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Food – Shaving Salt from Your Diet

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“Food should be prepared in as simple a manner as possible, free from condiments and spices, and even from an undue amount of salt.” Counsels on Diet and Foods, 340.

We consume sodium every single day, and that’s a good thing! Our bodies need sodium to help maintain water and mineral balances and blood volume. But too much of a good thing (sodium in this case) can have negative effects on our health. The amount of salt we ingest has a direct effect on our blood pressure. Salt makes our body retain water, which increases the volume of our blood, which increases the pressure in our veins and arteries. High sodium intake also contributes to osteoporosis, kidney disease, asthma, and is even closely related to some cancers.

Sodium is a mineral that occurs naturally in foods that you eat every day. Salt and sodium are not the same things—but salt is made from sodium (and chloride). While most of us get enough sodium each day to meet our body’s needs, the average person consumes way too much! You might be surprised to learn that Americans consume three to four teaspoons of salt per day. That is twenty times more than is actually needed! Experts recommend that adults consume less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium daily—that’s about one teaspoon of salt.

It’s not just the salt we shake on our food that’s the problem. Most comes from fast and processed foods. It’s hidden in products we might not even suspect such as peanut butter, canned vegetables, crackers, chips, breads, bakery products, soy sauce, many beverages, and even toothpaste.

Here are ways you can cut back on sodium:

  • Use fresh fruit and vegetables instead of packaged or processed foods.
  • Replace the salt shaker with fresh herbs and spices for seasoning your foods.
  • Don’t add salt to boiling water when cooking pasta, vegetables, or rice.
  • Drain and rinse canned foods before serving or adding to recipes. Buy canned goods with “No salt added” on the label.
  • Select brown rice instead of flavored rice or any that comes with a packet of powdered seasoning.
  • Use salt substitutes wisely. Some salt substitutes or light salts contain a mixture of table salt and other compounds. To achieve that familiar salty taste, you may use too much of the substitute—and get too much sodium.

Your taste for salt is acquired, so you can learn to enjoy less. Decrease your use of salt gradually and your taste buds will adjust. After a few weeks of cutting back on salt, you probably won’t miss it, and some foods may even taste too salty. Start by using no more than 1/4 teaspoon of salt daily—at the table and in cooking. Then throw away the salt shaker. As you use less salt, your preference for it diminishes, allowing you to enjoy the taste of the food itself, with heart-healthy benefits.

Children’s Story – What Happened at a Funeral?

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Many years ago, James and Ellen White, while traveling, attended a funeral. Elder White had just finished speaking and his wife was sharing about the joyous reunion of loved ones at Jesus’ return when suddenly, she paused. Those listening looked up, wondering.

What a marvel they saw. Her expression had completely changed. She was no longer looking at them; she was looking upward, as if into the distance. They heard her exclaim, “Glory to God!” then lower and softer, “Glory to God!” and then a third time, as though from a great distance, “Glory to God!”

Ellen was in a heavenly vision. As usually happened when going into vision, she became very weak and needed support. Several people approached her to examine her. One exclaimed, “She’s not breathing!” It was true! Her heart was still beating. Her pulse was regular, but she was not breathing.

At that moment Mrs. White regained strength, stood up on her own and stepped forward, her face radiant. A man stepped towards her to steady her, but her weakness was gone. She was so strong no one could change her motions or direct her actions.

The congregation sat spellbound in awe. From time to time she uttered a word, a phrase, sometimes even a statement or question. As time went on, they began asking questions of Elder White.

At one point he said, “She is conversing with her accompanying angel. Often she has described him as a tall, majestic-appearing young man with a beautiful countenance and a musical voice.” He shared that in these visions she was shown many things, past, present and future. Sometimes she even seemed to be in heaven talking with Jesus and the angels.

Again silence reigned. Then a whisper was heard, clearly audible in the quiet room, “Heaven is near, very near!” Another voice spoke. “It seems as if we are listening at the open gate of heaven. If only we could catch a glimpse of the glory within, and hear the angel voices!”

Elder White replied, “Yes, Jesus has sent His angel direct from His throne to assure us that all His promises are true. … They all tell the same story: Jesus is coming back to this earth to bring an end to sin and sorrow and to set up His everlasting kingdom of righteousness and joy and peace.”

Suddenly, he was interrupted. A distressed voice whispered, “What can she be looking at now? It must be something terrible! See! She is wringing her hands as if in distress; and the expression of anguish on her face—what can it mean?” Elder White responded, “It must be that Mrs. White is looking at scenes of great suffering!”

All continued to watch and silently wait. In time, her expression changed again. A pleased look came over her face.

For two hours the sorrow, the funeral, the coffin, all were forgotten. God was speaking through “the weakest of the weak” to give comfort, hope and instruction to His believing people on earth.

For two hours Mrs. White had not drawn a breath, but now she took a full deep breath; then, after a brief pause, another, and then a third. She became aware of her surroundings. People began asking what she had seen and heard. But she could not talk—not yet; what she had seen was too solemn.

The funeral completed, the White’s continued their journey home. While traveling Mrs. White shared with her husband things she had seen in the vision. She said, “As soon as I get some very important letters written, I’ll begin to write it out.” James added, “We’ll print it in a little book and send it out through the mail.”

But Satan did not want it written out. At one stop on their journey Mrs. White had a severe stroke. A strange sensation entered her mouth. Her tongue seemed thick and numb. A chill passed over her head, down her right side, and she lost consciousness. When she came to, she tried, but could not rise. What would she do? They were not even home yet. She decided they would travel on. Soon they were on their way to the train station and a two-hour ride to Battle Creek and home.

For weeks, she could not take one unaided step or feel the coldest water on her head. Yet she could not forget the command God had given her to write out the vision. She requested writing materials and, with all the strength she could muster, wrote a few sentences and that day completed one page. Daily she wrote. She would not give up. She had been warned, “Satan would try to prevent my writing out the vision because it exposes his secret plans to deceive people and lead them to destruction. But I have been promised that angels will strengthen me.” And strengthen her they did.

Those writings eventually became a wonderful story, in five volumes, The Conflict of the Ages. It tells of the beginnings of sin and sorrow, begun in heaven, then brought to this earth. It tells of the covenant of God the Father and Jesus to offer fallen man salvation. It shows Jesus’ great battle with Satan while here on earth. It describes the intense interest of the heavenly beings in this “great controversy” and the wonder and adoration of the entire universe in seeing the unspeakable love of God and Jesus for this race of rebels. And ultimately these writings instruct and guide God’s true followers through the troublous times ahead to the glorious restoration of the universe to its original pure, free, beautiful and perfect state. What a wonderful God we serve.

 

Customs of Bible Times – The Sacred Duty of Hospitality

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Bowing

When a guest is received into an Eastern home, bowing between the guests and host is quite apt to take place. In Western lands such bowing would be of the head only, but in the East there is a more expressive custom of saluting with the head erect and the body a little inclined forward, by raising the hand to the heart, mouth, and forehead. The symbolic meaning of this action is to say something like this: “My heart, my voice, my brain are all at your service.” James Neil, Pictured Palestine, London: J. Nisbet, 1904, pp. 64, 65.

But those who are used to this custom on many occasions enter into a more complete bow. They do not wait to do this only for royalty, but when they want to express thanks for a favor, or supplicate for a favor, and at many other times of meeting they often fall on their knees, and then incline the body touching the ground with their head, and kissing the lower part of the other person’s clothing, or his feet, or even the dust at his feet. To those not acquainted with such manners, it would seem that one person was worshiping the other like he would worship God; but ordinarily, worship of this sort is not involved in the action. Ibid., pp, 65–67.

Cornelius is said to have worshiped Peter: “And as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet, and worshiped him” (Acts 10:25). Of course, Peter rejected this lest it might involve divine worship. …

Greeting

Upon entering an Arab house or a Bedouin tent, the greetings used are something like this: The host will say:

“Salam alakum,” which means, “Peace be on you.” The guest will respond with the words: “Wa alakum es-salam,” meaning, “And on you peace.” John D. Whiting, “Bedouin Life in Bible Lands,” The National Geographic Magazine, January 1937, 72.

Knowing that these Arabic customs date back for centuries, how significant then are the instructions of Jesus to His disciples, who were to be entertained in certain homes: “And into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, Peace be to this house, and if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it: if not, it shall turn to you again” (Luke 10:5, 6).

