A Right Choice

When the students in our schools learn to choose God's will, they will find it comparatively easy to do His will. Let every student remember that he is a member of God's firm, and that he is to make the school what God would have it. If you see defects in students or in church members, be thankful to God you have discerned these defects. Do not grieve your Redeemer by imitating them. Avoid them. You will see those who are weak in spiritual understanding, who are not learning in the school of Christ His meekness and lowliness, who manifest a vain, frivolous, worldly character, which loves display. The only remedy for these is to talk of Jesus and behold Jesus. If they can be led to look at Him, and study His character, they will learn to despise everything that is vain and frivolous; for Christ was intensely earnest, full of goodness, mercy, forbearance, patience, and unexampled love. By continuing to behold Jesus, they will rise above the littleness of the things that so molded them that they were unlovely and unholy in character. They will feel contempt for themselves. They will say, “I will not sit with vain persons, neither will I go in with dissemblers.” “He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.” ...1NL 83.5

Even some who are striving for the mastery over the enemy develop a predisposition to do wrong. Evil prevails over good, because they do not trust wholly in Christ. They do not abide in Him, and because of their lack of dependence on God, they show inconsistency of character. But no one is compelled to choose this class as familiar associates. The temptations of life are met everywhere, and those who complain of the church members, being cold, proud, haughty, un-Christlike, need not associate with this class. There are many who are warmhearted, self-denying, self-sacrificing, who would if necessary lay down their lives to save souls. Let none, then, become accusers of the brethren, but let the tares grow together with the wheat; for thus Christ has said it should be. But we are not under the necessity of being tares ourselves, because the harvest is not all wheat.1NL 84.1

He who rejects the life and character of Jesus, refusing to be like Him, declares himself to be in controversy with God. “He that is not with Me is against Me,” Christ declares, “and he that gathereth not with Me scattereth abroad.” Those who love God will not choose His enemies as their friends. The question is asked, “Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them who hate the Lord?” True Christians will not choose the society of non-Christians. If the Lord gives them a special position in the world, as He gave Joseph and Daniel, He will keep them from being contaminated. We need to discern good from evil. We need all the help and instruction that comes from a true faith. We need to listen to the inculcation of Scripture doctrines, which are free from the sophistry and deception of the great deceiver. We need to live in as pure a religious atmosphere as possible, that we may bring solid timbers into our character building.1NL 84.2