Brethren, while you as a people profess to have light far in advance of other denominations, your works do not correspond with your profession. Many who have been in the darkness of error gladly accept the truth when it is opened to their understanding. Although they have spent their life in sin, yet when they come to God in penitence and with a sense of their sinfulness they are accepted of Him. Such persons are in a more favorable position for the perfection of Christian character than are those who have had great light and have failed to improve upon it. That which leaves men and women in darkness is their neglect to improve the light and opportunities granted them. Christ hates all vain pretense. When on earth, He ever treated with tenderness the penitent, even though they had been the chief of sinners; but His denunciations fell heavily upon all hypocrisy. {4T 614.4}

Brødre, selvom I som et folk bekender at have langt mere lys frem for andre trossamfund, så svarer jeres gerninger ikke til jeres bekendelse. Mange som har været i vildfarelsens mørke, accepterer glædelig sandheden, når den åbnes op for deres forståelse. Selvom de har brugt deres liv på synd, accepteres de alligevel af Gud, når de kommer til ham i anger og med en følelse af deres syndighed. Sådanne personer er (615) i en bedre situation for at udvikle kristen karakter, end dem, som har haft stort lys og ikke har udnyttet det. Det som efterlader mænd og kvinder i mørke, er at de ikke udnytter lyset og de anledninger de får tilstået. Kristus hader al tom indbildskhed. Da han var på jorden, behandlede han altid den angerfulde mildt også hvis de havde været de største syndere; men hans fordømmelse faldt tungt på alle hyklerne.