Kissing

Guests in Holy Land homes expect to be kissed as they enter. When entertained by a Pharisee, Jesus commented on His reception by saying to the host, “Thou gavest me no kiss” (Luke 7:45). …

Here men shake hands when they meet and greet, but in Palestine, instead of doing this, they place their right hand on their friend’s left shoulder and kiss his right cheek, and then reversing the action, place their left hand on his right shoulder, and kiss his left cheek. In this country [the United States] men never kiss each other’s faces; there it may be constantly seen. But how the practice lights up the numerous allusions in Scripture which are naturally lost to a Westerner! Once grasp the fact that their kiss answers to our hearty handshake between friends and social equals, and how much—how very much—becomes plain that was before obscured . … Neil, op. cit., 68.

Guest Given a Drink of Water

One of the first things done for a guest who has been received is to offer him a drink of water. The doing of this is recognizing him as being worthy of peaceful reception. … When Eliezer, Abraham’s servant, sought a welcome, he did so by requesting of the maiden who came to the well to draw water (Genesis 24:17, 18), “Let me, I pray thee, drink a little water of thy pitcher.” And when she made answer, “Drink, my lord,” it was an indication that he was welcome to be a guest at the nearby home. With this significance attached to a drink of water, the promise of Jesus takes on new meaning (Mark 9:41), “Whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward.” H. Clay Trumball, Studies in Oriental Social Life, 106, 108, 112.

The Guest Made Lord of the House

An Eastern proverb runs thus: “The guest while in the house is its lord.” This is a true statement of the spirit of the hospitality of the East. One of the first greetings a Palestinian host will give his guest is to say, “Hadtha Beitak;” that is, “This is your house.” This saying is repeated many times. Thus, actually, the guest during his stay is master of the house. And whenever the guest asks a favor, in granting it the host will say, “You do me honor.” … Milton N. Lindberg, A Guest in a Palestinian Home, a pamphlet, 6, 7.

The host was considered to be a servant, and the guest was lord. Thus Lot spoke of himself and his guests: “Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant’s house” (Genesis 19:2).

Privacy Not Expected by the Guest

An Eastern guest would think he was ill-treated if he were left alone at any time. He does not need privacy at night, because he sleeps with his clothes on. He is happy to have others sleep with“ him. If a sleeping place is assigned to him in an upper room, then some of the family sons sleep alongside of him that he might have their companionship. He would feel that he was being deserted if treated the way he would be if entertained in the West, just as a Westerner would feel oppressed by the constant attention of an Eastern host. George M. Mackie, Bible Manners and Customs, Cornell University Library, 1898, 93.

In the lands of the East, when a host accepts a man to be his guest he thereby agrees at whatever the cost to defend his guest from all possible enemies during the time of his entertainment.

Excerpts from Manners and Customs of Bible Land, by Fred H. Wight, Moody Press, Chicago, 1953, 69–79.

Health – Cancer’s New Status

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The diagnosis of cancer strikes fear in the minds of millions of people worldwide every year.1 For many years heart disease was labeled as the number one killer in the United States, but recently that has changed. In January 2005, cancer surpassed heart disease as the number one killer of Americans under 85 years.2 Globally the World Health Organization projects that global cancer rates could increase by 50 percent by 2020.3 Thus there is good reason to be concerned. However, research also shows that we can do something to significantly reduce our risk of having cancer.

Globally, tobacco usage was the cause of the death of millions during the last century. Half of those who regularly smoke are killed by tobacco related diseases (cancer, lung disease, and heart disease), and one quarter die prematurely. Lung cancer in regular tobacco users is drastically higher (20 to 30 fold), and cancers of the oral cavity, esophagus, and upper digestive tract are significantly higher (2 to 6 fold). Even passive or secondary tobacco smoke increases lung cancer risk by 20 percent. Thus tobacco is a very dangerous, but avoidable, cancer risk. Of course, it is best to never start smoking; however, there is clear evidence that stopping smoking significantly reduces the chance of getting cancer. The greatest reduction is seen when a person stops smoking in their early 30s, but significant risk reduction is seen when a person stops smoking even after age 50.4

Diet is also a significant risk factor. Many studies have been conducted showing that the kind of diet we eat has a significant impact upon our cancer risk. We shall look at some of these studies.

In one study of 190,545 participants who were followed for seven years, researchers found that those who regularly ate red meat (beef, pork, lamb) had a 50 percent increase in pancreatic cancer risk (a very serious form of cancer), and those who consumed processed meat (sausage, salami, bologna) had a 70 percent increase.5

Another study looked at ovarian cancer. This Canadian study followed 2,500 women, and researchers found that those with the highest cholesterol consumption had a 40 percent increase in ovarian cancer risk compared to those with the lowest cholesterol consumption. Even those with the highest egg consumption had a 30 percent increase in risk. Cholesterol is found only in animal products (meat, eggs, dairy including cheese, etc.) and not in plant foods. It is interesting that this same study showed that the women with the highest consumption of total vegetable intake, including cruciferous vegetables (kale, collards, mustard greens, turnip greens, turnips, radishes, rutabaga, cabbage, bok choy, cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, watercress, kohlrabi), had a reduced cancer risk by almost 25 percent.6

A large study following 148,610 people for over 20 years showed that those with the highest meat intake had approximately a 50 percent higher colon cancer risk compared with those with lower intakes. The researchers concluded that the less red and processed meat people eat, the lower was their risk of colon cancer.7

A review of 21 studies showed a relationship between dairy product consumption (skim milk, low-fat milk, whole milk, yogurt, cheese) and ovarian cancer risk. Study reviewers found that for every 10 grams of lactose (about the amount in one glass of milk) consumed daily, ovarian cancer risk increased by 13 percent.8 Thus a person consuming two glasses of milk or equivalent will have an increased risk of 26 percent, ingesting three glasses or equivalent will have an increased risk of 39 percent, and the risk continues to escalate as consumption increases.

A Canadian study compared data from men with testicular cancer to healthy individuals. After examining nutrients, food groups, and particular foods, researchers concluded that a high intake of dairy products (particularly cheese), baked goods, and luncheon meats, could contribute to this cancer.9

Harvard researchers analyzed 90,655 premenopausal women enrolled in the Nurses’ Health Study 11. They found that animal fat intake, especially from red meat and high-fat dairy products during premenopausal years increased the risk of breast cancer.10

One of the most prestigious studies on diet and health is The China Study. It is widely considered the most comprehensive study of diet, lifestyle and disease ever completed. It was headed by T. Colin Campbell, and he makes this very interesting comment: “My fellow researchers and I determined that plant-based diets are the main reason there are such low rates of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer in certain areas of rural China. In contrast, even small amounts of animal protein-based foods [meat, fish, poultry, milk and milk products, and eggs] increased the risk of many diseases.”11

Other studies also consistently show that plant foods prevent or inhibit cancer; such as avocados inhibit prostate cancer,12 oranges and bananas may reduce childhood leukemia,13 and fruits and vegetables lower pancreatic cancer risk.14 The message for reducing the risk of cancer seems to be the same over and over and over again: eat little or no animal products and eat a plant based diet. In other words, the less animal fat and protein you include in your diet, the less your risk of cancer. You will notice that each of the studies cited above looked at one kind of cancer. Researchers often limit a study to one particular problem because of the very nature of study design. However, the fact that we see the same message being repeated for so many different types of cancer, we can logically conclude that the message will be the same for all types of cancer: eat a plant-based diet and your risk of all types of cancer will decrease.

Another major determinant in whether or not you will get cancer is the health and vitality of your immune system. Every day our bodies produce about 300 abnormal cancerous cells, and more if we are exposed to carcinogens. However, a healthy immune system will quickly identify and kill these cancerous cells.15 The consumption of simple carbohydrates (sugar) distinctly suppresses the immune system. Ingesting 100 grams (25 teaspoons) of sugar (table sugar, sugar cane crystals, fructose, glucose, maltose, etc.) at one meal or snack suppresses the immune system for the next five hours. Even the consumption of 24 grams (6 teaspoons) reduces the body’s ability to destroy bacteria.16

In 2003, per capita sugar consumption in the United States was 142 pounds,17 which works out to about 43.5 teaspoons per day (142 lbs. per year x 16 oz. x 28 [ounce to gram conversion] / 365 days / 4 grams = # of teaspoons per day).18 Soda pops and many sweet desserts have 10 teaspoons of sugar, and many candy bars, cookies, and donuts can have 6 or more teaspoons of sugar. Many fat-free items have simply replaced the fat with sugar to maintain a taste that Americans will buy. Also, sugar is added to many things to which you would not think it would be added. Just look at the ingredient list of items you buy, and notice if and how much sugar is added. Also, notice how near the top these sugars are listed. Then look at the Nutrition Facts label and look for the quantity of sugar in the item. Remember that 4 grams of sugar equals 1 teaspoon of sugar. If you see, say, 15 grams beside “Sugars,” that means there are almost 4 teaspoons of sugar per serving in that item. If you start to look at the Nutrition Facts labels of the things you consume, you may just be surprised how much sugar you do eat on a daily basis. (Also, be aware that fruits and vegetables often have naturally occurring “sugar,” which will be included in the quantity of sugar given in the Nutrition Facts label. That is why it is also good to look at the ingredient list to find out the source(s) of the sugar and its relative amount to the other ingredients.)

