The Road Less Traveled

A while ago the phrase “well beaten path” came up during a conversation with a friend. That made me think of the Robert Frost poem:

The Road Not Taken

“Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;”

 So often we stand at a crossroads in our Christian experience, a simple matter of choosing to do or not do something. More importantly, it is the choice between the complete surrender of our will and following God’s guidance or following after the world. Matthew 7:13, 14 says, “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.”

In Luke 16:13, the Bible says, “No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”

As we look at our lives on this earth, we can see that there is far more than just living, working, and then dying. There is a future to be considered. A future that we must choose or we will live just to work and ultimately die. John 14:6 tells us how we may choose that future. Jesus says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” And Paul tells us in Acts 4:12 that Jesus is the only way we can obtain salvation. “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

“ ‘For their sakes I sanctify Myself,’ Christ said, ‘that they also might be sanctified through the truth.’ The Lord Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life; and those who unite with Him, putting Him on, will work as colaborers with Him, by conforming to the principles of truth. By beholding, they become imbued with truth, and unite with Christ to transform the living temple given to idols, that human beings may become cleansed, refined, sanctified, temples for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.” Fundamentals of Christian Education, 466

“When Christ bowed on the banks of Jordan, after His baptism, the heavens, were opened, and the Spirit descended in the form of a dove, like burnished gold, and encircled Him with its glory; and the voice of God from the highest heaven was heard, saying, ‘This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased’ (Matthew 3:17). The prayer of Christ in man’s behalf opened the gates of heaven, and the Father had responded, accepting the petition for the fallen race. Jesus prayed as our Substitute and Surety, and now the human family may find access to the Father through the merits of His well-beloved Son. … Jesus is ‘the way, the truth, and the life’ (John 14:6). The gate of heaven has been left ajar, and the radiance from the throne of God shines into the hearts of those who love Him.

“The word that was spoken to Jesus at the Jordan. … embraces humanity. God spoke to Jesus as our representative. With all our sins and weaknesses, we are not cast aside as worthless. … The glory that rested upon Christ is a pledge of the love of God for us. It tells us of the power of prayer—how the human voice may reach the ear of God, and our petition find acceptance in the courts of heaven. By sin, earth was cut off from heaven, and alienated from its communion; but Jesus has connected it again with the sphere of glory. His love has encircled man, and reached the highest heaven. The light which fell from the open portals upon the head of our Saviour will fall upon us as we pray for help to resist temptation. The voice which spoke to Jesus says to every believing soul, This is My beloved child, in whom I am well pleased. … Our Redeemer has opened the way so that the most sinful, the most needy, … may find access to the Father. All may have a home in the mansions which Jesus has gone to prepare” God’s Amazing Grace, 83

And yet, we linger, as Frost’s poem suggests, looking from one road to the other, seemingly unable to make a choice, and in not making one, we make one. We must clearly understand that without Jesus Christ, without the transformation of the Holy Spirit, we are and will always be on one road. Without a determined choice, our sinful nature keeps us on the road that leads away from eternal life.

I recently heard a young man’s response to the question, Why does God send people to hell? He said that God doesn’t send people to hell, that it is by nature that we are on the road leading there and unless we choose to follow Christ, we will simply take ourselves further away from Him, ultimately to destruction. Simple. We are by nature destined for eternal death. We say we have two choices, but in truth, we really only have one. We choose to follow Jesus or by nature we take the broad road to destruction.

“All along the path that leads to death there are pains and penalties, there are sorrows and disappointments, there are warnings from God’s messengers not to go on, and God will make it hard for the heedless and the headstrong to destroy themselves. All the way up the steep path leading to eternal life are wellsprings of joy to refresh the weary. The true, strong joy of the soul begins when Christ is formed within, the hope of glory. If you now choose the path where God leads, and go forward where the voice of duty calls, the difficulties which Satan has magnified before you will disappear.” Notebook Leaflets from the Elmshaven Library, Vol. 1, 76

Did you catch that? God makes it hard for us to destroy ourselves. He is determined that while He will force no one to accept Him, He will not let them choose otherwise without putting forth His powerful efforts to save him. And more, He has prepared “wellsprings of joy to refresh the weary” all along the path to eternal life. He promises to be with us every step of the way inviting us to “Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.” Psalm 55:22

As we read further in Frost’s poem, we see that a choice was made to take the road less traveled. Matthew 7 describes that road as narrow, difficult, and few choose it. And why is that? In Lift Him Up, 222, Ellen White writes, “The path of the upright is the path of peace. It is so plain that the humble, God-fearing man can walk in it without stumbling and without making crooked paths. It is a narrow path; but men of different temperaments can walk side by side if they but follow the Captain of their salvation. Those who wish to carry along all their evil traits and selfish habits cannot walk in this path, for it is too straight and narrow.”

She also writes, “It is the path which requires a denial of sinful pleasures; it is a narrow path, cast up for the ransomed of the Lord to walk in. None can walk this path and carry with them their burdens of pride, self-will, deceit, falsehood, dishonesty, passion, and the carnal lusts. The path is so narrow that these things will have to be left behind by those who walk in it, but the broad road is wide enough for sinners to travel it with all their sinful propensities.” Testimonies, Vol. 4, 364

During his discourse with his three friends, Job says, “My foot has held fast to His steps; I have kept His way and not turned aside.” Job 23:11. Paul says, “Make straight paths for your feet.” Hebrews 12:13, first part

“What must we do to make straight paths for our feet? We must speak no unkind word, either at home or abroad; we must be gentle and considerate toward all. We cannot be fretful and impatient, and still be Christians; for a fretful, impatient spirit is not the Spirit of Christ. With such a spirit, you are making crooked paths, and someone else will follow you; and so you are not only making crooked paths for your own feet, but for the feet of others. You ask how shall you perfect a Christian character? Look to the life of Jesus. He is your pattern. See what kind of spirit be manifested, and endeavor to show the same in your daily life and conversation. Make just such paths as He made. You are to follow Him, that you may know that ‘His going forth is prepared as the morning.’ His path is a most precious path in which to walk.” The Review and Herald, August 14, 1888

How do we perfect Christian character? Seek with perseverance the spirit that Jesus manifested in His daily life and surrender to the transforming power of the Holy Spirit so that we may show in our lives and conversation every day the same spirit that Jesus manifested. We need not be fainthearted or discouraged, for Psalm 16:11 says, “You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

“Christian life is more than many take it to be. It does not consist wholly in gentleness, patience, meekness, and kindliness. These graces are essential; but there is need also of courage, force, energy, and perseverance. The path that Christ marks out is a narrow, self-denying path. To enter that path and press on through difficulties and discouragements, requires men who are more than weaklings.

“Men of stamina are wanted, men who will not wait to have their way smoothed and every obstacle removed; men who will inspire with fresh zeal the flagging efforts of dispirited workers; men whose hearts are warm with Christian love, and whose hands are strong to do their Master’s work.

“… Those who would win success must be courageous and hopeful. They should cultivate not only the passive but the active virtues. While they are to give the soft answer that turns away wrath, they must possess the courage of a hero to resist evil. With the charity that endures all things, they need the force of character that will make their influence a positive power.

“… There is in true Christian character an indomitableness that cannot be moulded or subdued by adverse circumstances. We must have moral backbone, an integrity that cannot be flattered, bribed, or terrified.

“God desires us to make use of every opportunity for securing a preparation for His work. He expects us to put all our energies into its performance, and to keep our hearts alive to its sacredness and its fearful responsibilities.

“Many who are qualified to do excellent work accomplish little because they attempt little. Thousands pass through life as if they had no great object for which to live, no high standard to reach. One reason for this is the low estimate which they place upon themselves. Christ paid an infinite price for us, and according to the price paid He desires us to value ourselves.

“Be not satisfied with reaching a low standard. We are not what we might be, or what it is God’s will that we should be. God has given us reasoning powers, not to remain inactive, or to be perverted to earthly and sordid pursuits, but that they may be developed to the utmost, refined, sanctified, ennobled, and used in advancing the interests of His kingdom.” Gospel Workers, 290, 291

How do we find this path less traveled? If Jesus’ life is the pattern we are to follow, how can we know it? “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105

“We all need a guide through the many strait places in life as much as the sailor needs a pilot over the sandy bar or up the rocky river, and where is this guide to be found? We point you … to the Bible.

“God, has given us His word as a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. Its teachings have a vital bearing on our prosperity in all the relations of life. …

“The Bible is the great standard of right and wrong, clearly defining sin and holiness. Its living principles, running through our lives like threads of gold, are our only safeguard in trial and temptation. The Bible is a chart, showing us the waymarks of truth. Those who are acquainted with this chart will be enabled to tread with certainty in the path of duty, wherever they may be called to go.

“When faith in God’s word is lost, the soul has no guide, no safeguard. …

“To this cause may in great degree be attributed the widespread iniquity in our world today. When the word of God is set aside, its power to restrain the evil passions of the natural heart is rejected.

“When God’s word is made the man of our counsel, when we search the Scriptures for light, heavenly angels come near to impress the mind and to enlighten the understanding, so that it can be truly said, ‘The entrance of Thy words giveth light. …’ Psalm 119:130

“The word of God is light and truth. … It is able to guide every step of the way to the city of God.” The Faith I Live By, 7

We are cautioned to turn away from the ways of the world. “Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the way of evil. Avoid it, do not travel on it; turn away from it and pass on. For they do not sleep unless they have done evil; and their sleep is taken away unless they make someone fall. For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.” Proverbs 4:14–17

“The path of implicit obedience is the only path of safety, for this is the path cast up for the Christian to travel—the path which leads him close to the side of his Redeemer. He will have a converted body. His soul is in harmony with the laws of God. He is daily receiving renovating grace and is made rich by his title to an immortal inheritance. He is walking in the path of the overcomer.” Manuscript Releases, Vol. 20, 283

“The path of uprightness is the path of peace. Those who have the meekness and lowliness of Christ can walk this humble path calmly, restfully, trustfully. No matter what may be our temperament, we may walk this path if we will. It is plain, and there is no need of constant anxiety and fear, fretting and worry, lest we shall lose the way. This path is the highway of holiness, cast up for the ransomed of the Lord to walk in. It is the glorious path of the just, which ‘shineth more and more unto the perfect day.’ Those who walk in this way will wear a cheerful, happy countenance; for it is lighted up by bright beams from the Sun of Righteousness.” The Review and Herald, July 8, 1884

Yes, the road less traveled is the sweet, peaceful path of obedience, oneness with Jesus our Redeemer. It is only with committed effort, by continuous choosing to be like Him, that we are able to stay on this narrow, difficult road.

“Thus says the Lord: ‘Stand in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; then you will find rest for your souls. …’ ” Jeremiah 6:16

“Whatever path God chooses for us, whatever way He ordains for our feet, that is the only path of safety. We are daily to cherish a spirit of childlike submission, and pray that our eyes may be anointed with the heavenly eyesalve in order that we may discern the indications of the divine will, lest we become confused in our ideas, because our will seems to be all-controlling.” Our Father Cares, 133

“In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” Proverbs 3:6

“Let us make straight paths, lest the lame be turned out of the way. Let no one follow a crooked path that someone else has made; for thus he would not only go astray himself, but would make this crooked path plainer for someone else to follow. … Determine that as for yourself, you will walk in the path of obedience. Know for a certainty that you are standing under the broad shield of Omnipotence. Realize that the characteristics of Jehovah must be revealed in your life, and that in you must be accomplished a work that will mold your character after the divine similitude. Yield yourself to the guidance of Him who is head over all. …” Reflecting Christ, 235

The end of Robert Frost’s poem reads,

“I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.”

Friends, the road less traveled may be more difficult to choose, the attractions and pleasures of the world may be hard to resist, but Jesus says, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10

Taking the road less traveled will make all the difference. “Ages and ages hence,” may we all be in that eternal home that Jesus has gone to prepare for us.

“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” John 14:1–3

“A pure and noble life, a life of victory … is possible to everyone who will unite his weak, wavering human will to the omnipotent, unwavering will of God.” The Faith I Live By, 154

“In every trying situation we are to ask, ‘Were Christ placed as I am, what would He do?’ We are to go to God in humble faith, and on our knees give ourselves wholly and entirely to Him. We are to make it our choice to do as Christ would do … .” Manuscript Releases, Vol. 14, 348

May each of us be able to say, “And I—I took the road less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.”

