Testimonies for the Church Vol 1 - Lansing SDA Church

Dangers of the Young 379fluence of worldly professors is injurious to the young. The mass [404]of professed Christians have removed the line of distinction betweenChristians and the world, and while they profess to be living for Christ,they are living for the world. Their faith has but little restraining influenceupon their pleasures; while they profess to be children of the light,they walk in darkness and are children of the night and of darkness.Those who walk in darkness cannot love God and sincerely desire toglorify Him. They are not enlightened to discern the excellence ofheavenly things, and therefore cannot truly love them. They profess tobe Christians because it is considered honorable, and there is no crossfor them to bear. Their motives are often selfish. Some such professorscan enter the ballroom and unite in all the amusements which it affords.Others cannot go to such a length as this, yet they can attend partiesof pleasure, picnics, donation parties, and exhibitions. And the mostdiscerning eye would fail to detect in such professed Christians onemark of Christianity. One would fail to see in their appearance anydifference between them and the greatest unbeliever. The professedChristian, the profligate, the open scoffer at religion, and the openlyprofane all mingle together as one. And God regards them as one inspirit and practice.A profession of Christianity without corresponding faith and workswill avail nothing. No man can serve two masters. The children ofthe wicked one are their own master’s servants; to whom they yieldthemselves servants to obey, his servants they are, and they cannot bethe servants of God until they renounce the devil and all his works.It cannot be harmless for servants of the heavenly King to engage inthe pleasures and amusements which Satan’s servants engage in, eventhough they often repeat that such amusements are harmless. God hasrevealed sacred and holy truths to separate His people from the ungodlyand purify them unto Himself. Seventh-day Adventists should live outtheir faith. Those who obey the Ten Commandments view the state of [405]the world and religious things from a standpoint altogether differentfrom that of professors who are lovers of pleasure, who shun the cross,and live in violation of the fourth commandment. In the present state ofthings in society it is no easy task for parents to restrain their childrenand instruct them according to the Bible rule of right. Professors ofreligion have so departed from the word of God that when His peoplereturn to His sacred word, and would train their children according