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Food for Life – Creole Corn

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Inspiration Counsels Against Extremes in Diet

What a year this has been so far! Truly the Lord is coming soon, to take His faithful ones to Gloryland! Will you be there? I hope to be there to meet my Lord and Savior in the skies and reign with Him throughout eternity. This month, we will continue to look at the chapter in The Ministry of Healing called “Extremes in Diet.”

“God is not honored when the body is neglected or abused and is thus unfitted for His service. To care for the body by providing for it food that is relishable and strengthening is one of the first duties of the householder. It is far better to have less expensive clothing and furniture than to stint the supply of food.

“Some householders stint the family table in order to provide expensive entertainment for visitors. This is unwise. In the entertainment of guests there should be greater simplicity. Let the needs of the family have first attention.

“Unwise economy and artificial customs often prevent the exercise of hospitality where it is needed and would be a blessing. The regular supply of food for our tables should be such that the unexpected guest can be made welcome without burdening the housewife to make extra preparation.

“All should learn what to eat and how to cook it. Men, as well as women, need to understand the simple, healthful preparation of food. Their business often calls them where they cannot obtain wholesome food; then, if they have a knowledge of cookery, they can use it to good purpose.

“Carefully consider your diet. Study from cause to effect. Cultivate self-control. Keep appetite under the control of reason. Never abuse the stomach by overeating, but do not deprive yourself of the wholesome, palatable food that health demands.

“The narrow ideas of some would-be health reformers have been a great injury to the cause of hygiene. Hygienists should remember that dietetic reform will be judged, to a great degree, by the provision they make for their tables; and instead of taking a course that will bring discredit upon it, they should so exemplify its principles as to commend them to candid minds. There is a large class who will oppose any reform movement, however reasonable, if it places a restriction on the appetite. They consult taste instead of reason or the laws of health. By this class, all who leave the beaten track of custom and advocate reform will be accounted radical, no matter how consistent their course. That these persons may have no ground for criticism, hygienists should not try to see how different they can be from others, but should come as near to them as possible without the sacrifice of principle.

“When those who advocate hygienic reform go to extremes, it is no wonder that many who regard these persons as representing health principles reject the reform altogether. These extremes frequently do more harm in a short time than could be undone by a lifetime of consistent living.

“Hygienic reform is based upon principles that are broad and far-reaching, and we should not belittle it by narrow views and practices. But no one should permit opposition or ridicule, or a desire to please or influence others, to turn him from true principles, or cause him lightly to regard them. Those who are governed by principle will be firm and decided in standing for the right; yet in all their associations they will manifest a generous, Christlike spirit and true moderation.” The Ministry of Healing, 322–324.

Recipe – Creole Corn

2 cups fresh or frozen corn

¼ cup chopped onion

¼ cup sliced green pepper

1 cup strained canned tomatoes

1/8 tsp. dill weed

Salt to taste

Cook corn, onion and green pepper in a non-stick pan over low heat until tender. A small amount of water may be added if necessary to prevent sticking. Add remaining ingredients and heat thoroughly.

Children’s Story – How Much Does a Prayer Weigh

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So he said, “Write it on a paper,” and turned about his business.

To his surprise, the women plucked a piece of paper out of her bosom and handed it to him over the counter and said, “I did that during the night watching over my sick baby.”

The grocer took the paper before he could recover his surprise, and then regretted having done so! For what would he do with it; what could he say?

Then an idea suddenly came to him. He placed the paper, without even reading the prayer upon it, on the weight side of his old-fashioned scales. Picking up a loaf of bread nearby, he said, “We shall see how much this food is worth.”

To his astonishment the scale would not go down when he laid the loaf on the other side. To his confusion and embarrassment, it would not go down though he kept on adding more food, anything he could lay his hands on quickly, for people were watching him.

He tried to be gruff and he was making a bad job of it. His face got red and he felt flustered. So finally he said, “Well, that’s all the scales will hold anyway. Here’s a bag. You’ll have to put it in yourself. I’m busy.”

With what sounded like a gasp or a little sob, she took the bag and started packing the food, wiping her eyes on her sleeves every time her arm was free to do so. He tried not to look, but he could not help seeing that he had given her a pretty big bag and that it was not full when she had finished. So without saying anything, he tossed down the counter to her several expensive items. Trying not to notice, he saw a timid smile of grateful understanding glistening in her eyes.

When the woman was gone, he went to look at the scales, scratching his head and shaking the scales in puzzlement. Then he found the solution. When the paper had been placed on it, the scales had been broken.

That grocer is an old man now. His hair is white. But he has never forgotten the incident. He never saw the woman again. And, come to think of it, he had never seen her before either. Yet, for the rest of his life, he remembered her better than any other customer he ever had.

And he knew it had not been just his imagination, for he still had the slip of paper upon which the woman’s prayer had been written, “Please, Lord, give us this day our daily bread.”

Used by permission. Taken from the book Shelter in the Storm. Available from Harvestime Books, Altamont, TN 37301.

Victory—the Christian’s Privilege

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Few doctrines cause more ire and disdain within the ranks of Seventh-day Adventists than God’s call to Christian character perfection.

Christian character perfection is best defined by referring to its synonyms—

  • The character of Christ in the life (Philippians 2:5)
  • Sanctification (2 Thessalonians 2:13)
  • Holiness (1 Peter 1:15)
  • Surrender of the will to Christ (Romans 6:13, 16, 19)
  • Love to Christ which leads to obeying His commandments (John 14:15)
  • Victory over sin (1 John 5:4)
  • Complete trust in Christ (2 Corinthians 3:4)
  • A character filled with the Holy Spirit (John 20:22; Acts 1:8; 4:8, 31)
  • Overcoming the world (1 John 5:4)
  • Walking in God’s way (1 Kings 8:58)
  • The inclination of the heart of God (1 Kings 8:58)

God’s promise of Christian character perfection is one of the great promises of Scripture. The purpose of the gifts of the Spirit is to bring character perfection to those who desire salvation. “And He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” Ephesians 4:11–13.

We notice that the perfection of God’s saints gives them an effective ministry; it edifies Christ’s church; it results in unity of the brethren and increases our knowledge of God and His goodness. Those who allow this transformation to take place in their lives are promised that they will be raised to the stature of the fullness of Christ.

Why Some Despise Christian Perfection

With such immeasurable results of Christian character perfection, well may we pose the question, Who among Christians would despise such an offer and call those who seek the fulfillment of the promise, in their own lives, deceived? Who indeed? But thousands upon thousands of Christians, including not a few Seventh-day Adventist administrators, pastors and lay-people, scorn the concept of Christian character perfection. Why? Surely there can only be one significant reason—sin and worldliness remain dear to their hearts. Yet never has sin brought a single blessing to any one of us.

Sin separates us from God. “But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you, that He will not hear.”
Isaiah 59:2. No prayer to God is heard while our hearts willfully harbor sin unconfessed and unforsaken unless we kneel to confess our sins and to request the power to forsake them. This is a dire state for any Christian; yet Isaiah and King David declare this fact. “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.” Psalms 66:18.

We must never forget the power of God. “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither His ear heavy, that it cannot hear:” Isaiah 59:1. He has called mankind to perfection in all ages. Abraham was thus called. “And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before Me, and be thou perfect.” Genesis 17:1. The Lord also called Israel to character perfection. “Thou shalt be perfect with the Lord thy God.” Deuteronomy 18:13. And His call to Seventh-day Adventists is “Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.” 2 Corinthians 13:11.

The Spirit of Prophecy, in words so plain that none need doubt, states: “God requires perfection of His children. His law is a transcript of His own character, and it is the standard of all character. This infinite standard is presented to all that there may be no mistake in regard to the kind of people whom God will have to compose His kingdom. The life of Christ on earth was a perfect expression of God’s law, and when those who claim to be children of God become Christlike in character, they will be obedient to God’s commandments. Then the Lord can trust them to be of the number who shall compose the family of heaven.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 315.

The Spirit of Prophecy refers to Christian character perfection numerous times. On each occasion we are exhorted to seek God for the bestowal of just such a character. Without it our salvation is unsecured.

Then, again, we ask, Why do such large numbers of church leaders, pastors and lay-people abhor that which God requires and which it is their privilege to receive? Again the answer is sin. There is no abhorrence of sin and no love of righteousness.

Today, numerous pastors are destroying the faith of their congregations by preaching that we will not have victory over sin until the Second Coming. As they preach this message, they are servants of Satan, for it is he and not Christ who declares this diabolical falsehood. Listen to the inspired word. “The holy life of Abel testified against Satan’s claim that it is impossible for man to keep God’s law.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 77.[Emphasis supplied.]

(If Abel had not kept God’s law his life could not possibly have testified against the arch-deceivers claim.)

“Satan had claimed that it was impossible for man to obey God’s commandments; and in our own strength it is true that we cannot obey them. But Christ came in the form of humanity, and by His perfect obedience He proved that humanity and divinity combined can obey every one of God’s precepts.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 314.

It is a fearful matter for ministers, ordained to preach the precious truths of God, to promote the soul-destructive fabrications of Satan. Yet, today numerous pastors do so without the least concern that they will receive retribution in the day of judgement. How dare they delude the flock on a matter so plain in the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy! How dare they! But dare they do. It is the duty of every layperson, not merely to ignore such sophistries of the devil, but to stand up in the might and power given to Elijah and to earnestly warn their fellow believers sitting in the pews. Such pastors should be excused from setting messages before the congregation. They are unfaithful servants and thus have forfeited their right to stand in the pulpit.

Christian Perfection Is Not Perfectionism

While Sister White always promoted Christian character perfection, she soundly condemns perfectionism on the sole occasion she refers to it. “God will not entrust the care of His precious flock to men whose mind and judgment have been weakened by former errors that they have cherished, such as so-called perfectionism.” Early Writings, 101. (Unfortunately, some translations of this passage translate the word “perfectionism” as “perfection.” One example is the Dutch translation.) On page 301 of the same book, the editors explain that perfectionism refers to the holy flesh movement which arose at the turn of the twentieth century in the state of Indiana. These people held that they had reached a state of moral perfection beyond which there was no further progress to be made and, secondly, that they could never fall from this elevated state of perfection. No wonder the servant of the Lord rejected such spiritual arrogance and error. Yet, those subscribing to the Biblical concept of Christian character perfection are frequently charged with believing perfectionism. How shallow and misleading are the words of those who deny Scripture! It is time for such confusion between Christian character perfection and the ruinous doctrine of perfectionism to be dispelled.

