Keys to the Storehouse – Conditions Chosen for You

I am sure many of you remember this conversation in the Bible: “Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found Him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.” John 1:45, 46.

To hear what Philip said about Nazareth, it must have been considered a rough and sinful city, well known for its crimes and vices. Even with its notorious reputation, something “good” did come out of Nazareth, Jesus Christ our Saviour.

Nazareth, with all of its depravity, was the city chosen by our heavenly Father for His only begotten Son to be raised.

“What were the conditions chosen by the infinite Father for His Son?

  • A secluded home in the Galilean hills;
  • a household sustained by honest, self-respecting labor;
  • a life of simplicity;
  • daily conflict with difficulty and hardship;
  • self-sacrifice, economy, and patient, gladsome service;
  • the hour of study at His mother’s side, with the open scroll of Scripture;
  • the quiet of dawn or twilight in the green valley;
  • the holy ministries of nature;
  • the study of creation and providence;
  • and the soul’s communion with God—these were the conditions and opportunities of the early life of Jesus.” Ministry of Healing, 365, 366.

We have no excuse for not following our Lord under all circumstances. God has chosen our surroundings for our growth. If it were not for challenges, we would not grow spiritually. Let us praise God for His choices for each of us, knowing that He has chosen such because He loves us.

Remember, “We know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He did predestinate, them He also called: and whom He called, them He also justified: and whom He justified, them He also glorified.” Romans 8:28–30.

God has a plan for you and He has chosen the conditions surrounding your life for good reason. Are you being conformed to His image, or are you making excuses because you are not happy with the circumstances that the Lord has chosen for you? God’s only begotten Son followed His will with delight. Will You?

Father: Forgive me for complaining at times because of circumstances and challenges. Please put peace and happiness into my heart that I may give glory to Thee in all areas of my life. That under all conditions or circumstances, I will remember that it is Your will for my life, and I will praise Your name for Your mercy at that moment and not murmur or complain. Amen.

Current Events – A New Constitution

“A striking contradiction between the professions and the practice of the nation … is the action of its legislative and judicial authorities. By such action it will give the lie to those liberal and peaceful principles which it has put forth as the foundation of its policy. …

“Such action would be directly contrary to the principles of this government, to the genius of its free institutions, to the direct and solemn avowals of the Declaration of Independence, and to the Constitution.” The Great Controversy, 442.

The United States Constitution is unusually difficult to amend. As spelled out in Article V, the Constitution can be amended in one of two ways. First, amendment can take place by a vote of two-thirds of both the House of Representatives and the Senate followed by a ratification of three-fourths of the various state legislatures (ratification by thirty-eight states would be required to ratify an amendment today). This first method of amendment is the only one used to date. Second, the Constitution might be amended by a Convention called for this purpose by two-thirds of the state legislatures, if the Convention’s proposed amendments are later ratified by three-fourths of the state legislatures. http://law2.umkc.edu

On November 12, 2012, Frank Lake, reporter for Weekly World News, New York, wrote that the President of the United States reportedly said the United States Constitution is out-of-date, so he is ripping it up and writing a new one. President Barack Obama reportedly told reporters last night [November 11, 2012] that the U.S. Constitution has become a hindrance to progress in America. “The document is so out-dated, that it is now becoming a hindrance to governing the country.” Obama has signed an Executive Order voiding the U. S. Constitution. “We need to move forward. We need change.” Obama reportedly said he has already drafted a new constitution and that Americans “will love what I came up with.” Insiders say Obama is keeping a lot of old elements from the original constitution “he’s just making it better, bringing it into the 21st century,” said White House Spokesman, Jay Carney. http://weeklyworldnews.com

This is in regards to Senate Bill 139 of the 113th Congress, which was presented to prevent the Second Amendment rights of the United States from being given to the United Nations. Data shows that 99 Senators voted, with 46 of them voting “Nay” (which means they were willing to give our rights per our Constitution in regard to the Second Amendment to the United Nations). This vote was recorded on March 23, 2013, which was just a few months after the Election in November 2012. http://www.westernjournalism.com

Republicans are warning that Democrats will regret their November 21, 2013, party-line vote to change rules of the United States Senate to permit confirmation of presidential appointees (except Supreme Court justices) by a simple majority instead of the 60 percent supermajority which had been required. The U.S. Constitution does require a supermajority in the U.S. Senate for specific reasons like the ratification of treaties and amendments to the Constitution itself. But in all other cases including legislation and confirming presidential appointments, Article I provides that in the event of a tie vote in the U.S. Senate, the vice president of the United States should cast the deciding vote.

Allowing the U.S. Senate to act by simple majority, except as otherwise specified in the Constitution, seems like the essence of constitutional democracy. The practice of simple majority rule in the U.S. Senate should be expanded to include enactment of legislation and the confirmation of Supreme Court justices. http://www.newsworks.org

God is Never Too Late

Through prayer, we have access to communicate with our Creator. Whatever situation we may find ourselves in, Jesus said, “I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.” John 14:18. The only way to overcome temptations is to have an intimate connection with Him through sincere prayer and the study of His word.

For the past few years I have been honored to direct the team of workers at Three Angels’ Polytechnic and Bible School in Bunyore, Kenya. One of my responsibilities is to purchase necessities for the college. Recently, an incident occurred that severely tested my faith.

On Friday, I left the school to go into Luanda, which is 85 kilometers (approximately 54 miles) away from the school, to conduct some business and purchase some needed school items. My first stop was the bank. After making the necessary withdrawals I decided to hire a motorbike taxi to take me back to school to avoid the often much wasted time while waiting at the bus stop for the public vehicles. We had not gone more than two kilometers when a grey saloon vehicle overtook the motorbike and blocked the way, forcing the driver to promptly stop. Three men came out of the vehicle like policemen, in private garments, armed with a gun and chains. As soon as I climbed off the bike the driver raced away, leaving me in the hands of these men who pushed me into their vehicle. Once inside I was forced to lie down between the seats. I did not know what was going on. The men hit me on my head wedging my large frame between the seats. As I lay there one man stepped on my neck, while another was on my back and another held down my feet. For almost three hours I was a victim of their torture. My cell phone was taken from me, and I knew that nobody would know what had happened to me or where I was to rescue me. I could not see or know where I was being taken or by whom, as my captors ensured that I did not see their faces.

