Issue: 2014 May

Keys to the Storehouse – The Silent Witness

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From each character emanates a silent witness that influences others. This silent witness is either a power for good or a power for evil. This silent witness of a converted Christian shows all that the gospel changes lives, it beautifies the character and ennobles the life. What a witness!

“By being courteous and beneficent they adorn His doctrine, and show that the truth of heavenly origin beautifies the character and ennobles the life. Christ’s followers are ‘living epistles, known and read of all men’ (II Corinthians 3:2).” The Review and Herald, November 28, 1878.

Character—A Power for Good

“The silent witness of a true, unselfish, godly life carries an almost irresistible influence. By revealing in our own life the character of Christ we cooperate with Him in the work of saving souls.” To Be Like Jesus, 97.

Character—A Power for Evil—Causing the Loss of Other Souls

“But never should it be forgotten that influence is no less a power for evil. To lose one’s own soul is a terrible thing; but to cause the loss of other souls is still more terrible. That our influence should be a savor of death unto death is a fearful thought; yet this is possible. Many who profess to gather with Christ are scattering from Him. … Many indulge freely in criticism and accusing. By giving expression to suspicion, jealousy, and discontent, they yield themselves as instruments to Satan. Before they realize what they are doing, the adversary has through them accomplished his purpose. The impression of evil has been made, the shadow has been cast, the arrows of Satan have found their mark.” [Emphasis supplied.] Ibid.

Results of Evil influence—Wrecks of Character

“Meanwhile the workers for Satan look complacently upon those whom they have driven to skepticism, and who are now hardened against reproof and entreaty. They flatter themselves that in comparison with these souls they are virtuous and righteous. They do not realize that these sad wrecks of character are the work of their own unbridled tongues and rebellious hearts. It is through their influence that these tempted ones have fallen.” Ibid.

Fear to Meet at the Bar of God

“So frivolity, selfish indulgence, and careless indifference on the part of professed Christians are turning away many souls from the path of life. Many there are who will fear to meet at the bar of God the results of their influence. It is only through the grace of God that we can make a right use of this endowment.” Ibid.

Heavenly Father: I know that my thoughts and feelings make up my moral character. Remove any evil influence of criticism, accusing, discontentment, etc., that may pull a brother or sister down or turn them from You. I ask that You fill my mind with heavenly thoughts and feelings so that any influence emanating from me will melt hearts and put a yearning within others that will draw them to You. Amen.

Current Events – Affordable Care Act

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Christian organizations make a stand against the Federal Government on the moral issues hidden in the Affordable Care Act

“The banner of truth and religious liberty held aloft by the founders of the gospel church and by God’s witnesses during the centuries that have passed since then, has, in this last conflict, been committed to our hands. The responsibility for this great gift rests with those whom God has blessed with a knowledge of His word. We are to receive this word as supreme authority. We are to recognize human government as an ordinance of divine appointment, and teach obedience to it as a sacred duty, within its legitimate sphere. But when its claims conflict with the claims of God, we must obey God rather than men. God’s word must be recognized as above all human legislation.” The Acts of the Apostles, 68.

Four Most Important Questions

The Supreme Court recently heard oral arguments in the Hobby Lobby contraception case. But which arguments will have the most influence on the justices? Which four arguments are most likely to be important?

Cutting through the politicized hype about the Hobby Lobby, the Justices during oral argument focused on four serious legal questions, which deserve a serious answer:

  1. Could Hobby Lobby avoid a substantial burden on its religious exercise by dropping health insurance and paying fines of $2,000 per employee?
  2. Does the government have a compelling interest in protecting the statutory rights of Hobby Lobby’s employees?
  3. Would a ruling in favor of Hobby Lobby give rise to a slippery slope of exemptions from vaccines, minimum wage laws, anti-discrimination laws, and the like?
  4. Has the government satisfied the least restrictive means test?

The answer to all four questions is “no.” http://blog.acton.org/March 24

Supreme Court seeks compromise in contraception case

March 25, 2014

WASHINGTON—The Obama administration struggled Tuesday to defend the so-called contraception mandate in its fledgling health care law before a Supreme Court clearly sympathetic to religious objections raised by employers.

While the justices were predictably divided along ideological lines, it appeared that a majority of them did not want to force for-profit corporations to offer health plans that include birth control methods they claim cause abortions.

