Daily Living

Immovable

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“But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”

1 Corinthians 15:57, 58

It’s a wonderful thing in this time when every wind of doctrine is blowing, to have things settled in our experience with God, to be settled in our minds regarding our relationship to the church, which is the body of Christ, to be so settled regarding our own hope for the future that it cannot be shaken.

Everything that can be shaken will be shaken (Hebrews 12:27). That means that only those things that cannot be shaken will remain. The time of shaking is coming and God intends that you and I, like Jesus, will be steadfast and immovable. Satan tried everything in his arsenal to turn Jesus from His purpose to give His life as a sacrifice for the sins of men. He tried fear, flattery, bribery, uncertainty, but Jesus was committed—steadfast and immovable—to carrying out His Father’s will.

Jesus had gathered His disciples to Him in the upper room to partake of the Passover supper. He instituted the sacrament that was to commemorate His death, and then told them that He was soon to leave them but they were to carry on His work.

“Simon Peter said to Him, ‘Lord, where are You going?’ Jesus answered him, ‘Where I am going you cannot follow Me now, but you shall follow Me afterward.’ Peter said to Him, ‘Lord, why can I not follow You now? I will lay down my life for Your sake.’ Jesus answered him, ‘Will you lay down your life for My sake? Most assuredly, I say to you, the rooster shall not crow till you have denied Me three times.’ ” John 13:36–38

Did Peter mean it? Yes, he did, but unfortunately he did not know himself in the way Jesus knew Him.

“And the Lord said, ‘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.’ But he said to Him, ‘Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death.’ Then He said, ‘I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me.’ ” Luke 22:31–34

Satan had been and still was trying to turn the disciples against Jesus. But our mighty and loving Jesus had prayed for them, especially Peter. However, Peter still had great confidence in himself that he would not allow Satan to overcome him. He still did not realize that what he needed most was a broken and contrite heart. He needed to be converted. So, with some not-so-humble boasting, Peter thanked Jesus for His prayers, but he didn’t need them. He was settled, ready to follow Jesus no matter where it led him. Prison? Death? He was prepared to follow Him even there. Peter believed every word that he spoke. He wanted to be ready, but Peter didn’t know himself. Jesus had prayed for Peter, but He also warned him that he needed to pray for himself because he would soon meet the most significant test of his life and fail unless he put his faith in God to uphold him.

“Then Jesus said to them, ‘All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written: “I will smite the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.” But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee.’ Peter answered and said to Him, ‘Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble.’ ” Matthew 26:31–33

Peter makes an incredibly sweeping statement: I will follow you anywhere, even to death. I will never be offended. No one will be more faithful to You than me. Was he sincere? Yes, he was. But, “Jesus said to him, ‘Assuredly, I say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.’ Peter said to Him, ‘Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!’ And so said all the disciples.” Verses 34, 35

Is it possible for a person to believe he is steadfast in purpose, but in reality he is not settled or immovable at all? Is it possible to believe that everything is beyond question, no chance of regression or failure, and yet, to find in one’s own heart and life the elements for failure? Sadly, as exhibited by Peter and all but one of the other disciples, it is possible.

Am I Immovable?

The study of being immovable requires that we first engage in self-examination.

How does a person prepare for the shaking? Many have been tested and failed, so how would you prepare for the test or tests that so many before you have failed?

Soldiers are prepared to face the terrors of battle by months of training, drills, and preliminary testing. Exercises that include crawling on their bellies through barbed wire barriers, all while machine guns spray bullets over their heads. They run many miles with a loaded backpack—sometimes as heavy as 70 pounds—to build their stamina and strength. Days, even weeks, of survival training prepares them to live off the land and how to evade the enemy. Each soldier is pushed almost beyond their physical and mental endurance so that they can be certain they will not fail on the battlefield when their own life, as well as the lives of their unit mates, is on the line.

In much the same way, God is seeking to prepare us for the time when everything that can be shaken will be shaken. In His mercy and love, He allows testing and trial, but always provides aid.

“Trials and obstacles are the Lord’s chosen methods of discipline and His appointed conditions of success.” The Ministry of Healing, 471

Discipline and disciple come from the same root word. A disciple should then expect discipline, training, trials, and obstacles as the Lord’s chosen methods of preparing him for success.

“In His mercy and faithfulness, God often permits those in whom we place confidence to fail us, in order that we may learn the folly of trusting in man and making flesh our arm.” Ibid., 486

Our friends, our family—at home and at church—may fail us. Jesus met this test in the garden of Gethsemane. He met it when Peter fulfilled His prophecy and vehemently denied Him three times before the rooster crowed. He met it at the cross where only one disciple knelt unafraid and unashamed to publicly call Him his Lord. He met it again and again, when moving from one court to another, facing the hatred of the Jewish leaders and people. He met these tests and trials so that He could be an example to us, when everyone else fails us, when we ourselves fail. Mistakes are not always bad. They are but one way in which we can learn what is right.

There are many dear people who are troubled because of the mistakes, failures, and outright sins of people in the church; when Satan, the accuser of the brethren, accuses them before God he doesn’t have to make up a lot of lies. Satan finds plenty to do to keep busy just reciting our faults, failures, and mistakes. But Jesus can help us to have an experience in faith that is in no way dependent upon what others do.

Joseph was true to God even though his brothers sold him as a slave. For ten years as a servant and then for three years in prison he was true to God, and a few years later he had the privilege of saving his family, including the brothers who were ready to kill him. What a wonderful experience of immovability. This is the experience God wants all of us to have. The grace of God held Joseph steadfast and made sure that his life and experiences were included in the Scriptures to help us learn patience and to be comforted with the knowledge that we have our hope in Jesus.

“Jesus stands by our side, and shall we falter?—No, as the trials come, the power of God will come with them.” My Life Today, 94. With the trials He permits, God sends along His power so that we are able to meet our trials with confidence and overcome them. Each trial we overcome, the more immovable we become.

Movable Angels

One third of the angels apostatized and were cast out of heaven with their chosen leader. But for those angels who remained faithful to the Father and Son, there is something that keeps them from any instability.

“The angels ascribe honor and glory to Christ, for even they are not secure except by looking to the sufferings of the Son of God.” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, Vol. 5, 1132

What keeps the angels in heaven secure? Looking to the sufferings of the Son of God. It is through the efficacy of the cross that the angels of heaven are guarded from apostasy. Without the cross they would be no more secure against evil than were the angels deceived by Lucifer.

Angelic perfection failed in heaven. Human perfection failed in Eden. All who wish for security in earth or heaven must look to the Lamb of God. Friends, even angels must look to the cross to be secure and immovable. How can we believe that we can become immovable by our own effort?

In Revelation 5, God is seated upon His throne with a sealed book (scroll) in His right hand. A mighty angel proclaimed, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals? And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it. So I [John] wept much, because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll, or to look at it.

“But one of the elders said to me, ‘Do not weep, Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.’ And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne … stood a Lamb, as though it had been slain … .” Verses 2–6, first part

Who is that Lamb? Jesus. He takes the book and opens the purposes of God to the universe.

Here is the Lamb. He takes the book, and three songs are sung. First, the four living creatures and the 24 elders fall on their knees before the Lamb, singing a new song:

“You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth.” Verses 9, 10

Next, angels around the throne joined the living creatures and the 24 elders, and the men and women redeemed from this world—Enoch, Moses, Elijah, and the multitude of others who were resurrected with Jesus and who accompanied Him when He ascended to heaven—ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands—all sang together:

“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing.” Verse 12

Just imagine it! All of heaven trembles with the sound of praise to the Lamb and to the Father. The song praising the power that was able to secure them so there was no danger of their failing. The love of the Godhead and Jesus’ death on Calvary created the fountain of blood by which we all are saved.

Then John sees the final response.

“And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying, ‘Blessing, and honor and glory and power be to Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever.’ ” Verse 13

The keeping power for the entire universe, from the highest seraph in heaven to the smallest child in this world, is in Jesus the Lamb of God, dying for us, risen for us, ascended for us, pleading for us, and coming soon for us to reunite the family of earth with the family of heaven.

Friends, be steadfast and immovable, knowing that the keeping power is in the Christ who died for us and who lives to triumph and conquer. Do not look for power in your problem. Look away from your problem to find the solution, Jesus Christ. We will never, never in this life or in the future life have security in any other save the Lamb who died for us and freely offers His keeping power to us.

Pastor W. D. Frazee was a Seventh-day Adventist evangelist, minister, and author. In 1942, he began a faith ministry that would become the foundation for establishing the Wildwood Medical Missionary Institute, now Wildwood Lifestyle Center and Hospital. In 1996, he was laid to rest, awaiting the return of the Lord.

Will Your Anchor Hold?

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“This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil.”
Hebrews 6:19

An anchor keeps a ship secured in place, so that it does not drift listlessly around the ocean or too close to the rocks. It also keeps a ship where it is supposed to be in the harbor; otherwise it would drift into the other ships also taking refuge there because of a storm or high wind. As the ship’s anchor keeps it safe and secure, so will the Anchor of our souls keep us secured safely within His arms.

People are drifting today and it is interesting that when people drift they most often drift away and not towards. Husbands drift from wives. Children drift from parents. Christians drift from truth.

God doesn’t want us to be drifters.

Jesus said, “False christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders [working miracles] to deceive, if possible, even the elect.” Matthew 24:24

For 6,000 years, mankind has faced the deceptions of Satan. But the Bible tells us that a time is coming—and the signs all around us indicate that it is very near—when Satan’s deceptions will be so strong that, if possible, even some of God’s chosen people might be deceived. However, if God’s chosen and elect people will “live the life of Christ in this world” (To Be Like Jesus, 217), then they will not be deceived because they have a secure anchor. And sadly, so many people living in the world today do not.

For a ship’s anchor to be effective, it must be secured on the sea floor. Some anchors are made with a pointed end so that they will dig deeply and securely into the sand of the sea floor when dropped. However, Paul says our anchor is not secured here on earth. No, our anchor is secured in God’s heavenly tabernacle. And we can be assured that having our anchor secured there, no matter how turbulent and strong the storms of life may be, we will never be blown away or drift off course.

Every wind of doctrine.

“The days are fast approaching when there will be great perplexity and confusion. Satan, clothed in angel robes, will deceive, if possible, the very elect. … Every wind of doctrine will be blowing. …

“The time is not far distant when the test will come to every soul. The mark of the beast will be urged upon us. Those who have step by step yielded to worldly demands and conformed to worldly customs will not find it a hard matter to yield to the powers that be, rather than subject themselves to derision, insult, threatened imprisonment, and death. The contest is between the commandments of God and the commandments of men. In this time, the gold will be separated from the dross in the church. True godliness will be clearly distinguished from the appearance and tinsel of it. Many a star that we have admired for its brilliancy will then go out in darkness. Chaff like a cloud will be borne away on the wind, even from places where we see only floors of rich wheat. All who assume the ornaments of the sanctuary, but are not clothed with Christ’s righteousness, will appear in the shame of their own nakedness. …

“Satan will sorely harass the faithful; but, in the name of Jesus, they will come off more than conquerors. Then will the church of Christ appear ‘fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners.’ ” Testimonies, Vol. 5, 80, 81

In the fall of 1979, I was a faculty member at Southwestern Union College in Keene, Texas (renamed Southwestern Adventist University in 1996). I vividly remember the shocking announcement made during a faculty meeting that one of our leading theologians had suggested at a public forum that 1844 was not as significant as we had previously thought. This was an attack on the foundation of the Adventist message, and leading Adventist theologians worldwide agreed with him.

What began as an attack on the doctrine of investigative judgment soon resulted in multiple attacks against William Miller and Ellen White’s prophetic ministry. In the 1980s, she was accused of plagiarism, followed by attempts to reinterpret prophecy. These attacks on the truths of God’s word have never stopped, and I expect they never will as long as we are in this world.

There is always a present truth.

God revealed the truth to the pioneers in the Second Advent Movement. That truth will endure even the most severe, detailed, and rigid investigation of the Greek and Hebrew languages in the prophetic scriptures. In 1979, when the significance of the investigative judgment of 1844 was questioned, the laity did not recognize it as an attack against the foundation of present truth, although it was.

Present truth is found at every advance in this world’s history. For Noah, it was the coming flood, and if the people wanted to be saved, they had to get on the ark or drown. For John the Baptist, it was the coming of the Messiah. For Martin Luther, it was justification by faith. The present truth today is that the investigative judgment is now in process.

It makes no sense.

Have you ever felt that God has asked you to do something that, to your mind, made no sense? The Bible gives us just such an example.

“When He [Jesus] had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, ‘Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.’ But Simon answered and said to Him, ‘Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.’ ” Luke 5:4, 5

Nighttime, when the fish couldn’t see the nets in the dark, was the best time to fish. This is how Peter made his living, so he knew that what Jesus was suggesting made no sense; and the skepticism in Peter’s voice when he answered the Lord showed that. However, as outspoken as Peter could be, and was at that moment, he nevertheless ignored his pride and did, by faith, as he was told. We must cultivate humbleness of heart so that we can turn away from our own pride. We are not to argue with Jesus, but obey Him with humility and love.

There is so much pride in this world. Even the Christian will follow the Lord and the prophet, until it doesn’t make sense to him, and then he won’t do it. From a fisherman’s perspective it was absolute nonsense, and totally irrational. The other fishermen would laugh him off the beach, but Peter was humble enough to obey. Can you imagine what was going through his mind? Perhaps the same thing that goes through your mind when what God asks or allows doesn’t make sense to you.

