A Free Gift by Editor

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D. C. · Sep 10, 1903

A Free Gift

By Editor

Editorial

A Free Gift

THE salvation of God is an absolutely free gift. “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son.” “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” We can not buy salvation either for money or for good works. It is a gift, and can only be had as a gift. To attempt to treat it as a purchase is to lose it altogether. The terms are “without money and without price.” “Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” It is clear that life and salvation can not possibly be purchased, since they are in themselves worth more than all other things combined. There is nothing so valuable to give in exchange for them. If we possess them at all, we must acquire them as a gift. They have cost so much that they can not be sold. To one who offered to buy the gift of God, Peter said: “Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.” To those who are willing to acknowledge that they need this gift, and are willing to receive it as a gift, it is as free as the air that we breathe. “Ask, and it shall be given you.”

Taking the Gift

To know of this gift, and even to know that it is absolutely free for the asking, is not sufficient. It is necessary for us to go further, and actually take the gift. The air which surrounds us is of no benefit to us unless we breathe it. The water which flows so abundantly from the spring does not quench our thirst unless we drink it. The food which is provided for us will not nourish our bodies unless we eat it. So likewise the salvation of God brings deliverance only to those who take hold upon it. And just as the body is provided with organs and members for dealing with the air, the water, and the food, so the Lord has imparted to us the gift of faith with which to receive the gift of salvation. We reach up the hand of faith and take it. We receive it by believing. This is the simplicity of the gospel of Christ. Why should any one reject it?

The Kingdom First

IT is natural for us to put forth our most earnest efforts to secure that which we prize the highest. The thing upon which one has set his heart is the thing to which he gives his best energies. It has always been the plan of Satan to present the things of this world before us in such a desirable light that we shall be induced to make them the first object of our effort. Men wear themselves out in the pursuit of material wealth, but give little thought to eternal realities. The divine teacher recognizes our temporal needs, assures us of the Father’s knowledge of these necessities, but says, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” It requires faith in God and his promises to withdraw from the pursuit of the wealth of the world, and to wait for the coming inheritance. It requires loyalty to principle to forego all the apparent benefits which arise from following the maxims of the world in business affairs, and to do unto others as you would that they should do unto you. It is a test of our confidence in the reality of the Lord’s thought of our daily needs when we place the matter of food and clothing and houses and lands secondary, and give our first thought to seeking the kingdom of God. But there is nothing so valuable in all the universe as righteousness. There is no treasure to be compared with the knowledge of God. There is no possession to be so highly prized as that wisdom which is from above. “She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her.” In these last days there is special danger lest our hearts should be overcharged “with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life,” and so that day should come upon us unawares. We must now apply in a practical way the injunction to seek first the kingdom of God.

A New Day

WE confidently believe that we have come to the dawn of a new day in this movement to warn the world of the soon-coming Saviour. We may now expect to see a new life and power manifested in the giving of this message, and in this new life and power every true believer may share. We have waited and hoped and prayed for this time, and our hearts rejoice at the evidences that it has come. How thrilling and comforting is the thought that the Lord has set his hand to finish this work in our day, and that we may be “laborers together with God” in this closing work. This new day which is now dawning will not close in a night of darkness, but will usher in for the faithful servants of God that perfect day when the promise will be fulfilled, “And there shall be no night there.” Before this new day closes, we shall witness the consummation of all our hopes and expectations, and we shall have the unspeakable joy of seeing face to face “him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood.” The light of this new day will grow brighter and brighter until the earth is lighted with the glory of this message, and the way of the coming King is fully prepared. Blessed prospect! Glorious hope! But the dawning of this new day brings with it added responsibilities, and there is a solemn significance attached to our attitude toward the Lord’s revealed purpose at this time. It is always dangerous to dally and to delay when God’s providence indicates

that we should go forward, but it is doubly so now. It is always perilous to reject any ray of light or to decline any opportunity for service for the Master, but it is doubly so now. This new day of light and glory may become thick darkness to those who fail to recognize the meaning of our present experiences. After years of warnings and entreaties the Lord has spoken by his judgments, and is now calling for a response from those who recognize and fear him. We are beginning to experience the meaning of the promise, “There shall be delay no longer,” and it applies to our relation to God, as well as to his relation to us. Happy are those who recognize this, and hasten to follow in the way of the Lord’s leading. At this dawning of the new day let us each watch for the glory of the soon-coming King.