And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died?
A believer's free use of knowledge can ruin a vulnerable fellow believer weak in faith, even in what seems an innocent act, so that one is lost for eternal life though Christ paid His own life to save him from death. Every soul for whom He died has precious and infinite worth without caste or class, so no hardship, youth or degradation lessens its value. That soul can be destroyed by neglect and selfish plans, by harsh censorious words and an un-Christlike spirit, and by contempt, superiority and human control that wounds and misjudges. Instead such ones must not be left to perish as lost causes but be saved by earnest persevering self-sacrificing labor while probation remains, with deep sympathy, mercy and patient care that restores the erring and gives hope to the suffering. This calls for a pure heart and heavenward example that reveals Christ's love, for prayer that improves every gift for salvation, and for physicians, ministers, teachers, parents and canvassers to labor in tender love for body and spirit, especially for children and youth.
Words and Setting
The weak brother is the vulnerable believer and learner for whom the warning is given. He is the less gifted, undeveloped, timid, thoughtless and even indolent pupil, whose claims are no less sacred than those of the bright and ambitious pupil, and in school work he is the children and youth who have everything to learn, especially the dull scholar who needs much encouragement. He is also the one weak in faith with scruples about idolatry, who must not be offended by what seems to support idolatry, the one who has moved unwisely and must be stood by and helped to recover, and the weak, erring brother who has done wrong and in an impassioned fit may even take his own life. Love toward God makes a person a friend to such weak and vulnerable ones, recognizing their souls as precious as any other soul.
Those who may perish though Christ died for them also include the poor, distressed, and sin-entrapped, whose hardship does not lessen their worth and who are to be met with sympathy and practical, spiritual help. They include drunkards in degradation over whom angels weep, weak unconverted souls in darkness who are ready to perish and whose souls are precious and worth caring for, and weak brothers in both soul and body who are perishing through indulged appetite and animal passion. This last ruin shows itself in worn and diseased organs, unsafe childbearing, abused privileges, corruption of the body, and painful loathsome diseases from wrong eating and drinking, and it lays a day-and-night burden on those who know these evils not to leave victims unwarned, especially youth and those brought into health institutions. Such souls are not to be met with censure and condemnation but with proper assistance in time of need, earnest decided efforts, instruction in self-denial and self-control, and plain teaching of salvation and of sin and redemption from its bondage, defilement and fearful woes.
To perish means to be ruined for eternal life. In the teacher's work it means to be blamed, scolded, misjudged, neglected, and treated with impatience and scorn until discouraged to give up hope of learning and success, with mind and character marred and ruined for eternal life. It also means to be kept away and lost through a fellow believer's single unconfessed wrong, even when the wandering one has many wrongs of his own, and to perish by a selfish, self-sufficient course in another that puts personal interest before appointed work and sets a wrong influence in motion so that some never find their standing again. One may still be destroyed even though Christ died for him, which underscores the grave importance of protecting people from influences that lead them away from saving wisdom.
Through thy knowledge means a believer's use of knowledge and freedom can bring a weak believer to ruin. Therefore even an otherwise innocent act should be avoided if it could seem to support idolatry or offend the scruples of someone weak in faith, and knowledge or profession of religion never justifies conduct that harms another soul. A believer's influence may lead souls for whom Christ died to life or to death, and a wavering or wrong influence becomes a stumbling block, so those who accept Christ are to love Him and everyone for whom He died and let settled, righteous principles influence others for good. This harm comes when the heart is not humble and right, when self is exalted and unsubdued, when one thinks he understands and can manage better than others and aspires to a place he cannot fill, when impulse and the nervous system rule instead of sound judgment and reason, when one dwells on fragments of no vital importance and talks truth anywhere and everywhere in an unacceptable manner, when faith is misrepresented before unbelievers until it becomes disgusting to them, and when brethren censure and wound with unjust words, laying obstacles before brethren and outsiders. The same warning forbids making dietary rules a test of faith, carrying health reform to extremes, and joining rebellion while claiming charity, for true love labors for salvation without compromising with sin or soul-destroying error.
For whom Christ died means Christ paid the price of His own life to save the person from death. Each person is bought at the cost of His life and is the Lord's property, precious and His own, and this truth is to be taught so that He has not died in vain. He gave His life for precious souls so they should not perish in their sins but have everlasting life.
Worth of Each Soul
Christ's death gives weight and measure to the worth of every soul, marking each one as of great, precious, infinite and inexpressible value. Even one soul is the object of heaven's provision, precious to God, and chosen to receive eternal life, and therefore must not be led to perish. This worth calls for earnest effort to correct the wrongs and neglects that harm such souls, and for unselfish devotion in sacred work, including labor for coworkers who do not fully know the truth. The gospel was carried to the world through toil, sacrifice, danger and loss, so those called to serve are to accept self-denial and suffering in order to help save the souls for whom He died. Treating sacred work lightly neglects that value, while faithful labor, earnest prayer, a sense of responsibility for soul and body, and care for spiritual good together with healing of bodily illness honor it.
