The Pen of Inspiration – Hearing and Doing

Here [Matthew 7:22–28] are brought before us two classes—the hearer and the doer. There is one that hears and does not; there is one that hears and does. This is he that not only hears but is a doer of the Word of the Lord, and this is the class that is building on the Rock. We want to be among the class that is riveted to the eternal Rock, and not of that class that is building upon the sand. For in these two classes of builders brought to view here, the one is laying his foundation in the sand, the other on the rocks. And the question comes home to us, How are we building?

How we are building is of great consequence. We want to know that the foundation is deep, so that the floods shall not move us. Our salvation cost something; it cost us the blood of the Son of God. While everything has been done that can be done to bring us into right relation with God, we want to think much of every privilege brought to us, and not to be always questioning God’s dealings with us, whether this is right or that is right; but pursue a course that will stand the test of His law, a test that shall work out for us an eternal weight of glory.

God demands of us that we build a character that will stand that close test of the judgment. We will not have His protection in the time when the flood comes, if at that time it is found that we have wasted the hours of probation granted us now to build characters for eternity. For the character which we now build is not only for time, but for eternity. Those that are set forth in this parable as building on the sand are they that feel that they are all right. They come right up before the Lord and say, I have done this, I have done that. “Many will say unto me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?” But this goes for nothing to the Lord. “Then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” Matthew 7:22, 23.

The Standard

What is iniquity? Sin. And what is sin? Sin, says the beloved John, is the transgression of the law. [I John 3:4.] Here is a class that is transgressing the law of God, and at the same time they come to Him boasting of what they have done, expecting His favor. And it is this class that is here represented as building on the sand. They have erected a standard of their own.

What is a perfect standard of character? The only standard ever given to man is the law of God, His holy commandments. If we have been building upon this rock, it will stand the test. If we have been erecting a standard of our own, and claim by that standard that we are perfect, and that we have reached perfect righteousness and holiness, we shall know in the day of God. No one will claim that they are perfect and holy if they tremble before the exalted standard of God. Is it safe to do this and cast aside the immutable law of God and then to claim to be holy?

Here is a mirror into which we are to look, and search out every defect of character. But suppose that you look into this mirror and see many defects in your character, and then go away and say, “I am righteous,” will you be righteous? In your own eyes you will be righteous and holy. But how will it be at the bar of God? God has given us a rule, and we are to comply with its requirements and if we dare to do otherwise, to trample this under our feet, and then stand up before God and say, “I am holy, I am holy,” we shall be lost in the great day of accounts.

What if we were to go out into the streets and soil our clothes with mud, and then come into the house and, beholding our filthy garments as we stand before the glass, we should say to the mirror, “Cleanse me from my filth,” would it cleanse us from our filth? That is not the office of the looking glass. All that it can do is to reveal that our garments are defiled; it cannot take the defilement away.

An Advocate

So it is with the law of God. It points out the defects of character. It condemns us as sinners, but it offers no pardon to the transgressor. It cannot save him from his sins. But God has made a provision. Says John, “If any man sin we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” [I John 2:1.] So we come to Him and there we find the character of Jesus, and the righteousness of His character saves the transgressor—if we have done on our part all that we could.

And yet while He saves the transgressor, He does not do away with the law of God, but He exalts the law. He exalts the law because it is the detector of sin. And it is Christ’s cleansing blood that takes away our sins when we come to Him with contrition of soul seeking His pardon. He imputes His righteousness; He takes the guilt upon Himself.

Now, suppose that someone shall say, “Jesus has pardoned me and I have no need of the law any further. I will no longer live in obedience to the law.” The question may be asked, “Shall we continue to sin that grace may abound”? No. If one should steal the money out of my purse, and then come, and confessing the crime, ask me to forgive him, and I shall pardon him, and then he go and do the same thing again, does not this show that there is no change in his life? So it is with those who have asked God to forgive them and then gone right on transgressing His law. They say, “Lord, Lord,” but He says, “Depart from Me.” [Matthew 7:22, 23.] While I freely pardoned you, you were doing the same thing again. Your very course was leading others in the way of the transgressor. For this reason they were called the workers of iniquity. This very course of action was the means of leading others astray.

Sanctifying Truth

Christ offers a prayer to the Father, and He uses these words in this prayer, “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” John 17:17. I have sent them into the world as thou hast sent Me into the world, even so have I sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. (John 17:17–19.) Mark these words, “I sanctify Myself.” Thus He observes a life of perfect obedience, for He is the perfect pattern. Then He goes on and says, “That they may be sanctified”—by what? Through emotion? through feeling? No. Through the truth. We cannot trust to feeling; we must know the truth.

Now, here is Christ praying to His Father that He will sanctify His followers through the truth. Then there is a truth that sanctifies, that has a sanctifying power upon the believer. And it becomes every one of us in this congregation to inquire what is the truth.

If we are to believe the truth and be sanctified by the truth, then we must search the Scriptures that we may know what is the truth. If we do this, we shall not build upon a false foundation. But if we do not, we shall find at last that we have made a great mistake and laid our foundation in the sand, to be swept away in the time of storm and tempest. I want eternal life if it takes out the right eye and if it takes off the right arm. The question with me is, am I right with God? Am I serving Him in humility and meekness of soul?

We are right amid the trials that shall try every soul of men that dwelleth upon the face of the earth. We may know what is the truth, and we may know what is error. We may know that we are laying our souls upon the foundation; we may know that we are not leading souls away from the truth. God help us that we may every one of us make sure of eternal life.

Test of Character

And here is another Scripture. [Deuteronomy 13:1-5 quoted.] Here the commandments are set before them as a test of character. Said Christ, “I have kept My Father’s commandments.” [John 15:10.] And He is our pattern in all things. Now do we do the commandments from the heart? Are we studying to carry out in our lives the principle of the Sabbath commandment which God has put right in the bosom of His law?

We may go to the heathen and say to them that we love the truth and serve the true God; and they will tell you that they worship the true and living God. We have no other way to tell who the true and living God is, only as we turn to this commandment. That God who made the lofty trees and every thing that is lovely and beautiful under the heavens, He that weighs the hills in the balances—that God is the true and living God; He created the whole universe. And these commandments tell us who the true God is. If Satan can get this fourth commandment out of the Decalogue, then you will not be able to tell who the true and living God is.

Well, who is the true God? The God that created everything that is beautiful in nature. We are to look up through nature to nature’s God. There we are to see the true God, the Maker of the heavens and the earth. The first four of these commandments show our duty to God, and the last six to our fellow men. We cannot break one of these first four and be in favor with God. Neither can we break one of the last six and be in favor with God. These we must urge upon the people.

Here are the words of David, “It is time for Thee, Lord, to work: for they have made void thy law.” Psalm 119:126. David refers to the last days, the very time when we are to know and be sanctified by the truth. We must cling to the truth. We must not let go the truth for friend or foe. There is a time coming when there will be great tribulation, such as never was or ever will be. Men will come claiming to be Christ. And here is a class that say, “I am sinless, I am holy.” I have never heard one claim that who was not a sinner. They are not doers of the Word. …

The Great Deceiver

John saw the temple of God opened in heaven, and in that temple he saw the ark of His testimony. Says John, “Here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” Revelation 14:12. The path of true obedience is found in the commandments of God. But Satan is going about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. He does not always appear like a lion; he has the power of clothing himself like a lamb, and he has a soft and a tender voice. And how shall we meet him? shall we let him come in and take the control of our hearts? shall we let him have the charge of our minds and lives? We cannot afford it. …

Men will arise saying, Here is Christ, here, here, here; but is He there? While they are trampling the commandments under their feet, Christ says, “Whosoever shall break one of these least commandments, (MacNight) you shall be of no esteem in the reign of heaven. Not as long as the heavens remain, shall one jot or one tittle pass.” (Matthew 5:19, 18.) And one said to me, why do you talk so much about the law, why not talk more about Jesus? We honor both the Father and the Son when we talk about the law. The Father gave us the law, and the Son died to magnify it and make it honorable.

