Aggressive Work by D. W. Reavis

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D.C. · Feb 15, 1906

Aggressive Work

By D. W. Reavis

In all the contests of human affairs there are two common methods of procedure—the aggressive and the defensive. The aggressive method evidences foresight, thought, and preparation. The defensive method suggests weakness, or at least limited present resources. The characters of the contesting parties are manifest in the methods generally followed in accomplishing their purposes. When a keen conception of the honesty and righteousness of a cause finds deep development in the human heart, a mere defensive procedure in the interests of that cause would be antagonistic to the nature implanted in man. The first traces of a tendency to a defensive policy are positive evidences of a decline of faith in, and consecration to, the cause espoused.

In the very beginning of the affairs of this world, the author of offense, and the designer of its defense, came to one of the loveliest and fairest of God's aggressive and glorious works, clothed in the image of a beautiful and fascinating creature, to defend his perversion of the law of love and liberty, the foundation of divine government. Eve failed and fell because she ceased to be aggressive in following the purposes of God in her privileged duties. When she ceased to follow God's plan, she could not withstand even the power of an enemy who was operating in the defense of open rebellion against the law of her own being. Her failure came as the result of ceasing her aggressive work. This first departure weakened her to the extent that she could not withstand the allurements of Satan's sophistry. Her case should serve as an example to those to whom a special work is assigned for this generation. They should not cease their aggressive work, and thereby allow the tares to be sown, to spring up, and choke the grain of truth, and force them thereafter to a defensive effort in destroying evil, instead of bountifully sowing the seeds of truth.

God's methods ever were, and always will be, those of earnest, unceasing aggression. But few times in the experiences of his people has been commanded them to stand still, and in each of these instances provision had been made for a special manifestation of his power. When Abraham left his house in obedience to God's command, nothing could turn him from his course. When Noah built the ark, though years were required to complete it, he did not cease his efforts nor become a commercial ship-builder for unbelievers. When Jonah went to warn Nineveh, God made a spectacle of his vacillating course, that the world might know his messages could not be thwarted by the unfaithfulness of man. When John the Baptist was sent to be a herald of Christ, all the prevailing allurements about him could not turn him aside from the message committed to him. The child Christ, when accounting to his parents for his separation from them at the feast, annunciated a divine principle that should actuate all his followers, when he said, “Wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?” When he was about to finish his work in the flesh at a time when some of his disciples began to

doubt, a time symbolizing our day, he came to them in the mountain whither he had sent them with the following reassurance and commission that was to apply to every follower of his to the end of the conflict: “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations.” He did not commission us in a defensive, but an aggressive work. Ours is a work of teaching the people the vitalizing principles of the whole message for this time. We can not acceptably serve under heaven's high commission through a half-hearted, indifferent, defensive policy. We must of necessity, on account of the strenuousness of the times in which we live, be “instant in season, out of season,” constantly on the alert, grasping the situations as they arise, and making them count to the best advantage for the advancement of the Master's kingdom.

In view of the dangers which threaten us and the striking evidences of the coming crisis, is it not evident to all that the time has fully come for earnest, aggressive work against approaching and new-established error, that the honest in heart may be saved? While it is true that we are far advanced in one of the most complicated crises associated with the closing events of this world's history, if those to whom God has committed his truth would awaken to the importance of the time, and use the opportunities all about them, the year 1906 would prove to be one of the most favorable in results ever known to this people. Never was there a time so productive in openings for effectual aggressive work. The harvest is fully ripe, and he who desires to bountifully reap may find ample opportunity all about him—in fact, first of all, within himself; for we firmly believe the first and greatest need of believers in this day is an individual conception of the importance of the hour, and a physical, mental, and moral preparation to meet it. We suggest, therefore, individual preparation as the first and most essential line of aggressive work. This preparation can be secured through study and work. We become strong in actual service.

Following individual preparation, we consider the consecration of means and a liberal financial support of the Lord's work as the next essential in providing for aggressive advancement of the gospel of the kingdom in the earth. No business can be aggressive without ample financial support. The greatness and importance of the business measures the financial requirements. The message for this time has no equal in importance; and if we are to render it aggressive, we must contribute to it in proportion to its importance. The Lord is not dependent upon men for the support of his work, for all the gold and silver are his; but he gives his followers the privilege together with the blessing ever associated with giving back to him of his own. The spirit of giving manifested in a man is a true index of his appreciation of the value of God's gifts to him. It is the gospel thermometer of the heart, the measure of faith.

