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Q & A – The Strait Gate

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Thank you for that thoughtful question. There are two texts in the Bible that I believe you are referring to. “Because strait [is] the gate, and narrow [is] the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” Matthew 7:14. “Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.” Luke 13:24.

Heaven is such a wonderful place that “eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither has it entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for them that love Him.” I Corinthians 2:9. Isaiah 65:21 describes our home as real. We will build houses and live in them and plant vineyards and eat the fruit.

In the capital city, the New Jerusalem, the gates are made of one pearl, the streets are paved with gold, the walls of the city are made of jasper, and the River of Life runs right through the middle with the Tree of Life on either side of the River. How beautiful it must be. Not only is there physical beauty, but also peace and tranquility. “They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.” Isaiah 11:9. It is worth striving for.

But what if this beautiful place was ruined with pain, sickness, sorrow, death and hatred? What would be gained by Jesus dying on the cross to save us? What would our salvation be worth, just to change locations for the gold and riches of heaven?

Heaven has suffered from the very inception of sin. God and Christ have suffered beyond description, as have the angels in their sympathy for their Lord and for the human race. God hates sin and cannot afford to allow it to enter heaven again.

God is faced with a problem then—how to save the sinner without retaining the sin. Before God can take us home, we must eradicate sin from our lives. He wants to help us do this, for without Him, it would be a hopeless endeavor.

It is not an easy road, but it will be worth it. We have the assurance of Jesus’ presence to help us along the path to the narrow gate. No matter the cost, we will agree that “heaven is cheap enough.” Our calling is to strive to become like Christ and trust Him to work in our lives. Indeed, few are willing to give their whole hearts to Christ, yet there is no cost so great that heaven is not greater still.

Q&A – Have the Angels let go Four Winds of Strife and are they now blowing?

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Winds denote strife, confusion, and destruction and we have certainly experienced much of that; however, Jesus Himself prophesied that these things would take place before He returns. He said, “For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these [are] the beginning of sorrows.” Matthew 24:7, 8.

Daniel saw these winds blowing on the great sea. He said, “I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea.” Daniel 7:2. The angels of heaven have been holding the winds of strife in check all through the centuries. They will continue to hold until Christ’s work in the Most Holy Place is completed and probation is closed.

Ellen White makes an interesting comment about the angels controlling these winds: “I asked my accompanying angel the meaning of what I heard, and what the four angels were about to do. He said to me that it was God that restrained the powers, and that He gave His angels charge over things on the earth; that the four angels had power from God to hold the four winds, and that they were about to let them go; but while their hands were loosening, and the four winds were about to blow, the merciful eye of Jesus gazed on the remnant that were not sealed, and He raised His hands to the Father, and pleaded with Him that He had spilled His blood for them. Then another angel was commissioned to fly swiftly to the four angels, and bid them hold, until the servants of God were sealed with the seal of the living God in their foreheads.” Christian Experience and Teachings of Ellen G. White, 102.

Here it states that the four winds, which the four angels are holding back, are not to be let loose until God’s people are sealed. In Revelation 7:3, we read, “Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.”

In the Testimonies we read, “Men cannot discern the sentinel angels restraining the four winds that they shall not blow until the servants of God are sealed; but when God shall bid His angels loose the winds, there will be such a scene of strife as no pen can picture.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 408.

“When He leaves the sanctuary, darkness covers the inhabitants of the earth. In that fearful time the righteous must live in the sight of a holy God without an intercessor. … As the angels of God cease to hold in check the fierce winds of human passion, all the elements of strife will be let loose. The whole world will be involved in ruin more terrible than that which came upon Jerusalem of old.” The Great Controversy, 614.

It might be well for us to stop and consider what the sealing is all about. God is going to have a group of people from this earth in these last days who are finished with sin and sealed for eternity, while the rest of the inhabitants of the world are involved in such a scene of strife as no pen can describe. These sealed ones will never sin again. They are sealed in the righteousness of Christ. They are ready for Jesus to come and take them to the Holy City.

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

Question and Answer – How are we to cry aloud and spare not?

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Inspired writings tell us that, “as the will of man co-operates with the will of God, it becomes omnipotent. Whatever is to be done at His command may be accomplished in His strength. All His biddings are enablings.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 333.

Everybody is commissioned to direct those who are on a wrong course. Every effort should be made to save their souls. We must “cry aloud and spare not,” speak up about wrongs lest by our silence it is interpreted that we consent to their sin. In Loma Linda Messages, 48, we are told that “the time has come when each one must stand in his lot and place, prepared to call sin, sin, and righteousness, righteousness.”

