Daily Living

The Prince of the Power of the Air

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When Lucifer, or Satan, as he is now called, was cast out, he realized that he had lost heaven forever. His nature was now changed completely, and his heart was filled with anger and hatred toward the entire government of God. His history shows that from that time his motto was, in the language of Milton, “Evil, be thou my good.” His change of name indicates his change of character. Lucifer means light-bearer. The word devil means the opposite—darkness. He is now the prince of darkness.

Revenge now filled that heart where once the love of God abode, and all his powers were exerted against God and His work. Every artful device of Satan and the evil angels has since been used to lead men to follow them in sin and rebellion against God.

It is well for man to know the strength of the foe he has to meet. Satan and his angels have on earth the same wisdom, and much of the power, which they had in heaven before their fall. To this is added six thousand years’ experience in their terrible work.

In heaven Satan’s influence was so great as to deceive and lead into rebellion a vast number of the holy angels. If his influence in the very courts of heaven was so great, can we not readily understand how it is possible for him to lead mankind astray?

With such power and influence as he has at his command, we can never overcome Satan in our own strength. If we let go our hold upon God, we step onto the enemy’s ground, and he will always be there to meet us. Under such conditions we are sure to be “taken captive by him at his will” (2 Timothy 2:26).

But we need not be overcome by the enemy. Christ has twice conquered this foe—once in the battle in heaven, when Satan was cast out; and again as a man on earth when He met all his temptations, and came off victorious. Hence Satan is to Christ a conquered foe. If we trust our Lord fully, He will give us strength in every hour of need, and thus we may become “more than conquerors through Him that loves us” (Romans 8:37).

Not only does Satan seek to draw man away from his allegiance to God, but he uses also the elements of the earth, sea, and sky to work his destruction.

Paul calls Satan “The prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2). The name is well applied; for it is he who causes the terrible cyclones, the tidal waves, and other awful disasters. Only the restraining hand of God prevents him from bringing devastation to the whole world, more awful than has yet been known.

The experience of Job, as recorded in the first chapter of that book, is evidence that Satan controls, not only the hearts and actions of wicked men, but also, as far as permitted, the very elements. When God allowed him to afflict Job, four great calamities came upon him in such quick succession that one bearer of evil tidings could not finish his report before another was waiting with his account of disaster. They were as follows:

First, a band of Sabeans fell upon the servants who were plowing, and slew them, and took away the oxen, and the asses that were feeding beside them. It was Satan who stirred up these wicked men to do this deed.

Second, fire from above burned up the sheep as they were feeding, as well as the servants who were caring for them. This storm of fire was brought down by Satan for the purpose of causing this very destruction.

The text reads, “The fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them” (Job 1:16). This was the language of the messenger, giving an account of the disaster as he understood it. By a reading of the twelfth verse we can not avoid the conclusion that these calamities were not sent by God, but were the means the Lord permitted Satan to use in his effort to destroy the integrity of Job.

Third, three bands of Chaldeans fell upon the camels, and carried them away, and slew the servants who were keeping them. These Chaldeans were idolaters, hence were servants of Satan, and were led and influenced by him in this raid upon the property of Job.

Fourth, a wind from the wilderness smote the house where the sons and daughters of Job were eating and drinking and killed them all. This awful bereavement was the last of the four great calamities brought upon him at this time. In this instance the winds obeyed the will of Satan, so justifying the statement made by Paul, that Satan is “the prince of the power of the air.”

Awful disasters and terrible calamities are abroad in the earth to-day. As wickedness is increasing in the land, God is removing His restraining power, and Satan is having a freer hand to do the work in which he delights.

Satan is a hard master, for he takes pleasure in bringing disaster and suffering and misery upon even his own subjects. This is in sharp contrast with the loving, tender care which God delights to manifest toward His people. When Israel was in bondage in Egypt, and that land was afflicted because of the hardness of the heart of the Egyptian king, God preserved His people; the plagues did not come near them, and there was peace in their homes in the land of Goshen.

As we near the close of probation, a short time before Christ comes, awful plagues will be poured out upon the inhabitants of the earth, of which the plagues upon Egypt were only a shadowy type. (See Revelation 16.) These plagues will be visited upon those who have stubbornly refused the offers of God’s mercy. The prophet Daniel speaks of this as “a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time” (Daniel 12:1).

But during this time God will protect His people as He did Israel in Egypt. Daniel 12:1 reads further, “At that time Thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.” And David says of the righteous in this time, “Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. … There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling” (Psalm 91:8, 10). God’s care is ever over His people for good, for He loves them, and they are to Him as “the apple of His eye.”

As we near the end, Satan will become more and more active in bringing disaster upon the world. The apostle-prophet John says of this time, “Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time” (Revelation 12:12).

As the coming of Christ draws near, the deceptions of Satan will increase in power, and become more startling and convincing. Christ said that “great signs and wonders” shall be shown; “insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect” (Matthew 24:24). It is only by being firmly and thoroughly grounded in the Word that we shall be able to detect those deceptions, and be saved from their evil consequences.

The “working of Satan” is to be “with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish” (2 Thessalonians 2:9, 10).

“And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven [the atmospheric heavens, which surround this earth] on the earth in the sight of men” (Revelation 13:13).

Satan brought fire from heaven, and burned the flocks of Job for the purpose of destroying his confidence in God. In the latter days he will repeat such miracles for the purpose of establishing confidence in himself.

“And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do” (Revelation 13:14). Christ pointed to His miracles as evidences of His divinity. (See John 10:38; 14:11). Satan ever seeks to counterfeit the work of God. In the last days he will support the claims of his apostate church by the evidence of miracles.

In the last days “the spirits of devils” are to “work miracles,” and “go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty” (Revelation 16:14).

In Hebrews 2:14, we learn that the devil has “the power of death.” This is true, because sin brought death, and Satan is the author of sin. He claims all who die as his own. Death is not a friend, but a deadly foe. Paul says, “The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death” (1 Corinthians 15:26). Death is the child of sin, and Satan is its father. Only the power of God can bring the dead from “the land of the enemy,” at the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:22–26).

But some glad day sin and death and Satan will be destroyed together. Paul declared that Christ, by His death, opened the way by which He “might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil” (Hebrews 2:14).

The Lord, speaking of Satan through the prophet Ezekiel, says, “Therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee … and never shall thou be any more” (Ezekiel 28:18, 19).

[All emphasis author’s.]

Past, Present, and Future, James Edson White, 103–109.

Escaping Shipwreck of the Home

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The devil wants us to make shipwreck of our homes! This is a special temptation to young people, and, thus, we need to understand very clearly how we can avoid this, because a shipwrecked home can lead to the most unhappiness in this world and, many times, to shipwreck of eternity.

How can we have a sure anchor in our homes? Paul’s shipwreck experience, as recorded in Acts 27, has a great deal of information for us as we are studying this subject: “Now when much time was spent, and when sailing was now dangerous, because the fast was now already past, Paul admonished [them], And said unto them, Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only of the lading and ship, but also of our lives. Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship, more than those things which were spoken by Paul.” Verses 9−11. We read in this passage that the time for sailing had past. Consequently, Paul was admonishing the shipmaster that the voyage was going to be disastrous. He counseled him not to go, and he warned that a voyage would result in disaster, not only to the ship and the cargo, but also to life.

But the captain did not listen. After all, Paul was a prisoner trying to tell the captain what he should do. The chain of command certainly does not generally work that way! Normally, prisoners do not tell captains what to do, but Paul was a unique prisoner.

How was Paul unique? He had not committed any crimes, and he was privileged to be a messenger from God. This prisoner, this messenger from God gave instruction to not sail, because doing so would result in shipwreck. What happened? The captain ignored the messenger from God and sailed, and they were shipwrecked.

Take note that the centurion decided to believe “the master and the owner of the ship.” We might say that he accepted and believed worldly counselors instead of God’s messenger. He accepted the knowledge of people who had degrees in these types of things, of professional people who should have known what they were doing.

There were two other reasons why the centurion accepted the worldly counsel and rejected the counsel of God’s messenger: “And because the haven was not commodious to winter in, the more part advised to depart thence also, if by any means they might attain to Phenice, [and there] to winter; [which is] an haven of Crete, and lieth toward the south west and north west.” Verse 12. What does it mean that “the haven was not commodious to winter in”? It was not comfortable enough; it was not convenient enough. It would not have been the best location, we might say. And what was the other reason given? “The more part advised to depart.” The majority spoke against what Paul had said, so the centurion, instead of accepting what the messenger from God had said, followed worldly counselors. He took into consideration what was convenient or comfortable and followed the majority.

Are either of those good reasons to reject what God is trying to tell us through His messenger? No, they are not, yet we find these very reasons being used today to reject what God has told of how to escape shipwreck.

We all have homes, and we know that as young people enter their later teen years and older, there is a desire to establish a home of their own. That is natural; there is nothing wrong with that desire. As they mature, their emotions become more active, and it is easy to become attracted to and to develop not just a friendship but a relationship with someone of the opposite sex. This is natural too; this is a desire that God has put into us, and there is nothing wrong with it.

Unfortunately, in many situations this desire leads to shipwreck, and lives are ruined because of wrong or unwise choices that are made. The same reasons for which the centurion rejected God’s messenger are used today. The worldly counselors say it is a good thing to do, or it is more convenient or more comfortable to not follow what God’s messenger has revealed to us. Or they say that everybody is doing it so it cannot be that bad, but if everybody shipwrecks, do you want to shipwreck too? No, the only safety for us as young people to escape shipwreck in our homes is to follow implicitly what God has revealed through His messengers, through the Bible, and through the Spirit of Prophecy.

The Song of Solomon is a book of the Bible that I have enjoyed studying since I have become a Seventh-day Adventist. The Bible used by the church of which I was formerly a member does not contain this book written by the wisest of men. They simply removed it from their version of the Bible. So when I became a Seventh-day Adventist and began to study it, I discovered that it teaches a number of very important principles. We will look at just one; this is repeated three times in the book. Song of Solomon 2:7 says, “I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, and by the hinds of the field, that ye stir not up, nor awake [my] love, till he please.”

Look at the last part of the text, “stir not up, nor awake [my] love.” If you read this verse from the King James Version, you will notice that the word my is in italics. What does that mean? It means that it is supplied by the translators in an attempt to make the wording flow better. There is nothing wrong with that, but it is more literal—and sometimes it helps us to understand the verse better—if we recognize that a supplied word is not in the original Greek or Hebrew.

So, the text would actually read, “that you stir not up, nor awake love, until it pleases.” That is telling us that there is a time to love and a time not to love. It says that we are not to stir it up until it is the right time. Many, many young people are shipwrecked by not following the counsel of this verse. Many are shipwrecked by allowing love to awaken before it is time.

We see this so often today. Even in first grade, children just five and six years of age are pairing off. As they go from five and six to maybe nine or ten years old, the same thing is happening, and that is not beneficial, because the Bible says to not stir love up until he please.

Consider the following points as to when it is safe to enter into a relationship.

Know the Creator

If we simply understand the principle of not allowing our emotions to control us and of waiting until it is the right time for love, it would save hundreds and thousands of young people from shipwreck. You can no doubt see that, because all around us are shipwrecked homes and many of these shipwrecked homes are the direct result of not following these principles.

Let us look at the first marriage and see what we can understand about this first relationship that developed. Genesis 2:21, 22 says, “And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.” In the Garden of Eden, on the sixth day of creation, before the Sabbath, God first made Adam. God could have made Adam and Eve together; it would have been no problem. He spoke, and all the animals came forth; all the plants came forth; but He did not make Adam and Eve together.

Adam was made first so he could become acquainted with God. God wanted Adam to develop a relationship with Him first. It is feasible that if God had made Adam and Eve together, instead of developing a relationship with their Creator, their eyes would have locked on each other, and then they would not have had that relationship with their Creator. So God made Adam first, and He put Adam in the garden where he could become acquainted with his Creator before anyone else.

Then, after Adam had named all the animals, he realized that they all had partners, but he did not, so God put Adam to sleep. God could have made Eve without putting Adam to sleep. He could have just formed the dust of the ground and breathed into Eve, and there Adam’s mate would have been. But God put Adam to sleep, and as He took the rib from Adam, formed Eve, and breathed into Eve the breath of life. Who was the first one with whom Eve developed a relationship? With her Creator—because Adam was asleep! I believe that God put Adam to sleep so that Eve could develop a relationship with her Creator before she did with Adam.

We must, before we contemplate an earthly relationship, have a relationship with our Creator. Anything else is in danger of leading us to shipwreck in our homes, which frequently results in shipwreck of eternity as well. The story of Adam and Eve shows that both the man and the woman need to have a relationship with their Creator before any romantic relationship is developed. Did Adam lead Eve to the Creator? No, that is not how it happened, because if Adam had led Eve to the Creator, her first allegiance would have been to Adam rather than to her Creator.

At times, there may be somebody who has an interest in someone who is not a Seventh-day Adventist; he or she may not even be a Christian. So the individual may start a Bible study course with the person in whom he is interested. Bible studies are a good thing, but it is very dangerous to try to lead someone in whom you are interested to the Lord. Why? Because their first allegiance would be to you rather than to the Lord. I know you may disagree, but I have seen such a situation more than once. I have seen people who seem to be solid in the faith; then something happens to the person in whom they are interested and they go out of the faith. Both individuals need to have a relationship with their Creator before they are prepared for a relationship with each other.

Lifework

“And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.” “And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought [them] unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that [was] the name thereof. And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.” Genesis 2:15, 19, 20.

This account is very instructive. Here we find that Adam was created, but he was not just introduced to his Creator and then given Eve. God first gave to Adam a way to live. God gave to Adam his lifework before he gave him his life companion. We need to know and to be prepared for our lifework before we enter into a relationship. Why do you think this would be a good idea?

What if you believe God is calling you to be a missionary to a foreign country, but before you prepare for your life calling, you develop an interest in someone who believes that his or her life calling is to be a doctor or to be a businessman or businesswoman in your home country? There is nothing wrong with being a physician or a businessperson. As long as the biblical principles are followed, their work is very honest and commendable. But if God has called you to be a missionary to another country and has called your person of interest to be a businessperson in the home field, there is a serious conflict of interest. It is hard for both of you to do your lifework, so one or the other has to give up on his or her life calling. God’s plan is that we know and that we are prepared for our lifework before entering into a relationship.

By the way, Adam could prepare for his lifework better and could probably work better if he was not thinking about Eve. So often, young people begin to prepare for their lifework, but instead of preparing for their lifework, they are developing an interest in someone, and that takes all their time. The relationship detracts from what their preparation needs to be.

Financial Responsibility

“But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.” 1 Timothy 5:8. Do you want to be worse than an infidel? An infidel is someone who is not a Christian, such as an atheist or an agnostic. An infidel has no interest in religion whatsoever and is usually opposed to Christianity.

If we do not provide for our own, we have denied the faith and are worse than an infidel! So, is it a very wise thing to get married if we have no way to support a family? Financial stresses are ranked as one of the highest causes of divorce. I am not saying that we must own our own business or have to own a house, but we need to have some way to support a family.

