Christian Life

How to Overcome the Devil

by

“So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, ‘Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has but a short time.’ ”

Revelations 12:9–12

Why are there so many tears and disasters? So much worry, sorrow, pain, suffering, and death? The answer is in these scriptures. Satan was cast down, set loose on this earth to wreak havoc, and the Bible says that he will deceive the whole world. Every man and woman has been deceived at some time by this arch deceiver.

I wish that we could, just in the smallest degree, understand the significance of his deceitfulness. From the time you were born, he has studied your life, and for whatever reason, by one means or another, he has become a master artist at deceiving you. Every time we sin, we have been deceived into thinking that Satan’s plan is superior to God’s plan.

Some time ago, I was studying the Bible with a woman in Pennsylvania. Every doctrine we studied from the Bible—the state of the dead, the Sabbath, and many other doctrines—she accepted.

But when we began to study diet—pork specifically—she began to have issues. You see, diet is the downfall of so many people. We all know that the Bible says pork is an unclean food, unfit for mankind to eat, and those who are holy and pure do not eat pork or any other food the Bible identifies as unclean.

Sadly, this woman liked pork. You can see how the devil’s deceptions were working against her. If she didn’t like pork, then it would have been no temptation to her and, like all the other doctrines she had so eagerly accepted, she would have gladly given up unclean foods including pork. But she did like pork, and soon she began the process of rationalization.

Perhaps you have done the same thing. So-and-so does something that is wrong, so it’s okay for me to do it, too. Unfortunately, friends, the old adage, “two wrongs don’t make a right” is absolutely true. Excusing our sin by pointing out someone else’s, doesn’t make our sin any less sinful, nor does it deliver us from the resultant consequences.

Still, the devil wanted to keep her from fully and faithfully following Jesus, and to do this he had a terrible deception ready to use against her. Remember, he is the master deceiver. He had studied this woman her whole life and knew just what he should do.

About a month into our studies together, in fact it was during the same time that she was struggling with the truth regarding diet, she had lost her six-year-old daughter, and, oh, how she grieved over the death of her child. It is dangerous to reject truth because we sacrifice the protection of Jesus completely and leave ourselves open to all kinds of deception.

In her home, the daughter’s bedroom was at the top of the stairs on the second floor. One day, she looked up those stairs, still grieving, and for one fleeting moment, she saw her daughter standing there looking at her, smiling, and then she was gone. In that moment, she knew that her daughter was all right, that she was in heaven, and had come down to give her assurance and peace.

Also, in that moment, she decided that the Bible was wrong, or at least the way we were interpreting it was wrong. But the Bible doesn’t need an interpreter, for it plainly says regarding the dead, “The dead know not anything, neither have they any more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten.” Ecclesiastes 9:5

The devil’s deception was so powerful that she believed she had truly seen her daughter, and she was so truly deceived that she determined that everything she had learned and accepted to that point was wrong, and she rejected everything. Satan knew right where to strike. Tragically, this woman loved her daughter and unclean foods more than she loved the truth, and unless she repents of her rejection and again accepts the truth, it will cost her salvation.

Satan has a master file of your life and mine. He has traced every event. He and his angels have studied every aspect of your life. They know your special desires, weaknesses, and insecurities. They know what offends and irritates you the most, and how to upset you.

Is There Anything That Can Cause You to be Lost?

Is there anything in this world that means more to you than the truth as it is in Jesus Christ? Your spouse and children? Family or friends? A job, a position of power, wealth, or possessions? Are you proud of your looks? Do you enjoy the flattery of the world? Do you desire attention? Have you been driven to a dark place because of illness, loneliness, or discouragement?

Is there anything that could cause you to give up the truth and turn away from the Holy Spirit? If there is, then rest assured Satan will bend all his power to bring about your destruction.

God wants you to be happy, but if you seek to follow Him, know that the devil will pull out all the stops to work against you. He has a temptation, probably more than one, that is tailor-made just for you. You see, not all temptations are successful against all people. While one person may struggle with addiction to smoking, drinking, or drugs, another may struggle with gambling or pornography, and another with pride and envy. Yes, the devil has a specific portfolio of temptations for each of us.

We will all be tempted, tested, during our lifetime. No one can expect to have a free ride to the pearly gates. Sooner or later, we will have to meet the devil face to face. We are never alone because the Holy Spirit is always with us to provide the power we need to overcome him. But, just as Jesus did in the wilderness of temptation, we will have to face the devil in battle, and we must be prepared to be conquerors.

The Only One

“The great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world.” Revelation 12:9

Except for One.

Of all of the people who have ever lived in the world, there was only One who was never deceived, the Man Christ Jesus. There is no one who has ever been tempted more than He.

For more than thirty years, Satan had prepared, focusing all his energies into the destruction of Jesus. Throughout His entire life, he had sought to weaken Jesus, to cause Him to give up His faith and confidence in His Father. The time had come. Jesus was about to have that face-to-face confrontation that we ourselves will one day have with Satan.

“Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry.” Luke 4:1, 2

John the Baptist had baptized Jesus in the Jordan, and the Father had declared, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Matthew 3:17. But now God was leading Jesus to the wilderness for the fight of His human life. God took Him to the wilderness and left Him there, with no food or shelter, nothing but the hard ground for a bed, and no earthly protection against wild beasts or other dangers. Jesus had the power to provide for Himself, but the Father had ordained that He should come to earth and live as an ordinary man, trusting completely in Him for all of His needs.

Satan determined that Jesus would be overcome, understanding that “he must either conquer or be conquered. … All the energies of apostasy were rallied against the Son of God. Christ was made the mark of every weapon of hell.” The Desire of Ages, 116

Turn These Stones

Even in His weakened and starved condition, Jesus’ trust in God remained strong and He continued to pray until a beautiful angel came to Him, an answer, it seemed, to His prayer.

“He claimed to have a commission from God to declare that Christ’s fast was at an end. As God had sent an angel to stay the hand of Abraham from offering Isaac, so, satisfied with Christ’s willingness to enter the bloodstained path, the Father had sent an angel to deliver Him; this was the message brought to Jesus. The Saviour was faint from hunger, He was craving for food, when Satan came suddenly upon Him. Pointing to the stones which strewed the desert, and which had the appearance of loaves, the tempter said, ‘If Thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.’ ” Ibid., 118

God accepted Your sacrifice here in the wilderness. He has accepted Your submission to His will. Now He has given You permission, “ ‘If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.’ ” Matthew 4:3

Let’s look at this temptation. Yes, it was a test on appetite. But this angel said something, just a small word, that should give anyone a clue that he might not be what he appeared to be: “If.” “If You are the Son of God … .” Would God treat His Son this way? is the insinuation. An angel from heaven would know who Jesus is. This angel was not sent from God. Jesus discerned who he was. Imagine the added temptation for Him not to show this imposter just exactly who He is.

Why was Jesus not deceived as mankind usually is? Jesus recognized Satan because His relationship with and faith in His Father prevented even His humanity from being deceived.

But why is mankind so easily deceived?

“The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception, among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.” 2 Thessalonians 2:9, 10

Without a saving relationship with Jesus, we will be unable to see Satan for who he is. He will come to us in a way that looks good, but it won’t be good, and if we do not have a love for the truth, we will be deceived.

Jesus loved truth more than He loved life itself. He would rather die than sacrifice even one of God’s precepts. God had said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” This was the word of God regarding who Jesus was. Knowing who Satan was from the beginning, Jesus did not enter into controversy with him. He would not parley with temptation and simply replied to Satan, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’ ” Luke 4:4

If You Will Worship Me

From there Satan took Jesus up on a high mountain. From this vantage point, he showed Him all the kingdoms of the world laid out in all their glory, along with all the people who lived in them, the very people Jesus had left heaven for, those He had come to save.

Satan said, “All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours.”

In that moment, Jesus saw a narrow path strewn with stones and thorns and thistles. As the path stretched tortuously up, He saw a cross, and hanging on that cross is a man; He sees Himself. Here is the choice: a mere act of homage or the cross.

Without hesitation, Jesus replies, “Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ” Luke 4:8

At the Cross

I am so happy that Jesus chose the cross, for it was through that choice that He gained the victory over Satan and his temptations and deceptions, and brought victory to us. For it is by that blood that we are saved and can find salvation from the temptations and deceptions Satan will surely bring to each one of us.

Do you spend time with the cross every day? Do you suppose that you can overcome Satan on your own? Do you think you are strong enough? It was at the cross that Satan was overcome. If we are to find victory over Satan and his deceptions, then we must go to the cross.

Revelation 12 says that Satan will deceive the whole world, but there are some who gain the victory.

“Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, ‘Now salvation and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb (Christ) and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.’ ” Verses 10, 11

Christ gained the victory on the cross, and it is to the cross that we also must go to find victory. It is accomplished by the union of the divine and human, uniting our lives with the life of Christ.

“Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?’ ” Matthew 16:24–26

How few today have found that personal victory over Satan. Have we? Can we know that we have experienced the same victory that we find in the life of Christ?

“Communion with Christ—how unspeakably precious! Such communion it is our privilege to enjoy if we will seek it, if we will make any sacrifice to secure it.” Maranatha, 74

Oh, Taste and See

What we need is an experimental religion. Putting God to the test, claiming His promises and finding them true. Think of the three worthies, who refused to eat from the king’s table. They did what was right, and they were blessed as a result and were a living testimony for all around them. Daniel continued to pray three times a day in spite of the king’s decree, knowing he would be thrown in the lion’s den. But He trusted that God would save Him, and He did.

“Experience is knowledge derived from experiment. Experimental religion is what is needed now. … Some—yes, a large number—have a theoretical knowledge of religious truth, but have never felt the renewing power of divine grace upon their own hearts. … They believe in the wrath of God, but put forth no earnest efforts to escape it. They believe in heaven, but make no sacrifice to obtain it. … They know a remedy for sin, but do not use it. They know the right, but have no relish for it. All their knowledge will but increase their condemnation. They have never tasted and learned by experience that the Lord is good.

“To become a disciple of Christ is to deny self and follow Jesus through evil as well as good report. … Every darling indulgence that hinders our religious life must be cut off. … Will we put forth efforts and make sacrifices proportionate to the worth of the object to be attained?” Ibid.

That’s when it becomes yours. That’s when you’ve experimented with the promises of God and found them true. That’s when you develop a testimony. Not one in twenty, we are told, have an experimental knowledge of religion (Messages to Young People, 384). Oh, they may know how God delivered the Israelites from Egypt, about Jesus’ temptations in the wilderness, Bible stories like Daniel and the lion’s den, but they have never had an experience like that, nor have they ever relied fully and only on the naked promises of God for deliverance. They have never sacrificed everything for a personal knowledge of God’s saving power.

We are not saved by good sermons nor by listening to CDs, watching DVDs, or reading books. Going to church will not save us. Even physically being with Jesus, as the disciples were, will not save us. We must have a close, intimate relationship with Jesus, a joining of the divine with the human. The experiences and trials that we live through in this life are meant to teach us that we can and must trust in God.

So, Here’s the Question

Do I have this experience, a testimony of victory in my own life? Remember what Revelation 12:11 says, “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb (Christ) and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.”

Think again of the three worthies, standing before the golden image on the plain of Dura. How easy it would have been to just kneel and pray to God. They wouldn’t have been worshiping the image, but their testimony would have looked the same as everyone around them. It would have appeared that they were worshiping the image. It would have shown lack of faith in God. Instead, they did what they knew was right, at the very real risk of their lives, believing that God would save them if it was His will to do so, and they learned that God is faithful to those who put their faith in Him.

