Question

Question – Did anyone accept Noah’s message?

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Question:

Did anyone accept Noah’s message during the 120 years he built the ark?

Answer:

“More than one hundred years before the flood the Lord sent an angel to faithful Noah to make known to him that He would no longer have mercy upon the corrupt race. But He would not have them ignorant of His design. Noah was to preach to the people, and also to prepare an ark as God should direct him for the saving of himself and family. He was not only to preach, but his example in building the ark was to convince all that he believed what he preached.

“Noah and his family were not alone in fearing and obeying God. But Noah was the most pious and holy of any upon the earth, and was the one whose life God preserved to carry out His will in building the ark and warning the world of its coming doom. Methuselah, the grandfather of Noah, lived until the very year of the flood; and there were others who believed the preaching of Noah, and aided him in building the ark, who died before the flood of waters came upon the earth. …

“A multitude at first apparently received the warning of Noah, yet did not fully turn to God with true repentance. There was some time given them before the flood was to come, in which they were to be placed upon probation—to be proved and tried. They failed to endure the trial. The prevailing degeneracy overcame them, and they finally joined others who were corrupt … . They would not leave off their sins, but continued … in the indulgence of their corrupt passions.

“The period of their probation was drawing near its close. …

“Notwithstanding the solemn exhibition they had witnessed of God’s power … yet they hardened their hearts, and continued to revel and sport over the signal manifestations of divine power.” The Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 1, 69–73

“There were many who at first received Noah’s message, but the fear of men was greater than the fear of God, and they turned away from the truth of God to believe a lie. As time passed on, and reproach and ridicule were heaped upon them, their hearts failed them, and they did not bear the test. It is the testing time that will measure professed faith and assurance in God. Courage and integrity cannot be estimated rightly by men until the day of trial puts them to the test.” The Signs of the Times, April 18, 1895

“The antediluvians were warned, but the record states that they knew not until the Flood came and took them all away. … They saw Noah and his wife and their sons and their wives passing into the ark; and the door was closed upon them. Only eight persons entered that refuge from the storm.” Christ Triumphant, 61

Question – How was the ark able to withstand the flood?

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Question:

How was the ark able to withstand the flood? Was Noah just a really good builder?

Answer:

“The building of this immense structure was a slow and laborious process. On account of the great size of the trees and the nature of the wood, much more labor was required then than now to prepare timber, even with the greater strength which men then possessed. All that man could do was done to render the work perfect, yet the ark could not of itself have withstood the storm which was to come upon the earth. God alone could preserve His servants upon the tempestuous waters.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 95

“The massive ark trembled in every fiber as it was beaten by the merciless winds and flung from billow to billow. The cries of the beasts within expressed their fear and pain. But amid the warring elements it continued to ride safely. Angels that excel in strength were commissioned to preserve it.” Ibid., 100

“After Noah had done all in his power to make every part of the work correct, it was impossible that it could of itself withstand the violence of the storm which God in His fierce anger was to bring upon the earth. The work of completing the building was a slow process. Every piece of timber was closely fitted, and every seam covered with pitch. All that men could do was done to make the work perfect; yet, after all, God alone could preserve the building upon the angry, heaving billows, by His miraculous power.” The Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 1, 71

How then are we to withstand the flood of evil, described to be “as in the days of Noah,” that is overwhelming our world today?

“It should be the first work … to be right before God … and then to stand in the strength of Christ, unaffected by the wrong influences to which they will be exposed. If they make the broad principles of the word of God the foundation of the character, they may stand wherever the Lord in His providence may call them, surrounded by any deleterious influence, and yet not be swayed from the path of right.” Counsels on Health, 405

Question – What does it mean to be unequally yoked?

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Question:

What does it mean to be unequally yoked?

Answer:

“Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?” 2 Corinthians 6:14

Imagine two oxen yoked together. One larger, more mature, accustomed to the yoke after many years of service in it; the other, younger, new to the yoke with little experience. How well do these two very different oxen work together? Does the young ox yield to the leading of the experienced ox or does it fight the yoke, determined to have its own way?

If we are yoked with the world, then we cannot be yoked up with Christ. Ellen White writes, “All combinations with unbelievers that bind as a yoke must be broken.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 8, 108. These words apply to any association with an unbeliever that gives them a prevailing influence over us.

