Digging For Truth

Fall on the Rock

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

             F a l l    o n    t h e    r o c k          (  2  RELATED  PHRASES )                     

        The phrase "fall on the Rock"  appears 104 times in the writings of EGW.         See page on Original site              Related phrase:    The Rock  (another name for Christ )

   Man cannot read the heart of man. His judgment is formed from appearances, and these are often deceptive. God reads the intent and purposes of the heart. Do nothing in an underhanded manner; be open as the day, true to your brethren and sisters, dealing with them as you wish Christ to deal with you. If you had the Spirit of Christ, you would not notice slights and make much of fancied injuries. Your mind would be occupied in contemplating the love of Jesus, and devising methods by which souls might be won to Jesus. Ordained elders and ministers need spiritual discernment, in order that they may not be the sport of Satan's temptations. They would not then be continually seeing things of which to complain. If the instruction which Christ has given were followed out in a true Christian spirit, if each one, when aggrieved, would go to the offending member as Christ has enjoined him to do, and seek in kindness to correct the wrong, many a grievous trial would be averted, and souls that are lost to the cause would be saved. But how many resort to every other expedient rather than fall on the Rock Christ Jesus and be broken. All such expedients must fail.  {RH, May 14, 1895 par. 4}

 

 
  Many in our churches and institutions are not sanctified by the truth they profess. If they had the Spirit of Christ they would not notice small slights, but their minds would be occupied in contemplating the love of Jesus. They need spiritual discernment, that they may not be the sport of Satan’s temptations. They would not then be continually seeing things of which to complain. If the instruction which Christ has given were followed out in the spirit that every true Christian should have—if each, when aggrieved, would go to the offending member and seek in kindness to correct the wrong by privately telling him his fault — many a grievous trial would be averted. But many will resort to every expedient rather than fall on the Rock Christ Jesus and be broken. All such expedients must fail. { 15MR 196.1 } 

 

 
  It is not that you come out in words and deny Him, but in your actions you deny Christ so that He is ashamed to call you brethren. We want every one of us to be consecrated to God. Let the plowshare go deep and uproot all this pharisaism and let this self-righteousness be torn all to pieces. The very best way to have this done is to fall on the Rock and be broken. Just as soon as you see that there is nothing in you that is righteous; just as soon as you have a dread of sin, you will fall on the Rock, and then it is that Christ can take you and mold you and fashion you into a vessel of honor. But just as soon as you allow your thoughts and feelings to be turned against one another, this is unlike Christ, and just so sure it is that you are not vessels unto honor, but dishonor. You don’t give God a chance. You are trying to fashion yourself after a mold of your own imagination, but you need to take that out of your mind and keep Christ before you every day. { 11MR 242.2 } 
 
  To those who believe, Christ is the sure foundation. They fall on the Rock and are “broken.” To fall on the Rock and be broken is to give up our self-righteousness, to go to Christ with the humility of a child, repenting of our transgressions, and believing in His forgiving love. So also by faith and obedience we build on Christ as our foundation. { HLv 400.2 } 
 
  When religion is manifested in the home, its influence will be felt in the church and in the neighborhood. But some who profess to be Christians talk with their neighbors concerning their home difficulties. They relate their grievances in such a way as to call forth sympathy for themselves; but it is a great mistake to pour our trouble into the ears of others, especially when many of our grievances are manufactured and exist because of our irreligious life and defective character. Those who go forth to lay their private grievances before others might better remain at home to pray, to surrender their perverse will to God, to fall on the Rock and be broken, to die to self that Jesus may make them vessels unto honor.  { AH 38.1} 
 
  I beseech you to bring yourselves under God’s control. When tempted to speak provokingly, refrain from saying anything. You will be tempted on this point because you have never overcome this objectionable trait of character. But every wrong habit must be overcome. Make a complete surrender to God. Fall on the Rock, Christ Jesus, and be broken. As husband and wife, discipline yourselves. Go to Christ for help. He will willingly supply you with His divine sympathy, His free grace.... { AH 342.4} 
 
  I beseech you to bring yourselves under God’s control. When tempted to speak provokingly, refrain from saying anything. You will be tempted on this point, because you have never overcome this objectionable trait of character. But every wrong habit must be overcome. Make a complete surrender to God. Fall on the Rock, Christ Jesus, and be broken. As husband and wife, discipline yourselves. Go to Christ for help. He will willingly supply you with His divine sympathy, His free grace. He who for thirty years was a faithful son, working at the carpenter’s trade in order to do His share in bearing the burdens of the family firm, will give His followers strength faithfully to do their part in sharing the burdens of homelife. { DG 187.1} 
 
  “When He [the Spirit of truth] is come, He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.” The preaching of the word will be of no avail without the continual presence and aid of the Holy Spirit. This is the only effectual teacher of divine truth. Only when the truth is accompanied to the heart by the Spirit will it quicken the conscience or transform the life. One might be able to present the letter of the word of God, he might be familiar with all its commands and promises; but unless the Holy Spirit sets home the truth, no souls will fall on the Rock and be broken. No amount of education, no advantages, however great, can make one a channel of light without the co-operation of the Spirit of God. The sowing of the gospel seed will not be a success unless the seed is quickened into life by the dew of heaven. Before one book of the New Testament was written, before one gospel sermon had been preached after Christ’s ascension, the Holy Spirit came upon the praying apostles. Then the testimony of their enemies was, “Ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine.” Acts 5:28. { DA 671.4} 
 
  Every one of us must fall on the Rock and be broken. Will there be one who will retain his stubbornness? Will there be one who will cling to his self-righteousness? Will there be one who will not catch sight of the preciousness of Christ? Is there a heart here that will not be subdued by the love of Jesus? Will any retain one particle of self-esteem? { FW 60.2} 
 
