For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.
No one lives or dies for himself alone, but in both life and death belongs to the Lord, who took humanity, died and rose to be Lord of the living and the dead and open eternal life to believers. This expresses a law that holds in heaven and on earth, that no created being lives to itself, for God is the source and center of all life to whom service and allegiance belong. Every person is therefore bound to God and to the whole human family, invested through Christ with an influence that cannot be kept isolated but shapes others for good or evil toward heaven or away from it. To belong to the Lord is to surrender self wholly, to copy Christ who left heaven to do good and save the perishing, bearing fruit by reproducing His character in others. The Christian life is thus a life of unselfish service, sharing light, truth and talents to win souls and strengthen others rather than seeking self-gratification.
Wording and Accountability
No one lives only for himself and no one dies only for himself, for in life and in death each person belongs to the Lord. Christ lived and died and rose again in humanity in order to be Lord of both the living and the dead, and His death in humanity's place makes eternal life possible for those who believe in Him. Human life is precious to God because Christ purchased it by dying in man's stead, and through Him immortality may be attained.
No man means no woman as well, so the statement covers every person. Each one has an individual and personal work to perfect Christian character and to improve the talents entrusted by God. That improvement includes pleasant words and speech, with no cross, hasty, or passionate speeches, so as to bring joy and happiness into the lives of others. Each has a part to act in God's work in the world, and acting that unselfish part is necessary in order to receive a place in the city of God.
Religion is an individual work in which no one lives to himself and no one can remain neutral. Everyone who accepts Christ and sees the binding claims of God's law must take a decided stand and confess the Lord as helper, knowing the only true God and Jesus Christ whom He sent. Heart, mind, and life must be consecrated to God's service, with every thought and plan kept in harmony with His expressed will and obedience to every word proceeding from His mouth. In this way each becomes more and more efficient as a laborer together with God, thereby securing God's grand promise and enjoying every blessing with His favor.
No one's actions are without effect on others, yet God alone knows the full extent of each person's responsibility and influence. Influence may appear greater or smaller than it really is and is not always as it appears, but it calls for all a person can give, requiring each to use God-given abilities, do his best, and answer to God. People of every age, circumstance, and position carry influence and serious responsibility. Therefore no one can live carelessly, self-indulgently, or for self and be counted worthy of eternal life.
If a person dies, he dies for himself and bears the result of his own course, suffering the ills that follow violation of the laws of his own being. No one can do as he pleases with the body, for the body is God's property. It is personal duty to study the laws that govern human life and to conform to them, since ignorance in these things is sin. The right course is to live for the future eternal life and to die in Christ.
Heaven's Unselfish Order
No created life was meant to live to itself, for this is a law of God operating both in heaven and on earth. God is the great Center from whom all life proceeds and to whom all service, homage and allegiance belong, and the principle of life for every created being is dependence upon Him and cooperation with Him. To live for self opposes this order.
The fellowship of the pure family in heaven was to be reproduced in the family of God on earth. Adam, under God, was to stand at the head of the earthly family to maintain the unselfish principles of the heavenly family, and this would have kept peace and happiness.
Satan determined to oppose this law because he desired to live for self and to make himself a center of influence. That self-seeking brought rebellion in heaven.
When humanity accepted that self-centered principle it brought sin upon earth. When Adam sinned, humanity broke away from its heaven-ordained center, Satan placed his throne where God's throne should have been and became the central power in the world, receiving the world's willing homage as an offering laid at the feet of the enemy. Sin, which is transgression of the law, has made the atmosphere of the world like a pesthouse, bringing universal disorganization and hostility against God's law.
Apart from the selfish human heart, created things still serve other life and show the law of giving written into creation. Plants, animals, the sea and the mists sustain and bless one another in testimony to God's love, though sin has marred creation.
Through Christ God works to restore people to their relation with their Creator and to this heaven-ordained principle. God sent His Son as the remedy for sin, clothing divinity with humanity so that humanity might touch humanity and divinity grasp divinity. Christ alone could stand amid that selfishness to bring in God's principles of rule, live God's law in humanity, counterwork Satan, and call men of every nation, country and clime to return to their center by accepting God as Creator and Christ as Redeemer to receive heaven's choicest gifts. The gospel in the hearts and hands of His followers is the power to accomplish this restoration, restoring His moral image in man, stemming hostility, remedying disorganization and drawing men together in unity, while by becoming subject to Satan's misrepresentations Christ exposes Satan as the cause of disloyalty and forever settles the great controversy between Christ and Satan. In that gospel work different instrumentalities must not be separated from each other, and selfishness introduced in any degree into ministerial or medical work breaks this law of God.
The same law embraces reciprocal dependence and influence belonging to God's benevolent design for every branch of His work, joining people together for good or for evil, and it must be recognized and obeyed. No one lives in isolation, for every person is under influence that can lead toward good or evil and in turn affects others as a gift for which he is responsible. Satan has seized this chain of dependence to draw men together to destroy God's image in man and to counterwork the gospel by perverting its principles, uniting his forces for perdition in a confederacy to be bound in bundles to be burned, while the unity of God's chosen people is terribly shaken. As Lucifer's influence first led angels away from loyalty and still with his angels opposes God's work for human salvation, God provides a remedy above all earthly influences, corrective, uplifting and ennobling, to bind His followers together as a power for good, with gospel workers elevated and sanctified and yoked with Christ as laborers together with God, each acting his part while all cherish dependence on Christ as the great Head.
