p. 63 | R. F. COTTRELL by R. F. Cottrell

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Aug 9, 1870

R. F. COTTRELL

By R. F. Cottrell

Conversion.

The great work of conversion is crucifying the old man—putting to death the carnal mind, which is enmity against God and his law. When this is fully accomplished, there will be peace with God, and his law will be our delight; for it will be fully written in our hearts.

The great battle is with our sinful selves. And there should be no cessation of hostilities, till every root and fiber of the carnal mind—evil surmisings, jealousies, hatred, envy, and the like—are so completely dug out that they will never spring up again. Self-love and self-dignity, which are so easily provoked, can never enter Heaven; for if they should, they would make trouble there. That quality in us that is so quick to see imaginary affronts and slights, putting the worst construction on the words and acts of others, and is so ready to stand up for our rights, taking the defensive so strongly as to be really offensive, must be taken out of us before we pass the gates of the holy city; and the sooner that is done, the better for us. The fact is, our old man has no rights that we, as Christians, are bound to respect. Let us remember this, when he clamors for his rights. We should give him no quarter till he is dead, dead, DEAD. If we suffer him to live, if we give him encouragement and nourishment, he will destroy our peace here, and shut us out of Heaven at last.

There can be no real peace, under the best circumstances to be found in the world, to the suspicious, envious heart. “That ghastly, green-eyed monster which doth make the meat it feeds on,” will find food in the most Christian society of this world; and it would be the same, could it find entrance, in the world to come. This is the reason we must be converted and become as little children, in order to enter the kingdom of Heaven.

Brethren, let us engage in this work. Let us fight in this warfare till the victory is fully gained. May the writer and the reader be successful in putting to death the carnal mind. May we be so fully converted to God that his law will be our delight, and that love be fully established in our minds that is void of vain glory, prefers others in esteem; is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil. Rom. 12:10; Phil. 2:3; 1 Cor. 13:5. If we are thus converted, we shall enjoy a peaceable state of mind here, and there can be no doubt of our final salvation; for the Lord will not be willing to leave us out of his peaceable and peaceful kingdom.