Bring solid timbers into your Character building
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Thoroughness is necessary to success in the work of character building. There must be an earnest purpose to carry out the plan of the Master Builder. The timbers must be solid. No careless, unreliable work can be accepted, for this would ruin the building….There must be earnest, careful, persevering effort to break away from the customs, maxims, and associations of the world.[1]
What is this talking about, building with timbers? Is that wood to be used for building a house somewhere on this Earth?
Young men and women, you have no time to lose. Seek earnestly to bring solid timbers into your character building. We beseech you for Christ's sake to be faithful….Heaven is watching for those who are seeking to improve and to become molded to the likeness of Christ.[2]
So there seems to be an ‘apparent’ association, between the timbers used in character building and those that will be used to build your mansions.
Webster’s Dictionary:
Apparent— appearing as actual to the eye or mind; manifest to the senses or mind as real or true on the basis of evidence.
….[ Christ ] was going to prepare a place for them, that He might come again, and receive them unto Himself. While He was building mansions for them, they were to build characters after the divine similitude.[3]
We are to be building up christian characters, to be like Jesus.
Now we can see that, there is an interesting relationship between the two; while He was building mansions for them, they were to be building-up their characters at the same time.
The care shown in the building of the temple is a lesson to us regarding the care that we are to show in our character building. No cheap material was to be used. No haphazard work was to be done in matching the different parts. Piece must fit piece perfectly. Just as God's temple was, so must His church be. Into their character building His people are to bring no worthless timbers, no careless, indifferent work.[4]
Watch this music video by “Eli from Things I Prayed For” which seems to bring this concept into perspective. video ref. [6]
When are we to be doing all of this?
This world is not heaven, it is the preparation place; it is the workshop of God where we are to be hewed and chiseled and fitted up for the heavenly mansions.…It is to have a fitness for the mansions….[5]
We are to be doing this now! It is our Fitness for heaven!!
What are we to be doing now? Let us review what we have covered so far by looking at this PDF pop-up page.
Adobe Acrobat document [172.2 KB]
Notice the difference: we “believe” for Justification, but: we “do” towards Sanctification!!
The life of a real christian, is not a “do nothing,” sit on the bench, type of experience!!
Phil 3 (v. 12) Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold.... (v. 13) ....but one thing I do....reaching forward to those things which are ahead.... (v. 14) I press toward the goal for the prize....
These “works” that we DO, are the Evidence & Proof, that we are abiding in Christ.
See the next webpage, for why we are doing all of these things, for what purpose?
References:
1. Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, p.62, par.2
2. Messages to Young People, p.301-302, par.3
3. The Desire of Ages, p.663, par.1
4. Our High Calling, p.165, par.3
5. In Heavenly Places, p.145, par.6
6. Eli (with Lyrics) “The Lumber Song” Online video. YouTube, 29 Nov 2012. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31xRZFs-Gj4
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