It is true that we are commanded to “cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew
my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins” (Isaiah 58:1). This message must
be given; but while it must be given, we should be careful not to thrust and crowd and condemn
those who have not the light that we have….
Those who have had great privileges and opportunities, and who have failed to improve their
physical, mental, and moral powers, but who have lived to please themselves and have refused to
bear their responsibility, are in greater danger and in greater condemnation before God than those
who are in error upon doctrinal points, yet who seek to live to do good to others. Do not censure
others; do not condemn them.
If we allow selfish considerations, false reasoning, and false excuses to bring us into a perverse state
of mind and heart, so that we shall not know the ways and will of God, we shall be far more guilty
than the open sinner. We need to be very cautious in order that we may not condemn those who,
before God, are less guilty than ourselves.
Let everyone bear in mind that we are in no case to invite persecution. We are not to use harsh and
cutting words. Keep them out of every article written, drop them out of every address given. Let the
Word of God do the cutting, the rebuking; let finite men and women hide and abide in Jesus Christ.
Let the spirit of Christ appear. Let all be guarded in their words, lest they place those not of our faith
in deadly opposition against us and give Satan an opportunity to use the unadvised words to hedge
up our way.
There is to be a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation. Our work is to study to
weed out of all our discourses everything that savors of retaliation and defiance and making a drive
against churches and individuals, because this is not Christ’s way and method.
The fact that God’s people, who know the truth, have failed to do their duty according to the light
given in the Word of God makes it a necessity for us to be the more guarded, lest we offend
unbelievers before they have heard the reasons for our faith in regard to the Sabbath and Sunday.