The standard of piety is so low among professed Christians generally that those who wish to follow Christ in sincerity find the work much more laborious and trying than they otherwise would. The influence of worldly professors is injurious to the young. The mass of professed Christians have removed the line of distinction between Christians and the world, and while they profess to be living for Christ, they are living for the world. Their faith has but little restraining influence upon their pleasures; while they profess to be children of the light, they walk in darkness and are children of the night and of darkness. Those who walk in darkness cannot love God and sincerely desire to glorify Him. They are not enlightened to discern the excellence of heavenly things, and therefore cannot truly love them. They profess to be Christians because it is considered honorable, and there is no cross for them to bear. Their motives are often selfish. Some such professors can enter the ballroom and unite in all the amusements which it affords. Others cannot go to such a length as this, yet they can attend parties of pleasure, picnics, donation parties, and exhibitions. And the most discerning eye would fail to detect in such professed Christians one mark of Christianity. One would fail to see in their appearance any difference between them and the greatest unbeliever. The professed Christian, the profligate, the open scoffer at religion, and the openly profane all mingle together as one. And God regards them as one in spirit and practice. {1T 403.2}

Gudfrygtighedens ideal blandt bekendende kristne i almindelighed ligger så lavt, at de, der i oprigtighed ønsker at følge Kristus, finder opgaven langt mere møjsommelig og prøvende, end de ellers ville. Verdslige kristendomsbekenderes indflydelse er (404) skadelig for de unge. Bekendende kristne har for det store flertals vedkommende fjernet skillelinjen mellem de kristne og verden og medens de bekender sig til at leve for Kristus, lever de for verden. Deres tro øver kun ringe hæmmende indflydelse på deres fornøjelser; medens de udgiver sig for at være lysets børn, vandrer de i mørket og er nattens og mørkets børn. De, der vandrer i mørket, kan ikke elske Gud og oprigtigt ønske at herliggøre ham. De er ikke oplyste, så de kan se skønheden ved de himmelske ting og kan derfor ikke i sandhed elske disse. De bekender sig til at være kristne, fordi det bliver anset for at være agtværtigt at være det og der er intet kors for dem at bære. Deres bevæggrunde er ofte egoistiske. Nogle blandt sådanne kristendomsbekendere kan gå ind i danselokaler og deltage i alle de fornøjelser, som dette byder. Andre kan ikke gå så vidt, men de kan være med til forlystelser, udflugter, sammenskudgilder og opvisning. Og det skarpeste øje ville hos sådanne bekendende kristne ikke kunne opdage et eneste tegn på kristendom. Hvad deres ydre udseende angår, ville han ikke kunne se nogen forskel mellem dem og den mest udpræget vantro. Kristendomsbekenderen, den ryggesløse, den åbenbare kristendomsbespotter og den vanhellige omgås alle hverandre som lige. Og Gud betragter dem som ét i ånd og vandel.