Seventh-day Adventists have never promoted a fanatical view of Christian character perfection. A man possesses a perfect character when he lives up to all the light God has presented to him. Jesus, Himself, stated: “Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, ‘We see;’ therefore your sin remaineth.” John 9:41.

It is only when we possess light and disobey it that sin is recorded against us. When we are “blind” to a truth because God has not yet seen us to be ready for it, despite our seeking for further truth, He does not condemn us. He takes us step by step along the Christian pathway. That is why Paul declared to the Athenians, “And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent.” Acts 17:30.

We must never forget that sin is an act of the will. It is the making of a decision to flaunt God’s expressed commandments. Knowledge of God’s will is required before sin is recorded against the soul. “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” James 4:17.

In the early days of the Seventh-day Adventist movement, the Sabbath was observed from 6:00pm Friday until 6:00 pm Saturday. After some time, Sister White received a vision which revealed the correct timing of the Sabbath. She was shocked, for the company of Sabbath-keepers had been greatly blessed as they had kept the Sabbath, while breaking the “edges” of that holy day. In reply to Sister White’s concern, the angel replied, “ ‘If light comes, and that light is set aside, or rejected, then comes condemnation and the frown of God; but before the light comes there is no sin, for there is no light for them to reject.’” Testimonies, vol. 1, 116.

Thus, some people who are oblivious of God’s law will be found in God’s kingdom. “Among the heathen are those who worship God ignorantly, those to whom the light is never brought by human instrumentality, yet they will not perish. Though ignorant of the written law of God, they have heard His voice speaking to them in nature, and have done the things that the law required.” The Desire of Ages, 638.

More Than the Crucifixion

Since Christian character perfection is developed through obedience to every word of admonition which God has revealed to us at any given point in our Christian experience, is this a genuine possibility for us today? The glorious news is that Christ demonstrated that this is so.

If the single purpose of Christ’s incarnation was to die on Calvary and be raised from the dead, that was accomplished in three days. If, in addition, He needed to train His disciples, this He completed in 3 ½ years. Yet, Christ spent over 33 years upon the earth. Why? So that He could give us an example that as a child, teenager and adult, a man, filled with the Holy Spirit, could overcome sin. “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow His steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth.” 1 Peter 2:21, 22.

“The world’s Redeemer passed over the ground where Adam fell because of his disobeying the expressed law of Jehovah; and the only begotten Son of God came to our world as a man, to reveal to the world that men could keep the law of God.
Satan, the fallen angel, had declared that no man could keep the law of God after the disobedience of Adam.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 5, 112.

Bible Examples of Perfection

Has any man reached God’s standard of Christian character perfection? The Scriptures answer emphatically in the positive. “And Enoch walked with God: and he was not, for God took him.” Genesis 5:24.

Does “walking with God” equate with obedience to every commandment? Certainly it does. “Blessed are they that keep His testimonies, and that seek Him with the whole heart. They also do no iniquity: they walk in His ways.” Psalms 119:2, 3. “And hereby we do know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He that saith, I know Him, and keepeth not His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in Him. But whoso keepeth His word, in Him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in Him.” 1 John 2:3–6.

In these passages we note that walking as Christ walked and in His ways demonstrate the fact that we keep His testimonies, we seek Him whole-heartedly, we do no iniquity, we keep His commandments, the love of God is perfected in us and we abide in Him.

Noah was selected for his holy work because he was such a man. “These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.” Genesis 6:9. So, too, was Job. “There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.…And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered My servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?” Job 1:1, 8.

Job eschewed evil and sinned not. God, Himself, proclaimed these facts. Even Satan, the father of liars, could not dispute God’s evaluation of His servant. Satan was compelled to fall back to his claim that Job only possessed a perfect character because God had so abundantly blessed him. Satan claimed that in adversity Job’s perfect character would be seen to be only a fair-weather feature. But despite the worst the devil could bring, “Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.” Job 1:22. Job demonstrated, through the power of God, that perfection of character could be maintained even during severe adversity.

I have often been asked in a churlish manner, “Are you perfect?” Am I? The answer to this question is provided by Job. He was perfect. God declared so on three occasions. But did he boast of his character? Did he even have the slightest inkling of God’s evaluation of his character? He said, “If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me: if I say, I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse. Though I were perfect, yet would I not know my soul: I would despise my life.” Job 9:20, 21.

All who possess Christian character perfection will only see the sinfulness of their lives as they view the totally sinless life of their Redeemer. They will ever place their total trust in Him, recognizing their human frailties. No boast, no sense of superiority will mar their characters, for they will have fixed their eyes totally upon Jesus.

The 144,000 and Perfection

But one matter is certain, those who will compose the 144,000 will possess Christian character perfection. Review 1 Peter 2:21, 22, quoted earlier. Here we discern that Christ’s character consisted of two characteristics:

  1. He did not sin.
  2. No guile was found in His mouth.

Now let us compare the character of the 144,000. Revelation 14:5 says of this number, “And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.”

It will be seen that these have developed the character of Christ—they have no guile in their mouths and they are faultless before the throne of God. No individual with sin unconfessed and unforsaken in his heart can ever stand faultless before the throne of God. “The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth: for they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid.” Zephaniah 3:13.

Christian character perfection is the condition God has prescribed for salvation. The basis for our salvation will ever be the grace (mercy) of our God. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Ephesians 2:8, 9.

I am burdened for God’s precious flock as I am for my dearest loved ones and myself. It is time that daily, moment by moment, we seek the character of Christ. “God’s ideal for His children is higher than the highest human thought can reach. ‘Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.’ This command is a promise. The plan of redemption contemplates our complete recovery from the power of Satan.” The Desire of Ages, 311.

“From Genesis to Revelation the conditions upon which eternal life is promised, are made plain. God requires that those who shall enter heaven shall be without spot or wrinkle or any such thing. Keep My commandments and live, is the requirement of God.” Review and Herald, September 3, 1901.

Russell Standish is a Seventh-day Adventist minister and physician who has offered long service to the Lord’s work. He currently travels extensively from his home in Australia to speak and evangelize around the world.

Message to Parents

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Recently there have been repeatedly given to me messages of warning and instruction to parents, pointing out the need of diligent effort, and of seeking the Lord with close searching of heart and with earnestness of purpose. God desires us as a people to stand in a position where we shall honor Him; and we can do this only as we humble our hearts before God, bringing ourselves and our families into right relation to Him. We are safe only when we stand under the broad shield of Omnipotence. Only there can God work through us to will and to do of His good pleasure, as we work out our salvation with fear and trembling.

The Lord desires to see both the youth and those older brought into a sacred nearness to Himself. Christ is not here in person, as in the days of His earthly ministry, to teach the youth; but it is the privilege of parents and teachers so to represent Christ in word and character that the light of heaven will shine into the hearts of the youth, and many will be converted to Christ.

Parents have a great and important work before them. With an eye single to the glory of God, they must work to fashion the characters of their children after the perfect pattern. Who is this pattern?—It is the Son of God. Christ came to this world as a human being, that He might by His example teach men and women how to bring their lives into conformity to the will of God. He speaks to fathers and mothers, saying, “Learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” Christ is to be the teacher of those who must train the youth. The law of the Lord is to be their rule of life, for this law is to be written on the hearts of the youth, or they will never obey the truth of God’s word. All the will must be yielded to God; He demands entire obedience. If the youth will learn of Him, Christ will impart to them the knowledge and wisdom needed to serve Him acceptably.

Fathers and mothers, how can I find words to describe your great responsibility! By the character you reveal before your children you are educating them to serve God or to serve self. Then offer to heaven your earnest prayers for the aid of the Holy Spirit, that your hearts may be sanctified, and that the course you pursue may honor God and win your children to Christ. It should give to parents a sense of the solemnity and sacredness of their task, when they realize that by careless speech or action they may lead their children astray.

Parents need the guardianship of God and His Word. If they do not heed the counsels of the Word of God, if they do not make the Bible the man of their counsel, the rule of their life, their children will grow careless and will walk in paths of disobedience and unbelief. Christ lived a life of toil and self-denial, and died a death of shame, that He might give an example of the spirit that should inspire and control His followers. As in their home life parents strive to be Christ-like, heavenly influences will be shed abroad in the lives of their family.

In every Christian home God should be honored by the morning and evening sacrifices of praise and prayer. Every morning and evening earnest prayers should ascend to God for His blessing and guidance. Will the Lord of heaven pass by such homes, and leave no blessing there?—Nay, verily. Angels hear the offering of praise and the prayer of faith, and they bear the petitions to Him who ministers in the sanctuary for His people, and pleads His merits in their behalf. True prayer takes hold upon Omnipotence, and gives men the victory. Upon his knees the Christian obtains strength to resist temptation.

As laborers together with God, parents, you are to carry out His plans for your children. This will call for continual watch-care, unceasing effort; for the enemy of souls is on the alert to lead them astray. So long as you live, your responsibility for them will not end. Your interest in their spiritual welfare must be deep and constant. But by your ministry for them, in cooperation with the Spirit of God, they may be led to see God’s purpose for them, and to accept His will for the disposition of their lives. Who can estimate the value of faithful work in the home? In the midst of difficulties and unceasing care, it is the privilege of parents to look forward to the joys of eternity, and by the eye of faith behold the reward of the faithful.

Until every member of your family is united with you in the faith, do not feel that you can relax your efforts. Through the pleasures and ambitions of the world, the enemy is working to draw the youth into his ranks, and he has much success. As we approach nearer to the close of time, he will invent every possible attraction to draw their minds into worldly channels. At this time we need a pure and undefiled religion. And if parents will make the training of their children their chief work, God will give them increased ability.

God calls us to come out from the world and be separate. “Ye cannot serve God and mammon,” Christ declared. If we are indulging habits that unfit us for a place in the kingdom of heaven, let us in Christ’s strength overcome these habits. By our example of surrender to the will of God, we are to teach our children that if they would inherit eternal life, they must consecrate their lives to Him. If we share the joys of the redeemed in the future life, we must give no place in this life to foolishness and pride and vanity. We are to be overcomers over everything that wars against the principles of the kingdom of God.

