Preach the Truth

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Plain, definite instruction has been given us. When the disciples came to Jesus, saying, «Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? Jesus called a little child unto Him, and set him in the midst of them, and said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in My name receiveth Me. But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in Me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depths of the sea.»

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Again: «Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican. Verily I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loose in heaven.»

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If this instruction is not heeded because we choose to disobey, doing the very opposite of that which Christ has told us to do, how will it be with us in our religious life?-We shall be found communicating to one another the faults of our brethren in the church, and those evil reports will spread. Thus evil surmisings and suspicions of dishonesty will spread from lip to lip, notwithstanding the plain directions given by Christ not to sow the seeds of evil by speaking evil of our brethren. Those who pursue a course contrary to this instruction are creating in their own hearts the evils that they condemn in others, and thus are themselves brought under condemnation. The Bible plan of avoiding and remedying difficulties among brethren is the only safe plan. Christ is grieved to see some disregarding this instruction, following their own plans-plans opposed to His. When those who claim to be Christians work in harmony with divine instruction, there will be far less evil-surmising and evil-speaking in the church.

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Dwell upon the lessons that Christ dwelt upon. Present them to the people as He presented them. Dwell upon questions that concern our eternal welfare. Anything that the enemy can devise to divert the mind from God’s Word, anything new and strange that he can originate to create a diversity of sentiment, he will introduce as something wonderfully important. But those things that we can not clearly comprehend are not a tenth as important to us as are the truths of God’s Word that we can clearly comprehend and bring into our daily life. We are to teach the people the lessons that Christ brought into His teachings from the Old Testament Scriptures. The language of divine truth is exceedingly plain.

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Christ sent His angel from heaven to teach John the Revelator in regard to the message that must be understood by us,-a message of warning that concerns all who live in the last days of this earth’s history. We are to study the testing message given for this time. John declares: «The temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in His temple the ark of His testament.» This ark contains God’s law, the ten commandments. A knowledge of this law is of great consequence to all who have light and to all who minister in word and doctrine.

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Christ desires every minister, every one who lives by faith in Him, to realize that upon him there rests a sacred responsibility. To all who have enlisted in God’s service is given the gospel commission to carry to nations a knowledge of the truth for this time. To inspire us with confidence, God has preserved for us a record of the giving of this commission. After His resurrection, Jesus spake unto His disciples, saying, «All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.»

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We must not permit ourselves to be taken unawares. Satan has come down with great power and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness to work against the advancement of truth. Every soul who believes the truth and who has had great light, should be on guard, lest he be enlisted in Satan’s army of workers. The enemy will strive to cause believers to search out matters of minor importance, and to dwell at length upon these matters in committee-meetings and council-meetings. But by turning their attention to questions of so little consequence, the brethren hinder the work instead of advancing it. We are to proclaim the third angel’s message to a perishing world, and we are not to permit our minds to become diverted by matters that practically amount to nothing. If our brethren would consider the important matters pertaining to eternal life and eternal death, many of the smaller matters that they desire so much to adjust, would adjust themselves.

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The Lord calls upon His ministering servants to proclaim the message of truth, dwelling upon these things that are of great importance. When Jesus shall lead us by the side of the living waters flowing from God’s throne, He will explain to us many of the mysteries of the Bible that we can not now comprehend. He is the Great Teacher of His Word, which can not be fully understood in this life, but which in the future life will be clothed with the brightness of the light of clear understanding.