Testimony to Ministers, p. 45 - A Living Church

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Here is the text of the section from Testimonies to Ministers that was quoted on the home page.

    "God has a people which all heaven is interested, and they are the one object on earth dear to the heart of God. [see Appendix]"   Testimonies to Ministers, page 41

  

   Note:  Testimonies to Ministers, page 45 originally appeared in Review & Herald, Aug. 29 and Sept. 5, 1893. The part shown on the DiggingForTruth.org  home page appears in bold

A Living Church

     Has God no living church?  He has a church, but it is the church militant, not the church triumphant. We are sorry that there are defective members, that there are tares amid the wheat. Jesus said: "The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. . . . So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and sin the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn."  Matthew 13: 24 - 43  {TM 45.1}

  In the parable of the wheat and the tares, we see the reason why the tares were not to be plucked up; it was lest the wheat be rooted up with the tares. Human opinion and judgment would make grave mistakes. But rather than have a mistake made, and one single blade of wheat rooted up, the Master says, "Let both grow together until the harvest;" then the angels will gather out the tares, which will be appointed to destruction. Although in our churches, that claim to believe advanced truth, there are those who are faulty and erring, as tares among the wheat, God is long-suffering and patient. He reproves and warns the erring, but He does not destroy those who are long in learning the lesson He would teach them; He does not uproot the tares from the wheat. Tares and wheat are to grow together till the harvest; when the wheat comes to its full growth and development, and because of its character when ripened, it will be fully distinguished from the tares.  {TM 45.2}

  The church of Christ on earth will be imperfect, but God does not destroy His church because of its imperfection. There have been and will be those who are filled with zeal not according to knowledge, who would purify the church, and uproot the tares from the midst of the wheat. But Christ has given special light as to how to deal with those who are erring, and with those who are unconverted in the church. There is to be no spasmodic, zealous, hasty action taken by church members in cutting off those they may think defective in character. Tares will appear among the wheat; but it would do more harm to weed out the tares, unless in God's appointed way, than to leave them alone. While the Lord brings into the church those who are truly converted, Satan at the same time brings persons who are not converted into its fellowship. While Christ is sowing the good seed, Satan is sowing the tares. There are two opposing influences continually exerted on the members of the church. One influence is working for the purification of the church, and the other for the corrupting of the people of God. {TM 45.3}

 

       This was also published in a booklet by Pacific Press (1950) 
         titled, The Remnant Church, page 34, 35

     Additional material on page 47

 Some people seem to think that upon entering the church they will have their expectations fulfilled, and meet only with those who are pure and perfect. They are zealous in their faith, and when they see faults in church members, they say, “We left the world in order to have no association with evil characters, but the evil is here also;” and they ask, as did the servants in the parable, “From whence then hath it tares?” But we need not be thus disappointed, for the Lord has not warranted us in coming to the conclusion that the church is perfect; and all our zeal will not be successful in making the church militant as pure as the church triumphant. The Lord forbids us to proceed in any violent way against those whom we think erring, and we are not to deal out excommunications and denunciations to those who are faulty.  { TM 47.1}

Testimonies to Ministers, page 47 par. 1  

 

 

      Quotations with the phrase  'uproot the tares'
      Read more about how does God separate the chaff from the wheat
More  about  'Tares'

 

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Related Information

Selected Topics 2SM - Chap.3 - Holy Flesh Doctrine End of 2300 Days - EW, 54-56 Education, Chap. 15 - Business Principles Elements of Good Leadership - PM, Chapter 23 Domination - Christian Leadership, p. 31 Agressiveness - Christian Service, p. 228 SM1-Relation of Faith and Works, p.377 Evangelism, Chap 8 - Distinctive Truth Gospel Workers, p 330 - No respect of persons How to Celebrate Thanksgiving Last Deceptions of Satan - Ms 16, 1884 Ministry of Healing - Chap 35 - Knowledge of God Ministry of Healing - Chapter 40 - Help in Daily Living Prayer Meeting - Pastoral Ministry, page 183 Promptness in Work of God - GW p. 96 Right or Wrong - Upward Look, p. 140 Testimonies for the Church ( CCh - Chapter 14 ) Treatment of the Erring - 15MR, 172 What Shall We Play - Adventist Home, Chapter 80 Snares of Satan - TM, p. 472 Testimony to Ministers, p. 359 - Abuse of Power