Paul acknowledged that he had received many “visions and revelations of the Lord.” His understanding of the gospel was equal to that of “the most eminent apostles.” (2 Corinthians 12:1, 11.) He had clearly understood “the width and length and depth and height” of “the love of Christ which passes knowledge” (Ephesians 3:18, 19).4TC 241.2

Paul could not tell everything that he had seen in vision. Some hearers would have misused his words. But what had been revealed to him molded the messages that in later years he sent to the churches. He gave a message that has brought strength to the church of God ever since. To believers today this message speaks plainly of dangers that will threaten the church.4TC 241.3

The apostle wanted those to whom he addressed his letters to “no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine,” but to come into “the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:14, 13). Christ, who “loved the church and gave Himself for her,” would “present her to Himself ... not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing”—a church “holy and without blemish” (Ephesians 5:25, 27).4TC 242.1

In these messages, written not with human power but with God’s power, we find principles that every church should follow, and the way that leads to eternal life is made plain.4TC 242.2

In his letter to “the saints” at Colosse, written while he was a prisoner in Rome, Paul mentions his joy over their faithfulness: “We also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.”4TC 242.3

There is no limit to the blessings that the children of God may receive. They may grow stronger and stronger until they are made “qualified ... to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.”4TC 242.4

Christ, the Creator

The apostle exalted Christ as the One by whom God created all things. The hand that sustains the world in space is the hand that was nailed to the cross: “For by Him were all things created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible. ... All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.”4TC 242.5

The Son of God came to this earth to be “wounded for our transgressions” and “bruised for our iniquities” (Isaiah 53:5). In all things He was made like us. He became flesh, even as we are. He knew what it meant to be hungry, thirsty, and weary. He was sustained by food and refreshed by sleep. He was tempted and tried as men and women of today are tempted and tried, yet He lived a life free from sin.4TC 242.6

Surrounded by the influences of heathenism, the Colossian believers were in danger of being drawn away from the gospel’s simplicity. Paul pointed them to Christ as the only safe guide: “This I say lest anyone should deceive you with persuasive words. ...4TC 243.1

“As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught. ...4TC 243.2

“Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.”4TC 243.3

Christ had warned that deceivers would come and that through their influence “lawlessness will abound” and “the love of many will grow cold” (Matthew 24:12). The church would be in more danger from this evil than from persecution by her enemies. By letting false teachers in, they would open the door to errors that the enemy would use to shake the confidence of those who had just come to the faith. They were to reject everything that was not in harmony with Christ’s teachings.4TC 243.4

As people tried to use philosophy to destroy faith in the Scriptures in the apostles’ day, so today, by higher criticism, evolution, spiritualism, mysticism, and pantheism the enemy of righteousness is working to lead people into forbidden paths. To many the Bible is like a lamp without oil, because they have turned their minds to speculations and suppositions that bring confusion. The work of higher criticism in taking the Bible apart, guessing about other meanings, and reconstructing it along different lines is destroying faith, robbing God’s Word of its power to control and inspire human lives. Spiritualism teaches that desire is the highest law, that license is liberty, and that human beings are accountable only to themselves.4TC 243.5

The followers of Christ will confront spiritualistic interpretations of the Scriptures, but we are not to accept them. We must discard all ideas that are not in harmony with Christ’s teaching. We must accept the Bible as the voice of God speaking directly to us. The knowledge of God as revealed in Christ is the knowledge that everyone who is saved must have. This knowledge transforms the character. Apart from this knowledge, everything else is vanity and nothingness.4TC 243.6

In every generation and in every country, the true foundation for character building has been the same—the principles contained in the Word of God. With the Word the apostles overcame the false theories of their day, saying, “No other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid” (1 Corinthians 3:11).4TC 244.1

In his letter, Paul urged the Colossian believers not to forget that they must make a constant effort: “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”4TC 244.2

How to Break the Chains of Habit

Through the power of Christ, men and women have broken the chains of sinful habits. They have turned away from selfishness. The irreligious have become reverent, the drunken sober, the immoral pure. This change is the miracle of miracles—“Christ in you, the hope of glory.”4TC 244.3

