Bible

Take Heed Lest You Fall, Part I

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In 1 Corinthians 10:12, we read, “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.” You know, the devil would like people to become self-secure, to feel comfortable and satisfied. The Laodicean message attempts to shake people out of that feeling. God does not have to exaggerate to do it; it is a true message. There were some churches, as you know, about which God had nothing negative to say. But the last church has a special tendency to temptation—believing that, because they know “truth” or because they have more light than people of previous ages, they somehow are “good.” But Paul has a warning, and it is, “Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.”

I have always been interested in what Paul thought about himself. He said, “I am the chief of sinners.” (1 Timothy 1:15.) After preaching to others, he commented, “I have to keep myself under subjection lest I should be a castaway after helping other people to be saved.” (1 Corinthians 9:27.) In another place, he said, “Forgetting those things which are behind, I press forward to those things which are ahead.” (Philippians 3:13, 14.) It is so easy for us to reach the point where we are feeling pretty good about ourselves, but Paul says, “Take heed when you think you are standing. You may think you have the truth; you may think you are in the right church; take heed, lest you fall.” You may claim to be saved, or think you are saved, or know the time and date that you were saved. You may be planning on standing with the saved, but Paul says to “take heed lest you fall.”

Who is Able to Stand?

Revelation 6:14–17 tells about some people who were standing and what is going to happen to many people who once stood: “The sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place. And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?’ ”

Who then is able to stand? David tells us, in Psalm 24:4, that only he who has clean hands and a pure heart. Only he, as it is told in Revelation 14, who is without fault before the throne of God, who is clothed with the robe of righteousness. We read in Revelation and in Hebrews 12:25–29 about how the earth is going to be shaken. It says, “See that you do not refuse Him who speaks.” That is the Holy Spirit, of course. That is the Lord through His holy word. Do not refuse Him who speaks. We are told in Proverbs 28:9 that he “who turns away his ear from hearing the law, Even his prayer [is] an abomination.”

At times the Lord may send people to us, and we may turn away from these people, because we think they do not come in the right spirit, or they do not say things right or do things right. Have you ever thought about the people who were swimming around the ark and all of the excuses they had for not going inside the ark? Noah was too harsh, or he was too negative, or he used the Spirit of prophecy in a wrong way. They all had their reasons, but it did not matter. They were all swimming out there with one another.

Paul warned, “Do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more [shall we not escape] if we turn away from Him who [speaks] from heaven, whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, [‘Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.’] Now this, [‘Yet once more,’] indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God [is] a consuming fire.” Hebrews 12:25–29. The Bible says that everything that can be shaken will be shaken.

Rooted and Grounded

We try so hard to win souls. That is a work God has given to us. We plant the seeds, and we try to help everyone to be in heaven. We want to help our spouses, our children, our church members, our Sabbath School members, the person on the street, the person for whom we work. We want to help everyone who will listen to be in heaven. We want to help all to accept the free grace, the free gift of eternal life that Jesus has promised, but after people accept this gift, God requires them to grow and their roots have to go down deep.

Do you remember the parable that Jesus gave about sowing seeds and how some seeds sprung up quickly but they had no roots, and when the wind, the storm, and the blasting heat came, they were uprooted? They withered and were destroyed. That represents everyone who hears the word and allows other things to crowd it out and who do not become rooted and grounded. The Lord is looking for new converts. He is looking for new people who have never before heard the gospel. He is looking for children; He is looking for adults, but He wants everyone to send their roots down deep and to become rooted and grounded.

Are You Secure?

None of us are standing very secure, if we have not grown some over the last month, over the last two months, over the last year. If we are still losing our tempers, as we were a year ago, we are on shaky ground. If we are still becoming impatient, if we are still becoming irritable, if we are still falling into the same sins that we have been falling into time and time again, we are on shaky ground. We need to be overcoming; we need to be falling on the Rock and being broken. There is coming a time, before Jesus returns, when everybody who has been a Christian, but who has not been growing, is going to be shaken out of the faith.

Only those who have deep roots are going to stand. Everything that can be shaken will be shaken. I have asked people, Is there anything that could get you to turn away from the Lord, anything at all in the world? Is there a sickness, a death, a discouragement, financial difficulty, or prosperity—anything that could cause you to lose your hold on the Lord? Lack of friends or good friends turning against you or rumors or character defamation or anything? Is there anything that could get you to turn away from the Lord? Are there people in whom you put great confidence that, if they turn against you or lose their faith, could cause you to lose your faith? Is there anything that could cause you to turn away from the Lord?

We may not know, of course. We may have a lot more confidence in ourselves than what the Lord has. He may see things we do not. But if there is anything that could cause you to be lost, Satan is going to try to tempt you on that point. There is coming a time when everything that can be shaken will be shaken, and when that day comes, it will be too late to become rooted so we cannot be shaken.

Do you remember when the bridegroom came and all of the virgins awoke? (Matthew 25.) How much time did they have then to go and get extra oil? No time; it was too late. Now is the time we have—the only time we have—to be overcoming our besetting sins.

Idol Worship

Look at 1 Corinthians 10:12 and 14. It says, “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.” “Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.” Paul is here writing to Christians. They were not worshipping idols anymore. It is interesting that from then until now, except for paganism and some cultures, the devil does not tempt people with literal idols anymore. The Catholic Church still has idols, and in Africa there are places with idols, but for the most part, the devil does not tempt Protestants with idols. Have you ever been tempted to kneel down and worship a graven image? I cannot ever remember being tempted in the slightest to kneel down and kiss an image’s foot or to burn incense to an image or pray to an image. Have you?

To what was Paul referring? The early Christian church never seemed to have been plagued with literal idols and images. Those things came in after they merged with paganism. It has never been a problem with most Protestants, and it did not seem to be an issue in the early Christian church. But Paul said, “Flee from idolatry.”

Are there things that we could be clinging to today that we just do not recognize as idols? If there are idols today that are tempting Christians, that they are worshipping, is it possible to hold onto those idols and to remain a Christian at the same time?

Arsenal of Temptations

Paul tells us, in the first 12 verses of 1 Corinthians 10, about the experience of the children of Israel. He says, in verses 1 and 2, “Brethren, I do not want you to be unaware”—to be ignorant—“that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized . . . .” These people were like you and me. They were set apart by baptism. They ate the same spiritual food. They heard Moses teach day after day, and they heard Joshua, and they heard Aaron. They heard the thunder from the mount. They drank the same spiritual drink, but even the literal water they drank came from that rock which represented Jesus. And they ate angel’s food, food that had such perfect nutrition they never got sick. In the wilderness, they never got sick! They had clear minds that could think spiritual thoughts; their minds were keen. They could pray clearly. They had fresh air, exercise, perfect food, and pure water, right from the Water of Life. “But with most of them God was not well pleased, for [their bodies] were scattered in the wilderness. Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. And do not become idolaters as [were] some of them. As it is written, [‘The people sat down to eat and drink, and they rose up to play.’] Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell; nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by the serpents; nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer. Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.” Verses 5–11.

The devil had a whole arsenal of temptations; some things worked on some people and different things worked on others. Some were caught up in games and playing; some were caught up in lusting after things that God had not given them to eat; some were caught up in sexual fantasies and immorality. Some were caught up with a lack of faith and with tempting Christ. When the manna withdrew, they began to complain and murmur. God was not well pleased with most of them.

Like Israel

We are like Israel. Israel had the truth—they had the truth. There was no doubt in their minds that they had the truth. They were there before Mount Sinai, and they heard the thunderous roar, and they heard God speak the Ten Commandments.

They did not have any question about keeping the Sabbath. The manna came six days a week, and on the sixth day, twice as much came. On the seventh day, it did not come at all. They had no problems with the Sabbath. There were a few who broke the Sabbath, but, by and large, they knew very well which day was the Sabbath. They were Sabbath keepers, and they knew it was God’s day.

There were idolaters all around who were worshipping the sun on Sunday, but the children of Israel were Sabbath keepers, and they worshiped the true God. They were not heathen as were the other people; they worshiped Jehovah. They had all the evidences; they had the gift of prophecy; they had the miracles of God all around them. They had the truth.

They were God’s children, and they knew they were God’s children. They were standing on truth, and they were going to Canaan—just like we are.

Only Two

But do you know the rest of the story? There were only two people, out of this vast number, who made it to Canaan. I think if you had told those people, after they crossed the Red Sea, that only two of them were going to make it into Canaan, they would have probably stoned you. They would have been certain that you were not telling the truth. They may have agreed that there might be a few who would fall by the wayside—but certainly the majority would make it. And if it were not a majority, it would certainly be a strong minority. But it was a very small minority—only two of God’s people—who entered the Promised Land!

Paul says, “These things were written for our admonition, on whom the ends of the world have come.” I believe, with all my heart—just as much as the children of Israel believed—that Seventh-day Adventist believers comprise the movement that God has raised up for the last days and that He has entrusted us with truth for the world today. I have not a single question. God has given us the Spirit of Prophecy; He has given us the truth, and we know the truth. We can always be learning more depths of truth, but we have the truth. There is not a question whatsoever in my mind which day is the Sabbath. Is there in your mind? I know which day is the Sabbath; it is as clear as can be in the Bible. I have seen the Lord work; I have seen miracles. We have the prophecies; they fit together as a hand in a glove. There can be no question on the part of the true church, and God’s true church is going through.

But we have been warned, time and time again. If we believe Ellen White is a prophet, she has warned us many times. We are warned in the Bible over and over again. In Testimonies, vol. 1, page 609, Ellen White wrote that only a very few of those who claim to be Seventh-day Adventists are going to be saved. In Testimonies, vol. 2, pages 401 and 402, she repeats the same thing. She says: “But a small number of those now professing to believe the truth would eventually be saved—not because they could not be saved, but because they would not be saved in God’s own appointed way.” Ibid., 445.

Overcomers

If there is one thing God wants to teach us in the Laodicean message and throughout the Bible, it is that it is not enough just to keep the law like the Jews kept it. We must be converted in our hearts. We must come to the place where we love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love our neighbors as ourselves. We
must overcome our besetting sins; we must become like Jesus. We must be clothed with the robe of righteousness. We must have an individual and personal work of gaining an experience with Jesus. We must not go on day after day, week after week, year after year falling, falling, falling. We must be overcomers!

I am so thankful we have an Advocate who forgives our sins when we fall, but God wants to do more than just forgive our sins. He wants to make us overcomers. He wants us to be more than just forgiven sinners; He wants us to be people who overcome.

For Our Example

Some things that made the children of Israel fall are written as examples for us. Several things are listed in 1 Corinthians 10, but in Psalm 106, three specific things are given that aided in the fall of the children of Israel and are written for our examples.

“He [God] saved them from the hand of him who hated [them],”—that was the Egyptians—“And redeemed them from the hand of the enemy. The waters covered their enemies; There was not one of them left. Then they believed His words; They sang His praise.” Verses 10–12. Oh, they believed then! And they sang then; they sang His praise. They were so happy and so full of faith, but they soon, it says in verse 13, “forgot His works.” Oh, how easy it is to have a religious experience on Sabbath or during a week of prayer or during a camp meeting. But how soon, it says, they “forgot His works.”

Their minds began to be occupied with other things. “They did not wait for His counsel.” Verse 13. How many times we run ahead of the Lord! We cannot wait; we become impatient. We pray, but we are not willing to wait for God to answer our prayers. We feel we have to go on; we become irritated, and we can become upset.

Lust of Appetite

The children of Israel “lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, And tested God in the desert. And He gave them their request.” Verses 14, 15. Do you remember for what they lusted? It was not something bad, especially. They were not lusting for pig. They knew better than that; that was wrong. They were not lusting for camel or rabbits or mice; they were not lusting for snakes or alligators or crabs. They were lusting for things that God had said are good food to eat—perhaps not the best, but permissible food to eat. They lusted for quail.

The Bible presents that vegetarianism is better than meat eating, and that is true, but they were not lusting for something that was bad or unclean. Beyond that, they were lusting for other things on which, certainly, God never placed any restrictions—onions, leeks, cantaloupe, and things that they did not have out there in the desert. They began to lust for these things, things that God had not provided for them. They were probably thinking, How were they going to live on this manna? After all, did they not need to have variety in their diet?

The children of Israel decided that they could not live on just manna. As time went by, they came to loathe the manna. But God kept sending it. Do you think God would send something that was really that bad? The Bible says that it was sweet; they could fix it in a variety of ways—they could bake it; they could eat it raw. But they came to the place where they literally hated it. I do not doubt that some came to the place where they were about ready to vomit if they ate another bite. They probably thought, We have got to have something else or we are going to die! Our bodies reject this stuff, and we are growing thinner every day. If we do not get something different pretty soon, we are going to be buried here in the wilderness.

Leanness to the Soul

Well, it says that God gave them their request. But do you know what else He sent them? Continuing in Psalm 106:15, it says, He “sent leanness into their souls.” And do you know what happened? They did die in the wilderness. Every one of those people who ate the quail died in the wilderness. They all died eating perfectly good food—food that was technically permissible. I do not know that He sent them any leeks or onions, but He did send them the quail. They all died. He sent leanness to their souls.

There are people who want to know what they can eat and still squeak into heaven. They want to know what is technically and legally permissible so they would not actually be sinning or transgressing but doing what they could get by with!

Do you know what God wants us to say? “Lord, what would please You the most? I want to learn to eat such a diet that will please You the most, that my mind will be the clearest and I can serve You to the best of my ability.” God will bless that. But to the person who says, I have got to have something else, God will say, Go ahead, but you know what will come with it—leanness to the soul.

Diet was one of the shortcomings of the children of Israel. They did not eat unclean food, but they were not satisfied with what God said was the best.

Symbol of Jehovah

When Moses went up on the mountain, he was up there a lot longer than the children of Israel had anticipated. How long could it possibly take to climb up a mountain and come back down again? But he did not come back on the first day or the next, and there was thundering and lightning on the top of the mount. They thought per-haps he had been killed—struck by a bolt of lightning or something. Time went on, day after day after day, even week after week, and soon over a month of time had passed! For over a month the people had been waiting, sitting around with very little to occupy their time.

The adults as well as the children were growing restless! Can you imagine? There were no recreational activities in the desert, and it was becoming boring! What in the world was there to do?

The people went to Aaron and declared that they had to do something! As for Moses, they could not imagine what happened to him, but they could not stay stagnant forever.

“Aaron said to them, ‘Break off the golden earrings which [are] in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters.’ ” Exodus 32:2. Well, that was a step in reformation! “So all the people broke off the golden earrings which [were] in their ears, and brought [them] to Aaron. And he received [the gold] from their hand, and he fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made a molded calf. Then they said, ‘This [is] your god, O Israel.’ ” Verses 3, 4.

They believed they really were still worshipping Jehovah. As we consider some of the things the children of Israel did, we wonder how they could do such things! In this situation, they did not think that they were rejecting Jehovah. The golden calf was simply a symbol of Jehovah; that was what they had grown up with in Egypt.

In fact, today, if you talk to Catholics who worship idols, do you think any one of them would admit to worshipping an idol? They will tell you that the idols are only symbols to which they kneel down; they are not the real things. And that is what the children of Israel had, a symbol.

Verse 5 continues: “So when Aaron saw [it], he built an altar before it. And Aaron made a proclamation and said, ‘Tomorrow is a feast to . . . .’ ” To whom? Was it a feast to the golden calf? Whom were they going to worship? In your Bibles, if you have a King James Version or a New King James Version, the next word, Lord, is spelled in all capital letters. What does that mean in Hebrew? Jehovah. “Let us have a feast to Jehovah!”

Do you think they had rejected Jehovah? No way! They must have figured that if they were going to enjoy themselves, at least they should do it in the name of God, and worship the Lord while doing it.

They were making great progress! They had gotten rid of their jewelry, and now they were going to have a great feast to Jehovah.

“Then they rose early on the next day,”—they could not waste any time—and “offered burnt offerings . . . .” After all, that is what God had told them to do. I want you to notice that they were following the Lord in their actions here. God had told them to offer burnt offerings, had He not? They were doing what God had said. This was a holy convocation. “And brought peace offerings;”—they needed peace offerings! All these offerings were not Egyptian offerings. The calf may have been Egyptian, but their worship was totally to Jehovah. The peace offerings were not from Egypt; the Egyptians did not have peace offerings.

To be continued . . .

Pastor Marshall Grosboll, with his wife Lillian, founded Steps to Life. In July 1991, Pastor Marshall and his family met with tragedy as they were returning home from a camp meeting in Washington state, when the airplane he was piloting went down, killing all on board.

The Ten Commandments, Part XIII – The Value of Life

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The shortest commandment, consisting of only four words, may be read from Deuteronomy 5:17. It is most commonly read from Exodus 20:13. “Thou shalt not kill.”

In these texts, the Hebrew word ratsach, in many versions of the Bible, is translated as the word kill. However, ratsach does not just mean kill or killing. It is more accurately translated as murder, implying the willful intent to kill. Properly translated, these texts would read, “Thou shalt not murder.”

“You shall not commit murder.” It was never in God’s plan that one human being should take another human being’s life in a wanton manner. He placed this commandment as a prohibition, a hedge around the innocent, and a protection to keep passion from getting out of control.

In the sequence of the ten commandments, this sixth commandment is closely related to the fifth commandment, “Honor your father and mother.” It naturally follows the fifth, not just numerically, but sequentially and purposefully as well. The fifth commandment deals with the home, the place where life has its origin and is developed so that order and respect will exist in society. The fifth commandment builds a wall of protection around the family and provides the foundation upon which all human relationships are formed.

