"Of His own life the Saviour said, “I have kept My Father's commandments.” John 15:10 . “The Father hath not left Me alone; for I do always those things that please Him.” John 8:29 . As Jesus was in human nature, so God means His followers to be. In His strength we are to live the life of purity and nobility which the Saviour lived. MH 426.1"
"If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love."
EGW directly quotes John 15:10, making this an explicit allusion.
"And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him."
EGW directly quotes John 8:29.
"He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked."
Both passages discuss the idea of followers emulating Christ's life and walking as He walked. EGW's statement that God means His followers to be as Jesus was in human nature echoes the sentiment in 1 John 2:6.
"“For this cause,” Paul says, “I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3:14-19 . MH 426.2"
"For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,"
EGW directly quotes Ephesians 3:14.
"Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,"
EGW directly quotes Ephesians 3:15.
"That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;"
EGW directly quotes Ephesians 3:16.
"That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,"
EGW directly quotes Ephesians 3:17.
"May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;"
EGW directly quotes Ephesians 3:18.
"And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God."
EGW directly quotes Ephesians 3:19.
"For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God."
Ellen White directly references Ephesians 3:14-19 in this passage.
"We “do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness.” Colossians 1:9-11 . MH 426.3"
"For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;"
Ellen White directly references Colossians 1:9-11 in this passage.
"This is the knowledge which God is inviting us to receive, and beside which all else is vanity and nothingness. MH 426.4"
"Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,"
Both passages emphasize the surpassing value of spiritual knowledge (knowing Christ) compared to other forms of knowledge, which are deemed insignificant or even detrimental in comparison. The phrase 'vanity and nothingness' echoes the sentiment of counting all things as 'loss' or 'dung'.