26
Christian Service
show forth the praises of Christ.—
The Review and Herald, December
12, 1893
.
All who are consecrated to God will be channels of light. God
makes them His agents to communicate to others the riches of His
grace.... Our influence upon others depends not so much upon what we
say, as upon what we are. Men may combat and defy our logic, they
may resist our appeals; but a life of disinterested love is an argument
they cannot gainsay. A consistent life, characterized by the meekness
of Christ, is a power in the world.—
The Desire of Ages, 141, 142
.
Those who should have been the light of the world have shed forth
but feeble and sickly beams. What is light? It is piety, goodness,
truth, mercy, love; it is the revealing of the truth in the character and
life. The gospel is dependent on the personal piety of its believers
for its aggressive power, and God has made provision through the
death of His beloved Son, that every soul may be thoroughly furnished
unto every good work. Every soul is to be a bright and shining light,
showing forth the praises of Him who has called us out of darkness
into His marvelous light. “We are laborers together with God.” Yes,
laborers; that means doing earnest service in the vineyard of the Lord.
There are souls to be saved,—souls in our churches, in our Sabbath
[22]
schools, and in our neighborhoods.—
The Review and Herald, March
24, 1891
.
It is in working for others that they will keep their own souls alive.
If they will become colaborers with Jesus, we shall see the light in
our churches steadily burning brighter and brighter, sending forth its
rays to penetrate the darkness beyond their own borders.—
Historical
Sketches, 291
.
“Ye are the light of the world.” The Jews thought to confine the
benefits of salvation to their own nation; but Christ showed them that
salvation is like the sunshine. It belongs to the whole world.—
The
Desire of Ages, 306
.
Hearts that respond to the influence of the Holy Spirit are the
channels through which God’s blessing flows. Were those who served
God removed from the earth, and His Spirit withdrawn from among
men, this world would be left to desolation and destruction, the fruit
of Satan’s dominion. Though the wicked know it not, they owe even
the blessings of this life to the presence, in the world, of God’s people
whom they despise and oppress. But if Christians are such in name