We need to seek for a true understanding of how to train our children for the future life. At this time when wickedness is constantly increasing, we cannot afford to be careless or negligent. Our children are God’s property. Shall we let them depart from the paths of righteousness, and make no effort to save them? They have eternal life to win; eternal death to shun; and it is ours to help them to choose the good and resist the evil. When they learn to welcome the spirit of Christ into their hearts, the salvation of God will be seen in their lives.

It is sometimes essential to correct children; when this is necessary, do it in love. Show them that you punish them, not because you like to, but because you fear not to do so, lest they continue to cherish evils in their lives. Parents and children need the softening, subduing influence of the Holy Spirit of God. Often we do more to provoke than to win. Let your methods be of a character that they will create love. Love begets love. Do not scold. This will work counter to the results which God desires to see accomplished. An exhibition of passion on your part will never cure your child’s evil temper. Talk kindly with the children. Pray with them, and teach them how to pray for themselves. They will not forget these experiences, and the blessing of God will rest upon such instruction, leading the hearts of the children to Christ. The Lord wants you to lay hold of eternal things, and to have an experience in Christian development that will be marked by those with whom you associate. It is your privilege to give to the world a representation of the transforming grace of Christ that will cause them to wonder.

When children realize that their parents are trying to help them, they will bend their energies in the right direction. And to the children who have right instruction in the home, the advantages of our schools will be greater than to those who are allowed to grow up without spiritual help at home.

Do not be turned away from your God-given work by the fleeting and unsatisfying pleasures that the world can offer. Parents have no time to spend in parties of pleasure while their children are left to the temptations of the enemy. Say to those who invite you to join them in worldly pleasure, God has given me the work of training my children for eternity. I want them to stand by my side to help me, and I want to help them to accomplish all that they are capable of accomplishing through faith in Christ and His Word. I want to take my children with me to the city of God, to be crowned with immortal life. I want them to sing His praises in the earth made new. I cannot serve the world and accomplish this work.

Do not neglect your children for visitors. Your children should not be left to themselves because company has come to your home. Let your friends understand that your first attention belongs to your children, and that you cannot engage in pleasures that will divert your mind from the interest you should exercise in their behalf. You cannot afford to let any time pass unimproved. You cannot afford to let your children go hither and thither without guardianship or control. The solemn work given to you to do can be neglected only at eternal loss, but the reward for faithful effort is greater than human minds can compute. In winning heaven your children win an inheritance whose value is above that of any earthly possession. Great will be your satisfaction and reward in the future life when you see your children enjoying eternal pleasures, which might have been denied them, had you by the indulgence of self in this life withheld the advantages to be gained by an education in right principles and practice.

Do not spend your time in chatting on the trifling subjects of dress and fashion. Talk of the heavenly dress, the spotless robe of Christ’s righteousness, which all must wear who stand in confidence before the throne of God. Talk to your friends of the truth and the requirements of God’s Word. As you make use of the knowledge you have, God will give you increased light.

We are facing events that closely precede the coming of the Lord. At this time it behooves us to be faithful, to guard well our words and actions. Let us not trifle with eternal realities. Those who would be prepared for the coming of Christ must make diligent work for eternity. They have no time to lose; for the end of all things is at hand. Let heart and mind be sanctified by the truths of the Word. Give evidence that you are preparing for the solemn events of eternity.

Will fathers and mothers work wisely for their children, helping them to form righteous characters? You with your children are to prepare to graduate to the higher grades of the school above. Then educate yourselves daily away from every tendency and practise that would unfit you to pass the test of the great examination day. Let it be seen by those with whom you associate that Christ is your pattern in all things.

Let the instruction you give your children be simple, and be sure that it is clearly understood. The lessons that you learn from the Word you are to present to their young minds so plainly that they will understand. By simple lessons drawn from the Word of God and their own experience you may teach them how to conform their lives to the highest standard. They may learn, even in childhood and youth, to live thoughtful, earnest lives, that will yield a rich harvest of good.

As united rulers of the home kingdom, let the father and the mother show kindness and courtesy to each other. Never should their deportment militate against the precepts they seek to inculcate. Parents, be in earnest in seeking to perfect in your children true wisdom,—the wisdom of righteousness. If you would do this, you must set them an example worthy of imitation. Should you be remiss in this respect, and your children fail in meeting the standard of the Word of God, what will you answer when they stand before the bar of heaven as witness to your neglect? How terrible will be your realization of loss and failure as you face the Judge of all the earth with the fruits of your unfaithfulness before you!

I cannot find words to describe to you the scenes of the judgment. I cannot represent to you how terrible in that day will be the disappointment of those who in this life have chosen to follow their own will instead of the will and way of God. The low standard of the world is not Christ’s standard. The world’s measurement of righteousness is not His measurement. Those only who in their probationary time use their capabilities to honor and glorify God will hear from His lips the benediction and welcome: “Well done, good and faithful servant:…enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.”

To every father and mother God has given a work in soul-saving that they cannot throw upon others. In this work it is their privilege to draw from the Word of God instruction that will give help in every time of need. For all who make it their life-work to seek for the righteousness of Christ there awaits a welcome to the city of God, where they may join the song of triumph and praise, that the battle of life is over. O that we might as a people appreciate more fully the Word which teaches us the way of this wonderful salvation!

Taken from two Review and Herald articles of the same title, published on February 2, 1912 and February 8, 1912.

The Character of Daniel

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It is through the Bible that we learn about God and His work for us and through us. In 1 Corinthians 10:11, we read that the stories of the Bible were recorded as examples for us upon whom the ends of the world are come. One is the stories contained in the book of Daniel. God’s grace and salvation are seen throughout the entire book of Daniel. In the prophetic portion of the book, the history of the world is pictured in dreams and symbols, but equally significant for us are the lessons that we can learn from the development of Daniel’s character, himself. We are told that “The case of Daniel may be studied with profit by all who desire perfection of character.” Signs of the Times, November 5, 1896. With this counsel in mind, let us look at the character traits of Daniel.

In the first chapter of Daniel, seven character traits are described as well as four rewards which were granted to Daniel because of his faithfulness. Let’s see what we can learn by studying the character of Daniel in relationship to our preparation for the soon appearing of Christ.

Daniel 1:1–2 tells us of the captivity of the children of Israel by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. This was prophesied by God’s prophet in Isaiah 39:3–7. As we research this event in history we learn that over 18,000 people were carried away to Babylon. (See 2 Kings 24:14–16.) Of these 18,000, God was able to chose four as His special messengers to this lost nation of Babylon. Thus the first character trait, seen in Daniel 1:3–7, is that he was chosen. These four young men were chosen because there was something different about their lives and character than the rest of the Israelites. It will be the same with the people of God at the end of the earth. They are a special chosen people who have as their purpose the proclamation of the Three Angels’ Messages of Revelation 14. Just as Daniel chose to follow God, regardless of the cost, so we must make that decision if we will be among the chosen of God.

The second and third character traits can be summarized by the words conviction and commitment. Daniel 1:8 says that “he purposed in his heart the he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank.” As a child, Daniel had been raised to know God’s health laws and in this foreign land he had an opportunity to eat and drink as he wanted. So the offer of the King to eat of his meat and wine was a test of Daniel’s personal convictions in the areas of diet, health, and obedience to God’s claims in all areas of his life. Before he took any public stand in regard to his diet, he determined in his own heart that what he had been taught had been truth and he was convicted of his need to remain faithful to God in this area. His next step was to make a public statement of his conviction not to defile himself. What a commitment this was to truth. When Daniel requested that he might not defile himself with the kings diet, the prince of the eunuchs was fearful that the young men would look worse than those who had the privilege of eating the King’s food. He was concerned that allowing the Hebrews to eat and drink according to their custom would make them less fit than the rest of the young men and could thereby endanger his own life.

We might ask ourselves, “Was the matter of diet really important enough to risk their lives?” This is what Ellen White tells us about their decision in regard to diet. “What if Daniel and his companions had made a compromise with those heathen officers and had yielded to the pressure of the occasion by eating and drinking as was customary with the Babylonians? That single instance of departure from principle would have weakened their sense of right and their abhorrence of wrong.” Fundamentals of Education, 81. This makes it extremely clear that our choices in dietary matters can weaken or strengthen our sense of wrong. There is a strong temptation to eat as we desire or to eat according to the customs around us. We do this because it is easier and does not hurt feelings, but the situation of Daniel had much more at stake than hurting feelings. It could have cost him and the prince of the eunuchs their lives. It is therefore clear that we should not conform our dietary decisions or any other of God’s commands to what is customary in the surroundings we find ourselves. Another statement from The Great Controversy makes a similar observation about putting ourselves on common ground with the world. From page 509 we read, “Conformity to worldly customs converts the church to the world, it never converts the world to Christ. Familiarity with sin will inevitably cause it to appear less repulsive. He who chooses to associate with the servants of Satan will soon cease to fear their master. When in the way of duty we are brought into trial, as was Daniel in the Kings court, we may be sure that God will protect us; but if we place ourselves under temptation we shall fall sooner or latter.”

Just as Christ struggled with appetite in the wilderness, so must we. If we are to gain perfection in character, we must overcome in this area of our life. Overcoming appetite is so crucial that Christ fasted for forty days in order to overcome. Through His strength we may be victors not only of appetite, but we may have the moral power to be victorious over every other temptation of Satan. Please note the following, found in Counsels on Diet and Foods, 59: “The controlling power of appetite will prove the ruin of thousands, when, if they had conquered on this point, they would have had moral power to gain the victory over every other temptation of Satan. But those who are slaves to appetite will fail in perfecting Christian character. The continual transgression of man for six thousand years had brought sickness, pain, and death as its fruits. And as we near the close of time, Satan’s temptation to indulge appetite will be more powerful and more difficult to overcome.” Just as Daniel overcame on the point of appetite, so must we, if we are going to stand in these final days as God’s lighthouse to the world.