The bottom line is that it is easy to see that the vast majority of Americans have chronically suppressed immune systems through excessive consumption of sugar. And the fact that many eat donuts for breakfast, drink soda pop instead of water, have candy bars for snacks, and love to have a nice dessert for dinner, the immune system is just not able to function at a level to protect against the cancerous cells all of us develop in our bodies every day. If these cancerous cells are not identified and killed by the immune system, they are left to grow, and after a few years you are diagnosed with a tumor or cancer.

Even though cancer is now the number one killer of Americans under age 85, there are things that we can all do to drastically reduce our risk of cancer. Eliminating tobacco usage by those who smoke is a major step in cancer risk reduction. Moving from a diet containing animal fat and protein to a plant-based diet is repeatedly shown to provide major cancer risk reduction benefits. Finally, drastically reducing our intake of sugar will help give our immune systems the ability and vitality necessary to identify and kill the abnormal cells in our bodies and not allow them to reproduce to form the basis of full-blown cancer. Certainly there are things that we can do; therefore, let us do all that we can to reduce the risk of cancer in our lives and in the lives of others.

  1. World Health Organization. Global cancer rates could increase by 50% to 15 million by 2020. Internet: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2003/pr27/en/. Accessed Feb. 20, 2006. Also: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/01/20/health/main667998.shtml. Accessed Feb. 17, 2011
  2. Good Medicine, Spring 2005, Vol. XIV, No. 2:16
  3. WHO, Ibid.
  4. Ibid.
  5. Nothlings U, Wilkens LR, Murphy SP, Hankin JH, Henderson BE, Kolonel LN. Meat and fat intake as risk factors for pancreatic cancer: the multiethnic cohort study. J. Natl Cancer Inst. 2005;97:1458-65.
  6. Pan SY, Ugnat AM, Mao Y, et al. A case-controlled study of diet and the risk of ovarian cancer. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers. 2004;13:1521-7.
  7. Chao A, Thun MJ, Connell CJ, et al. Meat consumption and risk of colorectal cancer. JAMA 2005;293:172-82.
  8. Larsson SC, Orsini N, Wolk A, Milk, milk products, and lactose intake and ovarian cancer risk: a meta-analysis of epidemiological studies. Int. J. Cancer. Internet: http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/abstract/110575092/ABSTRACT. Accessed Feb. 20, 2006.
  9. Garner MJ, Birkett NJ, Johnson KC, Shatenstein B, Ghadirian P, Krewski D. Dietary risk factors for testicular carcinoma. Int. J Cancer 2003;106:934-41.
  10. Cho E, Spiegelman D, Hunter DJ, et al. Premenopausal fat intake and the risk of breast cancer. J Natl Cancer Inst. (#5. last line) 2003; 95:1070-85.
  11. Campbell TC, Campbell II TM. Lessons of a Lifetime: Decades of Scientific Research Show the Power of a Plant-based Diet. Good Medicine, Spring 2005, Vol. XIV, No. 2:8.
  12. Lu QY, Arteaga JR, Zhang Q, et al. Inhibition of prostate cancer cell growth by an avocado extract: role of lipid-soluble bioactive substances. J Nutr Biochem. 2005;16:23-13. Kwan ML, Block G, Selvin S, et al. Food consumption by children and the risk of childhood acute leukemia. Am J Epidemiol. 2004;160:1098-107.
  13. Nkondjock A, Krewski D. Johnson KC, Chadirian P. Dietary patterns and the risk of pancreatic cancer. Int J Cancer. 2005;114:814-23.
  14. Pizzorno J. Total Wellness. Prima Publishing. 1996:24
  15. Country Life Natural Foods. Nutrition Seminar Cookbook. Southern Missionary Society, Harrisburg, NH. 1984:69-71.
  16. US News. One Sweet Nation. Internet: http://www.usnews.com/usnews/health/articles/050328/28sugar.b.htm. Accessed Feb. 20, 2006
  17. The Food Pyramid-Food Label Connection. Internet: http://www.fda.gov/fdac/special/foodlabel/pyramid.html. Accessed Feb. 20, 2006

Diane Herbert, ND, is leader of the Health and Temperance team at Tucker-Norcross Free Seventh-day Adventist Church, and teaches health classes at The Gilead Institute, a medical missionary organization.

The Health Reform

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I was again shown that the health reform is one branch of the great work which is to fit a people for the coming of the Lord. It is as closely connected with the third angel’s message as the hand is with the body. The law of Ten Commandments has been lightly regarded by man, but the Lord would not come to punish the transgressors of that law without first sending them a message of warning. The third angel proclaims that message. Had men ever been obedient to the law of Ten Commandments, carrying out in their lives the principles of those precepts, the curse of disease now flooding the world would not be. …

Our gracious heavenly Father sees the deplorable condition of men who, some knowingly but many ignorantly, are living in violation of the laws that He has established. And in love and pity to the race, He causes the light to shine upon health reform. He publishes His law and the penalty that will follow the transgression of it, that all may learn and be careful to live in harmony with natural law. He proclaims His law so distinctly and makes it so prominent that it is like a city set on a hill. All accountable beings can understand it if they will. Idiots will not be responsible. To make plain natural law, and urge the obedience of it, is the work that accompanies the third angel’s message to prepare a people for the coming of the Lord.

Adam and Eve fell through intemperate appetite. Christ came and withstood the fiercest temptation of Satan and, in behalf of the race, overcame appetite, showing that man may overcome. As Adam fell through appetite and lost blissful Eden, the children of Adam may, through Christ, overcome appetite and through temperance in all things regain Eden.

Ignorance is no excuse now for the transgression of law. The light shines clearly, and none need be ignorant, for the great God Himself is man’s instructor. All are bound by the most sacred obligations to God to heed the sound philosophy and genuine experience which He is now giving them in reference to health reform. He designs that the great subject of health reform shall be agitated and the public mind deeply stirred to investigate; for it is impossible for men and women, with all their sinful, health-destroying, brain-enervating habits, to discern sacred truth, through which they are to be sanctified, refined, elevated, and made fit for the society of heavenly angels in the kingdom of glory.

The inhabitants of the Noachian world were destroyed because they were corrupted through the indulgence of perverted appetite. Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed through the gratification of unnatural appetite, which so benumbed the intellect that they could not discern the difference between the sacred claims of God and the clamor of appetite. The latter enslaved them, and they became so ferocious and bold in their detestable abominations that God would not tolerate them upon the earth. God ascribes the wickedness of Babylon to her gluttony and drunkenness.

The apostle Paul exhorts the church: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service” [Romans 12:1]. Men, then, can make their bodies unholy by sinful indulgences. If unholy, they are unfitted to be spiritual worshipers and are not worthy of heaven. If man will cherish the light that God in mercy gives him upon health reform, he may be sanctified through the truth and fitted for immortality. But if he disregards that light and lives in violation of natural law he must pay the penalty.

God created man perfect and holy. But man fell from his holy estate because he transgressed God’s law. Since the Fall there has been a rapid increase of disease, suffering, and death. Yet notwithstanding man has insulted his Creator, God’s love is still extended to the race; and He permits light to shine that man may see that in order to live a perfect life he must live in harmony with those natural laws which govern his being. Therefore it is of the greatest importance that he know how to live so that his powers of body and mind may be exercised to the glory of God.

It is impossible for man to present his body a living sacrifice, holy, and acceptable to God, while, because it is customary for the world to do so, he is indulging in habits that are lessening physical, mental, and moral vigor. The apostle adds: “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” [verse 2]. Jesus, seated upon the Mount of Olives, gave instruction to His disciples concerning the signs which should precede His coming. He said, “But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the Flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and knew not until the Flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be” [Matthew 24:37–39].

The same sins exist in our day which brought the wrath of God upon the world in the days of Noah. Men and women now carry their eating and drinking to gluttony and drunkenness. This prevailing sin, the indulgence of perverted appetite, inflamed the passions of men in the days of Noah and led to general corruption, until their violence and crimes reached to heaven, and God washed the earth of its moral pollution by a flood.

The same sins of gluttony and drunkenness benumbed the moral sensibilities of the inhabitants of Sodom so that crimes seemed to be the delight of the men and women of that wicked city. Christ thus warns the world: “Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; but the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed” [Luke 17:28–30].