I remembered the plans I had made for that day and the other chores that were to be done. Many people at the school were waiting for me to get home with the needed purchases, but I had no other choice but to accept the situation in which I found myself. In pain I remembered how Daniel and his friends had suffered for the sake of their faith, and I sought help from above. The more I was beaten, the more I offered silent prayer. I knew that if God would not hear and answer my prayer I would be dead, because the men were very angry because I was not answering their questions the way they wanted.

Becoming exhausted, I felt that God had forsaken me, but He reminded me of how Joseph had remained faithful when his own brothers had sold him to the slave traders, so I continued to pray. Eventually the vehicle stopped and the driver asked my tormentors what they were going to do with me now—throw me in the water or kill me! The man sitting next to him told the driver that they would throw me in the water to either survive or die on my own. The three men in the back who held me down rarely spoke.

The one who had taken my documents noticed that I was a pastor and responsible for children. He suggested that they look for a place to leave me and not kill me as they had previously been directed. The vehicle picked up speed again for almost 20 minutes before it stopped. I was pulled out of the vehicle, my face tied with a plastic cover as well as being chained. Two of the men led me to a small path that led into a forest while a third man pointed a gun to my head threatening to shoot if I showed any sign of resisting or making a noise for assistance. The driver and the other man remained in the vehicle.

After we had walked quite a way, I was unchained and told to continue walking without looking back or I would be killed. They knew that I was weak. My hand was dislocated from being twisted and my joints hurt from the beating that I had received. There was no part of my body that was not in pain. I continued walking for a few more minutes before carefully looking back. What a relief it was when I saw nobody; they had already gone.

Having no idea where I was, I needed to look for assistance. Following the path I was on brought me to a small homestead where I was then able to contact my wife and staff members at the school who came to assist me back to the nearest police station to report the attack. Before heading back home we detoured by the hospital to have my injuries checked.

I praise God for His watch-care throughout this ordeal. It was a miracle to feel alive again, because I was like a dead man being jammed under those seats. Since this incident, more security measures have been taken to prevent this from happening again.

Dear brothers and sisters, what do you think of each time you learn of lives that have been cut short? My heart is heavy when I see such evidence that man has become the worst enemy of his fellow man. I am living proof that though all worldly communication can be broken and withheld and not one of your loved ones has any idea what has happened to you or where you are, God is still in control! He knows where you are every minute, and He hears every sincere prayer. His arm is not short that He cannot save you. He said, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” Hebrews 13:5. Whatever you may go through you are not alone. As Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us …” (Daniel 3:17), but if not we will still trust in Him. This can also be our conviction. God is not late to rescue us. When we trust Him with everything, we have the assurance that nothing happens without His knowledge and purpose. Never forget that we are not safe if we do not continually seek for heavenly assistance.

Atanas Anyanzwa has been connected with The Three Angels’ Polytechnic and Bible School in Bunyore, Kenya, since it was formally organized. Prior to returning to the Bunyore area with his family, as a result of the 2007 post-election violence, he was a successful building contractor. With his previous experience and with the help of the students, they have constructed most of the buildings on the compound. Since January 2012 he has been the manager, taking on the role of counselor and father figure for many of the students and particularly for those who are orphaned.

Out of Darkness

“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.” Isaiah 42:5–7 KJV

When I was living in northern Arizona, I occasionally had the opportunity to fellowship with a young man, whom I will call Bill, who had been born blind. On Sabbath afternoons, Bill and some of the other church members and I would go for a walk through the ponderosa pine forests of the Colorado plateau. Bill would hold the arm of someone in the group and walk along with us as we enjoyed the beauty of the forest. It always puzzled me what this experience was like for Bill, as he was obviously missing out on what was to me the best part of the adventure—the magnificent scenery we were walking through. So I asked him one day what his perception of a pine tree was. He explained that he had felt the bark and needles, had smelled them, and had a sense of their size, but other than that, he couldn’t really explain how he saw them in his mind’s eye, as he had no frame of reference that was common to each of us.

I have pondered that experience for a long time, wondering how to explain to someone who had never had sight the scene that lay before them. There is no way to describe green, for example, to someone who has never seen any color.

Recently, as I was reading about the miracles that Jesus performed, this experience with Bill came to my mind again.

That Christ worked miracles is beyond question. The Bible gives a fairly detailed record of at least 37 specific miracles Christ performed, though there were undoubtedly many more. Exactly how many, we don’t know. But as we read the story of Christ’s life in the gospels, we can gain a sense that there were probably thousands.

Matthew 4:24 tells us, “They brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them.”

Then, in Matthew 8:16 KJV, we read, “When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick.”

In Matthew 14 there is recorded an interesting series of events. After the beheading of John the Baptist, Christ sought solitude by departing, by Himself, by boat to a deserted place. “But when the multitudes heard it, they followed Him on foot from the cities. And when Jesus went out, He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick.” Verses 13, 14.

Indeed, in each of the four gospels, there are accounts of great multitudes of afflicted souls being healed by Christ of their various ailments. Thus we can be certain that Christ performed far more miracles than the 37 specifically delineated.

As John puts it in the conclusion of his gospel, “And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.” John 21:25 KJV.

Inspiration addresses these miracles this way: “Entire cities and villages were freed from disease, and there was no work for a physician among them.” The Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 2, 285.

Of the 37 miracles that are specifically delineated in the gospels, however, there are five that deserve special attention, as a study of them reveals more than what is initially obvious on first read.

The record of Christ’s miracle at Bethsaida, when He healed a blind man, is recorded in Mark 8:22–25: “Then He came to Bethsaida; and they brought a blind man to Him, and begged Him to touch him. So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town. And when He had spit on his eyes and put His hands on him, He asked him if he saw anything. And he looked up and said, ‘I see men like trees, walking.’ Then He put His hands on his eyes again and made him look up. And he was restored and saw everyone clearly.”

A study of the miracles of healing the blind will reveal an element common to them all.

We’ve just read Mark 8:22–25, about the blind man near Bethsaida who initially saw “men like trees, walking,” then “saw everyone clearly.” In John 9 we have a very detailed account of the healing of the man born blind.

“Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him, saying, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’ Jesus answered, ‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him. I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.’ When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. And He said to him, ‘Go, wash in the pool of Siloam’ [which is translated, sent]. So he went and washed, and came back seeing.” John 9:1–7.

There are several interesting aspects to this wonderful story. First notice that in verse one, the word Jesus is supplied by the translators. As it was written by John, it would read, “Now as He passed by … .” The word construction here indicates that this miracle occurred immediately following the rather ugly confrontation that Jesus had had with the Jewish leaders in chapter 8. They had accused Him of being the illegitimate son of a single woman, of being suicidal, and of being demon possessed. The chapter concludes in verse 59. Read that and the first verse of chapter 9 together, just as John wrote it, so that the continuity is obvious. “Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by. Now as He passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth.” John 8:59; 9:1.

Imagine the selflessness required to leave a highly emotional confrontation such as is described in chapter 8 and immediately thinking of the welfare of someone else. I would have to go and stew for a while over being mistreated and criticized so harshly. But here, by the grace and mercy of God, we get a glimpse of Christ’s loving, selfless character that is truly eye-opening. Clearly His thoughts were always and only about the welfare of others. May the Lord give us a deeper understanding of what it means to be truly Christlike.

Continuing with this story of the man born blind, we read in John 9:8–11: “Therefore the neighbors and those who previously had seen that he was blind said, ‘Is not this he who sat and begged?’ Some said, ‘This is he.’ Others said, ‘He is like him.’ He said, ‘I am he.’ Therefore they said to him, ‘How were your eyes opened?’ He answered and said, ‘A Man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said to me, “Go to the pool of Siloam and wash.” So I went and washed, and I received sight.’ ”

“So I went and washed, and I received sight.” Keep this fact in mind.

Now let’s look at Matthew 9 and read about the two blind men whom Jesus healed. This chapter is full of miracles, but the one we want to contemplate begins in verse 27.

“When Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out and saying, ‘Son of David, have mercy on us!’ And when He had come into the house, the blind men came to Him. And Jesus said to them, ‘Do you believe that I am able to do this?’ They said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord.’ Then He touched their eyes, saying, ‘According to your faith let it be to you.’ And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, saying, ‘See that no one knows it.’ ” Matthew 9:27–30.

“Then He touched their eyes … and their eyes were opened.” Another point to keep in mind.

The healing of the demon-possessed blind man is described in Matthew 12:22: “Then one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw.” This initially appears as three miracles in one: he was freed from demon possession, he was given the power of speech, and his sight was restored. We’ll see shortly that there was actually a fourth miracle performed here.

Let’s look now at the story of blind Bartimaeus. All three of the synoptic gospels tell his story, though only Mark identifies him by name.

“Now they came to Jericho. As He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’ Then many warned him to be quiet; but he cried out all the more, ‘Son of David, have mercy on me!’ So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called. Then they called the blind man, saying to him, ‘Be of good cheer. Rise, He is calling you.’ And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus. So Jesus answered and said to him, ‘What do you want Me to do for you?’ The blind man said to Him, ‘Rabboni, that I may receive my sight.’ Then Jesus said to him, ‘Go your way; your faith has made you well.’ And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road.” Mark 10:46–52.

Make note of how long it took for this man to receive his sight. According to the Bible narrative, it was immediate. The same is true of the man born blind, of the two blind men healed in Matthew 9, of the blind, mute demoniac that Matthew 12 and Luke 11 describe, and of blind Bartimaeus.

In each of these five instances, not only did Christ enable the blind to see, but perhaps even more miraculously, He enabled them to comprehend instantly what they saw. The significance of this “miracle within a miracle” has only recently been realized, as the scientific community has only just recently been able to accomplish in only a very slight degree what Christ did approximately 2000 years ago.

In 2009, a series of studies was done on individuals who had their vision restored, or stated more correctly perhaps, “activated,” after a lifetime of blindness. This activation provided a unique opportunity to determine how the human brain learns to make sense of a sudden flood of visual information—information that up to this point had been completely lacking in these individuals.

Just think about this for a minute. Suppose that you had been blind from birth. Imagine someone trying to explain to you exactly what they meant by “blue sky,” or describe a green pine tree to you. What words could they use that would not require a baseline of visual knowledge or prior visual experience to achieve some degree of comprehension? Every word that they might use to try to explain “blue,” for example, or “tree” would require an explanation as well. In light of this, we can perhaps have a deeper appreciation of the miraculous nature of Helen Keller’s achievements.

As the researchers in 2009 tested the patients within the first weeks following activation of their sight, they found that the subjects had only a very limited ability to distinguish an object from its background. They had no sense of depth perception and could not distinguish the individuality of overlapping objects, nor piece together the different parts of an object.

After treatment, one subject participated in a series of tests asking him to identify simple shapes and objects. He could identify some shapes, such as triangles or squares, when they were side-by-side, but not when they overlapped. His brain was unable to distinguish the outlines of a whole shape when it overlapped another shape; instead, he believed that each fragment of a shape was its own whole. For example, when a red circle partially obscured a yellow triangle, the subject identified the circle as a circle, but the triangle was perceived as an object having two straight sides and one concave side.

However, if the shapes were put into motion, the study subjects could much more easily identify them. With motion, their success rates for identifying shapes improved from close to zero to around 75 percent. Furthermore, movement greatly increased the patients’ ability to recognize objects within images.

During follow-up tests that continued for 18 months after treatment, the patients’ performance with stationary objects gradually improved to almost normal.

See https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090917115658.htm for full details of the study.

Note that it took a year and a half for the vision of the study subjects to improve to “almost normal.”

In the five stories of the men whose sight Christ restored or activated, once Christ had activated the sense of sight, the men apparently perceived what they viewed as if they had had sight from birth. So it is clear that Christ not only enabled these men to see, but even more miraculously, He enabled them to comprehend instantly what they were seeing.

Clearly, He brought these men out from a world of darkness into a world of marvelous light in every sense of the word. As Psalm 18:28 KJV says, “For thou wilt light my candle: the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness.”

There is another fascinating story about the Lord enlightening the darkness of someone—a story that we’re all familiar with—but in this story, the Lord brought enlightenment by causing someone to temporarily lose his sight. The initial telling of the story is in Acts 9.

“Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’ And he said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ Then the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ So he, trembling and astonished, said, ‘Lord, what do You want me to do?’ Then the Lord said to him, ‘Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.’ And the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one. Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.” Acts 9:1–9.

The Spirit of Prophecy adds some interesting details to this story.

“On the last day of the journey, ‘at midday’ (Acts 26:13), as the weary travelers neared Damascus, they came within full view of broad stretches of fertile lands, beautiful gardens, and fruitful orchards, watered by cool streams from the surrounding mountains. [Think a minute about these details. They will be referred to later.] After the long journey over desolate wastes such scenes were refreshing indeed. While Saul, with his companions, gazed with admiration on the fruitful plain and the fair city below, ‘suddenly,’ as he afterward declared, there shone ‘round about me and them which journeyed with me’ ‘a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun’ (Acts 26:13), too glorious for mortal eyes to bear. Blinded and bewildered, Saul fell prostrate to the ground.

“While the light continued to shine round about them, Saul heard ‘a voice speaking … in the Hebrew tongue’ (Acts 26:14), ‘saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me? And he said, Who art Thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.’

“Filled with fear, and almost blinded by the intensity of the light, the companions of Saul heard a voice, but saw no man. But Saul understood the words that were spoken, and to him was clearly revealed the One who spoke—even the Son of God. In the glorious Being who stood before him he saw the Crucified One. Upon the soul of the stricken Jew the image of the Saviour’s countenance was imprinted forever. The words spoken struck home to his heart with appalling force. Into the darkened chambers of his mind there poured a flood of light, revealing the ignorance and error of his former life and his present need of the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit.” The Acts of the Apostles, 114, 115.

“The marvelous light that illumined the darkness of Saul was the work of the Lord.” Ibid., 121.

When Paul tells of this experience to Agrippa in Acts 26:16–18, he adds more detail: “But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you. I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.”

Paul makes an allusion to his experience on the road to Damascus in II Corinthians 4:3–6: “But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus’ sake. For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”

Remember that the Spirit of Prophecy said, in speaking of Paul, “Upon the soul of the stricken Jew the image of the Saviour’s countenance was imprinted forever.” When he wrote to the Corinthians that God had given the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, he was speaking from first-hand experience.

That light, that marvelous light, is still shining to give the world the knowledge of the glory of God, though now it is to shine through His church.

“The church is God’s appointed agency for the salvation of men. It was organized for service, and its mission is to carry the gospel to the world. From the beginning it has been God’s plan that through His church shall be reflected to the world His fullness and His sufficiency. The members of the church, those whom He has called out of darkness into His marvelous light, are to show forth His glory. The church is the repository of the riches of the grace of Christ; and through the church will eventually be made manifest, even to ‘the principalities and powers in heavenly places,’ the final and full display of the love of God (Ephesians 3:10).” The Acts of the Apostles, 9.

“In His wisdom the Lord brings those who are seeking for truth into touch with fellow beings who know the truth. It is the plan of Heaven that those who have received light shall impart it to those in darkness. Humanity, drawing its efficiency from the great Source of wisdom, is made the instrumentality, the working agency, through which the gospel exercises its transforming power on mind and heart.” Ibid., 134.

This transforming power was demonstrated by Jesus over and over again, but quite clearly and quite literally in His miracles of enabling the blind to see.

Let’s look at some texts that give us greater insight into how we bring spiritual darkness upon ourselves:

Reproach has broken my heart,
And I am full of heaviness;
I looked for someone to take pity,
but there was none;
And for comforters, but I found none.
They also gave me gall for my food,
And for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.
Let their table become a snare before them,
And their well-being a trap.
Let their eyes be darkened,
so that they do not see;
And make their loins shake continually.

Psalm 69:20–23

“Let their eyes be darkened, so that they do not see.” Who is Christ referring to in this passage? Those who are not comforters, who do not take pity on the broken-hearted. And how are their eyes darkened? Through over-indulgence in appetite and in the abundance of luxuries—their well-being … two of the very sins that brought about the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.

The pen of inspiration addresses rather specifically how we are personally responsible for creating our own spiritual darkness.

“It is not God that blinds the eyes of men or hardens their hearts. He sends them light to correct their errors, and to lead them in safe paths; it is by the rejection of this light that the eyes are blinded and the heart hardened. Often the process is gradual, and almost imperceptible. Light comes to the soul through God’s word, through His servants, or by the direct agency of His Spirit; but when one ray of light is disregarded, there is a partial benumbing of the spiritual perceptions, and the second revealing of light is less clearly discerned. So the darkness increases, until it is night in the soul. Thus it had been with these Jewish leaders. They were convinced that a divine power attended Christ, but in order to resist the truth, they attributed the work of the Holy Spirit to Satan. In doing this they deliberately chose deception; they yielded themselves to Satan, and henceforth they were controlled by his power.” The Desire of Ages, 322, 323.

This deliberate choice of deception is clearly illustrated in the miracle of the man born blind that we studied in John 9. The Jewish leaders said, “We see,” when in fact, they refused to see.

I would like to give one more example of the miracle working power of God, one that occurred almost 2000 years after Christ’s physical presence on earth. Following are a couple of passages from the Spirit of Prophecy that illustrate this miracle:

“The apostles boldly declared that they ought to obey God rather than men. Said Peter, ‘The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath God exalted with His right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. And we are His witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey Him’ (Acts 5:30–32). At these fearless words those murderers were enraged, and determined to imbrue their hands again in blood by slaying the apostles.” Early Writings, 195, 196.

“In order to secure healthy digestion, food should be eaten slowly. Those who wish to avoid dyspepsia, and those who realize their obligation to keep all their powers in a condition which will enable them to render the best service to God, will do well to remember this. If your time to eat is limited, do not bolt your food, but eat less, and masticate slowly.” Counsels on Diet and Foods, 107.

“Satan has crippled our efforts by so affecting the church as to call forth from us almost double labor to cut our way through the darkness and unbelief. These efforts to set things in order in the churches have exhausted our strength, and lassitude and debility have followed.” Testimonies, vol. 3, 11.

Let me remind you that these words were written by an individual with a third-grade education. How many third-graders can correctly define imbrue, masticate, lassitude, or debility? Indeed, how many adults can define all of these words?

