Editorial

Imagination

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Imagination is a beautiful, yet terrifying thing.

When it is too late to be saved, most of this world’s population will experience the awful realization that they are irretrievably lost. No longer will there be a sacrifice for sins. They will die in their sins, alone, never to awaken. Imagine waking up one day to find probation for the human race has ended, and you are not saved.

However, the Bible prophets give us these warnings so that this will not be our experience:

“The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved!” Jeremiah 8:20

“Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O house of Israel?” Ezekiel 18:31

“Say to them: ‘As I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?’ ” Ezekiel 33:11

The apostle Paul warns us against procrastination:

“For He says: ‘In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in the day of salvation I have helped you. Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.’ ” 2 Corinthians 6:2

“Again He designates a certain day, saying in David, ‘Today,’ after such a long time, as it has been said: ‘Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.’ ” Hebrews 4:7

Multitudes are in the “valley of decision” (Joel 3:14), and all those who remain too long in the valley of decision will die there.

“There are some who seem to be always seeking for the heavenly pearl. But they do not make an entire surrender of their wrong habits. They do not die to self that Christ may live in them. Therefore, they do not find the precious pearl. They have not overcome unholy ambition and their love for worldly attractions. They do not take up the cross and follow Christ in the path of self-denial and sacrifice. Almost Christians, yet not fully Christians, they seem near the kingdom of heaven, but they cannot enter there. Almost but not wholly saved, means to be not almost but wholly lost.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 118

Almost Saved

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On a Friday afternoon in 1985, a jumbo jet, flying from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was on approach to the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport during a violent thunderstorm. It was approaching under Instrument File Rules (IFR) because of the bad weather. Air traffic control asked the pilot to reduce his speed to 137 knots because the jet was gaining too quickly on a Learjet ahead of him struggling with the weather. As the jet neared the runway only a few hundred feet above the ground, a violent downdraft slammed the jet toward the ground. While it plowed up a field with its landing gear, the pilot was able to gain control and lift the jet into the air a few feet off the ground, flying it level toward the runway which now was in sight.

The jet was off course several feet sideways for a straight-on approach to the runway. Two water tanks stood on one side of the runway. The jet—had it been on a straight course to the runway—would have harmlessly flown past them. But because it was off course and so near to the ground, the wing collided with the tanks, spinning the entire aircraft around and breaking it in two. The 100+ passengers sitting in the front half, along with the flight and cabin crews, were killed.

The pilot was very experienced and skillful. He had decades of experience and thousands of hours of flight time, and because of his skill and despite the thunderstorm, he had gained control of the aircraft and made for the runway.

The jet was actually over the airport when the accident happened, so close to a safe and uneventful landing. The pilot, the passengers could see their destination, but most of them never made it there alive.

You and I are approaching a storm. “We are standing on the threshold of the crisis of the ages.” Last Day Events, 12. Many professed Christians will lose their lives in this storm, not just their temporal lives but eternal life.

“Almost but not wholly saved, means to be not almost but wholly lost.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 118

Don’t let it happen to you.

Reproduction

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Reproduction has been part of God’s plan from the beginning (Genesis 1:28; 9:1).

Jesus said to His disciples, “ ‘By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit. … I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain.’ ” John 15:8, 16

Jesus speaks here of the spiritual reproduction of the divine character in other human beings. When I am connected with Christ, then His life will flow through me to those around me, and His character will then be reproduced in others. It is the privilege of every Christian to be a coworker with Jesus in this work. (See John 15.)

“Tell the people of Him who is ‘the Chiefest among ten thousand,’ and the One ‘altogether lovely.’ The Song of Solomon 5:10, 16. Words alone cannot tell it. Let it be reflected in the character and manifested in the life. Christ is sitting for His portrait in every disciple. Everyone God has predestinated to be ‘conformed to the image of His Son.’ Romans 8:29. In everyone, Christ’s long-suffering love, His holiness, meekness, mercy, and truth are to be manifested to the world. …

