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Sermon on the Mount Series – God’s Eternal Law

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Many people today are very confused about the meaning of the word love. It is mistakenly thought to refer to a wonderful romantic feeling or sexual passion, but it actually refers to a spiritual condition that multitudes of people desire but do not seem to experience.

There was a time when Moses, the man of God, made a request of the Lord. He said, “Show me Your glory” (Exodus 33:18). We read in Exodus 33 and 34 that the Lord would reveal as much as it was possible for him to see and live. It says, “And the Lord passed before him and 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.’ ” (Exodus 34:6, 7). On this occasion it was His character that the Lord revealed to Moses; He was gracious, and merciful, and longsuffering, and He kept mercy for thousands. These principles of the kingdom of heaven were enunciated when the Lord spoke His law to the children of Israel upon Mount Sinai. That law is a pronouncement of the principle of love, but what is that really like?

The Bible mentions many times that the person who has love in his heart will keep God’s commandments. (See I John 5:2, 3; Romans 13.) The giving of the commandments was a Revelation to the children of Israel, as well as to all the people of this earth, a reiteration of the law that governs the kingdom of the heavens. This law was ordained in the hand of a mediator, spoken by Him Who has the power to change the hearts of men and bring them into harmony with its divine principles.

Before God had given His law on Sinai, He had revealed His purpose for the children of Israel. He said, “…you are to be holy men to Me …” (Exodus 22:31, literal translation). Without holiness no one can ever see the Lord. Hebrews 12:14 clearly states that none can have eternal life and see the Lord if they are not holy.

Israel’s problem was and probably still is that she did not perceive the spiritual nature of the law. The people looked at it as a list of things they were not to do. Paul however, when writing to the Romans referring to the law said, “For we know that the law is spiritual …” (Romans 7:14). He goes on to say that he is not spiritual, but, he says, the law is spiritual.

Too often their professed obedience was simply an observance of forms, rituals, or ceremonies instead of a surrender of the heart to the sovereignty of love. In Jesus’ character, teachings and work, He represented to men what God was like—the holiness of His character, His benevolence and His paternal attributes. And at the same time, Jesus presented to them the worthlessness of mere ceremonial obedience. When He did these things the Jewish leaders did not understand or receive what He was talking about. They thought He was dwelling too lightly upon the requirements of the law, when He was actually setting before them the foundational principles on which the law is based.

So, looking at the externals without understanding the principles underlying those externals, the Jewish leaders accused Jesus of trying to overthrow the law. In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus revealed in unmistakable language that that was not His purpose at all. In Matthew 5:17, 18, He said, “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.”

It was Jesus Christ, the One Who created the world and upholds everything by the word of His power, the One Who gave the law on Mount Sinai Who declared that it is not His purpose to set aside any of its precepts, not even the smallest letter or part of a letter of the law. Whatever you study in science or nature, no matter what it is, from the smallest microscopic insect to the study of planets requiring the use of a telescope, everything in the natural world operates under law. Upon obedience to these natural laws, the order and harmony of the natural world depends.

In the same way that natural laws govern nature, there are also great principles of righteousness that control the life of all created beings. Upon conformity to these righteous principles, the well-being of the entire universe depends. Before this world was ever called into existence, God’s law existed. The angels of heaven were governed by it and in order for earth to be in harmony with heaven, man also must be obedient to the divine statutes.

Psalm 103:20 tells us that the angels obey God’s commandments. To man in Eden, Christ made known the precepts of the law. When Jesus came to earth His mission was not to destroy the law or to remove even the smallest part of a letter from it. His purpose, by His grace, was to bring man back into obedience to the precepts of the law. Many decades later when writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, His beloved disciple, John, speaks of this law as a perpetual obligation. He says, “Sin is the transgression of the law” (I John 3:4, last part, KJV). And He says that “whoever commits sin transgresses also the law” (verse 4, first part, literal translation).

Not only that, he makes it very clear that the law Jesus spoke of is not some new commandment but an old commandment that has been in effect from the beginning, at creation, which was later reiterated on Mount Sinai. (See I John 2:7).

A study of the first book of the Bible will reveal that the people in the times of Genesis understood every single one of the commandments. They knew that to violate those principles was wrong and worthy of death. All the principles therein expressed can be found in the book of Genesis.

Those of that generation knew those things that were wrong and they called the breaking of them sin. So, speaking of the law, Jesus said, Don’t think that I’ve come to destroy it, or take it away. I have come to fulfill it. He uses the word “fulfill” in the same sense that He declared to John the Baptist when He said in Matthew 3:15, literal translation: “Allow it to be so now, that we might fulfill all righteousness,” that is, fulfill the measure of the law’s requirement, to give an example of perfect conformity to the will of God.

In the Old Testament we see in prophecy that the mission of the Messiah would be to magnify the law and to make it honorable (Isaiah 42:21). The Messiah was to show mankind the spiritual nature of the law. He would present its far-reaching principles and make plain its eternal obligation. Jesus did this in His Sermon on the Mount. This sermon is primarily a sermon about the spirituality of the law. He talks by name of different commandments and shows that they extend not merely to outward observances, but to the heart and to the mind, revealing thoughts and feelings.

When we look at the character of Jesus, we see in His character a divine beauty, of whom the most noble and the gentlest among mankind are but a faint reflection. Concerning His character, the wise man wrote in prophecy concerning Him, in Song of Solomon 5:10, 16, that He is the chiefest among 10,000; yes, He is altogether lovely.

When David saw Him in prophetic vision, he wrote, “You are fairer than the children of men …” (Psalm 45:2, literal translation). Jesus is spoken of in the New Testament as the express image of the Father’s person, the effulgence of His glory (Hebrews 1). And the self-denying Redeemer, throughout all of His pilgrimage of love on earth, was a living representation of the character of the law of God. To keep the law in its purpose and intent from your heart is to reveal the character of Jesus Christ. He said, “I have kept My Father’s commandments” (John 15:10). “I do always those things that please Him” (John 8:29 KJV).

So, He made manifest in this world what heaven-born love is like, how it reveals itself, how it lives. Christ-like principles underlie the principles of the ten commandments. Jesus said, “… until heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle will in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled” (Matthew 5:18, literal translation). His own life and character showed the unchangeable nature of God’s law. He proved that by His grace God’s law can be perfectly obeyed by every son and daughter of Adam. He said, not the smallest letter, not even a part of a letter can be changed. Notice how it is recorded in the gospel of Luke 16:17 ASV: “But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away, than for one tittle (part of a letter) of the law to fail.”

So Jesus proved, and showed, and taught that the law of God, the ten commandments, is unchangeable and will last forever.

