Young Men as Missionaries
353
new society, and can better endure inconveniences and hardships. By
tact and perseverance they can reach the people where they are.
Strength comes by exercise. All who put to use the ability which
God has given them will have increased ability to devote to His service.
Those who do nothing in the cause of God will fail to grow in grace
and in the knowledge of the truth. A man who would lie down and
refuse to exercise his limbs would soon lose all power to use them.
Thus the Christian who will not exercise his God-given powers not
only fails to grow up into Christ, but he loses the strength which he
already has; he becomes a spiritual paralytic. It is those who, with love
for God and their fellow men, are striving to help others that become
established, strengthened, settled, in the truth. The true Christian
works for God, not from impulse, but from principle; not for a day or
a month, but during the entire period of life.
How is our light to shine forth to the world unless it be by our
[394]
consistent Christian life? How is the world to know that we belong to
Christ, if we do nothing for Him? Said our Saviour: “Ye shall know
them by their fruits.” And again: “He that is not with Me is against
Me.” There is no neutral ground between those who work to the utmost
of their ability for Christ and those who work for the adversary of souls.
Everyone who stands as an idler in the vineyard of the Lord is not
merely doing nothing himself, but he is a hindrance to those who are
trying to work. Satan finds employment for all who are not earnestly
striving to secure their own salvation and the salvation of others.
The church of Christ may be fitly compared to an army. The life
of every soldier is one of toil, hardship, and danger. On every hand
are vigilant foes, led on by the prince of the powers of darkness, who
never slumbers and never deserts his post. Whenever a Christian is off
his guard, this powerful adversary makes a sudden and violent attack.
Unless the members of the church are active and vigilant, they will be
overcome by his devices.
What if half the soldiers in an army were idling or asleep when
ordered to be on duty; the result would be defeat, captivity, or death.
Should any escape from the hands of the enemy, would they be thought
worthy of a reward? No; they would speedily receive the sentence
of death. And is the church of Christ careless or unfaithful, far more
important consequences are involved. A sleeping army of Christian
soldiers—what could be more terrible! What advance could be made