The decision could have a psychological impact, however, on a law that has suffered more than its share of website glitches and administrative delays. And it could have a political impact for the White House. www.usatoday.com

Hobby Lobby case goes before Supreme Court

Mar. 26, 2014 – 2:55 – The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty’s Lori Windham on the Hobby Lobby’s case on employer’s religious rights when it comes to health insurance being heard by the Supreme Court. http://foxbusiness.com

Mother’s Day

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Mother’s Day is a celebration honoring mothers and motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society.

Ann Jarvis founded Mother’s Day Work Clubs in five cities to improve sanitary and health conditions. During the Civil War the women belonging to the clubs made it their business to treat the wounds, feed, and clothe both Union and Confederate soldiers with neutrality.

The modern holiday of Mother’s Day was first celebrated in 1908 when, two years after her mother’s death, Anna Jarvis held a memorial for her mother in Grafton, West Virginia. She then began a successful campaign to make “Mother’s Day” a recognized holiday in the United States. But by 1920 she was disappointed that the festival had become commercialized so she, with her sister Ellsinore, spent their family inheritance campaigning against what the day had become. Both died in poverty. According to her New York Times obituary, Anna became embittered because too many people sent their mothers a printed greeting card. As she said, “A printed card means nothing except that you are too lazy to write to the woman who has done more for you than anyone in the world. And candy! You take a box to Mother—and then eat most of it yourself. A pretty sentiment!”

This gives us food for thought! How do you honor your mother?

Other countries adopted the festival, which is now celebrated worldwide, predominately on the second Sunday in May.

The wise man, Solomon, considered that a virtuous woman’s worth is far above the value of rubies. God has given wives and mothers the special privilege and honor to be the queen of their home.

“After they have done the best they can do for the good of their children, they may bring them to Jesus. Even the babes in the mother’s arms are precious in His sight. And as the mother’s heart yearns for the help she knows she cannot give, the grace she cannot bestow, and she casts herself and children into the merciful arms of Christ, He will receive and bless them; He will give peace, hope, and happiness to mother and children. This is a precious privilege which Jesus has granted to all mothers.” The Adventist Home, 274.

We remember a true mother in Israel, one who left a legacy of faithfulness to all who had the privilege of knowing her during her long and blessed life. This tribute can also be applied to faithful mothers everywhere.

A Tribute to Ruth Grosboll

You reached the age of ninety-three
A champion on the road of life.
You chose the straight and narrow way,
Through good times, and through strife.
But you hadn’t any inkling
Of the task you’d undertake,
When you’d venture out on life’s highway,
And the single life forsake.
It wasn’t very long before
A mother you became—
T’was then you knew that life for you
Would never be the same!
Your hands were young and tender then,
As you cared for family.
They baked the bread; they kept the home—
They did it lovingly.
They wiped the runny noses;
They soothed the bumps and scrapes;
They healed the many little hurts,
And baked the pies and cakes!
They mended many rips and tears;
Washed heaps of soiled clothes;
They sewed on countless buttons;
How many—no one knows!
They prepared so many, many meals;
Packed many lunches, too.
Each sandwich was filled with slices of love,
And wrapped in a blessing; it’s true!
You rose up early and stayed up late,
To care for your little flock.
You gave them a good foundation—
You built upon the Rock.
Yet, many a night you were awake,
With folded hands in prayer.
You wiped the feverish little brow—
To sleep, you didn’t dare.
Your hands gave love and comfort.
They were gentle in their quest
To help a friend, and share God’s love—
You always gave your best.
The years they came; the years they went;
Your hands grew wrinkled and old.
They were silent little witnesses
Of stories yet untold.
You strove to serve the Master.
Your dedication, we recall.
We hear your voice in our memories—
You stand so proud and tall!
You reached fourscore and ten—and more,
And the world is a better place.
You cared enough to touch the lives
Of many—by God’s grace.
We have courage for the future,
’Cause you’ve gone this way before.
We promise we’ll not fail you—
We’ll give our best and more!
To reach the coveted milestone
Is a blessing you received.
To live throughout eternity
Is the goal we must achieve.
Your children loved and adored you.
To this they will attest.
If they could tell you—I know they’d say,
“My Mom—She Was the Best!”