Judy Rebarchek is a member of the LandMarks team. She may be contacted by email at: judyrebarchek@stepstolife.org

The Two Great Disappointments – Will There be a Third?

Twice in the experiences of God’s people, great disappointment struck. The reason? The study of the Scriptures was not foremost in their experience. They chose instead to rely on the framing of God’s word by short-sighted leaders. Let’s look at two of these so that we may have help in dealing with future disappointments.

The disciples of Christ were brought up and indoctrinated with a certain view of the Messiah and His mission. For several generations, God’s people were taught to expect a conquering deliverer. The Christ they envisioned would wrestle the reins of power from their conquerors and restore the majesty and supremacy of the Jewish nation. So much was this the case, that the disciples of Jesus believed, even after nearly three years with the Master, that He would one day set Himself up as king of Israel.

At the first meeting with Jesus, Nathanael said to Jesus, “ ‘Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!’ ” John 1:49. Although this was factual in the larger sense, it shows a pattern of thought from the very beginning of their walk with Jesus. Later, pride and arrogance took root in their hearts as they argued among themselves who should be greatest. “Now there was also a dispute among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest.” Luke 22:24. “At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, ‘Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ ” Matthew 18:1

Even John, the “disciple who loved Jesus,” and his brother vied for supremacy over their brethren. “Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, ‘Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask.’ And He said to them, ‘What do you want Me to do for you?’ They said to Him, ‘Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory.’ ” Mark 10:35–37. These unconverted men still had to learn that love for God means total submission to His will. As you can imagine, all of this did not set well with the rest of the disciples. Satan uses our basest emotions and desires to lead us away from God into his realm of supremacy. Contention and adversity are his tools. He successfully used them in the day of Jesus, and he employs them even more successfully today.

This mindset concerning superiority helped set the scene for the disappointment that the disciples would feel when Jesus was crucified. Their eyes were fixed on the greatness of Israel as the ears failed to listen to the reproofs of Jesus and the clear instruction that He must lay down His life for mankind’s salvation. They loved Jesus so much that their minds could not bear the thought of His death. However, if they had listened closely to the Master, they would have heard the words, “They will scourge Him and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again.” Luke 18:33

Many times, we bring trouble on ourselves because of preconceived ideas or because of a heart that is not fully bent to the will of God. God allows us to be disappointed and He chastises those He loves to bring them into conformity with His will. We let outside events affect the way we think or react instead of realizing that these are all distractions brought on by Satan to divert our attention from what is truly important. For the disciples, it took the death of their Master and His resurrection to bring into focus what the teachings of Jesus were all about. These men finally were subdued under the power of the Holy Spirit and their hearts were converted.

Over 1800 years later, God’s people were again brought under trial. They had again been indoctrinated with the false doctrine of Satan and their minds were dulled by conformity to the world. False teachings that the earth was the sanctuary of God blinded their eyes from seeing what was clearly written in Hebrews. “Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man.” Hebrews 8:1–2

The Sabbath had been lost sight of under the influence of the churches of the world. Clear scripture was overlooked as if God did not really mean what He said when He proclaimed His law. In remembering the law of man, they forgot to remember the law of God. Again, clearly written in His holy law was “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.” Exodus 20:8–11

Diligent Bible study had not been performed by God’s professed people to know His truth and will. Again, they relied on their leaders to guide them and assumed that they would know better than anyone what the truth was. And why not? Were they not the ministers of God? Should they not have known the truth to present it correctly to the people? How deceived we allow ourselves to become by not being like the Bereans and search the Scriptures to see if these things were true (see Acts 17:10, 11).

When the prophecies of Daniel were explained in detail and God’s people saw that a timely event was about to happen, they were then immediately interested. Many flocked to hear the words of the Bible and to listen to the prophecies of the return of Jesus. If they had known that this prophecy was not about His return, would the interest have been so high?

In the time of the disciples, the excitement of Jesus’ coming into Jerusalem and the exultation of the people thinking He would crown Himself king was similar to the fervor of activity that occurred in 1844. People flocked to the churches, selling off all that they had in expectation of the soon return of Jesus. Yet they did not look deeply into their hearts to see if they were in conformity with the Scriptures.

As with any religious movement, some are stirred by deep love for Jesus, but if we look at the result after the disappointment, the majority fell by the wayside and lost all hope. The results of false expectations are evident in both the experiences of the Jewish people and of the Advent movement. The Jews in Jesus’ day continued with their now worthless rituals and sacrifices and denounced Jesus as a false prophet.

When the time prophecy was completed in 1844 and Jesus did not come to gather His people, great despair swept over the people who were claiming to be Christ’s followers. Many forsook their convictions and either gave up totally on their Christian faith, or went back to their false religious teachers. They found comfort in their false hopes, as many do today. Similarly, during the great disappointment, people went back to their old ways of life and spoke against the prophecies of Daniel.

After the great disappointment, the word was preached with the power of the Holy Spirit, just as it had been following Jesus’ resurrection. Those who remained faithful and believed in the accuracy of the time prophecy gathered together to search the Scriptures to see where they had erred. In fervent prayer, they humbled themselves before God and asked for His guidance to understand their mistake. When they become teachable, then God sent His Holy Spirit to open for them the deep truths of God’s word. These individuals realized that they needed divine guidance and poured out their hearts in much prayer and with much study until God opened their eyes to the truths that were plainly written.

How often we want God’s help but do not apply the effort through study and prayer. Even today we still have our preconceived ideas of the return of Jesus.

In the 1980s and 1990s, there was a revival and reformation movement within Adventism that went around the world. Elder Ron Spear and others traveled worldwide preaching revival and reformation and showing from the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy what needed to happen in our lives if we were going to be ready for Jesus to come. Every revival and reformation is either growing or declining—revival and reformation cannot be stagnant.

The revival and reformation movement in Adventism reached a high point in about 1990 and then entered a period of decline. Shortly after 2000, it had totally collapsed in the United States. Why did this happen? There are several reasons, but one is for the same reason that the second advent movement collapsed in 1844. There were those who expected that certain final events leading up to the second coming or possibly the second coming itself would occur before the year 2000. Various dates such as 1987, 1988, 1991, 1994, 1996 or 1997 were proclaimed far and wide by both Adventist preachers and laymen as significant dates for Christ’s return (based on jubilee cycles and other Biblical dates). But when these dates passed with no significant event or Christ’s coming, the revival and reformation movement collapsed.

What will be the result if, as in ages past, we miss the last great event that is to happen on earth because we did not study His holy word? Jesus said, “I am the bread of life. … This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die.” John 6:48, 50. By eating this bread, which is the word of God, we make it part of ourselves and only then can God bring it back to memory in our times of trouble. If we do not know God’s truth for ourselves, when the great trial comes upon all mankind we will be deceived and end up in ruin.

Jesus said in Matthew 24:24, “For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.” Many of God’s people today believe they will not be deceived. They have studied the prophecies in the past and are satisfied that they know the events that will happen before Christ’s return. They find no need to look at it again, and like the Jews of old, they are set in a belief that their leaders will not lead them astray. Yet, this is the very thing that Peter warns us about in his epistles. “But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction.” 2 Peter 2:1

Some may say “our leaders do not deny Jesus, but teach His goodness.” Paul gave a warning to the Galatians when he said, “I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ.” Galatians 1:6, 7. I have had the opportunity to visit churches in America and the Philippines. What I have seen over the years has astounded me. These are God’s professed people, yet their services are whittled down to traditions and religious forms, none of which glorify the Lord. Yes, they speak of Jesus, and yes they use scriptures and excerpts from the Spirit of Prophecy, but the content left me dry and unfed.

My wife and I have often gone home after some Sabbath sermons and spent time reading or listening to the Bible because we felt we had just been starved in the service. We have witnessed evangelical services, catholic-style preaching, and sermons on how to stay safe from Covid or some other disease. Little was mentioned of Jesus, nor were our hearts convicted of sin. The Holy Spirit was absent from the service. How do I know that? Because Jesus plainly said, “And when He [the Holy Spirit] has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.” John 16:8

Will there be a third great disappointment? The answer is yes. The difference is that then there will be no chance to repent and claim the grace of Jesus. Probation on this earth will be closed and those who are found wanting will lose the most precious gift God ever gave mankind.

For over 6,000 years God has poured out His love to us. He has sent holy angels to guide us into His truth. In the sacrifice of His Son, God gave us heaven’s most precious gift and He promised His Holy Spirit to all who would submit to His will.

We talk a lot about freedoms in America and other countries, yet the one freedom that will give us eternal life is the one that is rejected. In the end, civil freedoms that can be given or taken away will not matter. They are the distractions of Satan to divert our minds from what is truly important—the cleansing of our souls through the regeneration of the Holy Spirit. This will be an everlasting freedom; this washing of our character will transform us to be fit for the kingdom of God. That is the only kingdom I care to pursue.

Prepare now so that you will not be involved in a third great disappointment.

Michael C. Wells is the director of Anointing Oil Ministries.

Choices

Scripture tells us that there is nothing that can separate us from the love of God. “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38, 39

Other scriptures tell us how much He loves us:

“You did not choose Me, but I chose you … .” John 15:16

“… God from the beginning chose you for salvation … .” 2 Thessalonians 2:13

“[J]ust as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world … .” Ephesians 1:4

“We love Him because He first loved us.” 1 John 4:19

“In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” 1 John 4:10

While nothing can separate us from the love of God, we can be separated from God. “When Christ took human nature upon Him, He bound humanity to Himself by a tie of love that can never be broken by any power save the choice of man himself.” Steps to Christ, 72

Satan will have us believe that there is no God or that if He does exist, He is a capricious, uncaring, vengeful being who is so apathetic about us that He watches from a distance, delights in our pain and misfortune, and that He even causes the difficulties that we face, sitting back to see how we will do on our own. But the Bible says that this is not true. The Bible says that God is in heaven and He loves you and that nothing can separate you from that love.

“In the work of redemption there is no compulsion. No external force is employed. Under the influence of the Spirit of God, man is left free to choose whom he will serve.” The Desire of Ages, 466

“God does not control our minds without our consent; but if we desire to know and to do His will, His promises are ours: ‘Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.’ ‘If any man willeth to do His will, he shall know of the teaching.’ John 8:32; 7:17, R.V. Through faith in these promises, every man may be delivered from the snares of error and the control of sin. … Every man is free to choose what power he will have to rule over him.” Ibid., 258

“The exercise of force is contrary to the principles of God’s government; He desires only the service of love; and love cannot be commanded; it cannot be won by force or authority. Only by love is love awakened.” Ibid., 22

“Though created innocent and holy, our first parents were not placed beyond the possibility of wrong-doing. … He [God] gave them the power of choice–the power to yield or to withhold obedience.” Education, 23

“The will is the governing power in the nature of man, the power of decision, or choice. Every human being possessed of reason has power to choose the right.” Ibid., 289

“It is not God’s purpose to coerce the will. Man was created a free moral agent. Like the inhabitants of all other worlds, he must be subjected to the test of obedience; but he is never brought into such a position that yielding to evil becomes a matter of necessity. No temptation or trial is permitted to come to him which he is unable to resist. God made such ample provision that man need never have been defeated in the conflict with Satan.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 331, 332

Again and again, the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy tell us that God loves us and wants us to love Him. He has given us the ability to either freely choose to love Him and keep His law or not. God created this world and mankind, but He knew that we could choose to give our love and service to another and in so doing, we would forfeit our lives because transgression of His law brings death (Romans 6:23). If man was to be saved from death, there had to be a plan, and so He made one.

