Daily Living

The Secret of a Happy Home

by

We are living in a time when there is a greater fracture in the family than probably any time in Earth’s history. The consequences affect the family, the church, society in general, even the entire nation. In fact, it seems almost universal.

“And when he [Barnabas] had found him [Saul], he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.” Acts 11:26. These were disciples of Jesus. The name was given to these individuals by others who observed their lives and saw how like Christ they were. We also find it referred to later in the New Testament.

“Do they [the rich] not blaspheme that noble [royal] name by which you are called?” James 2:7. Christian is that royal name.

“Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter.” 1 Peter 4:16

Why were they called Christians?

The people in Antioch talked about Christ and His life on Earth. They loved to recount His teachings and also how He lived by example. They shared the closing scenes of His life, and, with quivering lip, would tell what He suffered in Gethsemane. They told of that horrible night before the crucifixion—His multiple trials, the scourging, the spitting, the shame. They explained why Christ had to be crucified—the atonement sacrifice needed to be made for all in order that they might receive forgiveness. As the people of Athens heard what they said, saw how they lived their lives, they could see that their character was just like the One they spoke about and sought to emulate. They were just like Christ and they were given the name Christian.

What does it mean to be a Christian?

“Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” 1 John 3:1, 2

This divine promise is one of the most wonderful in all the Bible. If I am a child of God, then I will look up and see Jesus coming, realizing that He has made me like Him.

If that is my hope, what am I to do?

“Everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” Verse 3

“He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk as He walked.” 1 John 2:6

The secret to having a happy home is when every member of the family desires to be like Jesus.

We are all different, possessing different temperaments and characteristics. But whatever these may be, we can be sanctified and can reflect the character of Christ. So, what happens in the home if every member has the character of Christ?

How to have a happy home. The principle of order.

Order means having a place and time for things. God teaches this in the ten commandments, specifically in the fourth commandment. “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” When the Sabbath starts, we don’t want to be doing our traveling, or making a quick run to the grocery store for a couple of forgotten, last-minute items, or ironing a dress or shirt. We want all that done during the week or on Friday, preparation day. When you try to do too much work, the result is that you stay up late. This results in sleeping in the next morning. Consider this, if you try to do too much on Friday, you will likely be late for Sabbath. And should this become a continuous pattern, you will develop the habit of always being late to church.

Our bodies have internal clocks called circadian rhythms. For instance, if I am accustomed to eating at 7am, a habit I have cultivated day after day, the circadian rhythms instruct my body to begin to secrete digestive juices into my stomach right around 7am.

If I habitually go to bed at 9pm, but one night go to bed at 7pm, I am likely to lay awake for two hours. Then around 9pm, my circadian alarm instructs my body to secrete melatonin and before long, I will drift off to sleep.

For our bodies to be healthy and work efficiently, we need regularity, and the Bible teaches us this using the Sabbath. Most of the time, God leaves it to us to decide when we eat, work, play, or sleep, but not the Sabbath. As a God of order, He set the specific times, sundown on the sixth day through sundown on the seventh day, for Sabbath to begin and end. Time setting came into existence by watching the heavenly bodies. God allows individual churches to establish the time to start Sabbath School and worship service. Do you think that God will have a set time for Sabbath services to begin when we are in heaven? To be sure you are on time for church service in heaven, it would be a good idea to get in the habit of being on time to church here. The Christian religion involves some logistical planning.

It is a good practice to make rules that will bring order into your life and home; rules that are in harmony with divine principles. As far as time is concerned, we have three options: early, on time, or late. Unless we develop the habit of being a few minutes early or at least on time, it will be too easy to be late. This affects every facet of our lives. If I am habitually late to church, then I will be habitually late to work and other commitments.

There must be order in the home. Irregularity does not promote happiness in a family. So, remember this principle, the more order you have in your home, the happier your family will be.

Am I like Jesus?

Has every member of the family made the decision to be like Jesus? If so, that family, by the grace of God, will grow in happiness.

Speech.

“He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.” Proverbs 16:32

“Do not hasten in your spirit to be angry, for anger rests in the bosom of fools.” Ecclesiastes 7:9

Am I in control of my speech or do I lose my temper? If I cannot control my temper and what I say, I am a fool.

“The Lord God has given Me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear to hear as the learned.” Isaiah 50:4

There are people all around us, including in our own family, who are weary. Encouragement, tenderness, kindness, the words Jesus spoke, will help relieve the weariness they feel and help lighten the load they carry, the trials they must face.

Do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God.

“He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” Micah 6:8

Families who live by those three principles, will have decided to do right because it is right. They will be humble, forgiving, compassionate, caring. If every family member walks humbly with God, the entire family will be transformed.

Gentleness, meekness, and kindness.

“ ‘Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle [meek, humble] and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.’ ” Matthew 11:28–30

The family is where we should be the most gentle with each other. There will be no harsh speaking or rough acting.

“Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another.” Romans 12:10

We live in a world desperate for a little kindness. Some receive very little at home, work, even church. Imagine what a home would be like if everyone in the family practiced kindness toward each other.

“I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.” Verse 3

Consider others as better than yourself. Be humble.

In 1 Corinthians 13, the love chapter, verses 4–7 outline the characteristics that if brought into the life and family will transform most homes.

“Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up [not arrogant]; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked [irritated], thinks no evil [does not dwell on evil]; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”

Where there is trouble in the family, it is almost certain that one or more of these characteristics aren’t being followed. Many people quote this chapter, but truly do not understand what the words mean. These verses are worth some serious study if you want to have a happy home.

“Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you.” Ephesians 4:29–32

“And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. …

“For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. …

“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.” Ephesians 5:2, 5, 8

“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ‘Honor your father and mother,’ which is the first commandment with promise: ‘that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.’ And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.” Ephesians 6:1–4

“I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to have a walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing [enduring] with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” Ephesians 4:1–3

“Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing will be there. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” James 3:13–18

If we would read and study these verses, our homes would become a little heaven on Earth.

The Spirit of Prophecy tells us how to have a happy home.

The Spirit of Prophecy contains a wealth of knowledge regarding how to solve domestic difficulties. The chapter “The Builders of the Home” in The Ministry of Healing can turn things around in homes where conflict and unhappiness have reigned. But understand, transforming a family in turmoil and crisis does not happen overnight.

“Love cannot long exist without expression. Let not the heart of one connected with you starve for the want of kindness and sympathy.

“Though difficulties, perplexities, and discouragements may arise, let neither husband nor wife harbor the thought that their union is a mistake or a disappointment. Determine to be all that it is possible to be to each other. Continue the early attentions. In every way encourage each other in fighting the battles of life. Study to advance the happiness of each other. Let there be mutual love, mutual forbearance. Then marriage, instead of being the end of love, will be as it were the very beginning of love. The warmth of true friendship, the love that binds heart to heart, is a foretaste of the joys of heaven.

“Around every family there is a sacred circle that should be kept unbroken. Within this circle no other person has a right to come. Let not the husband or the wife permit another to share the confidences that belong solely to themselves.

“Let each give love rather than exact it. Cultivate that which is noblest in yourselves, and be quick to recognize the good qualities in each other. The consciousness of being appreciated is a wonderful stimulus and satisfaction. Sympathy and respect encourage the striving after excellence, and love itself increases as it stimulates to nobler aims.” The Ministry of Healing, 360, 361

Satan’s suggestions.

“How many there are who reveal selfishness and unkindness in their dealings with one another. How many professing Christians seem never to be satisfied unless they are engaged in strife. How many home circles are broken because the members receive and act upon Satan’s suggestions.” The Upward Look, 163

Satan has had access to the descendants of Adam and Eve for 6,000 years. He injects his suggestions into our minds, and we must exert the greatest amount of human effort to resist them—quote scripture, pray, sing a hymn. We must rely on the Lord to provide the power He has promised to accomplish what is beyond our feeble human strength and will to do. Only in this way can the devil’s voice be expelled from our minds.

Words and thoughts.

“No unpleasant words are spoken in heaven.” Ibid.

If I am preparing to go to heaven, but have a habit of speaking unpleasant words, what must I do? A radical change must occur in my heart (Matthew 12:24) if I want to talk as Jesus talked. When Jesus came to this world as a man, Inspiration tells us that it was heaven to be in His presence. When He spoke, people were blessed. So, if I want to be in heaven, I must first learn to speak without speaking unpleasant things.

“There [in heaven] no unkind thoughts are cherished.” Ibid.

Do you have unkind thoughts about somebody in your family because of something they have said or done that’s wrong?

“There envy, evil surmising, hatred, and strife find no place.” Ibid.

Envy, evil surmising, hatred, and strife have no place in heaven. If I harbor ill feelings toward someone in my family, if I am willing to carry tales about a sister or brother, or if I feel hatred that breeds strife in the family, am I ready for heaven? If I want to be in perfect harmony with heaven, then I must surrender my will and allow the Holy Spirit to effect a transformation that will result in harmony rather than strife in my home.

“Perfect harmony pervades the heavenly courts.” Ibid.

Families all around the world are suffering and many are on the verge of collapse. If they would read and follow the counsel and guidance provided in the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy, tremendous changes would be seen in each family member and the home.

What is needed?

In order to spend eternity in heaven, our hearts must first be in harmony with the atmosphere of heaven while we are still living here, only then can we be physically taken to heaven.

“Well does Satan know what heaven is … . His work is to bring into every family the cruel elements of self-will, harshness, selfishness. Thus, he seeks to destroy the happiness of the family. He knows that the spirit governing in the home will be brought into the church.” Ibid.

The devil knows what heaven is like so he endeavors to bring into every family every cruel element imaginable. One of the biggest reasons there is so much trouble in the churches of God’s people, is because the spirit governing in the home will be brought into the church. We have strife in the families, which then brings strife into the church, too.

“When tempted to murmur, censure, and indulge in fretfulness, wounding those around you, and in so doing wounding your own soul, oh! let the deep, earnest, anxious inquiry come from your soul, Shall I stand without fault before the throne of God? Only the faultless will be there. None will be translated to heaven while their hearts are filled with the rubbish of earth. Every defect in the moral character must first be remedied, every stain removed by the cleansing blood of Christ, and all the unlovely, unlovable traits of character overcome.

“How long a time are you designing to take to prepare to be introduced into the society of heavenly angels in glory? In the state which you and your family are in at present, all heaven would be marred should you be introduced therein. The work for you must be done here. This earth is the fitting-up place. You have not one moment to lose. All is harmony, peace, and love in heaven. No discord, no strife, no censuring, no unloving words, no clouded brows, no jars there; and no one will be introduced there who possesses any of these elements so destructive to peace and happiness. Study to be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate, laying up for yourselves a good foundation against the time to come, that you may lay hold on everlasting life.” Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 1, 705, 706

“Let the father and mother always be guarded in their words and actions. The husband is to treat his wife, the mother of his children, with due respect, and the wife is to love and reverence her husband. How can she do this if he treats her like a servant, to be dictated to, ordered about, scolded, found fault with before the children? He is forcing her to dislike him and even to hate him. …

“Fathers and mothers, bring sweetness and brightness and hopefulness into the lives of your children. Kindness and love will work wonders. Never punish a child in anger.” The Upward Look, 163

Death to self.

What shall we do to be saved? What conduct will show that we are acceptable to God?

“You must experience a death to self, and must live unto God. ‘If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.’ Self is not to be consulted. Pride, self-love, selfishness, avarice, covetousness, love of the world, hatred, suspicion, jealousy, evil surmisings, must all be subdued and sacrificed forever. When Christ shall appear, it will not be to correct these evils and then give a moral fitness for His coming. This preparation must all be made before He comes. …

“Forever cease your murmurings … let your soul’s burden be, how to secure the better life than this, a title to the mansions prepared for those who are true and faithful to the end. If you make a mistake here, everything is lost. …

“[The] trials of life are God’s workmen to remove the impurities, infirmities, and roughness from our characters, and fit us for the society of pure, heavenly angels in glory. But as we pass through these trials, as the fires of affliction kindle upon us, we must not keep the eye on the fire which is seen, but let the eye of faith fasten upon the things unseen, the eternal inheritance, the immortal life, the eternal weight of glory; and while we do this the fire will not consume us, but only remove the dross, and we shall come forth seven times purified, bearing the impress of the Divine.” Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 1, 705–707

I must ask myself, am I ready for heaven or not? Do I speak and act as one who is heaven bound? Friend, our first day in heaven will be the same as our last day on earth. We are pilgrims and strangers passing through this world. It is here that we prepare to leave this world behind and arrive finally in a better country. But first, we must learn to speak, think, and act as the angels who currently live in heaven do. If I myself learn to be Christlike in my home, then my home will be a little heaven on Earth.

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.

We All Have Idols

by

My mother was just a child when her family became Adventists. She raised me and my brother in Adventism, and it is the only religious doctrine I have believed to be true. However, like so many other Christian religions around the world, even Adventism has strayed from the principles of Bible truth. Let’s look at one area where the church has become quite slack: modesty and the wearing of jewelry.

This will not be a comprehensive study on the wearing of jewelry, but an example of how we can easily create idols, though sometimes totally unaware.

My mother raised me with the belief, according to historic Adventism, that wearing jewelry of any kind was biblically wrong, and, except for a short period of time during my misspent youth, I have not worn jewelry, nor have I really had a desire to wear it. I have always viewed jewelry as being necklaces, rings, bracelets, earrings, and piercings. It never occurred to me that watches, pins, and even scarves could be looked upon as jewelry or adornment.

Let me share a couple of experiences to illustrate my point.

Both my mother and I loved to wear pins. We often wore suits, and a pretty pin displayed on the lapel seemed to be the perfect finishing touch. But one Sabbath, when a new Adventist came to my mother at church and asked how a sparkly pin was any different from a necklace or a ring, it challenged my mother to reconsider her thoughts.

We discussed this conversation and realized that this babe in Christ saw more clearly than we did. Our conclusion? No more pins. It was hard to give them up, but we felt that God had used this experience to make us aware of a darling sin that needed to be overcome. It also helped us to better understand that things that we didn’t see as being wrong could be a stumbling block for someone else. So, they had to go.

