Quotations from the writings of Ellen G. White with the phrase . . .
g o o d i n t e n t i o n s ( 2 RELATED PHRASES )
|
The phrase 'good intentions' appears 33 times in the published writings of EGW See page on Original site Related phrase: not enough to have good intentions ( ) ( below ) - -
All your good purposes and good intentions will not enable you to withstand the test of temptation. You must be men of prayer. Your petitions must be, not faint, occasional, and fitful, but earnest, persevering, and constant. It is not essential to be alone, or to bow upon your knees, to pray; but in the midst of your labor, your souls can be often uplifted to God, taking hold upon his strength; then you will be men of high and holy purposes, of noble integrity,—who will not for any consideration be swerved from truth, right, and justice. { PH100 24.2 } |
| God has given us His word that we may become acquainted with its teachings and know for ourselves what He requires of us. When the lawyer came to Jesus with the inquiry, "What shall I do to inherit eternal life?" the Saviour referred him to the Scriptures, saying: "What is written in the law? how readest thou?" Ignorance will not excuse young or old, nor release them from the punishment due for the transgression of God's law; because there is in their hands a faithful presentation of that law and of its principles and claims. It is not enough to have good intentions; it is not enough to do what a man thinks is right or what the minister tells him is right. His soul's salvation is at stake, and he should search the Scriptures for himself. However strong may be his convictions, however confident he may be that the minister knows what is truth, this is not his foundation. He has a chart pointing out every waymark on the heavenward journey, and he ought not to guess at anything. Great Controversy, page 598.1 Read entire Chapter 37
|
| |
| True generosity is too frequently destroyed by prosperity and riches. Men and women in adversity or in humble poverty will sometimes express very great love for the truth and special interest for the prosperity of the cause of God and for the salvation of their fellow men, and will tell what they would do if they only had the means. God frequently proves these; He prospers them, blesses them in basket and in store, far beyond their expectations. But their hearts are deceitful. Their good intentions and promises are like the rolling sand. The more they have the more they desire. The more they are prospered the more eager are they for gain. Some of these, who in their poverty were once even benevolent, become penurious and exacting. Money becomes their god. They delight in the power which money gives them, in the honor they receive because of it. Said the angel: "Mark ye how they stand the test. Watch the development of character under the influence of riches." Some were oppressing the needy poor and would obtain their services for the lowest figure. They were overbearing; money was power to them. God's eye, I saw, was upon them. They were deceived. "And, behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work shall be." {1T 482.3}
|
| Let no one deceive his own soul in this matter. If you harbor pride, self-esteem, a love for the supremacy, vainglory, unholy ambition, murmuring, discontent, bitterness, evil speaking, lying, deception, slandering, you have not Christ abiding in your heart, and the evidence shows that you have the mind and character of Satan, not of Jesus Christ, who was meek and lowly of heart. You must have a Christian character that will stand. You may have good intentions, good impulses, can speak the truth understandingly, but you are not fit for the kingdom of heaven. Your character has in it base material, which destroys the value of the gold. You have not reached the standard. The impress of the divine is not upon you. The furnace fires would consume you, because you are worthless, counterfeit gold. {TM 441.2}
|
| |
| The reason why so many are left to themselves in places of temptation is that they do not set the Lord always before them. When we permit our communion with God to be broken, our defense is departed from us. Not all your good purposes and good intentions will enable you to withstand evil. You must be men and women of prayer. Your petitions must not be faint, occasional, and fitful, but earnest, persevering, and constant. It is not always necessary to bow upon your knees in order to pray. Cultivate the habit of talking with the Saviour when you are alone, when you are walking, and when you are busy with your daily labor. Let the heart be continually uplifted in silent petition for help, for light, for strength, for knowledge. Let every breath be a prayer. {MH 510.1} also Temperance, 135.3 also appears { Prayer 76.2 } and { Prayer 213.1}
|
| When trials press you, when despondency and dark unbelief control your thoughts, when selfishness molds your actions, you do not see your need of God and of a deep and thorough knowledge of His will. You know not the will of God, neither can you know it while you live for self. You rely upon your good intentions and resolutions, and the principal sum of life is composed of resolutions made and resolutions broken. What you all need is to die to self, cease clinging to self, and surrender to God. Gladly would I comfort you if I could. Gladly would I praise your good qualities, good purposes, and good acts; but God was not pleased to show me these. He presented before me the hindrances to your gaining the noble, elevated character of holiness needful for you to have that you may not lose the heavenly rest and immortal glory He would have you attain. Look away from yourselves to Jesus. He is all and in all. The merits of the blood of a crucified and risen Saviour will avail to cleanse from the least and greatest sin. In trusting faith commit the keeping of your souls to God as unto a faithful Creator. Be not continually in fear and apprehension that God will leave you. He never will unless you depart from Him. Christ will come in and dwell with you if you will open the door of your hearts to Him. There may be perfect harmony between you and the Father and His Son if you will die to self and live unto God. {3T 542.3}