This is a very solemn command and while it must be done we must be extremely careful not to make thrusts and condemn those who do not have the light that we have on certain things.

There is an old adage that says your actions speak so loud I cannot hear what you are saying. In other words, what you are saying does not coincide with what I see you doing.

“Paul carried with him the atmosphere of heaven. All who associated with him felt the influence of his union with Christ. The fact that his own life exemplified the truth he proclaimed, gave convincing power to his preaching. Here lies the power of truth. The unstudied, unconscious influence of a holy life is the most convincing sermon that can be given in favor of Christianity. Argument, even when unanswerable, may provoke only opposition; but a godly example has a power that it is impossible wholly to resist.” The Acts of the Apostles, 510, 511.

“Character is power. The silent witness of a true, unselfish, godly life carries an almost irresistible influence. By revealing in our own life the character of Christ we co-operate with Him in the work of saving souls. It is only by revealing in our life His character that we can co-operate with Him. And the wider the sphere of our influence, the more good we may do.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 340.

Crying aloud may not always be vocal; it may be to simply live a godly life showing love and concern for those who cross our path and enter into our sphere of influence. It is Christ only who can change hearts, but we can cooperate with Jesus by allowing Him to mold and fashion us into His likeness so that others will be drawn to Him.

Question & Answer – What Constitutes Character?

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… the thoughts and feelings combined make up the moral character.

Mind, Character, and Personality, vol. 2, 660

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“A character formed according to the divine likeness is the only treasure that we can take from this world to the next. Those who are under the instruction of Christ in this world will take every divine attainment with them to the heavenly mansions. And in heaven we are continually to improve. …

“Mental ability and genius are not character, for these are often possessed by those who have the very opposite of a good character. Reputation is not character. True character is a quality of the soul, revealing itself in the conduct.

“A good character is a capital of more value than gold or silver. It is unaffected by panics or failures, and in that day when earthly possessions shall be swept away, it will bring rich returns. Integrity, firmness, and perseverance are qualities that all should seek earnestly to cultivate; for they clothe the possessor with a power which is irresistible—a power which makes him strong to do good, strong to resist evil, strong to bear adversity.

“Strength of character consists of two things—power of will and power of self-control. Many youth mistake strong, uncontrolled passion for strength of character; but the truth is that he who is mastered by his passions is a weak man. The real greatness and nobility of the man is measured by his powers to subdue his feelings, not by the power of his feelings to subdue him. The strongest man is he who, while sensitive to abuse, will yet restrain passion and forgive his enemies.

“If it were considered as important that the young possess a beautiful character and amiable disposition as it is that they imitate the fashions of the world in dress and deportment, we would see hundreds where there is one today coming upon the stage of active life prepared to exert an ennobling influence upon society.” Maranatha, 223.

Question & Answer – Who are the harlots in Revelation 17:5?

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And upon her forehead was a name written, “Mystery, Babylon, the Great, the Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth.”
Revelation 17:5

“The churches, represented by Babylon, are represented as having fallen from their spiritual state to become a persecuting power against those who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 117.

“Babylon is said to be ‘the mother of harlots.’ By her daughters must be symbolized churches that cling to her doctrines and traditions, and follow her example of sacrificing the truth and the approval of God, in order to form an unlawful alliance with the world. The message of Revelation 14, announcing the fall of Babylon must apply to religious bodies that were once pure and have become corrupt. Since this message follows the warning of the judgment, it must be given in the last days; therefore it cannot refer to the Roman Church alone, for that church has been in a fallen condition for many centuries. Furthermore, in the eighteenth chapter of the Revelation the people of God are called upon to come out of Babylon. According to this scripture, many of God’s people must still be in Babylon. And in what religious bodies are the greater part of the followers of Christ now to be found? Without doubt, in the various churches professing the Protestant faith. At the time of their rise these churches took a noble stand for God and the truth, and His blessing was with them. Even the unbelieving world was constrained to acknowledge the beneficent results that followed an acceptance of the principles of the gospel. In the words of the prophet to Israel: ‘Thy renown went forth among the heathen for thy beauty: for it was perfect through My comeliness, which I had put upon thee, saith the Lord God.’ But they fell by the same desire which was the curse and ruin of Israel—the desire of imitating the practices and courting the friendship of the ungodly. ‘Thou didst trust in thine own beauty, and playedst the harlot because of thy renown’ (Ezekiel 16:14, 15).” The Great Controversy, 382, 383.

