Salvation

The Worthlessness of Creature Merit, Part IV

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As “The Worthlessness of Creature Merit” continues, the writer will attempt to deal with the problems that arise in the minds of many Seventh-day Adventists, as they arose in the minds of the church pioneers, when the gospel as presented in Parts I and II was the major part of the presentations in 1888. It was the way Ellen White understood the gospel and what she presented.

The gospel does not do away with sanctification. It makes it possible. The problem was, and still is for many people, that, like the common saying, we get the cart before the horse. We cannot get the results before we have the cause, and that is one of the reasons many Seventh-day Adventists are utterly discouraged.

More Questions and Answers

Questions with answers from inspired writings continue.

  1. What will be the result of laying hold of the merits of Christ?

Ellen White wrote: “John, while in vision, saw a company clothed with white robes… They were seen in the temple of God. This will be the result for all who will lay hold of the merits of Christ, and wash their robes in his blood.” Maranatha, 231.

How wonderful! John saw the saved people in the temple of God, clothed in white robes, and she says that this will be the result for all who trust in the merits of Christ, who wash their robes in His blood.

Salvation! Pray that you will be able to understand it and explain it to people. You cannot explain it to somebody else in a simple way unless you understand the simplicity of it yourself.

There are people all around us, even religious people, who do not understand this. It is the core concept of the Protestant Reformation. It is the core of the 1888 message. This is the gospel that Paul preached which turned the world upside down. This is what the Waldenses preached.

The simplicity of the plan of salvation is so wonderful. We are all included! Some of us, perhaps, are tempted to think that we are advanced—we are theologians or ministers or Bible workers. That is a great temptation.

  1. What is the work of a minister?

I was a minister for many years before I knew what the work of a minister is. It can be described in one sentence: “The work for the ministers of Christ is to hang their helpless souls upon His merit.” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 247.

What? That is what it is? That is what God’s messenger wrote! That is the minister’s work.

  1. How can you receive invincible power?

What does the word invincible mean? It means that you cannot be overcome.

“Nothing is apparently more helpless, yet really more invincible, than the soul that feels its nothingness and relies wholly on the merits of the Saviour.” Sons and Daughters of God, 35.

What is apparently the most helpless thing around, but actually the most invincible thing around? It is the soul that has two qualifications:

First, it feels its nothingness. This is good news, because many people feel that there is no hope for them, but there is hope for them. If they feel their nothingness, that is actually good. They are starting to recognize their real condition. When they start to realize their real condition, when they know that there is nothing they can do—they are such degraded, wretched sinners that they cannot get out of the pit they are in on their own—then there is hope, if they are willing to put their trust in Somebody who can get them out of the pit. Second, when they recognize their helplessness, but choose to trust in the merits of Jesus, then, “God would send every angel in heaven to the aid of such a one, rather than allow him to be overcome.” Ibid. He will give them the power to overcome.

God is watching every trial that each individual has. He is looking at every internal and external struggle through which you are going, the ones that nobody else understands. He knows how much help you need. He may not send every angel out of heaven to help you, because you may not need that much angel-power, but He is willing to send them all before allowing you to be overcome. God is not going to let you down if you put your trust in the merits of Jesus.

Mrs. White says, “Angels are God’s ministers, radiant with the light ever flowing from His presence, and speeding on rapid wing to execute His will.

“Angels are ever present where they are most needed, with those who have the hardest battle with self to fight, and whose surroundings are the most discouraging.” Ibid.

We should keep in mind that some people have surroundings that are more discouraging than others. That is just reality, but God knows all about that. He knows all about every trouble that you have—not just your spiritual troubles, but your financial, temporal, health, business, and job troubles. He knows all about that. The troubles in your family—your domestic troubles, trouble with your parents; He knows all about it. And, she says, “In all ages, angels have been near to Christ’s faithful followers. The vast confederacy of evil is arrayed against all who would overcome; but Christ would have us look to the things which are not seen, to the armies of heaven encamped about all who love God, to deliver them. From what dangers, seen and unseen, we have been preserved through the interposition of the angels, we shall never know, until in the light of eternity we see the providences of God. Then we shall know that the whole family of heaven was interested in the family here below, and that messengers from the throne of God attended our steps from day to day.” The Desire of Ages, 240.

Our Great Lack

  1. What is the result of receiving the virtue of Christ’s merits?

An answer to this question is given by Ellen White: “When we trust God fully, when we rely upon the merits of Jesus as a sin-pardoning Saviour, we shall receive all the help that we can desire.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 351. The answer is also given in Romans 5:1–5: “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only [that], but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”

The result of putting our trust in the merits of Christ and receiving the virtue of His merits is that we will have love poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit. As the love of God is poured out in our hearts, through the Holy Spirit, Ellen White says, “This promised blessing [the Holy Spirit], claimed by faith, brings all other blessings in its train.” The Desire of Ages, 672.

Some people think we are destroying their religion when we say that all we have to do is put our trust in the merits of Christ. No, we are not destroying their religion. We are revealing the true religion. When we trust in His merits, we are going to get everything else we need. The Holy Spirit is going to work in our hearts and put love in our hearts, and when we have love, then all the contention will cease. All the fighting, all the effort toward who can be the greatest, is going to stop. It will change our hearts.

All the strife, fighting, trouble, and contention going on among Seventh-day Adventists today proves that we are not experiencing the righteousness of Christ. We are not experiencing putting our trust in His merits and receiving His merits. If we were receiving His merits, the love of God would be pouring out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit. When our hearts are changed, then everything will change.

Before the cross, the apostles had the same problems we have; they were all fighting with each other. The cross cured them. They began to understand the gospel plan of salvation. After that, when men saw the apostles, they said, “These people have been with Jesus. They are like Him.” (Acts 4:13.)

What could happen if, when people came into contact with us, they thought, “These people must be like Jesus; I have never before seen people like this”? It is going to happen to somebody, to some group of people. I would like to have this happen to me, but the only way it is going to happen is if I put my trust in the merits of Jesus. That is the only way.

Condition of Acceptance

Perhaps the following statement written by Ellen White will help you to understand how the gospel results in good works. Good works have no merit, but the gospel results in good works. In fact, the only way to get the good works is to receive the gospel. Sometimes we spend so much time looking at the results, trying to get the results, but we do not know the cause or the source of good works. We can never get the results. It will never happen. Until we understand the gospel, we will never have the results of the gospel.

“We can do nothing, absolutely nothing, to commend ourselves to divine favor. We must not trust at all to ourselves nor to our good works; but when as erring, sinful beings we come to Christ, we may find rest in His love. God will accept every one that comes to Him trusting wholly [that is, completely] in the merits of a crucified Saviour.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 353, 354.

There you have it again. There is a condition if you want to be accepted into God’s family. The condition is very simple. If you are willing to put your trust in the merits of Jesus Christ, then the Father will accept you. That is the only condition by which He has promised to accept you—if you put your trust in the merits of His Son. That is the one condition.

Here is what will happen if you do that: “. . . trusting wholly in the merits of a crucified Saviour. Love springs up in the heart.” Ibid., 354.

You cannot generate love; I cannot generate love. You cannot make yourself love anybody, and I cannot make myself love anybody. Ellen White says that love is a precious gift we receive from Jesus, and when you put your trust in the merits of Christ, love will come into your heart.

What is going to happen then? “There may be no ecstasy of feeling, but there is an abiding, peaceful trust. Every burden is light; for the yoke which Christ imposes is easy. Duty becomes a delight, and sacrifice a pleasure. The path that before seemed shrouded in darkness becomes bright with beams from the Sun of Righteousness. This is walking in the light as Christ is in the light.” Ibid., 354.

Emphasize the Cause

So, works are the result of being in the way of life. The works have no merit, but good works result when we receive the merits of Christ by faith. Never forget what is the cause, and confuse the cause with the result. By emphasizing the result instead of emphasizing the cause of salvation, which is the merits of Christ alone that are applied to the sinner’s account, we actually drive souls from Christ instead of drawing them to Him, because they see that we are teaching them something that is impossible for them to do. This is one of the biggest problems in Adventism, and it is happening all over the world. God sent the message in 1888 to correct this very problem.

We are hopeless and helpless, but if we put our trust in Jesus Christ, in His merits, He has promised that not one of us will be lost. Here is the remedy:

“Without the grace of Christ, the sinner is in a hopeless condition; nothing can be done for him; but through divine grace, supernatural power is imparted to the man and works in mind and heart and character. . . .

“The only way in which he [the sinner] can attain to righteousness is through faith. By faith he can bring to God the merits of Christ, and the Lord places the obedience of His Son to the sinner’s account. Christ’s righteousness is accepted in place of man’s failure, and God receives, pardons, justifies, the repentant, believing soul, treats him as though he were righteous, and loves him as He loves His Son. This is how faith is accounted righteousness; and the pardoned soul goes on from grace to grace, from light to greater light. He can say with rejoicing, ‘Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; that being justified by His grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.’ (Titus 3:5–7.)” Faith and Works, 100, 101.

“If by any effort of our own we could advance one step toward the ladder, the words of Christ would not be true. But when we accept Christ, good works will appear as fruitful evidence that we are in the way of life.” Ibid., 102.

Think as a Child

We seek to make ourselves better by our own efforts, but it is impossible; it can never be done. Somehow this is something that little children can understand, but when we become intelligent and educated adults, it is difficult for us to get a hold of something this simple. We think that we have to do something!

Ellen White worked with many highly educated people, writing them testimony after testimony to try to help them to get a hold of this; it is so simple. One of the persons she wrote letters to about this was a man by the name of John Harvey Kellogg. Following is part of a letter that she wrote to him:

“Dr. Kellogg, will you consider the spotless, pure, holy Son of the Infinite God—He passed through it all and was tempted in all points like as we are but without a single trace of tarnish, not the faintest blur was discernable upon His character. Through His virtue and through His righteousness imputed to us we have as His purchased possession to stand in His merits pure and undefiled before the Father.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 6, 223, 224.

Give special notice to the next sentence: “Bear in mind that the undeserving are made perfect through the merits of Christ.” Ibid., 224. How are the undeserving made perfect? By the merits of Christ. Unfortunately, this physician, evidently, did not take her counsel. He later lost his way.

“Bear in mind that the undeserving are made perfect through the merits of Christ, while the Saviour, the Son of God, undeserving, is made sin for us. He bore our sins in His own body on the accursed tree, and you, my brother [Dr. Kellogg], relying wholly upon Jesus, not trusting to what you have done or may do, through faith in the atoning sacrifice, have life, pardon, and the peace of Jesus Christ.” Ibid.

This is hard to learn when you are smart, educated, and able. A child does not yet have all those qualifications, so a child can understand. But when you are educated and talented, and you know it, then it is difficult for you to realize that really you are helpless. When it comes to salvation, you cannot help yourself; you cannot save yourself.

Continuing in her letter to this physician, Mrs. White wrote: “You, my brother, relying wholly upon Jesus, not trusting to what you have done or may do, through faith in the atoning sacrifice, have life, pardon, and the peace of Jesus Christ. You may claim all this rich endowment because Christ has borne the punishment of your own sins, all undeserving, that you undeserving may go free and receive the rich treasures of his grace. I bid you in the name of Jesus Christ …” This is a solemn appeal. “I bid you in the name of Jesus Christ to lay hold of the assurances of the word of God. But do not waver, do not look to yourself and doubt; trust the keeping of your soul to God as unto a faithful creator and He has promised that He will keep that which you have committed to His trust against that day.” Ibid. She is quoting from 11 Timothy 1:12 where the apostle Paul says, “I am confident that he is able to keep that which I have committed to his trust, until that day.”

Jesus is the Cause

I hope this series has been a help to you. Do not make the mistake that Seventh-day Adventists have made so many times—showing the results and never showing what the cause is. The cause of all character development, all sanctification, is when we begin to put our trust in Jesus Christ and His merits. Then the Holy Spirit can come into our hearts and minds and start to work. For this to happen, we must realize that we are helpless, that we cannot do anything, and that He must do everything. We just have to put our trust in His merits and then cooperate with the Holy Spirit. We can be saved, if we will do it. “We must trust in the merits of the crucified and risen Saviour. None will ever perish while they do this.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 202.

[Bible texts quoted are literal translation.]

Pastor John Grosboll is Director of Steps to Life and pastors the Prairie Meadows Church in Wichita, Kansas. He may be contacted by e-mail at: historic@stepstolife.org, or by telephone at: 316-788-5559.

Knowing the Shepherd’s Voice, Part I

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Although there are many, many winds of doctrine by which God’s people are being attacked, if you look at the attacks of our theological opponents, the major attacks tend to focus on two points: (1) the doctrine of the investigative judgment, which, of course, involves a knowledge of the heavenly sanctuary and its services, and (2) the Law of God and, more specifically, the Sabbath.

These attacks have been quite severe, and several books have even been written. In my office, I have a book concerning the doctrines of Seventh-day Adventists that is written by a former Seventh-day Adventist. He accuses Seventh-day Adventists of being a cult. If you look through his book, you will see that the main thrust of his argument is an attack against the doctrine of the investigative judgment. This attack has been so severe that so-called Seventh-day Adventist theologians say that they cannot find this doctrine in the Bible.

I will show you the doctrine of the investigative judgment shortly. It is not difficult to find; it is very plain. Look at Daniel 7. This is one of the few chapters in the Bible that is written in the Aramaic language. That in itself is significant, since this is found in that passage, but that is another subject.

“I was looking until thrones were set up [the translation ‘cast down’ is incorrect; it should be ‘set up’ or ‘placed’], and the Ancient of Days did sit; whose robe was as white as snow, and the hair of His head was like pure wool. His throne was like flames of fire, its wheels were like burning fire; A river of fire issued and ran down from before Him. Thousand thousands before Him served, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. The court was set, and the books were opened.” Verses 9, 10.