What would you have done?  Would you have knelt and prayed to God, rationalizing that you weren’t really worshiping that image? You could have come away from that experience saying, “Well, the Lord saved me from death.” But you wouldn’t have had a testimony. The three worthies received their testimony by going into the fiery furnace. They put their faith in God to the test, they did what was right even though it would mean death, and they found that He is faithful.

We have a testimony when we lose our job rather than work on the Sabbath. We have a testimony when to human eyes there are more bills to pay than money to pay them with and we still pay tithe first. We have a testimony when we pray and ask God for healing, but accept whatever His answer might be, even if it is not healing. When everything is against us and we have nothing but trust in God’s promises, then we have a testimony.

Too many of us do not have a testimony to bear for God because we have never tried Him. We bow down to the idol because we are afraid of the fiery furnace.

“Many look on this conflict between Christ and Satan as having no special bearing on their own life; and for them it has little interest. But within the domain of every human heart this controversy is repeated. Never does one leave the ranks of evil for the service of God without encountering the assaults of Satan. The enticements which Christ resisted were those that we find it so difficult to withstand. They were urged upon Him in as much greater degree as His character is superior to ours. With the terrible weight of the sins of the world upon Him, Christ withstood the test upon appetite, upon the love of the world, and upon that love of display which leads to presumption. These were the temptations that overcame Adam and Eve, and that so readily overcome us.” The Desire of Ages, 116, 117

Our testimony comes when we stand the test through the strength of God, and though Satan works to deceive the world, we overcome him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of our testimony. When Jesus’ wilderness experience becomes ours, when the divine has united with the human, then we can overcome the devil.

Friends, Satan is seeking to deceive the whole world, and he is successfully doing so for much of it today. But he can be overcome by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of our testimony.

I invite you, morning by morning, to come to the foot of the cross, meditate upon the sacrifice of Christ, and then step out on the promises of God and determine to do what God says, come what may, and see how the Lord will work, so that you also might have a testimony.

[Emphasis supplied.]

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.

Our Perfect Example

by

“For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: ‘Who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth’; who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.”

1 Peter 2:21–24

Here Peter says that Christ has left us an example for what we are to do and say. Verse 22 says that He “committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth.” I would like to share with you some gems from the Spirit of Prophecy that I found as I studied the words sinless and sinlessness.

Now what does it actually mean to be my “example”? If I cut some lumber with a power tool, and then I give my nine-year-old daughter Hannah a handsaw and ask her to do what I just did, can I expect her to do her part just as well and as quickly as I did mine? Is she fully equipped to follow my example? Hannah is much smaller and weaker, not to mention less experienced. Even if we both had the same tools, it would take her longer to do the job. I have such an advantage that it is ridiculous for me to require her to follow my example.

We read from 1 Peter 2 that Christ left us an example, that we should follow in His steps. It would be unfair and cruel to us if we were expected to follow Christ’s example without the tools that He had at His disposal. Thankfully, we may be assured that His example is not out of our reach if we will fully surrender to Him and take advantage of the heavenly grace He has offered to us.

“As one of us, He was to give an example of obedience. For this He took upon Himself our nature, and passed through our experiences. ‘In all things it behooved Him to be made like unto His brethren.’ Hebrews 2:17. If we had to bear anything which Jesus did not endure, then upon this point Satan would represent the power of God as insufficient for us. Therefore Jesus was ‘in all points tempted like as we are.’ Hebrews 4:15. He endured every trial to which we are subject. And He exercised in His own behalf no power that is not freely offered to us. As man, He met temptation, and overcame in the strength given Him from God. …

“By His humanity, Christ touched humanity; by His divinity, He lays hold upon the throne of God. As the Son of man, He gave us an example of obedience; as the Son of God, He gives us power to obey.” The Desire of Ages, 24

“Jesus revealed no qualities, and exercised no powers, that men may not have through faith in Him. His perfect humanity is that which all His followers may possess, if they will be in subjection to God as He was.” Ibid., 664

A Sinless Example

What kind of example did Jesus give us? He lived a sinless life, showing that God’s law—all of it—could be perfectly kept, demonstrating that a sinless character could be developed in man.

“He came with such a heredity to share our sorrows and temptations, and to give us the example of a sinless life.” Ibid., 49

Some have suggested that Jesus’ example is something that I should be striving to follow, but I cannot actually live a sinless life—one of perfect obedience. I will always be relying upon Christ’s covering robe of righteousness to make up for my own deficiencies. But is this what Inspiration teaches?

“Christ has left us a perfect, sinless example. His followers are to walk in His footsteps. If they are not transformed in character, they can never dwell with Him in His kingdom. Christ died to elevate and ennoble them, and those who retain hereditary tendencies to wrong cannot dwell with Him. He suffered all that it is possible for human flesh to suffer and endure, that we might pass triumphantly through all the temptations Satan may invent to destroy our faith.” Sons and Daughters of God, 294

Truly this is a matter of salvation. Christ’s atonement offers justification to the repentant sinner for his past sins and is vital for our salvation; but it is just as vital that we take the next step of complete transformation and submission to God’s revealed will. Those who neglect this latter step “can never dwell with Him.”

“Christ has made every provision for the sanctification of His church. He has made abundant provision for every soul to have such grace and strength that he will be more than a conqueror in the warfare against sin. The Saviour is wounded afresh and put to open shame when His people pay no heed to His word. He came to this world and lived a sinless life, that in His power His people might also live lives of sinlessness. He desires them by practicing the principles of truth to show to the world that God’s grace has power to sanctify the heart.” The Review and Herald, April 1, 1902

“Everyone who believes on Christ, everyone who relies on the keeping power of a risen Saviour that has suffered the penalty pronounced upon the transgressor, everyone who resists temptation and in the midst of evil copies the pattern given in the Christ life, will through faith in the atoning sacrifice of Christ become a partaker of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. Everyone who by faith obeys God’s commandments will reach the condition of sinlessness in which Adam lived before his transgression.” In Heavenly Places, 146

Please notice, we are called to “the condition of sinlessness in which Adam lived before his transgression.” Heaven requires that you and I reflect the character of the pre-fall Adam while we still have the sinful flesh of the post-fall Adam—and God has made every provision necessary to make it possible.

It Is the Thought that Counts!

Jesus showed the result of continually keeping the thoughts and feelings pure and elevated. While He had to rely upon His heavenly Father for strength to resist temptations just as we do, He did not have the same desire for sin that exists in the unconverted heart; instead, He recoiled from sin.

“Our Saviour identifies Himself with our needs and weaknesses, in that He became a suppliant, a nightly petitioner, seeking from His Father fresh supplies of strength, to come forth invigorated and refreshed, braced for duty and trial. He is our example in all things. He is a brother in our infirmities, but not in possessing like passions. As the sinless One, His nature recoiled from evil. He endured struggles and torture of soul in a world of sin.” Testimonies, Vol. 2, 201, 202

God has called us to reflect the character of Christ, “to be conformed to the image of His Son.” Romans 8:29

“Christ is waiting with longing desire for the manifestation of Himself in His church. When the character of Christ shall be perfectly reproduced in His people, then He will come to claim them as His own.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 69

What does it mean to reflect the character of Jesus? It means that the principles of the ten commandments—God’s law of love—are written upon the heart and will be reflected in our words and actions. It means that when faced with temptation we will recoil from evil. It means we will be disgusted at any thought of sin, and temptation will lose its power over us.

There was a time when I focused almost all my attention on my outward actions, trying my best to make sure that I was perfectly obedient, while inside I still cherished sinful thoughts. At times, I lost my temper and then apologized, but I would still tell myself that I was justified, that the other party was in the wrong. This mixture of success and failure, victory and defeat, was a confusing witness for the Lord:

“A righteous man who falters before the wicked is like a murky spring and a polluted well.” Proverbs 25:26

“Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening?” James, 3:10, 11

Solomon said, “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.” Proverbs 4:23

I had not fully realized that the key to a truly victorious experience has everything to do with the mind and heart—how we think and feel.

Christ said to the Pharisees, “Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.” Matthew 12:34, 35

“Through Christ you may and should be happy and should acquire habits of self-control. Even your thoughts must be brought into subjection to the will of God and your feelings under the control of reason and religion. Your imagination was not given you to be allowed to run riot and have its own way without any effort at restraint and discipline. If the thoughts are wrong, the feelings will be wrong, and the thoughts and feelings combined make up the moral character. When you decide that as Christians you are not required to restrain your thoughts and feelings, you are brought under the influence of evil angels and invite their presence and their control. If you yield to your impressions and allow your thoughts to run in a channel of suspicion, doubt, and repining you will be among the most unhappy of mortals, and your lives will prove a failure.” Testimonies, Vol. 5, 310

If we desire to reflect Christ’s character, we need to give proper attention to thinking and feeling as Christ thought and felt. “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 2:5

“As God works upon the heart by His Holy Spirit, man must cooperate with Him. The thoughts must be bound about, restricted, withdrawn from branching out and contemplating things that will only weaken and defile the soul. The thoughts must be pure, the meditations of the heart must be clean, if the words of the mouth are to be words acceptable to heaven and helpful to your associates.” Mind, Character, and Personality, Vol. 2, 657

“Gird up the loins of your mind, says the apostle; then control your thoughts, not allowing them to have full scope. The thoughts may be guarded and controlled by your own determined efforts. Think right thoughts, and you will perform right actions. You have, then, to guard the affections, not letting them go out and fasten upon improper objects. Jesus has purchased you with His own life; you belong to Him; therefore He is to be consulted in all things, as to how the powers of your mind and the affections of your heart shall be employed.” The Adventist Home, 54

When I began to see that victory over temptation begins with right thoughts, then I started experiencing victory over my besetting sins.

“You may think that there can be no sin in permitting your thoughts to run as they naturally would without restraint. But this is not so. You are responsible to God for the indulgence of vain thoughts; for from vain imaginations arises the committal of sins, the actual doing of those things upon which the mind has dwelt. Govern your thoughts, and it will then be much easier to govern your actions. Your thoughts need to be sanctified. Paul writes to the Corinthians: ‘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.’ When you come into this position, the work of consecration will be better understood by you both. Your thoughts will be pure, chaste, and elevated; your actions pure and sinless.” Testimonies, Vol. 3, 82, 83

Did you catch that? If we keep our thoughts in submission to Christ, the result will be that our actions will be pure and sinless. If you are frustrated by a “yo-yo” experience of victory and defeat, then lay the axe at the root of the tree (Matthew 3:10), rather than trying to pick off the ugly fruit. Focus on your thoughts.

“There is earnest work before each one of us. Right thoughts, pure and holy purposes, do not come to us naturally. We shall have to strive for them.” Mind, Character, and Personality, Vol. 2, 656

How to Control the Thoughts

There are two simple principles that help me to control my thoughts:

  1. “You are what you eat”

Your life will show what your mind is feeding on. Therefore, dedicate time for study and prayer at the beginning and end of the day. Don’t let anyone or anything take away that time. In addition to feeding on God’s word, you must also refrain from feeding the mind on sinful and worldly things. Resist the enemy’s temptation to make you believe you won’t be affected by watching that movie, reading that book, spending time on the Internet and social media, or listening to that music. Be always on guard, for Satan is looking for us to just crack the door open, and then he will be inside before we realize it.