Godly Counselors

A very difficult story for us in this day and age in which we live is given in Genesis 24. “And Abraham said unto his eldest servant of his house, that ruled over all that he had, Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh: And I will make thee swear by the Lord, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell: But thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac.” Verses 2−4.

Here was Abraham, and he was arranging for the marriage of his 40-year-old son Isaac. If we were 40, would we think that our parents would have the right to direct so intimately in our affairs? But Isaac trusted his father’s judgment, and it does not seem that Isaac was involved at all.

Now, I am not saying that is exactly the way it must be, but a principle is revealed here. Isaac listened to godly counselors. Our parents, if they are in the Lord, are the best counselors we have. Isaac listened to godly counselors, and Isaac escaped shipwreck.

Counselors are important, because love is blind. Even if we follow all these principles, a degree of blindness still exists. It is very hard when someone counsels against what our heart wants. God has made it plain that there is an important place for godly counselors, because many times when our emotions get stirred up, it is hard for us to think rationally. It is much easier for godly counselors to see the situation rationally. We need to seek advice from godly counselors, even if we are 40 years old!

Poor Judge

God’s messenger, Ellen White, stated: “A youth not out of his teens is a poor judge of the fitness of a person as young as himself to be his companion for life.” Messages to Young People, 452. Now, you may look at me and say that I am out of my teens, so that is easy for me to read, but I read that when I was a teenager. And when I read that, and I decided that if it said that a youth not out of his teens is not a fit judge, then I did not want to enter into a relationship until I was out of my teens.

I realize that when you are a teen, that seems like a very difficult thing. I was there! But although that was written 100 years ago, the statistics today reveal that if that statement were followed today, there would be a lot fewer shipwrecked homes. Some Internet statistics for marriages in the United States show that the divorce rate is 50 percent for those who marry and are under the age of 18. For those who marry and are under the age of 20, the divorce rate is 40 percent, and for those who wait until they are 25 or older, the divorce rate is 25 percent. You can see from the statistics that what we were told 100 years ago was wise counsel, because as we mature, we change.

Looking back to when I was 17, which was not that long ago, I know my personality was much different then than what it is now. For those of you who struggle with timidity, I think I was as timid as any person could possibly be, but as we grow and mature, we change. Many people, when they marry young, start separating as they mature and change, resulting in a shipwrecked home. That is why the Lord gave us this counsel.

Allow God to Lead

“And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This [is] now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” Genesis 2:21–23.

Does it appear as though Adam was searching under every leaf in the garden to try to find a mate? No, Adam allowed God to lead. If we do not want to shipwreck our homes, we must allow God to lead. I do not believe it is safe to enter into a relationship unless both persons involved know that God is leading. Many times young people enter into a relationship because they think the person is cute or has a funny personality. They say that they are not making a commitment yet, and that may be true, but as they enter into a relationship and the hearts start to grow together, it is much harder to see God’s leading. It is much more difficult to objectively consider the relationship, and frequently what happens is that two people get married without a knowledge of God’s direct guidance and leading. We need to know, before we enter into any relationship, whether or not God is leading. Adam did; Eve did; they knew that God was leading.

Passed By

Oh but we may think that we are going to get passed by. God does not withhold any good thing from us, and the Lord promises that if we commit our ways to Him, He will give us the desires of our heart. (Psalm 84:11; 37:4.)

Ellen White wrote, “Marriage is something that will influence and affect your life both in this world and in the world to come. A sincere Christian will not advance his plans in this direction without the knowledge that God approves his course. He will not want to choose for himself, but will feel that God must choose for him.” The Adventist Home, 43.

We need to come to that point of total and complete surrender and say, “Lord, I do not want to choose; that decision is too big for me. Please choose for me.” When we come to that point of complete surrender, God can work, and God can lead.

I believe if we follow these simple steps that God gives, He will guide us, and we will escape shipwreck in our homes. In summary, the steps are:

  1. both individuals in a relationship must have a knowledge of the Creator;
  2. both individuals must know and be prepared for their lifework;
  3. we must be prepared to support a family even before entering into a relationship;
  4. we should follow godly counselors; and
  5. we should allow God to lead.

Do you want to escape shipwreck? I do; I do not want to have a home that is dashed against the rocks without an anchor. That could lead to the loss of eternity as well. I want God to be my captain and my pilot, that He may bring me safely to the harbor.

May we each one follow the principles God has given to us that we might escape shipwreck, that we might have a sure and a solid anchor.

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

Deceitful Lusts

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“Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul.”

1 Peter 2:11

During a recent worship service, the following quote was read from Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 114:

“We have the commandments of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ, which is the spirit of prophecy. Priceless gems are to be found in the word of God. Those who search this word should keep the mind clear. Never should they indulge perverted appetite in eating or drinking.

“If they do this, the brain will be confused; they will be unable to bear the strain of digging deep to find out the meaning of those things which relate to the closing scenes of this earth’s history.”

I had difficulty falling asleep that night, an unusual occurrence for me, as I usually have no trouble sleeping. As I tossed and turned, I remembered how David wrote in the Psalms about meditating on God’s word during the night: “When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches” (Psalm 63:6). The thought of being unable to find the meaning of the priceless gems relating to the closing scenes of this earth’s history kept running through my mind. So I decided to get up and see what I could find in inspired writings about the effects of a perverted appetite, which the above quote indicates as the cause for the inability to comprehend God’s word as we should.

Because we are undeniably in the closing scenes of this earth’s history, it is imperative that we dig deep to find the meaning of the priceless gems contained in the word of God. However, the passage quoted above from the testimony of Jesus Christ makes it clear that such digging would be useless if the miner is indulging in a perverted appetite in eating or drinking.

Thus began my search for a deeper understanding of what constitutes a perverted appetite. I had to admit that I occasionally ate things that caused me to feel some degree of guilt, especially when I visited my unbelieving relatives. I never consumed the flesh of dead animals, but I did not always refuse a slice of pie, a piece (or two) of candy, or a scoop of ice cream—all the while knowing that consuming these things is contrary to the counsel we are given in the testimony of Jesus.

I know that there are some—and I was one—who might think that indulging in an occasional “treat” is not all that harmful. After all, the Spirit of Prophecy does indeed say, “While cooking upon the Sabbath should be avoided, it is not necessary to eat cold food. In cold weather let the food prepared the day before be heated. And let the meals, though simple, be palatable and attractive. Provide something that will be regarded as a treat, something the family do not have every day.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 357. [Emphasis supplied.] However, having “something that will be regarded as a treat” on Sabbath is vastly different from the daily consumption of “treats.”

“The apostle Peter understood the relation between the mind and the body, and raised his voice in warning to his brethren: ‘Dearly beloved, I beseech you, as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul’ (1 Peter 2:11). Many regard this text as a warning against licentiousness only; but it has a broader meaning. It forbids every injurious gratification of appetite or passion.” Christian Temperance and Bible Hygiene, 53, 54.

For a much fuller understanding of this subject, read the entire first chapter of the above cited book (Christian Temperance and Bible Hygiene), entitled “Christian Temperance General Principles.” It will provide amazing insight into how intemperance obviates our ability to understand higher truth.

The point is made in the opening chapter quite clearly and quite forcibly that “The violation of physical law, with its consequent suffering and premature death, has so long prevailed that these results are regarded as the appointed lot of humanity; but God did not create the race in such a feeble condition. This state of things is not the work of Providence, but of man. It has been brought about by wrong habits—by violating the laws that God has made to govern man’s existence.” Ibid., 8.

“It is impossible for a man to present his body a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, while continuing to indulge habits that are depriving him of physical, mental, and moral vigor.” Ibid., 11.

So, what constitutes a perverted appetite and what are its effects? The following quotes should provide adequate guidance.

“Many separate themselves from God by their indulgence of appetite. He who notices the fall of a sparrow, who numbers the very hairs of the head, marks the sin of those who indulge perverted appetite at the expense of weakening the physical powers, benumbing the intellect, and deadening the moral perceptions.” Christian Education, 184.

“It must be kept before the people that the right balance of the mental and moral powers depends in a great degree on the right condition of the physical system. All narcotics and unnatural stimulants that enfeeble and degrade the physical nature tend to lower the tone of the intellect and morals. Intemperance lies at the foundation of the moral depravity of the world. By the indulgence of perverted appetite, man loses his power to resist temptation.” The Ministry of Healing, 335.

“Some are not impressed with the necessity of eating and drinking to the glory of God. The indulgence of appetite affects them in all the relations of life. It is seen in the family, in the church, in the prayer-meeting, and in the conduct of their children. It is the curse of their lives. It prevents them from understanding the truths for these last days.” Christian Temperance and Bible Hygiene, 151.

“Jesus, seated on the Mount of Olives, gave instruction to His disciples concerning the signs which should precede His coming: ‘As the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and knew not until the flood came and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be’ (Matthew 24:37–39). The same sins that brought judgments upon the world in the days of Noah exist in our day. Men and women now carry their eating and drinking so far that it ends in gluttony and drunkenness. This prevailing sin, the indulgence of perverted appetite, inflamed the passions of men in the days of Noah and led to wide-spread corruption. Violence and sin reached to heaven. This moral pollution was finally swept from the earth by means of the flood. The same sins of gluttony and drunkenness benumbed the moral sensibilities of the inhabitants of Sodom, so that crime seemed to be the delight of the men and women of that wicked city. Christ thus warns the world: ‘Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; but the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed’ (Luke 17:28–30.)

“Christ has here left us a most important lesson. He would lay before us the danger of making our eating and drinking paramount. He presents the result of unrestrained indulgence of appetite. The moral powers are enfeebled, so that sin does not appear sinful. Crime is lightly regarded, and passion controls the mind, until good principles and impulses are rooted out, and God is blasphemed. All this is the result of eating and drinking to excess. This is the very condition of things which Christ declares will exist at His second coming.

“The Saviour presents to us something higher to toil for than merely what we shall eat and drink, and wherewithal we shall be clothed. Eating, drinking, and dressing are carried to such excess that they become crimes. They are among the marked sins of the last days, and constitute a sign of Christ’s soon coming. Time, money, and strength, which belong to the Lord, but which He has intrusted to us, are wasted in superfluities of dress and luxuries for the perverted appetite, which lessen vitality, and bring suffering and decay. It is impossible to present our bodies a living sacrifice to God when we continually fill them with corruption and disease by our own sinful indulgence.” Ibid., 11, 12.

“There are many who are educated in the sciences, and are familiar with the theory of the truth, who do not understand the laws that govern their own being. God has given us faculties and talents; and it is our duty, as His sons and daughters, to make the best use of them. If we weaken these powers of mind or body by wrong habits or indulgence of perverted appetite, it will be impossible for us to honor God as we should.” Ibid., 15.

“Temptations to the indulgence of appetite possess a power which can be overcome only by the help that God can impart. But with every temptation we have the promise of God that there shall be a way of escape. Why, then, are so many overcome? It is because they do not put their trust in God. They do not avail themselves of the means provided for their safety. The excuses offered for the gratification of perverted appetite, are therefore of no weight with God.” Ibid., 22.

“When God led the children of Israel out of Egypt, it was His purpose to establish them in the land of Canaan a pure, happy, healthy people. Let us look at the means by which He would accomplish this. He subjected them to a course of discipline, which, had it been cheerfully followed, would have resulted in good, both to themselves and to their posterity. He removed flesh-food from them in a great measure. He had granted them flesh in answer to their clamors, just before reaching Sinai, but it was furnished for only one day. God might have provided flesh as easily as manna, but a restriction was placed upon the people for their good. It was His purpose to supply them with food better suited to their wants than the feverish diet to which many of them had been accustomed in Egypt. The perverted appetite was to be brought into a more healthy state, that they might enjoy the food originally provided for man—the fruits of the earth, which God gave to Adam and Eve in Eden.” Ibid., 118.

“In order to reach excellency of character, we must realize the value which Christ has placed upon the human race. In the beginning, man was invested with dignity; but he fell through indulgence of appetite. Notwithstanding the great gulf thus opened between God and man, Christ loved the hopeless sinner, and came to our world to bridge the gulf, and unite divine power to human weakness, that in His strength and grace man might wrestle for himself against Satan’s temptations, overcome for himself, and stand in his God-given manhood, a victor over perverted appetite and degrading passions.” Ibid., 146.

“Every one of us may know that there is a power working with our efforts to overcome. Why will not men lay hold upon the help that has been provided, that they may become elevated and ennobled? Why do they degrade themselves by the indulgence of perverted appetite? Why do they not rise in the strength of Jesus and be victorious in His name? The very feeblest prayer that we can offer Jesus will hear. He pities the weakness of every soul. Help for everyone has been laid upon Him who is mighty to save. I point you to Jesus Christ, the sinner’s Saviour, who alone can give you power to overcome on every point.” Ibid., 148.

“Providence has been leading the people of God out from the extravagant habits of the world, away from the indulgence of appetite and passion, to take their stand upon the platform of self-denial, and temperance in all things. The people whom God is leading will be peculiar. They will not be like the world. If they follow the leadings of God, they will accomplish His purposes and will yield their will to His will. Christ will dwell in the heart. The temple of God will be holy. Your body, says the apostle, is the temple of the Holy Ghost. God does not require His children to deny themselves to the injury of physical strength. He requires them to obey natural law in order to preserve physical health. Nature’s path is the road He marks out, and it is broad enough for any Christian. With a lavish hand God has provided us with rich and varied bounties for our sustenance and enjoyment. But in order for us to enjoy the natural appetite, which will preserve health and prolong life, He restricts the appetite. He says, Beware! restrain, deny, unnatural appetite. If we create a perverted appetite, we violate the laws of our being, and assume the responsibility of abusing our bodies and of bringing disease upon ourselves.” Ibid., 150, 151.

“Satan gathered the fallen angels together to devise some way of doing the most possible evil to the human family. One proposition after another was made, till finally Satan himself thought of a plan. He would take the fruit of the vine, also wheat and other things given by God as food, and would convert them into poisons, which would ruin man’s physical, mental, and moral powers, and so overcome the senses that Satan should have full control. Under the influence of liquor, men would be led to commit crimes of all kinds. Through perverted appetite the world would be made corrupt. By leading men to drink alcohol, Satan would cause them to descend lower and lower in the scale.

“Satan has succeeded in turning the world from God. The blessings provided in God’s love and mercy he has turned into a deadly curse. He has filled men with a craving for liquor and tobacco. This appetite, which has no foundation in nature, has destroyed its millions.” The Review and Herald, April 16, 1901.

“The only safe course is to touch not, taste not, handle not, tea, coffee, wines, tobacco, opium, and alcoholic drinks. The necessity for the men of this generation to call to their aid the power of the will, strengthened by the grace of God, in order to withstand the temptations of Satan and resist the least indulgence of perverted appetite is twice as great as it was several generations ago. But the present generation have less power of self-control than had those who lived then. Those who have indulged the appetite for these stimulants have transmitted their depraved appetites and passions to their children, and greater moral power is required to resist intemperance in all its forms. The only perfectly safe course to pursue is to stand firmly on the side of temperance and not venture in the path of danger.” Testimonies, vol. 3, 488.

