Question

Question – What does the Bible mean when it talks about the seal of the living God?

by

Question

What does the Bible mean when it talks about the seal of the living God?

Answer

And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.” Revelation 7:2, 3.

Let us stop and think about a seal, any seal. While canning fruit the jar is sealed and you expect the fruit to be preserved in the same condition as when you put it into the jar until you break the seal.

Another kind of seal is one that is used when you take a document to sign in the presence of a Notary Public and have them put an official seal on it. What is the purpose of this seal? It is to make the document permanently official. When a document is stamped and signed by the Notary Public it is sealed and cannot be changed.

In conclusion, anything that is sealed is permanent and in the condition that it was when sealed. It is agreed to, it is unchangeable, and it is final!

If we apply these definitions to the seal of God we come up with some very interesting facts. Whatever God’s seal says, the receiving party agrees to the conditions and acts accordingly.

A seal contains three elements—the name, the title, and the territory of the one issuing the seal. When we read the Ten Commandments we find that God put His seal right in the middle of the commandments. The fourth commandment says, “The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: … For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is. …” Here we find the three necessary elements for a seal—His name, the Lord; His title, the Creator; His territory, heaven and earth.

Exodus 31:13 says, “Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it [is] a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that [ye] may know that I [am] the Lord that doth sanctify you.”

Ezekiel 20:20 says, “And hallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I [am] the Lord your God.”

From these texts we can conclude that the seventh-day Sabbath is the seal of God. Those people who have decided to obey God and honor Him by resting on the Sabbath and refusing to do ordinary work on that day will be sealed with the seal of the living God and given a home in heaven with Him forever.

The text in Revelation 7 continues, “Hurt not the earth, nor the sea, nor the trees until the servants of God are sealed on their foreheads.” Verse 3. The servants of God will keep the Sabbath because they are truly convinced beyond a doubt that the Sabbath is the seal of the living God. They are determined to keep the seventh-day Sabbath in honor of God forever. God protects the earth and the sea from destruction until His servants are sealed, or until His people decide to keep His holy day regardless of the consequences. Then they are sealed for eternity.

If you have a Bible question you wish to have answered, please e-mail it to: ruthgrosboll@stepstolife.org.

Question & Answer – What was the “reproach” that was rolled away in Joshua 5:9?

by

“And the Lord said unto Joshua, This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you. Wherefore the name of the place is called Gilgal unto this day.”

“Heathen nations had reproached the Lord, and His people, because the Hebrews had not possessed the land of Canaan, which they expected to inherit soon after leaving Egypt. Their enemies had triumphed, because they had so long wandered in the wilderness [40 years], and they proudly lifted themselves up against God, declaring that He was not able to lead them into the land of Canaan. They had now passed over Jordan on dry land, and their enemies could no longer reproach them.” Spiritual Gifts, 4a, 61.

“One other text, if any one were needed to settle the fact that Israel did not get out of Egypt as long as they were in the wilderness, is found in the book of Joshua. You remember the passage, after they had crossed Jordan, then they were circumcised, it is written, ‘This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you’ (Joshua 5:9). Those people, you see, who left Egypt, never got out of Egypt till they had crossed Jordan; for not until then was the reproach of Egypt taken away. Then they were all converted men. That whole nation crossed Jordan by faith. It was a nation that believed God, and there was not a dissenting voice nor a doubting thought—then they were out of Egypt. Thus you see that it is perfectly evident that spiritual Egypt is the literal Egypt of the Bible.” March 7, 1897, A.T. Jones, General Conference Daily Bulletin.

“It was because they would not forsake the idols of Egypt, that the men who left that country with Moses did not enter into the promised land. A people cannot at one and the same time be both free and in bondage. The bondage of Egypt—“the reproach of Egypt”—was not merely the physical labor which the people were forced to do without reward, but was the abominable idolatry of Egypt, into which they had fallen. It was from this that God would deliver His people, when He said to Pharaoh, ‘Let My people go, that they may serve Me’ (Exodus 7:16).” The Present Truth, UK 836, December 31, 1896.

