THE good news of God's love for man, and the manifestation of that love in the creation and redemption of man, constitute the main theme of the Bible. This message is to be carried to the world, in harmony with the command of Jesus Christ to His disciples (Matt. 28:18-20). Those persons who have felt the touch of the divine love are obligated to bring to those who have it not a knowledge of that love and God's exalted purpose for man.
The world is in moral darkness. The Christian church has not been true to its divinely appointed mission of proclaiming the good news, of reconciling man to God. As a result, it has lost its power, and men and women have lost their faith in it. There has been a retreat from religion and a consequent weakening of the hold of morality on men and women. Many have lost their sense of the purpose of their existence and know not where to find it.
God has placed in each of us a need for Himself, and He intends to satisfy that need, if we will only let Him. The gospel is eminently suited to the needs of man in [every age, including the present. Not only is it able to satisfy man's need for God, it is also the basis for all legitimate human progress and achievement.
Thus the gospel teaches man that he was created by God to be a son to Him, to commune with Him, and to be a partner with Him in all His activities. It presents to man a profoundly dignified morality, teaching him that he was created in the image of God and that, resultantly, his life is to be patterned after that of God. Thus the gospel provides two things so desperately needed by modern man: a sense of purpose, and a morality based on divine sanctions the strongest possible foundation of human behavior.
The gospel, which emphasizes the father hood of God, teaches that all men are brothers, and thus it is the basis for the be lief in human brotherhood and social justice. It provides man with an impulsion to legitimate achievement in subduing the forces of nature for the betterment of man. The gospel affords a sure basis for advanced levels of human happiness, showing that happiness is to be found in God and in the relationships of life that He has ordained. Last, the gospel promises man immortality and eternal life under certain conditions.
The gospel is thus universal in its ability to satisfy human needs, and all are to be invited, nay urged, to share in the benefactions which it bestows.
Enhancing the Gospel
The appeal of the gospel can be either greatly enhanced or extremely minimized depending upon the way in which it is presented. It must not be presented as mere theory or in such a way as to suggest that it is a matter of indifference whether it is accepted or rejected. It is eminently reason able, attractive, and adapted to the needs of man, and it must be so presented. That God loves man, that He created him with a personality similar to His own, that He intends to bestow on him, conditionally, eternal life, accompanied with an eternally escalating level of happiness, that communion with Him is a most rewarding experience, that God Himself has died for man to secure to him the full benefactions of His love, are truths of impelling and absorbing interest.
Could man but know that to stand in the presence of God, to experience all the warmth, radiance, and loveliness of the divine personality, is to experience the most satisfying feeling possible, they would inevitably crave such an experience.
It is the privilege and obligation of those who know God, whether they be ministers of the gospel or laymen, to so present Him to those who know Him not. One writer, Ellen G. White, has well said: "In Christ is the tenderness of the shepherd, the affection of the parent, and the matchless grace of the compassionate Saviour. His blessings He presents in the most alluring terms. He is not content merely to announce these blessings; He presents them in the most attractive way, to excite a desire to possess them. So His servants are to present the riches of the glory of the unspeakable Gift. The wonderful love of Christ will melt and subdue hearts, when the mere reiteration of doctrines would accomplish nothing." The Desire of Ages, p. 826.
Not only is the gospel attractive to man, it is extremely reasonable, based as it is on the supreme rationality of God. It is thus Dossible to present divine truth in a way that will appeal to the mind as well as to the heart.
The needs of man vary from person to person. Some are dissatisfied with the emptiness of formal religion and long for a deeper religious experience. Others are confused by intellectual doubts, the faith of their earlier days, perhaps, having been undermined by skeptical and infidel suggestions. Many are unaware of the realities of spiritual life. Some are slaves to vice and know not how they may be freed. Yet others are ground down in a state of self-depreciation which renders them almost incapable of appreciating the love of God and His concern for their betterment.
