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Children’s Story – Saved from the Fire

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Johnny held out his arms to his father. But before he even had a chance to tell his father goodbye, the soldiers hurried Mr. Wesley away to be locked up in Lincoln Castle.

“Mother,” Johnny cried, “why didn’t Father pick me up and tell me goodbye?”

“Your father owes so much money,” Mother said, “and we are too poor to pay. The soldiers have to put him in prison until he can pay his debts. It’s the law. He wanted to tell you goodbye, but the soldiers wouldn’t let him.”

At that time in England people were locked up in jail sometimes when they couldn’t pay their debts. And this is what happened to Mr. Wesley. After a while, Johnny’s father was released from jail for a while. But as soon as his creditors—the people he owed money to—heard that he was home, they came around demanding that he pay them. They took the cow and the horse. They shouted at Johnny’s father.

Mrs. Wesley gathered Johnny and his brothers and sisters around her and tried to comfort them. Before long, someone smelled smoke! Someone else shouted, “Fire! The house is on fire!” Johnny was so excited and so scared that he ran upstairs instead of running outside. There were so many children running in all directions that Mother and Father couldn’t keep track of them all. They tried to make sure everyone was safely out of the house, but in all the confusion, they didn’t realize that Johnny was missing.

Mother and Father and all the other children were standing in a safe spot underneath a tree in the yard, when all at once they discovered that Johnny wasn’t with them!

“I thought you had him,” exclaimed Mother to her husband.

“But he’s always with you. At least, you always know where he is,” Father replied.

Everyone began looking for Johnny. The fire was creeping up to the second-story window. Smoke was pouring from the front door.

“Father! Father!” came a child’s faint cry. Mr. Wesley stared into the blazing building. He saw a small hand waving from an upper window.

“Father!” came the voice again. Then Johnny’s father saw him. Johnny was standing at the window with the smoke and flames gathering around him! In an instant, Father climbed onto the shoulders of some men standing nearby. They stretched and lifted him as high as they could. Reaching up, Father was able to touch the window. He reached inside, and his strong hands lifted Johnny to safety. He handed the little boy down to his mother. She carried him to the shelter of the big tree where the rest of the family was waiting.

All his life, Johnny was certain that God had saved him from the fire for some important reason. He often wondered what that reason might be. As Johnny grew, his mother taught him about the Bible and Jesus. She taught all her children about God, and it took her a great deal of time to teach all the Wesley children, because there were nineteen of them!

You can imagine that with nineteen children in the family there wasn’t much money to go around. But Johnny went to school and decided to become a preacher. He wanted to tell other people about God and His love. Johnny’s mother wrote him a letter to encourage him. In the letter, she wrote, “Every morning and evening give your heart to Jesus, and He will save you. Jesus will guide you and give you strength.”

Johnny read that letter over and over. Soon he had it memorized. And he prayed every day that Jesus would help him. John Wesley grew up to be a great man of God and a powerful preacher. He learned many lessons from the Bible. He learned that no matter how hard he worked at being good, he could never earn heaven. Heaven is a gift from God that He gives to everyone who believes on Him and loves Him. John Wesley spent his whole life preaching and helping other people know God.

It wasn’t always easy for John to preach and teach about God. Sometimes people didn’t want to listen. Sometimes people became very angry because they thought John wasn’t teaching the Bible correctly. But every time things grew difficult for John, angels would help him.

One winter day, John Wesley was walking to church where he was going to preach. The path went down a steep hill that was covered with ice and snow. It was hard to walk on the path because it was so slippery. As John came down the path a group of angry people crowded against him. They tried to push him to the ground. But John kept walking and hurried on.

One man grabbed John’s collar and tried to make him fall. The collar came off in his hand! Then another man came holding a large club. He tried to hit John over the head with it. But just before it struck John’s head, it swerved as if pushed aside by an invisible hand. John was sure that an angel had kept the club from hitting him.

Still the angry mob pushed against him. One man raised his fist to hit John. But as he tried to hit him, his arm stopped in midair as if it were frozen. Then gently, he touched John’s hair, looking surprised. John knew that an angel had stopped the man’s hand.

Finally, John reached the church and began to preach. The mob followed him into the church and started shouting and making fun of him. But as John kept on speaking, they began to listen. Soon they were listening quietly to God’s words to their hearts.

Later, John described how God had protected him time and time again. “One man threw a piece of brick and hit my shoulder,” he said. “Another struck me with a stone right between the eyes. I’ve been hit on my way to church and on my way home after the church service. My face has often been bruised and bleeding. Yet I felt no pain because God helped me and I trust Him.”

All his life, John tried to help others. He didn’t have much money, but sometimes he would go hungry himself to give food to some poor family. John Wesley was always doing kind things for other people—and pointing them to God.

Storytime, Character-building Stories for Children, 90–93.

Sermon on the Mount Series – A Quiet Place

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Some people believe that their prayers have merit. If this is so, then it could easily be concluded that the longer the prayer, the greater the merit. What is the truth? If a person prayed long enough, would the prayer have enough merit to partially expiate for sin or is it possible that even eloquent prayers could be just idle words?

Jesus said, “When You pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly” (Matthew 6:5).

In this passage of Scripture, the Lord is not telling us that we should not pray in public. He Himself prayed in public many times as recorded in the Scripture. But what He is teaching is that a private prayer should not be made public. In our private devotions, our prayers are to reach the ears of no one except a prayer-hearing God. No curious ear is to hear the burden of our private petitions.

Jesus said, when you pray, go into your room; enter your closet. Have a place for private prayer where you can be alone with God. Jesus Himself had private places for communion with God. That, by the way, is the way that Judas Iscariot knew where to lead the people when he betrayed Him. He knew that the garden of Gethsemane was a place Jesus often went to in the evening to pray.

Jesus said to pray to your Father who sees in secret. In the name of Jesus we may come into God’s presence with the same confidence that a small child comes to a parent. No man is needed as a mediator. Through Jesus we may open our hearts to God as One Who knows and loves us and hears us.

In the secret place of prayer, where no one but God sees or hears, we are free to pour out to Him the most secret and hidden desires of the heart, and the Father has promised that He will hear. Remember, He is a Father of infinite love and pity and He never fails to answer the cry of human need. He will speak to us when we take time to talk to Him. Here’s what the Bible says about His character in James 5:11, last part: “… the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.” The Lord is indeed very compassionate and merciful. He is of tender mercy. He waits unwearied and loves to hear the confessions of the wayward and to accept their penitence. He watches longingly for some return of gratitude in the same way a mother watches for a smile of recognition from her beloved child. He wants us to understand how earnestly and tenderly His heart yearns over us. And He wants us to bring to Him our trials, our sorrows, our troubles, our wounds, our weakness, and our emptiness. He can supply all of our need. The Bible teaches that never has one been disappointed who came to Him.

Notice what it says in Psalm 34:5: “They looked to Him and were radiant, and their faces were not ashamed.” The Lord answers the prayer of even the humblest of His children (verse 6).

When we come to the Lord in secret, telling Him our needs and pleading with Him for help, we will not plead in vain. Jesus said, “… your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly” (Matthew 6:6). If we make Jesus our daily companion and friend, we will become assimilated to His image. By looking to Jesus, we will have an increase in piety, purity, and fervor.

In Matthew 6:7, Jesus continued talking about prayer. He said, “… when you pray, do not use vain repetitions like the heathen do” (literal translation). Now the heathen, then and now, looked upon their prayers as having in themselves merit to atone for sin. Therefore, the longer the prayer, the greater the merit. If they could become holy by their own efforts, they would have something in themselves of which to rejoice, some ground for the boasting. This perspective of prayer is the result of the idea of self-expiation, the principle which lies at the foundation of false religion. The Pharisees had adopted this pagan idea of prayer. It is by no means extinct, even in our time, even among those who profess to be Christians.

When we repeat set, customary phrases, and the heart feels no need of God, we are just repeating, going over, a formal prayer of the same character as the vain repetitions of the heathen. Nobody wants to talk to a friend who’s just mumbling the same set words and phrases in his mind, and whose heart is not in the conversation. The Lord isn’t interested in hearing a prayer like that either.

Prayer is not an expiation for sin. It does not have virtue or merit in itself. All the eloquent words that we might command are not equivalent to even one holy desire. Even the most eloquent prayers can be worthless, idle words if they do not express the true sentiment of the heart. But if we pray from an earnest heart, if we simply express the real wants of our soul, the same way that we would ask an earthly friend for a favor and expect that it would be received, then we have prayed a prayer of faith, and that prayer will, for sure, be answered.

God is not in need of our ceremonial compliments, but even the unspoken cry of a heart that is broken and subdued with a sense of sin and utter weakness and helplessness will find its way to the Father of all mercy.

As Jesus continued talking about the Christian life in Matthew 6:24, He said, “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”

Notice what Jesus said. He didn’t say you should not serve God and mammon. He said, you cannot serve God and mammon. Mammon, by the way, is a Greek word that simply means real estate, money, property, wealth, material possessions. Jesus said you can’t serve God and material things. He said this cannot be done. In other words, no one can occupy a neutral position. There is no middle class who neither love God nor serve the enemy of righteousness, because the facts of the matter are, if I do not give myself completely to God, I am under the control of another power, listening in my mind to another voice, whose suggestions are of an entirely different character.