Even one soul for whom Christ died is of greater value than property or any other interest, making it a grave responsibility to neglect a person's salvation for material interests. Money and influence are to be used to help save such souls, not spent on selfish display and extravagance that lead people away from what is essential. To be extravagant in anything is to pay for it at the price of those souls, so love for souls requires living very plainly and using means to save them. Wealth used in wrong ways becomes a temptation that harms others for whom Christ died and leads souls away from good. Misusing God-given talents abuses God Himself and harms souls Christ gave His life to save, a guilt that must be seen, repented of and converted from so sins may be blotted out, for without power to see it there is no decided change, no transformation of character, no restoration and no healing from Christ.
Christ died for each soul and for all without caste, so the lesson applies across differences of skin color, nationality and class, and it is wrong to turn away from or cease laboring for anyone for whom He died. The gospel leaves no room for caste, social superiority, unkind judgment, contempt, or exalting one person over another, and the religion of Jesus does not make its receiver unkind in thought or feeling. Remembering God's care for every person humbles and softens the heart. Letting Christ be enshrined in the heart produces love for all for whom Christ died and leads to doing all that can be done to save them. That sacrifice gives each person a duty to treat fellow believers and those who suffer with love, pity, courtesy, hope and courage, opening the way to gain their confidence and to bring reconciliation and unity among brethren.
This worth embraces coworkers who do not fully know the truth, who need earnest prayer, faithful and unselfish labor, and a sacred regard for the work of saving souls. It embraces those who are poor, distressed or trapped in sin, whose hardship does not lessen their worth and who are to be met with sympathy and practical, spiritual help. It embraces children, whose care is a sacred charge because they belong to God and are loved by Him, so they are not to lavish affection on worldly things nor waste time and effort on what has no worth, but are to be patiently trained for a place in heaven's family. It embraces orphaned children, who must not be left to suffer or be led into wrong paths through shallow piety and worldly ambition, but are to be cared for and given a home in honor of the lives Christ gave Himself to save. Neither degradation, nor hardship, nor youth lessens the value Christ's death confers.
Causing Another to Perish
A soul for whom Christ died can perish through neglect, when professed believers fail to cooperate with Christ and withhold the love that should reach others, thereby misrepresenting Him, keeping praise from rising to God, robbing Him of glory, and hindering souls He longs to bring into His kingdom. Those who teach, heal, lead, or assist bear loving responsibility to act and teach so as to guide precious souls toward truth, and following selfish plans instead makes one a false guide. Neglect of personal effort to warn and draw people to Christ can leave them unwarned and lost, for working to save and bless them is Christian responsibility in light of His death for them. When His people put self first, self-love shuts the love of Jesus out of the soul, leaving no zeal and fervent love for Him who first loved them, so that thoughts, time, and money go to self-gratification while souls perish. In business dealings as well, knowledge or self-interest must not lead to disregard of those souls, but to unselfish action and deep care for them in faithful partnership with God, lest by selfish example the church misrepresent Christ's character and give the world a false conception of Him whose self-sacrificing love is to be manifest through the church.
Careless or harsh words can harm and ruin those for whom Christ died, dishonoring God and leading souls astray. Words and the spirit behind them can make a weak brother stumble and turn from the way of life by sowing bitterness and suspicion, and those who cause such harm will face its consequences when every case is revealed, with the lost reproaching those whose words helped lead them astray. Tender concern is therefore required not to wound or bruise Christ's people nor damage reputation because one's own ideas have not been honored as wished. Harsh criticism wounds and spiritually endangers a fellow believer, misrepresenting the gentle, courteous spirit of the gospel, and the lack of forbearance and love that makes a small fault seem immense is a greater sin than the fault condemned, because it adds conceit and condemnation. Ruin also comes when the heart is not humble and right with God, when self is exalted and unsubdued, when one thinks he understands and can manage better than others and aspires to a place he cannot fill, when impulse and the nervous system rule instead of sound judgment and reason, when fragments of no vital importance are dwelt upon and truth is talked anywhere and everywhere in an unacceptable manner, when faith is misrepresented before unbelievers until it becomes disgusting to them, and when brethren are censured, wounded, and unjustly spoken against so that obstacles are laid before believers and outsiders are injured. An overbearing, impatient, fitful spirit that misjudges individuals, lays upon them burdens that do not belong to them, and wounds them deeply harms weak brethren, and when such wrongs are not healed by full confession and free acknowledgment without qualification or self-justification, darkness, weakness, and a low state come upon the church; the remedy is close heart-searching work, humility, thinking less of self, increased love for brethren, confession of faults, taking back unjust words, beginning anew, and exerting a holy influence.