Christ has here left us a most important lesson. He does not in His teaching encourage indolence. His example was the opposite of this. Christ was an earnest worker. His life was one of self-denial, diligence, perseverance, industry, and economy. He would lay before us the danger of making eating and drinking paramount. He reveals the result of giving up to indulgence of appetite. The moral powers are enfeebled so that sin does not appear sinful. Crimes are winked at, and base passions control the mind until general corruption roots out good principles and impulses, and God is blasphemed. All this is the result of eating and drinking to excess. This is the very condition of things which He declares will exist at His second coming.

Will men and women be warned? Will they cherish the light, or will they become slaves to appetite and base passions? Christ presents to us something higher to toil for than merely what we shall eat, and what we shall drink, and wherewithal we shall be clothed. Eating, drinking, and dressing are carried to such excess that they become crimes, and are among the marked sins of the last days, and constitute a sign of Christ’s soon coming. Time, money, and strength, which are the Lord’s, but which He has entrusted to us, are wasted in needless superfluities of dress and luxuries for the perverted appetite, which lessen vitality and bring suffering and decay. It is impossible to present our bodies a living sacrifice to God when they are filled with corruption and disease by our own sinful indulgence.

Knowledge must be gained in regard to how to eat and drink and dress so as to preserve health. Sickness is caused by violating the laws of health; it is the result of violating nature’s law. Our first duty, one which we owe to God, to ourselves, and to our fellow men, is to obey the laws of God, which include the laws of health. If we are sick we impose a weary tax upon our friends and unfit ourselves for discharging our duties to our families and to our neighbors. And when premature death is the result of our violation of nature’s law, we bring sorrow and suffering to others; we deprive our neighbors of the help we ought to render them in living; we rob our families of the comfort and help we might render them, and rob God of the service He claims of us to advance His glory. Then, are we not, in the worst sense, transgressors of God’s law?

But God is all-pitiful, gracious, and tender, and when light comes to show who have injured their health by sinful indulgences, and they are convinced of sin, and repent and seek pardon, He accepts the poor offering rendered to Him, and receives them. Oh, what tender mercy that He does not refuse the remnant of the abused life of the suffering, repenting sinner! In His gracious mercy He saves these souls as by fire. But what an inferior, pitiful sacrifice, at best, to offer to a pure and holy God! Noble faculties have been paralyzed by wrong habits of sinful indulgence. The aspirations are perverted, and the soul and body defaced.

Testimonies, vol. 3, 161–165.

Keys to the Storehouse – Ye Know Not What Ye Ask

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When you ask the Lord for patience, are you sure you know what you are asking for? How is patience gained? “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). Is it not through trials and tribulations? To wait is the test for many who are impatient.

When you ask the Lord for the honor of standing with Him, do you understand what is involved? He may require you to stand and endure the reproaches of others even when you are right.

Have you ever wanted something so badly that you asked the Lord over and over for it only to find that when you received it, you found it to be a real disaster for your life?

Do you ask to serve the Lord in other areas while not fulfilling those duties before you right now? “Those who overlook the life duties lying directly in their pathway, who neglect mercy and kindness, courtesy and love, to even a little child, are neglecting Christ. …

“James and John presented by their mother a petition requesting that they might be permitted to occupy the highest positions of honor in Christ’s kingdom. The Saviour answered, ‘Ye know not what ye ask’ (Mark 10:38). How little do many of us understand the true import of our prayers! Jesus knew the infinite sacrifice at which that glory must be purchased, when He, ‘for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame’ (Hebrews 12:2). That joy was to see souls saved by His humiliation, His agony, and the shedding of His blood.” The Sanctified Life, 56.

“Jesus asked them, ‘Can ye drink of the cup that I drink of? and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? And they said unto him, We can’ (Mark 10:38, 39).

“How little did they comprehend what that baptism signified!” Ibid., 57.

Jesus said to them, “ ‘Ye shall drink indeed of My cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with’ [Matthew 20:23], Christ declared—before Him a cross instead of a throne, two malefactors His companions at His right hand and at His left. James and John were to be sharers with their Master in suffering—the one, destined to swift-coming death by the sword; the other, longest of all the disciples to follow his Master in labor and reproach and persecution.” The Acts of the Apostles, 542.

Are you able to drink of the cup? Do you know for what you are asking?

“How little do the young suffer, or deny self, for their religion. To sacrifice is scarcely thought of among them. … Self must be gratified, pride must be indulged. They forget the Man of sorrows, who was acquainted with grief. The sufferings of Jesus in Gethsemane, his sweating as it were great drops of blood in the garden, the platted crown of thorns that pierced his holy brow, do not move them. They have become benumbed. Their sensibilities are blunted, and they have lost all sense of the great sacrifice made for them. …

“Said the angel, ‘If such should be ushered into the city of God, … they would have no sense of how dearly that inheritance was purchased for them. They would never realize the matchless depths of a Saviour’s love. They have not drank of the cup, nor been baptized with the baptism. … Those only who have partaken of the sufferings of the Son of God, and have come up through great tribulation, have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb, can enjoy the indescribable glory and unsurpassed beauty of heaven.’ ” Spiritual Gifts, vol. 2, 252, 253. [Emphasis author’s.]

Father, I do not know how to come in or go out or even how to pray. I just know that I would like my name to be written in the book of life. I ask that Your will be done and that You help me to drink of the cup that will prepare my heart for heaven.

Lifestyle – Perfect Circulation

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We know that “the life of the flesh is in the blood.” Leviticus 17:11. “In order to have good health, we must have good blood; for the blood is the current of life. It repairs waste and nourishes the body. When supplied with the proper food elements and when cleansed and vitalized by contact with pure air, it carries life and vigor to every part of the system. The more perfect the circulation, the better will this work be accomplished.” The Ministry of Healing, 271. Because of this, we must do everything possible to produce good blood and not do anything that will hinder circulation.

Hindrances to Healthy Circulation:

  • Excess fat in the diet and therefore in the blood causes the blood cells to become sticky and clump together. This interferes with the ability of the red blood cells to carry oxygen to the body and encourages them to block blood vessels, especially small vessels and capillaries that are the most affected. See Healthful Living, 67.
  • Sugar also thickens the blood, clogs the system, and hinders oxygen levels. See Testimonies, vol. 2, 369, 370.
  • Overeating puts a very heavy load on the stomach, robs the body of oxygen in order that the heavy load can be digested, and then further comprises oxygen levels as the heavy load of digested food enters the blood circulation. See Christian Temperance and Bible Hygiene, 51.
  • A sedentary life lessens circulation, endangering abundant health. Exercise and fresh air both stimulate the respiratory and cardiovascular systems, bringing much needed oxygen, nutrition and life to every cell in the body. See Testimonies, vol. 1, 562.
  • Poorly clad extremities interfere with good circulation. “Perfect health depends upon perfect circulation. … When the extremities, which are remote from the vital organs, are not properly clad, the blood is driven to the head, causing headache or nosebleed; or there is a sense of fullness about the chest.” Testimonies, vol. 2, 531.
  • Lack of trust in God and a sense of freedom from wrong. “If the mind is free and happy, under a consciousness of rightdoing and a sense of satisfaction in causing happiness to others, it will create a cheerfulness that will react upon the whole system, causing a freer circulation of the blood and a toning up of the entire body. The blessing of God is a healer, and those who are abundant in benefiting others will realize that wondrous blessing in their hearts and lives.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 60, 61.
  • Anything that hinders full, pure respiration hinders circulation. This could range from lack of deep breathing, poor posture, tight clothing, inhibition or damage to the lungs from smoking, air pollution, un-hygienic surroundings, or poor ventilation in buildings. See Child Guidance, 363, 364, 425; Healthful Living, 171–173.

“Thus an insufficient supply of oxygen is received. The blood moves sluggishly. The waste, poisonous matter, which should be thrown off in the exhalations from the lungs, is retained, and the blood becomes impure. Not only the lungs, but the stomach, liver, and brain are affected. The skin becomes sallow, digestion is retarded; the heart is depressed; the brain is clouded; the thoughts are confused; gloom settles upon the spirits; the whole system becomes depressed and inactive, and peculiarly susceptible to disease.” The Ministry of Healing, 273. In order to have health, we must work with our bodies to provide, not hinder, perfect circulation.

Our Past History – First Angel

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In Ellen G White’s book, Life Sketches of Ellen G. White, 196, she says, “We have nothing to fear for the future, except as we shall forget the way the Lord has led us, and His teaching in our past history.”

With this in mind, let us study a subject that is very broad and complex, namely, the Three Angels’ Messages. For some of you this study may only be a reminder with nothing new discerned, yet to be reminded of our sacred history is a matter that should never be dreaded. “We have nothing to fear for the future, except as we shall forget the way the Lord has led us, and His teaching in our past history.” Because these messages are very broad, in this study we will reflect only upon the first angel.

