E. G. White References

I S. M. 110

“When you give up your own will, your own wisdom, and learn of Christ, you will find admittance into the kingdom of God.”

C. O. L. 312

When we submit ourselves to Christ, the heart is united with His heart, the will is merged in His will, the mind becomes one with His mind, the thoughts are brought into captivity to Him; we live His life. This is what it means to be clothed with the garment of His righteousness. Then as the Lord looks upon us He sees, no the fig-leaf garment, not the nakedness and deformity of sin, but His own role of righteousness, which is perfect obedience to the law of Jehovah.

S. C. 47

Many are inquiring, “How am I to make the surrender of myself to God?” You desire to give yourself to Him, but you are weak in moral power, in slavery to doubt, and controlled by the habits of your life of sin. Your promises and resolutions are like ropes of sand. You cannot control your thoughts, your impulses, your affections. The knowledge of your broken promises and forfeited pledges weakens your confidence in your own sincerity, and causes you to feel that God cannot accept you: but you need not despair. What you need to understand is the true force of will. This is the governing power in the nature of man, the power of decision, or of choice. Everything depends on the right action of the will. The power of choice God has given to men; it is theirs to exercise. You cannot change your heart, you cannot of yourself give to God its affection; but you can choose to serve Him. You can give Him your will; He will then work in you to will and to do according to His good pleasure. Thus your whole nature will be brought under the control of the Spirit of Christ; your affection will be centered upon Him, your thoughts will be in harmony with Him.

M. Y. P. 151-4

Pure religion has to do with the will. The will is the governing power in the nature of men, bringing all the other faculties under its sway. The will is not the taste or the inclination, but it is the deciding power, which works in the children of men unto obedience to God, or unto disobedience.

You will be in constant peril until you understand the true force of the will. You may believe and promise all things, but your promises or your faith are of no value until you put your will on the side of faith and action.

But you need not despair. You must be determined to believe, although nothing seems true and real to you.

You cannot control your impulses, your emotions, as you may desire, but you can control the will, and you can make an entire change in your life.

By steadfastly keeping the will on the Lord’s side, every emotion will be brought into captivity to the will of Jesus.

But you must remember that your will is the spring of all your actions. This will, that forms so important a factor in the character of man, was at the fall given into the control of Satan; and he has ever since been working in man to will and to do of his own pleasure, but to the utter ruin and misery of man.

But the infinite sacrifice of God in giving Jesus, His beloved Son, to become a sacrifice for sin, enables Him to say, without violating one principle of His government, “Yield yourself up to Me; give Me that will; take it from the control of Satan, and I will take possession of it; then I can work in you to will and to do of My good pleasure.”

D. A. 38

None but Christ can fashion anew a character that has been ruined by sin. He came to expel the demons that had controlled the will.

D. A. 125

The tempter can never compel us to do evil. He cannot control minds unless they are yielded to his control. The will must consent, faith must let go its hold upon Christ, before Satan can exercise his power upon us.

Bible References

Philippians 2:8-13

8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name.

10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

Questions for Thought

Why is the will of man so important a factor in God’s plan of salvation?

How does Satan hold man in his power?

How can this power be broken?