Issue: 2018 March

Question & Answer: Who makes a “covenant with death and with hell”?

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“Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves” (Isaiah 28:15).

“In the class here described are included those who in their stubborn impenitence comfort themselves with the assurance that there is to be no punishment for the sinner; that all mankind, it matters not how corrupt, are to be exalted to heaven, to become as the angels of God. But still more emphatically are those making a covenant with death and an agreement with hell, who renounce the truths which Heaven has provided as a defense for the righteous in the day of trouble, and accept the refuge of lies offered by Satan in its stead—the delusive pretensions of spiritualism.

“Marvelous beyond expression is the blindness of the people of this generation. Thousands reject the word of God as unworthy of belief and with eager confidence receive the deceptions of Satan. Skeptics and scoffers denounce the bigotry of those who contend for the faith of prophets and apostles, and they divert themselves by holding up to ridicule the solemn declarations of the Scriptures concerning Christ and the plan of salvation, and the retribution to be visited upon the rejecters of the truth. They affect great pity for minds so narrow, weak, and superstitious as to acknowledge the claims of God and obey the requirements of His law. They manifest as much assurance as if, indeed, they had made a covenant with death and an agreement with hell—as if they had erected an impassable, impenetrable barrier between themselves and the vengeance of God. Nothing can arouse their fears. So fully have they yielded to the tempter, so closely are they united with him, and so thoroughly imbued with his spirit, that they have no power and no inclination to break away from his snare.” The Great Controversy, 560, 561.

“Thus saith the Lord God … Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place. And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it” (Isaiah 28:16–18).

Pen of Inspiration – The Discipline of Suffering

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All who in this world render true service to God or man receive a preparatory training in the school of sorrow. The weightier the trust and the higher the service, the closer is the test and the more severe the discipline.

Study the experiences of Joseph and of Moses, of Daniel and of David. Compare the early history of David with the history of Solomon, and consider the results.

David in his youth was intimately associated with Saul, and his stay at court and his connection with the king’s household gave him an insight into the cares and sorrows and perplexities concealed by the glitter and pomp of royalty. He saw of how little worth is human glory to bring peace to the soul. And it was with relief and gladness that he returned from the king’s court to the sheepfolds and the flocks.

When by the jealousy of Saul driven a fugitive into the wilderness, David, cut off from human support, leaned more heavily upon God. The uncertainty and unrest of the wilderness life, its unceasing peril, its necessity for frequent flight, the character of the men who gathered to him there—“everyone that was in distress, and everyone that was in debt, and everyone that was discontented” (1 Samuel 22:2)—all rendered the more essential a stern self-discipline. These experiences aroused and developed power to deal with men, sympathy for the oppressed, and hatred of injustice. Through years of waiting and peril, David learned to find in God his comfort, his support, his life. He learned that only by God’s power could he come to the throne; only in His wisdom could he rule wisely. It was through the training in the school of hardship and sorrow that David was able to make the record—though afterward marred with his great sin—that he “executed judgment and justice unto all his people” (2 Samuel 8:15).

The discipline of David’s early experience was lacking in that of Solomon. In circumstances, in character, and in life, he seemed favored above all others. Noble in youth, noble in manhood, the beloved of his God, Solomon entered on a reign that gave high promise of prosperity and honor. Nations marveled at the knowledge and insight of the man to whom God had given wisdom. But the pride of prosperity brought separation from God. From the joy of divine communion Solomon turned to find satisfaction in the pleasures of sense. Of this experience he says:

“I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards: I made me gardens and orchards: … I got me servants and maidens: … I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces: I gat me men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, as musical instruments, and that of all sorts. So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem. … And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labor. … Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labor that I had labored to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun. And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly: for what can the man do that cometh after the king? even that which hath been already done.”

“I hated life. … Yea, I hated all my labor which I had taken under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 2:4–12, 17, 18).

By his own bitter experience, Solomon learned the emptiness of a life that seeks in earthly things its highest good. He erected altars to heathen gods, only to learn how vain is their promise of rest to the soul.

In his later years, turning wearied and thirsting from earth’s broken cisterns, Solomon returned to drink at the fountain of life. The history of his wasted years, with their lessons of warning, he by the Spirit of inspiration recorded for after generations. And thus, although the seed of his sowing was reaped by his people in harvests of evil, the lifework of Solomon was not wholly lost. For him at last the discipline of suffering accomplished its work.

But with such a dawning, how glorious might have been his life’s day had Solomon in his youth learned the lesson that suffering had taught in other lives!

Education, 151–154.

Current Events – According to the World or God?

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According to the World

In an article by Lindsey Bever, Sarah Kaplan and Abby Ohlheiser, published in The Washington Post 01/25/2018, they wrote:

The Doomsday Clock is now just 2 minutes to ‘midnight,’ the symbolic hour of the apocalypse.

The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists advanced the symbolic Doomsday Clock a notch closer to the end of humanity Thursday, moving it ahead by 30 seconds after what the organization called a “grim assessment” of the state of geopolitical affairs.

“As of today,” Bulletin president Rachel Bronson told reporters, “it is two minutes to midnight” — as close as the world has ever been to the hour of apocalypse.

The organization — which has 15 Nobel laureates on its board — now believes “the world is not only more dangerous now than it was a year ago; it is as threatening as it has been since World War II,” Bulletin officials Lawrence M. Krauss and Robert Rosner wrote in an op-ed published Thursday by The Washington Post. “In fact, the Doomsday Clock is as close to midnight today as it was in 1953, when Cold War fears perhaps reached their highest levels.”…

At a news conference Thursday, Bronson and a group of colleagues that included Krauss and Rosner listed a litany of grim developments over the past year: North Korea made rapid progress in developing a thermonuclear weapon capable of reaching the United States. Relations between the United States and Russia deteriorated. …

The decision to move the clock forward was motivated largely by the Bulletin’s sense of looming nuclear peril. But the danger is compounded by humanity’s continued inaction on climate change. …

The clock is symbolic, sitting at the intersection of art and science, and it has wavered between two and 17 minutes until doom since its inception in 1947. …

Since then, the Bulletin’s board has determined when the clock’s minute hand will move, usually to draw attention to worldwide crises that it believes threaten the survival of the human species. …

Several times, the Bulletin members reiterated that their goal is not to scare people — just to warn them and, hopefully, to motivate them to act.