So, what would become of Daniel’s request to the prince of the eunuchs? Why would the prince of the eunuchs even consider Daniel’s request if it might cost him his life? Part of the reason the prince considered Daniel’s request was because of his fourth character trait, courtesy. Daniel 1:9 tells us that, “God had brought Daniel into favor and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs.” Daniel had indeed gained the respect of the Babylonians, partly because of the courteous and respectful way in which he approached them. He had been taken from his home and was a captive in a strange land, but his courtesy was a daily witness to his captors. In Sanctified Life, 20, 21 we read: “Daniel possessed the grace of genuine meekness. He was true, firm, and noble. He sought to live in peace with all while he was unbending as the lofty cedar whenever principle was involved. In everything that did not come in collision with his allegiance to God, he was respectful and obedient to those who had authority over him, but he had so high a sense of the claims of God that the requirements of earthly rulers were held subordinate. The record of his noble, self denying life is an encouragement to our common humanity. From it we may gather strength to nobly resist temptation and firmly, and in the grace of meekness, stand for the right under the severest trial.”

Daniel’s ability to stand firm based on principle was a result of his fifth character trait, that of confidence in God’s Word. Daniel risked his very life because he had faith in God’s Word. The Bible is full of examples of men and women who have risked everything because of their belief in God’s Word. We may not have been in that position in the past, but each of us may face the same decision Daniel did, some time in the near future. Are we willing to risk all to follow God’s Word? The promise of protection is sure. (See 1 John 4:4, 1 Samuel 2:30, and 2 Peter 1:3–10.)

Because of Daniel’s courtesy and firm stand for principle the head eunuch decided to allow Daniel to have a ten day test of the diet he proposed. (See Daniel 1:10–16.) With confidence in God’s Word, Daniel, for not just the next ten days, but throughout his entire stay in Babylon, displayed his sixth and seventh character traits, courage and consistency. It takes true courage and strength of character, not just a momentary flash of glory, to stand for a lifetime, faithful to our God. Daniel 1:21 says that Daniel “continued.” This kind of courage and consistency, only God can give. Once we take a stand for God, we must, with His help, display consistency in our walk in the truth. Without this our witness will be weak if not even harmful. A quote from Prophets and Kings, 487, 488, brings this home to our heart. It says: “Strong, subtle influences may bind them to the world; but the Lord is able to render futile every agency that works for the defeat of His chosen ones; in His strength they may overcome every temptation, conquer every difficulty. There is need of men who like Daniel will do and dare for the cause of right. Pure hearts, strong hands, fearless courage are needed; for the warfare between vice and virtue calls for ceaseless vigilance.” We must, in our warfare against appetite and every other sin that the Devil brings our way, “stand like Daniel, that faithful statesmen, a man who no temptation could corrupt.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 332.

God never leaves the faithfulness of His children unrewarded. As a result of his obedience, in all areas to God, Daniel experienced rewards that were not shared by the other captives. First, Daniel experienced in his physical being a special impact. He was healthier than those who ate the King’s food. (See Daniel 1:15–16.) His countenance glowed with life and vitality and he had a degree of health that was not experienced by his fellow captives. We too can find health beyond that seen in the world when we follow God’s health laws.

Daniel also experienced an intelligence that was not common among the people around him. (See Daniel 1:17–20.) As we develop our spiritual character and are faithful to follow His requirements for health, God can also bless us with skill in learning. From the Review and Herald, March 22, 1898, this vital link between our spiritual nature and our mental capabilities is emphasized. “As in the case of Daniel, in exact proportion as the spiritual character is developed, the intellectual capabilities are increased.” Daniel 1:17 also states that Daniel had special insight into the meaning of the dreams of the King. He had an understanding and wisdom that only God could give. Finally Daniel was rewarded with a tremendous influence in the country of Babylon. The influence he had in society, and especially with the King, can be seen throughout the rest of the book of Daniel. If these rewards, physical health, intelligence, insight, and influence, were just seen in Daniel, one might say that it was just a coincidence. However, the Bible is full of examples of men and women who, by obeying God, have received similar rewards in their life. One must think of David, Joseph, Queen Esther, Moses, John the Baptist, and Paul. All of these pillars of Bible history were blessed as they obeyed God in their daily lives.

In conclusion, we must, in these closing hours of earth’s history, develop each of these seven character traits if we are going to stand for Jesus during these trying times. God wants us to be His very special chosen people to witness to this world. He wants us to be a people of deep conviction that is based on His word. He wants us to be committed to stand up for our convictions regardless of the circumstances or pressures brought upon us by the world. He wants us to be a courteous people that deal with each other gently and with meekness. He wants us, through study of the Bible and through life’s experiences, to develop firm and unshakable confidence in Him and His Word. Also, He wants us to have courage to privately and publicly stand for principle regardless of the circumstances or costs. Lastly, God wants us to be consistent in our character development and in our Christian walk before Him and the world. The development of these traits is crucial to the perfection of our character and our ability to witness to the power of God.

In Education, 57, we read: “The greatest want of the world is the want of men—men who do not fear to call sin by its right name, men who will not be bought or sold, men who in their inmost soul are true and honest, men whose conscience is as true to duty as the needle to the pole, men who will stand for the right though the heavens fall.” I want to develop this kind of character, one that is pleasing to God and is safe for Jesus to take to heaven, where sin will never again exist. We must have each of these seven traits of character. Just as God helped Daniel develop a lovely character, He will be our helper also. May we each strive, in the struggles of our captivity, in this world of “Babylon,” to be ready for the Lord’s soon return to claim His faithful children as His own. May this be not just a desire, but a reality in each of our lives. Let us pray for this experience for ourselves and all those we love in Christ Jesus.

Janet Headrick is a registered nurse, wife, mother and grandmother. She writes from Rago, Kansas.

The Church and Its Work

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In the gospel of Matthew, we see the reason why Jesus organized the church and gave her a mission. Jesus’ time on this earth was limited and He needed to make sure that the work He started would continue until the end of time. In Matthew 9 we read this account: “But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. Then saith He unto His disciples, the harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He will send forth laborers into His harvest.” Matthew 9:36–38.

After Jesus spoke these words, He did not go and retire somewhere in the wilderness. When Christ said the harvest was ready, He was ready. He immediately began to organize His disciples for involvement in His work. In Matthew 10 Jesus gave them specific instructions on how to work. Too often we make a mistake in not following the Lord’s example. We can show others the need of working for the Lord. We can preach the importance of being involved in missionary work, but if we fail, by not actually showing them how to do it, we are only giving half a message. Jesus did not leave His disciples to themselves to figure out what to do, He gave them His strategy on how they could succeed. The instructions found in Matthew 10 are needed in the church today.

The first thing that we learn is that Jesus is interested in training others to work. He preached the gospel in Matthew 5–9. But He did not continue preaching all the way through the gospel of Matthew. Many sincere Christians are satisfied with just hearing. But that is not God’s perfect plan for His church. In Christ’s day there were many that followed Him because they desired to see a miracle. Others loved to see our Lord battle the demons and cast them out. There were some that liked to row Jesus across the Sea of Galilee, since they knew that He had the power to calm the sea. How many of you would like to have sat around the campfire with the Lord. There is nothing wrong with wanting to do that, but that is not God’s perfect plan for your life. Jesus is in the business of training disciples. In Matthew 28:19, the Lord says, “Go ye therefore, and make disciples.”

You can rejoice that you have heard the gospel. But the Lord says, “Make disciples.” Some say, “Oh, I have been an Adventist all my life.” So what. The Lord says, “Make disciples.” Many successful evangelists or pastors have the talent to preach the Word. Teach others to do what you do. We must not be selfish and think that we are the only ones that should share the Word in our church or ministry. If God has blessed you with the knowledge His Word, then find someone and show them how they can do what you do. If we had a hundred people doing what only one or two are now doing, we could finish the work. And that is what Christ wants to see in His church. Jesus in interested in what is known as “on the job training.”

Jesus often used people who did not appear to be very well fitted for the job. Look at the twelve apostles. Here we see a group of men who did not have the necessary skills for the work they were called to do. They did not have the ability to work well with others. They were not dependable. They were slow and easily discouraged. But that is the wonderful thing about Jesus. He not only sees how we are now, but He can see what we can and will be when we accept God’s call.

“And when He had called unto Him His twelve disciples…” Matthew 10:1. It is to Christ that we are drawn. Who does the calling? The church did not find Christ. The twelve did not say, “This Jesus is perfect for the job.” The church today is guilty of reversing the Biblical order. The church today offers a Jesus that will run all of your errands. Some say, “Lord, You get me a job, You do this or that.” These people have been waiting for years to accomplish something, but the Lord has done nothing for them. It is presumption for us to ask God to do something that He has told us to do. If you notice, the Bible says that Jesus is the one who calls and sends out workers. It is His mission, His work, His church, and His strategy. He sends them; they do not send Him. Let us look at Christ’s strategy for saving souls. Jesus said, in Matthew 10:5-6: “Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

When we think of mission work, we think of Africa or India, and there is nothing wrong with taking our work overseas. But what about the inner city mission? We have a tremendous work that needs to be done in our own neighborhoods. We must get involved in foreign mission, but we cannot forget our own neighborhoods. Jesus said to start with the people that you know. Start with the people that you live with. He called them the lost sheep of Israel. Those are people who know that there is something wrong with them, people who have problems, and people who need help. We are surrounded by those who are crying out for help. Pray for them. Talk to them. Encourage them. Invite them to church. Tell them you love them and that God does, too. You will find many opportunities to minister and witness to those around you. The point is just do something. Make a list of five people that you know and start working for them. Never give up and you will see the fruit of your labor.

The Need to Work Together

“No advice or sanction is given in the Word of God to those who believe the Third Angel’s Message to lead them to suppose that they can draw apart. This you may settle with yourselves forever. It is the devising of unsanctified minds that would encourage a state of disunion.” Manuscript 109, 1899.

Our prophet tells us that the Third Angel’s Message will be given by a unified body of Christians. Unity is not an option we choose, but an evidence that the Holy Spirit is leading us. God cannot bless us when we are going contrary to His Word, and His Word says to unify.

We have had brothers who have written us and called us on the phone saying that the Holy Spirit told them not to ever visit us again. Others have said that we are starting a new organization. Some have said that if we are going to follow the Holy Spirit we have to meet in a park under a tree.