“The plan of salvation had been laid before the creation of the earth; for Christ is ‘the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.’ (Revelation 13:8) … . ” Ibid., 63

“Before sin created the need, God had provided the remedy.” Education, 113

“That which in the councils of heaven the Father and the Son deemed essential for the salvation of man, was defined from eternity … .” Fundamentals of Christian Education, 408

“Everything that God could do has been done in behalf of man. Every want has been anticipated; every difficulty, every emergency, has been provided for.” Ibid., 251

“The plan for our redemption was not an afterthought, a plan formulated after the fall of Adam. It was a revelation of ‘the mystery which hath been kept in silence through times eternal.’ Romans 16:25, R. V. It was an unfolding of the principles that from eternal ages have been the foundation of God’s throne. From the beginning, God and Christ knew of the apostasy of Satan, and of the fall of man through the deceptive power of the apostate. God did not ordain that sin should exist, but He foresaw its existence, and made provision to meet the terrible emergency. So great was His love for the world, that He covenanted to give His only-begotten Son, ‘that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ ” The Desire of Ages, 22.

God’s plan is perfectly expressed in the beloved scripture, “For God so loved the world, He gave His only Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” John 3:16, 17.

So it was always in God’s mind that His creation—man—would be with Him. He created him in His own image, after His own likeness (Genesis 1:26, 27). He intended that man should always be perfect, but if man made another choice, God had made a way so that he could be restored again to the perfect relationship that he held in the beginning with the Father. This is the plan of redemption. This is God’s choice. God reconciling, saving the world unto Himself.

“The plan of redemption contemplates our complete recovery from the power of Satan. Christ always separates the contrite soul from sin. He came to destroy the works of the devil, and He has made provision that the Holy Spirit shall be imparted to every repentant soul, to keep him from sinning.” The Desire of Ages, 311

“In the beginning God created man in His own likeness. He endowed him with noble qualities. His mind was well balanced, and all the powers of his being were harmonious. But the Fall and its effects have perverted these gifts. Sin has marred and well-nigh obliterated the image of God in man. It was to restore this that the plan of salvation was devised, and a life of probation was granted to man. To bring him back to the perfection in which he was first created is the great object of life—the object that underlies every other. …” Patriarchs and Prophets, 595.

It is God’s only purpose in this world to see that each and every man, woman, and child who will choose to be saved is saved. But while God is seeking man’s good, Satan is seeking his ruin. (See Education, 23.) Simply put, Satan wants you dead. He does not want you to choose to be in a relationship with God. He seeks only to destroy (John 10:10). He seeks to devour (1 Peter 5:8). He is a murderer (John 8:44).

God is seeking to save and Satan seeks to destroy. What is the result? War! Not the type of war fought with tanks, planes, guns, drones, bombs, and ships, but a war nonetheless, a great controversy for souls: yours and mine.

“The very first effort of Satan to overthrow God’s law—undertaken among the sinless inhabitants of heaven—seemed for a time to be crowned with success. A vast number of the angels were seduced; but Satan’s apparent triumph resulted in defeat and loss, separation from God, and banishment from heaven.

“When the conflict was renewed upon the earth, Satan again won a seeming advantage. By transgression, man became his captive, and man’s kingdom also was betrayed into the hands of the archrebel. Now the way seemed open for Satan to establish an independent kingdom, and to defy the authority of God and His Son. But the plan of salvation made it possible for man again to be brought into harmony with God, and to render obedience to His law, and for both man and the earth to be finally redeemed from the power of the wicked one.” Ibid., 331

Salvation is a free gift, created and administered by God, freely given to all who would accept it and apply it to their lives. As with any gift, it serves no purpose if it is not accepted or if it is accepted, but not opened. The following allegory may provide a good example to more clearly explain this point:

A young man is preparing to go off to college for the first time. With not-so-great subtlety, he suggests to his parents how much easier taking notes in class would be if he had a laptop. The big day comes and they load all of the young man’s things into the car and drive him to college. They spend the morning moving him into his dorm room and exploring the campus, but the time comes for the parents to head home. During their goodbyes, the father tells his son that they left on his desk a gift that they hope he will find useful for his studies. When the young man returns to his room, he sees the gift, wrapped in pretty paper and a bow, but he doesn’t open it, moving it instead to a shelf in the bookcase and goes on.

A couple months later during a conversation with his parents, the young man is bemoaning how difficult classes are, especially since he has to take notes by hand. The father brings up the gift (which was the requested laptop) since the son had never mentioned it. The young man admits that he found the gift, but he had never opened it. It was still on the bookcase shelf. How much easier his early college experience would have been had he opened the gift and used it.

And so it is with the plan of redemption. Unless we accept the gift and allow it to have a transforming effect in our lives, it is of no more value than the laptop on a shelf in a bookcase still wrapped in pretty paper and a pretty bow.

“Every soul has a heaven to win, and a hell to shun. … All the help Christ received, every man may receive in the great trial. The cross stands as a pledge that not one need be lost, that abundant help is provided for every soul. We can conquer the satanic agencies, or we can join ourselves with the powers that seek to counterwork the work of God in our world.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 96

[Emphasis supplied.]

Judy Rebarchek is a member of the LandMarks team. She may be contacted by email at: judyrebarchek@stepstolife.org

The Value of Salvation

As a people, Seventh-day Adventists, to a degree that is sometimes incomprehensibly difficult to understand or appreciate, have a library of prophetic writings that give the ardent seeker a clear understanding of God’s will and thorough guidance in fulfilling that will in their daily lives. However, in providing that understanding and guidance, the reader sometimes encounters passages that cause varying degrees of puzzlement. Such is the case with the testimony entitled “The Sufferings of Christ.”

This extremely enlightening testimony is found in volume two of the Testimonies beginning on page 200, and provides an in-depth look at Christ’s suffering as well as a wealth of uplifting clarity on the plan of salvation.

The testimony begins with this statement: “In order to fully realize the value of salvation, it is necessary to understand what it cost.” The testimony then explains that cost as the sufferings experienced by our Saviour when He left the glories of heaven and assumed the likeness of man.

The unfathomable nature of this sacrifice is a recurring theme in the Spirit of Prophecy, but it is quite succinctly explained in this passage from The Desire of Ages, 131:

“Never can the cost of our redemption be realized until the redeemed shall stand with the Redeemer before the throne of God. Then as the glories of the eternal home burst upon our enraptured senses we shall remember that Jesus left all this for us, that He not only became an exile from the heavenly courts, but for us took the risk of failure and eternal loss. Then we shall cast our crowns at His feet, and raise the song, ‘Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing.’ Revelation 5:12.”

Even though our understanding of Christ’s sacrifice and suffering will not be complete until we stand before the throne, inspired writings provide abundant insight into the suffering He experienced while paying the penalty for man’s sin. However, in providing that insight, there are occasional statements that, as stated earlier, provoke a bit of uncertainty on first reading.

Continuing with this statement from this testimony: “Christ consented to die in the sinner’s stead, that man, by a life of obedience, might escape the penalty of the law of God.” Testimonies, vol. 2, 200, 201

A question that might come to mind from this statement is: If one is obedient, why is there a need for Christ to die? By definition, obedience eliminates transgression. Doesn’t obedience to the law do away with the requirement for the second death?

Or perhaps one has progressed in the path of sanctification to the point of having achieved in his sphere the equivalent level of perfection that God possesses in His sphere. This principle is given in volume four of the Testimonies, 591:

“The perfection of God’s work is as clearly seen in the tiniest insect as in the king of birds. The soul of the little child that believes in Christ is as precious in His sight as are the angels about His throne. ‘Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.’ As God is perfect in His sphere, so man may be perfect in his sphere. Whatever the hand finds to do should be done with thoroughness and dispatch. Faithfulness and integrity in little things, the performance of little duties and little deeds of kindness, will cheer and gladden the pathway of life; and when our work on earth is ended, every one of the little duties performed with fidelity will be treasured as a precious gem before God.”

Even though this achievement may be the case with a given individual, it does not negate the fact that we are descendants of Adam and have inherited his sinful nature. This is made very clear at least a half dozen times in Romans 5, where Paul acknowledges that “by one man sin entered into the world.” (See Romans 5:12–21.) That one man, of course, was our first father, and as a child of Adam, having inherited his sinful nature, I have a sinful nature at birth, even though no sinful act would have been committed at that specific point in time. Paul confirmed the death sentence our inherited nature casts upon us in his first letter to the Corinthians when he wrote “… in Adam all die.” 1 Corinthians 15:22

Therefore, even though one may have achieved a certain level of sanctification, the sinful nature and corrupt heart for which an atonement must be offered remains.

There is another statement in the original testimony cited that provokes a question directly illustrating the value of salvation and the suffering that Christ endured:

“Taking human nature fitted Christ to understand man’s trials and sorrows and all the temptations wherewith he is beset.” Testimonies, vol. 2, 201

We concede that Christ is omniscient. That being true, should He not understand “man’s trials and sorrows and all the temptations wherewith he is beset” without having to experience them firsthand?

Common sense dictates that of course He knows. Then why did Christ have to take human nature? Was it solely so that He could gain an understanding of man’s condition? Perhaps it was so that man could know without doubt that Christ Himself experienced and therefore understands our temptations and sorrows, having experienced them Himself in His humanity.

One might be tempted to say that Christ never experienced the untimely death of a child, the sufferings of a beloved spouse, an overdue mortgage, or any of a myriad other trials, but He did indeed suffer physically and emotionally far more than any human ever will. It can be asserted that He experienced this suffering in both His humanity and in His divinity, and perhaps more in the latter. By God’s grace, anything that we might experience pales in comparison with the extreme physical, mental, and spiritual nature of Christ’s sufferings.

A clearer explanation of why Christ had to incur suffering is provided as we continue examining our subject testimony.

“Angels who were unacquainted with sin could not sympathize with man in his peculiar trials. Christ condescended to take man’s nature and was tempted in all points like as we, that He might know how to succor all who should be tempted.

“… As the sinless One, His nature recoiled from evil. He endured struggles and torture of soul in a world of sin. His humanity made prayer a necessity and privilege. He required all the stronger divine support and comfort which His Father was ready to impart to Him, to Him who had, for the benefit of man, left the joys of heaven and chosen His home in a cold and thankless world. Christ found comfort and joy in communion with His Father. Here He could unburden His heart of the sorrows that were crushing Him. He was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.

“As the Son of God bowed in the attitude of prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, the agony of His spirit forced from His pores sweat like great drops of blood. It was here that the horror of great darkness surrounded Him. The sins of the world were upon Him. He was suffering in man’s stead as a transgressor of His Father’s law. Here was the scene of temptation. The divine light of God was receding from His vision, and He was passing into the hands of the powers of darkness. In His soul anguish He lay prostrate on the cold earth. He was realizing His Father’s frown. He had taken the cup of suffering from the lips of guilty man, and proposed to drink it Himself, and in its place give to man the cup of blessing. The wrath that would have fallen upon man was now falling upon Christ. It was here that the mysterious cup trembled in His hand.

“We can have but faint conceptions of the inexpressible anguish of God’s dear Son in Gethsemane, as He realized His separation from His Father in consequence of bearing man’s sin. He became sin for the fallen race. The sense of the withdrawal of His Father’s love pressed from His anguished soul these mournful words: ‘My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death.’

“The sword of justice was now to awake against His dear Son. He was betrayed by a kiss into the hands of His enemies, and hurried to the judgment hall of an earthly court, there to be derided and condemned to death by sinful mortals. There the glorious Son of God was ‘wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities.’ He bore insult, mockery, and shameful abuse, until ‘His visage was so marred more than any man, and His form more than the sons of men.’

“Who can comprehend the love here displayed!” Ibid., 202–207

And who can truly comprehend the suffering of body, mind, and spirit endured by our Redeemer to provide sinful man an escape from the penalty of transgressing the law?

Truly, “Worthy is the Lamb.”

[All emphasis supplied.]

 John R. Pearson is the office manager and a board member of Steps to Life. He may be contacted by email at: johnpearson@stepstolife.org.

Acceptable in the Sight of God

“For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus.”

1 Timothy 2:5

There are more than two billion people in the world who claim the name of Jesus as their Saviour, calling themselves Christians. Yet Jesus said that few will be found worthy to go to heaven when He comes back. That is a sad thing to think about. Out of two billion professed Christians, a small amount, only a remnant, will truly, completely follow Him.

Jesus warned Jerusalem and the people of that day that sudden destruction was coming to the city and they would need to flee when they saw the signs. To His disciples He said, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing” (Matthew 23:37)!

Jesus knew that very few would be saved from destruction just years later when Jerusalem was destroyed by the Roman armies. But for all His true believers and followers, He gave this warning in Matthew 24:13-16: “… Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (whoever reads, let him understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.”