If I try to give God half and half service, that actually places me on the side of the enemy as a successful ally of the hosts of darkness. So, when men claim to be Christians, to be soldiers of Christ, but engage with the confederacy of Satan and help along his side, they prove themselves to be actually enemies of Christ instead of the professed friends of Christ which they say they are. What happens then is that they betray sacred trusts and form a link between Satan and the true Christians, aiding Satan in his constant efforts to steal away the hearts of Christ’s solders.

We are talking about the battle for the mind and heart. We are not talking about just outward words or behavior. When you think this through, remember that Jesus said that you cannot serve God and mammon.

The strongest bulwark of vice in our world is not the terrible life of some abandoned sinner or a degraded outcast. The strongest bulwark of vice in our world is the life which otherwise appears virtuous, honorable, and noble, but in which one sin is fostered or one vice indulged. When there is somebody who is struggling with some terrible temptation, the example of such a person is one of the most powerful enticements to sin. Thus a person who claims to be a Christian but indulges one sin, one vice, is used by Satan to be a stumbling block to others so that they not only stumble in this life, but may even forfeit eternal life.

In the apostle John’s first epistle, he wrote about this problem, saying things that should cause us to sit up and pay attention. “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world” (I John 2:15, 16). You cannot love both.

Jesus said, as recorded in Matthew 6:31–33, “… do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”

Do not be so caught up in worldliness that the sum and substance of your life is just trying to make a living, or getting material possessions. He says that is what the nations do; their whole life is absorbed in getting food, and drink, and clothing, and whatever material things they need. Is there a better way to live, a higher way to live, so that you do not need to be pressed down all the time, just trying to survive, and yet not knowing if you will be able to survive?

The people who were listening to Jesus speak these words were still anxiously awaiting Him to make an announcement of an earthly kingdom that He would set up. Jesus was opening to them in this discourse the treasures of heaven. But the question uppermost in their minds was, how will a connection with this man advance my prospects in this world? Interestingly, that is the same question many people are asking today. What church can I go to that will best advance my interests, my worldly interests, my professional or business interests?

Jesus shows them that in making the things of this world their supreme anxiety, they were like the heathen nations around them, living as if there were no God whose tender care was over all His creatures. Jesus said, the nations seek after these things, but your heavenly Father knows that you need all of these things (Luke 12:30).

In other words, Jesus is saying, I have come to open to you a kingdom of love, and righteousness, and peace. Open your hearts to receive this kingdom and make its service your highest interest. Even though it is a spiritual kingdom that I am bringing you, do not be afraid, do not fear that your needs in this life will be uncared for. If you give yourself to God’s service, the One who has all power in heaven and earth will provide for your needs. Jesus said, seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all of these things – that’s the things necessary for this life, food and clothing – will be given to you.

Now in saying this, Jesus does not release us from the necessity of effort. He does not say that we do not have to do anything, that God will get it for you. In this same chapter, He talked about how God fulfills the needs of the birds. “Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them” (verse 26). How does the heavenly Father feed the birds? Does He put the food in their mouths? Absolutely not. He provides the food, but they have to go and find it.

In the same way, God provides for the needs of all of His sons and daughters in this world, but that does not release us from the necessity of effort. When Adam and Eve sinned, God told Adam that from this time forward, he was going to eat bread in the sweat of his face. (See Genesis 3:19.) But Jesus teaches us that we are to make Him first, and last, and best in everything. In other words, as Christians, we are not to engage in any business, or follow any pursuit, or seek any pleasure that would hinder the outworking of His righteous character in our lives.

Whatever we do is to be done with seeking God and His righteousness first and uppermost in our mind. You see, friend, God’s everlasting arm encircles every soul who turns to Him for aid, however feeble that soul may be; whether that person is in poverty or wealth, in sickness or health. Whether they are educated or uneducated, simple or wise, all are provided for in the treasures and promises of His grace.

The Bible says that the precious things of this world are going to pass away, but the soul that lives for God will abide with Him. Notice what the apostle John said, commenting on this very same thing, several years later. In I John 2:17 he says, “The world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.” So, if you are one of those who learns in this world to lean on God for guidance and wisdom, to seek Him for direction and commit your life to Him, He will not only be your comfort and hope in this world, even amid loss and affliction, but in the world to come you will be welcomed to an everlasting home where the tree of life will yield for you its fruit every month. The literal translation of Isaiah 54:10 says, “The mountains shall depart, the hills be removed, but My kindness will not depart from you, neither will My covenant of peace be removed from you, says the Lord, who has mercy on you.” Because God cares for everyone who turns to Him for help and shields and protects them, we do not need to live a life that is full of worry.

Are you aware, friend, that one of the biggest health problems in the western nations today is depression brought on by continual anxiety and worry? When Jesus lived in this world, He dignified life in all its details by keeping before men the glory of God and by subordinating everything else to the will of His Father. If we follow His example, He gives us the assurance that all things needful for this life shall be added.

He does not promise, by the way, that you will have the luxuries of life in this world. You’ll have more luxuries in the future world than anyone has in this world. In this world, what is promised is what you need, not necessarily what you want. Since you have this promise, if you have committed your life to Him, you do not need to worry. Jesus gives us advice on that very point in the last verse in Matthew 6. He says, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble” (verse 34).

If you have given yourself to God, to do His work, you do not need to worry or be anxious about what is going to happen tomorrow, because, the One, whose servant you are knows the end from the beginning. The Bible says that very clearly in the book of Isaiah, where God says that He knows the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10). So the events of tomorrow, which are hidden from our view, are open to His view; they are open to the eyes of Him who is omnipotent. If we take everything into our own hands, if we decide we want to manage our own life, if we want to depend on our own wisdom for success, then we are taking a burden that God has not given us and we are trying to bear it without His aid. We are taking upon ourselves the responsibility that belongs to God, and thus we are really putting ourselves in His place. Then we may well be anxious and fearful for our needs, but if we really believe that God loves us and means to do us good, we will be able to cease worrying about the future. We will begin to trust God as a small child trusts a loving parent. Then, our troubles and torments will disappear, for our will will be swallowed up in the will of God.

In promising us this kind of help, Jesus did not promise that He would bear the worry or anxiety or burdens of tomorrow. He said to the apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:9, “My grace is sufficient for you … .” Like the manna that He gave the children of Israel in the wilderness, His grace is bestowed each day for that day’s need. One day alone is ours and during this day we are to live for God.

Just this one day we have to put our hand in the hand of Christ and if we trust Him with everything in our life, our purposes, our plans, casting all our care upon Him, He says, “I know the thoughts that I think toward you, … thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you an expected end” (Jeremiah 29:11 KJV). “In returning and rest shall you be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength” (Isaiah 30:15, literal translation).

Dear friend, if you seek the Lord daily and experience daily conversion, if you will of your own spiritual choice be free and joyous in God, in His service you will find all your murmurings stilled and all your difficulties removed.

(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.

Current events – Pope Gives Marching Orders

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Pope Gives Marching Orders to Jesuits and New Superior

Pope Francis is giving marching orders to members of his Jesuit order and their new superior. He wants them to go to the “peripheries” to serve freely and obediently.

Francis slipped out of the Vatican Monday to address the assembly of Jesuits who on Oct. 14 elected their first-ever Latin American superior, the Rev. Arturo Sosa of Venezuela.

The Society of Jesus, as the Jesuits are formally known, is the largest religious order of priests and brothers in the Catholic Church.

In his remarks, Francis urged the priests to “walk together, freely and obediently, going to the peripheries where the others don’t arrive.”

In addition to the usual vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, Jesuits take a fourth vow of obedience to the pope regarding their mission.

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/pope-marching-orders-jesuits-superior-43012626

“Throughout Christendom, Protestantism was menaced by formidable foes. The first triumphs of the Reformation past, Rome summoned new forces, hoping to accomplish its destruction. At this time the order of the Jesuits was created, the most cruel, unscrupulous, and powerful of all the champions of popery. Cut off from earthly ties and human interests, dead to the claims of natural affection, reason and conscience wholly silenced, they knew no rule, no tie, but that of their order, and no duty but to extend its power. The gospel of Christ had enabled its adherents to meet danger and endure suffering, undismayed by cold, hunger, toil, and poverty, to uphold the banner of truth in face of the rack, the dungeon, and the stake. To combat these forces, Jesuitism inspired its followers with a fanaticism that enabled them to endure like dangers, and to oppose to the power of truth all the weapons of deception. There was no crime too great for them to commit, no deception too base for them to practice, no disguise too difficult for them to assume. Vowed to perpetual poverty and humility, it was their studied aim to secure wealth and power, to be devoted to the overthrow of Protestantism, and the re-establishment of the papal supremacy.

“When appearing as members of their order, they wore a garb of sanctity, visiting prisons and hospitals, ministering to the sick and the poor, professing to have renounced the world, and bearing the sacred name of Jesus, who went about doing good. But under this blameless exterior the most criminal and deadly purposes were often concealed. It was a fundamental principle of the order that the end justifies the means. By this code, lying, theft, perjury, assassination, were not only pardonable but commendable, when they served the interests of the church. Under various disguises the Jesuits worked their way into offices of state, climbing up to be the counselors of kings, and shaping the policy of nations. They became servants to act as spies upon their masters. They established colleges for the sons of princes and nobles, and schools for the common people; and the children of Protestant parents were drawn into an observance of popish rites. All the outward pomp and display of the Romish worship was brought to bear to confuse the mind and dazzle and captivate the imagination, and thus the liberty for which the fathers had toiled and bled was betrayed by the sons. The Jesuits rapidly spread themselves over Europe, and wherever they went, there followed a revival of popery.” The Great Controversy, 234, 235. [Emphasis added.]

