Quotations from the writings of Ellen G. White with the phrase . . .
S T A N D o u t o f t h e w a y ( 4 RELATED PHRASES ) |
The phrase 'Stand out of the way' appears 29 times in the published writings of EGW page not on Original site Related phrase: stand aside ( 23 ) - - stand out of the way ( below ) - - stand back ( )
“You have injured the cause of God; your willful course has wounded the hearts of God’s people. Your influence encourages a slack state of things in the church. You should bear a living, pointed testimony. Stand out of the way of the work of God, step not in between God and His people. You have too long wrapped up the sharp testimony, and stood opposed to the severe censure which God lays upon individual wrongs. God is correcting, and proving, and purifying His people. Stand out of the way that His work be not hindered. He will not accept a smooth testimony. Ministers must cry aloud, and spare not. The Lord has given you a powerful testimony, calculated to strengthen the church and arouse unbelievers. But these things wherein you lack must be corrected, or your testimony will become powerless, and your influence injure the cause of God. The people look to you for an example. Do not mislead them. Let your influence be to correct wrongs in your family and in the church.” { 1T 215.2} |
Stand out of the way, Brethren. Do not interpose yourselves between God and His work. If you have no burden of the message yourselves, then prepare the way for those who have the burden of the message, for there are many souls to come out of the ranks of the world, out of the churches—even the Catholic church—whose zeal will far exceed that of those who have stood in rank and file to proclaim the truth heretofore. For this reason the eleventh hour laborers will receive their penny. These will see the battle coming and will give the trumpet a certain sound. When the crisis is upon us, when the season of calamity shall come, they will come to the front, gird themselves with the whole armor of God, and exalt His law, adhere to the faith of Jesus, and maintain the cause of religious liberty which Reformers defended with toil and for which they sacrificed their lives. { 1888 378.2 } and { 16MR 238.2 } |
The third angel’s message will not be comprehended, the light which will lighten the earth with its glory will be called a false light, by those who refuse to walk in its advancing glory. The work that might have been done, will be left undone by the rejecters of truth, because of their unbelief. We entreat of you who oppose the light of truth, to stand out of the way of God’s people. Let Heaven-sent light shine forth upon them in clear and steady rays. God holds you to whom this light has come, responsible for the use you make of it. Those who will not hear will be held responsible; for the truth has been brought within their reach, but they despised their opportunities and privileges. Messages bearing the divine credentials have been sent to God’s people; the glory, the majesty, the righteousness of Christ, full of goodness and truth, have been presented; the fullness of the Godhead in Jesus Christ has been set forth among us with beauty and loveliness, to charm all whose hearts were not closed with prejudice. We know that God has wrought among us. We have seen souls turn from sin to righteousness. We have seen faith revived in the hearts of the contrite ones. Shall we be like the lepers that were cleansed who went on their way, and only one returned to give glory to God? Let us rather tell of his goodness, and praise God with heart, with pen, and with voice. { RH May 27, 1890, par. 6 } - quoted in LDE 210.1 also { 1888 673.6 } |
Then since the Lord is working through his own divine agency upon the hearts of those whom we would term hopeless subjects, let not man be officious, let him stand out of the way of God’s work; for his word that goeth forth from his mouth, will accomplish its appointed work, and prosper in the thing whereunto it is sent. Let not man set himself up as judge of his brethren; for God “hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.” “And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead.” “But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at naught thy brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment-seat of Christ. For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling-block or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way.” “For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son.... For as the Father hath life in himself, so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; and hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.” { RH January 3, 1893, par. 5 } |
I saw that some have been very jealous for you, fearing that you would not be rightly dealt with, and not have justice done you by your ministering brethren. Such should stand out of the way, and be faithful to confess their own wrongs, and let all the censure and weight of your wrongs rest upon your own head. God designs that they shall rest there until you thoroughly remove them by repentance and hearty confession. Those who have a perverted sympathy for you cannot help you. Let them manifest zeal in repenting of their own backslidings, and leave you to stand for yourself. You have been altogether out of the way, and unless you make thorough work, confess your wrongs without censuring your brethren, and are willing to be instructed, you can have no part with God’s people.—Testimonies for the Church 1:319. { PaM 211.3} |
Ministers have stood directly in the way of the work of God in Ohio. They should stand out of the way, that God may reach His people. They step in between God and His people, and turn aside His purposes. Brother J has exerted an influence in Ohio which he must labor to counteract. I saw that there were those in Ohio who would take the right position with right instructions. They have been willing to sustain the cause of present truth, but have seen so little accomplished that they have become discouraged. Their hands are feeble, and need staying up. I saw that the cause of God is not to be carried forward by pressed offerings. God does not accept such offerings. This matter is to be left wholly to the people. They are not to bring a yearly gift merely, but should also freely present a weekly and monthly offering before the Lord. This work is left to the people, for it is to be to them a weekly, monthly, living test. This tithing system, I saw, would develop character, and manifest the true state of the heart. If the brethren in Ohio have this matter presented before them in its true bearing, and are left to decide for themselves, they will see wisdom and order in the tithing system. { 1T 237.1} |
To all who would mark out a certain definite course for their brother to pursue, the Lord says, Stand out of the way. Satan and his emissaries are doing enough of this kind of work. We are altogether too near the close of this earth’s history to seek to block the wheels of the chariot of truth. God’s workers are to come into line, to pray together, to counsel together. And whenever it is impossible for them to gather for counsel, God will instruct through His Spirit those who sincerely desire to serve Him.—Letter 32a, 1908, pp. 1-4, 8. (“To Those Bearing Responsibilities in Washington and Other Centers,” January 6, 1908.) { 5MR 280.5 } |