This experience also convicted us about the watches we wore. Both of us had a large assortment of watches, some you could call utilitarian, but others were shiny with different stones or fancy tooling. We decided that it wasn’t only the amount of bling on a watch that might make it inappropriate, but also the fact that we both had spent a great deal of money on our individual watch collections, just as we had on our pins.

Another experience was with an older, non-Adventist woman. I used to wear scarves—a trend in the ‘80s and ‘90s. One day, I folded a scarf and tied a knot in the middle, then tied it around my neck so that the knot hung down against my chest. I thought it looked very stylish, but she asked me how wearing a scarf in that way was any different than wearing a necklace.

There really was no difference. The motivation in the way I dressed and presented myself was no different than the one adorning themselves with jewels. The way we dress reflects the spirit that motivates us and it would be wise to be aware of how we present ourselves and how that may be perceived by others.

The idea of having to be concerned about what other people think about us is concerning, however, the truth, from a spiritual perspective, is that our thoughts and actions must take into consideration the impressions we give to those around us that we don’t become a stumbling block to those seeking a  Christian lifestyle. What we do and say, how we appear before others, can all be effective in leading someone to Christ or causing them to turn away from Him, perhaps forever. “In all things show yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility, sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you.” Titus 2:7, 8

We must remember that anything we care about more than we care about God is an idol. God said, “You shall have no other gods before Me.” Exodus 20:3. An idol isn’t just a statue that people bow down before and worship. It doesn’t even have to be something that is bad for you. If God brings something to you, revealing to you that it is against His will and commandments to say it or do it, then, if we truly want to live according to His will, we must surrender these things to Him. Otherwise, they become an idol.

An idol can be food, a car, a house, exercise, jewelry, apparel, philosophies and doctrines, television, music, social media, the type of entertainment we pursue, a celebrity, sports, a hobby, or even a loved one. If any of these things, if anything—even things that aren’t necessarily bad—comes between you and your relationship with God and seeking always to do His will, then you have formed an idol before Him. All of these things are part of this world and because of sin, we tend to justify the need for them and for many other things.

A person could say, “But I must eat and wear clothing. I must have a home and a job. I must have a way to get to work and to church. I want to enjoy the beautiful things in this world.” All of these are blessings from God. But if all of our time, money, resources, affections, and energy are spent on things of this world, with little or nothing left for the development of a relationship with God and a Christ-like character, then we have made this world and the things in it our idol. You see, if we cling to these things, then how can God protect us, provide our necessities, when the time of trouble that is coming breaks over us like a crashing wave? Will we rely on our job or our home to protect us? Will we look to the money we’ve earned to buy food? If we put our trust in worldly things, then our faith is not grounded and anchored in God.

So, here is the truth (and I use “you” to represent us all):

If you prefer to spend your time watching television, playing online games, or being on social media rather than being in prayer and studying God’s word, then you may be creating an idol.

If you love foods that are not healthy for the body God created for you, or if you love good food, but eat to excess and are not interested in eating according to the guidance God has given—remember, our bodies are the temple of God (1 Corinthians 6:19)—then consider you may be creating an idol.

If you prefer to listen to music or spend your time and resources to attend concerts and buy CDs or downloads that draw your heart away from spiritual things, rather than devoting your time and resources to furthering the spreading of the gospel, then you may be creating an idol.

If you prefer to spend your time reading worldly books, magazines, and online websites rather than reading the Bible and other spiritual material that will bring you into a closer relationship with God, then you may be creating an idol.

If you buy a house that far exceeds your needs and means just because it’s the house you’ve always dreamed of, and it takes all your time and money for its upkeep and causes you to feel that you have nothing to help support your church’s outreach programs or the mission work—for we are to be God’s messengers of the gospel to the world (Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:15)—then you may be creating an idol.

If you have a closet overflowing with clothes and shoes and you keep buying more, if you are impeccably dressed, with bright, shiny jewelry, but pay little attention to the inward adornment of the heart, and do not pay tithe because you say you do not have enough money (Matthew 6:28–30; Malachi 3:8) , then you may be creating an idol.

If you look up to and revere an athlete or a movie or television celebrity and think, “I wish I could be just like them and have fame and fortune,” rather than seeking to be like Jesus and to store up your treasures in heaven, then you may be creating an idol.

If you are clinging to a philosophy or doctrine that misrepresents the character of God or is contrary to His commandments, arguing the point and cherishing it until your perception of God is the only reality you will believe and only keep the commandments you choose, then you may be creating an idol.

If you long for a relationship with your spouse, parent, sibling, child, or any other loved one to the exclusion of Jesus—as Adam did when he chose Eve over love and obedience to God (Matthew 10:37–39)—then you may be creating an idol.

There are many other ways to create idols because, in this world of sin, there are so many things that the devil uses to sway our attention away from obeying God’s commandments and seeking to have a saving relationship with Him. Sounds rigid, doesn’t it? The world screams, “You have too many rules. I want to be free!” But they don’t understand that bondage is found in sin and true freedom comes only by obeying God.

John the Beloved tells us to “… keep yourselves from idols.” 1 John 5:21

All who have spent their time and money chasing after the things of this world, if they are honest, must tell you that idols are demanding taskmasters, expensive, and they extract a heavy toll on the body, the pocketbook, and, saddest of all, spiritual growth.

Ask the Lord to reveal the areas in your life where you are prone to creating the idols that will steal from you your crown and everlasting life.

“If we would be spiritual worshipers of the true God, we must sacrifice every idol. … for they separate us from God.” The Review and Herald, July 15, 1884

“This matter is of great importance, and it is urged upon you to save you from the sin of idolatry. …

“Grasp the word of the Lord as the treasure of infinite wisdom and love; this is the Guidebook that points out the path to heaven. …

“You may sever yourself from every idol, and link yourself to the throne of God by the golden chain of grace and truth.” Maranatha, 48

“God has given us many things in this life upon which to bestow our affections, but when we carry to excess that which in itself is lawful we become idolaters. … Anything that separates our affections from God and lessens our interest in eternal things is an idol. Those who use the precious time given them by God—time that has been purchased at an infinite cost—in embellishing their homes for display, in following the fashions and customs of the world, are not only robbing their own souls of spiritual food, but are failing to give God His due. … God will not share a divided heart. If the world absorbs our attention, He cannot reign supreme. If this diminishes our devotion for God, it is idolatry in His eyes.” That I May Know Him, 322

“Men may not bow down to idols of wood and stone, but all who love the things of the world and take pleasure in unrighteousness have set up idols in their hearts. The majority of professed Christians are serving other gods besides the Lord.” The Spirit of Prophecy, Vol. 4, 238

“An idol is anything that human beings love and trust in instead of loving and trusting in the Lord their Maker. Whatever earthly thing men desire and trust in as having power to help them and do them good, leads them away from God, and is to them an idol. Whatever divides the affections, or takes away from the soul the supreme love of God, or interposes to prevent unlimited confidence and entire trust in God, assumes the character and takes the form of an idol in the soul temple.” Selected Messages, Book 3, 330

If, when God brings to our attention things that need to be removed from our hearts, we push back and fight against the Holy Spirit’s transforming power, rationalizing that He couldn’t possibly mean that we have to surrender something so insignificant, our very resistance and argument proves that it is an idol.

“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.” 1 John 2:15–17

“Many and varied are the idols which we cherish; idols that engross the mind and harden the heart, so that sacred things are not rightly valued. Oh that the lessons given to ancient Israel might so impress our hearts and affect our lives that we would fully turn from idols, to serve the living God.” The Signs of the Times, August 18, 1881

“Many set up idols in their hearts—idols of selfishness, idols of pride, and love of display. Eternal things lose their value. Withdraw the influences which God has provided to preserve and strengthen our spirituality, and it decays and dies. We must be continually seeking to draw near to God, and to learn His will. We must become more unlike the world, and more like Christ in character.” Ibid., June 30, 1881

It is time for us to fall on our knees and ask the Holy Spirit to show us all the things that must be removed from our lives. Every altar that we have created to this world must be completely destroyed. We must open our hearts to the leading of the Holy Spirit, we must open God’s word and diligently study its sacred records, for it is there that we more fully learn of His unending love for us.

“Self-denial and the cross lie directly in the path of every Christian who is truly following Christ. Jesus says: ‘If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.’ Will every soul consider the fact that Christian discipleship includes self-denial, self-sacrifice, even to the laying down of life itself, if need be, for the sake of Him who has given His life for the life of the world?” Counsels on Stewardship, 289

Judy Rebarchek is the managing editor of LandMarks magazine. She can be reached at judyrebarchek@stepstolife.org or by phone at 316-788-5559.

Stubborn Belief

by

I was recently thinking about how we hold on so tightly to things we’ve always said or done, things we’ve strongly believed in, even in the face of evidence that proves we are wrong.

As an adult child of an alcoholic, in my mid-20s, I participated for a time in group therapy sessions with others who had grown up with alcohol- and/or drug-addicted parents or caregivers.

I remember well the first session. I sat and listened to each person in the group tell their personal story, amazed to discover that every single one of these young people, all younger than I, had grown up having endured terrible experiences in their homes as a result of addiction. Yet, I was the only one in the group who was not a next-generation alcoholic or drug addict.

These young people grew up under some of the most debilitating conditions that logic suggests should have compelled them to live a different life. Yet, instead of determinedly grabbing for that better life, they repeated in their adult lives what they had endured during their childhood. You might say, “Well, they were in therapy. They wanted to get better.” Yes, I think they did, but most of them didn’t. They relapsed repeatedly, and few jumped off that manic addiction merry-go-round.

The same can be applied to spiritual matters. Many Seventh-day Adventists believe that as long as their names are on the church rolls, that they attend church every Sabbath, faithfully pay tithe, and do many other things that tend to be found on the good side of the checklist, they are ensured of being model Christians, and their reservation on the express train to heaven is secure. Don’t get me wrong, these are all things that as God’s people we are required to do, but without a personal relationship with Jesus, they mean nothing. Making checkmarks on a list does not reserve a spot in heaven. If you want to be with Jesus for eternity, then you must develop a personal relationship with Him here and now.

A few years ago, I became involved in a conversation regarding the nature of Christ. It didn’t take long for me to realize that I believed the opposite of many Adventists. I was stubbornly committed to what I believed, so I gathered material that supported my belief about Christ’s nature. It took me three months of in-depth study to “confirm” what I believed was right and what they said was wrong. I presented my defense and provided copies of all the materials I had used. In the end, however, I didn’t change their belief, and they didn’t change mine.

More recently, I was confronted again with a different perspective on the nature of Christ. Listening to Pastor Grosboll present the evidence during his The Mystery of Godliness sermon series (see the 2023 and 2024 LandMarks sermon series), I couldn’t imagine it was true. I had a settled belief, didn’t I? But rather than rejecting it out of hand, I asked the Lord to keep my mind open so that I could see the truth He wanted to show me, whatever it might be, and then help me to accept it, even if it wasn’t what I had always thought was the truth. I continued to take in the evidence. I studied for myself. I asked questions. God answered my prayer. And now I have a peace in my mind and heart that believing as I did before had never provided.

By the time I was born, all of my grandparents had passed away except my maternal grandfather and my paternal great-grandmother. I was very young when my dad’s mother died, so I remember nothing about her, but my mother told me that she was a very stubborn German woman. She would say something was so, and no one could change her mind. During a discussion about the name of a particular street, she was adamant that the street name was Maple (I have changed the street name because I don’t remember what she thought it was, nor what the actual name was). My parents assured her it had a different name, but she would not believe it. So, they took a little drive and went to Maple Street, and there it was, plain to see, the street name wasn’t Maple. My grandmother never admitted she was wrong. She adopted the new belief that someone must have changed it.

Psychology has asked, “How can someone cling to a belief even after objective facts show it to be inaccurate?”

Adventists can ask that question about the Sabbath. I would suggest that it is possible to say that a good bit of the Sunday-keeping world knows that the seventh day is the Sabbath, blessed and made holy by God at Creation. They could tell you that they know, but they keep Sunday because of the resurrection, because their parents did, all their friends go to church on Sunday, Saturday is the Jewish Sabbath, or for any number of other reasons. They know the truth but choose to live contrary to it.

We see the same in politics. Too often, politicians promise and don’t deliver. They lie, sometimes so plainly that you know it’s a lie the moment it leaves their mouth. And yet, people continue to believe that these individuals have the best interests of the citizenry at heart.

Psychologists call this process cognitive immunization. We make our beliefs impervious to facts, and those beliefs become stronger when challenged, even in the face of the most overwhelming contradictory evidence. These “immune” beliefs are almost impossible to challenge with reasoning and structured arguments.

The Guarded Flower

There are at least two versions of this story, with minor differences. However, the version I am sharing here involves Otto von Bismarck, a German statesman and diplomat, so this might be the most accurate account. History describes Bismarck as not the most popular fellow, but he was an “excellent witness,” as one source described him.

In the early 1860s, Bismarck was the Prussian ambassador to the Court of Alexander II, Czar of Russia. One morning, while visiting the Czar, he looked out a window of the Peterhof Palace and saw a sentry on duty in the middle of the lawn. He asked the Czar why the man was there. The Czar did not know and asked his aide-de-camp, who also did not know. So, the sentry’s commanding general was summoned.

“General,” asked the Czar, “why is that soldier stationed in that isolated place?”

“I beg leave to inform your Majesty that it is by ancient custom,” was the reply.

“What is the origin of this custom?” asked Bismarck.

“I do not recollect at present,” answered the general.

“Investigate and report the result,” ordered Alexander.

Three days later, the general reported that the sentry was posted there because of an 80-year-old Imperial order. Records showed that one morning in the spring of 1780, Catherine the Great, Russia’s ruler at that time, looked out on the lawn and saw the first spring flower thrusting above the frozen soil. She ordered that a sentry be posted to prevent anyone from picking the flower. And every day in 1860, there was still a sentry on the lawn because no one had ever rescinded the order—a memorial to habit, custom, or just “because we’ve always done it that way.”

Sources: alexanderpalace.org/palace/blog.php/a Romanov passion for flowers; inspiring-facts.com/daily inspiration/world of wonders/guarding a dead rosebush

Ready!!

This story has not been independently verified, but the originator has stated that it did happen as related.