When the Spirit of God controls mind and heart, the converted person begins to sing a new song. The promise of God has been fulfilled, and the sinner’s transgression has been forgiven. The changed person has repented to God for disobeying the divine law and has exercised faith in Christ, who died to justify us.4TC 244.4

But Christians are not to fold their hands, content with what Christ has accomplished for them. They will find that all the powers and passions of their natural hearts rise up against them. Each day they must renew their commitment. Old habits, inherited tendencies to wrong, will try to take control, and the Christian is to fight against these in Christ’s strength.4TC 244.5

“As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive” (NRSV).4TC 245.1

The power of a higher, purer life is our great need. The world has too much of our thought and the kingdom of heaven too little. To reach God’s ideal, the Christian must never give up. Moral and spiritual perfection through Christ’s grace is promised to all. Jesus is the source of power. He brings us to His Word. He puts a prayer into our mouth to bring us into close contact with Himself. To help us, He sets in operation the all-powerful agencies of heaven. At every step we touch His living power.4TC 245.2

To the Philippians: How to Reach Perfection

The church at Philippi had sent gifts to Paul by Epaphroditus, whom Paul calls “my brother, fellow worker, and fellow soldier.” While in Rome, Epaphroditus was sick, “almost unto death; but God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.” The believers at Philippi were deeply concerned about Epaphroditus, and he decided to return to them. “He was longing for you all,” Paul wrote, “and was distressed because you had heard that he was sick. ... For the work of Christ he came close to death, not regarding his life, to supply what was lacking in your service toward me.”4TC 245.3

Paul sent a letter with Epaphroditus for the Philippian believers. Of all the churches, Philippi had been the most generous in supplying Paul’s needs. “Not that I seek the gift; but I seek the profit that accumulates to your account. I have been paid in full and have more than enough; I am fully satisfied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent” (NRSV).4TC 245.4

“I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. ...4TC 245.5

“And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, ... that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ.”4TC 246.1

Paul’s imprisonment had resulted in progress for the gospel. “The things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel, so that it has become evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest.”4TC 246.2

There is a lesson for us in this experience. The Lord can bring victory out of what may seem like defeat to us. When misfortune or disaster comes, we are ready to accuse God of neglect or cruelty. If He sees fit to bring an end to our usefulness in some area, we mourn, not stopping to think that He may be working for our good. Painful experiences are a part of His great plan. While suffering, the Christian may sometimes do more for the Master than when giving active service.4TC 246.3

Paul pointed the Philippians to Christ, who, “though He was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross” (NRSV).4TC 246.4

“Therefore, my beloved,” Paul continued, “it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation.”4TC 246.5

Paul holds up the standard of perfection and shows how to reach it: “Work out your own salvation ... for it is God who works in you.” The work of gaining salvation is a joint operation between God and the repentant sinner. We are to make earnest efforts to overcome, but we are completely dependent on God for success. Without the aid of divine power, human effort is useless. God works and we work. Resistance to temptation must come from us, and we must draw our power from God.4TC 246.6

God wants us to overcome self, but He cannot help us without our consent and cooperation. The divine Spirit works through the powers and abilities given to us. By ourselves we cannot bring our desires and our leanings into harmony with the will of God. But if we are “willing to be made willing,” the Savior will accomplish this for us, “casting down arguments ..., bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5).4TC 246.7

Those who want to be well-balanced Christians must give all and do all for Christ. Every day they must learn what it means to surrender self. They must study the Word of God, obeying its instructions. Day by day God works with them, perfecting the character that will stand in the final test. And day by day the believers work out a wonderful experiment for others and even angels to see, showing what the gospel can do for fallen human beings.4TC 247.1

The True Motive That Leads to Perfection

“I do not consider that I have made it my own,” Paul wrote, “but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus” (NRSV).4TC 247.2

In all the busy activities of his life, Paul never lost sight of one great purpose—to press toward the goal for the prize of his high calling. To exalt the cross—this was his all-absorbing motive that inspired his words and acts.4TC 247.3

Though he was a prisoner, Paul was not discouraged. A note of triumph rings through the letters that he wrote from Rome. “Rejoice!” he wrote. “In everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”4TC 247.4

“My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”4TC 247.5

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