Testimonies for the Church Vol 1 - Lansing SDA Church

Slackness Reproved 205Some will move without wisdom or judgment, engage in lawsuits thatmight be avoided, mingle with the world, partake of its spirit, andinfluence others to follow their example. One professed Christian whomoves unadvisedly does much harm to the cause of present truth. Eviltakes root much more readily than good, and flourishes when goodand right languish unless carefully nourished.I was pointed back, and saw that in every important move, everydecision made or point gained by God’s people, some have arisento carry matters to extremes, and to move in an extravagant manner,which has disgusted unbelievers, distressed God’s people, and broughtthe cause of God into disrepute. The people whom God is leading outin these last days, will be troubled with just such things. But much evilwill be avoided if the ministers of Christ will be of one mind, united [213]in their plans of action, and united in effort. If they will stand together,sustain one another, and faithfully reprove and rebuke wrong, theywill soon cause it to wither. But Satan has controlled these mattersvery much. Private members and even preachers have sympathizedwith disaffected ones who have been reproved for their wrongs, anddivision of feeling has been the result. The one who has venturedout and discharged his disagreeable duty by faithfully meeting errorand wrong, is grieved and wounded that he receives not the fullestsympathy of his preaching brethren. He becomes discouraged indischarging these painful duties, lays down the cross, and withholdsthe pointed testimony. His soul is shut up in darkness, and the churchsuffer for the lack of the very testimony which God designed shouldlive among His people. Satan’s object is gained when the faithfultestimony is suppressed. Those who so readily sympathize with thewrong consider it a virtue; but they realize not that they are exerting ascattering influence, and that they themselves help to carry out Satan’splans.I saw that many souls have been destroyed by their brethren unwiselysympathizing with them, when their only hope was to be leftto see and realize the full extent of their wrongs. But as they eagerlyaccept the sympathy of unwise brethren, they receive the idea that theyare abused; and if they attempt to retrace their steps, they make halfheartedwork. They divide the matter to suit their natural feelings, layblame upon the reprover, and so patch up the matter. It is not probedto the bottom, and is not healed, and they again fall into the same