Contempt and superiority destroy the weak brother, for Christ died for those who may be weak and the gospel rejects social superiority and judgment that exalts self, so true religion is never harsh in thought or feeling toward anyone for whom He died. Treating fellow believers with contempt or superiority disregards the value Christ places on them, since He died to save each brother just as surely as He died to save us, and His sacrifice calls for love, pity, courtesy, reconciliation, and unity rather than feeling superior and criticizing. No one must manipulate the weak brother according to personal will, for his life and conscience are not to be controlled by human judges assuming authority over him; all are accountable to God, and those bearing sacred responsibilities must not exercise power over others without spiritual consecration and love. Giving human beings the confidence and honor due to God lets human influence take His place and can bring serious harm, making those entrusted with influence responsible if they become agents through whom the weak are lost.
A selfish, self-sufficient course that puts personal interest before God's appointed work sets a wrong influence in motion that harms weak souls, causing them to perish so that some never find standing again. Because all stand related in the web of humanity, believers are accountable for every soul Christ died to save and must not study and plan for self-interest, but keep the soul pure in God's love by personal soul culture and training of principles, sanctify self after Christ's example so others may be sanctified, leave youth and all associates a bright track heavenward and an example to follow, block the path to debasing sins, faithfully rebuke and expel dishonesty and licentiousness so evil does not spread or become contagious, connive at no deception, put away selfishness that eats pure principles of righteousness out of the character, and be resolutely honest without fear to raise the moral tone. Selfish, burdensome conduct by those who teach the truth harms souls, becomes a stumbling block, brings reproach on the truth, and leads people to distrust it, for selfish interests must never be placed above the good of souls of such great value. No one who loves Jesus can serve world and Christ together or save sinners by conforming to the world, meeting its standard and following its fashions, for that makes a professed Christian an idolater and a stumbling block; souls are saved by revealing the transforming power of grace to mold character after Christ's likeness, living above the world with an eye single to God's glory, wearing Christ's yoke, letting heavenly light shine in Christlike actions, and giving self as Christ gave Himself.
Souls Christ died to save are endangered when those in important positions work with defects of character uncorrected, for too much is at stake in eternal interests to let the work be marred by lack of self-overcoming; those who fill such places must be truly sanctified, have the Master's spirit, and positively overcome self, lest by sternness, severity, and personal peculiarities they wound the cause of God. Even a single unconfessed wrong in a fellow believer can keep away and lose one Christ died to save, though the wandering one has many wrongs of his own, and taking that one wrong out of the way by humble confession opens the way for the other to return and weepingly confess and remove his many wrongs, so that one who would perish is saved. Victims of appetite and impurity left unwarned, human discoveries and theories crowding out God's wisdom, and thoughtless un-Christlike conduct that ruins others all serve the destructive purpose by which Satan seeks to destroy those for whom Christ died. That danger is heightened because Satan works on the right hand and on the left to deceive, ensnare, destroy, and oppose God's work, so the cause of present truth demands workers energized by God's Spirit and power with earnest perseverance and untiring energy, or he will out-general them. To corrupt those who are the Lord's property, bought to have everlasting life and not perish in sins, by defiling sexual practice is a terrible insult to Christ, and a minister who leads those in his care into such wicked work destroys his own soul and may ruin souls for whom Christ died, with an effect upon the mind that cannot be measured.
Saving Rather Than Destroying
Those for whom Christ died must not be left to perish or treated as lost causes, but must be saved through earnest, persevering, self-denying and self-sacrificing labor. This work is to engage the energies of life at home and in distant places and in new fields, in cooperation with Christ, reaching people in darkness rather than drawing workers away from churches that need their help. The gospel was carried to the world through toil, sacrifice, danger and loss, and those called to serve are to accept self-denial and suffering so they can help save souls. Ministers must keep laboring for a soul in peril with persevering faith and hope because salvation matters, and workers should pray for souls in danger of being lost, for God can hear and win them to Christ. Watching for opportunities in season and out of season while probation remains open belongs to this saving work.
