p. 280 | The Gospel Motive

Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Jun 21, 1883

The Gospel Motive.

CHRIST is the head of the church. "God gave him to be the head over all things to the church." Eph. 1:22. He is that Prophet of whom Moses spake, saying, "A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that Prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people." Acts 3:22, 23.

Hence, on the mount of transfiguration, there came a voice from the cloud that overshadowed them, saying, "This is my beloved Son: HEAR HIM." Luke 9:35.

Christ is our Prophet, Priest, and King. As such it is his prerogative,

1. To make known his will. He has spoken and made known, not only his own, but also his Father's will.

2. It is his prerogative to select the motives by which to induce obedience to his will. If we deny this, we deny his official character—his authority and his right.

3. He knew what motives were best calculated to induce obedience to his will, and to lead men to repent of their sins, to believe in Jesus, and thereby secure eternal life. To suppose otherwise is to impeach his wisdom.

4. Those motives best calculated to glorify God and save men from perdition, have been selected by him. To doubt this is an impeachment of his goodness. Hence, if we would stir up, comfort or strengthen his people, and lead them to be holy, faithful and active in his cause, or alarm sinners and lead them to lay hold on the hope set before them in the gospel, this must be the motive presented to induce them to do so.

5. To present other motives to enforce the claims of the gospel, than those chosen by Christ is—

(a) To prefer our own to Christ's wisdom. (b) To take the place, and assume the sole prerogative of Christ. (c) It is downright rebellion against Christ. (d) It is to preach a gospel of our own, and not the gospel of Christ. (e) Finally, it is, strictly, the worst form of antichrist.

6. From these considerations, we perceive that it is important to know what is the motive of the gospel. and when known, to preach it and be governed by it in all things, leaving the result with God. For when we preach the gospel and enforce it by the motives Christ has given, he alone is responsible for the results. But if we enforce it by motives of our own, we assume the responsibility ourselves for so doing, and also for the results.

We pass to inquire, what is the motive of the gospel? We answer negatively,—

1. It is not a preparation for death. God nowhere exhorts men to repent or believe because they must die, or as a preparation for death.

2. It is not the conversion of the world. Never is this presented as a motive to induce his people to be holy, or faithful, or active in his cause, nor to lead sinners to repent and believe. For it is evident to all acquainted with the laws by which the mind is governed, that an effect directly opposite would be produced.

3. It is not eternal, conscious being in misery. For such a motive, instead of producing love to God, most invariably produced its opposition—hatred.

And yet many, very many, use these motives to enforce the claims of the gospel. Such, I would ask, in the language of Paul, "Despisest thou the riches of God's goodness and forbearance and longsuffering not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth men to repentance?" Then it is clear that neither of the above can claim to be the motive of the gospel. But affirmatively,—

It is the second coming of Christ in power and great glory, or some event directly and intimately connected with his coming, such as the Judgment, the resurrection, or the setting up of his kingdom, etc. This is, and ever has been, the great motive of the gospel. This is the object on which the eye of faith has ever rested, and to which the anticipation of the church is directed, both in the Old and New Testaments.

"Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his saints," or holy ones. Job in his affliction cried out, "I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth."

Thus has it ever been with the saints in all ages. So when the disciples of Christ went forth to preach the gospel at his first advent, this we find was the motive presented to enforce its claims upon the children of men.

1. To induce repentance. It is recorded of John, the forerunner of Christ, Matt. 3:2-5, that he came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, Repent. Why? because you must die? No—but mark!—"For the kingdom of heaven is at hand." The word rendered "at hand," is eggike, which means approacheth, and is so rendered by George Campbell and others. The word meaning nigh, or impending, never was used by Christ or the apostles with reference to the proximity of the kingdom in their day. For Christ "added and spake a parable, because . . . they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear," and said it was like a certain nobleman, that went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return. Luke 19:11, 12.

Also Paul wrote to the Thessalonians, who had imbibed the idea that Christ would come in their day, and said, "Be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is AT HAND." 2 Thess. 2:2. The word here used is, enesteken, which signifies immediately near, upon, or impending.

Hence John exhorts men to repent, because the kingdom of God approacheth. This is an event connected with and depending upon Christ's coming. As Paul says, "Christ shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and kingdom." From which we learn that the Judgment, the appearing, and the kingdom of Christ, are contemporary events, and that the motive used by John to induce repentance, was an event connected with the coming of Christ.

After John was cast into prison, "Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent; for [because] the kingdom of heaven approacheth." Matt. 4:12, 17; Mark 1:14, 15.

The first recorded sermon of Peter, after the day of Pentecost, presents the same features. He says, "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; and he [God] shall send Jesus Christ," to restore all things. Acts 3:19-21. The motive here is the sending of Jesus to restore all things.

From the above scriptures it is evident that the motive to induce repentance is the coming and kingdom of Christ.

2. Love to Christ. "If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha," which interpreted signifies "accursed when the Lord comes." 1 Cor. 16:22. The idea is borrowed from the customs of the Jews. Under the Jewish law there were many crimes punishable with death, which is inflicted upon the persons as soon as convicted; but when the Jews were brought into subjection to the Romans, they lost the power of life and death. When, therefore, a person committed any crime that would before have been punished with death by the Jewish law, the Jews anathematized him, in expectation that Christ would at his coming inflict the same penalty.

3. To abide in Christ. "Now, little children, abide in him; that when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming." 1 John 2:28.

4. To do good to the poor. "When thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind, and thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee." How shall be recompensed, and when? "For thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just." When the just raised? At Christ's second coming. Luke 14:13, 14, and Matt. 25:34, 46.

5. To keep his commandments. "Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city." Rev. 22:14.

6. To induce diligence and holy living. "Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things [what things? The melting of the heavens and earth, and burning up the works therein, and the creation of a new heavens and earth], be diligent, that ye be found of him in peace, without spot and blameless." 2 Pet. 3:14.

7. That we may set our affections on and seek the things that are above. "Seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affections on things above, not on things on the earth. For . . . when Christ who is our life shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory." Col. 3:1-4.

8. To hold fast your confidence. "Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward." "For yet a little while and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry." Heb. 10:35, 37.

9. Patience. "Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts; for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh." James 5:8.

10. To meet together often, and exhort one another. "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is, but exhorting one another; and so much the more as ye see the day approaching." Heb. 10:25.

11. To confess Jesus and his truth. "Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels." Mark 8:38,

12. To forsake all for Christ. "Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore? And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration (renovation, Camp trans., or restitution of all things) when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." Matt. 19:27, 28; Phil. 3:7, 16.

(To be Concluded)