Coworkers With God by L. A. S.

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D. C. · Jun 8, 1905

Coworkers With God

By L. A. S.

THE Almighty could, if he desired to do so, carry on his work in the earth independently of human agencies. He might, if he saw fit, cause his truth to be proclaimed without waiting for human councils to deliberate and lay plans for its advancement, or human messengers to cross the seas and conquer the obstacles of a foreign land. He might use agencies which are not subject to the frailties that beset humanity. All the forces of nature are at his command, vast, and all the host of heaven perform his bidding. He might accompany his message to mankind with a manifestation of his power which no possible obstacle could for a moment withstand.

Yet he waits upon the decisions and movements of human beings, and when they err or fail from any cause to do their part, the work of God is delayed. It suffers from their lack of zeal and earnestness in his service. And thus for ages the work of God for the fulfilment of his eternal purpose in Christ has been delayed because of repeated failure on the part of his people, though there was never any lack of power at his own command.

It is because of the character of God that this is so. His character, and not merely his power, is revealed in this method of carrying forward his work. Though the work is his, and all the means of its accomplishment are supplied by him, he gives to man a proprietorship in it all, just as if man were a copartner with himself.

The will of God that the work should go forward is not enough; man must also will to the same end, just as he would do in a work of his own undertaking. Why pray to and plead with God to remove the obstacles, to supply men and means for the advancement of the cause of truth, when it is his own cause, in the success of which he has more interest than any other being can have?—Simply because God wills that men shall be proprietors with him of the interests and benefits of this cause, both now and hereafter, and they must act the part and manifest the interest of proprietors. They must importune God for help as if the interests and responsibility of the work belonged to them alone.

Let us therefore accept the high position to which we are called by the grace of God, and show all the interest in the advancement of this cause which should be awakened by the wonderful gift of a proprietorship in the greatest enterprise ever undertaken since the beginning of time.

L. A. S.