“The Saviour longs to manifest His grace and stamp His character on the whole world. It is His purchased possession, and He desires to make men free, and pure, and holy. Though Satan works to hinder this purpose, yet through the blood shed for the world there are triumphs to be achieved that will bring glory to God and the Lamb. Christ will not be satisfied till the victory is complete, and ‘He shall see of the travail of His soul, and shall be satisfied.’ Isaiah 53:11. All the nations of the earth shall hear the gospel of His grace. Not all will receive His grace; but ‘a seed shall serve Him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation.’ Psalm 22:30.” The Desire of Ages, 826–828

“Christ is seeking to reproduce Himself in the hearts of men; and He does this through those who believe in Him. The object of the Christian life is fruit bearing—the reproduction of Christ’s character in the believer, that it may be reproduced in others.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 67

God’s Test Question

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While in school, listening to lectures and doing laboratory assignments, you are collecting in your mind the data and questions that you think the professor might ask on a test, and you store these items in your memory so that you will be ready to pass the course.

Our entire life in this world is simply a course of study for which we will be tested before the end of the world. The test will be concerning the law of God. In the final judgment, only one question will be asked—Did this person keep the law or not? The one-word answer will determine your eternal destiny.

The apostle James says, “For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.” James 2:10. If you break even one of the commandments, you are a lawbreaker. There is a single point that will be most under attack in the law of God.

The fourth commandment is the longest, most-detailed commandment of the ten. This commandment alone tells us explicitly who the author of the law is and why He has such authority. God has also used it as an outward sign or seal so that the whole universe will know who His people are. (See Ezekiel 20; Isaiah 8; and Exodus 31.) It also directs us to rest on the seventh-day Sabbath (Saturday), keeping His day holy and refraining from any work. In keeping all of God’s law, and specifically the Sabbath day, we show to the universe that we are God’s people.

The Bible tells us explicitly that in the last days God’s people will be commandment keepers (Revelation 12:17; Revelation 14:12) and that the commandment breakers will eventually be destroyed (Revelation 14:9-12; Revelation 21:8, 27; Revelation 22:15; Matthew 7:21-23).

So friend, where do you stand today? Are you on God’s side of the great controversy or are you at present on the devil’s side. Obedience or disobedience—what does your life show?

“Be sure the Sabbath is a test question, and how you treat this question, places you either on God’s side or Satan’s side. The mark of the beast is to be presented in some shape to every institution and every individual.” The Ellen G. White 1888 Materials, 477

The Chief of Sinners

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“Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief.” 1 Timothy 1:15

The amazing thing about this statement is that Paul knew very well the crimes of Nero, a most wicked and cruel man. He knew what Judas had done, clearly a crime of immense magnitude. Surely these men were more wicked than Paul, and yet, his testimony is that he is the chief of sinners. The word of God is true and cannot be broken (John 10:35), so we must accept the truth of Paul’s statement.

So here is the question each of us must ask ourselves: Is there more than one chief of sinners?

One of the most dangerous things that can happen to a Christian is to lose sight of his own universal sinful condition. This was the problem with the tribe of Ephraim (Hosea 12:8), and it is the same problem with Laodicea (Revelation 3:14–22), the church of the last days.

Daniel, a man beloved by heaven and of whom the Bible records no fault, identified himself in his prayer as a wicked and rebellious sinner (Daniel 9:3, 4). Likewise, not one prophet or apostle ever claimed to be without sin.

We all must realize that throughout the history of mankind, every man, woman, and child born in this world—except Jesus—was and is sinful within. In speaking of the human condition, Paul wrote, “Now we know that whatever things the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” Romans 3:19, 20

“The nearer we come to Jesus, and the more clearly we discern the purity of His character, the more clearly shall we see the exceeding sinfulness of sin, and the less shall we feel like exalting ourselves.” The Youth’s Instructor, June 5, 1902

“No deep-seated love for Jesus can dwell in the heart that does not realize its own sinfulness. The soul that is transformed by the grace of Christ will admire His divine character; but if we do not see our own moral deformity, it is unmistakable evidence that we have not had a view of the beauty and excellence of Christ.” Steps to Christ, 65

The Possibility – That People Think is Impossible

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Would you like your character to be like Jesus Christ’s character? People say “that is impossible,” but God says it is possible and that it will happen to all of His children because “we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is.” 1 John 3:2

