THE GREAT SALVATION by Geo. W. Reaser

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · Mar 27, 1907

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 33, No. 13.

THE GREAT SALVATION

By Geo. W. Reaser

GOD'S MESSENGERS.

"It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe." "And ye shall be witnesses unto Me . . . unto the uttermost part of the earth."

To human instrumentalities is committed the grand work in which angels would joyfully engage. To men is entrusted the high calling of preaching that Gospel wherein is inherent power to save sinners "to the uttermost," for God "hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as the God did beseech you by us; we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God."

Men who are truly called to the work of saving their fellow men, are cooperating with the other agencies of the plan of salvation, for it is written that "we are laborers together with God."

"The office of an ambassador is one of the highest that can be filled by a citizen. He bears a message from the government—a message to which he may not add, and from which he must not subtract. His person is secured by the power of the nation; his words are the words of the nation. He represents in person the honor and dignity of the nation. The grander and stronger the government, the greater is the ambassador. What, then, must be an ambassador of Christ?"

Such an one is "A man of God, The Lord commissioned to make known to men, The eternal counsels in his Master's name, To treat with them of everlasting things; Of life, death, bliss, and wo; to offer terms Of pardon, grace, and peace, to the rebelled; To teach the ignorant soul; to cheer the sad; To bind, to loose with all authority; To give the feeble strength, the hopeless hope; To help the halting, and to lead the blind. "Thus by Jehovah chosen and ordained, To take into his charge the souls of men; And for his trust to answer at the day Of judgment—great plenipotent of heaven, And representative of God on earth— Burning with love to souls unquenchable. "Such is his calling, his commission such; Yet he is humble, kind, forgiving, meek, Easy to be entreated, gracious, mild. Deep-learned in the philosophy of heaven, He searches the causes out of good and ill, Profoundly calculating their effects, Far past the bounds of time; and balancing, In the arithmetic of future things, The loss and profit of the soul to all eternity."

The true minister will not preach himself, but instead, "Christ Jesus the Lord," and the cross of Calvary, for, in the person of Christ, is found

the Most Magnetic Character

in all the universe, and in the revelation of the cross of Christ, the greatest manifestation of love, and thereby the most potent drawing power known to humanity, and conceivable even to Deity.

The always opportune message of the faithful minister is, "Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." Every opportunity of lifting up the Saviour of men, and pointing to the "Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world," may be the last for some judgment-bound soul to hear, and prepare to meet his God. How watchful and earnest should the representative of Christ be, lest, at last, there be found upon his hands the blood of souls that will not wipe away.

His Holy Character.

Perhaps no better description has been penned of the characteristics of the faithful minister than the following inspired words: "Giving no offense in anything, that the ministry be not blamed: but in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in watchings, in fastings; by pureness, by knowledge, by long-suffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned, by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, by honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet true; as unknown, and yet well known, as dying; and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed; as sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing, as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things." "For whether we be beside ourselves, it is to God; or whether we be sober, it is for your cause. For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: and that He died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him that died for them, and rose again."

It is essential in a minister of the word that he believe that which he speaks, as it is written, "I believed, and therefore have I spoken." How weak and inefficient must be the ministry of the one who lacks faith in the message which he delivers. A God-given message, delivered in the full assurance of faith, can not fail to bear fruit, for the record is that "My word . . . shall not return unto Me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it."

Another essential to successful ministry is that the saving and keeping power of the truth presented shall first have been experienced by the messenger.

"The teaching of Christ was the expression of an inwrought conviction and experience, and those who learn of Him become teachers after the divine order. The word of God spoken by one who is himself sanctified thru it has

"a Life-giving Power

that makes it attractive to the hearers, and convicts them that it is a living reality. When one has received the truth in the love of it, he will make this manifest in the persuasion of his manner and the tones of his voice."

The Minister's Charge.

"I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: PREACH THE WORD." Nothing else will suffice in the salvation of men, for it is by the incorruptible "word which liveth and abideth forever," that men are transformed in heart and life, and "born again."

How sad that the word is so seldom preached in these days, when the "old-fashioned method" that brought Pentecostal power, is abandoned for the sensational style which is more pleasing to the carnal heart, the worldly-minded. Are not the times upon us when "men will not endure sound doctrine," and have we not herein discovered the secret of a less degree of power than that which attended the preaching of the Gospel in former times?

