Had you improved the light that has been given in Battle Creek, you would now be far in advance of what you are in the divine life. Both of you are vain and proud. You have not felt that you must give an account of your stewardship. You are accountable to God for all your privileges and for all the means which pass through your hands. You have sought your own pleasure and selfish gratification at the expense of conscience and the approval of God. You do not act like servants of Christ, who are responsible to the Saviour who has bought you with His own precious blood. “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.” {3T 82.1}

Havde du benyttet dig af det lys du fik i Battle Creek, ville du nu være langt længere fremme, end hvad du er, i det guddommelige liv. I begge er forfængelige og stolte. I har ikke følt at i må aflægge et regnskab for jeres forvaltning. I er regnskabsskyldige over for Gud for jeres privilegier og for de midler som går gennem jeres hænder. I har søgt efter jeres eget behag og selvtilfredsstillelse på bekostning af samvittighed og Guds billigelse. I handler ikke som Kristi tjenere som er ansvarlige for Frelseren som har købt dem for sit eget dyrebare blod. »Ved I ikke, at når I stiller jer til rådighed for en som lydige trælle, så er I trælle under ham, som I lyder, enten under synden til død eller under lydigheden til retfærdighed? Men Gud ske tak, fordi I, som har været trælle under synden, nu af hjertet er blevet lydige imod den læreform, til hvilken I blev overgivet. Og frigjorte fra synden er I blevet trælle under retfærdigheden.«