BY ELLEN G. WHITE

It is impossible for us to save ourselves. Only by the efficacy of the blood of Jesus Christ can we be saved. He died on Calvary’s cross for us, and we may be complete in Him; for His sacrifice is all-sufficient. Why will you keep your eyes fastened on self, when your Saviour stands beside you, saying, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light”? “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.” “Lay your sins on me.”

Satan will come to you, saying, “You are a sinner”; but do not allow him to fill your mind with the thought that because you are sinful, God has cast you off. Say to him, “Yes; I am a sinner, and for that very reason I need a Saviour. I need forgiveness and pardon, and Christ says that if I will come to Him, I shall not perish. In His letter to me I read, ‘If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.’ When Satan tells you that you are lost, answer, “Yes; but Jesus came to seek and to save that which was lost. ‘A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench.’ The greater my sin, the greater my need of a Saviour.”

The moment you grasp God’s promises by faith, saying, “I am the lost sheep Jesus came to save,” a new life will take possession of you, and you will receive strength to resist the tempter. But faith to grasp the promises does not come by feeling. “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” You must not look for some great change to take place; you must not expect to feel some wonderful emotion. The Spirit of God alone can make a lasting impression on the mind.

Christ longs to see His people resist the adversary of souls; but only by looking away from self to Jesus can we do this. Cease to bemoan your helpless condition; for your Saviour is touched with the feeling of your infirmities, and today He says to you, “Be not discouraged, but cast your burdens upon me. I will take them all, and will bring to pass that which is good for your soul.” Looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith, we shall be inspired with hope and shall see the salvation of God; for He is able to keep us from falling. When we are tempted to mourn, let us force our lips to utter the praises of God; for He is worthy of praise. “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” “Trust ye in the Lord forever; for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength.”

Never has a soul that trusts in Jesus been left to perish. “I, even I, am he,” the Lord declares, “that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins. Put me in remembrance; let us plead together: declare thou, that thou mayest be justified.” “I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth: I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain; I the Lord speak righteousness, I declare things that are right. . . . Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is none else.” Respond to the calls of God’s love, and say, “I will trust in the Lord, and be comforted; for he has loved me. I will praise the Lord, for his anger is turned away.”
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This article is excerpted from a longer piece first published in the Advent Review and Sabbath Herald (now the Adventist Review) on September 15, 1896. The punctuation has been brought into conformity with current usage. Seventh-day Adventists believe that Ellen G. White exercised the biblical gift of prophecy during more than 70 years of public ministry.