Issue: 2018 August

Life Sketches Series – Liberty for All in Jesus

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In the writings of the Decalogue by Moses you will find much instruction as to the expected behavior and diet of God’s chosen people—the children of Israel. The question remains, Is a Christian today under moral obligation concerning how he uses his body, or did the Christian religion do away with all the health laws written by Moses?

In the first Christian council held by the Christian church recorded in Acts 15, we find a record of the problems that the apostles were facing. Many people from all over the world were accepting the doctrines of Christianity, both Jews and Gentiles, but between them there were what seemed to be insurmountable barriers. Among the Gentiles it was the custom to eat the flesh of animals that had been strangled. However, the Jews had been divinely instructed in regard to the food that they used, and they had been told not to eat blood. In fact, throughout the Old Testament there is no place where God ever permitted the use of blood by His people for food.

The first time animal food was allowed by divine permission to the human race was after the flood. Genesis 9:4 reads, “But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood.”

This instruction was repeated by Moses several times. He said, “This shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwellings; you shall eat neither fat nor blood” (Leviticus 3:17). Emphatically, he said (this time adding a consequence), “You shall not eat any blood in any of your dwellings, whether of bird or beast. Whoever eats any blood, that person shall be cut off from his people” (Leviticus 7:26, 27).

The Jews considered this issue critical and never ate blood. The Gentiles not only ate it in the meat, but they often caught the blood and drank it, which caused great distress to the Jews. Their differing dietary habits made it impossible for the two groups to eat together.

The Gentiles also bought food that had been offered to idols. The apostle Paul makes it very clear that whether the food has been offered to idols really does not matter, because an idol does not know anything. However, by eating these foods it could give the impression of condoning idolatry, which is strictly prohibited in both the Old and New Testaments. Where the Jews were very strict in this, the Gentiles who had come out of idolatry didn’t think that much about eating this food.

Many Greeks had also become Christians. The Greek nation was an extremely licentious nation.  The Greek converts understood that it was a crime to steal another man’s wife but there were some who continued to practice fornication, which the Jews knew was forbidden.  This difference of understanding caused another barrier between the Jewish and Gentile Christians.

There were many Jews who believed that if the Gentiles were really sincere about accepting Christianity, they should be circumcised and keep all of the ceremonies commanded by Moses. So the apostles came together to discuss this question. The Bible says, “Peter rose up and said to them: ‘Men and brethren, you know that a good while ago God chose among us, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. So God, who knows the heart, acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did to us, and made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith’ ” (Acts 15:7–9).

The blood of Jesus is able to cleanse from all uncleanness. Whatever race, whether you are Jew or Gentile, whatever skin color or nationality you are, if you accept Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, your heart can be purified by faith. Peter continues, “Now therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they” (verses 10, 11).

Peter recounted the vision he had been given in Acts 10 and how he had been sent to preach the gospel to Cornelius and his house. He explained that God was no respecter of persons and He accepted every person who feared Him and worked righteousness from any nationality. That is still true today, “God is no respecter of persons” (Acts 11:34 KJV). He does not practice partiality. If you surrender your life to Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, you will be accepted and you will receive the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will purify your heart and give you the power to live a new life. No one is to be regarded inferior to someone else because the blood of Jesus is capable of cleansing from all uncleanness.

Paul wrote, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28). Whether male or female, slave or free, Jew or Gentile, there is no difference with God who does not practice partiality; He is no respecter of persons.

In Galatians 5:1, 2 the apostle Paul says, “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing.”

This yoke of bondage that both Peter and Paul spoke of was not the law of ten commandments which is spoken of in the Bible as a law of liberty. The apostle James says, “If you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. For He who said, ‘Do not commit adultery,’ also said, ‘Do not murder.’ Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty” (James 2:9–12).

The principles of God’s law are eternal and were laid down long before they were written on tables of stone. Adam and Eve broke the very 1st commandment, “You shall not have any other god before Me” (Exodus 20:3, literal translation), in the Garden of Eden. They broke the 10th commandment by coveting fruit which God told them not to eat (verse 17). The 8th commandment was broken when they stole the fruit which God said did not belong to them (verse 15). And in dishonoring their heavenly Father they broke the 5th commandment (verse 12).

Adam and Eve broke the law of God in the Garden of Eden. As a result of the law being broken, Paul says, in Galatians 3:19, “What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions [of the moral law], till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator.”

A moral law was transgressed.  “Where there is no law there is no transgression” (Romans 4:15, last part).

The law was to point men toward the fact that a Redeemer was coming who would save them from the guilt and penalty of their sin. The only way they could be saved from their sin was if a sacrifice that was perfect would die in their place. Hebrews 9:22 says, “According to the law almost all things are purged with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness” (literal translation). The Bible says that “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but might have everlasting life” (John 3:16, literal translation).

Jesus said to Nicodemus, “Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up, in order that whoever believes in Him might not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:14, 15, literal translation).

For the 4,000 years before Jesus would fulfill this prophecy, it was kept fresh before the minds of men. Ever since the days of Adam and Eve, those who believed and had faith that God was going to send a sacrifice to pay the price for their sins and offer them forgiveness, manifested their faith in a Redeemer to come by offering a lamb, an animal sacrifice, for their sin. The whole purpose of the ceremonial law and the Levitical priesthood was to provide a sacrifice and an intercessory priest to have your sins forgiven.

When Jesus offered His life for our sins on the cross of Calvary He was our sacrifice. However, after He ascended to heaven He also became our High Priest in the heavenly sanctuary so that He, by virtue of His own merits, could take away the guilt of the sin of anyone who confessed and repented of their sins to Him (see Hebrews).

