Our Present Duty by Editor

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D. C. · Oct 29, 1903

Our Present Duty

By Editor

Editorial

Our Present Duty

WE are now called upon to be laborers together with God in a most earnest and practical way. The closing message of salvation through the merits of a crucified Redeemer is to reach every home in every land, and is to be carried even to the homeless ones. Every one of us has an appointed part to act in union with every other believer. Our literature is to be placed in the hands of all the people. The Lord's treasury is to be supplied with needed funds. Workers are to go to unentered fields. A great work is to be done, and it is the duty of every one to act his part. Let us unite heartily in doing our present duty.

Fruitless Branches

FRUIT bearing is the essential condition upon which life is continued to any branch. “Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away.” “He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: . . . if a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.” Life is too precious a thing to be wasted in a mere existence. The life which is given out in fruit bearing is preserved in the lives of others, and he who thus loses it will save it unto life eternal. And since the harvest time is now at hand, the difference is being plainly revealed between the fruitful and the fruitless branches. The Master is now looking for fruit. He is hungry for fruit. We shall disappoint him and seal our own condemnation unless we bear fruit to his glory. “Every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.” Is your life without fruit to God? Tremble at the fate of the fruitless branch. Even at this eleventh hour there is now opportunity for a transformation. Do not delay. Become joined in vital union with the true Vine, and let the heavenly life have free course. Soon the harvest will be past, and the summer will be ended. The fruitless branch will soon be taken away. Its end is to be burned. Be fruitful.

We Are Able

IN the face of the evil report which the ten spies had made concerning the land of Canaan, Caleb said, “Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.” To this courageous exhortation the overwhelming majority replied, “We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we.” Then Caleb declared the ground of his confidence: “Rebel not ye against the Lord, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defense is departed from them, and the Lord is with us: fear them not.” The whole question of success or failure turns upon our relation to the Lord. We are nothing without him, and we can do nothing without him. But when he is with us, we can do all that is included in his purpose for us. His instruction to do a thing has in it the enabling power for doing that very thing, however difficult it may seem to us. When we are under his leadership and are obeying his commands, our belief that he is able will make us able. Discouragement comes when we leave the Lord out of our reckoning, and base our hope of success upon our own ability to meet the difficulties. We need to be often reminded of these principles, and to apply them in our present work. The Lord has called upon us to go up and possess the land in this generation, and over and over again he has promised to supply all our need in meeting the difficulties, which are many and real. We are able to do this work in this brief time because the Lord is with us, and he is able. Let our faith make this real to us. Our murmuring and our unbelief have long hindered the advancement of this message, and it is time for all this to cease. “Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.” The Lord's call is, “Go forward,” and we are able.

The Outlook

THERE has been no time in recent years when the outlook for the speedy triumph of this message has been so hopeful as it is just now. It is true that we face serious difficulties, but it is plain to those who have eyes to see it that the Lord is putting his hand to the work with the purpose to remove the hindrances, and to reveal his power in behalf of his truth and his people. We have believed from the living Word that “there shall be delay no longer,” and now we are beginning to see it. The professed adherents to this movement who have really been standing in opposition to the counsel and the plain providences of God will either be converted or set aside. The many solemn messages of fearful warning and of blessed comfort which have come to us in the recent weeks through the spirit of prophecy indicate that the Lord has a controversy with his people which must be settled at once, and that he plans to lead a company of loyal, obedient soldiers of the cross to the final conflict and victory in our day. In view of this we take courage. We have not hoped and prayed and believed in vain. “We have not followed cunningly devised fables.” Our feet are upon the solid foundation of the truth of God. This advent movement did not originate with men, neither has it been developed through human leadership, and men will not be able to overthrow it. It is a part of the eternal purpose of God as set forth in the scriptures of the prophets, and this third angel's message will do the work of preparing the way of the Lord. To faith's eye the outlook is most encouraging. Let no one be discouraged now, when the glory of the coming day can already be seen. “Be strong and of a good courage.”