Jesus did not teach that the law would ever be abrogated. He fixes the eye of the human race upon the most distant object that we can focus on, and He assures us that until that point is reached, the law will retain all of its authority and that none need suppose that it was His mission to do away with even part of it. As long as heaven and earth continue, the holy principles of God’s law will remain. Because the law of the Lord is perfect, therefore it cannot be changed. It is impossible for sinful men, of course, in themselves, to meet the standard of its requirement. That is why the apostle Paul said in Romans 7:14: “… the law is spiritual, but I am carnal (fleshly), sold under sin” (Romans 7:14).

For that reason, you and I need the gospel. That is why Jesus came as our Redeemer. It was His mission, not only to pay the price in His own body for our sins, but to make us partakers of the divine nature (2 Peter 1:3, 4). It was His mission to bring us back into harmony with the law that governs the entire universe of heaven. Remember—sin is the transgression of the law, 1 John 3:4, the law that we have had since the beginning, I John 2:7.

When we forsake our sins; in other words, when we choose to quit breaking God’s law and choose to come to Jesus, and see Him as our Saviour from sin and Lord of our life, then the law is not done away with, but exalted.

Remember, sin is the transgression of the law, 1 John 3:4, and when we choose to forsake our sins and accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour and choose to follow Him, then He gives to us the Holy Spirit and enables us, by His grace and power, to live a life that is in harmony with His law. Notice what the apostle Paul said about this in Romans 3:31: “Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.” Why is the law established? When a person repents of his sin and comes to Jesus forsaking his/her sin, then the law of God is exalted. That person realizes that he/she needs to come into harmony with the law that governs the whole universe of God. And Jesus gives to him the Holy Spirit and enables him to keep the law (Romans 8). That is one of the main reasons that the Holy Spirit is given to the believers.

In fact, if you receive the Holy Spirit and do not begin to obey God, then you are insulting the Holy Spirit. Notice what Hebrews 10:16 says is the new covenant promise: “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord. I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them.”

It is true that the systems of types and ceremonies that pointed to Christ as the Lamb of God to take away the sin of the world were to pass away at His death. But the principles of righteousness embodied in the commandments are just as unchangeable as God’s throne. Not one command has ever been annulled. Not one precept has been changed. Those principles were made known to man in paradise as the great law of life and will exist unchanged in paradise restored.

When Eden will again bloom on the earth, God’s law of love will be observed by all beneath the sun. The book of Genesis makes it very clear that those living in those generations knew the precepts. The 7th commandment says, “You shall not commit adultery” (Exodus 20:14). This commandment is one of the most widely broken all over the world today. But even before the ten commandments were ever given, the people in the times of Genesis knew that it was wrong to commit adultery.

Notice what Joseph said about it. Joseph was the enslaved manager of Potiphar’s house. “It came to pass after these things that his master’s wife cast longing eyes on Joseph, and she said, ‘Lie with me.’ But he refused and said to his master’s wife, ‘Look, my master does not know what is with me in the house, and he has committed all that he has to my hand. There is no one greater in this house than I, nor has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?’ So it was, as she spoke to Joseph day by day, that he did not heed her, to lie with her or to be with her” (Genesis 39:7–10).

As a result, he landed up in prison for his refusal to commit adultery. Joseph would rather go to prison than sin against his God. He said, “How can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?”

The Bible says that in heaven, God’s word is forever settled (Psalm 119:89). Nobody in heaven has any question about God’s law. We also read in Psalm 111:7, 8: “All His precepts [commandments] are sure. They stand fast forever and ever, and are done in truth and uprightness.”

Again in Psalm 119:152 KJV, it says, “Concerning Thy testimonies, I have known of old that Thou hast founded them for ever.” If you really love God, you will keep His commandments. Notice what the apostle John said about this in I John 4:7, 8: “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.”

How do you know that you really love God? I John 5:2, 3 says, “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.”

The apostle John had the same problem in his day that we see in the Christian world today. People claimed to love God while hating their neighbor and refusing to keep God’s commandments. He addresses that over and over again in his book. He said in I John 3:7–10: “Little children, let no one deceive you …” on this point. “He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose, the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God. In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.” Then he goes on to say, “… this is the message that you heard from the beginning …” (verse 11).

O, friend, is the love of God really in your heart?

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

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

Health – Ingenious Ways to Exercise

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A few years back I knew a family that had decided to get completely off the grid. The couple had several young children so the idea of “no power/electricity” was incomprehensible to them. Included in all of the thoughts that ran through their young minds was, “We won’t have a refrigerator” and “What about television?” These young minds were in total shock. It was a good thing that the father had thought out much of these things ahead of time while preparing their new home for occupancy. One of the things he had rigged up was a bicycle hooked up to the television. Anyone who wanted to watch television would need to pedal the bicycle during the whole time. It worked and the family was in great shape; there were also times, more often than not, that the television and bicycle were empty. This lifestyle gave the children more opportunities to enjoy the outdoors in place of sitting and watching television.

What brought this to my memory was the following article which came out recently that talked about a bicycle washing machine which will clean your laundry while you pedal away calories. Of course, this will even strengthen the heart which will strengthen the whole body to the glory of God. The following are some excerpts for your enjoyment and thought.

“… a team of designers at China’s Dalian Nationalities University has developed a device called the Bike Washing Machine, which does exactly what its name implies—namely, it washes clothes using pedal power alone.

“The bike looks like a hybrid between an exercise bike and a washing machine. It’s a stationary bike with one front ‘wheel,’ which contains an ordinary-looking washing machine drum. When you pedal the bike, the drum turns and washes a load of laundry the same way a typical washing machine does.

“Although it is not clear whether the device will shift automatically from wash to rinse mode, it appears that the designers could make it perform that task fairly easily with some sort of timer and valve system.

“It might seem like a gimmicky invention at first glance, but it does make sense, especially for those who live in small apartments where having an exercise bike and a separate washing machine might pose a problem in terms of space. The bike could also be useful to those living in remote areas where electricity is scarce or unavailable.

“Another interesting feature of the Bike Washing Machine is that it can also be used to generate electricity that can be stored in a battery.

“In addition to saving space, washing your clothes and generating electricity, the bike will also help you burn calories and shed pounds while performing those other useful tasks.

“A prototype is now being built, and the team has submitted its design to the website Tuvie.com.” www.naturalnews.com/049616_pedal_power_bicycle_laundry.html

Exercise is one of the eight health laws, along with nutrition, water, sunshine, temperance, air, rest and trust in God. These new inventions may lead many back to at least one of these health laws—exercise.

Being creative in your own home and lifestyle may preserve your health so you may enjoy the life God has given to you. Think of ways to keep your body moving such as:

  • Stand up and walk while talking on the phone.
  • Move your arms up, down and around and flex your feet while sitting at your desk.
  • Rise up and down on your toes while washing dishes or cooking meals. Don’t just stand there.

Our bodies were made for movement and we need to keep our blood moving. Hook up an exercise bike to the television so you can move while you are watching or, alternately you might think about getting a rebounder to bounce on while you are watching.

Remember that your eyes also need exercise! Begin to get into the habit of moving your eyes back and forth, up and down, and blink, blink, blink for a few minutes. Do this several times each day.

