Articles – Page 170 – Steps to Life

Food for Life – Pure, Fresh Air!

February 7, 2020 by Marjorie Coulson

How valuable it is…So, therefore, very important for the human body.

From Counsels on Health we read: “Many labor under the mistaken idea that if they have taken cold, they must carefully exclude the outside air, and increase the temperature of their room until it is excessively hot. The system may be deranged, the pores closed by waste matter, and the internal organs suffering more or less inflammation, because the blood has been chilled back from the surface and thrown upon them. At this time, of all others, the lungs should not be deprived of pure, fresh air. If pure air is ever necessary, it is when any part of the system, as the lungs or stomach, is diseased. Judicious exercise would induce the blood to the surface, and thus relieve the internal organs. Brisk, yet not violent exercise in the open air, with cheerfulness of spirits, will promote the circulation, giving a healthful glow to the skin and sending the blood, vitalized by the pure air, to the extremities. The diseased stomach will find relief by exercise. Physicians frequently advise invalids to visit foreign countries, to go to the springs, or to ride upon the ocean in order to regain health; when in nine cases out of ten, if they would eat temperately and engage in healthful exercise with a cheerful spirit, they would regain health and save time and money. Exercise, and a free abundant use of the air and sunlight—blessings which Heaven has freely bestowed upon all—would give life and strength to the emaciated invalid.

“By active exercise in the open air every day, the liver, kidneys, and lungs also will be strengthened to perform their work. Bring to your aid the power of the will, which will resist cold and will give energy to the nervous system.

“Fresh air will prove far more beneficial to sick persons than medicine, and is far more essential to them than their food. They will do better, and will recover sooner when deprived of food, than when deprived of fresh air.

“If they would become enlightened, and let medicine alone, and accustom themselves to outdoor exercise, and to air in their houses, summer and winter, and use soft water for drinking and bathing purposes, they would be comparatively well and happy, instead of dragging out a miserable existence.

“Sleeping rooms especially should be well ventilated and the atmosphere made healthy by light and air.

“Sleeping apartments should be large, and so arranged as to have a circulation of air through them day and night. Those who have excluded the air from their sleeping rooms, should begin to change their course immediately. They should let in air by degrees, and increase its circulation until they can bear it winter and summer, with no danger of taking cold. The lungs, in order to be healthy, must have pure air.”

—Counsels on Health, 52–59.

Children’s Story – God Made Many Wonders

February 7, 2020 by Elizabeth B. Jones

Linda found a crab crawling along the beach.

“Oh, look at this funny crab,” she said. “See, he is crawling sideways.”

“That is the way crabs travel,” said Daddy. “It’s a wonder they ever get anywhere.”

“Where did he come from?,” asked John.

“From the ocean,” Daddy told him. “There are many crabs in the ocean. See his little shell house? When it is too small for him, he will shed it and have another just the right size for him.”

“How can he do it?” Linda wondered.

“I don’t know, Linda. He is one of God’s wonders. The earth and sea are full of wonders.”

“Tell us about them—all of them,” said John.

“Oh, I couldn’t tell you about all of them,” laughed Daddy; “there are too many. But I can tell you about
a few.

“In the ocean are many little creatures, like the crab, who live in shell homes just right for them. There are many kinds of fish too, and one that carries a light to show him the way through the darkness!

“There are many wonders all around us, too, like the little creatures that look like the things around them. The garden toad wears a funny wrinkled coat to look like the brown earth. The walking stick looks like a twig, and a dead-leaf moth looks like a dead leaf on the bush where he is resting.”

“Tell us more,” said Linda.

“We must start for home,” said Mother, “but I think it’s a good thing to think about some of God’s wonders. It helps us to know how great and wonderful God is, and to know that He will care for us.”

The day was almost over. The sun had slipped behind the hills and now the sky was growing darker. The baby robins had settled down in their nest beneath mother’s wings. Father robin had just begun his evening song.

“Look at the evening star,” said Mother; “isn’t it beautiful?”

“Yes,” said John, “It’s the first star in the sky tonight.”

“Sometimes I wonder which is more beautiful, the blue sky of the daytime, or the starry sky at night,” said Mother.

“I like the blue sky the best,” said John, “when the big white clouds are sailing along.”

“Think of all the beautiful things in the world,” said Mother. “Let’s name a few of them.”

“I like tall mountains, covered with snow,” said John.

“I like sunsets and rainbows,” said Mother, “and the moon and stars. I like trees with branches waving in the air.”

“I like oceans and rivers and lakes,” said Linda.

“Little things are beautiful, too,” said Mother; “rose petals, butterflies, and birds. Sometimes I think the little things are the most beautiful of all.”

“I see something beautiful right now,” said John, with a big yawn, “and it’s little. It’s a lightning bug just turning on his light.”

“God has made a beautiful world for us to enjoy.”

God “doeth great things . . . and wonders without number.” Job 9:10.

Restoring the Temple – Air, Breath of Life

February 7, 2020 by Sheryle Beaudry-RN,C

Is there anything like going out to the countryside and inhaling a lung-full of fresh clean air? You can feel the oxygen coursing through your blood and invigorating your body and mind. Breathing is something we take for granted, but we cannot go for long without oxygen. In 1976, French diver Jacques Mayol made the free diving record of 325 feet (99 meters), holding his breath for 3 minutes, 39 seconds. This was done only after years of training and is by far the exception of the limit of the human body, rather than the rule. Most people lose consciousness after only one or two minutes without oxygen and will die a few minutes later.

Every cell in your body requires a continuous supply of oxygen. Your respiratory and cardiovascular systems work in tandem to provide each cell with oxygen and eliminate excess carbon dioxide. The body was perfectly designed to perform this function, and failure by either system causes death. Through the normal process of quiet breathing we inhale about 500 ml (half a quart) of air. When we deep breathe, we can increase this amount by about 3100 ml (3+ quarts).¹

Yet the air we breathe often contains far more than the elements we require for life. The Industrial Revolution, which began in the late eighteenth century, changed our air forever and not in a positive way. Not until the late twentieth century did governments start to regulate air pollution, which has helped reduce toxins in our atmosphere, but so far it has not been enough. In 1990, United States industry alone emitted more than 2.4 billion pounds of toxic pollutants into the air.² What does this mean to our health? Fifty-thousand to one-hundred twenty thousand premature deaths in the United States have been related to exposure to air pollutants.³ Air pollution is not limited to the out-of-doors but also occurs indoors with exposure to paint fumes, housecleaning solvents, fumes from carpeting, etc.

What can you do to limit your exposure to pollutants and get as much life-giving pure air as possible? One major change that is highly encouraged is a move to the country, where air is often significantly cleaner and less saturated with toxins than city air. Where moving is not a possibility, individuals and families should retreat to the country as often as they can.

“Let several families living in a city or village unite and leave the occupations which have taxed them physically and mentally, and make an excursion into the country, to the side of a fine lake, or to a nice grove where the scenery of nature is beautiful. They should provide themselves with plain, hygienic food, the very best fruits and grains, and spread their table under the shade of some tree or under the canopy of heaven. The ride, the exercise, and the scenery will quicken the appetite, and they can enjoy a repast which kings might envy.”⁴

Also important for air health is making sure you reduce the amount of chemicals used in your home and workshop and maintain adequate ventilation whenever chemicals are used. Open your home to the outside air whenever possible, especially in the bedroom when you sleep. Invest in a high-quality air purifier, and if the air is dry in your area, a humidifier would also be recommended.

Practice breathing exercises. In a relaxing environment, preferably in fresh outside air, take several breaths, inhaling as deeply as possible. Hold for a few seconds then slowly release. Think about your posture. Breathing power should come from your diaphragm and abdominal muscles. Poor posture contributes to less effective muscle contractions and the lungs cannot reach their optimum capacity.

Ever since the moment God breathed the breath of life into Adam’s nostrils, we have been dependent upon this substance. Oxygen-infused air is the most important element that sustains us. Medical workers are trained to observe the ABCs of rescue, which prioritize the steps of resuscitation. A for airway—make sure the individual has a clear passage with which to breathe. B for breathing—check their breathing and if absent start breathing for them. C for circulation—make sure their heart is beating, and if not, start compressions. As you can see, breathing is the number one priority in saving one’s life. Without this one thing, we will die quickly. Even the beatings of the heart cannot be sustained without near constant oxygen supply. This is an allegory to our spiritual life. As God breathed in Adam’s nostrils, which combined with the dust of the earth to become man’s soul, our relationship with our Creator became our highest priority for the sustenance of eternal life.

“The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.” Job 33:4.

Principles of Anatomy and Physiology, Gerard J. Tortora and Nicholas P. Anagnostakos, Harper and Row, New York, 1990, 707.
Air Pollution and Respiratory Health, CDC’s National Center for Environmental Health, 1999.
Ibid.
The Adventist Home, E.G. White, Review and Herald Publishing Association, Hagerstown, Maryland, 1952, 501.

Inspiration – On Sanctification, part II

February 7, 2020 by Ellen G. White

The human organism is the handiwork of God. The organs employed in all the different functions of the body were made by Him. The Lord gives us food and drink that the wants of the human body may be supplied. He had given the earth different properties adapted to the growth of food fit for His children. He gives the sunshine and the showers, the early and the latter rain. He forms the clouds and sends the dew. All are His gifts. He has bestowed His blessings upon us liberally, but all these blessings will not restore the blessings of God unless man cooperates with God making painstaking effort to know himself, to understand how to care for the delicate human machinery. He must diligently help to keep himself in harmony with nature’s laws. He who consecrates all his powers to God, seeking intelligently to obey the laws of nature, stands in his God-given manhood, and is recorded in the books of heaven as a man—Letter 139, 1898, p. 16. (To Elder A. T. Jones, December 16, 1898.)

The gospel fits all periods and all relations of life. No man can separate fellowship with God from a life of holiness. Sanctification takes in the whole being. Many in this our day claim fellowship with God while by their lives they deny their claim. “If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth; but if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.” To walk in the light is to know and obey the truth. To have fellowship with one another is to treat one another as children of God.—Letter 21, 1901, pp. 13, 14. (To Elder E. E. Franke, October 5, 1900.)

By our faith and works we are to declare that God is our wisdom, our sanctification, our righteousness. He has given us the strongest encouragement to draw nigh to Him, and the nearer we come to Him, the nearer we come to the law of harmony and unity and holiness.

The practical lesson we are all to learn in genuine Bible religion is that we are to be of one mind and one judgment, that the law of God is a law of love to God and to man. Even disappointment and suffering is made unto us a means of sanctification. It elevates and purifies the soul, helping us to work out the will of God.—Letter 54, 1901, p. 2. (To “My Dear Son Edson White,” June, 1901.)

In the Sermon on the Mount, Christ has given a definition of true sanctification. He lived a life of holiness. He was an object-lesson of what His followers are to be. We are to be crucified with Christ, buried with Him, and then quickened by His Spirit. Then we are filled with His life.

Our sanctification is God’s object in all His dealing with us. He has chosen us from eternity that we may be holy. Christ gave Himself for our redemption, that through our faith in His power to save from sin, we might be made complete in Him. In giving us His Word, He has given us bread from heaven. He declares that if we eat His flesh and drink His blood, we shall receive eternal life. Why do we not dwell more upon this? Why do we not strive to make it easily understood, when it means so much? Why do not Christians open their eyes to see the work God requires them to do? Sanctification is the progressive work of a lifetime. The Lord declares, ‘This is the will of God, even your sanctification.’ Is it your will that your desires and inclinations shall be brought into conformity to the divine will?

As Christians, we have pledged ourselves to realize and fulfill our responsibilities, and to show to the world that we have a close connection with God. Thus, through the godly words and works of His disciples, Christ is to be represented.

God demands of us perfect obedience to His law—the expression of His character. “Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid; yea, we establish the law.” This law is the echo of God’s voice, saying to us, “Holier, yes, holier still.” Desire the fullness of the grace of Christ; yea, long—hunger and thirst—after righteousness. The promise is, “Ye shall be filled.” Let your heart be filled with an intense longing for this righteousness, the work of which God’s Word declares is peace, and its effect, quietness and assurance forever.

It is our privilege to be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. God has plainly stated that He requires us to be perfect; and because He requires this, He has made provision that we may be partakers of the divine nature. Only thus can we gain success in our striving for eternal life. The power is given by Christ. “As many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God.”