  1. The Replacement Principle

When you are tempted to think wrong thoughts, send up a quick prayer to God for help. Then don’t just try to stop those thoughts; focus your mind on something better. Memorize scripture; sing songs; converse with God in prayer—out loud if no one is nearby. Let your imagination picture the scenes that you have studied in the Scriptures, particularly the life of Christ and the beauties of the new earth. Use the time to think about ways to work more effectively for the Lord.

As we follow these principles in keeping all of our thoughts in submission to Christ, He will fulfill in us this powerful promise:

“Christ was obedient to every requirement of the law. He said of Himself, ‘I delight to do Thy will, O My God; yea, Thy law is within My heart.’ Psalm 40:8. When on earth, He said to His disciples, ‘I have kept My Father’s commandments.’ John 15:10. By His perfect obedience He has made it possible for every human being to obey God’s commandments. When we submit ourselves to Christ, the heart is united with His heart, the will is merged in His will, the mind becomes one with His mind, the thoughts are brought into captivity to Him; we live His life.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 312

May this be our experience.

[All emphasis supplied.]

Taken from: Our Firm Foundation, Volume 19, Number 5, May 2004, 8–11

Harvey Steck is a life-time Seventh-day Adventist who has worked in the Lord’s vineyard for many years. He was a book and magazine editor by profession, but subsequently transitioned to Internet work. Yielding to the call for missionary work, He and his wife, Brenda, are currently working to alleviate the needs of the many internally displaced persons on the border between Thailand and Burma as missionaries with the “Border Light” project through development and implementation of several humanitarian and Gospel projects.

Give Up Everything that Weighs You Down

by

Let’s talk habits. Do you know someone who has a bad habit? Do you have one? Or let’s ask the question in a different way: Do you know anyone who doesn’t have a bad habit? This subject has a universal application to both adults and children. Most of our bad habits are developed in early childhood and continue to affect us throughout the rest of our lives.

Perhaps there comes a time in people’s lives, after earnest evaluation, when they realize they don’t want to keep a particular bad habit. They want to make a change but find that they are locked into that habit because habits are very difficult to change.

Here’s a simple example: What would happen if I were to climb to the very top of the roof of a building and then jump off? Someone might say, “Well, if you prayed hard enough, maybe you wouldn’t get hurt too bad.” Is that a reasonable expectation?

We do this all the time. We violate certain physical or spiritual laws and then expect the Lord to deliver us from the resulting pain and suffering. But God cannot answer this prayer, because He would be condoning the violation of the very laws that He has established. So, when we study about how to deal with bad habits, and study the laws that are involved, then we can know how to escape them.

And, friends, there is an escape. God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, into this world because we were in bondage to something that we could not free ourselves from, and Jesus said, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, … He has sent Me … to proclaim liberty to the captives and … to set at liberty those who are oppressed.” Luke 4:18

This is, in part, liberty and freedom from our guilt. But it is also liberty and freedom from our bad habits. Jesus came to set you free from your bad habits.

Spiritual, mental, and physical components are all involved in this escape, and in the forming, maintaining, and deliverance from them or we’ll never be free from them.

Let’s start with the spiritual and mental components and then we’ll take up the physical component.

Just how did we develop bad habits when we were children?

Children develop bad habits because their minds are not trained. As children grow up in their parental home, parents are to cultivate, train, and develop the good habits a child should have to lead a healthy, spiritual life.

Children should not be idle. A busy child has no spare time to engage in bad habits. Children without anything to do spend more time getting into trouble, and bad habits are the results. This has been a great curse in society.

Children need to have a balance of physical and mental activity. Parents must consider if their children are occupied enough to keep them busy all day.

Inappropriate associations can also result in bad habits. Who are your children’s friends? Do they love and obey their parents? Do they love and keep the ten commandments? Associates who are immoral or idle will encourage the development of bad habits in your children.

“With the present plan of education the door of temptation is open to youth. Although they generally have too many hours of study, they have many hours without anything to do. These leisure hours are frequently spent in a reckless manner. The knowledge of bad habits is communicated from one to another and vice is greatly increased.” Testimonies, Vol. 3, 148

Parents need to be aware of who their children go to school with and with whom they spend a lot of time. As parents, we need to place our children in God’s hands, asking Him to tell us where we should send our children to school and to protect them from the things that they will learn, see, and hear that could have a negative effect on their future.

Neglect also facilitates the development of children’s bad habits. When parents are so busy that they really don’t have time to raise their children, then the children are left to fend for themselves, and bad habits are sure to be the result.

Our home life should be one of order. There should be a schedule that tells children when to get up and when to go to bed, when to eat, when to do home chores and school work, and when to play.

So, these are three ways that children develop bad habits. What about those of us who now are adults with bad habits that we can’t seem to do anything about? The Bible clearly states the condition we are in.

“Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard its spots? Then may you also do good who are accustomed to doing evil.” Jeremiah 13:23

“And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. … But no man can tame the tongue, it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.” James 3:6, first part, 8

How many people can change the color of their skin? None. Can the leopard change its spots? No. Who can tame the tongue? No one. The Bible is saying that we have a habit, and though we do not want to keep this habit any longer, we are finding it impossible to change.

The first thing we must understand about firmly-ingrained habits is that there is no one who can break or change them. This is one of the reasons people become so discouraged when they try to “kick” their habits, or make resolutions that they don’t keep.

Someone might think that if it’s an impossibility for a man to break his bad habits, then why are we even talking about it?

We want to talk about it because what we need to know most of all is that there is a way, a miraculous power, that will aid us in overcoming our bad habits. That way is Jesus. Changing anything in our lives just won’t happen without Divine help. It is only after He comes into our lives that we can then be set free from the things that hold us captive.

“When the soul surrenders itself to Christ, a new power takes possession of the new heart. A change is wrought which man can never accomplish for himself. It is a supernatural work, bringing a supernatural element into human nature. The soul that is yielded to Christ becomes His own fortress, which He holds in a revolted world, and He intends that no authority shall be known in it but His own. A soul thus kept in possession by the heavenly agencies is impregnable to the assaults of Satan. But unless we do yield ourselves to the control of Christ, we shall be dominated by the wicked one. We must inevitably be under the control of the one or the other of the two great powers that are contending for the supremacy of the world. It is not necessary for us deliberately to choose the service of the kingdom of darkness in order to come under its dominion. We have only to neglect to ally ourselves with the kingdom of light. If we do not cooperate with the heavenly agencies, Satan will take possession of the heart, and will make it his abiding place. The only defense against evil is the indwelling of Christ in the heart through faith in His righteousness.” The Desire of Ages, 324

What is the only defense against evil? The indwelling of Christ in the heart. How do we receive the indwelling of Christ in our hearts? By yielding ourselves completely to Him.

“Unless we become vitally connected with God, we can never resist the unhallowed effects of self-love, self-indulgence, and temptation to sin. We may leave off many bad habits, for the time we may part company with Satan; but without a vital connection with God, through the surrender of ourselves to Him moment by moment, we shall be overcome. Without a personal acquaintance with Christ, and a continual communion, we are at the mercy of the enemy, and shall do his bidding in the end.” Ibid.

Without this vital connection with Jesus, unless He is dwelling in the heart by faith, we will be under the control of the devil, and even if we leave off many of our bad habits, he will still be our master.

A union with the Divine still requires supreme human effort.

“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” Philippians 2:12

There are two mistakes that most people make. Some want to do it all themselves until they find out it’s impossible to do alone. Or others, realizing it is impossible, decide to just depend on the Lord and let Him do it all. They don’t even try.

God is going to do a miraculous work in each of us, but we have a work of our own to do in this partnership with Him. We see that in Philippians 2:12. But verse 13 makes it clearer just what God intends to do in our lives.

“For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” I wish we had a stronger English word for “to do.” In Greek, this means to energize or to empower. You could read it like this: “… works in you to will and to empower [you] for His good pleasure.” God wants to give you the power to overcome your bad habits, and then with that power at your disposal, you do your part of the work with fear and trembling. To overcome the wickedness in our lives, it takes two: our complete surrender and God’s miraculous power.

“To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily.” Colossians 1:29

The Greek word Paul uses that we translate as striving, agonizomai, means to fight or to contend or to struggle. It is the word from which we get the English word agonize. This is an all-in struggle. Then the words “works in” mean, just like in Philippians 2:13, energizes or empowers.

We can struggle, fight, agonize over our bad habits. We can desperately labor and strive for our entire life to be free from them, but unless we cooperate with God so that He can work with great power a change in our hearts, we will fail.

I am reminded of the somewhat famous quote by Mark Twain regarding his smoking habit, “Giving up smoking is the easiest thing in the world. I know because I’ve done it thousands of times.”

God doesn’t want me to give up a habit only to repeatedly pick it back up again, never truly gaining the victory over it. He wants to give me the power to be completely and fully done with it. Only then will it never have control over my life again.

Moving to the physical effects of our bad habits, Mrs. White writes:

“Any habit or practice which will weaken the nerve and brain power or the physical strength disqualifies for the exercise of the next grace which comes in after temperance—patience.” Our High Calling, 69

“For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord, and He ponders all his paths. His own iniquities entrap the wicked man, and he is caught in the cords of his sin. … He shall die for lack of instruction, and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.” Proverbs 5:21–23

This text shows us how a person becomes bound up with his bad habits and can’t get loose. He may pray and pray, but simply cannot get free of them. He begins to think that there is something wrong with Christianity, but the truth is, it’s not the religion at all, rather he is violating certain physical laws that make it impossible for him to overcome his bad habits.

In order to overcome, we must first have willpower. The prefrontal cortex of the brain, right behind the forehead, is responsible for our “I will, I won’t, and I want powers.” A more medical explanation of the responsibilities of this area of the brain is that our abstract thinking, thought analysis, and keeping our behavior in check all occur here. The left side of the prefrontal cortex handles the “I will” power, which helps us start and stick to things that aren’t so much fun or are stressful. The right side handles the “I won’t” power, which keeps us from acting on every impulse or craving that we have. And the center, lower area is responsible for the “I want” power, which helps us keep track of our goals and desires.

There are two facets of willpower: yes and no. Exercising our willpower isn’t always about saying no. It is just as important to use our willpower to say yes for the right things as it is to say no to the bad things.

Source: positivepsychology.com/psychology-of-willpower

Now let’s consider morality. Do you know what part of the brain is responsible for our morality? We’ll call it our conscience. The prefrontal cortex. Morality is the ability to determine right from wrong.

Spirituality is also located in the prefrontal cortex. It is from here that you talk to God and ask Him to help you.

But what if something has impaired your willpower and skewed your ability to make right decisions? Medical research shows us that when a person’s frontal lobe is damaged, he or she can completely change. A very religious person might no longer have an interest in church, religion, or the Bible at all. A person who was very conscientious and always doing what was right might begin to engage in very questionable behavior. But what if there was nothing wrong with the frontal lobe? Could our diet, a lack of sleep, fresh air, water, or appropriate exercise impair our ability to make sound decisions? Or what if we clouded our brains with alcohol, drugs, sugar, and other harmful substances? Anything that impairs the function of the frontal lobe will make it difficult to exercise our willpower to overcome any bad habit.

The reason people today are having so much trouble overcoming bad habits, much more so than they had 100 years ago, is because we are violating certain physical laws that are impairing the function of our frontal lobe.

Let’s look at some of the things that can impair your ability to exercise your willpower.

Drug use—illicit drugs, many prescription drugs, and social drugs. Social drugs include caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol.

Introducing these substances into your body is like shooting yourself in the foot if you are trying to overcome a bad habit. They numb the frontal lobe and interfere with your ability to utilize your willpower.