The sixth commandment shows us how we are to regard the sacredness of human life by protecting and safeguarding it. As the other commandments, it has a much broader application than just the taking of human life through cruel hands. It reveals the very nature of life, its origin, and why life is indeed a sacred and a moral issue.

What is Life?

As we study this very short commandment, let us look at what life is. From where does life come? Just what is it that makes the difference between lifeless matter and living matter? Many people have tried to prolong life, thinking that they can overrule some aspect of living matter.

There are some individuals who have directed that, upon their death, their bodies be quick frozen with nitrogen and kept in sealed capsules until science can discover some method of thawing them out and bringing them back to life again. In my mind, this is plain stupidity, just from the standpoint of what freezing does.

If you have ever left an undrained water hose in the yard during the winter, you know what happens. The water freezes and bursts the hose, cracking it. When the warmer temperatures of spring come and you turn on the water, water squirts everywhere. Well, in the human body, the blood vessels react to freezing temperature similar to the water hose, and when ice forms in them, they either burst or stretch beyond the point where they can function normally. In addition, ice in the blood vessels “captures” the water content, making it impossible for the blood cells to survive. Other types of cells are also damaged during freezing. Frostbite is a common malady caused by cold temperatures; frozen skin and blood cells are damaged from the dehydration due to freezing.

So, when a person tries to preserve the body by freezing it, thinking that they can warm it up and bring it back to life again, they are going to have trillions and trillions of fractured cells needing Band-Aids®! There is not a way that man can repair all of the damage. Only a divine hand could accomplish something like that.

What is it, then, that makes the difference between lifeless matter and living matter? What is the difference between carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen in an organic mass and hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon as an organic person? What is that subtle, potent spark of life, or vital force, which is housed in the center of an apparently structureless microscopic cell, lacking any chemical or biological action, which suddenly quickens it with energy, making it a living, growing, parental thing, organizing it into that wonderful thing called man?

These are the questions into which the keenest of minds are probing with the most intense interest today. But, interestingly, the most educated minds and the most sophisticated equipment cannot produce that life-giving force, either in plant or in animal. Life there is, though, and the Bible tells us how it originated.

Law of First Mention

The Law of First Mention must be recognized, as far as the study of Scripture is concerned, because if we fail to recognize this, then there is a great tendency and a great probability that we will get off on a tangent from which we may never recover.

When we study the Bible, we have to use tools of study in order to come up with proper doctrine, proper interpretation, and understanding of what it is that the Bible is trying to teach us. The Law of First Mention is one of those tools that has been given to us so that we can understand what the Bible has to say.

We find an example of the Law of First Mention in the Book of Genesis, where it describes to us how God brought life into being: “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” Genesis 1:1. This tells us the origin, how the earth came into being. Genesis 1 continues through the first four days of creation, and then, in verses 20–27, it says, “And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl [that] may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven. And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that [it was] good. And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth. And the evening and the morning were the fifth day. And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so. And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that [it was] good. And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his [own] image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.”

Then, Genesis 2:7 tells us how all of this came together and how this one called man took on life: “And the Lord God formed man [of] the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.”

From all of the study researching man’s origin, there have come many theories concerning how man came into being, but in the middle of all the confusion there is one area of argument: man’s body is composed of the same chemical elements as the soil upon which he walks. This should tell us something—either God created man or he came up out of the earth in some way. The Bible tells us how he came up out of the earth. God formed him out of the dust, and then it says, He “breathed into his nostrils the breath of life.” But man is dust. He was taken out of the dust, and the Bible says he will return to dust. (Genesis 3:19.)

Breath of Life

The form of clay that the Lord molded in the beginning was just that, until He breathed into its nostrils the breath of life, that spark of life. Then that clay became a living, moving image of God Himself. The breath, here, is a symbol for something greater.

Our Heritage

Science can create breath, and by that I mean oxygen and nitrogen. Those elements can be manufactured by science, but scientists can pump as much of those they want into clay and they will never come up with that spark that animates the body and brings it to life. Man is of divine origin, and he is under the sovereignty of the Creator. It is God who keeps him alive and gives him his being. His life is a part of the eternal purpose of God.

God gave to this newly created creature—man—a part of Himself, and He told Adam to be fruitful and multiply. As we read the genealogy of man in the Bible, we see that indeed man can trace his origin to God himself. Genealogy recorded in Luke states: “. . . Which was [the son] of Enos, which was [the son] of Seth, which was [the son] of Adam, which was [the son] of God.” Luke 3:38. Every person in the world can eventually trace his or her heritage back through the maze of the family tree to divine parentage. Our origin comes from God Himself.

Priceless Container

Because of its lineage and how it originated, the human body is a sacred thing. This is why the apostle Paul tells us, in 1 Corinthians 6:19, “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost [which is] in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?” The human body is a living shrine wherein God’s Spirit dwells. As such, it is a priceless container of unknown sacred potentialities.

“Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.” 1 John 3:1–3.

There are some things about Jesus we clearly understand, but there are other things that we are not able to grasp. These are so complex to the human mind and to the human understanding that God has not been able to share them with us. He is not able to portray to us, so that our minds can comprehend, what is in store for us. But we do know that when Jesus comes, and when we see Him, we are going to be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump, and we are going to be like Him.

When God proclaimed in thunderous tones from Mt. Sinai the words, “You shall not kill,” or “You shall not commit murder,” it was for the purpose of preserving the image of God that had been created in the very beginning of time. God wants His image to fill the whole earth. He desires to have Himself replicated in this creation.

Individuality

God loves individuality. The thinking of man is so shallow in many ways. Have you ever thought about how individualized the human race really is? The basic building block for humanity is carbon. This is where carbon dating comes into play. When an old bone is discovered, it can be run through a process that reads the carbon to find out how much it has deteriorated. It is possible to get a fairly accurate reading to about 4,500 years—after that it begins to slide down the slippery slope of interpretation and speculation. Carbon is the building block of the human race.

We are told that no two snowflakes are alike. This is rather difficult to believe when you experience a blizzard and see all those snowflakes! God loves individuality. You can look at flowers and at leaves on a tree, and even though you can identify them as a specific kind of flower or tree leaf, no two of them are exactly alike.

Suppose for a moment that God decided on another world somewhere to use a different building block, a different element than carbon, because He loves individuality. Suppose that God used gold as the building block. Possible? Of course it is; it is an element. What if He used silver as the building block on another world? God loves individuality, and I believe this is why Ellen White, as she in vision saw some of the creatures from other worlds, could not really describe them, other than the fact that they were beautiful to behold. (See Early Writings, 39, 40.)

Crime Against God

Man’s body is the true glory in which Deity itself is to dwell and shine. So murder, in its final analysis, is sacrilege, because it destroys the shrine in which God wants to house His Spirit.

Not only is murder a crime against man, but it is a crime against God, in whose image man is made. The whole human family is made in God’s image. Do not think for a minute that the expression “made in the image of God” applies only to those who are good. It applies also to those who are bad. Wherever there is a human being, regardless of how wicked he or she may be, there is an image of God. Terribly defaced? Yes. Tremendously degraded? Yes. But not altogether destroyed. In spite of all its abrasion and corrosion, in this image that God preserves there is still hope that the gospel message can reach down and touch something in that mind so it will respond, be converted, and begin to reflect the glory of God.

We can still see God’s image, regardless of how defaced it may be, in those about us, so to commit murder against any person, good or bad, is to commit a sacrilege. It shortens an individual’s probation, and it shortens God’s day of grace, crushing out all possibilities of repentance, forgiveness, and salvation.

Murder Born of Despair

Another area to consider is the murder that is born of despair. That is, suicide. Suicide knows no age limits. It is a leading cause in the death of young people today, and it is on the rise. It is a problem in little towns as well as in large cities.

Connected very closely with instant suicide is suicide by degrees. It is possible to kill oneself through indulgences and dissipations that are known to be injurious to health. Anything that shortens our lives is a form of suicide by degree. Any pleasure or indulgence engaged in at the price of premature death is included in the sixth commandment. This is one of the reasons that the health message is so important for Seventh-day Adventists, those who are called to be, “The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.” Isaiah 58:12.

What is it that makes the health message so important? It is this sixth commandment. The reason we have a health message is because of the sacredness of the clay vessel God created for us to indwell.

But God intends for us to have the longest, most productive life that we can have—not only from a standpoint of the physical well-being that the health message can give to us, but also from the standpoint of the mental health and the spiritual health.

God has been pleased to give us an abundance of information on how to live the most healthful lives possible, and if we are not willing to follow this counsel, if we want to do our own thing and to indulge ourselves, thereby shortening our lives, we transgress this commandment. There will not be any excuses in the judgment day. We will be held accountable for what we knew was right and did not do. “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth [it] not, to him it is sin.” James 4:17. We will never be held accountable for what we did not know.

The sixth commandment commands practices that produce health and long life and condemns those practices that impair health and shorten life.

Anger and Hatred

Another area we should bear in mind is given by Jesus in Matthew 5:21, 22: “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment.” Jesus declares that anger and hatred, which contain the spirit and the seeds of murder, make one a potential murderer.

John, in his little book, said: “Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.” 1 John 3:15. The language used here cannot be misunderstood. It points out where murder has its very source. It is not the fatal blow that is the origin point of murder. Murder has its origin in hatred, in variance, strife, and anger.

I have heard parents say to their children, “I could just kill you.” How do the children then grow up? Do they have a regard for the sanctity and the sacredness of human life if their parents, whom they are supposed to honor, come forth with such a saying?

The Positive Side

We have looked at the negative side of the commandment, but, like all the commandments, there is also a positive side. We learn this through what Jesus said about how we are to relate to our fellowman.

How are we to relate to our fellow man? Are we to relate in a state of selfishness and variance all the time, or are we to relate in an attitude and in a thought of love? We are not only to refrain from injuring or killing or shortening his life, but we are to practice the Golden Rule that says that we are to do unto others as we would have them do unto us.

Jesus said, “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.” Matthew 5:44, 45.

That brings the commandment a little closer to home, does it not? Probably one of the areas that we as human beings struggle with more than any of the others is, how am I going to get along with those with whom I find myself the closest—those with whom I live, those in the family into which I have been born, those with whom I work, those who may have different political views than I do?

We have to not only understand the negative aspects of this commandment, but we must understand the positive side and put it into practice.

Subtle Murder

We must know that the sixth commandment is more than just refraining from hitting someone with a wooden instrument, as the Bible describes it, or an instrument of iron, committing an act of murder. We can perform murder many times much more subtly than that and get away with it, but we can be as guilty as if we had shed the blood with wood or iron.

The only way that we can really come to understand this is through the process of full and complete conversion. This is the only way that we can love our neighbor as ourselves. This is the only way that we can do good to those that despitefully use us.

This is really the challenge that Jesus Christ places before us in our Christian walk: how are we going to deal with these issues that come so close to home? Jesus said that He gave us a new commandment. That new commandment will take out the old, stony heart, and He will put in a heart of flesh. Upon that heart of flesh He will write His Law, which includes the sixth commandment.

Not only do we have the law in cursory form, but we also have it in an emotional form where we actually delight to do the will of God. We truly are living letters, known and read by all people.

To be continued . . .

A retired minister of the gospel, Pastor Mike Baugher may be contacted by e-mail at: landmarks@stepstolife.org.

Take Heed Lest You Fall, Part II

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We learned in Part I of this article that while Moses was on the mount meeting with God, the children of Israel became restless. The people came to Aaron and declared that they had to do something! So he told them to bring to him their golden earrings, and he fashioned for them a molded calf, which was declared to be Israel’s god. (Exodus 32:2–4.) They believed they really were still worshipping Jehovah. They did not think that they were rejecting Jehovah. The golden calf was simply a symbol of Jehovah; that was what they had grown up with in Egypt.

Modern Idols

“And the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.” Exodus 32:6. After you have worship, then you need to have something for the young people too. So they rose up to play.

Today, of course, we do not have idols like the golden calf, but I have often thought about all of the people who eat and drink in front of their idols. Now, they do not worship them, and they are not golden calves, but how many people are eating and drinking in front of their idols, their television shrines? How many people go to their stadium shrines where they eat and drink? You know what else they do there? They yell! They get up early sometimes; they stay up late sometimes. Whatever it takes; they are interested; they are enthusiastic.

Were the children of Israel enthusiastic about what they were doing? Oh, yes, they were enthused! They got up early. Likewise, today, people are enthused about their idols. They are fanatical about their idols.

Today, the devil is doing a number on our young people with games, with playing, with amusements, with activities, and with sports. All of these things are being introduced, and the saddest thing is that, in many places, it is actually being done in the name of the Lord.

I have seen competitive basketball games where, before the games start, the teams pray together and say, “We are going to be witnessing for the Lord today.” And then they go out and try to beat the other team with all they are worth.

Rationalization

We are living in a serious day and age, are we not? We are on the way to Canaan, and anything that engrosses our minds so that we lose sight of our heavenly goal and our heavenly mission is something to be avoided. But how easy it is to rationalize.

Some time ago I copied an article from the Review and Herald. A lady wrote in explaining why she had changed her habits. Whenever we change our habits, we always have good reasons for doing so, even if we change them for the bad.

She wrote, “There once was a time when I thought I would never see a television set in my home.” I have noticed how many people sit around television sets. I did not grow up with a television. In the limited experience I have had with television, I have noticed how, when I am watching the programs, I am never thinking of the Lord; I am never studying my Bible. My Bible becomes less interesting.

This lady continued, “There once was a time when I thought I would never see a television set in my home. I condemned all television. And then we had children. Living in a neighborhood with 21 pre-schoolers, we discovered our son, Sean, to be a very social creature, as most three-year-olds are. We mothers became friends too. Our family believed that, like salt, Christians must mix in order to be useful. In our neighbors’ homes, I discovered with dismay how entranced our son was with their television sets, which seemed always to be on. He mimicked what he saw. He began asking to visit friends so he could watch TV at their houses. At that point, we faced a dilemma—either take the salt out of the neighborhood and isolate ourselves in a home with no television, or we would have to teach him to become a discriminating television viewer. So we bought our first television, and began an experiment that has lasted for ten years. I will admit it has not been a hundred percent successful a hundred percent of the time. It would still be easier to say no to television all of the time. Determining which programs are acceptable for viewing is a process that involves our whole family. Instead of saying a flat no to a program, we watch it together, and later discuss why the program should or should not be a part of our family’s diet. Monitoring the television is a continual project. We try to limit television-viewing time. Doing so is a challenge, because too many programs fall in the ‘good’ category.” They must have been living in a different country! “What do we watch? My husband and older son are history buffs, so they enjoy history documentaries. Watching a World War II program together gives them the opportunity to discuss history, prophecy, and the Bible. So, yes, we have a television in our home, and our family is learning to choose daily, for eternity. Learning this kind of self-control is important to us.”

That is an interesting philosophy! It is interesting how we can rationalize everything.

A Re-write

Read the letter through again with my added comments. I could not help putting some comments in!

She wrote: “There once was a time when I thought I would never see a television set in my home. I condemned all television. And then we had children.” Studies show that children are the most damaged by television. I would much rather see someone have a television when they did not have children than when they did have children.

“Living in a neighborhood with 21 preschoolers . . . .” We do have counsel, of course, on city living and on country living. But, anyway, she continues, “We discovered our son, Sean, to be a very social creature, as most three-year-olds are. We mothers became friends too. Our family believed that, like salt, most Christians must mix in order to be useful.” What did Jesus say about salt that has lost its savor? (See Matthew 5:13; Mark 9:50; Luke 14:34.) It becomes like the world. Do we witness by becoming like the world?

“But in our neighbors’ homes, I discovered with dismay how entranced our son was with their television sets, which seemed always to be on.” They also probably had beer in their refrigerator; they probably also had parties on the Sabbath. I wonder why she did not consider getting beer or having parties on Sabbath too, so that they could be like their neighbors.

“He mimicked what he saw.” That should have been warning enough.

“He began asking to visit friends so he could watch television at their houses.” As I read that, I could not believe why, with a three-year-old, she could not have simply said no! But here is a three-year-old that is ruling the roost.

“At that point we faced a dilemma.” I mean, what do you do with a three-year-old that wants to go to the neighbors? “Either take the salt out of the neighborhood . . .”—this kid was becoming a real witness—“. . . and isolate ourselves in a home with no television, or we would have to teach him to become a discriminating television viewer.” Well, they could teach him to become a discriminating beer drinker too.

“So we bought our first television, and began an experiment.” Now she goes on to say that instead of saying a flat no to a program, they watch it together, and later discuss why the program should or should not be a part of their diet. Can you imagine watching a program, then deciding whether or not you should have watched it?

Then she says, “Doing so is a challenge, because too many programs fall in the ‘good’ category.” I could not help thinking, they have really been bitten. They must have been affected! I cannot find anything on television except the Steps to Life program that is worth watching. Even the news, most of the time, is sensationalism. The news can cause people’s minds to start wandering in areas of sex and violence and other things, of which they should not be thinking.

She says, “This is a continual project.” I wonder what happened to their witnessing program? They got the television so they could be a witness in the neighborhood, but monitoring of the television became a continual project. Whatever happened to the salt? I was surprised, when I read this part of the article where she admitted that all of their time was taken up with the television, that she did not see through her own arguments.

“What do we watch?” She mentions World War II documentaries. There is nothing much more “blood and guts” and violent than World War II programs!

