He draws nigh

    Quotations from the writings of Ellen G. White with the phrase . . .

                     H e    D R A W s    N I G H                    (  3  RELATED  PHRASES )                

                  The  phrase  'He draws nigh"  appears  16  times in the published writings of EGW                   Not on Original site                                                    Related Phrase:   Draw nigh to God ( 233 )

Our life is to be bound up with the  life of Christ;  we are to draw constantly from Him, partaking of Him, the living bread that came down from heaven, drawing from a fountain ever fresh, ever giving forth its abundant treasures.  If we keep the Lord ever before us, allowing our hearts to go out in thanksgiving and praise to Him, we shall have a continual freshness in our religious life. Our prayers will take the form of a conversation with God as we would talk with a friend. He will speak His mysteries to us personally.  Often there will come to us a sweet joyful sense of the presence of Jesus. Often our hearts will burn within us as He draws nigh to commune with us as He did with Enoch. When this is in truth the experience of the Christian, there is seen in his life a simplicity, a humility, meekness, and lowliness of heart, that show to all with whom he associated that he has been with Jesus and learned of Him. .— Christ’s Object Lessons, page 129, par. 3   Read entire Chapter 11   also   { Prayer, page 12.2 } 

 
 
 Our prayers will take the form of a conversation with God as we would talk with a friend. He will speak His mysteries to us personally. Often there will come to us a sweet joyful sense of the presence of Jesus. Often our hearts will burn within us as He draws nigh to commune with us as He did with Enoch. When this is in truth the experience of the Christian, there is seen in his life a simplicity, a humility, meekness, and lowliness of heart, that show to all with whom he associates that he has been with Jesus and learned of Him. { LHU 113.7} 
If we keep the Lord ever before us, allowing our hearts to go out in thanksgiving and praise to Him, we shall have a continual freshness in our religious life. Our prayers will take the form of conversation with God, as we would talk with a friend. He will speak His mysteries to us personally. Often there will come to us a sweet, joyful sense of the presence of Jesus. Often our hearts will burn within us, as He draws nigh to commune with us as He did with Enoch. When this is in truth the experience of the Christian, there are seen in his life simplicity, humility, meekness, and lowliness of heart, that show to all with whom he associates that he has been with Jesus, and has learned of Him.  { ST June 18, 1902, par. 9 }

 

Draw nigh to Him by prayer, by contemplation, by reading His Word. When He draws nigh to you, He lifts up for you a standard against the enemy. Let us take courage; for the enemy cannot pass this standard. { OHC 96.5} 
If we draw nigh to God, individually, then don’t you see what the result will be? Can’t you see that we will draw nigh to one another? We cannot draw nigh to God, and come to the same cross, without our hearts being blended together in perfect unity, answering the prayer of Christ that they may be one as He is one with the Father. And therefore we should seek in spirit, in understanding, in faith, that we may be one, that God may be glorified in us as He is glorified in the Son; and that God shall love us as He loves the Son. { OHC 96.6} 

 

  Everything that God could do, He has done to manifest His great love and mercy to you. He “so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Then rest in the assurance of the love of God.... Not because we first loved Him did God love us; but “while we were yet sinners,” Christ died for us, making full and abundant provision for our redemption. Although by our disobedience we have merited God’s displeasure and condemnation, yet He has not forsaken us, leaving us to grapple with the power of the enemy in our own finite strength. Heavenly angels fight our battles for us, and cooperating with them, we may be victorious over the powers of evil.... As we draw nigh to Him by faith, He draws nigh to us, adopting us into His family, and making us His sons and daughters.  { SD 53.3} 

 

  Do not, my brethren, deceive your own souls. Do you love the Lord with all the heart, mind, soul, and strength? If not, all heaven demands why; for his love is the marvel of all the heavenly intelligences. God’s law is the only standard of character. Herein is revealed the will of God, and here is the revelation of Jesus Christ. As the law opens before us the deformity of our character, Christ our righteousness is lifted up, and presented in contrast with man. As we humble our hearts and draw nigh to Jesus, he draws nigh to us. { RH December 9, 1890,  par. 10 }