“The strength of the temptation to indulge appetite can be measured only by the inexpressible anguish of our Redeemer in that long fast in the wilderness. He knew that the indulgence of perverted appetite would so deaden man’s perceptions that sacred things could not be discerned. Adam fell by the indulgence of appetite; Christ overcame by the denial of appetite. And our only hope of regaining Eden is through firm self-control. If the power of indulged appetite was so strong upon the race, that, in order to break its hold, the divine Son of God, in man’s behalf, had to endure a fast of nearly six weeks, what a work is before the Christian! Yet, however great the struggle, he may overcome. By the help of that divine power which withstood the fiercest temptations that Satan could invent, he too may be entirely successful in his warfare with evil, and at last may wear the victor’s crown in the kingdom of God.”  Ibid., 54. [Emphasis supplied.]

There is hope, friends. Success in overcoming perverted appetite—and all other sinful indulgences—lies in our complete dependence on “that divine power which withstood the fiercest temptations that Satan could invent.”

All Bible quotes NKJV unless otherwise noted.

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

 

Cause

Effect

Reference
Too much, even of simple food Ability to understand truth is lost Testimonies, vol. 2, 602, 603
Failure to eat and drink from principles of health reform Character will not be governed by principle The Health Reformer, August 1, 1866
Too frequently, too much Perverted judgment Testimonies, vol. 1, 618
Rich, unwholesome food Source of most church trials Ibid., 618, 619
Tea, coffee, flesh meats, tobacco, wines, liquor Blunted keener and holier emotions Ibid., vol. 3, 487
Too many kinds of food at one time “… a disturbance is created”; the stomach has too much to do; mental capacity is diminished Spaulding and Magan Collection, 259, 260
Eating between meals Enfeebled religious aspirations; inability to solve difficult problems Christian Temperance and Bible Hygiene, 83
Eating vegetables and fruit at same meal Inability to put forth mental effort; confused mind The Youth’s Instructor, May 31, 1894

 

Learn Not the Way of the Heathen

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Have you ever wondered why there are so many different religions and so many different denominations? In large cities as well as small villages, it seems there is a church on practically every corner. Apparently everyone is trying to get to the same place—heaven. You have perhaps heard comments such as, “It doesn’t make any difference what church you attend. You just need to love Jesus. We are all going to the same place.”

If that is true, then it must not matter in what direction you go when you are traveling to a specific destination! But it does make a difference if someone gives you directions to a destination. If you follow his or her instructions, you will reach the desired site.

When I was traveling one time, I knew that I needed to exit the freeway at Exit 57 and make several left turns to reach my desired destination. I did not count on road construction, however, and a change in signage. I thought I had it made, but two hours later I was still making left turns—and had no idea where I was. Generally, men do not like to stop and ask for directions, and it usually takes me awhile, because I have never considered myself ever to be lost. I have been confused and not known where I was sometimes, but if you had asked me, “Are you lost?” I would have said, “No”! You are lost when you give up. When you turn off the engine of your vehicle or stop whatever it is in your life and say, “I am done,” then it might be said that you are in a lost condition. But finally I telephoned and said, “Brother, I cannot find this place!” Well, I did not call just once; I called twice! I was almost 20 miles short of Exit 57, so it did not matter how many left turns I made, I still was not going to find the place.

You and I need specific directions in order to make heaven our home. It makes a difference how we read the road map, the Bible. Not everyone who reads it is going to reach the same conclusion. You may read a verse and your neighbor may read the same verse, and the two of you can arrive at totally different conclusions of what the text says or means.

This will happen, unless you follow what God says in His Word. Do you remember how He said to find truth? “For precept [must be] upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, [and] there a little.” Isaiah 28:10. If the Bible writers agree on the same subject, and they will if God says it is important, then you and I, by faith, must accept what God’s Word says on that subject.

Why So Many?

It is said there are at least 10,000 different religions in the world! Why are there so many different denominations and religions? It needs to be made very clear that no one will be saved because of the denomination to which he or she belongs. The members of every denomination declare that they are right and that their church’s way is the only way. If we feel that way here on earth—and we are not going to change our opinions—what would it be like in heaven? There would be many different groups, and each group would want everyone to join it. It would be chaos! So there must be some things in God’s Word that will help us to understand what God wants us to know is truth.

How would you define a heathen? Many Christians define a heathen as anyone who does not theologically agree with them.

Anyone who gives a different message than what the Bible says can be put in the class of a heathen. It does not mean he or she is a bad person. God looks upon the heart, and He only expects and accepts from an individual what that person understands and knows is truth. How nice it would be for us to understand and accept that God has good people in every church! They love Him with all their heart, and they want heaven to be their eternal home. As they study His Word, God will reveal to them, as He will to us, more of His truths to prepare them—and us—to live with Him. We must never “write off” someone because he or she attends another church and believes differently than someone else.

Lessons to Learn

In Jeremiah 29, we read that God’s people had been taken captive. They were in Babylon, which was under the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar. Basically, they were slaves. Have you ever wondered why God would allow His people, a small group during that time, to go into captivity? Should they not have been allowed to be free so they could tell others about God?

God took responsibility for these people being in captivity. (Verse 4.) It was not His fault; it was the fault of the people. God allowed them to go into captivity to teach them a lesson.

There are a number of lessons to be learned in this life, and sometimes we have to be led in this direction and in that direction in order to learn the lesson that God has for us. The lesson can be as easy or as difficult to learn as we make it. If we are stubborn and rebellious, the Lord will direct us over and over the same ground until the lesson is learned—as long as we are still saying with an honest heart, “Lord, I want to do what is right. I want to be what You want me to be.”

Those who were considered to be the religious leaders of those in captivity were giving a different message to the people than God had given. They were saying, “Do not cooperate with these Babylonians. Let us not do anything they say to do. We are going to be here for only a little while, and then we are going home.” But God said, through His prophet Jeremiah, “Build ye houses, and dwell [in them]; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them; Take ye wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; that ye may be increased there, and not diminished.” Verses 5, 6.

It takes more than a day or two to build a house; it cannot be completed and moved into in one day. A garden cannot be tilled, planted, and harvested in a few days’ time either. God was not just talking to those who were of marrying age at the time the message was given, but to those who would come of age to marry, because they were going to be in Babylon for a while. God’s plan for His people is never to diminish, never to regress, never to go backwards, never to just maintain, but to always move forward by His power and by His grace.

God placed His people in Babylon, a city occupied by heathens. The occupants did not know the God of heaven. God allowed His people, because of their rebellion, to go into captivity. But, also, the Babylonians needed to know about the God of heaven, and the captives were going to be witnesses for Him.

In Jeremiah 29:7, God instructed the captives to “seek the peace”: “Seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the Lord for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace.” God was telling these slaves to pray for the city and its leadership, because in so doing they would be able to have peace with Him. If they caused turmoil, the captivity would be harder for them, and He did not want the lesson He had for them to be harder, just as He does not want our lessons to be difficult for us.

Deceivers

God warned His people against the false prophets and religious leaders in their midst in verses 8 and 9: “Let not your prophets and your diviners, that [be] in the midst of you, deceive you, neither hearken to your dreams which ye cause to be dreamed. For they prophesy falsely unto you in my name: I have not sent them, saith the Lord.”

God warns His people about two classes of deceivers. The elders had already told the captives that they would not be in Babylon for very long—a totally opposite message than God gave in verses 5 and 6. The false-speaking leaders enticed the dreams of things that they wanted to come to pass, things that they wanted to hear.

Today there are many self-proclaimed preachers, pastors, and evangelists. Just saying, “I am a pastor” or “I am a priest” or “I am a preacher” does not make it so! Too many have called themselves into the office; they have not been called of God. The experience given in Jeremiah 29 is an example of self-proclamation. The so-called religious leaders in the midst of God’s people taught directly against Him.

Many men and women warn of the doom that is coming to this earth. We must be able to discern who is a true prophet of God. Remember, when a person says, “I am a prophet of God,” then he or she must speak as God speaks. If the person does not speak as God speaks, he or she is not His prophet. It matters not what their title may be. It does not matter how much education they have. They may have the learning of the world, but they have not the heart experience that Jesus desires for each of us. They have not true understanding without the Spirit, because spiritual things are spiritually discerned.

Surrounded by Evil

Those who studied astrology, who were palm readers, who practiced sorcery, magic, and witchcraft daily surrounded God’s people in captivity. God warned His people repeatedly about the contact they would have with these people. Evidently interest in the tricks of the devil was a weakness with God’s children at that time.

God counseled, “Do not worship the sun; do not worship the moon and the stars. Worship the One who created those things.” (Deuteronomy 4:19.) Jeremiah 10:2 tells us, “Thus saith the Lord, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.” The heathen did not and do not understand that God is behind all these things. God warned His people that they were not to get too carried away with the practices of the heathen. These individuals in Babylon had studied the celestial phenomena in the heavens. They understood eclipses; they understood comets. They understood the orderly conjunction of the stars, the sun and the moon, and the different heavenly bodies. They understood them very well, and they used them to their advantage. God said, “Do not be dismayed at this.”

The devil will use the same wonders again. The Bible tells us that he will work signs and miracles and wonders, but no matter what the devil does, he will always fall short of the power of God. He can never gain the victory if we do not let him have it. Through Christ, we are more than conquerors. (Matthew 24:24; II Thessalonians 2:9, 10; Romans 8:37.)

Who Witnessed to Whom?

I Kings 16:30–34 tells of Ahab and how, through raising altars to Baal, he “did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him.” He participated in providing altars for human sacrifices. How frightening that must have been! Is it possible that the Babylonians had so mixed with God’s people that they were participating in these rites of sacrificing their children? Sadly, that was the situation.

How could God’s last-day people, as it were, who were supposed to know Him, get so deeply involved in these kinds of rites and ceremonies? If the people who were supposed to know God and keep His statutes and commandments could go so far as to participate in these rites and ceremonies of killing and shedding blood, is it possible that you and I may get off the path if we do not keep our eyes on Jesus? You had better believe it! Take the time to read I Kings 16, 17, 18, and 19. There is told of this great deception that was among the Israelites. It will challenge your thinking how this counterfeit religion took over what was supposed to be good.

Ellen White brings out the very interesting point that God’s so-called people at that time did not really know the difference between Baal, the devil, and the true God of heaven. (See Prophets and Kings, 153.) Do you see why they had to stay in captivity for 70 years? They had to reach the point in their lives where they finally cried out, “Lord, we need You. We need a Saviour.” Do not let your life come to the point where there is nothing left before you finally cry out, “I need a Saviour.”

If you are looking today for a Saviour, He is there. If your heart aches that your life should be changed and you want to be something different, God is there for you. If you are saying, “I want Jesus in my life,” and yet you are afraid to make a move, please do not be afraid. There is no one that could love you more, care for you more, or meet your every need more than Jesus. You can trust your life with Jesus, because He gave His life for you.

Baal or God

Several things help to quickly identify the differences between Baal worshippers and followers of the true God. Baal worshippers always satisfy the flesh. The Lord always satisfies the desires of the soul. There is such a difference! One takes lives; the other gives life.

Israel was committing the same atrocities as the Babylonians were, which was just inhumane. The majority of them were participating in the same kind of worship; they had evidently sunk far into paganism. Interestingly, some began to see that this was not right. They wanted to stop and to come out of it, but they were afraid to expose the error for what might happen to them.

Can this be related to Adventism today? Perhaps in your church teaching is being presented that is not truth. Sometimes we are afraid to expose error or a false teaching for fear that it might cause problems or that we may be disfellowshipped. But we must expose what the Bible exposes.

Now, we have been addressing heathenism in the world and the devil; we have looked at Baal worshippers. Romans 1:25 says, “Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever.” Even today the heathen are giving praise to gods of gold and silver and of wood.

There are many things being promoted in religious organizations today to try to persuade people that that particular denomination is right and that they should attend that church—many things except a plain “thus saith the Lord.”

Holy Spirit

“God [is] a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship [him] in spirit and in truth.” John 4:24. Does this mean that we need the Holy Spirit to understand truth? Absolutely! One of the functions of the Holy Spirit is to lead us into all truth.

“Those only who read the Scriptures as the voice of God speaking to them, are true learners. They tremble at the voice of God, for to them it is a living reality. They open their understanding to divine instruction and pray for grace. … He prays for the Holy Spirit, the representative of Christ, to be his constant guide, to lead him into all truth.” Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, 450.

So there must be truth to answer questions such as, What happens when a person dies? What about heaven and hell? Will there be a rapture? Will it be a Second Coming? Upon what day does God want us to worship? Is it Friday, Saturday, Sunday? There cannot be 10,000 different answers to such questions, because the Bible does not give 10,000 different answers.

Oh, friend, do you want heaven to be your home? The choice is yours. Unlike some heathen religions, you do not have to cut yourself. You do not have to do a lot of penance, beat your head on the wall, crawl so many miles, or say so many prayers. All you have to do is pray, “Lord, I want you to come into my life. Forgive me of my sins; come in and be Lord of my life and help me day by day to be like You.”

Pastor Kenny Shelton is speaker for the television ministry of Behold the Lamb in Herrin, Illinois. He may be contacted by e-mail at: BTLM@GTE.net, or by telephone at: 1-800-238-2856.

When God is Silent

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The study of the providence of God has been highly recommended to us. We are told that John the Baptist, while living his retired life in the wilderness of Judea, studied the providence of God in nature. We are told that Jesus Christ Himself studied carefully the providence of God during His years at Nazareth. We are also told that He loved to go out into the mountains around Nazareth, into the forests and glens to find places to pray and to study the providence of God. We have an example of this providence in action recorded in Matthew 15.

Jesus was not always easy to understand, at least it seemed so to the disciples. But you have to look at it from His standpoint, too; they were not always easy to teach. It was a very difficult lesson that He needed to teach them at this point in their educational experience, so He set up what appeared to be a five-day seminar. He took them over the hill country from Galilee to the area of Tyre and Sidon, fifty or sixty miles to the northwest. I would estimate that it took them at least two days to go, two days to come back, with one day spent there.

What was this special effort all about? Was it for a woman who had a devil-possessed daughter? Well, yes; but that is only a small part of it. That was the easiest thing that Jesus had to do on this particular journey. His biggest job was not to deal with the devil-possessed daughter of a woman, but to deal with the tradition-possessed minds of the twelve disciples. They thought like Jews; they lived like Jews, and they were Jews. They had imbibed the spirit of the rabbis, who had a particular view of the world with which Jesus had to deal. It was not appropriate for His cause and for His disciples to have the world view of the rabbis.

Preparation before Commission

Just before His return to heaven, Jesus said to His disciples, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you; and ye shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” Acts 1:8. If Jesus had not done some special educational work for them, they would have choked and sputtered when He said Samaria. When He said, “Unto the uttermost part of the earth,” they would have just been aghast. He had a job to do before they would even consider such a thing.

