End justifies the means

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

                 E n d    j u s t i f i e s    t h e    M E a n s               (  3  RELATED  PHRASES )                          

                       The  phrase  'end justifies the means'  appears  11  times in the published writings of EGW                                     See page on Original site                                                             Related phrase:   "The end justifies the means" in quotes  ( below )

   When appearing as members of their order, they wore a garb of sanctity, visiting prisons and hospitals, ministering to the sick and the poor, professing to have renounced the world, and bearing the sacred name of Jesus, who went about doing good. But under this blameless exterior the most criminal and deadly purposes were often concealed. It was a fundamental principle of the order that the end justifies the means.  By this code, lying, theft, perjury, assassination, were not only pardonable but commendable, when they served the interests of the church. Under various disguises the Jesuits worked their way into offices of state, climbing up to be the counselors of kings, and shaping the policy of nations. They became servants to act as spies upon their masters. They established colleges for the sons of princes and nobles, and schools for the common people; and the children of Protestant parents were drawn into an observance of popish rites. All the outward pomp and display of the Romish worship was brought to bear to confuse the mind and dazzle and captivate the imagination, and thus the liberty for which the fathers had toiled and bled was betrayed by the sons. The Jesuits rapidly spread themselves over Europe, and wherever they went, there followed a revival of popery.   Great Controversy, page 235.1  Read entire chapter 12

 

 
  The haters of God’s law, which is the foundation of his government in heaven and earth, occupy the same ground as did the unbelieving Jews. Their defiant power will follow those who keep the commandments of God, and any amount of light will be rejected by them. They have so long violated conscience, and hardened their hearts by choosing darkness rather than light, that they think it a virtue, in order to gain their object, to bear false witness, or stoop to almost any course of equivocation or deception, as did the Jews in their rejection of Christ. They reason that the end justifies the means. They virtually crucify the law of the Father, as the Jews crucified Christ. { GW92 182.1 } 
 
  The haters of God’s law, which is the foundation of His government in heaven and earth, occupy the same ground as did the unbelieving Jews. Their defiant power will follow those who keep the commandments of God, and any amount of light will be rejected by them. Their consciences have so long been violated, and their hearts have grown so hard by their choosing darkness rather than light, that they feel that it is a virtue in them, in order to gain their object, to bear false witness or stoop to almost any course of equivocation or deception, as did the Jews in their rejection of Christ. They reason that the end justifies the means. They virtually crucify the law of the Father, as the Jews crucified Christ. { 3T 213.3} 
 
  The haters of God’s law, which is the foundation of his government in heaven and earth, are on the same ground as were the unbelieving Jews. Their defiant power will follow those who keep the commandments of God, and great light will be rejected by them. Their consciences have been violated so long, and their hearts have grown so hard by their choosing darkness rather than light, that they feel that it is a virtue in them to bear false witness or stoop to almost any course of equivocation or deception, as did the Jews in their rejection of Christ, to gain their object. They reason that the end justifies the means. They virtually crucify the law of the Father as the Jews crucified the Son. { RH March 23, 1886, par. 2 }

 

  Some of our medical men have been learning lessons that will prove to be to their eternal ruin, unless they earnestly seek the Lord. They need to purify their hearts through obeying the truth. A reformation is needed in their lives. Physicians need to set the Lord ever before them, carrying the lamp of life with them wherever they go, or else Satan will use their scientific knowledge to lead them astray. The purest, most Christlike influences must control their lives, else the enemy will lead them to believe that the end justifies the means, and they will do strange things, that will make the God of heaven ashamed of them. They will sacrifice principle in order to obtain their desires, and will endeavor to bring into the work of God the methods of worldlings. { SpTB02 20.3 } 
 
  It has been long since such an one has taken a candid view of himself in the divine mirror. So long has he thought that the end justifies the means that he has scarcely a conviction of sufficient force to work a reformation. If he should in parable have presented to him the difference between the genuine and the false, the eternal contrast between truth and falsehood, if he would see the need of integrity in the everyday life, his heart would be filled with humiliation and sorrow, as he thought of the influence of his departures from righteousness, and of the many who had learned from him how to act under similar circumstances. Would he not strive to break the yoke of habit? Would he not cease to do evil, no longer remaining feeble in moral power, lacking the grace of Christ, feeling no right to claim pardon and to put on the robe of Christ’s righteousness? { 17MR 312.3 } 
 
  It was a fundamental principle of the order that the end justifies the means. Lying, theft, perjury, assassination, were commendable when they served the interests of the church. Under disguise the Jesuits worked their way into offices of state, climbing up to be the counselors of kings and shaping the policy of nations. They became servants to act as spies upon their masters. They established colleges for princes and nobles, and schools for the common people. The children of Protestant parents were drawn into an observance of popish rites. Thus the liberty for which the fathers had toiled and bled was betrayed by the sons. Wherever the Jesuits went, there followed a revival of popery. { HF 146.5 } 

 

 

                                                    "The  end  justifies  the  means"  in quotes                                              
 
The policy which worldly businessmen adopt is not the policy to be chosen and carried out by the men who are connected with our institutions. Selfish policy is not heaven-born, it is earthly. In this world the leading maxim is, “The end justifies the means;” and this may be traced in every department of business. It has a controlling influence in every class of society, in the grand councils of nations, and wherever the Spirit of Christ is not the ruling principle. Prudence and caution, tact and skill, should be cultivated by everyone who is connected with the office of publication and by those who serve in our college and sanitarium. But the laws of justice and righteousness must not be set aside, and the principle must not prevail that each one is to make his particular branch of the work a success, regardless of other branches. The interests of all should be closely guarded to see that no one’s rights are invaded. In the world the god of traffic is too often the god of fraud, but it must not be thus with those who are dealing with the Lord’s work. The worldly standard is not to be the standard of those who are connected with sacred things.... { PM 82.2}  { 5T 561.2}

 

 
Selfish policy is not heaven-born, but earthly. The leading maxim is, “The end justifies the means.” And in pursuing the course entered upon, it stops at nothing, but seeks its own success. This may be traced in every department of business; it is the prevailing element in every class of society; in the grand councils of nations, and in every meeting where the Spirit of Christ is not the ruling principle. Prudence and caution, tact and skill, need to be cultivated by every one who is connected with our institutions. But the laws of justice and righteousness must not be left to one side, nor the all-prevailing principle to be to make their own branch of the work a success regardless of other branches. The interests of others should be investigated to see that no one’s right is invaded. { PC 367.5 } 

 

The policy which worldly business men adopt is not the policy to be chosen and carried out by the men who are connected with our institutions. Selfish policy is not heaven-born, it is earthly. In this world, the leading maxim is, “The end justifies the means;” and this may be traced in every department of business. It has a controlling influence in every class of society, in the grand councils of nations, and wherever the Spirit of Christ is not the ruling principle. Prudence and caution, tact and skill, should be cultivated by every one who is connected with the office of publication, and by those who serve in our college and sanitarium. But the laws of justice and righteousness must not be set aside, and the principle must not prevail that each one is to make his particular branch of the work a success, regardless of other branches. The interests of all should be closely guarded, to see that no one’s rights are invaded. In the world, the God of traffic is too often the God of fraud; but it must not be thus with those who are dealing with the Lord’s work. The worldly standard is not to be the standard of those who are connected with sacred things. { PH102 2.2 } 

 

 

 

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