If you did not have any other text in the whole Bible about the investigative judgment, this would be enough to make it crystal clear in your mind that there is a judgment. This is a judgment in heaven. The description is at the throne of God. He is there, and hundreds and hundreds of millions of angels are present. It says, “The court was set, and the books were opened.” How much plainer can you say it? I do not know any clearer way than this that a prophet could write about the fact that there is a judgment in which the cases of men will be investigated.

Incidentally, from a study of Daniel 7:25 and 26, where the court is spoken of again in verse 26, you can figure out about when the judgment would begin. You can figure out that it was to begin shortly after 1798.

Another passage that refers to a judgment is Revelation 14:6, 7: “And I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to proclaim to those who dwell upon the earth—every nation, and tribe, and language, and people—saying with a great voice, ‘Fear God and give glory to Him, because the hour of His judgment has come; and worship the One who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and the fountains of waters.” The last part of verse 7 is a direct quotation from the fourth commandment, which is significant. It is an invitation to worship the Creator.

Notice a few things about the context in these verses. This is not after Jesus comes; this is during the time when the gospel is still being preached. Probation has not yet closed; men and women still have an opportunity to change sides in the great controversy and choose on whose side they want to be, but the judgment is already here. This chapter shows very clearly that the judgment of God occurs while the gospel is still being preached on the earth. We know from Daniel 7 that that would be some little time after 1798.

The apostle Paul taught that the judgment would be in the future. In the Book of Acts 17:31, he said to the Athenians, “God has appointed a day in which He will [that is future] judge the world.” When he talked to Felix about the judgment, he made it very clear that the judgment was to come. (Acts 24:25.) It was in the future.

But the message in Revelation 14 says, “The hour of God’s judgment has come.” Let us think that through for a moment. Can you preach that the “hour of God’s judgment has come” if you do not know when it began? Can you really? If you do not know when it began, how can you know it is not going to be until next week? So, then, you could not say it is here, because it is still future. See, you cannot preach this unless you know when it began. But, Daniel 8 points out to us exactly when the hour of God’s judgment would begin.

In Hebrews 8:5, the apostle Paul makes very clear that what happened in Old Testament times with the Jewish sanctuary and all their services were types, examples of the reality in the heavens. He does this in Hebrews 8:5 and in a number of other verses in Hebrews 8 and 9.

In the old covenant, there were types of everything of importance. The judgment is so important that the message about the judgment is going to be preached to every single person in the world, according to Revelation 14:6, 7. For something that important, do you suppose there was any type of it in the old covenant? Well, of course there was.

In the old covenant, is there a type of the crucifixion of Christ? Oh, yes. There are many types of the crucifixion of Christ. In the old covenant, is there a type of the Second Coming of Christ? Absolutely! Have you ever read in the Old Testament about the year of jubilee, when everybody was set free? (See Leviticus 25:10–13.)

There were types of everything of importance in the plan of salvation in the old covenant, so we would expect to find a type of the judgment in the old covenant. Indeed they did have a type of judgment, and they even called it a judgment. The apostle Paul refers to it as the day of judgment in Hebrews 9. The type of the judgment in the old covenant was called the Day of Atonement or the cleansing of the sanctuary. You can review that in Leviticus 16 or Leviticus 23. Incidentally, failure to observe the Day of Atonement was such a serious offense that an individual would be cut off from being part of the children of Israel. (Leviticus 23:29.)

When we talk today about the day of judgment, we are talking about the time of the day of final atonement. The apostle Paul speaks of the day of final atonement: “Therefore it was necessary that the examples of the things in the heavens should be cleansed by these [that is, by these animal sacrifices], but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.”

Notice that he is talking about the heavenly sanctuary. Look at the context. He says that the heavenly sanctuary has to be cleansed by better sacrifices: “For not into the holy places made with hands [that is, the earthly sanctuary] Christ has gone, which are figures of the true ones [that is, the sanctuary in heaven] but into heaven itself, now to appear before the face of God in our behalf. Neither that often times He should offer Himself, just as the high priest entered into every year [that was in the Day of Atonement] with the blood of others. Because then He would often times have suffered since the foundation of the world; but now, once in the end of the ages, unto the putting away of sin, through the sacrifice of Himself, He has appeared.” Hebrews 9:24–26. If you look at the context exactly, Paul is talking about the Day of Atonement in the heavenly sanctuary, and he says that it will occur at the end of the ages.

We know from studying Daniel 8 and 9 that Daniel 9 explains how to compute Daniel 8. It shows us when the 2300 days begin. It shows that 490 days of the 2300 days were cut off on the Jews, leaving 1810 days. The 70 weeks, or the 490 days, concluded in a.d. 34. So, if you add 1810 to that, you come to 1844, and in 1844, this world entered the most serious, solemn period of earth’s history—that time when the final eternal destiny of every person who has ever lived on this planet is being decided.

You will not be saved when Jesus comes again, friend. You will either be saved already, or you will be lost, because it says in Revelation 22:11, 12 that His reward will be with Him, “to give to every man according as his works shall be.” The rewards will already have been determined when Jesus comes again.

The judgment began in 1844, and we have no hesitancy, no embarrassment, no shyness about telling the world that. The most important thing the world needs to know is that we are in the day of judgment now, and when this day of judgment is finished, we will not have any other opportunity to be saved; it will be over. That is not cultic doctrine; that is right out of the Scriptures. It is right out of God’s book, word for word.

Three Phases

The judgment has three phases. Many of our Protestant friends get confused, because they do not understand that the judgment has three phases. Peter says that the judgment begins with the house of God. (I Peter 4:17.) That is where it begins, but that is not where it ends. We are in the beginning phase now.

Judgment begins with the house of God, but when it finishes with the house of God, then it proceeds for another thousand years. Revelation 20:4 talks about the second phase of the judgment. There we learn that the judgment is committed to the saints.

Paul said the same thing to the Corinthians. “Do you not know?” he asked them. He was telling them that they should not be going to worldly courts to sue each other; then he said, “Do you not know that the saints are going to judge the world?” I Corinthians 6:2. The saints will even judge the devil’s angels! (Verse 3.) In his instruction, Paul continued: “If you are going to judge the world and the devil’s angels, do you think you could pass judgment and figure things out down here among yourselves, without having to go to the Gentiles to find out? You are supposed to be judging them during the millennium; they are not going to be judging you.” (Verses 4–9.)

The judgment committed to the saints for a thousand years is going to be a lot of work. God wants the saved to know that He has made no mistake, and if there is any question about any person known in this world but who is not in heaven, the books of record will be completely opened. The saved will be able to review everything about the life of anyone not in heaven. There will be no question about the judgment that God has passed. But that is just the second phase of the judgment.

Execution of Judgment

The third phase of the judgment is described in Revelation 20:11–15. It is called a judgment, and it says that everyone is “judged according to their works.” It is like a judgment here in this world. In the judgment in this world, you go to a court and there is an investigation. The lawyers argue, trying to put the weight of evidence on one side or the other. That is an investigation, and after the investigation, the judge passes sentence. That is the second phase of the judgment that takes place during the millennium. The righteous will see the sentences that are passed out to the wicked, and they will give their approval before the end of the millennium.

After the sentencing, what happens? After the sentencing there is an execution of the judgment. Whatever the sentence is, it is carried out, and the sentence given in this judgment is going to be carried out in the third phase of the judgment.

If you are not saved, you will bear the price of your own sins, which is eternal death. Not only that, any suffering that you have brought upon other people in this world will come right back upon you twofold. That is what the Bible says in both the Old and New Testaments. Double! [Isaiah 61:7; Jeremiah 16:18; 17:18; Revelation 18:6.] There are people who will burn for a long time, but after they and Satan’s angels are all burnt up, the devil will burn for a much longer time.

The judgment is a witness to the whole universe of the love of God, because God is looking down on this world with all the suffering, the pain, and the death, and He says, “Do you see this terrible situation? I cannot allow this to continue.”

This is what the judgment is about. We do not have to be ashamed or timid or shy about announcing to the world that we are in the day of judgment, that we are approaching the end of the judgment, and if they want to be saved, they had better get ready. They had better surrender their hearts and lives to the Lord now, because we are in the most solemn period of earth’s history.

Judgment in the Bible

There are many texts about the judgment in the Bible. Let us look at another that is so clear, you cannot miss the judgment in it if you think it through. “The one who overcomes [or conquers] shall be clothed in white garment, and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life; and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.” Revelation 3:5.

This is a really solemn text. It has a positive message, and it has a negative message. The positive message is, if you overcome. A Christian has to overcome the flesh, the world, and the devil. If you overcome, then the message for you is positive. Jesus says, “Your name will be retained in the book of life.” Revelation 20:15 tells how important that is: “Anyone whose name is not in the book of life is cast into the lake of fire.” How very important, then, to have your name in the book of life.

Jesus says, “If you overcome, I will not blot out your name from the book of life.” Think this through; flip it around, and tell me what that text means. If you do not overcome, what does Revelation 3:5 tell you? Your name is going to be blotted out of the book of life. That is what the judgment is all about. Is your name going to be retained, or is your name going to be blotted out?

Standard is Law of God

James 2 shows us that the standard in the judgment is the Law of God. “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, but stumble in one, has become guilty [or liable] for all. For the One who said, ‘Do not commit adultery,’ said also, ‘Do not murder.’ And if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. Like this speak and like this do, as through the law of liberty about to be judged.” James 2:10–12.

This is a hard-hitting text. Think this text through for just a moment. What is the standard of the judgment, according to James 2:10–12? It is the law that says, “You shall not commit adultery, and you should not murder.” This law is the Ten Commandments. This passage tells us that if you keep all the law, but you stumble in one, you are guilty as though you kept none of the law.

Incidentally, this was written many decades after Jesus died on the cross. Many decades after Jesus died on the cross, James says that this law is still the standard of the judgment.

Two Distinct Laws

The theological opponents who are attacking God’s people with many spurious winds of doctrine put the ceremonial law and the moral law together as one law. They recognize no difference between the ceremonial law and the moral law. The first thing that happens if this is done is that people think, “Maybe we need to keep the feast days, and maybe we need to do this, and this, and this.” There are some people so deluded that they are even looking for a red heifer to offer sacrifice.

After convincing someone that there is no difference between the ceremonial law and the moral law, that there is just one combined law, these theological opponents go to Ephesians 2 and to Colossians 2. There they read about the law being nailed to the cross and the law being done away with, and they draw the conclusion that the law no longer applies.

People are deceived, because they do not understand that there is a difference, in both the Old Testament and the New Testament, between the ceremonial law and the moral law. It is distinctly pointed out in both the Old and New Testaments that they are completely different from one another. It is pointed out in the New Testament that one is unchangeable and that the other was temporary. You need to know the difference.

Old Testament Distinctions

A very sharp distinction is given in the Old Testament between the two different laws. The Ten Commandments were spoken to the people by God’s own voice. There is nothing more clear than that in the Old Testament. (Read Deuteronomy 5 or Exodus 20.) But God spoke the ceremonial law to Moses, and he then spoke it to the people. That is a very sharp distinction. One was so important that God Himself spoke it, and the other He said to Moses to tell the people.

Other distinctions are given in Exodus 40 and Deuteronomy 4, 5, 9, 10, and 31.

The Ten Commandments were written by God’s own finger. This is very important to understand, because never, at any place in the Bible, are the Ten Commandments referred to as the handwriting of anybody or any thing. They were not written by any human hand, but by the finger of God. The Bible never says by the hand of God; it says by the finger of God. That is very important.

Another distinction is that the Ten Commandments were written by the finger of God in stone. Even today, what do we intend to do when we write something in stone?

A walk through a cemetery provides the opportunity to see much writing in stone. There are some things that do not change—a person’s name, the date of a person’s birth, and the date of his or her death does not change, so those are written in stone. Even when human beings write something in stone, it indicates that they do not intend for anybody to change it. God wrote the Ten Commandments in stone. Is that significant?

On the other hand, Moses hand wrote the ceremonial law, probably on parchment or leather. Clay tablets were also used during that time. None of these—parchment, leather, or clay—tablets are durable.

Storage of the laws is very clearly pointed out in the Book of Deuteronomy, especially in chapters 5, 9, 10, and 31. The Ten Commandments were placed inside the Ark. Deuteronomy 31 states very clearly in the Hebrew text that the law of Moses was placed in the side of the Ark; it was not placed inside with the Ten Commandments.

Now, these are four very clear and very sharp distinctions between the ceremonial law and the moral law as given in the Old Testament, if that is all you have. But in the New Testament, the distinction is made even more clearly.

Two Moral Principles

When asked what was the great commandment, Jesus said, “The first commandment is, you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind; and the second is like to it, you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Matthew 22:37–39.

These are the two moral principles. The first one is the moral principle upon which the first four commandments are based; the second one is the moral principle upon which the last six commandments are based.

Just think it through; it is easy. If you love your neighbor as yourself, you will not run away with his wife; you will not steal from him; you will not lie to him; you will not kill him. You would not covet something that he has, if you love him like you do yourself. If you love your neighbor as yourself, you surely would not do anything to dishonor your parents. If you love your neighbor as yourself, you will fulfill the last six commandments. Paul says, “Love does not do any ill to his neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law.” Romans 13:10.

Cannot Change Moral Law

In Mark 12:28–34, the conversation between a lawyer and Jesus is recorded where Jesus pointed out the same principles to him. The lawyer realized that they were infinitely more important than all the ceremonies and sacrifices, and he replied to the Lord, “You spoke well, Teacher. Those two principles are worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices, than the whole ceremonial system.” When Jesus heard that he answered with understanding, He said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.”

See, the New Testament, if studied carefully, points out the distinction between the moral law and the ceremonial law even more clearly than the Old Testament does. The apostle Paul was talking about that very thing in 1 Corinthians 7:19 when he said, “Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing . …” Circumcision was the symbol of the old covenant and the whole sanctuary system; it was part of the ceremonial law. Paul continued with a very big “but”—“but the keeping of the commandments of God, that is everything.”