Counsel Given

Consider a few thoughts from the pen of inspiration. “The world is flooded with books that are filled with enticing error. The youth receive as truth that which the Bible denounces as falsehood, and they love and cling to deception that means ruin to the soul.

“There are works of fiction that were written for the purpose of teaching truth or exposing some great evil. Some of these works have accomplished good. Yet they have also wrought untold harm. They contain statements and highly wrought pen pictures that excite the imagination and give rise to a train of thought which is full of danger, especially to the youth. The scenes described are lived over and over again in their thoughts.” The Ministry of Healing, 445.

I know what happened to me. I did not watch many programs, but I saw a movie at Union College [Lincoln, Nebraska] on the Civil War—one that had been shown in the theater. I probably relived that program a hundred times in my mind; I can still remember every detail of it. Did you ever see any programs that you relived afterwards in your minds? Do you remember every detail? Did you ever notice how hard it is to memorize the Bible and how easy it is to remember what you see on television?

What does the Bible say? “Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things [are] honest, whatsoever things [are] just, whatsoever things [are] pure, whatsoever things [are] lovely, whatsoever things [are] of good report; if [there be] any virtue, and if [there be] any praise, think on these things.” Philippians 4:8.

Mrs. White wrote that people think of these things over and over again in their thoughts. Such reading unfits the mind for usefulness and disqualifies it for spiritual exercise. Is there any wonder why our young people today are not interested in spiritual things? Such reading—and television programming—destroys interest in the Bible. Passion is aroused, and the end is sin. We are living in an altogether too crooked world to be leading our children into paths of sin in our own homes.

“It is often urged that in order to win the youth from sensational or worthless literature, we should supply them with a better class of fiction. This is like trying to cure the drunkard by giving him, in the place of whisky or brandy, the milder intoxicants, such as wine, beer, or cider. The use of these would continually foster the appetite for stronger stimulants. The only safety for the inebriate, and the only safeguard for the temperate man, is total abstinence. For the lover of fiction the same rule holds true. Total abstinence is his only safety.” The Ministry of Healing, 446.

Skimpier Clothing

There is another thing that led the children of Israel to defeat. Do you remember the story of Achan? What was it that he coveted? The garments of the Babylonians and the Egyptians. It is one thing to take the person out of Egypt and Babylon; it is another thing to take Babylon and Egypt out of the person. It is interesting that as these people rose up to play, Exodus 32:25 mentions how some of them became naked in their play. Their garments became a little skimpier; they became a little more like the world.

James 4:4, 9, 10 says, “Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” “Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and [your] joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.”

Who will Stand?

Who will be able to stand? Will it be those who fill their minds with thoughts of worldliness? Do not make others your standard, because most of them are not going to make it to heaven. They all can—God would love them all to, but it is not going to happen that way.

In 11 Corinthians 6:15–17, we read, “What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: ‘I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people.’ Therefore ‘Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you.’ ” Listen, if the salt has lost its savor, what good is it? It is worthless, except to be tossed out. If we become the salt of the community by becoming like the community, we are worthless. He says, touch not the unclean, and “ ‘I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.’ ”

Either we are all for God or eventually we are going to be all for Satan. Steps to Christ, page 33, says, “What we do not overcome, will overcome us and work out our destruction.” The next page in Steps to Christ says, “Even one wrong trait of character, one sinful desire, persistently cherished, will eventually neutralize all the power of the gospel.”

As you look at your life, is there any place that you are holding on to something that the Lord has, at least at one time, convicted you of? If you are, that thing, unless you overcome it, will eventually destroy you and work out your condemnation. We have to be complete overcomers to be among the 144,000. Whatever can be shaken will be shaken. And there may be something different for each one of us. You might have something in your diet that you have never really surrendered. You may be practicing it, but you have never really surrendered it. Whether or not you are practicing it, if you have not really surrendered it, a time will come when you are going to find reason and rationale for doing what you want to do, such as the children of Israel did after Moses was gone for 40 days.

Is it possible to quit doing something that you have not really surrendered all the way to the Lord? Is it possible for a person who may be in love with somebody they should not be in love with to give that up and never really surrender? Is it possible to quit smoking and never really surrender it? Many people who quit smoking never really surrender. Somewhere in the back of their minds, that habit is still there, and every so often they think about how wonderful it would be . . . . There are people who do that with drugs and with alcohol. Every single person who holds on, in the back of their mind, to that cigarette, whether they have quit or not, sooner or later will start smoking again.

Is there some sin in your life that you have never surrendered? You may not be practicing it; you may not be doing it, but do you never really surrender to the Lord? What we do not overcome completely will eventually completely overcome us and work out our destruction.

In 1 Peter 2:9, Peter says, “But you [are] a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praise of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”

The Lord has called you and me to a higher plain of living than just nominal Christianity. He has called us to be clothed with the robe of Jesus’ righteousness. He has called us to be separate in practice from the world. He has called us to have pure thoughts. He has called us to have the love that Jesus had—love that turns the other cheek, love that never gets upset or irritated. We must develop the character with which we can stand before God and He can say, “These people are without any guile in their mouth; they are without fault before the throne of God.” (Revelation 14:5.)

Paul says, “Let you who think you stand, take heed lest you fall.” And the time to take heed is not when you are stumbling, it is when you think you are standing tall and firm. Today is the day to take heed, to review our lives, to see if there is something there that we are cherishing, some area that God has been trying to lead us to surrender, repent of, and overcome.

Pastor Marshall Grosboll, with his wife Lillian, founded Steps to Life. In July 1991, Pastor Marshall and his family met with tragedy as they were returning home from a camp meeting in Washington state, when the airplane he was piloting went down, killing all on board.

A Finished Work – The Power

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In this series, we have been studying about a finished work as typified in the conquest of Canaan. We have seen the challenge of a finished work [December 2005] that still lies before us today. We reviewed the method of a finished work [January 2006], and the need to explicitly follow God’s directions. We studied the march of a finished work [April 2006], and the need to march in unity if the work is going to be finished today. We have to march shoulder to shoulder.

A Mindset

John 4 is a very instructive passage of Scripture. In fact, Ellen White tells us that this is the most important discourse that Jesus gave. (See Testimonies, vol. 3, 217.) So this is a very important passage for us to study.

In John 4:3–6, 8, we read where Jesus had come to Jacob’s well, and He was weary. Jesus and His companions had been traveling almost all of the morning, and He was tired from the journey. Not only was He tired, but, apparently, He was also hungry, because the disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. As Jesus was resting there by the well, a woman came. This Samaritan woman, who was probably looking the other way, was just going to draw water and go on her way, but Jesus spoke to her, asking a favor of this woman. Throughout the course of the conversation, Jesus was able to turn a common, casual conversation into spiritual truth and led her to make a decision. It seems this took just a matter of five or ten minutes. The woman went away, but Jesus knew where she was going. She was going to tell the entire city that she had found the Messiah, the Christ, the Anointed One. (Verses 7, 9–26, 28, 29.)

The disciples returned with food and urged Him to eat, but Jesus was thinking about this woman who had just made a decision. He was thinking about the people of the city that were on their way to meet Him right then, and He said, “I have meat to eat that ye know not of. . . . My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.” Verses 32, 34.

Jesus, by faith, saw a finished work in the example of this Samaritan woman and the Samaritan town. He said, “Even though I am tired, even though I am hungry, I have forgotten all about it by looking at a finished work.”

Is a finished work so much our desire that even if we have walked many hours, and we are weary and hungry, we will say, “You know, I do not even want to eat, because I am thinking about the work being finished”?

This was Jesus’ mindset. A finished work was His goal, and this must be the goal set before us as well. We must always remember what the goal is toward which we are marching.

By God’s Power

The children of Israel had come to the borders of the Promised Land, and God had given them the explicit direction, “March into the Jordan.” (Joshua 3.) They followed those explicit directions from the Captain of the Host.

Would they have been effectual without God’s power being displayed? Absolutely not. If God’s power had not been manifested for them as they marched into the Jordan, they would have been drowned. They would have been carried away by the torrent. But at the very moment the feet of the priests bearing the Ark of the Covenant stepped into the Jordan, the Jordan stopped. By God’s power the Jordan was stopped.

The directions next given were that they were to march around Jericho. Could all of their marching have conquered that city? No, not without the power of God. Without the display of God’s power in tearing down the walls of Jericho, Canaan would have never been conquered. Following the directions of God was not enough; they had to rely solely upon the power of God.

I do not know how the walls came down. I imagine that angels tore them down, or maybe the Lord used sound waves as the people shouted, or an earthquake. Although I do not know exactly how it happened, I do believe it was a miracle that the walls came down, and that the city was surrounded and conquered without a fight.

We must always remember, in our work today, that if the work is going to be finished, it is through God’s power alone that it will be finished—just as it was God’s power alone that conquered Canaan.

We could give Bible studies to every single person in this world, but would that alone be enough? No, that alone would not be enough. We could give literature to every single person in the world, but would that alone be enough? No. We could give everyone a massage, or something recommended by the health message, but would that alone be enough? As important as this is and as much as we need to be doing that, we must realize that we are but clay. We are but dust and ashes. It does not matter what we do; without the power of God directing and supporting our efforts, the work will not be finished.

The Gospel Commission

“Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things. And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.” Luke 24:45–49.

These are the last words, recorded in the gospel of Luke, which Jesus spoke to His disciples. Were the disciples given a big work? Oh, yes! Jesus said, “This gospel of repentance and remission of sins is going to be preached in all nations, beginning in Jerusalem.” He gave to them what we call the Great Commission.

Did Jesus tell them to start right then? I do not know about you, but that would be my temperament; I would want to start immediately, but Jesus said, “Tarry until you are endued with power from on high.”

How much more do we need that power from on high in our work today? Ellen White wrote: “Those who today believe in Christ, need more than Pentecostal power, inasmuch as He has given them a large, open field in which to work.” The Ellen G. White 1888 Materials, vol. 4, 1793. The disciples needed the power of Pentecost, but today, as the challenges have grown greater and the giants have grown taller, we need more than Pentecostal power.

Our Need

“The work ought to have moved forward with a hundredfold more power than it has.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 18, 144. Ellen White said that not just do we need more than Pentecostal power, but our work should have been moving forward with a hundred times more power.

If that was true then, do you think it is true today? We might even need 200 times more power today. But in everything we can do, as important as it is, we must realize that without God’s power being displayed, not even one soul is going to be converted. There might be some that accept the message, there might be some that are baptized, but without God’s power truly working, not one soul will be converted. I do not just want baptisms; I want conversions!

God’s Promise

God has promised that the Pentecostal power is going to come. Oh, how I look forward to that time! The Old Testament prophets are full of promises about the power that is going to accompany the work. Those prophecies were given as God desired to do the work through the nation of Israel, but because of their rejection of God’s plans and of His Son, those promises could not be fulfilled.

Ellen White gives many statements describing the power of God that is going to come in the latter rain. She states that, “There will be thousands converted to the truth in a day, who at the eleventh hour see and acknowledge the truth and the movements of the Spirit of God.” The Ellen G. White 1888 Materials, vol. 2, 754.

“Let the full light of His life stream into the souls of those who are in darkness. Under the direct power of the gospel thousands have been converted in a day.” Colporteur Ministry, 153. Not only are thousands going to be converted, but thousands are going to step into the light and become eleventh hour workers!

Quoting the promise in Amos 9:13 about the harvester overtaking the planter— “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed”—Mrs. White says: “These conversions to truth will be made with a rapidity that will surprise the church, and God’s name alone will be glorified.” Selected Messages, Book 2, 16. Do you want to be surprised? I want to be surprised. I studied for a year and a half before I was baptized. I want to see conversions come with such rapidity that I am surprised at how quickly they occur.

A Greater Power

Speaking of the Day of Pentecost, Ellen White tells us, “These scenes are to be repeated, and with greater power. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost was the former rain, but the latter rain will be more abundant.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 121. More abundant than Pentecost! How often were believers added to the church after Pentecost? Daily! “And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.” Acts 2:47.

This is going to happen again with even more power than then. There are going to be conversions—not just every year or every few months, but daily. Ellen White says, “The power which stirred the people so mightily in the 1844 movement will again be revealed. The third angel’s message will go forth, not in whispered tones, but with a loud voice.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 252.

Every City

“During the loud cry, the church, aided by the providential interpositions of her exalted Lord, will diffuse the knowledge of salvation so abundantly that light will be communicated to every city and town. The earth will be filled with the knowledge of salvation. So abundantly will the renewing Spirit of God have crowned with success the intensely active agencies, that the light of present truth will be seen flashing everywhere.” Review and Herald, October 13, 1904.

“In the visions of the night a very impressive scene passed before me [Ellen White]. I saw an immense ball of fire fall among some beautiful mansions, causing their instant destruction. I heard someone say: ‘We knew that the judgments of God were coming upon the earth, but we did not know that they would come so soon.’ Others, with agonized voices, said: ‘You knew! Why then did you not tell us? We did not know.’ On every side I heard similar words of reproach spoken.

“In great distress I awoke. I went to sleep again, and I seemed to be in a large gathering. One of authority was addressing the company, before whom was spread out a map of the world. He said that the map pictured God’s vineyard, which must be cultivated. As light from heaven shone upon anyone, that one was to reflect the light to others. Lights were to be kindled in many places, and from these lights still other lights were to be kindled.

“The words were repeated: ‘Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savor, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden underfoot of men. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.’ Matthew 5:13–16.

“I saw jets of light shining from cities and villages, and from the high places and the low places of the earth. God’s word was obeyed, and as a result there were memorials for Him in every city and village. His truth was proclaimed throughout the world.” Testimonies, vol. 9, 28, 29.

We do not have memorials to God in every city and village today, but this is a promise. When God’s power takes hold of the church, there will be memorials to Him in every city and village.

Message Carried

“Servants of God, with their faces lighted up and shining with holy consecration, will hasten from place to place to proclaim the message from heaven. By thousands of voices, all over the earth, the warning will be given. . . .

“The message will be carried not so much by argument as by the deep conviction of the Spirit of God.” The Great Controversy, 612.

The arguments will have been presented. The people have received the literature. They have been given Bible studies. They have attended the evangelistic meetings. They have heard or experienced whatever method brought them the truth of the gospel, and when God’s power is poured out in the latter rain, they will be convicted and take their stand.

Preparation for that Day

Do you want to see that day? Oh, how I long to see that day! We must work and do everything we can right now, but we need to keep our eyes on the time when God’s power is going to be poured out. We must be preparing for that event.

“I know that a work must be done for the people, or many will not be prepared to receive the light of the angel sent down from heaven to lighten the whole earth with his glory. Do not think that you will be found as vessels unto honor in the time of the latter rain, to receive the glory of God, if you are lifting up your souls unto vanity, speaking perverse things, in secret cherishing roots of bitterness. The frown of God will certainly be upon every soul who cherishes and nurtures these roots of dissension and possesses a spirit so unlike the spirit of Christ.” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 468, 469.

A work must be done for us. We are not ready for God’s power to be poured out most fully. If God’s power, His Spirit, was poured out and we still had a vestige of pride or selfishness in our hearts, we would be saying, “Look at what we are doing.”

God wants to give us His Spirit, His power, but He cannot do it until a work is done for us.

Moving Forward

“The work that God has begun in the human heart in giving His light and knowledge must be continually going forward. Every individual must realize his own necessity. The heart must be emptied of every defilement and cleansed for the indwelling of the Spirit. It was by the confession and forsaking of sin, by earnest prayer and consecration of themselves to God, that the early disciples prepared for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost. The same work, only in greater degree, must be done now. Then the human agent had only to ask for the blessing, and wait for the Lord to perfect the work concerning him. It is God who began the work, and He will finish His work, making man complete in Jesus Christ. But there must be no neglect of the grace represented by the former rain. Only those who are living up to the light they have will receive greater light. Unless we are daily advancing in the exemplification of the active Christian virtues, we shall not recognize the manifestations of the Holy Spirit in the latter rain. It may be falling on hearts all around us, but we shall not discern or receive it.” Ibid., 507.

God’s power is going to be displayed again. We have a work to do, not just in this world, but also in our hearts. When we individually take hold of that work, when we individually are cleansed from every defilement, God is going to give us more and more of His power, until the third angel’s message swells into the loud cry. The knowledge of truth will then be diffused to every land and city and village.

One Family

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, one family moved to a “dark area”—an area void of Seventh-day Adventist Christians. One family, not a whole team of workers, moved there, and within three or four years, I visited the church and the congregation that they had built up. A church of over 100 members had been raised up in those few years!

Now we may say, “That is Africa. They realize their need more.” This is true; it is Africa, but when this family moved to the “dark area,” they learned that the Baptist Church leaders had warned the entire community against them. There was so much prejudice that the local residents would not even look them in the eye or shake their hands.

The father of this family needed to go on a mission one day, and he enlisted the assistance of two young men to go with him. They were to carry some of his things. He later learned that the purpose they had in accompanying him was so they could throw his things by the roadside and return to the village. Those two men are converted now.

From the prejudice, God was able to do a work with just one family. And the work did not stop there, because they put up a sign beside the road that said, “Independent Seventh-day Adventist Church.” This is a major road. Perhaps five to ten vehicles go by the sign in a day, but that is a major road in this part of the country. Perhaps I should clarify that these vehicles are trucks—the equivalent of a grain truck—with about 40 people riding on the top, ten feet up off the ground! As people from the surrounding area traveled this road, they would see the sign, and some of them would stop to find out more information.