“God has called His people to glory and virtue, and these will be manifest in the lives of all who are truly connected with Him. Having become partakers of the heavenly gift, they are to go on unto perfection, being ‘kept by the power of God through faith.’ ” 1 Peter 1:5. … [W]hen they plead His [Christ’s] unfailing promises, and claim them as their own, when with an importunity that will not be denied they seek for the power of the Holy Spirit, they will be made complete in Him.” The Acts of the Apostles, 530

“None need fail of attaining, in his sphere, to perfection of Christian character. By the sacrifice of Christ, provision has been made for the believer to receive all things that pertain to life and godliness. God calls upon us to reach the standard of perfection and places before us the example of Christ’s character. In His humanity, perfected by a life of constant resistance of evil, the Saviour showed that through cooperation with Divinity, human beings may in this life attain to perfection of character. This is God’s assurance to us that we, too, may obtain complete victory.

“Before the believer is held out the wonderful possibility of being like Christ, obedient to all the principles of the law. But of himself man is utterly unable to reach this condition. The holiness that God’s word declares he must have before he can be saved is the result of the working of divine grace as he bows in submission to the discipline and restraining influences of the Spirit of truth. … The part of the Christian is to persevere in overcoming every fault. Constantly he is to pray to the Saviour to heal the disorders of his sin-sick soul. …

“The work of transformation from unholiness to holiness is a continuous one. Day by day God labors for man’s sanctification, and man is to co-operate with Him, putting forth persevering efforts in the cultivation of right habits. … Gladly He grants them the blessings they need in their struggle against the evils that beset them.” Ibid, 532, 533

The Christian Struggle

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One day, perhaps much sooner than most people realize, we will stand face to face with our Creator. Paul talks about the personal nature of our accountability.

“Each of us shall give account of himself to God.” Romans 14:12

“For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in his body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” 2 Corinthians 5:10

“They will give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.” 1 Peter 4:5

Ellen White gives us a graphic description of the judgment.

“Each has a case pending at the bar of God. Each must meet the great Judge face to face. How important, then, that every mind contemplate often the solemn scene when the judgment shall sit and the books shall be opened, when, with Daniel, every individual must stand in his lot, at the end of the days.” The Great Controversy, 488

“The Judge of all the earth will render a just decision. He will not be bribed; He cannot be deceived. He who made man, and whose are the worlds and all the treasures they contain—He it is who weighs character in the balance of eternal justice. … Every individual has a soul to save or to lose.” In Heavenly Places, 360

“We are on the great battlefield of life, and let it never be forgotten that we are individually responsible for the issue of the struggle; that though Noah, Job, and Daniel were in the land, yet should they deliver neither son nor daughter by their righteousness. … But you have justified your own course because you thought that your brethren did not do right. Sometimes you have acted like a petted, spoiled child and have talked unbelief and doubt to spite others; but will it pay?” Testimonies, Vol. 5, 337, 338

“Those who do not become saints here can never be saints in heaven. God will accept in His service nothing less than the entire being—body, soul, and spirit. At the coming of Christ, many who now pass for Christians will be found wanting. … They will see their true condition. In the light of the law of God, they will see the destitution of their souls.” The Review and Herald, February 26, 1901

Editorial – Keep Your Heart

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“Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it are the springs of life.” Proverbs 4:23, is the counsel of the wisest of all men. “For as he thinks in his heart, so he is.” Proverbs 23:7, first part

Unfortunately Solomon did not follow his own advice. His life became a shambles, and when he was converted again in his old age, he wrote the melancholy book of Ecclesiastes as a warning to others to not do as he did.

It is impossible for any man to make or keep his heart pure without divine grace because the Bible says that the heart of man is deceitful above all things and incurably wicked (Jeremiah 17:9).

A man may attempt to build a noble, virtuous character apart from the grace of Christ, but he will discover that in the fierce storms of temptation to which we are all subject in this world, he will be overthrown.

When the Lord has removed our guilt by the blood of Jesus Christ and renewed our heart, making us partakers of the heavenly gift, we are then to go on to perfection (Hebrews 6:1–5). We have a work to do to cooperate with the divine agencies seeking to bring about our salvation. If we do not do our part, then, as Jesus said in Luke 8:14, we will bring no fruit to perfection, leaving us unprepared for the Lord’s return.

