General Conference Bulletin, vol. 4

SAVED TO SERVE

W. W. PRESCOTT

Reading for Sabbath, December 20.

True service is simply the character of God expressed in action. “God is love,” and true service is love applied. The command to love is the command to serve. “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength” means “thou shalt serve the Lord thy God” with the same fullness of consecration. “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself” means “thou shalt serve thy neighbor as thyself.” This is the difference between genuine, Christ-like love and a weak sentimentalism. GCB October 1, 1902, page 650.1

The whole creation reveals this law of loving service. “No bird that cleaves the air, no animal that moves upon the ground, but ministers to some other life. There is no leaf of the forest, or lowly blade of grass, but has its ministry. Every tree, and shrub, and leaf, pours forth that element of life without which neither man nor animal could live; and man and animal, in turn, minister to the life of tree, and shrub, and leaf. The flowers breathe fragrance and unfold their beauty in blessing to the world. The sun sheds its light to gladden a thousand worlds. The ocean, itself the source of all our springs and fountains, receives the streams from every land, but takes to give. The mists ascending from its bosom fall in showers to water the earth, that it may bring forth and bud. The angles of glory find their joy in giving,—giving love and tireless watchcare to souls that are fallen and unholy.” “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to do service for the sake of them that shall inherit salvation?” GCB October 1, 1902, page 650.2

Man had his place to fill in this divine plan of mutual service. Made “a little lower than the angels” and crowned “with glory and honor,” he was to receive the gifts of the Father’s love and impart them to his fellow-man, and especially to those creatures which in the divine order were made dependent upon him. Through the greatness of his ability to serve the other members of the animal kingdom the fact was to appear that he had dominion over “all sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field; the fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the sea.” He was king over all, as God’s vicegerent, because of his ability to serve all. The divine right of a king is found in the God-given power to serve. Kingship means service. GCB October 1, 1902, page 650.3

As long as the divine principle of loving service was followed there was perfect harmony in the universe of God, and perfect happiness among all created beings. But sin changed all this, so far as this world is concerned. Selfishness took the place of love in the heart of man. Instead of being content, as God’s vicegerent, to serve others, he yielded to the temptation to withhold love from God who claimed it, to refuse to fill his place as the minister of the blessings of God to others, and to consume upon himself the gifts entrusted to him for others. This refusal to act in harmony with God’s law of love was in reality “that attempted annihilation of God which is the real essence of all sin, which is the irreconcilable contradiction of God.” GCB October 1, 1902, page 650.4

But the flattering promise of the tempter was not realized. Instead of becoming “like God” through disobedience to God’s law of love, man lost the likeness of God which he already had, and in thus losing his fellowship with the divine nature he lost the ability to serve in perfect freedom, and became the captive of Satan. Then the joy of a free and loving service was lost, and man was bound to Satan’s chariot car by the chains of his own forging. The king who was a servant became a subject who was a slave. This is the bondage of sin all too well known by those who have not experienced “the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free.” GCB October 1, 1902, page 650.5

However, at this very time of rejection of God and rebellion against His law, the law of love asserted itself. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” GCB October 1, 1902, page 650.6

“O Love divine, what hast thou done!
The incarnate God hath died for me!
The Father’s well-beloved Son
Bore all my sins upon the tree!
The Son of God for me hath died,—
My Lord, my Love, is crucified.” GCB October 1, 1902, page 650.7

There was only One who could serve man in this extremity of failure and loss. “Since the divine law is as sacred as God himself, only one equal with God could make atonement for its transgression. None but Christ could redeem fallen man from the curse of the law, and bring him again into harmony with Heaven. Christ could take upon himself the guilt and shame of sin,—sin so offensive to a holy God that it must separate the Father and His Son. Christ would reach to the depths of misery to rescue the ruined race.” This was the sacrifice of Christ “who, existing in the form of God, counted not the being on an equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, becoming in the likeness of men; and being found in fashion as a man, He humbled himself, becoming obedient even unto death, yea, the death of the cross.” This was the divine interpretation to the universe of the law of service. “The Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” The “KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS” was “wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed.” The eternal heart of God in Christ bore the burden of guilt and suffering, and bared itself to the shafts of Satan, in order that man might be rescued from the galling service of Satan, and restored to the high privilege of being the servant of the “King of the ages.” “God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them,” in order that it might be made possible for man to have the glorious privilege, if he should so choose, of again living in harmony with that law of love and service which is the life of all that lives. GCB October 1, 1902, page 650.8