“With the flight of the Huguenots a general decline settled upon France. Flourishing manufacturing cities fell into decay; fertile districts returned to their native wildness; intellectual dullness and moral declension succeeded a period of unwonted progress. Paris became one vast almshouse, and it is estimated that, at the breaking out of the Revolution, two hundred thousand paupers claimed charity from the hands of the king. The Jesuits alone flourished in the decaying nation, and ruled with dreadful tyranny over churches and schools, the prisons and the galleys.” Ibid., 279.

Health – Ripe and Unripe Fruits & Grains

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There are some wonderful insights in the book Back to Eden by Jethro Kloss on health issues and every so often I like to review them and share with others these gems. The chapter entitled “Fruits” includes some very interesting thoughts about ripe and unripe fruits and grains which many of us have either forgotten about or never heard.

FRUITS – Chapter XXIII

“God planned in the beginning that fruit should form a large part of our diet, and if we would practice that now, it would mean very much to our health. While it is true that fruit, like other things, has deteriorated very much since creation, yet if we would take care of it and eat it in a proper way, it would prove an untold blessing today.

“In the beginning man was told to dress the trees. This was for a wise purpose. Every tree should be pruned and dressed so that the sun will shine on the fruit at least part of the day, if not all day. If there are too many limbs and leaves, and the fruit grows altogether in the shade, it has much less food value, flavor, and life-giving properties. The seed of fruit and vegetables grown in the shade for two or three years will not germinate. It has to a great extent lost its quality and life-giving properties. Therefore all fruit trees should be pruned so that sun and air have free access. Another thing that should be remembered is that fruit before it is ripe is in the starchy state; in this condition it has but little food value, and is hard to digest. But as fruit ripens, it turns into grape sugar, especially when ripened in the air and sun, and requires practically no digestion. Fruit which is grown in the shade or is picked before it is ripe is better cooked than raw. A great deal of the fruit that is shipped is picked before it is ripe. While it does ripen to some extent after it is picked, it is never the same as it is when ripened on the tree.

“If fruit is picked before it is full grown, it is practically worthless as far as real food value is concerned, excepting, perhaps, the banana, which is a very peculiar fruit. It can be picked green and will continue to ripen and develop its sugar. It should never be eaten until every particle of green disappears, and the outer skin begins to turn brown, and the pulp has become mellow. Most bananas are eaten altogether too green, and while still in the starchy state. When the banana is fully ripe, it develops twenty-five percent of grape sugar, which requires very little or no digestion. Any infant or invalid can eat them when mashed up. … Let me emphasize again, never eat a banana until it is thoroughly ripe. [Emphasis author’s.]

“In buying prunes, buy a large size, for the large prunes have practically no larger pit than the small ones. The smaller the prunes, the less meat you have, and the more pits. A large prune when soaked overnight in cold water can be eaten without any cooking, and is very delicious. You can do the same thing with figs, apricots, or peaches when you get a good grade. When you do cook them, a very little cooking is all that is needed. Remember that the fruit before it is ripe is in the starchy state and requires cooking and digestion, and after it is thoroughly ripened it requires no cooking and little digestion. The juice is ready for assimilation.

“Unripe grains are the opposite of unripe fruits. The grain before ripe is in the milky state, or grape sugar state and could be digested without any cooking. That is the way the grain was eaten in the beginning, and no doubt that is the way the disciples and Jesus ate it. But when it ripens, it turns into starch. We have no fluid to digest raw starch properly, and therefore grains should be thoroughly cooked.”

“All the elements of nutrition are contained in the fruits, vegetables and grains.” The Review and Herald, May 8, 1883.

“However, the juice of oranges, grapes, pineapples, and grapefruit may be taken when pure with no sugar added. These juices can with good results be taken as a drink between meals to quench the thirst.

“There are several reasons why we should not drink with the meals and eat so much soft food. First, we hear so much about alkaline foods and that they are all right to be eaten, but an indisputable fact is that the saliva is highly alkaline and much more so than any of these alkaline foods. And the fact is if we eat our food dry, getting it thoroughly saturated with saliva, it alkalinizes the system more than all the alkaline foods combined that we know. And second, when the food reaches the stomach there comes the digestive juice known as the gastric juice. In order for the gastric juice to properly do its work it needs the saliva and then as the food leaves the stomach there comes the pancreatic juice and the bile. They cannot do their proper work without the saliva and the gastric juice. If many of these little points were observed, you would see a marvelous improvement in your health. And then another point is: When you take so much fluid with your meals and also the soft foods, it dilutes these various digestive fluids so they are too weak and have not the proper power to digest the food as God had planned they should. There is perfect law and order in our system, and when we violate these, we have to suffer the consequences.

“Many years ago when we made tests on these things, we found that half a good-sized lemon would destroy typhoid germs in a glass of water and the healthy gastric juice in the stomach is four times as strong as the lemon juice. …” Back to Eden, Jethro Kloss, 154–157.

This wisdom applies also to our day for many are unaware of health hazards. Praise God for His wisdom and watch care of us.

Q & A – What ways do we deny Jesus before others in Matthew 10:33?

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“But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.” Matthew 10:33.

To deny Jesus is a very serious thing to do. The following will show us some ways in which denial of Christ is reflected in our lives.

“Jesus continues: As you confess Me before men, so I will confess you before God and the holy angels. You are to be My witnesses upon earth, channels through which My grace can flow for the healing of the world. So I will be your representative in heaven. The Father beholds not your faulty character, but He sees you as clothed in My perfection. I am the medium through which Heaven’s blessings shall come to you. And everyone who confesses Me by sharing My sacrifice for the lost shall be confessed as a sharer in the glory and joy of the redeemed.

“He who would confess Christ must have Christ abiding in him. He cannot communicate that which he has not received. The disciples might speak fluently on doctrines, they might repeat the words of Christ Himself; but unless they possessed Christlike meekness and love, they were not confessing Him.

  • A spirit contrary to the spirit of Christ would deny Him, whatever the profession.
  • Men may deny Christ by evilspeaking,
  • by foolish talking,
  • by words that are untruthful or unkind.
  • They may deny Him by shunning life’s burdens,
  • by the pursuit of sinful pleasure.
  • They may deny Him by conforming to the world,
  • by uncourteous behavior,
  • by the love of their own opinions,
  • by justifying self,
  • by cherishing doubt,
  • borrowing trouble, and dwelling in darkness.

In all these ways they declare that Christ is not in them. And ‘whosoever shall deny Me before men,’ He says, ‘him will I also deny before My Father which is in heaven.’ ” The Desire of Ages, 357.

Inspiration – Mingling Error With Truth

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In the days of King Josiah a strange appearance could be seen opposite the temple of God. Crowning the eminence of the Mount of Olives, peering above the groves of myrtle and olive trees, were unseemly, gigantic idols. Josiah gave commandment that these idols should be destroyed. This was done, and the broken fragments were rolled down the channel of the Kedron. The shrines were left a mass of ruins.

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

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

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

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

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

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

God has given men and women talents. None of these gifts are to be perverted to Satan’s service. We need to guard jealously the simplicity of our faith. Let none who know the truth employ their mental faculties in any work that leads away from right principles. Thus they prostitute their powers, which are gifts from the Heavenly Father, and bring upon themselves spiritual weakness and inefficiency. We can not with safety tamper with the leaven of false, dishonoring doctrines. Think of Solomon’s history, and do not mingle error with the truth.

The safeguards of our peace are to be preserved by watchfulness and much prayer. Great care is to be shown in the choice of associates, lest instead of leading them, we are led into evil, and imperil our souls. We must do nothing to lower the standard of our religious principles. Let there be a decided reformation. Let nothing be done to weaken the faith or mar the soul. Let our reward be the clean hands, the pure heart, the noble purpose.

The Review and Herald, March 10, 1910.

Keys to the Storehouse – Angel Messenger

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Are you one of those persons the word of God calls an angel? One meaning from the 1828 Webster’s dictionary is: “Literally, a messenger; one employed to communicate news or information from one person to another …”

“To prepare human beings for this event [Christ’s second coming], He has sent the first, second, and third angels’ messages. These angels represent those who receive the truth, and with power open the gospel to the world.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, 978, 979.

The first angel said, “Fear God, and give glory to Him …” (Revelation 14:7). Is that angel you? You will know whether you are that angel by what you are thinking and doing. “To give glory to God is to reveal His character in our own, and thus make Him known.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, 979.

Does your life reveal God’s character? “If the thoughts are wrong, the feelings will be wrong; and the thoughts and feelings combined make up the moral character.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 310. “Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them” (Matthew 7:20). What fruits are we talking about? “… love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance …” (Galatians 5:22, 23). Those who truly embrace the truth and allow it to become part of their lives will bear these fruits which will flow through them and touch the people around them. All are called to be an angel with a special message from the heavenly courts.