But Peter let down his net.

“And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.” Verses 6, 7

Peter’s boat and that of his partner weren’t little row boats or canoes. Their boats had been built for fishing and were capable of holding thousands of pounds of fish. Peter used casting-nets typically made of flax and linen—very strong. But the Bible says that Peter’s net was breaking with the weight of the fish, so he called to his partner for help. It also says that, once the fish were transferred from the net to the boats, both his and his partner’s boats were sinking from the weight and volume of the fish. Miracles happen when we agree to work with God.

God speaks to people in a way that they understand. He used parables to convey principles of right to those who heard Him speak. Peter understood fishing. In this miracle, more than any other, Peter could see and understand without any doubt that this Man was in control of everything.

“When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, ‘Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!’ ” But Jesus said to Peter, “Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men.” Verses 8, 10, last part

Peter immediately left his fishing boat. He understood that he no longer needed to worry about making a living because Jesus would provide for him. He gave up everything—boats, nets, and income—and he became an evangelist for Jesus. He was anchored with the right Person. Trusting in Jesus, he knew that he and his family would be taken care of.

There was a man.

Nathaniel Faulkhead lived in Australia and  served as the treasurer of the Seventh-day Adventist Echo Publishing House and was a leading worker in Australia. Ellen White traveled to Australia in 1891. During the voyage, God gave her a vision concerning the work there. In this vision, she was given explicit instructions concerning this man. When she was done writing—50 pages worth—she put it in an envelope to mail. But before she could mail it a voice said to her, “Don’t mail it yet, not yet, not yet, they will not receive your testimony,” So she kept it. She arrived in Australia, and time went on.

Mr. Faulkhead was not only a leader in the Seventh-day Adventist church but he was also a member of the Free Masons and very high up in the organization. Free Masons, Jesuits, Opus Dei, and many other organizations are secret societies, some of which are associated with the Roman Catholic Church. Mr. Faulkhead had reached the point where he was much more interested in the Free Masons than in the Adventist church and his job at the publishing house. Other Adventists became concerned and questioned his involvement with the secret society, but he was convinced that he was doing the right thing.

One day, almost a year after Mrs. White’s vision concerning this man, a fellow Adventist asked Mr. Faulkhead that if God gave Mrs. White a message for him concerning his membership with the Free Masons, would he accept it? No one knew that God had, in fact, already given Mrs. White just such a vision. The fellow Adventist had spoken hypothetically. Mr. Faulkhead replied that it would have to be a very strong message.

Just a few days later, Mr. Faulkhead dreamed that God had given Mrs. White a message for him. He arranged to meet with Mrs. White and asked if she had a message for him. She replied that she did, and that she’d had it for about a year. She explained that she had intended to mail it then, but that the Spirit of the Lord wouldn’t allow her to mail it. Mrs. White suggested that they arrange another meeting to discuss God’s message for him, but Mr. Faulkhead wanted to know the message immediately.

They sat down together. She retrieved the manuscript and began to read the particular points that the Lord had given her regarding the dangers of Free Masonry. She told Mr. Faulkhead that if he continued on this path, he would lose his soul. He was astonished.

She told him that people at the lodge addressed him as the Most Worshipful Master. At church, he gave little, but at the Masonic lodge, he gave much. He could not deny her words. Then Mrs. White waved her hand in a certain way, and Mr. Faulkhead turned pale. He placed his hand on her shoulder and asked if she knew what she had just done. She had, he said, given him the secret sign of the Knight’s Templar, another secret society organization. Only a member of the Knight’s Templar would know that sign. Mrs. White waved her hand again in a different sign. This was a sign known only to those in the highest positions within the Free Mason organization. Mrs. White stated that the angel of the Lord had shown her the signs. What was so impressive about the message was that God had spoken in a way he could understand. The next day at work, he told his fellow workers that the Lord had spoken to him through Mrs. White. Then, he went to the Masonic lodge and resigned.

God spoke to Peter in a way that a fisherman could understand, to Nebuchadnezzar in a way that an idolater could understand, and to a Free Mason in a way that he could understand. God speaks to all of us in a way that we can understand if we are willing to listen.

We must find our anchor for ourselves.

“Those who seek to remove the old landmarks are not holding fast; they are not remembering how they have received and heard. Those who try to bring in theories that would remove the pillars of our faith concerning the sanctuary or concerning the personality of God or of Christ, are working as blind men. They are seeking to bring in uncertainties and to set the people of God adrift without an anchor.” Manuscript Release No. 760: The Integrity of the Sanctuary Truth, 9

“If we are the Lord’s appointed messengers, we shall not spring up with new ideas and theories to contradict the message that God has given through His servants since 1844. …

“Our work is to bring forth the strong reasons of our faith, our past and present position, because there are men who, never established in the truth, will bring in fallacies which would tear away the anchorage of our faith. Even presidents of conferences will fear to move, as some have done, dictating and commanding and forbidding. …

“There will be many converted from among the Jews, … The day of the Lord will come suddenly, unexpectedly, and men are asleep.” Ibid., 14

“God never contradicts Himself. Scripture proofs are misapplied if forced to testify to that which is not true. Another and still another will arise and bring in supposedly great light, and make their assertions.

“But we stand by the old landmarks.” Ibid., 19

“Never was there a time when the enemy worked with such subtlety as at the present, and we need to realize that we are now to be fully prepared to meet whatever may come in the way of apostasy. The word of God declares that some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils. …

“Satan will use his best plans to lead souls to bring in some new theories, some strange, fanciful ideas.” Ibid., 20, 21

“The truths given us after the passing of the time in 1844 are just as certain and unchangeable as when the Lord gave them to us in answer to our urgent prayers. The visions that the Lord has given me are so remarkable that we know that what we have accepted is the truth. This was demonstrated by the Holy Spirit. Light, precious light from God, established the main points of our faith as we hold them today. And these truths are to be kept before the mind. We must arouse from the position of lukewarmness, from being neither cold nor hot. We need increased faith and more earnest trust in God. We must not be satisfied to remain where we are. We must advance step by step, from light to greater light. …

“As the points of our faith were thus established, our feet were placed upon a solid foundation. We accepted the truth point by point under the demonstration of the Holy Spirit. I would be taken off in vision and explanations would be given me. I was given illustrations of heavenly things and of the sanctuary, so that we were placed where light was shining on us in clear, distinct rays.

“All these truths are immortalized in my writings. The Lord never denies His word. Men may get up scheme after scheme, and the enemy will seek to seduce souls from the truth, but all who believe that the Lord has spoken through Sister White, and has given her a message, will be safe from the many delusions that will come in in these last days.” Ibid., 22, 23

We must be anchored in the truth, or when every wind of doctrine blows, we will be blown away. Do you know what you believe and who you believe in? Our faith is not in Paul or John, Isaiah or Daniel, or even Ellen White. Our faith must be in the One who gave them their messages.

Become more and more anchored every day. Then you will stand steadfast when the winds blow.

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

Managing Our Emotions

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When creating humanity, God imbued us with His likeness, enriching us with emotions such as love, joy, happiness, and peace. Yet, with the dawn of sin, additional emotions—guilt, anger, disappointment, fear, and insecurity—emerged, emotions that were never part of God’s original design. Often, life’s circumstances can pull these emotions to the forefront, nudging us away from our spiritual path. It is crucial, then, that we learn to effectively manage and harness our emotions.

As followers of God’s teachings, we should be guided by principles of humility, discipline, and obedience. As we fully surrender our hearts, souls, and minds to Him, we allow His will to lead our emotions, enabling us to think and act as He does, thereby reflecting His character.

This mindset is vital to spiritual growth. The essence of this journey involves constant prayer and striving to mirror God’s character. By aligning our emotions and actions with His will, we prepare ourselves for the promised everlasting life.

God designed us to feel deeply. The Lord Himself felt pain, suffering, love, and compassion, demonstrating that emotions are integral to our humanity. However, our challenge is to ensure that these emotions do not govern us. Misguided beliefs that God is not in control can lead to fear and anger. Our feelings should lead us to self-reflection and align our hearts with divine truth. Identifying the root of our emotions and addressing them with biblical principles can lead us to live a life that glorifies God.

James underscores this in his epistle, urging us to listen carefully, speak thoughtfully, and practice patience. We are encouraged to embrace the wisdom of God’s word, which has the power to save our souls. Allowing God’s word to be deeply embedded within us is essential, preparing us for life’s challenges and ensuring that our reactions and choices reflect divine wisdom rather than impulsive emotions. When faced with trials, we must ask, “What is God’s guidance in this situation?” rather than letting emotions dictate our responses.

Romans 6 tells us that when we surrender to Jesus, we shed our old selves and embrace a life aligned with Christ. We are reminded not to revert to past behaviors but to stride forward in faith and maturity.

Ephesians 5 advises us to conduct ourselves wisely, making the most of our time and staying filled with the Spirit. Our actions should resonate like a melody to God—prompting us to meditate on how our reactions honor Him.

The Bible teaches us that if we claim to stand in Christ, our actions should reflect this commitment. Our emotions, though powerful, should be brought before God, allowing Him to guide our actions and sometimes prompting us to forgive or seek forgiveness.

Bringing our emotions to God is exemplified in the Psalms, expressing them openly while seeking His truth and righteousness. Allowing God to direct our emotional responses helps us mature in faith, embodying the virtues of holiness and righteousness.

Furthermore, God wants us to support each other, as highlighted in Galatians 6. Bearing one another’s burdens exemplifies Christ’s law of love. Judgment and reproach should be replaced with empathy and support, allowing the Holy Spirit to work through us.

Finally, self-reflection, as advised in Galatians, ensures that we seek God’s guidance instead of selfish desires. We are urged to bear our own responsibilities and, through diligence and determination, God will provide help in our struggles.

Ultimately, living according to the gospel requires discipline. The gospel offers blessings to those committed to its principles. We are also taught in Galatians to share what we learn, spreading its goodness, and thus enriching both teacher and learner alike.

“Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” Galatians 6:7–9. This text reminds us of the paramount responsibility we have toward our fellow believers. As members of the church, our primary obligation is to nurture one another’s faith. Often, we focus on preaching the gospel and sharing the three angels’ messages, yet we must first embody these principles ourselves. It is a grave error to neglect this personal transformation, as the Lord evaluates our service potential based on our personal adherence to His teachings.

“Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.” Verse 10. This text highlights the importance of mutual support among believers. Fellow Christians can offer comfort, encouragement, and a fresh perspective during times of discouragement. Instead of judgment, we should extend compassion and assistance, helping each other overcome personal challenges. It is akin to teaching someone to fish rather than just providing a fish for a meal. Our goal should be to cultivate independence, enabling individuals to stand on their own and seek personal salvation.

“Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” Galatians 5:19–21. We must meditate on these texts, which will help us understand the importance of allowing God to manage our emotions. Without His guidance, we risk exacerbating problems rather than providing assistance and creating joy.

“Every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men.” Matthew 12:31. This passage emphasizes the significance of controlling our words and thoughts. Every idle word is accountable on the day of judgment. Therefore, it is critical to ensure our emotions are governed by God. Prayer and meditation on God’s attributes are vital for transforming our minds and emotions through the Holy Spirit, which fosters self-control.

Christian fellowship is an essential aspect of spiritual growth. By supporting each other in faith, we collectively mature in emotional and spiritual matters. “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother.” Matthew 18:15. This counsel promotes direct communication rather than seeking pity or validation elsewhere. The Holy Spirit guides effective communication when we approach each other with humility and a desire to reconcile.

Addressing conflicts should be done with a spirit of meekness.

“As you go to the one you suppose to be in fault, see that you speak in a meek and lowly spirit, for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. The erring can in no other way be restored than in the spirit of meekness and gentleness and tender love. Be careful in your manner of speaking. Avoid everything in look or gesture, word or tone of voice, that savors of pride or self-sufficiency. Guard yourself against word or look that would exalt yourself or set your goodness and righteousness in contrast to their failings. Beware of the most distant approach to disdain, overbearing, or contempt. With care, avoid every appearance of anger, and though you use plainness of speech, yet let there be no reproach, no railing accusation, no token of warmth, but that of earnest love.

“Above all, let there be no shadow of hate or ill will, no bitterness or soreness of expression. Nothing but kindness and gentleness can flow from a heart of love. Yet all these precious fruits need not hinder your speaking in the most serious, solemn manner, as though angels were directing their eyes upon you, and you acting in reference to the coming judgment.

“Bear in mind that the success of reproof depends greatly upon the spirit in which it was given. Do not neglect earnest prayer that you may possess a lowly mind, and that angels of God may work upon the hearts before you, which you are trying to reach, and so soften them by heavenly impressions that your efforts may avail. If any good is accomplished take no credit yourself. God alone should be exalted. God alone hath done it all.” This Day With God, 105

Avoiding prideful attitudes and allowing God to direct every situation is essential. We should focus on reflecting God’s kindness, gentleness, and love, striving for sincere reconciliation rather than defensiveness or argumentation.

We frequently choose the easier, wider roads while God calls us to navigate the narrow path. This requires prayer and discernment to ensure our actions align with divine principles. As instructed, we must avoid bitterness or “soreness of expression,” promoting instead earnest love and kindness.

“Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is called ‘Today,’ lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.” Hebrews 3:12, 13. We are called to guide, encourage, and uplift each other, approaching every situation with a heart to fulfill God’s will.

As we engage with others, it is crucial to maintain a lowly mind, esteeming others better than ourselves (Philippians 2:3), and allowing God’s angels to influence hearts, acknowledging that any good achieved is entirely His doing. We must pray, meditate, and engage with others humbly, allowing the Holy Spirit to guide our interactions.

Friends, we must ask ourselves: Am I ready to manage my emotions according to God’s principles? Am I open to being controlled by the Holy Spirit, allowing God, rather than my emotions, to lead me? Let us strive to align our emotional management with God’s guidance.

Pastor Domingo Nuñez is the Director of Outreach Ministry at Steps to Life Ministries. He may be reached by email at historic@stepstolife.org, or by telephone at 316-788-5559.

Manifestation of God’s Love

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Love is a sentiment, a feeling, an emotion; rarely, and only under divine influence, is it a deep and abiding condition of a repentant heart. Man, in his sinful condition, cannot create true love in his heart, and he is too selfish to sacrifice himself and his wants and desires for someone else, even those he believes he loves. But the love of God is much more and of an entirely different nature than the world’s love. It is a principle established in the heart and manifested in action.

Do I really understand love?

God first manifested His love toward us in the works of creation. Both holy and beautiful, God pronounced His creative work as “very good.” (See Genesis 1 and 2.)

“Every flower, every shrub, every tree, answered the purpose of its Creator. Everything upon which the eye rested was lovely and filled the mind with thoughts of the love of God. Every sound was music in harmony with the voice of God.” Testimonies, Vol. 6, 358

However, we now live in a fallen world where we have but a faint conception of the beauty and glory of Eden. Yet even today, in the natural world, unmistakable signs and sounds display the love of God. The Bible says that the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord (Psalm 33:5). It still reveals the master Artist’s skill and holy passion for the things He creates and declares that God is omnipotent, great in goodness and mercy.

When we look at green fields or lofty mountains, sunshine and clouds, dew sparkling on the grass and on the leaves of the trees in the early morning rays of the sun, the moon and the glory of the starry heavens at night, or hear the robin sing at the first signs of spring, it is clear that they all testify of God’s great forbearance and love toward us. Love paints the sunset, crafts the delicate rose, and sends the gentle rain and soft breezes; all poured out upon an unthankful and rebellious world.

For thousands of years, Satan has attempted to counteract the tide of divine love flowing to the human family, tempting man to sin, and thus separating him from God. But his efforts failed, for in redemption, God revealed His love for the human race in sacrifice, a sacrifice so broad, so deep, so high that it is immeasurable. God’s mercy and deep love were manifested in a way never seen before.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

“When Adam’s sin plunged the race into hopeless misery, God might have cut Himself loose from fallen beings. He might have treated them as sinners deserve to be treated. He might have commanded the angels of heaven to pour out upon our world the vials of His wrath. He might have removed this dark blot from His universe. But He did not do this. Instead of banishing them from His presence, He came still nearer to the fallen race. He gave His Son to become bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh. …

“The gift of God to man is beyond all computation. Nothing was withheld. God would not permit it to be said that He could have done more or revealed to humanity a greater measure of love. In the gift of Christ He gave all heaven.

“Those who have professed to love Christ, have not comprehended the relation which exists between them and God, and it is still but dimly outlined to their understanding. They but vaguely comprehend the amazing grace of God in giving His only-begotten Son for the salvation of the world.

“In order to secure man to Himself and ensure his eternal salvation, Christ left the royal courts of heaven and came to this earth, endured the agonies of sin and shame in man’s stead, and died to make him free.” God’s Amazing Grace, 176

“Christ by His human relationship to men drew them close to God. He clothed His divine nature with the garb of humanity, and demonstrated before the heavenly universe, before the unfallen worlds, how much God loves the children of men.” Ibid., 53

The One who was with the Father before the worlds were created submitted to humiliation that He might uplift humanity. Prophecy draws back the veil that we may behold the throne of heaven and see, upon that throne high and lifted up, the One who came to this world in human form to suffer, lacerated with stripes and bruised for our iniquities. “The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.” Isaiah 53:5, last part

The heavenly universe watched as the Lord of glory—that sin might be pardoned and sinners redeemed—suffered in human form. He died so that the love of God might flow to every human being. It is true that in yielding to sin, the human race was under Satan’s control and helpless captives, but God sent His Son into the world to break the devil’s power and set the will of man free.

“To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed.” Luke 4:18

“Is this not the fast that I have chosen: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every yoke?” Isaiah 58:6

By pouring out heaven’s treasury in this one gift and giving me all heaven, God has purchased my will, affections, mind, and body, and is true of every human being in the world. If we place ourselves under God’s control, our wills will become steadfast in doing what is right, and our hearts will no longer be selfish but changed, filled with Christlike love.

When the mind yields to the authority of the law, “bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,” (2 Corinthians 10:5, last part), men and women—once unrighteous and servants of sin—will then be consecrated to the service of God and man. This redemption is effective only because God withheld not even Himself.

“Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ … God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to use the word of reconciliation.” 2 Corinthians 5:18, 19

Just as the father and mother of a sick child share in their child’s suffering, so our heavenly Father suffered all the humiliation and agony of Jesus, His beloved Son. He came to save mankind, to pay the penalty for the world’s sins, bearing them in the sinner’s stead. He was rejected, mocked, beaten, slandered, stripped, humiliated, and finally, hung on a cross—a symbol of torture and death, raised between heaven and earth, a representation of the tie that can never be broken except by our own choice. Our human heart understands a parent’s love for their child, and what a mother or father will do or suffer for their beloved one. But we can never comprehend the depths of God’s self-sacrifice.

Abraham and Isaac

Of all humanity, Abraham came closest to a true understanding of God’s love and sacrifice.

We all know the story. God told Abraham he would be the father of a great nation devoted to God. He promised Abraham he would have a son and that through his son Isaac, that nation would be numbered as the sands of the sea and the stars of heaven (Genesis 22:17). But best of all, it would be through this promised son that God’s own Son would come as the Messiah to save His people from their sins (Matthew 1:21).

When Isaac was a young man, God directed Abraham to take him to “the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” Genesis 22:2

“The command was expressed in words that must have wrung with anguish that father’s heart: ‘Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, … and offer him there for a burnt offering.’ ” Patriarchs and Prophets, 148

Abraham did not, at that moment, nor for the following three days, understand why God would promise him a son and then command such an incomprehensible action—sacrificing children was a heathen practice. But with faith like Job, Abraham did all that God had asked.

“At the appointed place they built the altar and laid the wood upon it. Then, with trembling voice, Abraham unfolded to his son the divine message. It was with terror and amazement that Isaac learned his fate, but he offered no resistance. He could have escaped his doom, had he chosen to do so; the grief-stricken old man, exhausted with the struggle of those three terrible days, could not have opposed the will of the vigorous youth. But Isaac had been trained from childhood to ready, trusting obedience, and as the purpose of God was opened before him, he yielded a willing submission. He was a sharer in Abraham’s faith, and he felt that he was honored in being called to give his life as an offering to God. He tenderly seeks to lighten the father’s grief, and encourages his nerveless hands to bind the cords that confine him to the altar.

“And now the last words of love are spoken, the last tears are shed, the last embrace is given. The father lifts the knife to slay his son … .” Ibid., 152

The moment had come, but an angel of God stopped him: “Abraham … Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” Genesis 22:11, 12

It is essential to understand that God did not create mankind and then over time fall in love with him. God created mankind because He wanted children to love, children who would return that love. This love, God’s never-ending, all-encompassing love, is the reason He sent Jesus, withholding nothing, to be a sacrifice to save humanity.

Abraham’s love for God enabled him to obey. To the human mind, God had made a monstrous request, but Abraham trusted that He would keep His promise regarding his son. His love and trust were so strong that he obeyed, knowing that God would provide, however the outcome. This love does not happen in a moment. It is cultivated as we daily exercise our faith in God’s promises and love.

And what about Isaac? Once he knew what God had asked his father to do, though fear filled his heart, his love and trust, cultivated throughout his young life, allowed him, without argument or struggle, to obey God and put himself on that altar of stone, considering it an honor “to give his life as an offering to God.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 152

The plan of salvation didn’t stop with Christ’s life as an example for us to follow, nor with His death to pay sin’s price. God appointed Jesus as our Advocate, standing before His altar, clothed with our nature, as Intercessor on our behalf. Christ has pledged Himself to be our substitute and our surety of salvation. His work is to introduce His children to the Father as His sons and daughters, and He neglects no one.

“There is an inexhaustible fund of perfect obedience accruing from His obedience. In heaven, His merits, His self-denial, and self-sacrifice, are treasured as incense to be offered up with the prayers of His people. As the sinner’s sincere, humble prayers ascend to the throne of God, Christ mingles with them the merits of His own life of perfect obedience. Our prayers are made fragrant by this incense. Christ has pledged Himself to intercede in our behalf, and the Father always hears the Son.” Sons and Daughters of God, 22

Christ took on human nature and lived a life of humiliation so that He might elevate man’s moral worth with the Father. He carried His adopted nature to the throne of God, and it is there that He presents His children to the Father, conferring upon them an honor exceeding that conferred upon angels.

“In Him we live and move and have our being.” Acts 17:28. Every heartbeat, each breath comes to us from the great I AM, the ever-present God, who breathed the breath of life into the nostrils of Adam. The great and infinite God lives not unto Himself but for the benefit and blessing of every human being, every object of His creation.

The Opposite Principle

Satan lives by the principle of self-serving, which he attributes to the Father by misrepresenting His character to the world. Satan leads man to accept this principle, making him believe that he would be happiest serving himself. However, the Son of God demonstrated this principle to be false.

Jesus committed to God that He would live a life that would rightly represent His character. True ministry and true service were exemplified in Jesus’ life so that His people might not be misled by the selfishness that dwells in the unconverted heart and which is strengthened by self-serving. Christ Himself set an example of service and ministering to others throughout His life (Acts 10).

“He saw the work of Satan revealed in all their woe, and He made every case of need and sorrow His own. With a power that never quailed, He cast out the evil spirits that possessed both mind and body. The power of love was in all His healing, and of the suffering multitudes that were brought to Him, it was said, ‘He healed them all.’

“The Saviour saw a still greater need than bodily suffering. He saw symptoms of a deeper illness. The sufferings of the body excited His pity, but He was moved to still greater pity by the need of the soul.

“With a love that never faltered, Christ spoke to men the words of eternal life. … To the weary and sin-burdened He said, ‘Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.’ He invited them, ‘Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.’

“Before men and angels, by His life of obedience and ministry, Christ represented the character of God. ‘God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself.’

“In His work on earth, Christ lifts the veil that conceals the invisible world from our view, and reveals the power that is constantly exercised for our good. The same ministry which He performed on earth was continued after His ascension to heaven. Through His representative, the Holy Spirit, God in Christ still ministers to the children of men.” Australasian Union Conference Record, June 1, 1900

The immeasurable gift of the Holy Spirit is promised to each of us. God grants the riches of His grace to flow earthward to men, and if all would accept it, then the power of the Holy Spirit would be poured out upon the church. All the powers of the heavenly world are enlisted and engaged in executing God’s plans to bring man back from rebellion to reconciliation with Himself. With intense earnestness, everything that can be done is being done to bring man back to moral efficiency, and then in Christ, he may be more than a conqueror. Do you long for that day?

“Invisible armies of light and power attend the meek and lowly ones who believe and claim the promises of God. Cherubim and seraphim, and angels that excel in strength—‘ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands’—stand at His right hand, ‘all ministering spirits sent forth for them who shall be heirs of salvation.’ ” Ibid.

But even more than this, God has manifested His love to mankind by making you and me partners with Himself in the work of salvation. “We are laborers together with God.” 1 Corinthians 3:9. We are called to represent Him as ambassadors of His love. We are to cooperate as delegates of heaven, to do a work that the angels cannot do because man is meant to communicate with his fellow man.

Through the ministry of angels, God sends light to His people; so that through His people, light is to be given to the world. Man is to be connected with his fellow man as God’s instrumentalities to work on their behalf. We are given the privilege to unite with God for the salvation of humanity, to experience His joy in the redeemed, and to bring honor and praise to His exalted name.

God manifested His love to us in creation, the plan of redemption, His innumerable gifts and infinite sacrifice, and by the service of His Son, the Holy Spirit, and the angels. And He asks, “Do you appreciate My love for you?” If we do, He desires us to accept the salvation He freely offers us, realize our high privilege of being His children, and walk with Him in obedience and humble thanksgiving, serving Him in the newness of life with gladness every day. He longs to see gratitude swelling in our hearts. We have an Advocate by whom we can approach the mercy seat and the Father’s throne of grace because our names are written in the book of life. He tells us that we can now rejoice because we are the heritage of the Lord.

The righteousness of Christ is the white robe we will wear while rejoicing in the blessed hope of the soon appearing of our Lord as the King of kings. We must form a habit of praising the Lord for what He has done for us. To glorify God in fullness and sincerity of heart is just as much a Christian duty as it is to pray or study His word because we must show, not just to people in this world but to all the heavenly intelligences as well, how much we appreciate the wonderful love of God manifested to fallen humanity. They must see that we expect still greater blessings from our Father in heaven.