Adapt to the Needs of All
To attempt to reach all these evangelistically by the same method is to invite failure. But these must not be ignored or passed by while the proclamation of the gospel is limited to the so-called honest in heart, or to those who might, by accepting it, bring honor to the church. The wise servant of God will present messages adapted to the needs of all. To the earnest seeker after truth the presentation of the gospel in its beauty and simplicity is doubtlessly adequate. To the person confused by intellectual doubts, whose faith has been weakened by contacts with unbelievers, a different message must be addressed. He must be shown that the gospel is a reason able, consistent, unified scheme of truth. Those who are enslaved by vice must be led to see the degrading nature of sin and that it is only in God that supreme happiness is to be found, that He can strike off the shackles that fetter them. There are many who can be won to God only by a demonstration in the life of the principles of divine love. Such are incapable of realizing the reality of divine love unless it is actualized for them by human love. His disciples are His representatives among men, and one of the most effective ways of winning souls to Him is in exemplifying His character in our daily life.
The gospel is not only universal in its appeal; it is many-faceted, it has many aspects. It is important that a complete gospel message, centered in God and Christ, be presented, rather than one single aspect. To emphasize one dimension of the gospel at the expense of others is to give only a partial view of truth, and such is inadequate as a basis of religious experience. Some aspects of the gospel are not as well suited as others to satisfy man's need for God. Unless, therefore, a total gospel is presented, there is a danger that that need will not be fully satisfied. The Christian system of belief is centered in God and Christ, and a message of this kind is what man needs. But the Christian belief is one that lends itself easily to systematization in a scheme of doctrines and beliefs. There is a danger of presenting the gospel as such a system, rather than as a God-centered mes sage. The purpose of doctrines, it must be remembered, is not to serve as the basis of religious experience, but to afford us correct ideas about God, so that our relationship to Him will be on the proper level.
There is also a real possibility that either the duties or the privileges of the gospel will be emphasized, the one at the expense of the other, that the law of God will be stressed disproportionately to the love of God, or vice versa. The inevitable result of these one-sided presentations is that people attracted to the church will lack depth in their religious experience. To make doctrines central in the message rather than God, means to attract to the church those whose religious experience will be doctrine-centered and who will tend to look upon religion as assent to a creed rather than as commitment to a Person. "The greatest deception of the human mind in Christ's day was that a mere assent to the truth constitutes righteousness. . . . The same danger still exists." Ibid., p. 309.
Put the Emphasis Where It Belongs
It seems that we as Seventh-day Adventists have placed in our evangelistic out reach a disproportionate emphasis on certain aspects of truth while failing to emphasize others. We have emphasized the law of God, while failing to stress to the proper degree the love of God. We have emphasized certain aspects of truth which are more or less peculiar to us while failing to take advantage of those areas held by Christians in general. We have interpreted religion as acceptance of a system of doctrines rather than as a relational commitment to Jesus Christ. We have interpreted God as a person primarily to be obeyed rather than one to be first loved and then obeyed. We have admitted per sons to church membership, not on the basis of their conversion but rather on their willingness to accept our doctrines and, to a degree, our manner of life.
The greatest need of men and women today is the conviction that there is a God who loves them, who loves them to the point of concern for their welfare and happiness, to the extent of willingness to die for their eternal salvation; a God whose life is tinged with the tragedy of human suffering, who feels man's suffering as deeply as does man himself; a God who welcomes with open arms, and without recrimination, the most flagrantly disobedient and willful sinners who come to Him, welcomes them, and restores them to all the privileges of sonship to Him; a God who, because He is love, longs to be man's constant companion, longs to ravish his heart with His love, longs to bestow on him supreme happiness. Men and women need to know that there is a God who can give purpose to their existence and meaning to their lives, a purpose that is noble and exalted, a meaning that is deep and rich.
What the world needs more than any thing else is a reaffirmation, in teaching and living, of the character of God as a God of love. It is this alone that will unlock the hearts of many. "The contemplation of the love of God manifested in His Son will stir the heart ... as nothing else can." Ibid., p. 478. Yes, the world needs a revelation of the divine love. The failure of the church to give this revelation to man is, as was noted above, the cause of the moral and spiritual darkness that covers the earth. It is therefore imperative that the church bestir itself. "It is the darkness of misapprehension of God that is en shrouding the world. Men are losing their knowledge of His character. ... At this time a message from God is to be pro claimed, a message illuminating in its influence and saving in its power. His character is to be made known. Into the darkness of the world is to be shed the light of His glory, the light of His goodness, mercy, and truth. . . . The last rays of merciful light, the last message of mercy to be given to the world, is a revelation of His character of love. The children of God are to manifest His glory. In their own life and character they are to reveal what the grace of Christ has done for them " Christ's Object Lessons, pp. 415, 416.