“People of the world: If governments are not acting to protect you as they should, you need to take the lead,” Krauss said. “It is not yet midnight, and we have moved back from the brink in the past. Whether we do so in the future may be in your hands.”

 According to God

“The world is no more ready now to credit the warning than were the Jews in the days of our Saviour. Come when it may, the end will come unawares to the ungodly. When life is going on in its unvarying round; when men are absorbed in pleasure, in business, in traffic, in money-making; when religious leaders are magnifying the world’s progress and enlightenment, and the people are lulled in a false security—then, as the midnight thief steals within the unguarded dwelling, so shall sudden destruction come upon the careless and ungodly, ‘and they shall not escape.’ ” The Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 4, 38.

“Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing or in the morning” (Mark 13:35).

The Spelling of Love. Rebuke or Discipline or The Greatest Blessing

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he topic of this study is a necessary precursor for many other studies. To grasp this truth will change our entire viewpoint and make an eternal life difference in how we view our God, His Word, and life on this earth.

Jesus and His disciples had left Judea and passed through Samaria on their way to Galilee. The Bible says, “Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with His journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour. There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give Me to drink” (John 4:6, 7 KJV).

In just minutes after meeting this woman Jesus turned the conversation from a drink of water to the woman’s personal relationships. When He tells her to call her husband she replies that she has no husband. In response He said, “You have well said, ‘I have no husband,’ for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly” (John 4:17, 18 NKJV).

Put yourself in this woman’s shoes. A total stranger, a stranger of a hated people, has just walked into your space, space that you have chosen carefully and well to shield yourself from public contact. This stranger then initiates conversation, and within just a few minutes is laying bare those very secrets that compelled you to draw water during the hottest hours of the day, those same hours when others choose the cooler comforts of home!

“Christ, at Jacob’s well, laid open the sinful life and character of the woman of Samaria. ‘Unnecessary, uncourteous,’ say many.” The Signs of the Times, June 15, 1876. Is this your view also? Are you among the “many” that are referred to here?

Let’s turn to another story. “There was a certain nobleman whose son was sick at Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Him and implored Him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. Then Jesus said to him, ‘Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe’ ” (John 4:46–48 NKJV). Again, let us put ourselves in the shoes of this nobleman. Here he is in a heart-wrenching situation, seeking healing for his greatest earthly treasure—his son who is at the point of death. Moments may very well determine life or death—and Jesus meets him with reproof.

Spirit of Prophecy expounds on this: “When the nobleman came to Him asking Him to heal his son, He [Jesus] met him with a reproof for their unbelief. ‘Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.’ Thus was his eager entreaty met. He was not only greatly disappointed, but chagrined.” The Signs of the Times, June 15, 1876. What would have been your response?

Now we turn to yet another scenario. At the very time when sin first entered this world, God instituted a ceremony, carried out by divine decree, twice a day—the sacrificial service. Of this service Inspiration says, “The sacrificial offerings were ordained by God to be to man a perpetual reminder … of his sin.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 68. [Emphasis supplied.] God Himself designed, ordained, instituted and instructed Adam and Eve regarding this service. It was God who intended it to be a perpetual, that means ongoing or continuous reminder of their sin. Twice a day God, in love, saying, “You are a sinner. You are a sinner.” Why?

We read another incident in the life of Jesus, “And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves” (Matthew 21:12, 13 KJV).

“He [Jesus] looked upon them and, with indignant sorrow, He poured out the money of the changers; He overthrew the tables, and with a whip of small cords, drove the cattle and people out of the court. With majestic authority He commands, ‘Take these things hence; make not My Father’s house a house of merchandise’ (John2:16). ‘It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.’ ” The Signs of the Times, June 15, 1876.

Pointed, public rebuke of sin. And this was not the rabble, the outcasts of society, the lower classes. Inspiration continues, “This language was close and cutting indeed. It was not addressed to the rabble, but to the chief priests, to the teachers of the people.” Ibid.

Jesus, the gentle, meek, loving, mild, long-suffering, patient, courteous, kind Saviour, rebuked and reproved those who would seem to be perfect strangers, those in power, those who had a high opinion of themselves and of their righteousness.

These are just a few examples of the courteous rebuke in Scripture. We could add Nicodemus, David, Cain, Saul—the first king of Israel, Saul who turned to Paul, and the list goes on. Somehow, I think we have a real problem or difficulty accepting the reality of this side of Christ. But as Inspiration says, there was a wise purpose in everything Christ said and did. So, what was His purpose? What was, and is, His purpose in being so pointed about our sin?

There is a very compelling and real reason. REBUKE or DISCIPLINE truly spell LOVE. How so? Here is why.

“Christ, at Jacob’s well, laid open the sinful life and character of the woman of Samaria.” Pointed, explicit exposure of sin. Why? Here is the reason. “Jesus knew that this was the only way to reach the case. But how many would complain of such a way of saving souls. When the nobleman came to Him asking Him to heal his son, he met Him with a reproof for their unbelief. ‘Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.’ Thus was his eager entreaty met. He was not only greatly disappointed, but chagrined. …” Ibid.

Speaking of people’s assessment of Jesus’ treatment of the nobleman Inspiration says, “But how many in these days would have allowed the feelings of their own natural heart to overbear their judgment, and become impatient and unreconciled to Jesus’ manner of working? They would have said, ‘Why pain and seemingly disappoint the father, when He might have healed his son at once with His word.’ ” The Inspired word explains. “He [Jesus] designed that the repulse should expand the feeble faith of the parent, and it had this effect.

“His work was to bless and save. He covered His glory with humanity, bringing from Heaven the very best gifts which could be given to man; spoke peace, gave messages of light and hope. But all these gifts were considered as matters of course; the gift was received but the Giver forgotten. They walked in the light with no thought of gratitude to Him from whom its beams proceeded. When the chastisement came in reproof, in warning, or by affliction, to save from apostasy and ruin, then there was a turning upon Jesus with a defiant, stubborn, impenitent resistance which was fearful. And why, says the proud, perverse spirit, must I be crushed by rebuke? Why must I be humiliated? They forget all the light, all the favors previously given, and feel that they are abused because God takes with them the only course which will bring them to a knowledge of themselves, that they may find peace in Him through submission, penitence for sin, and confiding trust in God. For this reason God sends to the church the greatest blessing He can give them in a knowledge of themselves. Satan is alluring them to sin that they may be lost; God gives a clear presentation of their sins that they may repent and be saved. The greatest danger of the world is, that sin does not appear sinful. This is the greatest evil existing in the church; sin is glossed over with self-complacency. Blessed indeed are they who possess a sensitive conscience; who can weep and mourn over their spiritual poverty and wanderings from God; who are poor in spirit and can receive the reproof God sends them; and who, with confessions and brokenness of heart, will take their places, all penitent, in humiliation at the cross of Christ. God knows it is good for men to tread a hard and humble path, to encounter difficulties, to experience disappointments, and to suffer affliction. Faith strengthens by coming in conflict with doubt, and resisting unbelief through the strength of Jesus.

