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Story – Mike’s Mystery

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A snowstorm was blowing when Mike got out of school that afternoon. He jerked his collar up around his neck and dashed for the bus.

It was amazing how quiet everything sounded, and how slowly the traffic was moving. All the buses were late, but Mike didn’t realize that. He saw one that looked like his and climbed aboard.

After traveling several miles he glanced out the window and noticed that the streets didn’t look right. He was on the wrong bus!

He would have to get another bus and go back. Did he have enough money for the fare?

He felt in his pocket. Three nickels—fifteen cents. The bus fare back to the school would be ten cents. The fare from school to home would be another ten cents. He didn’t have enough!

Then another idea occurred to him, and he relaxed. He could get off the bus at the next stop and phone home and ask Mother to come to the school for him. That would cost a nickel—for this happened when phone calls cost only five cents. The bus fare back to the school would be ten cents. The total would be fifteen cents, exactly what he had.

He got off the next stop and walked to a drugstore on the corner. The building was crowded with people, mostly children from school trying to keep warm till their buses came. He pressed his way in. The place had a damp, close smell about it.

There was a public phone on the far wall.

Mike put a nickel in and dialed. Really, considering the problem, things were working out remarkably well. He heard the phone ring once on the other end. Then the line went dead.

Mike had never known a phone to act that way before. He hung up and looked for the nickel to come back, but it didn’t.

Better try again.

He put in another nickel and dialed. The phone rang once—and died.

He put in another nickel and dialed a third time. Again the phone rang once and died.

Mike suddenly realized that his money was gone. He was alone, miles from home, with night coming on and a storm blowing, and no one to help him.

Unless Jesus would.

Mike was sure Jesus could. The Bible tells of a thousand wonderful things Jesus did in days gone by. But would He? Would Jesus help a boy find a dime to get home with—in these days?

Mike had it figured out now that a dime would be enough. Ten cents would pay the bus fare back to school, and he had a friend who lived near the bus stop who had a phone he could use to call home.

He closed his eyes in the middle of that crowded store and prayed. “Dear Jesus, please help me get a dime. I’m here all alone by myself, and there isn’t anyone else to help me but You.”

He opened his eyes, and a very wonderful thing happened. A man walked into the store and looked all the boys over carefully. Then he said, “You, boy. Would you like to earn a dime?”

He was pointing at Mike!

“Yes, SIR!” Mike said.

“Then come with me,” the man said. “My car’s stalled outside and I need someone to help me push it. Will you do that?”

Mike pushed, the car started, and the man paid him the dime.

Mike was soon on his way home, sitting in the bus, wondering at the marvelous mystery of it all. Why did the man’s car stall when it did? Why did the man look the boys over so carefully? Why did he choose him? Why did he offer to pay exactly a dime?

“Dear Jesus,” Mike whispered. “Now I know You really do love me, not just because of what the Bible says, but because of what You have done for me today. Thank You so much.”

40 Favorite Children’s Stories, Lawrence Maxwell, ©2009, 10–13

The Duty of Forgiveness

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Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors,” Christ taught us to pray. But it is most difficult, even for those who claim to be followers of Jesus, to forgive as He forgave us. The true spirit of forgiveness is so little practiced, and so many interpretations are placed upon Christ’s requirement, that its force and beauty are lost sight of. We have very uncertain views of the great mercy and loving kindness of God. He is full of compassion and forgiveness, and freely pardons when we truly repent and confess our sins. But when the message of God’s pardoning love comes from a heart that has an experimental knowledge of it, to those who have not experienced it for themselves it is like speaking in parables. We must bring into our characters the love and sympathy expressed in Christ’s life.

Peter, when brought to the test, sinned greatly. In denying the Master he had loved and served, he became a cowardly apostate. But his Lord did not cast him off; He freely forgave him. After the resurrection, an angel told the women who came to the tomb with spices, to carry the glad news of a risen Lord to the “disciples and Peter.” And when afterward Christ thrice repeated the question, “Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou Me?” Peter cast himself on the tender mercy of the Master he had so wronged, and said, “Lord, Thou knowest all things; Thou knowest that I love Thee.” And when our Lord entrusted to him the care of His “sheep and lambs,” Peter knew that he was taken back into divine confidence and affection. To fulfil this charge, he would need to have the mind that was in Jesus Christ; he must copy the Pattern. Henceforth, remembering his own weakness and failures, he would be patient with his brethren in their mistakes and errors. Remembering the patient love of Christ, who had afforded him another opportunity, he would be more conciliatory toward erring ones.

If we have received the gift of God, and have a knowledge of Jesus Christ, we have a work to do for others. We must imitate the longsuffering of God toward us. The Lord requires of us the same treatment toward His followers that we receive of Him. We are to exercise patience and to be kind, even though they do not meet our expectations. The Lord expects us to be pitiful and loving, to have sympathetic hearts. He desires us to show the fruits of the grace of God in our deportment one to another. Christ did not say, You may tolerate your neighbor, but “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” This means a great deal more than professing Christians carry out in their daily life.

When Christ was on earth, instead of removing from the commandments one jot or tittle of their force, He showed by precept and example how far-reaching their principles are, how much broader they are than the scribes and Pharisees thought. They thought that Christ was lowering the Old Testament standard, yet He was teaching the people practical godliness. Christ understood their feelings, and reproved these self-righteous rulers in these words to His disciples: “I say unto you, that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.” “Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets; I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven; but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”

Christ proceeds to teach that the principles of God’s law reach even to the intents and purposes of the mind. And He plainly states that if we faithfully keep the ten precepts, we shall love our neighbor as ourselves. “Ye have heard,” He says, “that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven; for He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? Do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? Do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”

A consistent religious life, holy conversation, a godly example, true-hearted benevolence, mark the representative of Christ. He will labor to pluck sinners as brands from the burning; he will perform every duty faithfully. Thus, he will become a beacon light.

Brethren, we are nearing the judgment. Talents have been lent us on trust. Let none of us be at last condemned as slothful servants. Send forth the words of life to those in darkness. Let the church be true to her trust. Her earnest, humble prayers will make the presentation of truth effectual, and Christ will be glorified. The Watchman, October 13, 1908

When Worship Is Worthless

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Does Job fear God for nothing? You have placed a hedge around him and everything that he has and You have blessed him and his possessions have increased.” The Bible records that this was the question Satan asked the Lord. But Jesus said, “Some people’s worship of God is in vain, good for nothing.” What makes the difference?

The difference

The third commandment is a prohibition, a warning. It reads, “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.” Exodus 20:7

Some think the third commandment is just about using profanity, and it does include that. But it also includes irreverence and hypocrisy, claiming to be Christian when the life clearly reflects something else, and it prohibits all forms of vain worship.

Although this prohibition was written in the negative, it also has a positive meaning. “… let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.” Hebrews 12:28

Reverence is the very gateway to the divine presence, and those who approach the eternal with a reverent attitude, recognizing the holy character of His name, will fulfill this command.

In both ancient times and today, some do not know God and therefore have no reverence for or fear of Him. We find one such incident in Exodus 5:1, 2:

“Moses and Aaron went in and told Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the Lord God of Israel: “Let My people go, that they may hold a feast to Me in the wilderness.’ And Pharaoh said, ‘Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, nor will I let Israel go.’ ”

God’s name is taken in vain by people who do not know Him. If they knew him, they would love and reverence His name.

Name and character are the same

In the Bible, a person’s name and character are inseparable. The Bible says that a good name is to be desired above great riches (Proverbs 22:1). On one occasion, Moses asked the Lord, “ ‘Please show me Your glory.’ Then He said, ‘I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.’ But He said, ‘You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.’ ” Exodus 33:18–20

Had Moses looked directly at God’s face, he would have perished, so the Lord placed him in the cleft of a rock and covered his eyes with His hand. As the Lord passed by him, He removed His hand, and Moses was allowed to see His back parts. As He passed by, He proclaimed, “… ‘The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and fourth generation.’ ” Exodus 34:6, 7. When the Lord proclaimed His glory [His character] to Moses, He was also proclaiming His name.

In a carefree manner

We need to be careful not to use words that describe God’s character in a flippant or carefree manner. Some people carelessly use the words mercy, gracious, and goodness in their everyday speech, and when they do, they are breaking the third commandment. These words describe the character of God. When we take the name of God upon our lips, we are on holy ground, and we should be careful not to use His name or the words that describe His character frivolously or as expletives in our everyday speech.

There are Christians who repeatedly use the name God or Father in prayer, perhaps 10, 20, or even 30 times in a single prayer. In the Lord’s prayer—the model prayer given by Jesus as the example to follow when we pray—the name Father is used once. Even the heathen understand that you can pollute a person’s name by repeating it over and over.