Universal Power of Influence
No one lives or dies in isolation, for through the gift of Christ every person is invested with an influence that binds him to God and to the whole human family. Each is part of a greater whole under mutual obligations, linked to the universe by personal influence, so that no one can be independent of others because the well-being of each affects the rest. It is God's purpose that His children live in mutual dependence and relationship, that each feel himself necessary to the welfare of others and pledge himself to promote their happiness and work for it. Every word exerts influence and every action carries responsibility, and one consecrated to Christ becomes a channel of His love cooperating with heavenly intelligences, finding greater happiness by imparting happiness to others and transmitting a current of vital influence when connected with God. The test of blessedness is the capacity to receive, appropriate, and impart the wisdom and grace of Christ, who shows the right use of influence by drawing people to Himself and living to do His Father's will, in contrast to making one's own will and way supreme.
Every life, word, action, appearance, conduct, and expression exerts influence for good or for evil upon those around. That influence shapes character and bears fruit that either advances others toward heaven or draws them away from God, calling for a solemn life that benefits others rather than harming them and for growing earnestness in using abilities in Christ's service. Each person composes part of the great web of humanity with influence and responsibility toward others, entrusted through Christ with light and a measure of power to shine forth to the world and to seek the welfare of others. This requires drawing nigh to God daily and hourly, contemplating the life and work of Christ, denying self, taking up the cross and following Jesus as the Pattern, and practicing the truth preached.
Every life either brightens and cheers others like a light leading upward to happiness and immortal life, or harms them like a destructive storm and desolating tempest leading downward to sorrow, despair, and ruin. Those who strengthen or stir up evil in others share in their sin, and no one perishes alone in iniquity. Even a thoughtless word or light treatment of moral cautions can find response in unsanctified hearts and affect a soul's eternal destiny, however small or contracted the sphere.
Influence works consciously and unconsciously and even without intent, for each soul is surrounded by an atmosphere that others constantly breathe in at home and abroad. That atmosphere spreads outward to bless or harm many, as faith, courage, hope, and love benefit all met, while discontent, selfishness, and cherished sin harm them. Evil influence spreads and adds to the harm passed on to those who come later, while those guided by the Holy Spirit send out an influence that leads to life. Therefore care is needed for how words and life affect others, especially those struggling with temptation and evil, offering hopeful words that encourage and strengthen rather than discouraging them and turning them from Christ and the truth.
Influence once set in motion cannot be gathered up and buried at death but is perpetuated in followers, like thistle-seed borne everywhere taking root and yielding an abundant harvest. Impulsive acts, thoughts, and words sow seeds that bear a harvest in full sight of the heavenly universe and leave an impression on human hearts. Remarks once planted in minds by ministers and those in responsible positions cannot be gathered up again, for under temptation they can set in operation a train of circumstances with unintended results, while what bears heaven's endorsement yields precious fruit. Every action, word, and thought can lead either to good fruit or to bitterness and harm, so those in responsible positions must consider the effects they set in motion, and God's servants must not mix secular politics with sacred service. Therefore every talent of influence must be guarded with watchful care by studying and practicing the life of Christ.
Character always shows itself and affects others, revealed in looks, tone of voice, and actions. In the home these make or break happiness, molding the temper and character of children and building up or tearing down confidence and love, making those around better or worse and happier or more miserable. The same is true in every position of service, where a person passes on excellences or defects, and conversation, habits, and moral tone shape the habits and character of others. The call is to put the word of God into practice by doing all possible to purify, enlighten, comfort, and encourage relatives.
To live by this truth is to possess the character of Christ and copy Him by cultivating His attributes in thought, in spirit, in words, in acts, and in prayer, with the tender influence of His Spirit as a constant, abiding principle. It requires closely criticizing self to retain and strengthen all that is valuable and to change all that is not Christlike, keeping every action pure and elevated and noble and refusing cheap, childish manners that destroy reverence. Each is individually responsible for the influence proceeding from him whether he gives concern to it or not, and that truth cannot be evaded. The question forced upon each is whether that atmosphere shall be for good alone or whether evil shall be mingled with the good.
One person's sin brings shame, defeat, and death upon the whole body, withdrawing the protection that covered them in battle and bringing the frown of God upon the church. As lingering over temptation to gratify covetousness and then acting it out led onward farther than purposed in the heart, so individual members are imperceptibly led on to grieve the Spirit of God, to defraud neighbors, and to bring guilt upon all.
Injuring oneself also affects those connected to oneself, while living by the pure principles of truth draws others closer to the Saviour. Each is accountable to God for the influence exerted, and when Christ lives in a person that person's words and influence bless those around. Because Christ made an infinite sacrifice, all human powers are owed to Him and should be given to Him.
When people are joined by love, their influence becomes evidence to the world that God sent His Son. That love begins in the home and extends through the church and neighborhood to the wider world, as each fulfills an assigned duty. Human influence divested of selfishness thus produces a harmony akin to the harmony of heaven, following Christ's life which was a representation of God and an ever-widening, shoreless influence.
Belonging to the Lord
The Christian life is not centered on self, for in living and in dying believers belong to the Lord. That belonging means unreserved surrender to Christ as His wholly consecrated workers, exercising living faith in Him and using every power of mind and body to His name's glory. Those who have received the truth therefore have usefulness and responsibility in carrying out God's purposes, sowing seeds of truth beside all waters to win sinners from error to truth, and such surrender advances His work rapidly.
Paul's changed life after conversion illustrates this belonging, for after being converted he devoted himself wholeheartedly to Christ and served others through his influence. Christ enables everyone who accepts Him as personal Saviour to live in the same way, giving power to become God's children and to share in the divine nature. A life thus devoted to Christ also serves others through its influence and encourages them to serve the Lord.