After a special outpouring of the Holy Spirit, our joy in the Lord and efficiency in His service will greatly increase. We must speak of the precious chapters in our experience, recounting His goodness, blessings, and wonderful works for His children.

God knows the future, and He knows far in advance how He will answer the prayer, though not yet uttered, and He will have the answer ready. We will never catch God by surprise for He is constantly planning for our good, not just now but in the future. Some people fear the time of trouble that is soon to come. But remember, God says, “I am with you alway, even to the end of the world.” (Matthew 28:20, last part, KJV) He knows what you need and is able and willing to supply it. He says to cast all your cares on Him because He cares for you (1 Peter 5:7).

Over and over again, God has answered our prayers and delivered us out of trouble. Now, we must do our part by demonstrating the strength of our faith in Him to do just as He said He would do for us. Our trust is not in vain, and our thankfulness and joy to our heavenly Father is shown, not just by praise services or by the words that we speak but also by what we do. It is time for us to be engaged in personal ministry and sacrifice for the good of others.

In His prayer to His Father, Jesus said of His disciples, “As You have sent Me into the world, even so I also have sent them into the world.” John 17:18. The great commission (Matthew 28:19, 20) was not given just to Jesus’ disciples, ministers, or church leaders. He also gives it to all who would believe in Him until the end of time on this earth.

Jesus said to go into all the world, preach the gospel to every creature, heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, and cast out devils. “As every man has received the gift, even so, minister the same to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” 1 Peter 4:10. In this way, God desires us to fulfill His purpose of grace by the power of His love. Through obedience, fallen man—made from the dust of the earth—is to be transformed, fitted to be a member of the heavenly family, a companion of God, Christ, and holy angels throughout the eternal ages.

Then all of heaven will triumph, as the vacancies in the heavenly host, made by the expulsion of Satan and the angels who followed him,will be filled with the redeemed of the Lord. God’s plan for you is higher than the highest human thought can reach, too big for our polluted minds to comprehend just now.

Do not turn your back on God’s plans for you. Do not let the tinsel or noise of this world distract you from the blessings now and the future to come. Satan and the things of this world have nothing for us compared with what God has planned.

We do not, at the end of the millennium, want to be among those who are standing outside of the city saying, “This could have been mine,” never to walk the streets of gold, to hear the rushing of the river, or to taste the fruit of the tree of life, or to kneel at the feet of Jesus and touch the scars on His hands, scars He bears for all, the sacrifice made, the salvation offered, although rejected by so many.

“The last tear for sinners had been shed, the last agonizing prayer offered, the last burden borne, the last warning given. The sweet voice of mercy was no more to invite them. When the saints, and all heaven, were interested for their salvation, they had not interest for themselves. Life and death had been set before them. Many desired life, but made no effort to obtain it. They did not choose life, and now there was no atoning blood to cleanse the guilty, no compassionate Saviour to plead for them and cry, ‘Spare, spare the sinner a little longer.’ All heaven had united with Jesus, as they heard the fearful words, ‘It is done. It is finished.’ The plan of salvation had been accomplished, but few had chosen to accept it. And as mercy’s sweet voice died away, fear and horror seized the wicked. With terrible distinctness, they heard the words, ‘Too late! Too late!’ ” The Story of Redemption, 404

It is not too late now. Now is the time. Every human being who responds to God’s love will be saved. Don’t miss out on what God has prepared for you.

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.

The Most Costly Thing in the World

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The Diamond

The Hope Diamond is a blue diamond found in the Kollur Mine in Golconda, India, before 1666, when Jean-Baptiste Tavernier purchased it in its uncut form. It weighed 112 3/16 carats.

Tavernier sold the diamond to King Louis XIV of France in 1668.

In 1673, the court jeweler recut the stone, making it 67 1/8-carat. It became known as the Blue Diamond of the Crown or the French Blue. The stone was set in gold and suspended on a neck ribbon worn by the king on ceremonial occasions.

Louis XV had the stone reset in 1749 as a ceremonial piece for the Order of the Golden Fleece. When Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette attempted to flee France in 1791, the Hope Diamond was given to the French government.

Stolen in 1792, it was found in 1812 in the possession of Daniel Eliason, a London diamond merchant.

Its next owner was Henry Philip Hope, from whom the diamond takes its name. Upon Henry Hope’s death in 1839, the diamond passed to his nephew, Henry Thomas Hope, and ultimately to the nephew’s grandson, Lord Francis Hope.

From this point forward, the diamond had several owners, including Mrs. Evalyn Walsh McLean of Washington, D.C. She bought it and had it mounted as a headpiece on a three-tiered circlet of large white diamonds by Pierre Cartier in 1911. The diamond remained in her possession until 1947.

After her death, Henry Winston, Inc., of New York City, purchased Mrs. McLean’s jewelry, including the Hope diamond necklace. For ten years, the diamond was part of exhibits and charitable events around the world. On November 10, 1958, Winston donated the diamond to the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C., where it remains on permanent exhibition today.

The diamond alone weighs 45.52 carats. The pendant is set with 16 pear-shaped and cushion-cut white diamonds, and the chain contains 45 white diamonds. Its estimated value is $200-$350 million.

The Yacht

The History Supreme is the most expensive yacht in the world, and its features and amenities are the reason why. Gold and similar precious metals are used inside and out. One wall of the primary bedroom is made of meteorite, and another is made into a 24-carat gold Aquavista Panoramic Wall aquarium. The primary bathroom has a meteorite embedded in one wall. The yacht holds the bones of a Tyrannosaurus Rex, a bottle embedded with an 18.5-carat diamond estimated to be worth $45 million, and an iPhone encrusted with 500 cut diamonds.

The History Supreme is 30 meters long, apparently short for a luxury yacht. It has never been seen in any major port, and rumors suggest that it doesn’t exist and is simply a publicity stunt. It reportedly belongs to Malaysia’s richest man, Robert Kuok, and was designed by Stuart Hughes in England. The estimated value of the yacht is $4.8 billion.

The Degree

One might think Yale, Harvard, or Stanford Universities would be the most expensive places to obtain higher education, but they’d be wrong. Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, holds the record as the most expensive college tuition in the United States for a four-year degree.

For this whopping tuition, you receive high-quality, education–rigorous academic programs with distinguished faculty and a wide range of graduate and undergraduate programs. Northwestern is a leading research institution where students can participate in cutting-edge research projects, often with renowned experts.

The university provides a strong alumni network that can be invaluable for career opportunities and mentorship. It also has state-of-the-art facilities, including libraries, laboratories, and recreational centers. Career counseling and health services are also available to students. The tuition for certain four-year degrees is between $85,000.00 and $90,000.00.

The Horse

Champion thoroughbred racehorse Fusaichi Pegasus, nicknamed Fu Peg, was born on April 12, 1997, and purchased by Fusao Sekiguchi as a yearling for $4 million. He won the Kentucky Derby in 2000. Then he was sold to Irish breeder Coolmore Stud for $70 million.

For over a decade before his death, he was part of Coolmore’s breeding operation. Fu Peg retired from stud duty at the end of the 2020 season and died on May 23, 2023, euthanized because of issues attributed to old age. He was 26 years old.

The Car

The Rolls-Royce La Rose Noire Droptail is the most expensive car available today.

It is a hard-top convertible with 1,603 separate hand-finished wood pieces. The exterior is painted using a process that takes 150 iterations of the color before it is perfect and will change color depending on the sunlight. Direct sun – vibrant color. Shade or cloud cover–a purplish-black hue. The interior is dark crimson with an almost velvet-like finish. It requires four years to build the car. The purchase price is $30 million.

So, what is the most costly thing in this world?

Sin. From the day that sin entered this world, mankind has suffered for just a slight deviation from God’s instruction.

“To Eve, it seemed a small thing to disobey God by tasting the fruit of the forbidden tree, and to tempt her husband also to transgress; but their sin opened the floodgates of woe upon the world. Who can know, in the moment of temptation, the terrible consequences that will result from one wrong step?” Our Father Cares, 170

Redemption came at a staggering price, a price beyond comprehension, but heaven paid that price. Why? Because God is love, and true love engenders respect, faith, trust, and obedience. We do not have that kind of love, nor can we make it. Therefore, man is destined to live loving only himself unless he humbly surrenders and a miraculous transformation occurs in his nature and heart.

The natural, unregenerated heart of mankind wants the most while giving very little of itself, and it doesn’t take much for terrible consequences to result.

Archduke Ferdinand of Austria

Except for a wrong turn, Archduke Ferdinand, the presumptive heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary, and his wife might not have died on June 28, 1914, and WWI might have been averted or at least delayed.

There were two assassination attempts that day. First, the would-be assassin threw a bomb into the Duke’s car, but the chauffeur was able to deflect it away. Several innocent bystanders and members of the Duke’s entourage were injured, but he and his wife were safe.

After arriving at a place of safety, the Duke insisted on visiting those who had been injured. However, the chauffeur made a wrong turn, and before he could turn the vehicle around, the assassin, hiding out in a café right next to their car, was able to shoot the Duke and his wife. Thus began “the war to end all wars.”

The Fall of Constantinople

In 1453, the Ottomans launched a campaign against Constantinople. The Byzantines defended the city and had a good chance of winning, even though the Ottomans had the numerical advantage and significant firepower—namely cannons. However, Constantinople had thick, high walls that could withstand, at least for a while, the onslaught of the Ottomans. If the Byzantines could hold on long enough, allies from Europe were on their way and would have turned the tide of the battle.

Unfortunately, the Byzantines wasted their bravery and skill because of a critically foolish mistake: someone forgot to close a gate. When the Ottomans took the gate and hoisted their flag above its tower, chaos ensued, the defenders’ resistance faded away, and the Ottomans successfully took the city.

Discovery of the New World

When Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492, he headed west toward Japan, some 3,000 miles away. He thought that if he sailed to Japan and beyond just a little more, he would reach the Indies. The problem was Columbus had made a very significant mathematical error. He miscalculated the size of the globe. Japan was, in fact, 12,000 miles away, and because of this error, he had made, most likely, the most momentous mistake in history.

The Bismarck

On February 14, 1939, a state-of-the-art battleship was launched from Hamburg, Germany. The 823-foot Bismarck was intended to herald the rebirth of the German surface battle fleet. Once the order was given for her to break out into the Atlantic Ocean, she would be almost impossible to track down, and consequently, she was able to wreak havoc on the Allied convoys to Britain.

The British Home Fleet mounted a search to locate the Bismarck, and on May 24, the British battle cruiser Hood and battleship Prince of Wales located her near Iceland. The ensuing battle was ferocious. The Hood exploded and sank, with only three of her 1,421 crewmen surviving. The Bismarck escaped and fled to occupied France.

On May 26, the Bismarck was sighted and crippled by British aircraft. The  next day, three British warships attacked her, inflicting heavy damage. The pride of the German navy was a floating wreck. The order came to scuttle the ship, and she quickly sank, taking all but 115 of her 2,221 crewmen with her.

How were the British able to destroy the Bismarck? Her rudder had been damaged during the battle, and she could only sail in a circle. She couldn’t run, so she became an easy target.

The Costliest Thing

People think it’s just a little thing, a little white lie. A husband doesn’t want to hurt his wife’s feelings if he tells her how she really looks in that dress. Admirable. What harm can it do? But when a friend says, “Girl, why are you wearing that dress? It doesn’t look that good on you.” Then, the most important trust, next to trust in God, is damaged. How can the wife trust what her husband says? What damage does a little white lie do to the husband who spoke it?

“The least departure from truthfulness and rectitude is a transgression of the law of God. Continual indulgence in sin accustoms the person to a habit of wrongdoing, but does not lessen the aggravated character of the sin. God has established immutable principles, which He cannot change without a revision of His whole nature. If the word of God were faithfully studied by all who profess to believe the truth, they would not be dwarfs in spiritual things. Those who disregard the requirements of God in this life would not respect His authority were they in heaven.” To Be Like Jesus, 175

Sin’s consequences are the most damaging and costly. Eve took a bite of the fruit. And then she took the fruit to Adam. We all have an influence, either directly or indirectly. Everything we say and do is either spoken or done to someone or observed, read, or heard by someone. Many people fail, as did Adam, when given the choice between the demands of our human nature and obeying God. The Bible says that if we love anyone or anything more than God, we are not worthy of Him (Matthew 10:37, 38; Exodus 20:3).

“Whatever have been the little sins indulged [they] will ruin the soul, unless they are overcome. The small sins will swell into the greater sins.” The Review and Herald, May 24, 1887

“Adam and Eve suffered the terrible consequences of disobeying the express command of God. They might have reasoned: This is a very small sin, and will never be taken into account. But God treated the matter as a fearful evil, and the woe of their transgression will be felt through all time.” Testimonies, Vol. 4, 311, 312

“But God in heaven is weighing moral worth. He will judge righteously. … God’s people must arise, and gird themselves with the whole armor of righteousness.” The Review and Herald, May 24, 1887

There Are Always Consequences

Sin has caused the most significant and costly consequences. Man lost his relationship with God, separated forever from Him in whom we delight, unable to live in the presence of the Almighty God—instead trading righteousness and holiness for selfishness, darkness, and ultimate destruction and death, as easily as Esau traded his birthright for a bowl of stew—causing the Prince of heaven to leave His glorious home above to come to this sin-darkened world so that man might be holy once again.