In 70 AD, the Christians who remembered the warning, fled the city when the opportunity was presented, thus escaping the devastation that occurred in Jerusalem. The temple was totally destroyed, with not one stone left on top of another and only a remnant of people were saved. “And the remnant who have escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward, and bear fruit upward” (Isaiah 37:31).

Throughout the history of the world, we have been given warnings of coming destructions, yet we have not understood. The lack of understanding is because we have not truly studied and asked the Lord to help us know His truth. Jesus is our God and Mediator as it says in 1 Timothy 2:5, and He is also our Teacher. He desires every man, woman, and child to be saved. “For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:3, 4).

The problem God has is convincing His people who claim Him as their Saviour, to “come to the knowledge of the truth.” Jesus has given us an ample amount of evidence of His truth, yet His professed followers do not believe it, and if we do not believe His truth, how can we be saved? Jesus does not want us to be deceived by false teachers or false prophets. He wants us to study for ourselves and find His truth in the word of God. Jesus said to His disciples in John 8:31, 32, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

We must abide or live by the word of God if we are to know and understand the truth. Those who do only a casual reading or none at all, will lose heaven. They will be deceived into believing things that are not true. Peter talks a lot about this in his epistles. He warns us of the deception that was coming even in his time. Now it has been almost 2,000 years later and false teachings are throughout Christendom. Speaking of these teachers, he writes in 2 Peter 2:18, 19: “For when they speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness, the ones who have actually escaped from those who live in error. While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage.”

When we talk about false teachers, we are talking about ministers, pastors, priests, Bible workers, or anyone who states something that is not according to the word of God. And the only way we can know if it is true or not is to study the Bible for ourselves and not rely on the interpretation of others. We should do a thorough study of any subject that we hear people talking about. The truth will only set us free if we are studying the truth for ourselves.

Who will be saved? That is a question that has been asked by each person who desires to go to heaven. Jesus told us through His revelation to John that there was a certain criterion to being saved. It was not instantaneous, but rather a commitment. Jesus said, “ ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God’ ” (Revelation 2:7). “ ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death’ ” (Revelation 2:11). “ ‘He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels’ ” (Revelation 3:5).

These are but three of the seven times Jesus encouraged us to follow His example and overcome. What must we overcome? Sin! We are all condemned under the sentence of death because of our sins. In fact, Paul reminds us that every man has sinned, and the punishment for that sin is death. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 3:23; 6:23).

We are all born with a sinful nature. No one can overcome that sinful nature except through Jesus Christ. In order to overcome sin, we must submit to Christ in all things. We must give up the things of this world. This world and the things in it have been contaminated by Satan, and he is now the owner of the worldly attractions, the big cities, the excitements that all lead to sin.

Jesus has come to take us out of that type of living. He says, “Come to Me, all you who … are heavy laden [with sin] and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). He will help us overcome every temptation that Satan puts forth to make us fall into sin, but we must ask for that help. Jesus will never force us to do anything that we do not want to do.

However, He will not allow anyone into heaven who has not overcome sin in his life. That is why He sends us the Holy Spirit to help protect and mold our character to learn to hate sin and its consequences. Jesus gave us His gift of grace so that we could be free from the condemnation of sin. Once we accept Jesus as our Saviour, we must overcome sin through His power. “But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life” (Romans 6:22).

When we submit our will to the will of Jesus, He frees us from being slaves of sinful acts and gives us the power to resist sin. But be not deceived, if we do not overcome sin, we will be lost. Even though Jesus gave us the gift of His life, which paid for the sins of the world, if we continue in sin, then we have not truly accepted His gracious gift. It would be like saying, “I don’t want it” and throwing it back in His face.

Truth seems to be a fleeting thing these days. Everyone has their own definition of truth. Most “truth” that you see in the newspapers or on television, and especially on the Internet, is “truth with a twist,” spun to promote Satan’s agenda.

Jesus, however, can be trusted to give the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. He has only one agenda and that is to save mankind from Satan’s rule. Jesus states His truth clearly and without compromise. The truth of Jesus is not of this world, and His truth has nothing to do with any worldly agenda. His truth is centered on how to live a life that will be accepted in heaven. So how do we become acceptable in God’s sight?

“Our Saviour, during all His sojourn on earth, shared the lot of the poor and lowly. Self-denial and sacrifice characterized His life. All the favors and blessings we enjoy are alone from Him. We are stewards of His grace and of His temporal gifts. The smallest talent and the humblest service may be offered to Jesus as a consecrated gift, and with the fragrance of His own merits He will present it to the Father. If the best we have is presented with a sincere heart, in love to God, from a longing desire to do service to Jesus, the gift is wholly acceptable.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 11, 280.

We must first accept Christ as our Saviour and Mediator and turn away from our sins. We can only do this through love for Him. We love Him because He first loved us, and through that love we submit our will to Him. Next, we must learn what it means to love. Love for God is obeying all that He asks of us. Understanding His truth starts with keeping God’s commandments. Jesus says, “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15).

If we are going to keep the commandments of God, then we must love each other. The apostle John writes, “And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, as He gave us the commandment” (1 John 3:23). Jesus gave the same commandment in John 15:12: “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”

Some believe this means just to love your friends, and possibly some of your church members. But Jesus made it clear we are to love everyone as He loves them. He went around doing good to people who never accepted Him as their Saviour. He fed them with fishes and bread, He told us that if a man requires our cloak, we are also to give him our shirt (Luke 6:29). He said when we feed or clothe the poor, visit those in prison, giving them the words of Life, it is the same as if we were doing it to Him (Matthew 25:34–45). Paul said to live a peaceful life and obey the government and laws of the land. “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves” (Romans 13:1, 2).

Obviously, if the governments of the world require us to break God’s law, then we have to make the choice to follow God rather than man. Peter and John had to make that choice when they were told not to preach in the name of Jesus. They followed Jesus and gave the gospel to the world anyway, even under torture. (Read Acts 4 and 5.) It is notable that they disobeyed to preach the word of God. God says to obey those He has set up over the nations unless to do so breaks one of His ten commandments. His commandments are clear and to the point. He does not ask us to add to them or take away from them to support our own ideas. In fact, He offers a curse on those who do. “Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it” (Deuteronomy 12:32).

If we are to know His truth, we will be seeking to understand what is written in His word. We will not be deceived by idol worship because the Bible plainly says not to worship or even bow down in front of any object (Exodus 20:4, 5). We will know that dead loved ones cannot visit us, and they are not in heaven today, because the Bible clearly says that they are in the grave and have no consciousness (Ecclesiastes 9:5). As we study, we will see that God has a better plan for our lives. He does not torture non-believers in a fiery place to burn forever, but will utterly destroy all who will not follow Him (Malachi 4:1). We will know that the Bible shows that the Sabbath is a special time that God has made to spend with each of us and will keep it even when the new earth is created (Isaiah 66:22, 23).

To be acceptable to God, we have a work to do. Our work will be more precious than gold and silver. We will become transformed into a different type of person. Paul writes, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service” (Romans 12:1). This “living sacrifice” is a daily submission to God for holiness and service to others. Our thoughts should be contemplating Jesus all day long. We should not let the things of this world influence our thoughts, but our thoughts must dwell continually on doing the work of God.

“To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice” (Proverbs 21:3). This is the definition of a full submission to Jesus. Paul sums up what it means to be accepted by God in Ephesians 5:8–10: “… (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.” I pray we are all striving to find out what is acceptable to Jesus and our Father in heaven so that we can spend eternity with Them and the unfallen worlds.

Michael C. Wells is director of Anointing Oil Ministries.

This World Is Not My Home

As long as there are people in this world willing to do evil, there will be chaos, deceit, hate, anger, sorrow, death, oppression, destruction, cruelty in all forms. And without the power of the Holy Spirit working continuously in our lives, we could be one of those people at any time.

We see so many things happening in the world today:

  • Disease, selfishness, political unrest, gradual eroding of constitutionally-guaranteed freedoms, including freedom of religion and speech.
  • Dissatisfaction, inequality, oppression, depression and abuse abound with so many voices straining to be heard, but not one ear on this earth to hear.
  • The careless disregard of life of any kind, to the point that life is little more than an inconvenience.
  • People reaching a breaking point, engaging in and displaying dangerous and destructive behavior toward themselves and others.

For a description of these people, let’s look at Romans 6:16: “Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey … ?” They believe they are free, but in reality, they are held tightly in bondage to their master.

“Satan often finds a powerful agency for evil in the power which one human mind is capable of exerting on another human mind. This influence is so seductive that the person who is being molded by it is often unconscious of its power. God has bidden me speak warning against this evil, that His servants may not come under the deceptive power of Satan. The enemy is a master worker, and if God’s people are not constantly led by the Spirit of God, they will be snared and taken. For thousands of years Satan has been experimenting upon the properties of the human mind, and he has learned to know it well. By his subtle workings in these last days, he is linking the human mind with his own, imbuing it with his thoughts; and he is doing this work in so deceptive a manner that those who accept his guidance know not that they are being led by him at his will. The great deceiver hopes so to confuse the minds of men and women, that none but his voice will be heard.” Our High Calling, 110.

Doesn’t this sound frighteningly familiar? So many voices declaring this is the truth, no this is a lie, this is the way it happened, this is the person you should listen to, these are the facts. On and on until they make true the words found in Romans 1:22, 25, “Professing to be wise, they became fools … who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator.” And as a result God will give them up to live their lives as they choose. Oh, the baleful results as described in verses 26–32. Shouts demanding acceptance of and tolerance for the great many sins that have filled this world reverberate everywhere you turn. But this shouting will one day be turned against the people of God who cannot be faithful to Him and accept or tolerate sin. However, we are instructed: “Although we should hate the sin, we should love the souls of those for whom Christ died. And then we should feel most grateful to God that we have One who is pleading in the heavens above in our behalf.

“Jesus knows the worth of every soul because it is He who paid the price for everyone. When He was in His agony at the crucifixion, He prayed there for His enemies and He said, ‘Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do’ (Luke 23:34).” Christ Triumphant, 75.

There is a conspiracy afoot in this world, one 6,000 years in the making. It’s a successful one, too, in part because it is the natural outworking of what troubles this world, but also because the main protagonist is so accomplished at it and his followers so willing to do what he dictates. They think they are strong and in control, but are in fact, held so tightly in the grip of their master, that they do not realize what they are doing. They believe they are making a difference, but oh, what kind of difference!

Let’s look at the master to whom these individuals, and possibly even ourselves, have bound themselves. “I was shown Satan … the expression of his countenance is full of anxiety, care, unhappiness, malice, hate, mischief, deceit, and every evil [everything we see in the world today]. … I saw that he had so long bent himself to evil that every good quality was debased, and every evil trait was developed.” The Story of Redemption, 45.

Is it any wonder the people of the world who serve Satan, some in ignorance, exhibit these same traits?

Friends, we must remember that this world is not our home. We are only sojourners here, passing through this place to a better home. It is easy to become entangled in the troubles and efforts of the world, but we must always remember that the problems of the world are a result of sin and there is only one remedy for sin, Jesus Christ. We must keep our eyes upon Him if we wish to see Him one day as a loving Father and not an avenging Judge.

Mrs. White says of those who choose to know the truth and follow God, “When we are clothed with the righteousness of Christ, we shall have no relish for sin; for Christ will be working with us. We may make mistakes, but we will hate the sin that caused the suffering of the Son of God.” The Faith I Live By, 118.

“The gospel of Christ is to be wrought into our everyday experience. The mind must be in a state to appreciate the divine claims of the gospel. It must be girded about, and disciplined to habits of self-control and obedience. …

“The teachings of the living oracles cast down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Satan has great power over the soul, to drag it down to a low level. Those who really want to learn of Christ will have to empty the soul of all its proud imaginings, that there may be room to enthrone Him there.

“The controversy between Christ and Satan is not yet ended. The latter is constantly seeking to establish his own power and authority. If he can entangle minds, he will do it. … The deceptions of Satan are manifold, but the Lord will be our helper if we seek Him earnestly.” Our High Calling, 110.