– Jo Phelps –

Mother’s Wisdom

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I often marvel,” said a middle-aged man, “at the way my mother used to work out the kinks and knots in our young lives. She had such a faculty of lowering the pitch of our indignations and of placing before us in the true light all sides of our troubles. Instead of fanning the flames of our unjust and unbalanced estimates of the wrongs we thought we had suffered, she calmly judged the case and showed us where we were at fault. She showed us the unwise results of jumping at conclusions, and the wrong we did ourselves and others by forming unjust judgments of them. And I cannot remember that I ever heard her speak an unkind, uncharitable word of anyone. What a pity that we cannot see these wonderful characteristics in our young days, and that they are not revealed to us until so many of our mothers have passed away, and we cannot tell them how they influenced our lives for good?”

When my friend left me I found myself thinking of the wonderful influence of mothers. To the child what mother says and does is always right. Mother’s estimate of people and things is conclusive. What opinions she has must be right, for is not mother the wisest and best person in the whole world?

If the boy has a quarrel and comes home to tell her that his mate is the meanest boy in the world, that he has injured him and he hates him and will not speak to him again —“never as long as he lives”—the unwise mother will take her boy’s part; she will depreciate his mate in his hearing, and leave the impression on her son’s mind that he is perfectly justifiable in his denunciation of his former friend.

But the wise mother will listen calmly to her boy’s statement of the wrongs he thinks he has suffered, and then she will ask him what he did himself to bring about such a state of unpleasantness. She will not magnify the wrong, but make it as light as possible, and convince her boy that he was somewhat to blame himself, and that it “always takes two to make a quarrel, but one can always end it”—showing that a forgiving, forgetting spirit is the right one to be fostered, and that it is no sign of weakness, but strength, to go more than half way in the making up of quarrels and being good friends again.

Children often come in and tell some stories detrimental to their neighbors, which they have heard unwisely told over in some of their young companions’ homes. Oh, how much trouble and unjust prejudices have come from gossip of this kind spoken before children, who have not the discretion to keep it to themselves!

The wise mother never encourages such gossip. She deprecates it, and teaches her children that charity which makes the child and the man and the woman so Christlike all through life. If we mothers could only, as Madam Swetchine says, “employ heavenly forces to keep our balance amid earthly ones”!

Let us try to keep out of our own and our children’s hearts all bitterness and irritation and the words that have stings in them and hurt so cruelly. Let us be careful not to talk too much of the burdens of life, and estimate their weight in high figures—rather by patient bearing to show the strength that comes from the help given by the mother’s God, in whom she trusts and on whose arm she leans.

The true mother has no time or strength to give to the vanities of life. “Blessed is the memory of a good mother. It floats to us now like the beautiful perfume of some woodland blossom. The music of other voices may be lost, but the entrancing memory of hers will echo in our souls forever. Other faces will fade away and be forgotten, but hers will shine on until the light from heaven’s portals shall glorify our own. When in the fitful pauses of our busy life our feet wander back to the old homestead, and, crossing the well-worn threshold, we stand once more in the low, quaint room so hallowed by her presence, how the feeling of childish innocence and dependence comes over us as we kneel down in the evening hour just where we long years ago knelt at mother’s knee, lisping ‘Our Father’! How many times when the tempter lures us on, the memory of those sacred hours, that mother’s words, her faith and prayers, saved us from plunging into the abyss of sin! Years have piled great drifts between her and us, but they have not hidden from our sight the glory of her pure, unselfish love.” —Christian Work.

The Signs of the Times, November 12, 1894.

Conviction vs. Preference

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As a young attorney, David C. Gibbs Jr. could hardly believe his ears as the pastor relayed how his church was being sued by the state for operating its ministry. As he reviewed the legal documents, Dr. Gibbs was astonished that such a thing could happen in modern America. From that very first case through the present day, God has blessed Dr. Gibbs’ commitment to legally help churches, pastors, and Christians free of charge. The ministry has grown substantially through God’s blessing over the last 40 years as attorneys, legal assistants, and other ministry workers have joined the team of “legal missionaries.”

Shared here are excerpts from his book, Conviction vs. Preference, by Attorney David C. Gibbs Jr., Christian Law Association, Conneaut, Ohio 44030. These are actual incidents that have occurred during court proceedings.

When a Christian stands to defend his beliefs in a court room, his testimony becomes quite critical, for the court has said a man cannot hold his beliefs if he cannot describe them. A belief is not a hunch. It is not a feeling or an “it seems to me.”

There are people who have gone to the witness stand and after stating what they believe are asked, “Well, why do you believe that? Can you show me that in the word of God?” Some do not even know if what they believe is there, but reply with “it sort of seems to me.” The problem the court has with a “well, it seems to me,” is that feelings change rapidly and as a consequence, a hunch or a feeling, or an “it seems to me” will not be honored.