In Revelation 14:6, the Bible says, “And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people.” I want to briefly emphasize the phrase another angel.

Throughout the book of Revelation the apostle John sees angels. Angels are directing traffic, blowing trumpets, pouring out plagues, and proclaiming messages. However, the angel in Revelation 14:6 is distinct from every angel preceding it. What is so unique about this angel? First of all, the word angel refers to a messenger. It can refer to a heavenly messenger such as in Matthew 13:41. Or it can refer to a human messenger such as in Matthew 11:10.

The Greek word for messenger is the same as angel. In Revelation 14:6, this angel has the everlasting gospel to preach, and since the preaching of the gospel is mentioned, the angel must therefore represent human messengers. In Mark 16:15, Jesus says, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” Notice also Ephesians 3:10: “To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God.” The responsibility of preaching the gospel has been given to the church. Therefore, the angel John sees in Revelation 14:6 refers to a movement in which the church would proclaim a message. This is what makes this angel unique. It is the first angel in Revelation that has a message to preach to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. And what is the message of the first angel?

Revelation 14:7 says, “Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come: and worship Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.”

The message of the first angel is a message of the judgment hour. This message began to be proclaimed by William Miller in the early 1830s. The movement became known as the Millerite movement and later on as the Advent movement. The scripture that laid the foundation for this movement was Daniel 8:14, which says, “Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.”

Here we have a prophecy that the sanctuary is to be cleansed at the end of 2,300 days. Because this is a symbolic prophecy, the time is also symbolic. The Bible tells us that a symbolic day represents a year. “After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know my breach of promise.” Numbers 14:34. “And when thou hast accomplished them, lie again on thy right side, and thou shalt bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days: I have appointed thee each day for a year.” Ezekiel 4:6.

Notice how in both of these passages a prophetic proclamation is being given, and in both cases, each day corresponded to a year. So, the 2,300 days of Daniel 8:14 represents 2,300 years, and at the end of that time the sanctuary was to be cleansed.

The mystery that first perplexed William Miller was concerning the time in which the 2,300 years began. Once this was attained, he could know when the end of the time would be. The answer was unfolded when the meaning of Daniel 9:24 was discovered. It says, “Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city … .” I want to emphasize the word determined. The root meaning of this word is to cut or to divide. Therefore, the literal translation of Daniel 9:24 is, “Seventy weeks are cut from thy people … .” The question that naturally arose was: What was the 70 weeks cut off from? Well, the only other time given that did not include a beginning date was the time prophecy of Daniel 8:14, the 2,300 days. The angel Gabriel informed Daniel of the 2,300 days, but he never told him when it was to begin. Therefore, Gabriel returns to finish informing Daniel of this vision. In Daniel 9:23, the Bible says, “At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to shew thee; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision.”

Notice how Gabriel told Daniel to “consider the vision.” What vision was he talking about? Well, the last vision Daniel had was the vision that introduced the 2,300 day prophecy. In Daniel 8:16, Gabriel is commanded to make Daniel understand this vision. However, verse 27 informs us that Daniel did not understand it, because he fainted as it was being explained to him. So after several years, the angel returned to finish explaining the vision. Thus he picks up where he left off, namely, with the time of the prophecy. He tells Daniel that seventy weeks are cut from his people. The only time that the seventy weeks can be cut from is the 2,300 days. And in Daniel 9:25, Gabriel gives the starting point for this time. It says, “Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.”

From the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem is when the 2,300 literal years were to start. All William Miller needed to do now was find the actual year this commandment was given. In Ezra 6:14 the answer is given. It says, “And they builded, and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the commandment of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.” Notice this threefold commandment. The last king to finalize the commandment was Artaxerxes. Therefore, Miller concluded that the year that Artaxerxes gave the commandment was the official year to begin the countdown. In what year did Artaxerxes give his commandment?

In Ezra 7:7 we read, “And there went up some of the children of Israel, and of the priests, and the Levites, and the singers, and the porters, and the Nethinims, unto Jerusalem, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king.” So, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the commandment was finalized, and history reveals that the seventh year of Artaxerxes was 457 B.C. With this date in mind, Miller and his associates eventually realized that the 2,300 literal years would end in the year A.D. 1844.

This was only a few years away from the time in which this discovery was made. Therefore, the Millerites proclaimed the message of a coming judgment in 1844. However, instead of proclaiming the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary, the Millerites proclaimed the cleansing of the earth, which they thought was the sanctuary. Nevertheless, this message was in harmony with the judgment hour message proclaimed by the first angel of Revelation 14. Both constituted the early Advent movement of the 1830s and 1840s.

Now, this is the first angel that preached the everlasting gospel, but it is not the last. The message of judgment was to be followed by two other messages, and all were to be proclaimed together. In part two we will study the second angel’s message, and after that, the hope of the third angel. But for now, remember, “We have nothing to fear for the future, except as we shall forget the way the Lord has led us, and His teaching in our past history.”

Demario Carter is currently working as a Bible worker for Steps to Life. He may be contacted by email at: bibleworker@stepstolife.org.

The Mighty Angel of Revelation 10

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After the end of the 1,260 years, the termination of the 2,300 years and the great increase in the circulation of the Scriptures, we enter the time of the end when Jesus will return to this earth the second time. All of these things are calling the attention of the world to the opening of the great second-advent movement and the final judgment of the world just prior to His return to earth.

Prophecy does not identify any dates for events after October 22, 1844. But there is much information, which helps us to understand this period of time—the beginning of the second-advent movement to the end of the millennium.

The first text about the great second-advent movement is found in Revelation 10:1–3, 5–7:

“Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven. He was robed in a cloud, with a rainbow above his head; his face was like the sun, and his legs were like fiery pillars. He was holding a little scroll, which lay open in his hand. He planted his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, and he gave a loud shout like the roar of a lion. When he shouted, the voices of the seven thunders spoke. …

“Then the angel I had seen standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven. And he swore by him who lives for ever and ever, who created the heavens and all that is in them, the earth and all that is in it, and the sea and all that is in it, and said, ‘There will be no more delay! But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished, just as he announced to his servants the prophets.’ ”

Notice the mighty angel in verse 1 was robed in a cloud, with a rainbow above his head; his face was like the sun, and his legs were like fiery pillars. Compare this description with the one given in Revelation 1:13, 15, 16 at the time when Jesus was inaugurated as our High Priest in the sanctuary in heaven.

“Among the lampstands was someone ‘like a son of man,’ dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. … His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace … . His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.”

The weight of evidence from the comparison of these scriptures says that the Mighty angel in Revelation 10 is none other than Jesus Christ.

Another evidence that this is Jesus is found in verse 6: “And he swore by him who lives forever and ever, who created the heavens … and said, ‘There will be no more delay!’ ”

Only One who was equal with the Creator could make an oath with Him. Jesus is the only One who is equal with the Ancient of Days. The following reference is specific concerning this angel’s identification:

“The mighty angel who instructed John was no less a personage than Jesus Christ.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, 971.

These statements leave us in no doubt as to who is in charge of the whole second-advent movement and guiding it with His supreme power and authority. This is a very comforting message for all true believers.

In Revelation 10:2, He was holding a little scroll, which lay open in his hand. The book being open means that the contents of the book can be read and understood. Daniel was informed in chapter 12:9 that the words were closed up and sealed until the time of the end. This refers to that portion of the book of Daniel that speaks about the sanctuary in heaven and events transpiring in the last days. The following statement is quite informative:

“The book that was sealed was not the book of Revelation, but that portion of the prophecy of Daniel which related to the last days. The Scripture says, ‘But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased’ (Daniel 12:4).” Selected Messages, Book 2, 105.

The most important part of the book of Daniel that was sealed was that part of chapter 8 referring to the attack of the small horn against the ministry of Jesus in the sanctuary in heaven during the 1,260 years and following to the present time.

The following is an explanation of the significance of Jesus planting “his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land.”

“The mighty angel who instructed John was no less a personage than Jesus Christ. Setting His right foot on the sea, and His left upon the dry land, shows the part which He is acting in the closing scenes of the great controversy with Satan. This position denotes His supreme power and authority over the whole earth. …

“The angel’s position, with one foot on the sea, the other on the land, signifies the wide extent of the proclamation of the [first angel’s] message. It will cross the broad waters and be proclaimed in other countries, even to all the world.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, 971.

In Revelation 10:6 it says, “There will be no more delay!” This angel, who is Christ, is announcing that there will be no more delay.

