A United Work
[
Testimonies for the Church 6:288-293
(1904).]
Again and again I have been instructed that the medical missionary
work is to bear the same relation to the work of the third angel’s
message that the arm and hand bear to the body. Under the direction of
the divine Head they are to work unitedly in preparing the way for the
coming of Christ. The right arm of the body of truth is to be constantly
active, constantly at work, and God will strengthen it. But it is not to
be made the body. At the same time the body is not to say to the arm,
“I have no need of thee.” The body has need of the arm in order to do
active, aggressive work. Both have their appointed work, and each
will suffer great loss if worked independently of the other.
The work of preaching the third angel’s message has not been
regarded by some as God designs it should be. It has been treated as
an inferior work, while it should occupy an important place among the
human agencies in the salvation of man. The minds of men must be
called to the Scriptures as the most effective agency in the salvation
of souls, and the ministry of the word is the great educational force
to produce this result. Those who disparage the ministry and try
to conduct the medical missionary work independently are trying to
separate the arm from the body. What would be the result, should
they succeed? We should see hands and arms flying about, dispensing
means without the direction of the head. The work would become
disproportionate and unbalanced. That which God designed should
be the hand and arm would take the place of the whole body, and the
ministry would be belittled or altogether ignored. This would unsettle
minds and bring confusion, and many portions of the Lord’s vineyard
would be left unworked.
[514]
The medical missionary work should be a part of the work of every
church in our land. Disconnected from the church, it would soon
become a strange medley of disorganized atoms. It would consume,
but not produce. Instead of acting as God’s helping hand to forward
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