Eat the Word

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Let every man stand in his lot and in his place, working with earnestness, decision, and power to advance God’s cause, bearing aloft the standard on which are inscribed the words, «The commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.» God will be with his workers in the Publishing House if they will be with Him. If they will expel all selfishness and follow Bible principles, keeping separate from worldly policy, the glory of the Lord will be revealed. We may teach the Bible ever so zealously, but if we do not honor the truth by efforts proportionate to its greatness, we shall form ideas of Christ which do not honor the self-denying and self-sacrificing Redeemer. We need Christ every moment. We need to look upon and study His character. What would Christ do were He in my place? is to be our measurement of our duty. It is possible to preach the Word and walk directly contrary to its teaching, showing in the home life and in business life a form of godliness without the power.

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Vague suppositions regarding Christ are not enough. We need an abiding Christ. We need to eat His word. He is the Bread of Life. The revealed word is our photograph of Christ. The world can only be expelled from the soul by filling the soul with Christ. Just as the life of the body is produced by the temporal food eaten, so the life of the soul is produced by the spiritual food eaten. He who would have spiritual life and vigor must eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of God. Christ declares, «I am the Bread of Life: he that cometh to Me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on Me shall never thirst. . . . Whoso eateth My flesh and drinketh My blood hath eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day; for My flesh is meat indeed and My blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in Me and I in Him. As the living Father hath sent Me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth Me, even he shall live by Me.»

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O that the workers in every line of the service of God would eat of the leaves of the tree of life, which are for the healing of the nations! —