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More Consecrated Members, October 28
And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking
bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and
singleness of heart, praising God, and having favour with all the people.
And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
Acts 2:46, 47
.
Every truly converted soul will be intensely desirous to bring others from
the darkness of error into the marvelous light of the righteousness of Jesus
Christ. The great outpouring of the Spirit of God, which lightens the whole
earth with His glory, will not come until we have an enlightened people, that
know by experience what it means to be laborers together with God. When
we have entire, whole-hearted consecration to the service of Christ, God will
recognize the fact by an outpouring of His Spirit without measure; but this will
not be while the largest portion of the church are not laborers together with
God. God cannot pour out His Spirit when selfishness and self-indulgence
are so manifest; when a spirit prevails that, if put into words, would express
that answer of Cain—“Am I my brother’s keeper?” (
Genesis 4:9
).
If the truth for this time, if the signs that are thickening on every hand,
that testify that the end of all things is at hand, are not sufficient to arouse
the sleeping energy of those who profess to know the truth, then darkness
proportionate to the light which has been shining will overtake these souls.
There is not the semblance of an excuse for their indifference that they will
be able to present to God in the great day of final reckoning. There will be
no reason to offer as to why they did not live and walk and work in the light
of the sacred truth of the Word of God, and thus reveal to a sin-darkened
world, through their conduct, their sympathy, and their zeal, that the power
and reality of the gospel could not be controverted.
It is not the ministers alone, but the laymen, who are not contributing all
that they can to persuade men, by precept and example, to accept the saving
grace of Christ. With skill and tact, with wisdom received from above, they
should persuade men to behold the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of
the world.—
The Review and Herald, July 21, 1896
.
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