Paul points out the distinction between these two laws over and over again in the books of Galatians, Colossians, Ephesians, and Hebrews. Repeatedly he very clearly points out in the New Testament the distinction between the ceremonial law and the moral law. It emphasizes that the moral law cannot be changed.

Jesus said, in Luke 16:17, “It is easier for heaven and earth to pass away, than for one keraia of the law to fail.” Now, do you know what a keraia is? A keraia is not a whole letter. It is just a little hook in a Hebrew letter; it is just a small part of a letter. Think through what Jesus, the Majesty of heaven, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, is telling us. God can destroy the universe He has made, but Jesus said, “It is easier for heaven and earth to pass away, than for one part of a letter of the law to fail.” In other words, the God of heaven is saying to us, “I would destroy heaven and earth before I would destroy one part of one letter of My law.” It cannot be stated any more strongly than that.

To be continued …

[Bible texts quoted are literal translation.]

Pastor John Grosboll is Director of Steps to Life and pastors the Prairie Meadows Church in Wichita, Kansas. He may be contacted by e-mail at: historic@stepstolife.org, or by telephone at: 316-788-5559.

The Awakening

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The message of “the everlasting gospel,” in this generation, is a message of Sabbath reform; for it is in the Sabbath of the fourth commandment that Christendom has in doctrine as well as in practice set aside the commandments of God and followed papal tradition. The call of God, in this threefold message of Revelation 14, opens with the words:

“Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come: and worship Him that made heaven and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of water” (verse 7).

This call to reformation in the worship of God is based on the terms of the fourth commandment. It is an appeal to worship the God who “made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it” (Exodus 20:11).

It is the Creator, the God who made the Sabbath the sign of His creative power, that is to be worshiped. “Hallow My Sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between Me and you, that ye may know that I am the Lord your God” (Ezekiel 20:20).

The Sabbath is a sign, the divinely appointed mark of the living and the true God.

But the Roman Papacy has set up a mark of its own, a badge of the assumed power of the Catholic Church, to speak for God independently of His Holy word. The Papacy points to the existence of the Sunday institution in Christendom as a mark of its power and authority; and so it is.

It was on this very point that the famous Council of Trent based Rome’s answer to the Protestant Reformation, that tradition and not Scripture alone is the guide, with the voice of the Catholic Church the living voice, instead of the Bible, the living word of God. The council had long debated the ground of its answer. The history records:

“Finally, at the last opening on the eighteenth of January, 1562, their last scruple was set aside; the archbishop of Rheggio made a speech in which he openly declared that tradition stood above Scripture. The authority of the church could therefore not be bound to the authority of the Scriptures, because the church had changed Sabbath into Sunday, not by the command of Christ, but by its own authority. With this, to be sure, the last illusion was destroyed, and it was declared that tradition does not signify antiquity, but continual inspiration.” Dr. J. H. Holtzman, Canon and Tradition, page 263.

In this speech of the archbishop of Rheggio, Caspar del Fossa by name, arguing, from the generally accepted change of the Sabbath, that the world had acknowledged that the church has power to change the written word and law of God, it was stated:

“Such is the condition of the heretics to-day that they appeal to no other matter more than that they, under the pretense of the word of God, overthrow the church; as though the church, which is the body of Christ, could be opposed to this Word, or the head to the body. Yea, the authority of the church is most gloriously set forth by the Holy Scriptures; for while on the one hand she recommends the same, declares them divine, offers them to us to be read, explains them faithfully in doubtful passages, and condemns whatever is contrary to them, on the other hand, the legal precepts of the Lord contained in them have ceased by virtue of the same authority. The Sabbath, the most glorious day in the law, has been changed into the Lord’s day … . This and other similar matters have not ceased by virtue of Christ’s teaching (for He says He came to fulfill the law, not to destroy it (Matthew 5:17)), but they have been changed by virtue of the authority of the church. Should this authority cease (which would surely please the heretics), who would then witness for truth, and confound the obstinacy of the heretics?” Mansi, Paris, 1902, pages 526–533, quoted in The History of the Sabbath, page 588, Andrews and Conradi (Review and Herald, Washington, D. C.).

Ever since, the Papacy has been boldly challenging Protestants with inconsistency in holding to the observance of Sunday while rejecting the authority of the Roman Church. One finds it in almost any Roman Catholic catechism. Thus:

Question: Have you any other way of proving that the church has power to institute festivals of precept?

Answer: Had she not such power, … she could not have substituted the observance of Sunday, the first day of the week, for Saturday, the seventh day, a change for which there is no Scriptural authority. Kennan’s Doctrinal Catechism, page 174.

Again, a standard Roman Catholic work written for Protestants, says:

“The observance of Sunday by the Protestants is an homage they pay, in spite of themselves, to the authority of the church.” Plain Talk About Protestantism of To-day.

There can be no question as to the fact that the Bible recognizes no change of the day of the Sabbath. As Cardinal Gibbons says:

“You may read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, and you will not find a single line authorizing the sanctification of Sunday. The Scriptures enforce the religious observance of Saturday, a day which we never sanctify.” Faith of Our Fathers, page 141.

Protestant authorities—men who themselves observe the traditional Sunday—have freely declared that the New Testament nowhere teaches the substitution of the first day of the week for the seventh as the day of rest. Smith and Cheetham’s “Dictionary of Christian Antiquities,” a standard work edited by Church of England clergymen, says:

“The notion of a formal substitution by apostolic authority of the Lord’s day [meaning Sunday] for the Jewish Sabbath, and the transference to it, perhaps in a spiritualized form, of the Sabbatical obligation established by the promulgation of the fourth commandment, has no basis whatever, either in Holy Scripture or in Christian antiquity.” Article Sabbath.

And all the time the fourth command of God’s holy law declares the seventh day to be the Lord’s day, not a “Jewish” sabbath, but “the Sabbath of the Lord thy God” (Exodus 20:10). Whoever takes Jehovah as God and Lord is asked by Him to take His Sabbath also.

Here are statements by another Church of England writer, Dr. Eyton, canon of Westminster:

“There is no word nor hint, in the New Testament, about abstaining from work on Sunday.

“No commandment of God bids us do this or not do that on Sunday; we are absolutely free as far as His law goes.

“The observance of Ash Wednesday or Lent stands on exactly the same footing as the observance of Sunday.

“Into the rest of Sunday no divine law enters.” The Ten Commandments, Trübner & Co. (London).

The late Dr. R. W. Dale, Congregationalist, famous in all the churches as one of England’s foremost writers and scholars, said:

“It is quite clear that however rigidly or devoutly we may spend Sunday, we are not keeping the Sabbath.

“The Sabbath was founded on a specific divine command. We can plead no such command for the observance of Sunday.

“There is not a single sentence in the New Testament to suggest that we incur any penalty by violating the supposed sanctity of Sunday.” The Ten Commandments, Hodder and Stoughton (London).

Christ kept the seventh-day Sabbath of the fourth commandment, as He kept all His “Father’s commandments” (John 15:10, last part). He declared Himself “Lord also of the Sabbath” (Mark 2:28). It is the only Lord’s day of Holy Scripture, the only day blessed and made holy by the Lord. In keeping it, Jesus left His followers for all time an example that they should walk “even as He walked” (1 John 2:6). He is “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever” (Hebrews 13:8). He never changed the perfect law of God, which is “holy, and just, and good” (Romans 7:12); He magnified the law in His earthly life and death, and ever lives to bring repentant sinners into the obedience of faith. The new-covenant promise declares the joyful word, “I will put My laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to Me a people” (Hebrews 8:10). That is the work of Jesus Christ and His gospel.

But the Papacy, that antichristian power brought to view in Daniel’s prophecy that was to “think to change” (Daniel 7:25) the law of God, has set aside the sign, or mark, of the living God, the Sabbath, and set up its own mark, the Sunday institution. This mystic Babylon of the prophecies has “made all nations drink of the wine” (Revelation 14:8) of its errors and perversions. Even some professedly Protestant peoples are found seeking by civil law to compel the observance of the Sunday, the mark of papal authority. Therefore the Lord sends the last message to all nations, crying the warning:

“If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God” (Revelation 14:9, 10).

The whole question of loyalty and allegiance is bound up in this matter. The Lord sets forth His sign, the holy Sabbath, and the Papacy sets forth its sign, the Sunday institution. Whom shall we follow—the living God, or the Roman Papacy that “sitteth in the temple of God, setting himself forth as God” (2 Thessalonians 2:4, last part)?

The age-long controversy between truth and error is brought to the final crisis in this last generation. The issue is clear. There it stands written in the “sure word of prophecy” (2 Peter 1:19) for all mankind to read. The Reformation is not ended yet. Every movement of reform in past days has been leading up to this last stand for God and His Holy Word, on the platform of the primitive faith of the New Testament—“the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus” (Revelation 14:12).

The closing work of the judgment-hour in heaven and this advent movement and message on earth are God’s answer to the great apostasy.

The prophet of old, as he saw the workings of apostacy treading down the sanctuary and the truth of God, heard the cry, “How long shall be the vision” (Daniel 8:13)? How long, O Lord, how long? was the cry of hearts through the dark night of papal error. The Lord’s answer was, “Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed” (verse 14). Interpreted, that answer was, Unto the year 1844, then will the judgment work begin in heaven that is to cut short the reign of sin and apostasy; and then will the Lord lift up on earth the standard of eternal truth against the Papacy in the final gospel message to the world.

Truths obscured by traditions and trampled under the foot of apostasy are to be proclaimed anew. The message of Revelation 14:6–14 is spreading to the world. Every year thousands of new voices join in telling it. Printing-presses are printing this message in many lands. Schools and colleges in every continent are educating thousands of Seventh-day Adventist youth, keeping before them, as the highest aim in life, the hastening of the advent message of Revelation 14 to the world. Sanitariums in many parts are training medical missionary evangelists, ministering at the same time to the sick, and teaching the principles of Bible health and temperance. The movement necessarily emphasizes every principle and every truth of “the everlasting gospel,” while pressing upon all the solemn issue that loyalty to Christ now means to turn from papal tradition to the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, from the Sunday of the Roman Papacy to “the Sabbath of the Lord thy God.”

In times past Christian believers have been unwittingly following the Papacy in this matter; the Lord holds no man accountable for light that he did not have. Reformation is a progressive work. Of the past we may say with Paul: “The times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: Because He hath appointed a day, in the which He will judge the world in righteousness” (Acts 17:30, 31, first part). And now, with this “hour of God’s judgment” already come, the entire covering of papal tradition is to be torn aside, and true believers will be found keeping the faith and keeping the commandments of God as Jesus comes in glory.

All this was shown to John on the Isle of Patmos—the coming of the judgement-hour, the rise of the advent movement, and the heralding of the last message to the nations.

What John saw in vision nearly two thousand years ago, we see fulfilling before our eyes today. It is not enough to see it. We must have a part in it, and be a part of it.

The Hand of God in History, William A. Spicer, ©1913, 208–216.

 

William A. Spicer (1865-1952) was born into a Seventh-day Baptist home, became a Seventh-day Adventist, and was employed as a call boy at Battle Creek Sanitarium and later as secretary to Dr. John Harvey Kellogg, the medical superintendent there. He later served as secretary to Elder S. N. Haskell, then helped establish the Solusi Mission on 12,000 acres of land obtained from Cecil Rhodes. In 1903 he became secretary of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists and was President of the General Conference from 1922–1930. He was General Field Secretary of the General Conference from 1930–1940. He authored several books and many magazine articles also, as he was an editor of several Adventist periodicals, including The Review and Herald.

Knowing the Shepherd’s Voice, Part II

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As false winds of doctrine blow about with hurricane force, you better be ready to know what you believe from the Bible. You had better read the texts given in this article, know what they say, and know what they mean.

How are you going to survive? Well, the events of the last few years have shown to us very clearly that the majority of Seventh-day Adventists are not going to survive. John 10:1-5 will show you why they are not going to survive: “Truly, truly, I say to you, the one not entering through the door of the sheepfold of the sheep, but going up another way, that one is a thief and a robber. But the one entering through the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To this one, the doorkeeper opens and the sheep hear his voice; and his own sheep he calls by name, and leads them out. And when his own he brings out, he himself goes before them. And his sheep follow him because they know his voice. And to a stranger, they will not at all follow but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.”

Here is the sad fact. The majority of Seventh-day Adventists today cannot tell the difference between the True Shepherd’s voice and the voice of strangers. So when all these winds of doctrine start blowing all over the place, you find people going off after this one or going off after that one. What are you going to do about it? The winds of doctrine are already here. They are going to get stronger. You are going to hear more voices than you are hearing now. The winds of doctrine are going to gain hurricane strength. They are going to blow you off your feet unless you are anchored.

A Matter of Survival

Do you know the True Shepherd’s voice? I am sorry to have to tell you, but from my own observation, the majority of the Christian world, the majority of the Adventist world, cannot distinguish the True Shepherd’s voice from the voice of strangers. It is a terrible, terrible thing, but it is true.

You are not going to survive until the end, you will not be ready for the second coming of Christ unless you can discern the True Shepherd’s voice from every other voice. If you are one of His sheep, He says, “They will not at all follow a stranger. They will flee; they will run from the stranger, because they do not know his voice. But they know My voice.”

Do you know the True Shepherd’s voice? Can you distinguish the True Shepherd’s voice from all other voices? Can you?

A preacher of righteousnessshould be echoing the True Shepherd’s voice, but you should be checking out from your Bible whether or not your preacher is telling you the truth. You need to know for sure whether or not your preacher is echoing the voice of the True Shepherd. That is what the people did in Berea; Paul recommended it and commended them for it.

The question that you need to answer is, Can you discern the True Shepherd’s voice from all the other voices? There are many voices out there now, and the number is going to grow. If you cannot tell the difference, the devil is going to figure out what kind of voice is pleasing to you, and if you do not understand the True Shepherd’s voice from all the other voices, you are going to get snagged by something that will sound wonderful to you. You are going to think you are having a wonderful Christian experience. This will happen to the whole world.