Our responsibility now is to allow the Holy Spirit to develop the character necessary to be worthy of a place with Jesus for eternity and to share the gift of salvation with everyone we can. There was a time when people at least knew about God and the sacrifice Jesus made to save them. But these days it seems that there are so few who have any concept of spiritual things in general, let alone what Jesus did for them on Calvary and what is truly available to them. There is a world to warn.

All my life I’ve heard that Jesus is coming soon and for just as long I had thought it probably would not happen in my lifetime. Look how many people have believed this same thing and they are long gone. Mrs. White talked about how bad things were during her lifetime, that surely Jesus must be coming soon. But friends, He is coming now. I can hardly believe that He will wait much longer. He is waiting for the message of salvation to be given to all the world so that everyone has a chance to choose to be His child. How will they know, if we don’t tell them?

Our efforts while on this earth are to show those held captive in Satan’s thrall that there is a God in heaven and that He loves them. By our words we can tell them, by our lives we must show them. “… many of the world … will see Christ revealed in your daily life. You will be a living epistle, known and read of all men.” Lift Him Up, 213. Satan seeks only to destroy, but Christ offers life abundantly (John 10:10).

“His heart of divine love and sympathy is drawn out most of all for the one who is the most hopelessly entangled in the snares of the enemy. With His own blood He has signed the emancipation papers of the race.

“Jesus does not desire those who have been purchased at such a cost to become the sport of the enemy’s temptations. He does not desire us to be overcome and perish. He who curbed the lions in their den and walked with His faithful witnesses amid the fiery flames is just as ready to work in our behalf, to subdue every evil in our nature. … He turns no weeping, contrite one away.” My Life Today, 317.

It is true that one day, not far off, those voices demanding acceptance and tolerance will be turned against God’s people shouting intolerance because they will not bear to hear the truth. But until then, we are encouraged by God’s loving voice saying, “Do not be conformed to this world; but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:2).

 “As I realize how much has been done for us to keep us right, I am led to exclaim, Oh, what love, what wondrous love, hath the Son of God for us poor sinners! Should we be stupid and careless while everything is being done for our salvation that can be done? All heaven is interested for us. We should be alive and awake to honor, glorify, and adore the high and lofty One. Our hearts should flow out in love and gratitude to Him who has been so full of love and compassion to us. With our lives we should honor Him, and with pure and holy conversation show that we are born from above, that this world is not our home, but that we are pilgrims and strangers here, traveling to a better country.” Early Writings, 113.

How are we to let our hearts flow out in love and gratitude to Him and how do we honor Him with our lives? “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). Some will listen, some will not. Of these, verse 16 says, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.”

“If you have accepted Christ as a personal Saviour, you are to forget yourself, and try to help others. Talk of the love of Christ, tell of His goodness. Do every duty that presents itself. Carry the burden of souls upon your heart, and by every means in your power seek to save the lost. As you receive the Spirit of Christ—the Spirit of unselfish love and labor for others—you will grow and bring forth fruit. The graces of the Spirit will ripen in your character. Your faith will increase, your convictions deepen, your love be made perfect. More and more you will reflect the likeness of Christ in all that is pure, noble, and lovely.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 67, 68.

“We need to contemplate Christ and become assimilated to His image through the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. This is our only safeguard against being entangled in Satan’s delusive snares.” The General Conference Bulletin, April 23, 1901.

“We must keep separate from the world, if we would have the love of God abide with us. As soon as we begin to be conformed to this world, just so soon God’s Spirit begins to depart from us. But if we keep humble, live holy, harmless and separate from sinners, we shall see of the salvation of God. Let us strive to be Christians (Christ-like) in every sense of the word, and let our dress, conversation and actions preach that Christ is formed within, the hope of glory, and that we are looking for that blessed hope and glorious appearing of Jesus. Let us show to those around us, that this world is not our home, that we are pilgrims and strangers here. …

“Let those who break God’s law and teach others to do so, denounce us as fallen from grace because we keep all ten of His immutable precepts, it will not harm us. We have the satisfaction of knowing, that while they curse, Jesus has pronounced a blessing. Says the true Witness, the only Begotten of the Father, ‘Blessed are they that do His [the Father’s] commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the City’ (Revelation 22:14).

“Think ye that the commandment-keepers will be sorry, and mourn when the pearly gates of the Golden City of God are swung back upon their glittering hinges, and they are welcomed in? No, never. They will then rejoice, that they are not under the bondage of the law, but that they have kept God’s law, and therefore are free from it. They will have right to the tree of life, a right to its healing leaves. They will hear the lovely voice of Jesus, richer than any music that ever fell on mortal ear, saying, There will be no more sorrow, pain or death; sighing and crying have fled away.” The Review and Herald, June 10, 1852.

“Christ is waiting with longing desire for the manifestation of Himself in His church. When the character of Christ shall be perfectly reproduced in His people, then He will come to claim them as His own.

“It is the privilege of every Christian not only to look for but to hasten the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, (2 Peter 3:12, margin). Were all who profess His name bearing fruit to His glory, how quickly the whole world would be sown with the seed of the gospel. Quickly the last great harvest would be ripened, and Christ would come to gather the precious grain.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 69.

“Our eyes shall then, with rapture,

The Saviour’s face behold,

Our feet, no more diverted,

Shall walk the streets of gold;

Our ears shall hear with transport

The hosts celestial sing,

Our tongues shall chant the glory

Of our Immortal King.”

Ellen G. White, The Review and Herald, June 10, 1852

(Unless appearing in quoted references or otherwise identified, Bible texts are from the New King James Version.)

Judy Rebarchek is a member of the LandMarks team. She can be contacted at: judyrebarchek@stepstolife.org

One Way Out

The Bible says, “On the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it [made it holy], because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made” (Genesis 2:2, 3). Notice He blessed the seventh day and made it holy, and then He rested. The seventh day has a triple significance: it’s the day that God rested from His work, the day He blessed and the day He made holy.

Have you ever wondered why God created the world and the Sabbath in seven days? God is all powerful; He could have chosen to make the world in any period of time He wanted. But He created everything in the world in six days and rested the seventh day.

The Bible makes clear that everything God does is significant. So there is something significant about the fact that after He created the world in six days, God rested on the seventh day. Reading through the Bible, we find that the number 7 is a special number. People who study Biblical numbers say there are four perfect numbers in the Bible: numbers 3, 7, 10 and 12. Let’s look at the number 7.

While studying Hebrew, I found that the number 7 comes from a verb that means to swear or in other words, to take an oath or to make something complete or official. Seven, in the Bible, signifies spiritual perfection and is used in ways that no other number is used in Scripture. For example, the first word in the Hebrew Bible has seven letters. The first sentence in the Hebrew Bible has seven words. The first commandment in the Hebrew Bible has seven words. In addition to that, the fourth commandment lists seven categories of individuals that are to rest, and the tenth commandment lists seven things that you should not covet. The number 7 occurs multiple times in the ten commandments. In the New Testament the Lord’s Prayer has seven petitions (Matthew 6:9–13). So 7 indicates totalness or completeness.

The number 7 is used many times in the book of Revelation. It talks about 7 churches, 7 seals, 7 trumpets, 7 thunders, 7 last plagues, etc. In The Acts of the Apostles, 585, it says, “The names of the seven churches are symbolic of the church in different periods of the Christian Era. The number 7 indicates completeness, and is symbolic of the fact that the messages extend to the end of time.” As Adventists, we look at them through the seven periods of time and discover that we are living in the last period of time, found in the message to the church in Laodicea. However, any church could have the experience of any one of the seven churches. Ellen White often used the Sardis church, a dead church, when describing the experience of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. She also referred to the experience of the church in Ephesus, a loveless church.

There is something to note when reading through the seven churches. In every church, the person promised salvation must be an overcomer.

In Revelation 2:7, speaking to the church of Ephesus, the Bible says, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.”

To the church of Smyrna is written: “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death” (verse 11).

In verse 17, speaking to the church of Pergamos, we read, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it.”

The Bible says of the church of Thyatira: “He who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations” (verse 26).

We need to especially study the church of Sardis. Revelation 3:5 says, “He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.”

If a person’s name is written in the Book of Life, they are an overcomer. How important is it to have your name written there? Revelation 20:15 says, “Anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.”

When you surrender yourself to the Lord Jesus Christ and your name is recorded in the Book of Life, can it be blotted out? Revelation 3:5 says, “He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life.” Notice, if I don’t overcome, my name will be blotted out of God’s book. Exodus 32:33 says, “And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book.’ ” And Acts 3:19, 20 continues, “Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out … .” So if you repent and are converted, in the judgment your sins will be blotted out. If you do not overcome and choose to continue in sin, your name will be blotted out. When you surrender yourself to Jesus Christ, your name is registered in the Book of Life, but it is there on probation.

In Revelation 3:12, we find God speaking to the church of Philadelphia: “He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name.”

Finally, to the church of Laodicea, God says, “To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne” (verse 21).

In the New Testament, salvation is not promised except to those who overcome, but God gives His Holy Spirit so you will have divine power to overcome. Only those who are overcomers will be saved out of the seven churches, but some people outrage the Holy Spirit. Hebrews 10:26–29 says, “For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?” We must be careful not to insult the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is given as a divine power to help us overcome all hereditary and cultivated tendencies to evil. Ellen White says, “Sin could be … overcome only through the mighty agency of the Third Person of the Godhead.” The Desire of Ages, 671. Divine power is promised to those who give their hearts to the Lord to make it possible to overcome. Then, continuing to sin is an insult to the Holy Spirit.

The Acts of the Apostles, 482, says, “The work of gaining salvation is one of co-partnership, a joint operation.” You can’t save yourself; only God can save you, but God will not save you if you don’t co-operate. “There is to be co-operation between God and the repentant sinner. This is necessary for the formation of right principles in the character. Man is to make earnest efforts to overcome that which hinders him from attaining to perfection.” Ibid. We are to go to the Lord claiming the promise of the power to overcome our besetting sins; exerting all human effort, but understanding that we are totally helpless unless the divine power works in our lives. This is a co-partnership. God gives the Holy Spirit. We do the best we can. We work together with the Spirit.

Revelation 21:1–4 is one of the most comforting descriptions in all the Bible, describing how wonderful it will be for God’s saved people. But note who will enjoy all these things: “ ‘He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son’ ” (verse 7). Who receives the promise of salvation and this inheritance? The one who overcomes. That promise is given to everyone in the seven churches, all those who choose to follow Christ.

When There is Only One Way Out

When Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane, His soul longed for another way out. He said to His Father, “Lord, everything is possible with You” (Mark 14:36). Everything is possible with God, but we could not be saved any other way. There was silence in heaven. No harp was touched (see The Desire of Ages, 686, 690, 693.) The whole universe was silent as it watched this battle that would not only decide the future of this world, but also that of the whole universe. The only way out for Jesus was the cross.

There are many people who say they are sorry for their sins, but make no attempt to turn away from them. To be truly sorry for a sin committed means to confess it and turn away from it. If you are looking at something bad, look somewhere else and do not look at it again. If you are listening to worldly music, turn it off and don’t listen to it anymore. If you are convicted that you are eating something forbidden by the word of God, get it out of your house and do not bring it in again.

True repentance involves not just being sorry, but being sorry enough to stop. When you are sorry enough to say, “Lord, I’m choosing not to do this anymore,” the Lord will send His Holy Spirit to enable you to stop.

“No repentance is genuine that does not work reformation.” The Desire of Ages, 555. Genuine repentance results in a changed life. Repentance, turning away from sin, does not cover up something already done. “The righteousness of Christ is not a cloak to cover unconfessed and unforsaken sin.” Ibid., 555, 556. To be forgiven, the Bible says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just [righteous] to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). Repentance will be followed by confession. If it is a secret sin, it should be confessed to God. Secret sins are not openly confessed (see Testimonies, vol. 5, 635–650). Much harm has been done by people openly confessing that which should be confessed to God alone. But sins that have harmed others need to be confessed openly.

Sins that are unconfessed are unforgiven. Someone might say that there is not enough time to confess their sins before Jesus comes. Then let the Lord take care of that and make a start. The Bible says, “If there is first a willing mind …” (2 Corinthians 8:12, first part). This speaks of a person willing to confess everything.