I feel deeply over this matter of men being conscience for their fellowmen. Stand out of the way, and let God work His own instrumentalities. Some have done work for which God will call them to account. He will ask of them, Who hath required this at your hands? { TM 295.3} also { SpTA06 44.4 } |
We are only selfishly wise when we plan for the future, and make resolutions and bring them in, and we ourselves arrange matters, as we think in all wisdom; for in so doing we are in danger of getting in the way of the Lord. Stand out of the way with your many resolutions, and when the time comes for God to bring his people into trying places to test and prove them, he will help them, and he will not fail or be discouraged, but will be a present help in trouble. { RH April 15, 1890, par. 5 } |
Human beings desire too much power. They desire to control, and the Lord God, the mighty worker, is left out of their work. The workmen feel qualified to hold the highest place. Let no man attempt to manage that work which should be left in the hands of the great I AM, who, in his own way, is planning how the work shall be done. The Lord says to the unfaithful stewards, Stand out of the way, and let the Lord’s voice be heard. He waits not for the human voice to be heard before he works by his might and power. The message of the third angel will be proclaimed, and those who do not advance with it in knowledge and consecration will be left behind. God is the instructor of his servants, and he speaks through whom he will. { RH October 16, 1900, par. 2 } |
My brethren, stand out of the way of your fellow-beings. Do not, by any act of yours, hinder the work that God would have done for the people of the South, in bringing to them the light of the truth. Time is passing rapidly, and the truth has yet to go to thousands in this field. Do not hinder, but pray and work, that God may use His human agencies as He designs.... { PH078 75.3 } and { 8MR 205.1 } |
The reproach of Christ is upon us, His people. The gospel of Christ and His love and Him crucified was a stumblingblock to the Jews, and it has been evidenced that it is a stumblingblock to many who claim to believe present truth. They are forever coming against the Rock of offense. “Man has been placed where God should be,” are the words that have been spoken to me again and again. Christ has made one sufficient sacrifice, and has become the only Mediator and sole Priest between God and man. Let every man stand out of the way, and occupy his own place as wearing Christ’s yoke. { 9MR 184.3 } also { 1888 842.2 } |
It is a grievous sin in the sight of God for men to place themselves between the people and the message that He would have come to them as some of our brethren are now doing. There are some who, like the Jews, are doing their utmost to make the message of God of none effect. Let these doubting, questioning ones either receive the light of the truth for this time, or let them stand out of the way, that others may have an opportunity of receiving the truth, that the wrath of God may not come on them because they are bodies of darkness, when He desires them to be bodies of light. { 11MR 286.2 } also { 1888 406.1 } |
Be sure that God has not laid upon those who remain away from these foreign fields of labor the burden of criticizing the ones who are on the ground where the work is being done. You need not be so zealous to get into the hands of worldly men God’s own money of which they have been robbing Him all their lives. Those who are not on the ground know nothing about the necessities of the situation, and if they cannot say anything to help those who are on the ground, let them not hinder but stand out of the way and give the Lord a chance to work with people. Let them show their wisdom by the eloquence of silence, and attend to their work that is close at their hand. I protest against the zeal that they manifest that is not according to knowledge when they ventilate their ideas about foreign fields of labor. When they shall be sent to their foreign fields it will then be time for them to attend to the work God has assigned them. { 16MR 168.1 } |
Look over your experience in the past and see what good things you have learned from the lessons of God in these experiences. Increased light has shown upon us. Old and precious truths have been presented to us in new forms which, if we fully appreciate, will prepare us for the entering aright upon the near year, 1890. Will not the many discouragements as well as many of our hasty conclusions be avoided if we fully learned the lessons daily in the school of Christ, that God has the guiding of events in human life? And if we will only stand out of the way, in his own time and by ways that will surprise us, He will answer our prayers and will bring about His purposes in His own wisdom in ways and means. Shall we not be thankful that God knows our frailties and we ought to know them more in harmony with God’s knowledge. The warfare with temptation and resistance of sin is not known and understood except by the sons and daughters of God, and those will never know the power of sin until they begin to resist it. { 1888 498.3 } |
Many are included in the Saviour’s message to the church at Laodicea. No man should keep his foot on the brake to hinder the advancement of the Lord’s work. The time has come for the people of God to take their light from under the bushel, and place it where it will shine forth in clear, distinct rays. Let the Lord’s workers go forward, and let those who would hinder, stand out of the way. { 18MR 337.4 } |
I feel deeply over this matter of men being conscience for the fellow-men. Stand out of the way, and let God work his own instrumentalities. Some have done work for which God will call them to account. He will inquire of them, Who hath required this at your hands. { 1888 1605.4 } |
Those who desire to wear Christ’s yoke will heed the invitation “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” To all who would mark out a certain course for their brother to pursue, the Lord says, Stand out of the way. Satan and his emissaries are doing enough of this kind of work. We are altogether too near the close of earth’s history to seek to block the wheels of the chariot of truth. God’s workers are to come into line, to pray together, to counsel together. And whenever it is impossible for them to gather for counsel, God will instruct through His Spirit those who sincerely desire to serve him. { SpM 424.4 } |
Elder Burden has been given this work, and he has good helpers and advisers in the workers who are associated with him. The Lord appointed Elder Burden to the position he occupies, and he is to humbly bear his responsibilities in that position without interference. He is fully capable of doing the work that has been given him to do. The Lord has not told you to watch and criticize, and interfere with His work. He bids you, my brother, to stand out of the way. { 6BIO 152.5 } |
Return to Selected Quotations from writings of EGW page