Your brain also needs some good exercise. Think positively! Our thoughts can change our actions and our attitudes and many times improve our health. Positive thinking and positive activity can rewire your brain and strengthen brain areas that stimulate positive feelings. Every time a negative thought creeps in, retrain your brain to think a positive thought. Give your brain some positive activity. Sing scripture songs. Think on all of the positive things that God has provided. Never dwell on the sad, gloomy or frustrating things. We are told: “… be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind …” (Romans 12:2).

Think positively and be creative in the exercising of your whole body, physically, mentally and spiritually.

Question & Answer – Any ideas when we are to leave the big cities?

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“Be assured that the call is for our people to locate miles away from the large cities. One look at San Francisco as it is today would speak to your intelligent minds, showing you the necessity of getting out of the cities. …

“The Lord calls for His people to locate away from the cities, for in such an hour as ye think not, fire and brimstone will be rained from heaven upon these cities. Proportionate to their sins will be their visitation. When one city is destroyed, let not our people regard this matter as a light affair, and think that they may, if favorable opportunity offers, build themselves homes in that same destroyed city. …” Last Day Events, 95.

“The time is not far distant, when, like the early disciples, we shall be forced to seek a refuge in desolate and solitary places. As the siege of Jerusalem by the Roman armies was the signal for flight to the Judean Christians, so the assumption of power on the part of our nation, in the decree enforcing the papal sabbath, will be a warning to us. It will then be time to leave the large cities, preparatory to leaving the smaller ones for retired homes in secluded places among the mountains.” Christian Service, 161.

“As God’s commandment-keeping people we must leave the cities. As did Enoch, we must work in the cities but not dwell in them.” Last Day Events, 96.

“The cities are to be worked from outposts. Said the messenger of God, ‘Shall not the cities be warned? Yes, not by God’s people living in them but by their visiting them, to warn them of what is coming upon the earth.’ ” Ibid.

Inspiration – The Duty of Forgiveness

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Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors” (Matthew 6:12), 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 practised [sic], 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” (Mark 16:7). 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” (John 21:15). 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 long-suffering 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” (Leviticus 19:18). 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” (Matthew 5:20). “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” (verses 17–19).

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 which 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” (verses 43–48).

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.

Reader, 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 Review and Herald, May 19, 1910.

Keys to the Storehouse – Satan, Job and You

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Our Lord allowed Satan the opportunity to test Job. Read again the first and second chapters of Job so that you may refresh your mind with what happened to Job, because each of us will be tested, as Job was by Satan, as allowed by the Searcher of hearts. Are you ready for the test?

“Of Job, the patriarch of Uz, the testimony of the Searcher of hearts was, ‘There is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil.’

“Against this man, Satan brought scornful charge: ‘Doth Job fear God for nought? Hast Thou not made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? … Put forth Thine hand now, and touch all that he hath;’ ‘touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse Thee to Thy face.’

“The Lord said unto Satan, ‘All that he hath is in thy power.’ ‘Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life.’

“Thus permitted, Satan swept away all that Job possessed—flocks and herds, menservants and maidens, sons and daughters; and he ‘smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown’ (Job 1:8–12; 2:5–7).” Education, 155.

Think of Job’s experience as you read the following end time prophecy:

“As Satan accuses the people of God on account of their sins, the Lord permits him to try them to the uttermost. Their confidence in God, their faith and firmness, will be severely tested. As they review the past, their hopes sink; for in their whole lives they can see little good. They are fully conscious of their weakness and unworthiness. Satan endeavors to terrify them with the thought that their cases are hopeless, that the stain of their defilement will never be washed away. He hopes so to destroy their faith that they will yield to his temptations and turn from their allegiance to God.” The Great Controversy, 618.

Do not think that you or any other professed Christian will escape the testing time. No.

  • Satan will accuse us
  • Our Lord will permit Satan to try us to the uttermost
  • Our confidence in God and our faith and firmness will be severely tested

Oh my brothers and sisters, now is the time to build up our faith in Jesus as our Saviour and Redeemer. The testing time coming for each of us will “require a faith that can endure weariness, delay, and hunger—a faith that will not faint though severely tried.” Conflict and Courage, 369.

Are you ready? This is the game of eternal life. Satan wants to win the game against you and cause you to lose eternal life, eternal happiness because he has lost the battle. Don’t let him! Stand for God now no matter what earthly comforts you may lose. Now is the day of preparation. Job lost all, but God restored much more than he had lost. Will you let go of this world and stand for God at the loss of all earthly things?

Heavenly Father, Give me the strength now to do what is right, no matter what the cost. I want You to be able to say of me as you said about Job: “There is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil.” This is the desire of my heart. You have promised: “Delight thyself also in the Lord; and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart” (Psalm 37:4). I claim that promise. I choose eternal life with You rather than eternal death with the devil. Help me Lord! Amen.

Current Events – Catholic-Lutheran Agreement

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US Lutherans approve document recognizing agreement with Catholic Church

By Emily McFarlan Miller

August 15, 2016

(RNS) Nearly 500 years after Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the Castle Church door, the largest Lutheran denomination in the U.S. has approved a declaration recognizing “there are no longer church-dividing issues” on many points with the Roman Catholic Church.

The “Declaration on the Way” was approved 931-9 by the 2016 Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Churchwide Assembly held last week at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans.

ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth A. Eaton called the declaration “historic” in a release by the denomination following the Wednesday (August 10) vote.

“Though we have not yet arrived, we have claimed that we are, in fact, on the way to unity. … This ‘Declaration on the Way’ helps us to realize more fully our unity in Christ with our Catholic partners, but it also serves to embolden our commitment to unity with all Christians,” Eaton said.

The declaration comes as the Lutheran and Catholic churches prepare to kick off a year of celebrations to mark the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation.

Luther had touched off the Reformation on Oct. 31, 1517, when he nailed the 95 theses to the church door in Wittenberg, Germany. That document included 95 statements he wanted to debate within the Catholic Church.

Most notably, the “Declaration on the Way” includes 32 “Statements of Agreement” where Lutherans and Catholics no longer have church-dividing differences on issues of church, ministry and the Eucharist. Those statements previously had been affirmed by the U. S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs.

It also lists remaining differences between the two churches and next steps on addressing them.

Eaton pointed to past agreements reached by the ELCA and Catholic Church, as well, including 1999’s “Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification.”

Last November, Pope Francis sparked controversy when he seemed to suggest a Lutheran could receive Communion in the Catholic Church, saying “life is greater than explanations and interpretations.” The pontiff is scheduled to visit Sweden on October 31 to preside at a joint service with Lutherans.

And the Vatican and the Lutheran World Federation released a joint in 2013 titled “From Conflict to Communion” that focused on the progress made in Lutheran-Catholic dialogue in the past 50 years, rather than centuries of conflict.