No profanity

The third commandment prohibits profanity and cursing, but it is not just a prohibition on how we speak. It is also a prohibition on the manner and spirit in which we speak. Profanity is never a sign of intelligence. It has always been the most prevalent among people who are crude, uncultured, and illiterate. If profanity is intended to be humorous, it is humor of a very low order, and it is often more of a bluff than a substitute for courage. It is very dangerous to profane the name of God. If there is no God, then the use of profanity is useless and simply a sign of crass ignorance, but if there is a God, then it is very serious to profane His name.

There was a man who excused his bad speech to his minister, saying, “I have such an awful temper. I excuse myself because I got it from my father. He had an awful temper, too, and I’m just like him.”

The minister said, “Have you been born again?”

“Yes,” was the answer.

“Were you born of God?”

“Yes,” was the reply.

“Then is God your Father?”

“Yes.”

The minister then asked, “What kind of temper did you get when you were born again?”

When we are born again of the Holy Spirit, we inherit a new disposition.

Common words and idle talk

The Christian who keeps the law of God will avoid the use of many common words that are on the verge of profanity. Jesus referred to these as idle words and talk. He said that we will have to give an account on the day of judgment for every idle word that we speak. We should especially guard ourselves against speaking words that are attributes of God’s character—goodness, gracious, or mercy—and avoid saying words such as gee or golly, which are slang words of God’s and Jesus’ name.

The Bible says that God will, in the last days, give His people a pure language. Zephaniah says, “ ‘For then I will restore to the peoples a pure language, that they all may call on the name of the Lord, to serve Him with one accord … . The remnant of Israel shall do no unrighteousness and speak no lies, nor shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth.’ ” Zephaniah 3:9, 13, first part

It doesn’t matter if my religion is phony or fake. If I have been born again, my speech will reveal my transformed character.

False swearing

The third commandment forbids using God’s name in a common way (Leviticus 19).

There is a lot of confusion about this because many people have decided that swearing falsely includes things it really doesn’t. They believe Matthew 5 says they cannot swear an oath.

“Again, you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.’ But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne; nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.” Verses 33–37

People believe from these texts that a Christian should never take an oath, not even the judicial oath in a court of law. However, when we have fully studied this subject, we find that Jesus Himself took the judicial oath when He was tried in a human court of law. “The high priest answered and said to Him, ‘I adjure you.’ ” In other words, he’s asking Him to take an oath. “ ‘I adjure you by the living God that You tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God!’ Jesus said to him, ‘It is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.’ ” Matthew 26:63, 64

“You shall fear the Lord your God and serve Him, and you shall swear by His name.” Deuteronomy 6:13

This text is written regarding a judicial oath. We must be careful not to use one text in the Bible to explain away another. The text in the third commandment and the words of Jesus in Mathew 5 are talking about the common everyday swearing that people engage in. It is this type of swearing that the Bible forbids. It does not mean that it is wrong for you to take a judicial oath to tell only the truth when you are in a court of law.

What happens if you take a judicial oath and then tell a lie? Sadly, perjury is very common in our world today. How does the third commandment relate to perjury?

The third commandment prohibits linking God’s name with any falsehood by violating an oath or by false swearing. It is actually not swearing that is prohibited here; perjury is telling a lie after a person has taken a judicial oath to only tell the truth. Some writers have said that perjury is one of the greatest crimes of the modern world and is almost universal. If you say that you are going to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God, have you not insulted the Creator of the universe, the One who is not only the Truth but the Author of all truth by telling a lie? It is impossible for God to lie, and one of the characteristics of His children from the beginning to the end is that they tell the truth under all circumstances. They do not swear falsely.

Over and over again, the book of Revelation specifies that God’s people, those who will be saved in the last days, will tell the truth (Revelation 21:27, 8; Revelation 22:15; Revelation 14:5). If we are guilty of perjury, if we swear to God that we will tell the truth and then we don’t tell the truth, we will not be held guiltless, but will be punished.

The third commandment deals not only with God’s name but with His word.

Comedy, jesting, joking, and laughter

“You have magnified Your word above all Your name.” Psalm 138:2, last part

All jesting and joking based on scriptural statements is dangerous. It may be very easy to create a laugh in a modern audience by frivolous and grotesque association with the word of God. Still, the Bible should never be used as material for manufacturing jokes or jests.

Preaching is altogether too solemn a matter to be mixed with the unholy common fire of the comical and ludicrous. Inattention, whispering, laughing, and other forms of disrespect while attending a religious service are all forms of profanity. We are guilty of blasphemy, and if we do not repent and turn away from this behavior, we will be punished.

How to behave in God’s house

The Bible is very clear about how we should behave in the house of God.

“Walk prudently when you go to the house of God; and draw near to hear rather than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they do evil. Do not be rash with your mouth, and let not your heart utter anything hastily before God. For God is in heaven, and you on earth; therefore, let your words be few.” Ecclesiastes 5:1, 2

In an organized society, behavior is based on respect and trust. Manifesting disrespectful behavior in the house of God proves that we lack what is necessary for us to be worthy of heaven, and we will have to answer for our lack of respect on the day of judgment.

Two-faced

Now we will look at what perhaps may be the main thrust, the chief application of the third commandment—the sin of hypocrisy. When we profess one thing but live another, when we pretend to be something we are not, we are playing a double role; we are practicing hypocrisy.

The New Testament tells us that no other sin so arouses the indignation of Christ as this one, and He hurled some of His most dreadful curses against it. The third commandment is against all kinds of hypocrisy and lying in all its forms; hypocrisy is one of the worst forms of lying or bearing false witness.

The person who accepts Christ takes on His name and becomes a Christian. The Lord speaks of His people as those who are called by His name (2 Chronicles 7:14; Jeremiah 7:10, 11).

The man who professes to be a Christian but at the same time lives a life that is a denial of his profession is taking God’s name in vain; he is a false professor of Christianity. God’s name is taken in vain often in our modern world. A person who professes to be a Christian but is not Christlike in character is a blasphemer.

“ ‘Hear this, O house of Jacob, who are called by the name of Israel, and have come forth from the wellsprings of Judah; who swear by the name of the Lord, and make mention of the God of Israel, but not in truth or in righteousness; for they call themselves after the holy city, and lean on the God of Israel.’ ” Isaiah 48:1, 2

They lean on the God of Israel, but it is in vain because what they profess and how they live are two different things.

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ ” Matthew 7:21–23

Jesus rebuked the Jews because He said their worship was in vain.

“Isaiah predicted about you. ‘These people draw nigh to Me with their mouth, and they honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me, but in vain they worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.’ ” Mathew 15:7–9

In both the modern world and in Christendom, there is a lot of vain worship due to hypocrisy. Christ said, “Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and you don’t do what I say?” Luke 6:46

It is dangerous to use the name of the Lord if we do not know Him and are not known by Him. A vulgar oath may never have stained a person’s lips, but they are breaking the third commandment every day if they are living a hypocritical life, professing to be a Christian when they are actually living in sin.

While visiting an art museum, a farmer was shown some modernist paintings which he was unable to appreciate.

The guide said, “The paintings depict not merely the things the artist saw but his state of mind.”

The farmer retorted, “If I had a mind like that, I would never expose it.”

Sooner or later, what is inside will be exposed.

How is it with you? Is your worship in vain, or are you worshiping God in truth? Is what you profess the same as what you live?

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

Parallels

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During a recent prayer meeting, a member of our church spoke of having shared the different periods of present truth with someone. That brought to mind the parallels between the three periods of present truth and the three angels’ messages.

We all know the first angel’s message, which warns that judgment has begun.

“Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come … .” Revelation 14:7

Let’s compare the first stage of present truth—Noah’s message of the destruction of the Earth by the Flood—with the first angel’s message. God had judged the state of mankind and found it wicked, evil, and worthy of destruction.

Noah’s Message of Destruction and the First Angel’s Message

“Then the Lord saw [discerned or perceived] that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. So the Lord said, ‘I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.’ ” Genesis 6:5–7

Noah’s message to the world, the present truth for his day, was “If you truly fear God and worship Him as the Creator, you will get on this ark.”

Though there may have been a difference between the words of Noah’s message and the first angel’s message, the concept is the same. Judgment had been made and God will cleanse the Earth of sin.

“… ‘take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.’ Our danger is presented before us by Christ Himself.” Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 4, 309. Christ’s words should sink into the hearts of all who believe present truth.

The judgment of the world in Noah’s day was announced by Noah under the divine direction of Christ. Present truth—the judgment of the world today—was announced by John the Revelator, also under the divine direction of Christ.

