Duty of Believers by D. F. Quinby

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Dec 2, 1873

Duty of Believers.

By D. F. Quinby

It is the duty of believers to give a reason for the faith they hold and the hope that is in them, to every one that asketh them. And this is to be done with all simplicity and godly sincerity; not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, which may be understood two ways, so that no one will know on which side of any question they may stand; but in such unequivocal language as shall be fully understood even by the careless hearer. If he shall use ambiguous terms, what benefit shall he be to others? But if, on the contrary, he uses Scripture phrases as far as it is consistent, he is more likely to convince the unbelieving, and bring him to see the truth and feel its saving power.

The confession of our faith, before a sinful world, is designed by the Holy Spirit, to affect the heart and life of the hearer, and if heartily and faithfully made, will be brought, by the influence of that Spirit home upon the hearts of sinners, to convince them of sin and to make them feel that its consequences will be destruction and death to all their fond hopes of life and immortality if they continue in sin and wrong-doing. And thus they are constrained to cast about them for a way of escape from the danger that lies in their pathway. And then the expression of a joyful hope, through Christ the merciful Redeemer, comes in, to show the remedy and to lead forward the awakened sinner to the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world.

Then there is a clear revealing of the temptations and trials that beset the path, by which one who is not fully staid on the living God may lose his balance, fall from his steadfastness, and be overwhelmed by the powers of darkness which are ready to bewilder and destroy those who are not grounded in the truth. Then is brought forth the security of the faithful, confiding child, who calmly trusts all to Him who is able to save to the uttermost all who come unto God by him. How gloriously this man stands in the time of the greatest commotion. He is founded on a Rock which the gates of hell shall not prevail against. His rock is Christ. He has built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ being the chief cornerstone.

All this, and more is brought out in the clear testimony of the faithful child of God, until the wayfaring man need not err, but may start and run in the race for the eternal crown, with the full consciousness that the crown of life and immortality are attainable, and that they will be given by the Lord, the righteous Judge, in that day. Here is, then, the work, and the incentive to work, until Paradise is regained, and eternal life is given.

D. F. QUINBY.