“I saw a number of companies that seemed to be bound together by cords. Many in these companies were in total darkness; their eyes were directed downward to the earth, and there seemed to be no connection between them and Jesus. But scattered through these different companies were persons whose countenances looked light, and whose eyes were raised to heaven. Beams of light from Jesus, like rays from the sun, were imparted to them. … I heard the voice of an angel cry, ‘Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come’ (Revelation 14:7).

[Are you that angel crying to others: “Fear God and give glory to Him” by your actions and words? Have you so broken ties with the world around you that Jesus Christ is first in every area of your life?]

“A glorious light then rested down upon these companies, to enlighten all who would receive it. Some of those who were in darkness received the light and rejoiced. Others resisted the light from heaven, saying that it was sent to lead them astray. The light passed away from them, and they were left in darkness.” Early Writings, 240.

Live up to your high calling! Be the Lord’s messenger and take your position now! “Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and His glory [His character] shall be seen upon thee” (Isaiah 60:1, 2).

Heavenly Father: Help me to be one of those angels bearing the last message to a fallen world. I want to embrace all of the truth which You have shared with me that it may shine unto others through my actions and demeanor. Please allow Your glory to shine in and through me this day. Use me Father for I choose to be Your angel with Your last message to this perishing world. Amen.

The Surrender of Self

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How do you see yourself in your Christian journey? Are you stronger in the things of God than you have ever been before? Every day with Jesus should be sweeter than the day before. Each moment should find us moving up in our experience with a deeper sweeter faith than we had the moment before.

Yet I hope no one is satisfied that God has finished His work of growth and sanctification in the life. This very moment He wants to lead us out deeper into the waters of surrender and consecration. There are still victories to be won; there are sins to be put away, and there is a drawing together that needs to be accomplished by the Holy Spirit. God really means what He says in the fantastic promises of Romans six. No other chapter of the Bible is so lavishly excessive in giving assurance to a struggling Christian. Consider these extravagant phrases for example:

“Shall we continue in sin? … God forbid” (verses 1, 2). “We that are dead to sin” (verse 2). “Henceforth we should not serve sin” (verse 6). “Freed from sin” (verse 7). “Dead indeed to sin” (verse 11). “Let no sin therefore reign” (verse 12). “Being made free from sin” (verse 18).

There is certainly nothing ambiguous about any of those texts. But is there some secret meaning or perhaps some hidden reservation which might not apply literally to us in these promises? We are tempted to believe so because of the almost fanatical element of certainty in each verse and line.

Some people are frightened by the book of Romans simply because it describes the perfect work God wants to do in sanctifying us from our sins. Many people are also afraid of that word “perfect.” They are fearful that God will ask them to do something that they are not willing to do.

God will never do anything in our spiritual lives that we are not willing for Him to do. He never coerces the will or pressures us into any actions to which we have not given consent. So we can totally disabuse our minds of being forced into any life choices which we are not free and sovereign.

But now we come face to face with the basic root weakness which has led millions into discouragement and defeat. They simply have not been reconciled to giving up the enjoyment of their sins. There is a certain shallow, short-lived pleasure in sin which dances over the emotions and seeks to capture the mind through the sensory pathway of the flesh. In every case there must be a decision of the will to forfeit those temporary physical “pleasures of sin for a season” (Hebrews 11:25). Until that choice is made and acted upon, there can be no real victory over sin in the life.

Are you resigned to the stripping away of all your darling indulgences and prepared to accept all the results of a complete surrender to Christ? There are only two possible reasons for a person holding back and failing to gain the victory over sin. Either he is not willing to give up the enjoyment of the sin or else he does not believe that God will give him deliverance from it. Being willing, of course, is our problem, but seeing it done is God’s part alone. We must be willing, but we can never be able. Let us now look at these two great mental blocks which have stolen the victory from so many of God’s people.

Self—The Greatest Enemy

Most of us are aware that self is the greatest enemy we face. Once we have settled it with the old man of the flesh who seeks to rule over us, all the other victories will come in their course.

God has given every one of us a powerful personal weapon to use in combating the self-nature. The will is our only natural reserve weapon, and absolutely everything depends on the right action of this resource. The ultimate sin in the eyes of God, the final factor that will cause a soul to be lost, is to deliberately say no to the will of God. We become whatever we choose to be. We are not what we feel, or what we might do or say in a simple impulsive moment of our life. We are what we will to be. We cannot always control our emotions, but we can control our will.

Feelings have nothing to do with the truth of God. It is not your feelings, your emotions, that make you a child of God, but the doing of God’s will. Perhaps you had a headache or arthritis pain when you woke up this morning, but does that change the fact that God loves you? Does it alter the truth that the seventh day is the Sabbath? Whether you feel good or bad, the truth remains exactly the same.

Some people can feel wonderful during an evangelistic crusade or a special revival weekend, but when the meetings are finished, their faith plummets to rock bottom. It is a yo-yo effect with everything tied to emotions generated by circumstances.

We must recognize the fact that our will and God’s will, at some point, must come into violent collision. Either we let Him have His way or we choose our own course. And when it happens, most people are not willing to admit the true cause behind the raging conflict. They do not see the battle as primarily linked to the self-nature.

Hundreds of “reasons” are given for not going all the way with Christ. It may be because of Sabbath work, or doubts about the Bible, or opposition of relatives. But none of those things are the true reasons. It goes much deeper than the words they are uttering. There is a basic nature problem behind their lack of commitment. They talk about twigs and leaves when the real problem is the roots. The truth is that God wants something that self is not willing to give up. They love something more than they love God.

Have you ever wondered why Jesus made that strange statement in Matthew 16:24, “If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me?” Why didn’t the Master finish the sentence by spelling out the thing to be denied? “Let him deny himself”—what? Drugs, alcohol, tobacco, Sabbath-breaking? No. Just deny himself, period. Jesus knew that self was behind every angry battle against the truth. Once that victory is gained, all other victories will also be won.

Multitudes are outside the will of God and outside the church because they are not willing to give up something that they love more than they love God while thousands are in the church and are perfectly miserable because something in their life has been fighting the will of God for years. To be a true Christian requires surrender above everything else.

Do you recall the time that your desire and God’s will met in fearful conflict? There was a titanic struggle. The old self-nature hardened itself and resisted every impulse to turn away from rebellion and sin. Under deep conviction you wrestled and agonized against the powers of the flesh, but to no avail. Then, finally, you surrendered your stubborn will and the battle was over. Peace flooded into your heart, and glorious victory was immediately realized.

What happened to change the picture? Did you finally manage to drive back the devil? Definitely not. Your battle was with self, and when you became willing, God gave you the victory over that carnal enemy. “Thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (I Corinthians 15:57).

It may sound foolish, but it is still true: before you can have, you must give away; before you can be full, you must be empty; before you can live, you must die; and before you have the victory, you must surrender.

I don’t believe anyone ever felt so defeated, depressed, and cheated as eleven men did on a Friday night almost two thousand years ago. Jesus had promised them the world. They were going to sit on thrones and rule kingdoms. Life would be marvelous for them. They were important. Then, suddenly, Jesus was arrested, tortured, and crucified. The world had come to an end for them. Nothing will bring us as low as the cross brought them. Not even crippling disease, financial failure, desertion of friends, death of dear ones, or injustices of life. But was it defeat? On the contrary, it was the most glorious moment of victory this world has ever known.

Is Trying the Answer?

We have to admit that we fight an enemy who is stronger than we are. In the weakness of the flesh we find ourselves bound in mind and body by the superior strength of our spiritual enemy. We resolutely struggle to extricate ourselves from the bondage, but the harder we try the deeper we sink into the mire.

We do not need instruction in theology to acquaint us with the facts about our fallen nature. All of us have struggled with memories of failure and compromise. We have desperately tried to blot out scenes of unfaithfulness from our minds, but every such effort has ended in utter defeat.

I heard of a holy man in India who traveled from village to village laying claim to special creative power. As a result of his Himalayan pilgrimage, the sadhu professed to hold the secret for making gold. He would fill a large caldron with water and then stir the contents vigorously while uttering his sacred incantation. But in the process of stirring he also slyly slipped some gold nuggets into the water without being detected.

The head man of one village wanted to buy the secret for making gold and the holy man agreed to sell it for 500 rupees. After explaining the stirring and the prayers to be repeated the priest took his 500 rupees and started to leave. Then he turned back and gave a final word of warning, “When you are stirring the water and uttering the prayers you must never once think of the red-faced monkey, or the gold will not come!”

As you can imagine the headman never could make the formula work because every single time he stirred the water, there was the red-faced monkey sitting at the edge of his mind, grinning at him.

We have absolutely no natural ability to keep the thoughts and imagination under control for the simple reason that they are rooted in our sinful natures. Only when the mind has been regenerated through the process of conversion can the individual subjugate the lower, physical powers and bring them under the effective control of the Holy Spirit. Only in this way may the very intents of the heart be sanctified and brought into harmony with Christ. Without the transforming grace of the new birth, “the carnal mind … is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be” (Romans 8:7).

Controlling the Inner Spirit

Have you noticed that it is always easier to deal with external actions than with internal dispositions? Well-disciplined people can force themselves to act correctly on the outside, even when the inward desires are at war with the outward conduct. The Bible teaches that this conflict must cease between how we think and how we act. A true Christian will be the same in both mind and body.

