God Works in Us to Do His Good Pleasure,

November 18 We Grow to the Full Stature of Men in Christ Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Philippians 2:12, 13. Our relation to God is the same as that of little children to their parents. The God of heaven is watching His people, His church, just as loving parents watch their children. And we are as foolish as little children are; for how prone we are to think that we know everything, when really we have not begun to know what God is waiting to teach us when we show willingness to follow in His footsteps. Will we come down from our position of self-righteousness, and as little children take hold of God's work? Will we be willing to be taught and led of Him? With tottering steps we are just beginning to walk. In time we shall learn to take firmer steps, but now we are liable at any moment to stumble and fall. From the highest to the lowest, we each have spiritual weaknesses and troubles similar to the weaknesses and troubles of helpless children. And as these inexperienced children can not place their dependence on one another, but must depend on their parents, so we must learn not to hang our helpless souls on any human being, but cling to the One mighty to save.... God calls upon us to make our movements in His fear and to walk tremblingly before Him. “Work out your own salvation,” He says, “with fear and trembling....” So long as we work in Christ's lines, laying hold of the arm of the Mighty One, we are safe; but just as soon as we loosen our grasp of His arm, and begin to depend upon human beings, we are in great danger. This very day the Lord desires us to reach a higher standard than we have ever reached in the past. Day by day we are to advance upward, ever upward, until it can be said of us as a people, “Ye are complete in him.” 38Manuscript 96, 1902.