Is there a possibility that there is some sin that is impossible to confess? Yes, if a sin is committed against someone and that person dies there is no way confession can be made. Consider the thief on the cross. He wasn’t able to make right what he had stolen, but he confessed to the Lord and the Lord saved him. The Lord will do the same for you. Remember, “If there is first a willing mind, it is accepted according to what one has, and not according to what he does not have.” Don’t worry about what you don’t know. The Lord will help you to make right what you know and what you need to make right that you don’t know, the Holy Spirit will bring to your attention at the right time. Repentance is sorrow for sin enough to turn away from it, to confess and make things right, and surrender to the Lord.

Just as the cross was the only way out for Jesus, there is only one way out for you and me. Matthew 16:24–26: “Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?’ ” To follow Jesus means denying self and taking up your cross. Jesus also said, “All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him” (Matthew 11:27). It is only through the Son that you can approach the Father.

In John 14:6 we read, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” And the apostle Peter said, “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). There is only one way out of this world. Ellen White says, “One fountain only has been opened for sin, a fountain for the poor in spirit.” The Desire of Ages, 300.

Let’s look at the only way out of this world. It answers the question: What must I do to be saved and get out of this world alive? “He [Christ] has made provision that the Holy Spirit shall be imparted to every repentant soul, to keep him from sinning.” Ibid., 311. Notice, there are two things in that sentence. When a person repents, they receive the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit enables them to stop sinning. “Without Me [Christ] you cannot overcome one sin, or resist one temptation.” Ibid., 676. In fact, Ellen White says that without Jesus, “We cannot keep ourselves from sin for one moment.” The Ministry of Healing, 180. We are totally helpless without divine help because of the cravings of our own sinful nature. Without divine help every moment of every day, we cannot control our nature.

The meaning of the Greek word translated repentance means to change your mind. “True repentance is more than sorrow for sin. It is a resolute turning away from evil (2 Corinthians 7:7–10).” Patriarchs and Prophets, 557. “At every advance step in our Christian experience our repentance will deepen.” The Acts of the Apostles, 561. So, repentance is sorrow for sin; not just sorrow for sin, but a resolute turning away from sin.

The Desire of Ages, 523, says, “Self-surrender is the substance of the teachings of Christ.” “If we ever attain unto holiness, it will be through the renunciation of self and the reception of the mind of Christ.” Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, 143. “The battle which we have to fight—the greatest battle that was ever fought by man—is the surrender of self to the will of God, the yielding of the heart to the sovereignty of love.” Ibid., 141. This is one of the reasons many people do not overcome. They do not fully surrender, so they do not receive the power they need.

We are now living in the great age of unbelief spoken of in 2 Peter 3. Ellen White wrote, “There is no escape from its power [the power of sin], no hope of the higher life, but through the submission of the soul to Christ.” Steps to Christ, 32. There is no other way out. The Desire of Ages, 825, says, “Now unbelief separates the church from her divine Helper.” And Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 160, says, “Christ cannot share a divided heart; sin and Jesus are never in co-partnership.” The devil has a power over humanity that we are not able to overcome except through Jesus. “It is only through Christ that Satan’s power is limited. This is a momentous truth that all should understand.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 294.

As we approach the end of the world, everyone is going to be marked. Most of the world will receive the mark of the beast, the mark of destruction or the mark of anti-christ (Revelation 13, 14). Those who do not receive the mark of the beast will receive the seal of God, the mark of deliverance (Revelation 7). Everyone will receive a mark. What determines which mark a person receives is described by Ellen White in The Desire of Ages, 324: “We must inevitably be under the control of the one or the other of the two great powers that are contending for the supremacy of the world. … We have only to neglect to ally ourselves with the kingdom of light in order to come under the devil’s control.” Ibid. The devil will take control of your life without your permission. God will not take control of your life without your consent. He leaves you free to choose. At the end of the world, everyone will either become more and more like the devil or they will be filled with the Spirit of God and become more and more like Jesus.

God will have a people at the end of the world, not just a few people, but a church. What will God’s church be like as we approach the end? In The Desire of Ages, 680, Ellen White writes, “Christ designs that heaven’s order, heaven’s plan of government, heaven’s divine harmony, shall be represented in His church on earth.” She says it is Christ’s design.

There will be a church at the end that will be governed according to heaven’s plan of government. Heaven is perfectly organized. Heaven has no hierarchy, is not a democracy or a republic; it’s a kingdom with one king. Hierarchical governments are all of the devil. We should study and understand the New Testament church organization. The New Testament church followed heaven’s organizational plan.

God will have a church filled with the divine harmony of heaven. “The church, endowed with the righteousness of Christ, is His depositary, in which the riches of His mercy, His grace, and His love, are to appear [notice, this is a prophecy] in full and final display.” Ibid. [Emphasis supplied.] What an amazing statement!

The riches of God’s mercy, grace and love will not be in “full display and final display” in heaven. Why? It is not needed. If you and I are ever going to display the mercy of God, it will be here. God will have a church through which the riches of His mercy and grace will be displayed in full and final display.

The day is coming when all opportunities will be over. There are many in the world who love Jesus, even enough to die for Him, but they do not keep His commandments or understand the three angels’ messages, the sanctuary truth or the Spirit of Prophecy. Who will tell them, if not us? We must ask the Lord to help us, not just as individuals, but as a church to display His mercy, grace and love to a world that is perishing. If we don’t do it, the Lord will use someone else.

Friend, we have to pray that our first love will be restored. Because when God has a people that have that love in their hearts and have the final message to the world, there will be a display of the mercy, grace and love of God not seen in this world since the time of Jesus and the apostles. I would like to be part of it. Wouldn’t you?

(Unless appearing in quoted references or otherwise identified, Bible texts are from the New King James Version.)

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

God’s Unerring Justice

It is a sad, yet sober reality, perhaps even unavoidable, that human justice often falls short of being just. Unscrupulous prosecutors and corrupt judges frequently succeed in condemning innocent victims to jail time and even to death. The premier example of justice gone awry is that of Jesus Christ. Falsely accused and convicted by evil men, He was condemned to death by the highest court in the Jewish nation for a crime He had never committed. This unfortunate scenario has been repeated countless times in the course of human history, especially in the case of Christian martyrs. Perfectly blameless words and acts deliberately misconstrued, motives impugned and maligned, they were assigned by unjust human tribunals to the rack, the stake, or the sword to suffer a martyr’s fate. We have been warned that Sabbath keepers will likewise experience this miscarriage of justice at the end of the world.

But even without resort to fraud and deceit, human jurisprudence is seriously flawed on two counts:

  1. Being framed by fallen human legislatures, the laws are not perfect. Note the following insightful words of inspiration: “Men had well-nigh lost the knowledge of the true God. Their minds were darkened by idolatry. For the divine statutes, which are ‘holy, and just, and good’ (Romans 7:12), men were endeavoring to substitute laws in harmony with the purposes of their own cruel, selfish hearts.” Prophets and Kings, 15.

Examples of such deficient laws include those dealing with abortions, rights of homosexuals, and laws attempting to stifle the conscience.

  1. Human laws can operate only in the outward domain of the words and acts of people, and not the inner domain of the character. This is the reason we so often read about “lone wolves,” “sleeper cells” and psychologically deranged would-be murderers and criminals walking freely abroad in society. They cannot be charged until the act is either carried out or its intent expressed in some manner, and then it makes the headlines.

In sharp contrast to human jurisprudence is God’s jurisprudence. In the Bible we have been provided a compendium of laws revealing the will of God for us. This affords us an answer to the second of life’s core questions: What is my raison d’etre – Why am I here? It is to carry out the will of the great Creator God. The Bible also gives us soul-satisfying answers to life’s first big question about our origin (Where did I come from?) and the third question relating to our final destiny (Where am I headed?). But we find ourselves against a huge problem at this point because the Scriptures also declare: “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:9). With our limited capacity we cannot fully comprehend the mind of God and how His justice operates in every instance. How can anyone serve One whose actions he/she cannot understand, much less agree with? We all have troubling questions which God will answer only in the great hereafter. Notice the following Scripture, revealing a principle of God’s dealings, which was a matter of great perplexity to me:

“Thou shewest lovingkindness unto thousands, and recompensest the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them: the Great, the Mighty God, the Lord of hosts, is His name” (Jeremiah 32:18).

I was puzzled! From my earthbound perspective I was unable to wrap my mind around the notion of children suffering for the sins of their fathers. How was this just and equitable? Jesus reinforced it to the Jews of His day: “That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar” (Matthew 23:35).

The prophecy was fulfilled in AD 70 when the Roman General, Titus Vespasian besieged Jerusalem killing 1.2 million Jews, leaving the city and the temple in ruins, and creating the diaspora by scattering the Jews into every country under the sun. It was an act of God’s retributive wrath against a nation that had crucified His Son – except it was a whole generation after the crucifixion in AD 31! It is highly unlikely that any of the original actors in the death of Jesus were still alive. Certainly, Caiaphas was long gone, along with Pilate and Herod and the Sanhedrin. The only ones alive from that time were likely the little children whose mothers wept for Jesus along Via Dolorosa. But they were too little to be aware of what was going on, much less could they be held liable for it. So where was God’s justice in punishing a completely different generation than the actual perpetrators?

This enigmatic ethic is evidenced in several other Scriptures as well. Notice God’s dealings with the Amorites in Palestine: “But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full” (Genesis 15:16).

Our end time prophet offers an inspired commentary on this verse: “Although this nation was conspicuous because of its idolatry and corruption, it had not yet filled up the cup of its iniquity, and God would not give command for its utter destruction. … The compassionate Creator was willing to bear with their iniquity until the fourth generation. Then, if no change was seen for the better, His judgments were to fall upon them.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 208. Clearly, the judgments of God would fall on the fourth generation, while sparing the first three who were just as guilty. Was this really just and fair? I wondered.

The excerpt continues with more thought-provoking insight:

“With unerring accuracy the Infinite One still keeps an account with all nations. While His mercy is tendered with calls to repentance, this account will remain open; but when the figures reach a certain amount which God has fixed, the ministry of His wrath commences. The account is closed. Divine patience ceases. There is no more pleading of mercy in their behalf.” Ibid.

Mark the two concepts expressed in the passages above: 1) The concept of the Cup of Iniquity, and 2) The concept of the Accretion (accumulation) of Guilt.

The Cup of Iniquity is a metaphor for a mysterious “vessel” in which God collects and stores unconfessed and unforgiven sins. Because it is of limited capacity, which God alone determines, the cup can be filled up at some point. The concept of the Accretion of Guilt further teaches that sin can be understood as an objective product of human will and action, like drops of poison, which can add up over time. From the inspired records we understand that individual cups are placed in the hands of each person at birth, while national, corporate cups are placed in the hands of the leaders. Obviously, individual cups cease to exist at death, while national cups roll over to succeeding generations until God intervenes. We see the filling up of individual cups (e.g., King Saul) as well as national cups in the histories of both Israel and Judah.

Prophecy indicates that the United States will also fill up her cup of iniquity whenever the National Sunday Law is passed: “The people of the United States have been a favored people; but when they restrict religious liberty, surrender Protestantism, and give countenance to popery, the measure of their guilt will be full, and ‘national apostasy’ will be registered in the books of heaven. The result of this apostasy will be national ruin.” The Review and Herald, May 2, 1893. This cup in the hands of U.S. leaders has been gradually filling up over many generations. It will be filled to the brim with the passing of the National Sunday Law.

In line with the concept of the full cup, the sufferings of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane offer an amazing insight. Three times He prayed, “O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me: nevertheless not as I will, but as Thou wilt” (Matthew 26:39). The sins of the whole human race were crushing the life out of Him. He was suffering the wrath of God against sin on behalf of each child of Adam. And since the ministry of God’s wrath begins only when the cup of iniquity is full, the cup that Jesus held in His trembling grasp was clearly overflowing with the poison of each individual cup of humanity.

Our feeble minds cannot comprehend the enormous cup that Jesus had to drink in order to save us. Is it any wonder He perspired great drops of blood before Gabriel was commissioned to strengthen Him to drink it? But in emptying our cups He made provision that they might remain empty, allowing us to escape the penalty of our own sins. Forever we should be grateful for the cup that the Savior drained in our stead!

