Quotations from the writings of Ellen G. White with the phrase . . .
p o i n t e d t e s t i m o n y ( 4 RELATED PHRASES ) |
The phrase 'pointed testimony' appears 70 times in the published writings of EGW See page on Original site Related Phrase: pointed testimony that God sends ( below ) - - straight testimony ( 86 ) - - cutting testimony ( )
|
In this fearful time, just before Christ is to come the second time, God’s faithful preachers will have to bear a still more pointed testimony than was borne by John the Baptist. A responsible, important work is before them; and those who speak smooth things, God will not acknowledge as his shepherds. A fearful woe is upon them.—Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 1, page 321.2 { GW92 90.1 } -- { PaM 210.2}
|
| |
| “I was shown some things in regard to you. I saw that the living, pointed testimony had been crushed in the church. You have not been in harmony with the straight testimony. You have shunned to lay your hand decidedly upon wrong, and you have been tried with those who felt compelled to do so. Disaffected ones have had your sympathy. This has had a tendency to make you a weak man. You have not been in union with pointed, cutting testimony which has been sent home to the individual. { 1T 214.1}
|
| “God’s servants are not excused if they shun pointed testimony. They must reprove and rebuke wrong, and not suffer sin upon a brother. You have often stretched out your hands to shield persons from the censure which they deserved, and the correction which the Lord designed they should have. If these persons fail to reform, their lack is set to your account. Instead of watching for their danger, and warning them of it, you have cast your influence against those who have followed the convictions of duty, and reproved and warned the erring. { 1T 214.2}
|
| Had you been standing in the counsel of God, acknowledging the gifts of His Spirit as occupying their proper place in the church; had you been in heart and principle with the Review, established upon the strong truths applicable for this time; had you been giving meat in due season to the people of God, your influence in-----and vicinity would have been very different. You would have had a pointed testimony to bear in harmony with those who are leading out in this great work. Individual wrongs would have been reproved. Faithful labor would have brought up the Sabbathkeepers there, so that they would not have been behind other churches. But they have almost everything to learn. You should have borne a pointed testimony, impressing upon them the necessity of sacrificing, and all doing a part to bear the burden of the cause. You should have brought them up upon systematic benevolence, leading all to act a part and exert themselves to do something to advance the cause of truth. Your indefinite position, and leaving matters so loose and slack in-----has had a bad influence upon the cause there. The opposition you felt and talked out in regard to organization and the advance of God’s people, has borne fruit which can be seen in many places in northern Wisconsin. { 1T 315.2}
|
| Those who engage in the solemn work of bearing the third angel’s message, must move out decidedly, and in the Spirit and power of God fearlessly preach the truth, and let it cut. They should elevate the standard of truth, and urge the people to come up to it. It has too frequently been lowered to meet the people in their condition of darkness and sin. It is the pointed testimony that will bring them up to decide. A peaceful testimony will not do this. The people have the privilege of listening to this kind of teaching from popular pulpits; but those servants to whom God has intrusted the solemn, fearful message which is to bring out and fit up a people for the coming of Christ, should bear a plain, pointed testimony. Our truth is as much more solemn than that of nominal professors, as the heavens are higher than the earth. { GW92 89.2 } { 2SG 299.2 } { 1T 248.2 }
|
| Ministers of Christ should arise and engage in the work of God with all their energies. God’s servants are not excused if they shun pointed testimony. They should reprove and rebuke wrong, and not suffer sin upon a brother.—Testimonies for the Church 1:212. { GW92 85.2 } { 4bSG 47.2 }
|
| Ministers of Christ should arise and engage in the work of God with all their energies. God’s servants are not excused if they shun pointed testimony. They should reprove and rebuke wrong, and not suffer sin upon a brother. I must here introduce a portion of a letter addressed to Brother C: { 1T 213.2}
|
| I was pointed back, and saw that in every important move, every decision made or point gained by God’s people, some have arisen to carry matters to extremes, and to move in an extravagant manner, which has disgusted unbelievers, distressed God’s people, and brought the cause of God into disrepute. The people whom God is leading out in these last days, will be troubled with just such things. But much evil will be avoided if the ministers of Christ will be of one mind, united in their plans of action, and united in effort. If they will stand together, sustain one another, and faithfully reprove and rebuke wrong, they will soon cause it to wither. But Satan has controlled these matters very much. Private members and even preachers have sympathized with disaffected ones who have been reproved for their wrongs, and division of feeling has been the result. The one who has ventured out and discharged his disagreeable duty by faithfully meeting error and wrong, is grieved and wounded that he receives not the fullest sympathy of his preaching brethren. He becomes discouraged in discharging these painful duties, lays down the cross, and withholds the pointed testimony. His soul is shut up in darkness, and the church suffer for the lack of the very testimony which God designed should live among His people. Satan’s object is gained when the faithful testimony is suppressed. Those who so readily sympathize with the wrong consider it a virtue; but they realize not that they are exerting a scattering influence, and that they themselves help to carry out Satan’s plans. { 1T 212.3 } and { GW92 84.1 } also { 4bSG 46.2 }