Just as Christ enabled those whose vision He restored to comprehend instantly what they were seeing, He gave an incredible depth of knowledge and understanding to Ellen G. White—an education provided by the same miraculous power that gave sight to the blind.

That power is still at work today, converting men’s hearts from the darkness of sin and unbelief to the glorious light of the truth and knowledge found in the word of God.

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

John Pearson is the office manager and a board member of Steps to Life. After retiring as chief financial officer for the Grand Canyon Association, Grand Canyon, Arizona, he moved to Wichita, Kansas, to join the Steps team. He may be contacted by email at: johnpearson@stepstolife.org.

The Faithful Christian

The true Christian acts on the basis of faith, saving faith, true faith, genuine faith, that quality of trust without which it is impossible for any human being to please God. The faith, which every believer needs, is the faith of Jesus, which purifies the soul. It is that faith which the True Witness asks us to “buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich” (Revelation 3:18). The Bible discloses for us the normal path of a Christian’s walk in such passages as: “the just shall live by faith” (Romans 1:17); “the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God” (Galatians 2:20); “For we walk by faith, not by sight” (II Corinthians 5:7). By faith are we to live. But while this principle may be quickly grasped in the mind, it is not so readily experienced in life.

The obvious question then would be, Why is faith for many Christians only an intellectual concept but not an experimental reality? The late Professor James Orr of Scotland, in one of his sermons entitled “Science and Christian Faith,” said, “In many quarters the belief is industriously circulated that the advance of ‘science,’ meaning by this chiefly the physical sciences—astronomy, geology, biology, and the like—has proved damaging, if not destructive, to the claims of the Bible, and the truth of Christianity. Science and Christianity are pitted against each other. Their interests are held to be antagonistic. Books are written … to show that this warfare between science and religion has ever been going on, and can never in the nature of things cease till theology is destroyed, and science holds sole sway in men’s minds.” The Fundamentals: A Testimony, (Testimony Publishing Company, Chicago, Illinois, 1910), vol. 1, 334.

We can all agree that science, falsely so called, has eroded the pure faith of Christianity for too many Christians, hence, there is for the majority of professed Christians a form of godliness, because the real substance is lacking in their lives which is to produce a holy, Christlike character. I would hasten to say that the pressures and tensions of modern life require a mature faith based on an intelligent understanding of religious truth and not on magic or superstition. Of course, it always has been hard for men to recognize, and much harder to understand, that the Christian needs to believe with the mind as well as with the heart. Yet true faith, as stated so admirably by Alexandre Vinet, theologian and literary critic (1819), “consecrates the mind, the heart, and the will to God and His purposes.”

Absolute Reality and Purposefulness of Christianity

“And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.” I John 3:3. In the “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, 950, 951, we see a wonderful explanation of this text and what will form the basis of this study. It reads as follows: “Does this text [I Peter 1:22] mean that the human agent can remove one stain of sin from his soul? No. Then what does it mean to purify himself? It means to look upon the Lord’s great moral standard of righteousness, the holy law of God, and see that he is a sinner in the light of that law. ‘Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin’ (I John 3:4, 5).

“It is through faith in Jesus Christ that the truth is accepted in the heart, and the human agent is purified and cleansed. … He has an abiding principle in the soul, that enables him to overcome temptation. ‘Whosoever abideth in Him sinneth not.’ Verse 6. God has power to keep the soul that is in Christ who is under temptation. …

“A mere profession of godliness is worthless. It is he that abideth in Christ that is a Christian. … Unless the mind of God becomes the mind of men, every effort to purify himself will be useless; for it is impossible to elevate man except through a knowledge of God.”

It is through faith in Christ that the truth is accepted in the heart, and the human agent is purified and cleansed. Fundamentally, we must take God at his word for the transformation of our characters. Our faith in Christ acknowledges Him as an abiding Saviour who is able to keep us from practicing sin and eventually overcoming every sin! So who is a Christian? It is he that abides in Christ! “Unless the mind of God becomes the mind of men, every effort to purify himself will be useless.” The Youth’s Instructor, March 1, 1894.

This clearly shows that it is extremely important that sinful man agrees with God in order that he becomes purified of sin.

The remaining portion of the quotation is significant to our understanding of how God defines a Christian. It reads, “The outward gloss may be put on, and men may be as were the Pharisees whom Jesus describes as ‘whited sepulchres’ full of corruption and dead men’s bones (Matthew 23:27). But all the deformity of the soul is open to Him who judgeth righteously, and unless the truth is planted in the heart, it cannot control the life. Cleansing the outside of the cup will never make the vessel pure within. A nominal acceptance of truth is good as far as it goes, and the ability to give a reason for our faith is a good accomplishment, but if the truth does not go deeper than this, the soul will never be saved. The heart must be purified from all moral defilement.” Ibid.

For God, Christianity is practical godliness based upon righteous principles, which permanently controls the believer; it is not motivated by a faith that is based on feelings. As Watchman Nee puts it in his book, The Spiritual Man, (Christian Fellowship Publishers, Inc., New York, 1968), vol. 2, 240, “The life of faith is not only totally different from, but also diametrically opposite to, a life of feeling. He who lives by sensation can follow God’s will or seek the things above purely at the time of excitement; should his blissful feeling cease, every activity terminates. Not so with one who walks by faith. Faith is anchored in the One Whom he believes rather than in the one who exercises the believing, that is himself. Faith looks not at what happens to him but at Him Whom he believes. Though he may completely change, yet the one in Whom he trusts never does—and so he can proceed without letting up. Faith establishes its relationship with God. It regards not feeling because it is concerned with God. Faith follows the One believed while feeling turns on how one feels. What faith beholds is God whereas what feeling beholds is one’s self. God does not change: He is the same in either the cloudy day or the sunny day. Hence he who lives by faith is as unchanging as is God; he expresses the same kind of life through darkness or through light. But one who dwells by feeling must pursue an up-and-down existence because his feeling is ever changing.”

From the pen of inspiration we are reminded: “Many pass long years in darkness and doubt because they do not feel as they desire. But feeling has nothing to do with faith. That faith which works by love and purifies the soul is not a matter of impulse. It ventures out upon the promises of God, firmly believing that what he has said, he is able also to perform. Our souls may be trained to believe, taught to rely upon the word of God. That word declares that ‘the just shall live by faith’ (Romans 1:17), not by feeling.” The Youth’s Instructor, July 8, 1897.