But, this law of ceremonies that involved animal sacrifices, a Levitical priesthood, an earthly sanctuary, and various other ceremonial laws that pointed forward to the Christian dispensation, was made null and void by the true sacrifice—the crucifixion of Christ. However, it took time for people to realize the significance of what really happened when Jesus died on the cross. The moment He died, an unseen hand tore the veil in the temple from top to bottom (Matthew 27:51, first part). Now that veil was not like just a common household curtain. It was more like a carpet or a rug, something that no human being, unless you were Sampson, could tear apart.

This act signified that no longer would believers need the services of an earthly priest to approach God. Jesus Christ was now our high priest. There is only one Mediator between God and man, as Peter said, “We are all priests who can come to our heavenly Father through Jesus Christ, the one Mediator between God and man” (1 Timothy 2:5, literal translation). We see here that the earthly tabernacle had no more real significance because it was all a type of the reality that was to come. All of the earthly ceremonies connected with the sanctuary had no more significance, once Christ’s sacrifice was complete.

Paul describes these ceremonies both in his letters to both the Ephesians and the Colossians. In Colossians 2:14, he says, “… having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.” Contrary to what some have thought, the apostle Paul is not here referring to the ten commandments, but rather to the ordinances that were handwritten by Moses.

Handwriting is something that humans do. We take hold of a pen or pencil with our fingers when we write. But when God writes, He does not need a pen or a pencil. Instead, He writes with His finger (John 8:6). God wrote the Ten Commandments with His finger on tables of stone. They were not handwritten.

Paul says, “Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it (that’s in the cross). So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ” (Colossians 2:15–17).

The substance is of Christ; the body is of Christ. Don’t let anyone pass any judgment on you in regard to any of these ceremonial requirements, Paul said. That was the same decision that was made at the Jerusalem council—that the Jews were not to enforce these things upon the Gentile Christians.

At this first Christian council, after everyone who wanted to speak had the opportunity, the apostle James arose and said, “Men and brethren, listen to me: Simon [Peter] has declared how God at the first visited the Gentiles to take out of them a people for His name. And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written: ‘After this I will return and will rebuild the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down; I will rebuild its ruins, and I will set it up; so that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, even all the Gentiles who are called by My name, says the Lord who does all these things’ ” (Acts 15:13–17).

James continued: “Known to God from eternity are all His works. Therefore I judge that we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who are turning to God, but that we write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from things strangled, and from blood. For Moses has had throughout many generations those who preach him in every city, being read in the synagogue every Sabbath” (verses 18–21).

Notice, it was James who led out at the council and made the final decision, contrary to the belief that Peter was the head of the church. The rest of the apostles agreed with what he said and the letter was written saying, “We have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your souls, saying, ‘You must be circumcised and keep the law’—to whom we gave no such commandment—it seemed good to us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who will also report the same things by word of mouth. For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well” (verses 24–29).

Notice, the Gentile Christians were not to be forced to keep all the Jewish laws, or any of the ceremonial laws, but they were to keep the moral law of God. They were to live righteous, holy lives, and they were not to eat blood or things that were strangled. It is interesting that out of only four things Christians were not to do we find that many Christians do today. In both the Old and the New Testaments, the use of blood as food is strictly forbidden. This is something we need to study if we want to be living in harmony with every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.

At the council, the argument in question was decided by the Holy Spirit, as they say, “It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us.” That being the case, since the Holy Spirit is the leader, the guide, the king, the authority in the Christian church, our job as Christians is to know the way the Holy Spirit is leading us. At that first council the whole body of Christians was not called to vote upon the question.

The apostles and elders, men of influence and judgment, framed and issued the decree, and it was thereafter accepted generally by the Christian churches. Everybody, however, was not pleased with this decision. There was a faction of brethren called Judaizers, who assumed to engage in the work on their own responsibility and indulged in murmuring and fault-finding. They continued wherever they went to try to get Christians to keep the ceremonial law. The church has had such types of obstacles to meet ever since the beginning and it will continue until the end of time.

Even some of the apostles were not prepared to accept the decision of the council, remaining zealous for the ceremonial law. They regarded Paul with jealousy, thinking his principles were lax in regard to the obligation of the Jewish law. It took time for them to understand these things and there were times when the apostle Paul had to stand all alone. He was regarded by many of the Jewish Christians as a teacher of dangerous doctrines. However, the doctrine that the Holy Spirit taught them is still in force today. We still need to live by the principles that this first council passed if we want to be approved by the Lord in the Day of Judgment.

(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 in Wichita, Kansas. He may be contacted by email at: historic@stepstolife.org, or by telephone at: 316-788-5559.

I Was Hungry

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Spiritual Lessons from Matthew 25:31–33, 41–46, NASB

“But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left. …

“Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.’ Then they themselves also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?’ Then He will answer them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Two parables immediately precede this proclamation: the parable of the ten virgins, and the parable of the three servants who were given different numbers of talents or gifts. It is no accident that these immediately precede Jesus’ instruction on the sheep and the goats.

Concerning this passage of Scripture, Ellen White wrote:

“Those on the left hand of Christ, those who had neglected Him in the person of the poor and the suffering, were unconscious of their guilt. Satan had blinded them; they had not perceived what they owed to their brethren. They had been self-absorbed, and cared not for others’ needs.” The Desire of Ages, 639.

We have an obligation to our brethren.