This lesson of God’s purpose in the salvation of man is taught in the deliverance of the children of Israel from Egyptian bondage. “The Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigor: and they made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field, all their service, wherein they made them serve with rigor.” And the Lord raised up Moses as a deliverer, and he said unto him, “Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt, ...and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain.” Before he went in unto Pharaoh, the Lord gave him a distinct message to the king: “Thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the Lord, Israel is my son, even my firstborn: and I say unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me.” GCB October 1, 1902, page 651.1

When the plagues began to fall upon the Egyptians because of the hardness of Pharaoh’s heart, then the injunction was often repeated, “Let my people go, that they may serve me.” And after the last plague had come, the slaying of the firstborn, so that “there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead,” then Pharaoh “called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, Rise up, and get you forth from among my people, both ye and the children of Israel; and go, serve the Lord, as ye have said.” And as he led forth his people, the word of the Lord to them was, “Mine Angel shall go before thee, and bring thee in unto the Amorites, and the Hittites.... Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve them;... ye shall serve the Lord thy God.” GCB October 1, 1902, page 651.2

It is thus evident that the Lord delivered his people from the “hard service” of Egyptian bondage in order that they might serve Him. They were not brought out of Egypt for idleness, as this is one of the chief causes of sin. Thus it was in Sodom. “Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fullness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her.” God’s people were saved to serve. And this is the purpose of the salvation from sin through faith in Christ, of which the deliverance from Egypt was a type. This was made plain in the work and teaching of the Saviour himself. “Christ was establishing a kingdom on different principles. He called men, not to authority, but to service, the strong to bear the infirmities of the weak. Power, position, talent, education, placed their possessor under the greater obligation to serve his fellows.” This is the law of the new kingdom. GCB October 1, 1902, page 651.3

The true relation between service and greatness was clearly taught to his disciples by Jesus himself. Here is one of these lessons: “And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest. And He said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.” “And whosoever would be first among you, shall be servant of all.” The whole life of Jesus was in harmony with this teaching. Said he, “I am among you as he that serveth.” He took the form of a servant. He went about doing good. Before He entered upon His public ministry, He revealed in His daily life the greatness of His character by His regard for the needs of others. “Jesus was the fountain of healing mercy for the world; and through all those secluded years at Nazareth, His life flowed out in currents of sympathy and tenderness. The aged, the sorrowing, and the sin-burdened, the children at play in their innocent joy, the little creatures of the groves, the patient beasts of burden,—all were happier for His presence. He whose word of power upheld the worlds, would stoop to relieve a wounded bird. There was nothing beneath His notice, nothing to which He disdained to minister.” GCB October 1, 1902, page 651.4

The public labors of the Saviour were based upon the same divine manifestation of the divine idea of service. Although He did not himself have where to lay His head, yet He thought of and ministered to the needs of the poor and the unfortunate. He comforted the distressed; He bound up the broken hearted; He inspired fresh hope in those who had lost hope; He healed the sick; He raised the dead. And in all this ministry He was revealing the true character of God as an answer to the misrepresentations of Satan. He was translating into actual fact, and making visible to eyes that had been blinded, the words of the psalmist David: GCB October 1, 1902, page 652.1

“The Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all His works.... The Lord upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down.... He will fulfill the desire of them that fear Him: He also will hear their cry, and will save them.” GCB October 1, 1902, page 652.2

And the salvation which the Lord has provided for us in the gift of this same blessed Jesus as our Saviour from sin means that we shall share in the same character of love, and reveal it in the same life of service. We are not our own. We have been bought with a price. “None of us liveth to himself.” We are by love to serve one another. It is in this way only that we can show forth the praises of Him who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light. GCB October 1, 1902, page 652.3

