God has given me
a message for His people. They must awake, spread
their tents, and
enlarge their borders. My brethren and sisters, you have been
bought with a
price, and all that you have and are is to be used to the glory
of God and for
the good of your fellow men. Christ died on the cross to save
the world from
perishing in sin. He asks your co-operation in this work.
You are to be
His helping hand. With earnest, unwearying effort you are to
seek to save the
lost. Remember that it was your sins that made the cross
necessary. When
you accepted Christ as your Saviour you pledged yourself
to unite with
Him in bearing the cross. For life and for death you are bound
up with Him, a
part of the great plan of redemption.
The transforming
power of Christ’s grace molds the one who gives
himself to God’s
service. Imbued with the Spirit of the Redeemer, he is
ready to deny
self, ready to take up the cross, ready to make any sacrifice
for the Master.
No longer can he be indifferent to the souls perishing around
him. He is
lifted above self-serving.
9
He has been
created anew in Christ, and self-serving has no place in his life.
He realizes that
every part of his being belongs to Christ, who has redeemed
him from the
slavery of sin; that every moment of his future has been bought
with the
precious lifeblood of God’s only-begotten Son.
Have you so deep
an appreciation of the sacrifice made on Calvary that
you are willing
to make every other interest subordinate to the work of
saving souls? The
same intensity of desire to save sinners that marked the
life of the
Saviour marks the life of His true follower. The Christian has no
desire to live
for self. He delights to consecrate all that he has and is to the
Master’s
service. He is moved by an inexpressible desire to win souls to
Christ. Those
who have nothing of this desire might better be concerned for
their own
salvation. Let them pray for the spirit of service.
How can I best
glorify Him whose I am by creation and by redemption?
This is to be
the question that we are to ask ourselves. With anxious
solicitude the
one who is truly converted seeks to rescue those who are
still in Satan’s
power. He refuses to do anything that would hinder him
in his work. If
he has children he realizes that his work must begin in his
own family. His
children are exceedingly precious to him. Remembering
that they are
the younger members of the Lord’s family, he strives with all
his power to
place them where they will stand on the Lord’s side. He has
pledged himself
to serve, honor, and obey Christ; and he puts forth patient,
untiring effort
so to train his children that they will never be hostile to the
Saviour.
On fathers and
mothers, God has placed the responsibility of saving their
children from
the power of the enemy. This is their work, a work that they
should on
10
no account
neglect. Those parents who have a living connection with Christ
will not rest
until they see their children safe in the fold. They will make
this the burden
of their life.
Parents, do not
neglect the work waiting for you in the church in your
own family. This
is your first field of missionary effort. The most important
work you can do
is to place your children on the Lord’s side. When they
err, deal with
them tenderly, yet firmly. Let them unite with you in opposing
the evil by
which Satan seeks to destroy the souls and bodies of human
beings. Share
with them the secret of the cross, the secret that to you means
sanctification,
redemption, and eternal victory. As you take your children
with you into
the service of the Lord, what a victory you gain.
If the families
around you are opposed to the truth, strive to lead them to
yield to the
claims of Christ. Work patiently, wisely, considerately, winning
your way by the
tender ministry of love. Present the truth in such a way that
it will be seen
in all its beauty, exerting an influence that cannot be resisted.
Thus the walls
of prejudice will be broken down.
If this work
were faithfully done, if fathers and mothers would work for
the members of
their own families, and then for those around them, uplifting
Christ by a
godly life, thousands of souls would be saved. When God’s
people are truly
converted, when they realize the obligation resting on them
to labor for
those within their reach, when they leave no means untried to
rescue sinners
from the power of the enemy, the reproach will be removed
from our
churches.
We have now only
a little time in which to prepare for eternity. May the
Lord open the
closed eyes of His people and quicken their dulled senses,
that they may
11
realize that the
gospel is the power of God unto salvation to them that
believe. May
they see the importance of giving so pure and righteous a
representation
of God that the world shall see Him in His beauty. May they
be so filled
with the Spirit that dwells in Him that the world will have no
power to divert
them from the work of presenting to men the wonderful
possibilities
before every soul who receives Christ.
In all lines of
our work there is need of greater earnestness. Time is
passing. God’s
servants are to be “not slothful in business; fervent in spirit;
serving the
Lord.” People need the truth, and by earnest, faithful effort it
is to be
communicated to them. Souls are to be sought for, prayed for,
labored for.
Earnest appeals are to be made. Fervent prayers are to be
offered. Our
tame, spiritless petitions are to be changed into petitions of
intense
earnestness. God’s word declares: The effectual fervent prayer of a
righteous man
availeth much.”
*****
The world is our
field of missionary toil, and we are to go forth to labor
surrounded with the
atmosphere of Gethsemane and Calvary.
REFERENCE
Testimonies
for the Church
Volume
Seven
Ellen
G. White
1902,Page
8-11
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