p. 9 | Searching for the Lost by William Covert

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Nov 14, 1907

Searching for the Lost

By William Covert

WM. COVERT

OUR relation to Christ as sinners saved by grace places us in the field of labor to help in saving other sinners. The gospel of salvation which applies in our redemption, should, like the water that runs the mill, flow on to do the next service that lies in its course. What Paul said of his gospel debt (Rom. 1: 14, 15) is true of every Christian, and his earnest effort to discharge the obligation was no more strenuous than ours should be. In one of his epistles he spoke of thirty-nine reasons (2 Cor. 6: 3-10) that impelled him to work, and said he must not offend or come short in any of these, else the ministry would be blamed. And every point that he mentions, and many more, plead with us to be zealous in our missionary work.

The message is more complex now than when Paul preached in Ephesus or on Mars Hill. The number of false gods which men worship now are more than twice as many as received their devotions then. There are more people in the enemy's ranks now than belonged to his forces then. At no time in the world's history have the hearts of men been set against the truth more than now. Never before were the people as widely distributed over the face of the whole earth as now; and all of them are to be found and told about the coming of the Lord and everlasting life in the home of the saved.

Many of them will believe and obey when they hear the good news, but they must be searched out. The Lord calls those who may be saved through the truth, straying sheep. So he says, “I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out. As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day. And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land.” Eze. 34: 11-13.

A prophet writes concerning the very careful search that is to be made, saying, “I will send for many fishers, saith the Lord, and they shall fish them; and after will I send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain, and from every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks.” Jer. 16: 16. The Lord is not willing that one should perish; therefore every possible effort is to be made in searching for those who are wandering away from the fold.

Those who are most skilled in fishing and most persistent in hunting for souls, are now to be employed in the final work of gathering out the Lord’s jewels from among the vast millions that people the earth. No pains should be spared, nor should anything be left undone that would aid in hastening this great work. All the mercantile and business interests of earth sink into insignificance when compared with the importance of getting the wandering souls out of the darkness and distress of sin into the light and joy of eternal life. Every available person is called upon to search for the lost. Every sea and river must be fished; every mountain and hill must be hunted, and every kingdom and tribe traversed now in finishing this last great work.

As to the time and place of beginning, the reader should understand that now is the time, and the nearest home is the place to begin. The early Christians were instructed to begin at Jerusalem, the place where they dwelt just then. When Jerusalem was worked, they were to enter the provinces nearest to it, and then to spread abroad as rapidly as their success would indicate that the field of labor should be widened. No one will have far to go who begins with the sinner nearest at hand. Begin now.

Chicago, Ill.