The ELCA is one of the 10 largest Protestant denominations in the U.S. with more than 3.7 million members across the 50 states and the Caribbean region.

http://religionnews.com/2016/08/15/u-s-lutherans-approve-document-recognizing-agreement-with-the-catholic-church/

“Protestants have tampered with and patronized popery; they have made compromises and concessions which papists themselves are surprised to see, and fail to understand. Men are closing their eyes to the real character of Romanism, and the dangers to be apprehended from her supremacy. The people need to be aroused to resist the advances of this most dangerous foe to civil and religious liberty.” The Great Controversy (1888), 566

Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled

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

These words of Jesus recorded in John 14:1–3 were spoken by the Savior at the last supper. He had washed the feet of the disciples. He had given them the bread and the wine and He was speaking with them there round the table. He had spoken of His going to the Father. The disciples were troubled that there should be any thought of separation. Although He had told them about the cross which was just ahead, they had no idea that before another sun should set, Jesus would be hanging on the tree.

There, gathered in the upper room, they heard this wonderful assurance of Jesus, these wonderful words of comfort. It is significant that the Savior was thinking not of His own suffering and sorrow but was reaching out in the endeavor to comfort these who were so near and dear to Him. “Let not your heart be troubled,” He said, “ye believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”

As we meditate on this beautiful passage, let us drink in, first of all, the precious assurance that He wants to be with us; He wants us to be with Him. That’s the whole purpose of the entire plan of salvation, to get man and God together. This is why the gospel condemns sin and points to the remedy for sin. Sin is an intruder; sin is a troublemaker; sin is what is responsible for the separation. Your iniquities have separated between you and your God (Isaiah 59:2). And the reason God hates sin is that sin has brought separation between those that God loves and God.

If you love somebody, you want to be with them very much. Jesus loves us very, very much and He wants us to be with Him; He wants to be with us. So He says, I’m going to the Father’s house to prepare a place for you, and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself, in order that, where I am, there ye may be also.

What is the purpose of the second coming reunion? To unite God with His people. That’s why all heaven is soon to come to this planet; that’s why Jesus is going to bring the angels with Him and send them all over this world to gather the resurrected saints and the translated together to meet the Lord in the air. Then all will enter the pearly gates and enter in to rejoice in that fellowship, that wonderful association, with Jesus and with the good and blessed of all ages. “I will come again” (John 14:3). Sweet promise, wonderful assurance. Jesus is coming again.

But thank God for the reason that He’s coming – He’s coming for us, you and for me.

“Jesus, my Savior, shall come from on high,

Sweet is the promise as weary years fly;

O, I shall see Him descending the sky,

Coming for me, for me!” Seeking for Me, author unknown, 1878.

Yes, it’s for me that He is coming, as if I were the only one. He thinks I am valuable enough that He would make the whole trip just to get me. Isn’t it nice to be worth that much to Heaven? You are, my friend, whether you know it or not. Whether it’s ever dawned upon your soul or whether you’ve reveled in it for years, you are worth that much to Heaven. You are worth that much to Jesus. That’s why He paid redemption’s price.

He does not desire us to be in uncertainty and fear during the interval between His first coming and His second coming. “Let not your heart be troubled,” He says. “Ye believe in God, believe also in Me.” Is it really true that believing in Him we need not be troubled; is that really true? That’s what He is saying. Does He tell the truth? Oh, yes, for in the sixth verse He says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”

Man is feeble, utterly lacking in what it takes to help us, and by the same token, lacking in what it takes to hinder us or hurt us. Man is powerless to lift us up and man is powerless to knock us down if we are abiding in Christ. We want to note especially the security, the comfort, the help and courage that come from looking unto Jesus. “Let not your heart be troubled,” He said, “ye believe in God, believe also in Me.”

I love that wonderful hymn, “Jesus, I my cross have taken, All to leave and follow Thee.” There is a stanza tucked away in the body of the hymn: “Man may trouble and distress me, ’Twill but drive me to Thy breast. Life with trials sore may press me; Heaven will bring me sweeter rest. Oh, ’tis not in grief to harm me If Thy love be left to me; Oh, ’twere not in joy to charm me, If that love be hid from me.” Jesus I My Cross Have Taken, Henry F. Lyte, 1824. Yes, friends, “man may trouble and distress me, ’twill but drive me to His breast.” The utter inability of man to meet our needs draws us and drives us to the Fountainhead of help and courage and strength and blessing, even Jesus Himself. So He says, “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in Me.”

In the closing conflict of the great controversy, those who are standing for God will find every earthly support cut off, but we need not despair as we look forward to that. As David says, “Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident. One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple. For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion: in the secret of His tabernacle shall He hide me; He shall set me up upon a rock. And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me” (Psalm 27:3–6). How nice it will be to hear David sing some of his own original compositions, accompanying himself on the harp as he used to do there at Bethlehem. Thank God that now we can learn those Psalms of faith and hope and trust and courage that direct our eyes from men with their frailties and failings to God, Who doeth all things well.

Let us think of why it makes sense to trust in God. He says, “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in Me.” In the first place, friends, God always knows the answer. God always knows the answer. Things are expensive today but one of the most expensive commodities on the market is good advice. No matter how much a man can earn working with his muscles, the highest fees are still paid for good counsel, solid sense, and advice. Too bad so much of it is misspent; too bad so much of the confidence is misplaced. Now what a wonderful thing it is to find in Jesus a Counselor Who never makes a mistake, Who knows everything in all dimensions. He was from all eternity. He will be to all eternity. He knows everything that ever happened. He knows everything that’s ever going to happen. There is nothing hid from Him.

How ardently men are maneuvering to get certain information in Washington today. Well, the Lord knows all about it and did before they ever started squabbling about it. The Lord knows what the stock market is going to be next week, what the war news is going to be. He knows how you are put together personally. He knows what makes you happy better than you do. He knows your future. Yes, God is infinite in wisdom. How wonderful to have an audience with the One Who knows all things. But that is only the beginning of the wonder. He not only knows everything—He has all power. Sometimes people are strong in good advice but they lack what it takes to implement their counsel, but God is not short there. He is all mighty. He is omnipotent.

What do those expressions mean? They mean that there is nothing impossible with God. He has demonstrated that thousands of times – from Creation right on through to today. God spoke, and the Red Sea rolled back, and Israel went through on dry land. God spoke and the walls of Jericho fell down with no human hands touching them. God spoke and the dead were raised in the days of Elijah and Elisha and then in the ministry of Jesus here on earth. God spoke and blind eyes were opened, deaf ears unstopped, the lame went like deer leaping over the earth. Oh, friends, God is not only wise, He is also powerful. God can do more than heal sick bodies; He can relieve weary hearts. He can heal the sick soul. He can bring forgiveness to sin. He can take away the guilt. He can do anything. He is all wise, He is all powerful. But beyond His wisdom and His power is His love.

