Works of Christ (313)

    Quotations from the writings of Ellen G. White with the phrase . . .

            w o r k s    o f    C H R I S T        (  3  RELATED  PHRASES )              

    The  phrase  'works of Christ'  appears  313  times in the writings of EGW         see page on Original site              Related Phrase:  Wonderful works of Christ  ( below )  - -  work of Christ  ( 425 )  - -   Phrase:  do the works of Christ  ( 48 )

   The work of Christ is to draw men from the false and spurious to the true and genuine. “He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” [John 8:12.] There is no danger of going into error while we follow in the footsteps of “the Light of the world.” We are to work the works of Christ. We must engage heart and soul in his service; we must search the word of life, and present it to others. We must educate the people to realize the importance of its teaching, and the danger of deviating from its plain commands. { CE 121.1 }  and  { FE 128.2} 

 

   The true Christian does not allow any earthly consideration to come in between his soul and God. The commandment of God wields an authoritative influence over his affections and actions. If everyone seeking the kingdom of God and His righteousness would be always ready to work the works of Christ, how much easier would become the path to heaven. . . .  {CS 343.1}

 

 
  The apostles, as personated by these lying spirits, are made to contradict what they wrote at the dictation of the Holy Spirit when on earth. They deny the divine origin of the Bible, and thus tear away the foundation of the Christian's hope and put out the light that reveals the way to heaven. Satan is making the world believe that the Bible is a mere fiction, or at least a book suited to the infancy of the race, but now to be lightly regarded, or cast aside as obsolete. And to take the place of the word of God he holds out spiritual manifestations. Here is a channel wholly under his control; by this means he can make the world believe what he will. The Book that is to judge him and his followers he puts in the shade, just where he wants it; the Saviour of the world he makes to be no more than a common man. And as the Roman guard that watched the tomb of Jesus spread the lying report which the priests and elders put into their mouths to disprove His resurrection, so do the believers in spiritual manifestations try to make it appear that there is nothing miraculous in the circumstances of our Saviour's life. After thus seeking to put Jesus in the background, they call attention to their own miracles, declaring that these far exceed the works of Christ.  {GC 557.1}  Read entire Chapter 34

 

  The disciples bore the message, and it was enough. . . . The works of Christ  not only declared Him to be the Messiah, but showed in what manner His kingdom was to be established. . . . Understanding more clearly now the nature of Christ's mission, he [John] yielded himself to God for life or for death, as should best serve the interests of the cause he loved.  {CC 277.6}
 
 
  The great lesson to be given to the youth is that, as worshipers of God, they are to cherish Bible principles, and hold the world as subordinate. God would have all instructed as to how they can work the works of Christand enter in through the gates into the heavenly city. We are not to let the world convert us; we are to strive most earnestly to convert the world. Christ has made it our privilege and duty to stand up for Him under all circumstances. I beg of parents to place their children where they will not be bewitched by a false education. Their only safety is in learning of Christ. He is the great central Light of the world. All other lights, all other wisdom, are foolishness {FE 470.1}
 
  The officers and teachers in the Sabbath school need the guidance and instruction of the Holy Spirit, that they may be true educators, able to inspire thought, and to bring to remembrance the things that they have taught their pupils. It is the office of the Holy spirit to bring to mind in clear, distinct lines the words and works of Christ, that those who teach concerning the Redeemer of the world, may have power to lift up Christ before the minds of their classes. In all the arrangements of the Sabbath school there is need of the help of the Holy Spirit, in order that men and women may be chosen to fill the responsible positions of superintendents, officers, and teachers, who are men and women of God. { CSW 160.1} 

 

  It is in doing the works of Christ, ministering as He did to the suffering and afflicted, that we are to develop Christian character. It is for our good that God has called us to practice self-denial for Christ’s sake, to bear the cross, to labor and sacrifice in seeking to save that which is lost. This is the Lord’s process of refining, purging away the baser material, that the precious traits of character which were in Christ Jesus, may appear in the believer. All dross must be cleansed from the soul, through the sanctification of the truth.... { CS 165.1} 

 