“Adam yielded to temptation, and as we have the matter of sin and its consequences laid so distinctly before us, we can read from cause to effect and see the greatness of the act is not that which constitutes sin; but the disobedience of God’s expressed will, which is a virtual denial of God, refusing the laws of His government. …

“The law of self is erected, human will is made supreme, and when the high and holy will of God is presented to be obeyed, respected, and honored, the human will wants its own way, to do its own promptings, and there is a controversy between the human agent and the Divine.” Christ Triumphant, 25

Friends, sin is sin. It doesn’t matter if it is big or small; it’s all sin. It ruins the soul of the one in whom it dwells, and its consequences affect family, friends, and even the world. But there is an antithesis to sin—God’s love—a love so strong that God made a plan. If we choose, the execution of the plan provides the way to restore us—body, soul, mind, and spirit—to His likeness. All the world’s languages cannot adequately express what God has done for us, nor the enormity of the price that He and all of heaven paid to ensure our salvation.

“As a transgressor of the law, man was condemned as hopelessly ruined; for he was the enemy of God, without strength to do any good thing; but Christ came to reveal to him the justice and love of God, to give repentance to Israel and remission of sins. When the sinner beholds Jesus lifted up upon the cross, suffering the guilt of the transgressor and the consequences of sin, he beholds God’s abhorrence of evil in this fearful manifestation, and sees His love for fallen man: ‘For God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’

“The Lord could have cut off the sinner and utterly destroyed him; but the costlier plan was chosen. In His great love He provides hope for the hopeless in giving His only-begotten Son to bear the sins of the world. Since God has poured out all heaven in that one rich gift, He will withhold no needed aid from man. All the agencies of heaven are at the command of the believing soul, that he may be successful in the warfare against the powers of darkness. He who believes in Jesus Christ as fully able to save his soul, believes the gospel, and hath eternal life.” The Signs of the Times, June 27, 1892

“Jesus suffered the extreme penalty of the law for our transgression, and justice was fully satisfied. The law is not abrogated; it has not lost one jot of its force. Instead, it stands forth in holy dignity, Christ’s death on the cross testifying to its immutability. Its demands have been met, its authority maintained.

“God spared not His only-begotten Son. To show the depth of His love for man, He delivered Him up for us all. ‘Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.’ (John 1:29). Behold Him dying on the cross. Behold Him who was equal with God, mocked and derided by the mob. Behold Him in Gethsemane, bowed under the burden of the sins of the whole world.

“Was the penalty remitted because He was the Son of God? Were the vials of wrath withheld from Him who was made sin for us? Without abatement the penalty fell upon our divine-human Substitute.

“Hear His cry, ‘My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?’ (Mark 15:34). He was treated as a sinner, that we might be treated as righteous, that God might be just, and yet the Justifier of the sinner. …

“The love existing between the Father and His Son cannot be portrayed. It is measureless. In Christ, God saw the beauty and perfection of excellence that dwells in Himself. Wonder, O heavens, and be astonished, O earth, for God spared not His own Son, but gave Him up to be made sin for us, that those who believe may be made the righteousness of God in Him. …

“Language is too feeble for us to attempt to portray the love of God. We believe it, we rejoice in it, but we cannot comprehend it.” In Heavenly Places, 15

“It was in consequence of sin that man was shut out from the throne of God, but Christ steps in and pays the price, and through His merits man is brought back in favor with God. …

“Christ with His long human arm encircles the fallen race, while with His divine arm He grasps the throne of the Almighty, thus uniting earth with heaven, and fallen, finite man with the Infinite God. And this earth, which was divorced from heaven, is again united with heaven. A communication is opened with heaven through Jesus Christ [so] that man, who was fallen, is brought back again into favor with God. …

“And now the question is, Will man fasten his thoughts upon the things of eternal interest and work in harmony with God? … Heaven we want, every one of us. You cannot afford to lose heaven. You cannot afford to have the gates of paradise closed to you. You want heaven, eternal life.

“Then what will you do in order to obtain it? You must be obedient to all of God’s commandments. It is the only moral standard and rule that God has given for the use of His subjects. He has rules and statutes, and it is for man to obey them.” Sermons and Talks, Vol. 2, 32, 33

We cannot comprehend the love that condescended to leave glory to come to this world of darkness and sin, offering salvation to a dying race. God gave. Jesus came. And soon He will return. His death paid the most costly price, and His life shows us the way. Are we following? Have we chosen to be changed? Do we want heaven? Then, we must accept His salvation and be recreated in the image of God.

Judy Rebarchek is the managing editor of the LandMarks magazine. She may be contacted by email at judyrebarchek@stepstolife.org

Sacrificing to Demons

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Sacrificing to the devil, knowingly or unknowingly, has been a recurring theme throughout history. One’s initial religious experiences often profoundly shape his understanding and actions. As described in various Bible passages, the challenges of God’s ancient people can shed light on our struggles today.

As Seventh-day Adventists, sacrificing to demons might seem archaic, but from the time of the ancient Israelites to modern-day times, the lure of worshiping false gods has persisted. The analogies drawn between past sacrificial rituals and contemporary behaviors are stark reminders of the dangers of spiritual complacency. So, how is it that Seventh-day Adventists continue to make sacrifices to the devil?

The following scriptures clearly show that the children of Israel worshiped false gods and sacrificed to demons:

“They joined themselves also to Baal of Peor, and ate sacrifices made to the dead. … They angered Him also at the waters of strife, so that it went ill with Moses on account of them; because they rebelled against His Spirit, so that he spoke rashly with his lips. They did not destroy the peoples, concerning whom the Lord had commanded them, but they mingled with the Gentiles and learned their works; they served their idols, which became a snare to them. They even sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons, and shed innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan; and the land was polluted with blood.” Psalm 106:28, 32–38

“ ‘They shall no more offer their sacrifices to demons, after whom they have played the harlot. This shall be a statute forever for them throughout their generations.’ ” Leviticus 17:7

“ ‘Lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they play the harlot with their gods and make sacrifice to their gods, and one of them invites you and you eat of his sacrifice.’ ” Exodus 34:15

“ ‘They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them. They have made themselves a molded calf, and worshiped it and sacrificed to it, and said, “This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!” ’ ” Exodus 32:8

Their idolatry led to ten of the tribes of Israel—the kingdom of or children of Israel, the northern kingdom—being taken into captivity. The two remaining tribes—Judah and Benjamin—made up the southern kingdom of Judah. When the separation occurred, Jeroboam was king over the children of Israel. Rehoboam was king over Judah and Benjamin. We read in 2 Chronicles 11 the things that Jeroboam and the children of Israel did that led to the breakup of Israel, and ultimately, their captivity.

“And from all their territories the priests and the Levites who were in all Israel took their stand with him [Rehoboam]. For the Levites left their common-lands and their possessions and came to Judah and Jerusalem, for Jeroboam and his sons had rejected them from serving as priests to the Lord. Then he [Jeroboam] appointed for himself priests for the high places, for the demons, and the calf idols which he had made.” Verses 13–15

The children of Israel thought they were worshiping an image. If you asked them, they would say, “We would never worship demons. See, this is just an image.” Just a hand-crafted calf? No, whether they recognized it or not, they were worshiping demons.

In Deuteronomy 31:16, the Lord tells Moses that after his death, the children of Israel would turn to idolatry and the worship of demons. Ezekiel predicted they would never entirely give up the idolatry they had followed in Egypt (Ezekiel 23:8). Paul gave this warning to the Jews, “Rather, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons.” 1 Corinthians 10:20

It is easy to look back at the past and clearly see the detours and failures of the children of Israel, patting ourselves—Seventh-day Adventists—on the back, believing that we would never do as they did.  And yet, perhaps in ignorance, we are.

“Without faith it is impossible to please God. We can have the salvation of God in our families, but we must believe it, live it, and have a continual, abiding faith and trust in God. We must subdue a hasty temper and control our words, and in this we shall gain great victories. Unless we control our words and temper, we are slaves to Satan. We are in subjection to him. He leads us captive. All jangling and unpleasant, impatient, fretful words are an offering presented to his satanic majesty.” Testimonies, Vol. 1, 310

While every word we say and every action we perform can be seen as a form of sacrifice to either divine or demonic forces, a hasty temper, unkind words spoken, and actions taken without thought or control can also be seen as a form of sacrifice to divine or demonic forces. One of our greatest challenges is being mindful of our speech. Do I speak jangling, unpleasant, impatient, fretful words? Then, I am presenting myself as a sacrifice to the devil and his satanic majesty. He accepts me into his kingdom and sneeringly tells the Lord of glory that I am not a child of God because I have proven it in the way I speak.

“And it is a costly offering, more costly than any sacrifice we can make for God, for it destroys the peace and happiness of whole families, destroys health, and is eventually the cause of forfeiting an eternal life of happiness.” Ibid.

People will forfeit eternal life because they are not aware of what and how they speak.

“The restraint which God’s word imposes upon us is for our own interest. It increases the happiness of our families and of all around us. It refines our taste, sanctifies our judgment, and brings peace of mind, and, in the end, everlasting life. Under this holy restraint, we shall increase in grace and humility, and it will become easy to speak right. The natural, passionate temper will be held in subjection. An indwelling Saviour will strengthen us every hour. Ministering angels will linger in our dwellings and with joy carry heavenward the tidings of our advance in the divine life, and the recording angel will make a cheerful, happy record.” Ibid.

Even personal reflections like those shared by early Adventist pioneers such as Ellen White can provoke deep introspection. The idea that our every word and action can be seen as a form of sacrifice to either divine or demonic forces challenges us to be more mindful of our speech and conduct.

The meticulous examination of various biblical references and supporting texts underscores the gravity of our words. Whether it be the caution against engaging in divisive gossip or the emphasis on speaking with grace and kindness, the overarching message is clear—our speech wields immense power, for good or ill.

The call to align our speech with the teachings of Christ, to emulate the angels in heaven, signifies a profound aspiration towards spiritual growth and refinement. It beckons us to strive for a higher standard of communication, one that reflects the values of love, grace, and empathy.

The journey towards ceasing to sacrifice to the devil is not an easy one. It requires introspection, prayer, and a conscious effort to align our words with the teachings of Christ. But the promise of divine assistance, the transformative power of grace, and the assurance of redemption offer hope and strength along this challenging path. May we all, through the grace of God, endeavor to speak words that uplift, heal, and bring glory to His name.

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 Religious Justification for Man’s Inhumanity to Man

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Out of love for man, God created humans with free will so that they could either freely reciprocate their Creator’s love or choose their own path, away from God—the source of life. And man made a tragic choice. Since the first humans chose to live on their own terms without God, God was no longer at the center of human life; instead, it was human ego. We know that from that moment, humanity has used its free will in astonishing and horrifying ways, defiling the earth with continual, creative evil.

The Evolution of Iniquity and the Beginnings of Tyranny

“Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” Genesis 6:5. The evil that resides in the human heart is most clearly manifested at the dawn of human history in the sons of rebellion: Cain, Lamech, and Nimrod—the first tyrants of humanity and builders of great civilizations. The state of humanity after the fall into sin can also be described using the philosophical concept of the state of nature, which is a “state of war,” espoused by Thomas Hobbes, a 17th century English philosopher. This is because the consequence of the idea of “I” is the “state of war”, which occurs because beyond the “I” there is also the “not-I.” According to Hobbes, the state of nature is a war of every man against every man, which directly results from the fact that every person is inherently selfish.

The Recreation of Man

Human nature is sinful, which means that we are born separated from God, inclining more towards evil than good. This does not mean that fallen, sinful human nature is incapable of doing good. However, even in the midst of committing a noble act, it remains a fallen and highly imperfect nature. Therefore, the only chance for a person to overcome their old nature is a solution beyond human capability. Salvation for humanity exists solely in the person of Jesus Christ. Only in God can man find true hope. Jesus Christ, who created man in Eden, can do it again. Salvation means the recreation of man. Only in Christ can we receive a new nature as children of God. The universal message of Jesus to humanity is: “You must be born again.” John 3:7

The Gospel and a Better World

The issue of the depravity of fallen human nature and the possibility of overcoming this condition should be understood in the context of salvation. If we were to believe in the earthly order that the condition of human nature is in a hopeless state and that man will always choose evil, we would be mistaken. It would mean reconciling ourselves to the evil of this world, passivity, and surrender. Therefore, being called by Jesus Christ to preach the gospel, we are also always morally obligated to not agree with the existing social injustice but to strive for the transformation of the world into a more just one.

The System of Enslavement

I believe that when addressing various forms of human oppression, one must start from the most general assumptions. This makes it easier for us to recognize the uncomfortable truth about our human condition. For the purpose of this article, which deals with one of the most challenging topics I’ve encountered, I will adopt the thesis that the human “self” believes it is superior to others because of possession. “I” am better than others because “I” possess power, fame, influence, money, wealth, education, and the like. Therefore, the more power and capital the ego possesses, the more privileged it feels. The problem is that access to power and capital is limited, which means that my “self” can possess more only at the expense of another “self.” This particular characteristic of human nature seems to be the psychological basis of all systems of exploitation and inequality among people. I do not deny the right to property, to personal possession. After all, the right to property is the foundation and guarantee of civil independence. Nevertheless, in a psychological context, it is possession that establishes and shapes the ego. This is an immutable law of human nature. At the same time, man does not have to be a hostage to this law, but through God’s grace, can submit his ego to a higher law, which states: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Matthew 22:39. Therefore, the unassailable limit of the “self’s” exercise of the right to property is human harm and exploitation.