“It is not a good sign when men will not unite with their brethren, but prefer to act alone, when they will not take in their brethren because they do not just exactly meet their mind. If men will wear the yoke of Christ, they cannot pull apart. They will wear Christ’s yoke, they will draw with Christ.” Manuscript 56, 1898.

We are our brother’s keeper. If you are in a situation where your brother has erred from the word, only a coward and a traitor would abandon his brother. How can we say we love someone and not do all we can to help them? “But he that is a hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own, the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth, because he is a hireling, and careth not for the sheep.” John 10:12–13. “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother.” Matthew 18:15.

When you are in a church or a home church, and problems arise, it is so much easier to run far away so that you do not have to deal with the problems. But the most difficult and necessary work is to solve them. Human nature always wants the easy road, but we cannot run away from our duty without risking great loss. Ezekiel 33:6, 7, gives this solemn warning to us, the watchmen on the walls. “But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman’s hand. So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at My mouth and warn them from Me.”

In the church, we must look at all men as our brothers and all women as our sisters. And when problems arise, we have a greater need to press closer together and look for solutions. Some of the problems today cannot be remedied in one or two meetings. It will take a lot of humility, study, fasting, and hours on our knees in prayer.

Questions on Unity

At times, people from the conference have read us these statements on unity by Ellen White, and accused us of not following God’s counsel on unity, because we meet in a self-supporting church. We have always believed that one should study the Spirit of Prophecy with the same care that we use when we study the Bible. Seventh-day Adventists have always been very careful Bible students. We never allow anyone to just read one or two texts to prove a Bible doctrine. We read every text that has reference to the subject in question. By doing this, we can make intelligent, informed decisions. But when it comes to the Sprit of Prophecy, we are often no different than those other churches that “twist the scriptures unto their own destruction.” 2 Peter 3:16 (NKJV).

Let us forever settle the fact that Ellen White never intended for anyone to use her statements on unity to refer to those who are in gross apostasy. She wrote in Manuscript 31, 1906: “We have a testing message to give, and I am instructed to say to our people, ‘Unify, unify.’ But we are not to unify with those who are departing from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils. With our hearts sweet and kind and true, we are to go forth to proclaim the message, giving no heed to those who lead away from the truth.” (See also The Great Controversy, 445, 446.)

Let Them Alone

In Matthew 15:12–14, Jesus gives us counsel on unity. At this time Jesus’ disciples were troubled when they saw the Pharisees offended with Christ’s teachings. They approached Jesus in verse 12 saying, “Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying?” The Pharisees hated Christ. They wanted Him dead. They were never going to accept Jesus or allow Him to work. Christ knew that, but the people (including His twelve disciples) thought that these men were God’s wonderful leaders. The apostles believed that if Christ was ever going to succeed in His labor, He must find favor with these men. “But He [Jesus] answered and said, ‘Every plant, which My heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.’ ” Matthew 15:13, 14.

Jesus told His disciples “Let them alone.” These men, “however great their authority with people, they could not endure the testing of God.” Desire of Ages, 389. This message rings true for us today, at a time when the prophet tells us that “God is now sifting His people, testing their purposes and their motives. Many will be but as chaff—no wheat, no value in them.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 51.

“The work which the church has failed to do in a time of peace and prosperity she will do in a terrible crisis under the most discouraging, forbidding circumstances.…And at that time the superficial, conservative class, whose influence has steadily retarded the progress of the work, will renounce the faith. …” Testimonies, vol. 5, 63.

“To stand in defense of truth and righteousness when the majority forsake us, to fight the battles of the Lord when champions are few—this will be our test. At this time we must gather warmth from the coldness of others, courage from their cowardice, and loyalty from their treason.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 136.

The Lord is not against human leaders. We see that He organized His work when He ordained twelve. But Christ does warn us against blindly following church leaders. Sadly, today, we are following in the same course as our spiritual forefathers; despite the warnings found in the Spirit of Prophecy. We give unquestionable loyalty and reverence to a man or a group of men.

It is past time that we learned to “Prove all things.” We can support men when they support and follow the Word of God. We should respect the authority of the church, when the church respects the authority of God’s Word. But when the majority forsake the truth, we must take our stand firmly against all unrighteousness, or suffer eternal consequences.

A High Sense of Duty

In order to fulfill the gospel commission, we must have a high sense of duty. This high sense of duty is more important than anything else we may have today. We have a duty to work. No church can last whose people are encouraged to be idlers and loafers. It is our duty to do our best and to be as productive as we can. We must love the work of God. Duty does not fall upon a select group of people, but upon the shoulders of each individual believer.

In the parable of the talents, Jesus described the responsibility of each individual as his use of that which was given him. There was no corporate report of earnings, but each individual stood alone as custodian of his gifts, and this is even more true in the day in which we live.

“We are not doing the will of God if we sit in quietude, doing nothing to preserve liberty of conscience. Fervent, effectual prayer should be ascending to heaven that this calamity may be deferred until we can accomplish the work which has so long been neglected. Let there be most earnest prayer, and then let us work in harmony with our prayers.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 714.

“Let not the commandment-keeping people of God be silent at this time, as though we gracefully accepted the situation. There is the prospect before us of waging a continuous war, at the risk of imprisonment, of losing property and even life itself, to defend the law of God, which is being made void by the laws of men.” SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 7, 975.

“Those who have been warned of the events before them are not to sit in calm expectation of the coming storm, comforting themselves that the Lord will shelter His faithful ones in the day of trouble. We are to be as men waiting for the Lord, not in idle expectancy, but in earnest work, with unwavering faith. It is our duty to do all in our power to avert the threatened danger.” Review and Herald, December 11, 1888.

We have the privilege of being called by Christ to finish the work that He began during His earthly ministry. Let us take heed to His call and bring an end to the great gospel commission of Matthew 28:19. God bless you and prepare to meet thy God.

Raphael Perez has been a Seventh-day Adventist minister for the past ten years. He presently is publishing Earth’s Final Warning in major newspapers across the United States. He writes from West Palm Beach, Florida.

Hope for the Hopeless

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Section 1

Although the condition of all the descendants of Adam and Eve is hopeless without Jesus, the anointed Savior of mankind, through Christ, there is hope for those who are apparently the most hopeless of mankind. The following statements contain encouragement for those who feel hopeless:

“God sees all the possibilities there are in men to work out His divine end; and those who are called to be laborers together with Him, He will instruct to work according to His plans. As co-workers with Christ they will labor for the poor, the outcast, and the depraved. They will not fail nor be discouraged, for, imbued with the Spirit of Christ, they will see hope for the most hopeless. They will work in God’s lines, realizing that man must be sought for and labored for in order to be made Christlike.” Review and Herald, May 29, 1900. [All emphasis supplied throughout unless otherwise noted.]

“This is the work of God’s laborers—to bring to Jesus souls who have gone away from His direct teachings and have apparently gone to pieces on the rocks and reefs of sin. These broken lives, which have been apparently hopeless, He promises to make whole.” Upward Look, 162.

“Tell the poor desponding ones who have gone astray that they need not despair. Though they have erred, and have not been building a right character, God has joy to restore them, even the joy of His salvation. He delights to take apparently hopeless material, those through whom Satan has worked, and make them the subjects of His grace. He rejoices to deliver them from the wrath which is to fall upon the disobedient. Tell them there is healing, cleansing for every soul. There is a place for them at the Lord’s table. He is waiting to bid them welcome.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 234.

“I entreat the heralds of the gospel of Christ never to become discouraged, never to regard the most hardened sinner as beyond the reach of the grace of God. The one apparently hopeless may accept the truth in the love of it. He who turns the hearts of men as the rivers of water are turned, can bring the most selfish, sin-hardened soul to Christ. Is anything too hard for God to do? ‘My word,’ He declares, ‘shall not return unto Me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.’ Isaiah 55:11.” Gospel Workers, 267.

“Jesus is now sending His message to a fallen world.…He has committed Himself to the work of our redemption. He resolved that He would spare nothing, however costly, withhold nothing, however dear, which would restore the moral image of God in man. And He holds in store gift upon gift, waiting for the proper channels through which He can communicate the treasures of eternal life.” Signs of the Times, February 22, 1899.

“Come to Jesus, and receive rest and peace. You may have the blessing even now. Satan suggests that you are helpless, and cannot bless yourself. It is true; you are helpless. But lift up Jesus before him: ‘I have a risen Savior. In Him I trust, and He will never suffer me to be confounded. In His name I triumph. He is my righteousness, and my crown of rejoicing.’ Let no one here feel that his case is hopeless; for it is not. You may see that you are sinful and undone; but it is just on this account that you need a Savior. If you have sins to confess, lose no time. These moments are golden. ‘If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.’ 1 John 1:9. Those who hunger and thirst after righteousness will be filled; for Jesus has promised it. Precious Savior! His arms are open to receive us, and His great heart of love is waiting to bless us.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 352, 353.

“Do not, I entreat of you, sit down in hopeless despair and do nothing. Do not heed any further the great tempter that it is no use for you to try. You could but perish if you came to Jesus just as you are, sinful and polluted, vile and depraved; but Jesus is amply able to save the very hardest and the most wicked and defiled sinner.” Testimonies on Sexual Behavior, 143.

“There are multitudes today as truly under the power of evil spirits as was the demoniac of Capernaum. All who willfully depart from God’s commandments are placing themselves under the control of Satan. Many a man tampers with evil, thinking that he can break away at pleasure; but he is lured on and on, until he finds himself controlled by a will stronger than his own. He cannot escape its mysterious power. Secret sin or master passion may hold him a captive as helpless as was the demoniac of Capernaum.”

“Yet his condition is not hopeless. God does not control our minds without our consent; but every man is free to choose what power he will have to rule over him. None have fallen so low, none are so vile, but that they may find deliverance in Christ. The demoniac, in place of prayer, could utter only the words of Satan; yet the heart’s unspoken appeal was heard. No cry from a soul in need, though it fail of utterance in words, will be unheeded. Those who consent to enter into covenant with God are not left to the power of Satan or to the infirmity of their own nature.” Ministry of Healing, 92, 93.

Section 2

It is possible for human beings to make choices that will result in their condition becoming hopeless. The following statements show how this is done:

If we close our eyes to the divine light that is shining upon us: “Men who will not admit the claims of God’s law, which are so very plain, will generally take a lawless course; for they have so long taken sides with the great rebel in warring against the law of God. . . . Their case is as hopeless as was that of the Jews, who would not see the light which Christ brought to them.” Review and Herald, March 23, 1886.