But, says John, in speaking of the deceiver that doeth great wonders, He shall make an image to the beast, and shall cause all to receive his mark. (See Revelation 13:14–16.) Will you please consider this matter? Search the Scriptures and see. There is a wonder-working power to appear, and it will be when men are claiming sanctification, and holiness, lifting themselves up higher and higher and boasting of themselves.

Claims of Holiness

Look at Moses and the prophets; look at Daniel and Joseph and Elijah. Look at these men and find one sentence where they ever claimed to be sinless. The very soul that is in close relation to Christ, beholding His purity and excellence, will fall before Him with shamefacedness. …

Why is it that so many claim to be holy and sinless? It is because they are so far from Christ. … Those that get sight of the loveliness and the exalted character of Jesus Christ, who was holy and lifted up, and His train fills the temple, will never say it. Yet we are to meet with those that will say such things more and more, every year. …

In the days of Martin Luther, there were those that came to him and said, “We do not want your Bible, we want the Spirit.” Martin Luther said to them, “I will rap your spirit on the snoot.” However great their pretences, they are not the children of God. …

I want you to understand that pretences are not the evidences of true character. Now I speak these words to you because wherever there is a little company raised up, Satan is constantly trying to annoy and distract them. When one of the people turns away from his sins, do you suppose that he will let him alone? No, indeed. We want you to look well to the foundation of your hope. We want you to let your life and your actions testify of you that you are the children of God.

Well Done

Let there be that littleness, that humbleness of soul, that they may know that you have been taught in the school of Christ. And when He shall appear in the clouds of heaven, we shall exclaim, “Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us.” Isaiah 25:9. Then it is that the crown of life will be placed upon the brow of the faithful ones. Then will come the voice of the Saviour saying, “Well done thou good and faithful servant; … enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.” (Matthew 25:21–23.) What, faithful in putting their feet upon the law of God? No, No. These have not the mark of the beast upon them. I want that peace that comes through an obedience to all of the commandments of God.

Sermons and Talks, vol. 1, 13–24.

The Elijah Therapy

Depression is so prevalent among Christians that it impedes our work for the Lord. While the world is waiting for this Gospel, the devil is constantly keeping us in a depressed condition.

Depression affects the whole person. Generally, women are more depressed than men, and depression seems to especially affect those between the ages of 15 years and 24 years. Over 19 million people in the United States are depressed. “According to the World Health Organization, four of the ten leading causes of disability in the United States and other developed countries are mental disorders, including major depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. Approximately 23 percent of American adults each year have a diagnosable mental disorder and as many as 5.4 percent of American adults have a serious mental illness.” www.hereinmaine.com February 2008.

As I travel, I find that depression is prevalent within the Christian church. I am not saying that we are never faced with discouragement, but I do not believe, unless there is something biochemically wrong, that a Christian has to be controlled by depression.

Totality of Man

There is a relationship between healing and spirituality. Being separated from God brings about depression, I believe. Anyone separated from God is mentally ill.

In the beginning, “The Lord God formed man [of] the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” Genesis 2:7. These qualities may be associated with the three qualities of which man is made—the mental, the spiritual, and the physical. When Jesus asked, in John 5:6, “Wilt thou be made whole?” He was talking about the totality of man.

There is a direct relationship between the mind and the body. Further insight into this wholeness is given in Deuteronomy 6:5: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.” So, heart = mental, soul = spiritual, might = physical. In Luke 2:52, we read: “Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.” Here, favor with God = spiritual, wisdom = mental, stature = physical. As you can see, when we deal with wholeness, we deal with the totality of the individual.

Three Aspects

When a person has a physical problem, what professional person does he or she see? A physician. When a person has a mental problem, what professional person does he or she see? A psychiatrist or psychologist. When a person has a spiritual concern, what professional person does he or she see? A pastor. We realize that these professional people are important. Have you ever known the pastor, the psychiatrist or the psychologist, and the physician to agree? Usually this is not the case.

When there is a problem within the human realm—in the body, the mind, or the spirit—it should not be departmentalized. The body, mind, and spirit should not be entrusted to three different people when they do not agree with one another. If that is done, the individual is not going to improve.

Jesus was a Counselor, a Physician, and a Preacher! He addressed the whole person. An example of this is given in Matthew 9. When Jesus healed the man sick with palsy, he addressed the whole person. In verse 2, addressing the mental, Jesus said, “Son, be of good cheer.” Continuing in that same verse, He said, addressing the spiritual, “Thy sins be forgiven thee.” Then, addressing the physical, in verse 6 Jesus said to the palsied man, “Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house.”

In medical missionary work, the focus has most frequently been on the physical. We recommend some herbs and juice, but we neglect the most important aspect of the individual; that is, the mental and the spiritual aspects. Many people know about herbs, juicing, hydrotherapy, and fever baths, but when it comes to understanding the total physical, spiritual, and mental makeup of an individual, as medical missionaries we tend to overlook the totality. Yes, we will pray with the individual, but we may not understand how that impacts the life of the individual.

Good Cheer

Addressing His disciples, Jesus said, “Be of good cheer.” Matthew 14:27. Fear is the opposite of good cheer. Discouragement is the devil’s most effective tool for destroying our peace. This tool may be called anesthesia—before he takes our hearts, he puts us to sleep with discouragement. If he can discourage us and get us to turn inward, rather than outward to Jesus, then he believes he can take us down with him. Even though we realize that God’s power is greater than the devil, we still allow ourselves to become discouraged.

“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33. As Christians, it is a reality that we will have trouble as long as we are in this world.

Abraham is certainly an example of this as he traveled southward from the Chaldean plain. Of his experience, and others, Ellen White wrote: “Again his faith was tested. The heavens withheld their rain, the brooks ceased to flow in the valleys, and the grass withered on the plains. The flocks and herds found no pasture, and starvation threatened the whole encampment. … Trouble after trouble came upon him. …

“The Lord in His providence had brought this trial upon Abraham to teach him lessons of submission, patience, and faith—lessons that were to be placed on record for the benefit of all who should afterward be called to endure affliction. God leads His children by a way that they know not, but He does not forget or cast off those who put their trust in Him. He permitted affliction to come upon Job, but He did not forsake him. He allowed the beloved John to be exiled to lonely Patmos, but the Son of God met him there, and his vision was filled with scenes of immortal glory. God permits trials to assail His people, that by their constancy and obedience they themselves may be spiritually enriched, and that their example may be a source of strength to others.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 128, 129.

God in His providence allowed trials to come upon Abraham. Abraham did not understand the providence, but he did not look back from whence he came, and he did not allow circumstances to control his life.

Mrs. White continues:

“The very trials that task our faith most severely and make it seem that God has forsaken us, are to lead us closer to Christ, that we may lay all our burdens at His feet and experience the peace which He will give us in exchange.” Ibid., 129.

We need to become masters of our circumstances. Yes, trouble will come, but we should greet it with “good cheer,” for peace will follow.

Fear

Franklin D. Roosevelt, the thirty-second president of the United States, is credited with having said, “We have nothing to fear but fear itself.” Fear breeds upon the unknown. Disease, especially terminal disease, brings fear into and puts stress upon a person’s life.

Job said, “By the great force [of my disease] is my garment changed: it bindeth me about as the collar of my coat.” Job 30:18. Interpreting the word garment as character, Job was intimating that physical condition affects disposition.

Ellen White wrote:

“The relation that exists between the mind and the body is very intimate. When one is affected, the other sympathizes. The condition of the mind affects the health to a far greater degree than many realize. Many of the diseases from which men suffer are the result of mental depression.” The Ministry of Healing, 241. [Emphasis added.]

Mental depression and anxiety may come from things that have not been put to closure in our lives. The devil does not read our minds, but he keeps a profile on each of us. He knows the sins of our fathers, the things with which we have struggled in our lives. There are things in all our lives that we should get rid of, but we all hold on to them. Even as Christians, we have some emotional baggage that we continue to carry and with which we have not dealt.