The apostle John states of faith, “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.” I John 5:4. The faith which overcomes the world is the faith which works by love and purifies the soul. The importance of this faith is brought out in The Review and Herald, October 6, 1891: “The Lord is represented as opening the hearts of men and women to receive the word, and the Holy Spirit makes the word effective. Those who receive the truth have that faith which leads to decided action, which works by love, and purifies the soul. Thus the truth is a sanctifier. Its transforming power is seen on the character. When it has been admitted into the inner sanctuary of the soul, it does not operate superficially, leaving the heart unchanged; it does not awaken the emotions merely, to the neglect of the judgment and will; but it goes down to the very depths of the nature, and brings the whole being into harmonious action.”

For many Christians today Christianity has to do with an emotional experience, which has its roots in self-love. There is no willingness to agree with God or to conform to His way of life, thus Christianity is reduced to an intellectual experience without any transformation of character, for there is no willingness to be obedient to Jesus. More and more many of those who profess to be Christians display attributes very much different from that of the Christ they profess to follow, obviously not caring that they “are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvellous light.” I Peter 2:9.

We are told that only “Few have that genuine faith which works by love and purifies the soul. But all who are accounted worthy of everlasting life must obtain a moral fitness for the same. …

“You must experience a death to self, and must live unto God. ‘If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God’ (Colossians 3:1). Self is not to be consulted. Pride, self-love, selfishness, avarice, covetousness, love of the world, hatred, suspicion, jealousy, evil surmisings, must all be subdued and sacrificed forever.” Testimonies, vol. 1, 705.

The veneer of human hypocrisy is the order of the day in Christianity. The prophet states, “Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near Me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour Me, but have removed their heart far from Me, and their fear toward Me is taught by the precept of men.” Isaiah 29:13. Also, the prophet Ezekiel wrote, “And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as My people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness.” Ezekiel 33:31.

God requires perfect, loving obedience from us, for this will then prove that we possess that faith which works by love and purifies the soul. That’s why Paul wrote, “For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.” Galatians 5:6. The apostle James shows the importance of loving obedience: “But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?” James 2:20. He also states, “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” Verse 26.

Our obedience to Christ is not a legalistic obedience, for the Scripture states, “We love Him, because He first loved us.” I John 4:19. And the apostle Paul wrote, “For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if One died for all, then were all dead.” II Corinthians 5:14. The servant of the Lord confirms this teaching when she wrote: “By faith the soul catches divine light from Jesus. We see matchless charms in His purity and humility, His self-denial, His wonderful sacrifice to save fallen man. Contemplation of Christ leads man to place a proper estimate upon himself, for he realizes that the love of God has made him great. ‘And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as He is pure’ (I John 3:3). The possibility of being like Jesus, whom he loves and adores, inspires within him that faith which works by love and purifies the heart.” The Review and Herald, October 7, 1890.

When we take God at His word, believing that Christ is the Saviour of the world and that without Him we would be completely hopeless, love springs up in our hearts for Jesus and we willingly obey Him because He becomes our Lord and Master, thus He works by the Holy Spirit to purify our minds making us His true followers.

So what will this faith, which works by love and purifies the soul, do for the believer? From the book, In Heavenly Places, 118, we are told: “It is a great thing to believe in Jesus. We hear many say, ‘Believe, believe; all that you have to do is to believe in Jesus.’ But it is our privilege to inquire, What does this belief take in? and what does it comprehend? There are many of us who have a nominal faith but we do not bring that faith into our characters. … We must have that faith which works by love and purifies the soul, that this belief in Christ will lead us to put away everything that is offensive in His sight. Unless we have this faith that works, it is of no advantage to us. You may admit that Christ is the Saviour of the world, but is He your Saviour? Do you believe today that He will give you strength and power to overcome every defect in your character?”

From The Bible Echoes, April 15, 1893, we read the following: “When you respond to the drawing of Christ, and join yourself to Him, you manifest saving faith. But to talk of religious things in a casual way, to pray for spiritual blessings without real soul hunger and living faith, avails nothing. … The faith which avails to bring us into vital contact with Christ expresses on our part supreme preference, perfect reliance, entire consecration. This faith works by love and purifies the soul. It works in the life of the follower of Christ true obedience to God’s commandments; for love to God and love to man will be the result of vital connection with Christ. ‘If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new’ (II Corinthians 5:17).”

May we ever keep in mind the words of our Saviour, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” Matthew 4:4. Also, “Not every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven.” Matthew 7:21. So for Jesus, being a Christian means perfect, loving obedience to the word of God, a practical application of that word in the life of the believer every day of his or her life.

John the Revelator in vision saw all the Christians of all ages stand at last before the throne of God and the testimony concerning them is: “These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” Revelation 7:14. I appeal to each one who reads to make every sacrifice to be among that number.

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.

The Six-Question Test

All of those who are chosen (Matthew 22:14) to enter the kingdom of heaven will be able to give the correct answer to each one of the following six questions that are found in order in Selected Messages, vol. 3, 419. Some of them can be answered with a simple yes or no.

These are questions or inquiries that Ellen White says each one of us should ask ourself.

1 To whom do I belong?

On the surface this appears to be an easy question for a Christian to answer, but delve a little deeper and the answer might be surprisingly different. Christians will always say that they belong to the Lord, but John says, “He who sins is of the devil.” I John 3:8. It matters not what we claim. If we continue to live in sin, the Bible says that we belong to the devil.

The devil has only one rule under his government—to break the law of God. He does not care which part is broken. Jesus had a controversy with the Jews on this very point. They claimed God as their father, but Jesus said, “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.” John 8:44. The character of the Jews mirrored the devil. Jesus pointed out two commandments that the devil broke from the beginning; he was a murderer and also he was a liar. As Jesus was speaking, the Jews were contemplating murdering Him. While telling lies about Him, accusing Him of casting out the evil spirits by the prince of spirits—Beelzebub—they took up stones to stone Him. This confrontation occurred right after the feeding of the five thousand when the whole area of Galilee, in addition to Judea, had turned against Christ. (See John 6.) False reports were spread about Him all over the country, and so much hatred was stirred up against Jesus that His life was in danger. Their actions proved that God was not their father, but they were of the devil.