In a court of law, a defendant must be able to state his beliefs from the Bible orally. The court does not expect eloquence, but it does expect the defendant to be able to explain his or her beliefs in a simple and concise manner. It also requires knowledge of those beliefs. This becomes important because often we like to hide behind a title. We may claim to be a “separated fundamentalist” or “a Christian,” which are descriptive terms that may have to be described more fully. In the matter of beliefs and believers, the court realized there must be a test to determine which beliefs are upheld and which beliefs will not be honored and protected by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

In 1972, the court came down with such a test. Ironically, that test case involved Christian education. An Amish man who lived in the state of Wisconsin by the name of Jonas Yoder told the state that he would no longer send his children to the state school. The state of Wisconsin advised him that he must, to which he replied, “I don’t think you hear me. I am not going to send my children to your school.” Mr. Yoder was threatened with being sued if he refused to comply but still he refused. He was warned that if he was sued and if the state won the case, he could go to jail. His only response was that he would not send his children to the school. Even under the threat of losing his children, he refused to change his mind, explaining that his religious beliefs prohibited him from complying with the demand.

Mr. Yoder did not fare very well in court. He lost the case and was told that now that he had had his day in court, he must comply with the ruling. He still refused, never altering his position and he found out something very interesting. After losing his appeal, his case went to the U. S. Supreme Court, where Mr. Jonas Yoder was told that the First Amendment protected him and he was not required to send his children to the state school. This case laid down the test that was to be used for all subsequent cases to determine which beliefs are to be protected by the First Amendment and which are not.

The first definition the court made was, “Every religious belief is one of two types. It is either a conviction or a preference.”

Most Christians carelessly use the word conviction. In reality, the test of whether or not a matter is a conviction is a very severe one and not to be taken lightly. It will be seen here that most of us possess only preferences.

WHAT IS A PREFERENCE?

A preference is a belief that is held with such intensity that a person can go into full time service in the name of that belief. He can be a minister of the gospel, a Christian schoolteacher or a missionary. He might even give all of his wealth to it and the court decides he still has only a preference. His belief may energize him to stand on a street corner and witness and proselytize, but it would still only be a preference. If a belief can change under some circumstances, the court calls it a preference. True conviction cannot be changed!

  1. Peer Pressure

The court has found that peer pressure causes many people to change their beliefs. A minister may study the word of God and believe that there is something he knows he must do. He resolves in his heart to make that change, but when he shares it with his friends or other ministers or his congregation, they convince him to tone it down a bit so others can cooperate with him. Little by little he bends, proving that what he first said was a preference. He preferred it, he wanted to do it and even resolved to do it, but he changed. The court says that if you can change the belief, it is a preference.

Bear in mind that if a person can ever show from the word of God where something they do is wrong then they must change it. In the context of this topic it refers to peer pressure causing good men to change. In that case the belief is a preference.

  1. People Pressure

People pressure causes many people to change their beliefs. When a man knows what he believes is right and allows the pressure of others to cause him to bend, the court calls the belief a preference. The court is well aware that the family is probably the strongest influence of change in a person’s life. The court says if “family pressure” will cause you to change, your beliefs are preferences.

  1. Lawsuit Pressure

Lawsuit pressure causes many people to change their beliefs. There have been many men who say, “I am for this, but I am not going to get sued over it because the news media makes us into villains.” Defending a ministry against a lawsuit can be very expensive. There are some great victories that are publicized but not many are interested in those who have churches of about 100 that are reduced to 20, or a man with a church of 350 to 400 reduced to 60. If you avoid taking a stand that will cause you to get sued because you do not want to see your church membership drop and that causes you to change your beliefs, then your belief was a preference.

  1. Jail Pressure

Jail pressure causes many people to change their beliefs. Jails today are thought by some to be like holiday inns but they are horrible places. The incarcerated are isolated from their Christian influence, friends and family. They are told when to go to bed, when to get up, when to eat, how to eat, when to stand, when to sit, when to go to the restroom. And they are thrown into the middle of often-brutal men who normally relish the thought of breaking a Bible-toter.

Would you go to jail for a matter of your faith? Throughout history great men of faith have gone to jail and nobody understood why they went. The court says if you change your beliefs for fear of going to jail, then your beliefs are preferences.

