Judas was chosen as one of Christ's disciples. Christ did not reject him because he was not perfect. Judas had the power to heal the sick and to cure diseases, but the lesson to be taught every one that is a church member is that having their names registered on the church books will never make them Christians. It is doing the Word that makes us sons and daughters of God. Manuscript Releases Volume Twenty-one, 369

Every member of the church who is united to Christ has sacred responsibilities resting upon him, and is bound by all the holy motives which the gospel recognizes as pure and sacred, to regard the salvation of souls as the highest interest entrusted to mortals, and thus become a co-laborer with God to rescue souls from the snare of Satan, and so influence, and educate, and train these souls that they shall be built up in truth and righteousness; for God will require this work of every individual who has accepted salvation.

The devoted church-member should accomplish much by 1.) holy living; 2.) by a painstaking discharge of every duty; 3.) by fervent prayer; 4.) by faithful warnings, especially by affectionate intercourse for the help and instruction of these souls for whom Christ has given His life, who are committed to the charge of the church, which charge they cannot neglect without imperiling their own souls and being disloyal to our crucified Redeemer. Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, May, 31, 1887

"Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light." This is a time when every member of the church should be waiting, and watching, and working. Through faith in Jesus Christ, we should be alive unto God; and every man, woman, and child who has a knowledge of the truth, should be able to discern the signs of the times. The weakness and inefficiency of the church must pass away. Creative power from above must impart life to the human agents whom God would use, that they may be able to cooperate with divine intelligences. The church to whom God has imparted His endowment of heavenly truth, must not remain dead in trespasses and sins. An Appeal to Our Churches in Behalf of Home Missionary Work, 21

Through trials and persecution, the glory—character—of God is revealed in His chosen ones. The church of God, hated and persecuted by the world, are educated and disciplined in the school of Christ. They walk in narrow paths on earth; they are purified in the furnace of affliction. They follow Christ through sore conflicts; they endure self-denial and experience bitter disappointments; but their painful experience teaches them the guilt and woe of sin, and they look upon it with abhorrence. Being partakers of Christ's sufferings, they are destined to be partakers of His glory. Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, 31

When Christ ascended, He left the church and all its interests as a sacred trust to His followers. And the work of the church is not to be left to the minister alone, or to a few leading men. Every member should feel that he has entered into a solemn covenant with the Lord to work for the best interests of His cause at all times and under all circumstances. Each should have some part to act, some burden to bear. If all church-members felt an individual responsibility, greater advancement would be made in spiritual things. The solemn burden of responsibility resting upon them would lead them to seek God often for strength and grace. Gospel Worker, 1915, 200

God calls upon every church-member to enter His service. Truth that is not lived, that is not imparted to others, loses its life-giving power, its healing virtue. Every one must learn to work, and to stand in his lot and place as a burden-bearer. Every addition to the church should be one more agency for the carrying on of the great plan of redemption. The entire church, acting as one, blending in perfect union, is to be a living, active, missionary agency, moved and controlled by the Holy Spirit. Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, April 29, 1909

Not all the members of the church are cultivating personal piety; therefore they do not understand their personal responsibility. They do not realize that it is their privilege and duty to reach the high standard of Christian perfection. God is not well pleased when all the burden-bearing is done by a few members of the church, whose physical and spiritual powers are taxed to the utmost of their ability in their effort to counteract the influence of the worldly minded, halting, doubting ones. If those so lacking in piety and earnestness would seek to learn the lessons contained in God's Word, and would feel it their duty to practice these lessons, there would be more power in the church. Every member would seek to improve his talents. The light would not be hidden under a bushel, but placed on a candlestick, and its clear, steady rays would shine forth to dispel the darkness. Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, May 17,1906

Vigilant men are wanted in every church. Every member should be awake and active, feeling that he is responsible for the prosperity of the church. The reason there is so much dissension in the churches is because they do so little for God. Satan gives them a work to do for him in finding fault, murmuring, and talking discouragement. Second Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, March 14, 1878

Christ and the world are not in partnership. The apostle says, "Know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God." "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him." Conformity to the world will never be the means of converting the world to Christ. Christians must be entirely consecrated to God, if the church is to be efficient in its influence for good upon unbelievers.

The slightest diversion from Christ is so much influence, power, and efficiency given to the enemy. The church was called into existence to counteract the influence of Satan; but as member after member of the church allows his ability and power to be diverted, one in one line and another in another line, connections are formed with the world, and the enemy of all righteousness triumphs. Almost imperceptibly the world's standard, the world's maxims and customs, are introduced into the church; and as these find room, the objectionable maxims and customs more boldly appear, and leaven the influence of the church; and Satan's devices are successful, just as he has designed they should be. In this way there is brought into the church a mixed company, a divided service.