“So God looked upon the earth, and indeed it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. And God said to Noah, ‘The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth.’ ” Genesis 6:12, 13

“ ‘Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.’ ” Revelation 14:7

“He [Christ] knew the perils we should meet in these last days, and would have us prepare for them. ‘As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.’ They were eating and drinking, planting and building, marrying and giving in marriage, and knew not until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the Flood came and swept them all away. The day of God will find men absorbed in like manner in the business and pleasures of the world, in feasting and gluttony, and in indulging perverted appetite in the defiling use of liquor and the narcotic tobacco. This is already the condition of our world, and these indulgences are found even among God’s professed people, some of whom are following the customs and partaking of the sins of the world. Lawyers, mechanics, farmers, traders, and even ministers from the pulpit are crying, ‘Peace and safety,’ when destruction is fast coming upon them.” Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 4, 309

Did destruction come fast upon the antediluvians? Noah preached for 120 years, but when the execution of judgment came, it came swiftly. The first angel’s message has gone forth since 1843, well over 120 years. God in His mercy has extended man’s probation, but He won’t wait forever. It is indeed time to “fear God and give glory to Him.”

Present Truth in Christ’s Day

As Jesus spoke to the woman at the well, she “said to Him, ‘I know that Messiah is coming’ (who is called Christ). ‘When He comes, He will tell us all things.’ Jesus said to her, ‘I who speak to you am He.’ ” John 4:25, 26

“The Messiah has come, and I am He.” Was He accepted by the church of His day? No, in fact, if you believed in Him, you were forced to leave the church if you were brave enough to publicly admit it.

John 9 tells the story of the man born blind. On the Sabbath day, Jesus restored restored this man’s sight. When he returned to the synagogue, he was questioned by the church authorities. “How were your eyes opened?” Verse 10

The man answered and said, “A Man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to the pool of Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed, and I received sight.” Verse 11

The Pharisees concluded that because Jesus healed on the Sabbath, He was a sinner and could not be from God, and therefore, could not be the Messiah.

The formerly blind man said, “Whether He is a sinner or not, I do not know, but I do know that I was blind and now I see.” Verse 25

When questioned a second time about how his vision was restored, the man answered, “I told you already, and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become His disciples?” Verse 27

You can imagine how that was received by the jealous and self-righteous Pharisees. Even though it might have been involuntary, the result was that the man was disfellowshiped, and he came out of Babylon.

Babylon and the Second Angel’s Message

This story reveals clearly that, during Jesus’ day, if you believed Him to be the Messiah, you had to leave the church. Whether you left voluntarily or were involuntarily expelled by church authority, you came out of Babylon. The mainstream church, which at one time stood for the truth, had fallen by forcing its members to drink of the wine of her error and disbelief.

And thus, we see a parallel to the second angel’s message: “… ‘Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.’ ” Revelation 14:8

Present Truth Today and the Third Angel’s Message

Present truth warns us against accepting the mark of the beast by worshiping the beast and its image. The image is the false sacredness of Sunday. When the law of the land requires the observance of Sunday as the only legal day of worship, those who concur, whether they agree by consent or by action, will have accepted the mark. Here we see the exact and unquestioned alignment between present truth for today and the message itself.

“Fearful is the issue to which the world is to be brought. The powers of earth, uniting to war against the commandments of God, will decree that ‘all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond’ (Revelation 13:16), shall conform to the customs of the church by the observance of the false sabbath. All who refuse compliance will be visited with civil penalties, and it will finally be declared that they are deserving of death. On the other hand, the law of God enjoining the Creator’s rest day demands obedience and threatens wrath against all who transgress its precepts.” The Great Controversy, 604

“Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, ‘If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.” Revelation 14:9–11

Soul-Saving Message

Notice that there is a two-stage execution of the judgment. First, they will receive the wrath of God—the seven last plagues. Then they are tormented with fire and brimstone. These are totally and completely avoidable, simply by loving and willing obedience to the law of God.

There is no question that the present truth message was the soul-saving message for its time.

The eight who got on the ark were saved.

Eleven men and a few women in Jesus’ day believed that He was the Son of God and the long-awaited Messiah and were saved.

In both cases, the number who believed as a percentage of the total world population was insignificant. Will it be the same during this period of present truth?

There is an aspect of this last soul-saving message of present truth that does not get the emphasis that it should. It is addressed in this passage.

“The soul-saving message, the third angel’s message, is the message to be given to the world. [It is present truth for our day.] The commandments of God and the faith of Jesus are both important, immensely important, and must be given with equal force and power. The first part of the message has been dwelt upon mostly, the last part casually. The faith of Jesus is not comprehended. We must talk it, we must live it, we must pray it, and educate the people to bring this part of the message into their home life.”  Reflecting Christ, 82

Keeping the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus is the ark of safety for our day, but the ticket for boarding that ark is the righteousness of Christ. And the only way to obtain that righteousness is by exercising the same faith that Christ manifested; the faith that led Him to the cross.

“Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.” Revelation 14:12

“We believe without a doubt that Christ is soon coming. This is not a fable to us; it is a reality. We have no doubt, neither have we had a doubt for years, that the doctrines we hold today are present truth, and that we are nearing the judgment. We are preparing to meet Him who, escorted by a retinue of holy angels, is to appear in the clouds of heaven to give the faithful and the just the finishing touch of immortality. When He comes He is not to cleanse us of our sins, to remove from us the defects in our character, or to cure us of the infirmities of our tempers and dispositions. If wrought for us at all, this work will all be accomplished before that time. When the Lord comes, those who are holy will be holy still. Those who have preserved their bodies and spirits in holiness, in sanctification and honor, will then receive the finishing touch of immortality. But those who are unjust, unsanctified, and filthy, will remain so forever. No work will then be done for them to remove their defects, and give them holy characters. The Refiner does not then sit to pursue His refining process and remove their sins and their corruption. This is all to be done in these hours of probation. It is now that this work is to be accomplished for us. …

“We are now in God’s workshop. Many of us are rough stones from the quarry. But as we lay hold upon the truth of God, its influence affects us. It elevates us and removes from us every imperfection and sin, of whatever nature. Thus, we are prepared to see the King in His beauty and finally to unite with the pure and heavenly angels in the kingdom of glory. It is here that this work is to be accomplished for us, here that our bodies and spirits are to be fitted for immortality.” Counsels on Health, 43, 44

That can only be achieved by accepting the third angel’s message and acting accordingly. May it be so with all of us!

“Let nothing lessen the force of the truth for this time. The present truth is to be our burden. The third angel’s message must do its work of separating from the churches a people who will take their stand on the platform of eternal truth.” Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 6, 61

John R. Pearson is the office manager and Steps to Life board member. He can be reached by email at johnpearson@stepstolife.org or by phone at 316-788-5559.

The Secret of a Happy Home

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We are living in a time when there is a greater fracture in the family than probably any time in Earth’s history. The consequences affect the family, the church, society in general, even the entire nation. In fact, it seems almost universal.

“And when he [Barnabas] had found him [Saul], he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.” Acts 11:26. These were disciples of Jesus. The name was given to these individuals by others who observed their lives and saw how like Christ they were. We also find it referred to later in the New Testament.

“Do they [the rich] not blaspheme that noble [royal] name by which you are called?” James 2:7. Christian is that royal name.

“Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter.” 1 Peter 4:16

Why were they called Christians?

The people in Antioch talked about Christ and His life on Earth. They loved to recount His teachings and also how He lived by example. They shared the closing scenes of His life, and, with quivering lip, would tell what He suffered in Gethsemane. They told of that horrible night before the crucifixion—His multiple trials, the scourging, the spitting, the shame. They explained why Christ had to be crucified—the atonement sacrifice needed to be made for all in order that they might receive forgiveness. As the people of Athens heard what they said, saw how they lived their lives, they could see that their character was just like the One they spoke about and sought to emulate. They were just like Christ and they were given the name Christian.

What does it mean to be a Christian?

“Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” 1 John 3:1, 2

This divine promise is one of the most wonderful in all the Bible. If I am a child of God, then I will look up and see Jesus coming, realizing that He has made me like Him.

If that is my hope, what am I to do?

“Everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” Verse 3

“He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk as He walked.” 1 John 2:6

The secret to having a happy home is when every member of the family desires to be like Jesus.

We are all different, possessing different temperaments and characteristics. But whatever these may be, we can be sanctified and can reflect the character of Christ. So, what happens in the home if every member has the character of Christ?

How to have a happy home. The principle of order.

Order means having a place and time for things. God teaches this in the ten commandments, specifically in the fourth commandment. “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” When the Sabbath starts, we don’t want to be doing our traveling, or making a quick run to the grocery store for a couple of forgotten, last-minute items, or ironing a dress or shirt. We want all that done during the week or on Friday, preparation day. When you try to do too much work, the result is that you stay up late. This results in sleeping in the next morning. Consider this, if you try to do too much on Friday, you will likely be late for Sabbath. And should this become a continuous pattern, you will develop the habit of always being late to church.

Our bodies have internal clocks called circadian rhythms. For instance, if I am accustomed to eating at 7am, a habit I have cultivated day after day, the circadian rhythms instruct my body to begin to secrete digestive juices into my stomach right around 7am.