God requires of us conformity to His image. Holiness is the reflection from His people of the bright rays of His glory. But in order to reflect this glory, man must work with God. The heart and mind must be emptied of all that leads to wrong. The Word of God must be read and studied with an earnest desire to gain from it spiritual power. The bread of heaven must become a part of the life. Thus we gain eternal life. Then is answered the prayer of the Saviour, “Sanctify them through Thy truth; Thy word is truth.”—Letter 153, 1902, pp. 6–9. (To Elder and Mrs. S. N. Haskell, September 27, 1902.)

Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” To be justified means to be pardoned. To those whom God justifies He imputes Christ’s righteousness; for the Saviour has taken away our sins. We stand before the throne of God justified and sanctified. We are emptied of self, and through the sanctification of the truth Christ abides in our hearts.—Letter 202, 1902, pp. 1, 2. (General letter to “My Dear Brethren and Sisters,” December 15, 1902.)

All over the fields there is not among the laborers that humiliation of soul, that sanctification of the Spirit of God that there should be. Of what use is it for us to say that we have the grace of Christ, unless this grace is revealed in the daily life, in the thoughts, the words, and the actions?…—Ms 11, 1903, p. 1. (“Words of Counsel”, March 26, 1903.)

If sanctified through the truth, those who carry the last message of warning and mercy to a guilty world will act in accordance with the principles of truth. Knowing and obeying the truth, they cannot be otherwise than in fellowship one with another. Through confession and reformation they will remove everything that divides hearts. And He who forgives our sins cleanses us from all the rubbish that has been accumulating around us through human devising—rubbish that encouraged alienation and strife, and that perpetuated difficulties because of our refusal to submit to Christ’s yoke.

The soul needs cleansing. The love of the truth sanctifies the soul. Sanctification is not the work of a moment; it is the result of a yielding of the heart to Christ, an acceptance of the conditions of salvation—a process that God will carry forward day by day, steadily, progressively, never ending, but ever blending heart with heart, soul with soul, a refining process going on day by day, in God’s own way, in doing His will until all true believers are complete in Him. This is the work that is to be done by every believer.—Letter 192, 1903, pp. 6, 7. (To A. T. Jones, August 28, 1903.)…

When the sacredness of Christ’s character is brought into the daily life, God is glorified.…Sancti-fication means purification. The wisdom that comes from above is first pure, then peaceable.…The word of God, obeyed, is the divine revelation that works in heart and mind, and sanctifies the soul. The words of truth are to be cherished. Not one charge given by God is to be disregarded. If obeyed, the Word will restrain every evil thought, word, and act.…

True holiness is the fruit of Christ’s death. It was by this infinite sacrifice that the Holy Spirit was purchased for the human family. Christ gave Himself for His church, that through obedience to the sacred words of truth the members might receive His sanctification.—Letter 336, 1906, pp. 5–7. (To “Brethren in Responsible Positions in Australia,” October 25, 1906.)

It is the gospel, and the gospel alone, that will sanctify the soul. And this makes possible to the receiver that life “that measures with the life of God.” This is the record that God has given us, even eternal life; and this life is in His Son. He who is a partaker of the divine nature will escape the corruptions that are in the world through lust. His faith in Christ as the Life-giver, gives him life. “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God, that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.”

This life of sanctification and joy in believing is for every soul who in faith will claim the promises of the Word of God, and draw upon divine strength for the work of overcoming.—Letter 393, 1907, p. 3. (To Mabel Workman, November, 1907.)

If we keep our minds stayed upon Christ, He will come unto us as the rain, as the former and latter rain upon the earth. As the Sun of righteousness, He will arise with healing in His wings. We may grow as the lily, revive as the corn, and grow as the vine. By constantly looking to and patterning after Christ, as our personal Saviour, we shall grow up into Him in all things. Our faith will grow, our conscience will be sanctified. We will more and more become like Christ in all our works and words. Thank God, we shall believe His Word. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”—Letter 106, 1908, p. 5. (To Elder and Mrs. S. N. Haskell, April 2, 1908.)

Faith says, Move forward. Christ says, “Lo I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” Go on, step by step, departing not from that spirit of sanctification through the truth which the presence of the Spirit of God and obedience to the truth will give. Let none who have accepted this blessed faith and hope be found lacking in the spirit of self-sacrifice as they engage in the sacred work of presenting to the people, the truth in its simplicity.—Letter 142, 1909, p. 8. (To A. G. Daniells, October 27, 1909.)

As a people, and individually, we need to receive fresh supplies of grace day by day. We need the endowment of the Holy Spirit, which is able to sanctify the soul. Many of us do not realize the sacredness of our profession of faith; therefore there is much talking and little real faith, little convincing evidence that the Holy Spirit is imbuing our hearts, illuminating our minds, and strengthening us to perform the will of Him who day by day is calling us out of darkness and into His marvelous light.—Ms 55, 1912, p. 1. (To sanitarium workers: “A Call to Awake,” typed August 3, 1912.)

Manuscript Releases, vol. 4, 349–357.

Do You Really Love Jesus? – Part III

February 7, 2020 by Tim Simkin

Although there are many others, the “Tamper” Accusation is one of the last areas of attack on the Spirit of Prophecy. This one is the most dangerous, because it is the most subtle. Many of those who make this charge profess to believe, 100 percent, in the authority of Ellen White. They may not make an attack undermining her authority, they may not say some things were only her opinions, or claim only in vision or the Bible and the Bible only—all of the other things we looked at, they may not do.

Even though they agree that the authority of the Spirit of Prophecy is equal with the authority of the Bible, they say that some things in Ellen White’s published books were not written by her. Have you ever heard that? That is what we want to examine. Let us briefly overview a few points in relation to this theory.

Republication and Changes

Just like every other attack on the Spirit of Prophecy, you could make the same attack on the Bible.

There are two primary supports for the tamper charge: There were changes in things that were republished and there are alleged contradictions between earlier Spirit of Prophecy writings and later Spirit of Prophecy writings, and contradictions between the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy writings.

It is true that there were changes; that fact is true. Does anybody claim that there are contradictions in the Bible? Many people do. “Those who take only a surface view of the Scriptures will, with their superficial knowledge, which they think is very deep, talk of the contradictions of the Bible, and question the authority of the Scriptures.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 20. That is the exact same thing some people are doing with the Spirit of Prophecy—talking of contradictions and questioning its authority.

Jesus says, “If I bear witness of Myself, My witness is not true.” John 5:31. But in John 8:14 we read, “Jesus answered and said unto them, Though I bear record of Myself, yet My record is true.” The two statements appear to the superficial Bible student to be contradictory. If you study it out you will find that “bear record” and “bear witness” means the same thing. A skeptic could use that to say there are contradictions, not only in the Bible, but in what Jesus said. That is just one example of many in the Bible.

Skeptics and Infidels

“In the very same way that they treat the writings in my published articles and in my books, so do skeptics and infidels treat the Bible.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 19.

What do skeptics and infidels say about the Bible? They say there are contradictions in it. The same way these skeptics and infidels treat the Bible, people are treating the Spirit of Prophecy.

“From various sources I have been receiving letters containing statements regarding supposed inconsistencies in the Testimonies and reasons why they cannot be regarded as reliable.” Loma Linda Messages, 176.

One alleged contradiction occurs between Spirit of Prophecy, vol.1, 29, and Patriarchs and Prophets, which was the later revised and updated version of the first volume in the Spirit of Prophecy series.

In the first reference it says that Satan “repented of his rebellion,” but in the second reference it says, “He nearly reached the decision to return, but pride forbade him.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 39. So people say, See, that is a contradiction. The answer for that claim is actually very easy. The Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 1 quote is from Chapter 3, “Temptation and Fall.” Satan had already been cast out of heaven; he was here on the earth and then he repented of his rebellion. However, in the Patriarchs and Prophets quote, Satan is still in heaven; he almost reached his decision to repent but pride forbade him. The two quotes are not talking about the same time or the same event—so there is not the least bit of a contradiction. As is so often the case, the problem involves not understanding the context of the two statements.

Examining the Charges

Let us examine the charges for the alleged unauthorized changes in the Spirit of Prophecy. It is true; there were things which Mrs. White wrote that were republished later, and in the republication there were some things added, some things taken out, some things revised. The same thing is true in the Bible. Let us look at all three cases found in the Bible: things added, things left out, and wording changed or variation in wording.

“Then took Jeremiah another roll, and gave it to Baruch the scribe, the son of Neriah; who wrote therein from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of the book which Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire.” Jeremiah 36:32.

Jeremiah’s writings had been burned, but they were rewritten. They were redone, but “there were added besides unto them many like words.” Many words were added, when the inspired writings were redone.

1 Corinthians 5:9, gives one of several examples of things left out of the Bible. Paul is writing to the Corinthians. We call it Corinthians, book 1, or first Corinthians. In actual fact, it is really at least 2 Corinthians, and what we call 2 Corinthians is at least 3 Corinthians, because, if you will notice in 1 Corinthians 5:9, Paul says, “I wrote unto you in an epistle” or in a letter. He had already written to them once, at this point in time, but for whatever reason God did not see fit to preserve that letter and have it part of the Bible. It was not included.

There are other examples in the Bible of things being rewritten and slightly revised, of things added and of things left out. See 2 Samuel 22 and Psalm 18. The two are basically identical but a little different. Other examples are Psalm 14 and Psalm 53; 2 Peter 2 and the book of Jude.

Let us look at Deuteronomy 5, and by all means, do not miss this one. This is the strongest rebuke in the entire Bible to the tamper charge. What does the name, Deuteronomy, mean? the second book of the law, the second or repeated legislation. Deuteronomy is a repeat of what was already stated in Exodus, especially, and some of Leviticus and Numbers. It is a republication, we might say, although it was not published on printing presses.

In Deuteronomy 5 we even have the repeat of the Ten Commandments—which originally were written by God’s own finger in tables of stone because they are eternal, unchanging. Deuteronomy 5:7 begins the Ten Commandments almost word for word, but not exactly, as Exodus 20, until you get to verse 15, in the fourth commandment. Verse 12 begins the fourth commandment, but notice what it says in verse 15. Instead of saying the fourth commandment was given because God created the earth in six days and rested on the seventh, it says: “And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the Lord thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the Lord thy God commanded thee to keep the Sabbath day.”

Is that what the fourth commandment said, which is the heart of the Ten Commandments and contains the Seal of God? No, very clearly, it is quite different. If there is anything that should never be changed, it would be the Seal of God that He wrote with His own finger in stone, representing its eternal and unchangeable nature! The skeptic would say, somebody must have been tampering with the book of Deuteronomy here! In fact, it must have been somebody who did not like the Sabbath, because they worded it in such a way as to make it sound like it was a Jewish Sabbath, as though it was given to the Jews when they came out of Egypt and that is why God commanded them to keep the Sabbath day.

That would make it a pretty sinister motive, would it not? We can attribute just about the most sinister motive there is to tampering with Deuteronomy 5:15. But then we would have to ask when was it tampered with?

In the Septuagint—which is the Greek translation of the Old Testament translated a few hundred years before Christ—this verse appears the way it is here. So it would have to have been tampered with before Christ came to this earth. The same is true with the Hebrew manuscripts that were around before Christ came to this earth.

What Does Jesus Say?

So, if this was tampered with before Christ came, let us see what Christ had to say about it. In Matthew 4:4 is the story of when Christ was led out into the wilderness and was tempted by Satan. Jesus said, in verse 4, “‘It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.’”

How much? every Word. “It is written.” Where was it written? Was the New Testament written at this point in time? No! He was quoting from the Old Testament. From what book in the Old Testament was He quoting? Deuteronomy! The only place in the Old Testament He could have been quoting is Deuteronomy 8:3. In Matthew 4:7 He again quotes from Deuteronomy: “It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.’” That is from Deutero-nomy 6:16. The third time: “‘It is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve.’” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 5, 315, says that Matthew 4:10 is a quotation from the Septuagint of Deuteronomy 6:13.

Did Jesus decide to undermine the authority of the book of Deuteronomy because somebody might have tampered with it? No. He quoted from it three times. “It is written,”—and He even said that we are to live by “every word.” This means Deuteronomy as well as the rest of Scripture.

It is interesting also that these three quotes from Deuteronomy are the first recorded in the Bible of Jesus quoting Scripture. Jesus did not fall for the tamper accusation, and Jesus is our perfect Example. We will not be in danger if we follow His example.

