The Bottom Line

"God is love." 1 John 4:16. His nature, His law, is love. It ever has been; it ever will be. "The high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity," whose "ways are everlasting," changeth not. With Him "is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." Isaiah 57:15; Habakkuk 3:6; James 1:17. -- PP.033

Five Areas in which We Are to Love God with All

Mark 12:30And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart , and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.

Deut. 6:5And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might .

DA 607 The lawyer approached Jesus with a direct question, "Which is the first commandment of all?" The answer of Christ is direct and forcible: "The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment." The second is like the first, said Christ; for it flows out of it, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these." "On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." The first four of the Ten Commandments are summed up in the one great precept, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart." The last six are included in the other, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." Both these commandments are an expression of the principle of love. The first cannot be kept and the second broken, nor can the second be kept while the first is broken. When God has His rightful place on the throne of the heart, the right place will be given to our neighbor. We shall love him as

ourselves. And only as we love God supremely is it possible to love our neighbor impartially. And since all the commandments are summed up in love to God and man, it follows that not one precept can be broken without violating this principle. Thus Christ taught His hearers that the law of God is not so many separate precepts, some of which are of great importance, while others are of small importance and may with impunity be ignored. Our Lord presents the first four and the last six commandments as a divine whole, and teaches that love to God will be shown by obedience to all His commandments. -- DA 607

God’s Law Is to “Love The Lord... With All... And Thy Neighbor as Thyself”

These words he repeated with solemn earnestness; and then he turned and grasped a standard, and held it aloft. From this standard, in burning letters, clear and distinct, gleamed God's law. The Speaker declared: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself." -- RH.1906-09-20

The Effect of God’s Law to Love With All

Finally the heavenly Visitant arose. So intent were those present on criticizing their brethren, that it was with reluctance that they gave him opportunity to speak. He declared that the spirit of criticism, of judging one another, is a source of weakness in the church to-day. Things are spoken that should never find utterance. Every one who by word of mouth places an obstruction in the way of a fellow Christian, has an account to settle with God. With earnest solemnity the Speaker declared: "The church is made up of many minds, each of whom has an individuality. I gave my life in order that men and women, by divine grace, might blend in revealing a perfect pattern of my character, while at the same time retaining their individuality. No one has the right to disparage the individuality of any other human mind, by uttering words of criticism and fault-finding and condemnation." These words he repeated with solemn earnestness; and then he turned and grasped a standard, and held it aloft. From this standard, in burning letters, clear and distinct, gleamed God's law. The Speaker declared: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself." As the light from the uplifted standard flashed upon these men in council, they shrank from it as if it were a burning flame. Some prostrated themselves; some turned and went away. As I looked upon the scene, the names of the fault-finders appeared before them, and opposite each name were written out the faults of the erring one. None were free from defects of character. In the light of the uplifted standard, all were guilty. -- RH.1906-09-20

The words “Thou Shalt Love The Lord... With All Thy Heart...Soul...Mind...Strength And... Thy Neighbor As

Thyself” Are To Be Engraved on The Tables of The Heart. This Is Considered By The World To Be Extreme (Fanatical)

"Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself." These words are to be engraved on the tablets of the heart. In the estimation of the world, it is going to extremes to love God supremely and our neighbor as ourselves; but this is what God requires. He says to us, "Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. . . . Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evil doers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation. . . . For so is the will of God, that with well-doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men." -- RH.1902-09-02

The Principles of The Law of Love Were More Explicitly Stated to Man After The Fall, and Worded to Meet Man in His

Fallen Condition

Satan is willing that every transgressor of God's law shall claim to be holy. This is what he himself is doing. He is satisfied when men rest their faith on spurious doctrines and religious enthusiasm; for he can use such persons to good purpose in deceiving souls. Everywhere his influence is manifest. Men are working against the divine precepts. In their desire to evade the cross-bearing attendant on obedience, even the churches are claiming that the law of God has been changed or abrogated. Men boast of wonderful progress and enlightenment; but the heavenly watchers see the earth filled with corruption and violence. with all thy strength. This is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these." These two great principles embrace the first four commandments, showing the duty of man to God, and the last six, showing the duty of man to his fellow-man. The principles were more explicitly stated to man after the fall, and worded to meet the case of fallen intelligences. This was necessary in consequence of the minds of men being blinded by transgression. -- SW.1906-08-07

The Disciples Did Not Understand God’s Love Until After His Death, Resurrection, and Ascension

A High Standard "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself." Luke 10:27. Just before He left His disciples to return to heaven, Christ declared: "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another." Here we see the standard lifted higher and still higher. "By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if ye have love one to another." John 13:34, 35. The disciples could not then comprehend Christ's words; but after His crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension they understood His love as never before. They had seen it expressed in His suffering in the garden, in the judgment hall, and in His death on the cross of Calvary. --8T 164

Our Love for God Depends on a Conception of His Goodness

It is essential to our eternal well-being to know more of God; for love to God depends on a conception of His goodness. His excellence, and a knowledge of His will. It requires an appreciation of His character. His law is the transcript of His character, and this law He calls upon us to obey... -- ST.1899-08-02

Love Is the Most Effectual Knowledge to be Obtained

In the early morning meetings I tried to present the paternal love and care of God for his children. The knowledge of God's love is the most effectual knowledge to obtain, that the character may be ennobled, refined, and elevated. Jesus is to be our pattern. The Lord has lessons of the greatest importance for us to learn. He leads us as children to take views of his goodness, mercy, and love, from the simple, lowly life of our dear Redeemer. Christ ever directed the minds of his disciples to God as to a loving Father. He educated his followers to look upon God with confidence and love. When we are overawed with the greatness and justice of God, we are pointed to Jesus, to his spotless character and his infinite love. There we see the Father revealed in the Son, for God is love. -- RH.1889-03-05

