40
Last Day Events
her free indeed. Then her members will indeed be the chosen of God,
His representatives.—
Testimonies for the Church 8:247-251
(April 21,
1903).
Israel’s History a Warning to Us
In these last days God’s people will be exposed to the very same
dangers as were ancient Israel. Those who will not receive the warn-
ings that God gives will fall into the same perils as did ancient Israel
and come short of entering into rest through unbelief. Ancient Israel
suffered calamities on account of their unsanctified hearts and unsub-
[61]
mitted wills. Their final rejection as a nation was a result of their
own unbelief, self-confidence, impenitence, blindness of mind, and
hardness of heart. In their history we have a danger signal lifted before
us.
“Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of
unbelief, in departing from the living God.... For we are made partakers
of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto
the end” (
Hebrews 3:12, 14
).—
Letter 30, 1895
.
The Church Militant Is Imperfect
The church militant is not the church triumphant, and earth is not
heaven. The church is composed of erring, imperfect men and women,
who are but learners in the school of Christ, to be trained, disciplined,
educated, for this life and for the future, immortal life.—
The Signs of
the Times, January 4, 1883
.
Some people seem to think that upon entering the church they will
have their expectations fulfilled, and meet only with those who are
pure and perfect. They are zealous in their faith, and when they see
faults in church members, they say, “We left the world in order to
have no association with evil characters, but the evil is here also;” and
they ask, as did the servants in the parable, “From whence then hath
it tares?” But we need not be thus disappointed, for the Lord has not
warranted us in coming to the conclusion that the church is perfect;
and all our zeal will not be successful in making the church militant as
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pure as the church triumphant.—
Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel
Workers, 47
(1893).