   Christ’s teachings were not impressed upon His hearers by any outward gestures, but by the words and acts of His daily life, by the spirit He revealed. In the higher life that He led as He worked the works of God, He gave to men an example of the outworking of the true higher education. So in the lives of His followers, when a hasty spirit is overcome, when the heart is melted to tenderness for others, when the life is devoted to working the works of Christ, the fruit of the higher education is seen. { CT 399.3} 

 

  Here is a channel wholly devoted to himself and under his control, and he can make the world believe what he will. The Book that is to judge him and his followers he puts back in the shade, just where he wants it. The Saviour of the world he makes to be no more than a common man; and as the Roman guard that watched the tomb of Jesus spread the lying report that the chief priests and elders put into their mouths, so will the poor, deluded followers of these pretended spiritual manifestations repeat and try to make it appear that there is nothing miraculous about our Saviour’s birth, death, and resurrection. After putting Jesus in the background, they attract the attention of the world to themselves and to their miracles and lying wonders, which, they declare, far exceed the works of Christ. Thus the world is taken in the snare and lulled into a feeling of security, not to find out their awful deception until the seven last plagues are poured out. Satan laughs as he sees his plan succeed so well and the whole world taken in the snare. { EW 91.2} 

 

   The Holy Spirit, that melts and subdues the human heart will lead men to do the works of Christ. They will heed the injunction, “Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not.” Christ gave Himself for us, and His followers are required to give themselves, with their talents of means and ability, to Him. What more could the Lord do for man than that which He has done? And shall we not render unto Him all that we have and are, practicing self-sacrifice, and self-denial? If we are the disciples of Christ, it will be made manifest to the world through our love for those for whom He died. { FE 210.2 } 

 

  If men are so easily misled now, how will they stand when Satan shall personate Christ, and work miracles? Who will be unmoved by his misrepresentations then—professing to be Christ when it is only Satan assuming the person of Christ, and apparently working the works of Christ?— Selected Messages 2:394 (1897). { LDE 162.2} 

 

Work the Works of Christ  - - With grace in their hearts believers are to work the works of Christ, placing themselves, soul, body, and spirit, on His side, as His human hand, to impart His love to those who are out of the fold. Believers are to associate together in Christian fellowship, regarding one another as brothers and sisters in the Lord. They are to love one another as Christ loved them. They are to be lights for God, shining in the church and in the world, receiving grace for grace as they impart to others. Thus they are constantly kept in spiritual nearness to God. They reflect the image of Christ. { MM 316.2} 

 

         w o n d e r f u l    w o r k s    o f    C H R I S T             

               This phrase appears 11 times in the writings of EGW

   The Jewish nation followed their own standard, and, walking in the sparks of their own kindling, they perished in their delusion. They did not respond to the wonderful works of Christ, or appreciate the words of him who spake as never man spake. They followed the imagination of their own hearts, and they were given up to be cursed by their own ambition, and to be destroyed with the falsehoods and delusions upon which they had built. Like many who reject the truth today, they presumed to appropriate to themselves all that is promised to those who have a character that is cleansed, refined, elevated, and ennobled by the practice of virtue and righteousness. They assumed superiority over all the nations of the world as a nation that practiced righteousness, when for a thousand years, through their wicked works, they had been loading the cloud of vengeance, which broke upon them at last in merciless fury.  {SSW, January 1, 1895 par. 1}

 

 
  The disciples had that day witnessed the wonderful works of Christ. It had seemed that heaven had come down to the earth. The memory of that precious, glorious day should have filled them with faith and hope. Had they, out of the abundance of their hearts, been conversing together in regard to these things, they would not have entered into temptation. But their disappointment had absorbed their thoughts. The words of Christ, "Gather up the fragments, . . . that nothing be lost," were unheeded. Those were hours of large blessing to the disciples, but they had forgotten it all. They were in the midst of troubled waters. Their thoughts were stormy and unreasonable, and the Lord gave them something else to afflict their souls and occupy their minds. God often does this when men create burdens and troubles for themselves. The disciples had no need to make trouble. Already danger was fast approaching.  {DA 380.2}

 