So, I want to give you a few elementary principles about how to distinguish the True Shepherd’s voice from all the other voices.

In Harmony

Point No. 1: The True Shepherd’s voice will always be in harmony with the Law of God. The True Shepherd’s voice will never lead you to break any part of the Law of God. Regarding this, Ellen White wrote, in The Signs of the Times, July 4, 1895: “Those who have heard the voice of God proclaiming His holy law on Mount Sinai, in the hearing of the people, know His voice, and when men claiming to be led by Christ, and professing to be entirely sanctified, assert that the law of God is abolished, and ridicule and make light of the great moral standard, and set at naught the testimony of prophets and apostles, we can confidently say that we hear not in their teachings the voice of the True Shepherd. The True Shepherd’s voice has been heard, bearing a different testimony. Jesus says, ‘Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets; I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say to you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in nowise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven, but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.’ [Matthew 5:17–19.]”

Mrs. White is here quoting from Matthew 5, and if you look up the context of this quote, Jesus is giving a sermon about the Law of God, the Ten Commandments. He refers to them by name, and talks about the sixth commandment and the seventh commandment and so forth.

If you are able to recognize the True Shepherd’s voice, you will know immediately that any voice that teaches you to be careless about any part of the Law of God is not the True Shepherd’s voice, and you had better run from it. You better not listen to the sermons; you better not read the books; you better not listen to the tapes; you better run, or you will be deceived; you will be hypnotized by the devil’s snares.

A Special Messenger

Point No. 2: Because God knew how dangerous the end times would be with every wind of doctrine blowing, He promised, in Malachi 4:5, that before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord, He would send Elijah, a prophet, a special messenger.

God has sent such a messenger, something He would not do unless a special messenger, a prophet, is needed. Have you ever thought that through? Does God send His people a prophet if they do not need it? No, God knew that every wind of doctrine would be blowing, so He sent to us a special messenger. You need to be reading what that special messenger wrote, because if you do not, you are going to get snagged. But if you are reading the Spirit of Prophecy every day, you will hear the voice of the True Shepherd, and when the other voices come, you will know it is time to run. But you must be reading for yourself; the preachers cannot present it all in church.

While in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Ellen White encountered a situation that brought her to write the following: “One brother thinks that Sister White doesn’t understand her own testimonies. Heard that in Minneapolis. Why? Because the brethren did not agree with them. Well, there are some things that I understand. I understand enough to acknowledge the Spirit of God and to follow the voice of the Shepherd. I understand that much.” Sermons and Talks, 149. That was her response to her critics. She understood the voice of the Shepherd, and knew the difference between His voice and the other voices.

Reading Ellen White’s writings will help you recognize the voice of the True Shepherd. There are numerous critics condemning the Spirit of Prophecy, but the most powerful evidence for these writings is that when you read Mrs. White’s books, you hear the voice of the True Shepherd. Those who do not like it do not like the rebuke given from the True Shepherd for their sins.

Be a Berean

Point No. 3: “When errors arise and are taught as Bible truth, those who have a connection with Christ will not trust to what the minister says, but like the noble Bereans, they will search the Scriptures daily to see if these things are so. When they discover what is the word of the Lord, they will take their stand on the side of the truth. They will hear the voice of the True Shepherd saying, ‘This is the way, walk ye in it.’ [Isaiah 30:21.] Thus you will be educated to make the Bible the man of your counsel, and the voice of a stranger you will neither hear nor follow.” Faith and Works, 86.

You can be assured that you will not listen to the voice of a stranger, if you are listening to the voice of the True Shepherd, if you are studying the Book—the Old and New Testaments. You must be on a Bible study program of your own. From what is written in the Spirit of Prophecy, it is absolutely guaranteed that you will be misled if you are not doing these things, because if you are not studying, you will not recognize the voice of the True Shepherd from all the other voices. (See Testimonies, vol. 5, 703–711; The Great Controversy, 625.) But if you are studying the Book, you will recognize when something does not ring True to the Book—it will have a different sound, and you will not listen.

Miracles

Point No. 4: This is a negative point. Watch out for miracles. Miracles do not prove, in the last days, that the performer of the miracles is the True Shepherd. Of this Ellen White wrote:

“ ‘The voice of a stranger’ is the voice of one who neither respects nor obeys God’s holy, just, and good law. Many make great pretensions to holiness, and boast of the wonders they perform in healing the sick, when they do not regard this great standard of righteousness. But through whose power are these cures wrought?

“If those through whom cures are performed are disposed, on account of these manifestations, to excuse their neglect of the law of God, and continue in disobedience, though they have power to any and every extent, it does not follow that they have the great power of God. On the contrary, it is the miracle-working power of the great deceiver. He is a transgressor of the moral law, and employs every device that he can master to blind men to its true character. We are warned that in the last days he will work with signs and lying wonders. And he will continue these wonders until the close of probation, that he may point to them as evidence that he is an angel of light and not of darkness.” Ye Shall Receive Power, 202.

Miracles do not prove that it is the voice of the True Shepherd. Not at all!

Fasting and Praying

Point No. 5: Are you spending any time these days fasting and praying? Ellen White wrote concerning some people who were content with their knowledge. She wrote: “The children of God must know the voice of the True Shepherd. Is not this a time when it would be highly proper to fast and pray before God? We are in danger of variance, in danger of taking sides on a controverted point; and should we not seek God in earnestness, with humiliation of soul, that we may know what is truth?” Selected Messages, Book 1, 413.

That prediction has already been fulfilled. There is variance on controverted points all over the world. The time to fast and pray is now, so we know the voice of the True Shepherd.

Correct Mistake

Point No. 6: If, when you fast and pray and study God’s Word and the Spirit of Prophecy, you find out that you really are mistaken in something, then action must be taken. If a minister learns that he is mistaken in something he has taught and preached, he must go to those whom he has taught and to whom he has preached and tell them. Even if it was just a private opinion, he must still confess and repent to God. This is where it gets tough, because a number of people for one reason or another cannot acknowledge that they have made a mistake.

If you are in that condition, you will never make it to the kingdom of heaven. All the people who go to heaven must confess their sins and repent.

Ellen White wrote this: “With these warnings [referring to warnings in the Bible against heresies in the last days], why is it that the church does not distinguish the false from the genuine? Those who have in any way been thus misled need to humble themselves before God, and sincerely repent, because they have so easily been led astray. They have not distinguished the voice of the True Shepherd from that of a stranger. Let all such review this chapter of their experience.” Selected Messages, Book 2, 393.

She, at the time, was writing to people who were neglecting personal study and were saying they did not believe what the Spirit of Prophecy said. They were among the critics in Minneapolis, Minnesota, who did not believe that Ellen White knew what she was talking about. She cautioned them to repent, saying that if they did not do so, they would lose their way. The same is true today.

Walk In The Light

Point No. 7: If you want to be able to distinguish the voice of the True Shepherd, you have to walk in all the light you know.

“You have been able but a small part of the time to discern the voice of the True Shepherd from that of a stranger. Your neglect to walk in the light has brought darkness upon you, and your conscience, by being often violated, has become benumbed.” Testimonies, vol. 3, 229. What was this brother’s problem? He was not walking in the light. This was and is one of the big problems that creates trouble in someone’s Christian experience.

People say, “My religion does not seem real. I cannot get in touch with the Lord. It seems my prayers are not answered.” If this is your experience, you need to ask yourself, “Am I walking according to all the spiritual light and truth that the Lord has made available to me? Am I walking in all the light that I know?”

If you are walking in all the light that you know, God will give you more light. But why should God give you any more of His joy, light, and peace, if you are not even following what you already have? If you are not following what you already have, you are walking in a different direction than the True Shepherd. It is no wonder that after a while you do not recognize His voice.

Are you living up to the light you have? “Often temptations are cherished as the voice of the True Shepherd because men have separated themselves from Jesus.” Ibid., vol. 5, 428.

Beware of Stubbornness

“Men who ought to know the voice of the True Shepherd will be more ready to accept the voice of the stranger and follow in unsafe, forbidden paths because of the stubbornness of their human nature.

“Dark hours of trial are before the church [they are here right now] because they have not obeyed the warnings and reproofs and counsel of God. What a bewitching power comes upon human minds to do contrary to the oft repeated will of God, and close the eyes and stop the ears, when Jesus is calling to them to hear His voice. He says, ‘My sheep hear my voice.’ [John 10:27.]

“That night in the boat was to the disciples a school where they were to receive their education for the great work which was to be done afterwards. The dark hours of trial are to come to every one as a part of his education for higher work, for more devoted, consecrated effort. The storm was not sent upon the disciples to shipwreck them, but to test and prove them individually. Before the great trouble shall come upon the world such as has never been since there was a nation, those who have faltered and who would ignorantly lead in unsafe paths will reveal this before the real vital test, the last proving, comes, so that whatsoever they may say will not be regarded as voicing the True Shepherd.” The Ellen G. White 1888 Materials, 1001, 1002.

This is the reason you see so many leaders, ministers, and other people going off on tangents, causing others to ask, “What in the world is going on?” God is revealing to the whole church that you cannot trust what these people say. It is an awful experience through which we are going. It is time to have your eyes opened. It is time to follow all the instructions in inspired writings. Ask the Lord to help you, to have mercy on you, and to help you distinguish between the voice of the True Shepherd and all the other voices.

[Bible texts quoted are literal translation.]

Pastor John Grosboll is Director of Steps to Life and pastors the Prairie Meadows Church in Wichita, Kansas. He may be contacted by e-mail at: historic@stepstolife.org, or by telephone at: 316-788-5559.

The Door Will Close

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Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them [were] wise, and five were foolish. Those who [were] foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight a cry was [heard]: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’ Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us [some] of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘[No], lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ ” Matthew 25:1–12.

They were all Seventh-day Adventists waiting for the coming of the Lord. They had all been friends, working together to tell people that Jesus is coming soon and that they need to be ready. They had all let their lights shine brightly, but somehow the Lord did not come as soon as they had expected. As time went on, they became involved with good things, such as various church activities, raising a family, and planning for retirement. They had not expected quite so long a delay; and with the passage of time, they began to lose some of their energy and enthusiasm. They were all still faithful Seventh-day Adventists; they were just more relaxed, going to church, doing the things they should; until all of a sudden, things began to happen that caused them to realize that they had better get ready for Jesus to come because He was coming now.

Famine in the Land

As they aroused and went forth to proclaim Jesus’ soon return, some of their lights shone brightly, and they proclaimed with power that Jesus is coming again. Others, however, could not quite seem to get the message all together. They decided that they had better go to some meetings, get involved in some Bible studies, and do some praying and get that power again. But the Bible says that the day will come when there will be a famine in the land. “ ‘Behold, the days are coming,’ says the Lord God, ‘That I will send a famine on the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord.’ ” Amos 8:11.

I have recently come to the startling realization that this text applies in a special way to the Seventh-day Adventist Church. This is a text for the Laodiceans. It does not say that they are not going to hear some words, but somehow they are not going to be the Lord’s words.

This latter group represents the five foolish virgins who will be seeking after oil. They are not sitting down doing nothing; they are going from sea to sea, from north to south, attending meetings, listening to preachers, reading books that are published by the only people they know who claim to teach the truth, and whom they have been taught to trust; but there is a famine and they will not find it. You see, these young maidens went to the preachers in whom they had trusted, but their preaching somehow had no power to change their lives, and they did not know where to go; they did not know to whom to go. We have been told that the time is coming when the church will have no more “faithful, firm, and true” preachers. (See Testimonies, vol. 5, 77.)

“Who knows whether God will not give you up to the deceptions you love? Who knows but that the preachers who are faithful, firm, and true may be the last who shall offer the gospel of peace to our unthankful churches? It may be that the destroyers are already training under the hand of Satan and only wait the departure of a few more standard-bearers to take their places, and with the voice of the false prophet cry, ‘Peace, peace,’ when the Lord hath not spoken peace.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 77.

Ministers Taught by Satan

If this statement said that the church would come to the place where it just could not afford any more pastors, or even that there were no more pastors to pastor the churches any longer, that would be bad; but that is not nearly as bad as having pastors who are trained by Satan himself. I will take no pastor any day rather than a pastor that has been trained by Satan.

Sister White goes on to say that it is not even a question of if  it could be, but that it will happen. “When God shall work His strange work on the earth, when holy hands bear the ark no longer, woe will be upon the people.” Ibid. This is looking forward to that time when men and women see the signs of God’s coming. Things are happening in the world and they have awakened, but they have no oil in their lamps. They will search from north to south, from east to west. They will read things from the publishing houses that they have trusted. They will go to the churches that they have trusted, and listen to the preachers whom they have trusted; but there is a famine in the land.

Little Company

A little later in Testimonies, vol. 5, Ellen White tells us some most startling things. Let me share some with you.

“The leaven of godliness has not entirely lost its power. At the time when the danger and depression of the church are greatest, the little company who are standing in the light will be sighing and crying for the abominations that are done in the land. But more especially will their prayers arise in behalf of the church because its members are doing after the manner of the world.

“The earnest prayers of this faithful few will not be in vain. When the Lord comes forth as an avenger, He will also come as a protector of all those who have preserved the faith in its purity and kept themselves unspotted from the world. It is at this time that God has promised to avenge His own elect which cry day and night unto Him, though He bear long with them.” Testimonies, vol 5, 209.

It is the little company of those sighing and crying ones because of the abominations that were done in the church. These are the only ones, it says, who will be sealed. The great majority are becoming more and more like the world. We may be surprised at how small that group will be.