“To the rich, God has given wealth that they may relieve and comfort His suffering children; but too often they are indifferent to the wants of others. They feel themselves superior to their poor brethren. They do not put themselves in the poor man’s place. They do not understand the temptations and struggles of the poor, and mercy dies out of their hearts. In costly dwellings and splendid churches, the rich shut themselves away from the poor; the means that God has given to bless the needy is spent in pampering pride and selfishness. The poor are robbed daily of the education they should have concerning the tender mercies of God; for He has made ample provision that they should be comforted with the necessities of life. They are compelled to feel the poverty that narrows life, and are often tempted to become envious, jealous, and full of evil surmisings. Those who themselves have not endured the pressure of want too often treat the poor in a contemptuous way, and make them feel that they are looked upon as paupers.

“But Christ beholds it all, and He says, It was I who was hungry and thirsty. It was I who was a stranger. It was I who was sick. It was I who was in prison. While you were feasting at your bountifully spread table, I was famishing in the hovel or the empty street. While you were at ease in your luxurious home, I had not where to lay My head. While you crowded your wardrobe with rich apparel, I was destitute. While you pursued your pleasures, I languished in prison.” Ibid., 639, 640.

Many are probably saying, “I know all that, AND I give to the poor. I am involved with this or that charity. Or, I give handouts to the homeless.” But if this is our thinking, we may still be among the goats.

Understanding this text in its correct interpretation was one of my struggles in coming to grips with the true understanding of Christianity and what it really meant. We are taught, even within Adventism, that this Scripture is about the physically poor, sick, blind and naked. We have A.D.R.A. We have Dorcas societies, soup kitchens and clothing banks. All of these serve a good purpose. However, let me paraphrase these paragraphs from The Desire of Ages with a spiritual perception and you will see that we get a vastly different view of this passage, and of our duty.

“To the rich in the knowledge of salvation, God has given spiritual wealth that they may relieve and comfort His children, suffering under the curse of sin; but too often they are indifferent to the wants of others. They feel themselves superior in the knowledge of the Scriptures, to their poor brethren who know not the way of salvation. They do not put themselves in the poor man’s place. They do not understand the temptations and struggles of the poor, without the armor of God for protection against the wiles of Satan, and mercy dies out of their hearts as they see these poor ones in their sin. In costly dwellings and splendid churches, with grand theological truths, the rich in their theories of God shut themselves away from the poor in spirit; the means that God has given to bless the needy is spent in pampering their pride of opinion and selfishness with the words of eternal life. The poor are robbed daily of the education they should have concerning the tender mercies of God, His forgiveness of sin, and His power to give victory over sin; for He has made ample provision that they should be comforted with the necessities of life—eternal life. They are compelled to feel the poverty that narrows life, restricting it to the poor and limited substitute for eternal life—the life of this world, and these poor are often tempted to become envious, jealous, and full of evil surmisings towards those whom God has set to be light bearers for His kingdom. Those who themselves have not endured the pressure of want for Bibles, for the riches of salvation, too often treat the poor in a contemptuous way, and make them feel that they are looked upon as paupers in eternal goods.

“But Christ beholds it all, and He says, It was I who was hungry for the bread of life eternal. I was thirsty for the living water. It was I who was a stranger to the Plan of Salvation. It was I who was sick with the leprosy of sin. It was I who was in the prison house, the bondage of Satan. While you were feasting at your bountifully spread table of the eternal truths of the Bible, I was famishing in the hovel or the empty street, without a Bible, without the knowledge of the way to the heavenly mansions. While you were at ease in your luxurious home, contemplating your eternal mansion, I had not where to lay My head, no comfort or peace. While you crowded your wardrobe with rich apparel, knowing of the robe of Christ’s righteousness, I was destitute, spiritually naked and cold. While you pursued your pleasures, I languished in the prison of sin.” The Desire of Ages, 639, 640.

And how is it that Christ could say this? Because, He says, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for Me” (Matthew 25:45 NIV).

Let’s turn again to Inspiration to see just what is our obligation, our duty to our brethren. “The subject of the sanctuary and the investigative judgment should be clearly understood by the people of God. All need a knowledge for themselves of the position and work of their great High Priest. Otherwise it will be impossible for them to exercise the faith which is essential at this time or to occupy the position which God designs them to fill.” The Great Controversy, 488. [Emphasis supplied.]

“The subject of the sanctuary was the key which unlocked the mystery of the disappointment of 1844. It opened to view a complete system of truth, connected and harmonious, showing that God’s hand had directed the great advent movement and revealing present duty as it brought to light the position and work of His people.” Ibid., 423. [Emphasis supplied.]

“The work to be carried on by the people of God is declared in the words of Inspiration: ‘Behold, I send My messenger before Thy face, which shall prepare Thy way before Thee. The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make His paths straight’ (Mark 1:2, 3). ‘Behold My servant, whom I uphold; Mine elect, in whom My soul delighteth; I have put My Spirit upon Him. He shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. … He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till He have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for His law’ (Isaiah 42:1–4).” Testimonies, vol. 9, 64.

Jesus is coming again—SOON! He tells us, “Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make His paths straight.” Can we do it if we do not have a clear understanding of the sanctuary message, of the investigative judgment taking place right now—a judgment before which every individual, whether they know about it or not, has to stand? According to the passages we have just read, we cannot.

“God invites all men to the fullest investigation of the claims of His law. His word is sacred and infinite. The cause of truth is to go forth as a lamp that burneth. Earnest study of the word of God will reveal the truth. Sin and wrong will not be sustained, but the law of God will be vindicated. ‘Thus saith God the Lord, He that created the heavens, and stretched them out; He that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; He that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein: I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; to open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house’ (verses 5–7). Christians are to seek their light from the word of God and then in faith go forth to give that light to those who sit in darkness.” Ibid.