They must be met with deep charity, sympathy, mercy, compassion, courtesy, kindness and tender patient care rather than harshness, censure or condemnation. Concern for tempted souls calls for separation from the customs and evils of the age, and tobacco use among clergy damages temperance by corrupting appetite and fostering desire for stronger stimulants. The weak brother's life and welfare are precious, and compassion and courtesy toward those burdened by hardship, deprivation, pain or sickness means wholehearted efforts to help them, gain their confidence and give them hope and courage. One who has moved unwisely must be treated with mercy, stood by and helped to recover and get on his feet again and meet obligations, and must not be ruined by tying his hands and closing every avenue of recovery when help could be granted. Even a weak, erring brother who has done wrong and in an impassioned fit may take his own life has infinite worth and must be saved from death, so others must not stand afar off with condemnatory words or harsh, imprudent acts, but must come close with prayer and tenderest love, work carefully for his soul, and as spiritual ones act as true physicians to restore in meekness while wrongs can still be righted. Weak, unconverted souls in darkness ready to perish are precious and worth caring for with a true burden, appointed prayer that makes God's strength one's strength, and earnest, decided assistance in time of need without failing or discouragement, so that those who might become bright and shining lights are saved, with heavenly intelligences working with such efforts.
Saving them requires personal soul culture, a pure heart enshrining Christ, and accountability for every soul because all stand related in the web of humanity. No one is to study and plan for self-interest, but to keep the soul pure in the love of God by culturing the soul and training principles, sanctifying self after Christ's example so others also may be sanctified. A bright track heavenward is to be left for youth and all associates by example, blocking the path to debasing and degrading sins, faithfully rebuking and expelling dishonesty and licentiousness so evil does not spread or become contagious, conniving at no deception, putting away selfishness that eats pure principles of righteousness out of character, and being resolutely honest without fear in order to raise the moral tone. When His people put self first, self-love shuts the love of Jesus out of the soul, leaving no zeal and fervent love for Him who first loved them, so thoughts, time and money go to self-gratification instead of saving perishing souls, and by this selfish example the church misrepresents Christ and gives the world a false conception of Him, when His self-sacrificing love is to be made manifest through the church. Because each soul has great worth, speech must be careful, reserved and kept in Christlike dignity, with wisdom toward those without and watchfulness unto prayer, and free criticism must be avoided because it will be used against the speaker and hedge up the way from doing good, and the burden to save remains even when some in trust are not vitalized by the Spirit and show no consecration, whose influence must not affect faithfulness. A believer with knowledge can cause souls to stumble to destruction when the heart is not humble and right with God, when self is exalted and unsubdued, when one thinks he understands and can manage better and aspires to a place he cannot fill, when impulse rules instead of sound judgment and reason, when one dwells on fragments not of vital importance and talks truth anywhere in an unacceptable manner, when faith is misrepresented before unbelievers until it becomes disgusting to them, and when censure wounds and lays obstacles before brethren and outsiders, so the lesson is close heart-searching work, humility, thinking less of self with increased love for brethren, confessing faults, taking back unjust words and commencing anew, and exerting a holy influence rather than letting souls stumble over inconsistent, unwise moves. No one who loves Jesus can serve world and Christ together or save sinners by conforming to the world, meeting its standard and following its fashions, for that makes a professed Christian an idolater and stumbling block, while souls are saved by revealing transforming grace to mold character after Christ's likeness, living above the world with an eye single to God's glory, wearing Christ's yoke, letting heavenly light shine in Christlike actions, and giving self as Christ gave Himself.
The work calls for burdened carefulness to improve every heaven-imparted gift wisely and to the very best account for salvation, for few realize how valuable precious souls are, and those who realize it go heavily burdened and walk with great carefulness before the Lord in fear lest they fail. It calls for appointing prayer and making God's strength one's strength, with heavenly intelligences cooperating, and for willing workers ministering in the fear of God, doing their best according to ability with deep, earnest love, whom God will help to carry the message forward. Souls for whom Christ died are the object of heaven's provision and the church's work, which requires human cooperation with God, since a weak believer may otherwise be brought to ruin through another's knowledge. Those for whom Christ died must also care for themselves and set a right example, and applied to diet this warns against making dietary rules a test of faith or carrying health reform to extremes, because strained teachings harm others and weaken confidence, and a meager diet that damages health misrepresents health reform.
In particular callings this means physicians and medical missionaries imbued with deep love caring for body and spirit, since suffering and trust create opportunities to offer comfort, Christian counsel, the hope of Jesus and the truth about Him, seeking spiritual good as well as healing bodily illness. Workers dealing with souls must come with hearts warmed by love for Jesus and for those for whom He died, and ministry should use every means to do them good. Ministers are to labor with faith and hope for souls in peril, using every means to do good. Applied to children, the seriousness of caring for those for whom Christ died means not lavishing affections on worldly things nor wasting time and effort on what has no worth, but patiently training them for a place in heaven's family as a sacred charge because they belong to God and are loved by Him, never with impatience, partiality or domineering, for placing youth under teachers without deep love for God and souls results in the loss of many, while parents are to train children and youth for heaven and canvassers are to learn consecrated practice to reach souls with the gospel.
