我要对传讲圣道的人说：“祢的言语一解开，就发出亮光，使愚人通达”(诗119:130)。本来可以使你们多多受益，扎根于真理，接受教育和训练的一切优势和特权，都不会对你们个人有真正的帮助，除非你们敞开心怀，让真理进来，真心放弃对耶稣关闭了门户的一切癖性、习惯和罪恶。要让基督的光探查心灵的每一个黑暗的角落，以恳切的决心采取正确的行动方针。如果你们坚持错误的行径，像现在你们许多人所做的那样，如果真理没有在你们心中施行改变人心的大能，使你们因爱真理纯正的原则而衷心遵行，真理就一定在你们身上丧失了其活力，而罪恶则会变本加厉。所以许多人未能成为主有效的工人。他们不断地设法取悦并荣耀自己，或心里怀藏私欲。他们确实赞同十诫的律法。许多人还在教导律法的理论，但他们并不珍爱律法的原则。他们并没有遵行上帝要人纯洁，要爱祂为至上并爱人如己的命令。他们既时常生活在谎言之中，怎么会有力量，有信心，成为上帝有效的工人呢? {SpTA02a 9.1}
救主为祂的门徒们祈求说：“求祢用真理使他们成圣：祢的道就是真理”(约17:17)。但是如果接受圣经知识的人不在自己的行为或习惯上做出改变以符合真理之光，那会怎么样呢?灵在与肉体争战，肉体也在与灵争战;其中必有一方获胜。如果真理使心灵成圣了，人就会憎恨和躲避罪恶，因为他把基督作为贵宾接来。但基督不能住在分心的人里面;因为罪与耶稣是无法相容的。凡诚心接受真理，吃上帝儿子的肉、喝上帝儿子血的人就有永生。耶稣说：“我对你们所说的话，就是灵，就是生命”(约6:63)。当领受真理的人跟圣灵合作时，他就有了把这信息传给别人的负担。他决不只作一个说教者。他会全心全意地投入在寻找拯救失丧之人的大工中。他既实践基督的宗教，就必在救灵的事上成就一项善工。{SpTA02a 9.2}
每一个信徒都对上帝负有义务，要追求属灵的事，保守自己在光明的渠道中，使自己可以光照世界。当所有从事传道圣工的人都在恩典和认识我们的主和救主上长进的时候，他们就必憎恨罪和一切的自私。一种道德上的革新就必不断进行。随着他们继续注视耶稣，他们就越来越与祂的形像一致，并且在祂里面得以完全，不是拥有他们自己的义，而是拥有我们主基督耶稣的义。{SpTA02a 10.1}
人们还没有认识到传道培训班的极大好处。这些培训班有很多机会，却没有达到其应有成就的一半，因为参加的人没有实行明摆在他们面前的真理。许多给别人讲解圣经的人并没有本着良心，将心思、意念和生活完全降服于圣灵的管束。他们喜爱并依恋罪恶。我蒙指示，不纯正的行为、骄傲、自私、荣耀自我，甚至关闭了那些教导别人真理之人的心门，以致上帝对他们不悦。难道没有某种革新的能力可以拉住他们吗?难道他们因为自己不肯得痊愈已经堕落为某种不能治愈的道德疾病的掠物了吗?但愿每一位劳苦传道教导人的人都愿意听从保罗的话：“所以弟兄们，我以上帝的慈悲劝你们，将身体献上，当作活祭，是圣洁的，是上帝所喜悦的;你们如此事奉乃是理所当然的”(罗12:1)。{SpTA02a 10.2}
我的心是多么为那些存谦卑的心行事为人，爱上帝并且敬畏上帝的人而欢喜快乐啊。他们具有一种远比博学或雄辩有价值的能力。“敬畏耶和华是智慧的开端;”他的爱和敬畏像一条金线把人力和神能联合在一起。这样，人生的一切活动都简化了。当上帝的儿女在与试探争斗，与人心自然的种种情欲争战时，信心把这人跟那位能提供帮助的主连接起来，他们就得胜了。{SpTA02a 11.1}
愿主在那些已经领受了大光的人心中运行，好使他们可以离开一切不义。要注视髑髅地的十字架。耶稣在那里舍了自己的性命，不是为了使人可以继续留在罪里，也不是让人可以违背上帝的律法，而是要通过这一无限的牺牲，使人得救脱离一切的罪。基督说过：“我自己分别为圣，叫他们也因真理成圣”——藉着祂完美的榜样成圣。那些给别人传讲真理的人自己愿意因真理成圣吗?他们愿意尽心尽性尽意爱主并且爱人如己吗?他们愿意达到基督徒品格的最高标准吗?他们的品味提高了吗?他们的食欲得到控制了吗?他们只珍爱高尚的情操、强烈深厚的同情心、以及纯洁的目的，好使他们可以确实成为与上帝同工的人吗?在这场争战中，我们必须有圣灵支持我们;“因我们并不是与属血气的争战，乃是与那些执政的、掌权的、管辖这幽暗世界的，以及天空属灵气的恶魔争战”(弗6:12)。{SpTA02a 11.2}
怀爱伦
1892年7月3日写于澳大利亚墨尔本
【Reasons for Inefficiency, and the Remedy】
I would address those who preach the word: “The entrance of thy word giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.” All the advantages and privileges that may be multiplied for your benefit, that you should be educated and trained, rooted and grounded in the truth, will be no real help to you personally unless the mind and heart is opened so that truth shall find entrance, and you make a conscientious surrender of every habit and practice, and every sin, that has closed the door against Jesus. Let the light from Christ search every dark corner of the soul; with earnest determination adopt a right course of action. If you hold onto a wrong course, as many of you are now doing; if the truth does not work in you with transforming power, so that you obey it from the heart, because you love its pure principles, be sure that for you the truth will lose its vitalizing power, and sin will strengthen. This is why many are not efficient agents for the Master. They are constantly making provision to please and glorify themselves, or they cherish lust in the heart. True, they assent to the law of ten commandments, and many teach the law in theory; but they do not cherish its principles. They do not obey the command of God to be pure, to love God supremely, and their neighbor as themselves. While constantly living a lie, can such have strength? Can they have confidence? Will such become efficient workers for God?{SpTA02a 9.1}[1]