You may believe you could go to jail but would you, as a man, watch your wife go to jail? Levi Whisner, in Ohio, faced that threat and made plans for who was going to take care of their children while he and his wife were incarcerated.

  1. Death Pressure

Death pressure causes most people to change their beliefs. The court will ask if you are prepared to die for your belief. The court says that for a belief to be a conviction it will not change, even in the face of death. Why? What creates a conviction? For a Christian it is only one thing. He believes that his God requires it of him.

Only a belief that is God-ordered is a conviction. Therefore the court must first decide if your belief is a conviction or a preference. Only a conviction is protected by the Constitution.

WHAT IS A CONVICTION?

  1. A conviction is something that you purpose in your heart, as a fabric of your belief system. It is one that you will not change due to any circumstance. It says, “When you believe that your God has required something of you, you will withstand all of the tests put to you.” It has been said that a man is never made by a crisis. The crisis exposes the man for what he already is.

There are parallels to this in the history of the three Hebrew children in the book of Daniel. When taken into captivity, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego purposed in their hearts not to defile themselves. It was something about which they determined with resolve.

  1. A conviction must be pre-determined. When Nebuchadnezzar erected his golden image and commanded that all the people bow when the instruments played, these three men stood erect. A question might be asked at this point, where were all the other Hebrews? There were more than three Hebrews in Babylon who must have been in compliance with the King’s orders, for only these three Hebrews, who had predetermined what they would do, remained standing.
  2. A conviction is a personal belief. The court says that if you require others to stand with you to maintain your beliefs, then your beliefs are preferences and not convictions. There have been preachers willing to stand on their belief only if they have the backing of a certain college or group to stand with them. That doesn’t go over in a court, for your belief must be a personal conviction regardless of what anyone else thinks or does. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did stand together, but in reality they stood alone. Their decision was made more difficult when going against other Hebrews who buckled under the pressure of impending death.
  3. A conviction is non-negotiable. When they were brought before the king, Nebuchadnezzar did a strange thing. He broke the law by giving them a second chance. They said to the king that they did not have to be careful how they answered him. They had resolved that they were not going to bow and that was not going to change. They told the king that this was a matter of faith and non-negotiable.

The court says if you can discuss the negotiation of your faith, it is a matter of preference. Why? How do you negotiate what is God ordered? Recall what the three Hebrews said because it illustrates the last point the court chose. “King, we believe that our God can deliver us, but even if you throw us into that furnace and God does not deliver us, we are not going to bow” (Daniel 3:16–18).

  1. A conviction is not contingent on victory. The court said if you must be assured of victory before you stand, your beliefs are preferences and not convictions. That is a test the court is beginning to follow because many are more concerned about winning than about standing. Bear this in mind. In the Christian faith we do not fight for victory; we fight in victory. The battle was won at the cross of Calvary and we stand in that victory.

When Levi Whisner went to trial and lost, he still won. When he appealed and lost, he won. When he went to the Supreme Court of the state of Ohio and the judges unanimously said he was right, he was right all along. A court does not tell us whether we are right or wrong. We are right as long as we honor the word of God. Levi recognized that. He stood in this country when no other man saw the issue. He stood for all of us. He stood with no one beside him. When all the tests of preference and conviction were applied, he passed.

THE ULTIMATE TEST OF CONVICTION

The court recognizes a problem because people sometimes do not tell the truth. In the courtroom I have seen some men who have been incredibly casual with the truth. The court decided there must be a way to know whether what is being claimed is the truth, if it is preference or conviction. Real convictions will have already passed the other preference tests: peer pressure, people pressure, lawsuit pressure, jail pressure and death pressure.

  1. A conviction will be demonstrated by a person’s lifestyle. The court said you do not have the right to say you have a conviction unless it can be seen that the conviction is lived with some degree of consistency. When the court begins to apply that test, good Christian people often become quite uncomfortable.

The word of God says in James that faith is dead without corresponding works. It is like a body with no spirit and is meaningless, because the thing that gives it vibrancy and life is absent. The court will examine the evidence of your faith in action in order to prove it is a conviction.

For example, it may be claimed that children ought to be sent to a Bible based Christian school, believing it to be the only desirable place for them to receive an education that will equip them for life. However, if you do not send your child to a Christian school, then have your child be the best witness he can be in the public school. The court said that is a classic example of a preference statement.

The court is looking for consistency

If we say that something is a matter of conviction, the source of those beliefs is the word of God. We teach a child that it is a sin to disobey the word of God. The court says the opposite of conviction must be a sin and you must act on that belief or else it is not a conviction.