|
| |
| Ministers of the present truth, while they bear a pointed testimony, reproving individual wrongs and seeking to tear away the idols from the camp of Israel, should manifest forbearance. They should preach the truth in its solemnity and importance, and if this finds its way to the heart, it will accomplish that for the receiver which nothing else can. But if the truth spoken in the demonstration of the Spirit, does not cut away the idols, it will be of no avail to denounce and bear down upon the individual. It may appear that some are joined to their idols, yet I saw that we should be very reluctant to give up the poor, deceived ones. We should ever bear in mind that we are all erring mortals, and that Christ exercises much pity for our weakness, and loves us although we err. If God should deal with us as we often deal with one another, we should be consumed. While ministers preach the plain, cutting truth, they must let the truth do the cutting and hewing, not do it themselves. They should lay the ax—the truths of God’s word—at the root of the tree, and something will be accomplished. Pour out the testimony just as straight as it is found in the word of God, with a heart full of the warming, quickening influence of his Spirit, all in tenderness, yearning for souls, and work among God’s people will be effectual.—Testimonies for the Church 1:383.1 { GW92 90.2 }
|
| Our labors in Maine commenced with the conference at Norridgewock, the first of November. The meeting was large. As usual, my husband and myself bore a plain and pointed testimony in favor of truth and proper church discipline, and against the different forms of error, confusion, fanaticism, and disorder naturally growing out of a want of such discipline. This testimony was especially applicable to the condition of things in Maine. Disorderly spirits who professed to observe the Sabbath, were in rebellion, and labored to diffuse the disaffection through the conference. { LS 178.2}
|
| |
| Herod was affected as he listened to the pointed testimony of John, and, with deep interest, he inquired what he must do to become his disciple. He was convicted by the plain truths uttered by John. His conscience condemned him, for a woman of vile passions had gained his affections and controlled his mind. This unprincipled woman was ambitious for power and authority, and thought if she became the wife of Herod her object would be gained. As Herod listened to the practical truths proclaimed by John, reproving the transgression of the law of God, and setting forth the future punishment which the guilty must suffer, he trembled, and greatly desired to break the chain of lust which held him. He opened his mind to John, who brought Herod to the law of God, face to face, and told him it would be impossible for him to have part in the kingdom of the Messiah unless he should break away from the unlawful connections with his brother’s wife, and, with his whole heart, obey the commandments of God. { 2SP 69.2 }
|
| I have been shown that the Lord is reviving the living, pointed testimony, which will develop character and purify the church. But while we are commanded to separate from the world, it is not necessary that we become coarse and rough, and descend to common expressions, and make our remarks as rude as possible. The truth is designed to elevate the receiver, to refine his taste and sanctify his judgment. There should be a continual effort to imitate the society we expect soon to join; namely, angels of God who have never fallen by sin. The character should be holy, the manners comely, the words without guile, and thus should we follow on step by step until we are fitted for translation. { 1T 216.1}
|
| |
| From the commencement of our labors we have been called to bear a plain, pointed testimony, to reprove wrongs and spare not. And all the way there have been those who have stood in opposition to our testimony, and have followed after to speak smooth things, daub with untempered mortar, and destroy the influence of our labors. The Lord would rein us up to bear reproof, and then individuals would step right in between us and the people to make our testimony of no effect. Many visions have been given to the effect that we must not shun to declare the counsel of the Lord, but must occupy a position to stir up the people of God, for they are asleep in their sins. But few have sympathized with us, while many have sympathized with the wrong and with those who have been reproved. These things crushed us, and we felt that we had no testimony to bear in the church. We knew not in whom to confide. As all these things forced themselves upon us, hope died within us. We retired to rest about midnight, but I could not sleep. A severe pain was in my heart; I could find no relief and fainted a number of times. { 1T 247.2}
|