But now we are faced with a conundrum: The Bible also explicitly declares: “The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him” (Ezekiel 18:20). This scripture effectively sweeps away the doctrine of Original Sin, which as Seventh-day Adventists we reject. So, how can we justify the act of God in punishing one generation for the sins of previous ones, when His Word clearly teaches individual accountability? It posed an insurmountable dilemma until I was able to grasp an important truth that had eluded me for years. It was stated in the Spirit of Prophecy, but it had never registered with me before. With reference to the 3rd plague we read:

“The angel of God declares: ‘Thou art righteous, O Lord, … because Thou hast judged thus. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and Thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy’ (Revelation 16:5, 6). By condemning the people of God to death, they have as truly incurred the guilt of their blood as if it had been shed by their hands. In like manner Christ declared the Jews of His time guilty of all the blood of holy men which had been shed since the days of Abel; for they possessed the same spirit and were seeking to do the same work with these murderers of the prophets.” The Great Controversy, 628.

Here was an act of God’s justice, completely outside the realm of human jurisprudence. With unerring accuracy, the God of Heaven was able to read the thoughts and purposes of humanity lurking within the deepest recesses of the mind. Here was the infallible basis for God’s judgments! The light finally came on in my mind. God did not need to wait until the secret desire or purpose manifested itself in action. I had misapprehended Divine justice by assuming it worked on the same level as human justice. While human jurisdiction was limited to the observable words and acts, God’s jurisdiction embraced also the very heart and mind, enabling Him to render perfect judgment based entirely on the hidden thoughts and purposes. Amazing!

Thus, the apparently contradictory Scriptures are harmonized: Every man will pay the penalty for his own rebellion (in keeping with the principle of individual accountability) while later generations will be punished for the sins of their forefathers for harboring the same wicked thoughts and purposes. God’s foreknowledge enables Him to predict with unfailing accuracy the potential for the same evil deeds, given the opportunity. Thus, a corrupt mind will inevitably devolve into corrupt deeds under the proper circumstances. Individual accountability is still preserved in this scenario. But because they collectively contribute to the filling up of the national cup by the same rebellious purposes as their forebears, God can justifiably rain His retributive wrath on their heads.

We have now a credible explanation for some other obscure passages of inspiration:

  1. The Death Sentence against God’s people we know is an exercise in futility because not one saint suffers martyrdom under it. Yet we read in Revelation 16:5, 6 regarding the 3rd plague: “And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.” The only reason the angels can speak of the shedding of blood as a done deed is because of the murder potential inherent in the Death Decree.
  2. The Spirit of Prophecy numbers the 144,000 among the martyrs of the ages. In describing them after the time of Jacob’s Trouble, Ellen White states the following: “There stood revealed the throne of God. Around it were ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands upon thousands, and close about the throne were the martyrs. Among this number I saw the very ones who were so recently in such abject misery, whom the world knew not, whom the world hated and despised.” Selected Messages, Book 3, 428.

This is an amazing statement because we know that not one of the 144,000 will suffer death at the hands of their enemies. Notice: “God would not suffer the wicked to destroy those who were expecting translation and who would not bow to the decree of the beast or receive his mark. I saw that if the wicked were permitted to slay the saints, Satan and all his evil host, and all who hate God, would be gratified. And oh, what a triumph it would be for his satanic majesty to have power, in the last closing struggle, over those who had so long waited to behold Him whom they loved!” Early Writings, 284. Yet, strangely, they are included among the martyrs. How can this be if they were never killed? It is because they possessed the faith of the martyrs. Ready and willing to seal their testimony with their blood, they had taken their stand on the hill of God’s law on which they were willing to die. And God recognizes this fact by conferring on them the high honor of wearing a red border on their garments. So here again we see God acting from His knowledge of the heart and not merely the outward reality. What an amazing God!

  1. Ellen White has much to say about “cherished” sins: “The righteousness of Christ will not cover one cherished sin. A man may be a law-breaker in heart; yet if he commits no outward act of transgression, he may be regarded by the world as possessing great integrity. But God’s law looks into the secrets of the heart. … Only that which is in accord with the principles of God’s law will stand in the judgment.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 316. As depicted here, cherished sins are not necessarily open and observable, but they have the potential to break out under the proper circumstances. A cherished sin resides in a corrupt heart. It may not be indulged for lack of opportunity, yet it cannot accord with God’s law and will be condemned in the Judgment. Sadly, there will be many in the lake of fire, like the rich young ruler, (Matthew 19:16–22) who may not have broken the Ten Commandments outwardly, but with pride, envy, covetousness, selfishness, lust or malice resident in the heart (known only to God, of course) they could not be saved!

That God will stand fully vindicated in His dealings with sin and sinners is without question. This is why “every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God” (Romans 14:11). “To declare, … at this time His righteousness: that He might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus” (Romans 3:26). In undertaking the salvation of the human race, God acts from a divine, infallible perspective. His judgments will be able to pass the closest scrutiny of intelligent beings. And the reason He is able to guarantee that sin will never arise the second time (Nahum 1:9) is because He saves only those whose hearts are devoid of any secretly cherished sin. Like Joseph, they will not sin even under ideally hidden circumstances because they live as in the sight of a holy God. Not only do they love righteousness, but they hate sin. Thus, with sin eradicated from the heart by His grace, God accomplishes the complete eradication of sin from the universe and ensures its eternal non-emergence, all in the context of free, uncoerced human will. Hallelujah!

“Let us strive with all the power that God has given us to be among the hundred and forty-four thousand” (Maranatha, 241) who have crucified and died to self. They have no guile in their mouths because they have none in their hearts (Revelation 14:5). Their prayer throughout has been, “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23, 24).

Amen!

[All emphasis supplied.]

 Dr. Pandit is a retired cardiologist living in Arkansas with his wife Dorothy. He is proud to call himself a historic Seventh-day Adventist. He, with his wife, is involved in backing two self-supporting ministries in India 1) Medical Missionary Training and Lifestyle Center in South India and 2) A printing ministry in Western India. They are also founding members of a “home church” located in Hot Springs, AR. He can be contacted via his email address: sudor777@gmail.com, or phone: 870-356-4768.

The Lovely Son of God

We are very fortunate as a people to have a special gift for the hours of these last days. As “holy men of God … were holy moved by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21 NKJV), our last day gift is to be Holy Spirit filled to help us be taught spiritual things (John 14:26; 1 Corinthians 2:10).

The mystery of the incarnation of divinity to become flesh for the salvation of man is a miracle (1 Timothy 3:16). The name Jesus is defined by the scripture as “Savior from your sins” (Matthew 1:21). Hebrews 2:14 tells us that “… as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same; that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil.”

The Spirit of God has told us, “The Father is all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and is invisible to mortal sight.

“The Son is all the fullness of the Godhead manifested. …

“The Comforter that Christ promised to send after He ascended to heaven, is the Spirit in all the fullness of the Godhead, making manifest the power of divine grace to all who receive and believe in Christ as a personal Savior. (See Colossians 2:9; Romans 1:20.)” Evangelism, 614, 615.

John 1:1–4 tells us that “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made. In Him was life; and the life was the light of men.”

Paul said it this way: “For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit” (Romans 8:3, 4). This deteriorated nature spoken of was after 4000 years of degeneration and of sin.

The prophet of God states in The Desire of Ages, 49, that “It would have been an almost infinite humiliation for the Son of God to take man’s nature, even when Adam stood in his innocence in Eden. But Jesus accepted humanity when the race had been weakened by four thousand years of sin. Like every child of Adam He accepted the results of the working of the great law of heredity. … He came with such a heredity to share our sorrows and temptations, and to give us the example of a sinless life.”

So now we know that we have the Son of God whose name is Jesus, who is in the fullness of the Godhead bodily, dwelling in the flesh. John 1:14 tells us, “The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”

As a review, when was Jesus begotten of the Father? Luke 1:35: “And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that Holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.”

Certainly, this was a supernatural birth that we don’t know any more about than what is given to us to know. It is called the incarnation. But we do know more about Jesus’ humanity. Paul, speaking of Jesus in the synagogue at Antioch said, “We declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers, God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that He hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten Thee” (Acts 13:32, 33).

The Holy Spirit tells us in Selected Messages, Book 1, 244, that “The humanity of the Son of God is everything to us. … This is to be our study. … We should come to this study with the humility of a learner, with a contrite heart. And the study of the incarnation of Christ is a fruitful field, which will repay the searcher who digs deep for hidden truth.”

This divine person, living in deteriorated human nature and having a weakened mind after 4000 years of degeneration, conquered sin in the flesh. However, Jesus said that He could do nothing of Himself. He said, “I live by the Father” (John 6:57), and “I can of mine own self do nothing” (John 5:30).

In The Signs of the Times, June 17, 1897, Ellen White wrote, “… while bearing human nature, He [Jesus] was dependent upon the Omnipotent for His life. In His humanity, he laid hold of the divinity of God; and this every member of the human family has the privilege of doing. Christ did nothing that human nature may not do if it partakes of the divine nature.”

Are we getting the beautiful picture yet? Jesus is more than just our substitute for sin, He is also our example of how to live for God and be fitted for our heavenly home. It is true that Jesus was not like us in His humanity because he did not need to be reborn or converted. He never chose to sin even though He lived in the likeness of sinful flesh after 4000 years of weakness. So, how could He be called a Holy thing after being begotten in the flesh?

“He began life, passed through its experiences, and ended its record, with a sanctified human will.” The Signs of the Times, October 29, 1894. This whole article is well worth reading. The Holy Spirit controlled His mind and this is why Jesus can be our example. We also can have a sanctified will while living in sinful flesh through the process of being reborn of the Holy Spirit. (See John 3:3–5.)

The “new theology” in the Seventh-day Adventist Church, as found in the Pentecostal churches, claims that Jesus did everything for you. He couldn’t sin, and He came in the same nature as Adam before the fall. So, in that condition, Jesus can only be a substitute and not an example. Since you cannot be like Jesus, there is nothing for you to do regarding your salvation. However, the Bible says, “Sanctify them through Thy truth: Thy Word is truth” (John 17:17).

Words in the Bible are the instructors of what we are to do. (See 2 Timothy 3:16, 17.) With a new sanctified reborn will in your mind, you will be able to discern the difference between sin and righteousness and know what is not of God. You will want to do God’s will as given in the word of God, as Jesus did. Commands of God will no longer be a problem. You will say as Jesus said, “Thy will be done in earth, as it is in Heaven” (Matthew 6:10). You will fulfill Jesus’ words in John 14:10–15 and do greater works than He had done. This is the last generation’s calling in life.

“Christ is our pattern, our example in all things. He was filled with the Spirit, and the Spirit’s power was manifested through Him.” Reflecting Christ, 130.

Jesus’ sacrifice to come to this world, to live divested of His holy position, weakened, and to die willingly by His own choice is beyond our comprehension. This is true love. All of heaven was poured out in this gift to save man. Nothing more could be given by God.

Will you rededicate your life and ask God in the name of Jesus for the miracle of a sanctified will? By God’s grace we can be restored to where Adam and Eve were before their fall. Praise God. He wants to save us. Just remember, “The Christian life is a battle and a march. But the victory to be gained is not won by human power. The field of conflict is the domain of the heart. The battle that we have to fight—the greatest battle that was ever fought by man—is the surrender of self to the will of God, the yielding of the heart to the sovereignty of love. The old nature, born of blood and the will of the flesh, cannot inherit the kingdom of God. The hereditary tendencies, the former habits, must be given up.” Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, 141.

Gregg Richards can be contacted at: Three Angels Message Ministry, P.O. Box 1621, Bishop, CA 93514, or by email at: richthumper@gmail.com

I would like to give credit for an excellent source material book called The Truth and The Trident by Barry Mellor available from Steps to Life bookstore or from us in Bishop, California.

Do You Want Jesus to Come?

Sometimes we feel impatient for the second coming of Jesus Christ, thinking that He is taking His time. For many years I have preached with all my heart and with such a passion that Jesus Christ is going to come very, very soon. Sometimes I feel embarrassed when I say some things regarding Jesus’ coming, because even my children tell me that is the same as what I said 10 or 15 years ago. I have believed and expected it and yearned for it with all my heart.

