Heaven Here
Quote; “Never treat those with whom you work as unfaithful unless you have unmistakable evidence that they are unfaithful. And even when a worker’s unfaithfulness is clearly proved, you are not to deal with him in a manner that will give him excuse for saying, “You were harsh.” You are to do nothing that will provoke the erring to anger. Do not bear down on believers or unbelievers in a way that arouses the worst feelings of the heart. Do not make charges that may be cruelly unjust. By such a course, you may drive souls to perdition. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things. Matthew 12:35
In your work you are to reveal the sympathy of Christ. Your words are to be an expression of His sympathy. You are to speak the language of Canaan. You are no more of the world. You have come out from the world, and you are to be separate from its methods and practices. In word and action you are to reveal God’s purposes of love. You are always to treat your fellow workers with respect. He who is serving in Christ’s stead is only doing his duty when he manifests to all connected with him the graces of the Spirit of God. Not a word of scolding or anger is to be heard, because such words dishonour Christ and reproach the name of Christian. It is a part of the duty of the one who is in service as a director to learn how to control himself.
The Lord Jesus has chosen human beings as His instruments. They are to carry out His purposes. His death on the cross of Calvary was the climax of His humiliation. His work as a redeemer is beyond finite conception. Only those who have died to self, whose lives are hid with Christ in God, can have any conception of the completeness of the offering made to save the fallen race. In the daily life we are to follow Christ’s example. Then into the religious life will come the peace that passes understanding. We are not to engage in any employment or enterprise to gain the praise or honour of men. We are not to speak one word or do one action that will lower in the minds of others, the ideal they have of the One who died a death of shame on the cross, that He might purchase the privilege of saving His enemies.
We want to seek with all the powers that God has given us to unfold the Scriptures to those who are in darkness. There is happiness, hope, and peace for the desponding. We cannot afford to give our God-given ability and devote it to the commonplace things of this earth. We want a faith that will grasp the promise set before us in the gospel. What if we should lose our soul? It would be better for us had we never been born. One soul is worth more than all the gold and silver that could be heaped up on this earth. We want to cultivate living faith in God. We want to have our eyes turned away from the attractions of this earth and centred upon heaven and heavenly things. We do not want the earth to intervene between us and God, but we want an eye single to the glory of God. We talk of heaven and of its blessing, and it would be a great loss to lose it. Well then, if it is so lovely, so desirable, bring it into this life, bring it into your families, and then educate your children not to live for this world but for the future, that immortal life.
You can have a little heaven here below, if you will only get your eye fixed upon God–not looking at Christ half the time and at the world the other half. When you live for God, He will put His everlasting arm beneath you, and then He says, “My yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:30). Do you believe it? I can testify this is so. By my past experience I can testify that I would not [want to] have one trial less, one sorrow less, for Paul says, “Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen” (2 Corinthians 4:17, 18). We want to look at the things of eternal interest, that we may think seriously in regard to what use we have made of our reasoning powers, whether we have tried to strengthen them with idle things which we cannot take with us when we shall be caught up to meet Christ in the air. We want to be fitting that we may have an abundant entrance into the city of God. . . . Everything compared with this is of no consequence.” {TDG 270-1}
Let us review this part, “In your work you are to reveal the sympathy of Christ. Your words are to be an expression of His sympathy. You are to speak the language of Heaven. You are no more of the world. You have come out from the world, and you are to be separate from its methods and practices. In word and action you are to reveal God’s purposes of love. He who is serving in Christ’s stead is only doing his duty when he manifests to all connected with him the graces of the Spirit of God. Not a word of scolding or anger is to be heard, because such words dishonour Christ and reproach the name of Christian.” Dear Reader; Let us in all our Deeds and Actions, reflect clearly, and in all things, represent our Saviour Jesus Christ.