Question and Answer – Perfect on Earth?

by

Question

Are we really supposed to be perfect on earth or is that a prophecy for when we go to heaven?

Answer

The Bible says, “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” Matthew 5:48. “That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” Ephesians 5:27.

The Bible was given to us as a light of truth by which to shape our lives. It explains itself fully in every matter God wishes to reveal to His people. Revelation 14:12 expounds on the question of perfection by saying, “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.”

It would be impossible for us to keep God’s commandments without the faith of Jesus. Jesus’ faith was based unwaveringly on faith in His Father. When He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, He was facing untold agony and suffering, bearing the weight of the sins of the world. In spite of His plea for relief were it possible, He ultimately said, “Thy will be done.” He had complete confidence in His Father that the Father’s will was perfect.

Revelation clearly points out that it is the overcomer who will be restored to the Tree of Life. (See Revelation 2:7.) “He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.” Revelation 2:11. “He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.” Revelation 3:5. There are many other promises addressed to those who overcome the world.

Overcoming the world is an unattainable task without the power of Christ and the aid of the Holy Spirit. God provides us with many promises to encourage us in our battle to conquer the odds. Luke 18:27 says, “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.” And Paul says in Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” And Jesus said in Hebrews 13:5 “I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.”

“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. Man’s obedience can be made perfect only by the incense of Christ’s righteousness, which fills with divine fragrance every act of obedience. 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. He has not the wisdom or the strength to overcome; these belong to the Lord, and He bestows them on those who in humiliation and contrition seek Him for help.

“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. He is to add grace to grace; and as he thus works on the plan of addition, God works for him on the plan of multiplication. Our Saviour is always ready to hear and answer the prayer of the contrite heart, and grace and peace are multiplied to His faithful ones. Gladly He grants them the blessings they need in their struggle against the evils that beset them. There are those who attempt to ascend the ladder of Christian progress; but as they advance they begin to put their trust in the power of man, and soon lose sight of Jesus, Author and Finisher of their faith.” The Acts of the Apostles, 532.

Question and Answer – Eradicating Selfishness and Pride

by

Question

How do I eradicate selfishness and pride?

Answer

Selfishness and pride are natural human frailties. We each have a sinful nature to battle against. (See Romans 7 and 8.) Selfish and proud thoughts will come into our minds as long as we live in sinful flesh, but Jesus has promised to help us overcome and to bring every thought into subjection to Christ. (See II Corinthians 10:5.)

We have to live with ourselves, and the Lord has created us with the wonderful privilege of choosing to be the kind of a people with whom we would like to live. Besides this, God created us with natural laws in our bodies. For example, if we do a certain thing over and over again we establish a habit; practices of which become so strong that we ourselves cannot change them. These habits may be good or bad; they may be the way we eat, the way we talk, or a myriad other things, but these things define who we are and this is what we depict to others. Our habits designate how we react to life.

There is another dimension of life that would be helpful upon which to deliberate. The Creator gave us thinking power and the ability to reason. These are the powers that guide and direct the choices we make in life. For instance, we choose where to live, what career to pursue, and many other things that we have the power to govern and the ability to accomplish. Through the power of conscious choice and reasoning we may learn that we have developed some habits that are not pleasing, then make a decided effort to change. Yet it is here that most are struck with the realization that habits are stronger than we are. The anger, peevishness, indignation, and other sudden reactions that arise when situations are not to our liking are the result of habits that have been formed.

Now we come to another aspect of life: we have a loving, all-powerful Saviour who came to this earth and lived a sinless life. He met every temptation that we have to meet and, through prayer and faith in His Heavenly Father, overcame sin. The beautiful thing about this is that Christ has promised to give us the same power that He had so we can also overcome.

In order to have the power to overcome that Jesus had, we must live the kind of life that He lived. He was determined to do His Father’s will, He spent many hours talking with His Father in Prayer, and He spent time memorizing the Scriptures. When He was tempted, He quoted Scripture or prayed. We may do the same thing and, through His power, overcome sin.