If we indulge pride and self-sufficiency: “The evil that led to Peter’s fall and that shut out the Pharisee from communion with God is proving the ruin of thousands today. There is nothing so offensive to God or so dangerous to the human soul as pride and self-sufficiency. Of all sins it is the most hopeless, the most incurable.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 154.

If we cherish unbelief: “The Jews through unbelief felt no need of Christ. Bodily diseases, however aggravated and apparently hopeless, were met and baffled by His divine power; but the disease of the soul, fastened in unbelief and blind prejudice, took firmer hold upon those who closed their eyes against the light. The most powerful evidence that could be produced only strengthened their opposition. Leprosy and palsy were not so terrible as bigotry and unbelief. Jesus turned from the teachers of Israel, and their chains of darkness and skepticism tightened about them.” Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 2, 176.

“The stronger the evidence that was presented to their minds that Jesus had power on earth to forgive sins, as well as to heal the sick, the more they armed themselves with hatred and unbelief, till God left them to the forging of chains that would bind them in hopeless darkness. There was no reserve power to reach hearts so hardened with malice and skepticism.” Signs of the Times, October 16, 1879.

If we attempt to excuse or conceal our sins: “Satan leads many to believe that God will overlook their unfaithfulness in the minor affairs of life; but the Lord shows in His dealings with Jacob that He will in no wise sanction or tolerate evil. All who endeavor to excuse or conceal their sins, and permit them to remain upon the books of heaven, unconfessed and unforgiven, will be overcome by Satan. The more exalted their profession and the more honorable the position which they hold, the more grievous is their course in the sight of God and the more sure the triumph of their great adversary. Those who delay a preparation for the day of God cannot obtain it in the time of trouble or at any subsequent time. The case of all such is hopeless.” The Great Controversy, 620.

If we delay to overcome: “But let no one neglect present opportunities and delay repentance, presuming on the eleventh-hour conversion of the thief, and trusting to a death-bed repentance. Every ray of light neglected leaves the sinner in greater darkness than before, till some fearful deception may take possession of his mind, and his case may become hopeless.” Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 3, 159.

If we do not make an absolute surrender of self: “Without the absolute surrender of self, soul, body, and spirit the contest is hopeless. Self must be hid in Christ. Said Paul, [Philippians 2:7–11 quoted].” Bible Training School, October 1, 1916.

Section 3

Through the results of past wrong choices, some people are very near to becoming hopeless, but if they will turn to the Lord He will still save them. Situations that result in this condition are discussed in the following quotations:

Bad marriages: “He [Satan] is busily engaged in influencing those who are wholly unsuited to each other to unite their interests. He exults in this work, for by it he can produce more misery and hopeless woe to the human family than by exercising his skill in any other direction.” Testimonies, vol. 2, 248.

Sexual Sins: “You have a work to do for your own soul. Make haste, or it will be forever too late. God will now forgive the scarlet sin if you will do those things you ought to do to make your wrongs right. I do not say your case is hopeless, but you have certainly almost sinned away your day of grace; and yet Jesus is in the sanctuary. Jesus pleads in your behalf. Your brethren and your sisters have labored much for you; so much interest have they manifested for you that you have regarded crime and sins as a light matter. But Jesus loves you, and I present or lift up Jesus before you.

“Satan tells you that it is not best for you to cease sinning; you have gone so far in disobedience and transgression that it is no use for you to try to come back to God. While I feel that full disgrace of your sins is upon you, while I would have you see sin as it is, I would all the time present Jesus as a sin-pardoning Savior. The sands of your life are nearly run out, and now if you will come to God just as you are, without one plea but that He has died to save the chiefest of sinners, you will find pardon even in this the eleventh hour. Man must cooperate with God. Christ did not die to have the power to cover transgression unrepented of and unconfessed. Not all sins are to be confessed publicly, but some are to be confessed alone to God and the parties that have been injured.” Testimonies on Sexual Behavior, 133–137. (See the entire chapter called “Counsels to People With Moral Problems.”)

Depression and the contemplation of suicide: “You say you are tempted to cut the brittle thread of life; but if you do, then your case is hopeless, for you add the sin of murder to all your other sins. But if you come just as you are, helpless and sin-polluted, and cast yourself at the foot of the cross, poor, miserable, blind, and naked, there is a Savior to lift you up.” Testimonies on Sexual Behavior, 143.

Long established habits of talking doubt and unbelief: “To question and doubt and cherish unbelief in order to excuse ourselves in stepping aside from the straight path is a far easier matter than to purify the soul through a belief of the truth, and obedience thereto. But when better influences lead one to desire to return, he finds himself entangled in such a network of Satan, like a fly in a spider’s web, that it seems a hopeless task to him, and he seldom recovers himself from the snare laid for him by the wily foe.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 46.

Section 4

The following inspired statements contain cautions and counsels to keep you from despair and hopelessness and to help make you a blessing to those who feel hopeless:

Do not overwork. This will make you hopeless in your outlook: “The Lord expects His servants to be diligent in business and fervent in spirit. But He does not want them to overwork. It is not work, but overwork, without periods of rest, that breaks people down, endangering the life forces. Those who overwork soon reach the place where they work in a hopeless way. The work done to the Lord is to be done in cheerfulness and with courage. He wants us to bring spirit and life and hope into our work.” Signs of the Times, May 10, 1905.

Avoid debt. Debt brings depression and feelings of hopelessness:

“The Lord does not want anyone to be unhappy. My brother, your case is not hopeless. . . . Leave the business which makes you nervous and restless. When you have done all you can, trust in God. Get out of debt, and never again get into debt. Live so economically that you will not have to feel the galling burden of debt.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 21, 136.

Do not look down on any sinner as though you are better than he is. Remember that we all must have infinite mercy extended to us daily or we would be hopeless: “There is need of an impartial examination of our hearts to dispel the pleasing illusions of self-love. Our condition is helpless and hopeless unless infinite mercy is granted us daily, and pardon is written against our names in the heavenly records. Those only who see and feel their spiritual necessities will go to Jesus for that help which they so much need, and which He only can give. He alone can cleanse us from all sin. He alone can place upon us the robe of righteousness.” Signs of the Times, January 4, 1883.

Give the gospel invitation for as long as possible. Even in the last hour of life the gospel can be presented and a soul saved if it is accepted: “Would that physicians might understand the greatness of the service they could render to humanity if they were able to speak simply and tenderly of the love of Jesus and of His willingness to save souls, even at the last hour of life. Many physicians fail to see what a noble influence they might exert by accepting Christ and laying hold of eternal interests. They continue to live a hopeless life, a life in which God is not recognized. They refuse to be illuminated by the Light of the world, and are in a far worse condition than the one who is suffering from physical disease.” The Kress Collection, 41.q

The Secret of Christ’s Sinless Life

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There is a vitally important question for all those who are seeking to prepare for heaven. How did Jesus in His humanity overcome Satan? In The Desire of Ages, 123, we find the answer: “He was fitted for the conflict by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.” This knowledge is vitally essential in our daily battle with sin, for sin can “be resisted and overcome only through the mighty agency of the third person of the Godhead.” Ibid., 671.

The Plan of Redemption and the Holy Spirit

As Jesus invaded this rebel planet, some two thousand years ago, He came to live a sinless life by the power of the Holy Spirit, making it possible that we, too, can overcome all sin. However, His victorious life and death could not have worked out our redemption without the regenerating ministry of the Holy Spirit which makes the new birth experience possible. In Selected Messages, Book 3, 137, we read: “Of what avail would it have been to us that the only begotten Son of God had humbled Himself, endured the temptations of the wily foe, and died, the just for the unjust, if the Spirit had not been given as a constant, working, regenerating agent to make effectual in our cases what had been wrought out by the world’s Redeemer?”

Just as Jesus came to reveal the Father, so the Holy Spirit interprets Christ’s life to us. This is of vital importance, for the Scripture states in John 17:3, “This is life eternal, that we might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent.” One may attain to all the knowledge this world can offer, but if he does not know God the Father, it will all be worthless. For God measures our moral worth by the knowledge we have of Him. “The value of a man is estimated in heaven according to the capacity of the heart to know God. This knowledge is the spring from which flows all power.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 354, 355.

Lucifer’s goal has always been to misrepresent our God of love as a selfish tyrant. Jesus left heaven to glorify God by correctly interpreting the love of the Father to us, and when Jesus ascended to heaven He promised that this work would be continued through the ministry of the Holy Ghost. “Howbeit when He, the Spirit of Truth is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will show you things to come. He shall glorify Me: for He shall receive of Mine, and shall show it unto you.” John 16:13, 14.

The Incarnation and the Holy Spirit

It is of interest to note that Christ did not come to our world of Himself, for Isaiah quotes the Lord as saying: “Thus saith the Lord, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; Come ye near unto Me, hear ye this; I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was, there am I: and now the Lord God, and His Spirit, hath sent Me.” Isaiah 48: 17, 16.

The decision for Christ to come to this world was jointly made by all three members of the Godhead. And Christ chose to be born into this world by the agent of the Holy Spirit. “The angel answered and said unto her [Mary], 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.” Luke 1:35.

Through this mysterious process, Jesus came into this world, a combination of humanity and divinity being truly both “the Son of God” and “the Son of Man.” And at what a cost! “Christ at an infinite cost, by a painful process, mysterious to angels as well as to men, assumed humanity.” SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 7, 915.

Christ was fully human and fully divine. And His humanity was not that of Adam before the fall. “Jesus accepted humanity when the race had been weakened by four thousand years of sin.” The Desire of Ages, 49. However, “Christ had not ceased to be God when He became man.” Ibid., 663, 664. Despite this, He exercised no power that man cannot have. He was wholly dependent upon the Holy Spirit as a man to overcome every known temptation. Just so every son and disciple of God must depend on a power outside and above himself if we are to overcome sin as Christ did. “The enemy was overcome by Christ in His human nature. The power of the Savior’s Godhead was hidden. He overcame in human nature, relying upon God for power. This is the privilege of all.” SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 5, 1108. Oh, that we would comprehend this mighty power of the Holy Spirit! “The omnipotent power of the Holy Spirit is the defense of every contrite soul.” The Desire of Ages, 490. “It is through the mighty agency of the Holy Spirit that the government of Satan is to be subdued and subjected.” The Review and Herald, April 25, 1893.