The Author of the word says of it: "He that hath My word, let him speak My word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat? saith the Lord. Is not My word like as a fire? saith the Lord; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?" The word of God is power in action, and will accomplish its purpose upon responsive hearts. The living word, delivered in demonstration of the Spirit and power, will bear fruit unto eternal life. Even law-students are advised to become familiar with the Scriptures to the end that, in practise, they may employ sacred quotations to emphasize their strongest appeals to human hearts. How much more essential that the professed messenger of God shall speak God's words, and how infinitely higher the motive and grander the results in the latter instance than in the former. In the one, an earthly case may be won, but in the other, a heavenly and eternal

victory for souls will be gained. Every Gospel worker should heed the injunction, "PREACH THE WORD."

There is possibility, however, of # Handling "the Word Deceitfully," corrupting the same, and in wrestling the Scriptures to the destruction of the dishonest minister. It is always a matter of deep regret to the writer to hear certain scriptures employed to prove a position taken by the speaker, and to know that the quotations so used have no reference whatever to the question under consideration. Such pseudo argument, instead of fortifying the position of the speaker, only weakens his whole discourse. There are ample plain proof-texts to sustain every essential point of Christian doctrine. There is, therefore, no need of straining the Scriptures to bolster up even the truth, and the truth itself may appear weak and faulty if irrelevant scriptures are used in an abortive effort to sustain it.

The whole purpose of the ministry is well expressed by the inspired writer when he says, "I endure all things for the elect's sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory."

The preaching of the word places in the hands of the heaven-sent minister

"the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven,"

but does not give him dominion over the faith of others nor make him a lord over God's heritage. It gives no authority for popery. He should not usurp the place of God, nor seek to exercise authority in the realm of conscience, where God Himself will not intrude authoritatively, but only by the sweet and gentle voice of love and intercession of the Spirit.

"So then neither is he that planteth anything, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase," but "let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God."

While it is true that the minister of the Lord of hosts is the servant of the people, even as Christ "came not to be ministered unto, but to minister," yet it is a lamentable fact that in these days of sacrilegious sentiment, and loose convictions, the Lord's messengers are too lightly esteemed even by their flocks, for such should be held "in reputation," and they "who labor in word and doctrine" should be "counted worthy of double honor" (not worship), and should be esteemed "very highly in love for their work's sake," "for they watch for your souls as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy and not with grief."

Who that scans these lines has not listened to the sound of the Gospel as proclaimed by the living messenger? Mayhap some have neglected heaven-sent opportunities of grace in sitting under the sound of the Gospel; but be assured that God has done His part in sending this agency of the plan of salvation, to succor you from a doom of eternal death. The Lord has called you. Have you refused the gracious call? He has stretched out His hands pleadingly, to help you; have you disregarded the proffered help, set at naught His counsel, and despised all His reproof, in infinite mercy sent? If so, can you blame Heaven when final calamity overtakes you and seals your eternal doom?

Now the Gospel messenger, inspired by the Spirit, wanders to earth's remotest bounds to carry the Gospel, but, by and by, men will wander from sea to sea to hear the gladsome voice of the messengers of peace, but their voices, once spurned, as they lifted up a sin-pardoning Saviour, will offer terms of peace no more; their lips are silent forever in pleading with men, for stern justice, fully merited, will have taken the throne of sweet mercy.

The Faithful Minister's Reward.

It is written of Jesus that "for the joy that was set before Him," He "endured the cross, despising the shame." That joy was the assured prospect of seeing the blood-bought throng before the throne, saved eternally, and surcharged "with joy unspeakable, and full of glory," and knowing that all this bliss could not have been secured to them, and experienced by them, had it not been for His sacrifice,—the price He paid for their redemption. It is written, "He shall see of the travail of His soul, and shall be satisfied." Also in the joy of Christ will be the joy of every true minister.

As a fitting conclusion for this article, I quote the words of the poet, descriptive of the faithful messenger of heaven, as he stands before the throne to hear the welcome applaudit of his Lord.

"O, who can speak his praise! great humble man! He in the current of destruction stood, And warned the sinner of his woes; led on Immanuel's army in the evil day; And, with the everlasting arms embraced Himself around, stood in the dreadful front Of battle high, and warred victoriously With death and hell. And now was come his rest, His triumph day. Illustrious like a sun In that assembly, he, shining from far, Most excellent in glory, stood assured, Waiting the promised crown, the promised throne, The welcome and approval of his Lord. Nor one alone, but many—prophets, priests, Apostles, great reformers, all that served Messiah faithfully, like stars appeared, Of fairest beam; and round them gathered, clad In white, the vouchers of their ministry— The flocks their care had nourished, fed, and saved."