This family began to minister to the people there. One lady requested prayer, so they walked the six or eight miles to her village during the night. They prayed all night for her, then walked back to their home the next morning. Then a man was healed through their efforts, and the entire village opened to them. A church was planted there. The Baptist minister became a leader in that church.

The good news of the gospel began to spread, and when I visited there, four churches had been raised up, from one family that had moved to this “dark area.” Within five months of my visit, six more groups of worshippers were meeting every Sabbath and studying for baptism. In one village, 300 to 400 people were interested in studying the message.

God’s Power Displayed

God’s power is certainly being displayed! While visiting there, I talked to people who had been fetish priests; that is like being witch doctors. They had been converted and had given up their livelihood to accept the Lord and to follow His truth. That is the greatest power of God being displayed!

I also talked to a man who was a sorcerer. He said he had been guilty of killing people through his trade. Through this one family, he accepted Christ as his Saviour.

Many other lives are being changed, displaying evidence of the power of God. All this because one family was willing to enter into a “dark area,” and in just a few years, God was able to do a mighty work.

Used of God

God wants to use our families. Do we want to be used by Him? Do we want God’s power to be displayed through us? Do we want to be that channel? Maybe we are only one family in an area, but as we consecrate ourselves to God and as we seek for power from on high, He can do with us just as He is doing in Africa.

Are we willing to comply with the conditions? Are we willing to seek that power? Are we willing to tarry in Jerusalem? Are we willing, as were the disciples? It took them ten days of repenting and of confessing, ten days of humbling their hearts before God and seeking that their lives might be right with Him, ten days to be cleansed of every defilement before God could pour the Holy Spirit upon them.

The same work, only in a greater degree, must be done today. I want to see that time when thousands are converted in a day. I want to see that time when the knowledge of truth and of salvation is spread so abundantly that it goes to every city and village in this world. I want to see the time when there is more than Pentecostal power. I want to see the time when the message is carried not so much by argument, but by the power of His Spirit.

If we are going to see the time of the latter rain, we must individually be doing the work that the disciples did. Are you willing to do it? Pray that the Lord will make us each willing, that we might receive that power from on high.

Link to the next article in this series…

Cody Francis is currently engaged in public evangelism for Mission Projects International. He also pastors the Remnant Church of Seventh-day Adventist Believers in Renton, Washington. He may be contacted by e-mail at: cody@missionspro.org.

The Ten Commandments, Part XIV – ’Til Death Do us Part’

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In this series, we have been studying the Ten Commandments as recorded in Deuteronomy 5, and we have discovered that there are some changes and some additions in comparison to Exodus 20. Deuteronomy 5 is a pastoral rendering of the law by Moses in one of his Sabbath sermons to the children of Israel, just before they crossed over the Jordan River.

In this article, we will be studying the seventh commandment as found in Deuteronomy 5:18. In this text, it contains one extra word from that which is recorded in Exodus 20:14. “Neither shalt thou commit adultery.” The additional word is neither, which connects this text to the commandment that is given in verse 17: “Thou shalt not kill.”

The first three commandments given in the second table are very specific in their order. They center around the home and on the lives of those who make up the home. The fifth commandment, you may recall, tells us how we are to relate to that place, to those people, where life begins and where relationships have their origin—the home. The sixth commandment unfolds the sacredness of human life.

Just as the sixth commandment points to the value of human life, the seventh commandment points to the place of sexuality in human life. Writing on this commandment, one biblical scholar stated that sexuality is enormously wondrous and enormously dangerous. The danger of sexuality is that it is capable of evoking desires that are destructive of persons and of communal relations.

When the ancient Israelites interpreted the commandment about adultery, they understood it in a very limited sense: it was a prohibition against sexual relations with the wife of another man. The violation of another man’s wife was viewed so seriously that it was a capital offense. Leviticus 20:10 reads, “And the man that committeth adultery with [another] man’s wife, [even he] that committeth adultery with his neighbour’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.”

A Sacred Gift

Human life centers in more than just one person; it centers in two people—the male and the female. Each is uniquely different, but when they are brought together, the Bible tells us, they become “one flesh.” Genesis 2:24. They form a beautifully composed unit of oneness. Human sexuality is a gift from God that is sacred and that is meant to be reserved for nurturing the lives of a man and a woman together into the bonds of an everlasting unity. The seventh commandment deals with the guarding of that relationship of oneness from any outside source of interference, so that the happiness and the perpetuity of the home and the family can be maintained on the earth.

God made provision for everything that would affect the human family so as to promote the greatest safety and harmony. The most intimate, the most binding, the most sacred of all human relationships is marriage, and it is upon this relationship that the very existence and the perpetuity of the human race depend. Marriage is a divine ordinance, older than any other human institution. Marriage is older than man’s fall and sin. Marriage is as old as Eden and the creation of man and woman.

After God had finished the creation of all animal life on the sixth day, He saw that “it was very good.” Genesis 1:31. When God said that “it was very good,” this included everything about the human creation. It included the very fact that God has placed in His Law a commandment that deals with sexuality. Sexuality is very good, as far as God’s pronouncement is concerned. What has happened, however, is that sexuality, as a result of sin, has become something nasty and bad in the minds of many people, and it is taught and perpetuated that way.

Selfishness

In Genesis 1:28, God commands the first man and woman whom He created to “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth.” The process of obeying this command is a sexual process—man and woman, sperm and egg, coming together in union form a new creature, ordained by God, blessed by God through the sanctity of marriage. No problem was considered that would affect this process, until sin came on the scene. When sin entered the Garden of Eden, almost immediately a shame came upon Adam and Eve, the Bible says, because “they were naked.” Genesis 3:7. Selfishness set in, and the divine plan that God had ordained turned into human purpose and was driven by human emotions. Adultery is the supreme example of selfishness—I need this for me; my wife or my husband does not meet my needs.

Great changes began to take place in that which God had pronounced as “very good.” One of the human family became subjugated by the other. Man held the rule, and woman became subjugated by man. God’s plan was distorted. The earth became wicked and violent, and, as a result of that violence, God destroyed everything upon the earth except that which was contained in the ark.

God designed the commandment that forbids adultery for the human family to protect husband and wife and to safeguard the rearing of children who had respect for God and for the human race. The seventh commandment is in God’s Law for this purpose.

A Sensitive Subject

Sex is a very sensitive subject because we have been subjected to unbalanced and false information. Very early on, in the Christian church, tampering began to take place, as far as sexuality was concerned, in the human mind. The church began to tamper with other commandments, and we know the result of that as far as the Sabbath/Sunday issue is concerned. We, as Seventh-day Adventists, have focused on that aspect of the tampering of the commandments. But, in reality, even though the wording of the seventh commandment was not tampered with, the understanding and the application of sexuality in the human family was.

By the fifth century, a monk in the Catholic Church by the name of Augustine began to set the tone for Christian thinking that would continue for centuries. Orders of monks came into being as well as convents for nuns and a distorted view of what God had pronounced “very good.” They began to teach and believe that chastity was the most favored position that the human race could hold. Such beliefs were taught in the schools of the church. The leaders began to destroy any and all documents and arts that had any reference to sexual matters. This is why, to a large extent in the European areas where Catholic influence has been felt, we have very little understanding of sexuality in earlier centuries. We have to go into areas where the Catholic influence was not felt to really understand the teachings that were going on at that time.

Out of this period came the Victorian era. The Victorian era is responsible for negatively impacting more people psychologically than perhaps any other era that has come to pass in this earth’s history. Today, we are still feeling the results of the Victorian era concerning sexuality. Generally, the first references children hear regarding their sexual organs are terms such as icky pooh and nasty. That comes from the Victorian mentality, and such thoughts have messed up innumerable people.

So, sex is indeed a very sensitive subject, because we have never fully understood what the Bible has to say about sex. We have never been able to come completely out of the Victorian era, which contended that sex is wrong, that it should not be preached about or discussed.

In Your Heart

Jesus said, “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery. But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.” Matthew 5:27, 28.

Jesus expands on these verses from the Sermon on the Mount telling what this commandment is prohibiting. It is not just the overt behavior of adultery that is being prohibited, but also the very disposition within us that underlies such behavior—the lust within us that gives rise to the kind of leers that veritably “undress” another person in order to feed the fires of our fantasized desires.

If you admire something long enough, you will soon want it. And if you want something long enough and bad enough, you will probably find a way to get it. We need to be careful, because sin starts in the mind. So the sin begins in looking and in thinking about that which is forbidden. The mind is the incubator of almost every deed that is done.

Ellen White counsels: “Our meditations should be such as will elevate the mind. ‘Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.’ [Philippians 4:8.] Here is a wide field in which the mind can safely range. If Satan seeks to turn it to low and sensual things, bring it back. When corrupt imaginings seek to gain possession of your mind, flee to the throne of grace, and pray for strength from heaven. By the grace of Christ it is possible for us to reject impure thoughts. Jesus will attract the mind, purify the thoughts, and cleanse the heart from every secret sin. ‘The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God; . . . casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.’ [11 Corinthians 10:4, 5.]” Christian Temperance and Bible Hygiene, 136.

Adultery Lifestyles

Adultery is more than living a Clinton lifestyle. There is long distance adultery; the Internet opens up the possibilities for cyber adultery. This is a sin. Imagine spending hours tantalizing and playing with another human. And how do you even know if you are talking to a male or a female? If a married person allows his or her mind to fantasize about another person, they are playing with a fire that might just burn up their marriage. Your marriage gets torched when you are in the chat room dabbling with another person. Do not play with fire unless you want to spend some time in the burn unit. You know, I am sure, when the burn unit will occur. The New Testament is just as clear as the Old Testament when it says that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God. (1 Corinthians 6:9, 10; Galatians 5:21.) Do not be deceived. Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers will be in the kingdom of heaven. The Bible is very plain on this.

Another kind of adultery is pornographic adultery. You get burned when you allow your mind to feast on pornographic images, which come onto your computer screen or into your mailbox. You need to avoid these temptations. Job had it figured out, when he said, “I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?” Job 31:1. That is a good covenant to make.

We need to eliminate anything that stirs us up with this type of temptation. Maybe we need to clean out the magazines in our houses. Maybe we need to get rid of some of the videos in our houses. Maybe we need to call the cable company and cancel certain channels, or, better yet, get rid of the television! We need to get our Bibles and read them.

Heed the counsel given in 1 Corinthians 7:2, 3: “Let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband. Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband.”

And then there’s another type of adultery. We would call it premarital adultery, or fornication or cohabitation. Did you know that individuals who cohabit and then marry are 33 percent more likely to divorce than if they had not?

Purity is also expected if you are unmarried. Fornication includes those who live together before marriage. A girl who is shacked up with her boyfriend is very likely to suffer physical abuse. A child who lives in such a home with his or her mother’s boyfriend is 73 times more vulnerable to experience fatal abuse than a normal child. (See Maggie Gallagher, The Abolition of Marriage, Regnery Publishing, Washington, D.C., 1996, 31.)

Consequences

Adultery does have consequences that are not usually shown in the fictitious world of movies, television soaps, or make-believe stories and books. Those things teach us that adultery is all love and fun, and everything is fine. But, I will tell you that eternal life is certainly jeopardized. Health is endangered. Happiness is squandered. Your reputation is cheapened. Your marriage is often irreparably destroyed. Your children suffer the consequences for generations to come. Your family name will be dragged into the dirt. Can you really afford adultery?

Breaking the seventh commandment produces broken homes and poverty. Almost 75 percent of American children living in fatherless households will experience poverty before the age of 11, compared to only 20 percent of those raised by two parents. Such children tend to drop out of school and develop emotional or behavioral problems, commit suicide and fall victim to child abuse or neglect. Males from such households are more likely to become violent criminals. In fact, men who have grown up without dads currently represent 70 percent of the prison population serving long-term sentences. (See Michael G. Moriarty, The Perfect 10, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1999, 113.)

Consider as well the other commandments that are broken when adultery occurs. Adultery is stealing; it steals the love from another; it steals someone’s spouse away. Adultery destroys trust, and jeopardizes the family. Adultery is a living lie. It is done without the knowledge of the spouse. Adultery is coveting someone who does not belong to you.

A Symbol

In faithful, lifelong committed relationships—those in which the partners say, and really mean, “ ’til death do us part”—we have the opportunity to mirror something that is divine. We have the opportunity to mirror in our own relationships that same quality of faithfulness with which, throughout our lives, God relates to us.

By being faithful to your spouse, you are enhancing your ability to be faithful to God. The purpose of the seventh commandment is to build an atmosphere where two people can experience the highest joy and deepest intimacy as they both grow more and more into the fullness of the image of Jesus Christ. God’s commitment and fidelity to us is eternal. He created us, too, for fidelity. God wants to protect that bond, but Satan works overtime to destroy the Christian home, because it represents that connection.

This seventh commandment is about chastity, faithfulness, and the overcoming of lust. Yet the truth of the matter is that these qualities in our relationships are too difficult for us to accomplish all on our own. You see, the rest of society is just too heavily invested in tempting us away from these. So to come anywhere near succeeding at them, we need to understand the value and worth of chastity, faithfulness, and the overcoming of lust, and ask God to help us obtain and maintain His virtue in our lives each day.

“Let every one who desires to be a partaker of the divine nature, appreciate the fact that he must escape the corruption that is in the world through lust. There must be a constant, earnest struggling of the soul against the evil imaginings of the mind. There must be a steadfast resistance of temptation to sin in thought or act.” Review and Herald, June 12, 1888.

The apostle Paul writes, in 1 Thessalonians 4:3: “For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality.”

To be continued . . .

A retired minister of the gospel, Pastor Mike Baugher may be contacted by e-mail at: landmarks@stepstolife.org.

A Finished Work – The Future

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In Exodus 40:33 is recorded a started work that was finished: “And he reared up the court round about the tabernacle and the altar, and set up the hanging of the court gate. So Moses finished the work.”

In the Book of Exodus, we read of the children of Israel being led out of Egypt, out of slavery. We read about God’s Law of Liberty being given. The model of salvation was introduced, and then, in the last chapter of Exodus, the tabernacle was erected, and, it says, the work was finished.

Regarding this tabernacle that Moses finished, we are told: “Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.” Exodus 40:34. When the work on the tabernacle was finished, God’s glory descended and the glory of God filled the tabernacle.

Today, another tabernacle is being built. Ephesians 2:19–22 describes the tabernacle that is being erected: “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner [stone]; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.” We are each one to be living stones put into place to finish this building. When the work of building this tabernacle is finished, the glory of God will be revealed again. Jesus will come with power and great glory.

I want to be a part of that great finished work, do you? In this study series, we have looked at different aspects of the finished work—the challenge, the method, the march, and the power of the finished work. In this article, we will consider the people who finish the work.

Defeat

In the first chapters of the Book of Joshua, we read that the children of Israel now have their feet on the Promised Land. They have crossed the raging Jordan, through the power of God. They have marched in unity around Jericho, and, by God’s power being displayed, the walls of that city came down and a formidable first step in conquering Canaan was overcome. It seemed that things were going well. It looked like the children of Israel were going to begin with victory and keep on marching into complete and total victory.

But in Joshua 7, they experienced some reverses: “And they returned to Joshua, and said unto him, Let not all the people go up; but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai; [and] make not all the people to labour thither; for they [are but] few. So there went up thither of the people about three thousand men: and they fled before the men of Ai. And the men of Ai smote of them about thirty and six men: for they chased them [from] before the gate [even] unto Shebarim, and smote them in the going down: wherefore the hearts of the people melted, and became as water.” Verses 3–5.

They had just conquered the mighty, formidable fortress of Jericho, but when they come up to this small town with but few men, a seemingly easy victory, they were utterly defeated. Upon their defeat by this small city of Ai, the hearts of the children of Israel “became as water.” The courage they had obtained through their conquest of Jericho was totally drained away. But was it really Ai that defeated the children of Israel? No. Verse 1 says, “But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing: for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing: and the anger of the Lord was kindled against the children of Israel.”

One Man’s Sin

Who really defeated the children of Israel? Achan! It was not Ai at all. Achan brought defeat to the children of Israel by taking “of the accursed thing”—by coveting that Babylonish garment, the silver, and the gold. The entire army of Israel was defeated because of one sin!

Thirty-six men died because of one man’s sin. The hearts of the entire army of Israel melted like water, because of one man’s sin. How serious was this? “Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put [it] even among their own stuff. Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, [but] turned [their] backs before their enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you.” Verses 11, 12.

The only solution to the problem was that the sin had to be destroyed. A million, perhaps more, people had not sinned in taking of the accursed thing. The majority had not been guilty, only one man. The Lord said, “Unless you destroy the accursed thing from among you, I will be with you no more.”

Joshua 7:12 is one of the most solemn verses in Scripture, I believe. To think that one man’s sin caused the defeat of the entire army of Israel and caused God to say, “Unless you deal with that one man’s sin, I will no longer be with you. Canaan will not be conquered; Jericho will be as far as you get, unless you destroy that one man’s sin.”

An Achanless Army

In order to finish the work and conquer Canaan, an Achanless army was needed. The same thing is needed now. Only an Achanless army will finish the work today. Are there Achans in our army? Are there Achans in our churches? Achan, one man of the children of Israel, in a church of over one million individuals, caused God’s blessing to be withdrawn.

Now, I dare say that none of us attend a church of over a million members. But one known sin—cherished and practiced—will defeat God’s blessing in our churches.

Cleanse the Camp

It has been very interesting but sad for me to note that many times when I have been involved with planning an evangelistic series, the devil succeeds in bringing some sin into some of the local church members, and it is necessary to deal with it. Doing so is not enjoyable or easy, but for God’s blessing to rest upon the outreach efforts, we have to deal with sin in the camp.