If I habitually go to bed at 9pm, but one night go to bed at 7pm, I am likely to lay awake for two hours. Then around 9pm, my circadian alarm instructs my body to secrete melatonin and before long, I will drift off to sleep.

For our bodies to be healthy and work efficiently, we need regularity, and the Bible teaches us this using the Sabbath. Most of the time, God leaves it to us to decide when we eat, work, play, or sleep, but not the Sabbath. As a God of order, He set the specific times, sundown on the sixth day through sundown on the seventh day, for Sabbath to begin and end. Time setting came into existence by watching the heavenly bodies. God allows individual churches to establish the time to start Sabbath School and worship service. Do you think that God will have a set time for Sabbath services to begin when we are in heaven? To be sure you are on time for church service in heaven, it would be a good idea to get in the habit of being on time to church here. The Christian religion involves some logistical planning.

It is a good practice to make rules that will bring order into your life and home; rules that are in harmony with divine principles. As far as time is concerned, we have three options: early, on time, or late. Unless we develop the habit of being a few minutes early or at least on time, it will be too easy to be late. This affects every facet of our lives. If I am habitually late to church, then I will be habitually late to work and other commitments.

There must be order in the home. Irregularity does not promote happiness in a family. So, remember this principle, the more order you have in your home, the happier your family will be.

Am I like Jesus?

Has every member of the family made the decision to be like Jesus? If so, that family, by the grace of God, will grow in happiness.

Speech.

“He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.” Proverbs 16:32

“Do not hasten in your spirit to be angry, for anger rests in the bosom of fools.” Ecclesiastes 7:9

Am I in control of my speech or do I lose my temper? If I cannot control my temper and what I say, I am a fool.

“The Lord God has given Me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear to hear as the learned.” Isaiah 50:4

There are people all around us, including in our own family, who are weary. Encouragement, tenderness, kindness, the words Jesus spoke, will help relieve the weariness they feel and help lighten the load they carry, the trials they must face.

Do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God.

“He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” Micah 6:8

Families who live by those three principles, will have decided to do right because it is right. They will be humble, forgiving, compassionate, caring. If every family member walks humbly with God, the entire family will be transformed.

Gentleness, meekness, and kindness.

“ ‘Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle [meek, humble] and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.’ ” Matthew 11:28–30

The family is where we should be the most gentle with each other. There will be no harsh speaking or rough acting.

“Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another.” Romans 12:10

We live in a world desperate for a little kindness. Some receive very little at home, work, even church. Imagine what a home would be like if everyone in the family practiced kindness toward each other.

“I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.” Verse 3

Consider others as better than yourself. Be humble.

In 1 Corinthians 13, the love chapter, verses 4–7 outline the characteristics that if brought into the life and family will transform most homes.

“Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up [not arrogant]; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked [irritated], thinks no evil [does not dwell on evil]; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”

Where there is trouble in the family, it is almost certain that one or more of these characteristics aren’t being followed. Many people quote this chapter, but truly do not understand what the words mean. These verses are worth some serious study if you want to have a happy home.

“Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you.” Ephesians 4:29–32

“And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. …

“For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. …

“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.” Ephesians 5:2, 5, 8

“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ‘Honor your father and mother,’ which is the first commandment with promise: ‘that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.’ And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.” Ephesians 6:1–4

“I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to have a walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing [enduring] with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” Ephesians 4:1–3

“Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing will be there. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” James 3:13–18

If we would read and study these verses, our homes would become a little heaven on Earth.

The Spirit of Prophecy tells us how to have a happy home.

The Spirit of Prophecy contains a wealth of knowledge regarding how to solve domestic difficulties. The chapter “The Builders of the Home” in The Ministry of Healing can turn things around in homes where conflict and unhappiness have reigned. But understand, transforming a family in turmoil and crisis does not happen overnight.

“Love cannot long exist without expression. Let not the heart of one connected with you starve for the want of kindness and sympathy.

“Though difficulties, perplexities, and discouragements may arise, let neither husband nor wife harbor the thought that their union is a mistake or a disappointment. Determine to be all that it is possible to be to each other. Continue the early attentions. In every way encourage each other in fighting the battles of life. Study to advance the happiness of each other. Let there be mutual love, mutual forbearance. Then marriage, instead of being the end of love, will be as it were the very beginning of love. The warmth of true friendship, the love that binds heart to heart, is a foretaste of the joys of heaven.

“Around every family there is a sacred circle that should be kept unbroken. Within this circle no other person has a right to come. Let not the husband or the wife permit another to share the confidences that belong solely to themselves.

“Let each give love rather than exact it. Cultivate that which is noblest in yourselves, and be quick to recognize the good qualities in each other. The consciousness of being appreciated is a wonderful stimulus and satisfaction. Sympathy and respect encourage the striving after excellence, and love itself increases as it stimulates to nobler aims.” The Ministry of Healing, 360, 361

Satan’s suggestions.

“How many there are who reveal selfishness and unkindness in their dealings with one another. How many professing Christians seem never to be satisfied unless they are engaged in strife. How many home circles are broken because the members receive and act upon Satan’s suggestions.” The Upward Look, 163

Satan has had access to the descendants of Adam and Eve for 6,000 years. He injects his suggestions into our minds, and we must exert the greatest amount of human effort to resist them—quote scripture, pray, sing a hymn. We must rely on the Lord to provide the power He has promised to accomplish what is beyond our feeble human strength and will to do. Only in this way can the devil’s voice be expelled from our minds.

Words and thoughts.

“No unpleasant words are spoken in heaven.” Ibid.

If I am preparing to go to heaven, but have a habit of speaking unpleasant words, what must I do? A radical change must occur in my heart (Matthew 12:24) if I want to talk as Jesus talked. When Jesus came to this world as a man, Inspiration tells us that it was heaven to be in His presence. When He spoke, people were blessed. So, if I want to be in heaven, I must first learn to speak without speaking unpleasant things.

“There [in heaven] no unkind thoughts are cherished.” Ibid.

Do you have unkind thoughts about somebody in your family because of something they have said or done that’s wrong?

“There envy, evil surmising, hatred, and strife find no place.” Ibid.

Envy, evil surmising, hatred, and strife have no place in heaven. If I harbor ill feelings toward someone in my family, if I am willing to carry tales about a sister or brother, or if I feel hatred that breeds strife in the family, am I ready for heaven? If I want to be in perfect harmony with heaven, then I must surrender my will and allow the Holy Spirit to effect a transformation that will result in harmony rather than strife in my home.

“Perfect harmony pervades the heavenly courts.” Ibid.

Families all around the world are suffering and many are on the verge of collapse. If they would read and follow the counsel and guidance provided in the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy, tremendous changes would be seen in each family member and the home.

What is needed?

In order to spend eternity in heaven, our hearts must first be in harmony with the atmosphere of heaven while we are still living here, only then can we be physically taken to heaven.

“Well does Satan know what heaven is … . His work is to bring into every family the cruel elements of self-will, harshness, selfishness. Thus, he seeks to destroy the happiness of the family. He knows that the spirit governing in the home will be brought into the church.” Ibid.

The devil knows what heaven is like so he endeavors to bring into every family every cruel element imaginable. One of the biggest reasons there is so much trouble in the churches of God’s people, is because the spirit governing in the home will be brought into the church. We have strife in the families, which then brings strife into the church, too.

“When tempted to murmur, censure, and indulge in fretfulness, wounding those around you, and in so doing wounding your own soul, oh! let the deep, earnest, anxious inquiry come from your soul, Shall I stand without fault before the throne of God? Only the faultless will be there. None will be translated to heaven while their hearts are filled with the rubbish of earth. Every defect in the moral character must first be remedied, every stain removed by the cleansing blood of Christ, and all the unlovely, unlovable traits of character overcome.

“How long a time are you designing to take to prepare to be introduced into the society of heavenly angels in glory? In the state which you and your family are in at present, all heaven would be marred should you be introduced therein. The work for you must be done here. This earth is the fitting-up place. You have not one moment to lose. All is harmony, peace, and love in heaven. No discord, no strife, no censuring, no unloving words, no clouded brows, no jars there; and no one will be introduced there who possesses any of these elements so destructive to peace and happiness. Study to be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate, laying up for yourselves a good foundation against the time to come, that you may lay hold on everlasting life.” Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 1, 705, 706

“Let the father and mother always be guarded in their words and actions. The husband is to treat his wife, the mother of his children, with due respect, and the wife is to love and reverence her husband. How can she do this if he treats her like a servant, to be dictated to, ordered about, scolded, found fault with before the children? He is forcing her to dislike him and even to hate him. …

“Fathers and mothers, bring sweetness and brightness and hopefulness into the lives of your children. Kindness and love will work wonders. Never punish a child in anger.” The Upward Look, 163

Death to self.

