The Medical Missionary
August 1, 1892
The Christian's Duty is to Make Christ Known to the World
“And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.” Looking upon the large cities, the villages, and towns that have not yet heard the proclamation of the third angel's message, my heart is filled with sorrow. Are the thousands who have had the light of truth in America, willing to rest at ease, and take no burden for these vast, neglected fields, where dwell in darkness and error those for whom Christ died? MMis August 1, 1892, par. 1
Christ speaks of the gospel of our salvation as the water of life. He uses water, which is essential for our life, as an emblem by which to typify the truth. Should water be withheld from the world for even one day, what a state of wretchedness would result! Should it be withheld for a longer time, a cry of indescribable misery would wail forth from the suffering inhabitants of earth. But the salvation of Christ is the water of life, essential for the health and life of the soul; and how much more terrible is the result of withholding it from men than the consequence of depriving them of water for a season! Many are perishing for the water of life. The loss of natural life is lamentable, but how does the loss of natural life compare with the loss of the life that measures with the life of God? How terrible it is to contemplate eternal loss! MMis August 1, 1892, par. 2
“He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life; and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” Then why is there so great indifference on the part of those who have a knowledge of Christ toward those who know him not? When souls for whom Christ died are in peril, why do those to whom he has committed the last warning message, sit at ease in Zion? Jesus says, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. I am the bread of life.... This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.... Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father; so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.... Many therefore of his disciples, when they heard this, said, This is a hard saying; who can hear it? When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you? What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before? It is the Spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” MMis August 1, 1892, par. 3
Let those who profess to be followers of Christ, carefully consider the import of these words. The meaning is clear that we have no connection with Christ unless we eat his flesh and drink his blood; unless we feed upon his word, which is spirit and life. We are to be as closely related to him as is the branch to the vine; for it is the sap and nourishment of the parent stock that flows through the branch, and causes it to live, and bear the fruit of the vine. We are to live by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God; in this way we are to become partakers of the divine nature. Those who are doers of the word of God will be one with Christ, and will walk with God as Enoch walked with him of old. MMis August 1, 1892, par. 4
Those who are one with Christ will love souls for whom he died. Jesus has identified his interest with that of suffering humanity, and he has made manifest at what value he estimates the soul, in that he left the honor and glory of heaven, and for our sake became poor, that we through his poverty might become rich. He clothed his divinity with humanity, and came to the sin-cursed world to endure insult, reproach, mockery, rejection, and crucifixion, in order to bring to lost humanity the gift of salvation. The rich, the poor, the high, the low, were all included in the ample provision made on Calvary; for he died that all who believe on him should not perish, but have everlasting life. In his last instruction to his disciples, he opened to his followers the part they should act in bringing to men the glad tidings of his infinite love. He said, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” Then what are we, who have been most highly favored of heaven, doing to accomplish the work that has been given into our hands? What are we doing to bring to others the light, that they also may have life eternal? What are we doing to save our fellow-men? MMis August 1, 1892, par. 5
The Saviour declares, “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life; and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” Without Christ the soul is dead in trespasses and sins, and unless quickened by the grace of God, is lost, eternally lost. If we are abiding in Christ, we shall not be indifferent concerning the salvation of others, but shall have a deep and settled purpose to do all in our power to reveal the truth to those who know it not, whether they are afar off or near at hand. MMis August 1, 1892, par. 6
Christ says of his followers, “Ye are the light of the world.” God is light and life and love; and it is from him that the gospel of truth emanates. The principles of truth, the spirit of love, the words of life, must be appropriated by the followers of Christ, as the branch appropriates the sap and nourishment of the vine; for Christ has said, “As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father, so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.” By abiding in Christ, the soul will not only be enlightened, but cleansed and purified. He says again, “He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” It is in this way that his followers are to be the “light of the world.” Those who abide in Christ will do the works of Christ; but if we have a knowledge of the principles of truth, and fail to carry them out, this knowledge will only serve to sink us deeper in perdition. We must seek prayerfully to know what is right, and knowing our duty, do it with all the heart for Christ's sake. MMis August 1, 1892, par. 7
(To be concluded.)