In the late 1970s, the NATO army in Germany conducted numerous competitions to keep its troops constantly ready and prepared for a potential Soviet assault over the border from East Germany into West Germany. One such competition was to determine who was the best artillery crew. Monitored by the US Army’s 5th Corps training desk, each NATO country nominated its best artillery section, which underwent a series of exercises. Everything was rated by accuracy and time. Surprisingly, the British army, one of the great innovators of armaments with a long tradition of excellence in their artillery, regularly came in last.

The evaluators took video of the entire competition to better understand why some teams were more proficient than others. As usual, the British came in last, even behind the Belgians and Dutch, who fielded only part-time soldiers. On checking the film, they noticed a quirk in the British drill. After the gun was loaded and aimed, one of the loaders suddenly ran twenty yards back, about-faced, came to attention, and yelled, “Ready.” After firing, he would run back to the crew and assist in loading before repeating the maneuver when the gun was once again loaded and ready to fire. No one could figure out what this fellow was doing.

A quick check of the British drill manual revealed that this was a requirement, but it did not explain why. The British readily accepted that this part of the official drill held them back but couldn’t change the rules. It might have lingered there, but the staff did have the objective of better preparing to meet the feared Soviet assault. If this maneuver was affecting the efficiency of the British team, then it needed to be changed. After many letters and calls, the staff finally spoke with an aged sergeant major in the British Defense Ministry. Explaining their findings, they asked why the loader would run to the rear and wait from that position for the weapon to be fired. His response? “Aow, ‘e’s ‘oldin’ the ’orses!” The following year, the British won the competition.

Another version states that a US general observed the artillery drills during World War II. The gun was unhitched from the Jeep that had pulled it onto the field, then pulled by hand to the firing range and loaded. Once the gun was ready to fire, two soldiers took ten steps back and stood at attention for the entire live-fire exercise. There was no explanation for this action until an old soldier said, “They are there to hold the horses so they don’t get spooked and run off.”

Source: strangehistory.net/2013/08/17/the-longest-sentry-duty

Traditions of faith can be valuable. They may help preserve special experiences or ideals handed down by family or culture. However, we should be careful what we guard. Many religions zealously defend doctrines that have lost their original meaning or have become mere rituals. Sadly, people may faithfully adhere to traditions, all the while remaining unaware of their origins, unwilling to seek the truth and follow it.

Jesus has warned us of a more serious concern regarding traditions. If a custom or traditions conflicts with the law of God, it should be thrown out. Christ has told us that holding onto such traditions makes “the word of God of no effect” (Mark 7:13). It’s a good idea to reflect on the traditions we keep. Do they conflict with God’s law? If so, we are straying from the Bible. It’s like standing guard over a long-dead-and-gone flower.

Other sources: psychologytoday.com/us/blog/true-believers/201603/5-reasons-why-people-stick-to-their-beliefs-no-matter-what

Judy Rebarchek is the managing editor of LandMarks magazine. She can be reached at judyrebarchek@stepstolife.org or by phone at 316-788-5559.

Does the Universe Have Meaning?

by

The existence of the world—the reality that surrounds us—may seem completely pointless and self-evident to some. For others, it remains a deep and unsettling mystery. While the existence of the universe may provoke a cascade of profound questions in some, others deem such questions meaningless and try to ignore them. Yet to ignore the question of the origin of existence may reveal intellectual apathy—or, in the case of radical atheists, a fear of facing the most obvious explanation: God.

Suppose that the search for the cause of the world could lead to God, and but one categorically rejects the very possibility of God’s existence. In this case, the simplest and most comfortable solution is to assume that the universe exists—because it always has—and thus requires no explanation. Or one might concede that the universe had a beginning, arising at some point from absolute nothingness.

However, materialists and atheists have no satisfying explanation for the origin of the cosmos. Such an intellectual stance amounts to a deliberate evasion of accepting God as the transcendent cause of the universe.

In truth, this approach to the enigma of existence represents a kind of intellectual surrender. From this perspective, the situation of atheists is indeed tragic: they live in a world that, according to their worldview, has no ultimate purpose, no inherent meaning, and no explanation.1  For those who categorically reject the existence of God, there are only two alternatives:

  1. The assumption is that the universe has always existed, thereby eliminating the need for any transcendent cause.
  2. The assumption is that the universe emerged from absolute nothingness.

However, the gap between absolute nothingness and something is insurmountable for science. By denying God, atheists are left with two options:

  1. Making the universe eternal, elevates it to a divine status (like God). In doing so, they essentially embrace pantheism—the belief that nature or the cosmos is divine. What an irony—they reject the existence of God yet deify His creation!
  2. The universe is not eternal and had its beginning somewhere, and at some point, it emerged from nothing. The universe emerged from absolute nothingness—from zero. Something from nothing is pure magic. What an irony—they reject the existence of God yet believe in magic!

If the existence of the world fills us with awe, it is only natural that we begin to ask the most profound and fundamental questions about the mystery of the world and our existence. And for believers—especially those who base their views on a biblical worldview—these questions point to God.

Intellectual shortcut?

Some critics might argue that believers are no better off than atheists by appealing to the existence of God as an easy answer. If some atheists claim that the universe is eternal and self-sufficient, Christians claim the same about God. Isn’t that a similar intellectual shortcut? Someone might say that such an intellectual stance is, of course, an avoidance of accepting reality as the cause of itself (the world as the cause of itself).

The universe had a beginning

The key distinction lies in the evidence. Science has shown that the universe had a beginning. “Albert Einstein was convinced not only that the universe was eternal but also that it was—as a whole—static. So, when in 1917 he applied the general theory of relativity to the entire spacetime, he was astonished to find that the equation he discovered suggested something quite the opposite: the universe must be either expanding or contracting. This seemed absurd to him, so he introduced what is known as the cosmological constant into his theory, which allowed him to explain the universe as eternal and unchanging.”2

However, the scientific theory that the universe is expanding was confirmed in the late 1920s by the renowned astronomer Edwin Hubble, who studied galaxies using the new 100-inch telescope on Mount Wilson in California. He observed that the farther away a galaxy is, the faster it is moving away from us. This principle became known as Hubble’s Law. This discovery led Einstein to admit that the universe is indeed expanding and that his cosmological constant was his greatest scientific blunder.

The scientifically-confirmed evidence that all the galaxies around us are moving away from each other—and thus that the universe is expanding and doing so rapidly—had profound implications. If the universe is expanding, it means it was once smaller and, before that, even smaller until we reach the point where we begin to consider the universe’s origin. This means the universe is not eternal.3

The beginning of the universe is known as the Big Bang. “In 1965, two scientists from Bell Labs in New Jersey accidentally discovered a microwave background noise filling the entire universe, which turned out to be the echo of the Big Bang. (…) When you turn on your television and start flipping through channels, about ten percent of the black-and-white static you see on the screen is caused by photons left over from the birth of the universe. That may be the best evidence for the truth of the Big Bang theory—you can see it on your television screen.”4 These scientific discoveries opened the door to investigations into how the universe began and whether a masterful mind like God could have given rise to its existence. And if not, then how did it all begin?5

The Ultimate Justification of the Universe

We, people who believe in God, do not shy away from this question; we embrace it with open arms. We do not run from the truth about the world, nor the truth about God as the explanation for the existence of the universe. On the contrary, with faith, we run toward the existence of God and are not ashamed to proclaim our belief. We are not afraid to seek—and to find—the answer to the cause of the world in God.

The existence of God explains the existence of the universe. While God Himself does not require any explanation, for He is the ultimate explanation and cause of the universe, the universe did not happen by accident. It required a Creator. Thus, the existence of everything points to a cause (the Creator) that itself has no cause: God.

The question of who created God is fundamentally flawed, for it misunderstands the nature of God. If God needed a creator, He would not be God. That would lead to an infinite regress of creator-designers. Instead, God is the ultimate, necessary being—the source of all things, life, and love.6

God is the One Who Is

Therefore, we do not need to seek an answer to the question of how God exists if we understand the nature of God. And the nature of God is His existence. In other words, His existence requires no explanation. God is existence itself.7

Still, the fact that our world does exist necessarily requires the existence of someone who is not subject to chance but must exist (cannot not exist) for our world to exist. That someone is a personal God. As a personal, almighty, and loving Creator, God Himself makes the existence of the universe understandable.

A Matter of Faith

Does the search for the cause and meaning of the world’s existence lead us to God? And if so, should we, as people who believe in God, attempt to rationally justify our faith? Should we concern ourselves with reasoned or argumentative defenses of belief in God? First and foremost, if our faith in God were based solely on rational and philosophical premises—or even scientific evidence—it would not be genuine faith in God. Our faith in God goes far beyond rational, scientific, or philosophical arguments.

However, this does not mean that true faith in God must be entirely independent of any rational or scientific support. Our faith in God is rooted in Jesus Christ—God who, in His love for fallen humanity, became a man and revealed, both in human history and on the pages of the Bible, the true character of God. And this eternal God, who is absolute love, is—through the person of Jesus Christ—the God with whom we have a living relationship. We experience the love of Jesus, His power, and His presence in our daily lives. At the same time, reason and sensory perception can support and strengthen our faith.

The Glory of God Revealed in the Cosmos

“Could God have used a process similar to the Big Bang when creating the universe? We don’t know. Our faith in God does not depend on the Big Bang.”8 However, the biblical account is quite close to what the scientific view describes—that the universe came into existence suddenly at a particular moment and has been expanding ever since.

“He alone spreads out the heavens, and treads on the waves of the sea; He made the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, and the chambers of the south; He does great things past finding out, yes, wonders without number.” Job 9:8–10

“Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment, Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain.” Psalm 104:2

These poetic comparisons reflect both God’s majesty and the dynamic nature of the created universe.

Two Paradigms of Thought

In the context of the discussion on the cause of the universe and the existence of God, it is worth noting and recognizing that we are navigating the boundary between the world of biblical revelation and the world of rational and scientific argumentation—one whose roots trace back to Greek philosophy. Western philosophy and science, deeply rooted in Greek thought, place a strong emphasis on causality and explanation.9

However, the world of the Bible—Hebrew thought—starts from different assumptions. I am convinced that these two modes of thinking are not, from our Adventist perspective, inherently hostile or mutually exclusive. There are indeed aspects of Greek thought that conflict with biblical thinking. One example is the Greek (Platonic) dualism of a good and immortal soul versus an evil and mortal body. This idea contradicts the biblical understanding of the human being as a holistic unity of body, mind, and spirit.

Similarly, the Greek view of the material world as a form of degradation or something inferior to the spiritual realm also stands in contrast to the biblical worldview, which presents the creation of diverse beings as an overwhelmingly positive event: “Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good.” Genesis 1:31

Nonetheless, the Greek approach to seeking rational causes and explanations is not in conflict with biblical thinking—and certainly not mutually exclusive. As Abraham Heschel insightfully observed: “Hebrew thought operates with categories different from those of Plato or Aristotle. The distinctiveness of its teaching lies not merely in a different way of expressing ideas, but in a fundamentally different way of thinking.”10

Let us consider how the fundamental difference between Greek—scientific—thinking and the biblical account of creation reveals itself: “The Book of Genesis does not attempt to explain anything; the mystery of the world being called into existence is in no way made more understandable by the statement: ‘In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.’ The Bible and science are not addressing the same question. A scientific theory asks: What is the cause of the universe? It thus operates within the framework of causality, which assumes a relationship between cause and effect as part of a continuous process … .

“The Bible, on the other hand, introduces a relationship between the Creator and the universe as one between two essentially different and incomparable beings. It treats the act of creation more as an event than a process. Creation, therefore, is a concept that transcends causality … . The Bible does not so much explain the world in categories derived from nature as it points to that which made nature possible in the first place—namely, the act of God’s free will.”11

Biblical Cosmogony

So yes, it is true that the biblical authors do not engage in rational justifications of faith in God—at least not in the way rationality is commonly understood today. The Bible shows no interest in the question of whether God exists or why; if He does exist, we should believe in Him. Nowhere in the entire Bible is there formal proof of God’s existence, although it does contain arguments against pagan gods, such as those found in the Psalms: “For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the Lord made the heavens.” Psalm 96:5

For the biblical authors, God’s existence is simply self-evident. This stems from a different way of thinking—one distinct from the scientific mode of thought that seeks causes and explanations for reality. However, this should not mean that we dismiss any efforts to ground faith in God through reasoning or argumentation. After all, the Bible does not condemn attempts to formulate arguments or proofs for God’s existence.12

The Apostle Paul himself appealed to human rational thinking and observation of the created world through the senses, stating: “Because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world, His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.” Romans 1:19–21. Paul thus asserts that people have no excuse for not knowing God because everyone, through the senses (“are clearly seen”) and reason (“being understood”)—what today we might call through science and philosophical reflection—can perceive that God exists. This knowledge comes from the very reality that surrounds us.

Conclusions and Connections

God exists. He revealed Himself to humanity in the most perfect way by becoming a human—coming into this world and entering human history to show mankind and the entire inhabited universe who God truly is, to reveal the true character of God in the person of Jesus Christ. Through His substitutionary death on the cross of Calvary, Christ reopened for us the possibility of coming to God, of encounter, dialogue, relationship, and eternal life filled with happiness and love—a life that has meaning, purpose, and explanation. At the same time, God reveals Himself through the created reality around us, which, through reason and the senses, guides humanity toward Him. As Abraham Heschel observed: “We think with reason because we aspire to spirit. We think through reason because we are certain that there is some meaning. Reason withers when deprived of spirit and the truth about the wholeness of life.”13

We can be certain that, ultimately, both reason and revelation come from the same source. At the same time, it is essential to remember that our trust cannot be placed solely in reason itself—after all, our intelligence has its limitations and is not infallible. However, our faith goes far beyond rational reflection. It seems that without reason, faith becomes blind. The worship of reason is arrogance, but the rejection of reason is cowardice and reveals a lack of faith.14

How does all this connect with our Adventist biblical worldview? The key linking element is the Sabbath. How should this be understood? On the Sabbath, our biblical protological (the study of origins, as in the origins of our world) and eschatological (relating to the end of the world) perspectives come together. According to the message of the first angel in Revelation 14, the Sabbath is the seal of God and a remembrance of Creation. Thus, the eschatological role of the Sabbath is directly connected to its protological significance as a commemoration of the biblical truth that God “made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water” (Revelation 14:7) and that the world and everything in it was created “in six days” (Exodus 20:11). Moreover, the Sabbath is a sign of the rest given by faith in Christ and the anticipation of rest during the millennium of peace in God’s kingdom after Christ’s second coming and the defeat of evil.

