Religion at Home | AdventAI

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · Jan 23, 1879

Religion at Home.

It is a painful thought that the prevalence of impiety and infidelity must, to a great extent, be attributed to the defective exhibition of religion in so many of those who, according to their profession, ought to be the salt of the earth, the light of the world. The world is not what it might be, because so few Christians are what they ought to be. It is not that they do not shine on the Sabbath—that they are not devout worshipers in the sanctuary—that they are not the encouragers and supporters of works of faith and labors of love; but that they do not shine at home—that the dove-like spirit, the lamb-like behavior of the lowly Jesus is not apparent in the shop, in the counting-house, the warehouse, and the parlor. There is a preaching of the truth, a proclaiming of the excellency of the knowledge of Christ besides that which is listened to from the pulpit; and there is an eloquence without words, which, though it may not fire, yet enters deep into the soul of man—it is the preaching and the eloquence of Christian conduct. Every Christian, then, whether male or female, can preach the gospel; the humblest, the poorest, the most illiterate and obscure can do this; and daily and hourly preached it must be, if Christianity is to be presented in her beauty and brightness, and to allure, influence, and subdue the godless multitudes around us.

Religion, without a practical exhibition of it, is a mere nonentity, or at best but as a sapless tree, neither beautiful nor useful. There should be a striking contrast between a religious and worldly family—between those recognized as the followers of the Lord and those who live according to the flesh. The contrast should be as apparent, if not as striking, as is seen when we cast our eye on the cheerless and barren heath, and then on the verdant and flowery mead. The description given of believers and unbelievers in the Bible is very marked and forcible: the one is dead, the other alive; the one is darkness, the other is light in the Lord; the one is a forgiven child going to its Father's house, the other a rebel going his own way to perdition.

We readily know with whom we are in the family of unbelievers; a word from the lip, a book on the shelf, a picture on the wall, tell us pretty correctly that here God dwells not. But is the reverse of this true? Do we always as easily know when we are in the dwelling of the faithful? The children of this world do, by almost every word and work, plainly manifest that they are of the earth, earthy; do the disciples of Christ as manifestly evince that they are of heaven, heavenly? Those who serve in the families of the latter should, when departing from it, be able to say, "It was good for us to live there." Alas! how often has a different testimony been borne! There was the form of religion, but little of its reality; the words of prayer were heard, but the kind word of counsel and persuasion was music which seldom fell upon the ear; there was decorum and propriety of manners, but not much of the dissolving and dove-like spirit of Jesus; the voice of praise was heard, but too often the voice chiding, accompanied with severe looks and darkened brows.

Happily this is far from being true of every home; but is it not true of some? We speak that which we know, and testify that which we have seen. Oh! that it were not so, and that every Christian home were one of peace and love, like that of Bethany! then would Jesus come in spirit and abide there, and many would be constrained to exclaim, "How goodly are thy tents, O Israel!" Friends, remember that ye have a Master in heaven, whose all-searching eye is ever upon you. There are also other eyes upon you—the eyes of your unconverted servants, and the eyes of the world. They mark your character as it is daily exhibited in the retirement of your home and in the walks of busy life, and upon the holy traits of your character depend, to an extent beyond what you may imagine, the glory of God, the honor of his cause, and the salvation of men.—Christian Witness.