“When we accepted Christ as our Redeemer, we accepted the condition of becoming laborers together with God. We made a covenant with Him to be wholly for the Lord. … Every follower of Christ stands pledged to dedicate all his powers, of mind and soul and body, to Him who has paid the ransom money for our soul.

“In your connection with worldly societies, are you keeping your covenant with God? …

“Are you serving, honoring, and magnifying God, or are you dishonoring Him and sinning against Him? Are you gathering with Christ or scattering abroad?” Evangelism, 618

If we are yoked with Christ, He will guide and teach us what we need to know to labor with Him. Our experience may be small and we may have much to learn. For our part, we may be weaker, but if we do our best and follow His lead, His strength will augment our weakness until we are able to follow Him wholly and completely.

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:28, 29

Question – What is an unbelieving, professed believer?

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Question:

What is an unbelieving, professed believer?

Answer:

“Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God” (James 4:4).

To be a friend of the world means to unite with the world, to enjoy what the world enjoys and to love what the world loves. It further means to follow my own inclinations and to seek my own gratification and pleasure, to love and serve myself.

I may go to church each Sabbath and give my tithes and offerings. I may say that I believe the doctrines and tenets of my church. I may read the Bible, but if I do not allow its precepts to affect my life and instead devote my attention and desires to worldly things, then I am not a true believer. I only profess to be a believer and if I choose to do the things of the world while claiming to be a believer, then I show myself to be, in fact, an unbelieving, professed believer.

The Bible teaches that we are to be separate from the world (2 Corinthians 6:17). Our tastes, habits, fashions, customs, and attitudes are to be completely contrary to those of the world, when they conflict with God’s way.

It is not only the outward acts and habits that tell what type of believer we are, but the state of the heart, for from out of the heart the mouth speaks (Matthew 12:34). If our heart loves the world, then the way we look, talk, and act will be like the world.

If my attention is on Christ, if I love Him with all my heart, mind, soul, and spirit (Mark 12:30), then I will have no love for the world or the things of the world. When people see me, they will see Christ; when I speak, it will be His words; when I act it will be in His service.

“Would you grasp the things of the world? The world knoweth not God. Give yourselves to the world, and you will not know God; you cannot know Him. We need to behold Him. We need to purify our souls by obeying the truth.” The Review and Herald, April 30, 1901.

Question – Do we know what Jesus looked like?

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Question:

Do we know what Jesus looked like?

Answer: 

“He has no form or comeliness; and when we see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him” (Isaiah 53:2, second part).

“This is why the Jewish nation did not acknowledge Christ as the Prince of life; because He did not come with display and outward appearance, for He hid under the garb of humanity His glorious character” Fundamentals of Education, 381.

“The apostle would call our attention from ourselves to the Author of our salvation. He presents before us His two natures, divine and human. Here is the description of the divine: ‘Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God’ (Philippians 2:6). He was ‘the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person’ (Hebrews 1:3).

“Now, of the human: He ‘was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death’ (Philippians 2:8). He voluntarily assumed human nature. It was His own act, and by His own consent. He clothed His divinity with humanity. He was all the while as God, but He did not appear as God. He veiled the demonstrations of Deity, which had commanded the homage, and called forth the admiration, of the universe of God. He was God while upon earth, but He divested Himself of the form of God, and in its stead took the form and fashion of a man. He walked the earth as a man. … He walked the earth unrecognized, unconfessed, with but few exceptions, by His creatures.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 5, 1126.

“I am the Alpha and Omega … and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the feet, and girded about the chest with a golden band. His head and His hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire. His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace; and His voice as the sound of many waters; He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength” (Revelation 1:8, 13–18).

“Now I saw the heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him … His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called the Word of God. … And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: King of Kings and Lord of Lords” (Revelation 19:11–13, 16).

Question – How Do I Know That I’m a Christian?

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Question:

How Do I Know That I’m a Christian?

Answer:

“What is it to be a Christian? It is to be Christlike; it is to do the works of Christ.” Lift Him Up, 341.

“The question you need to put to yourselves is, ‘Am I a Christian?’ To be a Christian is to be far more than many understand. It means more than simply having your name upon the church records. It means to be joined to Christ …

“As sons and daughters of God, Christians should strive to reach the high ideal set before them in the gospel. They should be content with nothing less than perfection.” The Faith I Live By, 130.