The Phrase: “God is Love” Has Been Shamefully Perverted

In giving his only begotten Son to die for sinners, God has manifested to fallen man love that is without a parallel. We have full faith in the scripture that says, "God is love;" and yet many have shamefully perverted this word, and have fallen into dangerous error because of a false interpretation of its meaning. God's holy law is the only standard by which we can estimate divine affection. If we do not accept the law of God as our standard, we set up a standard of our own. God has given us precious promises of his

love, but we are not to ascribe to Jehovah a tenderness that will lead him to pass over guilt and wink at iniquity. -- RH.1890-06-17

Unselfish Love and Purity Are The Attributes Most Prized by Jesus

The attributes most prized by Jesus are unselfish love and purity. "Every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God." "If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us." "God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him." The entire law is fulfilled in him who loves God supremely and his neighbor as himself. This is the revelation of God through Jesus Christ to the world. It is Christianity-- glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good-will to men. The work Christianity is designed to achieve in the world is not to depreciate the law of God, not to detract from its sacred dignity in the slightest degree, but it is to write that law in the mind and heart. When the law of God is thus implanted in the soul of the believer, he is approaching eternal life through the merits of Jesus. "This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." "I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it; that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them." The object of the gospel is met when this great end is achieved. Its work from age to age is to unite the hearts of his followers in a spirit of universal brotherhood, through belief of the truth, and thus establish heaven's system of order and harmony in the family of God on earth, that they may be accounted worthy to become members of the royal family above. God, in his wisdom and mercy, tests men and women here, to see if they will obey his voice and respect his law, or rebel as Satan did. If they choose the side of Satan, putting his way above God's, it would not be safe to admit them into heaven; for they would cause another revolt against the government of God in the heavenly courts. He who fulfills the law in every respect, demonstrates that perfect obedience is possible. -- RH.1891-07-21

What Is The Bible Interpretation of God?

From Mrs. E. G. White, in letter to the editor . "What is the Bible interpretation of God? --God is love . By giving Christ to our world, God manifested His love for mankind. 'God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.' Yes, everlasting life . This is the love which is the fulfilling of the law. Only he whose heart is filled with compassion for fallen man, who loves to a purpose , showing his love by the performance of Christlike deeds, will be able to endure the seeing of Him who is invisible. He only who loves his fellow men to a purpose can know God. He who loves not those for whom the Father has done so much, knows not God. This is the reason there is so little genuine vitality in our churches. Theology is valueless unless it is saturated with the love of Christ. – GH.1901-01-01 Also: SW.1901-01-01

How to Abound in The Love of God:

Shall all our devotional exercises consist in asking and receiving? Shall we be always thinking of our wants and never of the benefits we receive? Shall we be recipients of His mercies and never express our gratitude to God, never praise Him for what He has done for us? We do not pray any too much, but we are too sparing of giving thanks. If the loving-kindness of God called forth more thanksgiving and praise, we would have far more power in prayer. We would abound more and more in the love of God and have more bestowed to praise Him for. You who complain that God does not hear your prayers, change your present order and mingle praise with your petitions. When you consider His goodness and mercies you will find that He will consider your wants.--5T.317

Christ Came to Prove that God Is Love

Christ, as commander of heaven, was appointed to put down the rebellion. Satan and all his sympathizers were cast out of heaven. Then was begun the work which, before the foundations of the world were laid, Christ had engaged to do. At the appointed time he came to our world in human flesh, that he might become man's substitute and surety. Christ came to prove that "God is love." This was disputed by him who was once a covering cherub in heaven, and who, in consequence of his ambitious project, developed a character that made him at war with God. This world became the scene of the great conflict between Christ and Satan. -- RH.1899-05-30

…He expired on the cross exclaiming, "It is finished," and that cry rang through every world, and through heaven itself. The great contest between Christ, the Prince of Life, and Satan, the prince of darkness, was practically over, and Christ was Conqueror. His death answered the question as to whether there was self-denial with the Father and the Son.-- ST.1893-02-20

Satan declared that there is no forgiveness with God; that if God should forgive sin, he would make his law of no effect. He says to the sinner, You are lost. Christ came to this world to prove the falsity of this statement, to show that God is love, that like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. Follow the Saviour from the manger to the cross, mark his life of unselfish ministry, his agony in the garden, and his death on the cross; and know that with God there is plenteous forgiveness. He abhors sin, but with a love that passes knowledge he loves the sinner. -- RH.1911-01-19

The only hope for the fallen race was found in becoming reconciled to God. Satan had so misrepresented God that man had no true conception of the divine character. Christ came to the world, and in carrying out the plan of salvation, revealed the fact that "God is love." -- ST.1893-02-13

The Cross Is The Incontrovertible Argument that God Is Love

Jesus placed the cross in line with the light coming from heaven, for it is there that it shall catch the eye of man. The cross is in direct line with the shining of the divine countenances, so that by beholding the cross men may see and know God and Jesus Christ, whom he hath sent. In beholding God we behold the one who poured out his soul unto death. In beholding the cross the view is extended to God, and his hatred of sin is discerned. But while we behold in the cross God's hatred of sin, we also behold his love for sinners, which is stronger than death. To the world the cross is the incontrovertible argument that God is truth and light and love .-- ST.1895-03-07

Through Christ’s Sacrifice All Heaven Is Involved In Infinite Sacrifice

...Christ, the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, offered himself as a sacrifice and substitute for the fallen sons of Adam though in this offering all heaven was involved in infinite sacrifice. But the Father so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, that through his smitten heart a channel might be found for the outflowing of infinite love for fallen man. Man had become so degraded by sin, his nature so perverted by evil, that it was impossible for him of himself to come into harmony with God, whose nature is purity and love. But Christ redeemed him from the condemnation of the law, and imparted divine power, and through man's cooperation, the sinner could be restored to his lost estate. -- ST December 15, 1914 par. 10

Where Do We Find that God Is Love?

