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The Motive

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Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jul 4, 1871

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 38, No. 3.

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The Motive.

By Mary E. Guilford

We occasionally meet with those who, professedly, “keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus,” who regard certain requirements as not essential to salvation, and, therefore, wholly ignore them. Do such individuals weigh well the motive that actuates them? Do they realize that their service to God is purely selfish? They yield obedience to God only so far as they think will secure to them eternal life. Vain hope! None will receive eternal life, save those who yield cheerful obedience to their Creator in all things whatsoever he requires of them. If he sees fit to reveal to us certain duties to perform, or crosses to bear, humiliating though they be, we should, with cheerful hearts, immediately lift the cross, and, with alacrity and earnestness, go about the work given us to do. We should never, for one moment, ponder in our hearts the question, Is this necessary? Is this essential to my salvation? We should have a nobler aim, a higher object in view than merely to secure eternal life. Our chief object should be to glorify God. We should esteem it a blessed privilege to do those things which our Heavenly Father would be pleased to have us do.
There is no such thing as non-essentials in the religion of Jesus Christ. When the Lord speaks, it is our duty to obey. Every requirement of God is founded in wisdom, and answers some wise purpose, in refining and fitting up a people to dwell in his holy presence. “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.” Matt. 22: 37. Can we have this supreme love to God without manifesting it? If we love God with all the heart, soul, and mind, will we not obey him? Obedience is the test of love. Be not deceived nor mocked with a false hope. Nothing short of implicit obedience will secure the favor of God. “Not every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of Heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in Heaven.” Matt. 7: 21.
Oh! let us awake to earnestness in this work. Let us take heed to our ways, and be attentive to all the requirements of God. May pure motives underlie all our actions. May we be “steadfast, immovable,” and ever strive to “walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work,” that we may finally, when earth’s toils are over, hear the welcome, “Well done; enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.”
MARY E. GUILFORD.
Castalia, Ohio.