“This time, which the angel declares with a solemn oath, is not the end of this world’s history, neither of probationary time, but of prophetic time, which should precede the advent of our Lord. That is, the people will not have another message upon definite time. After this period of time, reaching from 1842 to 1844, there can be no definite tracing of the prophetic time. The longest reckoning reaches to the autumn of 1844.” Ibid.

God is telling us that there will be no more time prophecies like the 70 weeks, the 2,300 years and the 1,260 years.

“ ‘And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven, and sware by Him that liveth forever and ever, … that there should be time no longer’ [Revelation 10:5, 6]. This message announces the end of the prophetic periods.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 17, 9, 10.

These statements have reference to the three great time prophecies of the Bible, the seventy weeks, the 1,260 years and the 2,300 years. The time periods represented by these three prophecies had to be completed before the great controversy between Christ and Satan could be brought to a conclusion. Now that the last of these three time periods was completed, the great controversy could now move on to its conclusion without the restraint of time periods.

Here is another statement that gives light on when this phrase was proclaimed.

“When the book was opened, the proclamation was made, ‘Time shall be no longer.’ (See Revelation 10:6.) The book of Daniel is now unsealed, and the revelation made by Christ to John is to come to all the inhabitants of the earth.” Selected Messages, Book 2, 105.

This means that the book of Daniel is unsealed in the book of Revelation and can be proclaimed with power and understanding, that the message will not be delayed by the waiting for any more time prophecies to be fulfilled.

The following statement makes an interesting correlation between the angel (Christ) in Revelation 10 and the first angel’s message:

“The message of Revelation 14, proclaiming that the hour of God’s judgment is come, is given in the time of the end; and the angel of Revelation 10 is represented as having one foot on the sea and one foot on the land, showing that the message will be carried to distant lands, the ocean will be crossed, and the islands of the sea will hear the proclamation of the last message of warning to our world.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 17, 9.

This statement indicates that Christ, Himself, is directing the proclamation of the first angel’s message. The first angel’s message was given by the early advent preachers in the 1830s and early 1840s; therefore the events of Revelation 10 occurred at the same time before October 22, 1844. It was at this time that the last message of warning began to be proclaimed to the world.

In Revelation 10:7 we read, “But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished.” What is the “mystery of God”?

I believe that the mystery of God is the same as the gospel of salvation. In Colossians 2:2, 3 and 6, it says, “My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. … So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him.”

The mystery of God could be called the gospel. Look at Romans 16:25: “Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began.” KJV Also read Ephesians 6:19: “And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel.” KJV

This is the message contained in the little scroll which lay open in his hand. Other names used for the gospel or new covenant include the following:

  • New covenant, Abrahamic covenant, Second covenant, Covenant of grace, See Patriarchs and Prophets, 371
  • Everlasting Covenant, See Genesis 17:7 and Patriarchs and Prophets, 370
  • Covenant of redemption, See The Signs of the Times, August 24, 1891
  • Covenant of peace, See Isaiah 54:9, 10 and Education, 115
  • Plan of salvation, See Patriarchs and Prophets, 63
  • The gospel and plan of redemption, The Signs of the Times, August 24, 1891

What is very interesting is that the new covenant is another name for the gospel. The mystery of God is the new covenant made by God the Father and His Son Jesus from times eternal. This is the subject of the first angel’s message that is to go to all the world.

Christ has come down to this earth, represented as a mighty angel to announce to the world that the time has come for this covenant to be completed.

Let us read in Revelation 10:7 what the angel (Jesus) said had already been done concerning the mystery of God: “But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished, just as he announced to his servants the prophets.”

Jesus is saying in this phrase that He has already given the prophets information concerning the finishing of the gospel or the new covenant promises. Actually, in Bible prophecy we find that there are at least ten announcements explaining the accomplishment of the mystery of God that Christ has already given through His servants the prophets. This is probably the most widely publicized event in the whole great controversy between Christ and Satan.

The vision of the angel and the scroll in Revelation 10 is the first of these announcements. The angel (Christ) coming down to this earth and placing his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land is the first announcement about the finishing of the mystery of God which is the gospel or new covenant.

We need to remind ourselves that the new covenant, the mystery of God, also called the gospel, is the very foundation of all Christianity.

We have already noticed that this angel came down to direct the proclamation of the first angel’s message in the 1830s and early 1840s. The first angel’s message, then, is the second announcement that we will study.

There are many angels mentioned in the Revelation. Let us turn in our Bibles to the first angel’s message in Revelation 14:6, 7. It is referred to as the first angel because in verse 8 a second angel is mentioned, and in verse 9 a third angel is seen with another message for the world.

“Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth—to every nation, tribe, language and people. He said in a loud voice, ‘Fear God and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come. Worship Him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water.’ ”

There are three points in this message that we want to consider at this time:

  1. he had the eternal gospel (the new covenant) to proclaim
  2. the hour of His judgment has come
  3. he calls upon the people to worship their Creator

This first angel’s message was to be a part of a great religious awakening.

“A great religious awakening under the proclamation of Christ’s soon coming is foretold in the prophecy of the first angel’s message of Revelation 14. An angel is seen flying ‘in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people.’ ‘With a loud voice’ he proclaims the message: ‘Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come: and worship Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters’ [verses 6, 7].” The Great Controversy, 355.

This is the angel that is being directed by the angel (Christ) in Revelation 10:1. Notice the character of the messenger and the message that is described in the following statement:

“The fact that an angel is said to be the herald of this warning is significant. By the purity, the glory, and the power of the heavenly messenger, divine wisdom has been pleased to represent the exalted character of the work to be accomplished by the message and the power and glory that were to attend it. And the angel’s flight ‘in the midst of heaven,’ the ‘loud voice’ with which the warning is uttered, and its promulgation to all ‘that dwell on the earth,’—‘to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,’—give evidence of the rapidity and world-wide extent of the movement.” Ibid.

There is also evidence in this statement concerning the time it is to be given.

“The message itself sheds light as to the time when this movement is to take place. It is declared to be a part of the ‘everlasting gospel;’ and it announces the opening of the judgment. The message of salvation has been preached in all ages; but this message is a part of the gospel which could be proclaimed only in the last days, for only then would it be true that the hour of judgment had come.” Ibid., 355, 356. [Emphasis author’s.]

Remember that this gospel was also called the new covenant along with eight other names. Two times in this statement it comments on this message being part of the gospel. We learned in previous studies that the gospel is about the new covenant and the new covenant sanctuary in heaven in which Jesus carries on His ministry of removing the confessed sins of God’s people.

The weight of evidence is that the judgment was a part of the new covenant plan from the very time it was formed by God the Father and the Son. Both Revelation 10 and Revelation 14 make reference to the finishing of the gospel.

In Revelation 10:7 it says, “The mystery of God will be accomplished.” This means that the new covenant plan of redemption will now be completed.

The first angel in Revelation 14:7 says, “The hour of His judgment has come.” The judgment is the last event in the new covenant plan of salvation to be completed. The announcement of the judgment is also a part of the first angel’s message.

There are three phases of a judgment or trial. They are:

  1. investigative phase
  2. executive phase (sentencing)
  3. execution phase

In the United States court system, a jury trial consists of these three phases.

  1. First there is an investigation of the charges filed against the individual on trial. The jury is apprised of all the evidence in the case and then presents a verdict of innocence or guilt. If innocent, the individual is released and set free. This is the investigative phase of the trial.
  2. If the individual is found guilty, then the trial moves to the second phase. In this phase the jury evaluates the severity of the crime and assigns a just punishment. This is known as the executive or sentencing phase of the judgment.
  3. The third phase in the trial is the execution of the sentence assigned—that is, applying the sentence to the individual.

The Bible judgment has these three phases. In the great judgment conducted by the God of heaven, which is in progress at the present time, these three phases of the trial are followed as in a jury trial.

In the book of James it says that the standard in the judgment will be the law of liberty or the ten commandments. “Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom.” James 2:12.

In Ecclesiastes 12:13, 14, Solomon gives counsel concerning our preparation for the judgment and the standard to be used. He said,

“Here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.”

The Day of Atonement services were conducted in the Most Holy Place of the sanctuary on earth. The Most Holy Place is also called the second apartment.

“In this way he will make atonement for the Most Holy Place because of the uncleanness and rebellion of the Israelites. When Aaron has finished making atonement for the Most Holy Place, the Tent of Meeting and the altar, he shall bring forward the live goat.” Leviticus 16:16, 20.

“Once a year, on the great Day of Atonement, the priest entered the Most Holy Place for the cleansing of the sanctuary. The work there performed completed the yearly round of ministration.” The Great Controversy, 419.

