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IN ALL THE WORLD

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Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Feb 20, 1900

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 77, No. 8.

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IN ALL THE WORLD.

By J. G. Wilson

J. G. WILSON. (Dafter, Mich.)
“Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature,” is the great commission given to every one who believes the gospel, the good news, the glad tidings. No one is excused.
This is a lost world; and although nearly nineteen centuries have passed since Jesus Christ “tasted death for every man,” and commissioned his followers to tell the good news to every creature, yet a thousand million human beings remain in ignorance of their emancipation! The good news of their salvation is due to every one of them. Their sins, as well as ourswere all laid on Christ, who paid the full ransom for all; yet they do not know it.
Generation after generation of believers has passed away, and has done something to enlighten the world; but who believes that all has been done that could have been accomplished? Instead of a deep conviction that the “King’s business requireth haste,” many have acted as if there were no need of haste; and as the result, many for whom the Saviour died will be lost.
The church has not done her work but in part, and now we stand on the very threshold of the twentieth century, with two thirds of the world in almost total darkness before us! The accumulated light and knowledge of ages are ours to give to others, yet we hesitate. Our responsibility is greater than that of any other generation, yet we are slow to act.
True, something is being done, but only a shadow of what remains to be accomplished. The Earl of Shaftesbury says: “During the latter part of these eighteen centuries it has been in the power of those who hold the truth, having means enough, having knowledge enough, having opportunity enough, to have evangelized the globe fifty times.” Yet it has not been evangelized once. The work is yet to be done, and we are the generation that must do it. The ones we are to help are those who are now living. Unless we act, I fear that our portion will be with the slothful servants—the unfaithful stewards.
Look at Africa, with her multitude of benighted sons and daughters. Look at India and China and other dark lands, with their millions still in ignorance, superstition, and night. These, all our brothers, O fellow Christian, lost! Think of the present generation that will certainly perish unless you and I do our duty.
Christians give annually about fifteen million dollars for missions, while the ignorant, poverty-stricken worshipers in China give one hundred and thirty million dollars in sacrifices to gods that can not save. Do they not put us to shame by their liberality? Is it saying too much to say that the heathen of all lands have been, and are being, cheated out of their dues, in a measure, at least, by the church? Are we not debtors to all who are ignorant of the way of life? Their poverty in spiritual things is due, in part, to our withholding what belongs to them.
Jesus Christ impoverished himself to make us rich spiritually, but we impoverish others spiritually to make ourselves more comfortable temporally. We do this by withholding what belongs to the lost ones. The knowledge we enjoy belongs equally to them, and they have a right to it—“Thou shalt not steal.” We keep back the good news; they die for want of it—“Thou shalt not kill.”
We can not all go abroad and preach the good news, but we can all help to send every one who can go. Think of our plenty, and of their poverty, and come, let us follow Christ.
Who will take part in this great work? The obligation rests upon us, and the lost ones are looking and calling for help. Can we turn our hearts again from the great work to selfish ease and comfort? Can we close our ears to the piteous plea of the lost and perishing? Christ can not, those who are Christ’s will not.
Do not shrink from sacrifice. Let us remember that as we deal with our fellow men, we deal with Jesus Christ. Our love for Christ is measured by our love for our fellow men. Shall we not make an absolute surrender of all to Christ now? Shall we not all move forward as one man, doing all we can for the salvation of souls? Let the church be again a fire in the earth: the ministers baptized with the Holy Ghost, and endued with power from on high, and, thus equipped, go into all the world, telling the good news to every creature.