Now there are some things in the book of Deuteronomy that are not in Exodus, Leviticus or Numbers, the previous books. There are some things in the previous books that are not in Deuteronomy. There are some things that are revised, not worded the same, and there are some things that are basically unchanged.

Further Clarification

It is the same with the Spirit of Prophecy. In the later books, some things have been added; some things have been left out; some things have been revised, and some things are about the same.

“My mind has been exercised upon the question of the Testimonies that have been revised. We have looked them over more critically. I cannot see the matter as my brethren see it. I think the changes will improve the book. If our enemies handle it, let them do so.” Selected Messages, Book 3, 97.

Oh, some people say, maybe that was not written by Ellen White; maybe that was written by the tamperers. Well we will look at that more as we continue.

Wiser than God?

“Regarding the testimonies, . . . Some matters must be withheld because some persons would make an improper use of the light given. Every jot and tittle is essential and must appear at an opportune time. In the past, the testimonies were carefully prepared before they were sent out for publication. And all matter is still carefully studied after the first writing.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 57.

Some things were left out because some people would make an improper use of them. Unfortunately, some people now are making an improper use of the fact that they were left out—thinking that their own foolishness is wiser than God’s wisdom on what should or should not have been left out or revised.

C. White wrote, “Sister White was responsible for leaving out or adding to matters…in the later editions of our books.…She had many times direct instruction from the angel of the Lord regarding what should be omitted and what by At should be added in new editions.” Selected Messages, Book 3, 452, Appendix C.

Does anyone reading this think that they have a better idea than direct instructions from the angel as to what should have been left out or put in?

God Cares About the Small Things

Let me give you another example that helps to disprove the tamper accusation. Mrs. White was given a vision of a situation before it actually occurred. Ballanger was trying to change some of the Seventh-day Adventist doctrines in a magazine that was published under the title, The Sentinel. Regarding the situation with Ballanger and the Salamanca vision, she writes, “Those in counsel pointed to certain passages, declaring that this must be cut out, and that must be changed.” Testimonies to Ministers, 469.

Now this was not publication of her inspired writings. This was just a Seventh-day Adventist magazine, but she was given this very important vision before the incident occurred. Because of the vision, she was able to stop the action.

Another vision Sister White had revealed that one of her helpers stole her hairnet. When the helper became afraid of getting caught, she burned it to eliminate the evidence. God gave Mrs. White a vision about who stole it and He even showed her that it had been burned. (See Campfire Junior Stories by Arthur White.) If God gave a special vision for something as insignificant as a hairnet, would He not give a special vision if somebody was tampering with the Spirit of Prophecy?

Pulling the Wool Over the Eyes of God?

“The Lord has preserved this Holy Book by His own miraculous power in its present shape.…Men should let God take care of His own Book,…as He has done for ages.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 15, 17. If God can take care of the Bible, can He take care of the Spirit of Prophecy? Yes, He can.

There have been some translations of the Spirit of Prophecy that may not be the most accurate. Some things may have been left out of them, but the same could be said about the Bible. There are some translations of the Bible that are not very good. With the Bible we can go back and study the original language—the Hebrew or Greek. With the Spirit of Prophecy we can go back ro the original language—English.

There have also been books, published since 1915, which contain typographical errors or minor punctuation changes. Punctuation was not inspired, nor was it inspired in the Bible. Most of the recent books were published from letters and manuscripts, for which the handwritten or signed manuscript is on file, so we know they are valid. There are two things to watch out for in these compilations that were published since Ellen White passed away. First is the ellipsis (…). When an ellipsis is used, you need to study the quote in its original context to see if something has been omitted relevant to its meaning. Second, the headings are not inspired. Last Day Events, 51, is just one example. It says, “A New Denomination Not Needed.” That is not inspired; Ellen White did not write that. The Bible also has headings; many Bibles have headings at the top of the page or down through the sections of the Bible. They are not inspired.

Reports Are Not True!

“After the matter for the Testimony is prepared, every article must be read by me.” Ibid., Book 3, 98. “What I write by hand is copied out by faithful helpers. Before any of this matter is printed, it is read over and closely examined by me.” Manuscript Release, 8, 21, 22. “I read over all that is copied, to see that everything is as it should be. I read all the book manuscript before it is sent to the printer.” Selected Messages, Book 3, 90. “The reports that are circulated, that any of my helpers are permitted to add matter or change the meaning of the messages I write out, are not true.” Ibid, Book 1, 50.

“And now to all who have a desire for truth I would say: Do not give credence to unauthenticated reports as to what Sister White has done or said or written.” She says, “If you desire to know what the Lord has revealed through her, read her published works.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 696. [Emphasis supplied.]

Throughout all the people who support the tamper accusations, there is not general agreement on what was supposedly tampered with and what was not.

“They feel at liberty to reject any portion that does not agree with them. That is the foundation for all these fanaticisms and winds of doctrines that are going around. One or more of these deceptions, especially the tamper accusation, is employed. When there is something in the Spirit of Prophecy that is so clear that they cannot harmonize it with what they believe and are teaching, they just say, oh, that was tampered with, or that was uninspired, or that was lesser light or any one of these theories that are undermining the authority of the Spirit of Prophecy.

It is funny how those who believe every word in the Spirit of Prophecy books, and who do not try to teach anything that contradicts the Spirit of Prophecy, are not the ones running around saying it has been tampered with. It is the ones who are wanting to reject something in the Spirit of Prophecy who are undermining it. Strange how that works.

Making of No Effect

Revelation 22:18, 19 presents a very solemn warning. This warning applies to the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy. “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book; And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the Book of Life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.”

Is there any warning in these two verses that if somebody actually did succeed in adding something to the Bible, and if you believed it, you would be lost? No. God promises us that no one will be lost for believing everything in the Bible: “Brethren, cling to your Bible, as it reads, and stop your criticisms in regard to its validity, and obey the Word, and not one of you will be lost.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 18. The warning of Revelation 22:18,19 is to the person who would add or take away from God’s word. So, if no one did add to or take away things from the Spirit of Prophecy, but I am claiming that tampering was done, then I am taking away from the Spirit of Prophecy. I am the one to whom the warning applies! But if I implicitly believe everything that is in the Bible and in the Spirit of Prophecy, then the warning does not apply to me—regardless of whether or not someone else tried to add or take away from God’s Word.

In Genesis 3, we often talk about the devil’s first lie, “Ye shall not surely die.” But how often do we notice in verse 1 what the devil said to pave the way for his first lie? The very first thing out of that archfiend’s mouth was, “Yea, hath God said…” casting doubt on God’s Word!

“It was through making the word of God of none effect that sin was brought into the world.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 345. That is how serious it is. We are all here in this sinful world because the devil undermined the authority of God’s Word, and somebody believed it.

Satan’s Last Deception

“The very last deception of Satan will be to make of none effect the testimony of the Spirit of God. . . Satan will work ingeniously, in different ways and through different agencies, to unsettle the confidence of God’s remnant people in the true testimony.” Ibid., Book 1, 48.

We have looked at many of these ingenious ways. Testimonies, vol. 5, 675, says, “The testimonies are rejected, and many excuses which are untrue are offered to others as the reason for refusing to receive them.”

“It is God’s plan to give sufficient evidence of the divine character of His work to convince all who honestly desire to know the truth. But He never removes all opportunity for doubt. All who desire to question and cavil will find occasion.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 72.

If you are trying to find something in the Spirit of Prophecy that is evidence that it has been tampered with, you will find it. But that does not mean it is true. You can do the same thing with the Bible.

“I pity those who have set their feet in the path of doubt and unbelief. I would gladly help them if I could, but the experience of the past gives me little hope that they will ever come to the light. No amount of evidence will convince men of the truth so long as they are unwilling to yield their pride, subdue their carnal nature, and become learners in the school of Christ.” Ibid.

“Let not those who seek to hedge up my way and destroy the influence of my words deceive themselves with the belief that they are doing God service. They are serving another master, and they will be rewarded according to their work. Rebellion will exist as long as Satan exists.” Ibid.

What do the tamper accusation, and all the other accusations, do? They destroy the influence of her words.

“They have professed to believe the visions, but have acted contrary to them. Their example and influence have raised doubts in the minds of others. It would have been better for the cause of present truth had they both opposed the gifts. Then the people would not have been deceived, and would not have stumbled over these blind teachers.” Testimonies, vol. 1, 234. (See also Upper Look p. 115)

“All who believe that the Lord has spoken through Sister White, and has given her a message, will be safe from the many delusions that will come in these last days.” Selected Messages, Book 3, 84.

You will not find one quote that says all who believe the Spirit of Prophecy has been tampered with, or any of these other accusations, will be safe from the many delusions.

I appeal, with tears, to anyone who may have accepted or taught accusations on the authority of the Spirit of Prophecy, even if accepted and taught honestly, to repent, to confess, and do your best to correct the wrong impressions left on the minds of others. Merely ceasing to promote error is not enough. A stand must be taken on the side of truth which is as much or more public as the stand which was previously taken on the side of error. Your decision will prove if you really love Jesus.

Sin in the Church

February 7, 2020 by Kirk Weedman

Let Christ’s methods be followed in dealing with those who make mistakes.” Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, 266.

Ellen White explains: “A sister for whom I had a testimony that she lacked discretion and caution, and did not fully control her words and actions, came in with her husband and manifested feelings of great unreconciliation and agitation.… Her pride was touched as I brought out her faults in so public a manner. Here was evidently the main difficulty. But why should she feel thus? The brethren and sisters knew these things were so, therefore I was not informing them of anything new.…Her husband seemed to feel unreconciled to my bringing out her faults before the church and stated that if Sister White had followed the directions of our Lord in Matthew 18:15–17 he should not have felt hurt: ‘Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone.…’ My husband then stated that he should understand that these words of our Lord had reference to cases of personal trespass, and could not be applied in the case of this sister. She had not trespassed against Sister White. But that which had been reproved publicly was public wrongs which threatened the prosperity of the church and the cause. Here, said my husband, is a text applicable to the case: 1 Timothy 5:20: ‘Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear.’” Testimonies, vol. 2, 14, 15.

Are We to Openly Rebuke Sin?

“We must cry aloud and spare not, lest our silence be interpreted to mean consent. The time has come when each one must stand in his lot and place, prepared to call sin, sin, and righteousness, righteousness.” Loma Linda Messages, 48.

One, Glorying in Sin, Leavens the Whole Body of Believers

“Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?” 1 Corinthians 5:6. “The history of Achan teaches.…Sin is corrupting in its nature.” Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 2, 996. “Disobedience…tends to corrupt the faith of others. That which looked very wrong to them at first, gradually loses this appearance by being constantly before them.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 146.

Purpose of Open Rebuke — Teaches Others to Fear and Stops the Leaven

“Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear.” 1 Timothy 5:20. “Open rebuke is necessary, to prevent others from being ensnared.” Series B, 26. “Sin and sinners in the church must be promptly dealt with, that others may fear God.” Testimonies on Sexual Behavior, Adultery, and Divorce, 105.

“Put away the evil from among you. And those who remain shall hear and fear, and hereafter they shall not again commit such evil among you.” Deuteronomy 19:19, 20 NKJV.

Open Rebuke is to be as Broad as the Injury Done

“If the wrongdoer only were concerned, and the work reached no farther than him, he alone should have the words of warning; but when his course of action is doing positive harm to the cause of truth, and souls are imperiled, God requires that the warning be as broad as the injury done.” Selected Messages, Book 2, 152.

Are Only Prophets and Leaders Called to Rebuke Sin?

“It is the duty of every faithful servant of God, to firmly and decidedly withstand these perverters of the faith, and to fearlessly expose their errors by the word of truth.” Sketches from the Life of Paul, 192.

“It is the duty of both watchmen and laymen to give the trumpet a certain sound.” Home Missionary, February 1, 1890. “It is not enough to merely profess to believe the truth. All the soldiers of the cross of Christ virtually obligate themselves to enter the crusade against the adversary of souls, to condemn wrong and sustain righteousness.” Testimonies, vol. 3, 254. “The church members that are awake will rise to the emergency, manifesting greater diligence as iniquity abounds. The very manifestations of satanic power are to be presented in their true light before the people.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 15, 310. “No longer consent to listen without protest to the perversion of truth. Unmask the pretentious sophistries.…” Selected Messages, Book 1, 196.

Are Leaders to be Openly Rebuked?