We really cannot take exception to being required to be consistent because that is in line with our beliefs. If the Bible requires it, it is God ordered. If it is God ordered and we choose not to do it, it is a sin. A Christian believes that disobedience to what God has ordered is the classic definition of sin.

According to the court, stating that something is a conviction, you must be prepared to say that its opposite is a sin. If you say you have a conviction about Christian education, then you must be prepared to say that to not give a child a Christian education is a sin. If you say that you have a conviction about a certain lifestyle, then you must say the opposite is a sin, or it is not a conviction. When a person says he ought to do some things, but wants to be more tolerant and a little more open minded, the court determines it a preference.

In the courtroom you must be able to define what you believe. You must tell the court whether you hold your beliefs as preferences or convictions and be able to explain to the court that the opposite of these convictions is a sin. What happens if you don’t tell them it is a sin? The following is dialogue that I have personally witnessed:

“Pastor, do you believe that every child must receive a Christian education?”

“Yes I do.”

“Well, Pastor, do you hold that as a conviction of your faith?”

“Yes I do.”

“Pastor, have you ever told your people that not giving your child a Christian education is a sin?”

“No I have not done that.”

“Why have you not done that Pastor?”

“I just have not gotten around to it.”

“How long have you been getting around to it?”

“Oh, a couple of years.”

Then the pastor was asked: “Pastor, is it not that the reason you have not said that is because you were afraid of the effects? You were afraid that the public school teachers in your congregation would leave? You were afraid that the people who do not agree with Christian education in your church, and are good givers might be offended. You were afraid of what the repercussions would be. Is that not the truth as to why you did not say that?”

One must bear in mind the pastor has taken an oath of affirmation to tell the truth in front of the whole world. Half of his congregation is sitting in that courtroom and he must now answer that question truthfully. If you say that you have a conviction make sure that you do.

Otherwise the court becomes a very painful place in which to be trapped. Unfortunately, I have seen it happen to many Christians.

  1. A conviction is consistent to itself. In this matter of lifestyle consistency, the court says that consistent practice means reasonably consistent, not perfect. One judge said to me, “Your people do not have to be perfect, but they are becoming very perfect at being imperfect. I would like you to see if we could match up the two L’s—Life and Lip.” A good part of every court case is about whether what you say with your mouth is consistently being practiced with your life. Let us examine how easily we form convictions that can be challenged in court.

It is a conviction of Christians that pornography should not be viewed, that obscenity should not be spoken, that nudity should not be viewed. It is a conviction that unrighteous themes should not be exalted. Most would agree that these are the convictions of a Christian because the Bible requires it. Is it a sin to do otherwise? Yes. These are things that most of us believe, yet I have seen the following happen:

In a courtroom people have been asked,

“Do you own a television?”

“Yes I do.”

“How much did that television cost?”

“Two to three hundred dollars.”

“Where do you keep that television?”

“In the living room or family room.”

“Why do you keep it there?”

“We keep it there so people can see it.”

“Is it not true that if you do not plug in that television and turn it on, it does not work? That television cannot do anything until you turn it on, and it is your choice whether or not you watch it?”

“Yes, this is true.”

“On this television do you ever see or hear obscenity, or do you ever hear someone curse or swear?”

“Yes!”

“Is there any nudity?”

“Yes!”

“Do you ever see unrighteous themes exalted on television?”

“All the time.”

“Do you ever see righteous themes debased?”

“Yes.”

“Yet you have no problem watching those? Do you have no problem paying hundreds of dollars to have an instrument that allows all of those things that you say you are against in the most traveled portion of your house, and you say you even have to turn it on before it can do anything to you?”

Do you see the inconsistency? That person just showed the court through his lifestyle that the convictions he mouthed were not consistently practiced. Bear in mind that you don’t have to believe anything, but if you are going to say that you believe something, and that it is a conviction, then you must live it and at such a level that when the court looks at your life, they can see consistency.

If a man stood with an alcoholic drink and told you he did not believe in drinking alcohol and then guzzled it down he would appear to be a hypocrite. But that is exactly what happens in the courtroom when people say one thing, but they do another. The court will go into all of the areas of life, including the use of your finances, and the use of your time, to see if you are living your beliefs with visible consistency.

Your life is the truest test of your convictions. Many Christians live lives that defy their stated beliefs, being against sin in some forms that they readily accept in another form. They denounce the actions of some that they allow to be acceptable in themselves.