A believer's free use of knowledge can ruin a vulnerable fellow believer weak in faith, even in what seems an innocent act, so that one is lost for eternal life though Christ paid His own life to save him from death. Every soul for whom He died has precious and infinite worth without caste or class, so no hardship, youth or degradation lessens its value. That soul can be destroyed by neglect and selfish plans, by harsh censorious words and an un-Christlike spirit, and by contempt, superiority and human control that wounds and misjudges. Instead such ones must not be left to perish as lost causes but be saved by earnest persevering self-sacrificing labor while probation remains, with deep sympathy, mercy and patient care that restores the erring and gives hope to the suffering. This calls for a pure heart and heavenward example that reveals Christ's love, for prayer that improves every gift for salvation, and for physicians, ministers, teachers, parents and canvassers to labor in tender love for body and spirit, especially for children and youth.
Words and Setting
The weak brother is the vulnerable believer and learner for whom the warning is given. He is the less gifted, undeveloped, timid, thoughtless and even indolent pupil, whose claims are no less sacred than those of the bright and ambitious pupil, and in school work he is the children and youth who have everything to learn, especially the dull scholar who needs much encouragement. He is also the one weak in faith with scruples about idolatry, who must not be offended by what seems to support idolatry, the one who has moved unwisely and must be stood by and helped to recover, and the weak, erring brother who has done wrong and in an impassioned fit may even take his own life. Love toward God makes a person a friend to such weak and vulnerable ones, recognizing their souls as precious as any other soul.
Those who may perish though Christ died for them also include the poor, distressed, and sin-entrapped, whose hardship does not lessen their worth and who are to be met with sympathy and practical, spiritual help. They include drunkards in degradation over whom angels weep, weak unconverted souls in darkness who are ready to perish and whose souls are precious and worth caring for, and weak brothers in both soul and body who are perishing through indulged appetite and animal passion. This last ruin shows itself in worn and diseased organs, unsafe childbearing, abused privileges, corruption of the body, and painful loathsome diseases from wrong eating and drinking, and it lays a day-and-night burden on those who know these evils not to leave victims unwarned, especially youth and those brought into health institutions. Such souls are not to be met with censure and condemnation but with proper assistance in time of need, earnest decided efforts, instruction in self-denial and self-control, and plain teaching of salvation and of sin and redemption from its bondage, defilement and fearful woes.
To perish means to be ruined for eternal life. In the teacher's work it means to be blamed, scolded, misjudged, neglected, and treated with impatience and scorn until discouraged to give up hope of learning and success, with mind and character marred and ruined for eternal life. It also means to be kept away and lost through a fellow believer's single unconfessed wrong, even when the wandering one has many wrongs of his own, and to perish by a selfish, self-sufficient course in another that puts personal interest before appointed work and sets a wrong influence in motion so that some never find their standing again. One may still be destroyed even though Christ died for him, which underscores the grave importance of protecting people from influences that lead them away from saving wisdom.
Through thy knowledge means a believer's use of knowledge and freedom can bring a weak believer to ruin. Therefore even an otherwise innocent act should be avoided if it could seem to support idolatry or offend the scruples of someone weak in faith, and knowledge or profession of religion never justifies conduct that harms another soul. A believer's influence may lead souls for whom Christ died to life or to death, and a wavering or wrong influence becomes a stumbling block, so those who accept Christ are to love Him and everyone for whom He died and let settled, righteous principles influence others for good. This harm comes when the heart is not humble and right, when self is exalted and unsubdued, when one thinks he understands and can manage better than others and aspires to a place he cannot fill, when impulse and the nervous system rule instead of sound judgment and reason, when one dwells on fragments of no vital importance and talks truth anywhere and everywhere in an unacceptable manner, when faith is misrepresented before unbelievers until it becomes disgusting to them, and when brethren censure and wound with unjust words, laying obstacles before brethren and outsiders. The same warning forbids making dietary rules a test of faith, carrying health reform to extremes, and joining rebellion while claiming charity, for true love labors for salvation without compromising with sin or soul-destroying error.
For whom Christ died means Christ paid the price of His own life to save the person from death. Each person is bought at the cost of His life and is the Lord's property, precious and His own, and this truth is to be taught so that He has not died in vain. He gave His life for precious souls so they should not perish in their sins but have everlasting life.
Worth of Each Soul
Christ's death gives weight and measure to the worth of every soul, marking each one as of great, precious, infinite and inexpressible value. Even one soul is the object of heaven's provision, precious to God, and chosen to receive eternal life, and therefore must not be led to perish. This worth calls for earnest effort to correct the wrongs and neglects that harm such souls, and for unselfish devotion in sacred work, including labor for coworkers who do not fully know the truth. The gospel was carried to the world through toil, sacrifice, danger and loss, so those called to serve are to accept self-denial and suffering in order to help save the souls for whom He died. Treating sacred work lightly neglects that value, while faithful labor, earnest prayer, a sense of responsibility for soul and body, and care for spiritual good together with healing of bodily illness honor it.