Tip of the Iceberg

Speaking of this small group, she says, “They had reproved, counseled, and entreated. Some who had been dishonoring God repented and humbled their hearts before Him. But the glory of the Lord had departed from Israel.” Ibid. The glory of the Lord departed from Israel once before, but she says that a time is again coming when the glory of the Lord will have departed from Israel. She does not stop there, but continues, “Although many still continued the forms of religion, His power and presence were lacking.” Ibid. Sabbath after Sabbath church is going on, with the forms of religion; all the functions of the church are being carried out, Ingathering is continuing, church schools and hospitals are continuing to be operated, but the glory of the Lord has departed from Israel and somehow they do not realize it. They are going on with their religion without the glory of the Lord.

“While others try to throw a cloak over the existing evil, and excuse the great wickedness everywhere prevalent, those who have a zeal for God’s honor and a love for souls will not hold their peace to obtain favor of any.” Ibid. I do not believe that you should focus on problems, but many want to ignore that the problems even exist. They say things like, “We make some mistakes, but let us not get critical.” It is interesting how everyone is concerned about people being critical when we are dealing with certain things; but, dear friend, there is a place for genuine concern. There is a place for speaking out.

“They are powerless to stop the rushing torrent of iniquity, and hence they are filled with grief and alarm. They mourn before God to see religion despised in the very homes of those who have had great light. They lament and afflict their souls because pride, avarice, selfishness, and deception of almost every kind are in the church. The Spirit of God, which prompts to reproof, is trampled underfoot, while the servants of Satan triumph. God is dishonored, the truth made of none effect.” Ibid., 210, 211. It seems that over the last few years it is just like a dam has broken open and we are experiencing a flood of evil. Ellen White continues, “The abominations for which the faithful ones were sighing and crying were all that could be discerned by finite eyes, but by far the worst sins, those which provoked the jealousy of the pure and holy God, were unrevealed.” Ibid., 211. Whatever we see, according to inspiration, it is but the tip of the iceberg.

Now, dear friend, this is shocking to me because somehow in my schematics of the end day, I have always held a picture of the church growing and ruling with apostasy; but there comes a shaking and all of the evil is shaken out. Then we have a pure church and the members go out and give a loud cry. Others come in to take the place of those who have been shaken out, then probation closes, and we go through—a happy, glorious church like at Pentecost. I have been reading things lately, however, that do not seem to fit into that nice, little picture that I have had in my head. Who did we just read about who are going to triumph in the church? It is the servants of Satan, while God is dishonored and the truth made of none effect.

Power, But Not From God

Well, there is a famine in the land, and so these foolish virgins went out to find oil. They once had it, but they were careless. They went to find oil again, and they went to the preachers whom they had trusted. They went to the church that they had grown up in, the church that they knew was the remnant church of Bible prophecy. They read the books from the authors with whom they were acquainted. And, dear friend, as they went out to find oil for their lamps to get their light shining again, by and by they accomplished their purpose, and their lamps were lit again. From somewhere, they found the power for which they were looking. Now that is all in the prophecy.

We are told that when Jesus went into the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary, that some Adventists, by faith, went in with Him, meaning that they entered by faith into a most holy place experience. While Jesus is cleansing the heavenly sanctuary, they are cleansing their hearts of sin. (See Early Writings, 55.) But some Adventists stayed in the holy place. Now, of course, this refers to First-day Adventists in Ellen White’s day, but it also refers to any Adventist who does not go into the most holy place. “I turned to look at the company who were still bowed before the throne; they did not know that Jesus had left it. Satan appeared to be by the throne, trying to carry on the work of God. I saw them look up to the throne, and pray, ‘Father, give us Thy Spirit.’ Satan would then breathe upon them an unholy influence; in it there was light and much power, but no sweet love, joy, and peace.” Early Writings, 56. Notice that it is not a little, but much power.

Have you ever heard of people who have had a Laodicean experience but now they have found new power in their life—like they have never experienced before? Religion has taken on a new meaning, but when you investigate, you find that it is like the experience of Eve when she ate the forbidden fruit. All of a sudden she felt like she had entered a higher plane. She had a testimony that she could go and tell Adam. “Listen, this fruit is not dangerous. I have entered into a higher realm of experience. My Christian experience has grown. I feel more like God than I ever have before.” And he ate, too.

The Virgins Represent Adventists

We need to remember that the virgins were all Adventists, were they not? They were all waiting for the coming of the Lord. They all had lamps and they all, at one time, had their lamps burning. Let us continue: “And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.” Matthew 25:10–13.

Granted, they got the wrong oil and the wrong fire, but they apparently did not know that. They got some oil, they had some fire in their lamps, and they were out witnessing again with light and power. But while they were getting the oil, the door had closed and they did not know it!

“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. But as the days of Noah [were], so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark.” Matthew 24:36–38.

Now, I want you to notice that it says that they did not know it until the flood came. I want you to notice that this is not talking about the fact that the flood came; everyone knew when the flood came. They did not know when probation had closed. Noah had entered in, the door had closed, probation closed, but they did not know it. No one knew that probation had closed. They went on eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the flood came seven days after probation closed. And so, Jesus said, “Also will the coming of the Son of Man be.” Matthew 24:39.

The door is going to close while people are not just eating and drinking, but while they are attending church on the Sabbath, while they are paying their tithes and offerings, and while they are going on with all the activities of the church. The door is going to close, and they will not know it. Thus it was with the Jewish nation. While they were doing all these things, the Master came, humbled and disguised; and they did not know it. The door closed, and they went right on with their church business as though nothing had ever taken place. “Many are grieving away the Holy Spirit for the last time, even now, and they know it not….

“Pride of heart prevented His hearers from humbling themselves before God and confessing their sins and resisting His Holy Spirit and reluctantly It left them.” Review and Herald Extra, December 23, 1890.

She goes on to say, “The words spoken by Christ of Jerusalem are, ‘Behold your house is left unto you desolate.’… The Lord forbid that this scene should now be repeated in the experience of God’s professed people! ‘My Spirit,’ He says, ‘shall not always strive with man. The time will come when it must be said of the impenitent, ‘Ephraim is joined to his idols; let him alone.’

“Will the church see from where she has fallen?” Ibid.

Our Danger—Greater than Israel’s

Now, dear friend, we are told that our danger is even greater than that of ancient Israel. “I was pointed back to ancient Israel. But two of the adults of the vast army that left Egypt entered the land of Canaan. Their dead bodies were strewn in the wilderness because of their transgressions. Modern Israel are in greater danger of forgetting God and being led into idolatry than were His ancient people.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 609.

I was quite startled by something that I read. I thought that everyone was shaken out of the church before the close of probation, but we are told that, “Those who refuse to be hewed by the prophets and fail to purify their souls in obeying the whole truth, and who are willing to believe that their condition is far better than it really is, will come up to the time of the falling of the plagues and then see that they needed to be hewed and squared for the building. But there will be no time then to do it and no Mediator to plead their cause before the Father.” Early Writings, 71.

There is a pure and holy church that is going to go through; but, dear friend, the outward, legal, obvious church is not going to be purified any time this side of the close of probation. I am afraid that there was never a more fearful delusion than the idea that being part of the church is an assurance of salvation. That is what the Jewish people thought back in Jesus’ day, and when the church crucified Jesus, they went right along with it because they stayed with the church.

Oh, dear friend, may the Lord grant that when the door secretly closes, just as imperceptibly and secretly as the door closed upon the Jewish nation, we will all be on the inside.

Today, God is weighing the church in the balances; He knows their works. He is walking up and down the aisle of every conference office; and, the Bible says that every tree which does not bear good fruit is going to be cut down and thrown into the fire. We may fool men. We may even fool ourselves. But, God reads the thoughts and intents of the heart, and someday soon, while life is going on without any great catastrophe taking place, the door will close. Only those people who fully reflect God’s character will have entered in. When the rest of the people will wake up, it will be too late.

Pastor Marshall Grosboll, with his wife Lillian, founded Steps to Life. In July 1991, Pastor Marshall and his family met with tragedy as they were returning home from a camp meeting in Washington state, when the airplane he was piloting went down, killing all on board.

From Alienation to Reconciliation

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Ellen White tells us that we are going to spend all eternity studying the meaning of the cross; it is the focal point of everything else. (Review and Herald, June 3, 1890.) My freshman composition teacher used to say that when you are writing a paper, you need to limit your subject so that you can cover it adequately; but the cross is a subject that we can never fully cover. We still need, however, to understand all that our minds can grasp.

Fear of the Romans

There was a theory going around in the days of Jesus that the soul, or the spirit, hovered over the dead body for three days after death. Jesus, however, waited and did not arrive at Lazarus’ home until he had been dead four days. Thus, even according to the false theories of the Jews, he was really dead. Because Lazarus was raised in the presence of a large group of people, there was no way to deny what had taken place. Some of those present related to the Pharisees what had taken place. A meeting of the Pharisees and chief priests was quickly called. The record of that meeting begins in John 11:45 and continues to the end of the chapter.

“If we let Him alone like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and nation.” John 11:48. They were afraid of the Romans. Are people afraid of the Romans today? Yes, they are. God’s true church is afraid of the Roman power today just as the people in Jesus’ day were afraid of the Romans. Interestingly, the very thing that they believed would bring the Roman power to destroy them was the thing that would have delivered them from its power. It is an amazing thing.

On this occasion, the church leaders decided they were going to have to kill Jesus to prevent the Romans from destroying them. Ironically, by that very act, they brought destruction on themselves by the Romans. As we continue our study, keep in mind that something similar could happen again.

“And one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them, ‘You know nothing at all, nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people and not that the whole nation should perish.’ Now this he did not say on his own authority; but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for that nation only, but also that He would gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad.” John 11:49–52. What is the reason that the apostle John gives for the cross? The children of God were scattered all over the world, but John said that Jesus was going to die so that all of the people of God who were scattered abroad could be brought together into one. What a wonderful thought.

Gathered Together

God’s people are still scattered all over the world; and they are going to continue to be so for a little while. But when Jesus comes again, they are going to be gathered together into one church. I love to think about it.

Have you noticed that people sometimes do not like it at one church, so they go to another one? It is not usually because they did not like the building but because they did not get along with some of the people. Have you ever seen that happen? I have never seen anybody decide to go to another church because something was wrong with themselves; but I have seen a lot of people want to go to another church because they said that something was wrong with someone else. Well, now, here is my question: What if this were to take place in heaven? This has to do, friends, with the meaning of the cross. You see, as a result of sin, people are alienated from one another. According to the apostle John, God’s children will be gathered into one.

The Bible is a spiritual book, and when it says that God’s children will be gathered into one, it is not speaking of them being gathered into one building. “He who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.” 1 Corinthians 6:17. “For He Himself is our peace, Who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation.” Ephesians 2:14.

Alienation

I have always had a fascination to understand the American Civil War. It was the most disastrous war the United States has ever fought. As I was in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, the whole matter became crystal clear in my mind. At the time of the war, our whole country was separated into two armed camps that were totally alienated from one another. All wars are the result of alienation. By the way, there is a great deal of alienation in the world today. There is even alienation among the professed people of God.

Is the cross just a story, or are we experiencing its spiritual meaning? Let me tell you something—this is something very serious—if there is one other person in this world from whom you are alienated, at least one of you is not going to heaven unless that problem is solved. It is just that simple. Now, it could be both of you, but it might only be one. You might have somebody who is alienated from you, and you might not be at fault at all; but if there are two people who are alienated, there is something wrong with at least one of them, and they cannot go to heaven unless that situation is taken care of. The purpose of the cross is to destroy this alienation and bring reconciliation.

Today, with many Christians, the cross is just like the law was for the Jewish nation. The Jewish nation taught the law, talked the law, and yet Jesus said to them, “Did not Moses give you the law, yet none of you keeps the law?” John 7:19. Today, wherever I travel, I see crosses on churches; I see crosses around people’s necks; but people fail to understand what it means. If the cross has not destroyed the enmity in your heart, it has not done the work in your heart that must be done if you are to be saved.

Reconciliation

“For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled.” Colossians 1:19–21.

Why did Jesus have to go to the cross? “Christ died for our sins.” 1 Corinthians 15:3. Now, when I understand that, if I choose to sin, what have I chosen to do? I have chosen to do the very thing that sent Jesus to the cross. By wicked works I am alienated, expressing hatred for the Son of God. You cannot love sin and love Jesus. “You who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy and blameless, and above reproach in His sight.” Colossians 1:21, 22. When we come to the cross and we see the spiritual meaning of it, the sin that we used to love we learn to hate. Everyone who has that experience, through the power of the Holy Spirit, is going to be reconciled into one.

“Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry [or service] of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us; we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For, He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” 11 Corinthians 5:18–21.

Oh, friend, is the story of the cross just a story to you, or have you had this experience? Have you been reconciled to God so that you are no longer at enmity with Him, so that you can be taken to heaven and will feel perfectly at home there because you are in harmony with the whole system? We are living in a time when we need to get down on our knees and say, “Lord, I am choosing to surrender, to submit to the cross of Jesus Christ.”

When you are no longer alienated from God, you are in a position to be reconciled, not only to God, but to your fellow man. You will no longer live for self but for Him who died for you.

Too Many Chiefs

“Satan is the originator of sin. In heaven he resolved to live to himself. He resolved to be leader. He determined to make himself a center of influence. . . . Head he would be, to control, not to be controlled.” Review and Herald, April 14, 1901. It is this character trait, or desire, in people that splits up churches. When I was a young man, they used to have a popular song in which the words went something like this: There are too many chiefs and not enough Indians around this place. This is the root cause of all manner of troubles.

It is said that Julius Caesar was once walking along a mountain road when, in the distance, he saw a small village. He is said to have remarked, “I would rather be number one in that village than to be number two in Rome.” This is why Julius Caesar was willing to kill millions of people—he wanted to be number one.

If space permitted, we could go through the gospels and see that this was the same problem that the disciples had. They never got over it until Jesus was crucified. After that, you never again find them contending as to who would be the greatest. Though they had been alienated, they were reconciled by the blood of His cross.

If you have a desire in your heart to control other people, you have the same problem. It is possible for you to be the most respected person in town and still have this problem. If you have this desire to control other people, you have not yet been reconciled. The person who lives for himself is not a Christian because he has never experienced the cross.