Christ Himself exemplified living not to self by living for God, and a life directed toward God rather than self is the pattern for true ministry. He left His royal throne, heavenly home, honor and glory to come to a world where He was despised and rejected in order to save perishing souls. He went about doing good, ministering to the suffering and teaching the ignorant without thought of self, laboring untiringly to save men from delusion, and His servants must work in the same way and let the measure of light God has given each one shine forth to others. Devotion to self-serving under Christian profession shows failure to learn from Christ, for passive assent to truth is not enough without practical application by doers and not hearers only. Believers following Him do not worry about mischief from unruly tongues, misrepresentation, unkindness and hatred, but represent Him in meekness, bear the testimony of truth, stand faithfully carrying the last message to a guilty world, and cheerfully share His sufferings in home life, church life and gospel sowing in order to share His glory and eternal life.
Every soul who believes in Jesus copies Him in self-denial, not seeking to please self but seeing and understanding the wants of God's cause and doing personal duty to exemplify Christ's life. The Christian gives heart, mind, soul and strength to God without reserve, with love governing this service, and love is shown through sacrifice following Christ's example of giving all, placing the Redeemer's honor and glory before self. Young people in particular are to work with Christ and share in His self-denial, self-sacrifice, forbearance and gracious benevolence, forming correct habits to fulfill their redeemed purpose. Such influence for good or for evil is perpetuated in those who follow the example.
As wheat does not germinate, grow or bring forth fruit for itself but to give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, the object of Christian life is fruit-bearing, the reproduction of Christ's character in the believer so that it may be reproduced in others. Christ seeks to reproduce Himself in human hearts through those who believe in Him, and the Christian is in the world as His representative for the salvation of other souls, while the divine Husbandman looks for a harvest as the reward of His labor and sacrifice.
No life is one's own to use as one pleases by pursuing whatever course seems most agreeable without regard for others. Such self-directed living brings failure where there should be success and makes a person self-sufficient and unreliable, following perverse will rather than God's will, for which the Master will call to account those who abuse the blessings He gave. It requires prayerfully considering position and responsibilities, living to benefit others, using all powers to bless the world and honor the Creator, and hope of future immortal life comes only through faithful discharge of present duties. This duty rests on God's high value for humanity, shown in forming man in His image and pronouncing him very good above all other creatures, and shown in giving His dear Son to redeem the fallen race so they need not perish in sin. Human life is precious to God because Christ purchased it by dying in humanity's place, having lived, died and risen as a man to be Lord of both the living and the dead, and through Him believers may attain eternal life and immortality.
One who has given life to God for ministry does not belong to himself, live for his own purposes, or have the right to use time simply as he pleases. Time and work are devoted to serving Christ as a willing coworker, following Him and working with Him, receiving His Spirit daily, guided by Him and laboring faithfully without giving up.
No true follower lives for self but delights to consecrate all he has and is to Christ's service, pledged to Him for time and for eternity. The same intensity of desire for the salvation of souls that marked the Saviour marks His true follower, who is filled with an inexpressible desire to win souls, while one who feels nothing of this desire should be concerned for his own salvation and wrestle with God for the spirit of labor. Living not to self means refusing worldly interests that strive for supremacy, entering into no business that makes one indifferent to Christ's claims, and confessing belonging to Jesus by purchase, united to Him by a perpetual covenant of service. Every particle of influence is to magnify the principles of His law, and every part of being, every talent and faculty belongs to Him and must be devoted wholly to the Lord God of hosts, so that it is out of one's power to give anything that is not already His. Children also belong to God and from birth must be trained for Him that He may be glorified in their lives. As the human agent gives himself unreservedly to the Lord's work he gains an experience that enables him to work more and more successfully, and the influence that drew him to Christ helps him draw others to Christ, making him a minister for God whose work testifies he is born of God even if never called to be a public speaker.
Believers therefore depend on Christ and must remain closely connected with Him, nourished by His word and abiding in Him moment by moment. Apart from Him there is no power to resist and overcome temptation, but by partaking of the divine nature as fellow workers with God they receive power to do so. God entrusts each person with abilities to use for His glory in love like Christ's, to be used with eternity in view in this short probationary life. Those who form a Christlike character and cooperate with Him become channels of light, helping God reach people separated from Him by sin and win them to Christ.
Life of Service and Mission
No one lives for self alone, and therefore every true Christian possesses a missionary spirit, for to be Christian is to be Christlike with the spirit that actuated Him. Whether young or old, learned or unlearned, everyone who has tasted the powers of the world to come has as the very first impulse of the renewed heart to bring others to the Saviour, while lack of this desire shows loss of first love and calls for self-examination in light of God's word and earnest seeking for a fresh baptism of Christ's Spirit and deeper comprehension of His love in leaving glory to save the perishing. The light, truth, knowledge, talents, abilities, capabilities, and education given by God are not to be selfishly kept or used to win thanks but are to be shared, diffused, and used in the Master's service for others' good and to honor God in missionary fields, imparting every ray of light and every important truth under a burden for salvation that comes from connection with God, walking in the light, and doing Christ's words. Pride of dress, pride of spirit, self-esteem, and self-importance exclude from that work.
Each member belongs to Christ's body, connected with others and heavenly intelligences, with a duty beyond narrow selfish interests whose influence should strengthen others. No church member is to be inactive or merely a silent partner, but each is to contribute as a living part, work in proper role united rather than independently, be shut up to nothing of self, and shine to the world. This reciprocal dependence is to be recognized and obeyed in God's work, with each doing an assigned part while depending on Christ as Head, so that united followers become a power for good. As faith, love, and unity grow, union strengthens all and the circle of influence enlarges to the farthest limit in extending the triumphs of the cross.