“When Christ came to the world, he found that Satan had almost everything under his own control. Christ announced His mission at Nazareth. He said, ‘The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me; because the Lord hath anointed Me to teach good tidings unto the meek; He hath sent Me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord’ (Isaiah 61:1, 2). This was His work. He went about doing good, and healing all those who were oppressed of the devil. There were whole villages where there was not a moan of sickness in any house, for He had passed through them and healed all their sick. His work gave evidence of His divine anointing. He had come to represent His Father to the world; and love, mercy, and compassion were displayed in every act of His life. His heart went out in tender sympathy to the children of men. This was His work in our world, to elevate humanity by combining divinity with humanity. He took man’s nature that He might reach man’s wants. With His human arm He encircled the race, and with His divine arm He grasped the throne of the Infinite, and united finite man with the infinite God, and earth with Heaven. Here was man, plunged in degradation, sin, and ruin, and Christ was willing to resign all His glory in order to offer to man the cup of salvation. Astonishment filled Heaven to see man’s indifference, to see man so lacking in appreciation of the things that would make for his peace.” The Signs of the Times, June 17, 1889.

The present truth message for Jesus and His disciples, the message of the angel at the first advent, was a message of peace and good will toward men. But now we see three angels flying in the midst of heaven proclaiming the present truth messages for our time. They are urgent messages of judgment, of consequences, and of protection from the consequences for being found guilty in the judgment.

These messages for our time are food for the hungry, water for the thirsty, freedom to those in bondage, healing for the sin-sick soul, the spiritually blind and naked. It is not some ecumenical, undefined, nebulous gospel of peace. Inspiration gives us ample, explicit and clear instruction.

“I saw the necessity of the messengers, especially, watching and checking all fanaticism wherever they might see it rise. Satan is pressing in on every side, and unless we watch for him, and have our eyes open to his devices and snares, and have on the whole armor of God, the fiery darts of the wicked will hit us. There are many precious truths contained in the word of God, but it is present truth that the flock needs now. I have seen the danger of the messengers running off from the important points of present truth, to dwell upon subjects that are not calculated to unite the flock and sanctify the soul. Satan will here take every possible advantage to injure the cause.

“But such subjects as the sanctuary, in connection with the 2300 days, the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, are perfectly calculated to explain the past Advent movement and show what our present position is, establish the faith of the doubting, and give certainty to the glorious future. These, I have frequently seen, were the principal subjects on which the messengers should dwell.” Early Wrtings, 63. [Emphasis supplied.]

As a church, are we fulfilling the true gospel commission, preaching “this gospel of the kingdom” whose “present truth” message is the Most Holy Place message of the sanctuary in heaven? Or is our Lord saying to us that it was He who was hungry and thirsty. While we were feasting at our bountifully spread table, He was famishing in a hovel or empty street. While we were at ease in our luxurious homes, He had not where to lay His head. While we crowded our wardrobes with rich apparel, He was destitute and while we pursued our own pleasure, He languished in prison in the person of one of His children.

“To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this: ‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot’ (Revelation 3:14, 15 NASB).”

God sends His message of love to us. He sees that unless we repent, He will have to say to us that we sat spiritually rich (in our own eyes), feeling that we have all the truth (we have need of nothing) and yet in our spiritual arrogance, pride and self-satisfaction, left those destitute of the knowledge of His grace—His great, eternal, life-giving present truth messages on the outside, cold, hungry for the truths of salvation, naked without the robe of Christ’s righteousness, in bondage to the yoke of sin, in the prison house of suffering, and eventually eternal death. He sees us, by our actions, saying “peace on earth, and good will to men.” He will have to say to us “ ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me’ ” (Matthew 25:41 NASB). Oh, “Saddest of all words that ever fell on mortal ear are those words of doom, ‘I know you not’ (Matthew 25:12).” Christ’s Object Lessons. 413.

This is how these words we read earlier of Inspiration can be true. “Those on the left hand of Christ, those who had neglected Him in the person of the poor and the suffering, were unconscious of their guilt.” We do not recognize that it is our gift, our privilege, and our duty to know, to understand, to live, and to give the “present truth” message of Christ’s work in the Most Holy Place to those languishing in the bondage of sin. We do not really take in the fact that as we sit, complacent, self-satisfied, foolish virgins, having vast opportunity for and knowledge of the truth, but not the burning zeal of the Holy Spirit to share it, that we are Laodicea—we are to face the consequences—“I will spew [vomit forcefully] you out of my mouth” (Revelation 3:16 RSV) and His words, “depart from Me” “I know you not.”

Let us heed the voice of the “True Witness.” He knows our true condition. We may fool ourselves but we cannot fool God. In fact, according to our study of Inspiration, most people will be self-deceived. But the “True Witness” who KNOWS, has told us ahead of time that we may escape those “saddest of all words — ‘I know you not.’ ”

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

Sons and Daughters of Men

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As we read the 31st Psalm, many varied thoughts come to mind—everything from the persecution and crucifixion of Jesus to the persecution of God’s faithful that will occur in the last days, to the salvation and safety that God promises to His faithful children.

Clearly, it would be too voluminous to cover each of those topics in a single article. Instead, this article will concentrate on only three words in this Psalm: “sons of men” in verse 19.

“Oh, how great is Your goodness,

Which You have laid up for those who fear You,

Which You have prepared for those who trust in You

In the presence of the sons of men” (Psalm 31:19)!

The word that is translated “sons” occurs almost 5000 times in the OT, as son or sons approximately 3500 times; as children about 1500 times. It is also translated in several other ways, depending on the context of its use.

In this analysis, we will look at its broader use as either sons, daughters, or children.

A variant of the phrase sons of men occurs first in Scripture in Genesis 6.