An interesting account is given of Dr. David Paulson, who was instrumental in securing the land for and establishing the sanitarium known as Hinsdale outside of Chicago, Illinois. Things were going well with the sanitarium; then their patient count began to decline until they were operating at only about half capacity. They could not pay the bills at half capacity. Dr. Paulson began to pray: “Lord, what needs to be done?” The Lord convicted him that there were staff members who were withholding their tithe. He arranged for a week of prayer during which the importance of paying tithe and of being consecrated to God’s service were presented. Within a week after that week of prayer, the sanitarium was over full capacity again. Within one week, confessions were made, and the sin was cleansed. Within one week they had to put beds in the halls to accommodate the overflow patients. God cannot bless when sin is allowed to continue. Are there Achans in our churches?

“There is much we will never know; but that which is revealed makes the church responsible and guilty unless they show a determined effort to eradicate the evil. Cleanse the camp, for there is an accursed thing in it.” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 427, 428.

“Everyone who has a knowledge of Jesus Christ—especially the elders of the church—must not carelessly allow the members to be irregular in conduct and thus let evil and sin strengthen in the church, thinking this is the way to show love for one another. God requires faithfulness in watchcare. You must take hold of God with one hand while with the other hand, in love, you lay hold upon the erring and the sinner and draw them to Jesus. Pray with them, weep with them, feel for their souls, love them, and never let go of them. This is the love Jesus has expressed for you. You must ever strive for unity and forbearance and love. Never draw apart, but press together, binding heart to heart and making supplications in the Spirit. Then the power of God will work in your midst and many souls will be brought to the truth through your influence.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 2, 127.

Unrepented Sin

Are there Achans in our churches or in our families? Is there sin with which we have not dealt? Before Gideon could declare war against the idolatrous Midianites, he had to declare war against idolatry in his own home. God could not work through Gideon until the sin in his home had been cast out. (See Judges 6.)

Several months ago, we were in the Philippines holding an evangelistic series. Bible workers had been giving Bible studies, and one lady in particular had been a great help to them. She had encouraged many of the people in her neighborhood to take Bible studies and to attend the evangelistic seminar. She, personally, wanted to be baptized, and the Bible workers wanted very much for her to be baptized because she had been such a good worker and helper to them. We interviewed everyone individually for baptism, and as we talked with her, she did not display the expected commitment level. As we began asking her questions, the Lord directed us to questions that I had never before asked anyone else. Through these questions, we learned that she was keeping the Sabbath, but her 15-year-old daughter was supporting the family by working on the Sabbath. We turned to Exodus 20 in our Bibles, and we read the fourth commandment together. The fourth commandment is very specific about those in our sphere of influence and under our authority, and if we are allowing them to break the Sabbath, it is as though we were breaking it. We had to tell her that we would pray for her and ask that the Lord would help this situation to be resolved, that she might not only be able to keep the Sabbath but that she would not be a burden upon her daughter, causing her to break the Sabbath. It was a very difficult situation, but we cannot sanction sin in our families.

“Those who have too little courage to reprove wrong, or who through indolence or lack of interest make no earnest effort to purify the family or the church of God, are held accountable for the evil that may result from their neglect of duty. We are just as responsible for evils that we might have checked in others by exercise of parental or pastoral authority as if the acts had been our own.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 578. What a solemn statement! We need an Achanless army!

The work is going to be finished. We must pray and ask the Lord to help us to deal with any sin that comes to our knowledge in our churches and in our families. But we must do more than that; we must ask if there are any Achans in our hearts, because one sin, unrepented of, will cause God’s power to be withheld and cause us to be lost.

Ellen White wrote: “We cannot meet Christ in peace with one sin unrepented of, unconfessed, and unforsaken.” Review and Herald, March 17, 1891. “One sin unrepented of is enough to close the gates of heaven against you. It was because man could not be saved with one stain of sin upon him, that Jesus came to die on Calvary’s cross.” The Signs of the Times, March 17, 1890. Only one sin!

“Even one wrong trait of character, one sinful desire, persistently cherished, will eventually neutralize all the power of the gospel.” Steps to Christ, 34.

Neutralized Power

The work is going to be finished with power, but one sin will eventually neutralize all the power of the gospel. God’s power of the latter rain cannot be poured out upon an army with Achans in it. It cannot be poured out on an Achan heart.

It is easy for us to look on the outside. We see a new convert baptized who has perhaps quit smoking and working on the Sabbath. It is wonderful to see! There is no greater joy than to see one come to the Lord and accept His power into his or her life. But then it is easy for us to look on the outside.

We see health reform, dress reform, or Sabbath keeping. These things are easy to see on the outside. But we cannot see the inside as can God. We cannot see inner sins such as pride or selfishness. Could those sins of pride and selfishness cause God’s blessing to be withheld from us? Even if we are vegan vegetarians, if there is pride and selfishness in our hearts, there is still an Achan in our hearts. It is the heart at which God is looking.

The Pharisees continually had spies watching Jesus and the disciples in an attempt to catch them in some indiscretion, such as the incident when the disciples were going through a field and, as they walked along, they plucked some of the grain and began to eat it. (Mark 2:23.) Then the Pharisees accosted Jesus demanding, “Why are they eating with unwashed hands?” (Mark 7:5.) In other words, why are they transgressing the outward requirements? Ellen White wrote, “They [the Pharisees] were exact in outward ceremonies, diligent in washings, fastings, and long prayers, and ostentatious in almsgiving.” The Desire of Ages, 603.

Jesus replied, “It is what comes out of your heart that defiles a man. Because out of the heart proceeds evil thoughts and blasphemies and pride.” (Mark 7:20–22.).

Jesus is much more concerned with the heart, with the inside, than with the outside. Ellen White tells us that, “Whatever we are at heart will be revealed in character.” Mind, Character, and Personality, vol. 2, 801. “If the heart is right, the actions will be right.” Our High Calling, 218. We need to ask for the heavenly magnifying glass to examine not just our outsides, but our hearts, our thoughts and feelings, and not just our thoughts and feelings, but even the motives. When we begin evaluating our thoughts, our feelings, and our motives, we start to realize how corrupt our hearts are.

Ask, Why did I say that? Why did I do that? Why did I use that expression? What was the motive behind that? All of these must be cleansed, because one sin, even if it is a secret sin about which no one knows or a sin of selfishness or pride, will eventually neutralize all the power of the gospel.

Do you want to neutralize that mighty power? The army that finishes the work is not just going to accept the challenge of looking the giants right in the face and marching forward in aggressive warfare. It is not just going to personally be doing all it can to spread the message; it is not just going to be marching in unity; it is not just going to be relying upon God’s power for success. The army that finishes the work is going to be an army with the Achans removed. If we cling to any cares, to any Achans in our hearts, we are not going to be in that army.

“I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people, and they shall trust in the name of the Lord. The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth: for they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make [them] afraid.” Zephaniah 3:12, 13.

The army that finishes the work might look like an afflicted and poor people. It might just be a small remnant, but the source of their power is that there are no Achans in that remnant. They do no iniquity; they speak no lies; there is not even one deceitful tongue in their midst. The power of the gospel is not neutralized.

I want to be in that army that finishes the work. Do you want to be in that army? Ask the Lord to take every Achan from your heart.

Cody Francis is currently engaged in public evangelism for Mission Projects International. He also pastors the Remnant Church of Seventh-day Adventist Believers in Renton, Washington. He may be contacted by e-mail at: cody@missionspro.org.

Behold, the Bridegroom Cometh, Part I

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Matthew 25:1–13 gives a parable of the ten virgins, which Jesus gave to his disciples in the evening. Of this parable Ellen White wrote, “Christ with His disciples is seated upon the Mount of Olives. The sun has set behind the mountains, and the heavens are curtained with the shades of evening. In full view is a dwelling house lighted up brilliantly as if for some festive scene. The light streams from the openings, and an expectant company wait around, indicating that a marriage procession is soon to appear. . . . In the scene upon which Christ looks, a company are awaiting the appearance of the bridal party, intending to join the procession.

“Lingering near the bride’s house are ten young women robed in white. Each carries a lighted lamp and a small flagon for oil. All are anxiously watching for the appearance of the bridegroom.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 405, 406.

Matthew 24 and 25 contain the instruction that Jesus gave to His disciples after they asked Him, “What shall be the sign of Your coming? When will these things [the destruction of Jerusalem] be, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and the end of the world?” Matthew 24:3. In answer, He gave this dual prophecy, a prophecy concerning the destruction of Jerusalem and also concerning the end of the world.

Unexpected Delay

The story of the ten virgins is a parable that applies particularly to the time of the end, to those people who are waiting expectantly and watching the eastern sky, waiting for Jesus to come. In this parable of the ten virgins, there was an unexpected delay. Has that happened? Yes.

In the 1980s, I served for a time as the Health Ministries Director for the Texas Conference. One Sabbath I was the guest speaker in a church, and a gentleman came to me and said, “My grandfather expected to live until Jesus came. My grandfather died. My father expected to live until Jesus came, but my father died. I have been expecting Jesus to come ever since I was a young man, and now I am 70 years of age.” The generations of his family had experienced the delay that is spoken of in the parable. This delay has had a terrible effect on Adventists.

The delay in the parable was so long; what did they do? The last time you attended a wedding, did you go to sleep? These ten young ladies were not expecting, originally, to go to sleep, but they slumbered and slept. The Lord included all of this detail in His story—the unexpected delay and the devastating effect that it would have upon those who were waiting.

The long-anticipated cry, “Behold, the bridegroom cometh,” came at midnight, the darkest time of the night hours. It is predicted in this story that Jesus will return again in the darkest period of earth’s history. It is my personal conviction that we are just about at that midnight hour; we are just about at the darkest period of earth’s history.

The Midnight Hour

In Luke 17:28–30, it says, “Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed [them] all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.”

If you have studied history, you should be aware that never before in the history of man has homosexuality become socially acceptable all over the world. It was socially acceptable in Sodom, and it was socially accepted later on among the ten tribes. It became socially acceptable in the Roman government, and it became socially acceptable in France. But Jesus said that at the end of time it was going to be like the days of Lot in the world, not just in one geographic area. Friends, we are there! We live in a world that is so full of slime that we cannot allow ourselves to think about it. If we think about it too much, it is defiling for our own minds.

God foresaw all the different conditions that we would have to face and meet as we approach the last years of earth’s history. Are we living in the last years now? Yes, we are in the last years of earth’s history. We are approaching midnight.

At midnight a cry goes forth, “Behold, the bridegroom comes.”

Indulgence of Appetite

While traveling recently, I saw a billboard that was, to me, a fulfillment of prophecy. The billboard was an advertisement for International House of Pancakes (IHOP). It had a picture of about six pancakes with butter and syrup flowing over them. Then, in fairly large print, off to the right and bottom of the billboard it said, “Open 24 hours.” Shortly after that I saw another billboard advertising steaks and burgers. It also stated that this establishment is “Open 24 hours.” As I passed these signs, I thought, Do people really need to be eating syrup-smothered pancakes or steaks and burgers at 1:00 or 3:00 in the morning, or even at 11:00 at night? I thought that surely this is a fulfillment of prophecy.

Ellen White wrote about what will happen as the end of the world approaches: “As we draw near the close of time, Satan’s temptations to indulge appetite will be more powerful, and more difficult to resist.” Christian Temperance and Bible Hygiene, 154. We are living in that time. When Ellen White wrote this statement, there were no International House of Pancakes restaurants that were open 24 hours.

There is a reason that we are constantly tempted on the point of appetite. The devil is trying to cause our eternal destruction through the indulgence of our appetite.

When attending the School of Health at Loma Linda University in Loma Linda, California, over 30 years ago, we were told, in a nutrition class, that in the third world countries only 10 percent of the people were overweight. In Western Europe, however, 25 percent of the people were overweight. That is one in four! But in the United States, we were having an epidemic of overweight. In this country, 41 percent of the people were overweight!

If you have read a newspaper or any of the national newsmagazines recently, it is being reported that over 60 percent of our population is significantly overweight. If you have studied health, physiology, epidemiology, or biostatistics, you know how ominous this is. You see, if there is an epidemic of obesity, the scene is being set up to have an epidemic of diabetes. That is already happening. When there is an epidemic of diabetes, then there is going to be an avalanche of trouble with the eyes and with the kidneys of diabetics. There will also be an increase of heart attacks.

These severe health issues as a result of indulged appetite are not just happening in the world. They are occurring throughout our churches. The devil is after us. Ellen White said that, “As we near the close of time, we must rise higher and still higher upon the question of health reform and Christian temperance, presenting it in a more positive and decided manner.” Counsels on Diet and Foods, 443.

She wrote also, “As our first parents lost Eden through the indulgence of appetite, our only hope of regaining Eden is through the firm denial of appetite and passion.” Ibid., 59.

About this problem Jesus said, “Pay attention to yourselves, lest you burden down your hearts with surfeiting.” Luke 21:34. Do you know what surfeiting is? It is what we call feasting or eating. When Jesus warns us to pay attention to our condition in the last days, the first thing he talks about is feasting, surfeiting. The verse continues, “. . . and drunkenness and the anxieties of every day living.”

Do we have anxieties of everyday living? Did you have any anxious moments when the price of gasoline escalated about 75 cents a gallon within a few days? We each have a number of anxieties of everyday living. So Jesus said, “Watch out, lest because of these things that they come upon you suddenly [when you are not aware].”

We must learn to practice self-denial in regard to appetite and passions. Ellen White did not say we are to quit eating, but we must learn how to be in control of our eating.

There will not be any gluttons in heaven, so the devil is trying to lead us into a life of self-indulgence. Not only does it wreck our health, but it becomes the means of us forfeiting eternal life. This is one of the great temptations of the last days.

Apparitions

“And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead? To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, [it is] because [there is] no light in them.” Isaiah 8:19, 20. (See also Revelation 16:13, 14; 1 Samuel 28; Deuteronomy 18:9–12; 11 Corinthians 11:13–15.)

Ellen White wrote: “Satan is a cunning foe. And it is not difficult for the evil angels to represent both saints and sinners who have died, and make these representations visible to human eyes. These manifestations will be more frequent, and developments of a more startling character will appear as we near the close of time.” Review and Herald, April 1, 1875.

We are living in the time when more of these startling developments are taking place. Since Ellen White wrote the above statement, there has been a crescendo, a tremendous increase in the number of apparitions that are appearing to members of the human family, especially to the leaders of the world.

In Revelation 16:14, it says that these unclean spirits are going to “go out to the kings of the earth and the whole world, to gather them together for the battle of the great God Almighty.”

After Princess Diana died in a car accident in 1997, a big point was made on the news that she had been seeking advice from a spiritualist medium. If you listen carefully to the news, from time to time information such as this tidbit will be given. You will find out that the leaders of the nations are getting advice from people who are in contact with spiritists or from spiritists themselves.

More and more apparitions are appearing, and when they appear, they have a tremendous influence on people who do not know their Bible or from where these apparitions are coming. They think they are talking to the spirits of their dead loved ones. Any preacher or evangelist, any Bible worker, any man or woman who is in contact with many people, giving Bible studies to the public, can tell you stories of people with whom they have come in contact who have been in contact with some spirit.

I was told about a man in Wichita, Kansas, whose father had died. As he was driving along a road one day, he saw his father standing by the road, so he stopped, and they had a conversation. He thought he was talking to the spirit of his father. Things like this are happening more and more frequently, much more than in Ellen White’s day. We are living in the last years of earth’s history.

As we approach the end of time, if you have children, be sure that they are instructed and understand what to do if they should meet with somebody that looks just like one of their dead relatives. The devil is going to come to our children. He is going to come to us.

Ellen White said, “They [the saints] must understand the state of the dead; for the spirits of devils will yet appear to them, professing to be beloved relatives or friends, who will declare to them unscriptural doctrines. They will do all in their power to excite sympathy and will work miracles before them to confirm what they declare. The people of God must be prepared to withstand these spirits with the Bible truth that the dead know not anything, and that they who thus appear are the spirits of devils.” Early Writings, 262. (See Ecclesiastes 9:5.)

Apparitions are appearing more and more in the world. Before it is over, the devil and his angels are going to impersonate, Ellen White says, the apostles. “He who is the father of lies, blinds and deceives the world by sending forth his angels to speak for the apostles, and to make it appear that they contradict what they wrote by the dictation of the Holy Ghost when on earth. These lying angels make the apostles to corrupt their own teachings and to declare them to be adulterated. By so doing Satan delights to throw professed Christians and all the world into uncertainty about the Word of God.” Ibid., 90. Can you imagine? The world is being prepared for this through all manner of spiritistic programming on television.

Several years ago, I was flying to Australia to preach in a number of different places there. On those long overnight flights, the airlines always have movies playing. I was trying to rest with my eyes shut, but I opened my eyes for a moment, and I was shocked by what was on the movie screen. It was showing experiences with spirits after people had died. This is everywhere in our society.

Society is being educated to believe in spirits. Already they believe that when an apparition of the Virgin Mary appears, it is really Mary. In Wichita, somebody reported a shadow on a window of a medical clinic that looked like a shadow of the Virgin Mary. It seemed as though people in the town went crazy. They had to go there and see this shadow.

The world is open for this today. What will happen when the apostle Paul or the apostle Peter is impersonated, and then we are told by these apparitions things that contradict what these apostles wrote in the Scriptures? Are your children educated what to do when they meet up with something like this? This is what is going to happen in the last years of this world’s history.