Life is not for personal ends, self-glory, or selfish isolation, but is to be used to win souls and work for others' good and happiness, for mutual dependence makes harm to others harm to self and blessing to others blessing to one's own heart. True happiness comes not from self-gratification but from glorifying God and doing good after Jesus' example of serving the suffering, bringing present joy and right hold on future immortal life. Christians are therefore to work unselfishly and cooperatively for others' salvation, showing heaven's love and unity, praying earnestly, letting light shine to save the perishing, and joining missionary effort rather than withdrawing over differences. Neglecting this work stunts religious growth and keeps from advancing in knowledge of God, while caring for souls overcomes self-interest and petty disagreements.
Students are to recognize life as interwoven with others, work with God for salvation of the needy, use influence to help those around them live better, and direct minds to Jesus. Youth exert influence for good or evil, and where they lead others follow, so they must not seek amusement or live for selfish gratification but be sober-minded as Christ's coworkers, partakers of His self-denial, sacrifice, forbearance, patience, gracious benevolence, and care for others. They are to make salvation of souls the motive of action, rise in God-given strength above every enslaving and debasing habit, and ponder well the paths of their feet. Every soul redeemed by Christ's blood has a destiny to fulfill and a work requiring correct habits, putting away levity, jesting, joking, spendthrift habits, and amusements, learning economy, and serving as God's agents for upbuilding His cause.
God has given every child, youth, young man, and young woman a measure of power in entrusted talents that must be properly estimated, with every ray of divine light gathered to shine on others' paths, every talent strictly guarded and traded to gain more rather than building character with cheap, worm-eaten, dishonoring materials. He has made men His colaborers with influence for good, and success is measured by personal practice of truth, with influence growing as one feeds on God's word so that received light appears in conversation, requiring teachers to have tested personal knowledge of the word before rightly teaching others, drawing near to God, contemplating Christ's life, denying self, taking up the cross, and practicing what is preached. Religious services should edify the church, with clear understandable speech in prayer and testimony so others can share and be strengthened, including cultivation of the voice for this purpose. Christians do not live for themselves alone but help one another and work patiently with difficult people, correcting faults without irritability, since grace can transform those who diligently seek Christ's meekness and gentleness.
Life and death affect others, calling for tender comfort in sorrow and for living in service that shows God's mercy and character through compassionate love. No one is to live only for personal or self-interest but for others' good and for building God's cause, even through hard exhausting labor sustained by prayer, using opportunities and abilities wherever placed in personal service and in supporting workers elsewhere; to become engrossed in special interests is to give up life's purpose so there would be no reason to go on living. No Christian lives to self but follows Christ's example of going about doing good, ministering to the suffering, teaching the ignorant without thought of self, and laboring to save from delusion, letting the given measure of light shine forth, for devotion to self-serving under profession shows failure to learn from Christ, and passive assent is not enough without practical doing and not hearing only.
Each person is entrusted with abilities to use for God's glory in love like Christ's, representing Him in every place regardless of treatment, using powers with eternity in view in this short probation, serving personally where opportunity allows, supporting workers elsewhere, and investing the Lord's means where He directs for the cross of Calvary rather than by self-interest, thus becoming channels of light to reach those separated by sin. No one lives or dies only for self, so conduct toward others carries accountability, God guards every person's interests especially the poor, and oppression or unjust dealing in large or small things brings His judgment on the actor. The love of Christ must therefore be cultivated until it wells up like streams in the desert, refreshing the heart and bringing gladness, peace, and joy to one's own life and others. The work begins by securing God's blessing in the heart, then carrying cheerfulness, kindness, pitying tenderness, thoughtfulness, and freedom from criticism and an exacting spirit into the home, and thence into daily work in Christlike character that refuses injustice and prepares for the mansions Christ has gone to prepare.
People are accountable to God for bodily conduct affecting others, so the body is not a matter of personal liberty alone, which supports rejecting tobacco, and money is to be used for the Lord's work rather than needless adornment for self or children. Every action, word, and thought can influence others for good fruit or bitterness and harm, so those in responsible positions must consider effects set in motion, and God's servants must not mix secular politics with sacred service. God has joined people as members of one family to cherish that bond and perform owed services, doing good, imitating Christ, preserving calm holy peace, fulfilling created purpose, and overcoming temptation by walking humbly with God in faith, while living, thinking, and acting only for self makes one useless as His servant, conflicts with keeping His commandments, and shows selfishness and worldliness that are not fruits of Christian life.
Every person has a solemn sacred duty to preserve every jot of spiritual and physical power and usefulness given by God, placing self where walk and work are acceptable to Him as a burning light securing best results, refusing a spiritually deadly atmosphere and even leaving country and associations if needed, with ministers counseling endangered members to change associations lest they sleep spiritual death. Faithful workers sent to proclaim truth in new places are to be sustained with funds for support and for help to the poor and needy they meet, since benevolence gives influence, gains gratitude and heaven's approval, and they are to have the church's sympathy, prayers, and practical interest. Every life belongs to Christ and His work for others, calling believers not to worry about mischief from unruly tongues, misrepresentation, unkindness, and hatred but to represent Him in meekness, bear truth's testimony, stand faithfully carrying the last message to a guilty world, and cheerfully share His sufferings in home, church, and gospel sowing to share His glory and eternal life after His pattern of leaving throne, home, honor, and glory to save the perishing where He was despised and rejected.