“They who despise reproof will be left to their own devices.” Ibid.

Friends, Jesus rebukes because He knows it is the greatest blessing He can give us, a knowledge of ourselves; that is, an understanding that we are sinners, exposed to the wrath of a holy God, doomed to the second death. He does this so that we will come to Him and be cleansed from sin, healed from the fatal disease of sin. He knows that we cannot be saved in our sin, so He points out that sin that we might repent and be saved from it.

Let’s turn to a few illustrations of the practical outworking of this principle. We will begin with two examples of people that rejected the “greatest blessing,” or love (R-E-B-U-K-E), Jesus’ true, principled love.

“Judas saw the sick, the lame, the blind, flock to Jesus from the towns and cities. He saw the dying laid at His feet. He witnessed the Saviour’s mighty works in healing the sick, casting out devils, and raising the dead. He felt in his own person the evidence of Christ’s power. He recognized the teaching of Christ as superior to all that he had ever heard. He loved the Great Teacher, and desired to be with Him. He felt a desire to be changed in character and life, and he hoped to experience this through connecting himself with Jesus.” The Desire of Ages, 717.

This description sounds like that of a converted, dedicated person. But Jesus knew the depths of Judas’ heart. Christ knew that Judas had a covetous disposition, and that, left untreated, this evil would work his ruin.

Then we read, “Christ’s discourse in the synagogue concerning the bread of life was the turning point in the history of Judas. He heard the words, ‘Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, ye have no life in you’ (John 6:53). He saw that Christ was offering spiritual rather than worldly good. He regarded himself as farsighted, and thought he could see that Jesus would have no honor, and that He could bestow no high position upon His followers. He determined not to unite himself so closely to Christ but that he could draw away. He would watch. And he did watch.” Ibid., 719.

And then still further in the chapter, Inspiration records these tragic words: “In all that Christ said to His disciples, there was something with which, in heart, Judas disagreed. Under his influence the leaven of disaffection was fast doing its work. The disciples did not see the real agency in all this; but Jesus saw that Satan was communicating his attributes to Judas, and thus opening up a channel through which to influence the other disciples. This, a year before the betrayal, Christ declared. ‘Have not I chosen you twelve,’ He said, ‘and one of you is a devil’ (John 6:70)?

“Yet Judas made no open opposition, nor seemed to question the Saviour’s lessons. He made no outward murmur until the time of the feast in Simon’s house. When Mary anointed the Saviour’s feet, Judas manifested his covetous disposition. At the reproof from Jesus his very spirit seemed turned to gall. Wounded pride and desire for revenge broke down the barriers, and the greed so long indulged held him in control. This will be the experience of everyone who persists in tampering with sin. The elements of depravity that are not resisted and overcome, respond to Satan’s temptation, and the soul is led captive at his will.” Ibid., 720.

Judas’ spirit rose up in pride and in opposition to the rebuke of Jesus, though the heart of our Saviour was bleeding with pain over the sin cherished in one of His loved disciples. Because Judas refused the lesson in the rebuke, he later became the betrayer of Divinity, the very One who had come to save him from himself, from his sin, from his pride and offer to him the precious boon of eternal life. The greatest blessing rejected brought eternal ruin.

“When Cain saw that his offering was rejected, he was angry with the Lord and with Abel; he was angry that God did not accept man’s substitute in place of the sacrifice divinely ordained, and angry with his brother for choosing to obey God instead of joining in rebellion against Him. Notwithstanding Cain’s disregard of the divine command, God did not leave him to himself; but He condescended to reason with the man who had shown himself so unreasonable. And the Lord said unto Cain, ‘Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?’ Through an angel messenger the divine warning was conveyed: ‘If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? And if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door’ (Genesis 4:7). The choice lay with Cain himself. If he would trust to the merits of the promised Saviour, and would obey God’s requirements, he would enjoy His favor. But should he persist in unbelief and transgression, he would have no ground for complaint because he was rejected by the Lord.

“But instead of acknowledging his sin, Cain continued to complain of the injustice of God and to cherish jealousy and hatred of Abel. He angrily reproached his brother, and attempted to draw him into controversy concerning God’s dealings with them.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 73, 74.

For what purpose did God rebuke both Judas and Cain? Was it from vengeance, from anger, from retaliation or revenge? No, it was from a heart yearning with love. Hear the words of this same God to a group of people who were in rebellion, in rejection of His warnings and reproofs.

“Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel” (Ezekiel 33:11)? Friends, do you hear the pathos, the longing in the voice of our God? He sees the end of sin not as a human can see it. He sees the reward of humility and repentance. It is a great heart of love that rebukes.

Let us turn to two examples of rebuke received.

“The Lord sent Nathan to David. When he came to him, he said, ‘There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor. The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle, but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food, drank from his cup and even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him.

“ ‘Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come to him.’

“David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, the man who did this must die! He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity.’

“Then Nathan said to David, ‘You are the man!’ ” “Then David said to Nathan, ‘I have sinned against the Lord’ ” (2 Samuel 12:1–7, first part, 13 NIV).

David accepted the rebuke. He was forgiven. He was restored to a relationship with His God, the Life-Giver.

“When Cephas (Peter) came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. For before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group. The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray.

“When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in front of them all, ‘You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs’ ” (Galatians 2:11–14 NIV)?

Inspiration says of Peter’s response to this rebuke, “Peter saw the error into which he had fallen, and immediately set about repairing it as far as possible.” Sketches from the Life of Paul, 72. Peter, one of the lead apostles, publicly rebuked by Paul, gratefully acknowledging his error, accepted the rebuke, and immediately did what he could to repair the damage.