“In the seventeenth of Revelation is foretold the destruction of all the churches who corrupt themselves by idolatrous devotion to the service of the papacy, those who have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. [Revelation 17:1–4 quoted.]” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, 983.

Question & Answer – Why did Jesus allow the demons to destroy a herd of swine?

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“And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were choked in the sea” (Mark 5:13).

“Jesus asked, ‘What is thy name?’ And the answer was, ‘My name is Legion: for we are many.’ Using the afflicted men as mediums of communication, they besought Jesus not to send them out of the country. Upon a mountainside not far distant a great herd of swine was feeding. Into these the demons asked to be allowed to enter, and Jesus suffered them. Immediately a panic seized the herd. They rushed madly down the cliff, and, unable to check themselves upon the shore, plunged into the lake, and perished.” The Desire of Ages, 338.

“He [Jesus] allowed the evil spirits to destroy the herd of swine as a rebuke to those Jews who were raising these unclean beasts for the sake of gain. Had not Christ restrained the demons, they would have plunged into the sea, not only the swine, but also their keepers and owners. The preservation of both the keepers and the owners was due alone to His power, mercifully exercised for their deliverance. Furthermore, this event was permitted to take place that the disciples might witness the cruel power of Satan upon both man and beast. The Saviour desired His followers to have a knowledge of the foe whom they were to meet, that they might not be deceived and overcome by his devices. It was also His will that the people of that region should behold His power to break the bondage of Satan and release his captives. And though Jesus Himself departed, the men so marvelously delivered, remained to declare the mercy of their Benefactor.” The Great Controversy, 515.

Question & Answer – Where Was Samson’s Strength

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His soul was vexed to death, that he [Samson] told her [Delilah] all his heart, and said unto her, There hath not come a razor upon mine head; for I have been a Nazarite unto God from my mother’s womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man” (Judges 16:17).

“There was no virtue in the length of his hair, in itself, but it was a token of his loyalty to God, and when the symbol was sacrificed in the indulgence of lustful passion, the blessings of which it was a token were also forfeited. Had Samson’s head been shaven without fault on his part, his strength would have remained. But his course had shown contempt for the favor and authority of God as much as if he had in disdain himself severed his locks from his head. Therefore God left him to endure the results of his own folly.” The Signs of the Times, October 13, 1881.

“The divine promise to Manoah was in due time fulfilled in the birth of a son, upon whom the name of Samson was bestowed. By the command of the angel no razor was to come upon the child’s head, he being consecrated to God as a Nazarite, from his birth. As the boy grew up, it became evident that he possessed extraordinary physical strength. This was not, however, as Samson and his parents well knew, dependent upon his well-knit sinews, but upon his condition as a Nazarite, of which his unshorn hair was a symbol.” Ibid., October 6, 1881.

“The Spirit of God keeps evil under the control of conscience. When man exalts himself above the influence of the Spirit, he reaps a harvest of iniquity. Over such a man the Spirit has less and less influence to restrain him from sowing seeds of disobedience. Warnings have less and less power over him. He gradually loses his fear of God. He sows to the flesh; he will reap corruption.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 6, 1112.

Question & Answer – Why did the Lord want to kill Moses?

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“And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the Lord met him, and sought to kill him”  (Exodus 4:24).

“As Moses journeyed to Egypt, the angel of the Lord met him and assumed a threatening posture, as though he would slay him. He was fearful of his life. He had yielded to the refusal of his wife to have their son circumcised, and, in compliance with her wishes, had neglected to obey God. His wife, fearful that her husband might be slain, overcame her feelings of undue affection for her son, and performed the act herself. After this, the angel let Moses go. In his mission to Pharaoh, he was to be placed in a perilous position, where his life would be exposed to the will of the king, if God did not by his power, through the presence of his angels, preserve him. While Moses was living in neglect of one of God’s positive commands, his life would not be secure, for God’s angels could not protect him while in disobedience. Therefore, the angel met him in the way and threatened his life. He did not explain to Moses why he assumed that threatening aspect. Moses knew that there was a cause. He was going to Egypt according to God’s express command, therefore the journey was right. He at once remembered that he had not obeyed God in performing the ordinance of circumcision upon his youngest son, and had yielded to his wife’s entreaties to postpone the ceremony. After he had obeyed the command of God he was free to go before Pharaoh, and there was nothing in the way to hinder the ministration of angels in connection with his work.