“No one can live for himself and at the same time be united with Christ. Conformity to the world, attachment to the world, manifests a decided denial of Christ.” The Signs of the Times, June 13, 1892.

Lowest Servant

When His disciples were struggling and quarreling over who would be next to Him in the kingdom of heaven, Jesus said: “The princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister.” Matthew 20:25, 26.

In the English-speaking countries, we are not used to having servants, so we have only one or two words to express the concept. We talk about servants and slaves and that is about all; but in the Roman Empire, they had many servants of various categories and used a number of different words to denote a servant. There were some servants who were what we would call managers. It was one of these, by the way, who struck Jesus when He was being tried before Caiaphas. This was a high-class servant, someone who had some authority. There was, however, a lower level of servant. The Greek word for these servants is deakenos. This is where we get the word deacon. Jesus said, “He that will be great among you, let him be a deakenos.”

In the Roman Empire, there was one category that was the lowest of all servants. They would be what we would call slaves. In the old King James Version, this word is usually translated servant, and in modern translations, it is translated as bond servant or slave. It is the lowest category of servanthood. The Greek word is doulos. Jesus said, “He that will be great among you, let him be a deakenos [that is a middle level of servant], but the one that will be first among you, let him be a doulos [that is the lowest level of servant], even as the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:26–28.

Philippians tells us how Jesus followed this principle. He started out as the highest, “but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” Philippians 2:7, 8. I say this reverently, friend; He went lower for you and for me than we will ever be able to go for Him. You will never be able to go as low for Jesus as He has already gone for you. And I want to tell you, once the Holy Spirit drives that thought home into our consciousness, we will never be the same again. We cannot go on in this alienated form of life, fighting and bickering, with all that is going on among professed Christians today. We cannot do it!

The apostles did not all think the same on every matter after the cross. The cross did not take away their ability to think, but they were no longer alienated from one another.

Perfectly United

Friends, there is going to be a people when Jesus comes who are no longer alienated. They are no longer going to be fighting. The 144,000 will be perfectly unified, in harmony. It is going to happen, all right. The question is, Who is going to experience the experience of the cross so that they can be part of it?

He died for all that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and rose again. Oh, friend, is this your experience? The cross must be an experience, no longer just a story. It must change the inner wellspring of the life so that we no longer live for ourselves. This is such a big problem in human nature that our daily prayer to God needs to be that He will divest us of selfishness. (See Our High Calling, 242.)

The servant of the Lord would not tell us to pray that every day if we did not need to do so. We are talking about a big problem. This is why we need to go to the cross over and over and over again, until the message soaks in. I want to invite you, just now, to kneel down and pray that through the power of the Holy Spirit, this will be your experience.

Pastor John Grosboll is Director of Steps to Life and pastors the Prairie Meadows Church in Wichita, Kansas. He may be contacted by e-mail at: historic@stepstolife.org, or by telephone at: 316-788-5559.

The Filthy Garments

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Many people believe that in the end we are all going to the same place, but the Bible does not teach that. Revelation 20:15 says, “And if anyone was not found with his name written in the book of life, he was cast into the lake of fire.”

Revelation 21:27 identifies the ones who will be allowed into the holy city: “There shall in no case enter into it anything or the one doing abomination or making a lie. Rather those having been written in the book of life of the Lamb.”

How do you get your name written in this book? How do you keep your name from being taken out of this book? The tragedy is that in this modern world there are so many in the last generation who will think they are going to be saved, but they will learn at the end that they are lost.

A Prophecy

In this article we will study about our eternal destiny. We will begin with a prophecy concerning the spiritual condition of God’s people just before Jesus comes.

In Matthew 22, we read about the man who did not have on the wedding garment; he was not allowed into the wedding. The prophecy in Zechariah 3 shows that we do not have on the wedding garment. It is a most startling prophecy, because nobody can go to the wedding feast without having on the wedding garment, a garment of character that has no spot or wrinkle.

“And he showed me Joshua the great priest standing before the messenger of Jehovah, and Satan standing at his right hand to oppose him.” Zechariah 3:1. The word Satan is one of the few words in the English language that is a direct transliteration from the Hebrew word satan. The Hebrew name Satan, which means “the adversary,” was given to Lucifer after he fell. He is God’s adversary, and if you are a follower of God, he is your adversary. The different names Satan has in the Bible are significant.

Jesus said that the devil was a liar, but when the devil came to the angels in heaven and to Adam and Eve, he mixed error and truth together. To really be effective at deception, one must tell the truth most of the time. What we see in Zechariah is that the accusation the devil brought was true! “And Jehovah said to Satan, Jehovah gives a rebuke to you, Satan. Jehovah, the one who is choosing among Jerusalem, rebukes you. Is not this a brand that is plucked from the fire?” Verse 2.

Who is this brand that is plucked from the fire? It is you and me. What does it mean when it says that it is “a brand that is plucked from the fire”? That means this is a person who, because of his or her sins, is about to be destroyed, but the Lord says, “I am going to pull you out of the fire.”

Filthy Garments

Joshua had been pulled out of the fire, but notice his condition in verse 3: “And Joshua was clothed in filthy garments.” Now, stop right there. Can you go to the wedding feast in filthy garments? No, you cannot, but this is a description of God’s people. Ellen White wrote much about this. (See Testimonies, vol. 5, 467–476, “Joshua and the Angel.”) Those in filthy garments apply with particular force to God’s people at the end of time, right before probation closes.

We can cover ourselves any way we choose; we can make ourselves look as nice as possible, but God knows what is in the heart, and He tells us that our garments are filthy. You see, all through Scripture, from the fig leaves to the Book of Revelation, garments symbolize character. (See Revelation 19:7, 8.)

This is the crux of what is known as the shaking. The shaking occurs when we realize that we have on filthy garments, and if a miracle does not happen in our lives, we are lost.

“And he answered and said to those standing by him, Take away the filthy garments from him. And he said to him, ‘See I have caused to pass away from you your iniquity, and you shall be clothed in a royal robe.’ ” Verse 4. Taking away the filthy garments means that our iniquity is taken away. (Continue to read through Zechariah 3:7.) God’s children are to have their filthy garments taken away.

Cause of Defilement

What is it that causes God’s people to be clothed in filthy garments? Obviously, a garment that is filthy is a garment that is not pure. It is a garment that is polluted, defiled. In the law of God is spelled out the cause for a man or a woman to become defiled or polluted. That is the first thing that is done in the Bible. The first five books of the Bible explain that explicitly, so we will not make a mistake.

If we are clothed in filthy garments when probation closes, we will be lost. In Revelation 22:11, 12, it says that the one who is filthy is going to stay that way, but those that are saved will have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb. Revelation 7:14.

Diet

We can be clothed in filthy garments because of the way we eat. Leviticus 11 details the clean and unclean foods, and in verse 44, the Lord said to the children of Israel, “You are not to defile yourselves by eating these things. I am holy so you are to be holy.”

Our Protestant friends may say that this is not in the Ten Commandments, and the law was nailed to the cross. Well, the clean and unclean foods in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14 have nothing to do with the ceremonial system of the sanctuary. It has nothing to do with the Levitical priesthood.

Isaiah 66:15–17 talks about the time when the Lord is going to come to this world with wrath to judge the people because of their wickedness. It talks about different classes of people that are going to receive God’s wrath, and it mentions that those who are eating swine’s flesh and the mouse are going to receive the wrath of God.

We need to understand that we can be clothed in filthy garments because of what we eat.

Lewdness

Leviticus 18 talks about lewdness, immodesty; it takes in everything having to do with pornography in all its forms—whether dress, music, reading, or whatever it is. Leviticus 18:24 says, “Do not defile yourselves in any of these things, because in all these things the nations are defiled, which I am casting out before you.”

We are living in a time which has become more and more deeply involved in lewdness and immodesty and pornography of all kinds. All such things cause a person to wear filthy garments.

Drama

There was a time when Seventh-day Adventists did not believe in going to the movies.

There are several things wrong with watching drama—whether it is movies in the theater, on the television, or on the video or DVD, or attending a live dramatization in a theater or elsewhere.

Dramatization involves people acting a part. The person who is acting is actually telling a lie. If we watch movies or other drama presentations, we are watching somebody act out a lie. It has become so bad that men take parts where they are acting the part of Jesus Christ. Think about the blasphemy! They take parts as well where they are acting the part of evil spirits.

The movie industry has played a significant part in our society in introducing more and more immodesty of every kind. The people who watch this and who listen to the music with immoral lyrics are clothed in filthy garments.

Restraint

In Exodus 32, God said to Moses, “Your people have corrupted themselves.” “Moses saw the people, that restraint was removed, because Aaron had removed the restraint.” Verses 7, 25.

What restraint was removed? It was the restraint that God ordained should exist between men and women. Men are to keep their hands off women. Ellen White wrote that it is permissible for a preacher, or anyone else, to shake a woman’s hand. But, she cautioned that a woman’s hand should not be held too long or she could be caused to sin. Even the minister or other individuals could sin. (See Testimonies, vol. 5, 598.)

The restraint that God ordained should exist between men and women was removed in the experience in Exodus when they were dancing around the golden calf. It is removed in the dancing that is done today.

Familiarity in speech and in touching is causing God’s people to be clothed in filthy garments.

Honesty

In the Bible, the Lord talks about the stones that we have in our bags. (See Deuteronomy 25:13–15; Leviticus 19:36; Proverbs 16:11; 20:10, 23; Micah 6:11.) In ancient times, when individuals went to buy something, there would be a scale; upon one side of the scale the seller would place his or her weight, and the buyer, on the other side, would place whatever was being bought so the scale would balance. Of course, people who did a lot of buying and selling learned how to work things to their advantage. They had two bags of stones—the heavy bag was used for buying; the bag filled with stones that were light was used for selling.

The Lord counseled that we are not to have two kinds of stones in our bags—a heavy bag and a light bag. We are to have a just weight and a just balance. In other words, we are to be strictly honest.

If we take advantage of one another, we are clothed in filthy garments.

Seven Abominations

Revelation 21:27 tells us that no one will enter into the holy city who works an abomination. An abomination is something that is hated, especially something that God hates. In Proverbs 6:16–19, Solomon identifies seven things God hates: a proud look, a haughty look; a deceitful tongue; hands that shed innocent blood; a heart devising wicked plots or plans; feet that hurry to do evil; a deceitful mouth, a false witness; and one who brings about strife among brethren.

The people involved in these kinds of things have on filthy garments.

Anger, Lust, Hatred

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus showed that the filthy garment begins in the heart. Even if we do not say or do anything, we have hearts that are filthy and polluted.

For example, in Matthew 5:21, 22, we are told, “You have heard that it was said by them of old time, you shall not murder, but I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be in danger of the judgment.” Jesus was not telling us that we could be angry if we have a cause, but if we do not have a cause we cannot be angry, because almost everybody who gets angry has a cause! (See Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, 55–57.)

In Matthew 5:27, 28, we are cautioned against lust. Lust has to do with the mind. That is where sin begins. I have heard some people say that we can think whatever we want, just do not do it. That is one of the devil’s lies. Jesus tells us that if we are lusting in our minds, but we do not ever take action, we are still in filthy garments.

Then, in verse 43, Jesus spoke specifically of hatred: “You have heard that it is said of them in old time to love your neighbor and hate your enemies.” Hatred comes from the heart.

If we have a problem with anger, lust, or hatred, we are in filthy garments.

Take Them Away

What does it mean to take the filthy garments away? It means to have our iniquity taken away. It happens at the end of the Day of Atonement.

The Lord says, “In my ways you will go. If my charge you will keep, you will govern my house and keep my courts. You will be men wondered at.” Zechariah 3:8. Those who will be wondering are the people who are not saved, who do not have on the wedding garment.

You see, some of the people who are not saved are claiming today that having on a garment without spot or wrinkle is not possible. But, according to the Bible, there will be some people who have on a garment or character without spot or wrinkle, and they are the only ones going to heaven.

“To the marriage supper of the Lamb will come many who have not on the wedding garment—the robe [Christ] purchased for them with His lifeblood. From lips that never make a mistake come the words, ‘Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment?’ Matthew 22:12. Those [thus] addressed are speechless. They know that words would be useless. The truth, with its sanctifying power, has not been brought into the soul, and the tongue that once spoke so readily of the truth is now silent. The words are then spoken, ‘Take them out of My presence. They are not worthy to taste of My supper’ (cf. Luke 14:24).

“As they are separated from the loyal ones, Christ looks upon them with deep sorrow. They occupied high positions of trust in God’s work, but they have not the life insurance policy that would have entitled them to eternal life. From the quivering lips of Christ come the mournful words of regret, ‘I loved them; I gave My life for them; but they persisted in rejecting My pleadings, and continued in sin.’ ” The Upward Look, 301.

Friends, the filthy garments must be removed.

Pastor John Grosboll is Director of Steps to Life and pastors the Prairie Meadows Church in Wichita, Kansas. He may be contacted by e-mail at: historic@stepstolife.org, or by telephone at: 316-788-5559.

What Goes Around Comes Around

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For over one hundred years, Seventh-day Adventists have known that the time is coming when all who refuse the mark of the beast will be faced with a death decree. But there are going to be many Seventh-day Adventists who will never reach the point where their life is threatened. Without realizing it, their minds will have already come under the control of Satan long before the crisis arrives.

One method of mind control that Satan uses is an attempt to change the terminology. If you change the terminology, you will change the way a person thinks about the subject.

The second method is actually more deceptive than the first. In this method the same words are used; but they are given a different meaning. Has anyone ever asked you, “Do you believe that the church is going through?” Of course you believe that; but the real question is, Who and what is this church that is going through?

There have been some Historic Adventist preachers who have made statements like, “I don’t believe in sarcasm.” That sounds like a very pious thing to say. In Webster’s dictionary, 1828, it says that sarcasm is an expression that is uttered with some degree of scorn or contempt. Accordingly, a Christian will never utter a sarcastic word.