Murmuring

In 1 Corinthians 10, the apostle Paul mentions a number of different things that happened to the children of Israel in the wilderness, and he says, “You do not murmur like they murmured. All of these things happened to them for ensamples [or examples] for us, upon whom the ends of the ages are come.” Verses 10, 11. What was this murmuring that Paul speaks of here? If you look back to Numbers 16:11–35, you will understand that he is referring to the experience of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. This experience is a special warning to those living in the last years of earth’s history. Speaking of the rebellion of these men, Ellen White wrote: “The facts relative to Korah and his company, who rebelled against Moses and Aaron, and against Jehovah, are recorded for a warning to God’s people, especially those who live upon the earth near the close of time. Satan has led persons to imitate the example of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, in raising insurrection among the people of God. Those who permit themselves to rise in opposition to the plain testimony, become self-deceived. Such have really thought that those upon whom God has laid the burden of his work were exalted above the people of God, and that their counsels and reproofs were uncalled for. They have risen in opposition to the plain testimony which God would have his servants bear in rebuking the wrongs among God’s people. . . . The straight testimonies borne were in their way, and caused them great uneasiness; and they found relief in warring against them, and striving to make themselves and others believe that they were untrue. They said that the people were all right, but it was the reproving testimonies which made the trouble.” The Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 1, 306, 307.

See, this is what Korah said! He said, “The people are all right; the problem is just this Moses who is too hard on us. The people are all holy.”

Ellen White wrote: “The repeated murmurings of the Israelites, and the visitations of God’s wrath because of their transgressions, are recorded in sacred history for the benefit of God’s people who should afterward live upon the earth; but more especially to prove a warning to those who should live near the close of time.” Ibid., 270.

One of the biggest problems today is the disunity and insurrection being raised among God’s people. This was the problem that the children of Israel had, and it was so serious that they were murmuring and complaining against their leaders, sometimes only Moses, sometimes both Moses and Aaron. This was one of the major reasons that all but two did not get to enter the Promised Land.

The devil knows that if we get to murmuring or complaining because of the providences of God that we do not understand or if we are unhappy with the leadership, we are murmuring because of the straight testimony; the preachers are preaching too straight.

This was the trouble with Moses. Moses was reproving the children of Israel often. That was not pleasurable for him to do, but that was his responsibility. It became even more unpleasant because they were murmuring, and one time they even wanted to stone him.

We are living in a time now when the majority of the professed people of God will not listen to plain preaching from the Word of God. That is one of the signs of the times, the fulfillment of this prophecy. We are doing exactly what the children of Israel did.

Straight Testimony

In 1993, the pastor of the Keene, Texas, Seventh-day Adventist Church, of which I was a member, sent me a letter. I had been an elder of this church for many years, as well as a Sabbath School teacher. In his letter, he stated that on a certain date there would be a church meeting and my name would be brought up for disfellowshipping. I thought this was very interesting, and I responded in writing that I would like to be there, if I was going to be disfellowshipped, but that I was scheduled to be in Europe on that date.

Well, they decided to disfellowship me anyway, while I was in Europe. When I returned from Europe, they sent a letter to me stating four reasons why I had been disfellowshipped. All four reasons were true! One of the four reasons they gave for my disfellowshipping was that I had stated that they were in apostasy. I had said that; I had even put it in print. It was the truth, and I could not retract it, because it was the truth.

I had published a booklet entitled, None Dare Call it Apostasy. In this booklet, I included quotations from denominational newspapers and college newspapers that documented what was being done in the church. Also included were some Bible texts and Spirit of Prophecy quotations, which made it very evident that there was apostasy in the church. We cannot take such reproof any more. If we are in apostasy, but nobody can say anything about it, how can we ever get out of that condition? You see, if a church or a group of people is in apostasy, there is no hope for them unless somebody gives them a warning of their condition, and unless they accept it, there is no hope.

Walls of Separation

We are living in the last years of time. During this time, there is going to be a polarization of all the people in the world. At the very end, there will only be two groups. These two groups will be so different from one another! One group will be an exact replica or image of the character of Satan. The other group will be an exact replica or image of the character of Jesus.

In 1 John 3:2, we are told that when Jesus comes, we are going to be like Him. The same writer, in Revelation 19:19, talks about these different worldly powers and how they are going to be gathered together to fight the Lord, the One that is on the horse.

Writing of the development of these two groups, Ellen White says, “As we near the close of time the demarcation between the children of light and the children of darkness will be more and more decided. They will be more and more at variance.” Last Day Events, 215. Why are they more and more at variance? Because one of the groups is becoming more and more like Jesus. They will not look at sin. They will not listen to sin. They will not be around sin. They will not eat like the world. They will not indulge in the entertainment of the world. They will not dress like the world.

The worldly are saying to us now, “Well, just what in the world do you do? You do not do anything that we do.” This experience repeatedly occurs when people accept God’s truth. All of a sudden they have to make new friends, because their worldly friends say, “You do not go to the movies with us anymore. You do not go to the drinking parties anymore. You do not play cards, gamble, or dance anymore. You do not do anything that we do.” So they lose all of their former friends; they have to develop all new friendships.

Perhaps the devil is tempting you with the fact that since you have chosen to follow Jesus, you are a loser. Maybe you have lost your spouse or other family members or dear friends have deserted you. You feel all alone in the world. Let me tell you something. When everyone forsakes you because you are following Jesus, you are going to gain more friends, and the friends you gain are going to be of a much better quality than the ones you have lost.

“As we near the close of time the demarcation between the children of light and the children of darkness will be more and more decided. They will be more and more at variance. This difference is expressed in the words of Christ, ‘born again’—created anew in Christ, dead to the world, and alive unto God. These are the walls of separation that divide the heavenly from the earthly and describe the difference between those who belong to the world and those who are chosen out of it, who are elect, precious in the sight of God.” Ibid., 215, 216.

The difference between the two groups is going to become more and more evident, because we are attempting to imitate the life of Christ. It is the goal, if you are a Christian, to imitate, to copy the Pattern. The Bible says, “He that is in Him, it is necessary for him to walk as He walked.” 1 John 2:6.

To be continued . . .

[Bible texts quoted are literal translation.]

Pastor John Grosboll is Director of Steps to Life and pastors the Prairie Meadows Church in Wichita, Kansas. He may be contacted by e-mail at: historic@stepstolife.org, or by telephone at: 316-788-5559

The Ten Commandments, Part XV – When Gain is Loss

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“Neither shalt thou steal.” Deuteronomy 5:19.

It is interesting how so few words are able to define so broad a responsibility!

Notice how the second table of the law is linked together: “Honour thy father and thy mother, . . . Thou shalt not kill. Neither shalt thou commit adultery. Neither shalt thou steal.” Verses 16–19. [Emphasis supplied.] If you break one point, you have broken the whole law.

This linkage occurs because the second part of the law is linked together as man’s responsibility to man. It is linked together with the first table of the law so it becomes one whole. This is why James says, “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one [point], he is guilty of all.” James 2:10. If you break one link in the chain, you have broken the entire chain. It will be of no value to you if you break one link.

This eighth commandment is brief, yet it covers many areas of which we normally do not think. The violation of this commandment calls for a different penalty for its violation than do the rest of the commandments for their violation.

All of the previous commandments called for the death penalty under Mosaic Law. This commandment does not call for the death penalty, but for restoration. It calls for the restoration of light goods many times over.

In Old Testament times, there was not even a prison sentence if a person was caught violating this commandment, because Israel did not operate in that way. There were basically three penalties for the violation of the law: (1) death by stoning, (2) restoration, and (3) a fine. These three penalties certainly kept the prison population to a minimum!

But even though, in the Mosaic Law, there was a lesser penalty for this violation, do not for a moment think that a lesser penalty will be applied when the tribunal of heaven reviews one’s life in the judgment. If our sins have not been confessed, if our sins have not been forgiven, the death penalty will be meted out in the final end of all things.

When the Bible says, “Thou shalt not steal,” yet someone violates this command, it is still sin in the eyes of God. The Bible makes it very clear that “the wages of sin [is] death.” Romans 6:23.

Universal Application

As we consider the universal application of the Ten Commandments, the eighth commandment is recognized as a universal law all over the world, by all people, everywhere. They may not recognize or acknowledge the one true God of heaven, but they recognize the truth that says that another person’s property belongs to him or her and another person should not tamper with it. From the most civilized to the most heathenish, this law is recognized as contributing to the betterment of the society in which we live.

“Thou shalt not steal.” On the surface, this short statement commands respect for another’s property. This is part of God’s plan for character development, because, as we are observant and obedient to His law, as we recognize the prohibitions that are there, it does something for us as well as something for society. We develop character.

More Than Superficial

Romans 7:14 tells us “that the law is spiritual” and that it has depth below the surface. The law is more than just prohibitions written on tables of stone; it has a spiritual side as well.

To say that the law has a spiritual side means that it deals with the thoughts and the intents of the heart, not just the outward acts. This is the direction that the Law of Moses actually goes as well. This is the direction that God’s Law goes—from the outward to the inward, from the act to the thoughts.

So when the commandment says, “Thou shalt not steal,” the spiritual depth says, by its very nature, that there is more here than just a physical act. The question we have to ask ourselves is, Just how far does it go? An insight as to the nature of this commandment may be gathered from the writings of Ellen White.

Speaking of the eighth commandment, she says: “Both public and private sins are included in this prohibition. The eighth commandment condemns manstealing and slave dealing, and forbids wars of conquest. It condemns theft and robbery. It demands strict integrity in the minutest details of the affairs of life. It forbids overreaching in trade, and requires the payment of just debts or wages. It declares that every attempt to advantage oneself by the ignorance, weakness, or misfortune of another is registered as fraud in the books of heaven.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 309.

When this counsel was written, there were still many places in the world where the slave trade flourished. Whether you realize it or not, there are still many places in the world today where the slave trade is still perpetuated.

Right here in the United States the slave trade is still in operation! More than 50,000 children a year disappear; many of those children disappear into the slave trade. The people who steal them force them into bondage of prostituting themselves, both boys and girls. It is estimated that one million children are enslaved in prostitution in Asia. (Carol Smolenski, “Sex tourism and the sexual exploitation of children,” Christian Century, November 15, 1995.) When Mrs. White talks about the eighth commandment, her counsel applies to the slave trade; it is very applicable today.

Only those who are allowing their characters to be transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit are in tune with the law. They begin to allow their characters to develop so these things will no longer take place.

We in the United States are facing a time when every principle of our Constitution will be disregarded. Men and women will lose their sense as to what is right and what is wrong, and the slave trade of which Mrs. White was speaking will come back in some degree of application again. As we read the Spirit of Prophecy, she makes it very plain that slave trade will come back with the Sunday law. (See, for example, Christian Service, 155–158.) How this will happen I do not know, but there will be people, when the Holy Spirit is withdrawn, who will think that it is a good thing to have a slave or two. This is why the Law of God is so important as we come into the last days. It is God’s revealed will and what He expects of His people in the last days.

What Precedes

If the world had followed the Law of God all along, we would not have the writings of history to remind us about slavery, manstealing, and wars of conquest. In regard to wars of conquest, of which Mrs. White says this commandment applies, I believe there are preludes that lead us into accepting wars of conquest. One of those avenues that leads us into wars of conquest is competitive sports.

When you have on your spiritual glasses, the spirit that surrounds competitive sports is the same spirit that generates wars of conquest. It is the spirit of the strong prevailing over the weak; this is the spirit of competition. This is the spirit of any type of conquest over another. Consider the names of certain groups that are contesting with other groups. There are names such as the Warriors, the Raiders, the Trojans, and on and on the list goes. These names hearken back to these wars of conquest. A certain mentality is developed through these kinds of things.

Stewardship

The Law of God is very comprehensive, because it is spiritual. A study of the Bible reveals that the ownership of material goods is not really ownership at all; it is really stewardship. We may own a piece of property; we may have a title deed to a piece of property, but, in reality, it is only secondary ownership. God is really the Owner. He is, as the Bible says, the “possessor of heaven and earth.” Genesis 14:22.

God declares that “all the earth is mine.” Exodus 19:5. And the Psalmist says, “The earth [is] the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.” Psalm 24:1. All belongs to God, so, in reality, man is only a tenant, or a steward, with a definite obligation to the real Owner. Most of the world does not recognize that God owns everything, that they are just tenants or stewards.

Once you realize, for instance, that although you may have title to a car, that car really does not belong to you, it belongs to God, it lessens the sting when someone comes along and pilfers it and takes some of your goods.

Changes Not

Another aspect of this commandment that says, “Thou shalt not steal,” is given in Malachi 3:6: “For I [am] the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.” Are you glad that God’s purposes for you have never changed? Are you thankful that His purpose is that you will be in the kingdom of heaven, and that is the reason you are not consumed?

“Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept [them]. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the Lord of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return?” Verse 7. How are we going to come back to God? We do not even think that we have been away from Him! The question comes back, “Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye [are] cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, [even] this whole nation.” Verses 8, 9.

One of the greatest violations that man can ever perpetrate, as far as this commandment is concerned, is when he begins to take things from God that do not belong to him.

I have often found it interesting when people say, “I pay my tithe.” No, you do not pay your tithe. What you really do is return to God that which belongs to Him. You have just been given stewardship over it. You do become a thief when you take God’s material and appropriate it for yourself. If it were possible to list by degrees the violation of this commandment, being a robber of God would be at the top of the list.

Personal Violation

There are responsibilities that we have to our fellow man because we recognize this commandment that God has given to us. Stealing is taking property from another, over which he has been given the stewardship of God. In doing this, there indeed is a violation between one person and another, but do you realize that there is even a greater violation involved in this commandment than just taking someone else’s property? It goes far beyond that into the realm of the spiritual.

If you take something that does not belong to you, you are taking something that God has placed into the stewardship of another person. In doing this, you effectually are saying that God does not know what He is doing, that you really know more about the stewardship of God than God knows, because He gave that property to the wrong person when He should have given it to you. In reality, you put yourself in the place of God when you steal something from someone else.

When such things happen, a whole series of events are set in motion. You do not really understand it unless you see it from God’s perspective. This is why the impact of what James says becomes so dynamic: “If you have broken one, you have broken them all.”

There are only three ways in which we can come into possession of anything: (1) by a gift, (2) by labor, working for it, and (3) by stealing it. The first two are legal and right—when you receive a gift, when you labor and purchase possessions—but the last one is wrong, and it is considered sin.

Gambling

Another aspect that applies to this commandment is a form that is so popular today that most people do not see anything wrong with it. Many Christians, including many Seventh-day Adventists, find themselves engaged in this activity. It encompasses betting, lotteries, or any other type of con games. Seventh-day Adventists and other Christians get involved with this because people are always wanting to get something for nothing, never realizing that such forms of acquisition come under the prohibition of this commandment and, as such, are forms of theft. Literally billions and billions of dollars are acquired in this way each year. A Christian has to be so careful that he or she does not get caught up in it.

As one writer put it: Gambling stands in about the same relation to stealing as dueling does to murder. Just because a man is willing to risk his life in an encounter does not make it right for him to take another man’s life. Nor does the fact that a man is willing to risk his own property in a game of chance make it right for him to take another man’s property without the equivalent in payment. There is nothing considerate or brotherly in a gambling transaction. Men gamble simply as a result of their feverish desire for quick and easy gain, at any cost, even their own souls.

Overreaching

In her statement, Ellen White addressed another aspect of theft that forbids what is called “overreaching in trade.” Everybody likes a bargain, and I am no exception. I like a bargain too. But we do overstep our bounds when we beat someone down on their price by haggling over some article of merchandise.

Proverbs 20:14 talks about this issue: “[It is] naught, [it is] naught, saith the buyer: but when he is gone his way, then he boasteth.” In other words, it is worth nothing. “That piece of junk,” the buyer insists, “is not worth a red cent.”

In other words, someone learns about an item that is for sale, but when he talks to the owner about it, he runs it down. He tells how bad it is, outlines all the faults that it has, and then offers a low price.

Not everybody who puts an ad in the paper for something to sell has a lot of money in the bank. The item for sale may not be just something extra they want to get rid of. Usually, people, when they put an ad in the paper, are pressed to the wall. They need to raise some funds, and they need every dollar they can get out of the item for sale. When you come along and begin to haggle and try to beat them down on their price, if they are in a pinch, they may sell the item for the lowered price because they need the money. But do you know what takes place in a situation like this? You have just stolen someone else’s stewardship from them.

We dishonor God, as Christians, when we engage in such conduct. There is nothing wrong with asking a person what their price is or if they can take less for the item. But our every action must be above board. It is not necessary to steal openly in order to transgress the law. To buy something for a lower price and sharp trading is just as much stealing as selling something for more than it is worth or by misrepresenting it.

The ’60s

Some of you remember the 1960s. I can remember that time. If you are too young to remember, perhaps you have heard or read about those times. In the early 1960s, the Cold War between two super powers, the United States and Russia, was at its height. It was also a time of the race for outer space between these two nations. The question was, Which one would be first to put a satellite into space, a human being into orbit, or land on the moon?

During the heat of this space race, NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) was faced with a lot of problems. One of the problems they encountered was the need for a ballpoint pen the astronauts could use, one that would write in zero gravity—that condition experienced when the capsules were flying around in that atmosphere.