No one lives or dies for himself alone, but in both life and death belongs to the Lord, who took humanity, died and rose to be Lord of the living and the dead and open eternal life to believers. This expresses a law that holds in heaven and on earth, that no created being lives to itself, for God is the source and center of all life to whom service and allegiance belong. Every person is therefore bound to God and to the whole human family, invested through Christ with an influence that cannot be kept isolated but shapes others for good or evil toward heaven or away from it. To belong to the Lord is to surrender self wholly, to copy Christ who left heaven to do good and save the perishing, bearing fruit by reproducing His character in others. The Christian life is thus a life of unselfish service, sharing light, truth and talents to win souls and strengthen others rather than seeking self-gratification.
Wording and Accountability
No one lives only for himself and no one dies only for himself, for in life and in death each person belongs to the Lord. Christ lived and died and rose again in humanity in order to be Lord of both the living and the dead, and His death in humanity's place makes eternal life possible for those who believe in Him. Human life is precious to God because Christ purchased it by dying in man's stead, and through Him immortality may be attained.
No man means no woman as well, so the statement covers every person. Each one has an individual and personal work to perfect Christian character and to improve the talents entrusted by God. That improvement includes pleasant words and speech, with no cross, hasty, or passionate speeches, so as to bring joy and happiness into the lives of others. Each has a part to act in God's work in the world, and acting that unselfish part is necessary in order to receive a place in the city of God.
Religion is an individual work in which no one lives to himself and no one can remain neutral. Everyone who accepts Christ and sees the binding claims of God's law must take a decided stand and confess the Lord as helper, knowing the only true God and Jesus Christ whom He sent. Heart, mind, and life must be consecrated to God's service, with every thought and plan kept in harmony with His expressed will and obedience to every word proceeding from His mouth. In this way each becomes more and more efficient as a laborer together with God, thereby securing God's grand promise and enjoying every blessing with His favor.
No one's actions are without effect on others, yet God alone knows the full extent of each person's responsibility and influence. Influence may appear greater or smaller than it really is and is not always as it appears, but it calls for all a person can give, requiring each to use God-given abilities, do his best, and answer to God. People of every age, circumstance, and position carry influence and serious responsibility. Therefore no one can live carelessly, self-indulgently, or for self and be counted worthy of eternal life.
If a person dies, he dies for himself and bears the result of his own course, suffering the ills that follow violation of the laws of his own being. No one can do as he pleases with the body, for the body is God's property. It is personal duty to study the laws that govern human life and to conform to them, since ignorance in these things is sin. The right course is to live for the future eternal life and to die in Christ.
Heaven's Unselfish Order
No created life was meant to live to itself, for this is a law of God operating both in heaven and on earth. God is the great Center from whom all life proceeds and to whom all service, homage and allegiance belong, and the principle of life for every created being is dependence upon Him and cooperation with Him. To live for self opposes this order.
The fellowship of the pure family in heaven was to be reproduced in the family of God on earth. Adam, under God, was to stand at the head of the earthly family to maintain the unselfish principles of the heavenly family, and this would have kept peace and happiness.
Satan determined to oppose this law because he desired to live for self and to make himself a center of influence. That self-seeking brought rebellion in heaven.
When humanity accepted that self-centered principle it brought sin upon earth. When Adam sinned, humanity broke away from its heaven-ordained center, Satan placed his throne where God's throne should have been and became the central power in the world, receiving the world's willing homage as an offering laid at the feet of the enemy. Sin, which is transgression of the law, has made the atmosphere of the world like a pesthouse, bringing universal disorganization and hostility against God's law.
Apart from the selfish human heart, created things still serve other life and show the law of giving written into creation. Plants, animals, the sea and the mists sustain and bless one another in testimony to God's love, though sin has marred creation.
Through Christ God works to restore people to their relation with their Creator and to this heaven-ordained principle. God sent His Son as the remedy for sin, clothing divinity with humanity so that humanity might touch humanity and divinity grasp divinity. Christ alone could stand amid that selfishness to bring in God's principles of rule, live God's law in humanity, counterwork Satan, and call men of every nation, country and clime to return to their center by accepting God as Creator and Christ as Redeemer to receive heaven's choicest gifts. The gospel in the hearts and hands of His followers is the power to accomplish this restoration, restoring His moral image in man, stemming hostility, remedying disorganization and drawing men together in unity, while by becoming subject to Satan's misrepresentations Christ exposes Satan as the cause of disloyalty and forever settles the great controversy between Christ and Satan. In that gospel work different instrumentalities must not be separated from each other, and selfishness introduced in any degree into ministerial or medical work breaks this law of God.
The same law embraces reciprocal dependence and influence belonging to God's benevolent design for every branch of His work, joining people together for good or for evil, and it must be recognized and obeyed. No one lives in isolation, for every person is under influence that can lead toward good or evil and in turn affects others as a gift for which he is responsible. Satan has seized this chain of dependence to draw men together to destroy God's image in man and to counterwork the gospel by perverting its principles, uniting his forces for perdition in a confederacy to be bound in bundles to be burned, while the unity of God's chosen people is terribly shaken. As Lucifer's influence first led angels away from loyalty and still with his angels opposes God's work for human salvation, God provides a remedy above all earthly influences, corrective, uplifting and ennobling, to bind His followers together as a power for good, with gospel workers elevated and sanctified and yoked with Christ as laborers together with God, each acting his part while all cherish dependence on Christ as the great Head.