If we are to inherit eternal life, we must learn to not only accept rebuke, but appreciate it for what it is, God’s love, His yearning, His purpose to save us.

God reproves because He loves. And His instructions to us are life. We must learn to see, understand and value this aspect of our God, and the absolute necessity for it in our own lives, not the life of our neighbor, our friend, our husband or wife, but in our own life.

There is a beautiful description God gave us of how we are to accept His rebuke. It is my prayer that you will study this instruction carefully, prayerfully, and cherish the attitudes portrayed in it.

“Those who are reproved by the Spirit of God should not rise up against the humble instrument. It is God, and not an erring mortal, who has spoken to save them from ruin.” Testimonies, vol. 3, 257.

“It is not pleasing to human nature to receive reproof, nor is it possible for the heart of man, unenlightened by the Spirit of God, to realize the necessity of reproof or the blessing it is designed to bring. As man yields to temptation, and indulges in sin, his mind becomes darkened. The moral sense is perverted. The warnings of conscience are disregarded, and its voice is less clearly heard. He gradually loses the power to distinguish between right and wrong, until he has no true sense or his standing before God. He may observe the forms of religion and zealously maintain its doctrines, while destitute of its spirit. His condition is that described by the True Witness: ‘Thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked’ (Revelation 3:17). When the Spirit of God, by message of reproof, declares this to be his condition, he cannot see that the message is true. Is he therefore to reject the warning? No. God has given sufficient evidence, so that all who desire to do so may satisfy themselves as to the character of the Testimonies; and, having acknowledged them to be from God, it is their duty to accept reproof, even though they do not themselves see the sinfulness of their course. If they fully realized their condition, what would be the need of reproof? Because they know it not, God mercifully sets it before them, so that they may repent and reform before it shall be too late. ‘Those who despise the warning will be left in blindness to become self-deceived; but those who heed it, and zealously go about the work of separating their sins from them in order to have the needed graces, will be opening the door of their hearts that the dear Saviour may come in and dwell with them.’

“Those who are most closely connected with God are the ones who know His voice when He speaks to them. Those who are spiritual discern spiritual things. Such will feel grateful that the Lord has pointed out their errors.” Ibid., vol. 5, 682, 683.

This instruction requires the setting aside of pride and protection of self, but, of what do we have to be proud? We are sinners. Why deny the truth and lose the opportunity of cleansing, of healing, of eternal life? We would consider it foolish for one to reject and become angered over a medical diagnosis of an illness that would be terminal without treatment. Sin is no different. Sin is a terminal disease—and there is a cure, a complete, total, perfect cure! But in order to receive that treatment, it requires the acceptance of rebuke and discipline, private or public, and maybe both. Is eternal life worth it to you? Is a home in the Kingdom of Glory and a seat on the throne with our Saviour for eternity worth accepting, with thanksgiving and gratitude, the rebuke of the God who loves us and knows that rebuke is our only hope of that salvation?

Remember, “God gives a clear presentation of their sins that they may repent and be saved. The greatest danger of the world is, that sin does not appear sinful. This is the greatest evil existing in the church; sin is glossed over with self-complacency. Blessed indeed are they who possess a sensitive conscience; who can weep and mourn over their spiritual poverty and wanderings from God; who are poor in spirit and can receive the reproof God sends them; and who, with confessions and brokenness of heart, will take their places, all penitent, in humiliation at the cross of Christ. God knows it is good for men to tread a hard and humble path, to encounter difficulties, to experience disappointments, and to suffer affliction. Faith strengthens by coming in conflict with doubt, and resisting unbelief through the strength of Jesus.” The Signs of the Times, June 15, 1876.

Please, contemplate this truth. Choose to appreciate God’s spelling of the word love. Appreciate REBUKE or DISCIPLINE for what they really are, God’s heart of yearning love for us, seeking to reach us in the only way that He can truly save us.

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

What’s in a Name?

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Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: King of Kings and Lord of Lords” (Revelation 19:11–16).

These texts contain much hidden treasure, but the ore that is to be mined in this article is the several references to a name. In the above quote, there are four references to Him who sat on the white horse.

First, we are told that He was called “faithful and true.” That probably does not need much explanation, especially considering who the rider was. The simple fact that “in righteousness He judges” clearly indicates the divine nature of the rider. He could not judge righteously were He not faithful and true.

Next there is a “name written that no one knew except Himself.” Third, we are told that “His name is called The word of God.” And fourth, we are told that “He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: King of Kings and Lord of Lords.”

Let’s begin by looking at a “name written that no one knew except Himself.” There is similar wording in Revelation 2:17, where Christ is speaking to the overcomers in Pergamum: “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it.”

“The names of the seven churches are symbolic of the church in different periods of the Christian Era. The number 7 indicates completeness, and is symbolic of the fact that the messages extend to the end of time, while the symbols used reveal the condition of the church at different periods in the history of the world.” The Acts of the Apostles, 585.

The church in Pergamum represents the period from approximately A.D. 313 to 538. The persecution of Christians had ceased and Christianity was declared “official’ by Constantine, who is called in history the first Christian emperor of Rome. He ruled from A.D. 306 to 337. Roman Catholics and most Protestant Christians regard his conversion as the turning point in the Christian church, the point at which the persecuted Christians gained the support of the state. As a result, the Christians, through the church, eventually became the persecutors, though for that to fully develop took several hundred years.

In reality, this “legitimizing” of Christianity was the beginning of Satan’s increasingly stronger grasp on what became the Roman Catholic church. And though the Reformation was a start in freeing Christianity from the grasp of the enemy, it eventually failed in obtaining a full release from Satan’s influence. Indeed, the majority of the Protestant churches have never yet achieved complete allegiance to the word of God.

Nevertheless, after the “conversion” of Constantine and the Roman nation, taking the name of Christ no longer resulted in guaranteed persecution by the state. Indeed, just the opposite happened. If you failed to take the name of Christ in the manner dictated by the church, you became the persecuted. Having lost the power of the Holy Spirit, the church turned to the state to enforce its dogmas.

So it seems from our historical perspective that assuming the Christian appellation—that is, calling yourself a Christian—resulted in a definite change from being the one who was persecuted to one who did the persecution.