Therefore, in the prophetic context of the end times, the Sabbath emerges as a unifying element of a belief system and worldview that stands in opposition to the currently prevailing scientific worldview—namely, the theory of evolution and the worldview that rejects the existence of God.15

It is, therefore, critical that our faith be grounded not only in the revelation of God in the person of Jesus Christ, and not only in a relationship with the living God whose presence and love we experience in our lives but also that our faith rests on rational and scientific foundations. Both reason and scientific evidence lead us to God and confirm our faith. I plan to explore these topics in more detail in a future issue of the magazine.

Marcin Watras lives with his wife and two children in Katowice, Poland. He is interested in the philosophy of religion and trends in society.

Endnotes:

  1. Jim Holt, Krótka historia niczego, publishing house PWN 2014, p. 14
  2. Ibiden, pp. 36, 37
  3. Ariel A. Roth, Nauka odkrywa Boga, publishing house Znaki Czasu 2020, pp. 55, 56
  4. Jim Holt, Krótka historia niczego, publishing house PWN 2014, p. 38
  5. Ariel A. Roth, Nauka odkrywa Boga, publishing house Znaki Czasu 2020, p. 56
  6. Ibiden, p. 233
  7. Jim Holt, Krótka historia niczego, publishing house PWN 2014, p. 11
  8. Ariel A. Roth, Nauka odkrywa Boga, publishing house Znaki Czasu 2020, p. 58
  9. Abraham J. Heschel, Bóg szukający człowieka, publishing house Esprit 2015, p. 22
  10. Ibiden, p. 23
  11. Ibiden, pp. 23, 24
  12. Brian Davies, Wprowadzenie do filozofii religii, publishing house Prószyński i S-ka 1993, p. 27
  13. Abraham J. Heschel, Bóg szukający człowieka, publishing house Esprit 2015, p. 27
  14. Ibiden, pp. 28, 29
  15. Vanderlei Dorneles, Ostatnie imperium, publishing house Znaki Czasu 2018, p. 147

The Sanctified Home

by

If we are ready when Jesus comes, He will take us with Him to heaven. Though we know very little about the social and family arrangements in heaven, we do know that angels are social beings, and Jesus has said that we would be like them. The important thing, however, is to understand that how we live here—as families, spouses, friends, neighbors, coworkers, and brothers and sisters in Christ—will determine whether or not we will be there. What we do know is that heaven, and ultimately the new earth, will be populated with a diverse congregation of people, all united by their love for God.

Happiness is where the heart is.

Many people feel that their home is where they will find happiness, and I hope that is true. But there is a more profound reason behind why God instituted the home and families, and Mrs. White gives us that reason when she wrote that our homes should be “a little heaven to go to heaven in.” (The Review and Herald, April 21, 1891). God established homes on earth as the practical classroom in which we are prepared to live as the saints will live in heaven. And if everyone in our home is living in this way, then our earthly home will exude the atmosphere of heaven. Therefore, learning how to have a sanctified home here would be a study of great importance.

To begin our study, let’s ask ourselves this question, “If Jesus were to come right now, would we feel perfectly at ease in heaven?” If the way we speak and interact with those in our family here would cause us to answer “no” to this question, then we have some work to do to be ready for heaven. Now is the time when we must individually work to develop a Christlike life and character (Sermons and Talks, Vol. 1, 206, 207; The Upward Look, 374). Our earthly home is where we can practice living as Christ did in His earthly life.

Mrs. White said that “it was heaven to be in Jesus’ presence” (The Ministry of Healing, 18). Most people think that heaven is a place with golden streets, pearly gates, and mansions, and that is all true. But heaven is heaven because Jesus is there. So, if we allow Him to dwell in our hearts and transform our lives, then we will have heaven within us every day.

Some homes are long-standing battlefields. Parents and children alike fight with one another, sometimes physically bruising and breaking the body, and sometimes with words that wither the spirit and cause lifelong desolation to the heart. God will not allow anyone who chooses to retain their selfish nature to be in heaven.

And so, it began.

When Lucifer rebelled against God and His government, war raged in heaven (Revelation 12:7–9). Christ and His angels fought against the devil and his angels until they were cast out of heaven. Thus began the great controversy—the war for the souls of humanity—between Christ and Satan. This isn’t just a story in the Bible; you can see it happening throughout the world. But worst of all, this war is being waged in our hearts and homes every day. Jesus seeks to make every home a little piece of heaven on earth, thereby saving every member of every family. Satan seeks to destroy everyone and everything.

Heaven, no matter where it is.

“No unpleasant words are spoken in heaven. There, no unkind thoughts are cherished. There envy, evil surmising, hatred, and strife find no place. Perfect harmony pervades the heavenly courts.” The Upward Look, 163

What a beautiful description of our earthly homes if only we would surrender our hearts to be a dwelling place for the Holy Spirit.

“What a precious privilege is this—that we may be sons and daughters of the Most High, heirs of God and joint-heirs with Jesus Christ! What love, what matchless love, that, sinners and aliens as we are, we may be brought back to God and adopted into his family! …

“To everyone who surrenders fully to God is given the privilege of living without sin, in obedience to the law of heaven. …

“God requires of us perfect obedience. We are to purify ourselves, even as He is pure. By keeping His commandments, we are to reveal our love for the Supreme Ruler of the universe.” The Review and Herald, September 27, 1906

Me, me, me, I, I, I.

Strife comes when we say, “I want to do things my way. I want what I want.” This attitude is born from selfishness, which is the foundation of our naturally sinful self. In a home where family members all express selfishness and the desire to have things just as they want them, strife is the sure result because everyone sees themselves as the most important. If we want our homes to be like heaven, there can be no strife, for there is no strife in heaven.

When I fully surrender myself, the Holy Spirit can then do His work of transformation, and my selfish nature no longer holds the governing place in my life. Instead, my selfish nature has been transformed to respond to the government of God—one of love that loves God supremely and esteems others above myself.

Yes, he knows.

We live in a world cursed by sin and filled with strife and troubles of every kind. For millennia, mankind has dreamed and longed for heaven. He sings of its beauties and marvels, he reads Mrs. White’s description of what she saw when taken there in vision, and we plead in prayer that we might soon be there, yet it remains beyond our reach.

“He [Satan] knew that the value of heaven far exceeded the anticipation and appreciation of fallen man. The most costly treasures of the world, he knew, would not compare with its worth. …

“He had knowledge of the inestimable value of eternal riches that man had not. …

Satan knew what he had lost.” Confrontation, 30

Yes, Satan knows exactly how wonderful heaven is. And he is determined that you and I won’t have the opportunity to understand how wonderful it is nor how to get there. He fills the world with excitement, glamor, glitter, addiction, troubles, hardships, and selfishness. Our eyes are blinded to the beauty of heaven by the bright and shiny things around us. Our ears cannot hear heavenly voices for the continual cacophony of sounds heard throughout the world. He sends temptations that will speak to each one of us until it is nigh impossible for us to feel the wooing of the Holy Spirit. Satan’s philosophy is, why would they want heaven when I can make them feel so happy and satisfied here? But are we truly happy and satisfied?

“What shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” Matthew 16:26

The Bible tells us that the day is coming when everything in this world that we possess or want to possess will be worthless. Ezekiel says:

“They will throw their silver into the streets, and their gold will be like refuse; their silver and their gold will not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the Lord; they will not satisfy their souls, nor fill their stomachs because it became their stumbling block of iniquity.” Ezekiel 7:19

Nothing of this world can make up for losing heaven.

Destroy the family and …

“Well does Satan know what heaven is, and what the influence of the angels is. His work is to bring into every family the cruel elements of self-will, harshness, selfishness. Thus, he seeks to destroy the happiness of the family. …

“Let the father and mother always be guarded in their words and actions. The husband is to treat his wife, the mother of his children, with due respect, and the wife is to love and reverence her husband. How can she do this if he treats her like a servant, to be dictated to, ordered about, scolded, found fault with before the children? He is forcing her to dislike him and even to hate him.

“May God help fathers and mothers to open the windows of the soul heavenward and let the sunshine of Christ into the home life. Unless they do this, they will be surrounded by a mist and fog most injurious to spirituality.

“Fathers and mothers, bring sweetness and brightness and hopefulness into the lives of your children. Kindness and love will work wonders.” The Upward Look, 163

The devil brings contention and selfishness into every home and, if we are contentious and selfish at home, we will bring contention and selfishness into every other aspect of our lives, including church, work, friendships, and even gospel work.

Surrender. Now.

Alone, we are unable to prevent the devil from bringing these elements into our homes. However, when we surrender to the will of God, Satan no longer has control of our hearts. Jesus is waiting to give you the power to become His child. He longs to change your life and your home, and this is how He will do it.

To have a happy, sanctified home, we must have love. The whole world needs and wants love, but very few know how to get it. They try to force it, thinking it stems from a physical relationship or an overpowering feeling of desire. But you can’t buy it at the store, you can’t major in it in college, you can’t learn it on the job. No, there is only one source of true love, and 1 John 4:19 tells us what it is. “We love Him [God] because He first loved us.” God created us to be loving human beings and to love Him above all else. But sin changed us. No longer loving and pure, we are now selfish and sinful.

Too often, I meet people who are terribly discouraged because they have given love but have received none in return. Human beings can be so hard-hearted, and it seems no matter how much love you give, a hard heart does not reciprocate. It takes a long time for a hardened heart to realize what it needs; it may even take a long time for the Holy Spirit to soften a heart and help it accept God’s love. The only way to have true love in this world is by giving it away. And this is precisely what God did. The only remedy for a hardened heart is never-ending love.

Love is a precious gift we receive from Jesus. We only have love to give because He gives it to us. He gives it, and then we give it to somebody else. Giving and receiving love is one of the reasons we have heaven in our hearts and homes. However, to truly understand love, experience it, and share it, we must spend time every day with Jesus.

To understand how God’s love can change our hearts and homes, we must first understand that God created us because He wanted children to shower His love upon us and to receive love in return. But when Adam and Eve chose to believe the deceiver, God activated the plan of salvation which had existed from the foundation of the world. God gave all of heaven, everything He had, to save us. That plan culminated in Jesus’ death on the cross. God gave Himself, in the person of His Son, that They might save mankind from sin.

“God’s love for the world was not manifest because He sent His Son, but because He loved the world He sent His Son into the world … . Though sin had produced a gulf between man and his God, a divine benevolence provided a plan to bridge that gulf. And what material did He use? A part of Himself. …

“Had God given us less, we could not have been saved. But He gave to our world so abundantly that it could not be said that He could love us more. … God has exhausted His benevolence … in pouring out all heaven to man in one great gift. …

“God claims the whole of the affections of man, the whole heart, the whole soul, the whole mind, the whole strength. He lays claim to all that there is of man because He has poured out the whole treasure of heaven by giving us His all at once, reserving nothing greater that heaven can do.” Our High Calling, 12

“While we contemplate the cross, the Son of God assuming the mass of human guilt, the mystery of redemption seems wonderful. Jesus points us to the love of God; the Father provided this propitiation because He loved us, that there might be a medium through which He could be reconciled to man and man to Him. And our Lord, having committed Himself to the wonderful work of redemption, would withhold nothing necessary to the completion of His plan. He poured out all heaven to man in that one great gift.” The Signs of the Times, August 17, 1891

While the devil has a massive arsenal of spiritual weaponry to use against us in this war with God, God Himself has only one weapon that He uses to draw us to Him. Love. When we accept His love, then our preparation for heaven begins.

At the cross, I see what Jesus is like. And the more time I spend with Him, and the more I surrender to Him, the more like Him I will become—at home, at church, at work. My words and actions will be the same as His. I will love and care for my family as He loves and cares for them. Only in this way can I bring love into my home.

It rarely happens right away.

Have you ever considered just how long God waits before some of us respond? Think of all the happiness we could have had if only we had responded sooner. Marriage is often one-sided, with one spouse giving all while the other takes all and give little. Imagine if the relationship and home had been one where each spouse gave love to the other, regarding their spouse of greater value. Think of how happy the home could have been.

But even as you do your best, life is fraught with failure, and when you have trouble at home, there is Someone who understands. Jesus knows because He endured persecution from His family in His own home. He was accused all of His life of being born of fornication, an illegitimate son (John 8).

Sanctification means “to be made holy.” “Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good.” Romans 7:12. The context of this scripture makes it very evident that Paul is talking about the ten commandments. He says that the law is holy. If you want to live a holy life, then your life must be in harmony with God’s law, and your family must keep God’s law if, together with you, they are to be a holy family.

The prescription for a happy home.

There are many homes, even professed Christian homes, that, in just a very short time, could be transformed from being a living hell to being like heaven. Every family member can choose to keep all of God’s law. God’s law is the prescription for a happy home and family. Many of the commandments deal specifically with the family.

“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.” Exodus 20:12

In Ephesians, we find that the fifth commandment is called “the first commandment with promise.” The Lord says that if you keep this commandment, He will give you a long life. Regardless of our age, we need to ask the Lord to teach us how to honor and respect our parents.

In the Old Testament culture, if a child cursed their parents, they were stoned to death. This is important to remember because the way we treat our parents here is the way we will treat them in heaven. Heaven is a place where people honor each other and give deference and respect to each other.

“Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.” Philippians 2:3

“You shall not commit adultery.” Exodus 20:14

The seventh commandment recommends that honoring your spouse will bring happiness to your home. Adultery is the ultimate act of disrespect toward both your spouse and your vow to “cleave only unto” them (Genesis 2:24). Jesus said that “… ‘whoever divorces his wife [or husband], except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery … .’ ” Matthew 19:9

Jesus did not allow for divorce except in the case of adultery. Adultery is a terrible thing in a family—causing pain and leaving scars—preventing happiness in the home.