In typical American fashion, ingenuity prevailed. After a considerable amount of research and development, an astronaut pen was developed at the cost of approximately one million dollars, and, believe me, it worked in outer space! It enjoyed a certain amount of success as a novelty item here on the earth. Interestingly, the Soviet Union was faced with the same problem. They solved the problem also. Their solution? They used a pencil.

This seems a bit like the situation that we face when we consider the eighth commandment! It seems so easy: “Thou shalt not steal,” yet we find that it is tremendously complex in a number of ways.

Complex or Simple

Many times we make things out to be very, very complex. We go through all kinds of effort in an attempt to try to solve the problem, and yet it is very simple. The commandments can be expanded and magnified. That is what Jesus intended to teach when He came.

When we really get serious about our life and its relationship to God, the questions change. Instead of asking, What is the minimum requirement, the least that I can do to be saved, we ask, How much can I do for God? How much am I willing to hear what God says? How far am I willing to go to follow Him?

So, when we really study this commandment and want to hear what God might be saying, we find that there is a lot more to this than just “Thou shalt not steal.” If you really want to get serious about what being a Christian is all about, you begin to see how easily the commandment begins to become complicated.

Time and Energy

Can stolen time and energy cause us to be thieves? Yes, they can. It does not have to be that we rob God or another person. We can rob in many ways other than just taking someone’s possessions. Consider some instances.

In the work place, when we have a job to do, if we are not diligent in our work, giving labor for what we are given, we are stealing, just as surely as though we were putting our hands in the cash box.

It is possible for married people to spend so much time in their own pursuits, in their professions, in their hobbies, in what they want to do, that they, in effect, steal time and attention that rightfully belongs to the spouse. Likewise, people can spend so much time on their jobs, in their hobbies, or even at church, that they, in effect, steal the time and the attention that rightfully belongs to their children.

It is this kind of theft for which many will be held accountable in the judgment. The reason is that the Questioner is going to inquire, “Where is the little flock I gave you?”

Business Fairness

Suppose a business owner has a successful business operation. The company is making money. The public likes its product. Then it comes time to decide, as it does ever so often, what to do about employee wage increases. How much should the employees be paid during the coming year? There can be a myriad of answers to this question, but two distinctly different ones are these: (1) pay them what they are worth; after all, they are the ones that help the business to succeed, or (2) pay them as little as possible so more profit stays with the business owners.

When employers pay as little as they can, when they give the minimum amount with which they can get away, they have, in effect, stolen from the employee. And in the process, they have stolen from the family’s well being. They have stolen the education possibilities from that employee’s children. They have stolen that family’s hopes, and, in the process, they have become the loser.

No Bad Trade

The Book of James deals with this issue. The most important question to ask on the job is not, What am I getting paid? The most important question to ask is, What am I becoming here?

At first thought, it can be looked at as a warning, and it is. Do not make a bad trade. Do not trade your soul, your honesty, and your integrity for some material stuff. This concept is also a promise, because when we make the right choice, we advance in the plan that God has for us.

Every time we could take something, and we do not, it does something for us spiritually. This law has much broader application than just the taking of things. It has to do with the heart. We should ask ourselves, How am I relating to all the various issues of life? Am I dealing fairly and squarely in every area of life? Not only in terms of recognizing someone else’s stewardship, but also questioning whether or not I am giving the proper time in the work place—not only as an employee, but as an employer. Am I recognizing my responsibilities in my family and in my home? Am I recognizing my responsibilities in the community?

I Owe, I Owe

What about owing a bill? Many people owe bills, and the promise is always there, “I am going to pay it. I have it in the back of my mind. I am going to pay the bill. I will pay the bill.” But it never happens.

What about just paying bills on time? Perhaps a bill comes due the first of the month, but I do not get it paid until the end of the month. Does this commandment apply to this situation? It most certainly does. Why? Because in not paying a bill on time, funds are withheld from the treasury of the person or business collecting the money. That money could either be invested or gaining interest, but you have taken from their resource.

Christians are under the obligation of the Law of God to pay their bills on time. God will hold us accountable for those things.

Away With It

Whenever we do wrong, whenever we think we have gotten away with something, whenever we think that no one has seen us, mark it down. Someone is keeping record—not only of the act itself but also of the thoughts and the intents of the heart.

As we continue this series on the Ten Commandments, we will come to one that deals with the thoughts and the intents of the heart. God’s Law is very comprehensive. God’s Law is very complete. I hope that your interest has been sparked to study the Law of God from a different perspective and in more depth than you have in the past.

Each one of us is either becoming more like Jesus or more like the devil, and that end result ultimately rests with how we relate to the Law of God.

To be continued . . .

A retired minister of the gospel, Pastor Mike Baugher may be contacted by e-mail at: landmarks@stepstolife.org.

Behold, the Bridegroom Cometh, Part II

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A key text for people who are living in the last years of time, approaching the end of everything in this world as we know it, is Revelation 12:12: “On account of this, rejoice, O heavens, and those who dwell in them! Woe to the earth and the sea! Because the devil has come down to you having great wrath, knowing that he has but a short time.”

Among different Bible students and scholars, there is a difference of opinion as to what exact time this text in Revelation 12 applies. I am not interested in getting into a controversy about it. I will mention the two positions, and you can study this whole chapter and try to figure it out for yourselves. Some people believe that this applies particularly to 31 a.d., after the resurrection of Jesus. I have no real argument with those people. I personally believe that this Scripture has more particular application to 1798, the end of the 1260 day period. Study it out for yourself and make your own decision. Whichever way it is, we are living in that time now.

With a Whisper

“The devil has come down to you having great wrath, knowing that he has but a short time.” What does this text predict? This text predicts that as we approach the last years of earth’s history, the controversy between Christ and Satan is going to become more fierce and intense.

Ellen White wrote: “The Lord Jesus Christ came to dispute the usurpation of Satan in the kingdoms of the world. The conflict is not yet ended; and as we draw near the close of time, the battle waxes more intense.” Review and Herald, April 14, 1896. Then she discussed how Satan will personate Jesus Christ and how he will work upon the human imagination. The devil is cunning; even though he has great wrath, sometimes he comes with a whisper.

How does the devil get to your imagination? He can get to it through billboards, magazines, radio, television, novels, plays, videos—all of those are ways the devil can use to introduce things into your imagination and to start working on it. You need to be careful what you are looking at, what you are listening to, and what your imagination is dwelling upon.

After Ellen White says that the battle will wax more intense, she continues: “He will exercise his power, and work upon the human imagination.” Ibid. The devil wants to work on your imagination and on my imagination. We sometimes may not even know we are being tempted. We may think that we are just daydreaming, that we are just enjoying a little reverie, but the devil is working on the imagination.

A special warning is given for the young people: “Through the pleasures and ambitions of the world, the enemy is working to draw the youth into his ranks, and he has much success. As we approach nearer to the close of time, he will invent every possible attraction to draw their minds into worldly channels.” Ibid., February 1, 1912.

Attack upon Marriage

Another sign that the end of this earth is near is the severe attack we see upon marriage. Divorce seems to be used as the solution to a myriad of issues.

A young lady who was contemplating divorce once asked me for counsel. In her situation, I could only tell her, “Jesus said that if you divorce your spouse and marry somebody else, for some reason other than adultery, you are in adultery.” She did not like my answer. She divorced her husband and married somebody else anyway. That is one of the signs of the times.

Ellen White wrote, “A woman may be legally divorced from her husband by the laws of the land, and yet not divorced in the sight of God and according to the higher law. There is only one sin, which is adultery, which can place the husband or wife in a position where they can be free from the marriage vow in the sight of God.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 1, 159.

When Jesus comes again, there will be many people who have remarried after divorce, with no biblical grounds. It is a problem that we are facing all over the world. It is one of the signs of the times.

Fashionable Sins

Speaking about a certain class of people, Ellen White said, “Those who cannot sustain their position by the Scriptures are stubbornly determined that it shall be sustained at all hazards, and with a malicious spirit they attack the character and motives of those who stand in defense of unpopular truth. Though very unbelieving in regard to the sure word of prophecy, they manifest the utmost credulity in accepting anything detrimental to the Christian integrity of those who dare to reprove fashionable sins. This spirit will increase more and more as we near the close of time.” The Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 4, 292.

If you study history, you will learn that in every period of history in this world there have been certain sins in different cultures that have been acceptable. There are sins today that are acceptable in Adventism. When some of us have decided that we have to write, preach, teach, and say what God says about these fashionable sins, people get angry. There is hatred of those who reprove fashionable sins.

There are sins that were fashionable in other periods of time that are not fashionable today. People fall into fashionable sins because they are looking around at other people, and they may not even realize something is sin, because everybody is doing it.

When we lived in Keene, Texas, my son attended the Keene Adventist Elementary School. One evening when we were talking, I was admonishing him about certain things that he should not do, and he said to me, “But dad, everybody is doing it.”

I was ready for that! I said, “Son, what if all those people who are doing that burn up some day? Would you like to burn up with them?”

There was a time, during Old Testament times, when one of the fashionable sins was the practice of polygamy. Was it a sin? Of course it was a sin. That is not fashionable right now, although today we have consecutive polygamy—we marry and divorce, marry and divorce. We have multiple spouses; we just have them one at a time.

One of the fashionable sins in Adventism today is lewdness. Do you know what lewdness is? Maybe I should use a simpler word: immodesty. Ellen White says that lewdness defiles the conscience. (Patriarchs and Prophets, 454.) Concealed Sin

“As we near the close of time, Satan will work with masterly activity to undermine principle, and corrupt moral character. Sin is committed by many who think their crime is effectually concealed. But there is One who says, ‘I know thy works.’ ‘There is nothing covered, which shall not be revealed; and hid, which shall not be known.’ [Revelation 2:2; Matthew 10:26.] When the mind is infatuated with the idea of sin, there will be deception practiced; lies will be told; for those who commit such sins will not be slow to lie as well. But all sin shall be revealed.” Review and Herald, May 24, 1887.

“The small sins will swell into the greater sins. Impure thoughts, private, impure actions, unrefined, low, and sensual thoughts and actions in the marriage life, the giving loose reins to the baser passions under the marriage vow will lead to every other sin, the transgression of all the commandments of God.” Ibid.

We need to face up to the divine counsel in the Spirit of Prophecy. Impure thoughts lead to impure actions. God has given you the right to eat. He gave Adam and Eve the right to eat, but did He give them the right to eat anything they pleased at any time? No. There was one tree of which God said, “Do not eat.” (Genesis 2:17.)

Whether you are a man or a woman, God has given you the right to get married. That is honorable. The Bible says that marriage is honorable, but just as it is not right for a person to eat anything, any time, any way, so the marriage privileges can be abused.

If you are concerned as to whether or not you and your spouse are living in a way that is honorable and glorifying to God, obtain the book, Testimonies on Sexual Behavior, Adultery, and Divorce, by Ellen White. In it her counsel and advice is very, very specific.

Lose to Win

Matthew 24:10, 11 has some specific counsel as to what will happen as we approach the end of time: “And then shall many be offended and shall betray one another and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall arise and shall deceive many.” These verses say, “many.” How many are these many? Ellen White states very specifically that the majority will forsake us. (Testimonies, vol. 5, 136.)

What is going to happen? She says, “We are living in these last days, when lukewarmness and apostasy abound.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 7, 171. “The development of those who are not of the truth, will become of more frequent occurrence, as we near the close of time. Many will show that they are not one with Christ, that they are not dead to the world, that they may live with him; and frequent will be the apostasies of men who have occupied responsible positions. To be dead with Christ, means to be dead to all sin,—dead to the pleasures, the enjoyments, the profits, the honors, of the world; and, if we are partakers of Christ’s self-denial and suffering, we shall lose nothing by it, for we shall be partakers with him of his glory. It is at the peril of our souls that we prove unfaithful.” Review and Herald, September 11, 1888.

Remember that whatever we lose when we follow Jesus is not really a loss. As we approach the end, we are going to lose everything, from a worldly standpoint. But if we have faith, that is going to be a very exciting time. When it seems as though everyone around us has forsaken us and we lose everything for Jesus’ sake, then we know, if we have faith, that we are going to gain everything.

The day that we lose everything and the day that we gain everything is not the same day. There will be some time when it will appear, from a worldly point of view, that we have lost out on everything completely. Our friends or our relatives who are not in the faith, who are not walking up the narrow road, will think we are absolutely crazy. Some of us have had some experiences like that already.

Accuser of the Brethren

Revelation 12:12 says that as we approach the end of time, “On account of this, rejoice, O heavens, and those who dwell in them! Woe to the earth and the sea! Because the devil has come down to you having great wrath, knowing that he has but a short time.”

Verse 10 says, “And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Now has come salvation and power, the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ, because the accuser of our brethren has been cast out, the one accusing them before our God day and night.”

The devil is the accuser of the brethren. You can study about that in Zechariah 3. He stood at the right hand of Joshua to oppose him. Ellen White writes, “Satan studies every indication of the frailty of human nature, he marks the sins which each individual is inclined to commit, and then he takes care that opportunities shall not be wanting to gratify the tendency to evil.” The Great Controversy, 555.

As we approach the close of time, she writes that, “Satan commenced his work as an accuser in heaven. This has been his work ever since the fall, and it will be his work in a special sense as we approach nearer to the close of time.” Review and Herald, September 22, 1896. We are going through this right now.

What To Do

What should we do since we are in this situation? Divine counsel has been given. I do not see God’s people doing this very much, but we should start doing it: “Now and onward till the close of time the people of God should be more earnest, more wide-awake, not trusting in their own wisdom, but in the wisdom of their Leader. They should set aside days for fasting and prayer. Entire abstinence from food may not be required, but they should eat sparingly of the most simple food.” Ibid., February 11, 1904.

This is a very interesting statement. If Ellen White were not inspired, she would not have known to write this. But, you see, we are living in a time when we are the weakest generation there has ever been. There are people all around us who have diabetes and various other health problems, which make it difficult to easily fast. They have to be very careful. I have friends who are on insulin, and they cannot just decide that they are not going to eat anything for a day. They have to be careful.

We are facing a crisis in the church and in the world that we have never before faced. We are not going to make it through these last years successfully unless we have special divine help. I believe that because, as I have prayed, I have been impressed that unless I have special divine help from the Lord, I am not going to make it. Jesus said to the disciples, when they could not cast out the devil, “This kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.” Matthew 17:21.

We will be opposed, in a very short time, by a monolithic worldwide church led by the antichrist. How are we going to make that? It is written in The Great Controversy, 384, that, “The Protestant churches have much of antichrist in them, and are far from being wholly reformed from . . . corruptions and wickedness.” The Seventh-day Adventist church is a Protestant church, and many Adventists will be right along with this worldwide church. We are not going to make it through this time unless we devote some days to fasting and prayer.

What is Happening

A most startling statement is given in Manuscript Releases, vol. 13, 379. This is a prediction of what is going to happen in the last years. I believe that we are living in the last years, and I believe this is being fulfilled right in front of our eyes. This quotation explains to me why Adventists are exclaiming, “What is going on? I cannot believe that this is happening.” But it is happening.

“In His Word the Lord declared what He would do for Israel if they would obey His voice. But the leaders of the people yielded to the temptations of Satan, and God could not give them the blessings He designed them to have, because they did not obey His voice but listened to the voice and policy of Lucifer.”

What was the problem? God promised His people, “If you obey My voice, I will do these things for you.” But she continued, “God could not give them the blessings He designed them to have, because they did not obey His voice but listened to the voice and policy of Lucifer.”

That is the setting for the statement that applies to us: “This experience will be repeated in the last years of the history of the people of God, who have been established by His grace and power. Men whom He has greatly honored will in the closing scenes of this earth’s history pattern after ancient Israel.” Ibid.

Who are the people of God in the last years of earth’s history that have been established by God’s grace and power? Seventh-day Adventists.

What happened to Israel? God said, “If you obey My voice, I will do this for you.” They did not obey His voice but listened to the voice and policy of Lucifer. This is why so many things are happening today. People wonder why the Vatican flag was in the Parade of Nations at the General Conference Session. What is happening? Why are Catholic priests giving testimony and monsignors addressing the leaders of the Seventh-day Adventist Church? What is happening?

What did Ellen White say would happen in the last years? The experience of leaders of God’s people not obeying His voice but listening to the voice of Lucifer, she said, would be repeated. Just like it happened in ancient Israel, she said, “Men whom He has greatly honored will in the closing scenes of this earth’s history pattern after ancient Israel.”

We are in the closing scenes of this earth’s history, and that is why we see things happening in the church that cause us to say, “What is happening?” We cannot understand it. We cannot believe it. It is so confusing that we cannot make any sense out of anything. That is what is happening.

True or False

One more thing that is going to happen as we approach the end is:

“Falsehood will be so mingled with truth, that only those who have the guidance of the Holy Spirit will be able to distinguish truth from error.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 7, 359.

This statement is an excellent one to follow after the quotation about listening to the voice of Lucifer. You see, when you listen to the voice of Lucifer, that does not mean that you are not going to hear truth. The devil knows what the truth is, and the devil can teach you a lot of truth. By the way, everything that the antichrist believes is not a lie. Much of what the antichrist teaches is the truth.

Does the antichrist power believe that Jesus died on the cross for your sin? They teach it. Do they believe that you should pray? Yes. They are even teaching now—they did not teach this in the Dark Ages—that you should read your Bible. They believe in missions.

I was given an official Catechism of the Catholic Church. I have looked through it, and it is actually quite amazing, the tremendous amount of truth it contains. But, of course, it is mixed up; it is the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

The Book of Revelation predicts that the whole world is going to be deceived by the devil at the end of time. Do not think that all they will believe are lies. A lot of what they believe will be the truth. That is what will make it so deceptive. There will be truth mingled with error, and you will not be able to figure it out unless you have the help of the Holy Spirit.