Now consider the woman. We are told that she was a woman of Canaan. The Canaanites were the oldest race of people who lived in that area. Actually, she probably did not know herself who her ancestors were. Centuries before, the Assyrians, a small but ambitious nation of people, sought to control the whole country. To accomplish this, they first used force and cruelty, believing that if they were mean and cruel enough, nobody would ever dream of rebelling against their power. This did not work, however, and people rebelled anyway. Later in their history, they resorted to the practice of relocating people. By taking them away from their homelands and mixing them all up, they hoped to leave them without sufficient strength in numbers to be able to mount a rebellion. This resulted in the people encountering, and to a large degree assimilating, various types of cultural and religious attitudes.

There had been a great deal of inter-marriage with the different peoples. So if you lived in the area of Tyre and Sidon, like this woman did, and you were referred to as a woman of Canaan, that did not mean very much. It would be very, very difficult for you to be sure whose blood was in your veins; but for certain, it was not the blood of Abraham.

On the other hand, before a Jewish boy learned to read and write, he learned his pedigree. He learned to prove that he was descended from Abraham; so by groups of seven, he memorized the most outstanding ancestors of his ancestral line. He did not try to remember all of them, but enough to show you that he was indeed in line with Abraham. That is what counted. You had to be a son of Abraham. So people with an attitude like this looked at this woman as if she were just a cur, or mongrel. Because of this situation, she was ideally suited to be the subject of this seminar.

The stage was set; the players were there: the pagan, the prejudiced disciples, and the compassionate Saviour, but as we watch the action unfold, we may be at first as puzzled and bewildered as were the disciples.

The woman comes with her first appeal to Jesus. “Lord, have mercy on me; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.” Jesus’ first answer to her was silence. So what does the silence mean? The disciples, of course, think his apparent indifference means rejection. They cannot understand why He does not finish the job and get rid of the woman altogether; however, Jesus knew exactly what He was doing in educating them, and worked carefully.

As we see somebody appealing to the Saviour and His answer is silence, we can possibly identify with that because we also have had that experience. Have we not presented some request to the Lord and received silence as an answer? A young college girl was talking to me about some of her problems one day. I asked her, “Have you talked to the Lord about it?”

She answered, “Yes, I have. But it seems like God just doesn’t say anything.” That is not so uncommon. Often when we talk with the Lord the answer appears to be silence. What does the silence mean? This is a question upon which we can reflect with profit.

Why Silence?

Does it mean that God does not hear or care? Does it mean that the answer is no? It certainly cannot mean that He does not hear or care because, after all, He had walked fifty miles or more just to get to this woman to take care of her problem; so He certainly cares. In our case, we know that He died for us; He lives for us, so He does care. Then what does it mean?

Romans 8:26 gives us a clue, “We know not what we should pray for as we ought.”

“The Saviour longs to give us a greater blessing than we ask.” The Desire of Ages, 200. Then why does He not do it? What is holding Him back?

Physical things can be given by surprise, but spiritual things cannot. We can surprise somebody with a gift of money or property or land or personal things. You can put something physical in a person’s hand, but you cannot put something spiritual into someone’s heart by surprise. That is impossible. The heart must want that spiritual gift before it can be given. Because a spiritual gift cannot be given unless it is desired, God sometimes finds it necessary to delay an answer to our prayers because we are carnally minded.

Suppose the pastor of a church says, “Wednesday evening at 7:30 there is going to be prayer meeting and everybody who comes is going to receive a blessing. The Lord has promised it.”

So we go to the pastor and ask, “What did you say that we are going to receive Wednesday night?”

He answers, “A blessing.”

“What can I do with a blessing? Can I eat it?”

“No, you cannot eat it.”

“Can I wear it?”

“No, you cannot wear it.”

“Can I put it in the bank?”

“No, you cannot put it in the bank.”

Suppose that on Sabbath morning the pastor were to say, “We are going to have prayer meeting on Wednesday night and everybody who comes is going to get a new $20 bill.” How many do you think could make it to prayer meeting? Oh, yes, we understand this! We put so much more value on money than we do on what the Lord has promised, and that is the problem that God has to deal with, and one of His ways of dealing with it is with His silence.

“Lord, I need a new pair of shoes.” Silence. “Lord, this is the second time that I am telling You that I need a new pair of shoes.” Silence. “Lord, pardon me for mentioning this the third time, but I need a new pair of shoes.” Silence. “What is the matter with God?” Silence. “I wonder if it could be something the matter with me.” “Now we are getting somewhere,” God says.

Better Answers

God often delays answering our prayers because He wants to give us something better than the temporal things for which we ask. Did He not promise that He would provide all our necessaries if we would “ ‘Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you?’ So why do you always come to Me with a list of physical things that you want?”

Try recording and make a list of all of the physical things that you ask the Lord for and a list of all of the spiritual things that you ask for. Maybe the list of physical things will be quite a bit longer because we have to talk about shoes, clothes, our house, and all of our other things while God is saying, “Talk about something important. You need the joy of Christ in your life far more than you need new shoes. Why can you not talk about that?”

As we think back to the Cannanite woman, we take notice of His disciples’ confusion on this point. You see, He answered the lady twice and He spoke to the disciples once. When they noticed that He was not answering her, they interpreted it to mean rejection and they said, “Send her away; for she crieth after us.”

But He answered, “I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” However, He did not send her away, and that throws them into confusion which was his intention. The disciples were puzzled!

Weakening Prejudice

It was with this point that He drove His first wedge and opened a crack in that big wall of prejudice. Surely He was not suggesting that this mongrel, this cur, was a lost sheep of the house of Israel—or was He? That was the thought that He wanted to form in their minds.

His second answer to her seemed even worse than the first. He had just been ignoring her as if He did not even see her, but now He stopped and looked at her, and she pleaded again, “Lord, have mercy on me.”

Looking at her, He says, “You are a dog.”

That is even worse than the silence. We wonder that she even held on. We are told that she saw something in His face that He could not hide (see The Desire of Ages, 184) and latched on to it. This Canaanite woman probably had very little education; she may not have known how to read or write, but she could read His face. She saw something there that she latched on to. When Jesus said to her, “You are a dog,” instead of walking away, she replied, “You say I’m a dog and I do not deny it; but if I am a dog, where are my crumbs? You do not look like a man who would starve His dog to death.” “I am not basing my plea on my character; I am placing it on Your character.” As Martin Luther said, “She threw His bag of promises down in front of Him, and He could not step over it.”

She got what she wanted, and the disciples learned something. This was a hard lesson for them, but they learned it. As the Jewish nation hardened itself and raised more and more barriers against the gospel message and the disciples were called upon to move farther and farther out into the Gentile world, they remembered this experience. They remembered that a mongrel cur can be a child of Abraham.

Originally, Paul and the disciples believed, “If ye be Abraham’s seed, then you can approach Christ.” Christ turned it right around. “For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female; for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” Galatians 3:27-29.

We often experience the silence of God when we pray. Does it mean that He does not hear? Oh, no. Does it mean that He does not care? Oh, no. It means that He wants us to think. He wants us to think about something that we are not thinking about because our mind is so taken up with shoes and socks and all of the physical things of life. “The Saviour longs to give us a greater blessing than we ask; and He delays the answer to our request that He may show us the evil of our own hearts, and our deep need of His grace.” The Desire of Ages, 200. He deliberately chooses to answer us with silence.

“Sometimes answers to our prayers come immediately, sometimes we have to wait patiently and continue earnestly to plead for the things that we need. We are to keep on asking, even if we do not realize the immediate response to our prayers.

“There are precious promises in the Scriptures to those who wait upon the Lord. We all desire an immediate answer to our prayers and are tempted to become discouraged if our prayer is not immediately answered…this is a great mistake. The delay is for our special benefit.” Counsels on Health, 380.

“The God of providence still walks among us. Though His footsteps are not seen, though His positive and direct workings are not recognized or understood, the God of providence is still walking among us making journeys to reach us perhaps.” Reflecting Christ, 98.

Thank God for His providence. Thank Him for His mercy, for His understanding, for His willingness to go anywhere, to do anything to bring any one of us to the salvation of the Lord. Thank God for the fact that every one of us has a page in the book of providence where every detail is numbered. Nothing happens to us except by His permission.

Dr. Ralph Larson completed forty years of service to the Seventh-day Adventist church, as pastor, evangelist, departmental secretary, and college and seminary teacher. Upon retirement, he continued his service, diligently working with and giving counsel to those within the historic movement until his passing on August 19, 2007.

Christ’s Workshop

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As we each go through life, heartache, fear, failure, and uncertainty seem to color the vast majority of our existence. There seems to be no rhyme or reason to the trouble that we go through, and discouragement taints our vision. Uncertainty abounds, and we feel powerless to alter the downward spiral despite our greatest efforts. We grope around in the darkness for something solid on which to lay our hands. Hallelujah! Praise God!

I know that those are not the first words that come to mind for most of us, and I do not say them to mock individual struggles. I say them because we are in God’s workshop, and that is reason to rejoice! God is using the anxiety and pain we feel in life to mold our character after that of Christ! Just as gold must be refined in the fires to eliminate impurities and be transformed into the purest form, so we are in the fires to be purified.

There are two places we can choose between to have our characters altered and refined. Satan has his own workshop we call the world. He is ever ready to victimize any unsuspecting person to his fires. God’s workshop is always open for those who choose to be fashioned after Jesus. He does not force anyone to enter, but gently invites. Satan will discreetly demolish conscience and discretion and allow us a feigned sense of security and contentedness. He will hone our tendencies toward conceit and anger and self justification, slowly obliterating any trace of God-given character with which we may be gifted. In Christ’s workshop, our hardships will be used to sharpen our awareness of His character and give us trust in His arm and strength to endure for Him. He will remove our inborn tendencies toward selfishness and pride, and will instill in us His strength to endure the wiles of the devil through Jesus Christ. Satan will do anything in his power to keep us far away from Christ’s workshop. He is the source of all pain. God is not the one who inflicts sorrow. We can give in to the devil and allow him to accomplish his end by becoming discouraged, angry, bitter, and laying the blame for our troubles at God’s feet. On the other hand, we can give our grief to God and allow Him to use the misery we are dealt to teach us to lean on Him, to trust Him in every circumstance. We can learn to set self aside and have faith that God will care for our every need. Matthew 6:30 promises His care for us. “Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?” We live in a world of sin. We will suffer. Do we want to suffer Satan’s atrocities and allow him to wear on our hearts, or do we wish to set our burdens down at the feet of a loving Saviour and permit Him to use those troubles to create a character acceptable to Him?

Do not become discouraged believing that you should always be able to rejoice in hardship. We are human and will become downtrodden at times. However, there is not a need to stay there. The way we look at circumstances in our lives can make an immense difference in how we feel about them. God has promised us that we do not struggle in vain; rather, there is a divine purpose for all our anguish. Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose.” And though we suffer, we are not alone. Christ has trod the same path ahead of us and He is there to encourage and strengthen. Ellen White, in a letter to her children, says, “Christ bore the test of character in our behalf that we might bear this test in our own behalf through the divine strength He has brought to us.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 3, 100. Isaiah 43:2 tells us, “When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee; when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flames kindle upon thee.” We will most assuredly walk through the waters and fires, yet God promises His presence and that there will be no lasting detriment.

Though we may make the choice to ask God to shape us, there is usually the question of why we must go through such intense turmoil to be fashioned after Him. It is a common question with a very basic answer. Adam and Eve chose not to trust God. The moment their choice was made, they gave Satan dominion over them and all the earth. Sin has been inborn into each of us since that time, just as gold contains impurities in its raw form. The devil will go to great lengths to keep us from a personal relationship with God. It is the nature of sin, our tendency against Christ’s character, which requires us to be refined in the flames of life. There is no method to extract the impurities of any existing thing without drastic measures. Water must be boiled, gold melted, diamonds must be cut, and people must be tried. We still use the same modus operandi as Adam and Eve did when they sinned against God: skepticism, self-centeredness, and pride. Satan ensures that every human is born with these things in their minds and hearts. The horrible things that happen to us in life are a direct result of a sinful nature and are dealt by the devil’s hand.

Please bear in mind that, though it is essential for us to go through tribulation, it is by no means what God originally intended for us. God wanted us to learn through the joy of exploration and to grow in Him through daily communion with the Father. Yet, many tend to blame God for the despondency experienced at the hand of Satan. Though they realize that the devil is at the core of their suffering, they stand obstinately asserting that God could prevent the difficulty. He could, but would we truly, in our heart of hearts, wish Him to? Our purpose on earth is to perfect our characters for Heaven. How are we to accomplish this if there is no fire to remove our infirmities? We are sinful beings; sin is innate to us. God wants to eradicate this so that we may spend eternity with Him. In light of this, would we really wish to go through life unable to walk with Christ because of our evil natures? Or would we prefer to consent to the refinery so that God can rid us of our defects and we can live with Him? A common proverb says, “Short term pain, long term pleasure.” What is a lifetime of pain compared to an eternity of perfect peace and joy?

God warns us that the path of Christianity is one of hardship and toil. Matthew 7:13, 14 points this out clearly: “Enter ye in at the strait gate; for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” Satan is going to try to win at all costs, even to end our lives. Had God no plan, this would be an insuperable trial. But with each tragedy in our lives, we have been promised that God can work it to His glory. Joan of Arc was one of those who dedicated her life to Christ for His work. She lived during the Hundred Year War between England and France. The English had for some time been warring with France over control of the country. Already they had a portion of Northern France and interspersed loyalties in villages further south. A treaty was drawn between the French and English, The Peace of Troyes, giving the English king the power to rule France. No provision was given, however, for the death of both the French and the English kings. The French Dauphin and the English prince both were vying for the crown, and Joan was called in the midst of this to lead France to victory against the English and see to the coronation of the Dauphin, Charles v11. Notwithstanding the great difficulty and the insults directed toward her, Joan, at the age of 17, was made General of the French army and turned the military into a formidable force. And on July 17, 1429, the Dauphin was coroneted. Not long after, she was captured by her own people, the French Burundians, who did not wish to see war with England, and was burned at the stake as a witch and heretic on May 30, 1431. Satan did not win through Joan’s murder though. The loyal Frenchmen, enraged by her execution, eventually eradicated the disloyal in France and drove England to respect the borders of their country. Yes, Joan lost her life for obedience to God’s calling, yet because she chose to obey, she was a significant force that led to the freedom of France from England. Satan tried to thwart God’s plan by killing His servant, and yet even through Joan’s death God was able to make a triumphant victory to cause His will to prevail. So it is with all of us. The devil can bring his greatest attacks against us, he can create as much pain as he is capable of, and yet God will use it to His end. We can take great comfort in that promise.