Many profess to love God, yet they are serving mammon, and bowing at worldly shrines. The world is brought into the church, but not through repentance, contrition, and conversion, but because church-members become wedded to the world; and this unholy union is the explanation of the weakness and inefficiency of the church. It is made manifest when church-members follow the maxims of the world, that spiritual discernment is gone. Where this union is preserved, contention, criticism, faultfinding, strife, and decided hatred one of another comes in among those who should be servants of Jesus Christ. Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, August 23,1892

The Holy Spirit leaves no member of the church to develop a character that is without comeliness. He claims for every man and woman the privilege of becoming a child of light, an influence for righteousness, an example of a Christlike life. This is God's way of helping the church. Satan is working in every way to thwart the purpose of God, and God desires that His professing people shall make no mistakes, but that every move may be a right move. The Head of the church on earth requires the members of the church to surrender their will to the will of God, in willing obedience. God has united the agencies of the church on earth with the church in heaven. Australasian Union Conference Record, October 7, 1907

A bare assent to the truth is not Bible religion. Men do not become Christians merely by having their names written in the church-books. This belief is proving fatal to thousands upon thousands. It does not displease Satan to have any number of names upon the church-books while the heart is not brought into unity with Christ: he can work through those who have the form of godliness without the spirit and power. There are many professed Christians whose hearts are incased in a self-righteous armor that the arrow of the Lord, barbed and true-aimed by angel hands, would fail to pierce. Man must seek God for himself; then the Holy Spirit will take the precious truth, far above the price of rubies, as it falls from the lips of Jesus, and convey it, a living power, to the obedient heart. The Youth's Instructor, October 27, 1898

Christians in deed and in truth will have the spirit of Christ, they will naturally develop the mind and spirit which dwelt in Christ. They will consecrate the solemn import of the words of Christ, "He that will come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me, and so shall he be My disciple." It is a solemn statement that I make to the church, that not one in twenty whose names are registered upon the church books are prepared to close their earthly history, and would be as verily without God and without hope in the world as the common sinner. They are professedly serving God, but they are more earnestly serving mammon.

This half-and-half work is a constant denying of Christ, rather than a confessing of Christ. So many have brought into the church their own unsubdued spirit, unrefined; their spiritual taste is perverted by their own immoral, debasing, corruptions, symbolizing the world in spirit, in heart, in purpose, confirming themselves in lustful practices, and are full of deception through and through in their professed Christian life. Living as sinners, claiming to be Christians. Those who claim to be Christians and will confess Christ should come out from among them and touch not the unclean thing, and be separate. General Conference Daily Bulletin, February 4, 1893

Through all ages and in every nation those that believe that Jesus can and will save them personally from sin, are the elect and chosen of God; they are his peculiar treasure. They obey His call, and come out of the world and separate themselves from every unclean thought and unholy practice. Review and Herald, August 1, 1893

We are not saved as a sect; no denominational name has any virtue to bring us into favor with God. We are saved individually as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. "And by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God." We may have our names recorded on the books of the most spiritual of the churches, and yet we may not belong to Christ, and our names may not be written on the Lamb's book of life. Review and Herald, August 4, 1891

Every one whose name is on the church books should clearly understand what union with the church means. 1.) It means that you have pledged yourself to serve God. 2.) It means that you have fully surrendered self to Him, in order that Christ may reign where self once reigned. 3.) It means that you have given up the selfish ideas and plans that you cherished for so long, and have yielded your mind to the mind of Christ. 4.) It means that your fixed purpose is to be one with God, one with His people; that you will exercise self-denial and self-sacrifice to advance the interests of His kingdom; 5.) that you will strive to overcome everything that hinders growth in grace. Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, June 23, 1903

Will the churches heed the Laodicean message? Will they repent, or will they, notwithstanding that the most solemn message of truth—the third angel's message—is being proclaimed to the world, go on in sin? This is the last message of mercy, the last warning to a fallen world. If the church of God becomes lukewarm, it does not stand in favor with God any more than do the churches that are represented as having fallen and become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and the cage of every unclean and hateful bird.

Those who have had opportunities to hear and receive the truth and who have united with the Seventh-day Adventist church, calling themselves the commandment-keeping people of God, and yet possess no more vitality and consecration to God than do the nominal churches, will receive of the plagues of God just as verily as the churches who oppose the law of God. Only those that are sanctified through the truth will compose the royal family in the heavenly mansions Christ has gone to prepare for those that love Him and keep His commandments.

… All who claim to be Sabbath-keeping Adventists, and yet continue in sin, are liars in God's sight. Their sinful course is counterworking the work of God. They are leading others into sin. The word comes from God to every member of our churches, "And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed. Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord." Manuscript Releases Volume Nineteen, 176

We are decided, whole-hearted Christians, or none at all. None will enter heaven without making a sacrifice. Those who are willing to make any and every sacrifice for eternal life will have it. And it will be worth suffering for, worth crucifying self for, and sacrificing every idol for. The far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory outweighs every earthly treasure, and eclipses every earthly attraction. Review and Herald, December 12, 1882