What shall we do to be saved? What conduct will show that we are acceptable to God?

“You must experience a death to self, and must live unto God. ‘If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.’ Self is not to be consulted. Pride, self-love, selfishness, avarice, covetousness, love of the world, hatred, suspicion, jealousy, evil surmisings, must all be subdued and sacrificed forever. When Christ shall appear, it will not be to correct these evils and then give a moral fitness for His coming. This preparation must all be made before He comes. …

“Forever cease your murmurings … let your soul’s burden be, how to secure the better life than this, a title to the mansions prepared for those who are true and faithful to the end. If you make a mistake here, everything is lost. …

“[The] trials of life are God’s workmen to remove the impurities, infirmities, and roughness from our characters, and fit us for the society of pure, heavenly angels in glory. But as we pass through these trials, as the fires of affliction kindle upon us, we must not keep the eye on the fire which is seen, but let the eye of faith fasten upon the things unseen, the eternal inheritance, the immortal life, the eternal weight of glory; and while we do this the fire will not consume us, but only remove the dross, and we shall come forth seven times purified, bearing the impress of the Divine.” Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 1, 705–707

I must ask myself, am I ready for heaven or not? Do I speak and act as one who is heaven bound? Friend, our first day in heaven will be the same as our last day on earth. We are pilgrims and strangers passing through this world. It is here that we prepare to leave this world behind and arrive finally in a better country. But first, we must learn to speak, think, and act as the angels who currently live in heaven do. If I myself learn to be Christlike in my home, then my home will be a little heaven on Earth.

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

The Central Theme of the Gospel

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The cross of Calvary challenges, and will finally vanquish every earthly and hellish power. In the cross, all influence centers, and from it all influence goes forth. It is the great center of attraction; for on it Christ gave up His life for the human race. This sacrifice was offered for the purpose of restoring man to his original perfection. Yea, more, it was offered to give him an entire transformation of character, making him more than a conqueror.

“Those who in the strength of Christ overcome the great enemy of God and man, will occupy a position in the heavenly courts above angels who have never fallen.

“Christ declares, ‘I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Me.’ If the cross does not find an influence in its favor, it creates an influence. Through generation succeeding generation, the truth for this time is revealed as present truth. Christ on the cross was the medium whereby mercy and truth met together, and righteousness and peace kissed each other. This is the means that is to move the world.” Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, Vol. 6, 1113

What is the cross suppose to accomplish in our lives?

To restore me to the original perfection of Eden.

To effect an entire transformation of my character.

To make me more than a conqueror.

To attract me to Jesus Christ.

I no longer live for myself but for Him who died for me. 2 Corinthians 5:15

To deliver me from my love of this world. Galatians 6:14

The means by which my sins are forgiven. Ephesians 1:7; 1 Corinthians 15:3

As Jesus was crucified for me, my sinful nature is to be crucified for Him. Romans 6:6; Galatians 2:20; 5:24

To reconcile all mankind first to God and then to one another bringing peace and unity to all who accept it. Colossians 1:20

To bring redemption to all who will receive it. 1 Peter 1:17–21

To cleanse us from all sin. 1 John 1:7

To reveal Jesus as the One who in a supreme sense loves us. Revelation 1:5; 1 John 3:16

If we want to be saved at last, the story of the cross as recorded in each of the four gospels needs to be a special study in our daily life.

“If we would be saved at last, we must learn the lesson of penitence and humiliation at the foot of the cross.” The Desire of Ages, 83

Babel and Babel Builders

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April 19 – 25, 2026

Key Text

“And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting.” Romans 1:28

Study Help: The Story of Redemption, 72–74; Patriarchs and Prophets, 117–124

Introduction

“As men turned away from God, the divine attributes—justice, purity, and love—were supplanted by oppression, violence, and brutality.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 123

Sunday

1 APOSTASY AFTER THE FLOOD

1.a. How was history repeated in the attitude taken by the descendants of Noah toward God and the truth? Romans 1:28

 

Note: “Noah, the faithful preacher of righteousness, lived for three hundred and fifty years after the Flood, Shem for five hundred years, and thus their descendants had an opportunity to become acquainted with the requirements of God and the history of His dealings with their fathers. But they were unwilling to listen to these unpalatable truths; they had no desire to retain God in their knowledge.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 120

“No sooner was the earth repeopled than men resumed their hostility to God and heaven. They transmitted their enmity to their posterity, as though the art and device of misleading men, and causing them to continue the unnatural warfare, was a sacred legacy.” Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, Vol. 1, 1091

1.b.      What occurred among the descendants of Noah and why? Genesis 11:1–4

 

Note: “For a time the descendants of Noah continued to dwell among the mountains where the ark had rested. As their numbers increased, apostasy soon led to division. Those who desired to forget their Creator and to cast off the restraint of His law felt a constant annoyance from the teaching and example of their God-fearing associates, and after a time they decided to separate from the worshipers of God. Accordingly, they journeyed to the plain of Shinar, on the banks of the river Euphrates.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 118

Monday

2 A CONFEDERACY OF REBELLION

2 a Instead of being thankful to God, what attitudes did the apostatized majority take? Romans 1:21, 22

 

Note: “The Babel builders had indulged the spirit of murmuring against God. Instead of gratefully remembering His mercy to Adam and His gracious covenant with Noah, they had complained of His severity in expelling the first pair from Eden and destroying the world by a flood. But while they murmured against God as arbitrary and severe, they were accepting the rule of the cruelest of tyrants. Satan was seeking to bring contempt upon the sacrificial offerings that prefigured the death of Christ; and as the minds of the people were darkened by idolatry, he led them to counterfeit these offerings and sacrifice their own children upon the altars of their gods. As men turned away from God, the divine attributes—justice, purity, and love—were supplanted by oppression, violence, and brutality.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 120–123

2.b.      How and why did God intervene to stop the confederacy? Genesis 11:6, 7

 

Note: “This confederacy was born of rebellion against God. The dwellers on the plain of Shinar established their kingdom for self-exaltation, not for the glory of God. Had they succeeded, a mighty power would have borne sway, banishing righteousness, and inaugurating a new religion. The world would have been demoralized. The mixture of religious ideas with erroneous theories would have resulted in closing the door to peace, happiness, and security. These suppositions, erroneous theories, carried out and perfected, would have directed minds from allegiance to the divine statutes, and the law of Jehovah would have been ignored and forgotten. Determined men, inspired and urged on by the first great rebel, would have resisted any interference with their plans or their evil course. In the place of the divine precepts they would have substituted laws framed in accordance with the desires of their selfish hearts, in order that they might carry out their purposes.” Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, Vol. 1, 1092

Tuesday

3 ANCIENT AND MODERN BABEL

3.a. What name was given to the place of the tower, and why? Genesis 11:8, 9

 

Note: “The schemes of the Babel builders ended in shame and defeat. The monument to their pride became the memorial of their folly. Yet men are continually pursuing the same course—depending upon self, and rejecting God’s law. It is the principle that Satan tried to carry out in heaven; the same that governed Cain in presenting his offering.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 123

“The term ‘Babylon’ is derived from ‘Babel,’ and signifies confusion.” The Great Controversy, 381

3.b.      Name some of the various ways in which people today are following the example of the Babel builders? Titus 1:16

 

Note: “There are tower builders in our time. Infidels construct their theories from the supposed deductions of science, and reject the revealed word of God. They presume to pass sentence upon God’s moral government; they despise His law and boast of the sufficiency of human reason. …

“In the professedly Christian world many turn away from the plain teachings of the Bible and build up a creed from human speculations and pleasing fables, and they point to their tower as a way to climb up to heaven. Men hang with admiration upon the lips of eloquence while it teaches that the transgressor shall not die, that salvation may be secured without obedience to the law of God. If the professed followers of Christ would accept God’s standard, it would bring them into unity; but so long as human wisdom is exalted above His holy word, there will be divisions and dissension.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 123, 124

Wednesday

4 APOSTASY TODAY

4.a. How does Satan use doctrinal confusion to bring confederacies among professed believers today? Acts 20:29, 30; 2 Timothy 3:13

 

Note: “Through apostasy, fallen men and fallen angels are in the same confederacy, leagued to work against good. They are united in a desperate companionship. Through his evil angels, Satan contrives to form an alliance with professedly pious men, and thus he leavens the church of God. He knows that if he can induce men, as he induced the angels, to join in rebellion, under the guise of servants of God, he will have in them his most successful allies in his enterprise against heaven.” Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, Vol. 4, 1142

4.b.      What similar danger can exist even where doctrines are pure? 1 Corinthians 10:10–12

 

Note: “I beseech all who engage in the work of murmuring and complaining because something has been said or done that does not suit them, and that does not, as they think, give them due consideration, to remember that they are carrying on the very work begun in heaven by Satan. They are following in his track, sowing unbelief, discord, and disloyalty; for no one can entertain feelings of disaffection, and keep them to himself. He must tell others that he is not treated as he should be. Thus they are led to murmur and complain. This is the root of bitterness springing up, whereby many are defiled.