This perhaps helps you to understand why we need to be praying every day. This is why we pray before we preach. This is why we pray before we study God’s Word. This is why we pray, “Lord, help us to understand the truth,” before we study our Bibles at home.

The devil stands beside some people when they are studying the Bible. He teaches them lots of things—a lot of truth mixed up with error. We cannot tell the error unless the Holy Spirit is working in our mind s. When we understand this, we no longer have self-confidence. Instead, we ask the Lord to keep us. We surrender our lives totally to Him because we recognize that only He can keep us from being deceived.

Lust of the Flesh

What is happening as we approach the end of time, the last years of earth’s history? Ellen White wrote, in the January 2, 1900, Review and Herald, “Many who profess to believe the word of God do not seem to understand the deceptive working of the enemy. They do not realize that the end of time is near; but Satan knows it; and while men sleep, he works. The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life are controlling men and women. Satan is at work even among the people of God, to cause disunion. Selfishness, corruption, and evil of every kind are taking a firm hold upon hearts.”

The day of probation is not over yet. If selfishness, corruption, the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life has a firm hold on your heart, if you cry out to the Lord Jesus, He can set you free from the devil’s firm hold.

From the few things we have addressed in this article, you know that the Lord Jesus can save you if you make a complete surrender and dedication to Him. I hope you understand that it is necessary to make a total surrender to the Lord, because if you do not, the devil is going to get you.

We are living in the shaking period, in the last years of earth’s history. There is going to be a group of people that will be ready when Christ returns. I want to be one of those people. If you want to be one of those people also, make a covenant with the Lord right now; pray, “Lord, I want to make a covenant with You. Whatever I lose in this world, whatever opposition I have, I want to be one of the people that is ready when Jesus comes. Lord, if there is anything in my life that is wrong, please point it out to me. I want every wrinkle, every spot, to come out of my character. Lord, I am really serious about being saved.”

[Bible texts quoted are literal translation.]

Pastor John Grosboll is Director of Steps to Life and pastors the Prairie Meadows Church in Wichita, Kansas. He may be contacted by e-mail at: historic@stepstolife.org, or by telephone at: 316-788-5559.

The Ten Commandments, Part XVI – Truth or Consequences

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God has given the gift of language so that communication can take place between members of the same species. Many animals communicate out of instinct, but man communicates through the gift of speech that God has given to him. The language of communication is given so that cooperation can take place between human beings. Through the use of words, men can cooperate in the process of building up society and getting God’s plan and principles to the entire world.

Language is a bridge between man and man. It is the circulating medium of human exchange—the exchange of thoughts, sentiments, and plans. God has ordained it so. One of the greatest joys that can take place between human beings is communication. Communication plays a very essential part in man being able to get along within the world in which he lives.

The gift of language, like all other gifts that God has given to man, can be exercised for good or for evil. We all know that. So, true to His great purpose for the human family and all that is good, God has placed a guard around language. That guard is found in the ninth commandment.

As we have studied the commandments that deal with man’s relationship to man, we have noted that several of them, as recorded in Deuteronomy 5, begin with “neither” rather than “thou.” Deuteronomy 5:20 states, “Neither shalt thou bear false witness against thy neighbour.”

The entire Bible really is nothing more and nothing less than an amplification of the Ten Commandments and their application to the human life. In the Scriptures, we find many encounters that are recorded concerning the human experience as it pertains to language. I have not counted them all, but it seems there are more encounters of experience concerning the ninth commandment than any one of the other commandments.

Why would that be? Because the ninth commandment is a delineation between truth and error. Truth and error are outlined in this commandment. It becomes the focal point of the entire great controversy, the great controversy between truth and error. It really has its roots and its focal point in this commandment!

A Universal Sin

Perhaps the reason for this fact is that bearing false witness is such a universal sin. It is how the devil launched his career of rebellion against God. The Bible says that lying originated with the devil; he is the father of all lies. (See John 8:44.) The Greek word, diabolis, translates into the English word, devil. If we were to give it a more literal translation, we would perhaps use the words accuser or slanderer.

The Bible says so much about lies because they have such a deadly nature. To tell a lie is even more criminal, morally speaking, than to counterfeit money or to forge a check. It is more deadly than those things because, if you write a bogus check, you can usually reclaim that check into your possession, but if you tell a lie, the words cannot be recalled. The lie may circulate and circulate, repeated again and again. An excellent illustration of lies is feathers that are blown in the wind—they are impossible to catch.

Lies are a poison. Once administered, the poison is absorbed into the very fabric of social mentality, never again to be reclaimed. We are told that there are poisons that are so deadly that if they are administered directly into the blood stream, they can cause death within three seconds. I believe that the death of a reputation can take place as rapidly as the administering of a poison into the blood stream.

Broad Scope

The ninth commandment has an equally wide range as all of the other commandments. In past articles of this series, we have seen how the commandments presented so far have a spiritual application, a very broad perspective covering the issues of mankind. The ninth commandment is no exception to that.

Its scope forbids all slander, of whatever kind—not just perjury, of telling a falsehood in court. This is where many people have focused the application of the ninth commandment, and, perhaps, in its primary application, that is where this protection originated. God did not want man to swear falsely, to tell lies against someone, so that they could in turn benefit from some item of property or some circumstance of life. So He instructed to not take an oath, to not swear falsely against our neighbor.

This whole matter of telling the truth, in the economy of Israel, was quite a serious matter. This is one of the reasons the Bible says, “One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established.” Deuteronomy 19:15. This takes us right to the trial of Jesus, does it not?

This commandment was designed from the very beginning to vindicate Jesus from death on Calvary’s cross. If God’s Ten Commandments, as they were given on Mount Sinai to the children of Israel, had prevailed all the way down through time, Jesus would never have had to die on Calvary’s cross. It was only because of false testimony that Jesus was convicted and went to the cross. His accusers could not find two witnesses to tell the same story. That is, they could not until they bribed them to do so. It was the violation of this commandment that led to the death of the Lord Jesus Christ. If God’s people had allowed this law, which is holy, just, and good, to prevail in their spiritual and practical experiences, Jesus would never have had to die in that way. If Jesus had not died on the cross, He still would have had to die, because the Lamb was to be sacrificed.

Those who gave such false testimony are going to be raised to face the consequence of their sin. They not only lied in a legal proceeding, but they lied to God as well, and the Bible is very clear about how God feels about being lied to Himself. The story of Ananias and Sapphira tells us how God feels about those things. (See Acts 5:1–10.)

Character Assassination

When a false report is circulated concerning someone, it basically constitutes character assassination. Sometimes physical assassination with a gun would be much easier for a person to handle than to be assassinated by words. It is amazing how quickly false reports can circulate about someone.

Pastor John Grosboll shared with me a story about himself. Some people were trying to circulate false reports about him, so they took a photograph of a big, stone mansion, super-imposed pictures of him and his wife, Evelyn, onto it, and circulated the photo around, saying that this was their home, intimating that they were living quite extravagantly. There will be an answering for that false report in the Day of Judgment. It is those kinds of things that this ninth commandment is designed to guard against.

Character or Reputation

Human speech is such an important and precious gift that God has given to us. It is so important that He has given two commandments to help us deal with it.

The third commandment says, “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.” Exodus 20:7. And then the ninth commandment deals with bearing false witness.

The third commandment safeguards the name of God, and the ninth commandment safeguards the reputation and the character of men. It has been said that character is what you are, and reputation is what others think about you.

False witness, in reality, can harm only a person’s reputation, but a person can damage his or her own character. Character can only be revealed and damaged when a person takes that into his or her own hands. Reputation is what others are saying about you, but your own character can only be damaged by your own self.

Brother’s Keeper

Every man can determine what his own character is going to be, but reputation is our neighbor’s opinion of us and is, therefore, wholly in his or her keeping. God has given this commandment to deal with safeguarding those who are our neighbors. In more ways than one, we are really our brother’s keeper.

This, we find, was the question that was asked in the beginning of time—“Am I my brother’s keeper?” Genesis 4:9. Cain asked the Lord this when God asked where his brother was.

We are our brother’s keeper, and when we bear false witness, we betray a very sacred trust for which we will be called into account at the judgment.

Lawful Testimony

“I [Ellen White] was shown that when it is actually necessary, and they are called upon to testify in a lawful manner, it is no violation of God’s word for His children to solemnly take God to witness that what they say is the truth, and nothing but the truth.” Testimonies, vol. 1, 202.

In my years of ministry, I have, it seems, continuously run across people that have a problem with taking an oath to tell the truth. They have refused to go to court for they feel that taking an oath is a violation of the commandments. Yet we read here that Ellen White says that it is not a violation to take God as your witness as far as to tell the truth is concerned. It is the duty, really, of a witness to tell the truth, and if a person does not tell the truth, they bear a false witness or a false testimony.

Amplification

The divine instruction of the ninth commandment is further amplified in Zechariah 8:16, 17: “These [are] the things that ye shall do; Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates: And let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbour; and love no false oath: for all these [are things] that I hate, saith the Lord.”

In John 18:37, an example is given about the Lord Jesus in this regard, fulfilling this passage in Zechariah. Jesus, speaking to Pilate, says, “To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.” Jesus never minimized nor did he exaggerate the truth in His witnessing. He never bore false testimony nor did he stoop to telling what we might call half-truths, which are sometimes more dangerous than telling a lie.

The track of error lies very close to the track of truth. A half-truth is when you are walking down the middle of the tracks. If you have ever walked along a railroad, you know that the easiest place to walk is between the tracks, but it is also the most dangerous place to walk. A half-truth can be just as dangerous or maybe even more so than an out and out falsehood, because quite often a falsehood can be identified, but if it is coupled with some truth, identifying the error becomes more difficult.

We are living in a world in which not too much is any longer a sacred trust. We in the United States have come through a lot of political experiences—such as the Nixon administration (1969–1974) and Watergate (1972–1975) and the Clinton administration (1993–2001)—in which lies were told. We have come to realize that those who are of greatest example are telling falsehoods, providing a powerful message that it is not important to tell the truth anymore.

God and Lying

There are other texts that indicate how God feels about lying. Read Proverbs 12:22: “Lying lips [are] abomination to the Lord: but they that deal truly [are] his delight.”

“A false witness shall not be unpunished, and [he that] speaketh lies shall not escape.” Proverbs 19:5.

“These six [things] doth the Lord hate: yea, seven [are] an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness [that] speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.” Proverbs 6:16–19.

Black or White

It has been said that a lie does not have any legs but that it is carried along with other lies. There is no difference as to the quality of the lie. It still makes its way along.

Is there any difference between a white lie and a black lie? No, there is no difference between a white lie and a black lie. Some people think that it is all right to tell a white lie, but to God, it is all sin.

When I entered into the military service, the soldiers were checked very thoroughly for colorblindness. It was important that a soldier not be colorblind, because, on a battlefield, if somebody shot a flare into the air, he or she needed to know exactly what color the flare was. There were different colored flares for different kinds of situations. Good eyesight, and the ability to recognize different colors, was imperative.

It is said that serious automobile accidents result from people who are colorblind and cannot distinguish between green lights and red lights. The same thing can happen as far as spiritual eyesight is concerned as well. We can be blinded to such an extent that we cannot discern spiritual things very well. Then we have a tendency to skew the truth somewhat, because we are blind.

White lies and black lies are caused by spiritual blindness. Although there may be a tendency to excuse white lies because we think they are harmless, they are still an abomination in the eyes of God. There are people who will lie for their own convenience and for their own profit.

We must have the right estimation of sin, and when our hearts and minds are in accord with Jesus Christ, we will view all things as He does. We will be able to recognize sin and hate it the same way that Jesus does. We will be able to see it in its proper perspective, for, as far as Jesus is concerned, there is no such thing as a white lie or a little sin.

Hate the Sin

The Bible says that Jesus loved righteousness, and He who is the Truth hated iniquity. You know, the Bible says that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. To Him that is the Truth, lying is especially hateful; it is in that list of things that He hates.

The Bible tells us, in the Book of Revelation, that all liars, and whoever loves and practices lying, is going to be excluded from the kingdom of heaven. (Revelation 21:8.)

Character Revealed

Words sometimes misrepresent character, and character can be revealed in ways other than words, but it still remains true that words are the chief revealer of character. If you want to know the character of a person, listen to him talk for a while. Character will usually be revealed in that way.

In Matthew 12:34, Jesus is talking to the Scribes and the Pharisees, and He says, “O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.” From this text, we can see that words represent character; thus, words translate into a language that can be read by everyone.

Now, if we trace the word, character, back to its origin, we find that it means, “that which is marked, engraved, or lettered.” So, when we think about a person’s character, it is marked, engraved, and lettered. A man’s character is basically an inscription that is read concerning his habits and his lifestyle. His words characterize him; they give his characteristics. We are going to be judged by every word that we speak. Our speech is going to be a revelation of our character, and if our character is not in harmony with God’s Law, we are going to be closed out of the kingdom of heaven.

What About Your Speech?

Now, consider a few questions in the light of having to face the judgment. What is the character of your words, the tenor of your speech? Are you truthful in all things? Do your words always, and exactly, represent your opinions, your purposes, and your feelings? Do you avoid all lies—white or black? Do you avoid all false suggestions and double meanings?

Quite often we can be asked a question, and we can give an answer, thinking that we have not told a lie. But we have perhaps avoided answering the question, thinking that that is not telling a lie. However, if we are asked a question and we avoid giving a truthful answer, by giving another answer, that is telling a lie, and for that we come under the condemnation of God.

Control the Tongue

The tongue is a mighty, mighty power. It can be used for good, or it can be used for evil. Since it has these two barrels and two triggers, it needs to be kept under control. The Book of James has some tremendous things to say about this subject. “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.” James 1:19.

And then consider James 3:1–10: “My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation. For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same [is] a perfect man, [and] able also to bridle the whole body. Behold, we put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body. Behold also the ships, which though [they be] so great, and [are] driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whither-soever the governor listeth. Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue [is] a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: But the tongue can no man tame; [it is] an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.”

The Bible says that the tongue is not able to be tamed, but it is talking about a natural man. It is talking about someone who is not under the control of God. God can tame anything that we submit to Him, whether it be our attitudes, our actions, or our tongues. He can deal with it. Our tongues are powerful things, and most of us struggle with it continuously. But if we get up each morning and submit ourselves to God, with His help we will be able to resist the devil, and our tongues will be controlled.

God’s People

We know that God is going to have a people, and those people are going to be purified. Zephaniah 3:13 says: “The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth: for they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make [them] afraid.”

Who are the remnant of Israel?

Is this the same as the remnant church? Yes, it is. The remnant are going to be virgins. The Bible ties this all together. The remnant are going to be God’s chosen who are going to go through the final end of all things. How do I know that? Because the Book of Revelation tells us that.

Revelation 14 begins by telling the story of the 144,000. They are standing there with the Father’s name written in their foreheads, and verse 5 says: “And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.”

Here are the qualifications for God’s people. God’s people are not only going to worship Him as their God, but they are going to be Sabbath keepers. They are going to be obedient to every aspect of God’s law, and that includes the ninth commandment, which, when properly addressed, allows the character to develop with no deceitfulness, no falsehoods, and no false witness. God’s people will have a lifestyle that is going to meet His high standard.

Of course, there is only one way that that can happen, and that is for us to submit ourselves to Him and allow Him to burn out the character defects in our lives, through the power of the Holy Spirit. This is why the Holy Spirit has been illustrated with fire. The fire is to turn to ashes those sinful traits in our lives, so we can rightly represent the character of Christ.

Of Great Importance

The ninth commandment is a very important commandment. It is a special commandment that applies in so many ways across the experience and spectrum of mankind. Regarding it, Ellen White has written:

“The ninth commandment requires of us an inviolable regard for exact truth in every declaration by which the character of our fellow men may be affected. The tongue, which is kept so little under the control of the human agent, is to be bridled by strong conscientious principles, by the law of love toward God and man.

“False-speaking in any matter, every attempt or purpose to deceive our neighbor, is here included. An intention to deceive is what constitutes falsehood. By a glance of the eye, a motion of the hand, an expression of the countenance, a falsehood may be told as effectually as by words. All intentional overstatement, every hint or insinuation calculated to convey an erroneous or exaggerated impression, even the statement of facts in such a manner as to mislead, is falsehood. This precept forbids every effort to injure our neighbor’s reputation by misrepresentation or evil surmising, by slander or tale-bearing. Even the intentional suppression of truth, by which injury may result to others, is a violation of the ninth commandment.

“He [Jesus] teaches that the exact truth should be the law of speech. ‘Let your speech be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay.’ [Matthew 5:37.] . . . These words condemn all those meaningless phrases and expletives that border on profanity. They condemn the deceptive compliments, the evasion of truth, the flattering phrases, the exaggerations, the misrepresentations in trade, that are current in society and in the business world. They teach that no one who tries to appear what he is not, or whose words do not convey the real sentiment of his heart, can be called truthful. . . .

“Everything that Christians do should be as transparent as the sunlight. Truth is of God; deception, in every one of its myriad forms, is of Satan. . . . We can not speak the truth unless our minds are continually guided by Him who is truth.” Sons and Daughters of God, 64.

To be continued . . .

A retired minister of the gospel, Pastor Mike Baugher may be contacted by e-mail at: landmarks@stepstolife.org.