A Final Message by Editor

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Feb 10, 1903

A Final Message

By Editor

Editorial

A Final Message

Century after century has passed since sin entered into the world. At different times in the development of the gospel work special warnings and invitations have been announced, as though heaven had drawn a little nearer to earth than usual in the effort to save lost humanity. But the world has always looked for another opportunity, and so the day of decision has often been deferred. Many a soul has trembled under the faithful preaching of the word, but has said, “Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee.” And generally the “convenient season” never comes. But we face the fact that the whole world is having its last opportunity. In this generation the whole world must decide for or against the gospel of the coming Saviour. We have reached the last of the last days. This advent message is the last message. It is now almost threescore years since “the judgment was set, and the books were opened.” We must be in the very closing scenes. But this final message must be faithfully given. This last call of mercy must be known in every land. When this work is accomplished, “then shall the end come.” What an incentive to earnest work is found in these facts! The goal of many generations is now in sight. “The advent message to all the world in this generation” means the coming of the Lord in this generation, for this is the closing message. The world is tottering to its ruin, but the dissolution of the old earth prepares the way for the new earth. Our faith must now lay hold of that power which renews and upholds us though everything about us should fail. This last message of “the everlasting gospel” is “the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth.” It is the last hope of a lost world in these last days. Last message, last hope, last days! Last, last, last!

The Meaning of the Cross

The cross is at the very center of Christianity. In it the Christian may glory. “Far be it from me to glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world hath been crucified unto me, and I unto the world.” It is at the cross that we meet with Jesus the Saviour from sin. It is in taking up the cross that we become the disciples of Jesus. It is therefore most important that we should know the meaning of the cross. It may help us to enter into this experience more fully by keeping it more constantly in mind, if we make the word itself a reminder of what is bound up in it. Let us arrange it this way—

C is for Crucifixion; R is for Resurrection; O is for Obedience; SS is for Self-Surrender.

Now let us call to mind a few scriptures which deal with this experience: “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I that live, but Christ liveth in me.” “If we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection. . . . If we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him.” “Through the obedience of the one shall the many be made righteous.” “Yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.” In all this experience we are to be one with Christ. It is through his crucifixion, it is through his resurrection, it is through his obedience, it is through his self-surrender, that we can learn the meaning of the cross. And this is the cross without which there can be no crown.

Feed the Flock

One of the duties of a shepherd is to see that his flock is supplied with food. It is not enough that he should prevent the wolves from eating the sheep; he must provide something suitable for the sheep to eat. It is not enough that he should keep that which is poisonous from them; he must see that they actually have access to food that is nourishing. The same is true of the under-shepherds, who, under the leadership of the Great Shepherd, are placed in charge of every one of the flock of God. And so Paul said to the elders of the church at Ephesus, “Take heed unto yourselves, and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit hath made you bishops, to feed the church of the Lord which he purchased with his own blood.” The food which the shepherds should place before the flock is the pure truth, the living word. The shepherd does not feed his own flock by exhibiting before them the bad food which some other shepherd supplies to his flock. Both flocks will die under this treatment. It does not build us up in righteousness to prove that some one else is teaching a false view of righteousness. Dealing with some particular form of error is no defense against error. While we are proving, for the hundredth time, it may be, to those already convinced of it, the unsoundness of some particular teaching, the devil is clothing that same error with new and attractive forms in order to catch those who are still arguing against the old form. The only sure defense against error is to know the truth. The only way to make the flock healthy and strong is to feed them with pure food. In this time of peril it is the solemn duty of the shepherds to feed the flock with winnowed food. Those who do not do this are unfaithful to their trust.