Unity In Christ Jesus

Loma Linda, Cal., Aug. 24, 1905. To Our Brethren Connected with the Publishing Work at College View: While attending the council meeting of the General Conference Committee, held in September, 1904, my mind was deeply exercised regarding the unity that should attend our work. I was not able to attend all the meetings, but in the night season scene after scene passed before me, and I felt that I had a message to bear to our people in many places.

My heart is pained as I see that, with such wonderful incentives to bring our powers and capabilities to the very highest state of development, we are content to be dwarfs in the work of Christ. God’s desire is that all His workers shall grow to the full stature of men and women in Christ. Where there is growth, there is vitality; the vitality testifies to the growth. The words and works bear living testimony to the world of what Christianity does for the followers of Christ.

When you do your appointed work without contention or criticism of others, a freedom, a light, and a power will attend it that will give character and influence to the institutions and enterprises with which you are connected.

Remember that you are never on vantage ground when you are ruffled, and when you carry the burden of setting right every soul who comes near you. If you yield to the temptation to criticize others, to point out their faults, to tear down what they are doing, you may be sure that you will fail to act your own part nobly and well. 20

This is a time when every man in a responsible position, and every member of the church, should bring every feature of his work into close accord with the teachings of the word of God. By untiring vigilance, by fervent prayer, by Christlike words and deeds, we are to show the world what God desires His church to be.

From His high position, Christ, the King of glory, the Majesty of heaven, saw the condition of men. He pitied human beings in their weakness and sinfulness, and came to this earth to reveal what God is to men. Leaving the royal courts, and clothing His divinity with humanity, He came to the world Himself, in our behalf to work out a perfect character. He did not choose His dwelling among the rich of the earth. He was born in poverty and of lowly parentage in the despised village of Nazareth. As soon as He was old enough to handle tools, He shared the burden of caring for the family.

Christ humbled Himself to stand at the head of humanity, to meet the temptations and endure the trials that humanity must meet and endure. He must know what humanity has to meet from the fallen foe, that He might know how to succor those who are tempted.

And Christ has been made our Judge. The Father is not the Judge. The angels are not. He who took humanity upon Himself, and in this world lived a perfect life, is to judge us. He only can be our Judge. Will you remember this, brethren? Will you remember it, ministers? Will you remember it, fathers and mothers? Christ took humanity that He might be our Judge. No one of you has been appointed to be a judge of others. It is all that you can do to discipline yourselves. In the name of Christ I entreat you to heed the injunction that He gives you, never to place yourself on the judgment-seat. From day to day since I have been at this meeting, this message has been sounded in my ears, Come down from the judgment-seat. Come down in humility.

Never was there a time when it was so important that we should deny ourselves, and take up the cross daily, as now. How much self-denial are we willing to practise.

A Life of Grace and Peace.In the first chapter of the second epistle of Peter, you will find the promise that grace and peace will be multiplied unto you, if you will «add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.» 2 Peter 1:5-7.

These virtues are wonderful treasures. They «make a man more precious than fine gold, even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir.»

«If these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.» Verse 8.

Shall we not strive to use to the very best of our ability the little time that is left us in this life, adding grace to grace, power to power, making it manifest that we have a source of power in the heavens above. Christs says, «All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth.» Matt. 28:18. What is this power given to Him for?—For us. He desires us to realize that He has returned to heaven as our Elder Brother, and that the measureless power given Him has been placed at our disposal.

Those who will carry out in their lives the instruction given to the church through the apostle Peter will receive power from above. We are to give all diligence to make our calling and election sure, living upon the plan of addition. We are to represent Christ in all that we say and do. We are to live His life. The principles by which He was guided are to shape our course of action toward those with whom we are associated.

When we are securely anchored in Christ, we have a power that no human being can take from us. Why in this?—Because we are partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust,—partakers of the nature of Him who came to this earth clothed with the habiliments of humanity, that He might stand at the head of the human race, and develop a character that was without spot or stain of sin.

Why are many of us so weak and inefficient? It is because we look to self, studying our own temperament, and wondering how we can make a place for ourselves, our individuality, and our peculiarities, in the place of studying Christ and His character.

Brethren who could work together in harmony if they would learn on Christ, forgetting that they are Americans or Europeans, Germans or Frenchmen, Swedes, Danes, or Norwegians, seem to feel that if they should blend with those of other nationalities, something of that which is peculiar to their own country and nation would be lost, and something else would take its place.

My brethren, let us put all that aside. We have no right to keep our minds stayed on ourselves, our preferences, and our fancies. We are not to seek to maintain a peculiar identity of our own, a personality, an individuality, which will separate us from our fellow laborers. We have a character to maintain, but it is the character of Christ. Having the character of Christ, we can carry on the work of God together. The Christ in us will meet the Christ in our brethren, and the Holy Spirit will give that union of heart and action which testifies to the world that we are children of God. May the Lord help us to die to self, and be born again, that Christ may live in us, a living, active principle, a power that will keep us holy.