Universal Power of Influence
No one lives or dies in isolation, for through the gift of Christ every person is invested with an influence that binds him to God and to the whole human family. Each is part of a greater whole under mutual obligations, linked to the universe by personal influence, so that no one can be independent of others because the well-being of each affects the rest. It is God's purpose that His children live in mutual dependence and relationship, that each feel himself necessary to the welfare of others and pledge himself to promote their happiness and work for it. Every word exerts influence and every action carries responsibility, and one consecrated to Christ becomes a channel of His love cooperating with heavenly intelligences, finding greater happiness by imparting happiness to others and transmitting a current of vital influence when connected with God. The test of blessedness is the capacity to receive, appropriate, and impart the wisdom and grace of Christ, who shows the right use of influence by drawing people to Himself and living to do His Father's will, in contrast to making one's own will and way supreme.
Every life, word, action, appearance, conduct, and expression exerts influence for good or for evil upon those around. That influence shapes character and bears fruit that either advances others toward heaven or draws them away from God, calling for a solemn life that benefits others rather than harming them and for growing earnestness in using abilities in Christ's service. Each person composes part of the great web of humanity with influence and responsibility toward others, entrusted through Christ with light and a measure of power to shine forth to the world and to seek the welfare of others. This requires drawing nigh to God daily and hourly, contemplating the life and work of Christ, denying self, taking up the cross and following Jesus as the Pattern, and practicing the truth preached.
Every life either brightens and cheers others like a light leading upward to happiness and immortal life, or harms them like a destructive storm and desolating tempest leading downward to sorrow, despair, and ruin. Those who strengthen or stir up evil in others share in their sin, and no one perishes alone in iniquity. Even a thoughtless word or light treatment of moral cautions can find response in unsanctified hearts and affect a soul's eternal destiny, however small or contracted the sphere.
Influence works consciously and unconsciously and even without intent, for each soul is surrounded by an atmosphere that others constantly breathe in at home and abroad. That atmosphere spreads outward to bless or harm many, as faith, courage, hope, and love benefit all met, while discontent, selfishness, and cherished sin harm them. Evil influence spreads and adds to the harm passed on to those who come later, while those guided by the Holy Spirit send out an influence that leads to life. Therefore care is needed for how words and life affect others, especially those struggling with temptation and evil, offering hopeful words that encourage and strengthen rather than discouraging them and turning them from Christ and the truth.
Influence once set in motion cannot be gathered up and buried at death but is perpetuated in followers, like thistle-seed borne everywhere taking root and yielding an abundant harvest. Impulsive acts, thoughts, and words sow seeds that bear a harvest in full sight of the heavenly universe and leave an impression on human hearts. Remarks once planted in minds by ministers and those in responsible positions cannot be gathered up again, for under temptation they can set in operation a train of circumstances with unintended results, while what bears heaven's endorsement yields precious fruit. Every action, word, and thought can lead either to good fruit or to bitterness and harm, so those in responsible positions must consider the effects they set in motion, and God's servants must not mix secular politics with sacred service. Therefore every talent of influence must be guarded with watchful care by studying and practicing the life of Christ.
Character always shows itself and affects others, revealed in looks, tone of voice, and actions. In the home these make or break happiness, molding the temper and character of children and building up or tearing down confidence and love, making those around better or worse and happier or more miserable. The same is true in every position of service, where a person passes on excellences or defects, and conversation, habits, and moral tone shape the habits and character of others. The call is to put the word of God into practice by doing all possible to purify, enlighten, comfort, and encourage relatives.
To live by this truth is to possess the character of Christ and copy Him by cultivating His attributes in thought, in spirit, in words, in acts, and in prayer, with the tender influence of His Spirit as a constant, abiding principle. It requires closely criticizing self to retain and strengthen all that is valuable and to change all that is not Christlike, keeping every action pure and elevated and noble and refusing cheap, childish manners that destroy reverence. Each is individually responsible for the influence proceeding from him whether he gives concern to it or not, and that truth cannot be evaded. The question forced upon each is whether that atmosphere shall be for good alone or whether evil shall be mingled with the good.
One person's sin brings shame, defeat, and death upon the whole body, withdrawing the protection that covered them in battle and bringing the frown of God upon the church. As lingering over temptation to gratify covetousness and then acting it out led onward farther than purposed in the heart, so individual members are imperceptibly led on to grieve the Spirit of God, to defraud neighbors, and to bring guilt upon all.
Injuring oneself also affects those connected to oneself, while living by the pure principles of truth draws others closer to the Saviour. Each is accountable to God for the influence exerted, and when Christ lives in a person that person's words and influence bless those around. Because Christ made an infinite sacrifice, all human powers are owed to Him and should be given to Him.
When people are joined by love, their influence becomes evidence to the world that God sent His Son. That love begins in the home and extends through the church and neighborhood to the wider world, as each fulfills an assigned duty. Human influence divested of selfishness thus produces a harmony akin to the harmony of heaven, following Christ's life which was a representation of God and an ever-widening, shoreless influence.
Belonging to the Lord
The Christian life is not centered on self, for in living and in dying believers belong to the Lord. That belonging means unreserved surrender to Christ as His wholly consecrated workers, exercising living faith in Him and using every power of mind and body to His name's glory. Those who have received the truth therefore have usefulness and responsibility in carrying out God's purposes, sowing seeds of truth beside all waters to win sinners from error to truth, and such surrender advances His work rapidly.
Paul's changed life after conversion illustrates this belonging, for after being converted he devoted himself wholeheartedly to Christ and served others through his influence. Christ enables everyone who accepts Him as personal Saviour to live in the same way, giving power to become God's children and to share in the divine nature. A life thus devoted to Christ also serves others through its influence and encourages them to serve the Lord.