There are people who have money that you and I might sometimes desire in order to solve some problem that we think money could solve. However, if the people who have the money are not interested in helping us, what good does it do us? What good does it accomplish? Not a bit. But Jesus has demonstrated that all the resources of the universe are available to help those He loves—and He loves you. Thus there is nothing kept back, nothing in reserve that you cannot have that you need.

Now let’s put that together. Infinite wisdom, infinite power, infinite love – all harnessed to the one task of helping you with every problem, filling every need. Isn’t that wonderful? Well, somebody says, I wish I could believe it. Of course, if you can’t believe it, it’s hard to get any good out of it, isn’t it? That’s why our text says, “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in Me.” As Jesus said to the two blind men who approached Him, “According to your faith be it unto you” (Matthew 9:29), and so my dear friends, infinite possibilities are for you and me if the hand of faith reaches up to the hand of love that’s stretched out to help us. Infinite possibilities, wonderful blessings – according to your faith be it unto you. Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in Me.

What does it mean to believe in the sense that Jesus is speaking of here? This expression is oft repeated by John, who wrote these words. We remember those immortal words in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Notice that God’s love has been poured out and everyone who believes in Him will not perish but instead have everlasting life. It all hinges on believing. Not only our present peace but our eternal salvation is dependent on believing.

John 1:12: “But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name.” [Emphasis added.] Who gets the power? Those who believe on His name. Now this is also spoken of here as receiving Him. “As many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name.” [Emphasis added.] Those who receive Him believe Him. Those who believe Him receive Him. Again it says in John 5:24: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life” [Emphasis added.] Jesus says that passing from death to life depends upon two things: hearing and believing.

This agrees with what we read in John 1:12: “As many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name.” Jesus was speaking to a multitude of people when these words were given. Among them, some believed and some did not. Jesus said that those who believed were entering into life, and those who did not were in condemnation. It is possible for me to make a decision which places me either on the side of belief or on the side of unbelief.

God has given to every one of us the ability to choose – not only what we will do but what we will believe. We can either believe God and enter into His promises or we can disbelieve Him and go the way of rebellion. Think of Adam and Eve back in the Garden of Eden. God made them perfect, but He gave them the power of choice. He instructed them concerning obedience and for some time they cooperated with their Creator. But the third chapter of Genesis tells us the story of Eve’s listening to Satan, speaking through a serpent. Sad to say, she chose to believe the serpent instead of believing God.

Her unbelief in what God said led her to do what the serpent said. Unbelief always precedes an outward transgression. Whenever we do anything that is contrary to the law of God, it is because something has happened in our mind in which we’ve lost some of that precious faith, that belief in what Jesus says. Eve lost it listening to the serpent. You and I can lose it in the same way. Faith comes by listening to the word of God. “He that heareth My word and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life.” Unbelief comes by turning from what Jesus says and listening to what the enemy says.

Consider this: If the person who is strongest in faith, the most experienced Christian, spends next week listening to the serpent instead of Jesus, he will lose some of the faith He has and begin to believe the devil’s lies. On the other hand, if the weakest person, the one that has the least faith, who finds it hardest to believe, if he will shut his ears to the voices of sin in this world and open his heart to the word of God and listen to Jesus speaking, faith will grow in his soul. He will become more and more conscious of what a joyful thing it is to trust in Christ for salvation, full and free.

The choice is yours. You can decide. We become what we behold. We are affected by what we listen to. “He that heareth My words,” Jesus says, “and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation.”

Let’s examine Romans 10:17: “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Faith is just the opposite of unbelief. As unbelief comes by listening to the serpent, faith comes by hearing the word of God. Do you want more faith? Then listen more to the Word. Not only are you to hear His word, but you are to believe. Put your will on the side of faith and action. This is the way we all began to learn.

Jesus said, “Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3). You know how little children learn. Dad and Mother say to the little one, “See this star?” And what does the little one lisp? “Star, star.” How did you learn that was a star out there in the sky? Somebody you loved and trusted told you and you repeated it. Think of the alphabet. How do you know that A is A? Somebody you loved and trusted pointed to a certain symbol and said, “A” and you said, “A.” And so it was with B and C. Oh, that God may help us to be that simple in our faith and our attitude toward Jesus. If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater.

It has been said that there are some things that we do not believe unless we can understand them, but there are other things that we cannot understand unless we believe them. Ponder that. One of the great problems with the skeptic, the scoffer, the infidel, the higher critic, the modernist is this: He does not know how truth is received into the inner sanctuary of the soul. He supposes that by argument he can arrive at an understanding of truth. He supposes that spiritual things can be comprehended by the same tools that are used in solving a mathematical equation. But all the mathematics in this world will not make plain to anybody the taste of a watermelon or a peach, will it? Never. So David says, “Taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:8).

So we are dealing with the experiential, and if, without arguing when God says something, we open our minds and hearts to His assurance, we can grow in faith; we can understand by believing first instead of waiting to believe until we understand. I repeat, this is the way most of us have learned most of what we know in life. It is also the law of progress in the spiritual experience. “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in Me.” He wants that little band of disciples gathered around the table in that upper room to be at peace, especially in light of what is soon to transpire.

Turn again to John the 16th chapter. This is part of the same message that Jesus was giving to the disciples in chapter 14. “These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). When Jesus spoke these words, He was even then in the shadow of the cross. Yet He looked beyond. He saw the triumph and He longed for the courage of it, the cheer of it, the hope of it to grip every heart. “Be of good cheer, He says, I have overcome the world.” He speaks of His victory as already accomplished. By faith He knows that He will plant the banner on the eternal heights and He wants His friends to share with Him in that hope. Are you sharing it? He invites you to turn aside from the temptations of Satan and pay no attention to them. He invites you to turn aside, turn away from men who have no power to lift you and who cannot hinder you if you will stand with Jesus. He wants you to abide with Him.

Jesus says, “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in Me.” You know whether you are resting in Jesus or not. I cannot read your heart. But if you are resting in Jesus, are you not thankful for it?

“Under His wings, oh, what precious enjoyment!

There will I hide till life’s trials are o’er.

Sheltered, protected, no evil can harm me,

Resting in Jesus, I’m safe evermore.” Under His Wings, William O. Cushing, 1896.

Do you mean that safely resting in Jesus works, even if committees don’t vote right things? Do you mean it works, even if some government agency doesn’t understand? Do you mean that holds true even if there is sickness or lack of money? It is always true provided we believe—and we can choose to believe.

If you are resting in Jesus, thank Him for it. If you are thinking that you would give anything if you could have what I have described, realize that you cannot buy it with money. It will take everything you have. That rich young ruler who came to Jesus needed just what we are studying. He saw Jesus bless the little children and he thought, Oh I wish I could get blessed too. But when Jesus, responding to his question, What lack I yet? said, you lack just one thing – sell everything you have and give it away and come take up the cross and follow Me, He went away sorrowful (see John 19:13–23). He kept his possessions and his sorrow. Sin, selfishness, gets in the way. There is no way to have peace and hang on to self and sin. No way. We cannot buy it with money, but we can open our hearts to receive it if we just surrender fully to Jesus and then trust Him. If you need that peace, I invite you to find it in the Saviour.