And especially are we debtors “both to the Greeks and to the barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise,” that we should preach among the nations the unsearchable riches of Christ. Through the working of “the mystery of iniquity” the light of the glorious gospel of Christ was almost wholly cut off from the hearts of men in the darkness of sin. The fruits of the great Reformation of the sixteenth century have been largely nullified through the same evil agency. The Bible has almost ceased to be the voice of God to men, and the divinity and the atoning sacrifice of Christ do not hold their former place in the minds of his professed followers. A strong current of infidelity is almost sweeping the churches of the world from the sure foundation. The people are compelled to listen to much foolish preaching, instead of being saved by “the foolishness of preaching.” There is a false cry of “Peace, peace; when there is no peace,” and the scoffers are saying, “Where is the promise of His coming?” GCB October 1, 1902, page 652.4

But the Lord has not forgotten to be gracious, and He has raised up a people in this generation to whom He has given the privilege of being the channels of the last message of the gospel to the world, to reveal anew to the world “the tender mercy of our God,” “to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” This is the threefold message of Revelation 14:6-12. It is “the everlasting gospel” of salvation from sin through faith in a crucified and risen Lord, wholly freed from the perversions and traditions of “the man of sin,” so presented that it shall be a convincing warning against the deadly errors of the papal abomination and apostate Protestantism, thus fully delivering a people out of Babylon and preparing them to stand in the great day of God. This is the gospel of the kingdom which is to be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations, and then will the end come. GCB October 1, 1902, page 652.5

To the proclamation of this blessed truth, this healing and saving message, we are now called upon to devote time, strength, and means in whole-hearted service. Laborers are needed to carry forward this work both nigh and afar off. There are many avenues of service. Some lines of the work can be made wholly self-supporting, and there is therefore no limit to the number who can be employed. But the call is not simply to those who are listed as regular laborers. There is now a trumpet call to the whole people, to every one who has received the message, for a consecration to service, that the way of the Lord may be quickly prepared. It is for this very purpose that the Lord has given us light. We have been saved from sin that we might become God’s helping hand to save others from sin. The only way in which we can keep the blessing which we have received is by imparting it to others. “Give, and it shall be given unto you.” “Freely ye have-received, freely give.” Money is needed with which to continue the work already entered upon, and with which to undertake the rapid extension of the work in all lands. The power to get money is a gift of God, and we are responsible to Him for its use. GCB October 1, 1902, page 652.6

Although Seventh-day Adventists are not regarded as a rich people, yet God has committed enough into their hands and is ready to commit more for the carrying of this message to all the world. Hundreds of thousands of dollars in tithes and offerings, which ought to be put into the Lord’s treasury each year, are now withheld, and the work is greatly retarded. How can we longer bear the responsibility of this delay? Shall we not fear to face this terrible responsibility in the judgment day, even if we do not lose our own souls? What can be said that shall arouse this people to faithful service? The perils are thickening on every side. The signs are being fulfilled. “The judge standeth before the door.” The crisis of the ages is upon us. O that Ezekiel’s prophecy and its result might be repeated now: “Prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Come from the four winds, O spirit, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live. So I prophesied, as He commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army.” This is the army which is needed for this work. A spirit-filled army seventy-five thousand strong could quickly do this work under the leadership of the Captain of the Lord’s host. O that God would make His people willing in the day of His power! GCB October 1, 1902, page 653.1

Let us not forget that we are saved to serve. “I beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” This is our privilege now and eternally. Of the white-robed company before the throne it is said, “These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.” “And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him.” Blessed service! GCB October 1, 1902, page 653.2

“Now, Lord, I would be thine alone;
Come, take possession of thine own;
For thou hast set me free;
Released from Satan’s hard command,
See all my powers in waiting stand
To be employed by thee.” GCB October 1, 1902, page 653.3

W. W. PRESCOTT.

[Let this Sabbath be a day of consecration to service and of soul-saving effort.] GCB October 1, 1902, page 653.4