We do the same with God. We believe we can do what we like, and He will forgive us. It is true that if we are sincere in asking for forgiveness and are willing to repent of our sins, He will forgive; however, the scar remains on the soul for a lifetime, providing a doorway through which the devil can continually slip temptations.

“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife.” Exodus 20:17

Coveting is like a wrecking ball to the happiness of your family. When we covet things outside our home and family, we place a higher value on things that are, and perhaps should be, out of our reach and care too little for what we have. My house is nice, but I’d rather have one like my neighbor. My wife is pretty and sweet, but my neighbor’s wife or the lady at the office is beautiful. My car is serviceable, but I’d rather have one that drives fast. The spirit of covetousness is a monster with an appetite that is never satisfied.

To have a happy home, we must each be sanctified.

“Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is the truth.” John 17:17

To be happy and holy, God’s great guidebook, the Bible, must be in the home and must be read. God’s word teaches us how to live. Studying the Bible and praying together opens the way for the Holy Spirit to begin His work of transformation in our hearts and minds. We need to have family worship if we are going to have a sanctified home.

“Evening and morning and at noon I will pray, and cry aloud, and He shall hear my voice.” Psalms 55:17

“God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” John 4:24

“O come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.” Psalm 95:6

We must first yield our hearts to God, entirely consecrating ourselves to Him; then, there is no problem that He cannot solve on our behalf. But He does not force His way into our lives and homes. If we set aside specific periods of time, as David and Daniel did, to earnestly spend in prayer, telling Him about the problems in our homes, we can be confident that He will answer. The Lord has told us that we should pray every day to be divested of the selfishness that ruins the happiness, peace, and joy of our home (Our High Calling, 242).

Jesus was a person of prayer. “Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place and there He prayed.” Mark 1:35

The Lord never tells us to do something unless it is necessary while we strive against our sinful natures. He promises that we can overcome all of our sinful propensities—inherent or cultivated—and resist the temptation to sin. However, this can only happen as we continue to pray and surrender. The devil declares that there is not a single unselfish person in the world who can obey the law of God. But is that true?

God says if I study His word and pray, if I surrender my heart and will to Him, if I look to Him always for everything I need, then He will provide the power and grace necessary to change me from a person who thinks only of himself, to a person who unselfishly serves God first and others second.

If everyone in my family is selfish, then our prayer must be, “Lord, help us to prove the devil is a liar, to prove that there is one person in my home who is unselfish.” Your best chance of helping others in your home, is to be unselfish and Christlike yourself. As you give love to others, the barrier of selfishness that destroys the happiness in a home is broken down and love and joy can reign in your home.

The Lord has been so gracious to us in our weakness and tendency to misunderstand that He has given us specific counsel regarding how to talk and act at home. Bible study, prayer, worship, thanksgiving, and praise are all essential parts of a happy home, but let’s not forget that we must love and obey the law of God.

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign upon your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” Deuteronomy 6:5–9

When we follow God’s commandments, seeking always to do His will, then we are learning how to be happy.

Here are some actions that can make strong relationships and bring happiness into the home:

  • Expressing affection
  • Kindly attentions
  • Refined manners
  • Kind, loving words
  • Faithfulness
  • Gentleness
  • Humility, meekness
  • Patience
  • No envy
  • No pride
  • Understanding
  • Courtesy
  • Encouragement
  • Gratitude
  • Sympathy
  • Helpfulness

“We want a spirit of gentleness. We cannot live right in the family circle without it. In order to have the proper control of our children, we must manifest a spirit of gentleness and of meekness and of longsuffering. We do not want to have a faultfinding, fretful, scolding spirit. If we teach them to have a spirit of gentleness, we must have a spirit of gentleness ourselves; … if we would have them manifest a spirit of love toward us, we must manifest a gentle, loving spirit toward them. But at the same time, there need be no weakness or unwise indulgence on the part of parents.” The Review and Herald, December 21, 1886

We must exhibit gratitude in our homes. This may be one of the most difficult attitudes to bring into the home as we too often take for granted the members of our families and the things they do as part of the family. While it is sometimes needful to discipline a child, a “Thank you” or “I appreciate that so much” are simple ways to express gratitude, and young children flourish and grow when gratitude is expressed for their small efforts and obedience.

“We should be self-forgetful, ever looking out for opportunities, even in little things, to show gratitude for the favors we have received of others, and watching for opportunities to cheer others and lighten and relieve their sorrows and burdens by acts of tender kindness and little deeds of love. These thoughtful courtesies that, commencing in our families, extend outside the family circle, help make up the sum of life’s happiness, and the neglect of these little things make up the sum of life’s bitterness and sorrow.” Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 3, 539, 540

“It is by beholding love in their parents that children are led to obey the fifth commandment. …

Parents often stir up the worst passions of the human heart because of their lack of self-control. They correct them [the children] in a spirit of anger and rather confirm them in their evil ways and defiant spirit than influence them in the way of right. By their own arbitrary spirit, they thrust their children under satanic influences, instead of rescuing them from the snares of Satan by gentleness and love. … By their violent, unforgiving temper, make them adverse to all religion.” The Review and Herald, November 15, 1892

Every one of us has faults, and it is the devil’s handiwork to cause us to focus on the faults of others, particularly those of our spouses, until the faults are so significant that we can no longer see our own faults, nor do we appreciate the good things in them and the marriage.

The Lord wants us to do just the opposite. “Let all seek to discover the excellencies rather than the defects.” The Adventist Home, 105. We are to be quick to recognize the good qualities in our spouses. They must have them, or why else would we have married them?

“Love cannot long exist without expression.” Ibid., 107. There are many ways of expressing love, but it must be expressed.

“Around every family, there is a sacred circle that should be kept unbroken. Within this circle, no other person has a right to come.” The Ministry of Healing, 361

We should not share private matters or feelings with others outside our homes. We all have faults, and some of those faults are known only by our spouses and God. It is God’s will to cure us and save us from these faults. It is the devil’s purpose to have us share these private things with the world. When this is done, the faults and problems become more significant, and discouragement creeps into the marriage and home, ultimately leading to the loss of respect and, in some cases, love for one another.

“Determine to be all that it is possible to be to each other. Continue the early attentions. In every way, encourage each other in fighting the battles of life. Study to advance the happiness of each other. Let there be mutual love, mutual forbearance. Then marriage, instead of being the end of love, will be, as it were, the very beginning of love. The warmth of true friendship, the love that binds heart to heart, is a foretaste of the joys of heaven.” Ibid., 360

We are not to compel our spouse to do what we want. We should not try to control their lives by various means of manipulation. Men are more direct because they have physical strength. Women lacking that physical strength use emotional and mental manipulation. But in the end, it brings the same disastrous result.

“Neither the husband nor the wife should attempt to exercise over the other an arbitrary control. Do not try to compel each other to yield to your wishes. You cannot do this and retain each other’s love. Be kind, patient, and forbearing, considerate, and courteous. By the grace of God, you can succeed in making each other happy, as in your marriage vow you promised to do. …

“Both husband and wife should be willing to yield his or her way or opinion.” Adventist Home, 118

If we want to have a happy home, we must not think only of ourselves. We will not be happy in our marriages if we are not contributing to our spouses’ happiness, and our homes will not be happy if we are not helping others outside our homes find happiness as well. Some of the unhappiest people are those whose lives are entirely self-centered and who contribute nothing to the happiness of others. The truest happiness is to be found in unselfish service—at home, at church, in the community, in missionary work.

Saved Without the Loss of One

It must be the desire of every Christian that their family as a whole will be saved. This can be a reality, but if you want your family saved without the loss of one, then you must be saved. If you are not there, your family will not be complete.

The truth is, the majority of families will have someone missing. But God is willing to save every member of every family, and He will if they are surrendered to Him. It is crucial, then, that we surrender ourselves to the working of the Holy Spirit so that on that day, when the voice of Jesus is heard, and all His children are gathered to Him to be taken home, every family, with every member, will be able to meet together on the sea of glass, once lost souls, but now members of the eternal family of God.

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.

Victory Over Anxiety

by

In order to understand certain specifics and details, it is helpful to start with general statements that have the character of axioms. Therefore, if we want to understand why people do what they do and why people are the way they are, we should refer to human nature. Nothing explains human nature better than the first words about man in the Bible—God’s Word.

Human nature in outline

The term “human nature” is commonly understood as what is innate in a person—in contrast to what is acquired through individual and social experience. In philosophical terms, human nature refers to a set of traits that distinguish and differentiate humans from animals. These traits primarily include the ability for rational and symbolic thinking, self-awareness, free will, the capacity to distinguish good from evil, and the ability to express thoughts in language. These characteristics, in some way, reflect the nature of God Himself.

According to the Holy Scriptures, we were created in the image and likeness of our perfect Creator. A loving God created humans as perfect beings capable of forming relationships and communities with their Creator, who is love. Through the Holy Spirit, humans became participants in the sinless nature of God. However, our perfect human nature was distorted by the sin of the first humans. From that moment, sin became a part of our nature. Therefore, our nature is egocentric, selfish, self-centered; meaning humans are born in a condition that separates them from God, inclined more towards evil than good. Hence, human egocentrism is the root of all the evil that happens on Earth.

The beginning of the cosmic catastrophe

The contrast between the second and third chapters of the Book of Genesis is truly shocking and difficult to comprehend. In the second chapter, man stands in the image of God. Although man was created by God from the most ordinary substance—dust—Adam was the “son of God” (Luke 3:38), the king and ruler of the Earth, everything on Earth being subject to his dominion. Adam was the firstborn on Earth and also its ruler. Thus, we see man as a being full of trust and love for his Creator, deriving joy and pleasure from being in God’s presence and possessing a perfect relationship with God.

However, in the very next chapter, a cosmic catastrophe occurs when man chooses his own way of life. From that moment on, man is filled with fear and anxiety, fleeing from God, trying to hide in a safe place far from Him, only to discover that it is not God from whom he must escape. He learns, in the hardest way possible, that there is no safe place apart from God.

From that moment on, everything begins to fall apart and becomes corrupted: the relationship between Adam and Eve, their relationship with God, their relationship with the created ecosystem. Their own minds are corrupted, and their bodies undergo an irreversible process of decay.

Fear— the fundamental emotion

“Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, ‘Where are you?’ So, he said, ‘I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.’ ” Genesis 3:9, 10. This is the first question that the Lord God asks sinful man. From the moment man suffered defeat and chose disobedience to God, we see God searching for man, in contrast to other world religions, where man seeks God.

God’s question, “Where are you?” is timeless. At every moment in the history of this world, God asks this question to man: “Man, where are you?” As Abraham Heschel put it: “This question returns incessantly, like a quiet, gentle echo of a quiet, gentle voice; a voice not expressed in words or in the categories of the mind, but ineffable and mysterious, just as ineffable and mysterious is the glory that fills the whole world.”1 In Adam’s response, we experience the indescribable tragedy of the situation in which our first parents found themselves. Adam and Eve are filled with pain, sorrow, uncertainty, a sense of their own misery and guilt, and they experience fear and anxiety. Their entire being is filled with fear, becoming a fundamental human emotion, and anxiety will constitute our whole self, our fallen nature, our existence.

Multidimensionality of Existential Anxiety

Each of us experiences anxieties. We have likely experienced anxiety regarding death, whether anticipating our own or that of a loved one. It is natural for us to feel apprehensive about death, because death is our enemy; it is something absolutely unnatural in the sense that it was never part of God’s plan for man, who was created for eternal communion with his Creator, to die. Fear and anxiety have the same source, yet they are not the same. Anxiety is a sense of terror about an undefined source; it is, therefore, fear of nothing, of nothingness. Its object is non-existence. Anxiety of non-being, of non-existence, of nothingness, of eternal death, is the existential awareness of the possibility of one’s own non-being. In this sense, this anxiety is a natural state for man and for all of creation, which, through the fall of man, is subject to death.

Fear, in contrast to anxiety, is always focused on a specific object, such as illness, pain, rejection by someone, or death. One can oppose fear and fight the object of fear. However, anxiety has no object; after all, it concerns nothingness, so it cannot be fought on one’s own. Although fear and anxiety are different from each other, they are, however, mutually connected.2 Therefore, what defines us as humans, as expressed by philosopher Martin Heidegger, is the awareness of being-toward-death.3 The only certain fact in human life—as obvious as it is—is death. The Bible explains it this way: “For the living know that they will die; but the dead know nothing.” Ecclesiastes 9:5

Let us try to imagine what the first humans experienced on the day when they took the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil and heard God approaching them. The sinner’s sense of dread as he stands before the holy, living God is crushing; it is absolutely terrifying. Man felt his total dependence on his Creator and, at the same time, his utter nothingness, manifested in the awareness that he is merely a creature composed of “dust and ashes” (Genesis 18:27).

Three Types of Anxiety

Paul Tillich—the author of the book The Courage to Be—distinguished three types of anxiety, corresponding to three directions from which the threat of nothingness arises. This triple threat manifests in consciousness as the anxiety of:

  • fate and death
  • emptiness and the loss of meaning, and
  • guilt and condemnation.4

Anxiety of Death

The anxiety of fate and death is a fundamental anxiety ingrained in our existence. As Tillich notes: “Even if the so-called proofs for the ‘immortality of the soul’ were convincing (which they are not), they could not convince existentially. Existentially, every person is aware of the complete loss of their ‘self’ caused by biological death.”5 Therefore, the only hope for a Christian to overcome this dreadful anxiety of nothingness is found in Jesus Christ alone, for immortality can be received only through the resurrected Jesus Christ—through resurrection on Earth’s last day. Our hope for our resurrection is the certainty of what we have not yet seen or experienced, but being convinced that Christ conquered death and rose from the confines of His earthly tomb, we believe that in Him we, too, will overcome death, rising to eternal life.

Notice that various religions offer the promise of eternal life in one form or another—but without any basis in fact. Only Christianity believes the resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth as a fact to support its offer. This is best proven by the development of Christianity itself from its beginning to the present day. If Christ had not risen and appeared many times to His disciples, they would have simply returned to fishing, and Christianity would have died with the death of its founder. Who wouldn’t prefer to go fishing rather than be persecuted—plunged into a pot of boiling oil—or die—crucified upside down—for a dead messiah who deceived us? Think about that.