Elder W.D. Frazee studied the Medical Missionary Course at the College of Medical Evangelists in Loma Linda, California. He was called to Utah as a gospel medical evangelist. During the Great Depression, when the church could not afford to hire any assistants, Elder Frazee began inviting professionals to join him as volunteers. This began a faith ministry that would become the foundation for the establishment of the Wildwood Medical Missionary Institute in 1942. He believed that each person is unique, specially designed by the Lord, of infinite value, and has a special place and mission in this world which only he can fill. His life followed this principle and he encouraged others to do the same.

Michael’s Two Miracles

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Michael bent his head against the stinging north wind as he hurried home from school. Even though it was still early autumn in the southern part of Canada where he lived he knew that the wind and the gray low-hanging clouds meant snow before morning. Jersey Girl would certainly have to be put in the barn tonight.

Jersey Girl was the purebred dairy heifer that Uncle Bill had given him. “She’s due to freshen soon,” Uncle Bill had said at breakfast that morning.

Michael could hardly wait to see the heifer’s little calf. “Maybe Jersey Girl will have a surprise for me today!” he exclaimed to himself as he hurried along.

When Michael reached home he found Uncle Bill in the barn filling the kerosene lantern. Uncle Bill glanced up, his face drawn with worry. “We’ll have to let the milking go for now. Jersey Girl had her calf today, but she left it somewhere in the pasture. She didn’t bring it when she came in with the herd.”

Michael swallowed hard at a lump in his throat. “Do you think the calf is dead?” he asked.

Uncle Bill shook his head. “No. If it were dead Jersey Girl wouldn’t have left it. The calf is alive, all right. She has just hidden it. Some first-calf heifers do that. I meant to leave her in the corral this morning, but she slipped past me.”

Uncle Bill opened the barn door as he spoke, and a gust of icy wind rushed in.

The lump in Michael’s throat grew. “Will the calf freeze?”

Quickly Uncle Bill nodded. “It will tonight if we can’t find it right away.”

Michael no longer minded the cold wind. He didn’t even think about it. All that mattered now was the tiny calf huddled somewhere in the big pasture. “Where will we look first?” he asked his uncle.

“Up the washout. Because of the cold, Jersey Girl would pick the warmest spot she could find. After we’ve searched the washout, we’ll try the grove.”

Michael nodded. He knew now why Uncle Bill had brought the lantern. The thick grove of oaks lay on the back side of the pasture more than half a mile away. Darkness would fall before they could make their way there and back, if they had to go that far looking for the calf.

“We can search the washout on our way to the grove,” Uncle Bill said. “This will save time. But I don’t believe we will find the calf there. The grove is the most likely place.”

Uncle Bill was right. Although he and Michael searched behind every rock and bush along the washout, there was no sign of a calf.

“The grove next,” said Uncle Bill, “and we’d better hurry. I see snowflakes.”

Michael could see some too. Quietly he stopped and bowed his head. “Dear Jesus,” he whispered, “please don’t let the snow keep us from finding Jersey Girl’s calf.”

When Michael had finished his prayer he looked up to find his uncle staring at him in disapproval. “We’d better not waste time,” he said shortly.

Uncle Bill did not believe in prayer. He didn’t believe in Jesus. This made Michael and his mother very sad. They had prayed many times for something to happen that would make Uncle Bill change, but so far he hadn’t.

Michael stumbled on the path and he realized it was beginning to grow dark. Uncle Bill paused long enough to light the lantern. As he did so, heavy flakes of snow swirled against the yellow globe.

Soon the flakes were beating thickly against Michael’s face. The path turned white. So did Uncle Bill’s back and shoulders.

Michael grew frightened. “Uncle Bill,” he cried, “how can we find the calf? I can hardly see the lantern, the snow is so thick!”

“It will be a miracle,” Uncle Bill’s voice sounded hollow. “We’re at the edge of the grove now, but we could walk within inches of the calf without seeing it.”

“Maybe it will bawl for Jersey Girl,” suggested Michael.

“It might,” answered Uncle Bill. “But it isn’t likely.”

“Please, Jesus, make the calf bawl!” Michael prayed as he plunged ahead on the path. He had only taken a few steps when he tripped and fell heavily onto a snow-shrouded bush. A snow-covered mound lay beside it. Michael put his right hand against it to brace himself in getting up. It gave way under his touch. Instantly a familiar-sounding small bawl filled Michael’s ears, and a little animal sprang up and out into the path. Michael seized it with a joyful cry.

“It’s Jersey Girl’s calf! Oh, Uncle Bill, we’ve found it!”

“So we have.” Uncle Bill’s voice sounded strange as he took the struggling calf from Michael’s arms. “We had better get it to its mother as quickly as we can.”

Michael took the lantern and held it close to the calf. “It’s so small—and so pretty!” he exclaimed happily. “It’s the color of fresh churned butter!”

After the calf and Jersey Girl had been put in the barn for the night and the milking was done, Michael told his mother what had happened.

“Your finding the calf like that certainly was a miracle,” she said softly. “We must thank Jesus for it.”

Michael nodded in agreement. He and Mother both knelt, then before either one had begun to pray Uncle Bill slipped into the room and knelt with them.

Michael’s heart nearly burst with thanksgiving as he leaned forward and whispered to his mother, “Let’s thank Jesus for two miracles!”

Heaven, Please! Helena Welch, 36–41.

Standing on the Promises

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Peter the aged, in a summing up of what Christ has done for “them that have obtained like precious faith,” says:

“According as His Fdivine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue: whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises; that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:1, 3, 4).

On these promises the hope of the Christian rests. “Which hope,” says the apostle Paul, “we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil” (Hebrews 6:19). The soul of the servant of God is anchored to the throne above. His hope is as sure and stable as that throne itself.

Heaven’s part in the great plan of redemption has been faithfully performed. God’s purposes in the salvation of men are sure and unalterable. Sometime this earth will be peopled by the redeemed of the Lord. From each generation since the fall will be gathered a remnant of those who have been true to God and the principles of His government. To such the sure promises of God have been as a beacon light, to guide their feet through the gloom and darkness of earth’s error and sin.

While God’s promises are always sure, man must meet them in faith and hold their blessings by prayer. Faith in God and earnest prayer will bring to any human being the sure mercies of the wonderful plan of redemption.

Though we may wander far, and may long reject the overtures of a merciful God, yet the story of the prodigal son teaches how the arms of Infinite Love are ever stretched out to receive the returning wanderer.

