THE MOTIVE OF THE GOSPEL.
THE motive power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is love. The Gospel is received by faith; but the power which carries it forward, the power which constrains its ministers and devotees, is love. It is “the Gospel of God,” and “God is love.” It is therefore the Gospel of love. Love can compel only as it wins and molds and changes. When the man yields to the power of love he is a different man, transformed by love. He who yields to force may be, and generally is, of the same opinion after he yields as before. But he who yields to love is changed in the yielding. So he who receives into his heart the Gospel of love is changed thereby to the character of love. Love places in his heart a different motive. Knowing that sin leads to death, that all are sinners doomed to die, he becomes burdened for souls. Like Paul he says, “For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if One died for all, then were all dead. . . . Now then we . . . pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.” This is the message which every truly regenerated soul must in some form bear to the world. He can not help giving it. The love of Christ constraineth him. It will flow from his lips in words of praise and blessing and instruction, from his hands in deeds of helpful kindness, from his heart in soul burden for others’ saving. Force may command him to be silent; with the apostles he will say, “For we can not but speak the things which we have seen and heard.” The growing tree can be checked in its growth only by destruction. The constantly-fed, pent-up waters can not forever be restrained. The constantly-replenished furnace can not confine its heat. The shining sun will lighten even the dark cloud. So he in whose heart the Prince of Life dwells can not keep silent when God bids him speak. As well bind the mighty river or stay the falling rain. God’s Gospel is diffusive. It is for this reason that those who have followed truth, in all ages, who have been faithful to the world, have been zealous in giving to the world the Gospel. Old established religious bodies have ever been prone to find fault with those drinking of the new wine of advanced truth; they cast them out of the synagogs, or turn them out of the churches, denounce them as proselyters, fanatics, troublers; and invoke against them prejudice, prohibition, and persecution. So Elijah was treated, and so other prophets of God in Israel. So Jesus, the Light of the World, was treated by those who should have received Him gladly. John Huss, John Wickliffe, Martin Luther, John Wesley, Roger Williams were all rejected by the majority of their contemporaries, and their message despised. Men celebrate their birth now, build monuments to their memory, but despise and reject the principles which made these men all they were, the principles of believing God and following all the light which was seen. “The path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.” This is true of the faithful Christian in his individual life. It is true of the church of Christ. Her brightest light will shine upon her just before the perfect day shall dawn. That light will shine from the Word of God, from the “more sure word of prophecy,” the light of God shining in the darkness “till the day dawn and the day-star arise in your hearts.” But to-day, as of yore, when men preach Christ’s coming, the coming of the better day, and the needed preparation therefor, also as of old the message is despised, the messengers are rejected. Reader, are you rejecting God’s message? What about that of Rev. 14: 6–14? Is it of God or man? On which side of the message will you be found when He comes?