Church Membership—Very close and sacred is the relation between Christ and His church,—He the bridegroom, and the church the bride; He the head, and the church the body. Connection with Christ, then, involves connection with His church.—Education, 268 (1903). (Ev 318.1) MC VC

Satan Discourages Joining the Church—It is his [Satan’s] studied effort to lead professed Christians just as far from heaven’s arrangement as he can; therefore he deceives even the professed people of God and makes them believe that order and discipline are enemies to spirituality; that the only safety for them is to let each pursue his own course, and to remain especially distinct from bodies of Christians who are united and are laboring to establish discipline and harmony of action. All the efforts made to establish this are considered dangerous, a restriction of rightful liberty, and hence are feared as popery. These deceived souls consider it a virtue to boast of their freedom to think and act independently. They will not take any man’s say so. They are amenable to no man. It was and now is Satan’s special work to lead men to feel that it is God’s order to strike out for themselves and choose their own order independent of their brethren.—Letter 32, 1892. (Ev 318.2) MC VC

A Worthless Form Apart From Christ—It is the grace of Christ that gives life to the soul. Apart from Christ, baptism, like any other service, is a worthless form. “He that believeth not the Son shall not see life.”(John 3:36)—The Desire of Ages, 181 (1898). (Ev 318.3) MC VC