The impress of Deity, manifest in the pages of revelation, is seen upon the lofty mountains, the fruitful valleys, the broad, deep ocean. The things of nature speak to man of his Creator's love. He has linked us to himself by unnumbered tokens in heaven and in earth. This world is not all sorrow and misery. "God is love,"[1 JOHN 4:8.] is written upon every opening bud, upon the petals of every flower, and upon every spire of grass. Though the curse of sin has caused the earth to bring forth thorns and thistles, there are flowers upon the thistles, and the thorns are hidden by roses. All things in nature testify to the tender, fatherly care of our God, and to his desire to make his children happy. His prohibitions and injunctions are not intended merely to display his authority, but in all that he does, he has the well-being of his children in view. He does not require them to give up anything that it would be for their best interest to retain. – CED 067

"God is love" is written upon every opening bud, upon every spire of springing grass. The lovely birds making the air vocal with their happy songs, the delicately tinted flowers in their perfection perfuming the air, the lofty trees of the forest with their rich foliage of living green -- all testify to the tender, fatherly care of our God and to His desire to make His children happy.—SC 010

Mothers have a sacred mission in directing and educating the minds of their children. They should not be so engrossed with the artificial and burdened with care that they cannot have time to educate their children from God's great book of nature, impressing their young minds with the beauties of opening buds and flowers. The lofty trees, the lovely birds caroling forth their happy songs to their Creator, speak to their senses of the goodness, mercy, and benevolence of God. Every leaf and flower with their varied tints, perfuming the air, teach them that God is love. All that is good and lovely and beautiful in this world speaks to them of the love of our Heavenly Father. The character of God they may discern in his created works. Parents should improve every opportunity to impress their children by connecting in their minds God with the things of nature, that they may look up through nature to nature's God. Lead your children to regard God as the Creator of all things, and to reverence and fear him who is exalted above the heavens, and to love him because he first loved them. The evidences of his love they have on every hand, speaking to them through the glories of nature. Your temporal matters may be neglected rather than the heart wants and culture of the minds of your children. -- ST.1875-08-05

There are only two roads; one leads to heaven, the other to death and hell. Every one has a work to do. Every one of us, that have reasoning powers, knows that there is a God. As we look at the heavens above, upon the earth beneath with its stately trees, shrubs and every opening bud and blooming flower we know there is a God, a Creator. The glories of the moon and stars in the firmament, the clouds tinted with gold and silver, and the heavens spanned with the beautiful rainbow, speak to us of the goodness, mercy and love of God. All these things are evidences of his care for us. He loves us, oh! so dearly. That love is incomprehensible. It is as high as the heavens, and as broad as the world. A love that is immeasurable. This love that we can trace in every cloud, in every tree, shrub, and vernal branch, in everything our eyes behold, is seeking a place in our hearts. God is love; and oh! what love he has revealed to us in giving his Son to die for us. How can we be indifferent to the claims God has upon us? How can we devote our God-given time, the hours of probation granted us here in which to prepare for a higher and immortal life, to thinking of ourselves, of our appearance, in allowing pride to take possession of our hearts when we consider the infinite price that has been paid for our redemption? -- ST.1878-01-31

What is Love?

The only thing that would be of value to him now he has not secured. In living for self he has rejected that divine love which would have flowed out in mercy to his fellow men. Thus he has rejected life. For God is love, and love is life . This man has chosen the earthly rather than the spiritual, and with the earthly he must pass away. "Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish." Ps. 49:20. – COL 258

"Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled." Matthew 5:6 . Righteousness is holiness, likeness to God, and "God is love." 1

John 4:16. It is conformity to the law of God, for "all Thy commandments are righteousness" (Psalm 119:172), and "love is the fulfilling of the law" (Romans 13:10). Righteousness is love, and love is the light and the life of God . The righteousness of God is embodied in Christ. We receive righteousness by receiving Him. – MB 018

God is love. Like rays of light from the sun, love and light and joy flow out from Him to all His creatures. It is His nature to give. His very life is the outflow of unselfish love . "His glory is His children's good; His joy, His tender Fatherhood." He tells us to be perfect as He is, in the same manner. We are to be centers of light and blessing to our little circle, even as He is to the universe. We have nothing of ourselves, but the light of His love shines upon us, and we are to reflect its brightness. "In His borrowed goodness good," we may be perfect in our sphere, even as God is perfect in His. – MB 077

We Should Repeat “God is Love” Whenever We Are Tempted

"God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Moses prayed that God would show him His glory, "and the Lord descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty." This is the character of the God in whom you are to put your trust. " God is love." Repeat this sentence whenever temptation presses upon you. Remember that He is just and merciful, true and gracious, and will by no means clear the guilty. God can be just, and yet be the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus. He will accept you just as you are; for there is no hope of your becoming better until you come to Jesus for pardon and sanctification. Mourning and weeping will not purify you. You may mourn your life away in unbelief and in bitterness of soul; but the power to cleanse the vilest sinner is vested wholly in Him who can save unto the uttermost. -- BE.1894-07-02

We Are to Learn that “God is Love” Amid All Our Afflictions

John, who leaned upon the bosom of Christ, says, "We have known and believed the love that God hath to us." If we can individually say this from the heart, we are indeed rich in faith, living on the promises of God. Amid our trials, disappointments, bereavements, and afflictions, we are to learn that God is love, and that he that dwelleth in God, dwelleth in love. "Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as he is, so are we [in heaven?] in this world." We have reason ever to thank God that he knows all the storms, disappointments, and trials that come upon his people. He follows them through every experience, with tender, pitying love, and expresses his desire to heal our wounds, and restore unto us the joy of his salvation. -- ST.1893-08-28