Even one soul for whom Christ died is of greater value than property or any other interest, making it a grave responsibility to neglect a person's salvation for material interests. Money and influence are to be used to help save such souls, not spent on selfish display and extravagance that lead people away from what is essential. To be extravagant in anything is to pay for it at the price of those souls, so love for souls requires living very plainly and using means to save them. Wealth used in wrong ways becomes a temptation that harms others for whom Christ died and leads souls away from good. Misusing God-given talents abuses God Himself and harms souls Christ gave His life to save, a guilt that must be seen, repented of and converted from so sins may be blotted out, for without power to see it there is no decided change, no transformation of character, no restoration and no healing from Christ.
Christ died for each soul and for all without caste, so the lesson applies across differences of skin color, nationality and class, and it is wrong to turn away from or cease laboring for anyone for whom He died. The gospel leaves no room for caste, social superiority, unkind judgment, contempt, or exalting one person over another, and the religion of Jesus does not make its receiver unkind in thought or feeling. Remembering God's care for every person humbles and softens the heart. Letting Christ be enshrined in the heart produces love for all for whom Christ died and leads to doing all that can be done to save them. That sacrifice gives each person a duty to treat fellow believers and those who suffer with love, pity, courtesy, hope and courage, opening the way to gain their confidence and to bring reconciliation and unity among brethren.
This worth embraces coworkers who do not fully know the truth, who need earnest prayer, faithful and unselfish labor, and a sacred regard for the work of saving souls. It embraces those who are poor, distressed or trapped in sin, whose hardship does not lessen their worth and who are to be met with sympathy and practical, spiritual help. It embraces children, whose care is a sacred charge because they belong to God and are loved by Him, so they are not to lavish affection on worldly things nor waste time and effort on what has no worth, but are to be patiently trained for a place in heaven's family. It embraces orphaned children, who must not be left to suffer or be led into wrong paths through shallow piety and worldly ambition, but are to be cared for and given a home in honor of the lives Christ gave Himself to save. Neither degradation, nor hardship, nor youth lessens the value Christ's death confers.
Causing Another to Perish
A soul for whom Christ died can perish through neglect, when professed believers fail to cooperate with Christ and withhold the love that should reach others, thereby misrepresenting Him, keeping praise from rising to God, robbing Him of glory, and hindering souls He longs to bring into His kingdom. Those who teach, heal, lead, or assist bear loving responsibility to act and teach so as to guide precious souls toward truth, and following selfish plans instead makes one a false guide. Neglect of personal effort to warn and draw people to Christ can leave them unwarned and lost, for working to save and bless them is Christian responsibility in light of His death for them. When His people put self first, self-love shuts the love of Jesus out of the soul, leaving no zeal and fervent love for Him who first loved them, so that thoughts, time, and money go to self-gratification while souls perish. In business dealings as well, knowledge or self-interest must not lead to disregard of those souls, but to unselfish action and deep care for them in faithful partnership with God, lest by selfish example the church misrepresent Christ's character and give the world a false conception of Him whose self-sacrificing love is to be manifest through the church.
Careless or harsh words can harm and ruin those for whom Christ died, dishonoring God and leading souls astray. Words and the spirit behind them can make a weak brother stumble and turn from the way of life by sowing bitterness and suspicion, and those who cause such harm will face its consequences when every case is revealed, with the lost reproaching those whose words helped lead them astray. Tender concern is therefore required not to wound or bruise Christ's people nor damage reputation because one's own ideas have not been honored as wished. Harsh criticism wounds and spiritually endangers a fellow believer, misrepresenting the gentle, courteous spirit of the gospel, and the lack of forbearance and love that makes a small fault seem immense is a greater sin than the fault condemned, because it adds conceit and condemnation. Ruin also comes when the heart is not humble and right with God, when self is exalted and unsubdued, when one thinks he understands and can manage better than others and aspires to a place he cannot fill, when impulse and the nervous system rule instead of sound judgment and reason, when fragments of no vital importance are dwelt upon and truth is talked anywhere and everywhere in an unacceptable manner, when faith is misrepresented before unbelievers until it becomes disgusting to them, and when brethren are censured, wounded, and unjustly spoken against so that obstacles are laid before believers and outsiders are injured. An overbearing, impatient, fitful spirit that misjudges individuals, lays upon them burdens that do not belong to them, and wounds them deeply harms weak brethren, and when such wrongs are not healed by full confession and free acknowledgment without qualification or self-justification, darkness, weakness, and a low state come upon the church; the remedy is close heart-searching work, humility, thinking less of self, increased love for brethren, confession of faults, taking back unjust words, beginning anew, and exerting a holy influence.