| The condition of the people in-----was also presented before me. They have the theory of truth, but are not sanctified through it. I saw that when the messengers enter a new place, their labor is worse than lost unless they bear a plain, pointed testimony. They should keep up the distinction between the church of Christ, and formal, dead professors. There was a failure in this respect in-----. Elder N was fearful of offending, fearful lest the peculiarities of our faith should appear; the standard was lowered to meet the people. It should have been urged upon them that we possess truths of vital importance, and that their eternal interest depended upon the decision they there made; that in order to be sanctified through the truth, their idols would have to be given up, their sins be confessed, and they bring forth fruit meet for repentance. { 1T 248.1}
|
| |
| There is chaff among us, and this is why we are so weak. Some are constantly leaning to the world. Their views and feelings harmonize much better with the spirit of the world than with that of Christ’s self-denying followers. It is perfectly natural for them to prefer the company of those whose spirit will best agree with their own. And such have quite too much influence among God’s people. They take part with them, and have a name among them, and are a text for unbelievers and the weak and unconsecrated ones in the church. These persons of two minds will ever have objections to the plain, pointed testimony which reproves individual wrongs. In this refining time these persons will either be wholly converted, and sanctified by obeying the truth, or they will be left with the world, where they belong, to receive their reward with them. { 1T 288.2 }
|
| From the beginning of my work, as I have been called to bear a plain, pointed testimony, to reprove wrongs, and to spare not, there have been those who have stood in opposition to my testimony and have followed after to speak smooth things, to daub with untempered mortar, and to destroy the influence of my labors. The Lord would move upon me to bear reproof, and then individuals would step in between me and the people to make my testimony of no effect. { 5T 678.2}
|
| |
| “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}
|
| |
| pointed, living testimony |
|
God designs that His people shall be a unit, that they shall see eye to eye and be of the same mind and of the same judgment. This cannot be accomplished without a clear, pointed, living testimony in the church. The prayer of Christ was that His disciples might be one as He was one with His Father. "Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on Me through their word; that they all may be one; as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be one in Us: that the world may believe that Thou hast sent Me. And the glory which Thou gavest Me I have given them; that they may be one, even as We are one: I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that Thou hast sent Me, and hast loved them, as Thou hast loved Me." - {3T 361.3}
|
| pointed testimony that God sends |
| I have been shown that the greatest reason why the people of God are now found in this state of spiritual blindness is that they will not receive correction. Many have despised the reproofs and warnings given them. The True Witness condemns the lukewarm condition of the people of God, which gives Satan great power over them in this waiting, watching time. The selfish, the proud, and the lovers of sin are ever assailed with doubts. Satan has ability to suggest doubts and to devise objections to the pointed testimony that God sends, and many think it a virtue, a mark of intelligence in them, to be unbelieving and to question and quibble. Those who desire to doubt will have plenty of room. God does not propose to remove all occasion for unbelief. He gives evidence, which must be carefully investigated with a humble mind and a teachable spirit, and all should decide from the weight of evidence. { 3T 255.1}
|
| |
| Satan has ability to suggest doubts and to devise objections to the pointed testimony that God sends, and many think it a virtue, a mark of intelligence in them, to be unbelieving and to question and quibble. Those who desire to doubt will have plenty of room. God does not propose to remove all occasion for unbelief. He gives evidence, which must be carefully investigated with a humble mind and a teachable spirit, and all should decide from the weight of evidence. God gives sufficient evidence for the candid mind to believe; but he who turns from the weight of evidence because there are a few things which he cannot make plain to his finite understanding will be left in the cold, chilling atmosphere of unbelief and questioning doubts, and will make shipwreck of faith. { CCh 93.4}
|
| “Satan has ability to suggest doubts and to devise objections to the pointed testimony that God sends, and many think it a virtue, a mark of intelligence in them, to be unbelieving and to question and quibble. Those who desire to doubt will have plenty of room. God does not propose to remove all occasion for unbelief. He gives evidence, which must be carefully investigated with a humble mind and a teachable spirit, and all should decide from the weight of evidence.” [Testimonies for the Church 3:255 (1873).] “God gives sufficient evidence for the candid mind to believe; but he who turns from the weight of evidence because there are a few things which he cannot make plain to his finite understanding will be left in the cold, chilling atmosphere of unbelief and questioning doubts, and will make shipwreck of faith.” [Testimonies for the Church 4:232, 233 (1876).] { 5T 675.3}
|
Return to Phrases and quotes related to Testimony page
Return to Selected Quotations in the writings of EGW page