No Criticism at The Cross

He who looks often upon the cross of Calvary, remembering that his sins placed the Saviour there, will never try to estimate the degree of his guilt in comparison with that of others. He will not climb upon the judgment seat to bring accusation against another. There can be no spirit of criticism or self-exaltation on the part of those who walk in the shadow of Calvary's cross. -- MB 128

In True Education, that God Is Love, Is to be Taught by Every Lesson

True education means much more than many suppose. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. By some, education is placed next to religion, but true education is religion. The Bible is to be made the child's first textbook. From this book, parents are to give wise and godly instruction. The word of God is to be the rule of the life. The first lesson that children are to be taught is that God is their Father. This lesson should be given them in their earliest years. Parents are to realize that they are responsible before God for making their children acquainted with their Heavenly Father. From the very first it is their duty to teach their children the importance of obeying the law of God. That God is love, is to be taught by every lesson. --RH.1899-06-06

Since God Is Love, Love Is as Enduring and Unchanging as God Himself

Why is this? What is the reason that hope -- all hope that is hope indeed -- "maketh not ashamed"? The reason is given: "Because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us." True hope has its origin in true love,--the love of God,--because love "hopeth all things." 1 Cor. 13:7. "Love is of God," for "God is love;" therefore love is as enduring and unchanging as God himself. He is "from everlasting to everlasting," and "the Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love." It must be evident to all that hope that is based upon such love can never disappoint one. -- RH.1902-06-24

God’s Love a Mystery

RH.1891-11-17 The life of Christ was a life charged with a divine message of the love of God, and he longed intensely to impart this love to others in rich measure. Compassion beamed from

his countenance, and his conduct was characterized by grace, humility, truth, and love. Every member of his church militant must manifest the same qualities, if he would join the church triumphant. The love of Christ if so broad, so full of glory, that in comparison to it, everything that men esteem as great, dwindles into insignificance. When we obtain a view of it, we exclaim, O the depth of the riches of the love that God bestowed upon men in the gift of his only begotten Son? When we seek for appropriate language in which to describe the love of God, we find words too tame, to weak, too far beneath the theme, and we lay down our pen, and say, "No, it cannot be described." We can only do as did the beloved disciple, say, "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God." In attempting any description of this love, we feel that we are as an infant lisping its first words. Silently we may adore; for silence in this matter is the only eloquence. This love is past all language to describe. It is the mystery of God in the flesh, God in Christ, and divinity in humanity. Christ bowed down in unparalleled humility, that in his exaltation to the throne of God, he might also exalt those who believe in him, to a seat with him upon his throne. All who look upon Jesus in faith that the wounds and bruises that sin has made will be healed in him, shall be made whole. -- RH.1891-11-17

If We Receive The Principle that “God is Love” Into The Heart, It Will Bring About The Reformation Essential

Take the question to your own hearts, and answer it as if before the Judge of all the earth. A reformation must take place in every family, in every institution, in every church. "Let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth." "Let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. . . . Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. . . . If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also." "If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us." These sacred lessons, if received into the heart, will bring about the reformation essential. Many will lose heaven unless they change their selfish, unlovable, unsympathetic ways, and learn that the Spirit of Christ is not selfish and forbidding, uncourteous and loveless. Unless those who stand in responsible positions in our institutions make decided changes in heart and character, they will be condemned as lukewarm, knowing not that they are "wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked." Unless we practice Christ's ways, and receive his Spirit, we are none of his. He desires us to reveal his love in word and action. All that we do should flow from a deep, abiding principle of love,--a principle that is after the similitude of Christ, who is love and light and peace. But how little, how very little, of Christ's character is revealed! The spirit of self-denial is becoming a rare thing. -- RH.1900-04-03

When Will The Completeness of Christian Character Be Attained?

The completeness of Christian character is attained when the impulse to help and bless others springs constantly from within; when the sunshine of heaven fills the heart, and is expressed in the countenance. There is no such thing as a loveless Christian. It is not possible for the heart in which Christ abides to be destitute of love. The heart that is cold and stern is not catching the bright, softening beams of the Sun of Righteousness.-- RH.1900-04-03

Love to man is the earthward manifestation of the love of God. It was to implant this love, to make us children of one family, that the King of glory became one with us. And when His parting words are fulfilled, "Love one another, as I have loved you" (John 15:12); when we love the world as He has loved it, then for us His mission is accomplished. We are fitted for heaven; for we have heaven in our hearts. -- DA 641

What Is The Basis of All True Education?

Love, the basis of creation and of redemption, is the basis of true education. This is made plain in the law that God has given as the guide of life. The first and great commandment is, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength." Mark 12:30. To love Him, the Infinite, the Omniscient One, with the whole strength and mind and heart, means the highest development of every power. It means that in the whole being--the body, the mind, as well as the soul--the image of God is to be restored. -- CT 032

Like the first is the second commandment, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." Mark 12:31. The law of love calls for the devotion of body, mind, and soul to the service of God and our fellow men. And this service, while making us a blessing to others, brings the greatest blessing to ourselves. Unselfishness underlies all true development Through unselfish service we receive the highest culture of every faculty. -- CT 032

What Is The Basis of All False Education?

