None are forced to accept of Jesus and his truth, but all are invited to do so. Life and death are placed before them, and it is for them to choose which they will have… To you the exhortation is given, “Hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.” The mighty cleaver of truth has taken you out of the quarry of the world and placed you in the workshop of God, where you must submit to be hewed, and squared, and polished, if you would be fitted for the heavenly building. A great work must be done for us all before we will have perfection of Christian character. The law of God is the standard of righteousness. This is the mirror into which we are to look to discern the defects of our character. When we look in a common mirror, it points out to us the defects upon our person, but it does not remove one stain; we must go and wash if we would become clean. So it is with the law of God. It is God’s great mirror, or moral detector of sin; but there is no saving quality in law; it has no power to pardon the transgressor. There is a provision made for the sinner: “If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” Then what is the work before the sinner? It is to exercise repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. In his precious blood the stains of sin may all be washed away. There is a fountain open for Judah and Jerusalem, and the defilement of sin may be removed if they will only wash in this fountain.

Dear friends, you each have a case pending in the court of Heaven. Have you secured an advocate to plead in your behalf? Jesus is man’s intercessor, and we must make him our friend or we shall lose the case. Now is the time for us to walk humbly with God, to watch unto prayer, and be diligent students of the Scriptures, that we may know the truth and obey it.

– The Present Truth, November 3, 1885