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The Youth’s Instructor

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April 26, 1900

“Go Work Today in My Vineyard”

EGW

The Lord demands service of every soul. Those to whom the living oracles have been opened, who see the truth, and yield themselves, soul, body, and spirit, to God, will understand the words of the Saviour, “Go work today in my vineyard,” to be a requirement, but not a compulsory one. God's will is made known in his word, and those who believe in Christ will be doers of his will. YI April 26, 1900, par. 1

The test of sincerity is not in words, but in deeds. Christ does not say to any man, “What say ye more than others?” but, “What do ye more than others?” Full of meaning are his words, “If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.” Words are of no worth unless they are spoken in sincerity and in truth. The talent of words is made of value when it is accompanied with appropriate deeds. It is of vital consequence to every soul to hear the word, and to be a doer of the word. YI April 26, 1900, par. 2

Good works do not purchase the love of God, but they reveal that we possess that love. By our words and our works we reveal to the world, to angels, and to men whether we believe in Christ as a personal Saviour. If we surrender our way and will to God, we shall not work for God's love; we shall obey the commandments of God because it is right to do this. The disciple John writes, “We love him, because he first loved us.” The true spiritual life will be revealed in every soul who is doing service for Christ. Those who are alive to Christ are imbued with his Spirit, and they can not help working in his vineyard. They work the works of God. Let every soul think prayerfully, that he may act consistently. YI April 26, 1900, par. 3

When Adam and Eve transgressed the command of God, they could no longer cultivate their beautiful Eden home. They were shut out of the garden, to work among the thistles and brambles that Satan had sown. Satan told our first parents that by eating of the forbidden fruit they would have higher perceptions, and be like the angels in heaven. They believed and obeyed the words of the apostate, but they proved his words a lie. Henceforth they must work among the thorns and weeds brought by the curse. YI April 26, 1900, par. 4

Christ came to the world with the invitation, “Go work today in my vineyard.” Satan will seek to allure by his temptations, but listen to my voice today. What blessings are here offered to every man, woman, and child! It is the privilege of all to say, “We are laborers together with God, ... God's husbandry, ... God's building.” YI April 26, 1900, par. 5

Take heed to the living oracles, which give you the precious promise of becoming a partaker of the divine nature. If you will work on the plan of addition, God will work for you on the plan of multiplication. Therefore add to your faith virtue, to your virtue knowledge, to your knowledge temperance, to your temperance patience, to your patience godliness, to your godliness brotherly kindness, and to your brotherly kindness charity. “For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and can not see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: for so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” YI April 26, 1900, par. 6

If you cultivate faithfully the garden of your soul, you will not boast; for it is God that worketh in you. He is making you a laborer together with himself. Receive the grace and instruction of Christ, that you may impart to others a knowledge of how to cultivate the precious plants. Thus we may extend the Lord's vineyard. The Lord is watching for evidences of our faith and love and patience. He looks to see if we are using every spiritual advantage to become skillful workers before we enter the paradise of God, the Eden home from which Adam and Eve were excluded by transgression. It is ours to have that beautiful garden to cultivate under the supervision of God. Eden restored,—how beautiful it will be! how pleasant will be our employment! Then let us prove our industry by doing faithful work. Do not say, with the faithless sinner, “I will not,” nor with the untrue son, “I go, sir,” and go not; but at the call of Christ let us engage in sincere service. YI April 26, 1900, par. 7

God has claims upon us that we can evade only at eternal loss to ourselves. But in his service there is perfect freedom. Let us consider the life of Christ. Standing at the head of humanity, serving his Father, he is a pattern of what every youth should and may be. He was given to us to show us how to live the commandments of God. He counted no sacrifice too great, no toil too hard, in order to accomplish the work he came to do. At the age of twelve he said to his earthly parent, “Wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?” He had heard the call, and taken up the work. At another time he said: “I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.” YI April 26, 1900, par. 8

He only serves who acts up to the highest standard of obedience. Of Christ it is said, “Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered.” All who would be sons and daughters of God must prove themselves workers in the great firm with God and Christ and the heavenly angels. This is the test for every soul. Shall we prove our submission and obedience? Of those who faithfully serve him the Lord says, “They shall be mine ... in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.” YI April 26, 1900, par. 9

Mrs. E. G. White