At such a time as this, what is the trend of the education given? To what motive is appeal most often made? To self-seeking . Much of the education given is a perversion of the name. In true education the selfish ambition, 226 the greed for power, the disregard for the rights and needs of humanity, that are the curse of our world, find a counterinfluence. God's plan of life has a place for every human being. Each is to improve his talents to the utmost; and faithfulness in doing this, be the gifts few or many, entitles one to honor. In God's plan there is no place for selfish rivalry. Those who measure themselves by themselves, and compare themselves among themselves, are not wise. 2 Corinthians 10:12. Whatever we do is to be done "as of the ability which God

giveth." 1 Peter 4:11. It is to be done "heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ." Colossians 3:23, 24. Precious the service done and the education gained in carrying out these principles. But how widely different is much of the education now given! From the child's earliest years it is an appeal to emulation and rivalry; it fosters selfishness, the root of all evil. -- ED 225

Satan Sought to Break The Flow of Love

Through tempting man to sin, Satan hoped to counteract the tide of divine love flowing to the human race; but, instead of this, his work resulted in calling forth new and deeper manifestations of God's mercy and His goodness. – AU 1900-06-01

Satan Denies the Fact that God is Love

Christ, as commander of heaven, was appointed to put down the rebellion. Satan and all his sympathizers were cast out of heaven. Then was begun the work which, before the foundations of the world were laid, Christ had engaged to do. At the appointed time he came to our world in human flesh, that he might become man's substitute and surety. Christ came to prove that "God is love." This was disputed by him who was once a covering cherub in heaven, and who, in consequence of his ambitious project, developed a character that made him at war with God. This world became the scene of the great conflict between Christ and Satan. -- RH.1899-05-30

Christ came to the world to convince men, by evidence that could not be controverted, that "God is love." This fact, so long disputed by Satan , is forever put at rest with unfallen worlds and with heavenly intelligences. It is put at rest with those who look upon an uplifted Saviour, who are convinced by the manifestation of the love of God displayed at Calvary. The wondrous condescension of God in giving Christ to the world to work out the principles of divine character, leaves every human intelligence without a shadow of excuse in withholding his allegiance from the God of heaven. Jesus was one with the Father, and revealed the perfection of God, and yet he came to the world in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, and condemned sin in the flesh by his own life of perfect obedience to the law of God, showing that men may become partakers of the divine nature, and may through faith in Christ lay hold on moral power that has been brought within their reach through the love so abundantly expressed in their behalf. Human agents may form characters after the divine similitude, because of the great love wherewith Christ has loved us. The Saviour said: "I am the Good Shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep." "The bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." "This commandment have I received of my Father."

-- ST.1895-03-07

The plan of Satan was by his lying philosophies to widen the breach that existed between God and man. He argued that man could not keep the law of God, and therefore that God had been obliged to change the laws which he had made, and had abolished the rule of his government. Satan's work was to keep the agitation against God in progress, and keep the question to the front as to whether God was light and love or not . Satan had charged God with his own attributes, and thus sowed in the hearts of men the seeds of enmity against God, for man accepted the statements of him who was a liar from the beginning. Uniting fallen man with himself, he kept a series of false theories in regard to God in continual circulation, asserting them to be truth, in order that he might cover up the truth, and interpose his shadow between men and the way and the life.-- ST.1895-03-07

In heaven itself this law was broken. Sin originated in self-seeking. Lucifer, the covering cherub, desired to be first in heaven. He sought to gain control of heavenly beings, to draw them away from their Creator, and to win their homage to himself. Therefore he misrepresented God, 22 attributing to Him the desire for self-exaltation. With his own evil characteristics he sought to invest the loving Creator. Thus he deceived angels. Thus he deceived men. He led them to doubt the word of God, and to distrust His goodness. Because God is a God of justice and terrible majesty, Satan caused them to look upon Him as severe and unforgiving. Thus he drew men to join him in rebellion against God, and the night of woe settled down upon the world.-- DA.021

Satan Sought God’s Power But Not His Character

The Saviour gathered His disciples about Him, and said to them, "If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all." There was in these words a solemnity and impressiveness which the disciples were far from comprehending. That which Christ discerned they could not see. They did not understand the nature of Christ's kingdom, and this ignorance was the apparent cause of their contention. But the real cause lay deeper. By explaining the nature of the kingdom, Christ might for the time have quelled their strife; but this would not have touched the underlying cause. Even after they had received the fullest knowledge, any question of precedence might have renewed the trouble. Thus disaster would have been brought to the church after Christ's departure. The strife for the highest place was the outworking of that same spirit which was the beginning of the great controversy in the worlds above, and which had brought Christ from heaven to die. There rose up before Him a vision of Lucifer, the "son of the morning," in glory surpassing all the angels that surround the throne, and united in closest ties to the Son of God. Lucifer had said, "I will be like the Most High" (Isa. 14:12, 14); and the desire for self-exaltation had brought strife into the heavenly courts, and had banished a multitude of the hosts of God. Had Lucifer really desired to be like the Most High, he would never have deserted his appointed place in heaven; for the spirit of the Most High is manifested in unselfish ministry. Lucifer desired God's power, but not His character. He sought for himself the highest place, and every being who is actuated by his

spirit will do the same. Thus alienation, discord, and strife will be inevitable. Dominion becomes the prize of the strongest. The kingdom of Satan is a kingdom of force; every individual regards every other as an obstacle in the way of his own advancement, or a steppingstone on which he himself may climb to a higher place. – DA 435

Satan Claimed that God Claims All But Gives Nothing

...As Satan had done in heaven, so he did on earth,--declared God's government unjust, the restrictions of his law unnecessary, and bade man, as he had angels, to throw aside the yoke and let the dictates of their own nature be their only guide and law. He promised liberty; but as he himself is the servant of corruption, he brought the race into bondage, to sin, misery, and death. He represented God as claiming all and giving nothing, as requiring men's service for his own glory, but denying himself nothing for man's good...