“Thus Satan works today through his evil angels. He confederates with men who claim to be in the faith; and those who are trying to carry forward the work of God with fidelity, having no man’s person in admiration, working without hypocrisy and partiality, will have just as severe trials brought against them as Satan can bring through those who claim to love God. Proportionate to the light and knowledge these opposers have is Satan’s success.” Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, Vol. 4, 1142

Thursday

5 THE COUNTERFEIT AND THE GENUINE

5.a. What facts are modern Babel builders apparently overlooking? Psalm 33:13, 14. How does the Spirit of Prophecy define confederacies in our day?

 

Note: “The time of God’s investigation is at hand. The Most High will come down to see that which the children of men have builded. His sovereign power will be revealed; the works of human pride will be laid low.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 124

“The question has been asked, What do you mean by a confederacy? Who have formed confederacies? You know what a confederacy is—a union of men in a work that does not bear the stamp of pure, straightforward, unswerving integrity.” Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, Vol. 4, 1142

5.b.      In contrast to Satan’s confederacy, what is God’s prescription for unity among the faithful believers? John 17:17–21; 1 John 1:7

 

Note: “We are to unify, but not on a platform of error.” Manuscript Releases, Vol. 15, 259

“Our only hope of reaching heaven is to be one with Christ, and then, in and through Christ, we shall be one with one another.” The Upward Look, 141

“We are now in a time when we are to stand steadfast for the truth. We are to cherish love for souls, but never, never are we to surrender the least vital point of truth, for it is by maintaining truth, pure, unadulterated truth, that we can at this time bring honor and glory to Jesus Christ our Prince.” Sons and Daughters of God, 196

Friday

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

  1. How is the Babel builders’ initial separation a warning to us?
  2. What motivated the building of the tower, and why did God stop it?
  3. Name some ways in which Babel tower-building is repeated today.
  4. How can this syndrome creep even into faithful churches?
  5. What distinguishes a false confederacy from true unity?

Copyright 1997, Reformation Herald Publishing Association, 5240 Hollins Road, Roanoke, Virginia 24019-5048, U.S.A.

Apostasy Reaches a Climax

by

April 12 – 18, 2026

Key Text

“Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” Genesis 6:5

Study Help: Patriarchs and Prophets, 90–104; Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 5, 361–368

Introduction

“Fifteen centuries after the sentence pronounced upon Cain, the Universe witnessed the fruition of his influence and example, in the crime and pollution that flooded the earth.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 78

Sunday

1 WICKEDNESS AMONG THE ANTEDILUVIANS

1.a. How did God and the inhabitants of other worlds view the situation existing on earth shortly before the flood? Genesis 6:5

 

Note: “The holy inhabitants of other worlds were watching with the deepest interest the events taking place on the earth. In the condition of the world that existed before the Flood they saw illustrated the results of the administration which Lucifer had endeavored to establish in heaven, in rejecting the authority of Christ and casting aside the law of God. In those highhanded sinners of the antediluvian world they saw the subjects over whom Satan held sway. The thoughts of men’s hearts were only evil continually. Genesis 6:5. Every emotion, every impulse and imagination, was at war with the divine principles of purity and peace and love. It was an example of the awful depravity resulting from Satan’s policy to remove from God’s creatures the restraint of His holy law.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 78, 79

1.b. How long did God mercifully strive with the antediluvians before sending the threatened destruction? Genesis 6:3. What should we learn from the way the majority responded to Noah’s appeals?

 

Note: “Noah preached to the people of his time that God would give them one hundred and twenty years in which to repent of their sins and find refuge in the ark, but they refused the gracious invitation. Abundant time was given them to turn from their sins, overcome their bad habits, and develop righteous characters. But inclination to sin, though weak at first with many, strengthened through repeated indulgence and hurried them on to irretrievable ruin. The merciful warning of God was rejected with sneers, with mockery and derision; and they were left in darkness to follow the course that their sinful hearts had chosen. But their unbelief did not hinder the predicted event. It came, and great was the wrath of God which was seen in the general ruin.” Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 4, 308

“ ‘As it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man’ (Luke 17:26). Men will reject the solemn message of warning in our day, as they did in Noah’s time. They will refer to those false teachers who have predicted the event and set the definite time, and will say that they have no more faith in our warning than in theirs. This is the attitude of the world today. Unbelief is widespread, and the preaching of Christ’s coming is mocked at and derided. This makes it all the more essential that those who believe present truth should show their faith by their works.” Ibid.

Monday

2 “MARRYING AND GIVING IN MARRIAGE”

2.a. What restriction regarding the marriage institution did the sons of God disobey? Genesis 6:1, 2; 2 Corinthians 6:14–17

 

Note: “The race of Cain, spreading from the place of their first settlement, dispersed over the plains and valleys where the children of Seth had dwelt; and the latter, in order to escape from their contaminating influence, withdrew to the mountains, and there made their home. So long as this separation continued, they maintained the worship of God in its purity. But in the lapse of time they ventured, little by little, to mingle with the inhabitants of the valleys. This association was productive of the worst results. ‘The sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair.’ The children of Seth, attracted by the beauty of the daughters of Cain’s descendants, displeased the Lord by intermarrying with them. Many of the worshipers of God were beguiled into sin by the allurements that were now constantly before them, and they lost their peculiar, holy character. Mingling with the depraved, they became like them in spirit and in deeds; the restrictions of the seventh commandment were disregarded, ‘and they took them wives of all which they chose’ (Genesis 6:2). The children of Seth went ‘in the way of Cain’ (Jude 11); they fixed their minds upon worldly prosperity and enjoyment and neglected the commandments of the Lord.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 81, 82

2.b. What perverted practice was introduced before the Flood? Give an example. Genesis 4:19

 

Note: “Polygamy was practiced at an early date. It was one of the sins that brought the wrath of God upon the antediluvian world.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 338

Tuesday

3 EVIL UPON EVIL

3.a. As a result of rejecting God’s law, what additional abominations filled the earth? Genesis 6:11, 12

 

Note: “Polygamy had been early introduced, contrary to the divine arrangement at the beginning. The Lord gave to Adam one wife, showing His order in that respect. But after the Fall, men chose to follow their own sinful desires; and as the result, crime and wretchedness rapidly increased. Neither the marriage relation nor the rights of property were respected. Whoever coveted the wives or the possessions of his neighbor, took them by force, and men exulted in their deeds of violence. They delighted in destroying the life of animals; and the use of flesh for food rendered them still more cruel and bloodthirsty, until they came to regard human life with astonishing indifference.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 91, 92

3.b. Give an example of how men boasted of their spirit of violence. Genesis 4:23, 24. What will be the result of the defiant depravity present in our day? Isaiah 28:21

 

Note: “At this time, when great light is shining forth from the word of God, making dark mysteries plain as day, is the day of mercy, of hope, of joy and assurance to all who will be benefited thereby, to all who will open their minds and hearts to the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness. But there is an opposite class to this—those who will not come to the light, who despise the truth because it exposes error, and transgression, and sin; and as a result, depravity and boldness in transgression are becoming all-pervading.” The Review and Herald, June 15, 1897

“The forbearance that God has exercised toward the wicked has emboldened men in transgression; but their punishment will be none the less certain and terrible for being long delayed. ‘The Lord shall rise up as in Mount Perazim, He shall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon, that He may do His work, His strange work; and bring to pass His act, His strange act. To our merciful God the act of punishment is a strange act. Yet He will ‘by no means clear the guilty.’ By terrible things in righteousness He will vindicate the authority of His downtrodden law. The very fact of His reluctance to execute justice, testifies to the enormity of the sins that call forth His judgments, and to the severity of the retribution awaiting the transgressor.” The Signs of the Times, January 25, 1910

Wednesday

4 IDOLATRY AND ANARCHY

4.a. What kinds of worship did man introduce, and what are the results, even now? Psalm 115:4–8; Romans 1:22–25

Note: “They [the antediluvians] put God out of their knowledge and worshiped the creatures of their own imagination; and as the result, they became more and more debased. The psalmist describes the effect produced upon the worshiper by the adoration of idols. He says, ‘They that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them’ (Psalm 115:8). It is a law of the human mind that by beholding we become changed. Man will rise no higher than his conceptions of truth, purity, and holiness. If the mind is never exalted above the level of humanity, if it is not uplifted by faith to contemplate infinite wisdom and love, the man will be constantly sinking lower and lower.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 91

4.b. What similarities can be observed between our day and Noah’s? Matthew 24:37; 2 Peter 3:3, 4

Note: “The picture which Inspiration has given of the antediluvian world represents too truly the condition to which modern society is fast hastening. Even now, in the present century, and in professedly Christian lands, there are crimes daily perpetrated as black and terrible as those for which the old-world sinners were destroyed.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 102