“When he [a servant of God] begins to work against the truth, and make his disaffection public, declaring things untrue which are true, these things must be met. The people must not be left to believe a lie. They must be undeceived.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 7, 332. “When men stand out in defiance against the counsel of God, they are warring against God. Is it right for those connected with such ones to treat them as if they were in perfect harmony with them…? Though they be ministers or medical missionaries…Open rebuke is necessary, to prevent others from being ensnared.” Series B, 26.

God is No Respecter of Persons

“Men of courage and energy are needed to expose fashionable sins. Iniquity must not be palliated and excused. Those who lead the church to follow the customs and practices of the world, are not to be lauded and exalted. No regard for family or position will hinder the faithful servants of Christ from guarding the interests of His people. God is no respecter of persons.” Southern Watchman, July 12, 1904. “It is no time now to tolerate sleepy watchmen, and they never should have been tolerated.” Review and Herald, March 24, 1896. “In the work of reform to be carried forward today, there is need of men who, like Ezra and Nehemiah, will not palliate or excuse sin, nor shrink from vindicating the honor of God.…[Those who] will not hold their peace when wrong is done, neither will they cover evil with a cloak of false charity. They will remember that God is no respecter of persons.…” Conflict and Courage, 269.

Like John, Expose Plainly and Pointedly the Sins of Individual Leaders

“The message we bear must be as direct as was the message of John. He rebuked kings for their iniquity.…And our work in this age must be as faithfully done. Selected Messages, Book 2, 151. “The work of John was to expose the character of the works of the Pharisees, to set their traditions and heresies in their true light before the people.” Review and Herald, April 3, 1894. “Kings and rulers came to the wilderness to hear the prophet, and were interested, and deeply convicted as he fearlessly pointed out their particular sins.” Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 2, 48. “God requires His people in this age of the world to stand for the right as unflinchingly as did John in opposition to soul-destroying errors.” The Acts of the Apostles, 555.

Should We Just Pray—For the Sins of the Church?

“Zimri, a prince of the chief housein the tribe of Simeon.…publicly appeared before the people leading a Midianitish harlot, one of high standing, a daughter of a chief house in Midian, in the sight of Moses and the congregation. He thus showed open contempt of God. He gloried in his shame; for wine had perverted his senses.…Moses and the people who had taken no part in this great departure from God’s law, were weeping and lamenting at the door of the tabernacle for the sins of the people, and the plague that had begun.…The priests were weeping between the porch and the altar, crying, ‘Spare Thy people, O Lord, and give not Thine heritage to reproach.’ Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, and rose up from among the congregation, and took a javelin, and went after the man of Israel into the tent, and killed them both. This staid the plague.…The point to be marked is, that Moses’ prayers were not heard, neither his weeping nor the sorrow and prayers of those who had maintained their integrity, until justice was executed upon that demoralized, God-defying prince. God says of Phinehas, He ‘hath turned away My wrath from the children of Israel.’ It was the greatest mercy that Phinehas could do to Israel, to deal promptly and decidedly with the guilty, and thus be instrumental in turning the wrath of God from the congregation of Israel. Something besides prayers and tears are needed in a time when reproach and peril are hanging over God’s people. The wicked works must be brought to an end.” Review and Herald, May 17, 1887.

“The sin of one man caused Israel to be beaten before the enemy. Something more than prayer was required. They were to get up and cleanse the camp of Israel.” Conflict and Courage, 120. “There are conditions to the fulfillment of God’s promises, and prayer can never take the place of duty.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 143. “Many are longing to grow in grace; they pray over the matter, and are surprised that their prayers are not answered. The Master has given them a work to do whereby they shall grow. Of what value is it to pray when there is need of work?” Youth’s Instructor, February 3, 1898. “We entreat those who have a connection with God to pray earnestly and in faith, and not to stop here, but to work as well as pray, for the purification of the church.” Review and Herald, June 3, 1880.

Is it “Christlike”— to Show God’s People Their Sins?

“Jesus…never purchased peace by covering iniquity, or by anything like compromise.…He was never indulgent to their sins. He was too much their friend to remain silent while they were pursuing a course which would ruin their souls.…” The Upward Look, 220.

“Christ, at the very beginning of His ministry, openly rebuked the super-ficial morality and ostentatious piety of the Jews.” Redemption, vol. 4, 33.

“Then spake Jesus to the multi-tude,…saying,…Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!…Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers…” Matthew 23:1, 2, 13, 33. “Christ, who knew their hearts, held up their religious pretensions as God viewed them. He stripped from them their robe of apparent righteousness, laying bare their hypocrisy.” Signs of the Times, February 10, 1898. “The Lord did not permit the sins of His people to pass without rebuke.” Ibid., June 2, 1881. “Jesus did not let the matter drop without administering a rebuke to His enemies.” Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 2, 197.

Is it Love—to Show God’s People Their Sins?

“‘You must have charity,’ is the cry heard everywhere…But true charity is too pure to cover an unconfessed sin.…The apostle teaches that while we should manifest Christian courtesy we are authorized to deal in plain terms with sin and sinners; that this is not inconsistent with true charity.” The Acts of the Apostles, 555, 556.

“Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbor.…” Leviticus 19:17.

“To practice the principle of love will not prevent us from dealing plainly with our brethren, in kindness pointing out wrongs and shortcomings when it is necessary to do so. Manuscript Releases, vol. 15, 156.

“The hearts of God’s servants will overflow with love and sympathy for the erring…but they will have no soft words for sin. They show the truest friendship who reprove error and sin without partiality and without hypocrisy.” Evangelism, 368. “True love is a love which seeks first the honor of God and the salvation of souls. Those who have this love will not evade the truth to save themselves from the unpleasant results of plain speaking.” Review and Herald, October 22, 1901.

“Those who have the true love of God in their hearts will not teach that sin should be handled with
gloved hands.” Signs of the Times, April 21, 1881.

Is it Critical or Negative—to Show God’s People Their Sins?

“The office of a messenger whom God has chosen to send with reproofs and warnings, is strangely misunderstood at the present time.” Review and Herald, July 25, 1893.

“Should a case like Achan’s be among us, there are many who would accuse those who might act the part of Joshua in searching out the wrong, of having a fault-finding, wicked spirit.” Ibid., June 8, 1886.

“Opposition has risen in the church to the plain testimony.…If the wrongs of individuals are touched, they complain of severity, and…are ready to…overlook the wrong which made it necessary for reproof and rebuke. When the church depart from God they despise the plain testimony, and complain of severity and harshness. It is a sad evidence of the lukewarm state of the church.” Spiritual Gifts, vol. 2, 283, 284.

“Let none…charge the servants of God with being too zealous in endeavoring to cleanse the camp…” Prophets and Kings, 416.

“The salvation of sinners demands that every Christian shall act his part, and put forth a certain measure of positive power. ‘Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and show my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.’ The word must be spoken in season and out of season to those who are beguiled by Satan, and led to do evil things. Satan is working through his agents, and shall the soldiers of Christ exert no positive influence to save souls that are walking in the broad road to death?” Review and Herald, December 12, 1893.

Are We to Focus on the Sins of the Church?

“God requires His servants to walk in the light and not cover their eyes that they may not discern the working of Satan. They should be prepared to warn and reprove those who are in danger through his subtlety.” Testimonies, vol. 3, 196.

“If defiling sins are cherished…the displeasure of God rests upon the church,…until the members do all in their power to show their hatred for sin, and their determination to cast it out of the church.” The Ellen G. White 1888 Messages, 144 . “When the people realize that darkness is settling upon them, and they do not know the cause, they should seek God earnestly,…until the wrongs which grieve His Spirit are searched out and put away.” Testimonies, vol. 3, 265.

“It is a sin in any church not to search for the cause of their darkness…in the midst of them.” Ibid., vol. 3, 520.

Warn Sinners of Their Sins Continually

“Keep the warning message of truth before the people.…We are to cry aloud and spare not.” Counsels to Writers and Editors, 174. “Ministers should be faithful watchmen, seeing the evil and warning the people. Their dangers must be set before them continually and pressed home upon them.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 515. “There is constant need of earnest, decided messages of warning.” Reflecting Christ, 32.

“The natural heart does not enjoy this constant reproving of sin and continual exalting of righteousness.” Signs of the Times, November 5, 1894. “Some…think the trouble is with the ones who…point out the sins of the people and correct their errors.…They think that the labors…would be acceptable if they were not continually condemning wrong and reproving sin.…These poor souls, I saw, were deceived by Satan.” Testimonies, vol. 3, 258, 259.

“Listen to hear them [Israelites] respond, ‘We do not wish to be continually reminded of our sins. Speak to us words of peace, encouragement, and hope, but do not keep ever before us . . . our backslidings.’” Signs of the Times, June 23, 1881.

“They were then decided…He [Moses] was not the right kind of man. He was too unyielding and kept their sins continually before them, warning, reproving, and threatening them with God’s displeasure.” Testimonies, vol. 3, 300.

Are We to Remain Neutral and Say Nothing?

“If God abhors one sin above another, of which His people are guilty, it is of doing nothing in a case of emergency. Indifference or neutrality in a religious crisis is regarded of God as a grievous crime; and equal to the very worst type of hostility against God.” Review and Herald, September 30, 1873.

“Arduous and unpleasant duties have to be performed. None are to place themselves where they will sanction wrong by silence. They aid and abet the schemes of the enemy by keeping their lips closed when they should speak decidedly.…” The Upward Look, 206.

“Those who, in an effort to be neutral,…may think that they are rendering a service to God, but such a thought is delusive.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 16, 10.

“Many have tried neutrality in a crisis, but they have failed in their purpose. No one can maintain a neutral ground. Those who endeavor to do this will fulfill Christ’s words, ‘No man can serve two masters’…[they] will at last be found enlisted on the enemy’s side.” This Day With God, 240.

Those Who Are Indifferent—Neutral Are Spewed Out

“‘If wrongs are apparent among His people, and if the servants of God pass on indifferent to them, they virtually sustain and justify the sinner, and are alike guilty and will just as surely receive the displeasure of God; for they will be made responsible for the sins of the guilty.’” Testimonies, vol. 5, 676.

“Those who by their carelessness or indifference permit God’s name to be dishonored by His professed people, are numbered with the transgressor,—registered in the record of Heaven as partakers in their evil deeds.” Signs of the Times, April 21, 1881. “Because thou art lukewarm,…I will spue thee out of My mouth.” Revelation 3:16.

Where Does God Deposit Truth? – Part I

February 6, 2020 by Ray Frigon

Most of us have occasion to use banks. Money is entrusted to a bank’s care. A “Run” on a bank, a sometimes-frantic move to withdraw one’s savings, can take place if it is thought, by depositors, that the institution cannot maintain a faithful oversight of the funds entrusted to its care. Financial collapse can come if unwise decisions are made by those in positions of responsibility.

There can be no doubt that truth is more precious than anything in this world. It is worth its weight in gold, because it is that commodity gifted from heaven that sanctifies and prepares us to live in the presence of the Creator. So precious is it, that we shall seek more of its wonder throughout eternity.

God has the task of sending truth from His infinite mind to the minds of created beings, of which we, in this world, are fallen. It has been said, “There is a heresy in every sermon,” for by the time the truth of God goes from His infinite mind to the finite mind of a preacher, out his finite lips and into the finite mind of the listener, something is bound to get mixed up in the process. If you doubt that, take a look around you and notice the “independent atoms” all claiming to believe the same Three Angels’ Messages. There are conflicts of understanding involving every single one of those messages among God’s professed people.

Where is the Depositary of Truth?

At one time there was great unanimity among the people of God’s last day movement. Now, if any unanimity can be found, let alone greatness of it, you are most blessed, indeed.

Recently I searched the counsel of the Ellen White Estate to see what the servant of the Lord had to say about the depositary of truth. Where can it be found today? Some of the answers really surprised me. I urge you to look into this subject for yourself and thoroughly examine all Mrs. White wrote about this crucial subject.

First, let me lay out the list of things I found that God has included in that depositary: His Law; priceless treasures of sacred, living, divine, eternal, precious truth; His sacred faith, trust, and responsibilities; oracles of divine grace, knowledge, rare blessings, and the pure religion of Jesus.

God be praised! Lead me to that depositary! Lead me to that safety deposit box!

Well, here is the catch. Spiritually speaking, in different ways, if conditions apply, we are that safety deposit box.

Let us take a logical look at the process of God. Who was entrusted with the care of God’s message for the world? Space restrictions will allow only some examples of the quotes from the Testimony of Jesus on this subject. Let’s begin.