I think of Noah who preached for 120 years of a coming flood. He built a big boat in a dry land that had never experienced rain. What a faith he had when it seemed so irrational. How would you understand why God would ask him to build a huge boat with one door on one side? Noah believed God and as he was building the boat for 120 years, he warned the world. His faith, his yearning expectation and fervent hope, believing God’s promise, kept him going.

Do you really want Jesus to come? If so, what is your bottom-line reason? Jesus said, “Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. … Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh” (Matthew 24:42, 44). Jesus told His followers that His return could be imminent, even in their own generation. He spoke to them as if He were going to come back very soon.

In Revelation 22:20, Jesus said, “He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly,” to which John the Revelator added, “Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.” God wants His people in every generation to believe that Jesus Christ is coming soon, so they will see the urgency in being ready to meet Him.

Every day some people die, which means for them that day, that very day, is the day of Jesus’ second coming, for at the resurrection they will have no knowledge of how long they have slept in their dusty graves. Every day probation closes for some people. They may be alive, eating, drinking, thinking, working, and walking, but they do not realize their probation has been closed against their destiny. It is important to be aware that life as we know it is temporary and that Jesus is coming soon.

“For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17). Certainly, the apostle Paul thought that Jesus Christ was going to come in his own time.

Today, we say exactly the same thing: Jesus Christ is going to come in our time. We believe and say that those who are dead in Jesus Christ will be resurrected and reunited with us and we will all be caught up in the air and see Jesus Christ together. Paul said, “Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober” (1 Thessalonians 5:6).

God knows that we need to believe that Jesus Christ is going to come in our own generation to help us to watch and be sober. God knows the way our minds work, the way we feel, the way we think, the way we anticipate, the way we analyze and understand.

Peter also said, “But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer” (1 Peter 4:7). Peter was consumed by the expectation of the soon coming of Jesus Christ and gave his life for the salvation of other souls. When we lose this fervent hope of the soon coming of Jesus Christ, our enthusiasm in evangelism will die away. Adventist people in this world should be the most zealous people in evangelism. I am yearning to see Jesus in the air. That is my hope, my desire, my happiness, and my joy. Everything of my life depends on it. Everything about me hangs on that truth—the second coming of Christ and my hope that I may see His face in my own time.

But Jesus and His disciples said these things 2000 years ago. What about the end time prophet? “The crisis is fast approaching. The rapidly swelling figures show that the time for God’s visitation has about come. … but they [those who walk in the light] are not to sit in quiet, unconcerned expectancy of the ruin, comforting themselves with the belief that God will shelter His people in the day of visitation. Far from it.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 209. Ellen White wrote as if Jesus Christ was coming very soon in her own time. She encouraged people to be prepared for the visitation of the Lord.

If you have ever lost this kind of urgency in your heart, then maybe there is something wrong with your spiritual experience. I’m not talking about fanatical experiences or feelings; I’m talking about the deep down, bottom of your heart yearning and hope. Every morning when you get up you may say, Lord, “When are You going to come? I can’t wait until I see You in the air.” That’s the kind of yearning in your heart I’m talking about.

“The coming of Christ is nearer than when we first believed. The great controversy is nearing its end. The judgments of God are in the land. …

“But there are many, many in our churches who know little of the real meaning of the truth for this time. I appeal to them not to disregard the fulfilling of the signs of the times, which says so plainly that the end is near.” Testimonies, vol. 8, 252. This was written more than 100 years ago. The believers had such a fervent hope and yearning heart.

“We are living in the closing scenes of this earth’s history. Prophecy is fast fulfilling. The hours of probation are fast passing. We have no time—not a moment—to lose. Let us not be found sleeping on guard. … Let the message of Christ’s soon return sound forth in earnest words of warning. Let us persuade men and women everywhere to repent and flee from the wrath to come. Let us arouse them to immediate preparation, for we little know what is before us.” Ibid. This too was written more than 100 years ago.

Why were the disciples urging on the people so long ago regarding the closeness of the second coming? I believe they said that for two reasons. They had believed that Jesus Christ was going to come soon. They were so longing to see Him that in every small sign they saw, they thought maybe that’s the last sign that Jesus Christ was going to come. They had a tendency to interpret every single sign, believing it to be the last sign for the second coming of Christ because they deeply desired to see Him soon.

After traveling for months over the past 15 years, I really want to go home and have a real vacation in heaven. I want to finish all this evangelism and go home and stay and rest with the Lord. Sometimes, while away from home, I wonder if my wife is going to really expect me to return soon, as she used to. When my children were young, they were always waiting for Dad’s coming. My wife would tell them, ten days and he will be home. They would mark it on the calendar. Seven days later, three days later, two days later, tomorrow! Because of our relationship, they always expected me to come soon. They loved me, I loved them. When they saw me in the airport, Dad! Dad! I’m here! Sometimes when I drive up to our home they burst in laughs, Daddy’s here! They cling to my arms, my legs. They are so happy to see me. Sometimes I wonder if my family members still feel the same way as they used to feel?

How long has it been since you have felt that fervent expectation for Jesus Christ’s coming? What kind of attitude should we have at this time for the second coming of Christ? The apostles Peter, John, James, and Paul were all anxiously longing to see Jesus in their lifetime, because they loved Him and wanted to be with Him. How much do you love Jesus? How much would you sacrifice for Him? Do you tell Jesus that you want to see Him? The apostles loved to read and recite again the words of Jesus, “I come quickly.” Those words sounded like a beautiful melody to their ears because they loved Jesus and longed to see His face. They expected to be delivered from the abuse and sufferings of this world.

Are you separated from your family? Are you being persecuted? Are you being misunderstood or wrongly accused? Are you being treated unfairly by your brothers and sisters? Does the world abuse you? Does the world treat you unfairly? Are you suffering for the sake of the truth and righteousness? Are you lonely and feel solitude? Do you want to be delivered from the suffering of this world?

The consequences of sin have been allowed to be played out for 6000 years in human history. It is when we are suffering that we long for Jesus’ second coming. When we are sick, we long for our heavenly home. When we are lonely, we want to see Jesus Christ in the sky. Throughout the inspired writings we see that these servants of God were expecting to be delivered from the suffering and pain of this world and wrote as if Jesus Christ was coming in their own time.

One Christmas, three young people from our China branch went to jail on Christmas Day. These young people, whether they are traveling for evangelism or visiting their families or hometown, always have some tracts or magazines in their backpack to share. Once, as they were passing by a large Catholic Church, they were compelled to go and distribute some of the tracts. Standing before the entrance of the church, they began to distribute a tract about the man of sin and nine points to identify the beast power as the papacy. As these young people were giving out the tracts to the Catholics coming out after the Christmas mass, they were suddenly surrounded. One of the priests who got hold of a tract became very angry; his face turned pale. They woke to the reality that something had gone wrong. The priest called the police, who locked the young men in jail. The accusation against these young people was that they were promoting hatred between the Christians.

Sooner or later, this same accusation will be brought against all those who share the truth of the three angels’ messages. These young people went to jail for two weeks. Later, they shared their experience with me. They said they had had a good time in the cell. In the prison they were allowed only one hour each day out in the sunshine. The prison cells were crowded, with a small bucket as a toilet in the corner. It was very difficult to live in that kind of condition for two weeks and yet they said it was like heaven in their hearts. They yearned to see each other during that one hour every day and couldn’t wait for that time of reunion.

When they got together for that one hour, they shared the Scriptures they had memorized and said they now understood the importance of the memorization of the Scriptures. They recited Scriptures and just held each other’s hands with tears in their eyes. They prayed and sang and studied the Scriptures together in that short period every day. They said that they really began to understand the sweet fellowship between believers. There was no time for hatred or factions or bad words or bitterness. Nothing like that is possible in that kind of situation. They said that they had been given a taste of heaven, the taste of sweet fellowship of the true remnant church. Friends, if we are really yearning for that kind of experience between God’s people, we want Jesus to come soon.

Ellen White wrote, “It is the duty of the people of God to have their lamps trimmed and burning, to be as men that wait for the Bridegroom, when He shall return from the wedding. You have not a moment to lose in neglect of the great salvation that has been provided for you. The time of the probation of souls is coming to an end. From day to day the destiny of men is being sealed, and even from this congregation we know not how soon many shall close their eyes in death and be habited for the tomb.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 189, 190.

We do not know when some of us are going to close our eyes and die, whether we are young or old or little. We do not know of our destiny for tomorrow. So, every day is the day of Jesus Christ’s coming. When we realize that, when we warn the world and preach and evangelize the world, our zeal will be doubled. When we say Jesus Christ is going to come soon, that will be the reality every day in our soul. When we say it, when we give out tracts, when we visit and knock on doors, that realization is going to be real for us every day. Who knows if the man that I meet or the lady I speak to today is being given their final invitation to know the Lord and their probation is about to close? Maybe they will die today or tomorrow.

“We should now consider that our life is swiftly passing away, that we are not safe one moment unless our life is hid with Christ in God. Our duty is not to be looking forward to some special time for some special work to be done for us.” Ibid., 190.

Friends, if you long for Jesus Christ—to see His face, if you are longing and expecting to be delivered from the sufferings of this world, if you feel every day that you do not want to stay in this world any longer, if you have that kind of feeling, you are going to expect Jesus to come soon and then your evangelism will be fervent. Do something about that. Don’t look forward to some special time for a special work to be done. Do it today. The work Jesus has left us to do, to spread the three angels’ messages, is the most important work in the world at this time.

I believe with all my heart that Jesus may come at any time. Sadly, many Adventists have lost their fervent hope for the soon coming of Jesus Christ. “Our duty is … to go forward in our work of warning the world; for we are to be witnesses of Christ to the uttermost parts of the world.” Ibid.

“There shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring” (Luke 21:25). No previous generations have had the kind of distress of nations seen in just about every country as is evident today. Terrorism is rampant everywhere. Every time we fly, security searches our body, our shoes, and our baggage. People are scared to death of the things that may come soon. They are fearful and in perplexity; men’s hearts are failing them for fear. “The sea and the waves roaring” is talking about disasters, especially natural disasters.

“And He spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees” (verse 29). The fig tree represents the Jewish nation, the trees the Gentiles, you and I, because it says in verse 24, “They shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times [plural] of the Gentiles be fulfilled.” This means for many years Jerusalem has been trodden by the Gentiles, Roman armies. Also, God’s church, spiritual Israel, spiritual Jerusalem, would be trodden under foot by spiritual Rome, which is the papacy. The “times,” plural, of the Gentiles were fulfilled. Then, around 1844, God has given the sign of heavenly things that are shaken. At the end, the nations of earth are going to be distressed and in perplexity when the seas and waves are roaring. We are looking at that right now, at this time. There has been no generation in the past when all these nations were so distressed.

“Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled” (verse 32). At the time of Jesus’ first coming, the apostles saw Jesus Christ in His glory on the Mount of Transfiguration. So, in their generation the signs had been fulfilled.

In 1844, when God raised up the true remnant church, true spiritual Israel saw by faith Jesus Christ going before the Ancient of days, which is God the Father, according to Daniel 7. Jesus Christ went into the Most Holy Place where God the Father was sitting on the throne. Many books were open before Him, and Jesus Christ entered into that room, in the clouds, with the many angels.

So that generation actually saw by faith all the stars fall. They saw that heaven was shaken and then they saw Jesus Christ come in glory into the Most Holy Place.

Now in this generation, when the nations are in distress, with perplexity, natural disasters, and economic distress, Jesus Christ is going to appear. We are going to see Him coming in the clouds with the glory of the angels. We are going to see it. This generation shall not pass away till all these prophecies are going to be fulfilled.

This is the time we really need to have a fervent hope for Jesus Christ’s soon return. When we have that kind of urgency in our heart, then our message will be urgent. Then the way we work, the way we evangelize, the way we preach will be different and result in a great harvest of souls ready and waiting for Jesus to come.

Pastor David Kang was the director of Light for Life U.S. Ministry operation out of Commerce, Georgia. His sermons are broadcast weekly on New York and Virginia Korean television stations. Pastor Kang passed away in 2016 waiting for the return of His best friend, Jesus, to reunite him with those with whom he labored and tirelessly worked for while he could. He is sadly missed.