We are all soldiers, as Joan was. We are fighting in the war that dwarfs all wars: the great controversy between Christ and Satan. No soldier can undergo the fierceness of battle without conditioning. Here is where, once again, we choose whose workshop we are in; who will condition us for the battle. Satan will work his wiles on everyone to coerce them into battle against God. He will use force and brutality in our lives to accomplish this end. But God can use the vicious acts of the devil as conditioning tools to strengthen our trust and will for Him. They are the weights by which we gain spiritual muscle, if we so choose. Without this strength there is no possibility of our raising the Christian banner. For, just as the flag bearers in the great American wars, those who carry the banner of Christ are specifically targeted by the enemy. Without the development of our spiritual stamina, we would be no match for the battle. The test of faith outfits us to stand against doubt, the test of love helps us to eradicate hate, and the test of truth illuminates error. These are our weapons of war. We must be trained and sculpted with spiritual muscle. The Bible puts it like this: “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Ephesians 6:12–17.

Just as those beacons of purpose waved the colors in all the great battles of our nation, those who take a stand against the prince of darkness shall become primary targets in his scope. When we choose the life of Christ, fear is struck into the heart of Satan. He wants no one to know Jesus. The greatest injury we can inflict on the devil is to live our lives in a way that it is pleasing to our Creator. Satan knows better than to waste time with those who are already in his snare. There is no point in waging war on territory already obtained. His special attention, his wiles, sophistry, hatred, and fear are for any soldier of God, his mortal enemy. This in itself can be great comfort, though we are the center of such intense animosity. Knowing that the devil trembles before us because we are the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit allows us to call upon the power of the Holy Spirit to counteract the blows hurled at us by Satan.

Our sinful natures, the war that we are fighting at Christ’s side, the devil’s fear of Christians—these are all understandable reasons why life would be unpleasant, but there is one purpose that we can hold in our hearts as cause to rejoice: we need to feel our need for Christ. We would soon die for lack of water if not for feeling thirsty. The same principle applies with our need for a Savior. If we do not thirst for Him, why would we search for Him? And what is it that awakens us to the knowledge that we need God? It is always in our deprivation of a need that we know we are in want. Without trial there would be no need to trust God. If there were no pain we would not need the comfort of a Heavenly Father. Had God revealed all things to us, there would be no need for faith. So then where would we need God? When life is simple and all is going well, there is no test of character. When we go through life untried there is no attention paid to character. There is just as much necessity to develop a character after that of Christ, but the urgency is not felt. We do not see the need to work hard for something when we are perfectly content with what we have. God has given us trials to keep us constantly searching for Him and incessantly working for His character in our hearts. Though this is not an easy endeavor to undergo we can find joy in the goal that we are working to attain.

There is something beautiful and miraculous in our sorrows. It is through our tribulation that we see Jesus most clearly. It is not during the day that we see the innumerable stars, but at night. Likewise, it is not in times of tranquility that God’s love and purity are most visible, but in heartache and sorrow. Satan hurls trials at us in an attempt to force us away from God, just as he did with Job. The devil’s desire was to compel Job to curse God through the violence he brought to Job’s life. Come what may, Job’s fidelity to God was steadfast. God rewarded Job’s loyalty and blessed him doubly in the end. Satan’s designs on Job resulted in just the opposite effect of what he had hoped. Instead of separating the faithful servant from the Master, his attacks brought the two closer than before. In the same way, through unwavering devotion to our Lord, Satan’s devices can be used, not to tear us away, but rather, to fling us into the arms of our Father. In essence, the devil is then a springboard which drives us to Christ’s feet. Satan has a design, but that same design is used by Christ to a very different end. Through Jesus we can reverse the course of Satan’s weapons, and he is thus pierced with his own arrows. We have the privilege of trusting in a tender Father who will work with us on our behalf to turn the devil’s attacks into immense blessings. What greater blessing could there be than to be in the tender arms of Christ?

Before I close with you, I would like to leave you with one more thought. There is yet another purpose for our trials, one in which all created beings in all universes are involved. We are living out the great controversy to allow every being in every world to behold the infallibility of God’s law. Every world and created being is going to see His justice, mercy, love, and faithfulness. How would we know the true nature of Satan and our immense necessity of Christ if our lives were neatly packaged with a bow? No, we need to see the prince of darkness for what he truly is. Every being in every universe is bent toward earth and the harrowing struggle taking place here. Each must see the malevolence of the devil. God’s glory and power, His gentility and love, His integrity and purity are all made manifest alongside the diabolical sophistries of Satan. Through our distress God has an opportunity to demonstrate the immensity of His love and mercy.

“With sorrow and indignation the angels heard the choice made by the people and the sentence passed upon Christ. But they could not interfere; for in the great controversy between good and evil, Satan must be given every opportunity to develop his true character, that the heavenly universe and the race for whom Christ was giving His life might see the righteousness of God’s purposes. Those under the control of the enemy must be allowed to reveal the principles of his government.” Signs of the Times, March 28, 1900.

Though life is harrowing and agonizing we rest in the faith that God has each of us in the palm of His hand. He alone can turn the blows of the devil into showers of blessings on our behalf. It is obvious to all that Satan does not have our best interest at heart. There is no lasting reward in following his path. We are going to suffer regardless of which road we choose to traverse. In our anguish do we wish to be in the grip of Satan who wishes nothing other than the demise of all, or would we rather be in the arms of Christ and suffer for His good purpose? In whose workshop do you want to be?

Alicia Freedman works at Steps to Life as a part of the LandMarks team. She can be reached by e-mail at: landmarks@stepstolife.org.

Surrender

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Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” Romans 12:1.

God asks us to give our whole being to Him. Furthermore, He desires a holy being; one not defiled by sin. Of course, as people born into transgression we have no hope of accomplishing this on our own. God gave us Christ to be our example and the Holy Spirit to be our guide. Complete surrender, though, is required; surrender of body, mind, and soul.

Surrender is defined as yielding to the possession or power of another, or to give oneself to an influence, course, or emotion. It is curious that the term surrender does not simply apply to the physical but also to the intellectual and emotional. So God does not want only our bodies, but our minds and souls. It may seem that He is asking a lot of us, but His is a very simple request from One who gave His life for every sinful soul, including those individuals who despised Him. We are giving ourselves to a loving Christ, One whom we can trust implicitly.

We are God’s creation and, by right of ownership, He could induce surrender; however, “It is not part of Christ’s mission to compel man to receive Him… Christ is ever showing mercy, ever seeking to win by the revealing of His love. He can admit no rival in the soul, nor accept of partial service; but He desires only voluntary service, the willing surrender of the heart under the constraint of love.” The Acts of the Apostles, 541.

What, though, does God call us to surrender? Anything that comes between us and Him. It is the infinite love of our Heavenly Father which prompts Him to ask for the removal of any barrier between Himself and His beloved creation. If we love God whole-heartedly this would not be a question or challenge in our minds. Far too often, though, we choose to love and serve something else above God. If God cannot participate in every thought, action, and emotion we are in defiance of His request, and we are asked to surrender it to Him in order that He might replace these things in our hearts. Ellen White provides a beautiful illustration of this.

“About this time Ellen passed by a tent on the campground and saw a little girl who seemed much distressed about something. She held in her arms a little parasol. Her face was pale as she tightly clung to her treasure. Several times she started to lay it down and then she held it closer to her again. After a few minutes the child cried, ‘Dear Jesus, I want to love you and go to heaven! Take away my sins! I give myself to you, parasol and all!’ Then crying, she threw herself into her mother’s arms. ‘Mother,’ she said, ‘I am so happy, for Jesus loves me, and I love Him better than my parasol or anything else.’

“Her face was shining with happiness as she smiled at those around her. Then her mother explained that her little daughter had received the parasol as a present not long before. She loved it very much. She carried it with her everywhere, even taking it with her when she slept at night. But during the meetings the little girl has heard that we must give all to Jesus. What a struggle she had gone through before she was willing to give up her treasure! But now that it was over, and she had given all she had, her face was bright with her new joy.

“Then it was explained to the little girl that since she had given up everything for her Savior, and allowed nothing to stand between her and her love for Him it was right for her to keep her parasol and use it.

“As Ellen walked on across the campground she said to herself, ‘How hard it is to give up the parasol! Yet Jesus gave up heaven for our sake, and became poor, that we, through His poverty and suffering, might have heavenly riches.’ ” Life Sketches of James and Ellen G. White, 142.

Just as this little girl in Ellen White’s illustration gave up her most prized possession, we are called to do the same. Every thought, word, action and feeling we are to give to God and let Him mold and perfect. Our bodies (see Romans 12:1), our wills (see Matthew 26:39), and our souls (see Deuteronomy 6:5) are to be given unreservedly to our loving Father.

It is not because of an arbitrary desire for control or possession that God wishes our submission to Him. Quite the contrary, God knows that only through total surrender can we gain. Our finite minds cling so tightly to what we have here because we cannot fathom the immeasurable wealth that God has in store for us if we choose to follow Him. Freedom from the confines of sin and pain, and freedom from our earthly endeavors, is what He offers us so that we are free to partake of His riches. “When you give up your own will, your own wisdom, and learn of Christ, you will find admittance into the kingdom of God.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 110. But let us consider also what Jesus surrendered for our sakes. “Do we talk about self-denial? What did Christ give for us? When you think it hard that Christ requires all, go up to mount Calvary and weep there over such a thought. Behold the hands and feet of your Deliverer torn by the cruel nails, that you may be washed from sin by his own blood.” Truly what God requires of us is a pittance in contrast to what we have already received. And still God does not ask this of us for His sake, but for ours.

“Many are inquiring, ‘How am I to make the surrender of myself to God?’ You desire to give yourself to Him, but you are weak in moral power, in slavery to doubt, and controlled by the habits of your life of sin. Your promises and resolutions are like ropes of sand. You cannot control your thoughts, your impulses, your affections. The knowledge of your broken promises and forfeited pledges weakens your confidence in your own sincerity, and causes you to feel that God cannot accept you; but you need not despair. What you need to understand is the true force of the will. This is the governing power in the nature of man, the power of decision, or of choice. Everything depends on the right action of the will. The power of choice God has given to men; it is theirs to exercise. You cannot change your heart, you cannot of yourself give to God its affections; but you can choose to serve Him. You can give Him your will; He will then work in you to will and to do according to His good pleasure. Thus your whole nature will be brought under the control of the Spirit of Christ; your affections will be centered upon Him, your thoughts will be in harmony with Him.” Steps to Christ, 47.

We are fallible humans, incapable of perfection on our own accord. Hence, it would stand to reason that the only way we could partake of the immense riches God has waiting for us is to be guided by Him to accept His gift of the Holy Spirit to cleanse us and allow ourselves to be hidden in Him. There is no way to do this aside from being in accordance with God spiritually, intellectually, and physically; thus, to surrender our whole beings. “The only defense against evil is the indwelling of Christ in the heart through faith in His righteousness. Unless we become vitally connected with God, we can never resist the unhallowed effects of self-love, self-indulgence, and temptation to sin. We may leave off many bad habits, for the time we may part company with Satan; but without a vital connection with God, through the surrender of ourselves to Him moment by moment, we shall be overcome. Without a personal acquaintance with Christ, and a continual communion, we are at the mercy of the enemy and shall do his bidding in the end.” The Desire of Ages, 324. [Emphasis supplied] We must be willing to sacrifice everything if we are to gain freedom. We all have sin that keeps us separated from Heaven and true freedom. Our duty is to be willing to separate from ourselves and cling to Jesus. Leave self behind and put on Christ. Christ was able to carry out His Father’s will through God’s strength. We also are able to carry out God’s will through the strength Jesus imparts to us.

How much is Christ’s sacrifice and eternal life worth to us? In Matthew 13:44, we see a man plowing a field, anxious to begin sowing the field when his plow hits something hard. He goes to see what he has bumped into and finds a vast treasure that has been buried there. When he sees the wealth that has been concealed in the field, he decides then and there that he must buy it, for it is worth more than all his assets. Where would he obtain the money to make the purchase? He is not independently wealthy; there is no savings account set aside. The only option is to sell all he currently owns to acquire the field. But what a simple choice to make, given the untold wealth he has just unearthed. “This parable illustrated the value of the heavenly treasure, and the effort that should be made to obtain it. The finder of the treasure in the field was ready to part with all that he had, ready to put forth untiring labor, in order to secure the hidden riches. So the finder of heavenly treasure will count no labor too great and no sacrifice too dear, in order to gain the treasures of truth.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 103. This man was willing to give his all for the treasure he found. Are we willing to give our all for the treasure God has promised us? “Those who feel the constraining love of God ask not how little may be given, in order to obtain the heavenly reward; they ask not for the lowest standard, but aim at a perfect conformity to the will of their Redeemer. With ardent desire they will yield all, and manifest zeal proportionate to the value of the object they are in pursuit of. What is the object? Immortality, eternal life.” Spiritual Gifts, vol. 2, 260.

The brief life of Betty Scott Stam is a powerful example of utter surrender to Christ. And though she and her husband met with a terrible end, they, like we, are called to carry the cross of Christ. And where did the cross lead but to Calvary?

They were young missionaries serving with the China Inland Missions in the early 1930s. Scarcely one year after their marriage in China, they found themselves caught up in the advance of the Communists into the town where they were living. They were captured, held for an exorbitant ransom, marched through the streets of the village, and they were beheaded.

Betty Scott had been raised in China. She was the daughter of a Presbyterian missionary couple. Perhaps her childhood of faith, her utter dependence on God, and her preparation for giving her life for the gospel can be best witnessed in the words of her own poetry.

At age ten she wrote:

I cannot live like Jesus
Example though He be
For He was strong and selfless
And I am tied to me.
I cannot live like Jesus
My soul is never free
My will is strong and stubborn
My love is weak and wee.
But I have asked my Jesus
To live His life in me.
I cannot look like Jesus
More beautiful is He
In soul and eye and stature
Than sunrise on the sea.
Behold His warm, His tangible
His dear humanity.
Behold His white perfection
Of purest deity.
Yet Jesus Christ has promised
That we like Him shall be.

As a young woman of eighteen, she wrote this:

Lord, I give up all my own plans
and purposes
All my own desires and hopes
And accept Thy will for my life.
I give myself, my life, my all
Utterly to Thee to be Thine
forever.
Fill me and seal me with
Thy Holy Spirit
Use me as Thou wilt, send me
where Thou wilt
And work out Thy will in my life
at any cost now and forever.

This young woman was ready to worship her Lord in life or death, to give her whole soul; and eventually she gave her life for His divine service.

Sometimes when we surrender ourselves to God we are subjected to experiences that make us question God’s purpose. What is God doing? How is this going to work for good? “God never leads His children otherwise than they would choose to be led, if they could see the end from the beginning, and discern the glory of the purpose which they are fulfilling as co-workers with Him.” The Desire of Ages, 224. What an amazing promise. In this life we may not understand why some things are taking place, however, if we knew all things, we would not choose anything different. It is a great comfort to know that, even when Satan throws ugly hurdles in our path, God is still in command and works all things for His glory and our eternal benefit.