“Everyone who claims to be a Christian is to bear the responsibility of keeping himself in harmony with the guidance of the word of God. God holds each soul accountable for following, for himself, the pattern given in the life of Christ and for having a character that is cleansed and sanctified.” Evangelism, 343.

“When you took the name of Christian you promised in this life to prepare for the higher life in the kingdom of God. To be a Christian means to be Christlike. Not a satanic feature is to remain on mind or body, which are to reveal comeliness, purity, integrity, and dignity. Take the Christlife as your pattern.” In Heavenly Places, 286.

“To be a Christian is not merely to take the name of Christ, but to have the mind of Christ, to submit to the will of God in all things.” That I May Know Him, 174.

“We bear the name of Christian. Let us be true to this name … In the life of the true Christian there is nothing of self—self is dead.” Our Father Cares, 236.

“Not only did Christ die as our sacrifice, but He lived as our example. In His human nature He stands, complete, perfect, spotless. To be a Christian is to be Christlike. Our entire being—soul, body, and spirit—must be purified, ennobled, sanctified, until we shall reflect His image and imitate His example.” That I May Know Him, 311.

“Love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, faith and charity are the elements of the Christian character … They are the Christian’s crown and shield …

“As you receive the Spirit of Christ … you will grow and bring forth fruit. The graces of the Spirit will ripen in your character.

“This fruit can never perish, but will produce after its kind a harvest unto eternal life.” Sons and Daughters of God, 32.

Question – How Can I Know When Jesus Will Come?

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Question:

How Can I Know When Jesus Will Come?

Answer:

“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.”

Matthew 24:36

 The above verse is what Jesus said to His disciples regarding the second coming and He repeated in verses 42–44 that the hour of His coming is unknown to man, “Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

Jesus Himself was very clear on the subject of the time of His second coming. Ellen White writes just as clearly regarding the danger of trying to determine the specific time, be it day, month and/or year, for Jesus’ return. We find one of these very clear statements in Selected Messages, Book 1, page 188: “Again and again have I been warned in regard to time setting. There will never again be a message for the people of God that will be based on time. We are not to know the definite time either for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit or for the coming of Christ.” [Emphasis supplied.]

Here is what matters: Are you in a saving relationship with Jesus Christ, today? God decides the number of heartbeats a man has, as well as the number of days allotted to him. And when that point has been reached, there is no more time. Do you want to know when Christ will come? For me, for you, it could be today. It will be the last day of your life on this earth.

That is why Ellen White says, “I was pointed to the remnant on the earth. The angel said to them … ‘Get ready, get ready, get ready. Ye must have a greater preparation than ye now have. … Sacrifice all to God. Lay all upon His altar—self, property, and all, a living sacrifice. It will take all to enter glory.’

“Christ is coming with power and great glory. He is coming with His own glory and with the glory of the Father. … To His faithful followers Christ has been a daily companion and familiar friend. They have lived in close contact, in constant communion with God. … They are prepared for the communion of heaven; for they have heaven in their hearts.

“If you are right with God today, you are ready if Christ should come today.” Maranatha, 98.

Question – Can I Overcome? How?

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Question: Can I Overcome? How?

Answer:

“Why do we not cling to Jesus, and draw from Him by faith the strength and perfection of His character … ? We are to look to Jesus, and climb up step by step in the work of overcoming … . Man is nothing without Christ. But if Christ lives in us, we shall work the works of God.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 17, 337.

“God has not left us to battle with evil in our own finite strength. Whatever may be our inherited or cultivated tendencies to wrong, we can overcome through the power that He is ready to impart.” Counsels on Health, 440.

“For every soul struggling to rise from a life of sin to a life of purity, … The only remedy for vice is the grace and power of Christ.” Ibid.

“Christ knew that man could not overcome without His help. … He came to bring man moral power, and He would not have man to understand that he has nothing to do, for every one has a work to do for himself, and through the merits of Jesus we can overcome sin and the devil.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 3, 108.

“Every man is free to choose what power he will have to rule over him. None have fallen so low, none are so vile, but that they can find deliverance in Christ. … Those who will consent to enter into covenant relation with the God of heaven are not left to the power of Satan or to the infirmity of their own nature.” The Desire of Ages, 258, 259.

“Now the question for us to decide is, Shall we have connection with Christ and the Father? Shall we accept the help needed?” Manuscript Releases, vol. 3, 109.