The record of God’s dealings with Israel has brought hope and confidence to many a despairing soul. This history is but a rehearsal of the experiences of the human heart. Tempted by Satan we wander from God, but the road is not easy. Afflictions overtake us. As a parent chastens a loved son, so our Father allows difficulties and troubles to overtake us. These are God’s agencies to turn back our feet into right paths. As soon as we turn we find a loving Father with arms stretched out to receive us.

Over and over again did Israel wander from God into sin and idolatry. Then they were delivered into the hand of their enemies. But when these afflictions brought them to seek the Lord, how quickly He returned to them and brought confusion to their enemies. God’s position toward His people during these experiences is well illustrated in the ninth of Isaiah:

“The Syrians before, and the Philistines behind; and they shall devour Israel with open mouth. For all this His anger is not turned away, but His hand is stretched out still” (verse 12).

At this time Israel had gone into abominable idolatry, hence God had removed His protecting hand, and the heathen had come against them. His anger was strong against His people, yet through it all His hand was stretched out to receive them and protect them at the first indication of repentance and returning.

There is a human side to the plan of redemption. This calls for our co-operation with the efforts of Heaven in our behalf. And although we cannot work out salvation for ourselves, neither can Heaven save us unless we take our stand by the side of holy intelligences, and by earnest faith and humble prayer secure the help we must have.

Heaven listens to the faintest plea from those who come to God in sincerity. No one, however far he may have wandered, need fear to approach the throne of grace. Our Saviour left the promise, “Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:37).

And the very throne of God is pledged to the protection of those who place themselves in the keeping of Almighty power. Our Lord has left to such the pledge, that “no one shall snatch them out of My hand” (John 10:28 R.V.). Only our own action can take us out of the hand of our God.

Guarded well are the true followers of our Lord. David says, “The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him, and delivereth them” (Psalm 34:7).

When the armies of Syria surrounded the prophet of God at Dothan, heaven sent a host to protect him. The Lord opened the eyes of the trembling servant of the prophet, “and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha” (2 Kings 6:17).

About Job was placed a rampart or hedge of angels which the devil could not pass. (See Job 1:10.)

When Jacob was about to meet his brother Esau, who was marching against him, he was allowed to see God’s host which had been sent from heaven to protect him. (See Genesis 32:1, 2.)

All heaven would move to the aid of the weakest child of God if necessary, to protect him from the attacks of the enemy. The hosts of evil are strong, but if the battle wages fiercely, the angel guards will be reinforced by the most powerful beings from the very presence of Jehovah.

When Daniel prayed for the deliverance of Israel, the Lord sent one of the most powerful angels of heaven to the king of Persia to induce him to let Israel go. For full three weeks this mighty angel labored with King Cyrus, but without success. Then came Michael (Christ), and the release of God’s people was assured.

God’s people represent on earth the principles of His government in heaven. Hence injury to God’s people on earth is an insult to God’s throne in heaven. Our Lord Himself would come to earth, if necessary, to carry out His purposes concerning His people.

Our Saviour came to earth for the resurrection of Moses. At the grave of that servant of God He was met by the devil, who has “the power of death.” (See Hebrews 2:14.) In thus invading the territory of the enemy, being withstood by him, Christ did not rely on Himself, but invoked the highest power of heaven in the words, “The Lord rebuke thee” (Jude 9).

It is not alone to the mighty deeds in great emergencies that we must look for evidences of heaven’s aid to God’s people. The prayer of the humble saint and of the repentant sinner is as sure of a hearing and an answer as that of the most godly prophet of Bible days.

David said, “This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles” (Psalm 34:6).

But we must come to God in faith. The prayer of faith commands the most powerful forces of heaven. Jesus said, “If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.” But He adds, “Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting” (Matthew 17:20, 21).

But our will must be subject to the will of God. The beloved John writes, “If we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us: and if we know that He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him” (I John 5:14, 15).

If we are true followers of Christ, our will is in accord with His will. Then the Holy Spirit leads and directs our prayer, and it is, therefore, in harmony with the will of heaven, and the very throne of God is pledged to the answer.

But if we come with our will unsubdued, and with sins cherished and unrepented of, we are out of harmony, out of touch, with heaven. Then the line of communication is broken, and our prayers cannot reach the throne. We will then ask according to our unsanctified, unsubdued heart, and God can neither hear nor answer such prayers. “If I regard iniquity in my heart,” says the psalmist, “the Lord will not hear me” (Psalm 66:18).

But more than this, God cannot accept the prayers of those who disobey His requirements. Solomon says, “He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination” (Proverbs 28:9). And David speaks of prayers that “become sin,” because of wickedness and deceit. (See Psalm 109:7).

When our prayers go forth in harmony with the mind of the Spirit of God, they will be prayers of faith, and cannot fail to bring their answer. But no doubting, no wavering must be allowed to mingle with them. “Let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord” (James 1:6, 7).

The waters composing the waves of the sea do not rush on with the waves. The wave is but the upheaval of the waters. The ship upon the billows does not move along with the wave. As the wave rushes along, the vessel rises upon the crest, and then falls into the trough of the sea, but it does not move forward with the wave unless propelled by sail or steam. And so with the life of many vacillating Christians—sometimes on the mountain top, and again in the valley of doubt, but with no visible advancement in spiritual attainments or experience. Their condition is well described in the jubilee melody,

“Sometimes up, and sometimes down, Sometimes almost to the ground.”

Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen, slave spiritual, 1867.

God’s promises to His children represent all the power of heaven. They are not promises merely, but they are backed by the oath of Jehovah. Paul, presenting these sure promises, says:

“Wherein God, willing more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it [to Abraham] by an oath: that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us” (Hebrews 6:17, 18).

And to show that this assurance applies to our day, Paul writes, “If ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:29).

The Christian’s hope is based upon the promises of God. Faith brings the reward. The sincere faith of the humblest suppliant at the throne of grace is more powerful than “all the power of the enemy.” True is the word of the poet,

“Satan trembles when he sees The weakest saint upon his knees.”

What Various Hindrances We Meet, William Cowper, 1779.

Simple faith makes real the promises of God. Paul writes: “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1).

Through faith the hope of the child of God becomes very real and tangible. We have a loving heavenly Father. Jesus Christ is our Elder Brother, and our Advocate with the Father. Heavenly angels are our constant attendants. A city with mansions is being prepared for us in heaven. (See John 14:2, 3).

The true and faithful of earth will have homes in that beautiful city. This earth will be made new and glorified, to become the eternal dominion of the saints. Here they will dwell through an endless life of joy and bliss beyond our comprehension.

These are the rewards which the Christian contemplates “with joy unspeakable and full of glory” (I Peter 1:8). And these are the promises which become as real and substantial to us as the events of every-day life. Through faith they are the “substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

Past, Present, and Future, James Edson White, 1909, 38–48.

When a Curse is a Blessing

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Let us talk just a little bit about trials, difficulties, hardships—those things that we would naturally think of as unfortunate circumstances, or consider negative, things we would choose, in our human thinking and nature, to avoid. In studying this topic, we find many seeming dichotomies in Christianity, and herein is another. What looks good or right through human eyes is not good at all, and what looks unpleasant or distasteful or bad to human eyes, is the very thing that God, in His love and mercy, ordains.

