It is a sad fact that the reason why many dwell so much on theory and so little on practical godliness is that Christ is not abiding in their hearts. They do not have a living connection with God. Many souls decide in favor of the truth from the weight of evidence, without being converted. Practical discourses were not given in connection with the doctrinal, that as the hearers should see the beautiful chain of truth they might fall in love with its Author and be sanctified through obedience. The minister’s work is not done until he has urged home upon his hearers the necessity of a change of character in accordance with the pure principles of the truth which they have received. {4T 395.4}

Det er en sørgelig kendsgerning, at grunden, til at mange dvæler så meget ved teorien og så lidt ved praktisk gudsfrygt, er den, at Kristus ikke bor i deres hjerter. De har ingen levende (396) forbindelse med Gud. Mange bestemmer sig for sandheden af hensyn til bevisernes vægt uden at være omvendte. Der er ikke blevet holdt praktiske foredrag i forbindelse med de doktrinære, således at tilhørerne ved at se sandhedens skønne sammenhæng kunne fatte kærlighed til dens guddommelige ophav og helliges ved lydighed. Prædikantens arbejde er ikke fuldført, inden han har vist tilhørerne nødvendigheden af en karakterforvandling i overensstemmelse med de rene principper i den sandhed, de har modtaget.