The admonition to Timothy was, “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” We do not claim that “the dividing of truth” here mentioned applies solely to distributing the truth to others; but the lives of Paul and Timothy furnish us good examples worthy of imitation in the circulating of the truth in the then most modern and improved methods. If Paul had lived in our day, he would have had car-loads of literature on land, and ship-loads of it on the high seas. Ought we to be doing less in this far more important time? We are not doing a hundredth part of this kind of work we ought to be doing, for this is distinctly a reading age. People in nearly every country on the face of the globe are more influenced by what they read than by all other sources of information combined.

To illustrate the influence and power of our literature, we cite the complete defeat of a very promising crusade for better Sunday observance in Lincoln, Neb., last October. A few workers with our four little religious liberty tracts in a short time silenced one of the strongest Sunday reformers in the West, and completely spoiled the city for his kind of work. If this literature has the power to so perfectly defeat a local attack, ought it not to be systematically and aggressively circulated under more favorable circumstances? Would it not be more in keeping with our commission to be aggressive in our efforts with it, and not to wait until an attack is made, and we are forced to a defensive effort? Let us be at least as wise as men of the world, who “in time of peace prepare for war.”

There is a wonderful field open to wise, tactful, aggressive work in connection with the meetings of the various organizations, such as the Woman's Christian Temperance Union, Christian Endeavor Society, Epworth League, temperance societies, etc. We are not to hold ourselves aloof from the associations of the people. We are not to meet with them to partake of their ways, customs, and practises, but to encourage them in what they are doing that is right, and, by inspired modesty, tact, and skill, to help the honest to see and to maintain right principles. We have too long held ourselves in reserve in connection with the work of temperance people. We believe in temperance; we practise temperance, and ought to be positive factors in all local temperance organizations, co-operating with them against the evils of intemperance in every legitimate and lawful way. In all these meetings and associations we should be able to say with Paul: “For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more. And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; to them that are without law, as without law (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ), that I might gain them that are without law. To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.”

There is another effective method of aggressive work almost entirely unemployed, which if used by prudent and competent persons would be a great factor in educating the public mind in right principles in matters pertaining to religious liberty and the proper sphere of the church and the state. We refer to prepared articles for the press. These may be original, or compiled from appropriate matter selected from our large stock of literature. It is not a very difficult matter for those of mature judgment to adapt good general matter to the needs of local issues; yet the need of this kind of work at this time is very great.

Personal letters properly written to any one, especially to members of legislatures and prominent men in all professions, are accessible resources of almost unlimited power. The writer had a dream not long since in which it seemed all the children and youth in the community were taking instruction in penmanship and letter-writing. Their teacher appeared to be an angel; but crouching behind each pupil were two little demons availing themselves of every opportunity to prevent development of the pupils. The lesson taught in this scene was that Satan recognizes the power of the pen, and is constantly working to prevent its effectiveness in the giving of the message for this time.

The admonition in the Scripture, “Ask, and ye shall receive,” applies to our petitions to men as well as to God; and we shall have frequent occasions to comply with the instruction of this scripture in petition work. If we make use of our privilege of petition, the word of the Lord, “Ye shall receive,” will be fulfilled to us as surely as we do the work. There are two desirable results accomplished in the petition work. First, it is effective with lawmakers, and second, it binds the petitioners to the principles for which the petition stands. The simple act of attaching his name to a petition intuitively commits that person to the cause for which petition was made. He is far more liable to study into the matter after signing a petition favoring it than he was before he signed. The petition work, therefore, is effectual in that it combines both defensive and aggressive methods of work.

In all human efforts of any lawful work, the most aggressive line, the one that will the quickest yield the most abundant and lasting results, is that of constantly petitioning the throne of God to hold the four winds of heaven until the servants of God are sealed, and to quicken our perceptions of the needs of the hour, and the priceless value of souls. D. W. REAVIS.