In The Great Controversy Ellen White speaks extensively of the religious reformers Huss and Jerome. In their lives we see the courage to surrender everything to God and the intense anguish suffered as a result of doing so. However, God did not allow their sacrifice on His behalf to be without good purpose, without reward. “His [Huss’] persecutors vainly imagined that they had rooted out the truths he preached. Little did they dream that the ashes that day borne away to the sea were to be as seed scattered in all the countries of the earth; that in lands yet unknown it would yield abundant fruit in witness to the truth. The voices which had spoken in the council hall of Constance had wakened echoes that would be heard through all coming ages. Huss was no more, but the truths for which he died could never perish. His example of faith and constancy would encourage multitudes to stand firm for the truth, in the face of torture and death. His execution had exhibited to the whole world the perfidious cruelty of Rome. The enemies of the truth, though they knew it not, had been furthering the cause which they so vainly sought to destroy.” The Great Controversy, 110. And the same was true of Jerome’s execution. “So perish God’s faithful light bearers. But the light of truth which they proclaimed—the light of their heroic example—could not be extinguished. … But those [the writings of Wycliffe] that had escaped destruction were now brought out from their hiding places and studied in connection with the Bible, … and many were thus led to accept the reformed faith.” Ibid., 115. Had they known the end from the beginning, had they been able to see the good resulting from the forfeit of their lives, through God’s strength, neither man would have chosen a different path. However, not knowing, they still chose to surrender themselves to a higher purpose through trust and confidence in the character and promises of Jesus Christ.

Every new day requires us to surrender anew to the will of our Heavenly Father. A commitment to trust that no matter what we may forfeit, whatever we put into His hands, will be used to shape our characters such that we may put on the robe of Christ’s righteousness. Through our unconditional surrender, God will also work for the betterment of others and for their eternal life. There is nothing so great that we would give to God that would equal His reward for those faithful to Him.

A network engineer, Jana Grosboll lives in Derby, Kansas. She may be e-mailed at: janawwjd@yahoo.com.

All for Jesus

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My heart is very heavy for humanity. The whole earth has been in turmoil and struggle for so long. Satan is in a life and death struggle for each soul. Many people feel the effects of this spiritual conflict and are caught between attraction for this world and a deep need for the love that only God can give. What a battle! It is the age-old war that has been going on since Eve first picked the fruit. This is not just a battle for this earth as a whole, but a fierce war within each individual who feels the call of the Holy Spirit in their lives. That war will persist until one of two things happen; either a person surrenders completely to God, or sin is dallied with for so long that the Holy Spirit quits striving with them and Satan then has sway to degrade as he wishes.

Surrendering is a terrible inward conflict. It means not having any agenda for ourselves, but being willing to be placed wherever God wants us to be, and being happy and finding blessings in that place. “God’s promise is, ‘Ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall search for Me with all your heart.’ Jeremiah 29:13.” Steps to Christ, 43. It takes that complete surrender. Notice the words “with all your heart.” I do not find any reference in the Bible which indicates that any portion can be withheld, no matter how small. “The whole heart must be yielded to God, or the change can never be wrought in us by which we are to be restored to His likeness. By nature we are alienated from God. The Holy Spirit describes our condition in such words as these: ‘Dead in trespasses and sins;’ ‘the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint;’ ‘no soundness in it.’ We are held fast in the snare of Satan, ‘taken captive by him at his will.’ Ephesians 2:1; Isaiah 1:5, 6; 11 Timothy 2:26. God desires to heal us, to set us free. But since this requires an entire transformation, a renewing of our whole nature, we must yield ourselves wholly to Him.” Steps to Christ, 43.

What a dichotomy from the teaching of the world! Even the “church” has bought into the mindset of making our own lives. But what else was Paul saying when he says in Philippians 4:11, “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content”? This whole chapter is such a promise, such a gift that presents what we can have in God. I recommend not only reading it, but soaking it into your heart so the daily life is affected. The following is an excerpt from Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary that sheds some additional light on this verse: “I leave it to others if they will, to be discontented. I, for my part, have learned, by the teaching of the Holy Spirit, and the dealings of Providence (Heb 5:8), to be content in every state.” The Commentary goes on to expound on contentedness: “Content—The Greek, literally expresses ‘independent of others, and having sufficiency in one’s self.’ But Christianity has raised the term above the haughty self-sufficiency of the heathen Stoic to the contentment of the Christian, whose sufficiency is not in self, but in God.” The key here is the phrase, “whose sufficiency is not in self, but in God.” Nothing comes from our own independence! John 15:5 says, “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.” Paul says, in Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” You see, in and of ourselves we have nothing we can call good. In Isaiah 64:6 we read, “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” That is unmistakably clear.

I look at the ongoing misery and see the unhealthy ways in which people seek for fulfillment. I long for each person’s happiness. What most do not understand is that happiness in life comes from a true, complete surrender to God. One of the ways we look for fulfillment is by looking to another human. It is inevitable that they will disappoint us. There is not a single human in life who will not eventually disappoint or hurt. I have learned and am still learning to be okay with that. I am learning that this sad fact is part and parcel of a sinful world. God allows difficulties into our lives so we will learn that lesson. Without complete surrender, and dependence on Him, one can never find the peace or love that God offers. “In giving ourselves to God, we must necessarily give up all that would separate us from Him. Hence the Saviour says: ‘Whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be My disciple.’ Luke 14:33.” Ellen White further expounds on this saying, “Whatever shall draw away the heart from God must be given up. Mammon is the idol of many. The love of money, the desire for wealth, is the golden chain that binds them to Satan. Reputation and worldly honor are worshiped by another class. The life of selfish ease and freedom from responsibility is the idol of others. But these slavish bands must be broken. We cannot be half the Lord’s and half the world’s. We are not God’s children unless we are such entirely.” Steps to Christ, 44.

“This world is not my home, I’m just a passin’ through.” If we truly have this in the core of our heart, things will not matter so much here. Our own agenda will disappear and we can focus our eyes on the promises and glory to come. How truly, how deeply, how fervently God loves each one. Yet, I can truly say, the decision is yours, and yours alone. He has not a hair of feeling of coercion or force in Him; only a deep longing and love for you and your happiness, not only for heaven, but even here and now. Refer once again to Steps to Christ, 43. “The government of God is not, as Satan would make it appear, founded upon a blind submission, an unreasoning control. It appeals to the intellect and the conscience. ‘Come now, and let us reason together’ is the Creator’s invitation to the beings He has made. Isaiah 1:18. God does not force the will of His creatures. He cannot accept an homage that is not willingly and intelligently given.”

Whenever I feel overwhelmed by the difficulties of life, when I feel intense pain from a particular situation, I go to the life of Jesus. I think of the solitude that Jesus chose above all else when He left the perfect oneness with His Father; not like the broken connections we so cherish here. It is a connection not one of us here on earth has known or will ever know. Yet God the Father and Jesus chose the separation to achieve our salvation, only to have 100% of the people of earth desert Jesus in His darkest hour. This scene, this amazing character, this abounding love is ever open for our contemplation. The thought overwhelms me as I only just begin to grasp the immense love that must have been in their hearts to make the decision to go through that terrible separation. You know, when Jesus died, it was not from physical causes, and it was, medically speaking, from a broken heart. The separation from His Father, literally, broke His heart and it killed Him. “But it was not the spear thrust, it was not the pain of the cross, that caused the death of Jesus. That cry, uttered ‘with a loud voice’ (Matt. 27:50; Luke 23:46), at the moment of death, the stream of blood and water that flowed from His side, declared that He died of a broken heart. His heart was broken by mental anguish. He was slain by the sin of the world.” The Desire of Ages, 772. I only pray that God will subdue my own heart that I will choose to dwell on that and let His love so shape me that I can then share that love and peace with others.

There is another thought that is incomprehensible to me. God the Father loves Jesus even more because He gave His life to save whoever would accept His salvation on this sinful planet. Think about that. The Creator of an entire universe of perfection and beauty beyond compare allowed His Son to come to a planet filled with misery and hatred. He endured the separation of a perfect relationship, and to crown all, loves His Son more dearly for that sacrifice! What wondrous love.

Each and every one of us has pain in this life. That has been the lot of humanity since sin entered. Even Jesus had pain in His life. The crux of the matter comes in what we choose to do with that pain. What Jesus did with His pain is a study in and of itself. It is easy when we feel that pain to cherish it, to feel it and let it influence our decisions, to reason with ourselves that we are “entitled” to feel it. What a struggle. It brings us back again to surrender. Will we surrender it to God or let it rule our lives? I struggle with that decision on a regular basis, though I notice that the more I make conscious choice to live above it through the grace of God, the easier it becomes, which is what God promises. Praise Him.

“It is a mistake to entertain the thought that God is pleased to see His children suffer. All heaven is interested in the happiness of man.” Steps to Christ, 46. There is nothing to lose, and only happiness to gain here as well as in heaven. Will you surrender today?

Brenda Douay works as a part of the LandMarks team. She can be reached by e-mail at: landmarks@stepstolife.org.

Lord, What Do You Want Me To Do?

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“To His servants Christ commits ‘His goods’—something to be put to use for Him. He gives ‘to every man his work.’ Each has his place in the eternal plan of heaven. Each is to work in co-operation with Christ for the salvation of souls. Not more surely is the place prepared for us in the heavenly mansions than is the special place designated on earth where we are to work for God.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 326.

“Lord, what do you want me to do?” Today, more than ever, choosing, preparing for, and practicing our occupations have become fraught with a bewildering array of difficult decisions and obstacles. Yet an attempt to address some of these without recognizing the recourse we have to practical solutions when serving Christ would be to express a lack of faith. “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” Proverbs 3:5, 6. These words are not just a trite familiar phrase, but are part of our living faith. This powerful promise is prefaced with an all-encompassing condition: the complete surrender of our lives, our affections, and ambitions to the Lord.

Preparation is not an event, but a continuous exercise of our time. Our personal diligence and time management to exercise our minds through study, prayer and cultural development and our bodies through temperance, manual labor, and exercise are the foundation of preparation. Do not simply wait for a teacher, friend, pastor, or parent to direct you in specific lines of preparation. The guidance they offer may be extremely important, but the preparation constitutes, with or without the counsel of others, what we make of our time. Ellen White often uses the phrases “usefulness in this world” or “usefulness in this life” to describe the product of this general preparation. “The strength or the weakness of the mind has very much to do with our usefulness in this world and with our final salvation.” The Review and Herald, September 8, 1874.

Inspiration further guides us with specific branches of education that should be taught to all persons as part of preparation for life’s work. Foremost is the study of the Bible, which in addition to the overarching education of salvation it gives, integrates the teaching of important lessons of history, prophecy, health, poetry, composition, public speaking, etc. General preparatory studies should include: human nutrition and physiology, agriculture, home-making skills, voice culture in speech and song, and financial stewardship. (See the book Education by Ellen G. White.)

Choosing a specific life work and the requisite education is certainly one of the most difficult topics to address. If the extraordinary cost of most kinds of education were the biggest concern, our situation would be greatly improved. Ellen White told us that our delay to prepare the way for Christ’s second coming would make our work harder. It certainly has in this aspect.

There are many questions one would do well to consider when prayerfully planning a career:

Have I really surrendered all of my plans to God, and am I regularly praying for His leading?

This, by all useful measures, is the foundation of a successful career in this world, and of readiness for the life to come.

Is financial wealth the goal of my career plans?

If so, the answer to the first question is no, and there is an idol in your heart that can be cast out only by conversion. The apostle Paul tells us that “the love of money is the root of all evil: …” I Timothy 6:10. Additionally, it should be noted that the drive to get wealth does not well correlate with personal and career satisfaction.

What kinds of activities do I enjoy, and what are my aptitudes?

When dedicated to God, our aptitudes and interests can be key indicators of God’s plan for our life’s work. The evaluation of aptitudes is just one reason why the general preparatory education is so important. The exposure to a variety of tasks gives one a chance to evaluate aptitudes.

On a more specific note, Ellen White advises that all should have the capability to make their living at some trade. For some, this may be a backup vocation; nonetheless, an aptitude and enjoyment toward at least one trade should be developed.

Additionally, there are varieties of aptitude tests that can be taken independently, or through a career counselor. These tests can prove beneficial in that they may reveal aptitudes that one may not have realized before.

How can I use my aptitudes, with my training and career, to glorify God and to witness to others?

Remember that every person is called to a ministry, no matter what the occupation. Then this question should be one of the most important to answer when preparing for and practicing our vocations. Any vocation can and should be used directly and indirectly to help further the gospel.

How would my calling be a blessing to society?

The work of Jesus, while here on this earth, was continually a blessing to society. From carpentry to preaching and healing he lived constantly to be a blessing. As we follow Christ’s example we will also find that this is one of the keys to personal and career satisfaction.

What advice or comments do the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy have to say about my intended vocation, and the requisite education?

The list of occupations that are dealt with in some way by the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy is long. Have you studied the subject matter out? The Bible and Spirit of Prophecy also have much to say regarding education. Anyone preparing for a career, or planning to switch careers, should include a prayerful study of inspired writings. In particular, the books Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, I and II Timothy and Education should be carefully investigated.

How will my job choice and location affect my Sabbath keeping?

Certainly there are a number of job types that are not suitable to consider when factoring in Sabbath keeping. And one’s latitudinal location affects the clock time during which the Sabbath is kept, and needs to be considered.

Among jobs that are profitable to consider, jobs in the medical field have a special relation to the Sabbath. Anyone considering a career in one of the medical professions should carefully examine what the Spirit of Prophecy says about Sabbath keeping and the medical professions. A balanced summary of that counsel is beyond the scope of this article. But I will leave the reader with an additional question to ponder if considering a job in a hospital setting: Is the Sabbath respected in the institutions at which I seek employment?

But this is actually a broader question than it may at first appear. There are potential jobs that require an investment of time that would lead many people to make the job and/or requisite education the number one focus of their life. This, then, effectively enshrines the career as an idol, diminishing Sabbath keeping. Great care must then be exercised when considering especially time-intensive career choices.

In my chosen career, will I be directly supporting the advancement of sin?

Certainly the answer should be, No. At first thought, this may seem to be either an obvious or strange question. But it is worth a second thought. Of course, as a Christian you would easily eliminate jobs directly tied to the production of alcohol or tobacco, for example. But it is worth considering the many ways that our economy is integrated, and estimating how closely an industry or particular job may be tied to the overt degradation of society.

An example question could be: As a financial advisor, would I ever be directed to recommend investments in companies in the entertainment, alcohol, or tobacco industries because my recommendations must be based solely on their financial prospects? If so, how could I retain my independence as an advisor?

Are potential social benefits the prime goal of my educational endeavors?

The desire to be with friends of like age and educational goals, and to find a husband or wife, are the prime focus of many who are preparing for careers in college. While the desire for the wholesome social benefits of an education has a place, that place must be subservient to the preparation of life’s work; otherwise that proper preparation is in jeopardy.

Traditionally, for Seventh-day Adventists, this desire has been assumed to be met at a Seventh-day Adventist college or university. The disastrous position of these institutions with respect to God’s plan of education laid out in the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy has been well chronicled. As such, they are generally bereft of this benefit.