The Saviour prayed for his disciples, “Sanctify them through thy truth; thy word is truth.” But if the receiver of Bible knowledge makes no change in his habits or practices to correspond to the light of truth, what then? The spirit is warring against the flesh, and the flesh against the spirit; and one of these must conquer. If the truth sanctifies the soul, sin is hated and shunned, because Christ is accepted as an honored guest. But Christ cannot share a divided heart; sin and Jesus are never in co-partnership. He who accepts the truth in sincerity, who eats the flesh and drinks the blood of the Son of God, has eternal life. “The words that I speak unto you,” said Jesus, “they are spirit and they are life.” When the receiver of truth co-operates with the Holy Spirit, he will go weighted with the burden of the message to souls; he will never be merely a sermonizer. He will enter heart and soul into the great work of seeking and saving that which is lost. Practicing the religion of Christ, he will accomplish a good work in winning souls.{SpTA02a 9.2}[2]
Every believer is under bonds to God to be spiritually minded, keeping himself in the channel of light, that he may let his light shine to the world. When all those who are engaged in the sacred work of the ministry shall grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, they will hate sin and all selfishness. A moral renovation is constantly going on; as they continue looking to Jesus, they become conformed to his image, and are found complete in him, not having their own righteousness, but the righteousness that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.{SpTA02a 10.1}[3]
The great advantage of the ministerial institutes are not half appreciated. They are rich in opportunities, but do not accomplish half what they should, because those who attend them do not practice the truth which is presented before them in clear lines. Many who are explaining the Scriptures to others have not conscientiously and entirely surrendered mind and heart and life to the control of the Holy Spirit. They love sin, and cling to it. I have been shown that impure practices, pride, selfishness, self-glorying, have closed the door of the heart, even of those who teach the truth to others, so that the frown of God is upon them. Cannot some renovating power take hold of them? Have they fallen a prey to a moral disease which is incurable because they themselves refuse to be cured? O that every one who labors in word and doctrine would heed the words of Paul, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”{SpTA02a 10.2}[4]
How my heart goes out in rejoicing for those who walk in humility of mind, who love and fear God. They possess a power far more valuable than learning or eloquence. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;” and his love and fear are like a thread of gold uniting the human agent to the divine. Thus all the movements of life are simplified. When the children of God are struggling with temptation, battling against the passions of the natural heart, faith connects the soul with the only One who can give help, and they are overcomers.{SpTA02a 11.1}[5]
May the Lord work upon the hearts of those who have received great light, that they may depart from all iniquity. Behold the cross of Calvary. There is Jesus, who gave his life, not that men might continue in sin, not that they may have license to break the law of God, but that through this infinite sacrifice they may be saved from all sin. Said Christ, “I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified,” by the perfection of his example. Will those who preach the truth to others be sanctified by the truth themselves? Will they love the Lord with heart and mind and soul, and their neighbor as themselves? Will they meet the highest standard of Christian character? Are their tastes elevated, their appetites controlled? Are they cherishing only?noble sentiments, strong, deep sympathy, and pure purposes, that they may indeed be laborers together with God? We must have the Holy Spirit to sustain us in the conflict; for “we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”{SpTA02a 11.2}[6]
---Ellen G. White---Melbourne, Australia,July 3, 1892.[7]
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