“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, [even] to them that believe on his name.” John 1:12.

Selfishness and pride are not things that can be overcome quickly or easily, or by human power alone. If these things are to be overcome, the heart must be humbled and committed. Prayerfully petition the Holy Spirit to create in you a clean heart and renew a right spirit within you. Become intimately acquainted with the character of Christ, for by beholding, we become changed. “As the flower turns to the sun, that the bright beams may aid in perfecting its beauty and symmetry, so should we turn to the Sun of Righteousness, that heaven’s light may shine upon us, that our character may be developed into the likeness of Christ.” Steps to Christ, 67, 68.

If you have a Bible question you wish to have answered, please e-mail it to: ruthgrosboll@stepstolife.org

Question and Answer: Do I need to be baptized if I have received the Holy Spirit?

by

In Acts 10:44–48 the Bible describes the experience of the early church when the Gentiles heard the message of the Gospel: “While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then Peter answered, ‘Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?’ And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then they asked him to stay a few days” (NKJV).

“Peter preached Jesus to that company of attentive hearers; His life, ministry, miracles, betrayal, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension, and His work in heaven, as man’s Representative and Advocate, to plead in the sinner’s behalf. As the apostle spoke, his heart glowed with the Spirit of God’s truth which he was presenting to the people. His hearers were charmed by the doctrine they heard, for their hearts had been prepared to receive the truth. The apostle was interrupted by the descent of the Holy Ghost, as was manifested on the day of Pentecost. ‘And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter, Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.’

“The descent of the Holy Ghost upon the Gentiles was not an equivalent for baptism. The requisite steps in conversion, in all cases, are faith, repentance, and baptism. Thus the true Christian church are united in one Lord, one faith, one baptism. Diverse temperaments are modified by sanctifying grace, and the same distinguishing principles regulate the lives of all. Peter yielded to the entreaties of the believing Gentiles, and remained with them for a time, preaching Jesus to all the Gentiles thereabout.” The Story of Redemption, 289, 290.

Question and Answer – Did the witch of Endor really see Samuel appear from the dead in 1 Samuel 28:12?

by

“Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up unto thee? And he said, Bring me up Samuel. And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice: and the woman spake to Saul, saying, Why hast thou deceived me? for thou art Saul” (1 Samuel 28:11–12).

“The Scripture account of Saul’s visit to the woman of Endor has been a source of perplexity to many students of the Bible. There are some who take the position that Samuel was actually present at the interview with Saul, but the Bible itself furnishes sufficient ground for a contrary conclusion. If, as claimed by some, Samuel was in heaven, he must have been summoned thence, either by the power of God or by that of Satan. None can believe for a moment that Satan had power to call the holy prophet of God from heaven to honor the incantations of an abandoned woman. Nor can we conclude that God summoned him to the witch’s cave; for the Lord had already refused to communicate with Saul, by dreams, by Urim, or by prophets (1 Samuel 28:6). These were God’s own appointed mediums of communication, and He did not pass them by to deliver the message through the agent of Satan.

“The message itself is sufficient evidence of its origin. Its object was not to lead Saul to repentance, but to urge him on to ruin; and this is not the work of God, but of Satan. Furthermore, the act of Saul in consulting a sorceress is cited in Scripture as one reason why he was rejected by God and abandoned to destruction: ‘Saul died for his transgression which he committed against the Lord, even against the word of the Lord, which he kept not, and also for asking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit, to inquire of it; and inquired not of the Lord: therefore He slew him, and turned the kingdom unto David the son of Jesse’ (1 Chronicles 10:13, 14). Here it is distinctly stated that Saul inquired of the familiar spirit, not of the Lord. He did not communicate with Samuel, the prophet of God; but through the sorceress he held intercourse with Satan. Satan could not present the real Samuel, but he did present a counterfeit, that served his purpose of deception.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 683. [Emphasis author’s.]