Anxiety of Meaninglessness

The anxiety of emptiness and meaninglessness arises when a person perceives their life and the world as devoid of meaning. The sense of meaninglessness automatically triggers the experience of worthlessness, even threatening the possibility of suicide.

Anxiety of Condemnation

Morality and personal conscience are penetrated by nothingness, causing the individual to experience anxiety. Tillich stated directly that everyone is called to live a worthy, moral, and responsible life. A sense of guilt arises, of course, when a person acts against their intentions and values, and additionally realizes that they are morally doing wrong. The more people act against their moral calling, the more they accumulate a sense of guilt, which can lead to despair due to the loss of their purpose and to a sense of condemnation that strikes at the foundation of life.

Condemnation seems absolute to a person, and, therefore, its burden is felt as being nearly unbearable. A person tries to avoid the feeling of guilt and condemnation in two ways: either by rebelling against the moral demands he once espoused and falling into lawlessness, or by trying to strictly adhere to moral principles, and falling into legalism. However, these attempts cannot completely silence the sense of guilt and condemnation.6 The number of people who have rejected God, rebelled against moral principles, and ultimately died in despair is terrifying. It is equally terrifying how many nominal Christians, who try to fulfill all moral and religious requirements ultimately do not find peace.

Renewal of Communion with God

We can triumph in Christ over our sense of guilt and condemnation only by understanding that we can do nothing to save ourselves from this condition, and that we must accept the grace and perfect forgiveness for our sins offered to us by Jesus Christ alone. Only in Christ can we overcome the anxiety of emptiness and meaninglessness, and only in Christ can we conquer the anxiety of nothingness.

For this to happen, one cannot run away in fear and anxiety before God. A personal encounter with God through faith is necessary. This requires, as Tillich stated, the courage of trust, more specifically, the courage to believe, despite our unworthiness, that we are accepted, received, and justified by God.

It is worth noting how different this orthodox Protestant, biblical approach is from that of the Roman Catholic Church and its traditions. The Roman Church, in fact, administers a system of fear and anxiety over guilt, condemnation, and death. It is a system that, by its very nature, feeds on the fear and anxiety of its subjects, drawing benefits from it in the form of totalitarian knowledge, power, and wealth. This is a church in which there is no hope for the certainty of salvation, despite the constant efforts of believing Catholics through the Church to appease God and be saved. The Roman Church brings Catholics to a sense of inevitability, claiming that, essentially, outside the Roman Church, there is no salvation, unless non-Catholics are unaware that the Roman Church is the only conscious path to salvation, but even then, “if they achieve salvation, it is not outside Christ, but through Him; and not outside the Church, but through it, for they are connected with it in a way known only to God.”7 And so the circle closes. Outside the Roman Church, there is no salvation.

In other words, outside the Roman Church, in the context of salvation, there is nothingness, non-being, nihilism, the culture of death, while at the same time, the Roman Church keeps its subjects in a state of absolute dependence and absolute uncertainty. This causes Catholics to be, in reality, hostages of Catholic theology, and at the same time, victims of Stockholm syndrome.

Fear as a Tool of Power

It should come as no surprise that fear is an emotion that is well-suited for use in political and religious manipulation strategies. Managing fear is one of the oldest and most effective methods of social engineering. We observed its application during the so-called coronavirus pandemic—the largest social experiment in the history of our planet, in which the individual and society were subjected to full state control, while states were controlled by global structures and organizations.

We also observe it today, in connection with the climate hysteria served to us by these global structures, i.e., the globalists. The message is this: if we do nothing, we will all die. However, if we dig into the true goals of the ecological agenda, we will discover that it’s not about the climate, but rather about building a global political-economic-religious system. Who tirelessly promotes a centrally-controlled global power system based on collectivism, socialism, and ecumenism? The answer: The Papacy.

Socialism is the content of papal encyclicals, and the desire for totalitarian control over each individual and everyone collectively is the ancient policy of the Roman popes. Standing in the way of this papal goal is the world of institutions and ideas that grew out of the Protestant Reformation, i.e., individualism, capitalism, civil liberties, human rights such as freedom of religion and conscience, and the idea of the separation of church and state. Therefore, the goal of the papacy is to destroy all of this and restore full—now global—power to the papacy.

To achieve this goal, the papacy needs a global crisis. An ecological crisis is perfect for this. Every crisis causes anxiety, uncertainty, fear, and dread in people. What can be done with such masses of people filled with fear and anxiety about a global catastrophe? Of course, this fear can be directed, it can be managed.

Crisis and Fear Management Mechanism

Human fear and anxiety caused by a specific crisis mean that social moods can change very quickly. The rulers of this world know perfectly well that crisis leads to change. Therefore, crisis, which is an inseparable element of human fear, anxiety and uncertainty, has often been used in history as a means to achieve political or religious-political goals. Classic examples of fear management include propaganda campaigns against “witches” and “heretics” during the religious wars in Europe, “Jewish conspiracies” during the economic crisis of the 1920s and 1930s in Germany, or from recent history, the false propaganda regarding the “COVID-19 pandemic.”

Managing a crisis, or in essence human fear, encourages people to adopt solutions that they would not have accepted otherwise, in accordance with the principle that a crisis contributes to change and a controlled crisis causes a controlled change. To achieve this, leaders provoke conflicts, use sabotage (e.g., Nero ordered Rome to be burned down, and Hitler ordered the Reichstag building to be burned down), or publicize a problem (terrorism, epidemics, economic crisis, migration crisis, ecological crisis), and then propose a previously prepared solution to the problem. In this way, they achieve their goal while having broad support from society.8

The Deadly Consequences of Fear Management

The effects of using fear management as a brutal method of political manipulation are simply dramatic for society. Basic social structures, interpersonal trust, solidarity, trust in the rule of law or democracy are being eroded or even destroyed. But that is not all. A society functioning in crisis, in which people are filled with fear, uncertainty and anxiety, turns against those social groups that appear to be the source of the crisis or are stigmatized by political or religious leaders as the cause of the crisis. Rational arguments cease to work and demons awaken. The ultimate effect of fear and hatred against stigmatized social groups, regardless of how innocent they turn out to be, can even be their extermination, as proven by the above historical examples.

The Final Crisis

Ellen White announced the coming of the final, global crisis: “The agencies of evil are combining their forces and consolidating. They are strengthening for the last great crisis. Great changes are soon to take place in our world, and the final movements will be rapid ones.”9 I am convinced that the key to understanding the final crisis is human nature subjected to brutal control by the rulers of darkness and their political-religious executors of their will. People will be so terrified that they will demand global solutions that would provide them with a sense of security. In this way, the global crisis, through the management of fear by the political-religious rulers of this world, will lead to global changes.

Our Lord Jesus Christ announced that on earth there will be “distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory” (Luke 21:25–27). And to His church, Jesus addresses a solemn appeal: “Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near” (Verse 28).

Jesus calls us and encourages us not to cower under the influence of fear and anxiety, but to stand bravely, straight, with our heads held high, our faces set like flint looking forward to the coming salvation.

Marcin Watras lives with his wife and two children in Katowice, Poland. He is interested in the philosophy of religion and trends in society.

Endnotes:

1 Abraham J. Heschel, Bóg szukający człowieka, publishing house Esprit 2015, p. 174

2 Paul Tillich, Męstwo bycia, publishing house Editions Du Dialogue 1983, pp. 41–43

3 Martin Heidegger, Bycie i czas, publishing house PWN, Warszawa 1994, pp. 354, 355

4 Paul Tillich, Męstwo bycia, publishing house Editions Du Dialogue 1983, p. 46

5 Ibiden, p. 47

6 Ibiden, pp. 55, 56

7 Stworzenie i człowiek, www.pgsiedlce.diecezja.gda.pl/cykl-katechez-niedzielnych-20461/kosciol-jest-konieczny-do-zbawienia-23990, accessibility: 13.03.2025

8 Jonatan Dunkel, Apokalipsa, publishing house Orion plus 2001, p. 98

9 Ellen G. White, Testimonies, Vol. 9, 11

The Marriage Vow

by

“Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle.”
Colossians 2:21

“If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.”
Matthew 5:29

If King David had followed these two principles, a great deal of trouble might have been avoided for himself, the children of Israel, and the world.

“I was in the night season in my dreams brought in connection with the Health Retreat. I felt grieved to see you unhappy and much discouraged. … But while I was distressed over this revelation to me, there was One speaking with you, Dr. Q. His words reproved you, but were mingled with tender compassion. I cannot write the exact words as He spoke them. I will try my best to give you the import of them. He said:

“ ‘You are nourishing despondency, but in this you are not wise; you will become weak and inefficient. This will give the enemy advantage over you. God would have you grow nearer and closer to Himself, to resemble the image and character of Christ. Your heart is the seat of many tumultuous feelings, which you do not strive vigorously to overcome. You do not put your full heart and will into the work of cleansing the soul temple. Your mind is unwisely exercised on the subject of divorce from your wife. God is not leading you in this. You are not keeping this matter bound within your own mind. You are telling your ideas and plans to others, and in thus doing you are preparing the way for Satan to affect the minds of others by your suggestions.

“ ‘The matter of the marriage covenant does not stand sacred and elevated in your mind as it should, and you will be certainly in danger of pursuing a wrong course yourself, and endangering other souls by your suggestions. Your mind while stirred up on this subject cannot be prepared to do the best work, and you cannot be an earnest seeker for the blessing of the Lord, unless you shall come up on higher ground. You have done positive injury to the hearts and minds of others. Close quickly the door of your heart that has been open to the enemy. Open wide the door of your heart and invite Jesus to come in. You will then have a balance wheel to your somewhat erratic nature, that you can put your whole being into your work, realizing its importance. Improve every opportunity to work your way upward, exerting a firm and healthful influence. Lose no time in this matter. If you would be a free and happy man, you must resist the enemy. …’

“Dr. Q, your mind is not in a healthful state. You center your mind upon things that do not bring to you physical or mental soundness. You must have a change of heart; then your thoughts will flow into a higher, purer channel. You enjoy the society of women and girls. This becomes to you a snare. In such an institution, the physician’s mind should be constantly uplifted to God for strength and wisdom. There is constant danger of the thoughts taking a low level. Unless the Lord is the center of attraction, unless He is a special defense against the temptations of the enemy, he [Satan] will gain power over your mind and separate you from God.

“In a dream on another occasion you were presented before me. Your head was bowed down upon a table. You were almost unconscious. Words were spoken to you with a firm, decided emphasis: ‘Put that out of your hand! You need not take that; your life is not your own; your medicine is not needed to bring you peace and rest. What you need is heart religion, a heart purified, refined, elevated from common things, taking hold upon the divine. Be a man. Call your wife to your side, become better acquainted with the truth, be molded by the Spirit of God, and you will have peace. If you take the right course, if you are unwavering in the truth, if you keep your own soul in the love of God, you will be in the hands of the Lord the means of saving your wife, and in her turn, if she accepts the truth of heavenly origin, if she is a meek and humble follower of Christ, she will be the means in the hands of God of being a great blessing to you. …

“Now, Dr. Q, stand up in your God-given manhood! Lift the cross of Christ daily, uplift your thoughts into a higher, purer channel. Respect your marriage vows, and be God’s own servant for the uplifting of the human race. If you are an overcomer, you will be among those who will have possession of all things; the eternal weight of glory will be yours.

“There is an animal that strikes the arm with feebleness the moment it touches it. The muscles become as if paralyzed. In a similar way, will it be with you spiritually, if your thoughts are allowed to run in a certain channel, and you give attention and preferences to young girls or married women. All this familiarity is death to spirituality.

“Let your affections and your sympathies entwine about God, else your impulses will become impure, your character will be defective, your heart estranged from God. Who ever touched or handled that which pollutes, and yet continued pure? The soul cannot remain pure breathing the atmosphere of that which taints and corrupts. These things steal the heart away from God. The soul withers and becomes deformed, because the tent is pitched too near Sodom to breathe the pure atmosphere of heaven.

“The violation of one of God’s precepts does violence to your moral nature. For Christ’s sake, I implore you to reach a higher standard. Give yourself unreservedly to the Lord. You have lessons to learn that your only safety is to meet the requirements of God, to present your body ‘a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.’ Then the word of God will be found a pleasant and profitable guide, a light to your feet, and a lamp to your path. Then you can bear perplexities, and they will not overcome you; for you know that your soul is riveted to the eternal Rock, because you abide by the simple truth of God.” Testimonies on Sexual Behavior, Adultery, and Divorce, 160–163

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.

Joy and Happiness or Purgatory

by

Do you have joy in your heart? Are you really happy? A true Christian should be one of the happiest people in the world. But if a Christian isn’t happy, then the next question to ask would be, “What’s the matter with his religion?” Many Seventh-day Adventists have left worldly things behind, but have failed to acquire those things which are spiritually necessary to take their place.

Many people do not know why man was created; however, Christ’s Object Lessons tell us why.

“Through disobedience to God, Adam and Eve had lost Eden, and because of sin the whole earth was cursed. But if God’s people followed His instruction, their land would be restored to fertility and beauty. … As in obedience to His natural laws the earth should produce its treasures, so in obedience to His moral law the hearts of the people were to reflect the attributes of His character. Even the heathen would recognize the superiority of those who served and worshiped the living God.

“ ‘Behold,’ said Moses, ‘I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the Lord my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it. Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.” …’ ” Deuteronomy 4:4–6.

“The children of Israel were to occupy all the territory which God appointed them. Those nations that rejected the worship and service of the true God were to be dispossessed. But it was God’s purpose that by the revelation of His character through Israel men should be drawn unto Him. To all the world the gospel invitation was to be given. Through the teaching of the sacrificial service Christ was to be uplifted before the nations, and all who would look unto Him should live. …

“God desired to bring all peoples under His merciful rule.” Now notice the next two sentences: “He desired that the earth should be filled with joy and peace. He created man for happiness, and He longs to fill human hearts with the peace of heaven.” Op. Cit., 289, 290

Man was created for happiness.

The framers of the Constitution of the United States were not ignorant when they determined that everyone has the right to pursue happiness. The question is, How can happiness be successfully pursued? The religion of Christ produces the greatest joy that human beings can experience, and if we do not have happiness, there is something wrong with our religion.