Diet—is vitally important. Refined sugar must be eliminated and foods containing unrefined carbohydrates—starchy foods like whole grains and potatoes—should be included. Animal foods contain arachidonic acid which has been proven to harm the frontal lobe.

Mrs. White writes: “A meat diet changes the disposition and strengthens the animalism. We are composed of what we eat, and eating much flesh will diminish intellectual activity. Students would accomplish much more in their studies if they never tasted meat. When the animal part of the human agent is strengthened by meat eating, the intellectual powers diminish proportionately.” Counsels on Diet and Foods, 389

Medical research has shown that the brain functions better when dietary calories and the amount of food consumed are restricted.

If your diet consists of things that are not good for the health of the body, particularly the frontal lobe of your brain, then how will that affect your ability to overcome a bad habit?

Hypnosis—does not allow you to overcome anything. A person cannot overcome any bad habit using hypnosis because it bypasses the frontal lobe and utilizes other areas of the brain, placing them under the control of someone or something else. People who are in a hypnotic-like state are not in control of their own willpower.

There are two things that are done in this world, including in the church, that make it impossible for us to overcome our bad habits: watching television and movies and listening to rock music. There is significant medical data to support that both of these activities produce a hypnotic-like state. It is not a state of complete hypnosis because you are able to communicate and participate, but your brain is overwhelmed by the images and sounds that you see and hear.

All these things make it impossible for you to overcome your bad habits. They violate certain physical and spiritual laws that God has put in place, and He cannot help you overcome your bad habits if you choose to keep them in your life.

However, if you choose to lay all these things aside and come to the Lord for the power He is waiting to give you to overcome your bad habits, He will do it. There is no other way for you to succeed.

Somebody might think that it simply takes too much effort to give up bad habits. But if you are looking to follow Jesus, longing to one day join the saints in heaven for eternity, then you cannot hold onto these worldly things. Listen to what Jesus says: “So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.” Luke 14:33

Friends, are there things in your life that hinder you from overcoming your bad habits? Are you willing to remove everything from your life that stands between you and God? It’s a sacrifice, I know, but it is the price of eternal life.

Claim His promise of power, cooperate, struggle, contend, and you can overcome all your bad habits by His grace and power.

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

A Man of Sorrows

by

“He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.”

Isaiah 53:3

What a picture of the relationship between our Saviour and His creation. Rejected by all, despised and mistreated, we did not even recognize the greatness of the One who stood before us. Isaiah pictures not only Jesus at His first coming and the way He was treated by the children of Israel, those on whom He had poured out His love, but also how mankind was to treat Him to this day.

He is a Man of great sorrow. He is also a Man of great love. The scriptures say that God is love, and the reason for His sorrow is because of His great love for us! “He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” 1 John 4:8. We may not have esteemed Him, but He esteemed us enough to endure the cross of Calvary. His grief came from the fact that He knew most of these dear people whom He loved would not love Him back. They would not recognize Him as the King of the universe, the Most Holy God, the Creator of all that exists. He was grieved by the knowledge that one day they would be burned up and destroyed forever, that even after His great sacrifice, most would not submit to His authority, choosing rather to die loving their sins. Oh, how this grieved our Saviour to the depths of His soul.

The Son of God—a term that we use, but do not understand, for we are but mere mortals with a limited understanding of the things of heaven. We will never fully understand God for He is so far above us that it will take an eternity to really know Him. Yet if we were to take the time to try to know our Lord, He would open the treasures of heaven to bestow on us knowledge for the saving of our souls. Jesus came “that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” John 10:10, last part. That life of abundance was not only a life on this earth, but the life of the new earth that would be recreated for us so that we would finally have a true abundant life. “Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.” 2 Peter 3:13. Our life of abundance is the richness of being combined with Jesus, or “yoked” with Him.

The Bible records two times that Jesus wept. Neither time was for Himself. The first time was for His dear friend Lazarus. He did not weep for him so much as for the sorrow of his sisters. He also wept because of the unbelief of those around Him. The death of Lazarus was designed to show all the power of God that dwelled within Him naturally. He knew the agony that Mary and Martha were feeling, and He could relate to them. As He looked around at His disciples, Jesus also saw their bewilderment at why He had tarried and not gone immediately to Lazarus’ side when He had heard of his sickness. He was a Man of sorrows because He was surrounded by unbelief.

The death of Lazarus was to show in a marked manner that Jesus was the Creator of all life. So, in John 11:35, it simply says, “Jesus wept.” All the sorrow that was felt by everyone around Him affected the Saviour. He was a Man of great sympathy. He went back with Mary and asked where they had laid Lazarus. No one, not Mary, nor Martha, nor His disciples, understood what Jesus was about to do when He ordered them to remove the stone that covered the tomb. He was about to relieve their sorrow. “Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come forth!’ ” Verse 43. Jesus understood their grief and their sorrow because He was a Man of sorrow and grief also. He can “sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.” Hebrews 4:15. He loved Lazarus as He loves all of us, but Jesus had a special relationship with Lazarus. He spent much time at his home when He needed solitude from the crowds. He was not worried about the death of Lazarus because He knew He had the power to raise him up at that time and again at the end of the world at the resurrection of all His faithful disciples.

The second time Jesus wept was when He was about to enter Jerusalem. Here were a people that He had carved out of the world. He had rescued them from Egypt. He had fed them in the wilderness. He had witnessed their apostasy repeatedly. He had born long with them and loved them. They were His chosen people. He had given them much instruction and had given them in Moses a type of Christ or saviour. He endured their treachery when they killed His prophets, and in love He rebuked them. Now as Jesus stood looking down at Jerusalem, the Holy Spirit impressed upon Him that most of His beloved children would reject Him. Some would even seek to kill Him. Again, He did not weep for Himself. He knew that He was about to be betrayed, rejected, mocked, and scourged, and eventually crucified on the cross. His thoughts were not on this as He looked at the people. His sorrow was because so many would be lost.

Jesus came to save the lost. “For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.” Matthew 18:11. He is the Great Shepherd who came to save His lost sheep. But as He looked at the great city of His people, He saw that they did not know His voice. They wanted a great king to deliver them from the yoke of the Roman Empire, but they were not willing to wear the yoke that joined them with Jesus. He lamented over Jerusalem for He knew He was about to lose most of them forever. “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!” Matthew 23:37

Even as they gathered on the street to welcome Him in His triumphant entrance, their expectations were for a conquering king, not a meek and lowly Saviour. The hardest thing Jesus endured was not the cross, but the rejection by those who said they loved and followed Him. Today, He is still sorrowing over all who will not hear His voice. If we as mortal beings can mourn and weep over the loss of a loved one, how much more understandable is it for the Creator to mourn and weep over the loss of billions for whom He sacrificed His life to make eternal life possible for them. Yet, just as the children of Israel of old esteemed Him not, we as His new children do not esteem Him as we should. We call on His name in our agony, in our sickness, in our distress, but then forget about Him in our joy and in our successes. Throughout this world’s history, so many people have forgotten about Him in their peace and happiness, but call upon His name when tragedy strikes.

He is a Man of sorrows because His people are no more faithful today than they were in the days of ancient Israel. Even the most devout Christian might be holding something back from God deep inside themselves. The Pharisees were devout and studious. They were the leaders of God’s professed people. They had an outward showing of piety and holiness, but Jesus called them whitewashed tombs. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness.” Matthew 23:27. They had the appearance of godliness, but lacked the power of a changed life. Are we “whitewashed tombs,” but inside have not given ourselves to Jesus? It is a question each of us must ask of ourselves. Are we causing Jesus to sorrow over us as He did over Jerusalem?

There is nothing exciting about Jesus to make a person want Him, except the words He speaks to our hearts. He has no beauty like a movie star; there is no glamour in His appearance. “He has no form or comeliness; and when we see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him.” Isaiah 53:2, last part. His power is in His character. We are told that we should have His character, which is His glory. We can partake of His glory if we esteem Him more than the things of this world. “When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.” Colossians 3:4. He will not win our hearts through His good looks as man judges. His character is His beauty, and if we do not possess the character of Jesus, then we will not have the right to His kingdom.

“To Moses, the character of God was revealed as His glory. In like manner, we behold the glory of Christ by beholding His character. Paul says: ‘We all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory [from character to character] even as by the Spirit of the Lord’ (2 Corinthians 3:18).” Manuscript Releases, Vol. 9, 296

“For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground.” Isaiah 53:2, first part. Jesus was vulnerable. His heart was soft. He loved much. He grew up in Nazareth, a pretty rough town, yet He loved and cared for all the people. He was not always treated nicely, yet never was there a spark of anger or hatred to be found in Him. He was a “tender plant” that God continued to water with His Spirit, just like He will do for us if we submit to Him. Jesus was the Root. Without a strong root, a plant cannot grow and survive. Jesus is the strong Root to which we can be grafted. Jesus said, “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.” John 15:1. He is the strong vine root that goes deep into the ground. He does not get His strength from mankind because He was planted in dry ground. There was no support for Him in this world. The ground around Him—the spirituality of the people on this earth—was as dry ground. His strength came from above just as our strength can come from Jesus, our example.

The good news is that Jesus did not let this deter Him. He did not let the world lead Him; He led the world by His example. He was smitten for our salvation. “Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.” Isaiah 53:4. Jesus bore our grief, our sorrows to the cross. The Father in heaven sacrificed His precious Son to be beaten, cursed, spit upon. He allowed Him to be afflicted by whips and a thorny crown. God allowed Him to be humiliated and, ultimately, to die for our sake. All this was allowed by the Father for our salvation. Sometimes people wonder why loved ones die or get sick or are lost in senseless killings. The Father in heaven can see the end from the beginning. He knows all things and what is right in all cases. On the other hand, we cannot understand how He allows things to happen for our salvation; any more than we can understand how He allowed His own Son to suffer.

If Jesus had turned from His mission, all would have been lost and Satan, the great deceiver would have won the battle. But Christ overcame the world and the devil, and cast down all arguments that could be made against the Father of righteousness. The reason Jesus became the Man of sorrows was because of His great love for us, and for our benefit to enable us to reach out and grasp salvation in His name. He said, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” Luke 9:23. Jesus bore the cross for our salvation so that we can bear our spiritual cross to follow Him. Self is one of the hardest sins to overcome, but with Jesus, He has offered us unlimited power to be successful.

The Song of Mary

by

Have you ever felt unimportant, put down, or unappreciated? Mary must have had some of those feelings. She was born in poverty. Her parents were of an unimportant background as far as the world was concerned. She was considered a peasant, and in her day and culture, the poor people were looked down upon because it was believed that God had made them that way. This belief was part of their religion.

Mary undoubtedly grew up rejected by society until the day an angel appeared to her with the news that she would have a child. Being a pure and upright woman, her dumbfounded response was, “ ‘How can this be, since I do not know a man?’ And the angel answered and said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.’ ” Luke 1:34, 35

How do you think it would feel, never having had relations with a man, to be told that you would become pregnant and that your child would be the One that you knew would be the Messiah? Physically speaking, Mary would feel no different than any other pregnant woman, but from a heart perspective, how do you suppose she felt?

We can know how Mary felt because she tells us in a song. Unimportant in the world’s eyes, she must have had tremendous gifts because she composed one of the most beautiful songs in the Bible, especially to those who feel unimportant, rejected, and unappreciated.

“And Mary said, ‘My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Saviour. For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; for behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed. For He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name. And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation.

“ ‘He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted the lowly.

