April 8, 1903

Our Work

EGW

The work of John the Baptist is our work. Of him we read, “Behold I send My messenger before Thy face, which shall prepare Thy way before Thee. The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make His paths straight.”CentralAdvance April 8, 1903, par. 1

By bearing a faithful witness in the daily life, in the words we speak and the deeds we do, we are to prepare the way for Christ's second coming. By revealing the principles of righteousness in our dealings with one another, we are to proclaim the message, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”CentralAdvance April 8, 1903, par. 2

The conflict is before us. The only safety for any of us now is to be one with Christ in God. Our resources must come from heaven. The Pentecostal out-pouring of the Spirit revealed truth which, presented to the people, caused the conversion of five thousand souls in a day. In order for the message to go with power today, the Holy Spirit must confirm the word spoken. Jesus is magnified through His sons and daughters when He can impart to them the power of His Spirit. Without this power, our efforts are worthless.CentralAdvance April 8, 1903, par. 3

Paul declared that neither Jewish learning nor Grecian eloquence could reach the mark of the high calling that is in Christ Jesus. The highest eloquence, the greatest physical strength, can not give man power to convict and convert souls. It is a heart-reception of the pure principles of the gospel that makes a man an honor to God, and enables him to exert an influence that wins souls to Christ. “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.” Only thus can human beings prevail against Satanic agencies. Without God's aid, human might and strength have no more power than the wind that blows to impress aright the souls of men. The breath of God must be breathed into the soul before it can be filled with power.CentralAdvance April 8, 1903, par. 4

We are to strive to enter in at the strait gate. But this gate does not swing loosely on its hinges. It will not admit doubtful characters. We must now strive for eternal life with an intensity that is proportionate to the value of the prize before us. It is not money or lands or position, but the possession of a Christlike character, that will open to us the gates of Paradise. It is not dignity, it is not intellectual attainments, that will win for us the crown of immortality. Only the meek and lowly ones, who have made God their efficiency, will receive this gift.CentralAdvance April 8, 1903, par. 5

Mrs. E. G. White