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Christ’s Object Lessons
subject to inclination or impulse. Thus the character is marred, and
the religion of Christ misrepresented.
There are those who would think it lowering to their dignity to
minister to suffering humanity. Many look with indifference and
contempt upon those who have laid the temple of the soul in ruins.
Others neglect the poor from a different motive. They are working, as
they believe, in the cause of Christ, seeking to build up some worthy
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enterprise. They feel that they are doing a great work, and they cannot
stop to notice the wants of the needy and distressed. In advancing their
supposedly great work they may even oppress the poor. They may
place them in hard and trying circumstances, deprive them of their
rights, or neglect their needs. Yet they feel that all this is justifiable
because they are, as they think, advancing the cause of Christ.
Many will allow a brother or a neighbor to struggle unaided under
adverse circumstances. Because they profess to be Christians he may
be led to think that in their cold selfishness they are representing Christ.
Because the Lord’s professed servants are not in co-operation with
Him, the love of God, which should flow forth from them, is in great
degree cut off from their fellow men. And a large revenue of praise
and thanksgiving from human hearts and human lips is prevented from
flowing back to God. He is robbed of the glory due to His holy name.
He is robbed of the souls for whom Christ died, souls whom He longs
to bring into His kingdom to dwell in His presence through endless
ages.
Divine truth exerts little influence upon the world, when it should
exert much influence through our practice. The mere profession of
religion abounds, but it has little weight. We may claim to be followers
of Christ, we may claim to believe every truth in the word of God; but
this will do our neighbor no good unless our belief is carried into our
daily life. Our profession may be as high as heaven, but it will save
neither ourselves nor our fellow men unless we are Christians. A right
example will do more to benefit the world than all our profession.
By no selfish practices can the cause of Christ be served. His
cause is the cause of the oppressed and the poor. In the hearts of His
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professed followers there is need of the tender sympathy of Christ—a
deeper love for those whom He has so valued as to give His own life
for their salvation. These souls are precious, infinitely more precious
than any other offering we can bring to God. To bend every energy