This quotation continues: “Grief, anxiety, discontent, remorse, guilt, distrust, all tend to break down the life forces and to invite decay and death.” Ibid. Mrs. White is not saying that there is something wrong with grief. It is a natural emotion. But if we should stay in a state of grief, it would destroy us. Most of us have experienced worry, anxiety, apprehension, and unease of the mind. As Christians, these words should not be in our vocabulary, but they are because we doubt the power of God. Often we become uneasy because we anticipate the future. We do not know the outcome. We human beings like to be in control of situations. We think if we could only know what is going to happen tomorrow, we will be satisfied, but that is not the way God deals with us.

Signs of Depression

The occurrence of depression has increased over time and has impacted over 200 million people. It is estimated that almost 17 million people are affected today, and remember that depression affects the whole person.

There are at least ten signs of depression:

  1. You feel like crying more than normal.
  2. You frequently have a sense of hopelessness.
  3. You have less motivation and interest in activities.
  4. Your sleep pattern changes.
  5. You have thought that life is not worth living.
  6. You dread the beginning of a new day.
  7. You are anxious and stressed.
  8. Your eating patterns change.
  9. You have less energy than usual.
  10. You are not functioning well.

What About Elijah?

Read again the story of Elijah in I Kings 17, 18, and 19. In James 5:17, we are told that Elijah “was a man subject to like passions as we are.”

Elijah experienced the exhilarated adrenaline rush of Mount Carmel and the depressed state of having his life threatened and his mission in shambles. He focused on the circumstances and allowed them to form his decisions. He lost hope, and he wanted to die. He was self-focused—he was looking inward rather than outward to God. He also had high expectation. Now, there is nothing wrong in having expectation, but we better be sure that the expectation is of the Lord.

So, Elijah feared. He was self-centered. He was shaped by circumstance, high expectation, and he ended up with disappointment, resentment, anger, and self-pity.

Danger of Anger

One minute of anger can suppress the immune system for six hours. Anger is only one letter from danger. An unforgiving spirit, a vindictive spirit eats the heart out, and when we have an unforgiving spirit, the devil is controlling our lives.

An angry man is always full of poison. An angry, bitter, unforgiving spirit produces negative chemical by-products that are health destroying.

Almost a decade ago, scientists stayed away from dealing with faith, religion, and health, because they could not put faith in a test tube. Now, however, they are realizing that those who have a relationship with the Creator and have faith in a God recover quicker from depression than those who do not have faith.

Ephesians 4:26 counsels us, “Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath.”

Solutions

Solutions to depression are given in I Kings 19. Ellen White also identifies these solutions:

“As Elijah sleeps under the juniper tree, a soft touch and pleasant voice arouse him. He starts at once in his terror, as if to flee, as though the enemy who was in pursuit of his life had indeed found him. But in the pitying face of love bending over him he sees, not the face of an enemy, but of a friend. An angel has been sent with food from heaven to sustain the faithful servant of God. His voice says to Elijah: ‘Arise and eat.’ After Elijah had partaken of the refreshment prepared for him, he again slumbered. A second time the angel of God ministers to the wants of Elijah. He touches the weary, exhausted man, and in pitying tenderness says to him: ‘Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee.’ Elijah was strengthened and pursued his journey to Horeb.” Testimonies, vol. 3, 291. [Emphasis added.]

Sleep.

In a depressed state, Elijah fell asleep. How does sleep deal with depression? Well, even two hours of sleep before midnight is equal to four hours of sleep after midnight. In the pineal gland, a neurotransmitter called serotonin is synthesized into melatonin as night falls. Melatonin modulates wake/sleep patterns. The duration of melatonin secretion each day is directly proportional to the length of the night. These two neurotransmitters affect us not only physiologically but psychologically. Sleep is recuperative. When we do not get enough sleep, our reasoning power is affected.

Touch.

An angel came and touched Elijah. Touch is essential to emotional support. There are children who have never experienced the security, the emotional support of a loving touch from father or mother. They have not had emotional security in their homes, and without emotional stability, they have been set up for depression.

Touch is important to healing. Of Jesus we are told: “Jesus kindly received the sick, and disease and approaching death fled at a touch of his hand.” The Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 3, 25. [Emphasis added.]

Friendship.

The worst thing to do when a person is depressed is to cast them off as a friend. We need to have an understanding and try to give our depressed friend as much emotional support, based on the Word of God, as we can give. Realize that Job’s friends, as long as they did not open their mouths, gave him support.

Nutrition.

Elijah needed food. This is not referring to “comfort food” or eating because of depression. This is referring to the fact that we need nutrients. If an individual does not eat breakfast and does not eat a balanced diet of proper foods, he or she cannot adequately strengthen the brain function to fight depression.

Exercise.

When Elijah was instructed to “Arise,” to get up he had to move. Exercise produces a hormone that food does not produce—endorphins, sometimes called “happy hormones.” Exercise also helps the neurotransmitters mentioned previously, and exercise has the capacity to help decrease stress level.

Social Interaction.

The angel once again ministered to Elijah. We are social creatures. We need moral support, emotional, and social support. This is why the Bible tells us we should not forsake the assembling of ourselves together. (Hebrews 10:25.)

Spiritual.

That “pleasant voice” spoke to Elijah. Elijah needed to hear the Word of God.

These seven aspects—sleep, touch, friendship, nutrition, exercise, social interaction, and spiritual—are all key factors in recovery from depression. When Elijah put them together, he realized that he had a work to do.

Expectation

It was mentioned previously that Elijah had high expectation. What was Elijah’s expectation when God told him to go and challenge the prophets of Baal? It was reformation. God was on his side, but he expected there would be a revival, a reformation, especially with Ahab and all Israel. That was and is what God wants. However, Elijah did not see the bigger picture. There was other work God had for Elijah to do, so when that reformation did not take place, as Elijah perceived it, he became depressed.

Have you ever been in a situation such as this? You have had an expectation, but it was not met the way you thought it would be, and you were let down? You might not go into depression, but you may become discouraged.

Our expectation must be of the Lord. What we expect of people must be through the eyes of God. If we see that, then we are not going to be let down. People should be trustworthy and honest, based on Christian principles, but in this world, to keep from having blood pressure problems and depression, we should put our expectation in God.

A Work To Do

There is a therapy. We know the Elijah therapy as the third angel’s message. Elijah represents the people of God in the last days.

We have a work to do. As we prepare to reach out to the community, God wants His people to be ready to reach out to the community with power, not being controlled by circumstances. We need to shift our focus from ourselves onto the great work that is before us.

The best way to beat depression or discouragement is to go to work for the Lord.

Thomas Jackson is a Health Evangelist and Director of Missionary Education and Evangelistic Training (M.E.E.T.) Ministry in Huntingdon, Tennessee. He may be contacted by e-mail at: godsplan@meetministry.org or by telephone at: 731-986-3518.

Learn Not the Way of the Heathen

Have you ever wondered why there are so many different religions and so many different denominations? In large cities as well as small villages, it seems there is a church on practically every corner. Apparently everyone is trying to get to the same place—heaven. You have perhaps heard comments such as, “It doesn’t make any difference what church you attend. You just need to love Jesus. We are all going to the same place.”

If that is true, then it must not matter in what direction you go when you are traveling to a specific destination! But it does make a difference if someone gives you directions to a destination. If you follow his or her instructions, you will reach the desired site.

When I was traveling one time, I knew that I needed to exit the freeway at Exit 57 and make several left turns to reach my desired destination. I did not count on road construction, however, and a change in signage. I thought I had it made, but two hours later I was still making left turns—and had no idea where I was. Generally, men do not like to stop and ask for directions, and it usually takes me awhile, because I have never considered myself ever to be lost. I have been confused and not known where I was sometimes, but if you had asked me, “Are you lost?” I would have said, “No”! You are lost when you give up. When you turn off the engine of your vehicle or stop whatever it is in your life and say, “I am done,” then it might be said that you are in a lost condition. But finally I telephoned and said, “Brother, I cannot find this place!” Well, I did not call just once; I called twice! I was almost 20 miles short of Exit 57, so it did not matter how many left turns I made, I still was not going to find the place.

