Quotations from the writings of Ellen G. White with the phrase . . .
s t a n d a s i d e ( 4 RELATED PHRASES )
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The phrase 'Stand aside' appears 23 times in the published writings of EGW page not on Original site Related phrase: not to stand aside ( below ) - - stand out of the way ( 29 ) - - stand back ( )
| I am grieved as I see men seeking to mark out the precise course that missionaries in far-off lands shall pursue. We must give matters more into the hands of Him whom we profess to follow, that He may work through His appointed agents as He shall see fit. We should not think that everything should be brought under the jurisdiction of a few finite men, who need to look constantly to God for wisdom or else they will make grave blunders. The Lord does not design to have everything center in Battle Creek. [See appendix.] He would have men stand aside, and not feel that His work depends wholly upon them and that every question must be referred to their judgment. It is difficult for me to express what I desire to, but in the name of the Lord I lift the danger signal. Responsible men should fear and tremble for themselves. They should not feel competent to run ahead of Him who has said, “Follow Me.” God is not pleased that men in distant lands should have to wait before they can venture to make a move. We should believe in the power of the Lord to guide, for He has the ordering of His own work. He will give wisdom and understanding to His representative men in every part of His great moral vineyard. He says, “Ye have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit.” To my brethren in Battle Creek I would say: The Lord does not need to send His orders to His messengers in all parts of the world through Battle Creek. He does not lay this responsibility upon all those who assume to say to His workers, “Do this,” and “Thou shalt not do that.” God is dishonored when men are led to look to Battle Creek to so large a degree. { TM 212.1} and { SpTA03 45.1 }
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| Said he: “We want to reach the people; we want sinners to be convicted and become truly repentant before it is too late for them to be saved, lest they shall take up the lamentation, ‘The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.’ Brethren in the ministry say that our arrows hit them; will they please stand aside from between us and the people, and let us reach the hearts of sinners? If they make themselves a target for our aim, they have no reason to complain of the wounds they receive. Stand aside, brethren, and you will not get hit!” { 1T 50.1} and { ST March 23, 1876, par. 9 }
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| The tabernacle was crowded to its utmost capacity. Oh, how I yearned in spirit for the men who, by resistance of light which God has given, have for the past two years hedged up the way that the Spirit of God shall not find access to their hearts. I heard a voice say to them, “You still are unbelieving. Stand aside or close up the ranks by coming into line and uniting in the work wholeheartedly.” { 1888 867.2 }
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| The Christian is to stand on vantage ground as a laborer together with God. But he is never to exalt himself. He is firmly to refuse the inducements presented by those who have no love for truth and righteousness, but his refusal is to be made in a Christlike spirit, not Pharisaically, with an attitude which says, “Stand aside; I am holier than thou.” He must show that he cannot enter into sin because he is pledged by a most holy profession to honor the Lord Jesus Christ. By precept and example he is to discountenance all departure from Bible principles. But at the same time, by the manifestation of Christlike love, he is to make the religion of Christ attractive. He is to allow no bigotry to be seen in his life, but is to reveal tender compassion for those who have wandered away from Christ.... { TMK 128.4} |
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| There is a world to be warned. Let not humanity presume to stand in the way, but rather let every man stand aside, and let God work by his Holy Spirit for the accomplishment of the redemption of his purchased possession. Some of these new workers may make mistakes, but let the older ones counsel with them and instruct them how to correct their methods. They should be encouraged to surrender themselves wholly to the Lord, and go to work in a humble way. Such service is acceptable to the Master, and he will supplement their efforts by the power of his Holy Spirit, and many souls will be converted. { RH July 9, 1895, par. 9 }
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| At the General Conference of 1889, resolutions were presented in regard to the color line. Such action is not called for. Let not men take the place of God, but stand aside in awe, and let God work upon human hearts, both white and black, in His own way. He will adjust all these perplexing questions. We need not prescribe a definite plan of working. Leave an opportunity for God to do something. We should be careful not to strengthen prejudices that ought to have died just as soon as Christ redeemed the soul from the bondage of sin. { SW 15.1 } and { PCO 169.1 }
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| When men undertake to work the Holy Spirit, they will find that their weak ideas, their prescribed rules and regulations which they have felt to be necessary to the work, are of no honor with God. God calls for the finite to stand aside, in order that His delegated workers may be operated upon by the Holy Spirit. { 9MR 180.2 }
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I remember in the Beethoven Hall in Portland, Maine, those who were looking for Christ’s coming met there to preach the second advent. Upon one occasion the hall was crowded. No less than eight ministers were present who were in opposition to the message given. Brother Edmunds arose and said, “We have a message from the Lord to the people, but when we proclaim it, lifting up our voice like a trumpet to show the people their transgressions, and the house of Israel their sins, the ministers are offended, and say, ‘You are abusing me.’ They step in between us and the people and say, ‘You are severe; you hit us.’ But we say to the ministers, ‘Stand aside from between us and the people, and let the sharp arrows of the Almighty reach the hearts of the people, and you will not then be hurt; but if you catch every arrow from the Lord’s quiver, do not blame us. With tears I implore you to stand aside and let the warning voice arouse the people that they may get ready for the great day of the Lord.” { 15MR 366.2 } |
