MR No. 669—Relation of Faith and Works

Christ said, “If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me” (Luke 9:23). I feel such an intense interest that every soul shall see, and understand, and be charmed with the consistency of the truth. The evidence of our love to Christ is not pretention, but practice....9MR 12.1

“If a man love Me, he will keep My words: and My Father will love him, and We will come unto him [“We,” that is, the Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost], and make Our abode with him” (John 14:23). Oh, my brother, walk carefully with God. But remember that there are some whose eyes are intently fixed upon you, expecting that you will overreach the mark, and stumble, and fall. But if you keep in humility close to Jesus, all is well.9MR 12.2

[See 2 Peter 1:1-11.] This is the faith which we must have, that works by love, and purifies the soul. There is no place in the school of Christ where we graduate. We are to work on the plan of addition, and the Lord will work on the plan of multiplication. It is through constant diligence that we will, through the grace of Christ, live on the plan of addition, making our calling and election sure. For if ye do these things—“add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity”—“for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:1, 5-7, 10, 11).—Letter 44, 1893, 4-6. (To A. T. Jones, April 9, 1893.)9MR 12.3

White Estate

November 15, 1978.