You and I need specific directions in order to make heaven our home. It makes a difference how we read the road map, the Bible. Not everyone who reads it is going to reach the same conclusion. You may read a verse and your neighbor may read the same verse, and the two of you can arrive at totally different conclusions of what the text says or means.

This will happen, unless you follow what God says in His Word. Do you remember how He said to find truth? “For precept [must be] upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, [and] there a little.” Isaiah 28:10. If the Bible writers agree on the same subject, and they will if God says it is important, then you and I, by faith, must accept what God’s Word says on that subject.

Why So Many?

It is said there are at least 10,000 different religions in the world! Why are there so many different denominations and religions? It needs to be made very clear that no one will be saved because of the denomination to which he or she belongs. The members of every denomination declare that they are right and that their church’s way is the only way. If we feel that way here on earth—and we are not going to change our opinions—what would it be like in heaven? There would be many different groups, and each group would want everyone to join it. It would be chaos! So there must be some things in God’s Word that will help us to understand what God wants us to know is truth.

How would you define a heathen? Many Christians define a heathen as anyone who does not theologically agree with them.

Anyone who gives a different message than what the Bible says can be put in the class of a heathen. It does not mean he or she is a bad person. God looks upon the heart, and He only expects and accepts from an individual what that person understands and knows is truth. How nice it would be for us to understand and accept that God has good people in every church! They love Him with all their heart, and they want heaven to be their eternal home. As they study His Word, God will reveal to them, as He will to us, more of His truths to prepare them—and us—to live with Him. We must never “write off” someone because he or she attends another church and believes differently than someone else.

Lessons to Learn

In Jeremiah 29, we read that God’s people had been taken captive. They were in Babylon, which was under the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar. Basically, they were slaves. Have you ever wondered why God would allow His people, a small group during that time, to go into captivity? Should they not have been allowed to be free so they could tell others about God?

God took responsibility for these people being in captivity. (Verse 4.) It was not His fault; it was the fault of the people. God allowed them to go into captivity to teach them a lesson.

There are a number of lessons to be learned in this life, and sometimes we have to be led in this direction and in that direction in order to learn the lesson that God has for us. The lesson can be as easy or as difficult to learn as we make it. If we are stubborn and rebellious, the Lord will direct us over and over the same ground until the lesson is learned—as long as we are still saying with an honest heart, “Lord, I want to do what is right. I want to be what You want me to be.”

Those who were considered to be the religious leaders of those in captivity were giving a different message to the people than God had given. They were saying, “Do not cooperate with these Babylonians. Let us not do anything they say to do. We are going to be here for only a little while, and then we are going home.” But God said, through His prophet Jeremiah, “Build ye houses, and dwell [in them]; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them; Take ye wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; that ye may be increased there, and not diminished.” Verses 5, 6.

It takes more than a day or two to build a house; it cannot be completed and moved into in one day. A garden cannot be tilled, planted, and harvested in a few days’ time either. God was not just talking to those who were of marrying age at the time the message was given, but to those who would come of age to marry, because they were going to be in Babylon for a while. God’s plan for His people is never to diminish, never to regress, never to go backwards, never to just maintain, but to always move forward by His power and by His grace.

God placed His people in Babylon, a city occupied by heathens. The occupants did not know the God of heaven. God allowed His people, because of their rebellion, to go into captivity. But, also, the Babylonians needed to know about the God of heaven, and the captives were going to be witnesses for Him.

In Jeremiah 29:7, God instructed the captives to “seek the peace”: “Seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the Lord for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace.” God was telling these slaves to pray for the city and its leadership, because in so doing they would be able to have peace with Him. If they caused turmoil, the captivity would be harder for them, and He did not want the lesson He had for them to be harder, just as He does not want our lessons to be difficult for us.

Deceivers

God warned His people against the false prophets and religious leaders in their midst in verses 8 and 9: “Let not your prophets and your diviners, that [be] in the midst of you, deceive you, neither hearken to your dreams which ye cause to be dreamed. For they prophesy falsely unto you in my name: I have not sent them, saith the Lord.”

God warns His people about two classes of deceivers. The elders had already told the captives that they would not be in Babylon for very long—a totally opposite message than God gave in verses 5 and 6. The false-speaking leaders enticed the dreams of things that they wanted to come to pass, things that they wanted to hear.

Today there are many self-proclaimed preachers, pastors, and evangelists. Just saying, “I am a pastor” or “I am a priest” or “I am a preacher” does not make it so! Too many have called themselves into the office; they have not been called of God. The experience given in Jeremiah 29 is an example of self-proclamation. The so-called religious leaders in the midst of God’s people taught directly against Him.

Many men and women warn of the doom that is coming to this earth. We must be able to discern who is a true prophet of God. Remember, when a person says, “I am a prophet of God,” then he or she must speak as God speaks. If the person does not speak as God speaks, he or she is not His prophet. It matters not what their title may be. It does not matter how much education they have. They may have the learning of the world, but they have not the heart experience that Jesus desires for each of us. They have not true understanding without the Spirit, because spiritual things are spiritually discerned.

Surrounded by Evil

Those who studied astrology, who were palm readers, who practiced sorcery, magic, and witchcraft daily surrounded God’s people in captivity. God warned His people repeatedly about the contact they would have with these people. Evidently interest in the tricks of the devil was a weakness with God’s children at that time.

God counseled, “Do not worship the sun; do not worship the moon and the stars. Worship the One who created those things.” (Deuteronomy 4:19.) Jeremiah 10:2 tells us, “Thus saith the Lord, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.” The heathen did not and do not understand that God is behind all these things. God warned His people that they were not to get too carried away with the practices of the heathen. These individuals in Babylon had studied the celestial phenomena in the heavens. They understood eclipses; they understood comets. They understood the orderly conjunction of the stars, the sun and the moon, and the different heavenly bodies. They understood them very well, and they used them to their advantage. God said, “Do not be dismayed at this.”

The devil will use the same wonders again. The Bible tells us that he will work signs and miracles and wonders, but no matter what the devil does, he will always fall short of the power of God. He can never gain the victory if we do not let him have it. Through Christ, we are more than conquerors. (Matthew 24:24; II Thessalonians 2:9, 10; Romans 8:37.)

Who Witnessed to Whom?

I Kings 16:30–34 tells of Ahab and how, through raising altars to Baal, he “did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him.” He participated in providing altars for human sacrifices. How frightening that must have been! Is it possible that the Babylonians had so mixed with God’s people that they were participating in these rites of sacrificing their children? Sadly, that was the situation.

How could God’s last-day people, as it were, who were supposed to know Him, get so deeply involved in these kinds of rites and ceremonies? If the people who were supposed to know God and keep His statutes and commandments could go so far as to participate in these rites and ceremonies of killing and shedding blood, is it possible that you and I may get off the path if we do not keep our eyes on Jesus? You had better believe it! Take the time to read I Kings 16, 17, 18, and 19. There is told of this great deception that was among the Israelites. It will challenge your thinking how this counterfeit religion took over what was supposed to be good.

Ellen White brings out the very interesting point that God’s so-called people at that time did not really know the difference between Baal, the devil, and the true God of heaven. (See Prophets and Kings, 153.) Do you see why they had to stay in captivity for 70 years? They had to reach the point in their lives where they finally cried out, “Lord, we need You. We need a Saviour.” Do not let your life come to the point where there is nothing left before you finally cry out, “I need a Saviour.”

If you are looking today for a Saviour, He is there. If your heart aches that your life should be changed and you want to be something different, God is there for you. If you are saying, “I want Jesus in my life,” and yet you are afraid to make a move, please do not be afraid. There is no one that could love you more, care for you more, or meet your every need more than Jesus. You can trust your life with Jesus, because He gave His life for you.