All of us have seen drivers dutifully slow down to fifteen miles per hour through the school zones. They appear so submissive and law-abiding as they creep along in front of the uniformed traffic patrol lady. Yet those drivers are usually seething with internal anger and rebellion because of missing an appointment. Self is behind that angry battle, and the stubborn will has simply not yielded to the idea of obedience. Here is where the desperate need lies for those who claim to be in the family of God. Almost anyone with minimum acting skills can force conformity to the rules (especially if they think someone is watching) but almost no one can force himself to be sweet about it. We can try till our dying breath and we will never be able to alter the unconverted disposition by dint of determination. Such a major shift requires the creation of new attitudes and thought patterns.

Many are convinced that they are Christians just because they act in a certain way and conform to biblical rules and principles. In other words, their lifestyle and behavior identifies them as not of this world. Or does it? Can we always recognize a true child of God by his conduct? Perhaps we can over a period of time, but pretenders are able to deceive most of us for a good while. Eventually the nature behind the good works begins to appear and the charade is seen for what it really is.

Isaiah wrote, “If ye be willing and obedient ye shall eat the good of the land” (Isaiah 1:19). Some people are obedient without being willing, and their fruit is soon exposed as artificial. This teaches us that two mistakes can be made concerning those who keep God’s law carefully. We might wrongly assume they are legalists because they look so seriously upon the slightest disobedience, or we might wrongly assume they are true Christians just because they show zeal for conforming to the law.

Judging the Outward Actions

No one can read the motives of another. Therefore, it is a dangerous, judgmental attitude to deprecate the apparent caring concern that a fellow Christian has for keeping the commandments. If his works indeed are based upon principles of self-effort and do-it-yourself salvation, the truth will be exposed soon enough. But if he has a genuine love relationship with Christ which constrains him to be meticulous in obedience, then he deserves commendation instead of criticism.

So we must conclude that it is a fatal delusion to depend upon trying harder and struggling longer to get the victory over sin. The secret is trusting instead of trying, and time will only make a young sinner into an old sinner. Finally, we must admit that we are not as strong as our adversary, and as we surrender our dependence upon human strength and effort, God provides the glorious gift of victory.

Jesus said, “Without Me ye can do nothing” (John 15:5). That is a tremendous truth, but we must go far beyond the negativism of this statement and experience the positive reality of Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” The difference between “all things” and “no thing” is Christ.

This does not imply that we sit back in relaxed idleness while God assumes all the responsibility of overcoming sin. One belongs to God and the other to us. The possibility rests with God and the responsibility rests with us. And as we begin to act against the sin in our life, God provides the power to actually break with the sin.

How far may we go in utilizing that faith method of claiming the victory? John declares that “this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith” (I John 5:4). By submitting to that higher power which reaches down from above, the soul is able to bring every thought into captivity to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5).

Perhaps it can be clarified with an illustration. Suppose a farmer walks along his garden path and looks down at the soil beneath his feet. Aloud he wonders whether the minerals in that dirt could ever be transformed into vegetables. The human answer immediately fills his head. “Of course not. There are only three categories: vegetable, mineral, and animal; and they always remain distinct and recognizable.”

Soon afterward the farmer laid out neat rows by the garden path and carefully planted the cabbage seed according to the instructions on the package. Then the gentle rains slowly moistened the ground, and the warming rays of the sun began to exercise their particular magic on the tiny seeds. They began to germinate and grow, and under those favorable influences from above, the root system began to draw the actual mineral elements into the leaves of the cabbage. By some mysterious process still not fully comprehended by the scientist, the iron, phosphorus, and magnesium were incorporated into the plant and transformed into the vegetable form of the cabbage. The mineral had become a vegetable.

Later, as the farmer stood in the path admiring the rows of well-formed heads the question came to him: Could these vegetables ever become animal? And the answer from his human reasoning was clearly, “No. Vegetable is vegetable and animal is animal, and they are two distinct and separate categories.”

But a few days later the farmer carelessly leaves the bars down on the nearby pasture, and the cows wander into the garden. As they consume the succulent young cabbage a truly remarkable thing happens within their bodies. The vegetable leaves are assimilated into the organs of digestion and in very short order the vegetable has literally been turned into animal. What a miracle! And it did not happen because of any effort put forth by the cabbage. It merely yielded to the higher power which reached down from above, and the miraculous change was effected.

How Far Can We Go in Victory?

Now we take the illustration one step further and ask the question: Is it possible for the animal, or the physical, to ever become spiritual? Again the obvious answer would be: “No. That is another sphere, and could never happen in this world.” But I submit to you that this kind of transformation is not only possible, but it has actually happened to everyone who has accepted Jesus as Lord and Saviour.

By yielding our will to the higher powers from above, we can be delivered from the bondage of the flesh. The entire being is made captive to the Spirit of God, and we are able to think His thoughts after Him. Paul declares that we partake of the divine nature and have the mind of Christ. Again, and again, the process is described as a surrendering of the will, and a giving up of our own way. “Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God” (Romans 6:13).

Paul further described the surrender process as a literal crucifixion of the self-nature. He said, “I am crucified with Christ” (Galatians 2:20); again, “I die daily” (I Corinthians 15:3). This constant subjection of the will is not achieved by any decision or effort which we can manufacture from within ourselves. Self will never make the choice to put itself to death. Only the Holy Spirit can create the desire to escape from the domination of a sin-loving nature. Only He can bring us to the point of being willing to give up every indulgence of that corrupt, fallen nature.

As the mind and will cooperates with the Holy Spirit, a faith-reckoning renders the death blow to the old man of sin. The life opens up to the sweet, triumphant in-filling of a new spiritual power. Little idols disappear as they are dethroned from the heart. There are no more secrets from God, no longer anything to hide or to be ashamed of, no more defeatism as a way of life. Joyfully we put aside the ornaments of self and the world to allow more capacity for the loving character of Christ to be revealed.

Although there are brief superficial pleasures in a life of sin, those indulgences cannot be compared with the delight of following Jesus. Self makes the Christian path seem dark and fearsome; but when self is surrendered and crucified, the narrow road is filled with joy unspeakable.

The Enigma of Miserable Christians

Every time you see an unhappy Christian you are looking at someone who has not surrendered self to the cross of Christ. That inward life of the flesh, that self-nature, has been allowed to survive; and there can be no peace in a divided loyalty. Those who have not submitted to be crucified with Christ still carry their religion like a heavy burden. They remind me of the Hindu processions I observed, again and again, on the crowded streets of India. The priests and devotees staggered along bearing the heavy idol on their shoulders. Occasionally they stopped to rest, and it was an obvious relief to put down their god momentarily to relieve themselves of the burden.

Isaiah described the same thing in his day as he must have watched similar scenes. He wrote, “They lavish gold out of the bag … and he maketh it a god: they fall down, yea, they worship. They bear him upon the shoulder, they carry him, and set him in his place, and he standeth; from his place shall he not remove: yea, one shall cry unto him, yet can he not answer, nor save him out of his trouble” (Isaiah 46:6, 7).

How accurately this describes what I observed in India. Their god was so helpless that they had to carry it from place to place. They wearied themselves with the effort to move it to another location. It was a burden which they were relieved to be rid of when they stopped to rest.

What kind of religion is it that must be painfully endured and borne like some miserable weight? I’ve seen professed Christians with that same kind of experience. They have a religion that seems to do nothing for them but to make them weary and disgruntled. They are like the man with the headache. He didn’t want to cut off his head, but it hurt him to keep it. These people don’t want to give up their religion, but it is painful to keep it.

There is only one explanation for this kind of bizarre situation. It is abnormal in the extreme. Christians should be the happiest people in the world. If they are not, it is because self has not been surrendered and crucified.

Come back now to the text in Isaiah where the prophet described the idol processions of his day. In truth it is not Isaiah speaking but the Lord God Himself. In verse 7 He said, concerning the idol god, “they carry him.” Now read verse 4 where God declared to Israel, “And even to your old age I am He; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even will I carry, and will deliver you.” [Emphasis added.]

Which god do you serve today? What kind of religion do you profess? You can only serve God or self. When you unreservedly surrender that spoiled, greedy, indulgent self to be put to death, you may reckon yourself dead to the sins which self promotes. Trying to live a Christian life without dying to self is just as miserable as struggling to carry a pagan god. In fact, when self has not been given up to the death of the cross, it comes between you and the Saviour, becoming a real god. The constant strain of trying to subdue that self-god by human effort can wear out the most determined saint.

What happens then when faith claims the victory over the world, the flesh, and the devil? We are relieved of the strain, because God promises to carry us. “Thanks be to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (I Corinthians 15:57). “And this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith” (I John 5:4). “I have made, and I will bear, even I will carry, and will deliver you” (Isaiah 46:4).

It is not hard to imagine that Satan’s strongest efforts are aimed at the exaltation of self. He can only control the individuals who continue to feed the carnal nature. I have often imagined that our great enemy has a computer list of self-related indulgences which he constantly holds out to the human race. Each category has been honed and adapted to exploit the particular weakness of the self-nature which Satan recognizes so easily in every member of Adam’s family. Perhaps some of the most appealing subtitles in his list would include self-righteousness, self-dependence, self-seeking, self-pleasing, self-will, self-defense, and self-glory.

Because he is the temporary prince of this world, the devil has inspired an avalanche of material which focuses on developing the love of self. Counselors of every stripe and hue urge us to improve our self-worth and our self-esteem. Even ministers preach sermons around their interpretation of loving our neighbors as we love ourselves. Are these perversions of the biblical admonitions to “crucify self” and “deny self”? How can we seek to esteem and exalt that which we are told to subdue and put to death?

