13, 1909 par. 6}

Satan will be constantly seeking to belittle our conception or our privileges and responsibilities. He would have us regard the work of Christ as a commonplace work, and do it listlessly and negligently. He would keep us indifferent to the exalted and sacred positions to be attained in Christian life and character; but we must bruise him under our feet. We must establish an unyielding enmity between our souls and our foe; but we must open our hearts to the power and influence of the Holy Spirit. We want Satan's darkness to be shut out, and the light of Heaven to flow in. We want to become so sensitive to holy influences, that the lightest whisper of Jesus will move our souls, till he is in us, and we in him, living by the faith of the Son of God. {ST, March 23, 1888 par. 12}