Baal or God

Several things help to quickly identify the differences between Baal worshippers and followers of the true God. Baal worshippers always satisfy the flesh. The Lord always satisfies the desires of the soul. There is such a difference! One takes lives; the other gives life.

Israel was committing the same atrocities as the Babylonians were, which was just inhumane. The majority of them were participating in the same kind of worship; they had evidently sunk far into paganism. Interestingly, some began to see that this was not right. They wanted to stop and to come out of it, but they were afraid to expose the error for what might happen to them.

Can this be related to Adventism today? Perhaps in your church teaching is being presented that is not truth. Sometimes we are afraid to expose error or a false teaching for fear that it might cause problems or that we may be disfellowshipped. But we must expose what the Bible exposes.

Now, we have been addressing heathenism in the world and the devil; we have looked at Baal worshippers. Romans 1:25 says, “Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever.” Even today the heathen are giving praise to gods of gold and silver and of wood.

There are many things being promoted in religious organizations today to try to persuade people that that particular denomination is right and that they should attend that church—many things except a plain “thus saith the Lord.”

Holy Spirit

“God [is] a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship [him] in spirit and in truth.” John 4:24. Does this mean that we need the Holy Spirit to understand truth? Absolutely! One of the functions of the Holy Spirit is to lead us into all truth.

“Those only who read the Scriptures as the voice of God speaking to them, are true learners. They tremble at the voice of God, for to them it is a living reality. They open their understanding to divine instruction and pray for grace. … He prays for the Holy Spirit, the representative of Christ, to be his constant guide, to lead him into all truth.” Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, 450.

So there must be truth to answer questions such as, What happens when a person dies? What about heaven and hell? Will there be a rapture? Will it be a Second Coming? Upon what day does God want us to worship? Is it Friday, Saturday, Sunday? There cannot be 10,000 different answers to such questions, because the Bible does not give 10,000 different answers.

Oh, friend, do you want heaven to be your home? The choice is yours. Unlike some heathen religions, you do not have to cut yourself. You do not have to do a lot of penance, beat your head on the wall, crawl so many miles, or say so many prayers. All you have to do is pray, “Lord, I want you to come into my life. Forgive me of my sins; come in and be Lord of my life and help me day by day to be like You.”

Pastor Kenny Shelton is speaker for the television ministry of Behold the Lamb in Herrin, Illinois. He may be contacted by e-mail at: BTLM@GTE.net, or by telephone at: 1-800-238-2856.

Part of the Procession

There are wonderful truths we as a people have that many of God’s people are rejecting. They do not want to hear about dress reform or the health message. They are not prepared to make lifestyle changes. Becoming disgruntled, many move from church to church, not willing to apply themselves to the truth.

Alas, the people coming at the eleventh hour will appreciate the truths, will love them, will embrace them, and will share them. God has His people. He will not be left without a witness. The task of the eleventh hour workers will be similar to that of those at the day of Pentecost. As the former rain was given in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at the opening of the Gospel to cause the spring of the precious seed, so the latter rain will be given at its close for the ripening of the harvest.

A Revival

Notwithstanding the widespread declension of faith and piety, there are true followers of Christ in the fallen churches. God has His people everywhere, because He does not look as man looks. Man looks at the outward, but God looks at the heart. (I Samuel 16:7.) God deals with people based on their sincerity, on how they deal with Him. Ellen White states:

“Before the final visitation of God’s judgments upon the earth there will be among the people of the Lord such a revival of primitive godliness as has not been witnessed since apostolic times. The Spirit and power of God will be poured out upon His children. At that time many will separate themselves from those churches in which the love of this world has supplanted love for God and His word.” The Great Controversy, 464.

Do you believe that the “many” includes Seventh-day Adventists? Just think about it. “At that time many will separate themselves from those churches in which the love of this world has supplanted love for God and His word.” Has the love of this world taken over the love for God in the Seventh-day Adventist churches? She continues, “Many, both of ministers and people, will gladly accept those great truths which God has caused to be proclaimed at this time to prepare a people for the Lord’s second coming.” Ibid.

The Procession

The latter rain power will bring forth the eleventh hour people who comprise the procession in the parable of the ten virgins in Matthew 25. But the procession will also include other people. The other people will be those Seventh-day Adventists who are bold enough to take a stand on truth. And as a result of taking a stand on truth, they have separated themselves from falsehood and are proclaiming the Three Angels’ Messages in their purity. These are the ones upon whom the Holy Spirit will be poured, and though few in number, they will be the ones to proclaim with power the Gospel that will bring the eleventh hour people into the procession.

There are some people who say, “Well, if the ship is sinking, I am sinking with it.” Think about that statement, for Mrs. White says, “I speak not my own words when I say that God’s Spirit will pass by those who have had their day of test and opportunity, but who have not distinguished the voice of God or appreciated the movings of His Spirit. Then thousands in the eleventh hour will see and acknowledge the truth.” Selected Messages, Book 2, 16. In The Great Controversy, 393, she wrote, “The parable of the ten virgins of Matthew 25 also illustrates the experience of the Adventist people.” So, in the passage from Selected Messages, the servant of God is speaking of a movement of thousands at the eleventh hour. It is the procession!

The five wise virgins joined the cry of that swelled procession. While the foolish virgins went to buy oil for their lamps, the procession moved on and left them behind. The five wise virgins with lighted lamps joined the throng and entered the house with the bridal train. Then the door was shut. Who comes through the door last? Seventh-day Adventists.

The Bride

The question that arises now is, Where is the bride? The answer is given in Christ’s Object Lessons, 406: “They [the ten virgins] see the procession moving on, bright with torches and glad with music. They hear the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride.” The ten virgins, when awakened by the cry, heard the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride. That is very, very significant.

Who is the bride of Jesus? From II Corinthians 11:2, we read: “I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present [you as] a chaste virgin to Christ.” The bride of Christ is His church.

“But,” some say, “the Seventh-day Adventist Church is God’s church.” Let us read what the servant of God wrote regarding this in The Ministry of Healing, 356: “Christ honored the marriage relation by making it also a symbol of the union between Him and His redeemed ones. He Himself is the Bridegroom; the bride is the church, of which, as His chosen one, He says, ‘Thou art all fair, My love; there is no spot in thee.’ Canticles 4:7.” “There is no spot in thee”? There is no spot in Christ’s church?

“The same power that raised Christ from the dead will raise His church, and glorify it with Christ, as His bride.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 305. So, Christ’s church is His bride.

Connected With Christ

“Very close and sacred is the relation between Christ and His church—He the bridegroom, and the church the bride; He the head, and the church the body. Connection with Christ, then, involves connection with His church.” Education, 268.

Those people who love God and fear Him, based upon the knowledge that they have, and who serve Him with sincerity of heart, based upon whatever truth has been revealed to them, are His children.

“God is the husband of His church. The church is the bride, the Lamb’s wife.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, 985. This quotation continues: “Every true believer [she does not say from where they come] is a part of the body of Christ.” Ibid., 986. This is why we are told by the pen of inspiration that even heathen will be saved, because they serve the Lord based upon the knowledge that they have.

“Even among the heathen there are those who cherish the spirit of kindness, who have given all the help within their power to the missionaries that have been sent them. They worship God ignorantly, and to many of them the message of light is never brought; yet they will not perish, for they will receive the blessing, because they have wrought the works of God.” The Signs of the Times, August 7, 1893.

We who have knowledge and are exposed to truth but reject it are in serious trouble. We pride ourselves that we are Abraham’s seed, but a name will never take us to the kingdom; it never will.

The Ten Virgins

Who then are the ten virgins? Ellen White answers this question: “The two classes of watchers [the virgins] represent the two classes who profess to be waiting for their Lord. They are called virgins because they profess a pure faith.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 406. They are professors—the professed people of God. But professing is not enough. The thing that gives them advantage is that they are professing “a pure faith.” So, we may have the truth, but having the truth is not enough, because there is no virtue in having the truth and not living it. That is the problem with the ten virgins.