There is a sense, of course, in which we need to recognize our value in the sight of God. He counted every one of us as more precious than His own life. But that objective recognition is entirely distinct from the basic self-centeredness of the fallen human race. God can love us in spite of our genetic weaknesses and indulged carnal appetites, but the closer we come to Jesus, the less charmed we should be by our own perverse ways. In fact, as we enter into the converted life through the Holy Spirit, the confidence we placed in the flesh will be wholly shifted to the Saviour. In describing the new birth experience, Paul compared it to spiritual circumcision. “For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh” (Philippians 3:3).

As we have noted already, the great apostle equated this conversion experience to the crucifixion of self. The truth is that the egocentric nature of every baby, child, and adult is to have their own way. This nature must be crucified, and under the mastery of the new spiritual nature, the affections are set upon Jesus. Self is no longer important. The flesh has no strength to control the life or fulfill its own will. The song of the soul now is, “Have Thine own way, Lord, have Thine own way. Thou art the potter; I am the clay.” Have Thine Own Way, Lord, Adelaide A. Pollard, 1907. God grant us this experience.

In 1965 Joe Crews founded the ministry Amazing Facts. His original objective was to reach out to both Christian and non-Christian listeners via daily 15-minute programs by opening with a scientific or historic fact, and how it applies to the overall Biblical messages. Later, the program offered Bible study courses and books written by himself. He passed away in 1994.

Divine Understanding

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Jesus taught,

“And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.”

John 3:19–21

In these words of Jesus we see two opposite words: LIGHT and DARKNESS. As used in John 3:19, the meaning of light is to shine or make manifest and the meaning of darkness is the darkness of error.

The Bible teaches that Jesus is the Light!

  • John 12:46 – “I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on Me should not abide in darkness.”
  • John 9:5 – “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
  • Psalm 27:1 – “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?”
  • John 8:12 – “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world:”
  • John 1:4 – “In Him was life; and the life was the light of men.”
  • John 1:5 – “And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.”
  • John 1:9 – “That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.”

Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the Prophet Isaiah wrote, “Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and His glory shall be seen upon thee” (Isaiah 60:1, 2).

In these verses the truth which is communicated is that the Lord is the light and also His glory is the light. What is also revealed is the fact that darkness covers the world, therefore the peoples of earth are in gross or thick darkness! But Jesus, who is the Light, will lighten the earth and every person with His glory.

Isaiah prophesied of the mission of Jesus the Messiah, “The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined … For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:2, 6).

Doctor Luke tells us concerning Jesus, “Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace” (Luke 1:78, 79).

John, the beloved apostle, in another way tells of the mission of Jesus to this earth, “And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding (pertaining to the mind), that we may know Him that is true, and we are in Him that is true, even in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life” (I John 5:20).

The Scripture and the Gospel are light also:

  • 2 Corinthians 4:4 – “In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”
  • Psalm 119:105 – “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”

The Bible also teaches that God’s law is light:

  • Proverbs 6:23 – “For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light.”

The truth is light:

  • Psalm 43:3 – “O send out Thy light and Thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto Thy holy hill, and to Thy tabernacles.”
  • Jesus, who is the light, is also the truth (John 14:6). Therefore the light and the truth are one and the same thing.

We then can conclude that the Scriptures, the gospel, the law, and the truth are embodied in Jesus Christ who is THE LIGHT! I John 1:5 states, “This then is the message which we have heard of Him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.”

Therefore, with reference to Jesus as the light, there is no error, no disregard for truth, no compatibility with error, nor any falsehood in Him! 2 Corinthians 6:14, 15, first part, tells us: “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial?”

The apostle John tells us, “If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth” (I John 1:6). To live in disobedience after professing Christ is to live a lie and this makes us children of the devil.

The devil is the originator of darkness (disobedience or error)

  • John 8:43, 44 – “Why do ye not understand (or know or perceive) my speech? even because ye cannot hear (or understand) My word.
  • “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.”

Darkness in the Bible is associated with evil deeds.

John 3:19, 20 says, “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness (the original Greek usage taken literally or figuratively means ‘darkness of error’) rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.”

What is it that keeps people, especially those who are exposed to light, from appreciating the light or walking in the light? The experience of Moses and his call to deliver the Hebrews demonstrate the nature of the problem.

We read in Acts 7:22–24: “And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds. And when he was full forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren the children of Israel. And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged him that was oppressed, and smote the Egyptian.”

Here we see recorded for our benefit the experience of Moses and his association with his fellow Hebrews in Egypt. We see that even the mighty man Moses, having arrived at full manhood and being a man of power in every way was an utter failure without God. No divine work can be done without God. Stephen tells the story at length in order to follow it with the glorious story of what Moses accomplished for Israel when God was with him.

The priestly cast of the Egyptians was famed for its knowledge of science, mathematics, astronomy, and medicine, and constituted the nobility about Pharaoh. In all their wisdom, was Moses educated! And this magnificent education and training was not wasted; they produced a man who was powerful in words and deeds, mightily equipped for leadership; similar to that spoken about Jesus.

Moses, too, felt this urge to leadership. He was now reaching the age of forty, or full maturity. With the thought in his own heart, as Stephen carefully states, he proceeded to understand for himself, with his own eyes, “his brethren, the sons of Israel,” to what he might do for them.

Here the act of Moses is entirely beneficent, for he intends to look upon “his brethren,” his own blood and kin, the sons of Israel, the heirs of God’s covenant. Although he was reared and grew to manhood in the pagan court, Moses had not become an Egyptian in heart and soul. These enslaved Israelites were his real brethren. He was one of them, not merely by nationality, but spiritually. Moses had not lost his faith. He shared Israel’s hope and Israel’s spirit. The fact that they were nothing but slaves did not alienate him from them.

How had he escaped all the idolatry in the midst of which he had been reared? How had the faith of Israel been put into his heart and been preserved there?

In the book Patriarchs and Prophets, page 245, we are told: “Angels instructed Moses also that Jehovah had chosen him to break the bondage of His people. He, supposing that they were to obtain their freedom by force of arms, expected to lead the Hebrew host against the armies of Egypt, and having this in view, he guarded his affections, lest in his attachment to his foster mother or to Pharaoh he would not be free to do the will of God.”

On one occasion Moses decided to visit the Israelites to see them in their oppression as slaves. He saw an Israelite being wronged by an Egyptian in some shameful way, a task master lashing the defenseless slave. Not only did Moses come to the Israelite’s defense, but he also exacted vengeance for the oppressed by fatally smiting the Egyptian.

Luke 18:7 reveals the path that Christians should take when dealing with wrong done to them. “And shall not God avenge His own elect, which cry day and night unto Him, though He bear long with them?”

We at once see the love and loyalty of Moses to his brethren, but also note that his tremendous power and energy are badly misdirected. He is by no means as yet ready for the great task of which he is dreaming, for he acted without following God’s direction. Why was all of this so? Moses was lacking divine understanding and he was about to face another frightening reality!

We read in Acts 7:25, “For he supposed his brethren would have understood (to put together, e.g., mentally; to comprehend) how that God by His hand would deliver them: but they understood not.”

Moses believed that his brethren would understand that God through His hand was giving salvation to them. The astonishing thing is that Moses already felt himself to be the deliverer of his people, an instrument of God. He even supposed that his brethren understood this, and that, when the one he had rescued would tell about the mighty Moses who delivered him, they would all look up to him. But he was sadly mistaken; his people understood nothing of the sort.

Moses’ expectation was quite reasonable, for indeed God had chosen him to deliver Israel from Egyptian bondage. Moses’ understanding concerning the method of deliverance was totally incorrect, but even more grave is the fact that God’s people failed to understand that God had not forgotten them and was about to show His favor toward them by way of delivering them from Egyptian bondage.

God’s people too often do not understand. They are spiritually blind and therefore are unready for God’s way of life. Why? Because of spiritual darkness, an acceptance and appreciation of error above light or truth!

The problem that both Moses, as well as the Hebrews, had was their failure to understand God’s way!

Here is the dictionary definition of understanding:

  • Webster – to get to perceive the meaning of; know or grasp what is meant by; to know thoroughly; grasp or perceive clearly and fully the nature, character, functioning, etc.; to have a sympathetic rapport with.
  • Oxford – to perceive the meaning of words, a person, a language, etc.; to perceive the significance or explanation or cause of. Be sympathetically aware of the character or nature of; to know how to deal with.

Accordingly, these dictionary meanings specifically address the area of cognition, which focuses on the acquisition of knowledge and a correct interpretation of that information.

Evidently, the Hebrews, because of their status, were not at that cognitive level that enabled them to process knowledge correctly. Moses, by virtue of his training, was at a higher cognitive level. Yet both Moses and the Hebrews were lacking in divine understanding, for God’s definition of understanding transcends the comprehension of ideas!

In John chapter 7:14–17 are recorded these words: “Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught. And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this Man letters, having never learned? Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not Mine, but His that sent Me. If any man will do His will, he shall know (or “understand”) of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of Myself.”

Divine Understanding Defined:

  • “Disobedience has closed the door to a vast amount of knowledge that might have been gained from the Scriptures. Understanding means obedience to God’s commandments. The Scriptures are not to be adapted to meet the prejudice and jealousy of men. They can be understood only by those who are humbly seeking for a knowledge of the truth that they may obey it.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 112.