“Now it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born to them, that the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves of all whom they chose. And the Lord said, ‘My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.’ There were giants (bullies or tyrants) on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown” (Genesis 6:1–4).

The word for sons in this text is the same word that is used in Psalm 31:19. The word for daughters is derived from the feminine form of that same Hebrew word. In the plural, either could be translated children.

It is worth noting that even before the flood, two character types had developed and were identified either as sons of God or sons of men. Other terms were applied later to denote the same two groups: sons of righteousness or sons of unrighteousness and similar terms.

The word translated renown in Genesis 6:4 is the same word that is used in Genesis 11:4 referring to those who determined to build themselves a city and a tower on the plain of Shinar whose top was in the heavens to “make a name” for themselves—to become men of renown.

“And they said, ‘Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth’ ” (Genesis 11:4).

It is also the same word used for those who chose to stand with Korah, Dathan, and Abiram when they rebelled against Moses and Aaron. In Numbers 16:2, they are called “men of renown,” men who were well known, men who had made a name for themselves.

“Now Korah the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, with Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab, and On the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men; and they rose up before Moses with some of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty leaders of the congregation, representatives of the congregation, men of renown” (Numbers 16:1, 2).

What were these “men of renown,” these sons of men, like? Let’s refer back to Genesis 6:5–7:

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

We know the story of Noah and his family—how only eight persons were saved from the millions, perhaps even a billion, who inhabited the earth at that time.

We can see that these men of renown, these sons—and daughters—of men, were very unrighteous—so much so that God saw that it was necessary to destroy all but eight. Unfortunately, there remained in at least one of those eight a vestige, a trace, of unrighteousness.

“To repeople the desolate earth, which the Flood had so lately swept from its moral corruption, God had preserved but one family, the household of Noah, to whom He had declared, ‘Thee have I seen righteous before Me in this generation’ (Genesis 7:1). Yet in the three sons of Noah was speedily developed the same great distinction seen in the world before the Flood. In Shem, Ham, and Japheth, who were to be the founders of the human race, was foreshadowed the character of their posterity.

“Noah, speaking by divine inspiration, foretold the history of the three great races to spring from these fathers of mankind. Tracing the descendants of Ham, through the son rather than the father, he declared, ‘Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren.’ The unnatural crime of Ham [see Genesis 9:21–29] declared that filial reverence [respect that a son has toward his father] had long before been cast from his soul, and it revealed the impiety and vileness of his character. These evil characteristics were perpetuated in Canaan and his posterity, whose continued guilt called upon them the judgments of God.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 117.

What was the result of the unrighteousness of the “founders of the human race”—Ham specifically?

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

The scriptural description of this situation is given in Genesis 11:1–5:

“Now the whole earth had one language and one speech. And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they dwelt there. Then they said to one another, ‘Come, let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly.’ They had brick for stone, and they had asphalt for mortar. And they said, ‘Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.’ But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built.”

This effort was undertaken by Nimrod, the son of Canaan and the grandson of Ham. Their reasoning to separate from the descendants of Shem and Japheth reveals much about their character and is an indication of the ultimate fate of mankind as the meeting of time and eternity draws closer and closer. There will be those who leave the path of truth and righteousness (if they were ever even on it) and separate from those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.

It was here on the plain of Shinar that the many and varied nations, kindreds, tongues, and peoples got their start. This story continues in Genesis 11, beginning with verse 6.

“And the Lord said, ‘Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them. Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.’ So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city. Therefore its name is called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth; and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth” (Genesis 11:6–9).

We can see from this that those who were scattered abroad over the face of all the earth were descendants of Ham through Canaan. Thus we might conclude that much of the earth was populated by those who did not fear and reverence the God of creation.

“On the other hand, how richly rewarded was Shem’s respect for his father; and what an illustrious line of holy men appears in his posterity! ‘The Lord knoweth the days of the upright,’ ‘and his seed is blessed’ (Psalm 37:18, 26). ‘Know therefore that the Lord thy God He is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love Him and keep His commandments to a thousand generations’ (Deuteronomy 7:9).” Op. cit., 118.

Out of this illustrious line of holy men came David. By this time, the children of God and the children of men were dispersed throughout what we call the Middle East. Conflicts arose between these two groups which continue to this very day.

Even though those who abandoned worship of the true God of heaven turned to lives of sin, wickedness, and idolatry, God still used them—but in a rather unusual way. A warning of such an instance is given in 2 Samuel 7, where God is instructing Nathan to tell David to settle down and build Him a tabernacle. Included in the instructions that God tells Nathan to pass on to David are both uplifting encouragement for the obedient and a straightforward warning against apostasy.

“Moreover I will appoint a place for My people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own and move no more; nor shall the sons of wickedness oppress them anymore, as previously, since the time that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel, and have caused you to rest from all your enemies. Also the Lord tells you that He will make you a house. ‘When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever’ ” (2 Samuel 7:10–13).

Now notice what God says in verse 14:

“ ‘I will be his Father, and he shall be My son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men. But My mercy shall not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from before you. And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever.’ According to all these words and according to all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.”

It is interesting to note in these verses the different terms Scripture uses for sons of God and sons of men: “My people Israel” and “sons of wickedness,” respectively.

There are many other instances in Scripture where God used the sons of men to chastise the children of God because of their apostasy.  The initial captivity of the Israelites by the Assyrians is probably the best known example. Their continued harassment by the Philistines is another.

An interesting and telling bit of the character of the sons of men is given in Psalm 4:2: “How long, O you sons of men, Will you turn My glory to shame? How long will you love worthlessness and seek falsehood?”

