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Fundamentals of Christian Education
run itself. Teachers are often secured who cannot lead souls to Christ
because they know not what it is to find Him precious to their own
souls; but all those who do not value the soul so that they will work as
Christ would have them, will scatter away from Christ. “He that [mark
these words] gathereth not with Me, scattereth abroad.” If teachers
have no burden to lead souls to Jesus, they will grow indifferent to the
truth; they will become careless, and the atmosphere with which they
surround their souls will work to scatter away from Christ. And with
such elements in the Sabbath school, there will be a perpetual conflict
with difficulties; for when the teachers engage in the work and have
no interest in it, the pupils will partake of the same spirit.
But although these difficulties exist, will it abolish them to put
an end to organization? I am sure that the Lord has wrought in the
organization that has been perfected, and the fact that there are discour-
aging features in the work should not be thought a sufficient reason
for disorganization. Much light was given to us in reference to the
organization of churches, and yet we had a hard battle to fight in per-
fecting organization; but the victory was gained at last, and now shall
the church be disorganized because of indifference, formality, and
pride? Shall we go back to disorder because unconsecrated members
of the church have placed upon the work the mold of man, and sought
to fashion the church to meet a popular standard?
It is true that the simplicity of true godliness has to a large degree
been lost from the church, and many of those who profess to be
followers of Christ have become so blinded that they think that gain
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is godliness, and they devote their powers to the things of time. They
do not realize that all their intellectual ability has been purchased by
Christ, and that they should devote to Him the best results of their
thought, that His cause may be advanced. But instead of giving their
sharp, clear ideas to advance the cause, to strengthen and bless the
church, they devote all their powers to the advancement of their own
interests. They do not gather with Christ, but lead away from Him by
their words and acts. They surround their souls with an atmosphere
that is deleterious to spirituality. They profess to be followers of
Christ, but they do not know Him by an experimental knowledge.
They do not practice religion. They do not seek to be Christians in the
same way in which they would learn a trade. They profess to believe
advanced truth; but it is evident that they keep it in the outer court; for