How may my chosen vocation interact with labor or trade unions?

Ellen White specifically says that God’s people are not to be members of unions. Many trades are tightly connected with unions. The relationship between a chosen trade and unions should be examined carefully. Also, the apprentice should be aware of whether or not he has a legal right to work without belonging to a union. This is the case in some states (“right-to-work” states). Finally, it should be noted that unions have been making in-roads into professions. Notably, this is true of the teaching and nursing professions. Additionally, this author is aware of cases involving the unionization of physicians and engineers.

Can I obtain the education I need with a prudent investment of money and time?

Like a number of these questions, the details of the answers are large, and vary from case to case. But, in general, let the student consider that today, many professionals leave school with more than $100,000 of debt, and no prospects of paying this off quickly. While we do not flatly take the position that to incur debt for any amount, time or reason is wrong or unwise, we should remember the truth that “the borrower is servant to the lender.” Proverbs 22:7. Inspired counsel on investment in time and debt should be studied.

What kind of education do I need, and can I obtain it without being warped?

In today’s world, it is not possible to obtain a college or graduate education in many areas of study and in many circumstances from any institution, and not be warped—if we are acting presumptuously. Presumption would include choosing a career and educational path that would require direct, regular, active study of (or participation in, as the case may be) things such as: evolution, spiritualism, materialism, paganism, skepticism, competitive sports, fiction, and drama. This is because we already have specific counsel from inspired writings not to engage in these activities.

If the student is not truly converted—has not committed all of his aspirations to Christ—the unconverted desires may be interpreted directly as God’s will, and the student will find himself acting presumptuously as he chooses an education and career. It is then that he is most vulnerable, and most unaware of his vulnerability!

If you are paying attention to what has been happening in education, you surely realize that there is no field of study that is not at minimum tainted in some way (directly or indirectly) with one or more of these listed problems. If there were no other reasons (but there are), this is sufficient to bar any and all from making sweeping specific recommendations regarding any area of study. We should keep in mind that God would have us all be intellectual Christians (Testimonies, vol. 3, 160), but that in seeking intellectual excellence through education, many have unwittingly allowed worldly philosophy to make them skeptical of the power of the gospel. Remember, in Christ’s time, it was the common people who heard Him gladly. And this is still often true.

Regarding educational preparation, much prayer, and individual counsel from godly advisors, is needed for each individual case.

“A knowledge of science of all kinds is power, and it is in the purpose of God that advanced science shall be taught in our schools as a preparation for the work that is to precede the closing scenes of earth’s history.” Christian Education, 83.

How transportable and flexible is the career of my choice?

This has to do directly with the potential demand for your services in domestic and foreign labor markets, your employability (including self-employability), and what living location options are reasonable for you to expect. Even within a category (such as physician, attorney, or engineer, for example), the answers to these questions can vary greatly depending on the specialty.

How will my career choice fit with a family and church?

Since career choices, at least for the young, often come at a time when they are also thinking of marriage and family aspirations, each should prayerfully consider these subjects together and the mutual impact they have on each other. Counsel from godly parents and friends is of special value here.

Have I done some research to find out what options are really out there?

Actuary, stevedore, apiarist, pattern maker, industrial hygienist: it is advisable that one become familiar with a wide variety of occupations. If you are not familiar with a wide variety of occupations, you may be missing details, or even broad categories of labor, that would well suit you.

If it is a career that you are already familiar with in name, such as a nurse, teacher, mechanic, or accountant—how well do you really know what the job entails? In-depth research would include finding people who are in the field, and interviewing or shadowing them.

Evaluating mid-career options:

If you are in mid-career, you may have occasion to ask: “Where do I go from here?” If you are simply working to survive, your general career preparation was deficient, or your career does not suit you well.

It is true that we cannot perfectly redeem the past, but with God’s help we may make greater strides in our work, both for this life and in preparation for the next, than we can easily imagine. Remember that one of Satan’s traps is to keep people so caught-up in the business of life and earning a living that Christ loses His place at the center of affection. (Matthew 13:7, 22.)

Certainly the Lord can help you optimize a job situation that may not seem to suit your life plan best if you are willing to diligently apply yourself. It is possible that you should seriously consider your options to change employment, but not without carefully considering a potential new career from all angles. Otherwise, you may find yourself jumping from one poor-fitting job to another, and falling farther behind financially for doing so.

There are many tools for examining mid-career improvement and change potential. As always, at the top of the list are the Bible and prayer. Godly, wise friends and family may also be an important resource, (See Testimonies, vol. 1, 224, 225 on the use of counsel.) Other potential tools may include (depending on the occupation involved) community college, distance education, gospel ministries, agricultural extension agents, books, SCORE (non-profit organization of counselors to small entrepreneurial businesses), licensing organizations, etc.

The biggest challenge and obstacle to development that any mid-career person is likely to find is the need most of us have to improve our mental discipline and time management. Without this discipline, success in any line will prove elusive.

Secular vs. gospel employment:

But wait, you say, “Your specific occupational examples focused a lot on secular employment, and obtaining the requisite education for secular employment. That is not what is most important about career planning. What about preparing for employment as direct, full-time gospel workers: missionaries, pastors, evangelists, Bible-workers, Christian educators, and medical workers?”

What of gospel employment?

Some questions one should ask before choosing an education and career. But nothing was said about employment directly in God’s work. That certainly is a most important employment option for one to consider. The relation of secular lines of employment to the work of the ministry in various lines is a very important discussion.

There is an enormous dearth of Historic Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) churches and institutions—and the pastors, Bible workers, teachers, and medical professionals that should be employed by them to lead out in the spreading of the three angels’ messages. There is a lack of people willing to take the large risk of committing to these fields, but there is also a critical lack of a support base for these people. This is a large-scale problem. But, as we will find out, large-scale solutions to problems of this type must start with individuals and families. That is where you and your occupation fit into this problem, reader, and that is what I want to discuss with you.

Isaiah, through inspiration, tells us: “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save …” Isaiah 59:1. We need to first remind ourselves that God has not made His ability to complete His work on earth completely dependent on man! What hopelessness would be our case if it were so? If needed, God can turn to the rocks. But, amazingly, He has made His work partially dependent on us! Paul says, “For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent?” Romans 10: 13–15.

God has promised that there will be people who choose to cooperate with Him in finishing His work (see, for example, Isaiah 55:5–11 and Malachi 3:16–18), but this power of choice means that Seventh-day Adventists collectively and individually may or may not be part of that work. The fact that the SDA denomination has strayed significantly from God’s plan for finishing His work is well documented elsewhere. The denomination has been actively opposing those who are preaching and teaching present truth for a number of years now. And the tightly centralized organization of the denomination makes it difficult at best to associate with it regularly without being indirectly involved in their work that often ultimately impedes the gospel. We need to examine for ourselves the implications of this for our occupations.

The reality of our current situation as Historic Seventh-day Adventists is that we could not have a more scattered approach to this problem. There are a number of independent, congregational-style churches (with different names due to past lawsuits and ongoing threats of lawsuits) which have organized in a number of places around the world. A few of them are organized to evangelize and fend off fanaticism. A few of them are capable of hiring pastors and/or Bible workers.

But many Historic Seventh-day Adventists are ambivalent about supporting these churches regularly; and this ambivalence breeds weakness. They may have found a conference church nearby with a good pastor, or another one with a good Sabbath school teacher. Perhaps they worship at home, or just put up with some error, some immodest dress, some poor music, etc. Only when some special weekend revival meeting by one of a select number of ministers is held in their area do they congregate together. This sporadic, halting congregating has in part led to a loss of vision for what the business of God’s church really is. Weekend revivals are a wonderful blessing, but that is not the mission of the church. We, as Historic Seventh-day Adventists, are not in a position to evangelize in any major way—either to invite the world into General Conference-sponsored SDA churches because of apostasy, or to invite them into Historic SDA churches because we have not taken the collective action to ensure that they exist and function robustly!

The organization of the church mutually obligates secular employed and gospel employed workers:

At the outset of the Christian church, Christ placed the physical welfare of the gospel laborers largely in the hands of those employed in secular labor, (See, for example, Matthew 10:1–15 and I Corinthians 9: 1–14.) He placed the organization of the churches for: 1) missionary work (Titus 1:9) and 2) prevention of heresy and fanaticism (Titus 1:10, 11) largely in the hands of apostles and elders (see Titus 1:5–11, I Timothy 3:1–7, I Thessalonians 5:12–15 and The Acts of the Apostles, 262), and the ongoing welfare of the church largely in the hands of elders, deacons, and deaconesses. (See I Timothy 3:8–13, Acts 6, The Acts of the Apostles, 89, 90, and The Review and Herald, July 9, 1895.) Thus those with secular occupations and those employed in the gospel work have mutual obligations to each other through the church body. (See I Corinthians 12:18–25.) If you have a secular job, you have a duty to consider what responsibility you have in helping God’s people collectively work toward making the work of pastors, evangelists and teachers viable! This includes financial support, but, as we will see, goes well beyond it.

Collective intelligence and our collective will to action:

God has appointed both individual and collective will to humans. As Historic SDAs, we have long exercised our muscle of individual will and action, while our muscle of collective will, intelligence, and action has nigh atrophied. In Heaven, the collective will to action is critical to success in the Great Controversy! What about our collective action?

Let us illustrate the importance of collective intelligence and action for God’s remnant by comparing our needs to evangelize and educate with large-scale projects in the secular world. There are millions of very talented, intelligent and industrious people in our world, but not a single one of them knows in full how to create and manage a major infrastructure project, build a jet plane or computer, or manage a monetary system. Nor can one person simply assign a specified amount of physical and mental energy to be expended by a group of people working separately and accomplish any of these projects. All of these projects require collective intelligence. If the secular world we live in was managed like our gospel work, we would all be tool-poor, barterers, and hunter-gatherers the world over! (Luke 16:8.) It is a key responsibility of each person in the church with secular employment to be a part of the collective intelligence and will to action that is needed so that gospel workers can be trained and hired!

God, in His infinite wisdom, has given to His church collective tasks in evangelism and education that simply cannot be met exclusively by exercising our talents individually! There are parts of our individual characters that simply cannot be properly developed unless we are at least attempting to work collectively. Unfortunately, many of us have been assuming otherwise.

The need for gospel workers and teachers today cannot be satisfied exclusively with some portion of the General Conference of SDAs that is doing a good work—however good that work may be! For example, the Michigan Conference and Amazing Facts are not in a position to hire all of the gospel workers that are needed, nor are they in a position to exercise collective action with the General Conference on all fronts. However large this problem may seem, we must at minimum not ignore it, or pretend that because it takes the action of many, we are in no position to make an attempt to rectify it. You can see that this is about much more than pooling our money.

Difficult Questions and Risk:

It is time to consider more than theoretical future solutions; it’s time to consider pragmatic ones. It is past time to ask some very difficult questions, questions such as: “If someone felt called to the gospel ministry (the gospel ministry as defined in Testimonies to Ministers), what real employment options do they have? Would you want to be in their shoes? Are you in their shoes? (Remember, God will call 11th hour workers from secular employment to gospel employment.) What would it take to train and hire workers? Would the Historic SDA church nearest me need to be better organized? Could I help? Would it take more than one local church to get the job done? Would I be prepared to recognize and act collectively with 11th hour workers from other churches? Would it take things like an identity, plans, goals, boards, and bank accounts? Am I an amicable enough person so that others could get along with me well enough to prosecute a plan of action?

The preceding paragraph may sound like heresy to some. But we are halfway there, and that half-way position will not long be stable. There exist historic SDA churches. There are groups of Historic SDA churches working together in various places in the world. There are Historic SDA teachers and medical professionals. And all of these exist because people believe that the gospel message drives and defines the identity of the remnant, and not the other way around! (Revelation 14:12.) Today we are either half wrong, and need to close shop on these activities, or we are half right, and need to “strengthen the weak hands and confirm the feeble knees.” [Isaiah 35:3.]

You may be tempted to say that the thought of working on a large scale is preposterous, given our current situation and the shortness of time. You may ask, “Do you really expect to launch some large, potentially bureaucratic edifice for training and employing workers when God has said that He will complete His work through surprisingly simple means?” These are fair questions, and they are best viewed through the following statement and a question. First, a statement: A large organization does indeed have the potential to be corrupted by politics, but when we realize the difficulty we have in organizing even two small churches to work together, this problem finds its place lower down on the list of current problems. Second, a question: Even though God has said that He will finish His work in simple ways that will astound us, do you think that He will sanction our part in that work if we simply excuse ourselves from attempting to act collectively, because it is hard to do and takes time?

Finally, let us speak about risk. The good news for us is that Christ has already guaranteed the outcome of the war; there is zero risk that He will lose the great controversy. But there is very real risk in each battle of the great controversy, risk that souls will be lost. When you undertake a project by yourself, you are individually, to a large degree, in control of the risk of failure. When you engage in collective intelligence and action, you as an individual are in a much smaller way in control of the risk of failure. Act collectively with others only in prayer, and with the knowledge that you are collectively putting your efforts at the risk of each other’s good will. There is no way to make money through investment without putting money at risk of loss—at least temporary loss. And when we invest our talents for Christ, we may indeed realize temporary loss and may not in this life realize the gain of our investment. But our risk in these endeavors pales to the very real risk that God made to save you and me, the risk of the loss of His own Son! May God bless you as you prayerfully consider these words.

John T. Grosboll, PE is a mechanical engineer living near Vancouver, Washington. His secular employment includes several years of experience in primary metals and transportation-related industries. He, along with his wife, is actively involved in the work of the Historic Message Church in Portland, Oregon. He may be reached at Grosbolls@yahoo.com.

Love

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Love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance are the graces of the Holy Spirit and are the products of or fruits of love. The truth is, it is impossible for a person to possess the graces of the Holy Spirit if that person is devoid of love. Furthermore, this love cannot be a part of the individual unless he or she is totally committed to Jesus, has been born again, and has been converted! This love, which is the fruit of the Holy Spirit, is of Heavenly Origin; it is a divine principle that cannot be appreciated and known by any human being unless he or she knows Christ as a personal Savior.

In his first epistle to the Corinthians, the Apostle Paul highlights the difference between love that is of heavenly origin and love that originates in self or that is earthly. “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become [as] sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have [the gift of] prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed [the poor], and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.” I Corinthians 13:1–3.

A similar thought is addressed by Paul to the Roman Christians, where he admonished them, “[Let] love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.” Romans 12:9.

The word I, as used by the Apostle Paul in his epistle to the Romans, comes out of a Greek word that gives the meaning of hypocrisy, insecurity, and pretense.

“The imperative idea is now expressed by an adjective: ‘not hypocritical!’ ‘Hypocrite’ was the term for show actor, and the ancient actors always wore a mask while they were on stage. Genuine love is Paul’s bidding: not stage-actor love; no mask of love! I John 3:18, ‘My little children, let us not love agapomen in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.’ Where love is so highly esteemed as it is in the Christian church, counterfeit love is often passed out as the real gold coin, and the lack of love attempts to hide itself behind the mask of love and of words that are supposed to have the sound of love.” (Source: Commentary on the N.T. by R. C. H. Lenski: Romans, p. 766.)