Two distinct characteristics are given here of the sons of men. They “love worthlessness” and “seek falsehood.”

The sons of men, according to Psalm 4:2, not only love vane, empty, worthless pursuits, but they seek out lies. In a broad sense, is this not a description of the broad-road churches of today? They would be offended if you openly accused them of loving worthlessness and seeking falsehood, but isn’t that what they are doing with their Sunday worship and what Inspiration calls “the senseless mummery” of the mass?

“The Scriptural ordinance of the Lord’s Supper had been supplanted by the idolatrous sacrifice of the mass. Papal priests pretended, by their senseless mummery, to convert the simple bread and wine into the actual ‘body and blood of Christ’ (1 Corinthians 10:16). … With blasphemous presumption, they openly claimed the power of creating God, the Creator of all things. Christians were required, on pain of death, to avow their faith in this horrible, Heaven-insulting heresy,” this love of worthlessness and seeking of falsehood. The Great Controversy, 59.

Solomon had a great deal to say about the vanity—the worthlessness, the emptiness—of the pursuits of the sons of men. Although those he wrote about were by birth sons of God, they, too—like the ones his father had written about earlier, had in character become sons of men.

“I said in my heart, ‘Come now, I will test you with mirth; therefore enjoy pleasure’; but surely, this also was vanity. I said of laughter—‘Madness!’; and of mirth, ‘What does it accomplish?’ I searched in my heart how to gratify my flesh with wine, while guiding my heart with wisdom, and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was good for the sons of men to do under heaven all the days of their lives. I made my works great, I built myself houses, and planted myself vineyards. I made myself gardens and orchards, and I planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. I made myself water pools from which to water the growing trees of the grove. I acquired male and female servants, and had servants born in my house. Yes, I had greater possessions of herds and flocks than all who were in Jerusalem before me. I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the special treasures of kings and of the provinces. I acquired male and female singers, the delights of the sons of men, and musical instruments of all kinds” (Ecclesiastes 2:1–8).

As we read these thoughts of Solomon, it becomes clear why he ended his words of wisdom as he did. First let’s look at a couple of other bits of his wisdom.

“Moreover I saw under the sun: In the place of judgment, wickedness was there; and in the place of righteousness, iniquity was there. I said in my heart, ‘God shall judge the righteous and the wicked, for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.’ I said in my heart, ‘Concerning the condition of the sons of men, God tests them, that they may see that they themselves are like animals.’ For what happens to the sons of men also happens to animals; one thing befalls them: as one dies, so dies the other. Surely, they all have one breath; man has no advantage over animals, for all is vanity” (Ecclesiastes 3:16–19).

The word that is translated in verse 18 as tests in the New King James is translated manifests in the King James. Strong’s definition indicates that the original Hebrew word implies that God reveals them to themselves. He puts men in situations to reveal to themselves their true character.

The wise man continues to lament the condition of the sons of men in Ecclesiastes 8:11:

“Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.”

If sentence against an evil work were speedily executed, if we were made to realize immediately the consequences of evil actions by the swift execution of punishment, perhaps the evil actions that have become so widespread among the sons of men today would diminish significantly.

It would be tempting as we read through the book of Ecclesiastes to conclude that Solomon had become a bitter old man. However, in closing his polemic on the vanity of life and the condition of the sons of men, Solomon reaches this grand conclusion:

“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all [or, as the KJV says, “this is the whole duty of man”]. For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:13, 14).

As we approach the meeting of time and eternity, it becomes clear when we engage in a serious study of God’s word and His will for us that we must understand the differentiating aspects of the character of the two classes of people who will exist when that time comes. We can only gain that understanding by digging deeply into God’s word to determine whether our behavior identifies us as a child of God or a child of man.

The outcome of those who fail to abandon the habits of the sons of men and acquire the character of the sons of God is clearly outlined in Psalm 21:8–10:

“Your hand will find all Your enemies;

Your right hand will find those who hate You.

You shall make them as a fiery oven in the time of Your anger;

the Lord shall swallow them up in His wrath,

and the fire shall devour them.

Their offspring You shall destroy from the earth,

and their descendants from among the sons of men.”

However, a wonderful future lies ahead for those who are determined to become sons of God. Paul clearly understood that when he stated in Galatians 4:4–7, “But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, ‘Abba, Father!’ Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.”

John the revelator also understood the significance of being children of God.

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

Then in verse 3, we are told what He is and what we are to become as we overcome those character traits that identify us as sons of men and transition by His grace into sons of God: “And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.”

May the Lord guide us as we seek to become His true children. [All emphasis added.]

All quotes NKJV unless otherwise noted.

John Pearson is the office manager and a board member of Steps to Life. He may be contacted by email at: johnpearson@stepstolife.org.

The Atonement

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For many years the Protestant churches accused the Seventh-day Adventist Church of being a cult because they did not believe, as did the Protestants, that the atonement was completed at the cross. Adventists believe that the Day of Atonement began on October 22, 1844.

There were leading Adventist ministers in the 1950s who wanted to remove the cult status. These ministers talked to the evangelicals of the Martin-Barnhouse conferences in the middle ’50s saying that Adventists did believe that the atonement was finished at the cross and it is just the benefits of that sacrifice that are now being administered. The book, Questions on Doctrine, was written to prove this. I have personally heard Elder R. A. Anderson, one of the principle persons involved, explain explicitly and publicly the reason for this book—to lose the cult status.