The Cross Was to Restore the Flow of Love

The Highest, who was with the Father before the world was, submitted to humiliation that He might uplift humanity. Prophecy withdraws the veil, that we may behold the throne of heaven, that we may see upon that throne, high and lifted up, One who in human form came to our world to suffer, to be lacerated with stripes, and bruised for our iniquities. "The chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed." Before the heavenly universe the Lord of Glory suffered in human form that sin might be pardoned, and sinners redeemed. He died that the love of God, as a mighty helper, might flow to all suffering human beings. -- AU.1900-06-01

Love Could Not Have Given Greater Than Jesus

The gift of God to man is beyond computation. Nothing was withheld. God would not permit it to be said that He could have done more, or revealed to humanity a greater measure of love. In the gift of Christ He gave all heaven. -- AU 1900-06-01

Life Is a Cycle of Love Revealed in Unselfish Ministry, Service, Sacrifice

And God has manifested His love in ministry. In Him all unselfish ministry has its origin. Our Father in heaven is constantly engaged in upholding the things which He has created. Every leaf grows, every flower blooms, every fruit develops, by the power of God. In Him "we live, and move, and have our being." Each heart-beat, each breath, is the inspiration of Him who breathed into the nostrils of Adam the breath of life,--the inspiration of the ever-present God, the great I Am. The great and infinite God lives not

unto Himself, but for the benefit and blessing of every being and every object of His creation. - - AU 1900-06-01

In the beginning, God was revealed in all the works of creation. It was Christ that spread the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth. It was His hand that hung the worlds in space, and fashioned the flowers of the field. "His strength setteth fast the mountains." "The sea is His, and He made it." Ps. 65:6; 95:5. It was He that filled the earth with beauty, and the air with song. And upon all things in earth, and air, and sky, He wrote the message of the Father's love. -- DA 020

Now sin has marred God's perfect work, yet that handwriting remains. Even now all created things declare the glory of His excellence. There is nothing, save the selfish heart of man, that lives unto itself. No bird that cleaves the air, no animal that moves upon the ground, but ministers to some other life. There is no leaf of the forest, or lowly blade of grass, but has its ministry. Every tree and shrub and leaf pours forth that element of life without which neither man nor animal could live; and man and animal, in turn, minister to the life of tree and shrub and leaf. The flowers breathe fragrance and unfold their beauty in blessing to the world. The sun sheds its light to gladden a thousand worlds. The ocean, itself the source of all our springs and fountains, receives the streams from every land, but takes to give . The mists ascending from its bosom fall in showers to water the earth, that it may bring forth and bud. The angels of glory find their joy in giving,--giving love and tireless watchcare to souls that are fallen and unholy. Heavenly beings woo the hearts of men; they bring to this dark world light from the courts above; by gentle and patient ministry they move upon the human spirit, to bring the lost into a fellowship with Christ which is even closer than they themselves can know. But turning from all lesser representations, we behold God in Jesus. Looking unto Jesus we see that it is the glory of our God to give. "I do nothing of Myself," said Christ; "the living Father hath sent Me, and I live by the Father." "I seek not Mine own glory," but the glory of Him that sent Me. John 8:28; 6:57; 8:50; 7:18. In these words is set forth the great principle which is the law of life for the universe. All things Christ received from God, but He took to give . So in the heavenly courts, in His ministry for all created beings: through the beloved Son, the Father's life flows out to all; through the Son it returns, in praise and joyous service, a tide of love, to the great Source of all. And thus through Christ the circuit of beneficence is complete, representing the character of the great Giver , the law of life . – DA 021

It Is Better to Not Live Than to Exist Devoid of God’s Love

He that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God. God is love. It is better not to live than to exist day by day devoid of that love which Christ has revealed in His character and has enjoined upon his children, "Love one another as I have loved you." -- GH 1898-07-01

Those Who Need Our Love the Most Are Those Who Try Our Patients the Most

We have need of the rich grace of God every hour--then we will have a rich, practical experience, for "God is love." "He that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God." Give love to them that need it most--the most unfortunate. Those who have the most disagreeable temperament, those who try our patience most, need our love, our tenderness, our compassion. -- GH 1898-07-01

Satan Sought to Make Us As Unlovable As Possible So That God Would Give Up on Us and Destroy Us, Thus Proving that

God Could Not Redeem Us

Satan could establish pronounced enmity toward God only by bringing into contempt the laws of his government. In doing this he deceived many, and through his subtle reasonings he caused many to transgress. Thus he thought to cultivate so large a harvest of enmity toward God as to discourage the divine power, exhaust the forbearance of God, and counteract his love, so that God would abandon man to his deceiver by withdrawing his mercy and grace. He thought to so work with human agents as to cause the last spark of love to die from the heart of God, and cause him to lift the sword of justice and destroy the rebel race. Then Satan supposed that his claims would be vindicated before unfallen worlds, before unfallen angels.-- ST.1895-03-07

Until the Heart is Totally on the Lord’s Side, Satan Will Constantly Gain Victories Over Us

We have the truth. Shall we not practise it? Selfishness is the great evil that makes of none effect the preaching of the cross of Christ. Preach the word. Do not drown the voice of Christ by your own interpretation of the Scriptures. Do not make the word of God mean what he never meant it to mean. Make a practical application of the truth. Urge the truth home with sanctified assurance and directness, presenting the high standard God sets before his people. Truth must become truth to the receiver to all intents and purposes. It must be stamped upon the heart. "With the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind."

This is the service that God requires. Nothing short of this is pure and undefiled religion. The heart is the citadel of the being; and until that is wholly on the Lord's side, the enemy will gain constant victories over us by his subtle temptations. -- RH 1899-02-21

What is the Only Way in Which We Can Keep the Law to Love With “ALL”?