“Says the prophet, ‘When Thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness. Let favor be showed to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness,…and will not behold the majesty of Jehovah.’ Isaiah 26:9, 10. Thus it was after the Flood. Released from His judgments, the inhabitants of the earth again rebelled against the Lord. Twice God’s covenant and His statutes had been rejected by the world. Both the people before the Flood and the descendants of Noah cast off the divine authority. Then God entered into covenant with Abraham, and took to Himself a people to become the depositaries of His law. To seduce and destroy this people, Satan began at once to lay his snares. The children of Jacob were tempted to contract marriages with the heathen and to worship their idols. But Joseph was faithful to God, and his fidelity was a constant testimony to the true faith. It was to quench this light that Satan worked through the envy of Joseph’s brothers to cause him to be sold as a slave in a heathen land. God overruled events, however, so that the knowledge of Himself should be given to the people of Egypt.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 332. (See also page 314.)

“When Balaam was called to curse the Hebrews he could not, by all his enchantments, bring evil upon them; for the Lord had not ‘beheld iniquity in Jacob,’ neither had He ‘seen perverseness in Israel.’ Numbers 23:21, 23. But when through yielding to temptation they transgressed God’s law, their defense departed from them. When the people of God are faithful to His commandments, ‘there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel.’ Hence all the power and wily arts of Satan are exerted to seduce them into sin. If those who profess to be the depositaries of God’s law become transgressors of its precepts, they separate themselves from God, and they will be unable to stand before their enemies.

Fallen Prey to Harlots

“The Israelites, who could not be overcome by the arms or by the enchantments of Midian, fell a prey to her harlots. Such is the power that woman, enlisted in the service of Satan, has exerted to entrap and destroy souls. ‘She hath cast down many wounded: yea, many strong men have been slain by her.’ Proverbs 7:26. It was thus that the children of Seth were seduced from their integrity, and the holy seed became corrupt. It was thus that Joseph was tempted. Thus Samson betrayed his strength, the defense of Israel, into the hands of the Philistines. Here David stumbled. And Solomon, the wisest of kings, who had thrice been called the beloved of his God, became a slave of passion, and sacrificed his integrity to the same bewitching power.

“‘Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.’ 1 Corinthians 10:11, 12.…As we approach the close of time, as the people of God stand upon the borders of the heavenly Canaan, Satan will, as of old, redouble his efforts to prevent them from entering the goodly land. He lays his snares for every soul. It is not the ignorant and uncultured merely that need to be guarded; he will prepare his temptations for those in the highest positions, in the most holy office; if he can lead them to pollute their souls, he can through them destroy many. And he employs the same agents now as he employed three thousand years ago. By worldly friendships, by the charms of beauty, by pleasure-seeking, mirth, feasting, or the wine cup, he tempts to the violation of the seventh commandment.” Ibid., 457. (Compare with Testimonies on Sexual Behaviour, Adultery and Divorce, 189; Manuscript Releases, Book 21, 380.)

“But the question was asked by many a devout worshiper, How came that architecture on the opposite side of the Jehoshaphat ravine, thus impiously confronting the temple of God? The truthful answer must be made: The builder was Solomon, known as the wisest king that ever wielded a scepter. These idols bore testimony that he who had been honored and applauded for his wisdom, became a humiliating wreck. He was thrice called the beloved of God. Pure and elevated in character, his piety and wisdom were unexampled. But Solomon did not go on from strength to strength in the pure and true life. It was his ambition to excel other nations in grandeur. To do this, he allied himself by marriage with heathen nations, and in the place of keeping loyal to the true and living God, he allowed his wives to draw him away from God. To please them, he built altars where they might worship their idols. Thus the leaven of idolatry became mingled with Solomon’s religious principles. Tares were sown among the wheat.

“Solomon knew that God had chosen Israel, and had made them the depositaries of the true and sacred faith. God had erected a wise barrier between them and the rest of the world, and only by jealous guarding the ancient landmarks could they preserve their high and distinct character. Why, then, did Solomon become such a moral wreck? He did not act on correct principles. He cultivated alliances with heathen kingdoms. He procured the gold of Ophir and the silver of Tarshish; but at what a cost!

Truth Mingled with Error

“Solomon mingled error with truth, and betrayed sacred trusts. The insidious evils of paganism corrupted his religion. One wrong step taken, led to step after step of political alliance. The polygamy so common at that time was directly opposed to the law of Jehovah. But this evil was tolerated in Palestine, and the Israel of God mingled in marriage with Phoenicia, Egypt, Edom, Moab, and Ammon, nations that bowed at idolatrous shrines, practicing licentious and cruel rites, greatly dishonoring to God. These Solomon countenanced and sustained. His once noble character, bold and true for God and righteousness, became deteriorated. His profligate expenditure for selfish indulgence made him the instrument of Satan’s devices. His conscience became hardened. His conduct as a judge changed from equity and righteousness to tyranny and oppression. He who had offered the dedicatory prayer when the temple was consecrated to God, he who prayed for the people, that their hearts might be undividedly given to the Lord, was in his later years following a course entirely contrary to right. The life once wholly dedicated to God, had been given to the enemy.

“Solomon tried to incorporate light with darkness, Christ with Belial, purity with impurity. But instead of converting the heathen to the truth, he allowed pagan sentiments to be incorporated with his religion. He became an apostate. God was no longer to him the only true and living God, a ruling Providence. Solomon was a religious wreck.

“In the days of Christ, the ruins of the groves erected by Solomon for his wives might still be seen. By the truehearted in Israel this place was named the Mount of Offense. Solomon little thought that those idol shrines would outlast his reign, continuing even till Shiloh came and looked upon the melancholy sight.

Beware of Cherishing the Errors of the World

“This case is placed on record as a warning to all who profess to serve God. Let those who know the word of the living God beware of cherishing the errors of the world. These Satan presents in an attractive guise, for he seeks to deceive us, and destroy the simplicity of our faith. If these errors are introduced, they will obscure the precious landmarks of truth.” The Review and Herald, March 10, 1910.

Needless to say, the privilege of being the depositary came with a condition. There are always conditions to receiving and maintaining God’s blessings. It is also alarming to see the issue of the seventh commandment continually at the core of this subject. Dear reader, if you do not see the connection between these passages and the current situation in Adventism, you are living in a religious vacuum. The last General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists 2000 Session, Toronto, Canada, with its decisions of allowing “abandonment” as a reason for divorce; the proliferation of Easter sunrise services and other things of pagan origin rapidly gaining acceptance among Seventh-day Adventists; the harlot daughters of Rome gaining greater access to Seventh-day Adventist pulpits should ring bells that give headaches of shock. One wonders, Where is the outrage? Where is the Protestantism? Where is fidelity to be found? Just where is the depositary? Let us read on.

“The sin of Eli had consisted in passing lightly over the iniquity of his sons in sacred office, and over the evils prevailing throughout the land. His neglect to correct these evils had brought upon Israel a fearful calamity. His sons had fallen in battle, Eli himself had lost his life, the ark of God had been taken from the land of Israel, thirty thousand of the people had been slain—and all because sin had been allowed to flourish unrebuked and unchecked. Israel had vainly thought that, notwithstanding their sinful practices, the presence of the ark would ensure them victory over the Philistines. In like manner, during the days of Jeremiah, the inhabitants of Judah were prone to believe that a strict observance of the divinely appointed services of the temple would preserve them from a just punishment for their wicked course.

“What a lesson is this to men holding positions of responsibility today in the church of God! What a solemn warning to deal faithfully with wrongs that bring dishonor to the cause of truth! Let none who claim to be the depositaries of God’s law flatter themselves that the regard they may outwardly show toward the commandments will preserve them from the exercise of divine justice. Let none refuse to be reproved for evil, nor charge the servants of God with being too zealous in endeavoring to cleanse the camp from evil-doing. A sin-hating God calls upon those who claim to keep His law to depart from all iniquity. A neglect to repent and to render willing obedience will bring upon men and women today as serious consequences as came upon ancient Israel. There is a limit beyond which the judgments of Jehovah can no longer be delayed. The desolation of Jerusalem in the days of Jeremiah is a solemn warning to modern Israel, that the counsels and admonitions given them through chosen instrumentalities cannot be disregarded with impunity.” Prophets and Kings, 416.

Remaining True to Your Trust!

“Had the Jewish nation been true to their trust, and communicated to the world the light they had, they would have remained the depositary of the truth of God. God had brought His people out of the cruel bondage of Egypt, and had exalted them before the nations around them. They were favored with every temporal and spiritual blessing. God’s presence went with them, enshrouded in the pillar of cloud by day, and the pillar of fire by night. They were under His guardianship, and His love and care were manifested in protection and blessing. But they were unfaithful; they rebelled against God, and transgressed His holy law spoken from Mount Sinai by His own voice, and written on tables of stone by His own finger; and God sent His Son to make known to the world His character and the laws of His kingdom.” Signs of the Times, March 18, 1897.

“Continuing His answer to the disciples of John, Jesus spoke a parable, saying, ‘No man putteth a piece of a new garment upon an old; if otherwise, then both the new maketh a rent, and the piece that was taken out of the new agreeth not with the old.’ The message of John the Baptist was not to be interwoven with tradition and superstition. An attempt to blend the pretense of the Pharisees with the devotion of John would only make more evident the breach between them.

“Nor could the principles of Christ’s teaching be united with the forms of Pharisaism. Christ was not to close up the breach that had been made by the teachings of John. He would make more distinct the separation between the old and the new. Jesus further illustrated this fact, saying, ‘No man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish.’ The skin bottles which were used as vessels to contain the new wine, after a time became dry and brittle, and were then worthless to serve the same purpose again. In this familiar illustration Jesus presented the condition of the Jewish leaders. Priests and scribes and rulers were fixed in a rut of ceremonies and traditions. Their hearts had become contracted, like the dried-up wine skins to which He had compared them. While they remained satisfied with a legal religion, it was impossible for them to become the depositaries of the living truth of heaven. They thought their own righteousness all sufficient, and did not desire that a new element should be brought into their religion. The good will of God to men they did not accept as something apart from themselves. They connected it with their own merit because of their good works. The faith that works by love and purifies the soul could find no place for union with the religion of the Pharisees, made up of ceremonies and the injunctions of men. The effort to unite the teachings of Jesus with the established religion would be vain. The vital truth of God, like fermenting wine, would burst the old, decaying bottles of the Pharisaical tradition.

“The Pharisees thought themselves too wise to need instruction, too righteous to need salvation, too highly honored to need the honor that comes from Christ. The Saviour turned away from them to find others who would receive the message of heaven. In the untutored fishermen, in the publican at the market place, in the woman of Samaria, in the common people who heard Him gladly, He found His new bottles for the new wine. The instrumentalities to be used in the gospel work are those souls who gladly receive the light which God sends them. These are His agencies for imparting the knowledge of truth to the world. If through the grace of Christ His people will become new bottles, He will fill them with new wine.

“The teaching of Christ, though it was represented by the new wine, was not a new doctrine, but the revelation of that which had been taught from the beginning. But to the Pharisees the truth of God had lost its original significance and beauty. To them Christ’s teaching was new in almost every respect, and it was unrecognized and unacknowledged. The Desire of Ages, 278, 279.

Clinging to Dead Forms

“ Jesus pointed out the power of false teaching to destroy the appreciation and desire for truth. ‘No man,’ He said, ‘having drunk old wine straightway desireth new: for he saith, The old is better.’ All the truth that has been given to the world through patriarchs and prophets shone out in new beauty in the words of Christ. But the scribes and Pharisees had no desire for the precious new wine. Until emptied of the old traditions, customs, and practices, they had no place in mind or heart for the teachings of Christ. They clung to the dead forms, and turned away from the living truth and the power of God. Ibid.

“It was this that proved the ruin of the Jews, and it will prove the ruin of many souls in our own day. Thousands are making the same mistake as did the Pharisees whom Christ reproved at Matthew’s feast. Rather than give up some cherished idea, or discard some idol of opinion, many refuse the truth which comes down from the Father of light. They trust in self, and depend upon their own wisdom, and do not realize their spiritual poverty. They insist on being saved in some way by which they may perform some important work. When they see that there is no way of weaving self into the work, they reject the salvation provided.” Ibid., 280.