Keys to the Storehouse – You!

by

You are very special! Jesus loves you and He loves me. Jesus died for you and He died for me. When I first began studying the Bible, I would look around and think that if these nice people knew my past they would not be so nice to me. I was wrong to think that, because it is Jesus who died that you and I may have life and have it more abundantly. We are to look up at all times and not around at others. Remember, you are loved by God Himself and He gave His only Son for you.

“In this 23rd Psalm Jesus, the Good Shepherd is doing the anointing. It tells of the high esteem with which He holds you.

  • You are ‘the apple of His eye,’
  • You are the one for whom He was willing to pay such a price to redeem.
  • You are the one to sit down with Him on His throne.
  • You are a joint heir with the King of Kings.
  • You are greatly beloved!

“Never question it, never doubt it. Think of it often, talk of His love for you. If, as several have said to me, ‘I am concerned that I don’t love Him more. How can I?’ I tell them ‘don’t worry now about your lack of love for Him but think of how much He loves you, and love will in time beget love.’ Though there are over two billion people in the world, He loves you as though you were the only one. You are special to Him.

“A young American college woman was troubled about God being interested in her when there were so many hundreds of millions more important. She came to her pastor with the query, ‘How can I believe that God is interested in me? There are two billion persons in the world, and He must be far too busy to think of one little atom like me.’ Whereupon the minister asked the girl to extend her hand. ‘Look at your fingers,’ he said, ‘Examine the lines. There are no others like them in all the world. You are handmade. Even your fingertips have had special attention from God.’ As the girl’s mind took hold of the idea, a great peace filled her soul, and, with a radiance in her face that was beautiful to behold, she exclaimed: ‘After this, when I grow doubtful, I will look at my “hand-carved” finger tips. They will prove to me that God is still interested in me, individually and personally.’ ” The Lord is My Shepherd, J.L. Tucker, 32, 33.

Heavenly Father:
Thank You for the personalized hands that You prepared for me and that nobody can imitate. Help me to realize more and more how special I am to You and that I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Help me to reflect Your character every moment that all minds around me will be drawn heavenward to You and they also may see the love You have for them. Amen.

Question & Answer – What was wrong with David’s census?

by

The Bible says, “And David’s heart smote him after that he had numbered the people. And David said unto the Lord, I have sinned greatly in that I have done: and now, I beseech Thee, O Lord, take away the iniquity of Thy servant; for I have done very foolishly” (2 Samuel 24:10).

“Intercourse with heathen peoples led to a desire to follow their national customs and kindled ambition for worldly greatness. As the people of Jehovah, Israel was to be honored; but as pride and self-confidence increased, the Israelites were not content with this pre-eminence. They cared rather for their standing among other nations. This spirit could not fail to invite temptation. With a view to extending his conquests among foreign nations, David determined to increase his army by requiring military service from all who were of proper age. To effect this, it became necessary to take a census of the population. It was pride and ambition that prompted this action of the king. The numbering of the people would show the contrast between the weakness of the kingdom when David ascended the throne and its strength and prosperity under his rule. This would tend still further to foster the already too great self-confidence of both king and people. The Scripture says, ‘Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel’ (1 Chronicles 21:1). The prosperity of Israel under David had been due to the blessing of God rather than to the ability of her king or the strength of her armies. But the increasing of the military resources of the kingdom would give the impression to surrounding nations that Israel’s trust was in her armies, and not in the power of Jehovah. …

“The object of the undertaking was directly contrary to the principles of a theocracy. Even Joab remonstrated, unscrupulous as he had heretofore shown himself. He said, ‘The Lord make His people a hundred times so many more as they be: but, my lord the king, are they not all my lord’s servants? why then doth my lord require this thing? why will he be a cause of trespass to Israel? Nevertheless the king’s word prevailed against Joab. Wherefore Joab departed, and went throughout all Israel, and came to Jerusalem’ (verses 3, 4). The numbering was not finished when David was convicted of his sin. Self-condemned, he ‘said unto God, I have sinned greatly, because I have done this thing: but now, I beseech Thee, do away the iniquity of Thy servant; for I have done very foolishly’ (verse 8).” Patriarchs and Prophets, 746, 747. [Emphasis supplied.]