It also seems from our reading in Revelation 19:12 that not only does Christ have a name that no one but He knows, so does each of His faithful saints (Revelation 2:17). Revelation 19:8 tells us that the fine linen, clean and bright that the saints are arrayed in is their righteous acts. We also know from the inspired writings of God’s prophet to the remnant that one’s acts are a reflection of one’s character. “Actions make habits, and habits, character.” Christian Education, 92. It is easy, therefore, to conclude that the fine linen that the saints are robed in is a reflection of their righteous character, which we know can only be acquired through faith in Jesus Christ.

We also know from inspired counsel that one’s name was of great importance to the children of Israel. In Prophets and Kings, 481, we read: “Great significance was attached to the names given by Hebrew parents to their children. Often these stood for traits of character that the parent desired to see developed in the child. The prince in whose charge the captive youth [in Babylon] were placed, ‘gave unto Daniel the name of Belteshazzar; and to Hananiah, of Shadrach; and to Mishael, of Meshach; and to Azariah, of Abednego’ (Daniel 1:7).

“The king did not compel the Hebrew youth to renounce their faith in favor of idolatry, but he hoped to bring this about gradually. By giving them names significant of idolatry, by bringing them daily into close association with idolatrous customs, and under the influence of the seductive rites of heathen worship, he hoped to induce them to renounce the religion of their nation and to unite with the worship of the Babylonians.”

Thus we see the significance that is sometimes placed on one’s name. So let’s continue looking at a few of the many names that Scripture gives to our Saviour and at the significance of those names.

Isaiah 7:14 is one of the early sources for the name of Jesus: “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.” The significance of that name cannot be underestimated. Literally, it means “God with us,” but do we fully understand the implication, the importance, the significance of the fact that the text clearly states God with us? We need to meditate on each of those three words: “God” “with” “us.” It is indeed humbling to realize that God Himself humbled Himself—He quit being solely God—to be with (alongside, accompany, next to, among) us, sinful, mortal human beings, living on the only planet in the universe that chose to rebel against His clearly stated, loving instructions. What an incredible act of self-sacrifice!

John 1:14 tells us, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”

This verse tells us far more than we might think on initial reading. Not only are we informed that Christ in His humanity was the fullness of grace and truth as the word of God became embodied in human flesh, but it also helps us to understand more clearly the “begotten-ness” of Christ.

Jesus Christ in His humanity was the only human being created by God through the human birth process—the “only begotten” of the Father, although in His divinity, He existed “from the beginning.”

Let’s look at a few texts that clarify Christ’s eternal existence.

In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he wrote in Ephesians 3:9, “And to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ.”

There is nothing before the beginning, else it would not be “the beginning.”

Next, let’s look at John 1:15. The opening chapter of John is full of wonderful truths and is worthy of much study in addition to the perusal we are giving it here.

“John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, ‘This was He of whom I said, “He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.” ’ ”

Have you ever contemplated what the Baptist meant when he said, “He was before me”?

When Gabriel spoke to Mary about her having a child, the chronology of the births of John the Baptist and Jesus is made clear. The exchange is detailed in Luke 1:26–37.

“Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And having come in, the angel said to her, ‘Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!’

“But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. Then the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive [future tense] in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.’

“Then Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be, since I do not know a man?’

“And the angel answered and said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived [past tense] a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible.’ ”

How much wonderful truth this passage contains! It is easy to get side-tracked here to dig into the treasured ore in these texts. However, we need to stick to our main subject.

Clearly, we see that John was at least six months older than Jesus, yet John himself stated that “He [referring to Christ] was before me.” In simple, unambiguous language, John is acknowledging that Christ existed before His incarnation as the Son of Mary.

For more Scriptural light on the eternal existence of Christ, see Ephesians 3:9, John 1:15, 1 John 1:1, and 1 John 2:14. Clearly it will take eternity to understand fully, if we ever can, the mystery of the incarnation and that mysterious blending of the divine with the human (1 Timothy 3:16).

Within the record of the conversation between Mary and the angel, we are given additional names for Christ. In Luke 1:31, He is called Jesus. Chronologically, this is the first time that name is given to the Lord and Saviour of mankind. As the conversation continues, Christ is referred to as the Son of the Highest, that Holy One, and the Son of God (verse 35). A bit of meditation on each of these titles will provide a deeper understanding of the divine nature of the Word Made Flesh.

In the uplifting prayer of Jesus recorded in John 17, Jesus makes another statement that deserves deep thought and analysis to fully comprehend. As He prays so fervently to His Father on behalf of His disciples—not only the eleven who were with Him, but “for those who will believe in Me through their word” (verse 20)—He concludes His prayer in verse 26 with these enlightening words: “And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.” [Emphasis supplied.]

The Greek word translated declared means to make known or clarify. In some Bible versions it is translated manifested. This sublime truth should encourage us to make a deep study of the life of Christ to discern how He acted in the many and varied situations through which the providences of God led Him. Such a study will reveal to us not only His Holy character, but will be a wonderful lesson in righteous conduct in all situations and all circumstances.

As Peter wrote, “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow His steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth: Who, when He was reviled, reviled not again; when He suffered, He threatened not; but committed Himself to Him that judgeth righteously” (1 Peter 2:21–23 KJV).

More powerful truths here! Let’s ponder the several aspects of Jesus’ character that Peter highlights in these texts.

  • Suffered selflessly (“suffered for us”)
  • Sinless (“did no sin”)
  • Truthful (“no … guile found in His mouth”)
  • Patient and forgiving (“when He was reviled, reviled not again”)
  • Peaceful (“He threatened not”)
  • Faithful and trusting (“committed Himself to Him that judgeth righteously”)

In summary, we can conclude that Christ was the embodiment of the purest love. Therefore, if I claim that I am a “Christian,” do I manifest each and all of these characteristics—at all times and under all circumstances?

Power in the Name of Christ

The power inherent in the name of Christ is made evident throughout the writings of Paul.

In Romans 10:13, Paul wrote, “For ‘whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’ ” This reference by Paul to Joel 2:32 is erroneously and unfortunately used by many “broad-road” Christians today to claim that simply because they call themselves “Christian,” they are eternally saved—regardless of their conduct or character.

In 1 Corinthians 5:1-5, Paul counsels the Corinthian believers to deliver one ensnared by Satan in sexual immorality to deliver that soul “in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (verse 4). Clearly, Paul understands the power in that name.

In the very next chapter, Paul again refers to the power in that name when he lists the various sins in which the Corinthians had been engaging in when he states: “And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:11).