In the heavenly sanctuary, the cleansing is a counterpart to the Day of Atonement in the earthly sanctuary. That is the removal of sin from the Most Holy Place in the sanctuary in heaven. This is the first part of a jury trial, the determination of guilt or innocence.

The counterpart of the Day of Atonement in the earthly sanctuary began in the heavenly sanctuary on October 22, 1844, when Christ moved from the Holy Place to the Most Holy Place in heaven to begin the investigative judgment. (See Daniel 7:9, 10, 13.)

“This is the service which began when the 2,300 days ended. At that time, as foretold by Daniel the prophet, our High Priest entered the most holy, to perform the last division of His solemn work—to cleanse the sanctuary.” Ibid., 421.

In order to cleanse the heavenly sanctuary, an examination of the books to determine who is entitled to the benefits of His atonement must take place.

“There must be an examination of the books of record to determine who, through repentance of sin and faith in Christ, are entitled to the benefits of His atonement. The cleansing of the sanctuary therefore involves a work of investigation—a work of judgment.” Ibid., 422.

The eternal destiny of those who are found innocent in the investigative judgment is a wonderful place. Revelation 22:14 says,

“Blessed are those who wash their robes [keep the commandments], that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city.”

Those who are found guilty in the investigative judgment are destroyed in the battle of Armageddon during the second coming of Jesus. Then they are subject to the second and third phases of the judgment. Revelation 20:5 says, “The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.”

All the wicked are destroyed at the commencement of the 1,000 years. It is during this time that the saints are determining the sentences of the wicked.

The saints are taken to heaven at the beginning of the millennium and the earth has no human life on it for the next 1,000 years. The sentencing (executive) phase of the judgment takes place during this 1,000 year period.

“During the thousand years between the first and the second resurrection the judgment of the wicked takes place.” Ibid., 660.

The Bible says that the judges are the ones who are pronounced innocent in the investigative judgment.

Revelation 20:4, 6 says, “They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. … They will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.”

Paul wrote to the church in Corinth reminding them that they would at some point in time be judges. In I Corinthians 6:2, 3, it says, “Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? … Do you not know that we will judge angels?”

“In union with Christ they [the righteous] judge the wicked, comparing their acts with the statute book, the Bible, and deciding every case according to the deeds done in the body. Then the portion which the wicked must suffer is meted out, according to their works; and it is recorded against their names in the book of death.” Ibid., 661.

The third phase of a jury trial is the execution phase in which the sentences are carried out or applied.

“The wicked will be raised from the dead and appear before God for the execution of ‘the judgment written.’ Thus the revelator, after describing the resurrection of the righteous, says: ‘The rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished.’ Revelation 20:5.” Ibid.

All of the wicked will be raised at the end of the 1,000 years for the execution of the judgment. The third phase of the judgment in the Bible is recorded in Revelation 20:7–15. These verses are not written in the order the events take place; therefore they may seem a little confusing to some. These verses in chronological order would read as follows:

Revelation 20:7–9, first part: “When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth … to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore. They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God’s people, the city He loves.”

Verses 11–13: “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from His presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done.”

Verse 9, last part: “But fire came down from heaven and devoured them.”

Verses 14 and 15: “Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”

Verse 10: “And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.”

In summary, the three phases of the proclamation of the eternal gospel and the judgment announced by the first angel are:

  1. The investigative phase – October 22, 1844, to the close of probation
  2. The sentencing (executive) phase – during the 1,000 years
  3. The execution phase – the handing down and executing the sentences after the 1,000 years are ended.

This has been a brief review of the three phases of the judgment as announced by the first angel and as directed by the mighty angel of Revelation 10:1.

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

Maurice Hoppe is retired and volunteers at Steps to Life. His primary responsibility is working with the Training Program for Ministers and Church Leaders and the Training Program for Lay Workers. He also conducts a Bible Correspondence School from his home with emphasis on Bible prophecy. He may be contacted at: mauricehoppe@stepstolife.org.

Acceptance with God

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I recently received a call from the man whom the Lord had used 15 years ago to open my eyes to the truth of the gospel. During our conversation, he asked me if I knew whether or not I had been accepted by God. I had to stop and think a bit, for that thought had never occurred to me.

As I pondered, Satan filled my mind with thoughts of my sinfulness, and I truly wondered if I had been accepted as the purchase of God or not.

My friend then directed me to an article in the book, Christ Our Righteousness, by E. J. Waggoner, one of the pioneers of Seventh-day Adventism. Thus began my search for more of the treasure hidden in the word of God.

During my search, I thought about those times when I had seen people accept Satan’s lie that only if we are good enough can we expect the Lord to accept us. I thought of one instance in which a faithful member of the church was involved in an automobile accident. She had been ill and was taking prescription medication that adversely affected her mental activity. Unwisely, she decided to run an errand in her car, during which she drifted across the center line on the road and collided head-on with two bicyclists, who suffered serious injuries. As a result of this accident, the woman completely lost her faith. She maintained that if God really loved her, if He had really accepted her, He would not have let such a thing happen.

When adversity occurs in our lives, we have two choices. We can murmur and complain, accusing God of not loving us, or we can look for His loving hand moving within the circumstances that seem so adverse to us. Often, we are prone to question our relationship with God and are tempted to think that God doesn’t love us. If He did, why would He have let this happen?

I would assert that either because of adverse events occurring in their lives or because they don’t think they are “good enough,” there are probably thousands who have been professed Christians for years who are still doubting their acceptance with God. Indeed, many people hesitate to make a start to serve the Lord because they fear that God will not accept them.

For those who ask “Has God accepted me?” or, “Will God receive me if and when I come to Him?” I would answer with a question, as Christ often did when questioned by His doubters: Will you accept, or receive, that which you have bought?

In this electronic age, it is common to do a lot of shopping over the Internet, and the minute that the “complete transaction” button is clicked, we begin looking forward to receiving and accepting that which we have bought. And when it finally arrives, we accept it. There is no room for question. We bought it. It’s ours. We accept it without question.

The fact that we bought the goods and paid money for them is sufficient proof, not only that we are willing, but that we are anxious to receive whatever it is that we have purchased. If we did not want it, we would not have bought it in the first place. Moreover, the more we paid, the more anxious we are to receive it. If the price we paid was great and we had almost given our life to earn it, then there can be no question but that we will accept the purchase when it is delivered to us. Our only concern is that the goods might be lost in transit.

Now let us apply this simple, natural illustration to the case of the sinner coming to Christ. In the first place, we know that He has indeed bought us.

“What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” I Corinthians 6:19, 20.

We have indeed been bought, but what price was paid? The price that was paid for us was Christ’s own blood—His very life. This is a truth that virtually all of the New Testament writers confirmed.

In Acts 20:28, we read in Paul’s statement to the Ephesians whom he had called to Miletus, “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which He hath purchased with His own blood.”

And in I Peter 1:18, 19, Peter wrote, “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.”

Paul stated this truth a bit differently in Titus 2:14, where he wrote that Christ “gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity.”

In his letter to the Galatians, Paul mentioned again that Christ “gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father.” Galatians 1:4.

Did He buy only those who profess Christ, or just those who have proven themselves worthy? According to His own words, He bought the whole world of sinners. In His conversation with Nicodemus, He said, as recorded in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son.” Jesus also said in John 6:51, “The bread that I will give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” In this fascinating chapter, by the way, we see how the entire independent movement, except for twelve individuals, abandoned their Saviour and returned to the structure. Although they were accepted by Christ, they chose to reject His acceptance and continue down the road of error and falsehood where the organized church was leading them (verses 59–66). [Emphasis supplied.]

In Romans 5:6, 8, Paul makes it clear that Christ died for the ungodly while we were yet sinners. There is no need to think that we have to prove ourselves “worthy” to be among those for whom Christ paid an infinite price.

And the price paid was indeed infinite, was it not? All heaven was poured out to save us. Therefore we can know—not just believe, but know—that He very much desires that which He bought. He has His heart set on obtaining it, and He will not be satisfied without it.

In Hebrews 12:2, we are told that Jesus’ mind was on “the joy that was set before Him,” which gave Him all the strength that was necessary to endure the cross. So focused was He on that joy that the shame that He knew He was to endure was not even worthy of His consideration.

Long before Christ’s first advent, the Holy Spirit inspired the Old Testament writers to testify of the Saviour’s willingness to accept His purchase. In Isaiah 53:11, we read that “He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied.”

The remainder of that verse tells us why we don’t need to be burdened by sin any longer: “By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for He shall bear their iniquities.” Christ Himself accepts us as His and in so doing, He accepts the guilt of our sins as well. [Emphasis supplied.]

