June 25, 1894

One Cause of Suffering

EGW

Why is it that there is so much suffering in our world? One reason is that the rich do not fulfill their God-given responsibilities, and, as good stewards of the grace of God, make distribution for the wants of the poor. Men have perverted their God-given powers, and think only of how they may accumulate wealth. There are thousands of rich people who have every luxury, and do not know what to do with their possessions. They make their bodies idols, and heap treasure upon themselves. The rich and the poor have been represented in the Bible in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. Those who do not deal out their bread to the hungry, clothe the naked, and bring the poor that are cast out into their houses, are committing the sin of Sodom. The iniquity of Sodom was pride, fullness of bread, and abundance of idleness, neither did they strengthen the hands of the poor and needy. The Lord says, “They were haughty, and committed abomination before me; therefore I took them away as I saw good.”ST June 25, 1894, par. 1

Idleness is sin. To every man and woman God has given his or her work, and all are to employ their time in doing good to others. Through luxury and haughtiness, hard-heartedness and inconsiderate thoughtlessness are developed in the character, and these are found in a large degree among those who hold high positions in the world. Those who have an abundance have little sympathy for the hungry, the naked, and the homeless.ST June 25, 1894, par. 2

What true satisfaction can persons have who load their bodies with costly jewels, while there are thousands destitute, shivering in their nakedness, crying to God in their hunger and distress! Oh, that those who deck themselves with jewels, and make idols of themselves, might see how they appear in the eyes of their Creator! Oh, that they might realize how the Saviour, who has died for them, looks upon them, witnessing every extravagance, and contrasting it with the destitution of the poor, who cry unto him, and who cry not in vain! Not one who decks himself with jewels and costly array will stand before God guiltless. No one can turn from the truth, violate justice, give up integrity, neglect the poor, and yet flatter himself that he has not forsaken God. All idolatry of self dishonors God, and he who dishonors God fails to benefit humanity. The eternal principles of right and wrong are violated. Needless expenditure of means, indulgence in extravagances, the putting on of gaudy trappings, and decking the body with flashing jewels, is an evidence that the soul has turned from God to self, and at the last day the poor will rise up in judgment and condemn those who have lived for the gratification of selfish desires. The sentence will be passed that, while many were in nakedness and starvation, the rich sinners were squandering money to gratify pride and ambition, and by so doing degraded themselves.ST June 25, 1894, par. 3

A man may be lifted up because of his wealth to sit among princes; but if he has not a living connection with the Lord Jesus Christ, he has a cheap mind, for he has lost eternity out of his reckoning. In the sight of God he is accounted of the earth, earthy and degraded, the slave of lust and ambition. He has sold himself to his riches, which will soon pass away. He has bowed himself down to an idol that can no more bless him than can the gods of wood and stone. All ungodly gain brings with it a hidden curse, and all well-gotten gain is intrusted to the man as so much capital to be employed in doing good to others. Rich men have the responsibility laid upon them of feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, educating the fatherless, and helping the widows in their necessity. If they neglect this work, they neglect Christ in the person of his saints.ST June 25, 1894, par. 4

The destiny of souls will be decided by that which we have done or left undone. Jesus says: “When the Son of Man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory; and before him shall be gathered all nations; and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats; and he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was a hungered, and ye gave me meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me in; naked, and ye clothed me; I was sick, and ye visited me; I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee ahungered, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”ST June 25, 1894, par. 5

The larger the intrusted wealth, the greater the responsibility. He who had large supplies yet who failed to succor the needy, will have large retribution. Justice will come upon the possessor of wealth if he has selfishly withheld it from those who needed its benefit. The condemnation that will come upon him who had great gifts will be that it was in his power to do good, to relieve the suffering, and he failed to do it. If men would keep the commandments of God, they would practice mercy and the love of God. Man would be upright in his dealings with his fellow-man; but he who serves not God places no restrictions upon his ambitions, and gives himself up wholly to covetousness, and thus he ruins his soul. He becomes miserable and discontented and unsatisfied, because he would grasp more of the world's wealth than he can get in his possession; and thus the more the covetous rich man has, the more miserable he becomes.ST June 25, 1894, par. 6

Those who would be happy, who would be a blessing to the world, must make the Bible their standard of character, and work in Christ's lines. Can it be possible that those who have riches and who spend money only for the gratification of self, have Bibles? If they have, do they read them? Have they read of the foolish rich man, who was abundantly blessed of God? Why?—In order to test and prove him, and make it manifest that he was not a character that could be trusted with eternal riches. What did the rich man do?—Just what many today are doing. Instead of opening his eyes to see the suffering around him, instead of opening his ears to hear their cry of distress, instead of appropriating his goods to supply their deficiencies, he said: “What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do; I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.” But what decision does the Lord make in regard to this disposal of matters?—“But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee; then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”ST June 25, 1894, par. 7

What will be the reward of those who spend their money in extravagance? These persons have souls, which Christ has purchased with his own blood, and if they are saved at all, they must be saved through God's appointed way. Their bodies may be weighed down with jewels, with gold and silver, but will this enhance their value in the sight of God? Will this purchase for them the crown of eternal life, that fadeth not away? Will this buy for them the exceeding and eternal weight of glory, that eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, that hath not entered into the heart of man, that God hath prepared for them that love him? God has prepared indescribable glories for them that love not gold, not display, not extravagance, not luxuries and ornaments, but that love him. Those who love God with all their hearts, and their neighbor as themselves, will reap the eternal reward.ST June 25, 1894, par. 8

But not only in the world is the love of riches prevalent, but even in the church gold and silver have been made an idol of. There are many who profess the Saviour's name who have not helped the poor, nor strengthened the needy, nor regarded him who was ready to perish. The people of God are commissioned to be laborers together with God. Have the offerings of the church been made in proportion to the fields that cry for help? Has the love of Christ constrained those who profess his name to give to advance the gospel message in home and foreign mission fields? To every soul the reward will be, not according to profession, but according to what has been done. Actions will measure the love you have for Christ and for perishing souls. Christ will say to you, whatever has been your course, “Inasmuch as ye have done it [or did it not] unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”ST June 25, 1894, par. 9