“The Jewish people had been made the depositaries of sacred truth; but Pharisaism had made them the most exclusive, the most bigoted, of all the human race. Everything about the priests and rulers—their dress, customs, ceremonies, traditions—made them unfit to be the light of the world. They looked upon themselves, the Jewish nation, as the world. But Christ commissioned His disciples to proclaim a faith and worship that would have in it nothing of caste or country, a faith that would be adapted to all peoples, all nations, all classes of men.” Ibid., 819, 820.

“The leaders in the Jewish nation had signally failed of fulfilling God’s purpose for His chosen people. Those whom the Lord had made the depositaries of truth had proved unfaithful to their trust, and God chose others to do His work. In their blindness these leaders now gave full sway to what they called righteous indignation against the ones who were setting aside their cherished doctrines. They would not admit even the possibility that they themselves did not rightly understand the word, or that they had misinterpreted or misapplied the Scriptures. They acted like men who had lost their reason. What right have these teachers, they said, some of them mere fishermen, to present ideas contrary to the doctrines that we have taught the people? Being determined to suppress the teaching of these ideas, they imprisoned those who were presenting them.” The Acts of the Apostles, 78, 79.

Much more could be included about the Jewish nation and their fall from being the depositary. What has been presented, however, should suffice to lay down an absolute principle: No religious body has any lasting guarantee of being God’s depositary, if they do not remain faithful to the purposes of that depositary.

It has been stressed that there needs to be some great prophetic event for the depositary to be passed to others. Logic refutes that position. Was there not a depositary after the first century church apostatized and left a remnant to carry on? Indeed. Was there not a depositary when God raised up Reformers to wage war against the Man of Sin? Indeed. It can be stated that the depositary rested in the hands of faithful believers not joined to any particular, religious organization, for longer than the history of the New Testament church and Seventh-day Adventists. Principle decided such matters, not prophetic events or prophetic utterances. But, I get ahead of myself. Notice some statements where the individual is considered a depositary.

“Abraham’s course in controlling his children and his household, and instructing them to fear and obey God, was approved of Heaven. Because he had been faithful to the trust already given, God committed to him greater responsibilities, making him the depositary of divine truth for all the generations to come. He had honored God in his household, and God honored him before the world. It was declared that through his posterity, all the nations of the earth should be blessed.” Signs of the Time, June 2, 1881

— To be continued…

No New Denomination – Part I

February 6, 2020 by John J. Grosboll

Are You Starting a New Denomination?

I would like to study something with you that we actually have studied before, however, I believe we need to study it again, because of the confusion that is developing among God’s professed people, especially in the revival and reformation movement. I have received many letters and communications lately asking questions like, Are you starting a new denomination?

Why, no, we have never thought of starting a new denomination. We have never intended to do any such thing. We do not want to do anything like that. We have no intention of doing anything like that. So where are all these ideas coming from? Well, people are getting these ideas because other people are making accusations about things they do not really understand or know.

The basis for these accusations is the fact that they do not understand the New Testament concept about who and what is the church. The first time I heard about the New Testament concept of the church was in 1987; my brother had started preaching it. I had never heard of anything like this before. I had been a Seventh-day Adventist minister for over 20 years, and at that time I was working in the Texas Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. I had to study out this theory. In fact, before I ever preached on this subject myself, which was the next year, in 1988, I had studied it very thoroughly and very carefully for a number of months, to find out what the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy really teach on this subject.

This is a critical subject. You see, Marshall and I were told, in effect, in 1988, that we could not do evangelism. It is a very serious matter when you cannot do evangelism. We are commanded in the gospel commission to go to all the world. The reason we were told that we could not do evangelism was very simple; when we got people ready for baptism, the church and the church organization would not accept them as members because they had been brought in by the “wrong” people.

We actually had people come to the Steps to Life campmeeting and say, “I want to be a Seventh-day Adventist. I want to be baptized and become part of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, but where I live the pastor will not baptize me because the “wrong” people gave me Bible studies.” Because of confusion on this subject, there are many people who are not doing any evangelism.

Waiting for the Lord

Publicly they have said, we cannot do any evangelism right now; we are just waiting for God to clean up the church and purify the church, and then we will do evangelism. Some of these people have been waiting now for the better part of 20 years. I do not know how long they plan to wait. How long do you want to wait to finish God’s work? Do you want to wait 50 years? 100 years?

The reason people cannot get serious about finishing God’s work is because of what they believe about who is the church. If the church tells them not to do it, they are afraid to do it for fear that they will be dishonoring God and disobeying Him. It is from the same misapprehensions that the question is asked, Are you starting a new denomination?

So before we look at the specific question of, Are you starting a new denomination? , let us ask a few very basic, simple questions that can be answered right out of the Bible.

How Many “True” Churches are There?

First question: How many true churches are there? Now some people say that there have been lots of true churches. There was the church in Abraham’s time; there was the church in Moses’ time; there was the church in Jesus’ time, the Jewish Church; there was the church during the Dark Ages, the Protestant Churches, the Waldensian Church, and there is the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Some people think that there are lots of different churches, but that is not what the Bible says. What does the Bible say about how many churches there are? My brother, Marshall, used to say that if you want to know the truth about who and what the church is, the Bible would be a good place to look. So, let us look at the Bible.

In Ephesians 1:22, 23, Paul says very distinctly that Christ is the Head of the church; it only has one Head. There are some organizations in the Scripture that are described as having seven heads, but not the church of Christ. It does not have two or three or four or seven heads; it only has One.

According to Ephesians 1:22, 23, Christ is the Head. It is also stated there that the church is His body. So, how many bodies does Christ have? Look at Ephesians 4:4: “There is one body and one Spirit.…” There are how many bodies? One. So how many true churches are there? One! There has only been one true church since the days of Adam and Eve, and there will never be more than one until the end of time. Whether you are talking about time or space, the answer is the same. There is only one body! The first three chapters of Ephesians say that His body is the fullness of Him who fills all in all. That is the whole universe.

Ellen White distinctly and very powerfully reaffirms, validates and verifies exactly what we just read in Ephesians 4. She says, “God had a church when Adam and Eve and Abel accepted and hailed with joy the good news that Jesus was their Redeemer. These realized as fully then as we realize now the promise of the presence of God in their midst. Wherever Enoch found one or two who were willing to hear the message he had for them, Jesus joined with them in their worship of God. In Enoch’s day there were some among the wicked inhabitants of earth who believed. The Lord never yet has left His faithful few without His presence nor the world without a witness.” The Upward Look, 228.

From Age to Age

She talks in very similar language throughout the first chapter of The Acts of the Apostles. She speaks of the churches being one throughout the whole period of earth’s history— from the apostles’ time, through the Dark Ages, to our time, to the end. “Through the ages of moral darkness, through centuries of strife and persecution, the church of Christ has been as a city set on a hill. From age to age, through successive generations to the present time, the pure doctrines of the Bible have been unfolding within her borders.” Our High Calling, 172.

Notice, she is talking singular here: “The church of Christ, enfeebled and defective though she may appear, is the one object on earth on which He bestows in a special sense His love and regard. The church is the theater of His grace, in which He delights to make experiments of mercy on human hearts.” Ibid. Is that not exciting? The church is a theater; a “theater of His grace.”

Revival and Reformation Exists!

I want to tell you, friends, as I travel and as I visit with people in different countries and in different places, over and over again, I have been amazed as I have seen what God is doing. When Evelyn and I went to New Guinea a few years ago, they told us that the Lord is going all through this country, and some of the people who are the greatest criminals have accepted the gospel.

In fact, while we were there, they had a baptism on Sabbath afternoon. One of the people who was baptized had been the head of a drug gang. Unbelievable things like this happen! You see people who have been involved in every kind of crime and problem, and God is pulling them out of that lifestyle and completely changing their lives, by grace.

It is something that you cannot explain by any method of psychology, human education or anything like that. It is beyond explanation. It is “the theater of His grace,” and it is worldwide. Ellen White says, in Testimonies, vol. 6, 367, that the church below and the church above are one. (See also Manuscript Releases, vol. 6, 316.) There are not two separate churches, one in heaven and one on earth. They are both one!

There is just one true church. Now it immediately follows that if there is only one true church in all time and all of space, if you or I would ever start another church or another denomination, that would be apostasy. Does that make sense? If there is only one true church in all of time and all of space, and that is exactly what the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy teaches, then to start a new church would be apostasy from the true, and we certainly do not want to do that! There is only one true church!

You see, Adventists did not start a new church in 1863 or 1861 or 1844. The church has existed since the days of Adam and Eve, and it has been shaken over and over again. People have been shaken out, but there have always been some who have gone through.

Were there some people who went through in Jesus’ day? Yes. The 12 apostles came right out of the Jewish Church. There were some people who endured the shaking and accepted the Messiah and stayed with it. Did the same thing happen in the times of Martin Luther? Yes. Did the same thing happen in the days of Ellen White? Absolutely!

A Remnant

Were there some people after the great disappointment who held on to their faith even though they were disappointed beyond measure and could not understand how God could have allowed such a thing to happen to them? Were there some people who hung on? Yes, there were, and they were not a new church. They are called, in the Bible, a remnant. Is a remnant something new? No, a remnant is not something new. A remnant is something that goes back to the beginning, but it is just the last part of the original.

But, of course, there is a dividing line in God’s church. There always has been, because in this world, since the devil rebelled in heaven and since Adam and Eve fell, we are in a situation where there are people who profess things that are not true.

The devil and his angels profess things that are not true, and so do human beings, the devil’s agents. If you are one of God’s children, you will never make a profession that is not true, because then you are breaking the ninth commandment. That is why, by the way, you and I can never, ever make any profession that we are perfect or holy. We will never be making those professions, even during the time of trouble. We will be in heaven before we will be able to say, I am holy or I am perfect. God’s children do not ever make a profession that is not true. But the devil’s children do, and the devil has been doing this for thousands of years.

Drawing the Line

The devil brings his agents into God’s church, and they make a profession of something that is not true. So now you have this group of people all together; some of them are true; some of them are not true, and you cannot tell for sure which is which because they all make the same profession. But God draws the dividing line.

You can find this in the Bible, (See Matthew 7:15, 21–23) and I like the way Ellen White put it in Signs of the Times, June 30, 1881. She says, “He draws the dividing line between those who bear His name by profession, and those whose character shows them to be His children.”

So, here you have a people, all professing to be part of the true church, the remnant. They all profess to be commandment keepers; they all profess to believe the Spirit of Prophecy, and they all profess to be Christians. Where does God put the dividing line? They all make this profession, but God draws a line. Some people are on one side of the line; some people are on the other side of the line.

You and I do not have to know where the line is. God has drawn it, and He knows which people are on which side of the line. As the shaking progresses, it will become apparent to everybody else, also. On one side of the dividing line there are the people who make the profession, but their profession is not true. On the other side of the dividing line is the true church. They are the people who make the profession, too, but their profession is true. Their character shows that they are God’s children.

The True Church

I want to go over several distinguishing points about the true church. I am not talking about the true church by profession, I am talking about the true church in character. Many, many times Ellen White describes the true church as being those who have a certain type of character. (See Christ’s Object Lessons, 310.)

The true church does not have any tares in it. There are tares that make the profession; they are all part of the group, but notice carefully, this church does not have any tares in it. Jesus talked about people who do not go through the door, but they come in another way. He said they are thieves and robbers. (See John 10:1.)

You can have a thief in your house. A thief does not come through the door, he climbs through the window. So is he part of your family? He is in the house, but that does not make him part of your family. It is the same with the wolves in sheep’s clothing; they have climbed over the wall, and they are in the fold. Does that make them part of the flock? Are they part of the true church? Well, they profess to be, but they are not. They may have their lamb’s clothing all zipped up, clear up to the neck, but they are not really a part of the true church.

Notice what Ellen White says about the true church: “From the beginning, faithful souls have constituted the church on earth.” The Acts of the Apostles, 11. Now what does the word constitute mean? That is who makes up the church, and it is the faithful souls.

By the way, are the faithful souls the tares? Is any tare a faithful soul? No, a tare is not a faithful soul. So this church that she is talking about here does not have any tares in it, because it is constituted by faithful souls. She says that, until the end of time, the true church will have the Holy Spirit. (See The Acts of the Apostles, 54, 55.)

Not the Various Denominations

And then there is this very familiar statement from The Upward Look, 315. It is a very interesting statement that I have pondered many, many times. A lot of people do not like some things in this statement, and they try to get around it. I am always afraid, if I am trying to get around something in God’s Word. If there is something in God’s Word that sounds like it is difficult, well, probably that means we just do not understand everything yet. Notice what this says: “God has a church. It is not the great cathedral, neither is it the national establishment, neither is it the various denominations.”