“In the time of trouble, just previous to the coming of Christ, the lives of the righteous will be preserved through the ministration of holy angels. Those who come up to that trying time, neglecting to obey God’s commands, will have no security of their lives. Angels cannot protect them from the wrath of their enemies while they are living in neglect of any known duty, or express command of Jehovah.” Spiritual Gifts, vol. 3, 195, 196.

Question & Answer – What can I do to help my children to be saved?

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Dear friend, there are many mothers and fathers with a burden on their hearts for the salvation of their children. “Children are an heritage of the Lord.” Psalm 127:3. They are given to us for our joy and learning that we may develop characters like Jesus.

The training of children should begin at birth, and this requires much sincere prayer and in-depth study of the Scriptures. Study how God dealt with His people. Memorize and apply Scripture verses such as Philippians 4:8; II Peter 1:3-9; Galatians 5:22–24; Psalm 1; Psalm 15, and, of course, the Ten Commandments. These are just a few suggested texts to memorize. If you learn and practice these principles, you will set the example and your children will understand what it means to be a Christian.

Children learn from observation and take in the environment in which they live. They may not always listen and practice what you tell them, but they absorb how they are treated and the relationship between other members of the family. Parents will often make mistakes in dealing with their children, but it is very important to be humble enough to ask forgiveness.

It is very easy to tell a child that he should say please and thank you, but if the parents do not practice these things the children will soon forget the training. The same thing is true with Bible study and prayer. Morning and evening worship is a wonderful training time for all members of the family.

Children also must learn to make choices. Once the child has made a choice, do not deny him the choice he has made, but allow him to follow through with it. Our young people should be sheltered from the influence of the world as far as possible by keeping our homes free from television and a worldly environment. Our conversation should be more on the things pertaining to the Lord and His righteousness than on money and worldly enterprises. This will help to positively influence the young person’s choices later in life.

When the child has grown up and thinks he is an adult, you must allow him to choose his lifestyle. You can make suggestions and guide, but you cannot force him into your choice of life. You may make restrictions and insist on rules in the home. You can pray with him and for him, but ultimately he must choose his own lifestyle, and you must let him know that he will reap the result of his choice but you will still love him or her.

There are many young people who are lonesome, and by just showing kindness and friendship you will win them to the Lord. There are also those who are so rebellious that all you can do is pray and ask the Lord to lead you and your loved one. The Lord has promised to answer our prayers. Lean heavily upon Him. He will not disappoint you.

“Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children.” Isaiah 49:25.

Question & Answer – Explain what is meant by “kick against the pricks” in Acts 9:5

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The reference here means to go against your conscience. God pricks the conscience, the impressions of which are often resisted. See the following examples:

“And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks” (Acts 9:5).

“ ‘And he [Saul] trembling and astonished, said, Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do’ (Acts 9:6). No doubt entered the mind of Saul that this was Jesus of Nazareth who spoke to him, and that He was indeed the long-looked-for Messiah, the Consolation and Redeemer of Israel. And now this Jesus, who had, while teaching upon earth, spoken in parables to His hearers, using familiar objects to illustrate His meaning, likened the work of Saul, in persecuting the followers of Christ, to kicking against the pricks. Those forcible words illustrated the fact that it would be impossible for any man to stay the onward progress of the truth of Christ. It would march on to triumph and victory, while every effort to stay it would result in injury to the opposer. The persecutor, in the end, would suffer a thousand-fold more than those whom he had persecuted. Sooner or later his own heart would condemn him; he would find that he had, indeed, been kicking against the pricks.” Sketches from the Life of Paul, 23, 24.

“Their knowledge of the truth makes it hard for them to indulge in sinful pleasures, for they cannot altogether put out of the mind the claims of God upon them. There is a feeling of impatience at the restraint which is thus imposed. They try to get away from this admonitory voice; but they find themselves kicking against the pricks, piercing themselves through with many sorrows. Oh, that they would come to the Fountain of living waters before they shall have grieved away the Spirit of God for the last time!” Testimonies, vol. 4, 626.

“When you and your husband left the sanitarium, it was because you were not willing to humble yourselves before God. In leaving the sanitarium you acted very unwisely. What influence will this have on the patients and nurses who as yet know nothing of the matter? What interpretation will they place on your actions except that you thought yourself abused? But it is not true that you have been abused. God has been dealing with you, and you have been kicking against the pricks. It is not you who has been wronged, but the Lord Jesus. He has been dishonored by your course of action. Are you willing to meet your record in the judgment?” Manuscript Releases, vol. 18, 267, 268.

[All emphasis supplied.]