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Church of Christ
49
who learn of Jesus will be laborers together with God. But those
who go forth to proclaim error, expending time and money in a vain
work, lay upon the true workers in new fields increased burden; for
instead of devoting their time to advocating truth, they are obliged
to counteract the work of those who are proclaiming falsehood and
claiming that they have the message from heaven.
If those who have done this kind of work had felt the necessity
of answering the prayer of Christ that He offered to His Father just
previous to His crucifixion,—that the disciples of Christ might be
one as He was one with the Father,—they would not be wasting the
means entrusted to them and so greatly needed to advance the truth.
They would not be wasting precious time and ability in disseminating
error, and thus necessitate the devoting of the laborer’s time to
counteracting and quenching its influence. A work of this character
is inspired, not from above, but from beneath.
“Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice
of His servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? let him
trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God. Behold, all
ye that kindle a fire, that compass yourselves about with sparks:
walk in the light of your fire, and in the sparks that ye have kindled.
This shall ye have of Mine hand; ye shall lie down in sorrow.” The
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message that has been borne by those who have proclaimed the
church to be Babylon has made the impression that God has no
church upon earth.
A Living Church
Has God no living church? He has a church, but it is the church
militant, not the church triumphant. We are sorry that there are
defective members, that there are tares amid the wheat. Jesus said:
“The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good
seed in his field: but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed
tares among the wheat, and went his way.... So the servants of the
householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good
seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? He said unto them,
An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou
then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye
gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both