Christ Himself exemplified living not to self by living for God, and a life directed toward God rather than self is the pattern for true ministry. He left His royal throne, heavenly home, honor and glory to come to a world where He was despised and rejected in order to save perishing souls. He went about doing good, ministering to the suffering and teaching the ignorant without thought of self, laboring untiringly to save men from delusion, and His servants must work in the same way and let the measure of light God has given each one shine forth to others. Devotion to self-serving under Christian profession shows failure to learn from Christ, for passive assent to truth is not enough without practical application by doers and not hearers only. Believers following Him do not worry about mischief from unruly tongues, misrepresentation, unkindness and hatred, but represent Him in meekness, bear the testimony of truth, stand faithfully carrying the last message to a guilty world, and cheerfully share His sufferings in home life, church life and gospel sowing in order to share His glory and eternal life.
Every soul who believes in Jesus copies Him in self-denial, not seeking to please self but seeing and understanding the wants of God's cause and doing personal duty to exemplify Christ's life. The Christian gives heart, mind, soul and strength to God without reserve, with love governing this service, and love is shown through sacrifice following Christ's example of giving all, placing the Redeemer's honor and glory before self. Young people in particular are to work with Christ and share in His self-denial, self-sacrifice, forbearance and gracious benevolence, forming correct habits to fulfill their redeemed purpose. Such influence for good or for evil is perpetuated in those who follow the example.
As wheat does not germinate, grow or bring forth fruit for itself but to give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, the object of Christian life is fruit-bearing, the reproduction of Christ's character in the believer so that it may be reproduced in others. Christ seeks to reproduce Himself in human hearts through those who believe in Him, and the Christian is in the world as His representative for the salvation of other souls, while the divine Husbandman looks for a harvest as the reward of His labor and sacrifice.
No life is one's own to use as one pleases by pursuing whatever course seems most agreeable without regard for others. Such self-directed living brings failure where there should be success and makes a person self-sufficient and unreliable, following perverse will rather than God's will, for which the Master will call to account those who abuse the blessings He gave. It requires prayerfully considering position and responsibilities, living to benefit others, using all powers to bless the world and honor the Creator, and hope of future immortal life comes only through faithful discharge of present duties. This duty rests on God's high value for humanity, shown in forming man in His image and pronouncing him very good above all other creatures, and shown in giving His dear Son to redeem the fallen race so they need not perish in sin. Human life is precious to God because Christ purchased it by dying in humanity's place, having lived, died and risen as a man to be Lord of both the living and the dead, and through Him believers may attain eternal life and immortality.
One who has given life to God for ministry does not belong to himself, live for his own purposes, or have the right to use time simply as he pleases. Time and work are devoted to serving Christ as a willing coworker, following Him and working with Him, receiving His Spirit daily, guided by Him and laboring faithfully without giving up.
No true follower lives for self but delights to consecrate all he has and is to Christ's service, pledged to Him for time and for eternity. The same intensity of desire for the salvation of souls that marked the Saviour marks His true follower, who is filled with an inexpressible desire to win souls, while one who feels nothing of this desire should be concerned for his own salvation and wrestle with God for the spirit of labor. Living not to self means refusing worldly interests that strive for supremacy, entering into no business that makes one indifferent to Christ's claims, and confessing belonging to Jesus by purchase, united to Him by a perpetual covenant of service. Every particle of influence is to magnify the principles of His law, and every part of being, every talent and faculty belongs to Him and must be devoted wholly to the Lord God of hosts, so that it is out of one's power to give anything that is not already His. Children also belong to God and from birth must be trained for Him that He may be glorified in their lives. As the human agent gives himself unreservedly to the Lord's work he gains an experience that enables him to work more and more successfully, and the influence that drew him to Christ helps him draw others to Christ, making him a minister for God whose work testifies he is born of God even if never called to be a public speaker.
Believers therefore depend on Christ and must remain closely connected with Him, nourished by His word and abiding in Him moment by moment. Apart from Him there is no power to resist and overcome temptation, but by partaking of the divine nature as fellow workers with God they receive power to do so. God entrusts each person with abilities to use for His glory in love like Christ's, to be used with eternity in view in this short probationary life. Those who form a Christlike character and cooperate with Him become channels of light, helping God reach people separated from Him by sin and win them to Christ.
Life of Service and Mission
No one lives for self alone, and therefore every true Christian possesses a missionary spirit, for to be Christian is to be Christlike with the spirit that actuated Him. Whether young or old, learned or unlearned, everyone who has tasted the powers of the world to come has as the very first impulse of the renewed heart to bring others to the Saviour, while lack of this desire shows loss of first love and calls for self-examination in light of God's word and earnest seeking for a fresh baptism of Christ's Spirit and deeper comprehension of His love in leaving glory to save the perishing. The light, truth, knowledge, talents, abilities, capabilities, and education given by God are not to be selfishly kept or used to win thanks but are to be shared, diffused, and used in the Master's service for others' good and to honor God in missionary fields, imparting every ray of light and every important truth under a burden for salvation that comes from connection with God, walking in the light, and doing Christ's words. Pride of dress, pride of spirit, self-esteem, and self-importance exclude from that work.
Each member belongs to Christ's body, connected with others and heavenly intelligences, with a duty beyond narrow selfish interests whose influence should strengthen others. No church member is to be inactive or merely a silent partner, but each is to contribute as a living part, work in proper role united rather than independently, be shut up to nothing of self, and shine to the world. This reciprocal dependence is to be recognized and obeyed in God's work, with each doing an assigned part while depending on Christ as Head, so that united followers become a power for good. As faith, love, and unity grow, union strengthens all and the circle of influence enlarges to the farthest limit in extending the triumphs of the cross.
