"There is nothing too precious for us to give to Jesus. If we return to Him the talents of means which He has entrusted to our keeping, He will give more into our hands. Every effort we make for Christ will be rewarded by Him, and every duty we perform in His name will minister to our own happiness. God surrendered His dearly beloved Son to the agonies of the crucifixion, that all who believe on Him might become one through the name of Jesus. When Christ made so great a sacrifice to save men and bring them into unity with one another, even as He was united with the Father, what sacrifice is too great for His followers to make in order to preserve that unity? 4T 19.1"
"He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?"
The EGW passage echoes the sentiment of Romans 8:32, emphasizing the magnitude of God's sacrifice and implying that no sacrifice is too great for us in return. The connection is thematic, focusing on the principle of sacrifice and God's provision.
"If the world sees a perfect harmony existing in the church of God, it will be a powerful evidence to them in favor of the Christian religion. Dissensions, unhappy differences, and petty church trials dishonor our Redeemer. All these may be avoided if self is surrendered to God and the followers of Jesus obey the voice of the church. Unbelief suggests that individual independence increases our importance, that it is weak to yield our own ideas of what is right and proper to the verdict of the church; but to yield to such feelings and views is unsafe and will bring us into anarchy and confusion. Christ saw that unity and Christian fellowship were necessary to the cause of God, therefore He enjoined it upon His disciples. And the history of Christianity from that time until now proves conclusively that in union only is there strength. Let individual judgment submit to the authority of the church. 4T 19.2"
"Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment."
The EGW passage directly addresses the principle of unity and avoiding divisions within the church, mirroring the plea in 1 Corinthians 1:10 for believers to be perfectly joined together in the same mind and judgment.
"By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."
The EGW passage directly relates to John 13:35. The EGW passage emphasizes the importance of unity and harmony within the church as a testimony to the world, which aligns with Jesus' statement that love for one another will identify His disciples.