The secret of our Lord’s success over sin is to be found in His union of divinity with humanity. And for us to fully appreciate this incarnation, we must also experience this union ourselves, and this can only be achieved through the work of the Spirit. “The impartation of the Spirit is the impartation of the life of Christ.” The Desire of Ages, 805. “The divinity and humanity are blended in Him who has the Spirit of Christ.” Sons and Daughters of God, 24.

Overcoming and the Holy Spirit

Throughout His life on this earth, Christ was assailed with the worst the devil could bring against Him. “Satan summoned all his forces and at every step contested the work of Christ.” Ibid., 257. “The serpent himself made Christ the mark of every weapon of hell.” SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 5, 1080. When Christ’s resistance was wasted to its lowest level Satan would bring his most wily temptations. Likewise, we who are loyal Seventh-day Adventists are the special target of Satan. But praise God! We have the Captain of the Lord’s host on our side and also the third person of the Godhead to help us. Speaking of the remnant, we read in The Desire of Ages, 352: “They are to contend with supernatural forces, but they are assured of supernatural help.…More than angels are in the ranks. The Holy Spirit, the representative of the Captain of the Lord’s host, comes down to direct the battle.”

Could we ask God for more? How we should praise Him! But each individual Christian must make a decision to enjoy the companionship of the Holy Spirit or do the bidding of demons. Those are the only options given in inspiration. “Those who turn from the plain teachings of Scripture and the convicting power of the Holy Spirit are inviting the control of demons.” The Desire of Ages, 258.

We dare not consider this lightly. We are a part of the great conflict between the good and the evil angels when we are told that “satanic agencies in human form will take part in the last great conflict.…And heavenly angels in human guise will be on the field of action.” SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 4, 1142. Surely we need the protection and leadership of the angels of God under the control of the Holy Spirit. But how can we be assured of the Holy Spirit’s presence? Inspiration gives these uncomplicated instructions. “By thus contemplating His [Christ’s] teachings and sufferings,…we may…become more deeply imbued with the Spirit which sustained our Savior.…Everything noble and generous in man will respond to the contemplation of Christ upon the cross.” We must look to Jesus and study His life, especially the closing scenes.

Contemplating the Life of the Savior

Now, let us contemplate the trials and temptations Christ endured leading to the cross.

In The Desire of Ages, 117, we read of our Savior’s nature: “He took the nature of man, with the possibility of yielding to temptation.” Our Savior depended on divine power continually to meet the supernatural foe and this was His secret to success. “Daily He received a fresh baptism of the Holy Spirit.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 139.

The keynote of Christ’s life was His prayer, “Father, glorify Thy name.” And He glorified God through perfect obedience to His will. God’s people, in the last days, have been called to live with the same purpose in mind—to vindicate and glorify God’s name before the universe that is watching this final battle in the great controversy. But such an experience involves our will. (Steps to Christ, 47.) The choice to do right belongs to us alone. God will never force anyone to do as He commands. Our will must be placed on God’s side and brought into obedience to the will of God. The Holy Spirit is given to aid us in the work of character perfection, but even this mighty power cannot take the place of the right action of the will. “Were it possible to force upon you with a hundred fold greater intensity the influence of the Spirit of God, it would not make you a Christian.…The will must be placed on the side of God’s will. You are not able, of yourself, to bring your purposes and desires and inclinations into submission to the will of God; but if you are ‘willing to be made willing,’ God will accomplish the work for you.” Thoughts from the Mount of Blessings, 142. What a wonderful promise if we will only submit our will to God!

Christ Surrenders the Will

Christ had to make this same surrender of His will to His Father, and under circumstances more difficult than any of us will ever have to face. In the Garden of Gethsemane a terrible struggle raged within Him. He said, “My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death.” Matthew 26:28. “He felt Himself becoming separated from His Father by a gulf of sin, so broad, so black, so deep, that His spirit shuddered before it.” The Review and Herald, October 9, 1888.

At this moment, the destiny of the world hung in the balances. No one could force Christ to take punishment that He did not deserve. His sinless nature recoiled as He contemplated the tortures of the doomed. His anguishing plea was “O My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me.” Matthew 26:39.

Such a request pierced the heart of Infinite Love, but no answer came from the Father. God’s silence told the suffering Savior, “It is impossible,” for without the infinite sacrifice man could not be saved. For a few moments the mysterious cup trembles in His hand. Will Christ refuse the cup? Or will He offer the Father a surrendered will? As He beholds the doomed world, His decision is made. He will save man at any cost to Himself, and in entire submission He cries, “Not My will, but Thine be done.”

When Christ accepted God’s will, He sacrificed His own will. Immediately an angel ministered to the prostrated Lord, not to release Christ from His dedication but to strengthen Him to perform that which He willed to do. Thus Calvary became possible. “Hanging upon the cross, Christ was the gospel.” SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 7A, 458.

Enduring the Cross

On the cross, Christ suffered a death beyond death. Our Sin-bearer endured the wrath of divine justice and for our sakes became sin itself. (The Desire of Ages, 756.) God’s hatred of sin is beyond our human conception, yet herein we can also see God’s love revealed: for God the Father suffered with His Son. God felt every pain. Inspiration tells us, “God Himself was crucified with Christ.” SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 5, 1108.

Through this infinite sacrifice the victory was gained over Satan. “The death of the Son of God made the death of Satan unavoidable.” The Review and Herald, September 7, 1897. But, beloved, let us not forget that Satan will not perish alone. In The Signs of the Times, April 3, 1884, we find these words. “Those who flatter themselves that God is too merciful to punish the sinner, have only to look to Calvary to make assurance doubly sure that vengeance will be visited upon every transgressor of His righteous law.”

The cross condemns with double guilt, for the wicked must die for the sins they have committed and for refusing salvation so dearly purchased. “God’s spirit will not always be grieved.…After all has been done that God could do to save men, if they show by their lives that they slight Jesus’ offered mercy, death will be their portion, and it will be dearly purchased. It will be a dreadful death; for they will have to feel the agony that Christ felt upon the cross.” Testimonies, vol. 1, 124. The most acute part of this agony was not the bodily suffering. We read in God’s Amazing Grace, 170, that “It was not bodily suffering which so quickly ended the life of Christ upon the cross. It was the crushing weight of the sins of the world, and a sense of His Father’s wrath.”

Dear friend, we must understand the experience of Christ if we are to represent a suffering Christ to the world with the convicting power of the latter rain. We must comprehend the suffering that our sins still cause Christ every day. “Few give thought to the suffering that sin has caused our Creator.…That suffering did not begin or end with His manifestation in humanity. The cross is a revelation to our dull senses of the pain that, from its very inception, sin has brought to the heart of God. Every departure from the right, every deed of cruelty, every failure of humanity to reach His ideal, brings grief to Him.…Our world is a vast lazar house, a scene of misery that we dare not allow even our thoughts to dwell upon.…Yet, God feels it all.” Education, 263, 264.

As servants of Christ, we must reveal to the world a clear concept of Christ’s atonement. This alone will bring conviction to the sinner’s heart. “Christ on the cross was the medium whereby mercy and truth met together, and righteousness and peace kissed each other. This is the means that is to move the world.” SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 6, 1113.

The marvelous love of God will keep our eyes fastened to the cross as the Holy Spirit conforms our inmost being into the image of Christ. Remember, “The Holy Spirit never leaves unassisted the soul who is looking unto Jesus.…If the eye is kept fixed on Christ, the work of the Spirit ceases not until the soul is conformed to His image.” The Desire of Ages, 302. Thus victory is assured through and by the Holy Spirit. We must give the world a new revelation of Christ with hearts that are afire with Christ’s atonement. Through the empowerment of the latter rain, the Lord will use His faithful to lighten the whole world with a loud cry that will shake the nations.

Lawrence Nelson retired after thirteen years as General Conference Associate Youth Director, and is now speaker of Keep the Faith Audio Tape Ministry.

Skins, Rags and Robes

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Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skin, and clothed them.” Genesis 3:21.

Consider, for a moment, the clothing of Adam and Eve as they stood outside the Garden gate. Many artists have painted Adam and Eve walking around with what appears to be nothing but a big chunk of hide thrown over one shoulder. However, I do not think it was like that. With the Lord as their tailor, I do not believe it was at all crude and ugly, but nevertheless I am sure Adam did not look at Eve and say, “My, you look so nice this morning. I have never seen you look so nice!” He had seen her look much more beautiful when they were arrayed in the white robe of innocence before sin brought its blight into their experience.

In Christ’s Object Lessons, 311, there is an interesting description of these robes. “The white robe of innocence was worn by our first parents when they were placed by God in holy Eden. They lived in perfect conformity to the will of God. All the strength of their affections was given to their heavenly Father. A beautiful soft light, the light of God, enshrouded the holy pair. This robe of light was a symbol of their spiritual garments of heavenly innocence. Had they remained true to God it would ever have continued to enshroud them. But when sin entered, they severed their connection with God, and the light that had encircled them departed. Naked and ashamed, they tried to supply the place of the heavenly garments by sewing together fig leaves for a covering.”

I have often wondered, when I think about this robe of light, what exactly it might have been like. Remember when you were a young person, in grade school, and you were given a three cornered piece of glass and taught that if you looked into it in a certain way you could see all the colors of the rainbow in white light?

Could it be that the robe of light was like a prism? I like to think that Eve might have been able to awaken in the morning, when she was wearing that robe of light, and say, “I think I will emphasize red today. Or maybe there should be a little more violet.” It is entirely possible that this lovely garment was not limited to just one color, but had everything in it that the human heart could desire. Everything that a woman who craves beauty, as all women do, could really take pleasure in. But this is gone! This lovely garment is gone. This light that illuminated everything they came close to is gone.