Notice that the five wise virgins, who represent the faithful members of God’s church, left where they were and joined the procession with the bridegroom and followed on to the matrimonial home. Mrs. White tells us that, “All who wait for the heavenly Bridegroom are represented in the parable as slumbering because their Lord delayed His coming; but the wise roused themselves at the message of His approach, and responded to the message, and their spiritual discernment was not all gone, and they sprang into line. As they took hold of the grace of Christ, their religious experience became vigorous and abundant, and their affections were set upon things above. They discerned where was the source of their supply, and appreciated the love that God had for them. They opened their hearts to receive the Holy Spirit, by which the love of God was shed abroad in their hearts. Their lights were trimmed and burning, and sent forth steady rays into the moral darkness of the world. They glorified God, because they had the oil of grace in their hearts, and did the very work that their Master did before them—went forth to seek and to save those who were lost.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 5, 1099. They joined with the procession. They joined, and they worked vigorously.

The Delay

In the parable, the wise virgins had oil in their vessels with their lamps. Their lights burned with undimmed flame throughout the night of watching. It was a help to swell the illumination of the bridegroom’s honor. Shining out in the darkness, their lights helped to illuminate the way to the home of the bridegroom and to the marriage feast. The five wise, as they joined the procession, helped to swell the message of salvation. They helped to bring in people from all over, and they all went to heaven.

In the parable, all ten virgins went out to meet the bridegroom. All had lamps and vessels of oil. For a time there was seen no difference between them. So with the church that lives just before Christ’s Second Coming. All have knowledge of the Scriptures; all have heard the message of Christ’s near approach and confidently expect His appearing. But as in the parable, so is it now that a time of waiting intervenes. Faith is being tried. When the cry is made, “Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him,” many are not ready.

This is a tragedy with God’s people living today. There is a delay. It appears that Christ is not coming soon, so everyone is back to business as usual. They are fast asleep. They have no oil in their vessels; their lamps are destitute of the Holy Sprit. Without the Spirit of God, a knowledge of His Word is of no avail. The theory of truth unaccompanied by the Holy Spirit cannot quicken the soul or sanctify the heart. It is good to know the doctrine, but it is more important that the doctrine be inside of you, bringing fruits unto repentance.

One may be familiar with the commands and promises of the Bible, but unless the Spirit of God sends the truth home, the character will not be transformed. Without the enlightenment of the Spirit, men will not be able to distinguish truth from error, and they will fall under the masterful temptation of Satan. The class represented by the foolish virgins are not hypocrites. They have a regard for truth. They maybe at prayer meeting every Wednesday night, at church every Sabbath, and return a faithful tithe, even vegetarians. They are not hypocrites. They have a regard for the truth; they advocate the truth; they are attracted to those who believe the truth, but they have not yielded themselves to the Holy Spirit’s workings. They have not fallen upon the Rock, Christ Jesus, and permitted their old nature to be broken up.

Some people have been in the church for 40 years, and they are still as miserable as the first day they accepted the truth. Their mouths are still foul; they are still short-tempered; they still carry a malicious spirit, hatred, and anger in their hearts. Why? Because they have not fallen upon the Rock and been broken. This class are represented also by the stony ground hearers. They receive the Word with readiness, but they fail of assimilating its principles. Its influences are not abiding. The Spirit works upon men’s hearts according to their desire and consent, and plants in them a new nature. But the class represented by the foolish virgins have been content with a superficial work. It is just enough for them to be called Adventists; it is enough to go to church; it is enough to have a church office … and to fight for it.

State of Slumber

The foolish virgins do not know God. They have not studied His character; they have not held communion with Him. Therefore, they do not know Him; they have not learned to trust Him. They do not know how to look and live. Their service to God has degenerated into a form.

A state of slumber is the reason for the lack of preparedness. The lay members are asleep; the ministers are asleep, and the world is perishing in sin. Of this sad state, Ellen White wrote:

“Men and women are in the last hours of probation, and yet are careless and stupid, and ministers have no power to arouse them; they are asleep themselves. Sleeping preachers preaching to a sleeping people!” Testimonies, vol. 2, 337.

At another time she wrote: “We are stewards, entrusted by our absent Lord with the care of His household and His interests, which He came to this world to serve. He has returned to heaven, leaving us in charge, and He expects us to watch and wait for His appearing. Let us be faithful to our trust, lest coming suddenly He find us sleeping.” Ibid., vol. 8, 37.

One Message

On this basis, the following counsel was given: “God has honest children among the nominal Adventists and the fallen churches, and before the plagues shall be poured out, ministers and people will be called out from these churches and will gladly receive the truth. Satan knows this; and before the loud cry of the third angel is given, he raises an excitement in these religious bodies, that those who have rejected the truth may think that God is with them. He hopes to deceive the honest and lead them to think that God is still working for the churches.” Early Writings, 261.

About what churches is Mrs. White speaking? The nominal Adventist churches and the fallen churches. In many Adventist churches today, there is a charismatic type of service—praise and worship, drums, a good time celebration—because the devil has brought this deception into the church and given people a false concept of the Holy Spirit when they are on their way to hell.

“But the light will shine, and all who are honest will leave the fallen churches, and take their stand with the remnant.” Ibid. Did you notice that? Mrs. White said, “all who are honest”! She did not say, “all who are Seventh-day Adventists,” but “all who are honest.”

There is one message, not two. All who are honest will take their stand. I appeal to you, to every Seventh-day Adventist as well as other Christians, to take a firm stand on the platform of Scripture to make sure that it is well with your soul. Daily allow the Holy Spirit to prepare you. Give up every hereditary and cultivated tendency to sin, so when Jesus returns, you will not be told, “I know you not.”

My prayer is that you will not necessarily be a wise virgin, but that you will be part of the procession.

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.

Is the Ship Going Through?

Do we really need to believe that Ellen G. White’s writings are factual and inspired? Do we think she is just another good writer with excellent ideas—ideas that we can follow and prosper or that we can ignore and do just as well? We may think that in today’s economy it would be more beneficial to consult our own ideas and those of modern economists than to rely upon someone who wrote instructions over a hundred years ago.

The foregoing are thoughts that have been expressed from time to time, as well as comments regarding social ideas. We often hear that we now live in a different structure of society. With all our modern conveniences, communication skills, education, and swifter and better modes of travel, surely we have a different society than Ellen White had in her day. She could not possibly understand our way of thinking—or could she?

My personal belief is that Ellen G. White was inspired by God. With that thought in mind, it really does not make any difference in what kind of society Ellen White lived or how long ago it was that she wrote, because God knows the end from the beginning. If what she wrote was from God, the principles will apply to our society as well as to hers.

What is the Ship

Mrs. White plainly stated that the ship is going through. Now, I know of no ship on the Atlantic Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, or any other ocean that is going through to the end of time. So, about what ship is she talking? Can we find a description of this ship?

In one statement, she said, “The sincere believers of truth are often made sad, and their trials greatly increased, by elements among them that annoy and dishearten them in their efforts. But there is no need of doubts and fears that the work of God will not succeed. God is at the head of the work, and he will set everything in order. Let us have faith that he is going to carry the noble ship, which bears his people, safely into port.” Bible Echo and The Signs of the Times, July 15, 1892.

In another publication, she wrote, “Let us have faith that God is going to carry the noble ship which bears the people of God safely into port.” Review and Herald, September 20, 1892.

So, one description of the ship would be that it “bears the people of God.” Then we need to know who are the people of God. This could take a long description, but we will work at it from the Bible.

People of God

The children of Israel were called the Lord’s people for many generations. When the children of Israel left Egypt, they were called “the hosts of the Lord.” (Exodus 12:41.) In other words, they were called God’s people. Then, in Deuteronomy 26:18, we read, “And the Lord hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people, as he hath promised thee, and that [thou] shouldest keep all his commandments.”

