Digging For Truth : Danger of rejecting (21)

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

D A N G E R o f r e j e c t i n g ( 3 RELATED PHRASES )

The phrase 'Danger of rejecting . . .' appears 21 times in the published writings of EGW page not on Original site Related phrase: danger of rejecting light ( below ) - - most dangerous ( )

If the servants of God will walk with Him in faith, He will give power to their message. They will be enabled so to present His love and the danger of rejecting the grace of God that men will be constrained to accept the gospel. Christ will perform wonderful miracles if men will but do their God-given part. In human hearts today as great a transformation may be wrought as has ever been wrought in generations past. John Bunyan was redeemed from profanity and reveling, John Newton from slave dealing, to proclaim an uplifted Saviour. A Bunyan and a Newton may be redeemed from among men today. Through human agents who co-operate with the divine, many a poor outcast will be reclaimed, and in his turn will seek to restore the image of God in man. There are those who have had very meager opportunities, who have walked in ways of error because they knew no better way, to whom beams of light will come. As the word of Christ came to Zacchaeus, “Today I must abide at thy house” ( Luke 19:5), so the word will come to them; and those who were supposed to be hardened sinners will be found to have hearts as tender as a child’s because Christ has deigned to notice them. Many will come from the grossest error and sin, and will take the place of others who have had opportunities and privileges but have not prized them. They will be accounted the chosen of God, elect, precious; and when Christ shall come into His kingdom, they will stand next His throne. { COL 236.1} Read entire Chapter 18

But there are strong powers that work from beneath to draw men away from Christ, and to hold them infatuated captives to Satan. Men confederate with Satanic powers in holding their fellow-men away from the gospel feast. False shepherds aid Satan in his work as they cry, “Peace and safety,” when sudden destruction is about to fall upon them. But Christ’s faithful watchmen should sound the invitation, not holding their peace day nor night. They should present the white robes, the wedding garment, which is the righteousness of Christ, woven in the loom of heaven. If the watchmen will have faith in Christ, the Lord will give power to their message. They will be enabled so to present his grace, his love, his tenderness, the danger of rejecting the message, that men will feel constrained to accept the gospel invitation. Christ says, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock; if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” Christ will impart to his messengers the same yearning love which he himself had in seeking for the lost sheep. He is unrepulsed by scorn, not turned aside by threatening; but continually seeks the lost one, saying, “How can I give thee up?” “Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from the Lord, and my judgment is passed over from my God? Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.” { RH September 24, 1895, par. 4 }

Jesus said: “A certain man made a great supper, and bade many; and sent his servant at supper-time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready. And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it; I pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them; I pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.” Christ had sent out an invitation to a feast that he had provided at great cost. He had sent the Holy Spirit to move upon the minds of prophets and holy men of old to invite his chosen people to the rich feast of the gospel. The man who had sought to turn the attention from the practical duties that Christ presented, thought to carry the minds past the present life to the remote time of the resurrection of the just; but the Lord Jesus unveiled the deceptive utterance, and by means of the parable of the supper he showed that they had a part to act in that very time if they should ever have a part in the blessedness which should come in the future. They were despising the present invitation to the gospel feast. Christ had been invited as a guest to the house of the Pharisee, and he did not excuse himself. He respectfully responded to the invitation, knowing it would furnish him an opportunity to enlighten the minds of the people. The man who had sought to divert the attention of the company, spoke with great assurance, as though he thought he would certainly eat bread in the kingdom of God. But Jesus warned him and all present against the danger of rejecting the present invitation to the gospel feast. Those who refuse the invitation will never taste of the marriage supper. { RH November 5, 1895, par. 2 } See COL Chapter 18

June 2, 1896 — Danger of Rejecting the Truth Through Clinging to Tradition
The people of all ages will be judged according to the light they have received. The church that has been favored with great light and with precious opportunities, as were Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum, will be held accountable for the use they have made of the light. As Jesus preached throughout these cities, how he longed to see fruits of his labor! How he longed to see the church struggling to be delivered from the bondage of sin! Every effort put forth through faith in him, would make them stronger in him. Charged with his exalted mission, he stood before the world as the representative of the Father. He said, “He that hath seen me hath seen the Father;” and again, “I and my Father are one.” O that the inhabitants of these cities had followed his example and imitated his character! O that by partaking of his grace, by joining with him in his labors, they had cheered the heart of Christ! O that they had manifested faith in him, by taxing their powers to the utmost in diffusing the light shining upon them! O that they had come into companionship with him who is the Fountain of healing waters, that through them streams of salvation might have reached a lost world! { RH June 2, 1896, par. 1 }

Danger of Rejecting Truth -- “Sunnyside,” Cooranbong, N.S.W., May 30, 1896.
Dear Brother-----, I have returned from our season of prayer. The spirit of intercession came upon me, and I was drawn out in most earnest prayer for souls at Battle Creek. I know their peril. The Holy Spirit has in a special manner moved me to send up my petitions in their behalf. { PH154 3.1 }