Now that is a very pointed statement. It is not the various denominations. It is not?

Well, it is our denomination, people say.

No, it is not. It is not the various denominations.

Oh, but ours is an exception.

It does not say there are any exceptions. It just says that it is not the various denominations. Now that is a very powerful statement. I did not write it. I am not even interpreting it. I am just sharing it with you.

Well, who is it then?

Oh, it is our denomination.

No, that is not what she said. Now she is going to tell you who it is.

“It is the people who love God and keep His commandments.” Ibid.

So, do you love God and keep His commandments? Then you are part of the true church. You are a member of the church of which there is only one in all time and space. When the church is taken to heaven, all generations from all over the world, plus the angels and the beings up there, will all be one. And you will be part of it—if you are one of those who love God and keep His commandments.

This is important to understand right now, especially if some of you have heard Pastor Billy Paul tell about what is happening in Central and South America. People are being disfellowshipped all over Central and South America for standing up and proclaiming the Three Angels’ Messages. Should these people become frightened and say, Oh, no, I am lost! I am not in the church anymore. Is that what they should think? Are they out of the church? No. Do they love God and keep His commandments? Yes, they do. Then they are in the church!

Organization Needed Now!

Now, just because you love God and keep His commandments does not mean that you should not be organized. All we are saying is that the organization is not the church. Our organization is not the church. We have a church at Steps to Life, and it is organized. We have elders, deacons, a church clerk, and a treasurer. We are an organized church so that we can do the work of Christ. But our church organization is not the church itself. Do you see the difference? And if that church organization should apostatize, even if all the leaders should apostatize, the church would still remain.

Let me tell you, I have seen that happen more than once. I have seen the leaders of a church all apostatize, but the church remains, because the church is the people who love God and keep His commandments.

The General Conference is Not the True Church

And then, I thought about this. I asked myself, Should I get this pointed? I think that I had better do it. I think that I have an obligation to do it. So, brace yourself for this, because some people are going to read this and they are going to be shocked when they do. The General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists is not the true church, and it has not been the true church, or even part of the true church, for a long time.

I am going to read that to you right out of the Spirit of Prophecy: “Says the prophet, ‘The dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.’ [Now notice what she says about this text. She has just quoted Revelation 12:17.] We can see from this Scripture that it is not the true church of God that makes war with those who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” The Signs of the Times, April 22, 1889. [Emphasis supplied.]

Any organization, or group, that makes war with those who keep the commandments is not the true church. That is what Ellen White says. When you take people, who are keeping the commandments, to court and you put them in jail, and believe me, that has happened; when you take them to court and try to ruin them financially, you are waging war. Do you know what a lawsuit is? A lawsuit is a legal war, a legal battle. I do not know how anybody could controvert or dispute that. If you think that it is not, you have just not yet been sued.

People can lose everything that they have and go to jail because of a lawsuit, you know. Mrs. White says that it is not the true church of God that makes war with those who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. That makes it absolutely certain that the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists could not possibly be the true church today, or any part of it, because they are making war against those who are trying to take the Three Angels’ Messages to all the world. They are making war on these people all over the world. In Interamerica they are disfellowshipping them. In South America they are disfellowshipping them. In the United States they are taking them to court. They are doing similar things in the South Pacific, in Australia and in Europe, and just about anywhere in the world where people are getting aggressive and saying that we need to get the Three Angels’ Messages to the world now!

Now, I know that they are the true church by profession. So that nobody will misunderstand that, let me just remind you that Caiaphas and company were the true church by profession in the days of Jesus, but it was not true.

The true church is built, established, on the Rock. (See Matthew 16:18.) This is one of the favorite texts of the papacy. The true church is established on the Rock. It is established on the Rock, Christ Jesus. By the way, I have thought many times that, of all the apostles, the Lord chose to have the apostle Peter explain that explicitly so that nobody would be mixed up about who the Rock is upon whom the church is built.

Built on the Chief Cornerstone

So the apostle Peter spends about ten or eleven verses in 1 Peter 2, and he tells you exactly who the Rock is upon whom the church is built, so you cannot make a mistake. He says, Now the rest of you, you are living stones, too, but you are built on a Foundation and on the Chief Cornerstone. And any church that is not built on that Rock is not the true church. The church that is built on the apostle Peter is not the true church, because he is not the Rock.

Let us look at two or three more characteristics about the true church. In the book The Great Controversy, 51, Ellen White makes the following statement: “Romanists have persisted in bringing against Protestants the charge of heresy and willful separation from the true church. But these accusations apply rather to themselves. They are the ones who laid down the banner of Christ and departed from ‘the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.’ Jude 3.”

Now, if you study that statement carefully, she says the accusation against the true church of departing from the church applies to whom? To the Romanists. And why does it apply to them? Because of two things: they laid down the banner of Christ and departed from the faith once delivered to the saints. Now that paragraph, if you study it carefully, reveals to you characteristics of the true church.

The true church is that group of people who will uphold the banner of Christ and who will defend the faith once delivered to the saints. They will defend the historic Christian teachings in the Bible. That is still true. That is where the term “historic” Adventists came from. People said, We want the doctrines that we know are true, that our people have believed and that Christians have believed throughout all ages. They studied their Bibles. That is what we want!

Who Laid Down the Banner of Christ?

Now the Roman Church laid down the banner of Christ and departed from the faith that was once delivered to the saints, so they are the ones that willfully separated from the true church. You need to understand this point crystal clear. I am amazed that I find Seventh-day Adventists who are mixed up on this point, and I hope after you have studied this over with me that nobody will ever be able to be mixed up on this again.

Who was the true church during the Dark Ages, between the time that the apostles died and the Protestant Reformation or up to our own time? I find that people are very confused on this. I was absolutely shocked just a few weeks ago when I found out that there are Adventist leaders in the revival and reformation movement who apparently think that the Roman Church was the true church clear up until the sixth century.

I could have fallen off my chair. The Roman Church, friends, apostatized in the second century, and after they apostatized, they were not the true church any more. Who was the true church? Ellen White is very, very specific about this.

“‘The church in the wilderness, [Now who is the church in the wilderness? That was those Bible-believing Christians who had to flee from persecution.] and not the proud hierarchy enthroned in the world’s great capital, was the true church of Christ.” The Great Controversy, 64. And that is as plain as you can state it!

Here is another one. “The professed church of God was swept into the ranks of this delusion, and for more than a thousand years the people of God suffered under the dragon’s ire.” The Signs of the Times, November 1, 1899.

So, the church at Rome went into apostasy in the second century, before ad 170 or 180. We have good historical evidence that it was starting in the late ad 120s at least, and that the apostasy was well under way by the late ad 150s. We do not need to look at the spiritual, religious, Bible side of things, you can go right to the history book and figure that out.

Upholding the Banner of Christ

So the true church will uphold the banner of Christ, and it will not depart from the faith. In fact, the apostle Paul gives that as a definition of the true church. It is the pillar and ground of the truth. (See 1 Timothy 3:15.)

So who was the true church in Jesus’ day? Was it Caiaphas and company? They professed to be, but it was not really true, was it? Remember that God draws the dividing line between those who are His children by profession and those whose characters show that they really are His children. So who was the true church in Jesus’ day? It was the people who followed Jesus, and that is all that it was.

The people who were following Caiaphas crucified Jesus. Did the true church crucify Jesus? No, that was not the true church; those were the people following the devil. You cannot be following the devil and the Lord at the same time. Does that make sense? The true church in Jesus’ day were those who followed Jesus.

Who was the true church in the second, third, fourth and fifth centuries? It was those Christians who maintained their faith, those who were Bible-believing Christians. They were scattered all over the world. They were called many, many different names. Ellen White says that the whole world became a battlefield over the Christian faith. You can see the evidence of the battle in England, the British Isles, the Continent of Europe, in the Middle East, down to Africa and India. (See The Great Controversy, 55, 56.)

The whole world became a battlefield, and what happened to the true church? Do you know where one of the most common places was that the true church met? One of the most common places where the true church met was in the fields of martyrdom, where their members were killed by those claiming to be the true church.

If you read the book, The Martyr’s Mirror, one of the major debating points was the Waldenses claim that they were the only true church. The papists could not stand that, because if the Waldenses were the true church, then they were an apostate church.

The true church was in the wilderness, according to Revelation 12. So you know from Revelation 12 that you would not find the true church in London or Paris or Rome or Jerusalem. The true church was in the wilderness, in the desert.

The Church in the Desert

Several years ago when I was traveling in southeastern France, in the Cevennes Mountains, which was where the headquarters of the Huguenots was located, I had the privilege of visiting a church. I looked on the stone wall that was built in 1696; I went inside the church, and the church was built like a fort. It had walls about three feet thick. You had to get on a ladder to see out the windows, as they were probably higher than the peak of most ceilings.

They still have the church Bible. You see, private people in those days often could not afford to have a Bible, so the church had a Bible and you would come to the church; somebody would read, and the rest of the church would listen. That is the way you studied the Bible back in those days. If they really wanted a part of the Bible for themselves, while it was being read they copied down the text, then they had part of the Bible for their own. The Bible is still there, in the front of the church.

It is very interesting what they called themselves. They called themselves the church in the desert. Where do you suppose they got that idea? They got it from Revelation 12. They knew that they were the church described in Revelation 12.

So who was the church in 1844? It was the people who accepted the truth about the hour of God’s judgment to come. Like always, the church was the pillar and ground of the truth. Now, they did not understand what that meant yet, but it was the people who accepted that. There were a lot of people who claimed to accept it who were not true, so the Lord arranged to divide things so you could find out who really believed this message.

Sorting Things Out

And that is what is going to happen to us, too. It is already under way. God is arranging things for the shaking to sort things out. By the time Jesus comes, all of the people who make a profession, and whose character does not agree with their profession, will be weeded out. But that is God’s business, not ours. We do not take the tares out of the church. God does that, and He is doing it right now. We do have an obligation to disfellowship members living in open sin. When a tare becomes an open sinner, he is to be disfellowshipped by the church. (See 1 Corinthians 5; 2 John and Christ’s Object Lessons, 71.)

Who is the church now? And who will be the church in the future? It will still be the same as it has always been, since the days of Adam and Eve. It is those who love God and keep His commandments; those who uphold the banner of Christ; those who defend the faith once delivered to the saints; those who have the Holy Spirit; those who are built on the Rock, and those who do not ever make war against those who are keeping God’s commandments.

We need to be careful that we never have the wrong spirit. People might come to you and me and say, Well, you know so-and-so, look what they are doing; they are terrible; they are fanatics. They may be a fanatic. They may be doing something wrong, but let me tell you something, if they are keeping God’s commandments, we had better not get in a war with them, even if they are making mistakes. Because, if we do, we will show the whole universe that we are on the opposite side of the great controversy, that we are not part of the church at all, no matter what our profession.

We are not self-supporting workers or some adjunct, some sideline, some irregular line. I believe Martin Luther put it best when he said, “The Pope and the priests need not make a noise. We are the church!” Do you believe that? It is still true. We are the church.

Melancthon said it just as well: “‘There is no other church than the assembly of those who have the word of God, and who are purified by it.’” Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 4, 237.

to be continued…

Editorial – Living by Every Word, Part III

February 21, 2020February 6, 2020 by John J. Grosboll

At the Council of Trent, convened to determine how to stop Protestantism (1545-1563), four propositions were made which have affected Bible translations ever since that time. These four propositions were four condemnations that first condemned the Protestant doctrine that the Holy Scriptures contained all things necessary for salvation, and that it was impious to place apostolic tradition on a level with Scripture.

This condemnation is two-fold, first condemning the doctrine that the Bible contains all things necessary to salvation. What do the Scriptures teach in regard to what is necessary for Salvation? Is there any moral duty required of man that God somehow did not have put in His holy book so that the church had to develop it over the next few thousand years? (Tradition is still developing, for instance look at the debate over the role of Mary, the mother of Jesus, in the plan of salvation. Traditions which are totally absent from the New Testament, but have been developing for hundreds of years. Does the Bible say anything specific in regard to this question? Indeed it does: “Every Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for discipline [or could be translated “instruction” in the sense of instruction a child receives from his parents, or “upbringing.”] in order that the man of God might be complete, fully equipped for every good work.” II Timothy 3:16, 17. The word translated “complete” is much more than “perfect.” A blade of wheat first coming up can be perfect, but it is not complete. To be complete means much more than to be perfect—it means to be lacking in nothing, which of course implies full maturity. This is one of the strongest texts in the Bible teaching that the Protestant position is correct and the position of the Council of Trent is in error. (For other texts teaching the same see Matthew 4:4; 15:1-9; Ecclesiates 12:13, 14; Matthew 28:19, 20, Deuteronomy 4:2 and Revelation 22:18, 19.)

