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Let the Church Arise and Shine, October 5
Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon
thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the
people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon
thee.
Isaiah 60:1, 2
.
Jealousy caused the first death in our world.... All selfishness comes from Satan.
Human beings belong to one great family, the family of God. They are to respect
and love one another. They are not to speak words which wound and bruise. No one
is to be unfair in his dealings, causing his fellow-beings to lose confidence in him.
Selfishness and injustice bring unhappiness. Under their baleful influence men lose
the sense of what it means to love one another as Christ loves us.
All are to work in love and unity, looking to God as the great center. Love for
Christ is the principle which unites man to his fellowmen....
The opposite of allegiance to God is seen in the world today. Every kingdom,
every province, every family, has a desire to make itself a center. Men long to rule
over their fellowmen.... Self is the mainspring of action....
The Lord calls upon His people to put far from them every stumbling block.
Be filled with the Holy Spirit. To unite man with God and with his fellowmen, to
restore to human beings the benevolence lost through sin—this is the glory of the
gospel. Let the church arise and shine; for her light has come, and the glory of the
Lord is risen upon her. Let the members strive earnestly to obtain the victory over
self (
Manuscript78, 1901
).
The religion of Christ means more than the forgiveness of sin; it means taking
away our sins, and filling the vacuum with the graces of the Holy Spirit. It means
divine illumination, rejoicing in God. It means a heart emptied of self, and blessed
with the abiding presence of Christ. When Christ reigns in the soul, there is purity,
freedom from sin. The glory, the fullness, the completeness of the gospel plan is
fulfilled in the life. The acceptance of the Saviour brings a glow of perfect peace,
perfect love, perfect assurance. The beauty and fragrance of the character of Christ
revealed in the life testifies that God has indeed sent His Son into the world to be its
Saviour....
The revelation of His own glory in the form of humanity will bring heaven so
near to men that the beauty adorning the inner temple will be seen in every soul in
whom the Saviour dwells. Men will be captivated by the glory of an abiding Christ.
And in currents of praise and thanksgiving from the many souls thus won to God,
glory will flow back to the great Giver (
Christ’s Object Lessons, 419, 420
).
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