The Satanic System of Slavery

Satan is the father of lies, murder, and slavery. He became the first tyrant inspiring fallen humanity to all manner of lawlessness and wickedness. Slavery is morally the most abhorrent crime of humanity, as it deprives one human being of their humanity and their dignity as a person created in the image and likeness of God. If a person is dehumanized and reduced to an object, the owner can do as they please with their property and face no consequences within such a social system. If we understand what fallen human nature is, it is obvious that the phenomenon of slavery reaches back to the beginnings of fallen humanity. Notice that Satan—who rebelled against the rule of God and desired to be equal with the Most High (Isaiah 14:13, 14)—rules over his subjects as the worst of tyrants, offering his followers only eternal slavery.

The World of the Bible

The world of the Bible is not our world; the oldest books of the Bible are about 3,400 years old, and the New Testament books are about 1,900 years old. It is a gap we must reckon with. The world in which the Bible was written was tyrannical and inhumane. In biblical times, slavery was a widespread phenomenon. It was an integral part of the culture, and people accepted it as a normal aspect of society. Slavery was not considered a moral evil. From our perspective, it is very difficult to comprehend. As I wrote this article, I kept asking myself why the authors of the Bible did not call for the abolition of slavery. But as I continued to delve into this topic, I came to the realization that my approach must be flawed. So where does the error lie? The mistake lies in taking the words of the Bible literally, without considering the historical and cultural context. Not everything the Bible says about social issues is universally true, timeless, and unchanging. However, everything the Bible says about faith and salvation is universally true, timeless, and unchanging. We must keep in mind that the biblical truth about social issues is a truth of the time in which it was written. The Bible, in its fragments concerning the issue of slavery, indeed does not condemn slavery, but at the same time, it does not mean that the Bible supports slavery or declares it a moral good. The Bible simply regulates the issue of slavery in the times when slavery was prevalent. Primarily, this is because for centuries the Christian church did not question the political system of the Roman Empire or the social structure and institutions of that time.

Transformation versus Revolution

The change in social conditions was not supposed to occur through revolution. The reason is the example of Jesus Christ, whose kingdom is not of this world. The kingdom of God, which Jesus preached, is like yeast (Matthew 13:33), which internally transforms earthly reality without the use of violence. The kingdom of God is like a mustard seed, initially small and unassuming, but eventually revealing its power and magnificence (Matthew 13:31, 32). At the same time, it is not hard to understand, throughout history, examples such as the Donatists in the 4th century AD, who liberated slaves, canceled debts of the poor, and administered justice; the Waldensians in the Pyrenees or the Hussites in the territory of the present Czech Republic, who defended themselves with swords against crusades organized by the papacy; the French Huguenots or the Reformed Evangelicals in the Netherlands fighting against the tyranny of Catholic rulers; or abolitionists who took up arms. In general, the history of Christianity provides countless examples of fighting for social justice and defending faith and life in accordance with one’s conscience.

The Letter and the Spirit

Primitive readings of the Bible, solely based on a literal interpretation, lead to the preservation and cementation of oppressive social structures. Regarding slavery and, for example, the subordination of women, the truth is that the Bible upholds both of these oppressive structures at a literal level. However, at a higher level, which is the level of the Spirit rather than the letter, the level of principles rather than rules, the Bible criticizes both of these oppressive social structures. In the Holy Scriptures, there are great principles, the highest and brightest revealed truths and principles, which go beyond the advice given to specific people in specific times on specific social matters. All human beings are created in the image and likeness of God and therefore are worthy of equal respect, and all human beings share in the divine mandate to exercise authority over the earth created by God (Genesis 1:28). All human beings are loved by God (John 3:16). Ultimately, the greatest commandment regulating the relationship between one human being and another is: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Matthew 22:39. These great principles of the kingdom of God completely negate any possibility of justifying slavery or claiming that as human beings—Christians—we are only equal in spiritual matters, not in earthly ones. Unfortunately, it is possible to focus so much on the letter of Scripture throughout one’s life that one completely overlooks the spirit of Scripture.

The Catholic position

If we assume that the Christian church could do nothing about slavery in its early centuries, from the time of the Edict of Theodosius making Catholicism the official religion of the Roman Empire onward, that is not entirely true. During the reign of medieval popes, the institution of slavery was not overturned. There were some changes towards humanitarianism, but in principle, the institution of slavery was not threatened. Only the classical Roman view of a slave as a speaking tool was rejected. Unlike the Romans, a slave owner could not simply kill or starve them. In the Roman Catholic Church, “practically until the 20th century, the doctrine was preached that slavery was in accordance with natural law and divine law. Therefore, the Roman Catholic Church defended the institution of slavery to the very end, even after the victory of abolitionism. Indeed, popes such as Eugenius IV, Pius II, Sixtus IV, Gregor XIV, and Urban VIII condemned the unworthy treatment of slaves, cruelty, or abuses against them, but they never condemned slavery itself.”

The Protestant Position

How did John Calvin, whose theology was embraced in countries like the Netherlands and influenced the Anglican Church, react to the issue of slavery? Calvin fundamentally viewed slavery negatively because he believed it was contrary to the created order, but he accepted regulations regarding slavery in the Bible. Calvin stated that the image of God present in every person does not in any way justify slavery. Importantly, Calvin spoke about slavery more in the context of the declining serfdom in Western European countries than the system of slavery practiced by the Spaniards and Portuguese in Africa and the newly discovered American continent. The Synod of Dordrecht, which took place in 1618 in the Netherlands, was one of the most important events for Reformed evangelicalism. It also deliberated on the issue of slavery. Ultimately, it neither endorsed nor prohibited slavery. However, the synod’s resolutions recommended that baptized slaves be freed. Nevertheless, actual practice varied. Unfortunately, it is true that Catholics and part of the Protestants have committed injustices and atrocities against their fellow human beings by enslaving the inhabitants of Africa and America. Confirmation of this is the approximately 350-year history of slavery practiced between certain European countries, Africa, and America.

The Age of Discovery

The new and even more tragic chapter in the history of slavery was opened by the far-reaching maritime expeditions of Europeans. This was the era of the conquest of the New World and the resulting prosperity for selected European maritime powers. At whose expense? At the expense of slave labor, suffering, blood, tears, and the deaths of millions of enslaved Africans and indigenous peoples, women, children, and men. Starting from the 16th century and lasting until the 19th century, for about 350 years, over 11 million slaves were transported to America—formerly inhabitants of Africa, of whom approximately 9.6 million survived the journey. How is it possible that such a crime against humanity was committed in the history of mankind? How could Western nations, calling themselves Christians, perpetrate such atrocities, completely contradicting the principles of the gospel? What ideology could lie at the root of this crime? It is the utterly depraved nature of humanity, driven mad by greed and the desire to possess more and more. Racism is a symptom of the sickness of humanity. Greed came first. To justify the enslavement of some people by others, a demonic belief is necessary that people are not equal by nature in terms of their rights. Then it is only necessary to formalize such an attitude in a written doctrine. Who can write such a doctrine that will become binding law? The power that combines religious and political authority is best suited for this—the papacy.

Doctrine of Discovery

According to Catholic defenders of the Roman Catholic Church, the brutal violence, extreme exploitation, rapes, and cruelty accompanying the modern history of slavery do not burden the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church, but only those who committed these sins. The attitude of Catholic defenders regarding the issue of slavery is, in reality, a distortion of history. The Doctrine of Discovery was presented in a series of papal declarations at the end of the 15th century, at the beginning of the Age of Exploration. These declarations, referred to by the papacy as “bulls,” provided European maritime powers with a religious, moral, political, and legal mandate to conquer non-Christian countries, peoples, and sovereign nations. The Doctrine of Discovery also allowed for the enslavement or extermination of conquered populations. Historically, it is supported by three bulls—Dum Diversas (1452), Romanus Pontifex (1455), and Inter Caetera (1493)—in which popes allowed Catholic rulers to take pagans into “perpetual slavery.” When we delve into these papal documents and understand that during those times the Roman Catholic Church was an undisputed religious and political power that kings and emperors of Europe had to reckon with, and then compare it to how the maritime powers of Europe implemented these papal documents, one conclusion becomes apparent: the papal Doctrine of Discovery contained in these three documents is the religious-political basis of all the harm inflicted upon millions of indigenous inhabitants of Africa and America. These papal documents provided religious justification for genocidal, racist actions. Indigenous peoples could be enslaved and murdered not only because of their ethnic origin but primarily because they did not know Christ. It is astonishing that the Doctrine of Discovery was invoked by both Catholic and Protestant European nations as well as the United States to justify their imperial policies. For instance, in the historically Protestant country like the U.S., the landmark 1823 Supreme Court decision Johnson v. McIntosh was justified based on, believe it or not, a document over 300 years old—the Inter Caetera papal bull.

Consequences

The consequences of the papal documents from the 15th century include the suffering and ultimately the death of millions of slaves working for their white masters over the approximately 350 years of slavery, the extermination of indigenous populations in both Americas, the cultural genocide of Native Americans, racial segregation in the U.S. and South Africa, racist housing policies in the U.S., deep economic inequalities, as well as the crimes of church-run residential schools in Canada. They also include symbolic political gestures masking the lack of real compensatory actions by the governments of the U.S. or Canada, and above all, the stigma of colonial-racist mentality in parts of Western societies. These consequences are visible in post-colonial and post-slavery societies to this day.

The Abolition of Slavery

Our world looked vastly different just 200 years ago. It was a world where the majority of people lived in systems of enslavement. They couldn’t choose where or how they wanted to live. They mainly worked in agriculture. No one paid them for twelve hours of work. If they didn’t meet their daily quota, they were beaten. They died young. They were part of a global economy based on forced labor. At the beginning of the 19th century, over three-quarters of humanity lived in various forms of slavery and servitude. In this context, it is astounding how quickly the end of slavery came. By the end of the 19th century, slavery, at least formally, was banned almost everywhere. Christian abolitionism, which had a distinctly Protestant character, defeated slavery in just 50 years. The victory of freedom over slavery began with twelve devout Protestants who met on May 22, 1787, in London to put an end to the system of slavery. Many radical Protestants joined the greatest civil movement in human history: the movement to abolish the slave trade and destroy the institution of slavery itself. However, that is a different story, perhaps for another article.

Endnotes:

  1. Kaute, Filozofia liberalizmu. Main ideas and their consequences in the modern world, ideology, doctrines and movement of modern liberalism, publishing house UMCS, Lublin 2004, p. 60
  2. biblia.info.pl/blog/jak-spisano-biblie/, accessibility: 05.12.2024
  3. Tomasiewicz, Amfetamina ludu, czyli Trzecie Królestwo, Nowy Obywatel No. 23, p. 86
  4. Giles, The Biblical Argument for Slavery: Can the Bible Mislead? A Case Study in Hermeneutics, Evangelical Quarterly 66/1994, p. 16
  5. Chmielewski, Do Rzeczy, No.16/2024, https://dorzeczy.pl/opinie/574203/chmielewski-kosciol-i-niewolnictwo.html, accessibility: 05.14.2024
  6. Majewski, Rozstania z doktryną, Tygodnik Powszechny, No. 38/2020, www.tygodnikpowszechny.pl/rozstania-z-doktryna-164830, accessibility: 05.14.2024
  7. Kayayan, Calvin on Slavery: Providence and Social Ethics in the 16th Century, www.koersjournal.org.za/index.php/koers/article/view/2119/2374, accessibility: 05.15.2024
  8. https://ewangelicy.pl/2019/09/05/badzcie-posluszni-swoim-panom-luteranie-przepraszaja-za-400-lat-niewolnictwa/, accessibility: 15.2024
  9. Eltis, The Volume and Structure of the Transatlantic Slave Trade: A Reassessment, “William and Mary Quarterly” 2001, Vol. 58, No. 1, in: A. Hochschild, Pogrzebać kajdany, Wołowiec 2016, p. 45
  10. Chmielewski, Do Rzeczy, No.16/2024, https://dorzeczy.pl/opinie/574203/chmielewski-kosciol-i-niewolnictwo.html, accessibility: 05.16.2024
  11. Sporniak, Kościół odcina się od doktryny odkrycia, No. 15/2023, www.tygodnikpowszechny.pl/kosciol-odcina-sie-od-doktryny-odkrycia-182959, accessibility: 05.16.2024
  12. Wilkin, Za zbrodnie na rdzennej ludności Kanady odpowiadają zarówno państwo, jak i katolickie oraz protestanckie szkoły, published 13 July 2021, https://klubjagiellonski.pl/2021/07/13/za-zbrodnie-na-rdzennej-ludnosci-kanady-odpowiadaja-zarowno-panstwo-jak-i-katolickie-oraz-protestanckie-szkoly/, accessibility: 05.16.2024
  13. S. Jenkinson, What the Repudiation of the Doctrine of Discovery Means for Indian Country, published 9 April 2023, www.governing.com/context/what-the-repudiation-of-the-doctrine-of-discovery-means-for-indian-country, accessibility: 03.21.2024
  14. Hochschild, Pogrzebać kajdany, Wołowiec 2016, pp. 14, 15

Marcin Watras lives in Katowice, Poland. He is interested in the philosophy of religion and trends in society. He works for the European Union.

Little Things That Aren’t Little

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Many years ago, I participated in a Sabbath School class discussion on 2 Peter 3:9.