Regaining the Robe

When Adam and Eve realized it was gone, they tried to replace it with fig leaves. The fig-leaf covering is symbolic of all of the ways, down through the ages, that men have invented to try to bring back the wonderful time when man wore the white robe of innocence. But nothing has worked. Nothing, devised by the hand of man, can do the job whether it is false gods or false religions or false philosophies or even human sacrifices, for some have gone that far. All this and more, men have done to try to find the peace, serenity and security that once were theirs when they wore the white robe of innocence. But there is only one way to bring back the white robe, and that process is described in a beautiful passage from Zechariah 3.

“And He showed me Joshua the high priest, standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist Him. [By comparing Scripture with Scripture we find that this angel of the Lord was Jesus Christ, Himself.] And the Lord said unto Satan, ‘The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan; even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?’ Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel [Jesus]. And He answered and spake unto those that stood before Him saying, ‘Take away the filthy garments from him.’ And unto him He said, ‘Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment.’ And I said, ‘Let them set a fair mitre upon his head.’ So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the Lord stood by. And the angel of the Lord [Jesus Christ] protested unto Joshua saying, ‘Thus saith the Lord of hosts; If thou wilt walk in My ways, and if thou wilt keep My charge, then thou shalt also judge My house, and shalt also keep My courts, and I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by.’” Zechariah 3:1–7.

Here, Joshua, the high priest, is pictured with his garments filthy and stained with the sins which the people have confessed. Then the Lord declares that the filthy garments are to be taken away and then the white robe is placed upon him, the garment of Christ’s righteousness. He is then told to keep it white by walking in the way of the Lord and keeping His commandments. Notice that Joshua does not have eternal security at this time. There are still some years of life to be lived and victories to be won.

A Triple Application

In the inspired commentary on this passage, which we find in Testimonies, vol. 5, 467, and onward, our mind is directed to three separate and distinct applications of this symbolic picture that is placed before us in Zechariah 3. The first, which I have just mentioned, is simply the time for which it was originally written, the experience of the nation of Israel and Joshua their high priest.

On page 470, a different application is made. “As Satan accused Joshua and his people, so in all ages he accuses those who are seeking the mercy and favor of God. In the Revelation he is declared to be the ‘accuser of our brethren,’ ‘which accused them before our God day and night.’ The controversy is repeated over every soul that is rescued from the power of evil and whose name is registered in the Lamb’s book of life. Never is one received from the family of Satan into the family of God without exciting the determined resistance of the wicked one.” [All emphasis supplied unless otherwise noted.]

Every one of us is a brand plucked from the fire, and the same process of redemption as shown in the account of Joshua and the angel, is necessary in our lives. First there must be repentance. Then the filthy garment is taken away and a white robe put on, and then we are admonished to keep the garment clean and white. Notice what it says on page 472 of this same passage. “We cannot answer the charges of Satan against us. Christ alone can make an effectual plea in our behalf. He is able to silence the accuser with arguments founded not upon our merits, but on His own. Yet we should never be content with a sinful life. It is a thought that should arouse Christians to greater zeal and earnestness in overcoming evil, that every defect in character, every point in which they have failed to meet the divine standard, is an open door by which Satan can enter to tempt and destroy them; and, furthermore, that every failure and defect on their part gives occasion to the tempter and his agents to reproach Christ. We are to exert every energy of the soul in the work of overcoming, and to look to Jesus for strength to do what we cannot do of ourselves. No sin can be tolerated in those who shall walk with Christ in white. The filthy garments are to be removed, and Christ’s robe of righteousness is to be placed upon us. By repentance and faith we are enabled to render obedience to all the commandments of God, and are found without blame before Him.”

A Special Application for the Last Days

The final application Sister White makes of these beautiful symbols are to those who are living in the last days of time. “Zechariah’s vision of Joshua and the angel applies with peculiar force to the experience of God’s people in the closing up of the great Day of Atonement.” Ibid., 472.

“The remnant church will be brought into great trial and distress. Those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus will feel the ire of the dragon and his hosts.…Their only hope is the mercy of God, their only defense will be prayer. As Joshua was pleading before the Angel, so the remnant church, with brokeness of heart and earnest faith, will plead for pardon and deliverance through Jesus their Advocate.…Satan has an accurate knowledge of the sins which he has tempted them to commit, and he presents these in the most exaggerated light, declaring: ‘Will God banish me and my angels from His presence, and yet reward those who have been guilty of the same sins? Thou canst not do this, O Lord, in justice. Thy throne will not stand in righteousness and judgment. Justice demands that sentence be pronounced against them.’” Ibid., 472–474. It is an awfully sobering charge, is it not?

“But while the followers of Christ have sinned, they have not given themselves to the control of evil. They have put away their sins, and have sought the Lord.” All of the sin is in the past. They are not standing before the Lord still in a sinful condition. Joshua, the high priest, could never have stood before the Lord sinning. He would have been stricken dead in a flash of a second. Before the high priest came to the most holy place he prayed, repented and offered a sacrifice for his own sins and the sins of the people. And so, we should never dream that this picture is given to show us people who are sinning as they stand before God. It says they have sinned and they have repented.

For this group, the sequence of events in their experience is different than the last two we have examined. They have also sinned and repented and had the filthy garments removed and the white garment placed upon them, but they are not told to keep it white, because now they are eternally secure. They are beyond the reach of temptation. Probation has closed. The decree has gone forth, “He that is filthy, let him be filthy still and he that is holy, let him be holy still.” Revelation 22:11.

So we read, “The despised remnant are clothed in glorious apparel, nevermore to be defiled by the corruptions of the world. Their names are retained in the Lamb’s Book of Life, enrolled among the faithful to all ages. They have resisted the wiles of the deceiver; they have not been turned from their loyalty by the dragon’s roar. Now they are eternally secure from the tempter’s devices.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 475. This white robe will never be defiled again. What a wonderful thing to look forward to when we will wear the beautiful white robe again and know that it can never be lost again.

The Filthy Garments Are Removed

Let’s look back just briefly at this beautiful scene that we have surveyed to insure that we grasped a very important point. Did you notice that in every case the filthy garments are removed. They are not covered up; they are completely taken away.

Missionaries tell us that in certain parts of the world if you give a lady a nice new dress, she will put it right on top of the one she is already wearing. And if you give her another one, she will put it on top of that. She would just keep piling one on top of another, covering the filthy with the beautiful. But that is not the way with the white robe of righteousness. Consider these interesting passages about what happens to the filthy garments, representing our sins.

“He removes the filthy garments.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 169, 170.

“The miserable, filthy garments of self must be destroyed.” Testimonies to Ministers, 186.

“He is waiting to strip them of their garments stained and polluted with sin.” Steps to Christ, 53.

“Christ will command that their filthy garments be removed.” In Heavenly Places, 344.

“It is the garment woven in the loom of heaven, not to cover over our sins, for Jesus takes away the sin of the world, but to clothe us in the righteousness of Christ.” Signs of the Times, April 23, 1894.

“Sin must be taken away, the garment of Christ’s righteousness must cover the transgressor of God’s law.” Review and Herald, November 15, 1898.

“Christ’s white robe of righteousness will never cover any soul that is found in sin unrepented of and unforsaken.” Ibid., August 28, 1894.

“No repentance is genuine that does not work reformation. The righteousness of Christ is not a cloak to cover unconfessed and unforsaken sin. It is a principle of life that transforms the character and controls the conduct.” Desire of Ages, 555, 556.

Beloved, a change must take place in our lives in order for us to regain the white robe of purity and peace. We cannot do it with fig leaves. Nothing ever invented by the mind or the hands of man has ever resulted in bringing back the peace which the white robe gave. But we can have it. We can have it now, if we will ask, and when we receive it we must then labor to keep it as white as when it is given to us. Then we can look forward to that day when all possibility of it ever being defiled will be gone and it will be ours forever. Ours to keep and ours to rejoice in and ours to enjoy when all of those problems of skins and fig leaves and rags are laid aside.

Remember, the beautiful garment will never be placed on top of the filthy garment. Never! The filthy garment must be taken away and then the righteousness of Christ, the pure white robe will be ours. I would like to have my robe. Would you? I hope, dear reader, that you have on that robe and are striving to keep it white through the grace of Christ. However, if you have never come to Christ, forsaking your sins and asking for the robe of His righteousness, or if you once wore it, but you realize that you have lost it and you would like to come back, I present to you the beautiful gospel invitation of Jesus, “Come unto Me and I will give you rest.” His arms of love are open to you today.

Ralph Larson has retired from forty years of service as a pastor, evangelist, college teacher and seminary professor. He writes from his home in Cherry Valley, California.

If My People Will Pray

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If My people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14.

In the early years of the Advent Movement, weeks of prayer were held frequently in our churches around the world. Special readings were prepared and published in the Review and Herald, so that all of the churches could share in the experience. These convocations were special times of communion with the Lord and of heart-searching, that wrongs between brothers and sisters might be righted. Sister White frequently attended these meetings, and she often wrote of the wonderful blessings that could be gained by participating in these special gatherings.

Today, as all around us we see signs that Christ’s coming is very near, is it not even more important that we join together in a special time of study and prayer, beseeching the Lord that we might be prepared for the days ahead? At Steps to Life, it is our earnest desire to strengthen and encourage those who are striving to remain faithful to the faith “once delivered to the saints.” With this purpose in mind, we have thoughtfully prepared this special week of prayer edition, so that your home church or study group, wherever you may be around the United States or the world, can organize your own special time to fellowship and pray together.

As you gather, consider this counsel from God’s prophet, especially written for early Adventists who gathered during weeks of prayer, “Get ready for the week of prayer by humbling your hearts before God.” “Let every worker, whether a child, a youth, or a person of mature age, put on Christ; that is, seek Him in prayer, and believe that his prayers are accepted of God, because He has charged all to watch and to pray without ceasing. Some pray during the week of prayer, and then suppose their praying may cease; and as they do not continue to pray, they do not continue to receive. They must continue to ask, that they may receive. Ask, and you shall receive. Seek Me, and you shall find Me close beside you, ready to shield, to help, to bless you.” Review and Herald, December 18, 1888; May 9, 1899.

These inspired words represent our earnest desire for the 1999 Fall Week of Prayer, “May the Lord graciously bless His people during this week of prayer. May all wrongs be righted, all sins confessed, and pardon be written over against your names in the books of heaven. Let the members of every church, of every household, seek the Lord, and humble their souls before Him.” Review and Herald, December 9, 1890.