When writing to the Ephesians, Paul notes the importance of “giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:20). What a powerful, powerful statement, stressing the importance of (1) giving thanks, (2) always, (3) for all things, (4) to God, (5) the Father, (6) in the name of our Lord, (7) Jesus Christ. Only through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit could Paul have packed so much truth into 18 words!

There are also references to the power inherit in Christ’s name and to the need of reverence for and giving thanks in the name of Christ in Philippians, Colossians, 1st Thessalonians, 1st and 2nd Timothy, and Hebrews. However, some of the most encouraging statements about the power of calling upon the name of Christ were spoken by Christ Himself.

In Jesus’ last interaction with His disciples, recorded in John, chapters 13 through 16, as He is providing His last words of inspiration to those who had been His most faithful followers, several times Jesus states plainly that in His name, their prayers will be answered. Interestingly, however, He does not make these statements until after Judas has left the gathering.

“And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son” (John 14:13).

“If you ask anything in My name, I will do it” (John 14:14).

“… whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you” (John 15:16).

“… Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full” (John 16:23, 24).
The Bible is clear. Indeed, “there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

May the peace and blessings of Jesus abide with us as we face the challenges of these last days, overcoming in the name of Jesus Christ.

All quotes NKJV unless otherwise noted.

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 Tipping Point

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A tipping point is that point at which you cannot turn back and must continue.

In flying, commercial aircraft pilots would call voice signals to each other to indicate the various stages of the flight. When the copilot calls during take-off, “V-2,” it means you must take off at that point. Once you have gone so far down the runway at so fast a speed, you must take off. You have reached the tipping point—the point at which you cannot turn back and you must continue.

There is an artist’s conception of the sinking of the Titanic, which occurred on April 14, 1912,  after scraping an iceberg. The Titanic was on its maiden voyage with some of the wealthiest people in the world on board. Most of them drowned. Of the 2,024 people on the ship, only 705 were saved. There were only enough lifeboats for 1,178 people, but all the boats were not filled.

One survivor, 40 year old Elizabeth Schutes, was a governess to Margaret Graham who was traveling with her parents in a first-class cabin when she felt a shutter travel through the ship. At first she was comforted in her belief in the safety of the ship, but her composure was soon shattered by the realization of imminent tragedy.

She said, “Suddenly a strange quivering ran under me, apparently the whole length of the ship. Startled by the very strangeness of the shivering motion, I sprang to the floor. With too perfect a trust in that mighty vessel I again lay down. Someone knocked at my door, and the voice of a friend said: ‘Come quickly to my cabin; an iceberg has just passed our window; I know we have just struck one.’ ”

There was “no confusion, no noise of any kind, one could believe no danger imminent. Our stewardess came and said she could learn nothing. Looking out into the companionway I saw heads appearing asking questions from half-closed doors. All was still, no excitement. I sat down again. My friend was by this time dressed; still her daughter and I talked on with Margaret pretending to eat a sandwich.

“Her hand shook so that the bread kept parting company from the chicken. Then I saw she was frightened, and for the first time I was too, but why get dressed, as no one had given the slightest hint of any possible danger? An officer’s cap passed the door. I asked: ‘Is there an accident or danger of any kind?’ ‘None, so far as I know’, was his courteous answer, spoken quietly and most kindly. This same officer then entered a cabin a little distance down the companionway and, by this time distrustful of everything, I listened intently, and distinctly heard, ‘We can keep the water out for a while.’ Then, and not until then, did I realize the horror of an accident at sea. Now it was too late to dress; no time to waste, but a coat and skirt were soon on; slippers were quicker than shoes; the stewardess put on our life-preservers, and we were just ready when Mr. Roebling came to tell us he would take us to our friend’s mother, who was waiting above. …

“No laughing throng, but on either side of the staircases stand quietly, bravely, the stewards, all equipped with the white, ghostly life-preservers. Always the thing one tries not to see even crossing a ferry. Now only pale faces, each form strapped about with those white bars. So gruesome a scene. We passed on. The awful good-byes. The quiet look of hope in the brave men’s eyes as the wives were put into the lifeboats.” Women and children were put on the lifeboats first.

“Nothing escaped one at this fearful moment. We left from the sun deck, seventy-five feet above the water. Mr. Case and Mr. Roebling, brave American men, saw us to the lifeboat, made no effort to save themselves, but stepped back on deck. Later they went to an honoured grave.

“Our lifeboat, with thirty-six in it, began lowering to the sea. This was done amid the greatest confusion. Rough seamen all giving different orders. No officer aboard. As only one side of the ropes worked, the lifeboat at one time was in such a position that it seemed we must capsize in mid-air.

“At last the ropes worked together, and we drew nearer and nearer the black, oily water. The first touch of our lifeboat on that black sea came to me as a last good-bye to life, and so we put off – a tiny boat on a great sea – rowed away from what had been a safe home for five days.

“The first wish on the part of all was to stay near the Titanic. We all felt so much safer near the ship. Surely such a vessel could not sink. I thought the danger must be exaggerated, and we could all be taken aboard again. But surely the outline of that great, good ship was growing less. The bow of the boat was getting black. Light after light was disappearing, and now those rough seamen put to their oars and we were told to hunt under seats, any place, anywhere, for a lantern, a light of any kind. Every place was empty. There was no water – no stimulant of any kind. Not a biscuit – nothing to keep us alive had we drifted along. …

“Sitting by me in the lifeboat were a mother and daughter. The mother had left a husband on the Titanic, and the daughter a father and husband, and while we were near the other boats those two stricken women would call out a name and ask, ‘Are you there?’ ‘No,’ would come back the awful answer, but these brave women never lost courage, forgot their own sorrow, telling me to sit close to them to keep warm. … The life-preservers helped to keep us warm, but the night was bitter cold, and it grew colder and colder, and just before dawn, the coldest, darkest hour of all, no help seemed possible. …

“The stars slowly disappeared, and in their place came the faint pink glow of another day. Then I heard, ‘A light, a ship.’ I could not, would not, look while there was a bit of doubt, but kept my eyes away. All night long I had heard, ‘A light!’ Each time it proved to be one of our other lifeboats, someone lighting a piece of paper, anything they could find to burn, and now I could not believe. Someone found a newspaper; it was lighted and held up. Then I looked and saw a ship. A ship bright with lights; strong and steady she waited, and we were to be saved. A straw hat was offered so it would burn longer. That same ship that had come to save us might run us down. But no; she is still. The two, the ship and the dawn, came together, a living painting.”

