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An Appeal for Unity

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Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · May 21, 1914

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 91, No. 21.

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An Appeal for Unity

By C. M. Babcock

C. M. BABCOCK
THE most effective method that Satan has ever devised by which to retard the work of God is to get discord into the church. It is his studied aim to accomplish this whenever and wherever possible, because he knows that a discordant church is a defeated church. But in order to accomplish his purpose he must find some one whom he may use as an instrument to sound the note of discord. He is declared by the Scripture to be the accuser of the brethren, but he must always have an instrument through whom he may bring his accusations.
As in the garden of Eden he used one of the wisest and most beautiful of God's creatures as a medium through whom to accomplish the ruin of the race, so now he selects as his instruments those who have influence and prestige, if he can enlist them in his cause; and it is surprising how many there are who lend themselves to his purpose of disrupting the church by stirring up strife and discord.
However, Satan does not confine himself to any class or kind, but uses as his agents all who are willing to be used. I do not mean to suggest that any of our dear people deliberately decide to become the agents of Satan to hinder the cause of God; but the devil suggests some seemingly very important reason for making complaint about a brother or a sister in the church, and in their zeal they are determined to bring that brother or sister to account. They carry their criticism and complaints to others, and soon things are in a turmoil, and that church is well on the way to defeat. It makes little difference whether the occasion for the complaint is real or only imaginary; the result is usually the same. Division and discord disrupt and paralyze the church, and destroy its effectiveness as a soul-winning agency.
The church on earth serves two distinct purposes in connection with the great work of soul saving. First, it is God's organized agency for the rescuing of the lost; and second, it serves as the spiritual home of those who have been rescued. The importance of united effort in order to accomplish large results is well established both in the world and in the Bible. As suggestive of the multiplied power of concerted action, we are told in Deut. 32: 30 that one may "chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight." This would seem to indicate that two individuals by uniting their efforts would increase their strength tenfold.
How important, then, that there shall be harmony and unity of effort in every church!
The church of God becomes invincible wherever unity prevails. This is well illustrated in the experience of the early church. When the disciples ceased their strife about who should be the greatest, and all discord was put away, they were clothed with the power of the Holy Spirit, and became a mighty agency in the hands of God for the salvation of men. That period in the history of the church is symbolized in Rev. 6: 2 by a white horse and a rider with a bow in his hand going forth "conquering, and to conquer." On the other hand, history furnishes instance after instance of defeat resulting from internal discord. One of the most notable examples is the overthrow of Jerusalem. Just before and even during the time of the besieging of Jerusalem by Titus, the Jews within the city wasted their provisions, depleted their strength, and destroyed their lives by warring among themselves; and, of course, they were overthrown. To read this bit of history gives one a feeling of sympathy and pity for the folly of their course; but, brethren, let us see to it that in this larger warfare, in which we are engaged in a conflict with the mighty powers of darkness, we do not repeat their folly.
Not only is the church of God shorn of her power for conquest by discord, but it ceases to be a place where God can bring the "little ones" in Christ with safety. What a disappointment it must be to our Heavenly Father when a church so far loses that spirit of love and harmony by which men are to know its members as Christ's disciples, that God can no longer with safety add newborn souls to it.
The supreme purpose of the church is saving men and women. If, then, it fails of its purpose, either because it is shorn of its power to win men and women or because it has become so discordant that God cannot safely add men and women to it, it has no occasion for a further existence. What is your church doing in this matter of soul winning? What are you doing as an individual to win men to God? We are to make this year the banner year of our history in soul saving, and every one must be at it. We must lay aside all our differences and all join in the one great work to which we are called.
Redfield, S. Dak.