When you get to studying cybernetic warfare, you find that eventually a person goes contrary to the direct command of Jesus in Matthew 7:1, “Judge not, that you be not judged.” In this same chapter, Jesus also said, “You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them.” Verses 16–20. On the basis of the Word of God, we can check the fruit, which is a person’s words and actions, but we do not have authority to say what motives they may have had in speaking those words.

Let me give you an example. “And so it was, at noon, that Elijah mocked them and said, ‘Cry aloud, for he is a god; either he is meditating, or he is busy, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened.’ So they cried aloud, and cut themselves, as was their custom, with knives and lances, until the blood gushed out on them. And when midday was past, they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice. But there was no voice; no one answered, no one paid attention.” I Kings 18:27–29. That is sarcastic speech; but I do not have the authority to say whether Elijah had the feeling of contempt in his heart toward these people. That is God’s prerogative. That is one of the problems you run into when you start changing definitions of words. Eventually, you get to assigning motives to other people.

To the person lacking spiritual vision, it appears that the agents of God and those of Satan are doing the same work. Because God’s agents are to rebuke and reprove, sometimes with severity, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, this reproof and rebuke is interpreted by unconverted hearts to have been given from the same motives that they themselves feel when making such remarks. We judge things on the basis of our own motives and heart and experience. That is why the Bible says, “Judge not, that you be not judged.” And so it is that the person who, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, speaks the words of God in reproof and rebuke finds his words interpreted as sarcasm, faultfinding, criticism, and condemning.

Many years ago there was a life insurance salesman in the United States by the name of Vash Young who wrote a book entitled The Go-Giver. In this book he wrote about a number of his experiences. One of the conclusions that he came to was that the average human being makes about 85 percent of his decisions on any subject based upon his feelings or emotions; but he needs about 15 percent of logic and reason to justify that feeling or emotion. Cybernetic warfare involves communicating an emotional picture to a person’s imagination which influences that person’s decisions and gets his sympathy in a desired direction. Often this desired direction can be completely contrary to the facts.

Suppose that you invited my daughter and me to come along with you for a ride and a picnic in the mountains. However, when the time comes, I notice that there are not enough seat belts to go around, and, in addition, your car does not have very good tires. Rather than hurt your feelings by referring to the poor condition of your car, I just tell you that I have decided that I would rather not go. Suppose, then, that a couple of days later a friend of yours calls me on the telephone after talking to you and tells me that you informed him that I boycotted your picnic and he was wondering why I would do anything so traitorous as this.

Ellen White says, “It is a fact widely ignored, though never without danger, that error rarely appears for what it really is. It is by mingling with or attaching itself to truth that it gains acceptance.”
Education, 230, 231.

Very often these mind control techniques are a perversion of something that actually is true. It is true that I did not go on the picnic. But my decision has been described by words that have a very powerful, negative emotional connotation.

Deuteronomy 6:6–9 says, “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” What is the principle here? If you really want to learn something, you expose your mind to it over and over again.

Experts in mind control techniques understand this principle. This principle of repeating something over and over again is one of the main principles upon which all propaganda is based. When you hear something you immediately have to do one of two things. You have to decide whether to accept it or to resist it. It does not matter whether the information is true or false; if it is repeated often enough and you are not resisting it, you will believe it. That is the way the human mind is made, and the devil knows it.

When you hear a minister speaking, do you believe what he has to say on the basis of the Word of God, or because he has said it? Not too long ago I received some videos. The person doing the speaking would consider himself a Historic Adventist preacher. I did not have time to watch them, so I asked a relative to watch them for me and tell me what he heard. It was reported to me that on these videos, the minister made a particular statement. I asked my relative if the person speaking had shown that statement to be true from the Bible or the Spirit of Prophecy. “No,” he replied, “he didn’t prove it, but he repeated it 12 times throughout that video.”

If you are not asking the question, “Is this substantiated in the Word of God?” and resisting everything that is not, after something is repeated 12 times you are going to believe what you are told.

This same principle also applies to the speaker. Something repeated over and over again, even if it is not true, eventually becomes truth to the one speaking it, until he will believe it so thoroughly that no one can convince him otherwise. In the effort to get other people to think a certain way, you will influence yourself.

Ellen White tells us that in the last great crisis, “Those who honor the Bible Sabbath will be denounced as enemies of law and order, as breaking down the moral restraints of society, causing anarchy and corruption, and calling down the judgments of God upon the earth. Their conscientious scruples will be pronounced obstinacy, stubbornness, and contempt of authority.” The Great Controversy, 592.

Of what law are you an enemy? You will be an enemy of the Sunday law, so you will be an enemy of order. In our society that sends a strong, emotional message that will turn people against you. When this type of information is broadcast on radio and television, you will find that people will accept it; and immediately their emotions will be stirred to a white-hot heat. If you have already experienced, in a degree, this sort of thing, the Lord has just allowed it to take place in your life to get you ready for the real attack that is coming.

We are living in the time when the vast majority of the people in this world are going to be subject to mind control without realizing that it is taking place. They will believe that they are about to enter the most wonderful period of human existence that there has ever been. (See The Great Controversy, 588, 589.)

How are you going to escape this? Only by being grounded on the foundation of God’s government—love to God and love for your fellow man. These are the two fundamental principles. If these principles are not in your heart and in mine, if you are not manifesting them in your family or where you work or with the people with whom you associate, you are not going to make it. I used to naively think that studying the Bible so that I would know the truth would be sufficient; but unless the truth about Jesus and His love has taken possession of your heart, all of the theoretical knowledge is not going to hold you in the battle we are entering.

“That which distinguishes the character and conduct of Christians from all others is the principle of holy, Christlike love, which works in the heart with its purifying influence. The true Christian will work the works of Christ in giving expression in deeds of love one to another. With this living, abiding, working principle in life and in character, no one can resemble the world. If you know the character and works of Christ, you will know the disposition and conduct of Christians. Christ hated evil so much that sin and evil met a strong rebuke from His lips and from His example. While He hated sin, He loved the sinner. …

“How much greater strength you might have had as sons and daughters of God had you loved God supremely and your neighbor as you love yourself. How much higher ground you might stand upon if you had been following on to know more and more of the truth and gathering more and more divine light to shine forth in good works to all around you.

“Your works are not pleasing to God but pleasing to the enemy. You have lessons to learn in the school of Christ before you will be fitted for heaven. Yourself, your ways, your sharp traits of character make you unskillful in dealing with minds and hearts. … If you allow yourselves to be dictatorial, accusing, and judging your brethren, and with unsanctified hearts and unholy tempers seeking to mend their wrongs, you do unskillful work and drive souls away from the service of Christ. …

“You must take hold of God with one hand while with the other hand, in love, you lay hold upon the erring and the sinner and draw them to Jesus. Pray with them, weep with them, feel for their souls, love them, and never let go of them. This is the love Jesus has expressed for you. You must ever strive for unity and forbearance and love. Never draw apart, but press together, binding heart to heart and making supplications in the Spirit. Then the power of God will work in your midst and many souls will be brought to the truth through your influence. Manuscript 32, 1887.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 2, 125-127.

I believe in missionary work with all of my heart, and I believe in proclaiming the gospel and the Three Angels’ Messages; but if we are going to get the kind of results that God wants us to have, we must love God with all of our heart, soul, and mind and our neighbor as ourselves. It may take a great deal of prayer to know what Jesus would do in the situation in which you find yourself, but ask the Lord to teach you how and what to do.

There was a Bulgarian pastor who was taken captive by the Communists. They tried again and again to break him down, but they could not. He said that during the 13 or 14 years that he was in a prison camp, his captors considered him the number one enemy because what he represented would destroy their system. In telling his experience of being beaten and tortured, he said that he noticed that many of the soldiers who were administering this torture became just like animals. At the very time that these people were losing all human feelings and emotions, among some of the prisoners an amazing thing took place. There would be men who, because their jaws had been broken as a result of their beatings, could not take a piece of bread and eat it. Some of their fellow prisoners would take the bread and break it up into small pieces and put it into these injured prisoner’s mouths so that they could get some nourishment. As the torturers were becoming satanic in their nature, there were prisoners who were becoming godlike.

In the midst of the great crisis that we are entering right now, there will be a world full of people who will be like the devil in human flesh. But in the midst of all of this horror, there will be some people who will become an exact reflection of the character of Jesus Christ. If you live until the end, it is going to be one way or the other. The only way that you are going to survive is if you have the love of Jesus in your heart—you love God with all your heart, soul, and mind, and you love your fellow man so that nobody can induce you to do something to hurt or harm them. If you have that kind of love in your heart, they will not be able to break you down.

Pastor John Grosboll is Director of Steps to Life and pastors the Prairie Meadows Church in Wichita, Kansas.  He may be contacted by e-mail at: historic@stepstolife.org, or by telephone at: 316-788-5559.

Ask For the Old Paths

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Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.” Jeremiah 6:16.

What are these “old paths” for which Jeremiah told us to ask? Some doubters might quibble that the Israelites never reached the condition that God wanted them to attain. They might further argue that these “old paths” contained some pretty bad history. We could think of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram; Zimri; Miriam and Aaron’s jealousy; and the golden calf—to name just a few of the problems.

Are these errors and departure from truth the “old paths” for which the Lord is telling us to ask? No, the text itself explains for what we are to look. “Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein.” The qualifier is “the good way.”

The old path of truth must be walked on again. On this path lies the only way to victory for the church of God. Today we are calling to Christians across the land and around the world to return to the old paths of truth that God has committed to Seventh-day Adventists—the path that James and Ellen White walked on, and J. N. Andrews, Benjamin Wilkinson, F. C. Gilbert, Julius Gilbert White, Edward Sutherland, and a host of others. The old historic pathway is the truth as expressed in the Law of God. It contains the truth of the Three Angels’ Messages, the heavenly sanctuary, the Sabbath, the state of the dead, the Spirit of Prophecy, and the investigative judgment. Those who are walking on the “old paths” are teaching the old truths. This is why we are “Historic” Seventh-day Adventists. The pioneers did not reach the end of the path. They did not receive the latter rain—but they were on the right pathway.

Yes, as a people, there have been some bad experiences in our history. There was Canright, Conradi, the 1888 Conference at Minneapolis, and Desmond Ford, to name just a few. Is that the history we are talking about when we say “Historic” Seventh-day Adventists? Hardly! Jeremiah 6:16 gives us the context, “Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein.”

We will never attain to the full condition that God would have us reach or receive the latter rain and give the loud cry of warning to a perishing world until we first return to walking on the “old paths.”

One of the conditions that God has set before us as a people is to be of one heart and one mind. But my heart feels sad to think of the lack of unity among the independent ministries. Why is it this way when we are trying to walk on the “old paths?” My mind turned to the greatness and power of our kind heavenly Father. It gives me peace to remember that our Almighty God has everything in control. Each truly Historic Seventh-day Adventist minister and worker giving the Three Angels’ Messages must go forward with greater power under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and with godly counsel. God will help and support each one of His workers. He is even working out His plans right now in the midst of shaking and turmoil. We must stay close to Him.

We must not let anything stop us from giving the third angel’s message. We will be held accountable for the message of truth that God has given us to give to the world. Fellow travelers on the bloodstained pathway do not give up because of the lack of unity. Pray in earnest, as if your life depended on it, that you can help the cause of God to triumph. We often do not understand what God is accomplishing. We do not see things as He does. He is leading a people on a path cast up high above the world. It is the “old path,” the historic path of truth. But, friends, we must climb to higher ground and go farther on the path than any group of people have ever gone before. We may make mistakes as we climb, but God never makes mistakes. We may slip and fall, but the truth will triumph. At Steps to Life, we are in earnest prayer that the Lord will show us just what course to pursue as we seek to work in every way we can with those who are giving the Three Angels’ Messages. “There is not a single instance in which God has hidden His face from the supplication of His people. When every other resource failed, He was a present help in every emergency.” This Day With God, 194.

“Brethren and sisters, look up; you who are tried, tempted, and discouraged, look up. Let no weary, halting, sin-oppressed soul become faint-hearted. The promises of God that come down along the lines to our times assure you that heaven can be reached if you will continue to climb. It is ever safe to look up; it is fatal to look down. If you look down, the earth reels and sways beneath you; nothing is sure. But heaven above you is calm and steady, and there is divine aid for every climber. The hand of the Infinite is reaching over the battlements of heaven to grasp yours in its strong embrace. The mighty Helper is nigh to bless, lift up, and encourage the most erring, the most sinful, if they will look to Him by faith. But the sinner must look up; he must see the glory of God above the shining ladder, and the angels ascending and descending with messages of mercy.” Review and Herald, February 17, 1885.

Sometimes the ground under our feet seems to be shaking to cause us to look up to heaven. But as the earth seems to be shaking, keep on giving the Three Angels’ Messages. Stay on the “old path.” The devil would like us to be so shaken up that we stop the work that God has given us to do. Remember that God is working out His purposes in the darkest of days. “We are prone to look to our fellow men for sympathy and uplifting, instead of looking to Jesus. In His mercy and faithfulness God often permits those in whom we place confidence to fail us, in order that we may learn the folly of trusting in man and making flesh our arm. Let us trust fully, humbly, unselfishly in God. He knows the sorrows that we feel to the depths of our being, but which we cannot express. When all things seem dark and unexplainable, remember the words of Christ, ‘What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.’ John 13:7.” The Ministry of Healing, 486, 487.

One of the great hindrances to our advancement along the path is the justification of self. The wise man said, “Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the Lord pondereth the hearts.” Proverbs 21:2. We become so confident that we are right that when others do not see things in the same way as we do, we are certain that they are wrong. It then becomes very natural, when they fail to support us, to view them as actively seeking our destruction—they must be “attacking” us. We then attribute to them pride, selfishness, pettiness, evil surmising, and various other negative motives. Eventually, we reason that since God has been leading us and we are therefore right (righteous), for anyone to attack us is tantamount to an attack upon God Himself, when the truth of the matter is that we are often merely seeking to justify our own position. “Every way of a man is right in his own eyes.” It is a fearful thing for individuals or organizations to unconsciously occupy the place of God in presuming to dictate to others what their responsibilities and duties are.