Throughout the Old Testament the statement is made, “I will be their God, and they shall be my people”: “And I will give them an heart to know me, that I [am] the Lord: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart.” “But this [shall be] the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.” Jeremiah 24:7; 31:33.

We can readily see that the Israelites were God’s chosen people and that He called them His people. In II Chronicles 7:14, the Bible says, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”

In this text, we see that God’s promises to His people were conditional. They would be fulfilled if the people would humble themselves, pray, and turn from their wicked ways.

Conditional Consequences

The questions to be addressed are: Did the children of Israel keep their side of the covenant? Did they obey God’s laws? If they did not meet the requirements, were they still His people? These are very real questions, and they demand answers.

Jesus answered these questions when He said to the Jewish people, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, [thou] that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under [her] wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.” Matthew 23:37, 38.

We are now living several centuries past the time when Jesus said, “Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.” But since it says in Hebrews 13:8, “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever,” what He said then is still true today. Likewise, the standard that was set for God’s people in days of old would still be the same today.

Recognize His Voice

Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they know me.” John 10:27. In other words, His people can recognize Him by what He says, and He says, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” John 14:15.

Another requirement to be one of God’s people is to know Jesus and to recognize His voice. The best way to do that is to study His life as recorded in the New Testament, and follow the teachings. If we study His life and teachings as recorded in the sacred Scriptures, we will know what is truth and what is false—especially if we study the last book in the Bible, which is a revelation of Jesus Christ. There we find the Three Angels’ Messages. Let us see what the Spirit of Prophecy has to say about them.

Let us have faith that God is going to carry the noble ship that bears the people of God safely into port. These are the people who proclaim the first, second, and third angels’ messages: “God’s people, who in their belief and fulfillment of prophecy have acted a part in the proclamation of the first, second, and third angels’ messages, know where they stand. They have an experience that is more precious than fine gold. They are to stand firm as a rock, holding the beginning of their confidence steadfast unto the end.

“A transforming power attended the proclamation of the first and second angels’ messages, as it attends the message of the third angel. Lasting convictions were made upon human minds. The power of the Holy Spirit was manifested. There was diligent study of the Scriptures, point by point. Almost entire nights were devoted to earnest searching of the Word. We searched for the truth as for hidden treasures. The Lord revealed Himself to us. Light was shed on the prophecies, and we knew that we received divine instruction. …” Selected Messages, Book 2, 109.

Am I On The Ship?

The conclusion is that the ship that is going through is the ship that bears the people of God. The people who are God’s people are the people who obey His commandments—not the people who say they obey, as did the children of Israel, but the people who actually obey and do His will—and teach the Three Angels’ Messages. They are the ones to whom Jesus will say, “Blessed [are] they that do His commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.” Revelation 22:14.

So, the ship is going through; no worry about that! The ship that bears the people of God will reach the harbor. The question is, Am I on the ship?

A member of Steps to Life’s staff, Ruth Grosboll is a retired registered nurse. She worked for many years with her husband in the mission field. She may be contacted by e-mail at: ruthgrosboll@stepstolife.org, or by telephone at: 316-788-5559.

The Three Coats of Joseph

The three coats of Joseph and his experiences wearing them illustrate the life of the Christian, the Christ-like life. In Patriarchs and Prophets, 239, we are told that the life of Joseph illustrates the life of Christ. As we study Joseph’s three coats or garments, we will see both the awful consequences of sin and the grandeur and wonder of God’s plan for all who love and obey Him.

Joseph’s first coat is mentioned in Genesis 37:3. It says, “Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he [was] the son of his old age. Also he made him a tunic of [many] colors.” Israel, of course, refers to Jacob, and a tunic is an outer garment or overcoat. This coat got Joseph into a lot of trouble. Apparently none of Joseph’s older brothers had ever been given a coat like this.

Perils of Polygamy

If you have read the preceding chapters in Genesis, you have seen the terrible results of polygamy. God never designed for a man to have more than one wife.

God created only one wife for Adam, but Jacob actually had four wives. He first had Leah and Rachel, and each of them had a maidservant whom she wanted to have children to compete with her sister, so they each gave their maidservant to Jacob for wives.

As the older sons grew, their mothers were teaching them to watch and see whether or not their father was showing special favor to another child. Growing up in that kind of an environment, the brothers learned to be suspicious and jealous of each other. It was impossible to have a happy family under those conditions. Jacob’s life was made very bitter, and his children grew up resenting each other and being jealous and envious of each other, and, eventually, even developing hatred for each other. Joseph’s 11 brothers did not treat each other with that brotherly love, kindness, and honesty that the Bible requires. They were always fighting and quarreling among themselves, and they especially hated Joseph because of his beautiful coat.

Jacob had not intended to practice polygamy; he had been tricked into it. And that was a result, of course, of his own treachery and trickery of his brother. The Lord allowed him to reap what he had sown.

Garment of Character

Seeing Joseph’s colorful coat, the other brothers were convinced that their father intended to give Joseph the birthright, and they were jealous. They were angry, but why? Why did Jacob love Joseph so much? True, he was the firstborn of Rachel, the one woman Jacob truly loved, but there was a reason why Jacob gave this coat to Joseph that most people do not understand. “His [Jacob’s] affections centered upon Joseph because of his purity and true excellence of character.” The Signs of the Times, December 18, 1879. God loves beauty, but the thing that God loves the most is beauty of character.

Did you know there are some people that God loves especially—just as Joseph was a special son? Jacob loved him more than all the rest of his children, because he saw in Joseph a purity and excellence of character that was in none of the others. As Jacob looked upon his family, he knew it was through his family that the Messiah was to come, that the gospel was to go to the world. As he saw the terrible wickedness, he wondered, “How will the promises of God ever be fulfilled?” But when he saw the purity and excellence of character in Joseph, he was encouraged.

Are you a special friend of God because of your purity and excellence of character? Jesus is looking still today for some special friends, and the thing that appeals to Him the most is a person who hungers for righteousness and who wants purity and excellence of character.

God is love, and if you are going to communicate His love to somebody else, you have to first receive it yourself; you must open your heart to receive it. The disciple John opened his heart completely to Christ. He entered into a close sympathy and fellowship with Jesus, closer than any of the other disciples. That is why the writings of the apostle John are so important for us to study. It is through that man, Ellen White said, that the deepest spiritual teachings of Christ are communicated to the world. (The Desire of Ages, 292.)

This is the type of experience that Joseph had. He entered into a close relationship with his father, and he was loved by his father, not so much because he was the son of Rachael, but because of his purity and excellence of character. And so his father gave him a beautiful robe. It was a beautiful garment that represented his purity and excellence of character, and the Lord wants to give you one of those beautiful garments. He wants to give you one of those beautiful garments of character.

In the Bible, our clothes are used to represent our character, and God wants to give each one of us a beautiful garment. Isaiah 52:1 reads: “Awake, awake! Put on your strength, O Zion; put on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city! For the uncircumcised and the unclean shall no longer come to you.”

Be Ready

God is coming soon to receive those who have on the beautiful garments. Are you putting on, day by day, a beautiful garment of character? That is your job. That is what is involved in being prepared to meet Jesus. In the Book of Revelation, we read: “Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” Revelation 19:7. What does it mean to be ready?

Look at verse 8. “And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.” There it is—your garment. What is the garment? It is your character. Jesus has a beautiful garment for each one of us. He says, “Awake, and put on your garment. Get ready. There is going to be a great marriage feast, and you need to have on the garment. You need to be ready.”

We need to have a wedding garment, a garment of righteousness, so we will be able to go to the wedding feast. God wants you to be clothed with a garment of salvation. That garment of salvation is a robe of righteousness. What is righteousness? It is right doing. What is unrighteousness? All unrighteousness is sin. (I John 5:17.) God wants to take away from each of us the garment of unrighteousness; He wants us to be clothed in a garment of righteousness.