“ ‘He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty. He has helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy. As He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed forever.’ ” Verses 46–55

Mary composed this song for all the humble and unappreciated of all the ages. She was given the most important job of any woman who has ever lived or will ever live in this world. She was to be the physical abode for Jesus until He was born into this world. And as He physically dwelled within her body, He desires to find a spiritual abode inside us.

Paul adds a final verse to Mary’s song in 1 Corinthians 6:19, 20.

“Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?

“For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

God desires to dwell in you, and whatever the world may think, that makes you important. Mary could rejoice because He who is mighty had done great things by her. Whatever the world had done or thought, no matter what her community or her peers thought of her, God had chosen her for this important task, and she praised God. But friends, God also has chosen you, to dwell within you, and if you will accept Him, then you can rejoice as Mary did.

Sadly, while God found a dwelling place within Mary’s body and her humble heart, He did not find a dwelling place within the rich in Jerusalem, within all the lives of the priests, or within the hearts of those who were mighty and proud. The song of Mary is a song for the humble, but it is also a song for the proud. In Mary’s day, you had to have money or position to be important. Church offices were obtained by quid pro quo, prevalent in the church in those days.

When Mary came to Bethlehem, ready to deliver her baby, there was no room for them in the inn. It was already filled with those who were believed to be of greater importance. But a place was found in a humble stable for Mary’s baby, the Saviour of the world, to be born.

Looking at our churches today, are they filled with so many programs, that when God has a plan or program for His church, there is no room left for it? Are our minds so filled with information that we do not hear when God speaks, and no room is found in our hearts for His truth?

It is only God’s program, His truth that will survive. Everything else will be put down, pulled down, and destroyed. Mary’s song tells us so. The Bible says, speaking of the end-time church and the people who will claim to be God’s people, they will believe that they are rich, increased with goods, and have need of nothing. But Jesus says, “I will vomit you out of My mouth.”

What is your condition today? Are you self-satisfied? Are you rich, in need of nothing?

Or are you poor, blessed, and heirs of God’s kingdom? Are you hungry for what God has to give you? Do you need to be filled with His grace? Only those who are hungry can be filled.

We must not envy the proud, but rather pity them, because though they think they are filled, the Bible says they are wretched and miserable, poor, blind, and naked. God can never find an abiding place with the proud of spirit, with the self-satisfied, or the self-conceited.

Today God wants to find an abiding place in your heart. Are you humble enough to receive Him? Are you humble enough to sing Mary’s song? Jesus tells us how we can have Him abiding in our hearts this very day, how we, too, can rejoice and glorify God.

“ ‘I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.’ …

“Then Jesus said to them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.

“ ‘For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.’ ” John 6:51, 53–56

Jesus abides in the hearts of those who eat His flesh and drink His blood. Both spiritually and carnally we become what we consume. If from day to day, our mind food consists solely of things of this world, then we are wholly of this world. If instead we fill our minds with the Scriptures, committing them to memory, meditating upon the messages contained there, with prayer and thanksgiving, then we will become holy, a fit dwelling place for God’s Spirit.

Eating the body of Jesus and drinking His blood, is symbolized by the communion service. On Jesus’ last day with His disciples, He established the communion service as He told them, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me. … This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.” Luke 22:19, 20. We partake of the bread and grape juice that symbolizes the acceptance of the word of God into our hearts and minds and the salvation purchased by His own beloved blood. Consuming His word and allowing the Holy Spirit to transform us once again into the image of God, we become the humble abode of His Spirit. We cannot be the abode of the Spirit if we are proud and worldly.

“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart—these, O God, You will not despise.” Psalm 51:17

“For thus says the High and Lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: I dwell in the high and lofty place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.” Isaiah 57:15

And thus, we can sing the song of Mary, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Saviour.”

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.

Commemorating the Birth of Christ

by

The question has been asked many times, “How should a Christian celebrate Christmas?”

Is it right to celebrate Christmas? Does Christmas fit into the life of the Christian?

We hear a lot at this time of year that Christmas is Christ’s birthday. We sing songs about it: The Birthday of the King, Away in a Manager, Silent Night, The First Noel. That’s why Christians celebrate the holiday, isn’t it? Christ was born on December 25. Or was He? There is nothing in the Bible that says when Jesus was born. In fact, God intentionally did not reveal that date to us.

God hid the burial place of Moses because He knew that the Jews would make it a shrine, and would worship there, and teach all their subsequent generations to worship there. You would find all kinds of paraphernalia representing miracles done by the wonderful healing power that would come through Moses. God did not want us to make a sacrilege of the day Christ was born any more than He did Moses’ burial place, so He hid them both.

There are some things we do know that might help us pinpoint when Christ was born or when He wasn’t. The seasons in Palestine are very similar to ours here in the United States. Summers are dry, windy, and hot during the five-month period from May through October, with temperatures ranging between 84 and the mid-90s. Winter occurs from December through March, December and January being the coldest months, characterized by severe cold and humidity, with temperatures ranging between 38 and 50 degrees given the time of day. It rarely snows, but does rain with an average rainfall of 27 inches. So the weather tells us that 2,000 years ago it was very unlikely that there were “shepherds abiding in the fields, keeping watch over their flocks by night” on December 25. [Source: 5 Things to Know About Winter in Palestine – (https://excellencenter.org/5-things-to-know-about-winter-in-palestine/); Summer & Winter in Palestine (https://traveltips.usatoday.com/summer-winter-palestine-104225.html)]

So, where does the Christmas celebration of Christ’s birth on December 25 come from? Christmas comes to us from paganism. In every sun-worshiping religion, in whatever country the religion exists, the people worship a sun god, be it Baal, Nimrod, Isis, or Tammuz, and near the winter solstice was the time that these sun gods are believed to have been born. Tammuz, for example, is said to have been born around the time of the winter solstice, December 21 or 22, the time of year when the sun sinks lowest in the sky, and the days grow shorter. Sun worshipers believe in some special magic that keeps the sun returning every day, otherwise it would sink below the horizon and disappear forever, leaving the world cold and lost in darkness. This led them to believe that their sun god was born on the shortest day of the year and that he gradually gained strength over the subsequent months.

Some will ask that if the winter solstice is December 21 through 22, then how did they come to worship their sun god on December 25? Satan creates a counterfeit for everything that is of God and all that He creates. Satan knew the prophecy of a coming Messiah, so I believe he counterfeited that event before it happened to cause people to disparage Christianity.

For instance, Tammuz was supposedly born by way of virgin birth. Ishtar was his mother and she, it was believed, conceived during the spring equinox (Ishtar/Easter). Nine months later, Tammuz was born. They use the term nativity of the sun god in the same way Christians use the nativity of Christ.

Many things of God’s creation have been drafted by Satan into pagan worship, most commonly, of course, the sun, moon, and stars. Jeremiah 10:2 says, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Do not learn the way of the Gentiles; do not be dismayed at the signs of the heavens, for the Gentiles are dismayed at them.’ ” This scripture seems to show that paganism and the worship of the things in the heavens (astrology) existed a long time before Christ was born.

What about the trees, decorated with bulbs and flashing lights, that we see everywhere at Christmas time? In northern Europe, the traditional evergreen was used, and that tradition was brought over to America. In other countries it might be a palm tree or an oak.

“For the customs of the peoples are futile; for one cuts a tree from the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the ax. They decorate it with silver and gold; they fasten it with nails and hammers so that it will not topple.” Verses 3, 4

Jeremiah tells us not to learn the way of the Gentiles, so why do Seventh-day Adventists have Christmas trees in their churches and homes, and why do they celebrate December 25? Is it possible, at this time of year, for us as Seventh-day Adventist Christians to recognize that Christ was born as a man to be the Saviour of the world?

Inspiration has quite a bit to say on the subject of Christmas. In The Review and Herald, December 9, 1884, Mrs. White wrote:

“Christmas is coming, May you all have wisdom to make it a precious season.”

Interesting. Didn’t Mrs. White know that Christmas was not Jesus’ birthday? How could she not know it is of pagan origin? Listen to the next statements.

“I entreat you, my brethren and sisters, to make this coming Christmas a blessing to yourselves and others.” Ibid.

How can something pagan be made a blessing? Let’s read a very clear statement proving that Mrs. White did know that December 25 was most certainly not the day of Christ’s birth.

“ ‘Christmas is coming,’ is the note that is sounded throughout our world from east to west and from north to south. … But what is Christmas, that it should demand so much attention? This day has been made much of for centuries. It is accepted by the unbelieving world, and by the Christian world generally, as the day on which Christ was born. …

“The twenty-fifth of December is supposed to be the day of the birth of Jesus Christ, and its observance has become customary and popular. But yet there is no certainty that we are keeping the veritable day of our Saviour’s birth. History gives us no certain assurance of this. The Bible does not give us the precise time.” Ibid.

This statement references back to what we stated above, that being how and why God hid the burial place of Moses and the actual date on which Christ was born, and it clearly shows that Mrs. White did know that December 25 was not the day of Christ’s birth. But associated statements also show that Mrs. White did not condemn certain ways of observing the Christmas season.

“God would be well pleased if on Christmas each church would have a Christmas tree on which shall be hung offerings, great and small, for these houses of worship. …There is no particular sin in selecting a fragrant evergreen, and placing it in our churches; but the sin lies in the motive which prompts to action, and the use which is made of the gifts placed upon the tree.” Ibid., December 11, 1879

“Let not the parents take the position that an evergreen placed in the church for the amusement of the Sabbath School scholars is a sin.” Ibid., December 9, 1884

The Bible has always been our foundation of faith, so the Spirit of Prophecy must be tested against the Bible. I have studied this subject from the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy, and I simply do not find that Mrs. White contradicts what the Bible says concerning the birth of Christ.

There are many people who are not willing to accept what the Bible says, and there are just as many more who want to go beyond what it says. As a student of the Bible, I want to challenge you, before going any further, to lay aside any preconceived ideas you may have on this subject, so that we will have a clear mind to see what God says we should or should not do.

In 1 Corinthians 8, Paul is not writing about Christmas, but he is writing about pagan customs. Let’s see what he has to say in verses 4–6:

“Therefore concerning the eating of things offered to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God but one. For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lords), yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live.”

The pagans would offer food to their idols before they would eat it, and after it was blessed by the idol, they believed that the idol had imparted special properties to the food. There were many Christians in Paul’s day who argued that because Paul ate things offered to idols, he was following pagan customs and therefore, was really pagan.

Paul is saying that you don’t need to ask whether the food has been offered to idols. He says to just eat the food because idols can have no effect on it. If you ask, and the food has been offered to idols, and you still eat the food, then you will become a stumbling block for those who believe in the power of their idols. If someone tells you that the food has been offered to idols, then do not eat it.

Interesting counsel, isn’t it? Paul is saying there is only one God, and the gods of paganism have no power over the food, before or afterward. So, can pagan custom desecrate food? No. But we must be sensitive to the beliefs of others.

Now, can paganism desecrate a day or a tree?

Again, Paul doesn’t write regarding Christmas, but we find in Romans 14:4–6 that he does write regarding holidays.

“Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand. One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it.”

Paul is not talking about the Sabbath, the day of God’s rest, the day that God esteems most. He was referring to man-made holidays, and of course, Jewish holidays that were no longer consecrated by God. While Paul still kept the Passover, he recognized that it no longer had religious significance. He said that Jesus had become our Passover (1 Corinthians 5:7). The Passover and the Day of Atonement, called sabbaths in the Jewish economy, were a shadow of things to come, and done away with at the cross.