“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”

The question was asked, “Do you believe that God is omnipotent?” Everyone said, “Yes.” The next question was, “Do you believe that God’s will is omnipotent?” I immediately knew where this conversation was going. Yes, God’s will is omnipotent. The text says that God is not willing that any should perish. So, if God is omnipotent, and if His will is omnipotent, and if He is unwilling that any should perish, then that would mean that God will make a way to save everyone. Universalism is “the doctrine of universal reconciliation—the view that all human beings will ultimately be saved and restored to a right relationship with God.” (Source: wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_universalism). Many in the class, myself included, stated that there are other Bible scriptures that do not support that conclusion.

Peter is not the only apostle whose New Testament words are used by Universalists to support their doctrine.

“He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.” 1 John 2:2

“Who [God] desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” 1 Timothy 2:4

The truth is, God does desire that all of mankind would be saved. To this end, Jesus Christ gave His life to pay the penalty that sinful man could not pay on his own. God wants everyone to be in heaven. Why is it then that millions—billions—will be lost?

“Catch us the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vines, for our vines have tender grapes.” Song of Solomon 2:15

Many of the people who will be lost are not murderers, bank robbers, or criminals. Sin entered this world with a bite from a piece of fruit—a small window of doubt that led to disobedience to God’s expressed will. In fact, when Eve brought the fruit to Adam, he decided that God was too loving for something so small as a bite from a piece of fruit to be unforgiveable. But Luke records Jesus’ words, “He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much.” Luke 16:10. It will be the little things that will trip up many people.

“The Lord did not prove Adam and Eve in a large matter. The test given them was the smallest that could have been devised. Had it been a large test, then men and women whose hearts incline to evil would excuse themselves by saying, ‘This is a trivial matter, and God is not so particular about little things,’ and there would be constant transgression in things looked upon as small, and which pass unrebuked among men. But the Lord has made it very evident that sin, in any degree, is offensive to Him.” The Signs of the Times, October 29, 1885

The test that Adam failed was little, but sometimes things that seem to be not very important too often have the biggest consequences.

Let’s look at a few examples of the importance of little things.

It Just Takes One

Early in the 1990s, there was a series of mysterious deaths around the city of Boston. What made them so mysterious was that many of these people were in good health. In particular, there was a healthy, 76-year-old woman with no medical issues who just died without explanation. An investigation found that she had died of a vitamin D overdose—vitamin D intoxication, as it is called today. Authorities were very perplexed, because overdosing on vitamin D almost never happens.

Historically, those who typically died from vitamin D intoxication were explorers in either the Arctic or Antarctica. Their food was whatever they could kill in the area, and they would eat every part of the animal, including the organ meats. So, if you shot a polar bear and ate every part of the bear, specifically its liver, you could die from vitamin D intoxication because a polar bear’s liver contains enough vitamin D to kill you. However, this 76-year-old lady, and others in Boston, had not recently traveled to the Arctic or Antarctica, nor had any of them shot a polar bear and eaten its liver. So, authorities turned to a physician who was a vitamin D researcher. He asked for samples of the milk that these people had been drinking.

Milk, straight from the cow, does not contain vitamin D. But the processed milk bought from a local grocery store contains 400 IU (international units) of vitamin D in an 8-ounce serving. This is such a small dose of vitamin D that a person can drink a lot of milk without the fear of being harmed. After testing the milk samples, the researcher found that there were variable amounts of vitamin D in the different milk samples. Some of the milk samples had 250,000 IU per quart (the most common dosage of vitamin D prescribed today is 5,000 IU per day minimum).

The researcher went to the plant where the milk was processed. Milk is generally processed in 250-gallon vats. A small amount of vitamin D was added to these vats by a plant employee. He found that this employee was careless. Before adding vitamin D to the milk, he was to dilute it first, but didn’t. Because of the actions of one person, and a small amount of undiluted vitamin D, a healthy 76-year-old woman died, along with a little child and others.

Size Does Matter

A few years ago, a British airliner took off from London heading out over the Atlantic Ocean. After reaching cruising altitude, the pilot released his seat belt and stood up to stretch. At that precise moment, the pilot-side windshield blew out. Cruising altitude for a commercial airliner is 33,000–42,000 feet, so a breach anywhere in the plane would cause a catastrophic depressurization. Wind like a hurricane blew into the cockpit, grabbed the pilot, and shoved him out through the now-open windshield.

The copilot was still buckled in his seat, but he lunged forward grabbing the pilot’s feet before he was completely ejected. He yelled for help, and several people came into the cockpit to help save the pilot. The wind was so strong that they were unable to pull the pilot back into the cockpit, but they held onto him with all their strength. The copilot radioed a mayday back to London and informed them he needed to immediately return to London for an emergency landing. Air traffic control responded that they would clear the air space and a runway so that he could come straight in. The copilot returned to London, landed the plane, and the pilot’s life was saved.

An investigation was immediately opened to determine what caused the windshield to fail. They found that the plane had been in for maintenance the day before and that a new windshield had been installed. During the replacement of the windshield, the maintenance technician did not have the manufacturer-specified screws, but he did have screws that were very similar in size, so he had used these rather than taking the time to obtain the correct screws. You really couldn’t tell there was a difference between the two types of screws, and everything fit together (or so it seemed); but I’m sure that if you asked that pilot, he would tell you that not using the manufacturer-specified screws made a big difference.

The Smallest Thing Can Have the Biggest Consequence

On January 28, 1986, the space shuttle Challenger lifted off from the launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida, at 11:39 a.m. At 46,000 feet above the Atlantic, 73 seconds into the launch, the spacecraft exploded and disintegrated. After an extensive investigation, it was determined that the explosion occurred due to the failure of the primary and secondary “redundant O-ring seals in a joint in the shuttle’s right solid rocket booster.” The O-ring seal is a circular gasket that should have sealed the right rocket booster, but the gasket—affected by the cold temperatures overnight—had become stiff reducing its ability to properly seal the joint.

(Sources: wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Shuttle_Challenger_disaster; priceonomics.com/the-space-shuttle-challenger-explosion-and-the-o)

What Price to Do Right

Have you ever studied the Sabbath with someone and they say, “Well, as long as I keep one day out of seven, I don’t think it matters which day.” A few years ago, I was contacted by a man—I will call him Jim—who said he and his wife had been watching the Steps to Life television program for years, and they wanted to become Seventh-day Adventists. So my wife and I began Bible studies with them and their two teenage children.

After two or three visits, Jim told us that he worked at a local aircraft company on second shift. His workday ended at 10:00 p.m. Now that he would be a Seventh-day Adventist, he asked if he could still work until 10:00 on Friday nights. I told Jim that working on the Sabbath, even for a short space of time, would be a violation of God’s law. The Bible says, “from evening until evening, you shall celebrate your Sabbath.” Leviticus 23:32. Jim asked me to explain when is evening. “At evening when the sun sets.” Mark 1:32, first part. However, I told him that there were other people in his same situation for whom I had written letters to the aircraft companies on their behalf, and that the companies had given them Sabbath off from sundown Friday night to sundown Sabbath night. These individuals were allowed to work extra hours on Sundays or other arrangements had been made so that they could work their full hours, without having to work on the Sabbath. I told Jim I would be willing to write such a letter on his behalf.

Jim’s family had a very nice home and very nice automobiles; they had a lot of nice things. However, most of it wasn’t yet paid for, and it was necessary for both he and his wife to work full-time jobs to meet their obligations. The family decided that they did not want to take the risk that Jim might lose his job over the Sabbath, and they ended the Bible studies.

Sadly, this is not an isolated case. “Please give me a dispensation so I can do this. It’s just a few hours. It seems like such a small thing.” But is it? Human reasoning seeks the path of least resistance, the least amount of risk. I want to do what is right, but do I really have to give up something to do it?

My father was the credit manager for a local community hospital in Washington state. His boss, the business manager, wanted regularity in the work schedule, and he made a rule that everyone would work from 9:00 to 5:00 Monday through Friday. My father went to the business manager to ask to be off from sundown Friday until sundown Saturday. He explained that he was willing to work extra on Sunday or extra hours on the other workdays, or whatever schedule the business manager might want to arrange for him. However, the manager was unwilling to make the allowance for him, and he told my father he would have to find another job, so my father began looking. A day or so later, the business manager realized that my father was serious, and that he would actually find another job. So he arranged for my father to work—during the winter months—from 9:00 to 12:00 every Friday and then work four or five hours on Sunday to make up his time.

Are You Committed?

I had a problem of my own keeping the Sabbath. No matter how I tried, I always seemed to be late getting ready for the Sabbath by just a few minutes. For years I struggled with this. Eventually, I had to ask myself, Am I always going to be late? I realized that I could be late or I could be early, either way the choice was mine. Making the decision to be early provides time for mishaps or troubles to be resolved, and now I am always ready for the Sabbath before the sun goes down.

Little Things Seem Unimportant, but a Little Thing Can Change Everything

Just moments before departure, the crew master of the Titanic was replaced. He left the ship, but unfortunately for the passengers and crew, he took with him, forgotten in his pocket, the key to the locker where the binoculars were kept. Had he handed off the key to the new crew master, it’s possible that the iceberg would have been spotted sooner, giving the ship much-needed time to steer away from it. (Source: intellectualtakeout.org/2017/07/10-small-events-that-changed-the-course-of-history.)

The story of Lot is an amazing Bible story. Lot lived in Sodom. Because of the wicked and sexually-charged lifestyle in Sodom, Lot decided that he needed to do something to protect strangers who ventured to the city. It became his custom to sit at the city gate every evening, and if travelers passed by, he would invite them to his house.

The Bible records that one night two strangers came to the city gate. Lot extended the hospitality of his home for the night, but they said that they would find shelter in the city. Lot pressed upon them that they really needed to come to his house. So, they did, and in doing so, they saved Lot’s life and the lives of his two daughters. However, they—angels disguised as men—weren’t able to save everyone in his family, but not because they didn’t have the power to save them. If the angels had been able to find even ten people in Sodom willing to be saved, the entire city would have been spared. And this, you see, is God’s problem: He offers salvation and makes it possible for every single person in the world to be saved, but only a few accept His offer.

We Cannot See What God Sees

Human beings look on the outside. If we can see it, touch it, smell it, taste it, hear it, then we can believe it. However, this outward focus makes us unable to perceive what we cannot physically discern and, consequently, we make many erroneous judgments. One of these is in estimating a person’s value based on the kind of work he or she does, the culture that he or she comes from, the church he or she attends, his or her gender, or the color of his or her skin. Many people do very important things, but society casts them as of little value because what they do does not appear important when looked upon from an outward perspective only.

One major example of this error in judgment occurs with regard to women. Society today generally asserts that if a woman wants to be important, she must obtain a college education, cultivate a career, seek out positions that hold the greatest worldly importance and influence. The position and work that God gave to Eve and to all her female posterity after her—that of being a wife and mother—is of the greatest importance of all. Society states that motherhood is not a job, and consequently, women who work from sunup to sundown in keeping the home and raising the children are valued far below a female executive making a six-figure salary.

“The mother seldom appreciates her own work, and frequently sets so low an estimate upon her labor that she regards it as domestic drudgery. She goes through the same round day after day, week after week, with no special marked results. She cannot tell, at the close of the day, the many little things she has accomplished. Placed beside her husband’s achievement, she feels that she has done nothing worth mentioning.

“The father frequently comes in with a self-satisfied air, and proudly recounts what he has accomplished through the day. His remarks show that now he must be waited upon by the mother, for she has not done much except take care of the children, cook the meals, and keep the house in order. She has not acted the merchant, bought nor sold; she has not acted the farmer, in tilling the soil; she has not acted the mechanic—therefore she has done nothing to make her weary. He criticizes and censures and dictates as though he was the lord of creation. And this is all the more trying to the wife and mother, because she has become very weary at her post of duty during the day, and yet she cannot see what she has done, and is really disheartened.

“Could the veil be withdrawn, and father and mother see as God sees the work of the day, and see how His infinite eye compares the work of the one with that of the other, they would be astonished at the heavenly revelation. The father would view his labors in a more modest light, while the mother would have new courage and energy to pursue her labor with wisdom, perseverance, and patience. Now she knows its value. While the father has been dealing with the things which must perish and pass away, the mother has been dealing with developing minds and character, working not only for time but for eternity. Her work, if done faithfully in God, will be immortalized.” The Signs of the Times, September 13, 1877

Day by day

You and I are building a character. What we repeatedly do, whether it be our thoughts, words, or actions, becomes a habit, and it is these habits that make up our characters. There are many pastors and churches that talk as though a good character is not that important. Yet, character is so important to Jesus that He went to the cross so that He could restore in us the image [character] of God. We aren’t talking about a physical image—fingers, hands, feet, legs, and all the other physical parts of the body. Character is developed in the heart and mind of a person by the in-working of the Holy Spirit. We will receive a new body when Jesus comes, but receiving a new heart and mind happens here and now. A right character is the only thing we take with us to the next life (Christ’s Object Lessons, 332). “Our characters are now forming for eternity. Here on earth we are training for heaven.” Testimonies, Vol. 6, 268. We can’t take it if we don’t already have it. When we see Jesus, coming in the clouds of glory, we will already have a character fit for heaven, or we will never have one at all.

Jesus said, “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every man according as his work shall be.” Revelation 22:12. So, when I see Jesus, my character will either be fit for heaven, or it won’t.