You may think, as I once did, “But I am not worthy.” That means that you are not worth the price paid and therefore you fear to come to Christ lest He will repudiate the purchase. You might be justified in that thinking if the bargain was not sealed and the price was not already paid. However, consider this: if He refused to accept you on the grounds that you are not worth the price, He would not only lose you but also the price paid. In your own experience, even though the goods for which you have paid might not be worth what you gave for them, you yourself would not be so foolish as to throw them away. You would rather get some return for your money than get nothing. You would prefer to sell them in a garage sale for pennies on the dollar rather than to toss them out.

In addition, we really do not need to worry about the question of worth. When Christ was on earth “checking out” His purchase, He “needed not that any should testify of man; for He knew what was in man.” John 2:25. He made the purchase with His eyes open, and He knew the exact value of that which He bought. He is not at all disappointed when we come to Him and He finds that we are worthless. We do not need to worry over the question of worth. If He, with His perfect knowledge, was satisfied to make the bargain and seal the deal, we should be the last ones to worry about the details of worthiness.

The most wonderful reason of all that we should not question our worth in the transaction is that He bought us for the very reason that we are not worthy. His omniscient eye saw in us great possibilities and He bought us, not for what we were then and are now worth, but for what He could make of us. He says in Isaiah 43:25, “I, even I, am He that blotteth out thy transgressions for Mine own sake.” We have no righteousness; therefore He bought us, “that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.” II Corinthians 5:21. And in Colossians 2:9, 10, Paul states, “For in Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in Him, which is the head of all principality and power.” [Emphasis supplied.]

In Ephesians, Paul gives a fairly succinct version of this whole process of redemption.

“And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved) and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: that in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus” [emphasis supplied]. Ephesians 2:1–7.

Earlier in Ephesians, Paul noted that we are to be “to the praise of the glory of His grace.” Ephesians 1:6. This we could not be if we were originally worth all He paid for us. There would in that case be no glory to Him in the transaction. He could not, in the ages to come, show in us the riches of His grace. But, when He takes us, worth nothing, and at the last presents us faultless before the throne, it will be to His everlasting glory. And then there will not be any to credit worthiness to themselves. Throughout eternity, the sanctified hosts will unite in saying to Christ: “Thou art worthy … for Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; and hast made us unto our God kings and priests … Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.” Revelation 5:9, 10, 12.

Surely, all doubt as to acceptance with God ought to be set at rest. But … but it is not. The evil heart of unbelief still suggests doubt. Some are prone to say, “I believe all this, but … .” Please, stop right there; if we believed, we would not say “but.” When people add “but” to the statement that they believe, they really mean “I believe, but I don’t believe.”

Some persist, “Perhaps you are right, but hear me out. What I was going to say is, I believe the Scripture statements that have been quoted, but the Bible says that if we are children of God we shall have the witness of the Spirit and will have the witness in ourselves, and I don’t feel any such witness; therefore I can’t believe that I am Christ’s. I believe His word, but I don’t have the witness.” Let’s relieve that difficulty in believing by digging deeper into God’s word.

As to our being Christ’s, we can settle that ourselves. We have seen what He gave for us. Now the question is, Have we delivered ourselves to Him? If we have, we may be absolutely sure that He has accepted us. If we are not His, it is solely because we have refused to deliver to Him that which He has bought. We are, in effect, defrauding Him. He says, “All day long I have stretched forth My hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.” Romans 10:21. Paul here refers to Isaiah 65:2: “I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts.”

Christ begs us to give Him that which He has bought and paid for, yet we refuse and charge Him with not being willing to receive us. But if from the heart we have yielded ourselves to Him to be His children, we may be assured that He has received us.

Now, as to our believing His words, yet doubting if He accepts us because we don’t feel the witness in our hearts, I still insist that we don’t believe. If we did, we would have the witness. Listen to His word in I John 5:10: “He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made Him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of His Son.” To believe the Son is simply to believe His word and the record concerning Him.

“He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself.” We can’t have the witness until we believe, and as soon as we believe, we have the witness. How is that? Because our belief in God’s word IS the witness! God says so: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1. Our belief is the substance of that for which we so earnestly hope and the evidence of our witness.

If we should hear God say with an audible voice that we are His child, we would consider that sufficient witness. Well, when God speaks in His word, it is the same as though He spoke with an audible voice, and our faith is the evidence that we hear and believe.

This is such important a matter that it is worth careful consideration. Let’s read a little more of the record in God’s word. First, in Galatians 3:26, we read that we are “all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.” This is a positive confirmation concerning our belief in the witness. Our faith makes us children of God. But how do we obtain this faith? “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Romans 10:17.

From my personal experience, I can testify that when I read God’s word aloud, it oftentimes becomes more firmly implanted in my mind than when I read silently. Have you ever read a paragraph silently without concentrating on it, only to discover when you’ve finished that you have no idea what you just read? By reading aloud, I am forced to concentrate more carefully on what I’m reading, and my mind doesn’t wander. I hear the Word as well as read it. I absorb it through my eyes and my ears.

As we read God’s word, how do we obtain faith in it? Just by believing and knowing that God cannot lie (Titus 1:2). We would certainly not call God a liar to His face, but isn’t that just what we are doing when we don’t believe His word? All we have to do to believe is simply to believe!

Have you ever had an experience in your life when you had to force yourself to act on what you knew to be true, even though it seemed initially not to be what you should do? I certainly have—and more than once.

One very windy day I was walking with my dog through the forest. As I was walking, I was going over my Scripture cards, reading them aloud to try to get them to stick in my memory. Usually my dog would run around sniffing all the wonderful smells on the forest floor. After a while, I realized that my dog was nowhere to be seen. I called and called, but with the sound of the wind blowing through the trees, my voice didn’t carry very far, and my dog couldn’t hear me.

I began to ponder how I could break the news to my grandson, who had given me the dog, that it had become lost in the forest. Then it suddenly dawned on me that not only was my dog lost, but so was I! I had not paid any attention to where I had been walking and did not recognize anything around me.

My intuition told me that the road and my car should be just over the next ridge. So I climbed the hill and looked down the other side, expecting to see just that. But, there was nothing but more forest. So I dropped down the hill and climbed up the next ridge. Again, nothing but forest ahead.

Then it dawned on me that when I left my car, the sun was coming from behind me. Therefore to get back to my car, I needed to change my direction of travel, completely contrary to my intuition, and walk facing the sun. After doing that, I reached the road in about ten minutes. I walked up the road about a quarter of a mile and there by my car was my dog, patiently waiting for me.

All I had to do to get where I wanted to go was to believe and act on what I knew to be the truth, even though it seemed contrary to my intuition.

Paul alludes to this depth of faith in Romans 10:8–11: “The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed.”

All this is in harmony with the record given throughout Paul’s writings. “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God; And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ.” Romans 8:16, 17.

This Spirit which witnesses with our spirit is the Comforter that Jesus promised in John 14:16. And we know that Its witness is true, for It is the “Spirit of truth.” Verse 17.

How does It bear witness? It bears witness by bringing to remembrance the Word which has been recorded. It inspired those words, and, therefore, when It brings them to our remembrance, it is the same as though It were speaking them directly to us.

We can confirm that from Scripture. In II Peter 1:21: “Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” And in I Corinthians 2:13, Paul tells us that he speaks the things that the Holy Ghost teaches.

The Spirit presents to our minds the record that we know is true, for God cannot lie. We can bid Satan and his evil intentions to be gone, because we believe the record in God’s word that we are His children, fully accepted in Him through Christ and His atoning sacrifice.

Then the glorious truth breaks more fully upon the soul. The repetition of the words makes it a reality to us. He is our Father. We are His children. What absolute joy that thought gives us! So we see that the witness which we have in ourselves is not a simple impression or an emotion. God does not ask us to trust so unreliable a witness as our feelings. He who trusts his own heart is a fool, the Scripture says in Proverbs 28:26. But the witness that we are to trust is the unchangeable word of God, and this witness we may have through the Spirit in our own hearts. “Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift.” II Corinthians 9:15.

This assurance does not mean that we can relax in our diligence and settle down contentedly, as though we had gained perfection. We must remember that Christ accepts us not for our sake, but for His own sake—not because we are perfect, but that in Him we may go on to perfection. He blesses us not because we have been so good that we have deserved a blessing, but in order that in the strength of the blessing we may turn away from our iniquities (Acts 3:26).

In John 1:12, we are told, “But as many as received Him, to them gave He power [emphasis supplied] to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name.”

To everyone that believes in Christ, the power—the right—the privilege—is given to become the sons of God, to be accepted in the Beloved. It is by the “exceeding great and precious promises” of God through Christ that we are made “partakers of the Divine nature.” II Peter 1:4.

John Pearson is part of the Steps to Life team. He can be contacted by email at: johnpearson@stepstolife.org.