Only God can make something holy. This He did when He instituted the Sabbath day at Creation, and does when a man or woman surrenders their will and life to Him. But man, try as he might, cannot make anything holy that God says is unholy, nor can he make something unholy that God has made holy. Man can use something unholy in a holy way or something holy in an unholy way, but that doesn’t change whether it is holy or unholy according to God.

So Paul is saying that the pagan worship and use of food, a tree or flower, or even a day, does not ruin these things for use in other ways. Why? Because as the Bible tells us, what God says is good, is good. Everything that God created was pronounced good, and the Sabbath day was blessed and sanctified by Him. Nothing man can do will change the fact that God made the seventh-day Sabbath His holy day.

Anything outside of God’s creation, anything that is not expressed in or supported by the Bible, is simply a perverted deception wrought by the devil, who seduces man to use what belongs to God in a distorted and evil way, causing him to break God’s commandments. And these unholy traditions and doctrines are handed down generation after generation in religions and churches all over the world, until the pure truth of God’s word has been all but obliterated. But is it always wrong to have traditions and customs of any kind? Matthew 15:3 says, “Why do you also transgress the commandments of God because of your tradition?”

What did Jesus say in this text is wrong with tradition? Man chooses his own traditions and devisings over God’s law. Tradition too often causes us to break God’s commandments. This is why we say so many traditions are bad—they go directly against God’s word.

Let’s look at an example of an acceptable tradition in driving. Here in the United States, we drive on the right-hand side of the road, but in other places around the world, people drive on the left-hand side. There’s nothing wrong with driving on the right side or the left side of the road.  You must drive on one side or the other. There are many other traditions, some may even be associated with pagan religion, that may not seem bad, but they become bad when they transgress God’s commandments.

The observance of December 25 as Christ’s birthday is clearly rooted in paganism. And what about keeping Sunday as the weekly day of worship? We can see that this, too, is rooted in paganism because the pagans, as sun worshipers, worshiped on Sunday. Over the centuries, as more and more pagan traditions and rituals were adopted into Christianity, the Christian day of worship was changed from the seventh day to the first day. Let’s be clear, God has ever only had one day that He Himself blessed and sanctified as His holy Sabbath. God, who does not change, has never changed—nor has He given man the authority to change—the seventh-day Sabbath to any other day. Yet, man changed the day of worship, on his own assumed authority, to Sunday because, he said, Christ rose from the grave on that day.

It is interesting that many Christians today strongly speak out regarding the pagan origins of December 25 as the birthday of Christ, which comes only once a year, and yet each week they worship on Sunday, the day of the sun in pagan worship, directly contrary to the seventh-day Sabbath of the Bible. You see, the Bible says nothing about Christmas, but it says a lot about sun worship, Sunday worship, and Sabbath worship.

It is important that we are careful in our interpretation of the Scriptures. Our pre-conceived ideas can lead us to incorrectly interpret or even manipulate Bible verses to say what we want them to say or support what we believe, whether it is truth or not.

We must be extremely careful with the way we use Scripture. We must never say, “If I look hard enough, maybe I can find texts that will prove what I believe.” We are to follow the teachings of the Bible as revealed to our submissive minds, not believe something and attempt to use the Bible to prove it. Because the amazing thing is, often if you manipulate the context just so, it can cause people to think that a particular text justifies an erroneous idea.

This has occurred in regard to worshiping on the first day of the week. With a couple of New Testament scriptures taken out of context, you have the basis for the centuries-long support that changed the Sabbath day from the seventh day to the first. We must be careful to follow everything that God says, and be even more careful not to mix in our own human ideas.

As I have studied the subject of Christmas, I have found that Ellen White has the most biblical approach to it. “If Christmas is kept at all, it should be kept in a way that will be in harmony with its significance. Christ should be remembered, His name honored; the old, old story of His love should be recounted. Instead of saying by our actions that we are putting Christ out of our minds and hearts, we should testify to men, to angels, and to God, that we remember our Redeemer, by following His example of self-sacrifice for others’ good.” The Review and Herald, December 9, 1890

More and more these days, the people of the world, including Christians, feel little or no need to think about Jesus or about those who live around them. Our own thoughts should ever be on Him and His marvelous work on our behalf, and then we should take every opportunity to turn the thoughts of others to Him.

The world says that in its observance of Christmas, it is celebrating the birth of Christ, but in the celebration, we see little of the true reason for this season. The world needs to be shown Christ. They need to be encouraged to think about and believe in Him. He must be uplifted in our own thoughts so that we can uplift Him to those around us.

Sadly, the world invokes the name of Jesus, but the Christmas season is celebrated by man for man. We make lists. We talk about what we want. We enjoy the bright lights and beautifully decorated trees. On Christmas morning, the morning supposedly on which Christ was born, instead of offering to Him the gift of our life, we are anxiously opening the beautifully wrapped presents we have given and received.

Our thoughts are not on the Sacrifice that was made to save us from eternal death, or on the pain and humiliation He suffered on our behalf, nor on the great love that compelled Him to come. There are few thoughts for those who are hungry, homeless, sick, and alone, both physically and spiritually. This day instead has become one of gluttony and a waste of God’s money for frivolous worldly things to give to each other.

As God’s people, we must think of others above ourselves. Christmas, pagan though it may be, is the one time in all the year that hearts are most open to receive the truth of Jesus’ birth and life, and ultimately His death, resurrection, and the current work He is doing on our behalf in the heavenly sanctuary. If we would make Christmas a blessing, then we need to know how to do it and prepare to do it.

“There is no divine sanctity resting upon the twenty-fifth of December; and it is not pleasing to God that anything that concerns the salvation of man through the infinite sacrifice made for them, should be so sadly perverted from its professed design. Christ should be the supreme object … .” Ibid., December 9, 1884

It was God’s design for man to worship Christ especially on the Sabbath, but to also give thanks and praise to Him every day. Designating December 25 as the day Christ was born is man’s doing. We must stridently endeavor to make it a time to honor and glorify what heaven has done for us and not taint it with selfishness.

“Christ should be the supreme object; but as Christmas has been observed, the glory has turned from Him to mortal man, whose sinful, defective character made it necessary for Him to come to our world.” Ibid.

“Let those who desire a Christmas tree make its boughs fruitful gifts for the needy, and offerings for the treasury of God.” Ibid., December 26, 1882.

Do you see in this quote anything about gifts for ourselves? Our gifts should be for those living in poverty all around us or sent to help missionaries spread the good news of salvation.

“There is no particular sin in selecting a fragrant evergreen, and placing it in our churches; but the sin lies in the motive which prompts to action, and the use which is made of the gifts placed upon the tree.” Ibid, December 11, 1879

Are we thinking of self, or are we thinking of others? 

“The tree may be as tall and its branches as wide as shall best suit the occasion; but let its boughs be laden with the golden and silver fruit of your beneficence, and present this to Him as your Christmas gift. Let your donations be sanctified by prayer.” The Adventist Home, 482

 “While urging upon all the duty of first bringing their gifts to God, I would not wholly condemn the practice of making Christmas and New Year’s gifts to our friends. It is right to bestow upon one another tokens of love and remembrance if we do not in this forget God, our best friend. We should make our gifts such as would prove a real benefit to the receiver.” The Review and Herald, December 26, 1882

We should not waste a single cent on something needless or frivolous. But after making God first in our giving, in our plans and affections, because we are to love Him with all our heart, then we can give gifts that are practical and useful, something that will bring us closer to God and to each other. We need the ties of love and affection with both our family at home and our church family.

To make the Christmas season, even Christmas day, a blessing, we should remember that we have a responsibility to share with the world the gospel, the blessed news of a Messiah, who left heaven and came to this world, born as a man, so that all of mankind, sinful as we are, could be saved. It is our duty under God to remember the poor and God’s work all around the world, and to be willing to sacrifice for them. For this reason Jesus came as a babe and this is what should fill our hearts at this time of the year.

Some people will say that they are tired of giving so much to God’s work. They’ve heard appeal after appeal and have given a lot. Why should they do more?

Well, here is a question for these individuals: If you are tired of giving to God, are you also tired of receiving from Him? We hear a lot of “I’m tired of giving,” but I don’t recall ever hearing anyone say they are tired of God giving them so much—a roof over their head, food on the table, a job, wealth, family, friends, safety—and that they just wish He’d quit giving them things.

Are you tired of receiving from God? By the death of Christ, God gives us life and health and eternal life. If we gain the whole world and lose our own soul, what will it profit us? And God, in His mercy and love for us, calls for our means that we may take our eyes and desire from where we are and place them on where we are going.

This year, this Christmas, let us give God the best gift we can give Him. We can and should give Him our money and time, but what He really wants is our hearts. He loves us and ransomed us, and as we give Him our earthly temporal life, He in turn gives us His eternal one.

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.

Testimony – Something Lost, Then Returned

by

All my life I have been surrounded by music. My mother had a beautiful soprano voice and sang every Sabbath at church in one capacity or another. My brother sang and although I haven’t heard him sing for a long time, what I remember was a voice with a soft, mellow depth.

I inherited my voice and never really had to work at singing. It seemed that I just opened my mouth and the sound came out, strong and clear. Like my mother, I was a soprano and started singing up front in church when I was about nine years old. I have sung in groups, choirs, and as a soloist for almost my whole life.

At one point, near the end of my school years in academy, I considered auditioning to sing with The Heritage Singers. But later, at another point, I auditioned, not with The Heritage Singers, but with a worldly agent in hopes of succeeding in the music industry. Music was an incredibly large part of my life and I had people everywhere I went who commented on and complimented me regarding my voice. I don’t believe that I became a “diva,” but I will confess that it became more and more difficult not to want to pursue fame and fortune in the music industry in the midst of all this praise.

But one day I developed a cough. It got worse and I went to the doctor to see what it could be. He made his diagnosis and prescribed some medicine that stopped the cough and for several years things went well.

And then the cough returned only worse, much worse. My first doctor had retired, so I went to my new doctor and asked for an increased dose of my medicine. He doubted the original diagnosis and ran a battery of tests and procedures. It was something else, something that had done its work in silence and without detection, something bad that left my lungs permanently damaged.

To make a very long story short, during the process of making the new diagnosis, a surgical procedure paralyzed my left vocal cord; and that ended my singing, at least at the time. For three months I could barely talk above a whisper or if I did, the sound sometimes came out like the honk of a goose or a high-pitched, silly sound.

My mother prayed for me, and she got all her friends to pray for me, and one morning, three months later, my voice was back; not a whispery or silly-sounding voice, just me. However, I could no longer sing the really high notes I had reached before, nor did I have the breath to “raise the roof off the church” as described by one pastor from many years ago.

I don’t think I sing well or sound very good anymore, but I made a covenant with God. Singing was a talent He had given to me and He had, for a short time, taken away, likely to save my life, more spiritually than physically. I committed to use what He had given back to me in His service, singing when needed or asked, if He would make whatever came out of my mouth to bring glory to Him and not to me. I asked Him to send angels to sing with me so that it would always be a blessing to those who heard. I continue to faithfully fulfill that commitment, because He faithfully provides the angels.

“Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass.” Psalm 37:4, 5

What Would Jesus Do?

by

I have heard a multitude of times these days the question, “What would Jesus do?” Sometimes the question is asked with earnest interest and desire to follow in His footsteps. Other times it is asked with sarcasm. It is true that in Christianity today there are many people who claim to know what Jesus would do, but don’t themselves do what they claim.