The word atonement in inspired writings means more than one thing. It is used in at least two or three different ways, which is part of the reason for the controversy and has at least two meanings. The first is the sacrifice that was necessary, not only to forgive the sinner, but to take away or remove his sins. Ellen White uses the word atonement in that way in The Review and Herald, September 24, 1901. She wrote, “… when the Father beheld the sacrifice of His Son, He bowed before it in recognition of its perfection. ‘It is enough,’ He said. ‘The atonement is complete.’ ”

Atonement in that sentence is used in regard to the atonement sacrifice which was complete. The book of Hebrews is very clear that that sacrifice will never have to be made again. Under the old covenant many sacrifices were offered, but under the new covenant there was one atonement sacrifice for all.

In The Signs of the Times, June 28, 1899, it states: “When He offered Himself on the cross, a perfect atonement was made for the sins of the people.” It was perfect, complete and never need be repeated, throughout all eternal ages.

The second meaning of the word atonement is to cleanse or remove from a person, or a group of people, both the guilt and the power of sin. We call it the blotting out of sin that began when Jesus moved from the Holy Place to the Most Holy on October 22, 1844. Using the word atonement in that sense, Ellen White wrote in “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, 481: “Today He [Christ] is making an atonement for us before the Father.”

“We are now living in the great day of atonement.” The Great Controversy, 489. We have been living in the antitypical Day of Atonement since October 22, 1844, when the investigative judgment began. The investigative judgment and the atonement, or blotting out of sins, are two separate things. The atonement occurs at the end of the Day of Atonement when the sins will be blotted out. In the typical service, the high priest entered into the Most Holy Place, dipped his finger in the blood and sprinkled it seven times on the mercy seat which represented the blotting out of sin from God’s people. Then the high priest took those sins upon himself, went out, and confessed them over the head of the scapegoat, which was then separated from the children of God forever. (See Leviticus 16.)

Ellen White states in The Signs of the Times, March 14, 1878: “Those only who acknowledge the binding claim of the moral law can explain the nature of the atonement.”

We are told: “The whole world needs to be instructed in the oracles of God, to understand the object of the atonement, the at-one-ment, with God. The object of this atonement was that the divine law and government might be maintained.” The Signs of the Times, March 20, 1901.

Since the fall, Satan has attacked the law of God and His government. The atonement was to maintain the authority of the divine law and God’s government.

Let us review some descriptive words used throughout the Spirit of Prophecy concerning God’s law so we can better understand the atonement.

The law of God is eternal – it has no beginning and no ending. It did not begin at Mount Sinai as some of our Christian friends teach. It was in existence before the creation of the world and before the uprising in heaven that caused the expulsion of Satan and his angels. Nothing that has been created, neither angels nor man, can be eternal because all have had a beginning.

The law of God is immutable – Immutable means something that you cannot change. It is no longer a commonly used word.

“The law of God stands immutable, eternal as His throne.

“There is no such thing as weakening or strengthening the law of Jehovah. As it has always been, so it is. It cannot be repealed or changed in one principle. It is eternal, immutable as God Himself.” The Signs of the Times, March 20, 1901.

The law of God is imperishable – It can never pass away. “All the opposition cannot, for one moment, drag down that holy law. It is eternal, imperishable as the throne of God.” The Review and Herald, May 25, 1876. Any attempt to destroy the law is an attempt to destroy the throne of God.

God’s law is irrevocable – When a person makes out a revocable trust, he can change it anytime before he dies. An irrevocable trust means it cannot be changed and there are strict state laws governing it.

It is indestructible – No matter what you do, you can’t destroy it. “The law of God maintains its binding claims, notwithstanding the fact that men claim to have refuted every argument in its favor. The truth still lives; the light still shines; it cannot be put out. In the Dark Ages the Bible was set aside; it was burned. Men tried to banish it from the earth; but how signally they failed! The law of God may be ignored, despised, rejected, trampled upon, but it is still the great standard of righteousness, immutable and indestructible. It is eternal.” The Review and Herald, May 28, 1901.

“… these rejecters of truth cannot always remain deaf to the claims of God’s law, for it is eternal and irrevocable.” The Review and Herald, May 18, 1897. It is the standard of righteousness.

The law of God is complete – “The law of Jehovah was always holy, just, and good, and complete in itself.” The Signs of the Times, March 20, 1901.

The law of God is perfect – See Psalm 19. “The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether” (verse 9 KJV).

God’s law is the foundation of His government – “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; mercy and truth go before Your face” (Psalm 89:14).

God’s law is the standard of righteousness – David said, “All Your commandments are righteousness” (Psalm 119:172).

When a person understands the principles and holiness of the law, he will be prepared intellectually to begin to understand something about the atonement sacrifice that was required to save people who had broken that law.

We have previously covered the purpose of the atonement. The object of the atonement was to preserve the divine law and the divine government. Here we will see the only way that an atonement could be provided.

Remember this law is eternal and is as sacred as God Himself. There has never been a time when it didn’t exist. The only one able to make an atonement for such a law that had been broken would be somebody who was sinless and perfectly spotless.

“Christ could not have done this work had He not been personally spotless. Only One who was Himself perfection could be at once the sin bearer and the sin pardoner. … from the time that He was born an infant in Bethlehem till He hung on the cross of Calvary, and cried in a voice that shook the universe, ‘It is finished,’ the Saviour was pure and spotless.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, 461.

When Jesus went to the cross, He did not have one murmuring thought. The people conducting the trial, the torture and the crucifixion of Jesus were all stirred up by the devil.

Throughout His life, Jesus had never lost patience once while the devil kept trying to defeat the plan of salvation, right up until the time He died. While hanging on the cross some called out to Him, “If you are the Son of God, come down now.” It was within His power that He could, but had He done that, it would have broken up the plan of salvation. It was the same in the wilderness of temptation when Jesus had fasted for 40 days. If the devil had succeeded to get Him to throw Himself down from the temple, the plan of salvation would have been over and we would be eternally lost.

