These bring out that it is necessary for us to resist the Spirit. Our "neglect" may appear to us to be unconscious, but there's an actual decision involved, because the Holy Spirit is working. He doesn't wait for us to take the initiative (or we'd all be lost), but He is "constantly" seeking to draw our attention to Christ. Therefore our going from a state of abiding in Christ to not abiding in Christ requires a choice, which is sin. It's not something that "just happens."

It's not our job to do something to do something to make sure we are continuing to abide in Christ. If this were the case, we would be saving ourselves by our works. Our job is to cooperate with God, by faith; to not resist or hinder Him, but it's not as if God stands idly by while we either ratchet up the necessary effort to stay abiding in Christ or not.

A&E were sinless by default. We are sinful by default. Eve was deceived into believing eating the fruit would improve her relationship to Jesus. Adam unwisely resolved to die with Eve. Both of them made a conscious, deliberate choice which resulted in an altered state, a sinful state.

We must continually make a conscious, deliberate choice to be in an altered state, a sinless state. Otherwise, we are in a sinful state by default. We do not have to choose to be in a sinful state. A&E, on the other hand, did not have to make a conscious, deliberate choice to be in a sinless state. Instead, they had to make a conscious, deliberate choice to be in sinful state.

For these reasons it is impossible to compare ourselves to A&E before they sinned.

"Human effort avails nothing without divine power; and without human endeavor, divine effort is with many of no avail. To make God's grace our own, we must act our part. His grace is given to work in us to will and to do, but never as a substitute for our effort. {AG 253.6}

Where's the rest of this? I explained what I meant. Where is that? Please respond to what I explained I meant (as opposed to extracting one sentence from it's context).

This is false, as I explained. This would be true if God sat idly by not doing anything, but that's not the case. The Spirit of God leads us to the cross. He does this! This is why one must *resist* in order to be lost. That's what the quote I cited brings out. "If the sinner does not resist" then all the rest happens. So it's not a matter of you must do something to be saved, but you don't have to do anything to be lost.

To be saved involves cooperating with God. To be lost involves resisting God. There are two roads, and both roads involve our making a decision.

Similarly, if we are abiding in Jesus, we have to do something to go out. We don't stay in by works we do, but by faith. Faith is a response to the initiative of God. The Holy Spirit is constantly seeking to lead us to the cross. Since His work of leading us to the cross is constant, to resist Him requires constant resistance or rejection, which is sin.

The quotes I posted merely complimented what you wrote. I wasn't disputing anything.

Are you disagreeing with the idea we are in a sinful state by default?

I disagreed with what you said here:



I disagree because the implication here is that one must make a choice to be saved, but not to be lost. This implies the Holy Spirit isn't doing anything that would cause us to have to do something to be lost, but He is. We have to take action to be lost (namely, resist/reject).

Because we like it.

Tom, what you're saying sounds at odds with the following insight - "It is not necessary for us deliberately to choose the service of the kingdom of darkness in order to come under its dominion. We have only to neglect to ally ourselves with the kingdom of light."

Ellen also wrote:

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 the 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 affections; 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 affections will be centered upon Him, your thoughts will be in harmony with Him. {SC 47.1}

Desires for goodness and holiness are right as far as they go; but if you stop here, they will avail nothing. Many will be lost while hoping and desiring to be Christians. They do not come to the point of yielding the will to God. They do not now choose to be Christians. {SC 47.2}

But unless we do yield ourselves to the control of Christ, we shall be dominated by the wicked one. We must inevitably be under the control of the one or the other of the two great powers that are contending for the supremacy of the world. It is not necessary for us deliberately to choose the service of the kingdom of darkness in order to come under its dominion. We have only to neglect to ally ourselves with the kingdom of light. If we do not co-operate with the heavenly agencies, Satan will take possession of the heart, and will make it his abiding place. The only defense against evil is the indwelling of Christ in the heart through faith in His righteousness. Unless we become vitally connected with God, we can never resist the unhallowed effects of self-love, self-indulgence, and temptation to sin. We may leave off many bad habits, for the time we may part company with Satan; but without a vital connection with God, through the surrender of ourselves to Him moment by moment, we shall be overcome. Without a personal acquaintance with Christ, and a continual communion, we are at the mercy of the enemy, and shall do his bidding in the end. {DA 324.1}