There are pictures of what is believed that ship looked like as it was going down, one showing that it split in two on the way down and another showing it at a very steep angle with over a thousand people standing up on the upper deck climbing to the back of the ship as it was going down.

This horrific sight was witnessed by the people in the life boats. It was ready to go under with the back of the ship all that was left above the water. Nothing could be done to save it. It had reached the tipping point. It had gone so far that its course could not be reversed.

There are many areas in life where you can reach a tipping point and be unable to return to where you were before. For instance, between 2009 and 2012 the number of people in the United States with disability rose seven times faster than the number of new jobs created. There are many people in this country who are very alarmed about this situation.

Closely related to that situation is health care. The percentage of our gross domestic product in the United States spent on health care in 1960 was 5.2%. But in 2008 we spent 15.2%. How long can that keep going up, and at which point will something break down?

What would happen if there were more sick people to be taken care of than there were well people to take care of them? In that case, the health care system would have reached a tipping point.

What if a large number of people decided that the hope of a reward was not worth the economic risk involved? The result of that decision would be that the job market would absolutely dry up and there would not be jobs. The job market would have reached a tipping point.

There is a large number of people in the world who make their living in sales or in selling. You cannot sell anything unless there is a buyer. That precise condition is described in Revelation 18. It says there are no buyers (verse 11). If there are no buyers, your business and the economy collapse.

The Bible talks in Ezekiel 7 and in Revelation 18, about a time when the tipping point will be passed, and as a result, the whole world economy will shut down.

When I was a small child, we had one neighbor whose only transportation was his horse. For the most part, we had already passed the tipping point where automobiles had taken the place of transportation by animals, and there was no way to go back to the way it was before.

If a person refuses to surrender to the pleadings of the Holy Spirit in the conscience, finally he will not hear the voice anymore. If that happens, that person has reached a tipping point. He is not going to be able to return to the way it was before when the Holy Spirit was pleading with him.

In The Desire of Ages, page 383, Ellen White describes what happened with Jesus and His disciples the day after the feeding of the 5,000. “When Christ forbade the people to declare Him king, He knew that a turning point in His history was reached.”

What was that turning point? She says, “Multitudes who desired to exalt Him to the throne today would turn from Him tomorrow. The disappointment of their selfish ambition would turn their love to hatred. …” Ibid. That is the way the human mind works. Disappointment can turn love very quickly into hatred.

Ellen White said: “The disappointment of their selfish ambition would turn their love to hatred, and their praise to curses.”

That disappointment resulted in a turning point. It says, “From the first He [Jesus] had held out to His followers no hope of earthly rewards. … If men could have had the world with Christ, multitudes would have proffered Him their allegiance; but such service He could not accept. Of those now connected with Him there were many who had been attracted by the hope of a worldly kingdom. These must be undeceived. The deep spiritual teaching in the miracle of the loaves had not been comprehended. This was to be made plain. And this new revelation would bring with it a closer test.” Ibid.

“Because they were too vain and self-righteous to receive reproof, too world-loving to accept a life of humility, many turned away from Jesus.” Ibid., 392.

They turned away from Jesus because they were too vain and too self-righteous to accept reproof. And they were too world-loving to accept a life of humility. They had loved Jesus, and they had praised Him, coming by the thousands to listen to Him. They believed that He was the Messiah until they found out that He also reproved their sins and told them that He was meek and lowly in heart and they needed to become like He was. So many people turned away that Jesus turned to the twelve and said, Are you going to turn away too?

For this same reason, many do the same thing today. Being able to accept the slightest, kindest, mildest rebuke or reproof is one of the rarest traits to be found in the Adventist church. However, if you are going to be saved, at some point, the Lord is going to arrange things so that your sins will be rebuked.

“Souls are tested today as were those disciples in the synagogue at Capernaum. When truth is brought home to the heart, they see that their lives are not in accordance with the will of God. They see the need of an entire change in themselves.” Ibid.

She says, “They see the need of an entire change in themselves; but they are not willing to take up the self-denying work. Therefore they are angry when their sins are discovered.” Ibid.

If my sins are discovered, I should say, Lord, thank You for making it possible for me to be saved. If I now know what is wrong, I can go to the Lord and ask that it be taken away from me so I can be changed. Many, when their sins are discovered, instead of saying, Lord, I want to be changed, get mad. How dare you talk to me that way? We are warned, “Praise and flattery would be pleasing to their ears, but the truth is unwelcome; they cannot hear it.” Ibid.

In the book by Dale Carnegie called How to Win Friends and Influence People, one of the things that he teaches is that you do not ever tell somebody that they are wrong. They cannot take it. That was one of the major reasons Jesus was crucified. He told people when they were in error.

The unwelcome truth that most cannot hear is the truth about their condition. If you will make them feel good, then they are willing to be friends and willing to go to heaven together, but do not tell them all that is wrong with them.

There are so many people who think they are going to heaven but the Bible says they will be disappointed. They reach a tipping point when their sin is revealed. They neglect to say Lord, I want to be saved; I want to be with Jesus; please take my sins away and give me Your Holy Spirit so that I can change. I want to be born again. With that prayer, a miracle can happen in your life. But if you get angry when something happens that reveals your sins, you will become stuck and find that there is no way for you to be saved.

Continuing in The Desire of Ages, 392, Ellen White says concerning those people the day after the feeding of the 5,000, that decision was never reversed. There may have been over 20,000 made up of 5,000 men besides women and children that you will never meet in the kingdom of heaven.

So many ate of the miracle bread and fish. They watched Jesus open the eyes of the blind and heal those that were deaf. They watched Him heal the lepers and some of them had seen Him raise the dead. They knew that He had power to heal all manner of disease and they loved Him until they were reproved and their sin was pointed out. Then their love turned to hatred.

She says, “When the crowds follow, and the multitudes are fed, and the shouts of triumph are heard, their voices are loud in praise; but when the searching of God’s Spirit reveals their sin, and bids them leave it, they turn their backs upon the truth, and walk no more with Jesus.” Ibid.

The first thing that the Holy Spirit does when it comes to any person is convict of sin. It is not pleasurable to have the Holy Spirit point out what is wrong in your life. It hurts. If you accept it and say, Lord, I yield to the sovereignty of Jesus Christ, if this is not pleasing in Your sight, I want not only forgiveness, but I want to be changed.

