What does Ellen White write about...
Adventistische Schriften über: "The character of Jesus as a model for believers"
Answer
Jesus Christ serves as the perfect example, by which believers should shape their character through continual contemplation of His life and works. By focusing on His purity, humility, and love, the Holy Spirit brings about a gradual transformation of our nature into His image. This discipleship is practically manifested in a life of obedience to God's commandments as well as in kindness and selflessness toward our fellow humans.
Christ as the perfect pattern for character
»The true example, the man Christ Jesus, is given to us. By contemplating Him, we are transformed into the same image. ... Youth is called to copy the pattern given to them. They cannot do this by their own strength, for human nature is misleading. Through the study of the life and character of Jesus, the desire is awakened in the heart to have the disposition of Christ and to learn from Him gentleness and humility of spirit. Jesus said: "I sanctify myself, that they also may be sanctified." It is His desire that His followers reflect His image.«
Transformation through contemplating Christ
»Christians become similar to Christ in character by meditating on the divine example. What they come into contact with has a formative influence on life and character. ... The imagination, which is trained to dwell on God and His loveliness, will find no pleasure in scenes created by lust‑aroused fantasy. ... We must be united with Christ through living faith.«
The role of the Holy Spirit in character formation
»It is the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, ... who transforms our character into the image of Christ; and when this is accomplished, we reflect the Lord’s glory as in a mirror. That is, the character of one who looks upon Christ becomes so similar to Him that someone who sees him sees Christ’s own character shining out like from a mirror. Unnoticed by ourselves, day by day we are transformed from our ways and will into the ways and will of Christ, into the loveliness of His character.«
Christ as the Representative of the Father and Model of Obedience
»The only‑begotten Son of the infinite God has left us a clear pattern through His words and practical example that we are to copy. Through His words He has taught us to obey God, and through His own practice He has shown us how we can obey God. ... He came to represent the Father’s character in our world, and as we study the life, words, and works of Jesus Christ, we are helped in every respect in the training toward obedience to God.«
Practical application of the model in daily life
»Jesus did not live to please Himself. He gave Himself as a living, consuming sacrifice for the benefit of others. ... Those who receive Christ will lay aside all rudeness, harshness, and coarseness and reveal the kindness that dwelt in Jesus, because Christ remains in the heart through faith. ... Christ is our model, but if we do not look at Him, if we do not meditate on His character, we will not reflect His character in our practical life.«
Imitation of Christ’s seriousness
»To be a Christian, one must be Christ‑like. Jesus is a perfect pattern, and we must strive to follow His example. ... If someone can point to even a single careless word spoken by our Lord, or to any frivolity seen in His character, they may feel that carelessness and joking are excusable in themselves. This spirit is unchristian.«
Original Sources (English)
Stephan Krol
Founder of EGW Vision
Why I built EGW Vision
Hello, I am Stephan Krol. I started this Ellen White website to make the writings of Ellen G. White and the Adventist pioneers easier to access for everyone.
EGW Vision helps you find topics, statements, and quotes faster, especially when many original sources are not yet fully available in your language. The tool searches semantically, groups relevant content by topic, and presents matching results as clearly as possible in your language.
My hope is that this tool supports personal Bible study, strengthens trust in the original sources, and helps more people discover the message of these writings with clarity, depth, and joy.