Thursday

5 AS IN THE DAYS OF NOAH

5.a. What should we learn from the defiant attitude of the antediluvians? 2 Peter 3:6, 7, 11, 12; Malachi 4:1

 

Note: “Water will never destroy the earth again, but the weapons of God are concealed in the bowels of the earth which He will draw forth to unite with the fire from heaven to accomplish His purpose in the destruction of all those who would not receive the message of warning and purify their souls in obeying the truth and being obedient to the laws of God.” The Signs of the Times, January 3, 1878

5.b. As the rainbow was a token of God’s covenant with Noah, what covenant does the Lord make with His faithful few in the last days? Genesis 9:12–15; Psalm 27:5

 

Note: “We may rejoice in hope, for the bow of God’s covenant is over us. He never will forget the children of His care. How difficult for the mind of finite man to take in the peculiar love and tenderness of God, and His matchless condescension when He said, ‘I will look upon the bow in the cloud, and remember thee.’ ” Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, Vol. 1, 1091

“There will be mighty earthquakes and great destruction of human life. But as in the days of the great Deluge Noah was preserved in the ark that God had prepared for him, so in these days of destruction and calamity, God will be the refuge of His believing ones.” Ibid., Vol. 7, 946

Friday

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

  1. Describe life before the Flood, and the steps God took in mercy.
  2. How is the apostasy of the children of Seth a warning to us?
  3. Why is depravity increasing today, and what will be the result?
  4. What are the causes and results of idolatry?
  5. How does God offer hope even when apostasy reaches a climax?

Copyright 1997, Reformation Herald Publishing Association, 5240 Hollins Road, Roanoke, Virginia 24019-5048, U.S.A.

Error Rapidly Gains Ground

by

April 5 – 11, 2026

Key Text

“Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.” Ephesians 5:6

Study Help: Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, 11–18; Christ’s Object Lessons, 152–163

Introduction

“Those who are swept off their feet by the waves of temptation, imagine, as did Eve, that they are becoming wonderfully wise, outgrowing their ignorance and narrow conscientiousness; but, like her, they will find themselves sadly deceived.” Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 4, 584

Sunday

1 “LET NO MAN DECEIVE YOU”

1.a. How may we be in danger of repeating the mistake of Eve? 1 Timothy 2:14; 2 Corinthians 11:3

 

Note: “He [Satan] is constantly seeking to excite a spirit of irreverent curiosity, a restless, inquisitive desire to penetrate the secrets of divine wisdom and power. In their efforts to search out what God has been pleased to withhold, multitudes overlook the truths which He has revealed, and which are essential to salvation. Satan tempts men to disobedience by leading them to believe they are entering a wonderful field of knowledge. But this is all a deception. Elated with their ideas of progression, they are, by trampling on God’s requirements, setting their feet in the path that leads to degradation and death.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 54, 55

1.b.      Name some ways in which we may be tempted to eat of the forbidden fruit. Colossians 2:4. What warnings should be taken to heart by every God-fearing family? Ephesians 5:6

 

Note: “Human ambition seeks for knowledge that will bring to them glory, and self-exaltation, and supremacy. Thus, Adam and Eve were influenced by Satan until God’s restraint was snapped asunder, and their education under the teacher of lies began. They gained the knowledge which God had refused them—to know the consequences of transgression.” Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, 12

“If you see that students are in danger of becoming engrossed in their studies to such an extent as to neglect the study of that Book which gives them information as to how to secure the future welfare of their souls, then do not present the temptation of going deeper, of protracting the time for educational discipline. In this way all that will make the student’s education of value to the world will be sunk out of sight.” Fundamentals of Christian Education, 357

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. This is heart education, and is of more importance than the education gained merely from books. It is well and essential to obtain a knowledge of the world in which we live, but if we leave eternity out of our reckoning, we shall make a failure from which we can never recover. It will be as the knowledge gained by eating of the fruit of the forbidden tree.” In Heavenly Places, 137

Monday

2 SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS

2.a. How may we be trying to cover our “nakedness” with “fig leaves” or “filthy rags”? Isaiah 64:6; Revelation 3:17

 

Note: “Naked and ashamed, they [our first parents] tried to supply the place of the heavenly garments by sewing together fig leaves for a covering.

“This is what the transgressors of God’s law have done ever since the day of Adam and Eve’s disobedience. They have sewed together fig leaves to cover the nakedness caused by transgression. They have worn the garments of their own devising, by works of their own they have tried to cover their sins, and make themselves acceptable with God.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 311

2.b.      Even after we have accepted Christ, how does He warn us against the peril of self-righteousness? Matthew 12:43–45

 

Note: “The garnished house represents the self-righteous soul. Satan is driven out by Christ. But he returned, in the hope of finding entrance. He finds the house empty, swept, and garnished. Only self-righteousness is abiding there. ‘Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first.’

“Self-righteousness is a curse, a human embellishment, which Satan uses for his glory. Those who garnish the soul with self-praise and flattery prepare the way for the seven other spirits more wicked than the first. In their very reception of the truth these souls deceive themselves. They are building upon a foundation of self-righteousness.” Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, Vol. 5, 1093

Tuesday

3 SELF-JUSTIFICATION

3.a. After their disobedience, how did Adam and Eve try to justify themselves? Genesis 3:12, 13

 

Note: “Adam could neither deny nor excuse his sin; but instead of manifesting penitence, he endeavored to cast the blame upon his wife, and thus upon God Himself: ‘The woman whom Thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.’ He who, from love to Eve, had deliberately chosen to forfeit the approval of God, his home in Paradise, and an eternal life of joy, could now, after his fall, endeavor to make his companion, and even the Creator Himself, responsible for the transgression. So terrible is the power of sin.

“When the woman was asked, ‘What is this that thou hast done?’ she answered, ‘The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.’ ‘Why didst Thou create the serpent? Why didst Thou suffer him to enter Eden?’—these were the questions implied in her excuse for her sin. Thus, like Adam, she charged God with the responsibility of their fall.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 57, 58 [Author’s italics.]

3.b.      How are we in danger of following the example of Adam and Eve in self-justification? Proverbs 12:15; Luke 16:15

 

Note: “The spirit of self-justification originated in the father of lies; it was indulged by our first parents as soon as they yielded to the influence of Satan, and has been exhibited by all the sons and daughters of Adam. Instead of humbly confessing their sins, they try to shield themselves by casting the blame upon others, upon circumstances, or upon God—making even His blessings an occasion of murmuring against Him.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 58

Wednesday

4 SELF-SUFFICIENCY

4.a. How did Cain choose a course of self-sufficiency in his worship? Genesis 4:3

 

Note: “Cain came before God with murmuring and infidelity in his heart in regard to the promised sacrifice and the necessity of the sacrificial offerings. His gift expressed no penitence for sin. He felt, as many now feel, that it would be an acknowledgment of weakness to follow the exact plan marked out by God, of trusting his salvation wholly to the atonement of the promised Saviour. He chose the course of self-dependence. He would come in his own merits. He would not bring the lamb, and mingle its blood with his offering, but would present his fruits, the products of his labor. He presented his offering as a favor done to God, through which he expected to secure the divine approval. Cain obeyed in building an altar, obeyed in bringing a sacrifice; but he rendered only a partial obedience. The essential part, the recognition of the need of a Redeemer, was left out.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 72 [Author’s italics.]

4.b.      Discuss ways in which we may be in danger of following the example of Cain. Matthew 15:9; Jude 10, 11

 

Note: “The class of worshipers who follow the example of Cain includes by far the greater portion of the world; for nearly every false religion has been based on the same principle—that man can depend upon his own efforts for salvation. It is claimed by some that the human race is in need, not of redemption, but of development—that it can refine, elevate, and regenerate itself. As Cain thought to secure the divine favor by an offering that lacked the blood of a sacrifice, so do these expect to exalt humanity to the divine standard, independent of the atonement. The history of Cain shows what must be the result. It shows what man will become apart from Christ. Humanity has no power to regenerate itself. It does not tend upward, toward the divine, but downward, toward the satanic.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 73

Thursday

5 PERSECUTION

5.a. How did Cain develop a spirit of domination, intolerance, and hatred toward his brother? Genesis 4:4–8; 1 John 3:12

 

Note: “Reason and conscience told him [Cain] that Abel was in the right; but he was enraged that one who had been wont to heed his counsel should now presume to disagree with him, and that he could gain no sympathy in his rebellion.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 74

“When Cain, moved by the spirit of the wicked one, saw that he could not control Abel, he was so enraged that he destroyed his life.” Ibid., 77

5.b.  In what manner has the spirit of Cain been rekindled against God’s faithful throughout the ages? 2 Timothy 3:12; 1 John 3:13. Why should this sad fact still bring us hope today? Matthew 5:10–12

 

Note: “Any man, be he minister or layman, who seeks to compel or control the reason of any other man, becomes an agent of Satan, to do his work, and in the sight of the heavenly universe he bears the mark of Cain.” Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, Vol. 1, 1087

“Wherever there are any who will stand in vindication of the righteousness of the law of God, the same spirit will be manifested against them. It is the spirit that through all the ages has set up the stake and kindled the burning pile for the disciples of Christ. But the cruelties heaped upon the follower of Jesus are instigated by Satan and his hosts because they cannot force him to submit to their control. It is the rage of a vanquished foe.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 77

Friday

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

  1. What are some common deceptions to which we could fall prey?
  2. How is Matthew 12:43–45 a serious warning to each of us?
  3. Into what specific evil did Adam and Eve plunge after their fall?
  4. How may we be in danger of cultivating the spirit of Cain?
  5. What is the most common cause of persecution against true Christians?

