Heaven Approves Obedience and Service, August 3

If they obey and serve Him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures. Job 36:11.RRe 217.1

The Christian has a source of strength and happiness to which the lovers of pleasure are strangers.—Testimonies for the Church 1:616.RRe 217.2

Conversion is a work that most do not appreciate. It is not a small matter to transform an earthly, sin-loving mind, and bring it to understand the unspeakable love of Christ, the charms of His grace, and the excellency of God, so that the soul shall be imbued with divine love, and captivated with the heavenly mysteries. When he understands these things, his former life appears disgusting and hateful. He hates sin, and, breaking his heart before God, he embraces Christ as the life and joy of the soul. He renounces his former pleasures. He has a new mind, new affections, new interest, new will; his sorrows, and desires, and love are all new. The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life, which have heretofore been preferred before Christ, are now turned from, and Christ is the charm of his life, the crown of his rejoicing. Heaven, which once possessed no charms, is now viewed in its riches and glory; and he contemplates it as his future home, where he shall see, love, and praise the One who hath redeemed him by His precious blood.—Testimonies for the Church 2:294.RRe 217.3

The word of God, which was dull and uninteresting, is now chosen as his study, the man of his counsel. It is as a letter written to him from God, bearing the inscription of the Eternal.—Testimonies for the Church 2:295.RRe 217.4

The works of holiness, which appeared wearisome, are now his delight.—Testimonies for the Church 2:294.RRe 217.5