Question – What does it mean to worship in “spirit and truth?”

by

Question:

What does it mean to worship in spirit and Truth?

Answer:

The word “worship” has several connotations. For instance, sometimes remarks are made like this: “He just worships that car,” or “He worships on Saturday,” or “He worships on Sunday.” It is sometimes thought of as a religious practice according to some creed. Or worship may be spoken of as a reverent devotion to God. Or there are people who worship a person, like the pope of Rome. As for worshiping an object like a car, it would just mean that you spend a lot of time thinking about it and giving it extra good care; it would have first place above other things in your life. Jesus said, when talking to the woman at the well, that we must “Worship Him in spirit and in truth.” (See John 4:24.)

Taken in its loosest form, the word “worship” means to have a great deal of esteem or respect for God or a particular person, place or thing. Your esteem or respect leads you to certain actions and reactions, which could rightfully be called worship.

Worshiping in truth would be doing the right thing and showing the right respect to God. Worshiping God as is described in the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy, you may have all the outward appearances, such as going to church, kneeling for prayer, singing along with the congregation, and sitting quietly during church service. All these things are good and right in their place, and it is often considered true worship or worshiping in truth. However, worship in this manner could just be habit, form, or a ritual that gives you satisfaction because you feel like you are doing the right thing or because of social acceptance, not necessarily because your heart is there.

If you worship in spirit, your motives would be from a different source. Your heart and soul would be in what you were doing. Your intentions, your emotions and your actions would all be in harmony. You would be spending time with the Lord in private as well as in public. You would be attending all the worship services you could. You would be worshiping God because you love Him. You would also be worshiping Him to thank Him for all the blessings that He has bestowed upon you and for the sacrifice Jesus made for you on the cross of Calvary.

Worshiping God in spirit and in truth is to worship Him with all your heart and soul. Yes, there will be a certain amount of habit and form, but that will be the result of continual love and respect. You have a relationship with the Creator that no one else has; it is yours and you love it, and God loves it.

If you have a Bible question you wish to have answered, please e-mail it to: ruthgrosboll@stepstolife.org.

Question – How do I prepare for the Second Coming of Jesus?

by

How do I prepare for the Second Coming of Jesus?

“Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.” Matthew 24:44.

God is a God of love. He loved us so much that He sent His Son to come and live on this earth and be tortured and crucified that we might be saved from this wicked world. He wants each individual to have eternal life with Jesus in a home where there will be no sorrow or heartache. If we are going to live with Jesus and be happy, we must be like Him. And this takes work.

On the way to the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus was conversing with His disciples: “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” John 14:6. In order for us to be ready for the Lord’s soon coming, we must learn how to be like Jesus. What was Jesus like? If we study the four gospels in the New Testament, we get a good description of the Savior. A self-description is found in Matthew 11:29: “I am meek and lowly of heart.”

In Jesus’ sermon recorded in Matthew 7, He gives a depiction of the kind of people who would be in heaven. In our preparation, it would be well for us to put these characteristics into our lives. We cannot do this of our own power; we must ask for help from our Saviour, but he has promised in Mathew 7:7, 8 that if you ask, you will receive.

“And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,

Blessed [are] the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed [are] they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

Blessed [are] the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed [are] they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

Blessed [are] the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

Blessed [are] the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

Blessed [are] the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

Blessed [are] they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are ye, when [men] shall revile you, and persecute [you], and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great [is] your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.” Matthew 5:2–12.

These are the characteristics that Jesus prizes and will be found in those who enter heaven. We must ask for the help of Jesus to implement these in our lives.

May God bless you as you strive to enter the kingdom.

If you have a Bible question you wish to have answered, please e-mail it to: ruthgrosboll@stepstolife.org.