Life is not for personal ends, self-glory, or selfish isolation, but is to be used to win souls and work for others' good and happiness, for mutual dependence makes harm to others harm to self and blessing to others blessing to one's own heart. True happiness comes not from self-gratification but from glorifying God and doing good after Jesus' example of serving the suffering, bringing present joy and right hold on future immortal life. Christians are therefore to work unselfishly and cooperatively for others' salvation, showing heaven's love and unity, praying earnestly, letting light shine to save the perishing, and joining missionary effort rather than withdrawing over differences. Neglecting this work stunts religious growth and keeps from advancing in knowledge of God, while caring for souls overcomes self-interest and petty disagreements.
Students are to recognize life as interwoven with others, work with God for salvation of the needy, use influence to help those around them live better, and direct minds to Jesus. Youth exert influence for good or evil, and where they lead others follow, so they must not seek amusement or live for selfish gratification but be sober-minded as Christ's coworkers, partakers of His self-denial, sacrifice, forbearance, patience, gracious benevolence, and care for others. They are to make salvation of souls the motive of action, rise in God-given strength above every enslaving and debasing habit, and ponder well the paths of their feet. Every soul redeemed by Christ's blood has a destiny to fulfill and a work requiring correct habits, putting away levity, jesting, joking, spendthrift habits, and amusements, learning economy, and serving as God's agents for upbuilding His cause.
God has given every child, youth, young man, and young woman a measure of power in entrusted talents that must be properly estimated, with every ray of divine light gathered to shine on others' paths, every talent strictly guarded and traded to gain more rather than building character with cheap, worm-eaten, dishonoring materials. He has made men His colaborers with influence for good, and success is measured by personal practice of truth, with influence growing as one feeds on God's word so that received light appears in conversation, requiring teachers to have tested personal knowledge of the word before rightly teaching others, drawing near to God, contemplating Christ's life, denying self, taking up the cross, and practicing what is preached. Religious services should edify the church, with clear understandable speech in prayer and testimony so others can share and be strengthened, including cultivation of the voice for this purpose. Christians do not live for themselves alone but help one another and work patiently with difficult people, correcting faults without irritability, since grace can transform those who diligently seek Christ's meekness and gentleness.
Life and death affect others, calling for tender comfort in sorrow and for living in service that shows God's mercy and character through compassionate love. No one is to live only for personal or self-interest but for others' good and for building God's cause, even through hard exhausting labor sustained by prayer, using opportunities and abilities wherever placed in personal service and in supporting workers elsewhere; to become engrossed in special interests is to give up life's purpose so there would be no reason to go on living. No Christian lives to self but follows Christ's example of going about doing good, ministering to the suffering, teaching the ignorant without thought of self, and laboring to save from delusion, letting the given measure of light shine forth, for devotion to self-serving under profession shows failure to learn from Christ, and passive assent is not enough without practical doing and not hearing only.
Each person is entrusted with abilities to use for God's glory in love like Christ's, representing Him in every place regardless of treatment, using powers with eternity in view in this short probation, serving personally where opportunity allows, supporting workers elsewhere, and investing the Lord's means where He directs for the cross of Calvary rather than by self-interest, thus becoming channels of light to reach those separated by sin. No one lives or dies only for self, so conduct toward others carries accountability, God guards every person's interests especially the poor, and oppression or unjust dealing in large or small things brings His judgment on the actor. The love of Christ must therefore be cultivated until it wells up like streams in the desert, refreshing the heart and bringing gladness, peace, and joy to one's own life and others. The work begins by securing God's blessing in the heart, then carrying cheerfulness, kindness, pitying tenderness, thoughtfulness, and freedom from criticism and an exacting spirit into the home, and thence into daily work in Christlike character that refuses injustice and prepares for the mansions Christ has gone to prepare.
People are accountable to God for bodily conduct affecting others, so the body is not a matter of personal liberty alone, which supports rejecting tobacco, and money is to be used for the Lord's work rather than needless adornment for self or children. Every action, word, and thought can influence others for good fruit or bitterness and harm, so those in responsible positions must consider effects set in motion, and God's servants must not mix secular politics with sacred service. God has joined people as members of one family to cherish that bond and perform owed services, doing good, imitating Christ, preserving calm holy peace, fulfilling created purpose, and overcoming temptation by walking humbly with God in faith, while living, thinking, and acting only for self makes one useless as His servant, conflicts with keeping His commandments, and shows selfishness and worldliness that are not fruits of Christian life.
Every person has a solemn sacred duty to preserve every jot of spiritual and physical power and usefulness given by God, placing self where walk and work are acceptable to Him as a burning light securing best results, refusing a spiritually deadly atmosphere and even leaving country and associations if needed, with ministers counseling endangered members to change associations lest they sleep spiritual death. Faithful workers sent to proclaim truth in new places are to be sustained with funds for support and for help to the poor and needy they meet, since benevolence gives influence, gains gratitude and heaven's approval, and they are to have the church's sympathy, prayers, and practical interest. Every life belongs to Christ and His work for others, calling believers not to worry about mischief from unruly tongues, misrepresentation, unkindness, and hatred but to represent Him in meekness, bear truth's testimony, stand faithfully carrying the last message to a guilty world, and cheerfully share His sufferings in home, church, and gospel sowing to share His glory and eternal life after His pattern of leaving throne, home, honor, and glory to save the perishing where He was despised and rejected.