Sentinels
Quote; “The apostle sought to teach the believers how important it is to keep the mind from wandering to forbidden themes, or from spending its energies on trifling subjects. Those who would not fall a prey to Satan’s devices, must guard well the avenues of the soul; they must avoid reading, seeing, or hearing that which will suggest impure thoughts. The mind must not be left to dwell at random upon every subject that the enemy of souls may suggest. The heart must be faithfully sentineled, or evils without will awaken evils within, and the soul will wander in darkness. “Gird up the loins of your mind,” Peter wrote, “be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation.” {AA 519}
Quote; “Every thought, word, and act, we should bring to the test of God’s revealed will. In all things the inquiry should be, Will this please God? Will it be in accordance with the teachings of His Word? And when there is an indecision of mind in regard to duty, our natural hearts will plead for indulgence to follow inclination. But let us ever take the safe course, however much self-denial it may involve. Let us be determined to run no risks where eternal interests are involved.
Dear Reader, guard faithfully your thoughts. Keep every approach to your heart well-fortified. You must put up the bars and Draw Bridge against the approach of Satan. Watchfulness at one point while others are neglected will not avail. The careless neglect of one sentinel will imperil the entire army. The neglect to guard one path to the fortress may prove the loss of the city. There are perils before us which we must meet, and our only safety is in God.
For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world. Titus 2:11, 12. The angels of God attain unto no higher knowledge than to know the will of God; and it is their greatest delight to accomplish the perfect will of the heavenly Father. Fallen man has the privilege of becoming intelligent in regard to the will of God. While probationary time is granted us, we should put our faculties to the very highest use, that we may make of ourselves all that it is possible; and while we endeavour to reach a high standard of intelligence, we should feel our dependence upon God, for without His grace, our efforts cannot bring lasting benefit. It is through the grace of Christ that we are to be overcomers; through the merits of His blood we are to be of that number whose names will not be blotted out of the book of life. Those who are final overcomers will have the life that runs parallel with the life of God, and wear the crown of the victor. When such great and eternal reward awaits us, we should run the race with patience, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.
We have no hesitancy in telling you that in order to obtain the immortal inheritance and the eternal substance, you must be overcomers in this probationary life. Everything that blots and stains the soul must be removed, it must be cleansed from the heart. We must know what it means to be a partaker of the divine nature, having escaped the corruptions that are in the world through lust. Are you willing to wage war against the lusts of the flesh? Are you ready to battle against the enemy of God and man? Satan is determined to enslave every soul if he can; for he is playing a desperate game to win the souls of men from Christ and eternal life. Will you permit him to steal from you the graces of the Spirit of God, and plant in you his own corrupt nature? Or will you accept the great provision of salvation, and through the merits of the Infinite Sacrifice made in your behalf, become a partaker of the divine nature? God has given His only-begotten Son, that through His shame, suffering, and death, you might have glory, honour, and immortality.” {TDG 174-5}
Remember what Balaam told King Balak as to the only way to war and to conqueringly win over God’s People Israel, and that was to get them to sin and that will separate them from their God, and then their God would become their enemy to weaken and destroy them, (wages of Sin), just let sin and corruption into their lives, and just like a bald Sampson, they have no power at all to resist, and their destruction is well assured. Back to the start, Quote; “The apostle sought to teach the believers how important it is to keep the mind from wandering to forbidden themes, or from spending its energies on trifling subjects. Those who would not fall a prey to Satan’s devices, must guard well the avenues of the soul; they must avoid reading, seeing, or hearing that which will suggest impure thoughts. The mind must not be left to dwell at random upon every subject that the enemy of souls may suggest. The heart must be faithfully sentineled, or evils without will awaken evils within, and the soul will wander in darkness. “Gird up the loins of your mind,” Peter wrote, “be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation.” {AA 519} A Boat Parable; Water outside a Boat is fine, Water within sinks. Sin outside in the world around us is fine, Sin inside destroys, so how good are your Sentinels? Where is Sin; Within or Without? How good are your Sentinels right now?