Contempt and superiority destroy the weak brother, for Christ died for those who may be weak and the gospel rejects social superiority and judgment that exalts self, so true religion is never harsh in thought or feeling toward anyone for whom He died. Treating fellow believers with contempt or superiority disregards the value Christ places on them, since He died to save each brother just as surely as He died to save us, and His sacrifice calls for love, pity, courtesy, reconciliation, and unity rather than feeling superior and criticizing. No one must manipulate the weak brother according to personal will, for his life and conscience are not to be controlled by human judges assuming authority over him; all are accountable to God, and those bearing sacred responsibilities must not exercise power over others without spiritual consecration and love. Giving human beings the confidence and honor due to God lets human influence take His place and can bring serious harm, making those entrusted with influence responsible if they become agents through whom the weak are lost.
A selfish, self-sufficient course that puts personal interest before God's appointed work sets a wrong influence in motion that harms weak souls, causing them to perish so that some never find standing again. Because all stand related in the web of humanity, believers are accountable for every soul Christ died to save and must not study and plan for self-interest, but keep the soul pure in God's love by personal soul culture and training of principles, sanctify self after Christ's example so others may be sanctified, leave youth and all associates a bright track heavenward and an example to follow, block the path to debasing sins, faithfully rebuke and expel dishonesty and licentiousness so evil does not spread or become contagious, connive at no deception, put away selfishness that eats pure principles of righteousness out of the character, and be resolutely honest without fear to raise the moral tone. Selfish, burdensome conduct by those who teach the truth harms souls, becomes a stumbling block, brings reproach on the truth, and leads people to distrust it, for selfish interests must never be placed above the good of souls of such great value. No one who loves Jesus can serve world and Christ together or save sinners by conforming to the world, meeting its standard and following its fashions, for that makes a professed Christian an idolater and a stumbling block; souls are saved by revealing the transforming power of grace to mold character after Christ's likeness, living above the world with an eye single to God's glory, wearing Christ's yoke, letting heavenly light shine in Christlike actions, and giving self as Christ gave Himself.
Souls Christ died to save are endangered when those in important positions work with defects of character uncorrected, for too much is at stake in eternal interests to let the work be marred by lack of self-overcoming; those who fill such places must be truly sanctified, have the Master's spirit, and positively overcome self, lest by sternness, severity, and personal peculiarities they wound the cause of God. Even a single unconfessed wrong in a fellow believer can keep away and lose one Christ died to save, though the wandering one has many wrongs of his own, and taking that one wrong out of the way by humble confession opens the way for the other to return and weepingly confess and remove his many wrongs, so that one who would perish is saved. Victims of appetite and impurity left unwarned, human discoveries and theories crowding out God's wisdom, and thoughtless un-Christlike conduct that ruins others all serve the destructive purpose by which Satan seeks to destroy those for whom Christ died. That danger is heightened because Satan works on the right hand and on the left to deceive, ensnare, destroy, and oppose God's work, so the cause of present truth demands workers energized by God's Spirit and power with earnest perseverance and untiring energy, or he will out-general them. To corrupt those who are the Lord's property, bought to have everlasting life and not perish in sins, by defiling sexual practice is a terrible insult to Christ, and a minister who leads those in his care into such wicked work destroys his own soul and may ruin souls for whom Christ died, with an effect upon the mind that cannot be measured.
Saving Rather Than Destroying
Those for whom Christ died must not be left to perish or treated as lost causes, but must be saved through earnest, persevering, self-denying and self-sacrificing labor. This work is to engage the energies of life at home and in distant places and in new fields, in cooperation with Christ, reaching people in darkness rather than drawing workers away from churches that need their help. The gospel was carried to the world through toil, sacrifice, danger and loss, and those called to serve are to accept self-denial and suffering so they can help save souls. Ministers must keep laboring for a soul in peril with persevering faith and hope because salvation matters, and workers should pray for souls in danger of being lost, for God can hear and win them to Christ. Watching for opportunities in season and out of season while probation remains open belongs to this saving work.