  • “Those who walk in obedience will know what truth is … . In order to know the truth, we must be willing to obey. Those whose affections are placed on the world are not willing to give up their plans for the plans of Christ. They walk in darkness, not knowing whither they go.” Our High Calling, 16.

Dr. Oswald Chambers in his book, My Utmost For His Highest puts it this way: “The golden rule for understanding spiritually is not intellect, but obedience. If a man wants scientific knowledge, intellectual curiosity is his guide; but if he wants insight into what Jesus Christ teaches, he can only get it by obedience.

“If things are dark to me, then I may be sure there is something I will not do. Intellectual darkness comes through ignorance; spiritual darkness comes because of something I do not intend to obey. No man ever receives a word from God without instantly being put to the test over it. We disobey and then wonder why we don’t improve spiritually.”

“All God’s revelations are sealed until they are opened to us by obedience. You will never get them open by philosophy or thinking. Immediately you will obey, a flash of light comes. The only way you can get to know is to stop trying to find out and by being born again. Obey God in the thing He shows you, and instantly the next thing is opened up. It is not study that does it, but obedience. The tiniest fragment of obedience, and heaven opens and the profoundest truths of God are yours straight away.”

“Whoever will prayerfully study the Bible, desiring to know the truth, that he may obey it, will receive divine enlightenment. He will understand the Scriptures.” The Desire of Ages, 459.

SO WHY ARE SO MANY PEOPLE AND ESPECIALLY CHRISTIANS ENVELOPED IN SPIRITUAL DARKNESS OF ERROR?

They have no desire to know the truth that they may render loving obedience to Jesus!

Job says in his book, chapter 28:28: “And unto man He said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.”

David also tells us in Psalm 111:10: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do His commandments: His praise endureth for ever.” In Psalm 119:100 David also states, “I understand more than the ancients, because I keep Thy precepts.”

Moses’ counsel to the Israelites in Deuteronomy 4:5, 6: “Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the Lord my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it. Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.”

The prophet’s appeal to the house of Jacob is very applicable to us today, “O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the Lord” (Isaiah 2:5).

“If we do not choose to give ourselves fully to God then we are in darkness.” Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, 92.

Jesus appeals to us in these words: “Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light” (John 12:35, 36, first part).

Pastor Ivan Plummer ministers through the Emmanuel Seventh Day Church Ministries in Bronx, New York. He may be contacted by telephone at: 718-882-3900.

Overcoming

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Ever since the Second Advent Movement began in the early 1800s, it has been the devil’s purpose to destroy it. During the first 10 years of the 20th Century, it suffered three very powerful attacks, any one of which could have totally brought it to an end.

A study of these attacks reveals certain things that were common to all three. One was from the “holy flesh” movement, which was not considered an attack but was thought to bring in the loud cry.

Then came the development of pantheism, promoted by John Harvey Kellogg. Finally, Elder Ballenger instigated new ideas and new theology with new interpretations of prophecy and the sanctuary.

All three had two things in common. One was a misunderstanding concerning the function and role of the Holy Spirit. In the apostolic church, the Holy Spirit was in charge of the church. The church was not under the control of the apostles or church councils. The record of the first general church council is found in Acts 15:28: “For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things … .”

The New Testament church organization will not work unless the Holy Spirit is in charge. If you study church history, you will find that when the church lost the Holy Spirit, they lost power. When the church recognized that, they sought another way to have power to manage, to control, and to operate. So they sought power from the state.

Ellen White documents that in The Great Controversy, 443: “When the early church became corrupted by departing from the simplicity of the gospel and accepting heathen rites and customs, she lost the Spirit and power of God; and in order to control the consciences of the people, she sought the support of the secular power.”

The church has never gotten back to what the early church had. Ellen White wrote, “Before the final visitation of God’s judgments upon the earth there will be among the people of the Lord such a revival of primitive godliness as has not been witnessed since apostolic times.” Ibid., 464.

The early church, under the control and the direction of the Holy Spirit, had primitive godliness. Our goal today is to be under the direction of that same Spirit.

In Acts 16:6, it says, “Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia.” We read here that plans were made to carry on the work, but the Holy Spirit changed their direction. In order for us to have a revival of primitive godliness that has not been seen since apostolic times, the Holy Spirit must lead. It would be appropriate for all of us to pray, “Lord, we want our family, ourselves, and our church, to be under the direction of the Holy Spirit.”

The “holy flesh” movement believed that when you have the garden experience and receive the Holy Spirit, you will then have holy flesh and no longer have a sinful nature. But that is not true. Ellen White said to the people and to the ministers, “Not a soul of you has holy flesh now. No human being on earth has holy flesh. It is an impossibility.” Selected Messages, Book 2, 32.

Fanaticism abounded in this movement in regard to the function and role of the Holy Spirit. The same is true in regard to pantheism, which holds that since God is everywhere, then God is inside you. The Holy Spirit is in everybody, whether you are saved or not. That is also not true.

Both the holy flesh movement and pantheistic theology had wrong ideas in regard to sanctification. Sometimes people believe that is old hat and not important, but similar beliefs are circulating even today. When my brother, Marshall Grosboll, was alive, he approached a fellow well-known conference pastor privately about what this minister was teaching. This man has written many books which are still today sold in local Adventist Book Centers. He asked his colleague, What was the difference between what he was teaching and holy flesh? The minister replied that the only difference was that the holy flesh movement taught that once you have the experience, then you have it for the rest of your life, but he taught that it has to happen every day. That is holy flesh theology and it is being taught in Seventh-day Adventist colleges to new ministers, and to the largest congregations. The writings are put in the bookstores all over the country and nobody seems to realize that anything is going on. These early false doctrines have had an effect that continue today.

One of the problems is that you can look at an idea from more than one point of view. It is possible to emphasize so much of one aspect that people lose sight of the entire idea.

An example of this was when my wife and I were in southern California and I was attending Loma Linda University. We attended a very large church and as far as I know the pastor was a godly man. However, this pastor only preached about righteousness by faith and specifically, justification by faith. Justification by faith is a true doctrine but after attending this church for some years, I began to wonder when we would hear anything about sanctification. It is not that there was anything wrong with his message, but it was not a complete message. It is possible to look at something, even though it’s true, and place so much emphasis on that, that something else that is very important is lost. Ellen White says it is human nature to go to extremes. So we need to pray and ask the Lord to help us be balanced.

Let’s look at relationships between different things that people think are opposites or that are in some way contradictory.

  1. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CHRIST’S WORK ON THE CROSS AND THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

Some emphasize so much our salvation being affected by Christ’s dying on the cross. Even though there would be no salvation if Jesus did not die on the cross, that is not all there is to salvation.

In The Desire of Ages, 671, it says, “The Holy Spirit was the highest of all gifts that He [Christ] could solicit from His Father for the exaltation of His people. The Spirit was to be given as a regenerating agent, and without this the sacrifice of Christ would have been of no avail.”

We are not depreciating the sacrifice of Christ on the cross, which is the foundation of our salvation, but without the Holy Spirit, the sacrifice of Christ would have been of no avail. She says, “The power of evil had been strengthening for centuries, and the submission of men to this satanic captivity was amazing. Sin could be resisted and overcome only through the mighty agency of the Third Person of the Godhead, who would come with no modified energy, but in the fullness of divine power. It is the Spirit [a regenerating agent] that makes effectual what has been wrought out by the world’s Redeemer. It is by the Spirit that the heart is made pure. Through the Spirit the believer becomes a partaker of the divine nature. Christ has given His Spirit as a divine power to overcome all hereditary and cultivated tendencies to evil, and to impress His own character upon His church.” Ibid.

  1. RELATION OF THE LAW AND THE GOSPEL

There are some, such as the Jews, who accept the Old Testament, and not the New Testament. There are other Christians who accept the New Testament, but not the Old Testament.

Many years ago, I was making personal gospel visits as a gospel worker in Chattanooga, Tennessee. At one home I was invited in and had a very interesting visit. I found out that the man I was speaking to was a retired preacher. As we talked, I discovered that he didn’t accept anything in the Old Testament. Not only did he not accept anything in the Old Testament, he didn’t want me to read anything to him in the New Testament before the Book of Acts, because he said, “Before Jesus died on the cross, that was all under the old covenant. That is all for the Jews, and so, all the things Jesus taught doesn’t apply to me now. Just read to me from the Book of Acts and on.” Some of these very same people don’t believe you can understand the Book of Revelation. To them the Bible starts in the Book of Acts and ends before Revelation, leaving only the books in between.

Ellen White wrote about this attitude: “There are those who profess to believe and teach the truths of the Old Testament, while they reject the New. But in refusing to see the teachings of Christ, they show they do not believe that which patriarchs and prophets have spoken. …

“Many who claim to believe and to teach the gospel are in the similar error. They set aside the Old Testament Scriptures of which Christ declared, ‘They are they which testify of Me’ (John 5:39). In rejecting the Old, they virtually reject the New; for both are parts of an inseparable whole. No man can rightly present the law of God without the gospel, or the gospel without the law.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 128. One is incomplete without the other.