| A number of churches have been raised up in Australia, New Zealand, and Tasmania, and yet the work of enlightening the people of these lands is almost at a stand-still for want of the living witness. From the light which the Lord has given me, we have no time to waste in pleasing ourselves; for now is the time to work in warning the children of men of the coming of our Lord in the clouds of heaven. Now is our day to work for these lands. Let every interest minor to this work stand aside. God calls upon those who have had the light of truth, to become a light unto others. Believers in Christ, by the present needs and privileges, you are summoned to appear, and become witnesses for your Lord. The Lord says to all who have tasted of his goodness, “Ye are my witnesses.” He bids every one who trusts in him repeat his message to the world, saying, “I, even I, am the Lord and beside me there is no Saviour.” The unbelieving world is waiting for your testimony, and I beseech you by the mercies of God to arise and meet their expectation. Darkness is covering the earth, and gross darkness the people; and amid the moral night that is settling upon the world, I beseech you who believe, to testify to those who sit in darkness that there is light, and that none need walk in darkness; for the true light now shineth. { HM September 1, 1892, par. 2 }
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| At this time men need to think under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and they need to pray more and talk less; for souls are hanging in the balance. The one who has exercised masterly power in the medical missionary work has not been given permission to exercise this power. He has taken this power to himself. Heaven is grieved because acts so imperious and unadvised and often so oppressive are done. Christ has looked upon the kingly dictation as to what shall be and what shall not be, and He says: “Speak words that are more appropriate. Men and women are My heritage. I have not passed them over into your hands. Stand aside, and exercise your authority over yourself. I have given to My children their code and charter. For man to interfere with My heritage, or to harm one of My purchased possession, is to impugn the divine efficacy and efficiency. Those who assume such authoritative power are to be rebuked for their presumption. { SpTB02 45.1 }
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| The Tabernacle was crowded to its utmost capacity. Oh, how I yearned in spirit for the men who, by resistance of light which God had given, have for the past two years hedged up the way that the Spirit of God shall not find access to their hearts. I heard a voice say to them, “You still are unbelieving. Stand aside or close up the ranks by coming into line and uniting in the work wholeheartedly.” { 3MR 196.3 } |
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| There were no good or justifiable grounds on which to work this confederacy against the establishment of the work in Nashville. The Lord bids me stand at my post against this movement. Not one of those men in opposition know what they are doing. They have had very little experience in pioneer work in the South. They might have entered new fields years ago. They would thus have gained an experience that they do not now have. The Lord bids them stand aside, if with humbled hearts they will not come into line and acknowledge the wickedness of the raid they have tried so hard to make against the work centering in Nashville. Who could have the courage to stand as targets for the words of criticism and condemnation hurled by those whose minds are leavened with the misrepresentations of the ones who choose to stand in opposition to God’s work in this city? If those who have confederated against the work in Nashville refuse to repent, the sooner they separate from the work in the South the better it will be for this field. The Lord has marked every impulse that has led from cause to effect. None could have done a better work than have the laborers in Nashville. { SpM 287.5 }
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n o t t o s t a n d a s i d e
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| We are to beware of indulging a spirit of bigotry and intolerance. We are not to stand aside from others in a spirit that seems to say, “Come not near to me; for I am holier than thou.” We are not to shut ourselves away from our fellow human beings, but are to seek to impart to them the precious truth that has blessed our own hearts. We are to let it be seen that ours is the religion of love. “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” { RH August 25, 1910, par. 3 }
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| We are to beware of indulging a spirit of bigotry and intolerance. We are not to stand aside from others in a spirit that seems to say, “Come not near to me, for I am holier than thou.” We are not to shut ourselves away from our fellow human beings, but are to seek to impart to them the precious truth that has blessed our own hearts.... But if we are Christians, having the spirit of Him who died to save men from their sins, we shall love the souls of our fellow men too well to countenance their sinful pleasures by our presence and our influence.... Such a course, so far from benefiting them, would only cause them to doubt the reality of our religion.... We should be firmly rooted in the conviction that whatever in any sense turns aside from truth and justice in our association and partnership with men, cannot benefit us and greatly dishonors God. { HP 310.4}
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| But we are to beware of indulging a spirit of bigotry and intolerance. We are not to stand aside from others in a spirit that seems to say, “Come not near me; I am holier than thou.” Do not shut yourselves away from your fellow men, but seek to impart to them the precious truth that has blessed your own heart. Let it be manifest that yours is the religion of love. { 2SM 127.6}
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