All around the world people are shouting acceptance and tolerance, but I’m not sure we understand what true acceptance and tolerance really are. As sinners, we want to do the things we want to do and not be chastised or condemned for it. We want to be accepted as we are. We want others to tolerate our feelings and behavior. This is not exclusive to those outside of Christianity. Christians are just as guilty. And when you listen to the cries of the world, it is a tragic truth that those who expect tolerance are least willing to be tolerant; and those who expect to be accepted are the least willing to extend acceptance.

Many times, “What would Jesus do?” is used to belittle those who stand true to what the Bible says, making them seem as though they are being intolerant, unloving—not like Jesus. If a person steps up and calls an action or behavior sin, then he or she is often considered a hater, a racist, a phobic. This has been my experience. But it is also true that many Christians misinterpret or really don’t know what Jesus would do, and thus they use it in a harmful and hurtful way to condemn and force people to change.

I would like to be clear. True Christians are like Christ. That’s what the name means. Their lives have been surrendered to the moving of the Holy Spirit, a transformation has occurred, and they are no longer the selfish, sinful humans they used to be. Their characters are now Christlike. It is Jesus and His love they present to the world. But sadly, too many Christians only wear a coat of Christianity, something they can wear or take off at their own leisure. The life has not been surrendered and the Holy Spirit has not been allowed to make the needed change in the heart that transforms a character into Christlikeness.

So, let’s look closer at the answer to this very important question, “What would Jesus do?”

It seems that the answer really would be very simple. If we want to know what Jesus would do today, we just need to look at what He did do while here on earth.

First, I want to suggest some spiritual definitions of acceptance and tolerance.

I believe that true acceptance is loving the sinner, but hating the sin. While there is no text in the Bible that specifically states these words, there are texts that lay out the principle. Jude 1:22, 23 is one such example. “And on some have compassion, making a distinction; but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.” We can and should, with prayerful compassion and respect, compelled by the love of Christ Jesus, encourage a brother or sister living in sin to turn away from that sin. Knowing that sin ultimately leads to eternal death, how can we say that we truly love our brother or sister if we let them continue in sin without a word?

I would define spiritual tolerance as grace, mercy.

“Mercy implies the imperfection of the object upon which it is bestowed. Because of man’s imperfection, mercy was brought into active existence. Sin is not the object of God’s love, but of His hatred. Yet He pities the sinner, because the guilty one bears the Creator’s image and has received from Him the capabilities that make it possible for him to become a son of God, not through his own merits, but through the imputed merits of Jesus Christ, through the great sacrifice the Saviour has made in his behalf. …

“… We are all dependent on one another. … Every human being on earth is subject to temptation. And all are in need of human influence and sympathy. …

“God’s love and mercy are ever extended toward sinners. Shall men who themselves have sinned against God, refuse to forgive and accept a repentant sinner? … God loved us while we were yet sinners. … ‘As ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise’ (Luke 6:31). … Only those who walk with Christ can be truly merciful.” That I May Know Him, 46

Sadly, most people in the world want all the benefits of a Saviour without having to give up their own will. Everyone wants acceptance without the expectation of change. They expect others to tolerate them as they remain convinced that how they choose to live is not sin. There is a plethora of excuses, justifications and just plain “I can’t help being the way I am” being flung around today. But is any of that true? Because the Bible says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13. That includes the choices we make and the sins we must overcome.

When we study the life of Christ, we see an example completely lacking in excuses or justification. Jesus simply said, “I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.” John 5:30. And again in John 6:38, “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.”

Jesus offered acceptance to all who came to Him for help. How does He expect us to accept our fellow man? He said to “love your neighbor as yourself.” Matthew 22:39. “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34, 35. Jesus is very clear that we are to love others more than ourselves, and if every person, Christian or not, followed this guidance, acceptance and tolerance would not be an issue.

Inspiration tells us that we are under the “most solemn obligation to present the word of God, without fear or favor. He [We] must call sin by its right name.” In fact, Inspiration continues much more compellingly and says, “The greatest want of the world is the want of men—men who will not be bought or sold; men who in their inmost souls are true and honest; men who do not fear to call sin by its right name; men whose conscience is as true to duty as the needle to the pole; men who will stand for the right though the heavens fall.” Sons and Daughters of God, 214

We must have the same love for our fellow man as Jesus has for them. Our characters must be like Christ’s, else we will not have the humility and love needed to accept others as those for whom Jesus died, nor can we help sinners recognize their sinfulness and desperate need of a Saviour. We must first recognize our own sins and need of a Saviour or else it will be impossible for us to show the true acceptance and tolerance that is generated by the love of God.

People with a worldly heart, including those who claim to be Christian, too often use the Scriptures like a baseball bat, beating others over the head regarding the actions that are called sin. The Bible says that sin is transgression of the law. The law says that idolatry, the unsanctified use of God’s name, not keeping the Sabbath holy, disrespecting parents, murder, adultery, lying, stealing, and coveting are sins. The Bible is also specific in many places, listing other actions not listed by name in the law.

“Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals [effeminate KJV], nor sodomites [abusers of themselves KJV], nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners [blackmailers] will inherit the kingdom of God.” 1 Corinthians 6:9, last part, 10. Other texts condemn foolish talk and course jesting (Ephesians 5:4).

Do I ever find myself condemning others for the sins they willfully and openly commit, while glossing over or excusing my own? Do I claim to be a Christian yet shout at the top of my lungs that the Bible says, “Thou shalt not,” all the while I am?

The world has two definitions of acceptance.

One is represented this way: “I’m going to tell you what your sins are and you have to change.”

The other changes direction: “This is the way I am and you just need to accept me. Who are you to tell me how to live my life? Besides, for all your talk about changing and being like Jesus, I don’t see you giving up your sin.”

When we have handled the business of surrendering our lives to the Holy Spirit and have repented from our sins, then our lives are changed to be like Jesus, and we will be able to offer the kind of acceptance that allows people to see Jesus instead of us. We must remember that our work is to share the gospel with the world. It is the Holy Spirit’s work to change lives.

Christ offered acceptance and tolerance to all with whom He came in contact while He lived here on earth as a man. Let’s look at a few examples.

Judas was not a “called” disciple, although he was not a rejected one. He came and insinuated himself into the disciples, but Jesus did not turn him away (Manuscript Releases, Vol. 20, 105). Judas was selfish, prideful, covetous, greedy, and dishonest. He was a thief and a betrayer. His whole purpose in joining the disciples was to work his way into a high and powerful position in the new kingdom that he assumed Jesus would establish when He overthrew the Romans and freed Israel from their control, restoring them to their rightful place as His chosen nation.

But the person Jesus saw and loved was a sinner who needed a Saviour, and He would be that Saviour, if Judas would accept His offer. Jesus extended grace and mercy to Judas for as long as it took him to make his final choice.

“Jesus knew that Judas was defective in character, but notwithstanding this, He accepted him as one of the disciples, and gave him the same opportunities and privileges that He gave to the others whom He had chosen. Judas was left without excuse in the evil course he afterward pursued. Judas might have become a doer of the word, as were eventually Peter and James and John and the other disciples. Jesus gave precious lessons of instruction, so that those who were associated with Him might have been converted, and have no need of clinging to the defects that marred their characters.” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 46, 47

At the last supper, Jesus openly exposed to Judas his character. With love and sorrow, Jesus pled with the heart of Judas to repent. Sadly, we know that he did not.

In 1 Samuel 13, the Bible tells us that God had turned His back on Saul as king of Israel and sought another man, one who was “after His own heart.” That man was David. How was David a man after God’s heart? He trusted in God and obeyed Him. David had an amazing life, one that began as a young shepherd; then he became a mighty warrior—the slayer of a lion and a bear, and a giant—until ultimately, he became the king of Israel. But David failed God. He followed his own desires and stole another man’s wife and then murdered him to keep his affair a secret. But it became very public, and the consequences of his actions brought a heavy toll. He lost four of his own sons and the evil influence of his sins provided a justification among the children of Israel for their sins—a justification that we find is still used today.

But God loved David. He extended to him grace. In His mercy, God sent the prophet Nathan to rebuke David (2 Samuel 12) and when he recognized how terrible were his sins and, perhaps more so, the consequences of them, David repented and again became a man after God’s own heart (Conflict and Courage, 180). He pleaded, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by Your generous Spirit.” Psalm 51:10–12

Jesus accepted Mary with love and sympathy for the sinner she was, but granted to her grace and mercy until, after seven times casting out her demons, she repented of her sins. Her life was changed and she was able to obey His injunction to “Go, and sin no more.” He saw Mary for what she was, but He also saw what she could become if she were to accept His love and the offer of grace and salvation He extended to her.

“When to human eyes her case appeared hopeless, Christ saw in Mary capabilities for good. He saw the better traits of her character. The plan of redemption has invested humanity with great possibilities, and in Mary these possibilities were to be realized. Through His grace she became a partaker of the divine nature. The one who had fallen and whose mind had been a habitation of demons, was brought very near to the Saviour in fellowship and ministry.

“It was Mary who sat at His feet and learned of Him. It was Mary who poured upon His head the precious anointing oil, and bathed His feet with her tears. Mary stood beside the cross, and followed Him to the sepulcher. Mary was first at the tomb after His resurrection. It was Mary who first proclaimed a risen Saviour.” Testimonies on Sexual Behavior, Adultery, and Divorce, 254

Peter was strong-willed, confident, and arrogant. He knew that he was a sinner, but he trusted in himself and was confident that he could overcome anything. He was determined that he could follow Jesus. Jesus loved Peter and He said to him, “ ‘Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.’ ” Luke 22:31, 32

“It is not wise to boast. Peter fell because he did not know his own frailty. …” This Day With God, 260. Peter was confident that he would be willing to go with Christ, no matter where He had to go, even if it meant death. He said, “Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death.” Luke 22:33

But that isn’t what happened, is it? When put to the test, Peter repeatedly denied his Lord. And looking upon His face, filled with loving pity and mercy, Peter at last saw himself for what he was: a sinner who needed grace.

“Peter followed his Lord after his betrayal. He was anxious to see what would be done with Jesus. And when he was accused of being one of his disciples, he denied it. He was afraid for his life, and when charged with being one of them, he declared that he knew not the man. The disciples were noted for the purity of their words, and Peter, to deceive, and convince them that he was not one of Christ’s disciples, denied it the third time with cursing and swearing. Jesus, who was some distance from Peter, turned a sorrowful, reproving gaze upon him. Then he remembered the words which Jesus had spoken to him in the upper chamber, and also his zealous assertion, Though all men shall be offended because of Thee, yet will I never be offended. He denied his Lord, even with cursing and swearing; but that look of Jesus melted Peter at once, and saved him. He bitterly wept and repented of his great sin, and was converted, and then was prepared to strengthen his brethren.” Spiritual Gifts, Vol. 1, 49, 50

Friends, acceptance is loving someone because God loves them, full stop. And tolerance is loving while you wait for them to see just who they are and extending a helping heart and hand. It is being so filled with Jesus that when people look at you and interact with you, all they will see and hear is Him.

What did Jesus do? He didn’t hate me because I am a sinner and struggling to come to Him to receive His mercy and grace so that I can obey Him. Jesus loved me before I was ever born. He has loved me every minute of my life and nothing I can do will make Him stop loving me. He says so through Paul in Romans 8:31–39. He lived a life on this earth so that I would know how to live and then could one day be with Him forever. He died on the cross to pay the debt I couldn’t pay. He rose from the grave so that He could return to heaven and intercede with the Father on my behalf even when I am determined to live my own way, following my own desires. And He speaks to my heart, offering me acceptance and tolerance—grace and mercy—so that I can clearly see just how much I need Him.