So, where do we go to find the greatest happiness?

“We must fall upon the Rock and be broken before we can be uplifted in Christ. Self must be dethroned, pride must be humbled, if we would know the glory of the spiritual kingdom. The Jews would not accept the honor that is reached through humiliation. Therefore, they would not receive their Redeemer. He was a sign that was spoken against. …

“In the light of the Saviour’s life, the hearts of all, even from the Creator to the prince of darkness, are revealed. Satan has represented God as selfish and oppressive, as claiming all, and giving nothing, as requiring the service of His creatures for His own glory, and making no sacrifice for their good. But the gift of Christ reveals the Father’s heart. It testifies that the thoughts of God toward us are ‘thoughts of peace, and not of evil.’ Jeremiah 29:11. It declares that while God’s hatred of sin is as strong as death, His love for the sinner is stronger than death. Having undertaken our redemption, He will spare nothing, however dear, which is necessary to the completion of His work. No truth essential to our salvation is withheld, no miracle of mercy is neglected, no divine agency is left unemployed. Favor is heaped upon favor, gift upon gift. The whole treasury of heaven is open to those He seeks to save. Having collected the riches of the universe, and laid open the resources of infinite power, He gives them all into the hands of Christ, and says, All these are for man. Use these gifts to convince him that there is no love greater than Mine in earth or heaven. His greatest happiness will be found in loving Me.” The Desire of Ages, 57

Even in this world, most people recognize that there is no happiness without love. Until you have a loving relationship with your Creator, you will never experience the greatest happiness that you can enjoy. So, if you do not have happiness, you must wonder what your relationship with your Creator is.

Our Creator is the only source of true joy and happiness. You will not have true joy or happiness if you are not connected to Him. “You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Psalm 16:11. Before they sinned, Adam and Eve knew that their relationship with Jesus Christ was the source of their joy and happiness. But fallen man is deceived, believing that Adam’s joy was in Eve and Eve’s joy was in Adam.

“The sacrifice demanded by their transgression revealed to Adam and Eve the sacred character of the law of God; and they saw, as they had never seen before, the guilt of sin and its dire results. In their remorse and anguish they pleaded that the penalty might not fall upon Him whose love had been the source of all their joy; rather let it descend upon them and their posterity.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 66

In the book Confrontation, we read the account of how the devil and the angels who followed him were cast out of heaven. Mrs. White explains that being in charge of the angels outside of heaven was completely different than being in charge of them inside of heaven, and the devil found that he had lost his joy, and the angels had lost their joy as well. With their joy gone, there was only contention and bitterness as they fought among themselves. They discovered the hard way the real source of joy, and that they no longer had access to it.

Today, many people are empty, searching for something they can’t see, but know they must have. To prevent them from finding the true source of joy, the devil keeps them totally occupied with worldly things that are of no value to the soul. Some will find relief from this emptiness in the things of this world, but these things are spiritually empty, and being excited is not the same as being happy.

To be truly happy, you need to know the source of happiness and where to find it. There is a saying that “Home is wherever your mother is.” Our spiritual home—heaven—is wherever Jesus is. Inspiration tells us, “It was heaven to be in His presence.” The Ministry of Healing, 18. What makes heaven so heavenly? Jesus is there.

Before the disciples knew Jesus, they thought of heaven as a place somewhere in the sky beyond their sight, but after He ascended to heaven, “What a source of joy to the disciples to know that they had such a Friend in heaven to plead in their behalf! Through the visible ascension of Christ all their views and contemplation of heaven are changed. Their minds had formerly dwelt upon it as a region of unlimited space, tenanted by spirits without substance. Now heaven was connected with the thought of Jesus, whom they had loved and reverenced above all others, with whom they had conversed and journeyed, whom they had handled, even in His resurrected body, who had spoken hope and comfort to their hearts, and who, while the words were upon His lips, had been taken up before their eyes, the tones of His voice coming back to them as the cloudy chariot of angels received Him: ‘Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.’

“Heaven could no longer appear to them as an indefinite, incomprehensible space, filled with intangible spirits. They now looked upon it as their future home, where mansions were being prepared for them by their loving Redeemer. Prayer was clothed with a new interest, since it was a communion with our Saviour. With new and thrilling emotions and a firm confidence that their prayer would be answered, they gathered in the upper chamber to offer their petitions and to claim the promise of the Saviour, who had said, ‘Ask, and ye shall receive.’ ” Heaven, 67, 68

Heaven is real because Jesus is real and wherever Jesus is will be heaven.

The good news—is a little fuzzy.

Jesus had died, was resurrected, and had ascended to heaven to minister before the Father on our behalf. Now, the disciples had good news to proclaim—the gospel of Jesus Christ. They talked of Jesus all the time, so much so that the people began to call them Christians. They preached that Christ was the Messiah, having come in human form to save them from their sinfulness. They preached of His humiliation and of the wicked hands that took Him and crucified Him; of how He had risen from the grave and ascended into heaven. They told the people that He was standing in the presence of God as man’s advocate and that He would soon come again with power and great glory to take His people out of this world to the place He had prepared for them. This gospel turned the world upside down, and the world and those in it have not been the same since.

The Bible describes Jesus as:

  • The Chiefest among ten thousand (Song of Solomon 5:10)
  • Altogether lovely (Song of Solomon 5:16)
  • The Source of all true pleasure and satisfaction (1 Corinthians 8:6)
  • The Giver of every good and perfect gift (James 1:17)
  • The Author of every blessing (Proverbs 10:22; Ezekiel 34:26; Numbers 6:24–26)
  • The One in whom our hope of eternal life is centered (John 10:28-30; 1John 5:11; John 3:16)
  • The One who alone can cure the disease of sin and transform the character of man (1John 3:8; James 4:12; 1 John 1:9)

The disciples understood what Adam and Eve had understood at the beginning. They understood that Jesus is the real source of joy and happiness. But sadly, there is so much unhappiness in the lives of so many people because they do not know the Source of happiness; they do not know where to find Him, therefore, they have no connection with Him.

Not only do people have a fuzzy idea about the love of our Lord and Saviour, but they also have an indistinct and deluded idea about God the Father. Satan has been working for millennia to deceive people into thinking that Jesus isn’t real, or perhaps He might have been a good man but not our Saviour. And he plants doubt into the minds of men about God’s true character. Instead, he mixes his own evil attributes with God’s righteous ones, and as a result, man becomes so mixed up that he turns away from God and looks to the devil to be his benefactor. But, praise God, we have been given the words of Inspiration that prove just how false this idea is.

“Many conceive of the Christian’s God as a being whose attribute is stern justice—one who is a severe judge, a harsh, exacting creditor. The Creator has been pictured as a being who is watching with a jealous eye to discern the errors and mistakes of men, that He may visit judgment upon them. In the minds of thousands, love and sympathy and tenderness are associated with the character of Christ, while God is regarded as the law-giver, inflexible, arbitrary, devoid of sympathy for the beings He has made.

“Never was there a greater error. Nature and revelation alike testify of God’s love. It is from Him that we receive every good gift. He is the source of life, of wisdom, and of joy. …

“It is transgression of God’s law that has brought woe and death. … God made man perfect and holy and happy; and the fair earth, as it came from the Creator’s hand, bore no blight of decay nor shadow of the curse. … God cursed the ground for man’s sake. … The trials that make his life one of toil and care, were appointed for his good, as a part of the training needful in God’s plan for his uplifting from the ruin and degradation.” Bible Training School, November 1, 1908

Helping others.

There is a way, available to every son and daughter of Adam, to have greater joy in this life than anything the devil can offer. Astonishingly, very few Christians have a clear understanding of this.

“Whoever succors the poor, or sympathizes with the afflicted and oppressed, or befriends the orphan, is brought into closer relationship with the pitying Saviour. He who is the Source of all blessing, has granted to men the privilege of becoming partakers of the divine nature, and in their turn, of diffusing blessings to their fellowmen. This is the highest honor, the greatest joy, which it is possible for God to bestow upon men. Those who thus become participants in labors of love are brought nearest to their Redeemer.” The Home Missionary, July 1, 1891

Only by being a blessing to our fellowmen are we able to experience the great joy that God wishes to give His children.

“He who refuses to become a laborer together with God, the man who for the sake of selfish indulgence ignores the wants of his fellowmen, is withholding from himself the richest blessings that God could give him.” Ibid.

Bliss or dissatisfaction.

I have met many dissatisfied people. Without sin, there would never have been an unhappy person. All dissatisfaction and unhappiness are a consequence of sin. Before sin entered the world, there was no unhappiness in the garden of Eden. A literal translation of the word Eden means garden of delight and bliss. There was constant joy and happiness within its boundary branches, but sin brought problems to all.

However, in spite of sin, God shows His people that if they will but follow Him, they will find joy, happiness, and satisfaction.

“In the arrangements for the education of the chosen people, it is made manifest that a life centered in God is a life of completeness. Every want He has implanted, He provides to satisfy; every faculty imparted, He seeks to develop.” Education, 41

God has promised completeness to every Christian. The devil seeks to engender doubt regarding this promise. He brings terrible problems and troubles that snatch away our happiness. But God has promised that He will provide whatever we need to endure these experiences. He reminds us that we can have faith in Him, and that even if following Jesus may cost us worldly things, following Him will secure us a place that will abound in joy and happiness forever.

“Everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life.” Matthew 19:29

“Whatever crosses they [God’s people] have been called to bear, whatever losses they have sustained, whatever persecution they have suffered, even to the loss of their temporal life, the children of God are amply recompensed.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 180

The God we serve is a wonderful God. We may lose everything in this life, just as Job did, but God will restore happiness and satisfaction to us throughout eternity that nothing in this world can compare to. If you get to know Him, you will love Him.

We need to know Christ.

The reason that people are sad is because they don’t know Jesus or His Father.

“The life in which the fear of the Lord is cherished will not be a life of sadness and gloom. It is the absence of Christ that makes the countenance sad, and the life a pilgrimage of sighs.” Ibid., 162

“When the light of heaven shines upon the human agent, his countenance will express the joy of the Lord within. It is the absence of Christ from the soul that makes people sad and of a doubtful mind.” The Seventh-day Adventist Commentary, Vol. 5, 1144

A short time before He was to be crucified, Jesus told His disciples that He would soon be going away and that this would bring them great sorrow. However, they would see Him again, filling their hearts with joy and happiness no one could take away. It was their relationship with Christ that caused the disciples to be both sorrowful and later joyful.

God has great plans for our happiness.

This world is not our home, yet God tells us we have a specific work to accomplish here. Our future will be in heaven. No matter what the troubles and difficulties of this life may be, it is God’s plan that we will have an eternity to contemplate a place filled with great joy and happiness.

A few facts about heaven.

  1. The Bible says, “They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat. … My elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.” Isaiah 65:21, 22. We will have work to do in heaven and will find pleasure in doing it.
  2. “I shall know just as I also am known.” 1 Corinthians 13:12, last part. “The loves and sympathies that God has planted in the soul will find truest and sweetest exercise.” Education, 306
  3. Jesus is there. Heaven is not so much a place as an atmosphere. Heaven is where Jesus is. If Jesus is in our hearts, we are filled with a heavenly atmosphere.
  4. “In our life here, earthly, sin-restricted though it is, the greatest joy and the highest education are in service. And in the future state, untrammeled by the limitations of sinful humanity, it is in service that our greatest joy and our highest education will be found.” Ibid., 309. To be part of the joy and happiness of heaven, which is found in service, our greatest joy here on earth will be in service to God and our fellow man.
  5. Our home here should be a reflection of our home in heaven. “There must be no angry words spoken in the home, no seeds of coarse, common talk sown in your children’s hearts, or they will have no confidence in you when you speak in meeting. God help us to have the peace of Christ in our hearts, that we may teach our children the way of life and peace! We may have a little heaven to go to heaven in, if Christ breathes upon us His Holy Spirit.” The Review and Herald, April 21, 1891

If our homes are more like purgatory than heaven, how can we hope to see heaven? “Parents, make your home a little heaven on earth. You can do this, if you so choose. You can make home so pleasant and cheerful that it will be the most attractive place on earth to your children. Let them receive all the blessings of the household. You can so relate yourselves to God that His Spirit will abide in your home. Come close to the bleeding side of the Man of Calvary. Those who are partakers with Him in His sufferings will at last be partakers with Him in His glory.” Manuscript 77, 1902. By receiving the Holy Spirit into our homes, we will have a little bit of heaven here.

“We must let Christ into our hearts and homes if we would walk in the light. Home should be made all that the name implies. It should be a little heaven upon the earth, a place where the affections are cultivated instead of being studiously repressed.” The Review and Herald, June 22, 1886

Love is freely expressed.

In heaven, the angels love one another, and this love is freely, openly, and often expressed. They work together. They have companions. Sadly, there are many so-called Christian homes today where love and affection are not expressed. And yet, we claim to be getting ready to go to heaven. If we receive the Holy Spirit, the Lord will put love in our hearts for our families. But if there is no love in our hearts for our families, then we must go to the Lord seeking to be converted, allowing the Holy Spirit to change us and give us a new heart so that we can love our families and our fellowman. Anything less than this makes us pretend Christians, playing at religion.

“Our happiness depends upon this cultivation of love, sympathy, and polite courtesy to one another. The reason why there are so many hard-hearted men and women in our world, is because true affection has been regarded as weakness, and has been discouraged and repressed. The better part of the nature of those of this class was perverted and dwarfed in childhood; and unless rays of divine light can melt away their coldness and hard-hearted selfishness, the happiness of such is buried forever.” Ibid.

Just like Jesus.

“If we would have tender hearts, such as Jesus had when He was upon the earth, and sanctified sympathy, such as the angels have for sinful mortals, we must cultivate the sympathies of childhood, which are simplicity itself. Then we shall be refined, elevated, and directed by heavenly principles.” Ibid. Friends, the Lord intended that our homes would be filled with free, open, and frequent expressions of affection, love, and sympathy, with courtesy and politeness. Do we treat each other with gentleness so that our homes become a little heaven to go to heaven in?

