HOW CAN A MAN DENY CHRIST?

Jesus continues: As you confess Me before men, so I will confess you before God and the holy angels. You are to be My
witnesses upon earth, channels through which My grace can flow for the healing of the world. So I will be your
representative in heaven. The Father beholds not your faulty character, but He sees you as clothed in My perfection. I
am the medium through which Heaven's blessings shall come to you. And everyone who confesses Me by sharing My
sacrifice for the lost shall be confessed as a sharer in the glory and joy of the redeemed. {DA 357.1}
He who would confess Christ must have Christ abiding in him. He cannot communicate that which he has not
received. The disciples might speak fluently on doctrines, they might repeat the words of Christ Himself; but unless
they possessed Christlike meekness and love, they were not confessing Him. A spirit contrary to the spirit of Christ
would deny Him, whatever the profession. Men may deny Christ by evilspeaking, by foolish talking, by words that are
untruthful or unkind. They may deny Him by shunning life's burdens, by the pursuit of sinful pleasure. They may deny
Him by conforming to the world, by uncourteous behavior, by the love of their own opinions, by justifying self, by
cherishing doubt, borrowing trouble, and dwelling in darkness. In all these ways they declare that Christ is not in
them. And "whosoever shall deny Me before men," He says, "him will I also deny before My Father which is in heaven."
{DA 357.2}

CONFESSION WITHOUT REPENTANCE IS WORTHLESS

Those who occupy responsible positions as guardians of the people are false to their trust if they do not faithfully
search out and reprove sin. Many dare not condemn iniquity, lest they shall thereby sacrifice position or popularity.
And by some it is considered uncharitable to rebuke sin. The servant of God should never allow his own spirit to be
mingled with the reproof which he is required to give; but he is under the most solemn obligation to present the Word
of God, without fear or favor. He must call sin by its right name. Those who by their carelessness or indifference
permit God's name to be dishonored by His professed people, are numbered with the transgressor,-- registered in the
record of heaven as partakers in their evil deeds.... {2BC 996.6}
There are many professed Christians whose confessions of sin are similar to that of Achan. They will, in a general
way, acknowledge their unworthiness, but they refuse to confess the sins whose guilt rests upon their conscience, and
which have brought the frown of God upon His people. Thus many conceal sins of selfishness, over-reaching,
dishonesty toward God and their neighbor, sins in the family, and many others which it is proper to confess in public.
{2BC 997.1}
Genuine repentance springs from a sense of the offensive character of sin. These general confessions are not the
fruit of true humiliation of soul before God. They leave the sinner with a self-complacent spirit to go on as before,
until his conscience becomes hardened, and warnings that once aroused him produce hardly a feeling of danger and
after a time his sinful course appears right. All too late his sins will find him out, in that day when they shall not be
purged with sacrifice nor offering forever. There is a vast difference between admitting facts after they are proved,
and confessing sins known only to ourselves and God (ST May 5, 1881). {2BC 997.2}
25, 26 (John 3:3-7). THE SIGN OF A NEW HEART.--[Ezekiel 36:26 quoted.]
. . . The youth especially stumble over this phrase, "a new heart." They do not know what it means. They look for a
special change to take place in their feelings. This they term conversion. Over this error thousands have stumbled to
ruin, not understanding the expression, "Ye must be born again." {4BC 1164.8}
Satan leads people to think that because they have felt a rapture of feeling, they are converted. But their
experience does not change. Their actions are the same as before. Their lives show no good fruit. They pray often and
long, and are constantly referring to the feelings they had at such and such a time. But they do not live the new life.
They are deceived. Their experience goes no deeper than feeling. They build upon the sand, and when adverse winds
come, their house is swept away. . . . {4BC 1164.9}
When Jesus speaks of the new heart, He means the mind, the life, the whole being. To have a change of heart is to
withdraw the affections from the world, and fasten them upon Christ. To have a new heart is to have a new mind, new
purposes, new motives. What is the sign of a new heart?--a changed life. There is a daily, hourly dying to selfishness
and pride (YI Sept. 26, 1901). {4BC 1164.10}
Chap. 41 – POPULAR METHODS OF APPEAL
We see the churches of our day encouraging feasting, gluttony, and dissipation, by the suppers, fairs, dances, and
festivals gotten up for the purpose of gathering means into the church treasury. Here is a method invented by carnal
minds to secure means without sacrificing. {CS 201.1}
LAME AND DISEASED OFFERINGS
Let us stand clear of all these church corruptions, dissipations, and festivals, which have a demoralizing influence
upon young and old. We have no right to throw over them the cloak of sanctity because the means is to be used for
church purposes. Such offerings are lame and diseased, and bear the curse of God. They are the price of souls. The
pulpit may defend festivals, dancing, lotteries, fairs, and luxurious feasts, to obtain means for church purposes; but
let us participate in none of these things; for if we do, God's displeasure will be upon us. We do not propose to appeal
to the lust of the appetite or resort to carnal amusements as an inducement to Christ's professed followers to give of
the means which God has entrusted to them. If they do not give willingly, for the love of Christ, the offering will in no
case be acceptable to God. {CS 201.4}
SHOWS AND THEATERS.
--Satan's ruling passion is to pervert the intellect and cause men to long for shows and theatrical performances. {CS
266.3}
But today the proud and disobedient are striving to acquire a great name and great honor from their fellow men by
using their God-given endowments to amuse.--Manuscript 42, 1898. {Ev 267.1}
HURRY PRODUCES TAME DISCOURSES
The reason so many of our ministers preach tame, lifeless discourses is that they allow a variety of things of a worldly
nature to take their time and attention.-- Testimonies, vol. 7, p. 251. (1902) {Ev 180.4}
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