Guard the avenues of the soul. Do not allow yourself to read, see, or hear anything that will suggest impure thoughts. Psalm 101:3

Pray for the abiding influence of the Holy Spirit.

Become a faithful sentinel over your eyes, ears, and all your senses so that you can control your mind and prevent vain and corrupt thoughts from staining your soul. Mark 13:37

Diligently study the word of God. Psalm 119:9, 11

Follow the principles of health reform found in the word of God—partake of nothing that will dull your powers of perception.Some might need to change jobs in order to get ready for heaven, but if your situation requires that you must live and work in Babylon—like Daniel did—call on the Lord. He will hear your petition, and provide extra grace or change your circumstances.

The Promise of the Melchizedek Priesthood

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In the epistle to the Hebrew Christians, the apostle Paul states seven times that God has made Christ a High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek. He also makes it clear that no one was ever made perfect by the Levitical priesthood as far as the conscience is concerned, and no sin has ever been forgiven by a priest who descended from Levi (Hebrews 10).

So it was necessary that another Priest should come who could do what the descendants of Aaron could never do. What is the function of a priest? He offers gifts and sacrifices for sin (Hebrews 5). It is through the services of a priest that sins are forgiven, but the Levitical priests could not forgive sin, as we saw in the preceding paragraph. However, no one will go to heaven who has his sins forgiven only.

Do not misunderstand. No one can go to heaven unless their sins are forgiven, but it is necessary that more be done for you than just forgiveness of your sins. In order to go heaven, your sins must be taken away—removed from you completely. The person who has had his sins forgiven is still a sinner even though he has been justified, or forgiven, and is accounted innocent.

The sin itself, the degradation from sin, must be removed. No earthly priest ever has or ever will be able to do this for you, but Jesus can and it must happen if you are to be with Him in heaven.

Paul says that Jesus came to put away sin (Hebrews 9). This is the miracle of salvation that everyone who goes to heaven must have. Only the services of a priest after the order of Melchizedek can do this for you.

No one can be saved by a human priest, that is why Jesus said, “ ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’ ” John 14:6

The Melchizedek priesthood is all powerful and can save any sinner (Hebrews 7:25).

Have you asked Him to save you?

Blessings

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And I will bless you and you shall be a blessing and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed (Genesis 12:2, 3).

We cannot be a blessing until we are first blessed ourselves. God first said, “I will bless you” before Abram could be a blessing to all the families of the earth. How does God bless us? Through the angels:

“Christ virtually says, On the bank of the Jordan the heavens were opened, and the Spirit descended like a dove upon Me. That scene was but a token that I am the Son of God. If you believe on Me as such, your faith shall be quickened. You shall see that the heavens are opened, and are never to be closed. I have opened them to you. The angels of God are ascending, bearing the prayers of the needy and distressed to the Father above, and descending, bringing blessing and hope, courage, help, and life, to the children of men.

“The angels of God are ever passing from earth to heaven, and from heaven to earth. The miracles of Christ for the afflicted and suffering were wrought by the power of God through the ministration of the angels. And it is through Christ, by the ministration of His heavenly messengers, that every blessing comes from God to us. In taking upon Himself humanity, our Saviour unites His interests with those of the fallen sons and daughters of Adam, while through His divinity He grasps the throne of God. And thus Christ is the medium of communication of men with God, and of God with men.” The Desire of Ages, 142

Once we are blessed, then we are to bless others.

“Our confession of His faithfulness is heaven’s chosen agency for revealing Christ to the world. We are to acknowledge His grace as made known through the holy men of old; but that which will be most effectual is the testimony of our own experience. We are witnesses for God as we reveal in ourselves the working of a power that is divine. Every individual has a life distinct from all others, and an experience differing essentially from theirs. God desires that our praise shall ascend to Him, marked by our own individuality. These precious acknowledgments to the praise of the glory of His grace, when supported by a Christ-like life, have an irresistible power that works for the salvation of souls.” Ibid., 347