Testimonies for the Church Vol 1 - Lansing SDA Church

Slackness Reproved 207to lay your hand upon wrong. You influenced others. The good workwhich God designed should be accomplished for certain ones was notaccomplished, and they have been puffed up by Satan. If you had stoodin the counsel of God at that time, an influence would have been castwhich would have told upon the cause of God. The Spirit of the Lordwas grieved. And this lack of union discourages those upon whomGod lays the burden of reproof.“I was shown that you had been wrong in sympathizing with E.The course you have taken in regard to him has injured your influence,and has greatly injured the cause of God. It is impossible for E to befellowshiped by the church of God. He has placed himself where hecannot be helped by the church, where he can have no communionwith nor voice in the church. He has placed himself there in the face oflight and truth. He has stubbornly chosen his own course, and refusedto listen to reproof. He has followed the inclinations of his corruptheart, has violated the holy law of God, and has disgraced the cause ofpresent truth. If he repents ever so heartily, the church must let his casealone. If he goes to heaven, it must be alone, without the fellowshipof the church. A standing rebuke from God and the church must everrest upon him, that the standard of morality be not lowered to the verydust. The Lord is displeased with your course in these things.“You have injured the cause of God; your willful course haswounded the hearts of God’s people. Your influence encourages aslack state of things in the church. You should bear a living, pointedtestimony. Stand out of the way of the work of God, step not in betweenGod and His people. You have too long wrapped up the sharptestimony, and stood opposed to the severe censure which God laysupon individual wrongs. God is correcting, and proving, and purifying [216]His people. Stand out of the way that His work be not hindered. Hewill not accept a smooth testimony. Ministers must cry aloud, andspare not. The Lord has given you a powerful testimony, calculated tostrengthen the church and arouse unbelievers. But these things whereinyou lack must be corrected, or your testimony will become powerless,and your influence injure the cause of God. The people look to youfor an example. Do not mislead them. Let your influence be to correctwrongs in your family and in the church.”I have been shown that the Lord is reviving the living, pointedtestimony, which will develop character and purify the church. But