The problem we face here is that convictions are being tested and for most of us that scrutiny will verify that many of our so-called convictions are merely preferences. Most of us claim that we would die for beliefs that we are not even consistently living for in other areas of our lives. We have convictions for morality in the school that we do not enforce in our own living rooms. This proves that most of our beliefs are only preferences that we personally find comfortable and convenient.

The greatest tragedy is not the inconsistency before the court, but the insult before Christ. Far too often we bow before the altar of self-serving living and bring a reproach upon the Saviour who bought us with the price of His own blood. It is a sad commentary on our love and commitment to Him that we have very few beliefs that could stand up to the serious examination of this world. The greatness of the New Testament church was that the believers were not only willing to die for their beliefs, but their accusers could find no fault or inconsistency in them. Oh, that the world could say the same about us. Someone has said, “Your walk talks and your talk talks, but your walk talks louder than your talk talks.”

Perhaps it is time to place ourselves on trial to see if we really believe what we say we believe. Are we really living consistently by the things that we say are convictions? Whether or not you are ever brought to a courtroom and put on trial by men, you are on trial every day before your God. He demands holy living and consistency of life, not just in simplicity of word. Anyone can say he believes in certain things, but as a child of God we ought to live like it. God help us to make it so.

Give Me Barabbas

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It had been a long night for Jesus, Who stood before Pilate in the early hours of the morning. He had celebrated the Passover supper with His disciples before going out to Gethsemane to pray and prepare for the impending events. It is not known exactly how long He prayed, but it must have been for hours. Late in the night, a rabble approached with clubs and priests to arrest Jesus. Judas kissed Him with the betrayer’s kiss and He was arrested and taken before the Sanhedrin to be first tried there. Early in the morning He was taken to Pilot.

“Then led they Jesus from Caiaphas unto the hall of judgment: it was early; and they themselves went not into the judgment hall, lest they should be defiled; but that they might eat the passover.” John 18:28. What hypocrites! “Pilate then went out unto them, and said, What accusation bring ye against this man? They answered and said unto him, If he were not a malefactor, we would not have delivered him up unto thee. Then said Pilate unto them, Take ye him, and judge him according to your law. The Jews therefore said unto him, It is not lawful for us to put any man to death: that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled, which He spake, signifying what death He should die. Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again, and called Jesus, and said unto him, Art thou the King of the Jews? Jesus answered him, Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of Me? Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Thine own nation and the chief priests have delivered Thee unto me: what hast Thou done?” Verses 29–35.

This was an interesting question. Pay close attention to how Jesus answered. “My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would My servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is My kingdom not from hence. Pilate therefore said unto Him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end I was born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice. Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all. But ye have a custom, that I should release unto you one at the passover: will you therefore that I release unto you the King of the Jews? Then cried they all again, saying, Not this man, but Barabbas. Now Barabbas was a robber.” Verses 36–40.

There are five roles that played an intricate part in this trial—Herod, Pilate, the church, Barabbas and Jesus. After self-examination, it will be discovered that every one of us will fit the description of one of these roles and hopefully by God’s grace we will all be like Jesus. In fact, this same trial will be carried out in these last days on such an immense scale that will be difficult to even begin to comprehend.

Herod

The record in the book of John does not mention Jesus’ interview with Herod. That is found in Luke 23. The Jews, knowing the weakness of the governor, took Jesus first to Pilate who dismissed Him sending Him off to Herod because He was from Galilee and not under the jurisdiction of Pilate. So off to Herod they went—Jesus, hustled by a group of soldiers. The interview begins in Luke 23:8: “And when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad: for he was desirous to see him of a long season, because he had heard many things of him; and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by him.”

Herod brought a group of maimed people into the judgment hall so he could be entertained by Jesus’ miracles of healing with the promise of letting Him go free. Pilate and Herod were equally evil, but although Jesus had answered Pilate’s questions, when brought before Herod, who “questioned with Him in many words; … He [Jesus] answered him nothing.” Verse 9.

Jesus had no words to speak to Herod. Herod’s conscience by then was far less sensitive than when he had trembled in horror at the request of his stepdaughter, Salome, when she had asked for the head of John the Baptist. She had danced before Herod and his eyes had been dazzled. Under the influence of alcohol he foolishly offered her anything, up to half of his kingdom. He was horrified at her request and instead of making a stand for right and refusing, he yielded. His pride kicked in and he did not want to look like a fool in front of his audience.