What are we to do when this happens? The apostle John once asked Jesus a question about a similar situation. “Master, we saw one casting out devils in Thy name, and he followeth not us: and we forbad him, because he followeth not us. But Jesus said, Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in My name, that can lightly speak evil of Me. For he that is not against us is on our part.” Mark 9:38–40. Even if others are not in agreement with us, it is not our place to fault them for doing the work that they believe they are called of the Lord to do. If we can humbly pray and wait upon the Lord to work things out, we may find that we are receiving the very education that the Lord designs for us to have. Let us not be too quick to say that those who are not working closely with our plans are evil or that they are arrayed against us.

In every controversy, precious souls are lost. While in humility and waiting upon the Lord to subdue our natures, we do not need to let disagreements turn into controversies. “The difficulties we have to encounter may be very much lessened by that meekness which hides itself in Christ. If we possess the humility of our Master, we shall rise above the slights, the rebuffs, the annoyances, to which we are daily exposed, and they will cease to cast a gloom over the spirit.” The Desire of Ages, 301. If we would only do this, Jesus would then become the Lord and Master of all.

There will yet be a people who will answer the prayer of Christ recorded by the apostle John, “That they all may be one; as Thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.” John 17:21. We may have confidence that the Lord is working to purify a people who will fulfill this prayer, though at the present time we can only view the end result by the eye of faith. It will most assuredly happen because the Word of God is sure and steadfast.

“As trials thicken around us, both separation and unity will be seen in our ranks. Some who are now ready to take up weapons of warfare will in times of real peril make it manifest that they have not built upon the solid rock; they will yield to temptation. Those who have had great light and precious privileges, but have not improved them, will, under one pretext or another, go out from us. Not having received the love of the truth, they will be taken in the delusions of the enemy; they will give heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils, and will depart from the faith. But, on the other hand, when the storm of persecution really breaks upon us, the true sheep will hear the true Shepherd’s voice. Self-denying efforts will be put forth to save the lost, and many who have strayed from the fold will come back to follow the great Shepherd. The people of God will draw together and present to the enemy a united front. In view of the common peril, strife for supremacy will cease; there will be no disputing as to who shall be accounted greatest. No one of the true believers will say: ‘I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas.’ [I Corinthians 1:12.] The testimony of one and all will be: ‘I cleave unto Christ; I rejoice in Him as my personal Saviour.’ ” Testimonies, vol. 6, 400, 401.

Gwen Reeves is a mother of five and lives in Kettle Falls, Washington. She can be contacted at: landmarks@stepstolife.org.

Weighed in the Balances

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Someday every one of us is going to be in this world for the last day of our life. Every day that we live should be a day that we live in reference to that fact, because whether we live until Jesus returns, or die first, there will come a day when our destiny is fixed for eternity and there will be nothing that we can do to change it.

There is a story of a man facing judgment. It was Belshazzar’s last day on this earth, and we are told that he was giving a party. “They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze, and iron, wood and stone.” Daniel 5:4. Have you ever read the text in the Bible that says, “The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth”? Ecclesiastes 7:4. “In the same hour came forth fingers of a man’s hand, and wrote over against the candlestick on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace; and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. Then the king’s countenance changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his hips were loosened and his knees knocked against each other.” Daniel 5:5, 6. Commenting on this verse, Ellen White tells us that, “When God makes men fear, they cannot hide the intensity of their terror.” The Youth’s Instructor, May 19, 1898.

So Belshazzar called in all of the wise men, those who understood science and philosophy, that they might tell him the meaning of the writing; but they could not do so. “The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. And the king spoke, saying to the wise men of Babylon, ‘Whoever reads this writing, and tells me its interpretation shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around his neck; and he shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.’ ” Daniel 5:7. Philosophy and science have their proper place, but learning and education will not save you on your last day on earth unless you know the God of heaven.

The queen mother then came to Belshazzar and said, “There is a man in your kingdom, in whom is the Spirit of the Holy God. And in the days of your father, light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, were found in him; and King Nebuchadnezzar your father—your father the king—made him chief of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers. Inasmuch as an excellent spirit, knowledge, understanding, interpreting dreams, solving riddles, and explaining enigmas were found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar: now let Daniel be called, and he will give the interpretation.” Verses 11, 12.

So Daniel came in and gave the interpretation of the handwriting that was on the wall. He began by reviewing with him the providence of God in the life of Nebuchadnezzar.

“But when his heart was lifted up, and his spirit was hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him. Then he was driven from the sons of men, his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. They fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till he knew that the Most High God rules in the kingdom of men, and appoints over it whomever He chooses. But you his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, although you knew all this, And you have lifted yourself up against the Lord of heaven.” Verses 20–23. By his actions, Belshazzar had despised the God of heaven.

“The fingers of the hand were sent from Him, and this writing was written. And this is the inscription that was written: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN. This is the interpretation of each word. MENE; God has numbered your kingdom and finished it.” Verses 24–26.

The time is going to come when we will be in this world for our last day, and our character is going to be put into that balance. Though there are stories in the Bible about people who were going in a certain direction who came to a point late in their life when they decided to reverse their direction, those cases are few in number.

“Many are quieting a troubled conscience with the thought that they can change a course of evil when they choose; that they can trifle with the invitations of mercy, and yet be again and again impressed. They think that after doing despite to the Spirit of grace, after casting their influence on the side of Satan, in a moment of terrible extremity they can change their course. But this is not so easily done. The experience, the education of a lifetime, has so thoroughly molded the character that few then desire to receive the image of Jesus.” Steps to Christ, 33.

The judgment is the heart of the message that God has given to Seventh-day Adventists. Our whole message has to do with judgment, because we are living in the end times when the judgment is taking place.

When, in the judgment, we are weighed in God’s balances, every detail of our character will be examined.

“God weighs every man in the balances of the sanctuary. In one scale is placed His perfect, unchangeable law, demanding perfect obedience. If in the other there are years of forgetfulness, of rebellion, of self-pleasing, with no repentance, no confession, no effort to do right, God says, “ ‘Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting [Daniel 5:27].’ ” Youth’s Instructor, July 31, 1902.

None of us can weigh out unless someone takes away our guilt and in its place supplies us with the righteous fulfillment of the Law. That is what the gospel is all about.

We are living in a time when people have become unconcerned about this judgment. They believe that they can live in any way that they please and that it is sufficient to just say, “Lord, I am confessing my sins,” and their sins will be forgiven. But as we just read, if there has been no repentance and no effort to do right, God will say, “No, you are not going to weigh out.”

“A decree went forth to slay the saints, which caused them to cry day and night for deliverance. This was the time of Jacob’s trouble. Then all the saints cried out with anguish of spirit, and were delivered by the voice of God. The 144,000 triumphed. Their faces were lighted up with the glory of God. Then I was shown a company who were howling in agony.” Early Writings, 36.

What were they howling in agony about? “On their garments [that is, their garments of character] was written in large characters, ‘Thou art weighed in the balance, and found wanting.’ I asked who this company were. The angel said, ‘These are they who have once kept the Sabbath and have given it up.’ ” Ibid., 37.

Now when the national Sunday law is passed, there is going to be a multitude who are going to give up the Sabbath in order to obtain food and clothing. When that temptation comes to you, I hope that you will remember this reference in this story.

“I heard them cry with a loud voice, ‘We have believed in Thy coming, and taught it with energy.’ And while they were speaking, their eyes would fall upon their garments and see the writing, and then they would wail aloud. I saw that they had drunk of the deep waters, and fouled the residue with their feet—trodden the Sabbath underfoot—and that was why they were weighed in the balance and found wanting.” Ibid.

Sin is the transgression of the Law. When your time comes to be weighed, the Law is going to be on the other side of the balances. The Law demands perfect obedience, and therefore, if you are going to weigh out, you must be diligent and say, “Lord, help me by Your grace to get all sin out of my life now.” That is one of the great problems for a lot of people in our generation. You think this over, relative to some people that you know, and you will realize that many of them plan to get sin out of their lives at some future time; but not now. It has been estimated that there are three million Seventh-day Adventists in the United States. There are not, however, three million Seventh-day Adventists in church every Sabbath. Where are these people? They know our message, and they profess their belief in it; but they are not living it.

Let me share some statements with you. “Since Jesus has made such an infinite sacrifice for us, how cruel it is that we should remain indifferent. Individually, we have cost the life of the Son of God, and He desires us to walk out by living faith, believing in Him with all the heart. He would have you bring the truth of God into the inner sanctuary [that is, your mind], to soften and subdue the soul; for when Christ is dwelling in your heart by faith, you will love those for whom He died. Suppose that the trump of God should sound tonight, who is ready to respond with gladness? How many of you would cry, ‘Oh, stay the chariot wheels; I am not ready’? Of how many would it be written, as it was written of Belshazzar, ‘Thou art weighed in the balances and art found wanting’? To be wanting in that day is to be wanting forever; for when Christ shall come in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory, we must be all ready to be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, and to be caught up to meet the Lord in the air. Your only safety is in coming to Christ, and ceasing from sin this very moment.” Signs of the Times, August 29, 1892. Do you see what it means to come up to the last day and be wanting? Our only safety is in coming to Christ and ceasing from sin this moment.

If you decide that you are going to quit some sin in your life tomorrow, you have, at the same time, decided that you are still going to do it today. Now, if you decide that you are going to sin today, can Jesus be your Lord and Savior today? No, He cannot. You have placed yourself outside of the vale of mercy; and if you should die today, you are lost.

“It is possible to be a partial, formal believer, and yet be found wanting and lose eternal life. It is possible to practice some of the Bible injunctions and be regarded as a Christian, and yet perish because you lack qualifications essential to Christian character. If you neglect or treat with indifference the warnings that God has given, if you cherish or excuse sin, you are sealing your soul’s destiny. You will be weighed in the balance and found wanting. Grace, peace, and pardon will be forever withdrawn; Jesus will have passed by, never again to come within reach of your prayers and entreaties.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 405.

Friends, this is serious business. Are you praying every day and saying, “Lord, please fill me with Your Holy Spirit. Give me any rebuke I need, just do not take Your Holy Spirit from me?”

I find that there are many people who have a lot of questions about counsel and believe that in whatever we do, we should follow counsel. The Bible does say that in a multitude of counsel there is safety. We do need to move in harmony with counsel, but we also need to remember that from whomever we are receiving counsel, it does not matter who it is, unless that person is giving evidence that the Holy Spirit is working in their life, we cannot depend on their counsel.

“You are already confused by men whose counsel is erratic. If you will come out from these men and be separate, you will be in a much better position to advance the work. There is no safety in following the counsel of men who are not vivified by the Holy Spirit, but must be reformed, else they will be weighed in the balances of the sanctuary, and found wanting.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 14, 50.

Someday, though we do not know when, we are going to be placed in the balances. The weight of our character, when put in the balance, will be determined by the motives that caused us to act. If we do not have the love of Jesus in our heart, we may be doing the right things, but we will not weigh out.

“God is weighing our characters, our conduct, and our motives in the balances of the sanctuary. It will be a fearful thing to be pronounced wanting in love and obedience by our Redeemer, who died upon the cross to draw our hearts unto Him. God has bestowed upon us great and precious gifts. He has given us light and a knowledge of His will, so that we need not err or walk in darkness. To be weighed in the balance and found wanting in the day of final settlement and rewards will be a fearful thing, a terrible mistake which can never be corrected.” Testimonies, vol. 3, 370.

“When this church is weighed in the balance of the sanctuary, it is found wanting, having left its first love. The True Witness declares, ‘I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and has found them liars: and hast borne, and hast patience, and for My name’s sake has laboured, and hast not fainted.’ [Revelation 2:2, 3.] Notwithstanding all this, the church is found wanting. What is the fatal deficiency?—‘Thou hast left thy first love.’ Is not this our case? Our doctrines may be correct; we may hate false doctrine, and may not receive those who are not true to principle; we may labor with untiring energy; but even this is not sufficient. What is our motive? Why are we called upon to repent?—‘Thou hast left thy first love.’ ” Selected Messages, Book 1, 370.

You see, if you do not have the love of Jesus in your heart, you can be doing the right thing, but fail to weigh out. The people in the Ephesus church were not heretics. In fact, those who professed to be apostles, but whom they found were not, they cast out. Their doctrines were right and they hated error, but that is not enough. There will come a time when you will be weighed, and doctrines alone are not enough. If you do not have the love of Jesus inside, you will be wanting; you will be lacking.

“You may manifest great zeal in missionary effort, and yet because it is corrupted with selfishness, and it is nought in the sight of God; for it is a tainted, corrupted offering. Unless the door of the heart is open to Jesus, unless He occupies the soul temple, unless the heart is imbued with His divine attributes, human actions when weighed in the heavenly balances, will be pronounced ‘Wanting.’ ” “Ellen G. White Comments” Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, 961.

Oh friends, each one of us is coming to our last day in this world, and each one of us is going to be weighed in the balances. Are you getting ready? Do you have the love of Jesus inside; His meekness, His lowliness? Are you obedient to Him; do your thoughts, words, and the tone of your voice reveal that fact? If you want to make a covenant with the Lord and say, “Lord, I am choosing to lay aside everything that would not be in harmony with Your will; I pray that You will fill my heart and mind with Your Holy Spirit and change them,” I invite you to kneel, right where you are, and ask the Lord to give you this experience right now.

[Bible texts quoted are literal translation.]

Pastor John Grosboll is Director of Steps to Life and pastors the Prairie Meadows Church in Wichita, Kansas. He may be contacted by e-mail at: historic@stepstolife.org, or by telephone at: 316-788-5559.