 

  “Thus saith God the Lord, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein: I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles: to open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.” This precious assurance of God to Christ embraces all who receive Jesus Christ; for John says, “As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” As we draw nigh to him by faith, he draws nigh to us, adopting us into his family, and making us sons and daughters of the Most High. { RH September 15, 1896, par. 4 }

 

  Thus it has been in every age of the world. The light from Heaven brings condemnation upon all who refuse to walk in it. It is the duty of every Christian to maintain the honor of God by his own unselfish, spotless life, and fearlessly to condemn sin in all its forms. Satan will make strong efforts to sweep from the earth those who uphold purity and piety. But a stronger than he draws nigh to the believing, trusting soul, and measures weapons with the prince of darkness. In every age there have been faithful men to stand as God’s witnesses in the earth. The present is a time of darkness and feebleness to the church; but this is because they are not united to Christ. The moral palsy upon professed Christians need not exist. They may have the vigor of perpetual youth, if they will put away their idols, and serve God with an undivided heart.  { ST July 27, 1882, par. 26 }

 

It is not enough to believe what is preached; the truth must be brought into the temple of the soul. Holiness is not rapture; it is the result of surrendering all to God; it is living by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God; it is doing the will of our Heavenly Father; it is trusting in God in trial, believing in his promise in the darkness as well as in the light. Religion is to walk by faith as well as by sight, trusting in God with all confidence, and resting in his love. We shall be saved eternally when we enter in through the gates into the city. Then we may rejoice that we are saved, eternally saved. But until then we need to heed the injunction of the apostle, and to “fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of us should seem to come short of it.” Having a knowledge of Canaan, singing the songs of Canaan, rejoicing in the prospect of entering into Canaan, did not bring the children of Israel into the vineyards and olive-groves of the promised land. They could make it theirs in truth only by occupation, by complying with the conditions, by exercising living faith in God, by appropriating his promises to themselves. As we draw nigh to Christ, and as he draws nigh to the believing soul, we can say, with all confidence: “I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.”  { YI February 17, 1898, par. 2 }

 

When we feel oppressed, as we often will, I find it is my best remedy to talk of the light and love of God. My soul is strengthened and blessed; for I draw nigh unto God, and He draws nigh to me, and lifts up for me a standard against the enemy.—Letter 119, 1898. { 1NL 36.2 } 

 

                                   He  draws  nigh    ( Where 'he' does not refer to  God )                                                

 

  A man lives unto God when he continually recognizes Him as a present Helper. When there is a recognition of the Lord Jesus Christ, there will be a holy fear lest he shall make mistakes. The soul will be drawn out continually in earnest prayer as he realizes his need. As he draws nigh unto God, God will draw nigh unto him; the love of God will be kindled in his heart, and he will be able to speak the words of God. The language of the heart will then be, “Whom have I in heaven but Thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside Thee.” { BTS January 1, 1908, par. 1 }  { LLM 318.3 } 

 

  “Why,” asked a man who had been and still was practicing wickedness, “are souls converted to the truth through my influence?” I answered, “Christ is constantly drawing souls to Himself, and flashing His own light in their path. The seeker after salvation is not permitted to read the character of him who teaches him. If he himself is sincere, if he draws nigh to God, believing in Him, confessing his sins, he will be accepted.—Letter 12, 1890. { Ev 682.2} 

 

  A person may hear and acknowledge the whole truth, and yet know nothing of personal piety and true experimental religion. He or she may explain the way of salvation to others, and yet be a castaway.... “Why,” asked a man who had been and still was practicing wickedness, “are souls converted to the truth through my influence?” I answered, “Christ is constantly drawing souls to Himself, and flashing His own light in their path. The seeker after salvation is not permitted to read the character of him who teaches him. If he himself is sincere, if he draws nigh to God, believing in Him, confessing his sins, he will be accepted.”... { CTr 332.3} 

 

 

 

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