And Peter followed him afar off, even into the palace of the high priest: and he sat with the servants, and warmed himself at the fire. Mark 14:54.
No one should venture or presume upon the mercy of God, feeling at liberty to sin as much as they dare, and not abandon the hope that God will finally pardon and save. It is a sad resolve to follow Christ as far off as possible, venturing as near the verge of perdition as possible without falling in.
It was a great sacrifice Christ made for man in dying for him upon the cross. What are we willing to sacrifice for His love? Jesus says, “If ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15)—not to select out one or two or nine, but the whole ten—all His commandments must be kept. John tells us of those who pretend to love but do not obey God's requirements. “He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him” (1 John 2:4). “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous” (chap. 5:3)....
Jesus was among the lowly of the earth. He did not take His position by the side of the learned rabbis or the rulers. He was not found among the potentates of earth, but among the lowly ones. The truth was never found among the majority. It was ever found among the minority.
The angels from heaven did not come to the school of the prophets and sing their anthems over the temple or synagogues, but they went to the men who were humble enough to receive the message. They sang the glad tidings of a Saviour over Bethlehem's plains, while the great men, the rulers, and honorable men were left in darkness, because they were perfectly satisfied with their position and felt no need of a piety greater than that which they possessed....
Great men and professedly very good men may do terrible deeds in their bigotry and self-exalted position, and flatter themselves that they are doing God service. It will not do to rely upon them. Truth, Bible truth, you and I want at any cost. Like the noble Bereans, we want to search the Scriptures daily, with earnest prayer, to know what is truth, and then obey the truth at any cost to ourselves, without reference to the great men or good men.—Letter 35, November 6, 1877, to Caroline Clough, a non-Adventist relative.
From This Day With God - Page 319
This Day With God