Angels of God do not get into any argument with the devil over those who are living in sin, for the devil rightly claims them as his children. But praise God that probation has not closed yet, and these people caught in Satan’s web can still repent and choose to turn around and follow the Lord. However, those who continue in sin will develop a character like the devil.

“For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.” I John 5:4. “We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him.” Verse 18. “Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God. In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his bother.” I John 3:9, 10. The evidence that proves who is a child of God and who is a child of the devil is the way a person lives.

“You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.” I John 4:4–6.

2 To whom do I owe allegiance?

In Romans 6:15–23, it says, “What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slave whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness, I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness. For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Notice, there are some people who are unconverted and slaves of sin and they will tell you they cannot overcome certain sins. That is true. They are slaves of sin. The Bible is very clear that we of ourselves cannot overcome unless the Lord works a divine miracle in our life. In Isaiah 43:27, we are told, “Your first father sinned.” So, because of that, we have a fallen, sinful nature and of ourselves we cannot give our allegiance to God, even though we owe it to Him. As it says, there was a time when you were perfectly free from righteousness, but you were slaves of sin. But now, when you become a Christian, you’ve become slaves of righteousness and set free from sin.

Jesus said, “Whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.” John 8:34. “A slave does not abide in the house forever [meaning eternal life], but a son abides forever. Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” Verses 35, 36. The work of the gospel is to set sinners free from their sins and then their allegiance would be given to the One who set them free.

3 Is my heart renewed?

Jesus referred to this subject when he had his secret meeting with Nicodemus. He said, “Unless one is born again,” or unless you are born from above, “he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3. Nicodemus could not figure that out and became sarcastic. He said, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Verse 4.

Jesus replied in stronger language, explaining it more clearly. He said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” Verse 5. To be born again is to have a renewal of the heart.

The born again experience is spoken of as a necessity for salvation in both the Old and New Testament. David, because of his adultery with Bathsheba and the consequent killing of her husband, Uriah the Hittite, and afraid that he had committed the unpardonable sin, pled with God to “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” He said, “Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.” Psalm 51:10, 11.

David wanted to be born again. He realized that his heart was wicked. To preach in prison to a rapist, or a person incarcerated for capital murder, those people do not question their need to be born again; they know that they are sinners. However, people who have not been involved in some criminal activity, comparing their spirituality against other people, are often inclined to say, “Well, I’m OK. I could improve a little, but I’m no worse than …”

The Bible says in Jeremiah 17:9, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; Who can know it?” The Hebrew word used there means incurable. The carnal heart is so bad that it cannot be cured without a divine miracle. A person with this wicked heart and a weak will and sinful mind cannot keep the law of God and live a righteous life. He cannot go to heaven in that condition. He must be born again and become a new creation. Paul said, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” II Corinthians 5:17. This is a very important question for each of us to ask of ourself, Have I been born again?

It’s not enough that my wife or husband has been born again, or my parents or my children, or anybody else. The question is, Have I been born again? We are not saved as groups; we are saved as individuals. Each individual must ask himself these questions: Am I born again? Has my heart been renewed? Say like David, “I need a new spirit, I need a new heart. Lord, create me anew.” He realized that he could not just make an improvement, but that he needed a new heart, a converted heart and a new spirit. He needed God to create in him something that he did not have. Conversion is being a new creation and not just an improvement of the old self. It is a new creation that happens by divine power and until that happens, Christianity doesn’t work.

Many people think it is too hard to be a Christian because it seems to them that there are so many things they can’t do. The carnal heart is in opposition to God’s ways, but with a new heart, the things they used to hate, they will now love, and what they used to love, they hate. Paul describes it this way: “You put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.” Ephesians 4:22–24.

Notice, he talks about a new spirit, a new man, a new person. Look at Romans 12:2: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Has your spirit, your mind been renewed? Titus 3:3–7 says, “We ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. But when the kindness and the love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” The regeneration here mentioned means to bring something to life again. The question needs to be asked, Is my heart renewed?

4 Is my soul reformed?

It is not enough to stop after a revival. A revival has to do with the renewing of the heart, being born again, but reformation, which is a reforming or a changing of the life follows it. Reformation is to follow revival to be beneficial. In the book of Isaiah 1:16–18, it says, “Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, rebuke the oppressor; defend the fatherless, plead for the widow. [That could be translated, Go to court for the widow (people who are in trouble, like widows and orphans, need somebody to defend them before the law to see that they get what they need).] ‘Come now, and let us reason together,’ says the Lord. ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.’ ”

Paul, in his letter to the Ephesian church, addresses having a reformation in their lives. He said, “Therefore, putting away lying, ‘Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,’ for we are members of one another. ‘Be angry and do no sin’: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil. Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.” Ephesians 4:25–29. He talks about forsaking all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, evil speaking, and malice, and then he says, in verse 32, “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you.” It is not enough for the heart to be renewed; it must be followed by a reformation in the life to live with a Christlike character. Through the power of the Holy Spirit it is possible to live a new life, one that is Christlike, in harmony with the law of God. “That you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing.” I Thessalonians 4:12.

Reformation is essential, because the world at large is studying and watching how Christians live. One reason that evangelism is so powerless to bring people into the church today is because of how people perceive professed Christians. If they are not Christlike, they see a contradiction and have no attraction to the church. The world is watching!

When the Lord has a people who reflect the character of Christ, He will use them to finish His work in a very short time. In the upper room before Pentecost, there were only 120 faithful followers, and within 20 years there was a church right in Rome itself. Within approximately 25 years after that time, the apostle Paul said the gospel had been preached to every creature, all over the world. There were no airplanes, cars or trains, and the ships then did not have diesel engines to take them across the water at 30 miles-an-hour like we have today. There were no telephones, Internet or newspapers or the means of mass communication that we now have available. Besides that, the believers in the early church were poor, yet look at what they accomplished in 20 to 25 years—the gospel was taken to the whole world.

