Shaking
115
the truth if they do not in word and deed obey His commands.—
Testimonies for the Church 6:332
(1900).
Persecution Cleanses the Church
Prosperity multiplies a mass of professors. Adversity purges them
out of the church.—
Testimonies for the Church 4:89
(1876).
The time is not far distant when the test will come to every soul.
The mark of the beast will be urged upon us. Those who have step by
step yielded to worldly demands and conformed to worldly customs
will not find it a hard matter to yield to the powers that be, rather than
subject themselves to derision, insult, threatened imprisonment, and
[174]
death. The contest is between the commandments of God and the
commandments of men. In this time the gold will be separated from
the dross in the church.—
Testimonies for the Church 5:81
(1882).
In the absence of the persecution there have drifted into our ranks
men who appear sound and their Christianity unquestionable, but
who, if persecution should arise, would go out from us.—
Evangelism,
360
(1890).
When the law of God is made void the church will be sifted by
fiery trials, and a larger proportion than we now anticipate will give
heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils.—
Selected Messages
2:368
(1891).
Superficial Believers Will Renounce the Faith
The work which the church has failed to do in a time of peace and
prosperity she will have to do in a terrible crisis under most discourag-
ing, forbidding circumstances. The warnings that worldly conformity
has silenced or withheld must be given under the fiercest opposition
from enemies of the faith. And at that time the superficial, conservative
[
Ellen White is not here distinguishing theological conservatives from
their liberal counterparts; she is describing those who put “worldly
conformity” first and God’s cause second.
] class, whose influence has
steadily retarded the progress of the work, will renounce the faith.—
Testimonies for the Church 5:463
(1885).
If Satan sees that the Lord is blessing His people and preparing
them to discern his delusions, he will work with his master power
[175]
to bring in fanaticism on the one hand and cold formalism on the