Jesus accepts me where I am, but the beautiful thing is that He doesn’t leave me there. “The Bible does not teach that man must repent before he comes to Christ.” The Signs of the Times, March 18, 1903. But if I seek forgiveness and surrender my will to His, He will transform me to be like Him. What did Jesus do? He loved me when I didn’t love Him. He waited for me when I was far away from Him.

“[B]eing confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.” Philippians 1:6

“Christ does not leave us in our weakness and inefficiency, but, gathering us in the arms of His mercy, binds us to His great heart of infinite love.” The Watchman, October 16, 1906

What will Jesus do? He will make me just like Him so He can use me to tell others how He saved me from my sins and is waiting to save them from theirs.

“Jesus knows the circumstances of every soul. You may say, I am sinful, very sinful. You may be, but the worse you are, the more you need Jesus. He turns no weeping, contrite one away. He does not tell to any all that He might reveal, but He bids every trembling soul take courage. Freely will He pardon all who come to Him for forgiveness and restoration.” Testimonies on Sexual Behavior, Adultery, and Divorce, 254, 255

“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. He counts the number of the stars; He calls them all by name. Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite. The Lord lifts up the humble … . The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him, in those who hope in His mercy.” Psalm 147:3–6, first part, 11

The Bible is not a bat, it is the revelation of God’s love and mercy for mankind. Scripture tells us that a life of sin is a life lost. But God accepts the sinner, and through His grace and mercy, transforms the life lost into a life saved, if we will surrender to Him. Filled with His love and compassion, this is the message we are meant to take to the world.

[Emphasis supplied.]

Judy Rebarchek is a member of the LandMarks team. She may be contacted by email at: judyrebarchek@stepstolife.org

Who Is My Brother?

by

Nearly 6,000 years ago, a man asked the question, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” Of course, we know that Cain was answering God’s question with a question, meant to evade answering. But that single question still bears considerable consideration in this world of sin.

Do I have a responsibility for my neighbor? My family? Even strangers? The world tells us that we should just look out for number one because nobody else is going to look out for you. And, in a world of sin, the world is right. Selfish to our deepest parts, without the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, it is impossible for us to love or care for anyone above ourselves.

But Christ came to this world and lived a life of love, compassion, and service. He took to Himself anyone who was willing to surrender to His love. It didn’t matter what color they were, where they were born, who their ancestors were, or what language they spoke. It didn’t matter what they did for work, what religion they espoused, nor how sinful their lives might have been.

Christ came to save mankind, meaning the entire human race—every man, woman, and child. And the life He lived is an example to us, as Christians, those who strive to be Christlike, to assume mankind as our brother.

Then Christ went one step further and died to guarantee that anyone who would accept Him as their Saviour—would turn from their sins and surrender their hearts and lives to Him—might become just like Him.

Who is my brother? All for whom Christ died, and that doesn’t leave out anyone, for any reason.

Love and compassion for our fellow human beings is expressed in many ways. The Bible tells us to defend the weak, fatherless, and widow (Psalms 82:3; 149:9). We are to come to the aid of those in need and poverty; to protect those in danger of persecution, violence, and suffering (Matthew 25:35–40). We are to love the stranger, because we were once strangers in a land of sin (Deuteronomy 10:19). It tells us that even our enemy is our brother (Matthew 5:43–48).

We cannot help our brother if we do not show him Jesus Christ. This world is sick to death with sin and Jesus is the only cure. Whatever we do to help others, must ultimately lead them to Him.

Our brother is everyone who has an ear to hear, who needs to know that there is a Saviour waiting for them to come to Him. By God’s grace, it is our privilege to tell and show them what He has already done for us. We are to love and respect all for whom Jesus gave His life. We are to sacrifice ourselves for them.

One day all of God’s children will stand on the sea of glass. There will be no “You will live in that part of the holy city because …” or ”I will be living over here because …” All will be united in love to God and each other. Nothing else will matter.

Be Healed

by

“Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. For she said, ‘If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.’

“Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction. And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, ‘Who touched My clothes?’

“But His disciples said to Him, ‘You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, “Who touched Me?” ’

“And He looked around to see her who had done this thing. But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. And He said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.’ ”

Mark 5:25–34

I love this story. Here is a woman who has struggled for years with a medical condition that she is unable to overcome. She has seen doctor after doctor and none of them have been able to help her. She has spent every last dime in an effort to learn of a diagnosis and treatment. But now, the disease is advancing, and she is exhausted, discouraged, and alone. Then she hears of Jesus, who has healed the sick, made the blind to see, the deaf to hear, and the crippled to walk. Is it possible that He could help her as well? She has tried everything else. She has put her faith in men who have continually failed her. Now she feels that this Master Healer is her last chance and she chooses to seek Him out.

She leaves her home determined to meet with Him, but as she nears the road where He will pass by, she finds a large multitude of people. How will she reach Him? As the crowd advances down the road, she can just see Him in its midst. She attempts to push her way through. Afraid that He will pass by before she can speak to Him, she decides that if she can just touch His garment, that surely she will be healed. She is so near now, and with a Herculean effort, she reaches through the jostling crowd and in earnest faith, barely touches the bottom of His robe. Instantly, she experiences a revitalizing of her body and at the same time she hears, “Who touched Me?”

Before we continue with this story, let’s make a comparison. For years this woman has suffered with a condition over which, alone, she has no control. She is unable to cure herself, nor is she able to stop the progression of the disease. She has sought help from every direction, but has not found it.

Now let’s think of ourselves in terms of sin—a condition over which, alone, we have no control. We are unable to cure ourselves of it nor can we change our selfish nature, which is the reason we sin. We have tried and tried, but have failed. Like this woman, there remains only one solution.

The root cause of her illness had to be cured so that the issue of blood could be stopped. Our nature must be changed so that our compulsion to sin can be opposed. All the medical knowledge and all the money in the world were unable to heal this woman. Nothing this world can offer, not even our own supreme effort, can change our nature.

This is a story about faith. The kind of faith that when we realize this world can do nothing for us, we have but to reach out and touch the One with the power to save.

“Remember that in every time of trouble Jesus is near you, seeking to impress His image upon you. He is trying to help you to carry the cross. He is close beside you, seeking to lead you to see how sorry He is that you make mistakes. He is always ready to clasp the hand stretched out for aid.” The Review and Herald, June 20, 1907

But now let’s look at the best part of this story. This isn’t fully explained in the Bible, but the Spirit of Prophecy records this story in more detail.

“Jesus knew all about her desire, and her faith in Him, and as He was on His way to heal the ruler’s daughter, He passed by the place where this poor woman was, going out of His way that she might have a chance to act out her faith.” Ibid., March 1, 1892

Jesus prepared the opportunity for this woman to seek Him and to find Him. When you read the story in the Bible, it seems like Jesus just happened to be passing that way and she took the opportunity to go and chance a meeting. But our loving, omnipotent God arranged to meet this woman, so that when she exercised her faith in His ability to heal her, she would be healed.

“Then Jesus turned, and said, ‘Who touched me?’ His disciples were astonished that He should ask such a question, and Peter spoke up in surprise, saying, ‘Master, the multitude throng Thee and press Thee, and sayest Thou, Who touched Me?’ And Jesus said, ‘Somebody hath touched Me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of Me. And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before Him, she declared unto Him before all the people for what cause she had touched Him, and how she was healed immediately.’ She told Him the whole story; and did Jesus rebuke her? Did He turn coldly from her?—No, He comforted her. He said, ‘Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace.’ ” Ibid.

“The touch of living faith brings virtue from Christ to the soul; but without this faith we are like the multitude that thronged the Saviour and yet felt nothing of His saving power, because they did not bring themselves in close connection with Christ.

“We must realize our need of Christ, believe in His power to supply our wants, and then come unto Him. Our love is to be quickened by the love He has given us.” The Signs of the Times, June 8, 1891

Jesus is seeking to heal us from the spiritual disease of sin. He goes out of His way to offer opportunity for us to come to Him. Jesus is always there, waiting. No matter how long we spend looking to the world for the healing it cannot provide or relying on our own efforts and works, Jesus is still there waiting for us to realize that this world is, as Solomon described it, vanity.

“Vanity of vanities, all is vanity. What profit has a man from all his labor in which he toils under the sun? … The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.

“And I set my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under heaven; … I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and indeed, all is vanity and grasping for the wind. What is crooked cannot be made straight, and what is lacking cannot be numbered. …

“ ‘I have attained greatness, and have gained more wisdom than all who were before me in Jerusalem. My heart has understood great wisdom and knowledge.’ And I set my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is grasping for the wind. For in much wisdom is much grief, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow. …

“So I became great … . Also my wisdom remained with me. Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, for my heart rejoiced in all my labor; and this was my reward from all my labor.

“Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done and on the labor in which I had toiled; and indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind.” Ecclesiastes 1:2, last part, 3, 8, last part, 13, first part, 14–18; 2:9–11

“Christ met one poor soul who had spent all her living in order that she might be cured of a physical malady. … But one touch of Christ by faith took away the infirmity of long years. …

“Christ desired to give a lesson that all present would never forget. He would show the difference between the touch of living faith and a casual touch. …

“Why do we not come to Jesus in faith? Many give Him a casual touch, coming in contact only with His person. The woman did more than this. She put forth her hand in faith and was healed instantly.” Christ Triumphant, 239

“So in spiritual things does the casual contact differ from the touch of faith. To believe in Christ merely as the Saviour of the world can never bring healing to the soul. The faith that is unto salvation is not a mere assent to the truth of the gospel. True faith is that which receives Christ as a personal Saviour.

“Many hold faith as an opinion. Saving faith is a transaction, by which those who receive Christ join themselves in covenant relation with God. A living faith means an increase of vigor, a confiding trust, by which, through the grace of Christ, the soul becomes a conquering power.” The Ministry of Healing, 62

Are you tired, sick of sin and the continued affect it has had on your soul? Have you turned to the Master Healer with outstretched hand, in faith knowing that He will help you? Simply believing isn’t enough. As we struggle with our selfish, sinful nature and the effect of the sins we have cultivated throughout our lives, we should not focus on the despair and ruin they have wrought, but instead turn our eyes to Jesus. It is only by embracing Him as our personal Saviour that we can ever hope to acquire the strength sufficient, by His grace, to overcome sin in our lives.

“ ‘If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.’ ” John 14:23

“While we trust in Christ’s saving power, all the arts and wiles of the fallen host can do nothing to harm us. … Let us believe that God means just what He says.

“There is a possibility of the believer in Christ obtaining an experience that will be wholly sufficient to place him in right relation to God. Every promise that is in God’s book holds out to us the encouragement that we may be partakers of the divine nature. This is the possibility—to rely upon God, to believe His word, to work His works; and this we can do when we lay hold of the divinity of Christ.

“This possibility is worth more to us than all the riches in the world. There is nothing on earth that can compare with it. As we lay hold of the power thus placed within our reach, we receive a hope so strong that we can rely wholly upon God’s promises; and laying hold of the possibilities there are in Christ, we become the sons and daughters of God.” In Heavenly Places, 32

“[T]he Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which is lost.” Luke 19:10. Claim this promise. He is seeking to save each of us.

[Emphasis supplied.]

Judy Rebarchek is a member of the LandMarks team. She may be contacted by email at: judyrebarchek@stepstolife.org