“The beautiful, well-balanced symmetrical character is developed by individual acts of duty. The character is formed by the conscientious attention to the little things of life, courteous acts of kindness, unselfish deeds of charity. Kind words make the life beautiful and noble; for in them is the spirit that pervades heaven.” The Signs of the Times, December 12, 1878

Character is Perfected by the Little Things

“True love is not a strong, fiery, impetuous passion. On the contrary, it is calm and deep in its nature. It looks beyond mere externals and is attracted by qualities alone. It is wise and discriminating, and its devotion is real and abiding. God tests and proves us by the common occurrences of life. It is the little things which reveal the chapters of the heart. It is the little attentions, the numerous small incidents and simple courtesies of life, that make up the sum of life’s happiness; and it is the neglect of kindly, encouraging, affectionate words, and the little courtesies of life, which help compose the sum of life’s wretchedness. It will be found at last that the denial of self for the good and happiness of those around us constitutes a large share of the life record in heaven. And the fact will also be revealed that the care of self, irrespective of the good and happiness of others, is not beneath the notice of our heavenly Father.” Testimonies, Vol. 2, 133, 134

God uses the everyday things to test us. Our characters are not shaped by one momentous event, but by the many day-in-and-day-out things that we encounter and our responses to them. It is these small tests that strengthen our character to meet the greater tests. Some people have never learned how to handle, or just don’t care about, the small things. If a task is big enough and worth their time, they will commit themselves whole-heartedly to its completion, but those little things, the feeling is that they are just so small. With or without them, they would make no difference. But, remember the pilot hanging out of the cockpit window at 33,000 feet? That small, very specific screw made a huge difference to him, and the small things will make a significant difference to us as we develop a character that reflects the character of Christ.

Remember Daniel and the three worthies? They committed to follow God’s diet even in their captivity in Babylon. Not such a big thing. But do you suppose that their faithfulness in this smaller matter—and many others, I imagine, throughout their lives—prepared the way for their decision to stand faithful on the Plain of Dura, to risk the fiery furnace? For Daniel to continue faithfully to raise his eyes and voice in prayer, praising God, despite the risk of being thrown into the lions’ den?

What you and I consider little is not necessarily what God thinks is little. How does God measure what is small and what is great? Remember the widow with her two mites (Luke 21:1–4)? As Jesus watched the rich putting money in the treasury, He saw this poor woman place her two mites in as well. Small as the gift was, He told His disciples that she had given the greater gift. The rich gave gifts, but there was no sacrifice for them in doing so. But with this woman, these two mites were all she had. She sacrificed her all to help further God’s work. It is not the size of the gift or even the giving of a gift, but rather the motive of the heart that gives it. This is how character is determined.

We need to ask for the spiritual discernment we need so that we can examine ourselves and with clarity see if there is any little thing that prevents us from having a character that will pass the judgment.

“Examine yourselves whether you are in the faith.” 2 Corinthians 13:5

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.

Disinterested Benevolence

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There is a phrase one encounters in reading the Spirit of Prophecy that might fall somewhat curiously on the ears when first encountered. Continued reading and study will help you to gain a fairly good understanding of the concept expressed in the phrase, and the more one comes to understand it, the more you may realize that you don’t practice it as much as you should.

It was one of several concepts presented in the Spirit of Prophecy that, although perhaps understood in a shallow way by the world, has a depth of meaning that the inspired writings of Ellen G. White make unmistakably clear.

One such concept is “presumption.” You could probably ask a dozen strangers to explain presumption for you and not one would state that it is Satan’s counterfeit of faith. Yet that aspect of the word is explored and explained in great detail in inspired writings.

The phrase that might initially provoke a bit of puzzlement is “disinterested benevolence.” If you are a long-term Seventh-day Adventist, the phrase is undoubtedly familiar to you and probably well understood. However, when initially encountered, its full meaning might be a bit of an enigma. It isn’t too hard to understand either “disinterested” or “benevolence,” but, putting the two together might cause a bit of puzzlement.

However, its relative frequent appearance in the Spirit of Prophecy and the significance placed on it in inspired writings, should provoke deep study to ferret out its broader meaning and help determine why such emphasis is placed on it in divine counsel.

Let’s start our study by reading a few quotes that contain the phrase.

Speaking of Christ, it reads, “His life was without selfish interest, but ever marked with disinterested benevolence.” Early Writings, 268

If Christ is to be our example in all things, it seems self-evident that disinterested benevolence is a character trait that all of His followers need to possess. And this passage also makes it clear that disinterested benevolence is the opposite of selfish interest, and thus we begin to understand the phrase: selfish interest on one hand … disinterested benevolence on the other.

“I saw that it is in the providence of God that widows and orphans, the blind, the deaf, the lame, and persons afflicted in a variety of ways, have been placed in close Christian relationship to His church; it is to prove His people and develop their true character.” Testimonies, Vol. 3, 511

This is why the poor will always be with us—to prove God’s people and develop their true character.

“Angels of God are watching to see how we treat these persons who need our sympathy, love, and disinterested benevolence. This is God’s test of our character. If we have the true religion of the Bible we shall feel that a debt of love, kindness, and interest is due to Christ in behalf of His brethren; and we can do no less than to show our gratitude for His immeasurable love to us while we were sinners unworthy of His grace, by having a deep interest and unselfish love for those who are our brethren and who are less fortunate than ourselves.” Ibid.

This passage places disinterested benevolence on an equal standing with sympathy and love, thereby indicating how important it is as an aspect of Christian character. It should also give us a little more depth to our understanding by revealing that it involves a “deep interest and unselfish love” for those who are less fortunate than ourselves.

In continuing to search for the phrase in inspired writings, it is interesting to note that, although the exact phrase occurs only once in The Desire of Ages, the concept is a recurring theme and is described as a character trait that served as one of the reasons for Christ’s rejection by the established church in His day.

“Jesus had now given three years of public labor to the world. His example of self-denial and disinterested benevolence was before them. His life of purity, of suffering and devotion, was known to all. Yet this short period of three years was as long as the world could endure the presence of its Redeemer.” Op. Cit., 541. He was simply too good for the world to tolerate!

We see in this passage, however, that disinterested benevolence involves self-denial. That is confirmed in another passage in inspired writings. Written to an Elder Hull in 1863, he initially acknowledged that it was just counsel, but he later protested against it and eventually left the faith.

“God’s people will be sifted, even as corn is sifted in a sieve, until all the chaff is separated from the pure kernels of grain. We are to look to Christ for an example and imitate the humble pattern. You do not feel reconciled to the discipline you need and do not exercise and practice that self-denial which Christ requires of those who are truly heirs of salvation. Those who are engaged in the work of saving souls are coworkers with Christ. His was a work of disinterested benevolence, of constant self-sacrifice. Those who have had so great a sacrifice made for them that they might become partakers of His heavenly grace should in their turn sacrifice and deny self to aid in the great work of bringing others to the knowledge of the truth. Self-interest should be laid aside; selfish desires and self-comfort should not now stand in the way of God’s work in saving souls.” Testimonies, Vol. 1, 431

Self-interest, selfish desires, and self-comfort—avoiding these character traits is directly contrary to the human heart, which is naturally motivated by selfish, self-serving interests. To state it differently, these three traits are common to the natural heart—and are so from birth!

In addressing this aspect of human nature, Inspiration states this:

“There exists in the hearts of many an element of selfishness which clings to them like the leprosy. They have so long consulted their own wishes, their own pleasure and convenience, that they do not feel that others have claims upon them. Their thoughts, plans, and efforts are for themselves. They live for self, and do not cultivate disinterested benevolence, which if exercised, would increase and strengthen until it would be their delight to live for others’ good. This selfishness must be seen and overcome, for it is a grievous sin in the sight of God. They need to exercise a more special interest for humanity; and in thus doing, they would bring their souls into closer connection with Christ, and would be imbued with His Spirit, so that they would cleave to Him with so firm a tenacity that nothing could separate them from His love.” In Heavenly Places, 232

The prime example of disinterested benevolence in Scripture is the classic story of the Good Samaritan. In an in-depth analysis of this event, there is a two-part series in The Signs of the Times, July 16 and 23, 1894, in which Mrs. White explores the many lessons to be learned from this story.

“After Christ had shown up the cruelty and selfishness manifested by the representatives of the nation [the priest and the Levite who had passed by on the other side], he brought forward the Samaritan, who was despised, hated, and cursed by the Jews, and set him before them as one who possessed attributes of character far superior to those possessed by those who claimed exalted righteousness. The Samaritan manifested the pity and love that the priest and Levite gave no evidence of possessing. He gave a demonstration that he had a heart that could feel for suffering humanity, that he had nobility of soul to show mercy to one whom he knew not, that his love was of the right quality, flowing out in disinterested benevolence, and making him treat the wounded stranger as he would desire to be treated were he placed in similar circumstances.”

And then she adds, “Everyone who claims to be a child of God should note every detail of this lesson.” Ibid., July 23, 1894

If there is ever a time when our interests should be outwardly directed and when every detail of this lesson should be understood and practiced, it is now as we see ever more clearly, that the Lord’s coming is drawing nearer each day. We must commit to utilizing every opportunity to practice a bit of disinterested benevolence and to spread abroad the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

John R. Pearson is the office manager and a board member of Steps to Life. He may be contacted by email at johnpearson@stepstolife.org

How to be Ready in an Emergency

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One day last fall, I earnestly prayed to the Lord that somehow we could be ready to survive yet another winter in Maine with its onslaught of heavy snow, wind, rain, and ice. We had heard that the upcoming winter would be very severe. The leaves began to fall in late August, and it had rained day after day for months, only leaving a short window of time to accomplish all the outdoor tasks that would have taken all summer to do. I must redeem the time lost. I know that combining my efforts with God’s supervision, I can accomplish much.

This has also reminded me to continue to ask the Lord to help us survive the winter of perilous and overwhelming events of these last days. The end time events are so rapidly unfolding all around us—floods, earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, and every manner of turmoil and destruction—that we can scarcely keep up. Inspiration tells us that last day events will happen rapidly. The last hours of Earth’s history are upon us, and the events that are rapidly approaching will try our souls in ways that we cannot even now imagine. We must continue to plead with the Lord, putting all our faith in Him to make us ready to meet every emergency that is to come.

As that old hymn says, “Can we look up and say, this is our Lord? Are we ready for Jesus to come?” We can be, friends, yes, we can be. The Lord presents every possible avenue for heart and soul readiness with Bible study, prayer, and working to save others. Only with our focus continually on Jesus will we make it through to the kingdom. If we do all we can do, and if we will be all that we can be in Jesus, we can know beyond all certainty, Satan will lose the war, and we will win the crown.

“The faith of Asa was put to a severe test when ‘Zerah, the Ethiopian with a host of a thousand thousand, and three hundred chariots,’ invaded his kingdom. 2 Chronicles 14:9. In this crisis, Asa did not put his trust in the ‘fenced cities in Judah’ that he had built with ‘walls, and towers, grates, and bars,’ nor in the ‘mighty men of valor’ in his carefully-trained army. Verses 6–9. The king’s trust was in Jehovah in whose name marvelous deliverances had been wrought in behalf of Israel of old. Setting his forces in battle array, he sought the help of God.

“The opposing armies now stood face to face. It was a time of test and trial to those who served the Lord. Had every sin been confessed? Had the men of Judah placed their full confidence in God’s power to deliver? Such thoughts as these were in the minds of the leaders. From every human viewpoint the vast host of Egypt would sweep everything before it. But in time of peace, Asa had not given himself to amusement and pleasure; he had been preparing for any emergency. He had an army trained for conflict; he had endeavored to lead his people to make their peace with God. And now, although his forces were fewer in number than the enemy, his faith in the One whom he had made his trust did not weaken.

“Having sought the Lord in the days of prosperity, the king could now rely upon Him in the day of adversity. His petitions showed that he was not a stranger to God’s wonderful power. ‘It is nothing with Thee to help,’ he pleaded, ‘whether with many or with them that have no power: help us, O Lord our God; for we rest on Thee, and in Thy name go against this multitude. Oh Lord, Thou art our God; let not man prevail against Thee.’ Verse 11.” Prophets and Kings, 110, 111

There is but one way to face the coming events, for “Satan is constantly alluring away from faithfulness and thoroughness in the essential works of preparedness for the great event that will try every person’s soul. …

“[But] heavenly angels are at work constantly to draw human beings, the living agents, to look to Jesus, to contemplate and meditate upon Jesus, that they may, in viewing the perfection of Christ, be impressed with the imperfections of their characters. …

“Talk as Christ talked. Work as Christ worked. We must look to Christ and live. Catching sight of His loveliness, we long to practice the virtues and righteousness of Christ. It is by beholding Christ that we become changed into His image, and by renouncing self, giving our hearts up wholly to Jesus for His Spirit to refine, ennoble, and elevate, we will be in close connection with the future world, bathed in the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness. We rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory. …

“… He urges us by the love we bear to Him to keep His commandments. He does this, not to urge us to do impossible things, but because He knows what it means to keep His Father’s commandments. He wants every soul that heareth His invitation to say the same to others, and to receive His richest gifts, for He knows that in keeping the commandments of God, we are not brought into servile bondage, but are made free through the blood of Jesus Christ.

“Tell it to others with pen and voice, with piety, with humility, with love, representing the character of Christ.” To Be Like Jesus, 259

This, friends, is how to be ready.