The Home Missionary
October 1, 1892
“Ye are My Witnesses”
(Concluded.)
Much of the talent and ability of the church is left undeveloped, and is therefore lost to the work of God; but for all the ability that is not utilized in the cause, the church and the world are made to suffer. It is necessary that there should be a work of education carried on among the members of the church, that they may find their work, and stand at their post of duty. Many ministers among us have been ambitious to preach acceptable sermons, but the work that would have most benefited the people has been left undone. The work of education must be accomplished, that every jot and tittle of ability may be brought into service for Christ. As each member of the church acts his part, according to the ability God has given him, he will increase in aptitude, and by practice will become a strong, reliable worker for the Lord. HM October 1, 1892, par. 1
The efficiency that the Lord designs to see in his people has been sadly lacking in the church. How can we account for this? Have those who profess the name of Christ been truly converted? Have they consecrated to God their reason, their knowledge, their affections, their thoughts? Have they employed their talents of means and ability in the service of the Master? or have they devoted all their energies of mind and body to the building up of worldly enterprises? Jesus says to those who would be his disciples, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.” He who is a child of God henceforth should look upon himself as a part of the cross of Christ, a link in the chain let down to save the world, one with Christ in his plan of mercy, going forth with him to seek and save the lost. He is ever to realize that he has consecrated himself to God, and that in character he is to reveal Christ to the world. The self-denial, the self-sacrifice, the sympathy, the love that was manifested in the life of Christ, is to reappear in the life of the worker for God. Those who are laborers together with God will feel the need of wrestling in prayer for the endowment of the Holy Spirit. They will manifest the most tender solicitude for the erring, make most earnest appeals to those who are out of Christ, and will bear much fruit to the glory of God, and be known as the disciples of Christ. HM October 1, 1892, par. 2
Those who consecrate their all to God will not be left unmolested by the enemy of souls. Satan will come to them with his specious temptations, designing to allure them from their loyalty to God. He will present to them his bribe, as he did to Christ in the wilderness of temptation, saying, “All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.” But what should be the answer of the Christian to all the temptations of the evil one? He should say, “I will not lend my influence in any way to the advancement of anything save the cause of Christ. I am not my own; I have been bought with a price. I am not to live to please myself; for I have been purchased, ransomed by the blood of Christ. It is not possible for me to give to Christ more than that which belongs to him; for every moment of my life belongs to him. I am his possession, a servant employed to do the will of my Master.” This is the only position that is safe for us to occupy; and if the individual members of the church felt in this way, what a power would the church exert to draw and win souls to Christ. It is this half-hearted work, the effort to serve God and the devil at the same time, that leaves the church so destitute of the Spirit of God. Were the members of the church consecrated to God, were they in the unity of the Spirit, in the bond of peace, were they organized for the purpose of imparting to others an influence of good, the church would be indeed the light of the world. Should the individual members seek to represent Christ to the world in character and life, thousands would be attracted to the Saviour, who now have reason to criticise the words and works of those who profess the name of Christ. “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.” HM October 1, 1892, par. 3
Each one of us is to stand where we shall be under the transforming influence of the grace of Christ, and then in our association one with another, we shall be able to impart and to receive the light of the Sun of Righteousness; for each member will be in harmony with Christ and with every other member, striving to attain to perfection of life and character through faith in him. Then shall we know how to sympathize with our brethren, to manifest forbearing love, and the very least will be united through vital connection with Christ to the working agencies that God has ordained for the dissemination of light and truth. HM October 1, 1892, par. 4
I have been deeply pained in seeing how little has been done to set the churches in order. Those who take delight in sermonizing, appoint sermon to succeed sermon in a series of meetings, and do not discern the character of work that should be done in order to strengthen the things that remain. The work that must be done is a work that will place every man in a position where he shall be able to do all in his power for the advancement of the kingdom of heaven. The Lord has given to the lay members as well as to the ministers their gift of reason and intelligence, their share of qualification for his work; and for the use of these talents, each one is responsible. God requires of all whole-hearted devotion to his work. “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. And be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.” HM October 1, 1892, par. 5
There are souls in the church, who though humble in their endowments and acquirements, are still imbued with the Spirit of the Master, and they are ready to sacrifice life itself should it be required of them. These men cannot be placed upon a salary, but they can be educated so that they can do work for the Master in their limited way. It is the duty of the ministers to see that such men are utilized; for while the Lord has a work for men to do in the sacred desk, this is not the whole of his work. When the church is in need of personal labor, then it is the minister's most essential duty to help the souls for whom he is to watch, as one who must give an account. The minister of the gospel should be an educator, that he may impress upon those for whom he labors, their responsibility to labor for others. He should prayerfully and lovingly help every member of the church to find his place in the work of God, that there may be laborers in the fields that are already white for the harvest. HM October 1, 1892, par. 6
The Lord has said, “Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest that he will send forth laborers into his harvest.” On every hand, fields of usefulness are opening up; but a burden of perplexity rests upon those who should appoint laborers to go to these various stations of usefulness; for they look in vain for men and women fitted for these responsibilities of the work. Is it not time that the members of the church were becoming educated to engage in missionary labor, that when a call is made for men and women to go forth into the harvest field, there may be those who can respond to the call? saying, “We have given ourselves to Christ without reserve. We have educated ourselves and our households to habits of simplicity in dress and living. We are accustomed to self-denial, and realize that we belong to the Lord. We have no other desire than to do his will, and live not to please ourselves, but to win souls for the Master. We are ready to move to distant lands, and lift up the standard of Christ, and in simplicity and humility live out the truth.” HM October 1, 1892, par. 7
Jesus left his home in heaven, and came to this dark world to reach to the very depth of human woe, that he might save those who were ready to perish. This is the love he has shown to fallen man. But is the disciple above his Master, the servant greater than his Lord? If I am indeed a laborer together with God, shall I not be called upon to make some sacrifice for his cause? Will it be too great a sacrifice for any of Christ's followers to make, to take the little possession intrusted to their care, and go to the dark places of the earth, where the people have never so much as heard of the truth, and in meekness and lowliness of heart, there make known to men what the Lord has done for the sons of men? HM October 1, 1892, par. 8
Those who have come together in church capacity can do one hundred-fold more than they are now doing to let their light shine forth in the world. They are to come out from the world and to be separate, and to touch not the unclean, but to set their affections on things that are above. They are to live, not to please themselves, but to follow the example of Him who died for their redemption. They are cheerfully to bear the cross, fulfilling their mission to this world by shining as lights in the world, holding forth the word of God, and reckoning, as did Paul, that all they are called upon to suffer is but “light affliction, which is but for a moment,” that “worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” HM October 1, 1892, par. 9
Mrs. E. G. White
Melbourne, Australia.