Copyright 1997, Reformation Herald Publishing Association, 5240 Hollins Road, Roanoke, Virginia 24019-5048, U.S.A.

In the Garden of Eden

by

The Second Angel’s Message

March 29 – April 4, 2026

Key Text

“Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned.” Romans 5:12

Study Help: Education, 20–27; The Great Controversy, 531–550

Introduction

“In consequence of Adam’s sin, death passed upon the whole human race. All alike go down into the grave.” The Great Controversy, 544

Sunday

1 THE CREATION OF MAN

1.a. Why was man created? Isaiah 43:7. What place of honor was assigned to man when he came forth from the hands of his Creator? Psalms 100:3; 8:4–6

 

Note: “God created man for His own glory, that after test and trial the human family might become one with the heavenly family.” Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, Vol. 1, 1082

“Adam was crowned king in Eden. To him was given dominion over every living thing that God had created. The Lord blessed Adam and Eve with intelligence such as He had not given to any other creature. He made Adam the rightful sovereign over all the works of His hands.” Ibid.

1.b.      What reveals that man is mortal, having no innate immortality? Genesis 2:17, last part; Job 4:17

 

Note: “The warning given to our first parents—‘In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die’ (Genesis 2:17)—did not imply that they were to die on the very day when they partook of the forbidden fruit. But on that day the irrevocable sentence would be pronounced. Immortality was promised them on condition of obedience; by transgression they would forfeit eternal life. That very day they would be doomed to death.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 60

Monday

2 “IN HIS OWN IMAGE”

2.a. What do we understand by the declaration that “God created man in His own image” (Genesis 1:27)? Ecclesiastes 7:29

 

Note: “Man was to bear God’s image, both in outward resemblance and in character. Christ alone is ‘the express image’ (Hebrews 1:3) of the Father; but man was formed in the likeness of God. His nature was in harmony with the will of God. His mind was capable of comprehending divine things. His affections were pure; his appetites and passions were under the control of reason. He was holy and happy in bearing the image of God and in perfect obedience to His will.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 45

2.b. On what condition only could our first parents have remained in Paradise forever? 1 John 2:17, last part

 

Note: “God placed man under law, as an indispensable condition of his very existence. He was a subject of the divine government, and there can be no government without law. God might have created man without the power to transgress His law; He might have withheld the hand of Adam from touching the forbidden fruit; but in that case man would have been, not a free moral agent, but a mere automaton. Without freedom of choice, his obedience would not have been voluntary, but forced. There could have been no development of character. Such a course would have been contrary to God’s plan in dealing with the inhabitants of other worlds. It would have been unworthy of man as an intelligent being, and would have sustained Satan’s charge of God’s arbitrary rule.

“God made man upright; He gave him noble traits of character, with no bias toward evil. He endowed him with high intellectual powers, and presented before him the strongest possible inducements to be true to his allegiance. Obedience, perfect and perpetual, was the condition of eternal happiness. On this condition he was to have access to the tree of life.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 49

Tuesday

3 TEMPTATION AND FALL

3.a. After having revealed His will to Adam and Eve, what simple means did God choose to test their obedience? Genesis 2:16, 17

 

Note: “The tree of knowledge had been made a test of their obedience and their love to God. The Lord had seen fit to lay upon them but one prohibition as to the use of all that was in the garden; but if they should disregard His will in this particular, they would incur the guilt of transgression. Satan was not to follow them with continual temptations; he could have access to them only at the forbidden tree. Should they attempt to investigate its nature, they would be exposed to his wiles. They were admonished to give careful heed to the warning which God had sent them and to be content with the instruction which He had seen fit to impart.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 53

3.b.      What warnings should we heed from the way Satan was able to entice our first parents into sin? Genesis 3:1–6

 

Note: “Eve really believed the words of Satan, but her belief did not save her from the penalty of sin. She disbelieved the words of God, and this was what led to her fall. In the judgment men will not be condemned because they conscientiously believed a lie, but because they did not believe the truth, because they neglected the opportunity of learning what is truth. Notwithstanding the sophistry of Satan to the contrary, it is always disastrous to disobey God. We must set our hearts to know what is truth. All the lessons which God has caused to be placed on record in His word are for our warning and instruction. They are given to save us from deception. Their neglect will result in ruin to ourselves. Whatever contradicts God’s word, we may be sure proceeds from Satan.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 55

Wednesday

4 BARRED FROM THE TREE OF LIFE

4.a. What was special about the tree of life, and why was it made inaccessible to man after the Fall? Genesis 2:9; 3:22–24

 

Note: “In order to possess an endless existence, man must continue to partake of the tree of life. Deprived of this, his vitality would gradually diminish until life should become extinct. It was Satan’s plan that Adam and Eve should by disobedience incur God’s displeasure; and then, if they failed to obtain forgiveness, he hoped that they would eat of the tree of life, and thus perpetuate an existence of sin and misery.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 60

“Had man after his fall been allowed free access to the tree of life, he would have lived forever, and thus sin would have been immortalized. But cherubim and a flaming sword kept ‘the way of the tree of life’ (Genesis 3:24), and not one of the family of Adam has been permitted to pass that barrier and partake of the life-giving fruit. Therefore, there is not an immortal sinner.” The Great Controversy, 533, 534

4.b.      Who only has immortality, and why is this important for us to always bear in mind? 1 Timothy 6:14–16; Genesis 3:4

 

Note: “Had Adam remained obedient to God, he would have continued to enjoy free access to this tree and would have lived forever. But when he sinned he was cut off from partaking of the tree of life, and he became subject to death. …

“The only one who promised Adam life in disobedience was the great deceiver. And the declaration of the serpent to Eve in Eden—‘Ye shall not surely die’—was the first sermon ever preached upon the immortality of the soul. Yet this declaration, resting solely upon the authority of Satan, is echoed from the pulpits of Christendom and is received by the majority of mankind as readily as it was received by our first parents. The divine sentence, ‘The soul that sinneth, it shall die’ (Ezekiel 18:20), is made to mean: The soul that sinneth, it shall not die, but live eternally. We cannot but wonder at the strange infatuation which renders men so credulous concerning the words of Satan and so unbelieving in regard to the words of God.” The Great Controversy, 532, 533

Thursday

5 SUBJECT TO GOD’S WILL

5.a. What must we do to be recognized as members of the family of heaven? John 15:14

 

Note: “ ‘Ye are My friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you’ (John 15:14). This is the condition imposed; this is the test that proves men’s characters. Feelings are often deceiving, emotions are no sure safeguard; for they are variable and subject to external circumstances. Many are deluded by relying on sensational impressions. The test is: What are you doing for Christ? What sacrifices are you making? What victories are you gaining? A selfish spirit overcome, a temptation to neglect duty resisted, passion subdued, and willing, cheerful obedience rendered to the will of Christ are far greater evidences that you are a child of God than spasmodic piety and emotional religion.” Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 4, 188 [Author’s italics.]

 5.b.      How only can peace and harmony exist in our hearts, in society, and in the whole universe? Isaiah 48:18; 32:17

 

Note: “The harmony of creation depends upon the perfect conformity of all beings, of everything, animate and inanimate, to the law of the Creator. God has ordained laws for the government, not only of living beings, but of all the operations of nature. Everything is under fixed laws, which cannot be disregarded. But while everything in nature is governed by natural laws, man alone, of all that inhabits the earth, is amenable to moral law. To man, the crowning work of creation, God has given power to understand His requirements, to comprehend the justice and beneficence of His law, and its sacred claims upon him; and of man unswerving obedience is required.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 52

Friday

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

  1. Why has God given us life?
  2. Why are we permitted to be exposed to temptation?
  3. What caused Eve to fall prey to the tempter?
  4. What must we understand about the question of immortality?
  5. What gives evidence that one has become a child of God?

Copyright 1997, Reformation Herald Publishing Association, 5240 Hollins Road, Roanoke, Virginia 24019-5048, U.S.A.