God employs earthly, human workmen. You cannot lay your responsibilities upon any one man. God has given to every man his work. Each must let his light shine out before the world in good works. If you, as a church, in Fresno, let your light burn low, if you sleep over your responsibilities, your light will go out in darkness, and souls will not have that light which God depended upon you, as his followers, to give them. If you lack the light you ought to have, which it is the privilege of everyone to have in Christian experience, you are deceivers, because you do not represent Christ as he is; you give no strength to the church, and no light to the world; in consequence, souls are misled, and perish.
God calls upon the church to be like the wise virgins, to trim your lamps, to have the oil of grace in your vessels with your lamps. Your example should be pure, elevating, ennobling. “I sanctify myself,” said Christ,26“that they also [his disciples] might be sanctified.” It is the duty of every Christian to be sanctified. The church must take up her individual responsibility; it cannot be vested in any minister. They may help you, but they can never do your work. The church of God is the great depository of truth. They must have skill, efficiency, and ability as home missionaries. All have a solemn part to act at home, in the family, in the church of God, and in the world. In the great day of reckoning God will require of you according to the talents you have received; and all the improvement you might have made, but did not, because you were not true to your sacred trust, will be required at your hands. You will be unfaithful servants if you merely retain the capital, and do not trade upon it, if you do not improve the talents by putting them out to the exchangers.
It is not the ready speaker, the sharp intellect, that counts with God. It is the earnest purpose, the deep piety, the love of truth, the fear of God, that has a telling influence. A testimony from the heart, coming from lips in which is no guile, full of faith and humble trust, though given by a stammering tongue, is accounted of God as precious as gold; while the smart speech and eloquent oratory of the one to whom is intrusted large talents, but who is wanting in truthfulness, in steadfast purpose, in purity, in unselfishness, are as sounding brass and a tinkling symbol. He may say witty things, he may relate amusing anecdotes, he may play upon the feelings; but the Spirit of Jesus is not in it. All these things may please unsanctified hearts, but God holds in his hands the balances that weigh the words, the spirit, the sincerity, the27devotion, and he pronounces it altogether lighter than vanity.
The truly converted soul is illuminated by the light shining from the Sun of Righteousness. That light tells upon hearts, lightens the pathway, dispels the darkness, because it comes from Him who says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” Let everyone, to a man, now rise, and let his “light so shine before men that they may see his good works, and glorify our Father which is in heaven.” Do what you can, and do it at once, cheerfully, heartily, prayerfully, joyfully, not as unto men, but unto God. Settle it in your hearts that you are not on the earth to exalt self, to make a great name, but to sink self wholly out of sight in Jesus Christ. Let Jesus be lifted up. Let the great truths connected with the salvation of man be the theme of your meditation day and night. Your work, both by precept and example, is to hold forth the word of life, to seek with all your power to bring souls to the knowledge of the truth.
Let not a soul in Fresno entertain the thought that he has nothing to do for the salvation of others. Every shining star which God has placed in the heavens, obeys his mandate, and gives its distinctive measure of light to make beautiful the heavens at night; so let every converted soul show the measure of light committed to him; and as it shines forth, the light will increase and grow brighter. Give out your light, brethren in the Fresno church; pour forth your beams mirrored from heaven. O daughter of Zion, “arise, shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.”
Has your lamp burned dim since you located in Fresno?28If so, trim your lamps. It may be you have moved from unsanctified motives in coming to Fresno; and will lose your love for the truth, your burden for souls, unless you go forth where you can lift the standard of your faith. Look well to these things. ELLEN G. WHITE.