How Can It Be Done?

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Jan 13, 1898

How Can It Be Done?

—Our enterprising contemporary, the Christian Citizen, of Chicago, in its December issue says:—

“The Christian Citizenship League is organized in the interest of applied Christianity. It does not aim directly at the conversion of souls. That is distinctively the work of the church. The League of course believes in the conversion of individual men. It wants that work to go on—the more of it the better. But its existence is made necessary by the fact that the State is a divine institution and must be made to do the will of God and by the belief that it is not necessary to wait till all men are individually converted before that end can be attained.”

How can the State “be made to do the will of God”? The State is not a person; it can not believe; but “without faith it is impossible to please God.” Heb. 11:6. It was asked of Jesus, “What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?” and His answer was, “This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom He hath sent.” John 6:28, 29. This is the only way by which men can do God’s will. To do His will must ever be a matter of choice, the motive of which is faith and love. “The State is a divine institution” only in the sense that government is ordained of God. The Russian State is as much “a divine institution” as the government of England. See Jer. 27:4-8; Dan. 4:17, 32.