Chapter 17—Relationships Within the Church
Practice patient tenderness with the faults of others—Christ
came not to be ministered unto, but to minister; and when His love
reigns in the heart, we shall follow His example. If we keep uppermost
in our minds the unkind and unjust acts of others, we shall find it
impossible to love them as Christ has loved us; for there are few
persons who do not on close acquaintance reveal unamiable traits
of character. Even the best of us have these unlovely traits; and in
selecting friends we should choose those who will not be driven away
from us when they learn that we are not perfect. Mutual forbearance
is called for. We should love and respect one another notwithstanding
the faults and imperfections that we cannot help seeing; for this is the
Spirit of Christ. Humility and self-distrust should be cultivated, and
a patient tenderness with the faults of others. This will kill out all
narrowing selfishness and make us large-hearted and generous.—
The
Signs of the Times, March 5, 1885
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Christ’s Representative
Through His ministers, Christ moves visibly upon the earth—
Ambassadors for Christ have a solemn and important work, which
rests upon some altogether too lightly. While Christ is the minister in
the sanctuary above, He is also, through His delegates, the minister
of His church on earth. He speaks to the people through chosen men,
and carries forward His work through them, as when in the days of
His humiliation He moved visibly upon the earth. Although centuries
have passed, the lapse of time has not changed His parting promise
to His disciples: “Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the
world.” From Christ’s ascension to the present day, men ordained of
God, deriving their authority from Him, have become teachers of the
faith. Christ, the True Shepherd, superintends His work through the
instrumentality of these undershepherds. Thus the position of those
who labor in word and doctrine becomes very important. In Christ’s
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