We will begin our study right at the very beginning of the history of these dichotomies; the entrance of sin. Genesis 3:17: “Cursed is the ground for your sake; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life.” [Emphasis supplied.] This curse is a blessing.

We know that God is speaking to Adam and Eve after their fall, and in addressing them, He is addressing all humanity, caught in the net of sin. How is it that He pronounces a curse for our sake? What does the phrase mean “for your sake”? What do we mean when we say something is for your sake? It means that something is done or said for your good, your help, your benefit or blessing. In this Scripture God is telling us that He is pronouncing a curse for our good, our help, our benefit or blessing.

Let’s turn to a passage of inspiration to help us understand this seeming dichotomy. “It was not the will of God that the sinless pair should know aught of evil. He had freely given them the good, and had withheld the evil. But, contrary to His command, they had eaten of the forbidden tree, and now they would continue to eat of it—they would have the knowledge of evil—all the days of their life. From that time the race would be afflicted by Satan’s temptations. Instead of the happy labor heretofore appointed them, anxiety and toil were to be their lot. They would be subject to disappointment, grief, and pain, and finally to death.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 59.

Oh, friends, our God of love and mercy gave freely and abundantly all that was good, that was lovely, that was pleasant, that would produce joy and happiness, and an eternal life of bliss. But man, seeing another choice and deeming it better, distrusted and disobeyed God’s explicit instructions and took that which seemed better in his own eyes. And this opened the floodgates of woe and misery and death. It brought “the knowledge of evil” to all mankind.

This is the lot in which Adam and Eve found themselves after eating the forbidden fruit. But the full consequences were hidden from their initial vision and understanding. Therefore these consequences of sin “disappointment, anxiety, and toil” were, in God’s merciful, gracious, and loving plan, “appointed” [prearranged, selected, employed or allotted] them, and were intended for their good—their eternal good.

It seems possible, and maybe even likely, that Adam and Eve would have raised the very questions we so often ask when we undergo trial, difficulty, hardship, pain, or sorrow: Why?

Before we continue, I would like to consider for just a moment the greatest danger that threatens our well-being the most. It is sin—the loss of a connection with God—the Life-giver. His whole purpose in this world—after the entrance of sin—is the redemption of man. Therefore, everything He does in relation to this world is in relation to His plan of redemption and that one issue—sin, and rectifying that problem in our lives.

We are going to continue reading our passage in Patriarchs and Prophets that indicates God’s thoughts and intentions in regard to suffering, sorrow, trials, and difficulties that come our way. “Under the curse of sin all nature was to witness to man of the character and results of rebellion against God.” Ibid.

When Adam and Eve sinned they did not understand or comprehend the nature of sin—of rebellion against God, and the severity of the consequences. God saw that they needed to be taught these things and what we read next is God’s method to teach them this truth.

“When God made man He made him rule over the earth and all living creatures. So long as Adam remained loyal to Heaven, all nature was in subjection to him. But when he rebelled against the divine law, the inferior creatures were in rebellion against his rule. Thus the Lord, in His great mercy, would show men the sacredness of His law, and lead them, by their own experience, to see the danger of setting it aside, even in the slightest degree.” Ibid., 59, 60.

It is very painful to experience rebellion, but God saw that in order for man to comprehend the significance of his own rebellion to God, man must himself experience what it was like. There is not the least hint or shred of vindictiveness in this lesson that God has ordained. Rather it is given in the depths of Divine love. God knew we needed this lesson for our eternal salvation. This curse then, is really a blessing—a blessing for our eternal life.

God continues, “And the life of toil and care which was henceforth to be man’s lot was appointed in love. It was a discipline rendered needful by his sin … .” Ibid., 60. What is the sin that stands at the head of all sin? “Under the general heading of selfishness came every other sin.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 384.

Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines “selfish” as “Having or showing concern only for yourself and not for the needs or feelings of other people.” So what does this have to do with “the life of toil and care … being a discipline rendered needful by his sin [selfishness]?”

“And the life of toil and care which was henceforth to be man’s lot was appointed in love. It was a discipline rendered needful by his sin, to place a check upon the indulgence of appetite and passion, to develop habits of self-control.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 60.

With what or whom does the “indulgence of appetite and passion” have to do? With self. It has to do with what gratifies “self.” What do I want, regardless of what is good for me, or my family, or my friends, or my God. What do I feel like? Will this kind of thinking ever bring happiness? “Simplicity of character and lowliness of heart will give happiness, while self-conceit will bring discontent, repining, and continual disappointment. It is learning to think less of ourselves and more of making others happy that will bring to us divine strength.” Testimonies, vol. 3, 476.

So, God ordained “the life of toil and care” to protect us against selfishness, the “indulgence of appetite and passion.” Is that a blessing, or a curse?

No sin or selfishness will be allowed in heaven. “Never will evil again be manifest. Says the word of God: ‘Affliction shall not rise up the second time’ (Nahum 1:9).” The Great Controversy, 504.

God, in His mercy and love, wants to teach us the consequences of sin and rebellion, and the best way is to experience it for ourselves. This can never take place in a situation of ease, a lack of trial and tribulation. So as we continue to read from Patriarchs and Prophets, 60, it says, “It [that is, “the life of toil and care”] was a part of God’s great plan of man’s recovery from the ruin and degradation of sin.”

Let’s look at this briefly from another angle. “But without faith it is impossible to please Him” (Hebrews 11:6). To please God, we must have faith. Now what does this have to do with trials, tribulations, the “curse” of sin?

“But ‘we know that all things work together for good to them that love God’ (Romans 8:28). ‘All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution’ (2 Timothy 3:12). It is good for me to tread a hard and humble path, to encounter difficulties, to experience disappointments, to suffer afflictions and bereavements. The Saviour knows what is best. Faith grows by conflict with doubt and difficulty and trial.” The Review and Herald, August 28, 1883.

Faith grows through difficulty and trial. If you want your faith to grow then welcome trials. Know that they are ordained of God for your blessing. “Faith grows by conflict with doubt and difficulty and trial.”

We have seen that trial and difficulty under the “curse of sin” has been allowed by God as a blessing—to show us, to teach us the reality of the consequences of sin so that we will flee from it.

When you experience what in your view is a trial or difficulty, remember, it is given through the hand of Omnipotent love—for your eternal salvation. The key is—how do you accept it? Do you mumble and grumble and complain, or receive it in gratitude for what it really is—a messenger from God for your salvation—a curse that is a blessing. It is God Himself that said, “Cursed is the ground for your sake.” [Emphasis supplied.]

All Bible quotes NKJV unless otherwise noted.

Brenda Douay is a staff member at Steps to Life. She may be contacted by email at: brendadouay@stepstolife.org.