From the time Jesus was born in Bethlehem until He died on the cross, He was perfectly sinless and spotless, otherwise His sacrifice would not have atoned for our sins. You see, the law of God is perfect. To atone for a law like that takes a perfect person.

Only One who was of superior value to Adam as he existed in paradise could make an atonement for a broken law like this.

Only One who was divine could make an atonement for this broken law. “God himself became man, and bore all the wrath that sin had provoked. This problem, How could God be just and yet the justifier of sinners? baffled all finite intelligence.” The Youth’s Instructor, August 31, 1887.

Nobody in the universe other than the Godhead could answer that question. How could God be just and also justify the sinner? “A divine person alone could mediate between God and man.” Ibid. The arch-angel of heaven could not do it. Only a divine person, One who possessed the before-mentioned qualifications could do it. Jesus volunteered to be that One.

Let’s just think that through for a moment. It would not be just for an innocent person to pay the price of the guilty if he was forced to do it. That wouldn’t be just and there would be no atonement in that. The only way there could be any atonement was if Jesus Christ volunteered to do it. He was not pushed into doing it. He was not pressed into doing it. He willingly offered Himself.

Ellen White talks about the red heifer, which symbolized Christ and was to be an animal upon whom had never been a yoke. Ellen White explains it this way: “It must be without spot or blemish, and one that had never borne a yoke. Here, again, Christ was typified. The Son of God came voluntarily to accomplish the work of atonement. There was no obligatory yoke upon Him, for He was independent and above all law.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 120.

Only One who was equal with God could do this. “The broken law of God demanded the life of the sinner. In all the universe there was but One who could, in behalf of man, satisfy its claims. Since the divine law is as sacred as God Himself, only one equal with God could make atonement for its transgression.” The Signs of the Times, November 4, 1908.

Only Jesus Christ is equal with God. He is the only Person who could make an atonement. Just before He was crucified Jesus said to His disciples, “No man comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6, literal translation).

Jesus said, “nor does anyone know the Father except the Son” (Matthew 11:27, last part). He told the Jews that if they knew the Father they would know Him whom the Father had sent. All who claim to worship God that do not know His Son are worshiping another God.

Only the One who had created man could make atonement for him. Only the One who was independent and above all law could make atonement for man. Only One who had divine perfection of character could make atonement for man.

To come to the realization that a Being like that would stoop to such a depth to save a wretch such as I makes one feel like a worm. But that is how much God loves us. He withheld nothing, even His only beloved Son, so man could be saved out of his wretchedness.

We often talk of looking forward to heaven to be reunited with our loved ones who have passed, but the main reason to be in heaven is to be with Jesus, the One who made all of this possible by His sacrificial love and concern over His lost creation and tell Him how we appreciate what He has done for us.

Throughout eternity the saints will marvel at the love and sacrifice of our Saviour. The love of Christ, the apostle Paul said, is beyond knowledge. There is nobody who can explain it, for it is beyond anything that can be explained. But once you have experience it, you will want nothing else.

After the apostle Paul experienced it, he didn’t want anything else. He said that he had lost everything else because of it and counted that rubbish in comparison to the love of Christ. If he could just know Jesus, that was enough.

When I started studying about the atonement, I was so aghast. I said, Lord, I cannot comprehend this. We do not understand how great Jesus is. If we did, we would be so astonished at the plan of salvation that we would walk in awe the rest of our lives.

The Christian religion is true. The evidence is overwhelming. It is historical. It is a fact. One day soon we are going to face our Creator. The goal of my life is just to be ready for that day. I pray that the Lord will help us to understand the plan of salvation, in a practical way, and to realize that it was done for each one of us individually.

(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 in Wichita, Kansas. He may be contacted by email at: historic@stepstolife.org, or by telephone at: 316-788-5559.

Editorial – Ignorance Can Spell Your Doom

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Probation was about to close for the Jewish nation. BUT THEY DID NOT KNOW IT. Even Jesus’ disciples did not know it. But, on His triumphant entry into Jerusalem just days before the crucifixion, Jesus wept (see Luke 19:41) and said, “ ‘If thou hadst known, even thou at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace!’ Then came a pause, for the Saviour was reluctant to pronounce the irrevocable sentence—‘but now they are hid from thine eyes’ (verse 42). It was with a burst of agony that Christ spoke these words.” The Signs of the Times, July 26, 1899.

“For a few moments the Son of God stands upon Mount Olivet, expressing the intense yearning of His soul that Jerusalem might repent in the last few moments before the westering sun shall sink behind the hill. That day the Jews as a nation would end their probation. … But now the irrevocable sentence is spoken, because ‘she knew not the time of her visitation.’ ” Ibid., February 27, 1896.

“The course taken by the hardhearted and impenitent inhabitants of the doomed city is similar to the attitude of churches and individuals toward Christ at the present time. They neglect His requirements and despise His forbearance. There is a form of godliness, there is ceremonial worship, there are complimentary prayers, but the real power is wanting. The heart is not softened by grace, but is cold and unimpressible. Many, like the Jews, are blinded by unbelief and know not the time of their visitation.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 258.

“When the Saviour saw in the Jewish people a nation divorced from God, He saw also a professed Christian Church united to the world and the papacy. … He is weeping over and pleading with sinners in these last moments of time. … Will He be obliged to say to those who have had great light and knowledge, as He said to the Jews, ‘If thou hadst known, even thou at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes’?”  The Review and Herald, October 8, 1901.

Because you “do not know …” (Revelation 3:17 NKJV).