They must be met with deep charity, sympathy, mercy, compassion, courtesy, kindness and tender patient care rather than harshness, censure or condemnation. Concern for tempted souls calls for separation from the customs and evils of the age, and tobacco use among clergy damages temperance by corrupting appetite and fostering desire for stronger stimulants. The weak brother's life and welfare are precious, and compassion and courtesy toward those burdened by hardship, deprivation, pain or sickness means wholehearted efforts to help them, gain their confidence and give them hope and courage. One who has moved unwisely must be treated with mercy, stood by and helped to recover and get on his feet again and meet obligations, and must not be ruined by tying his hands and closing every avenue of recovery when help could be granted. Even a weak, erring brother who has done wrong and in an impassioned fit may take his own life has infinite worth and must be saved from death, so others must not stand afar off with condemnatory words or harsh, imprudent acts, but must come close with prayer and tenderest love, work carefully for his soul, and as spiritual ones act as true physicians to restore in meekness while wrongs can still be righted. Weak, unconverted souls in darkness ready to perish are precious and worth caring for with a true burden, appointed prayer that makes God's strength one's strength, and earnest, decided assistance in time of need without failing or discouragement, so that those who might become bright and shining lights are saved, with heavenly intelligences working with such efforts.
Saving them requires personal soul culture, a pure heart enshrining Christ, and accountability for every soul because all stand related in the web of humanity. No one is to study and plan for self-interest, but to keep the soul pure in the love of God by culturing the soul and training principles, sanctifying self after Christ's example so others also may be sanctified. A bright track heavenward is to be left for youth and all associates by example, blocking the path to debasing and degrading sins, faithfully rebuking and expelling dishonesty and licentiousness so evil does not spread or become contagious, conniving at no deception, putting away selfishness that eats pure principles of righteousness out of character, and being resolutely honest without fear in order to raise the moral tone. When His people put self first, self-love shuts the love of Jesus out of the soul, leaving no zeal and fervent love for Him who first loved them, so thoughts, time and money go to self-gratification instead of saving perishing souls, and by this selfish example the church misrepresents Christ and gives the world a false conception of Him, when His self-sacrificing love is to be made manifest through the church. Because each soul has great worth, speech must be careful, reserved and kept in Christlike dignity, with wisdom toward those without and watchfulness unto prayer, and free criticism must be avoided because it will be used against the speaker and hedge up the way from doing good, and the burden to save remains even when some in trust are not vitalized by the Spirit and show no consecration, whose influence must not affect faithfulness. A believer with knowledge can cause souls to stumble to destruction when the heart is not humble and right with God, when self is exalted and unsubdued, when one thinks he understands and can manage better and aspires to a place he cannot fill, when impulse rules instead of sound judgment and reason, when one dwells on fragments not of vital importance and talks truth anywhere in an unacceptable manner, when faith is misrepresented before unbelievers until it becomes disgusting to them, and when censure wounds and lays obstacles before brethren and outsiders, so the lesson is close heart-searching work, humility, thinking less of self with increased love for brethren, confessing faults, taking back unjust words and commencing anew, and exerting a holy influence rather than letting souls stumble over inconsistent, unwise moves. No one who loves Jesus can serve world and Christ together or save sinners by conforming to the world, meeting its standard and following its fashions, for that makes a professed Christian an idolater and stumbling block, while souls are saved by revealing transforming grace to mold character after Christ's likeness, living above the world with an eye single to God's glory, wearing Christ's yoke, letting heavenly light shine in Christlike actions, and giving self as Christ gave Himself.
The work calls for burdened carefulness to improve every heaven-imparted gift wisely and to the very best account for salvation, for few realize how valuable precious souls are, and those who realize it go heavily burdened and walk with great carefulness before the Lord in fear lest they fail. It calls for appointing prayer and making God's strength one's strength, with heavenly intelligences cooperating, and for willing workers ministering in the fear of God, doing their best according to ability with deep, earnest love, whom God will help to carry the message forward. Souls for whom Christ died are the object of heaven's provision and the church's work, which requires human cooperation with God, since a weak believer may otherwise be brought to ruin through another's knowledge. Those for whom Christ died must also care for themselves and set a right example, and applied to diet this warns against making dietary rules a test of faith or carrying health reform to extremes, because strained teachings harm others and weaken confidence, and a meager diet that damages health misrepresents health reform.
In particular callings this means physicians and medical missionaries imbued with deep love caring for body and spirit, since suffering and trust create opportunities to offer comfort, Christian counsel, the hope of Jesus and the truth about Him, seeking spiritual good as well as healing bodily illness. Workers dealing with souls must come with hearts warmed by love for Jesus and for those for whom He died, and ministry should use every means to do them good. Ministers are to labor with faith and hope for souls in peril, using every means to do good. Applied to children, the seriousness of caring for those for whom Christ died means not lavishing affections on worldly things nor wasting time and effort on what has no worth, but patiently training them for a place in heaven's family as a sacred charge because they belong to God and are loved by Him, never with impatience, partiality or domineering, for placing youth under teachers without deep love for God and souls results in the loss of many, while parents are to train children and youth for heaven and canvassers are to learn consecrated practice to reach souls with the gospel.