  The disciples had that day witnessed the wonderful works of Christ. It had seemed that heaven had come down to the earth. The memory of that precious, glorious day should have filled them with faith and hope. Had they, out of the abundance of their hearts, been conversing together in regard to these things, they would not have entered into temptation. . . . Their thoughts were stormy and unreasonable, and the Lord gave them something else to afflict their souls and occupy their minds. God often does this when men create burdens and troubles for themselves. . . .  {CC 290.4}
 
  But though Mary had not a right conception of Christ's mission, she trusted Him implicitly. To this faith Jesus responded. It was to honor Mary's trust, and to strengthen the faith of His disciples, that the first miracle was performed. The disciples were to encounter many and great temptations to unbelief. To them the prophecies had made it clear beyond all controversy that Jesus was the Messiah. They looked for the religious leaders to receive Him with confidence even greater than their own. They declared among the people the wonderful works of Christ and their own confidence in His mission, but they were amazed and bitterly disappointed by the unbelief, the deep-seated prejudice, and the enmity to Jesus, displayed by the priests and rabbis. The Saviour's early miracles strengthened the disciples to stand against this opposition.-- DA 147 (1898). {DG 55.1}

 

  The whole life and teachings of Christ were continual lessons of humility, benevolence, virtue, and self-denial. This was a continual reproof to the self-righteous, exacting spirit manifested by the Jews. Satan led them on until they seemed to possess a frenzy at the mere mention of the wonderful works of Christ, which were drawing the attention of the people from them. They at length made themselves believe that he was an impostor, and any means they could devise to get rid of him would be a virtue in them. They could not point to one act in his life which they could condemn, yet his very goodness made him a subject of their jealousy and hate, and in their blind rage they cried out, Crucify him! crucify him! The rejection of light leaves men captives of Satan, subject to his temptations. When he controls the mind, light will become darkness to that mind, good evil, and evil good.  {4aSG 117.1}
 
  When Herod heard of the wonderful works of Christ in healing the sick, casting out devils, and raising the dead, he was exceedingly troubled and perplexed. His convictions were that God, whom John preached, was indeed present in every place, and that he had witnessed the wild mirth and wicked dissipation in the royal banqueting room, and that his ear had heard his command to the executioner to behead John, that his eye had seen the exultation of Herodias, and the taunting and insult with which she had reproached the severed head of her enemy. And many things which he had heard from the lips of the prophet now spoke to his conscience in louder tones than the preaching in the wilderness. He had heard from John that nothing could be hidden from God, therefore he trembled lest some terrible punishment should be visited upon him for the sin he had committed.  {2SP 82.1}  and  {RH, April 8, 1873 par. 10}

 

   The priests and rulers and scribes ought to have known that He was the anointed of the Lord; for they claimed to be expositors of the prophecies. The Holy Spirit also brought the prophecies to the minds of those who beheld the wonderful works of Christ in the temple. But many of them closed the heart to conviction; for they did not like Him. They questioned, What business had He to interrupt their work? The stalls were their own, and they had paid a sufficient price to the temple authorities for the privilege of selling the sacrificial offerings to the people. When they returned, they asked, “What sign showest Thou, that Thou doest these things?” Had He not given them a sign?” Had He not flashed light and sensibility into the souls of these men? But they determined not to yield to conviction, but to close the door of their hearts against Jesus. On their way to the temple, they had given vent to their hatred, and had said that they would kill Him, and be rid of the troubler. When they asked for a sign, Jesus said, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” Their hearts were full of avarice and selfishness; they had oppressed the widow, the fatherless, and the poor, and had refused to give them an offering at the small price which they could pay. When the poor had presented their affliction to them, they had turned away as unfeeling as though the afflicted had no souls to save. They had pointed the finger of scorn at them, speaking vanity, and charging the poor with sin, declaring that their suffering and poverty was a curse from God on account of their transgression. Men who could thus deal with the afflicted, were not above planning the murder of the Son of God. Whoever indulges an unkind, unmerciful, or envious disposition, is cherishing the very same spirit that put to death the Saviour of the world. { BEcho October 1, 1894, par. 9 }
   

 

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Work of Christ (425)