“The tempted one needs to understand the true force of the will. This is the governing power in the nature of man—the power of decision, of choice. Everything depends on the right action of the will. … Many will go down to ruin while hoping and desiring to overcome their evil propensities. They do not yield the will to God. They do not choose to serve Him.” The Ministry of Healing, 176.

“Through the right exercise of the will, an entire change may be made in your life. By yielding up your will to Christ, you ally yourself with the power that is above all principalities and powers. You will have strength from above to hold you steadfast, and thus through constant surrender to God you will be enabled to live the new life, even the life of faith.” Steps to Christ, 48.

Question – Why aren’t my prayers answered…

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Question:

Why aren’t my prayers answered when and in the way I want?

Answer:

“To every sincere prayer an answer will come. It may not come just as you desire, or at the time you look for it; but it will come in the way and at the time that will best meet your need. The prayers you offer in loneliness, in weariness, in trial, God answers, not always according to your expectations, but always for your good.” Messages to Young People, 250.

“God does not always answer our prayers the first time we call upon Him; for should He do this, we might take it for granted that we had a right to all the blessings and favors He bestowed upon us. Instead of searching our hearts to see if any evil was entertained by us, any sin indulged, we would become careless, and fail to realize our dependence upon Him, and our need of His help.” The Review and Herald, June 9, 1891.

“I saw that every prayer which is sent up in faith from an honest heart, will be heard of God and answered; and the one that sent up the petition will have the blessing when he needs it most, and it will often exceed his expectations. Not a prayer of a true saint is lost if sent up in faith, from an honest heart in faith.” Gospel Workers (1892), 114.

“Take time to pray, and as you pray, believe that God hears you. Have faith mixed with your prayers. You may not at all times feel the immediate answer; but then it is that faith is tried. You are proved to see whether you will trust in God, whether you have living, abiding faith.” Testimonies, vol. 1, 167.

“It is our privilege to come to Him with holy boldness. As in sincerity we ask Him to let His light shine upon us, He will hear and answer us. But we must live in harmony with our prayers.” Child Guidance, 499.

“When our prayers seem not to be answered, we are to cling to the promise; for the time of answering will surely come, and we shall receive the blessing we need most. But to claim that prayer will always be answered in the very way and for the particular thing that we desire, is presumption. God is too wise to err, and too good to withhold any good thing from them that walk uprightly.” Steps to Christ, 96.

Question – What does it mean to worship God in Spirit and in truth?

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Question:

What does it mean to worship God in Spirit and in truth?

Answer:

Jesus said, “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth” (John 4:23, 24). This is the only type of worship that is acceptable.

Here is declared the same truth that Jesus had revealed to Nicodemus when He said, “Except a man be born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3, margin).

“Not by seeking a holy mountain or a sacred temple are men brought into communion with heaven. Religion is not to be confined to external forms and ceremonies. The religion that comes from God is the only religion that will lead to God. In order to serve Him aright, we must be born of the divine Spirit. This will purify the heart and renew the mind, giving us a new capacity for knowing and loving God. It will give us a willing obedience to all His requirements. This is true worship. It is the fruit of the working of the Holy Spirit. By the Spirit every sincere prayer is indited, and such prayer is acceptable to God. Wherever a soul reaches out after God, there the Spirit’s working is manifest, and God will reveal Himself to that soul. For such worshipers He is seeking. He waits to receive them, and to make them His sons and daughters.” The Desire of Ages, 189.

True worship must be “in spirit,” that is, engaging the whole heart. Nothing less than the whole heart will be acceptable to the Lord. Unless there is a real passion for God, there is no worship in spirit. At the same time, worship must be “in truth,” that is, truth as it is in Jesus. Unless we have knowledge of the God we worship, there is no worship in truth. Both are necessary for God-honoring worship. Spirit without truth leads to a shallow, emotional experience that could be compared to a high. As soon as the emotion is over, the worship ends. Truth without spirit, the Holy Spirit, can result in a dry, form of joyless legalism. The best combination of both aspects of worship results in a joyous appreciation of God informed by Scripture. The more we know about God, the more we appreciate Him. The more we appreciate, the deeper our worship. The deeper our worship, the more God is glorified.

Let us worship our Lord in the way God designed it to be—in Spirit and in Truth.