"What is written is the law?" he asked. "How readest thou? And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself." "Thou hast answered right," Christ said; "this do, and thou shalt live." Christ knew that no one present could keep the law in his own strength. He desired to lead the lawyer to clearer and more critical research, that he might find the truth. Only by accepting the virtue and grace of Christ can the law be kept. Belief in the propitiation for sin enables fallen man to love God with his whole heart, and his neighbor as himself. ...The lawyer knew that he kept neither the first four nor the last six commandments; but in the hope of justifying himself, he asked, "And who is my neighbor?... --RH 1899-10-10

The lawyer felt annoyed by the Saviour's reply; for he knew that he had not fulfilled the requirements of the law, and he asked, "And who is my neighbor?"...-- RH 1901-08-13

To Love God with All The Strength Requires Us to Follow the Health, Temperance and Practical Labor Messages

RH 1901-11-12 Those who act as teachers are to be intelligent in regard to disease and its causes, understanding that every action of the human agent should be in perfect harmony with the laws of life. The light of God has given on health reform is for our salvation and the salvation of the world. Men and women should be informed in regard to the human habitation, fitted up by our Creator as His dwelling-place, and over which He desires us to be faithful stewards. "For ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people." Our bodies are wonderfully made, and the Lord requires us to keep them in order. All are under obligation to Him to keep the human structure in a healthful, wholesome condition, that every muscle, every organ, may be used in the service of God. "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind." God, who formed the wonderful structure of the body, will take special care to keep it in order, if men co-operate, instead of working at cross-purposes with Him.

These grand truths must be given to the world. We must reach the people where they are, and by example and precept lead them to see the beauties of the better way. The world is in sad need of instruction along these lines. The time has come when each soul must be stanch and true to every ray of light God has given, and begin in earnest to give this gospel of health to the people. We shall have strength and power to do this if we practice these truths in our own lives. If we all followed the light we have received, the blessing of God would rest on us, and we should be anxious to place these truths before those who know them not. – RH 1901-11-12

The strength belongs to God. "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself." This statement covers the use of the physical powers. There is no reason why a man who has strength of body should not use that strength in Christ's service. Every part of the being is to be employed to the glory of God. The Lord would not have given us such a definite specification had He not designed us to study carefully how much it comprehends. If you have physical strength, that strength is Christ's property. He who has in the past looked upon himself as above labor will when converted change his habits and use his physical powers to some purpose. An indolent man can not serve God; for he gives to others an example entirely contrary to the principles of Christ. No idler can be a practical Christian. Christ is our example, and He worked at the carpenter's trade with his father Joseph. There are no gentlemen idlers in God's vineyard; for there is earnest, practical work to be done. -- ST.1899-10-18

Selfishness

Selfishness Is the Root of All Evil

Satan's principle is self-serving. This principle he attributed to God, misrepresenting His character to the world. And he led man to accept the principle of selfishness. He caused him to believe that in serving himself he would find happiness. By the Son of God this principle was to be demonstrated as false. By Him the Father was to be rightly represented. The ideal of true ministry God committed to His Son, and bade Him work it out in humanity. -- AU.1900-06-01

In heaven itself this law was broken. Sin originated in self-seeking. Lucifer, the covering cherub, desired to be first in heaven. He sought to gain control of heavenly beings, to draw them away from their Creator, and to win their homage to himself. Therefore he misrepresented God, 22 attributing to Him the desire for self-exaltation. With his own evil characteristics he sought to invest the loving Creator. Thus he deceived angels. Thus he deceived men. He led them to doubt the word of God, and to distrust His goodness. Because God is a God of justice and terrible majesty, Satan caused them to

look upon Him as severe and unforgiving. Thus he drew men to join him in rebellion against God, and the night of woe settled down upon the world. -- DA 021

It is God who gives men power to get wealth, and He has bestowed this ability, not as a means of gratifying self, but as a means of returning to God His own. With this object it is not a sin to acquire means. Money is to be earned by labor. Every youth should be trained to habits of industry. The Bible condemns no man for being rich if he has acquired his riches honestly. It is the selfish love of money wrongfully employed that is the root of all evil. Wealth will prove a blessing if we regard it as the Lord's, to be received with thankfulness and with thankfulness returned to the Giver. --6T 452

Selfishness is the Essence of Depravity

Human beings belong to one great family,--the family of God. The Creator designed that they should respect and love one another, ever manifesting a pure, unselfish interest in one another's welfare. But Satan's aim has been to lead men to self first; any yielding themselves to his control, they have developed a selfishness that has filled the world with misery and strife, setting human beings at variance with one another. Selfishness is the essence of depravity, and because human beings have yielded to its power, the opposite of allegiance to God is seen in the world to-day. Nations, families, and individuals are filled with a desire to make self a center. Man longs to rule over his fellow men. Separating himself in his egotism from God and his fellow beings, he follows his unrestrained inclinations. He acts as if the good of others depended on their subjection to his supremacy. -- RH 1908-06-25

Selfishness is the Basis of False Education

At such a time as this, what is the trend of the education given? To what motive is appeal most often made? To self-seeking . Much of the education given is a perversion of the name. In true education the selfish ambition, 226 the greed for power, the disregard for the rights and needs of humanity, that are the curse of our world, find a counterinfluence. God's plan of life has a place for every human being. Each is to improve his talents to the utmost; and faithfulness in doing this, be the gifts few or many, entitles one to honor. In God's plan there is no place for selfish rivalry. Those who measure themselves by themselves, and compare themselves among themselves, are not wise. 2 Corinthians 10:12. Whatever we do is to be done "as of the ability which God giveth." 1 Peter 4:11. It is to be done "heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ." Colossians 3:23, 24. Precious the service done and the education gained in carrying out these principles. But how widely different is much of the education now given! From the child's earliest years it is an appeal to emulation and rivalry; it fosters selfishness, the root of all evil. -- ED 225