  We greatly need to fall on the Rock and be broken; then the melting, subduing love of Jesus will be in our hearts. We shall then follow the example of Jesus, the Majesty of heaven, and work in co-operation with the angels, and not be like the Pharisees, who were unsympathetic, proud, and hardhearted. God is not willing that even the lowest and most degraded soul should perish. In what light, then, can you regard the neglect of those who need your help? { RH April 16, 1895, par. 6 }
 
  We are to surrender our hearts to God, that He may renew and sanctify us, and fit us for His heavenly court. We are not to wait for some special time, but today we are to give ourselves to Him, refusing to be the servants of sin. Do you imagine you can leave off sin a little at a time? Oh, leave the accursed thing at once! Hate the things that Christ hates, love the things that Christ loves. Has He not by His death and suffering made provision for your cleansing from sin? When we begin to realize that we are sinners, and fall on the Rock to be broken, the everlasting arms are placed about us, and we are brought close to the heart of Jesus. Then we shall be charmed with His loveliness, and disgusted with our own righteousness. We need to come close to the foot of the cross. The more we humble ourselves there, the more exalted will God’s love appear. The grace and righteousness of Christ will not avail for him who feels whole, for him who thinks he is reasonably good, who is contented with his own condition. There is no room for Christ in the heart of him who does not realize his need of divine light and aid. { 1SM 327.1} 
 
  God does not force any man into His service. Every soul must decide for himself whether or not he will fall on the Rock and be broken. Heaven has been amazed to see the spiritual stupidity that has prevailed. You need individually to open your proud hearts to the Spirit of God, You need to have your intellectual ability sanctified to the service of God. The transforming power of God must be upon you, that your minds may be renewed by the Holy Spirit, that you may have the mind that was in Christ. { YRP 186.4} 

 

           fall  helpless  on  the  rock

   No matter who you are or what your life has been, you can be saved only in God's appointed way. You must repent; you must fall helpless on the Rock, Christ Jesus. You must feel your need of a physician and of the one only remedy for sin, the blood of Christ. This remedy can be secured only by repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. Here the work is yet to be begun by many who profess to be Christians and even to be ministers of Christ. Like the Pharisees of old many of you feel no need of a Saviour. You are self-sufficient, self-exalted. Said Christ: "I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." The blood of Christ will avail for none but those who feel their need of its cleansing power.  {5T 218.3}

 

 

                                do  not  fall  on  the  Rock                                                                               

 
   If we would escape having a sickly experience, we must begin in earnest without delay to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling. There are many who give no decided evidence that they are true to their baptismal vows. Their zeal is chilled by formality, worldly ambition, pride, and love of self. Occasionally their feelings are stirred, but they do not fall on the Rock, Christ Jesus. They do not come to God with hearts that are broken in repentance and confession. Those who experience the work of true conversion in their hearts will reveal the fruits of the Spirit in their lives. Oh, that those who have so little spiritual life would realize that eternal life can be granted only to those who become partakers of the divine nature and escape the corruption that is in the world through lust! { 9T 155.2} 

 

 
   If we would escape having a sickly experience, we must begin in earnest without delay to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling. There are many who give no decided evidence that they are true to their baptismal vows. Their zeal is chilled by formality, worldly ambition, pride, and love of self. Occasionally their feelings are stirred, but they do not fall on the Rock Christ Jesus. They do not come to God with hearts that are broken in repentance and confession. Those who experience the work of true conversion in their lives will reveal the fruits of the Spirit in their lives. O that those who have so little spiritual life would realize that eternal life can be granted only to those who become partakers of the divine nature and escape the corruption that is in the world through lust! { CH 129.1} { 3TT 356.1} 

 

 
   I have been looking over the testimonies borne, the warnings given those connected with the Review Office, who profess confidence in them. Who have carried out the instructions which they admit the Lord has given them? At the very time the most pointed testimonies were borne, the very wrongs reproved were entered into more fully. Satan seemed to stand at the helm and to have the guidance himself, and carried things to suit his own ideas. The church, in like manner, have not regarded the light given. The church have professed to believe the testimonies, but have not heeded them. Their own ways seem right in their own eyes. They have, some of them, rent their garments but the heart has not been rent. Rather than to break their hearts before God and in their confessions open their hearts and meet the point, they walk all around it, and do not touch the plague spot. They justify self, justify the course of wrong, and shield and build up themselves. They will not fall on the rock, fearing they will break if they do. This is precisely what the Lord designs shall be done with them. Then he can, with his holy hand (if they will permit him), build them up and mold them as clay is molded in the hands of the potter. { PH011 71.1 } 
 
  There is great need that our brethren overcome secret faults. The displeasure of God, like a cloud, hangs over many of them. The churches are weak. Selfishness, uncharitableness, covetousness, envy, evil-surmising, falsehood, theft, robbery, sensuality, licentiousness, and adultery, [See appendix.] stand registered against some who claim to believe the solemn, sacred truth for this time. How can these accursed things be cleansed out of the camp, when men who claim to be Christians are practicing them constantly? They are somewhat careful of their ways before men, but they are an offense to God. His pure eyes see, a witness records, all their sins, both open and secret; and unless they repent and confess their sins before God, unless they fall on the Rock and are broken, their sins will remain charged against them in the books of record. Oh, fearful histories will be opened to the world at the judgment—histories of sins never confessed, of sins not blotted out! Oh, that these poor souls might see that they are heaping up wrath against the day of wrath! Then the thoughts of the heart, as well as the actions, will be revealed. I tell you, my brethren and sisters, there is need of humbling your souls before God. “Cease to do evil,” but do not stop here; “learn to do well.” You can glorify God only by bearing fruit to His glory. { TM 146.1} 
 

 

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