|
| |
| All your good purposes and good intentions will not enable you to withstand the test of temptation. You must be men of prayer. Your petitions must be not faint, occasional, and fitful, but earnest, persevering, and constant. It is not necessary to be alone, or to bow upon your knees, to pray; but in the midst of your labor your souls may be often uplifted to God, taking hold upon His strength; then you will be men of high and holy purpose, of noble integrity, who will not for any consideration be swayed from truth, right, and justice. {4T 542.3}
|
| The story of Peter's apostasy and its results illustrates the manner of God's dealing with men. Peter himself leaves the fullest record of his own apostasy. This was for the warning of others, that they might avoid falling into a like sin. He knew many who should come after him would feel secure in their own strength, and the honesty of their good intentions and resolves; yet the hour of temptation would find them unarmed by watchfulness and prayer, and they would fall as he had done, because they had not made God their strength. {HR, October 1, 1877 par. 23}
|
| |
| It is beyond the power of man to please God apart from Christ. We may make resolutions and promises, but the carnal heart overpowers all our good intentions. We may control our outward conduct, but we cannot change the heart. The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint, and yet the sinner will brace himself in pride, and set up his will against the will of God. Though Christ is working upon human hearts, men utterly annul the work the Lord would do. If they resist, question, and cavil, they will place themselves in a position where it will not be easy to yield to the persuasion of the Spirit of God. There is a bewitching power that holds them under deception; for the father of lies works with the unsanctified heart. Over these deceived souls the cry is raised, O that thou hadst known "in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace." And shall the irrevocable sentence be passed, "But now they are hid from thine eyes"? {RH, April 11, 1893 par. 6} {1888 1057.6}
|
| Satan uses some professed Christians to lead souls from the simplicity of the gospel of Christ. Worldly associates and amusements sow the seeds of doubt and skepticism. The sentiment of many worldly professors is, "Cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us." "Speak unto us smooth things; prophesy deceits." Many are daily cheating their souls with a form of godliness without the power; but the Lord has removed his smile and the inspiration of his Spirit from them. His displeasure is against them, because their deeds are evil. He demands decided changes in the life and character. Good intentions, good resolutions, good acts, cannot be accepted as substitutes for repentance, faith, and willing obedience. {ST, March 6, 1884 par. 4} {ST, November 7, 1896 par. 4}
|
| |
| If the transgressor is to be treated according to the letter of this covenant, then there is no hope for the fallen race; for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. The fallen race of Adam can behold nothing else in the letter of this covenant than the ministration of death; and death will be the reward of everyone who is seeking vainly to fashion a righteousness of his own that will fulfill the claims of the law. By his word God has bound himself to execute the penalty of the law on all transgressors. Again and again men commit sin, and yet they do not seem to believe that they must suffer the penalty for breaking the law. They parade their good intentions before the Lord, and soothe their consciences by pleading his mercy; but the only ground of hope for the fallen sons and daughters of Adam is to turn from their sins and accept the righteousness of Christ, giving up all hope of salvation on the ground of self-righteousness. The Lord can save no man because of his good works. { ST September 5, 1892, par. 2 }
|
| Dear youth, if you are unbelieving, and feel that nothing is required of you in repentance, faith in Jesus Christ as your Saviour, and baptism unto his death and resurrection, you have no part with Christ. You are not adopted into God’s family; but remain acknowledged children of the wicked one. All who live have sins to wash away. They may have good intentions, and good purposes; they may have noble traits of character and live moral lives; notwithstanding, they need a Saviour. Jesus speaks to them as he did to Nicodemus: “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old?” Jesus answered, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” True repentance of sin, faith in the merits of Jesus Christ, and baptism into his death, to be raised out of the water to live a new life, are the first steps in the new birth which Christ told Nicodemus he must experience in order to be saved. { YI February 1, 1874, par. 8 }
|
| The reason why so many are left to themselves in places of temptation is that they do not keep the Lord always before them. When you permit your communion with God to be broken, your defense is departed from you. Not all your good purposes and good intentions will enable you to withstand evil. You must be men and women of prayer. Your petitions must not be faint, occasional, and fitful, but earnest, persevering, and constant. { MHH 300.4 } |