The Sin of Selfishness. All sin is selfishness. Satan's first sin was a manifestation of selfishness. He sought to grasp power, to exalt self. A species of insanity led him to seek to supersede God. And the temptation that led Adam to sin was Satan's declaration that it was possible for man to attain to something more than he already enjoyed, possible for him to be as God Himself. The sowing of seeds of selfishness in the human heart was the first result of the entrance of sin into the world. God desires every one to understand the evil of selfishness, and to co operate with Him in guarding the human family against its terrible, deceptive powers. The design of the gospel is to confront this evil by means of remedial missionary work, and to destroy its destructive power by establishing enterprises of benevolence.-- WB 1902-09-09

Another book was opened, wherein were recorded the sins of those who profess the truth. Under the general heading of selfishness came every other sin. There were also headings over every column, and underneath these, opposite each name, were recorded, in their respective columns, the lesser sins. --4T 384

The Baleful Influence of Selfishness Can Cause Us to Lose Our Senses as to What Is the Love of God

Selfishness has brought discord into the church, filling it with unholy ambition. If Christians are sanctified through a belief in God's Word, why do they so often speak words that would bruise the hearts of others? Why do they acknowledge no law but the law of selfishness? Under the baleful influence of selfishness, men have lost the sense of what it means to love one another with a Christlike love. Selfishness destroys Christlikeness filling man with self-love. It leads to continual departure from righteousness. Christ says, "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." But self-love is blind to the perfection which God requires.

--RH.1908-06-25

Selfishness Stupefies the Church

HM.1890-11-01.024 It is through the church that the self-sacrificing love of Jesus is to be made manifest to the world; but by the present example of the church the character of Christ is misrepresented, and a false conception of him is given to the world. Self-love excludes the love of Jesus from the soul, and this is why there is not in the church greater zeal and more fervent love for Him who first loved us. Self is supreme in so many hearts. Their thoughts, their time, their money, are given to self-gratification, while souls for whom Christ died are perishing.

This is why the Lord cannot impart to his church the fullness of his blessing. To honor them in a distinguished manner before the world would be to put his seal upon their works, confirming their false representation of his character. When the church shall come out from the world, and be separate from its maxims, habits, and practices, the Lord Jesus will work with his people; he will pour a large measure of his Spirit upon them, and the world will know that the Father loves them. Will the people of God continue to be so stupefied with selfishness? His blessing hangs over them, but it cannot be bestowed in its fullness because they are so corrupted with the spirit and practices of the world. There is spiritual pride among them; and should the Lord work as his heart longs to do, it would but confirm, them in their self-esteem and self-exaltation. Shall Christ continue to be misrepresented by our people? Shall the grace of God, the divine enlightenment, be shut away from his church, because of their lukewarmness? It will be, unless there is most thorough seeking of God, renunciation of the world, and humbling of the soul before God. The converting power of God must pass through our churches. A revival of true godliness among us is the greatest and most urgent of all our needs. We must have the holy unction from God, the baptism of his Spirit. This is the only efficient agent in the promulgation of sacred truth. It is the Spirit of God that quickens the lifeless faculties of the soul to appreciate heavenly things, and attracts the affections toward God and the truth. What we need, what we cannot do without, is the power of the Holy Spirit to work with our efforts. All pampering of self must be at an end. There is a weakness of intellect, a lack of religious fervor, in those who want to lean upon others, to be petted, waited on, and propped up. There must be an earnest longing, a soul-hunger, for the presence of the Lord. Make him your support, your front guard and your rearward. "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness; for they shall be filled." He who has endowed the human mind with all its powers, will so mould these capabilities that there will be no extremes; all will act harmoniously. -- HM 1890-11-01

To Close Ourselves in Our Homes and to Devote Our Whole Attention on Our Families Is The Height of Selfishness

We might ask, What shall we do to inherit eternal life? And the answer would be, Keep the commandments of God. Who is it that lives up to this requirement? Why is there so great mourning all over the land because of the coldness and the worldliness that exist in the church? Everywhere there is a dearth of the Spirit of God. The words of Him who interpreted the law of God, are set aside. Most Christians act as though they had graduated after they were baptized. They bring no sheaves to Christ. They are not laborers together with God. We are not to inclose ourselves in our houses, and devote our whole attention to our families. This is the height of selfishness. The whole world is lying in iniquity and darkness, and we should not be content to shut away our light from perishing souls. -- ST 1889-05-13

How Can We Be Purified from Selfishness

Faith works by love, and purifies the soul from all selfishness. Thus the soul is perfected in love. And having found grace and mercy through Christ's precious blood, how can we fail to be tender and merciful? "By grace are ye saved through faith." The mind should be educated to exercise faith rather than to cherish doubt, suspicion, and jealousy. We are too prone to regard obstacles as impossibilities. To have faith in the promises of God, to go forward by faith, pressing on without being governed by circumstances, is a lesson hard to learn. Yet it is a positive necessity that every child of God should learn this lesson. The grace of God through Christ is ever to be cherished, for it is given us as the only way of approaching God. -- RH.1910-03-17

True Conversion Is a Change from Selfishness to Love

Christ is to receive supreme love from the beings He has created. And He requires also that man shall cherish a sacred regard for his fellow beings. Every soul saved will be saved through love, which begins with God. True conversion is a change from selfishness to sanctified affection for God and for one another. Will Seventh-day Adventists now make a thorough reformation, that their sin-stained souls may be cleansed from the leprosy of selfishness? -- NBL 024

The great controversy is ended. Sin and sinners are no more. The entire universe is clean. One pulse of harmony and gladness beats through the vast creation. From Him who created all, flow life and light and gladness, throughout the realms of illimitable space. From the minutest atom to the greatest world, all things, animate and inanimate, in their unshadowed beauty and perfect joy, declare that

God is love. GC.678