Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 9 (1894)

Ms 52, 1894

Seeking to Save the Lost

1894

This manuscript is published in entirety in 8MR 189-191.

Every one who believes in Christ as a personal Saviour is under bonds to God to be pure and holy, to be a spiritual worker seeking to save the lost, whether they are great or small, rich or poor, bond or free. The greatest work upon earth is to seek and to save those who are lost, for whom Christ has paid the infinite price of His own blood. Every one is to do active service, and if those who have been blessed with light do not diffuse light to others, they will lose the rich grace which has been bestowed upon them, because [they] neglect a sacred duty plainly marked out in the Word of God. As [the] light [of the unfaithful one] diminishes, his own soul is brought into peril, and the ones to whom he should have been a shining light miss the labor that God intended that they should have through the human instrument. Thus the sheep unsought is not brought back to the fold. 9LtMs, Ms 52, 1894, par. 1

God depends upon you, the human agent, to fulfill your duty to the best of your ability, and He Himself will give the increase. If human agents would but cooperate with the divine intelligences, thousands of souls would be rescued. The Holy Spirit would give devoted workers glimpses of Jesus that would brace them for every conflict, that would elevate and strengthen them and make them more than conquerors. When two or three are met together to unite their counsel and to send up their petitions, the promise is for them, “Ask and it shall be given you: seek and ye shall find: knock and it shall be opened unto you.” “If ye then being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him.” [Luke 11:9, 13.] 9LtMs, Ms 52, 1894, par. 2

The Lord has promised that where two or three are met together in His name, there will He be in the midst. Those who meet together for prayer will receive an unction from the Holy One. There is great need of secret prayer, but there is also need of several Christians meeting together to unite with earnestness their petitions to God. In these small companies Jesus is present, the love of souls is deepened in the heart, and the Spirit puts forth its mighty energies that human agents may be exercised in regard to saving those who are lost. Jesus ever sought to show how worthless were formal ceremonies, and strove to impress upon His disciples that the Holy Spirit must enlighten, renew and sanctify the soul. 9LtMs, Ms 52, 1894, par. 3