Ellen White wrote, “The very beginning of the great apostasy was in seeking to supplement the authority of God by that of the church. Rome began by enjoining what God had not forbidden, and she ended by forbidding what He had explicitly enjoined.” The Great Controversy, 289, 290. This is always the end-result of any church adding any moral duty to what God has given. So-called “apostolic tradition” has resulted in doctrines that are contradictions to what the apostles actually wrote. It was for this reason that the Protestant reformers rejected “apostolic tradition,” and all other tradition, except that found in the inspired Word of God.

A second condemnation by the Council of Trent had to do with what writings should compose, or be a part of, the Bible. This is a very important subject for any Protestant to understand. Since the foundation of the Protestant faith is the Bible and the Bible alone, any change that is made, either in the translation of the Bible or in the text of the Bible or in what writings compose the Bible, becomes extremely important. It was for this very reason that the Protestants had been studying Greek and Hebrew and were publishing the New Testament in Greek from the language in which it was originally written. And it was for this very reason that the various editions of this Greek New Testament had been edited and corrected, over and over again, to obtain the most accurate New Testament possible. It was for very similar reasons that the Protestant reformers rejected the apocrypha as being part of the Old Testament. But the Council of Trent condemned the Protestant doctrine that certain books accepted as canonical (as part of the Scriptures) in the Latin Vulgate were apocryphal and not canonical. One of the results of this was, and is, a difference in Bibles—before the Protestant Reformation there was only one Bible, but since the Protestant Reformation there have been “Catholic Bibles” and “Protestant Bibles.” One of the principle differences between Catholic and Protestant Bibles is that Protestant Bibles do not contain the apocrypha in the Old Testament, but Catholic Bibles do.

to be continued . . .

Bible Study Guides – Grace

February 6, 2020 by Unknown

October 20, 2001 – October 26, 2001

My Grace is Sufficient for Thee

Memory Verse: “And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” 11 Corinthians 12:9.

Study Help: The Faith I Live By, 94; God’s Amazing Grace, 10.

Thought to Remember: “Divine grace is the great element of saving power.”

Introduction

“Divine grace is needed at the beginning, divine grace at every step of advance, and divine grace alone can complete the work. There is no place for us to rest in a careless attitude. We must never forget the warnings of Christ, ‘Watch unto prayer,’ ‘Watch, . . . and pray always.’ A connection with the divine agency every moment is essential to our progress.” Testimonies to Ministers, 508.

“The Word of His Grace”

1 What was the burden of the preaching of Paul and Barnabas? Acts 14:3. Compare Acts 20:32.

note: “Let your mind dwell upon the goodness of God, upon the great love wherewith He has loved us, as evidenced in the work of redemption. If He did not love us and consider us of value, then this great sacrifice would not have been made. He is beneficent in mercy and in grace. Let your heart and mind be at rest like a tired child in the arms of its mother. His everlasting arms are beneath you. In all your afflictions Jesus is afflicted.…Hide in Him, and the wicked one will not harass or confuse your faith. Jesus has bequeathed His peace to you. ‘Strong is the strength which God supplies, through His eternal Son.’…The word of His grace is manna to the believing soul. The precious promises of the word are life, sweetness, and peace.” Mind, Character, and Personality, vol. 2, 513.

2 What blessings come to us through God’s love and grace? 11 Thessalonians 2:16–17; Acts 20:32.

note: “In giving us the privilege of studying His Word, the Lord has set before us a rich banquet. Many are the benefits derived from feasting on His Word, which is represented by Him as His flesh and blood, His spirit and life. By partaking of this Word our spiritual strength is increased; we grow in grace and in the knowledge of the truth. Habits of self-control are formed and strengthened. The infirmities of childhood— fretfulness, willfulness, selfishness, hasty words, passionate acts—disappear, and in their place are developed the graces of Christian manhood and womanhood.’”God’s Amazing Grace, 303.

“He who becomes a child of God should henceforth look upon himself as a link in the chain let down to save the world, one with Christ in His plan of mercy, going forth with Him to seek and save the lost. The world needs a practical demonstration of what the grace of God can do in restoring to human beings their lost kingship, giving them mastery of themselves. There is nothing that the world needs so much as a knowledge of the gospel’s saving power revealed in Christlike lives.” Ibid., 334.

“The Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ”

3 Who made it possible for divine grace to be made available to mankind? John 1:17; Ephesians 2:4–8. Compare John 1:14.

note: “Ample provisions have been made for all who sincerely, earnestly, and thoughtfully set about the work of perfecting holiness in the fear of God. Strength, grace, and glory have been provided through Christ, to be brought by ministering angels to the heirs of salvation. None are so low, so corrupt and vile, that they cannot find in Jesus, who died for them, strength, purity, and righteousness, if they will put away their sins, cease their course of iniquity, and turn with full purpose of heart to the living God. He is waiting to strip them of their garments, stained and polluted by sin, and to put upon them the white, bright robes of righteousness.” God’s Amazing Grace, 31.

4 What is the only alternative to God’s grace? Ephesians 2:1–3.

note: “In the law there is no power to save men from the penalty of disobedience. Wrongdoers must repent of their sins and humble themselves before God, whose just wrath they have incurred by breaking His law, and they must also exercise faith in the blood of Christ as their only means of pardon. The Son of God had died as their sacrifice and had ascended to heaven to stand before the Father as their advocate. By repentance and faith they might be freed from the condemnation of sin and through the grace of Christ be enabled henceforth to render obedience to the law of God.” Acts of the Apostles, 393.

5 Is there anything we can do to merit the grace of God? Romans 4:4.

note: “Grace is unmerited favor, and the believer is justified without any merit of his own, without any claim to offer to God. He is justified through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, who stands in the courts of heaven as the sinner’s substitute and surety. But while he is justified because of the merit of Christ, he is not free to work unrighteousness. Faith works by love and purifies the soul. Faith buds and blossoms and bears a harvest of precious fruit. Where faith is, good works appear. The sick are visited, the poor are cared for, the fatherless and the widows are not neglected, the naked are clothed, the destitute are fed.” God’s Amazing Grace, 182.

“Great Grace Was Upon Them All”

6 What was the effect of grace in the lives of the apostles? Acts 4:33. Contrast Mark 14:50; Mark 9:34, 35.

note: “The miracle-working power of Christ’s grace is revealed in the creation in man of a new heart, a higher life, a holier enthusiasm. God says: ‘A new heart also will I give you’ (Ezekiel 36:26). Is not this, the renewal of man, the greatest miracle that can be performed? What cannot the human agent do who by faith takes hold of the divine power?… To make God’s grace our own, we must act our part. His grace is given to work in us to will and to do, but never as a substitute for our effort. …Those who walk in the path of obedience will encounter many hindrances. 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.” Ibid., 253.

7 What wonderful assurance did the Lord give to Paul? 11 Corinthians 12:9.

note: “You need constantly to cherish lowliness of mind and a spirit of dependence. He who feels his own weakness will look higher than himself, and will feel the need of constant strength from above. The grace of God will lead him to cherish a spirit of constant gratitude. He who is best acquainted with his own weakness will know that it is the matchless grace of God alone that triumphs over the rebellion of the heart.” Gospel Workers, 319.

“Grow in Grace”

8 What was Peter’s closing counsel to the church? 11 Peter 3:18.

note: “The only way to grow in grace is to be disinterestedly [that is, not for your own advantage] doing the very work which Christ has enjoined upon us—to engage, to the extent of our ability, in helping and blessing those who need the help we can give them. Strength comes by exercise; activity is the very condition of life. Those who endeavor to maintain Christian life by passively accepting the blessings that come through the means of grace, and doing nothing for Christ, are simply trying to live by eating without working. And in the spiritual as in the natural world, this always results in degeneration and decay. A man who would refuse to exercise his limbs would soon lose all power to use them. Thus the Christian who will not exercise his God-given powers not only fails to grow up into Christ, but he loses the strength that he already had.” Steps to Christ, 80.

9 How does Peter elsewhere describe this growth? 11 Peter 1:5–7.

note: “If you will go to work as Christ designs that His disciples shall, and win souls for Him, you will feel the need of a deeper experience and a greater knowledge in divine things, and will hunger and thirst after righteousness. You will plead with God, and your faith will be strengthened, and your soul will drink deeper drafts at the well of salvation. Encountering opposition and trials will drive you to the Bible and prayer. You will grow in grace and the knowledge of Christ, and will develop a rich experience. The spirit of unselfish labor for others gives depth, stability, and Christlike loveliness to the character, and brings peace and happiness to its possessor. The aspirations are elevated. There is no room for sloth or selfishness. Those who thus exercise the Christian graces will grow and will become strong to work for God. They will have clear spiritual perceptions, a steady, growing faith, and an increased power in prayer. The Spirit of God, moving upon their spirit, calls forth the sacred harmonies of the soul in answer to the divine touch. Those who thus devote themselves to unselfish effort for the good of others are most surely working out their own salvation.” Steps to Christ, 80.

“Grace Did Much More Abound”

10 In view of the fact that God’s grace abounds much more than the power of sin, what counsel did Paul give? Romans 5:20–6:2.

note: “The law of God is the great moral standard by which character is to be judged. It is the expression of His will, and must be obeyed from the heart. Its holy principles must underlie our course of action in all our business relations. Those who belittle their profession of faith by conformity to the world, show that they despise the riches of the grace of Christ. They cry. ‘The grace of Christ! We are not saved by works, but by Christ;’ but they continue in sin— continue to transgress the law of God. They act as though they considered it their privilege to live in sin that grace may abound. But every indulgence in sin weakens the soul; it welcomes Satan to come in and control the mind, making the individual his effectual servant.” Signs of the Times, March 27, 1884.

11 What transformation will be seen in the lives of those who are willing to come under the power of God’s grace? Romans 6:14–18.

note: “Man cannot transform himself by the exercise of his will. He possesses no power by which this change can be effected. The leaven— something wholly from without, must be put into the meal before the desired change can be wrought in it. So the grace of God must be received by the sinner before he can be fitted for the kingdom of glory. All the culture and education which the world can give will fail of making a degraded child of sin a child of heaven. The renewing energy must come from God. The change can be made only by the Holy Spirit. All who would be saved, high or low, rich or poor, must submit to the working of this power.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 96.

“Many are deceiving themselves by thinking that the character will be transformed at the coming of Christ, but there will be no conversion of heart at His appearing. Our defects of character must here be repented of, and through the grace of Christ we must overcome them while probation shall last. This is the place for fitting up for the family above.” God’s Amazing Grace, 243.

(See also: Acts of the Apostles, 558, 559)

“The Throne of Grace”

12 What precious blessings are freely offered through Jesus to those who will come to His throne? Hebrews 4:16.

note: “The throne of grace is itself the highest attraction because occupied by One who permits us to call Him Father. But God did not deem the principle of salvation complete while invested only with His own love. By His appointment He has placed at His altar an Advocate clothed with our nature. As our Intercessor, His office work is to introduce us to God as His sons and daughters. Christ intercedes in behalf of those who have received Him. To them He gives power, by virtue of His own merits, to become members of the royal family, children of the heavenly King. And the Father demonstrates His infinite love for Christ, who paid our ransom with His blood, by receiving and welcoming Christ’s friends as His friends.” God’s Amazing Grace, 68.

13 What work of preparation is necessary for those who wish to approach the throne of grace? Hebrews 10:19, 22.

note: “Grace is an attribute of God shown to undeserving human beings. We did not seek after it, but it was sent in search of us. God rejoices to bestow this grace upon every one who hungers for it. To every one He presents terms of mercy, not because we are worthy, but because we are so utterly unworthy. Our need is the qualification which gives us the assurance that we shall receive this gift.” Ibid., 10.

“There needs to be a reaching out after God, not…now and then, but a continual earnest, heartbreaking confessing and humbling of the soul before God. God’s people must come into the audience chamber of the Most High. …God understands that you need Him, and if you ask, you will receive help when tempted and tried. Your petitions, made known only to God who searcheth the heart, He will hear and answer.” The Upward Look, 333.