| Not enough to have good intentions |
| God's word is given us that we may become acquainted with its teachings. We there read that if we do his will, we shall know of the doctrine. Ignorance will not excuse young or old, or release them from the punishment due for the transgression of God's law, because there is in their hands a faithful presentation of that law and of its principles and its claims. It is not enough to have good intentions; it is not enough to do what a man thinks is right, or what the minister tells him is right. His soul's salvation is at stake, and he should search the Scriptures for himself. However strong may be his convictions, however confident he may be that the minister knows what is truth, this is not his foundation. He has a chart pointing out every waymark on the heavenward journey, and he ought not to guess at anything, but to know what is truth. He should search the Scriptures on bended knees; morning, noon, and night, prayer should ascend from secret places, and a continual prayer should arise from his heart that God will guide him into all truth. {ST, July 17, 1884 par. 2}
|
| |
| God has given us his Word that we may become acquainted with its teachings, and know for ourselves what he requires of us. When the lawyer came to Jesus with the inquiry, "What shall I do to inherit eternal life?" the Saviour referred him to the Scriptures, saying, "What is written in the law? how readest thou?" Ignorance will not excuse young or old, to release them from the punishment due for the transgression of God's law, because there is in their hands a faithful presentation of that law and of its principles and its claims. It is not enough to have good intentions; it is not enough to do what a man thinks is right, or what the minister tells him is right. His soul's salvation is at stake, and he should search the Scriptures for himself. However strong may be his convictions, however confident he may be that the minister knows what is truth, this is not his foundation. He has a chart pointing out every waymark on the heavenward journey, and he ought not to guess at anything. {RH, June 28, 1906 par. 6} and {RH, September 10, 1914 par. 1} also appears { DD 38.2 } |
|
This story of Peter's apostasy and its results illustrates the manner of God's dealing with men. Peter himself leaves the fullest record of his own apostasy. This was for the warning of others, that they might avoid falling into a like sin. He knew many who should come after him would feel secure in their own strength, and the honesty of their good intentions and resolves; yet the hour of temptation would find them unarmed by watchfulness and prayer, and they would fall as he had done, because they had not made God their strength. {PH069 21.1}
|
| God has given us His word that we may become acquainted with its teachings and know for ourselves what He requires of us. When the lawyer came to Jesus with the inquiry, “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?” the Saviour referred him to the Scriptures, saying: “What is written in the law? how readest thou?” Ignorance will not excuse young or old, nor release them from the punishment due for the transgression of God’s law; because there is in their hands a faithful presentation of that law and of its principles and claims. It is not enough to have good intentions; it is not enough to do what a man thinks is right or what the minister tells him is right. His soul’s salvation is at stake, and he should search the Scriptures for himself. However strong may be his convictions, however confident he may be that the minister knows what is truth, this is not his foundation. He has a chart pointing out every waymark on the heavenward journey, and he ought not to guess at anything. { GC 598.1} Read entire Chapter 37
|
| Alms and prayers are to be united; both are offerings to God, the one the supplement of the other. Merely to pray and to have good intentions is not enough. All Christians are under obligation to labor and sacrifice in the spirit with which Christ labored for the salvation of souls. Not only has the Lord given us as his stewards, talents of means to render back to the Giver, but he has endowed us with mental powers to use for him. He has made us the stewards of his grace, that both spiritual and temporal gifts may be employed for the saving of souls and the glory of him who so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. { RH May 16, 1893, par. 10 }
|
| God has given us His Word so that we can become familiar with its teachings and know for ourselves what He requires of us. When the lawyer came to Jesus with the question “How am I saved?” Jesus referred him to the Scriptures, saying, “What is written in the law? What do you read there?” Luke 10:26. Ignorance will not excuse young or old or release them from the punishment for breaking God’s law when they could have understood its claims. It is not enough to have good intentions; it is not enough to do what you think is right or what the minister tells you is right. Your salvation is at stake, and you must search the Scriptures for yourself. However strong your convictions, however confident you may be that the minister knows what is truth, this is not your foundation. You have a chart pointing out every landmark on the trip to heaven, and you should not guess at anything. { AC 110.4 }
|
| It is not enough to have good intentions, to do what a man thinks is right or what the minister tells him is right. He should search the Scriptures for himself. He has a chart pointing out every waymark on the heavenward journey, and he ought not to guess at anything. { HF 364.5 }
|
Return to Selected Quotations from writings of EGW page
