The ministry is a sacred office; for the minister is to preach a crucified and risen Savior—the power of God unto salvation to all who believe. He is to lift up Christ as a complete Savior to all who accept Him. He is to present the science of salvation, and this subject can never be exhausted. Christ is our living intercessor today, before the Father in the heavenly court. Jesus, the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but for the sins of the whole world, is the theme instinct with divinity, which the servant of God is to present before his hearers. He is to make it plain that through the merits of Christ, through His example of suffering, the disciples of Christ are fitted for every work, for every trial and discouragement. He is to direct the people to look unto Jesus, to contemplate His self-denial, His self-sacrifice, His humiliation in our behalf, and to be ready and willing to follow in the footsteps of Jesus—to endure the cross, despise the shame, and go without the camp bearing reproach for His sake. ...
The preaching of the word is not to be undervalued. To preach the grand and solemn truths of the gospel which is to save men's soulss, is a sacred, holy work. "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that brigeth good tidings; that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, thy God reigneth" (Isa 52: 7). What an honor is conferred upon men who are called to be laborers together with God. As John, they are to be messengers to proclaim the coming of Christ! Like him they are to cry, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world" (Jn. 1:29). "Lift him up, the risen Savior," and say to all who hear, Come unto him who "hath loved us, and hath given himself for us" (Eph. 5:2). Lead men to contemplate the self-denial, the compassion, the great love wherewith He has loved them which led Him to pay the purchase money of His own life for our sakes. Let the science of salvation be the burden of every sermon. Let it be the theme of every song of praise. Let it be poured forth in every supplication. Let nothing be brough into the preaching to supplement Jesus Christ, the wisdom and power of God. Let His name, the only name given under heaven whereby we may be saved, be exalted in every discourse....
Ministers of Christ, great is your responsibility. Go forward in Christian experience from light to greater light, reaching a more exalted standard continually. As the power of darkness works from beneath with intense activity, so let God's human agents work more vigilantly, cooperating with the divine, giving the trumpet is certain sound. Present the living oracles of God, showing the relation of the law and righteousness, and let no watchman fail to sound an alarm, and take up the warning coming from heaven that all may be aroused to watch for souls,as they who must give an account. Light from heaven is waiting to be imparted to those who will walk in the light, as the light is given them...
The way has been made clear for all those who choose to hear, repent, and believe. All heaven is waiting the sinner's cooperation, and the only barrier that stands in his way is one which he alone can remove—his own will. He must submit to the will of God, and through repentance and faith, come unto God for salvation. No one will be forced against his will; Christ draws, but never compels, service from any man. . . . He says, "Come unto me [he gives an invitation to draw the soul] all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Mat. 11:28). Man is required to surrender self , to submit to be a child of God, to submit to be saved by His grace, and when this is done, divine agencies cooperate with the human agent, and the character is transformed. It is in the surrender of the will that the line of demarcation—between a child of God, an heir of heaven, and the rebellious, who refuse the great salvation, is distinctly drawn. The apostle asks the question, "Who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth?" (Gal. 3:1). It is the truth that sanctifies the soul. It is Satan that beclouds the mind, so that eternity is lost out of the reckoning.
Let us follow the example of Christ, and daily consecrate ourselves to His service that we may be one with Christ, as Christ is one with the Father; then we can bring glory to our Master. Abide in Christ, as the branch abides in the living vine, and you will bear rich clusters of fruit to the glory of God. Jesus rendered perfect obedience to. the, divine requirements, and offered to the Father an unblemished offering. Those who believe in Christ as their personal Saviour, are "made the righteousness of God in him" (2 Cor. 5: 21). As you value your own salvation, hold fast to your faith in Jesus Christ; for He is all and in all to those who believe. The time is come when Christ is to be preached as never before. Do we rejoice in this? We are constrained to set forth Christ as a complete Saviour, the necessity of every soul.
"And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the spirit and of power: that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God" (1 Cor. 2:1-5),
God calls upon the ministers of the gospel not to seek to stretch themselves beyond their measure by bringing forward artificial embellishments, striving for the praise and applause of men, being ambitious for a vain show of intellect and eloquence. Let the ministers' ambition be carefully to search the Bible, that they may know as much as possible of God and of Jesus Christ, whom He has sent. The more clearly ministers discern Christ, and catch His spirit, the more forcibly will they preach the simple truth of which Christ is the center. They will then preach the truth as it is in Jesus, and there will be no betraying of the sacred trust that has been committed to them in the work of the gospel.
