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The Gospel Motive

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Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Jun 28, 1883

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 9, No. 25.

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The Gospel Motive.

(Concluded.)
13. TO SUFFER with Christ. "Rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy." "For if we suffer, we shall also reign with him." "If so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together." 1 Pet. 4:13; 2 Tim. 2:12; Rom. 8:17.
14. To watch and pray. "Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man." "Be like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; . . . blessed are those servants, whom the Lord when he cometh shall find watching." But "If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee." Luke 21:36; 12:36, 37; Rev. 3:3.
15. Moderation. "Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand." Phil. 4:5.
16. To induce us to fear the Lord, think upon his name, and speak often one to another. "Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him." Mal. 3:16, 17.
17. Love to the brethren. "The Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you: to the end he may stablish your hearts unblamable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints." 1 Thess. 3:12, 13.
18. Comfort under bereavement. "I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him." Besides this I affirm to you, by the command of the Lord, that we the living, who remain at the coming of the Lord, shall not anticipate them who are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from Heaven, with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Afterwards, we, the living who remain, shall at the same time with them, be caught up in clouds to join the Lord in the air: and so we shall be forever with the Lord. 1 Thess. 4:13-18. Paul would not have his brethren ignorant of the hope based upon the resurrection from the dead, for he would not have them sorrow under the bereavement of friends, as those who are without hope. For as certain as that Christ died and rose again from the dead, so certain is it, that them that sleep in Jesus will God bring with him from the grave, the place of the dead. He then assures them that, although they might be alive at the second coming of Christ, they should not go before, or anticipate (see McKnight's trans.), or outstrip (Whiting's) their brethren who are asleep in the grave; and gives as a reason, the fact that Christ himself will come from Heaven in person, and then he will change us who are alive, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, and we shall all go up together in the clouds to meet Jesus, and then we shall be no more separated from him—no, nor our friends—and Paul exhorts us to comfort one another in our bereavement, with this blessed hope. God will bring them up from the grave; though dead, they shall live again, when Christ comes.
From this array of Scripture, it is evident to all that the motive by which those who preach the gospel are to enforce obedience to its claims, to its requirements, and duties to God and man, is Christ's second coming, or those events connected or dependent upon his coming.
If this be so (and who, I ask in all candor, is prepared to dispute it), then, I ask, if we present other motives than those founded in the gospel, are we not assuming the prerogatives of Christ? Are we not taking the seat of the Man of Sin? Are we not taking the false teachers of these last days, spoken of by the prophets, by Christ, and the apostles? Are we not, in the strictest sense, Antichrist? In fine, are we not preaching another gospel than Christ's?
And what shall we say to such? What saith the Scriptures to such? for we would stand aside and let God speak.
"To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." Isa. 8:20.
And Paul says: "Though we, or an angel from Heaven, preach any other gospel unto you, than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If ANY man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed." Gal. 1:8, 9.
God help us, my brethren, to avoid this curse. Oh, let us examine into this matter, and see whether we are preaching another gospel, or enforcing the claims of the gospel of Christ by other motives than those chosen by Christ. And if so, God help us to repent and submit to Christ; and, as he commanded Jonah, go and preach to the people the preaching that he bids us. Jonah 3:2. Let us forsake all, leave all, turn from our own ways and the traditions of men, and follow Christ.
And do you ask, What is following Christ in this respect? Let Christ himself answer.
"And he saith unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord suffer me first to go and bury my father. Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury the dead, but go thou and preach."—Preach what? That men should prepare for death? No; but preach—"The kingdom of God." Luke 9:59, 60.
Then "Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel (good tidings) of the kingdom of God, and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye and believe the good tidings." Mark 1:14, 15.
Paul "went into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space of three months, disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God. But when divers [many] were hardened, and believed not, but spake evil of that way before the multitude"—What way? Why, disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God. That is, because he would preach the coming and kingdom of Christ, as the motive to induce men to repent and believe on Christ, &c., the church was displeased with it. Well, what did Paul do? Read on. He went out of the church and took all the disciples with him, over and hired a school-room where Tyrannus taught school. And God blessed him richly, and wrought special miracles by his hands. Acts 19:8-12.
Thus did Paul, rather than to cease preaching Adventism—the coming and kingdom of Christ—as the great motive to induce men to yield and to accept the claims of the gospel. And so, my brethren, let us go and preach the preaching Christ has bid us—"The kingdom of God." Go into the churches and preach it; and when they become hardened, and believe not, but speak evil of this doctrine before the multitude, come out from them, leave the church, and take the disciples with you, and go and hire a school-house, hall, or the barn, or go into the street; anywhere, rather than yield the motive of the gospel—than preach "another gospel" than Christ's coming and kingdom.
God commands you by this example of Paul to come out (and remember his will made known by example is as binding as though made known by precept) and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness; obey him, and he will bless you abundantly, as he did Paul, and bring you safely through, justify and crown you, and give you the kingdom.
And now, my brethren, I exhort you to be faithful—"preach the word"—"go, preach the kingdom of God." Fear not; God will protect you in the path of duty. And what your hands find to do, do with your might—do quickly—for Jesus our Lord is coming, and coming quickly, to give reward to his faithful servants.
Sinner! awake! awake!! repent. The Lord is coming, with all his mighty angels, to take vengeance on the wicked. Oh, sinner, flee to Christ—believe in him—lay hold on eternal life—quickly, quickly! or soon it will be too late.
The last sands of time are falling. The last woe comes quickly. Soon, soon the opening heavens will reveal Him. God help us all to be ready when he comes, to share with him in the glories of his everlasting kingdom. Amen.—Advent Tract, No. 2.