If you are willing to yield to that pleading, that convicting of the Holy Spirit, a miracle will take place in your life and you will start to realize the victory. And when you begin to realize the victory, the Holy Spirit will put His finger on another problem. The Holy Spirit will never use any form of coercion or force. If I turn away, the Holy Spirit will let me go. Sadly, Jesus let the people turn away from Him.

If you resist the spirit of God you first will have a guilty conscience. It is your friend to encourage you to do something about the problem, but by continual resistance you find that you do not feel as bad as you used to and are on the way to commit unpardonable sin. The unpardonable sin is not instantaneous like falling off a cliff but like walking down ten thousand steps. The Holy Spirit pleads with you, and you say, “Not now.” Again, “Not now.” Again, “Not now,” thousands and thousands of times. But eventually, your conscience does not bother you anymore and you reach the tipping point—too far to turn back.

“As those disaffected disciples turned away from Christ, a different spirit took control of them. They could see nothing attractive in Him whom they had once found so interesting.” Ibid., 392.

“They rejected their Saviour, because they longed for a conqueror who would give them temporal power. They wanted the meat which perishes, and not that which endures unto everlasting life.” Ibid.

Judas, the betrayer of Jesus, reached a tipping point. “Christ’s discourse in the synagogue concerning the bread of life was the turning point in the history of Judas. He heard the words, ‘Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, ye have no life in you’ (John 6:53). He saw that Christ was offering spiritual rather than worldly good. He regarded himself as farsighted, and thought he could see that Jesus would have no honor, and that He could bestow no high position upon His followers. He determined not to unite himself so closely to Christ but that he could draw away. He would watch. And he did watch.” Ibid., 719.

There are many Christians like that today. They are part of the church, but stay in a position where they can back out if they need to. Another sad occasion when a group of people reached a turning point occurred in the church Christ attended as a youth. The people in the church had known Jesus since He was a little child. They had witnessed His blameless life. But, “… they were offended in Him. But Jesus said to them, ‘A prophet is not without honor except in His own country and in His own house.’ Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief” (Matthew 13:57, 58, literal translation).

At first, they had an almost irresistible conviction that this was the Son of God. They had witnessed His life for the last 28 years or so, but they were “offended in Him” when He didn’t work things out as they had supposed.

Luke 4:23: “He said to them, ‘… You will surely say this proverb to Me, “Physician, heal yourself! Whatever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in Your country!” ’ Then He said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, No prophet is accepted in His own country.’ ”

They really got angry when He said, “… I tell you truly, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a great famine throughout the land; but to none of them was Elijah sent except to Zarephath, in the region of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow” (verses 25, 26).

He said, “And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian” (verse 27).

It was too much for them to hear Jesus say that the heathen were in a better condition than they were and they refused to accept that. He meant the heathen who live up to all the light they have, are better in His sight than God’s chosen people who are not living according to what they know. These people He had known all His life were offended.

Ellen White says, “Here was the turning point with that company. As Christ’s divinity flashed through humanity, their spiritual sight was quickened. A new power of discernment and appreciation came upon them, and the conviction was almost irresistible that Jesus was the Son of God. But Satan was at hand to arouse doubts, unbelief, and pride. They steeled their hearts against the Saviour’s words. As they yielded to the control of Satan, they were fired with uncontrollable rage against Jesus.” The Signs of the Times, September 14, 1882.

Here you have the very same thing. They had an irresistible conviction that He was the Son of God but they hated the rebuke that He gave them. They had such uncontrollable rage that they determined to kill him. In anger, they became a mob and hustled Jesus, hustling up to the top of a mountain. They would have cast Him down headlong to kill Him if the angels had not rescued Him.

Human nature has not changed. There is a tipping point for all but those who desperately want to be saved and are prepared at whatever the pain or cost to receive the rebuke of the Lord to be changed into His image and become what He wants them to be.

Pray, Lord, What do you see in me that needs to be changed? What reproof do I need so that I do not reach a tipping point that will bring me to everlasting destruction?

God has devised a way so that even the weakest and the chief of sinners could be saved if we are willing to submit to His plan for saving us.

(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 – Are You Ready?

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The members of the church will individually be tested and proved. They will be placed in circumstances where they will be forced to bear witness for the truth. Many will be called to speak before councils and in courts of justice, perhaps separately and alone.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 463.

Seventh-day Adventists will need to be able to explain the following beliefs:

  • God’s special warning messages, found in Revelation 14:6–12, to prepare mankind for what is coming:

The world is now in the time of judgment which began in 1844, according to Daniel 8 and 9.

Because of this all men everywhere are to fear God, which means to hate evil (Proverbs 8:13).

Because of this all men everywhere are to glorify God in their body and in their spirit.

Because of this all men everywhere are to worship God as the Creator by acknowledging the day He has set aside as a memorial of His creation (Exodus 20:8–11).

Flee out of Babylon, that is, out of false religious systems which teach people to break the law of God (Revelation 18:1–4; 14:8).

Do not to worship the papacy, which is the beast power described in Revelation 13:1–10.

Do not worship the image of the papacy, which is a union of church and state in the United States for the purpose of eliminating freedom of the conscience, as was done in the Dark Ages (Revelation 13:11–17).

Avoid the mark of the papacy, which is the substitution of Sunday worship for worship according to the law of God (Exodus 20:8–11).

God’s children in the very last days will be a people who keep God’s commandments and who have the same kind of faith Jesus had, which was a faith that resulted in obedience to every Word that proceeded from the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4; Revelation 14:12).

  • When a person dies, he goes into an unconscious state and knows nothing (Ecclesiastes 9:5, 6). Therefore, those spirits masquerading as spirits of the dead are actually the spirits of demons impersonating the dead and should be shunned. A person should order his life according to the word of God and not according to the miracles worked by spirits (Revelation 16:13, 14).
  • The plan of salvation is going to come to an end. When Jesus comes the second time, there will be no more atonement for sin, there will be no further chance for salvation. Anybody who is saved must be saved before the close of probation, which occurs a short time before Jesus returns again (Revelation 22:11, 12). If we ignore the opportunity to be saved now, there will be no future time after the close of probation or after we die when we can be saved (Luke 16:19–31; 2 Corinthians 6:1, 2).