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Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Oct 22, 1914

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 91, No. 44.

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EDITORIALS

By Editor

The Power of the Gospel

A PUBLIC profession of Christianity, witnessed by a Christ-filled life, is the strongest testimony which can be afforded to the world of the power of the gospel. From many quarters the cry is going up today that Christianity has proved a failure, because its advocates fail to exemplify its principles in their lives. The world judges Methodism today not so much by its articles of creed as by the fruit which Methodism bears in the lives of its members. It will judge Seventh-day Adventists in the same way. It is not by the proportions of our buildings of brick and mortar, the machinery of our organization, nor even yet by the amount of our contributions, which are by no means any too liberal, that the world at large will judge this movement. It will look at the character of the fruit which this movement brings forth in the lives of those connected with it. "Christ in you, the hope of glory"—this is Christianity.
The loud cry of the third angel's message will not consist in proclaiming the truth in trumpet tones, in sensational or spectacular methods of religious work, nor yet alone in giving world-wide publicity by tongue and pen to principles which we hold. The loud cry of this message will find its wellspring in the reign of righteousness which will exist in the hearts of the believers. We may widely circulate truth-filled literature; but if we do it with unconsecrated hearts, our efforts will fail of that large, full fruitage which God desires them to bear.
"Be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the Lord." This is the word of God to this people. Our primary need is more of Christ in the life, an infilling of the Holy Spirit. The need of this movement in the days to come, in the crises through which it will be called upon to pass, will be for men and women who know what Israel ought to do. We need to pray more, to study the Word more earnestly, to consecrate ourselves more fully to the service of God.
In this experience is our only hope, and in this experience is the hope and ultimate success of this movement. Indeed, if we fail to gain this experience, God will raise up others to take our places in order that his word may go untrammeled, and that those whom he chooses as his representatives may reflect in their own lives the principles of the gospel message which they bear to the world.