It will happen again, and next time it is going to happen a lot faster. The day of God’s preparation has been going on for 150 years plus. But when God has a people who are ready, it won’t take 20 or 25 years to finish the work. Ellen White says, “When divine power is combined with human effort, the work will spread like fire in the stubble.” Last Day Events, 207. In another place, she says, it will be fast, like the lightning going between the heavenly creatures that Ezekiel saw in his visions. But before that can happen, God has to have a people who have not only been renewed in their hearts, but their lives have been reformed to reflect the character of Jesus. As you study the life of Jesus, you will become like Him.

5 Have my sins been forgiven?

As Seventh-day Adventist Christians, we understand that salvation from sin is a two-step process. First, there is forgiveness of sin, then later on, as most people in the Protestant world don’t understand, there is the removal of sin.

“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” Matthew 6:14, 15.

To many people this is one of the most awful texts in the Bible. Elder W. D. Frazee, a Seventh-day Adventist minister, used to tell a story about a family with whom he was studying that struggled with forgiveness. Their little daughter had been enticed into the woods where she was killed. The culprit was in the state prison, and they found it impossible to forgive him for his crime.

The problem is that you and I did not make the rules. Jesus said, “If you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” The majority of people never have to deal with an experience anywhere near that bad, but to some people, this is one of the hardest texts in the Bible to apply, because it seems impossible to forgive some people for what they have done.

Notice the example of Jesus: “When they had come to a place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left. Then Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.’ And they divided His garments and cast lots.” Luke 23:33, 34.

The whole universe was watching this. Actually, it appears when you read the Greek texts, it is very possible that this was something Jesus said over and over again. “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”

The desire to get even or take revenge on those who have done you wrong is the spirit of Satan. Those guilty persons who have harmed another must stand before the Lord and give an answer for what they have done. If they are going to be in the kingdom of heaven, they will have to have their sins forgiven and make restitution. Actually, their salvation is not your problem. Your problem is, can you forgive them? The promise of forgiveness to us is only as we forgive others. This principle is in the Lord’s prayer (Matthew 6:12). I know that this is one of the hardest things that any preacher has to deal with, situations where somebody has been wronged so terribly that he just has a natural desire to kill the one or ones causing the pain or to get even. In heaven, before the fall of man, Satan became jealous of Christ and decided that he had been wrongly treated. His spirit of revenge has been passed on to the inhabitants of this world. Once it gets a hold of your mind, eventually you will want to kill the person that has wronged you. The choice must be made either to continue in revenge or find forgiveness, leaving justice with the Lord who is righteous and will deal with it in His way and in His time. In Mark 11:25, we are told, “Whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.”

Peter came to Jesus asking how long he should forgive his brother, possibly seven times! Peter thought that he was being very generous, because the Pharisees taught that you should forgive only three times. Peter had learned that Jesus went way beyond anything the Pharisees did, so he thought he’d be really generous and suggest seven times. How shocked he was when Jesus replied not seven times, but seventy times seven!

Then Jesus told the story about the unforgiving servant who had been forgiven a large debt by the king, but did not offer the same grace to those who were indebted to him. “His master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him. So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.” Matthew 18:24–35. The way that the human mind works is that we either forgive the person, or eventually we will want to kill him. Our sins must be confessed and forsaken if we want them to be forgiven (Proverbs 28:13).

6 Will my sins be blotted out when the time of refreshing shall come?

It is not enough to have outward sins forgiven. Sin actually has to be taken away. This is a second step that has to happen before it is safe to allow a person into heaven. God is not just going to forgive the outward act of sins, but He will blot out the sins by cleansing the heart. Once a sin has been confessed and no unforgiveness is harbored against another, the sin is forgiven immediately. But the blotting out, or cleansing of sins, is a process that must take place before entering heaven where sin does not exist. David’s prayer in Psalm 51 referred to this. He said, “Lord, I want You to blot out, I want You to obliterate, take away my transgressions.” He realized that he was in such a bad shape, that he had something inside that had to be taken away and destroyed. That must be the heart cry of all who are waiting for Jesus to come and take them to His kingdom.

“Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.” Acts 3:19. Sins will be blotted out during the times of refreshing that occur just before the close of probation and the coming of the Lord.

I have reached the conclusion that no human being understands exactly what the blotting out of sins means, but whether you understand what it means or not, you can experience sanctification day by day as you receive power from above to overcome habitual sins. Daily studying the life of Christ and following His example you will discover that what you once loved you will now hate, and what you once hated, you will now love. Those whose sins are blotted out will be ready to receive the seal of the living God and enter into the New Jerusalem.

(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.

Editorial – Will You Be Satisfied Too?

Jesus longs to manifest His grace and stamp His character on the whole world. Though Satan works to hinder this purpose, it is His purchased possession, and He desires to make men free and pure and holy. He will not be satisfied till the victory is complete and He has a church without spot or wrinkle to present to His Father. As He leads us through the pearly gates of the golden city, the New Jerusalem, Jesus will look upon His redeemed children and see of the travail of His soul and be satisfied.

“How is it with those who profess to be His followers? Will they be satisfied when they see the fruit of their labors? What are the members of the church doing, to be designated ‘laborers together with God’ (I Corinthians 3:9)? Where do we see travail of soul? Where do we see the members of the church absorbed in religious themes, self-surrendered to the work and will of God? Where do we see Christians feeling their responsibility to make the church prosperous, a wide-awake, light-giving people? Where are those who do not stint or measure their loving labor for the Master? Who are striving to quell every dissension in the church, being peace-makers in Christ’s name? Who are seeking to answer the prayer of Christ, ‘That they all may be one …’ (John 17:21)?” The Review and Herald, January 6, 1891.

“When Christ shall come with a great sound of a trumpet, and shall call the dead from their prison house, then the saints will receive holy flesh. Then this mortal shall put on immortality, and this corruptible shall put on incorruption. Then Christ will be admired in all them that believe.” General Conference Bulletin, April 23, 1901.

“All their woes will then be gone. Sickness, sorrow and death they will never again feel, for the leaves of the tree of life have healed them. Jesus will then see of the travail of His soul [Isaiah 53:11] and be satisfied, when the redeemed, who have been subject to sorrow, toil and afflictions, who have groaned beneath the curse, are gathered up around that tree of life to eat of its immortal fruit, that our first parents forfeited all right to, by breaking God’s commands. There will be no danger of their ever losing right to the tree of life again, for he that tempted our first parents to sin, will be destroyed by the second death.” The Youth’s Instructor, October 1, 1852.