God has opened ways in which covetousness can be overcome—by performing benevolent deeds. By your life you are saying that you esteem the treasures of the world more highly than immortal riches. You are saying: “Farewell, heaven; farewell, immortal life; I have chosen this world.” You are bartering away the pearl of great price for present gain. While thus admonished of God, while in His providence He has, as it were, already placed your feet in the dark river, will you, dare you, cultivate your money-loving propensities? Will you, as the last act of a misspent life, overreach and retain that which is another’s just due? Will you reason yourself into the belief that you are doing justice to your brother? Will you add another act of scheming and overreaching to those already written against you in the records above? Shall the blow of God’s retributive judgment fall upon you and you be called without warning to pass through the dark waters? {3T 545.1}

Gud har åbnet metoder hvorpå begærlighed kan overvindes - ved at udføre godgørende handlinger. Ved din livsførelse siger du, at du værdsætter verdens rigdomme højere end evige rigdomme. Du siger: "Farvel, himlen; farvel, evige liv; jeg har valgt denne verden." Du bytter den meget værdifulde perle væk for forhåndenværende vinding. Skønt du advares af Gud, skønt han i sit forsyn, som det var, allerede har sat dine fødder i den mørke flod, vil du så, eller tør du så opelske din pengetrang? Vil du, som den sidste handling i et forspildt liv, tiltuske og bibeholde det som tilkommer andre? Vil du sætte dig selv i den tro at du øver retfærd imod din broder? Vil du smede rænker igen og narre dem, der allerede er blevet skrevet imod dig deroppe? Skal Guds gengældelsesdommes vinde falde over dig og skal du uden advarsel gå igennem de mørke vande?