A few words more press upon my mind. I want you to be united with the church, not because I regard all the church members perfect nor because I regard you perfect. God has precious ones in His church; there are also men and women who are as tares among the wheat. But the Lord does not give you or anyone else the office of saying who are tares and who are wheat. We may see and condemn the faults of others, while we have greater faults which we have never realized, but which are distinctly seen by others. God requires you to give to the world and the church a good example, a life that represents Jesus. There are duties to be performed and responsibilities to be borne. The world has not enough true Christians; the church has need of them; society cannot spare them. Christ’s prayer for His disciples was: “I pray not that Thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that Thou shouldest keep them from the evil.” Jesus knows we are in the world, exposed to its temptations, but He loves us and will give us grace to triumph over its corrupting influences. He would have us perfect in character, that our waywardness may not occasion moral deformity in others. {5T 333.3}

Nogle få ord mere ligger mig på sinde. Jeg ønsker at du skal forenes med menigheden, ikke fordi jeg anser alle menighedsmedlemmer for at være perfekte, heller ikke fordi jeg betragter dig som perfekt. [Gud har dyrebare sjæle i sin menighed; der er også mænd og kvinder, der er som ugræs blandt hveden. Men Gud giver ikke (334) dig eller nogen anden den bestilling at afgøre, hvem der er ugræs og hvem der er hvede. Vi kan måske se og fordømme andres fejl, medens vi selv har større fejl, som vi aldrig har indset, men som andre tydeligt kan se.] Gud forlanger at du skal give verden og menigheden et godt eksempel, et liv der gengiver Jesus. Der er opgaver der skal gøres og ansvar der skal bæres. Verden har ikke nok sande kristne; menigheden har brug for dem; samfundet kan ikke undvære dem. Kristi bøn for sine disciple var: »Jeg beder ikke om, at du vil tage dem ud af verden, men at du vil bevare dem fra det onde.« Jesus ved at vi er i verden, udsat for dens fristelser, men han elsker os og vil give os nåde til at sejre over dens fordærvende indflydelser. Han vil have os fuldkommen i karakter, så vor egensindighed ikke skal foranledige moralsk misdannelse hos andre. [Vejl f menigh bd. 2 side 214]