“Will you have eternal life? If so, you must turn away from the pleasures of the world. The wickedness in this age is as great as it was in the days of Noah. But one man was found that walked with God even in that crooked and perverse generation. Enoch kept his mind stayed upon God, and God did not leave him but finally took him from this sinful world. This man was a representative of those who will be translated to heaven when Christ comes to gather His people. Are we ready for the appearing of Christ? Are we constantly seeking God for strength to stand against the wiles of the enemy? Have we washed our robes and made them clean in the blood of the Lamb?” –Christ Triumphant, p. 65
“We need a constant sense of the ennobling power of pure thoughts. The only security for any soul is right thinking. As a man ‘thinketh in his heart, so is he.’ The power of self-restraint strengthens by exercise. That which at first seems difficult, by constant repetition grows easy, until right thoughts and actions become habitual. If we will, we may turn away from all that is cheap and inferior, and rise to a higher standard; we may be respected by men, and beloved of God.” –The Ministry of Healing, p. 491
“God’s all-seeing eye notes the defects of all and the ruling passion of each, yet He bears with our mistakes and pities our weakness. He bids His people cherish the same spirit of tenderness and forbearance. True Christians will not exult in exposing the faults and deficiencies of others. They will turn away from vileness and deformity, to fix the mind upon that which is attractive and lovely. To the Christian every act of faultfinding, every word of censure or condemnation, is painful.” –Counsels for the Church, p. 177
”Be not satisfied with superficial knowledge. Be not elated by flattery nor depressed by faultfinding. Satan will tempt you to pursue such a course that you may be admired and flattered; but you should turn away from his devices. You are servants of the living God.” –Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 384
“Let all who are afflicted or unjustly used, cry to God. Turn away from those whose hearts are as steel, and make your requests known to your Maker. Never is one repulsed who comes to Him with a contrite heart. Not one sincere prayer is lost. Amid the anthems of the celestial choir, God hears the cries of the weakest human being. We pour out our heart’s desire in our closets, we breathe a prayer as we walk by the way, and our words reach the throne of the Monarch of the universe. They may be inaudible to any human ear, but they cannot die away into silence, nor can they be lost through the activities of business that are going on. Nothing can drown the soul’s desire. It rises above the din of the street, above the confusion of the multitude, to the heavenly courts. It is God to whom we are speaking, and our prayer is heard. “ –Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 174
“Stand up for Jesus, young friends, and in your time of need Jesus will stand up for you. ‘By their fruits ye shall know them.’ Either God or Satan controls the mind; and the life shows so clearly that none need mistake to which power you yield allegiance. Every one has an influence either for good or for evil. Is your influence on the side of Christ or on that of Satan? Those who turn away from iniquity enlist the power of Omnipotence in their favor. The atmosphere that surrounds them is not of earth. By the silent power of a well-ordered life and a godly conversation, they may present Jesus to the world. They may reflect Heaven’s light, and win souls to Christ.” –Fundamentals of Christian Education, p. 89
“God is in earnest with us and claims all the power of our being. We need the Great Physician to heal us. We need more of heaven and less of self. We must be partakers of the divine nature. Oh, what love has been manifested for us! The divine Son of God left the throne of heaven and gave His life for us, and for our sakes became poor. He clothed His divinity with humanity. Now in return are you willing to deny self and follow your Saviour? Oh, do not trifle away the few moments left you by seeking worldly honor and thus lose the precious boon of everlasting life!” —Christ Triumphant, p. 65
Ellen G. White