  1. JESUS: BOTH LORD AND CHRIST

There are many people today, many Christians, even Adventists, who want to look to Jesus as their Saviour from sin but fail to want Him as the Lord or Ruler of their life. It is critical to understand that Jesus cannot save you if He is not also your Lord. “… if we accept Christ as a Redeemer, we must accept Him as a Ruler. We cannot have the assurance and perfect confiding trust in Christ as our Saviour until we acknowledge Him as our King and are obedient to His commandments.” Faith and Works, 16.

  1. RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN GOD’S WORK AND MAN’S WORK

Some people will read I Corinthians 1:30, which says, Christ is made unto us, not only righteousness, but “… sanctification and redemption …” and assert that the Lord does everything.

“God has given men faculties and capabilities. God works and cooperates with the gifts He has imparted to man, and man, by being a partaker of the divine nature and doing the work of Christ, may be an overcomer and win eternal life. The Lord does not propose to do the work He has given man powers to do. Man’s part must be done. He must be a laborer together with God, yoking up with Christ, learning His meekness, His lowliness.” Faith and Works, 26.

This has been a huge problem in the Adventist Church. It started with the “holy flesh” people, and it still exists today. It is the idea that all that is necessary to overcome is to read your Bible, pray, and witness. There is nothing wrong with any of these things; in fact, they are essential, but the process of sanctification—overcoming—involves more than that.

God does not intend to do the work that He has given you and me to do. This is illustrated when Jesus was at the tomb of Lazarus, Jesus said, Roll away the stone. This was something that they were capable of doing. Jesus raised Lazarus who was dead, something they could not do. Ellen White comments that there were legions of angels present at that time and Jesus could have asked one of them to roll away the stone which could have been done very easily. The angel that came down from heaven rolled away the stone at the tomb of Christ as if it were a pebble. (See The Desire of Ages, 535.)

  1. FORGIVENESS

You are saved because your sins are forgiven. You cannot be saved if your sins are not forgiven, but you cannot be saved by that alone. Jesus said to Nicodemus that if you are not born of water and the Spirit you are not going to be in the kingdom of heaven (John 3:5). “The religion of Christ means more than the forgiveness of sin; it means taking away our sins, and filling the vacuum with the graces of the Holy Spirit.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 419, 420.

  1. REPENTANCE AND SALVATION

Can I be saved by repentance? Repentance is necessary; it is the first step in the way of salvation. “No repentance is genuine that does not work reformation.” The Desire of Ages, 555. Reformation involves the change of life. “The righteousness of Christ is not a cloak to cover unconfessed and unforsaken sin.” Ibid., 555, 556.

  1. SALVATION “WITHOUT”

In the last 30 to 35 years, it has become very popular to teach that salvation is what Christ does for you “without” that is, apart from anything that you do on your own. That idea is not historic Adventist teaching, but rather has come in with the new theology—that you are saved by justification alone and that salvation comes as a result of what Christ has done for you on the cross.

Now what He has done for you without is important. You cannot be saved without that but that is not enough. It is indeed possible that some Adventist preachers have emphasized too much that it is what happens within, but there must be a balance and belief of the full gift of salvation.

“I call upon everyone who claims to be a son of God never to forget this great truth, that we need the Spirit of God within us in order to reach heaven, and the work of Christ without us in order to give us a title to the immortal inheritance.” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 441. You need the Spirit’s work within, and you need what Christ does for you without, in order to have a title to your immortal inheritance.

  1. FAITH AND WORKS

Faith and works. “There are many who fail to understand the relation of faith and works. … genuine faith will be manifest in obedience.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 153. If I have real faith it will be manifested in obedience.

Bible sanctification involves overcoming or conquering sin so that it no longer has power in my life and I am free from sin. This does not happen with God doing it and my not doing anything. It is the work of a lifetime and cannot happen without the Holy Spirit’s power and my cooperation.

What are some things that I should be doing to cooperate with the Holy Spirit so that I can be an overcomer?

  1. ABSTAIN FROM FLESHLY LUSTS

“Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul” (I Peter 2:11). The word “lust” comes from the Greek word epithumia, which means a very strong craving or a strong desire. Usually it is used in the New Testament with a negative connotation, although once in a while the word is used simply to mean a very strong craving. Jesus used this word when He spoke to His disciples in the upper room about His great desire, His epithumia, to eat the Passover supper with them before His crucifixion. He did not have an evil desire to want to eat that last supper with His disciples before He suffered, but he did have a very strong desire to do so.

Though most of the time in the New Testament this word is used with a negative connotation, referring most commonly to appetite and sexual lust, it can also refer to things like anger. Peter said, Watch out and “… abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul.”

Paul said in Romans 12:1: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.” In the Old Testament, a sacrifice was to be perfect. Therefore, I am to present my body and my mind in the best possible physical condition.

If I want to be successful in the process of sanctification, I must cooperate with the Holy Spirit. “The controlling power of appetite will prove the ruin of thousands, when, if they had conquered on this point, they would have had moral power to gain the victory over every other temptation of Satan.” Counsels on Diet and Foods, 163–165.

If they had gained the victory on appetite, they would have had moral power to gain the victory over every other temptation. “But those who are slaves to appetite will fail in perfecting Christian character.” Ibid., 163. If I am a slave to my appetite, I can pray all I want to, but I also have a work to do.

“The continual transgression of man for six thousand years has brought sickness, pain, and death as its fruits. And as we near the close of time, Satan’s temptation to indulge appetite will be more powerful and more difficult to overcome.” Ibid., 163, 164.

We are living in that time. Ellen White wrote those words back in about 1875. The temptation is more powerful now because of all the additives that have been put in the food that stimulates you to eat, and also the food is more available than it has ever been before.

A hundred years ago you could not go out at 11 o’clock at night and buy something to eat, but you can now. Many food stores and fast food restaurants are open 24 hours. However, if we are going to overcome sin and perfect a Christian character, we have to gain control of appetite. Remember, the Holy Spirit is not going to work and make it happen if we do not cooperate. We have to do our part and say, Lord, I am choosing to do what You said to do. I am choosing to not overeat, and to avoid eating at improper times. I choose to live in harmony with the laws of my body and I pray that You will help me to have the strength, the moral power, to carry out the decision that I am choosing to follow You.

The Holy Spirit can give you the victory. I personally believe that only the Holy Spirit can give a person the victory over these fleshly lusts that we all have. Peter says, abstain from lust (I Peter 2:11). So, whether it is sexual passions, pornography, or appetite, it is all the same—fleshly lusts. But we must cooperate or the Holy Spirit will not give us the victory.

  1. NEGLECT OF PRAYER

“Temptations often appear irresistible because, through neglect of prayer and the study of the Bible, the tempted one cannot readily remember God’s promises and meet Satan with the Scripture weapons.” The Great Controversy, 600.

When Christ was tempted in the Garden of Gethsemane and God was withdrawing His beams of light from Him, it says in Luke 22:44, “… being in agony, He prayed more earnestly … .” The bigger the problem that you are facing, the more you need to be in prayer.

  1. MEMORIZING SCRIPTURE

You should be memorizing the Bible so that you have spiritual weapons when the devil tempts you. When the devil tempted Jesus, Jesus came back at the devil with Scriptural weapons. “Thy word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against Thee” (Psalm 119:11, literal translation).

  1. SELF-CONTROL OR TEMPERANCE

In I Corinthians 9:24–27, we are told: “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.”

Ellen White wrote, “There is no encouragement given to any of the sons or daughters of Adam that they may become victorious overcomers in the Christian warfare unless they decide to practice temperance in all things.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 35.

That is a decision we have to make. Temperance simply means to abstain from all things that you know are harmful and partake moderately of what is good for you.

  1. FIGHT OF FAITH – RESISTING

“For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin” (Hebrews the 12:3, 4).

Notice, he says, “… You have not yet … .” He doesn’t say you won’t; he just says, You have not done it yet.

It has become popular in some circles to teach that you just sit in the car and ask Christ to be the driver and He will take you to heaven. That is not Bible religion. It is also important to be in the fight and resist sin. The Bible teaches that there is such a thing as the “the fight of faith” (I Timothy 6:12, first part).

Christ resisted unto bloodshed. Luke 22:44 records Jesus when in the Garden of Gethsemane, “His sweat became as great clots of blood, dropping to the ground” (literal translation). Those who have studied physiology and understand how things work in the capillaries know that a hemoglobin molecule is far too big to escape and come out the pores under normal circumstances. But Jesus resisted unto blood. Becoming sanctified and experiencing victory involves being willing to be in the fight, the Christian warfare.

Paul said, Fight the fight (I Timothy 6:12). James said, Resist the devil (James 4:7). The New Testament is full of counsel that you must be willing to be in the holy war. It is a war against sin of every stripe and type. It is a war against every sinful thought, every sinful word, and every sinful action. It is a war that you and I must win if we are going to be in heaven.

All the inhabitants of heaven are going to be overcomers. It is not optional; it is something that is absolutely necessary. Strive to live so that OVERCOMER may be written on your page in the book in heaven.

In Revelation chapters 2 and 3, it is the overcomers in all seven churches that are given the promise of eternal life.

Do not ever think that you have to do it alone. We cannot do anything alone, but the Holy Spirit has all the power needed, even if you are the weakest and most sinful person in the world.

“Or let him take hold of My strength, that he may make peace with Me; and he shall make peace with Me” (Isaiah 27:5).

There is all the power that you need. The Lord has all the power that you need, but it is up for you and me to take hold of it.

(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.