The Spirit of Sacrifice.
By Ellen G. White
Who will follow the example of his Lord in self-sacrifice and disinterested benevolence, to save his fellow-men? There are young men and women and those of middle age who have had experience in the truth, but do not advance in the divine life and increase in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and they do not know the cause. One cause of their lack of spiritual strength, and of their not being full-grown men and women in Christ is, they are not workers with Christ. If they would work for Jesus, their sympathies would be brought in close union with Christ, and they would grow in him, their living head, and have a better understanding of the nature of his work and of his sacrifice for man; and would place that estimate upon souls proportionate to the value of the price Christ has paid for man. There are a large number who, if they would come near enough to God by entire consecration, would hear his voice saying, Go labor in my vineyard, and ye shall receive your wages by-and-by. Many are not sufficiently aroused to their duty to do the work they might do if they would, and that they do not do because they have not the spirit of sacrifice. God will hold such accountable for the souls of their fellow-men. They might have done a good work in union with Christ, and they will be called to render an account for the good to souls they could have done and did not. We are not, as a people, sufficiently aroused to the short time in which we have to work, and we do not understand the magnitude of the work for the time. The night soon cometh, in which no man can work. Satan is earnest, zealous, and persevering in his work. If he fails to accomplish his purpose the first time, he tries again. He will try other plans, and work with great perseverance to bring in various temptations to ensnare souls. He never becomes so discouraged as to let souls entirely alone. If the zeal and perseverance of Christ’s followers in their efforts to save souls were equal to Satan’s efforts to deceive them to their eternal loss, we should see hundreds embracing the truth where we now see one. God calls for men and women to qualify themselves, by consecration to his will and earnest study of the Scriptures, to do his special work for these last days. He calls for men now who can work. As they engage in the work in sincerity and humility to do all they can, they will be obtaining a more thorough experience. They will have a better knowledge of the truth and better know how to reach souls and help them just where they need to be helped. Workmen are needed now, just now, to labor for God. The fields are already white for the harvest, and yet laborers are few. There are those among us who could work if they were awake to the wants of the cause, and were willing to bear burdens. God calls for men and women, who are followers of Christ, to volunteer to work under his dictation to rescue souls from ruin. All who engage in the work of presenting the truth to others must have true courtesy, and Christian politeness, and sincere love for souls, so as to make, not general efforts merely, but personal efforts. As a people, we have been asleep as to our duty in regard to getting the light before those of other nations. Is it because God has excused us, as a people, from having any burden or special work to do for those of other tongues that there are no missionaries to-day in foreign countries? Why is this negligence and delay? There are those of superior minds in many other nations whom God is impressing with the lack of spirituality and genuine godliness in the Christian denominations of the land. They cannot harmonize the life and character of professed Christians generally with the Bible standard. Many are praying for light and knowledge. They are not satisfied. God will answer their prayers through us, as a people, if we are not at such a distance from him that we cannot hear his voice, and so selfish that we do not wish to be disturbed in our ease and agreeable associations. We are not keeping pace with the opening providence of God. Jesus and angels are at work. This cause is onward, while we are standing still and being left in the rear. If we would follow the opening providence of God, we should be quick to discern every opening, and make the most of every advantage within our reach, to let the light extend and spread to other nations. God, in his providence, has sent men to our very doors and thrust them, as it were, into our arms, that they might learn the truth more perfectly, and be qualified to do a work we could not do in getting the light before men of other tongues. We have too often failed to discern God’s hand, and we have not received the very ones God had provided for us to work in union with, and act a part in sending the light to other nations. There has been a slothful neglect, and a criminal unbelief among us as a people which has kept us back from doing the work God has left us to do in letting our light shine forth to those of other nations. There is a fearfulness to venture out and to run risks in this great work, fearing that the expenditure of means would not bring returns. What if means are used and yet we cannot see that souls have been saved by it? What if there is a dead loss of a portion of our means? Better work and keep at work than to do nothing. You know not which shall prosper, this or that. Men will invest in patent rights and meet with heavy losses, and it is taken as a matter of course. But in the work and cause of God, men are afraid to venture. Money seems to them to be a dead loss that does not bring immediate returns when invested in the work of saving souls. The very means that is now so sparingly invested in the cause of God, and that is selfishly retained will, in a little while, be cast with all idols to the moles and to the bats. Money will soon depreciate in value very suddenly when the reality of eternal scenes opens to the senses of man. God will have men who will venture anything and everything to save souls. Those who will not move until they can see every step of the way clearly before them, will not be of advantage at this time to forward the truth of God. There must be workers now who will push ahead in the dark as well as in the light, and who will hold up bravely under discouragements and disappointed hopes, and yet work on with faith, with tears and patient hope, sowing beside all waters, trusting the Lord to bring the increase. God calls for men of nerve, of hope, faith, and endurance, to work to the point. If Christ saw that the souls of men were so precious that he could leave the royal courts and humble himself to humanity, in order to help man in his darkness, and to finally die for him, how ought we to feel for one another who have been made subjects of the grace of God, and partakers of this great salvation. I say to you, my brethren, in the fear of God, that we do not place a just estimate upon souls for whose redemption Christ paid so great a price. Christ and angels are ready to work with our efforts, if we will work with love, simplicity, and faith. Our publications should be printed in different languages and sent to every civilized country, at any cost. What is the value of money at this time, in comparison with the value of souls? Every dollar of our means should be considered as the Lord’s, not ours; and as a precious trust from God to us; not to be wasted for needless indulgences, but carefully used in the cause of God, in the work of saving men and women from ruin.