If your home is more like purgatory than heaven, bring your loved ones to the family altar and pray that each one will be converted; ask for the rays of divine light to come into each heart, melting away the cold selfishness that dwells there. Do you know Jesus? Are you trying to copy His character in your home with your loved ones so that your home will be a happy place? Home should be the happiest, most heavenly place on earth for every family member. Only then are we ready to go to heaven.

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.

Are You Ready to Die?

by

“I am so ready for Jesus to come.”

We have all made that statement at some point in our lives. A person usually says that after some unpleasant experience, or in a time of want, or after reading about or seeing some terrible calamity or evil occur in the world. But are those reasons sufficient for anyone to be ready to be taken out of this world? It is the equivalent of saying, “Get me out of here!”

Wanting something and being prepared to go is not the same as being anxious to leave.

I am going on vacation for a few days and I am anxious to have these days off. However, I still need to pack, make travel and lodging arrangements, and make reservations to board my dog and cat. Someone might wonder if I am truly ready for my vacation. I certainly want to go, and I am anxious to be where I intend to spend my days off, but I have made none of the necessary preparations for my vacation. And that is the difference between wanting to go and being prepared to go.

We are all destined to die; there is no escape from this inevitability. Death is the consequence of sin, and as sinners, we will all die, just as those who have died over the 6,000 years behind us. However, the Bible tells us that there will be a group of people—the 144,000—who will never see death on this earth. We have Bible examples of that group—Enoch and Elijah. But except for these two and the 144,000, not one of us will escape the first death. The truth is, there is one death that everyone in heaven must experience while they are still on this earth—death to self.

Physical death is the consequence of being sinful, which we are by nature. But death to self is the spiritual necessity if we are to spend eternity in heaven, and definitely if it is our desire to be one of the 144,000. This life is only a time of preparation. If I want to see Jesus, then I must do the work of being made ready now, and it must be done here. There is no second chance. Preparation for heaven is our earthwork.

“The Christian’s life is not a modification or improvement of the old, but a transformation of nature. There is a death to self and sin, and a new life altogether. This change can be brought about only by the effectual working of the Holy Spirit.” Messages to Young People, 157

“You must experience a death to self, and must live unto God. ‘If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.’ Self is not to be consulted. Pride, self-love, selfishness, avarice, covetousness, love of the world, hatred, suspicion, jealousy, evil surmisings, must all be subdued and sacrificed forever. When Christ shall appear, it will not be to correct these evils and then give a moral fitness for His coming. This preparation must all be made before He comes. It should be a subject of thought, of study, and earnest inquiry, What shall we do to be saved? What shall be our conduct that we may show ourselves approved of God? …

“Only the faultless will be there [before the throne of God]. None will be translated to heaven while their hearts are filled with the rubbish of earth. Every defect in the moral character must first be remedied, every stain removed by the cleansing blood of Christ, and all the unlovely, unlovable traits of character overcome.” Maranatha, 58

So, what is the purpose of this life? Dying to self. In dying, I reject the world and all its evils and temptations, and in doing so, my selfish nature is cleansed of every stain, and my character is transformed to be like Christ’s. Death to self is the most important experience through which I must pass, and becoming Christlike is the sure result of the daily experience of dying to self.

“There are those who for a time are successful in the struggle against their selfish desire for pleasure and ease. They are sincere and earnest, but grow weary of protracted effort, of daily death, of ceaseless turmoil. Indolence seems inviting, death to self repulsive; and they close their drowsy eyes, and fall under the power of temptation instead of resisting it.

“The directions laid down in the word of God leave no room for compromise with evil. The Son of God was manifested that He might draw all men unto Himself. He came not to lull the world to sleep, but to point out the narrow path in which all must travel who reach at last the gates of the city of God. His children must follow where He has led the way; at whatever sacrifice of ease or selfish indulgence, at whatever cost of labor or suffering, they must maintain a constant battle with self.” Gospel Workers, 135

“True conviction of sin, real heart sorrow because of wickedness, death to self, the daily overcoming of defects of character, and the new birth—these, represented as old things, Paul says had passed away, and all things had become new.” Our Father Cares, 300, 301

“He who has an obedient heart, that is ready to do the will of God, will not only gladly receive truth, but will earnestly seek for truth as for hidden treasure. He will come to the Scriptures with a humble and teachable spirit, seeking to understand how he may walk in the light, and saying, ‘Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?’ (Acts 9:6). He is ready to sacrifice anything and everything, if required, in order that he may be in harmony with the will of God.

“It is not always an easy matter to render obedience to the will of God. It demands firmness of purpose to enter in at the strait gate and to travel in the narrow path that leads to eternal life … . There is not room to enter in at the strait gate and carry the things of this world along.

“He who would enter in at the strait gate must make an entire consecration of his all to God.” Ye Shall Receive Power, 110

So, the next time you hear yourself saying, “I am so ready for Jesus to come,” look closely at your heart’s desires, listen to what you say, and pay attention to what you think and do. You may not be as ready for that day to come as your statement suggests.

“Since we know not the hour of Christ’s coming, we must live soberly and godly in this present world, ‘Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.’ ” Reflecting Christ, 258

“We are to live only one day at a time. We do not have to do the work of a lifetime in a few hours. We need not look into the future with anxiety; for God has made it possible for us to be overcomers every day.

“By the exercise of living faith today, we are to conquer the enemy. We must today seek God, and be determined that we will not rest satisfied without His presence. We should watch and work and pray as though this were the last day that would be granted us.

“If you are right with God today, you are ready if Christ should come today.” The Faith I Live By, 249

Friend, today is the day of our salvation. Today, we must surrender ourselves—body, soul, mind, and spirit—to the One who makes us ready to dwell with Him for eternity. We must not simply want to go; we must now prepare to go.

“The heart of God never yearned toward His earthly children with deeper love and more compassionate tenderness than now. There never was a time when God was ready and waiting to do more for His people than now. And He will instruct and save all who choose to be saved in His appointed way. Those who are spiritual can discern spiritual things and see tokens of the presence and work of God everywhere.” Testimonies, Vol. 3, 455

“Sanctification is not the work of a day or a year, but of a lifetime. Without continual efforts and constant endeavor, there can be no real advancement in the divine life, no attainment of the victor’s crown.” The Southern Watchman, January 17, 1905

“The voice of the angel seems to ring in my ears … Get ready, get ready, get ready, lest ye be weighed in the balance and found wanting.” Manuscript Releases, Vol. 6, 253

“And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.” Romans 13:11

“Therefore you also be ready … .” Luke 12:40, first part

“No outward observances can take the place of simple faith and entire renunciation of self. But no man can empty himself of self. We can only consent for Christ to accomplish the work. Then the language of the soul will be, Lord, take my heart; for I cannot give it. It is Thy property. Keep it pure, for I cannot keep it for Thee. Save me in spite of myself, my weak, unchristlike self. Mold me, fashion me, raise me into a pure and holy atmosphere, where the rich current of Thy love can flow through my soul.

“It is not only at the beginning of the Christian life that this renunciation of self is to be made. At every advance step heavenward it is to be renewed. All our good works are dependent on a power outside of ourselves. Therefore, there needs to be a continual reaching out of the heart after God, a continual, earnest, heartbreaking confession of sin and humbling of the soul before Him. Only by constant renunciation of self and dependence on Christ can we walk safely.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 159, 160

Let this be our prayer. Let our work during these closing hours of earth’s history be “to make a heart and a life surrender” (The Upward Look, 289), letting the old man die so that a complete change of character can occur in our lives. May we truly be made ready for Jesus to come, to at last hear the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Judy Rebarchek is the managing editor of LandMarks magazine. She can be reached at judyrebarchek@stepstolife.org or by phone at 316-788-5559.

Without Excuse

by

We are drawing near to the day of God. Eternal decisions must now be made. The Master stands at the door. This day is not an uncertain object in the dim and distant future; but it is, to him who reads aright the page of prophecy and history, a vivid reality, even now throwing the beams of its approaching glory and the light of its consuming fires upon a slumbering world. It comes not without a numerous array of precursors and heralds; yet it will come to many suddenly and unexpected. With what real and unfeigned surprise will multitudes awake to their condition, as the terrible realities of this coming day burst upon them! So different from what they expected. So contrary to all their plans. So fatal to all they had hoped for or believed. What astonishment, what amazement, what terror, will seize them! At once they find themselves in the unrelaxing grasp of eternity, its irrevocable decisions upon them, and they among the lost. And how many, in the agony of their despair, will put the question to their own souls, Why should I be found in this condition? And what would be their reply to such a question? Should the Judge of all meet them with the solemn inquiry why they had not made preparation for that day, what answer would they return? What excuse would they render?

Would they say, “Lord, this day of all days, this day which forever concludes all human history, this decisive day for all the human race, should have been clearly set forth in Thy holy word?” The answer would be, “It was thus set forth. From Genesis to Revelation, the word was full of it. That solemn moment which closes probation and brings its terrible retribution to the ungodly, and its glorious reward to the righteous, was everywhere kept in view, with warnings and exhortations to all the race to prepare for its solemn scenes. Bibles were in your hands, and you should have read them for yourselves.” Would they not thus stand speechless and condemned?

Would they say that signs should have been given of so momentous an event, some strange phenomena in nature to mark the approach of the end? The answer would be, “Such signs were given. The sun was darkened, the moon withdrew her shining, the stars fell from heaven, strange sights appeared above, and strange convulsions were felt below (Joel 2:31; 3:15). And ere probation closed, while yet you could have escaped the coming wrath, the land was full of Bibles containing these predictions, and full of histories recording their fulfillment. Did you care to trouble yourselves to compare the two?” And again, they would stand speechless and condemned.

Would they say that the state of the world, moral and political, which was to mark the last days, should have been clearly described? The answer would come. “It was so described. It was declared in the word of God that iniquity would abound, that evil men and seducers would wax worse and worse, that the nations would be angry, that there would be wars and rumors of wars, and that there would be distress of nations, with perplexity (Matthew 24). And in your own days, every paper groaned with a record of these things, and all the land was startled at the fearful spectacle which the world presented. Did you not see it, and wonder? And why did you not read its import aright?” Would they not again stand speechless and condemned?

Would they say that the history of nations, and the course of empires, in consecutive order, down to the end, should have been given, that the world might know when the last nations were on the stage of action, at the end of whose history the kingdom of God should be set up? Again, the answer would be, “Such information was given in the prophetic word. Beginning 600 years before Christ, step by step, kingdom by kingdom, event by event, the student of prophecy is brought down even to the closing scenes of trouble, the dashing of all the nations to pieces, and the standing up of Michael for the deliverance of His people. And you saw the last kingdoms of earth in a condition such that even human foresight scarcely failed to discern the very day of their dissolution (Daniel 2:31–45). Did you take the trouble to inquire what was to follow?” And once more, they would stand without answer and without excuse.

Further they would say that, “messengers divinely sent should have given warning of the approach of the great and dreadful day. That the proclamation should have been made through all the land when that day was near.” The answer would be again, “Such proclamation was made. The world heard; the honest, humble seekers after truth believed; and scoffers everywhere raised the inquiry, ‘Where is the promise of His coming?’ 2 Peter 3:2–5.”

Thus, their last excuse fails them, speechless and condemned, what more could they say?

And, reader, so far as the evidences of the near coming of Christ are concerned, they stand today just as set forth above. The declaration of God’s word, the signs in the natural world, the state of the nations, the moral condition of mankind, and the proclamation of the coming of the day of wrath, the last message of mercy, are all before us. The eyes of all the world are now watching for the final destruction of these powers at the termination of whose career the Bible places the opening of the day of God.

Some Features of Our Times

This is an age of brilliant pretensions, but sad realities. Its professions and practices, its facts and theories, present a climax of contradictions.

There never was so much of the form of godliness, and never so little of the power.

Never were there so many professors of religion, and never so little of religion itself.

Never so many assurances of peace, and never so extensive and urgent need for preparations for war.

Never so many tokens of coming danger and calamity, and never such a feeling of security, expressed and implied, on the part of the people.

There never was a time when the doctrine of the immediate opening of the temporal millennium was more universally cherished and talked of, and never a time when every feature of society—social, moral, and political—rendered such an idea more preposterous.

There never was a time when there was so much money in the world, and never a time when there was more widespread and distressing spiritual poverty.

There never was a time when there were so many remedies for every disease, real or imaginary, which profess to be sure cures, absolutely infallible, and never a time when there existed so much disease, sickness, suffering, and death.

There never was a time when there was so much boasting of progress and advancement on the part of the race, and never a time when they gave more palpable evidence of fast descending into the depths of sin and degradation.

And what does all this show? It shows that the pretensions on which men build themselves up are a sham, and their professions, hypocrisy. They are willing to deceive others, and to be deceived themselves. This is the time when the prophet tells us that evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived (2 Timothy 3:13). We see this work going on before us, which proves that we have reached the time to which the prophet’s words apply. There is nothing to which men will not put their hand for gain. With worthless remedies, which the venders know will not accomplish what they claim, the confidence of the afflicted is secured, and their means looted. Falsity and insincerity exist on every hand. “Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands afar off; for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter.” Isaiah 59:14. Nor will this state of things improve till He whose right it is, the Prince of the house of David, takes the throne.

“The end of all things is at hand. Satan is availing himself of every means to thwart the purposes of God and to make the truth of God of none effect. While Satan is pouring in his darkness, angels of God are diligently at work forcing back the gross darkness, that there may be a place for the truth. If the ministers of God will move forward in humble faith, relying fully upon God to work with their efforts, they will not pray in vain. Angels are waiting, ready to help, longing to help with our efforts.

“The message of solemn warning must be given to all nations, tongues, and people. The message will convict and convert the hearers or condemn them. All will be left without excuse.” Manuscript Releases, Vol. 5, 300

We rejoice that this event is at the door. Hasten, O King of kings, the glad day.

Uriah Smith was a Seventh-day Adventist author, minister, educator, and theologian, and the longest-serving (50 years) editor of The Review and Herald. He served as the first secretary of the General Conference and, later, as its treasurer. He co-founded Battle Creek College. As an author, he was best known for “Thoughts on Daniel and the Revelation.” He passed away in 1903 from a stroke while on his way to the Review office.