Dr. Webster says that dissimulate means to “disguise” or “conceal under a false semblance.” What we are therefore made to understand is that there is a true love and a counterfeit love. The Apostle Peter encourages us to love one another with a pure heart: “Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, [see that ye] love one another with a pure heart fervently.” I Peter 1:22.

What is counterfeit love?

Pretentious love.

“We are admonished by the apostle: ‘Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil, cleave to that which is good. Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another.’ Paul would have us distinguish between the pure, unselfish love which is prompted by the spirit of Christ, and the unmeaning, deceitful pretense with which the world abounds. This base counterfeit has misled many souls. It would blot out the distinction between right and wrong, by agreeing with the transgressor instead of faithfully showing him his errors. Such a course never springs from real friendship. The spirit by which it is prompted dwells only in the carnal heart. While the Christian will be ever kind, compassionate, and forgiving, he can feel no harmony with sin. He will abhor evil and cling to that which is good, at the sacrifice of association or friendship with the ungodly. The spirit of Christ will lead us to hate sin, while we are willing to make any sacrifice to save the sinner.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 171.

The absence of love makes us cold, critical and exacting.

“Where is the kindling of soul you once felt at the mention of the name of Jesus? In the freshness of your early dedication, how fervent was your love for souls! how earnestly you sought to represent to them the Saviour’s love! The absence of that love has made you cold, critical, exacting. Seek to win it back. …” Testimonies, vol. 5, 611.

Spasmodic love.

“In every family where Christ abides, a tender interest and love will be manifested for one another; not a spasmodic love expressed only in fond caresses, but a love that is deep and abiding.” The Adventist Home, 94.

Misguided love.

“It is not mercy or kindness to permit a child to have its own way, to submit to its rule, and to neglect to correct it on the ground that you love it too well to punish it. What kind of love is it that permits your child to develop traits of character that will make him and everyone else miserable? Away with such love! True love will look out for the present and eternal good of the soul.” Child Guidance, 186.

Miscalled love.

“On the part of too many parents there is a blind and selfish sentimentalism, miscalled love, which is manifested in leaving children, with their unformed judgment and undisciplined passions, to the control of their own will. This is the veriest cruelty to the youth and a great wrong to the world.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 142.

Impulsive love.

“True love is a high and holy principle, altogether different in character from that love which is awakened by impulse and which suddenly dies when severely tested.” Ibid., 176.

Passionate love.

“There is but little real, genuine, devoted, pure love. This precious article is very rare. Passion is termed love.” Testimonies, vol. 2, 281.

Human love.

“The heart yearns for human love, but this love is not strong enough, or pure enough, or precious enough, to supply the place of the love of Jesus.” Testimonies, vol. 2, 362.

Blind love.

“The infatuation on the part of both young men and women in thus placing the affections upon each other during school days shows a lack of good judgment. As in your own case, blind impulse controls reason and judgment. Under this bewitching delusion the momentous responsibility felt by every sincere Christian is laid aside, spirituality dies, and the judgment and eternity lose their awful significance. Every faculty of those who become affected by this contagious disease—blind love—is brought in subjection to it. They seem to be devoid of good sense, and their course of action is disgusting to all who behold it.” Ibid., 110.

Selfish love.

“Our love is frequently selfish, for we confine it to prescribed limits.” Testimonies, vol. 3, 580. “The sin which is indulged to the greatest extent, and which separates us from God and produces so many contagious spiritual disorders, is selfishness. There can be no returning to the Lord except by self-denial. Of ourselves we can do nothing; but, through God strengthening us, we can live to do good to others, and in this way shun the evil of selfishness.” Testimonies, vol. 2, 132.

Changeable love.

“Human love may change, but Christ’s love knows no change.” The Ministry of Healing, 72.

Unholy spiritual love.

“The sophistries regarding God and nature that are flooding the world with skepticism are the inspiration of the fallen foe, who is himself a Bible student, who knows the truth that it is essential for the people to receive, and whose study it is to divert minds from the great truths given to prepare them for what is coming upon the world. I have seen the results of these fanciful views of God, in apostasy, spiritualism, and free-lovism. The free love tendency of these teachings was so concealed that at first it was difficult to make plain its real character. Until the Lord presented it to me, I knew not what to call it, but I was instructed to call it unholy spiritual love.” Testimonies, vol. 8, 292.

What is true, heaven-born love?

In the Gospel of John we have recorded the words of our beloved Savior: “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.” John 13:34.

“Jesus says, ‘Love one another as I have loved you.’ Love is not simply an impulse, a transitory emotion, dependent upon circumstances; it is a living principle, a permanent power. The soul is fed by the streams of pure love that flow from the heart of Christ, as a well-spring that never fails. O, how is the heart quickened, how are its motives ennobled, its affections deepened, by this communion! Under the education and discipline of the Holy Spirit, the children of God love one another, truly, sincerely, unaffectedly,—‘without partiality, and without hypocrisy.’ And this because the heart is in love with Jesus. Our affection for one another springs from our common relation to God. We are one family, we love one another as He loved us. When compared with this true, sanctified, disciplined affection, the shallow courtesy of the world, the meaningless expression of effusive friendship, are as chaff to the wheat.

“To love as Christ loved means to manifest unselfishness at all times and in all places, by kind words and pleasant looks. … Genuine love is a precious attribute of heavenly origin, which increases its fragrance in proportion as it is dispensed to others. …

“Christ’s love is deep and earnest, flowing like an irrepressible stream to all who will accept it. There is no selfishness in His love. If this heaven-born love is an abiding principle in the heart, it will make itself known, not only to those we hold most dear in sacred relationship, but to all with whom we come in contact. It will lead us to bestow little acts of attention, to make concessions, to perform deeds of kindness, to speak tender, true, encouraging words. It will lead us to sympathize with those whose hearts hunger for sympathy.” Sons and Daughters of God, 101.

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

We are also told: “Love cannot live without action, and every act increases, strengthens, and extends it. Love will gain the victory when argument and authority are powerless. Love works not for profit nor reward; yet God has ordained that great gain shall be the certain result of every labor of love. It is diffusive in its nature and quiet in its operation, yet strong and mighty in its purpose to overcome great evils. It is melting and transforming in its influence, and will take hold of the lives of the sinful and affect their hearts when every other means has proved unsuccessful. Wherever the power of intellect, of authority, or of force is employed, and love is not manifestly present, the affections and will of those whom we seek to reach assume a defensive, repelling position, and their strength of resistance is increased. Jesus was the Prince of Peace. He came into the world to bring resistance and authority into subjection to Himself. Wisdom and strength He could command, but the means He employed with which to overcome evil were the wisdom and strength of love.” Testimonies, vol. 2, 135.

God’s servant penned these beautiful words: “True, pure love is precious. It is heavenly in its influence. It is deep and abiding. It is not spasmodic in its manifestations. It is not a selfish passion. It bears fruit.” Ibid., 416.

The Scripture states in Romans 13:10: “Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love [is] the fulfilling of the law.”

So the question I would like to ask is: Do you have the love of God? Many say, Yes, I have the love of God! Listen to what the pen of inspiration says: “Never can the love of Jesus be received and shed abroad in the heart until envious feelings, hatred, jealousies, and evil surmisings are put away. …

“Many are deceiving themselves; for the principle of love does not dwell in their hearts. They may close their eyes to their own errors and defects; but they cannot deceive God. There must be a reformation.” Sons and Daughters of God, 49.

I read for your benefit from The Youth’s Instructor, January 13, 1898, these words: “Pure love is simple in its operations, and separate from every other principle of action. When combined with earthly motives and selfish interests, it ceases to be pure. God considers more with how much love we work, than the amount we do. Love is a heavenly attribute. The natural heart cannot originate it. This heavenly plant only flourishes where Christ reigns supreme.”

I ask you again, do you possess the love of God in your heart; does it control your life?

“Those who love God cannot harbor hatred or envy. When the heavenly principle of eternal love fills the heart, it will flow out to others, not merely because favors are received of them, but because love is the principle of action and modifies the character, governs the impulses, controls the passions, subdues enmity, and elevates and ennobles the affections. This love is not contracted so as merely to include ‘me and mine,’ but is as broad as the world and as high as heaven, and is in harmony with that of the angel workers. This love cherished in the soul sweetens the entire life and sheds a refining influence on all around. Possessing it, we cannot but be happy, let fortune smile or frown.

“If we love God with all the heart, we must love His children also. This love is the spirit of God. It is the heavenly adorning that gives true nobility and dignity to the soul and assimilates our lives to that of the Master. No matter how many good qualities we may have, however honorable and refined we may consider ourselves, if the soul is not baptized with the heavenly grace of love to God and one another, we are deficient in true goodness and unfit for heaven, where all is love and unity.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 223, 224.

What is the definition of love? The Greek word agapē is the word for Godly love. “Our word ‘love’ means so many different things, and conveys so many diverse ideas, that the true meaning of agapē is obscured by this translation. The Greeks had three words to convey the ideas we seek to express by our one word ‘love’: agapan, philein, and eran.” “Ellen G. White Comments”, The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 5, 340.

Philein in general describes affectionate, sentimental love based on the emotions and feelings. Insofar as it is based on the feelings, it is subject to change as the feelings change. Eran denotes passionate, sensual “love,” love that operates essentially on the physical plane. Eran is not used in the New Testament.

“In the New Testament agapan, when contrasted with philein, describes love from the standpoint of respect and esteem. It adds principle to feeling in such a way that principle controls the feelings. It brings into play the higher powers of the mind and intelligence. Whereas philein tends to make us ‘love’ only those who ‘love’ us, agapan extends love even to those who do not love us. Agapan is selfless, whereas eran is purely selfish, and even philein may, at times, be marred by selfishness.

“The noun form, agapē, is confined almost exclusively to the Bible. The agapē of the New Testament is love in its highest and truest form, the love than which there is no greater—love that impels a man to sacrifice himself for others, (John 15:13.) It implies reverence for God and respect for one’s fellow men. It is a divine principle of thought and action that modifies the character, governs the impulses, controls the passions, and ennobles the affections.” Ellen G. White Comments, The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 5, 340.

“Philein is spontaneous, emotional, and is nowhere commanded in the New Testament. Agapan, on the other hand, can be and is commanded, for it is under the control of the will. To agapan our bitterest enemies is to treat them with respect and courtesy and to regard them as God regards them.” Ibid.

It is on this basis that Jesus, our Savior, commands us to love our enemies. “Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.” Matthew 5:43, 44.

God allows trials, afflictions, and grief to come upon His children in order to test their love. John the Beloved declares in I John 4:18, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.” In the book Sons and Daughters of God, 193, Ellen White states, “… there are many who desire to love and serve God, and yet when affliction comes upon them, they do not discern the love of God in it, but the hand of the enemy. They mourn and murmur and complain; but this is not the fruit of love to God in the soul. If we have perfect love, we shall know that God is not seeking to injure us, but that in the midst of trials, and griefs, and pains, He is seeking to make us perfect, and to test the quality of our faith. When we cease to worry about the future, and begin to believe that God loves us, and means to do us good, we shall trust Him as a child trusts a loving parent. Then our troubles and torments will disappear, and our will will be swallowed up in the will of God.”

She also states in the book Christ Object Lessons, 61: “Through conflict the spiritual life is strengthened. Trials well borne will develop steadfastness of character and precious spiritual graces. The perfect fruit of faith, meekness, and love often matures best amid storm clouds and darkness.”

So often, many Christians will say, I want to develop the fruit of the Holy Spirit. I want to love more, I want to be more longsuffering, I need the peace of God in my life, yet they are not fully prepared to receive these graces of the Spirit, for they come with a price!

The inspired writer tells us that, “Often when we pray for the graces of the Spirit, God works to answer our prayers by placing us in circumstances to develop these fruits; but we do not understand His purpose, and wonder, and are dismayed. Yet none can develop these graces except through the process of growth and fruit bearing. Our part is to receive God’s word and to hold it fast, yielding ourselves fully to its control, and its purpose in us will be accomplished.” Christ Object Lessons, 61.

“Let the worker show his growth in grace by submission to the will of God. Thus he will gain a rich experience. As in faith he receives, believes, and obeys Christ’s words, there will be an intensity of effort; there will be cherished a faith that works by love and purifies the soul. The fruit of the Spirit will be seen in the life, and the efficiency of the Spirit will be seen in the work.” Testimonies, vol. 7, 38, 39.

In order for the believer to possess the fruit of the Holy Spirit, which is love, he or she must understand that this love is of heavenly origin; that it can be gotten only when Christ is received into the life of a person: that it is a divine, unchanging principle. It grows and bears fruits best by trial, difficulties, obedience, and submission to the word of God.

We can therefore agree that only those who develop and display the fruit of the Holy Spirit—this divine love—will finally comprise God’s church. Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 18, agrees: “To His church, Christ has given ample facilities, that He may receive a large revenue of glory from His redeemed, purchased possession. The church, being endowed with the righteousness of Christ, is His depository, in which the wealth of His mercy, His love, His grace, is to appear in full and final display.”

How are we made perfect in love?

The answer is found in Testimonies, vol. 2, 550, 551; “The first great commandment is: ‘Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart.’ ‘And the second is like [it?], namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.’ On these two commandments the whole interest and duty of moral beings hang. Those who do their duty to others as they would that others should do to them are brought into a position where God can reveal Himself to them. They will be approved of Him. They are made perfect in love, and their labors and prayers will not be in vain. They are continually receiving grace and truth from the Fountainhead, and as freely transmitting to others the divine light and salvation they receive. In them is fulfilled the language of the Scripture, ‘Ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.’ ” [Romans 6:22.]

“And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these [is] charity.” I Corinthians 13:13.

“When it is realized that of all qualities of character, love is the one that inspiration uses to describe the very nature of God, it is easy to see why the apostle should say that above all gifts of the Spirit, this is the greatest. As a manner of life, love is more effective, more victorious, more satisfying, than the possession and exercise of the various gifts of the Spirit enumerated in ch. 12. Love for God and our fellow men is the highest expression of harmony with God. Love lived out in the life of the believer is the great test of the sincerity of one’s Christianity.” Ellen G. White Comments, The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 6, 785.

“Love is the fruit that is borne on the Christian tree, the fruit that is as the leaves of the tree of life for the healing of the nations.” Selected Messages, Book 2, 187. [Emphasis added.]

The question comes to each of us today: Do I have the love of Jesus in my heart; is it the motive power that governs all my actions? You and I are the only persons who can truly, honestly answer that question. Today, Jesus lovingly appeals to us saying, Give me your anger, malice, hatred, bitterness, envy, jealousy, unhappiness, and I in turn will give you My precious, unending love. Why not say Yes to Jesus now!

Pastor Ivan Plummer ministers through the Emmanuel Seventh Day Church Ministries in Bronx, New York. He may be contacted by email at: landmarks@stepstolife.org.