Two Steps

The plan of salvation involves two steps. The first is that the blood of Jesus must cover our sins so that our guilt is taken away. That happens when we repent and confess and consecrate our lives to Jesus. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” I John 1:9. That is, He will cleanse our robe of character, wash it. In Ephesians 5, we are told that we are to be washed from our sins.

There is a second step to the plan of salvation. Jesus has a plan to change us inside, so we will start living a different life. This is called the new birth, the regeneration, or the creation of a new heart by the Holy Spirit. Jesus said to Nicodemus, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” John 3:5. This is the step that many Christians today do not understand. It is not enough to have your sins forgiven. The Holy Spirit must come into your life and create a new heart, purify your heart, and give you the ability to live a new life.

“The Holy Spirit was the highest of all gifts that He [Jesus] could solicit from His Father for the exaltation of His people. The Spirit was to be given as a regenerating agent, and without this the sacrifice of Christ would have been of no avail.” The Desire of Ages, 671. Do you understand that? Without the Holy Spirit operating in your life, the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross will not save you. “Sin could be resisted and overcome only through the mighty agency of the Third Person of the Godhead, who would come with no modified energy, but in the fullness of divine power. It is the Spirit that makes effectual what has been wrought out by the world’s Redeemer. It is by the Spirit that the heart is made pure. Through the Spirit the believer becomes a partaker of the divine nature. Christ has given His Spirit as a divine power to overcome all hereditary and cultivated tendencies to evil, and to impress His own character upon His church.” Ibid.

No matter what the besetment is in your life, God wants to take that away; He wants to cleanse you and through the Holy Spirit regenerate within you the power to live a Christ-like life. Then you will have a garment of character that is beautiful. Those who go to heaven, every single one of them, will have one of these beautiful garments. (See Ephesians 5:25–32.)

Garment of Lust

Joseph got into trouble, and he was sold as a slave. His brothers took his beautiful coat of many colors and dipped it into blood. In Egypt, he received other garments as a slave, and he really did get into trouble. Genesis 39:7–21 tells what happened to Joseph’s second garment.

There is Joseph’s second garment, left in the hand of Potiphar’s wife as he fled from the garment of lust. He got away. He was innocent, but he got blamed for it. That often happens in this world. If you and I are going to be saved, we are going to have to do the same thing Joseph did. We must escape the lust that is in this world.

Physical, sensual temptations have in all ages been some of the devil’s most successful temptations. He was not, however, successful in the case of Joseph.

The devil has been so successful with physical temptations that the very first thing he tried on Jesus was a physical temptation, a temptation to appetite. One of the longest articles that Ellen White wrote in the Testimonies is called, “An Appeal to the Church.” The whole article is about these physical temptations. Several excerpts from this chapter are given here:

“Corruption was teeming everywhere. … base passions controlled men and women generally, … among the masses crimes of the darkest dye were continually practiced, and they were reeking in their own corruption. The nominal churches are filled with fornication and adultery, crime and murder, the result of base, lustful passion; but these things are kept covered. Ministers in high places are guilty; yet a cloak of godliness covers their dark deeds, and they pass on from year to year in their course of hypocrisy.” Testimonies, vol. 2, 449.

“Those who do not control their base passions cannot appreciate the atonement or place a right value upon the soul. Salvation is not experienced or understood by them. The gratification of animal passion is the highest ambition of their lives. God will accept nothing but purity and holiness; one spot, one wrinkle, one defect in the character, will forever debar them from heaven, with all its glories and treasures.

“Ample provisions have been made for all who sincerely, earnestly, and thoughtfully set about the work of perfecting holiness in the fear of God. Strength, grace, and glory have been provided through Christ, to be brought by ministering angels to the heirs of salvation. None are so low, so corrupt and vile, that they cannot find in Jesus, who died for them, strength, purity, and righteousness, if they will put away their sins, cease their course of iniquity, and turn with full purpose of heart to the living God. He is waiting to strip them of their garments, stained and polluted by sin, and to put upon them the white, bright robes of righteousness; and He bids them live and not die.” Ibid., 453. [Emphasis added.]

Jesus wants to save us, if we are willing for these garments to be stripped away. When Potiphar’s wife caught hold of Joseph’s garment, he just left the garment and ran outside. He knew that was a dangerous situation, and that he had to get away from it.

“Professed Christians, if no further light is given you than that contained in this text [Romans 6:12, 11], you will be without excuse if you suffer yourselves to be controlled by base passions.” Ibid., 454.

And then, “The more the animal passions are indulged, the stronger do they become, and the more violent will be their clamors for indulgence. Let God-fearing men and women awake to their duty. Many professed Christians are suffering with paralysis of nerve and brain because of their intemperance in this direction. Rottenness is in the bones and marrow of many who are regarded as good men, who pray and weep, and who stand in high places, but whose polluted carcasses will never pass the portals of the heavenly city.” Ibid., 477.

God wants to strip away all our stained garments and give us new lives, garments of righteousness and holiness that are in perfect accord with His law.

Garment of Honor

Joseph’s third garment is described in Genesis 41:41, 42: “And Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.’ Then Pharaoh took his signet ring off his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand; and he clothed him in garments of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck.” Joseph had put on the beautiful garment of character. He had fled from the garment of lust. Now he is given a beautiful garment of honor.

The time is coming when Jesus wants to give to you a garment of honor. Millions have gone down to the grave loaded with infamy because they steadfastly refused to yield to the deceptive claims of Satan. Human tribunals judged them the vilest of criminals, but now God is Judge Himself. (Psalm 50:6.) Now the decisions of earth are reversed. “The rebuke of His people He will take away from all the earth.” Isaiah 25:8. “The Lord has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to [those who are] bound; … To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.” Isaiah 61:1, 3.

“The heirs of God … are no longer feeble, afflicted, scattered, and oppressed. Henceforth they are to be ever with the Lord. They stand before the throne clad in richer robes than the most honored of the earth have ever worn. They are crowned with diadems more glorious than were ever placed upon the brow of earthly monarchs. The days of pain and weeping are forever ended.” The Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 4, 467.

There you have it, friend. If you put on the garment of character, if you flee the garment of lust, the time is coming when God is going to give to you the garment you have never yet worn, a garment of honor, and it will be forever. Jesus will say to you, “You have borne My cross. You have bravely carried My cross, but now, it is time to lay down the cross and put on the crown.” Remember, the cross is temporary, but the crown will be forever.

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

Editorial – Explanations

In Genesis 3, God asked Adam for an explanation as to why he was hiding. When asked if he had eaten from the forbidden tree, Adam made an explanation that the woman whom God had given him had given him to eat and he ate. In other words, the fault was with the woman whom God Himself had given him. The woman, in turn, blamed the serpent. All the sons and daughters of Adam have engaged in this same self-justification, which usually includes directly—or indirectly—blaming someone else.

Of this, Ellen White wrote: “The spirit of self-justification originated in the father of lies; it was indulged by our first parents as soon as they yielded to the influence of Satan, and has been exhibited by all the sons and daughters of Adam. Instead of humbly confessing their sins, they try to shield themselves by casting the blame upon others, upon circumstances, or upon God.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 58.

The world and the church are full of explanations today, but the real question is, What are you and I going to do in the day of judgment when the real truth about each of us will be open to the whole universe? What explanation are you planning to give to God for your words and actions in this life? Paul declared: “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things [done] in [his] body, according to what he has done, whether [it be] good or bad.” II Corinthians 5:10.

Jesus said that there would be nothing covered that was not revealed and hid that would not be known. (Matthew 10:26.) God has a record of everything that has happened in our world and in each individual’s life. (See The Great Controversy, 486.)

As we ponder the future judgment, biblical prophets give solemn warnings for the present: “Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord’s anger.” Zephaniah 2:3. “Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.” Isaiah 55:6, 7.

Now is the time to go to God with repentance and confession and to seek to have our sins not only covered but blotted out in the final judgment.