Danger of Rejecting Truth
Cooranbong, Australia, May 30, 1896
Dear Brother-----, I have returned from our season of prayer. The spirit of intercession came upon me, and I was drawn out in most earnest prayer for souls at Battle Creek. I know their peril. The Holy Spirit has in a special manner moved me to send up my petitions in their behalf. { TM 63.1}

The Lord has shown me that we are in just as much danger [of rejecting truth] in our day as were the people in the days of Christ. The Lord is speaking through His delegated messengers; but the same unbelief is exhibited. Men close their hearts against Jesus and hold themselves in the veriest bondage to Satan, supposing that they are preserving their dignity as free men; that they are maintaining their right to think and act for themselves, to believe or doubt; and like the despisers of the gospel in the apostolic times, they wonder and perish. { 11MR 283.3 }

D A N G E R o f r e j e c t i n g l i g h t

The Danger of Rejecting Light -- God intends that, even in this life, truth shall be ever unfolding to His people. There is only one way in which this knowledge can be obtained. We can attain to an understanding of God’s word only through the illumination of that Spirit by which the Word was given. “The things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God;” “for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.” [1 Corinthians 2:11, 10.] And the Saviour’s promise to His followers was, “When He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth.... For He shall receive of Mine, and shall show it unto you.” [John 16:13, 14.] ... { GW 297.1}

February 15, 1898—The Danger of Rejecting Light
While on earth, Christ accomplished the work for which he left the throne of God in heaven. He worked for humanity, that through his work, humanity might be elevated in the scale of moral value with God. He assumed human nature, that he might elevate the human family, make them partakers of the divine nature, and place them on vantage-ground with God. His every action had been in behalf of the fallen world,—to seek the sheep that had strayed from the fold, and bring it back to God. { RH February 15, 1898, par. 1 }

It suits the policy of Satan that men should retain the forms of religion if but the spirit of vital godliness is lacking. After their rejection of the gospel, the Jews continued zealously to maintain their ancient rites, they rigorously preserved their national exclusiveness, while they themselves could not but admit that the presence of God was no longer manifest among them. The prophecy of Daniel pointed so unmistakably to the time of Messiah’s coming, and so directly foretold His death, that they discouraged its study, and finally the rabbis pronounced a curse on all who should attempt a computation of the time. In blindness and impenitence the people of Israel during succeeding centuries have stood, indifferent to the gracious offers of salvation, unmindful of the blessings of the gospel, a solemn and fearful warning of the danger of rejecting light from heaven. { GC 378.1} Read entire Chapter 21

The Saviour’s denunciation of the fruitless fig tree is a warning to all who claim to be Christians, and yet remain in blind unbelief. Thus from age to age the Lord would teach the danger of rejecting light. Christ has worked for and invited all. He will enlighten all who will search the Scriptures candidly. Today he is knocking at the door of the heart. Shall he have to say of us, In vain do ye worship me, teaching for doctrine the commandments of men? { YI July 31, 1902, par. 1 }

Holy Spirit Versus Selfishness. The Danger of Rejecting Light (Copied January 28, 1897)
“Sunnyside,” Cooranbong, February 6, 1896.
To My Brethren in America:
The great office work of the Holy Spirit is thus distinctly specified by our Saviour, “And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin.” Christ knew that this announcement was a wonderful trust. He was nearing the close of his ministry upon this earth, and was standing in view of the cross, with a full realization of the load of guilt that must be placed upon him as the sin-bearer. Yet his greatest anxiety was for his disciples. He was seeking to find solace for them, and he told them, “Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.” { SpTA10 25.1 }

MR No. 1486—The Danger of Rejecting Light
“Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully” [2 Timothy 2:1-5]. { 20MR 315.1 }

After their rejection of the gospel the Jews continued to maintain their ancient rites, while they admitted that the presence of God was no longer among them. The prophecy of Daniel pointed unmistakably to the time of Messiah’s coming and directly foretold His death. So they discouraged its study, and finally the rabbis pronounced a curse on all who should attempt to compute the time. In blindness and impenitence the people of Israel during succeeding centuries have stood, indifferent to the gracious offers of salvation, unmindful of the blessings of the gospel, a solemn and fearful warning of the danger of rejecting light from heaven. { HF 234.4 }

For Further Study on The Danger of Rejecting Light
Testimonies for the Church 2:694, 695.
Testimonies for the Church 5:144.
Testimonies for the Church 8:192-194.
The Desire of Ages, 322, 489, 490, 580-588.
Early Writings, 61-64.

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Danger of rejecting (21)

D A N G E R o f r e j e c t i n g ( 3 RELATED PHRASES )

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