We are told that Herod’s conscience had once been sensitive, but what happened? “For a time he had felt the keen stings of remorse for his terrible act; but his moral perceptions had become more and more degraded by his licentious life. Now his heart had become so hardened that he could even boast of the punishment he had inflicted upon John for daring to reprove him.” The Desire of Ages, 730.

Interviewing Jesus, “Herod’s conscience was now far less sensitive. … And he now threatened Jesus, declaring repeatedly that he had power to release or to condemn Him. But no sign from Jesus gave evidence that He heard a word.” Ibid. Jesus knew that the Holy Spirit could no longer influence this man’s mind. His conscience had been violated over and over again and Jesus had no words for him.

Pilate

Pilate was a very discerning man. In fact, when the rabble had come to him in his judgment hall, waking him early in the morning, he was not happy. He had been called from his bedchambers. Seeing the crowd, he instantly recognized that the prisoner had been brought to him because of envy. “But Pilate answered them, saying, Will ye that I release unto you the King of the Jews? For he knew that the chief priests had delivered him envy.” Mark 15:9. It is interesting that though the man had lived a licentious life, the Holy Spirit could still speak to him and instantly he was able to correctly survey the situation.

He knew it was an absolute farce that the priests would bring Jesus to be judged by him. “Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again, and called Jesus and said unto him, Art thou the King of the Jews? Jesus answered him, Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of Me?” John 18:33, 34. The Holy Spirit was working in Pilate’s mind.

“Pilate answered, Am I Jew? Thine own nation and the chief priests have delivered Thee unto me: what hast Thou done?” Verse 35. “Pilate therefore said unto Him, Art Thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Everyone that is of the truth heareth My voice. Pilate saith unto Him, What is truth?” Verses 37, 38. This is a question we also should be asking ourselves: What is truth?

We do not know what would have happened right there if Pilate had paused and listened to the answer to his own question, but Pilot did not stick around to hear. “And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in Him no fault at all.” Verse 38.

“He [Pilate] had heard of Jesus and His works. His wife had told him something of the wonderful deeds performed by the Galilean prophet, who cured the sick and raised the dead.” The Desire of Ages, 724. She had also sent a letter through a messenger to Pilate telling him, “Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of Him.” Matthew 27:19.

“Pilate had a desire to know the truth. His mind was confused. He eagerly grasped the words of the Saviour, and his heart was stirred with a great longing to know what it really was, and how he could obtain it.” The Desire of Ages, 727.

“And the chief priests accused Him of many things: but He answered nothing. And Pilate asked Him again, saying, Answerest Thou nothing? behold, how many things they witness against Thee. But Jesus yet answered him nothing so that Pilate marveled.” Mark 15:3–5.

How easy a retaliatory spirit will rise so instantly when someone starts accusing us of something. Pilate was amazed that Jesus did not retaliate. “Jesus did not directly answer this question [Art Thou the King of the Jews?]. He knew that the Holy Spirit was striving with Pilate, and He gave him opportunity to acknowledge his conviction.” The Desire of Ages, 726, 727.

“Pilate’s golden opportunity had passed. Yet Jesus did not leave him without further light. While He did not directly answer Pilate’s question, He plainly stated His own mission. He gave Pilate to understand that He was not seeking an earthly throne.” Ibid.

What a tragedy! We each have a golden opportunity that can be missed. Pilate’s doom was sealed when “the Jews cried out saying, If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar’s friend: whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar.” John 19:12.

“When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha. … and he saith unto the Jews, ‘Behold your King!’ ” Verses 13, 14.

Pilate tried to release Him but, “When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it.” Matthew 27:24. “And so Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto them, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged Him, to be crucified.” Mark 15:15.

What a sad ending for Pilate. He was more concerned for his reputation and standing in the Roman government than he was for the glory of God. He was of a vacillating character, one that is unstable as water. Pilate knew that Jesus was a just and righteous man. He had evidence after evidence and yet still he did not act upon his convictions, being worried more about his reputation. Pilate tried to secure his place as a Roman governor but ironically, just months later he was pulled from the throne and he killed himself. Stifling conviction is very dangerous. Pride had gotten the best of him causing him to make choices that would cost him eternity.

The Church

The church has a most interesting involvement in this event. “Now at that feast the governor was wont to release unto the people a prisoner, whom they would.” Matthew 27:15.

“Pilate was forced to action. He now bethought himself of a custom which might serve to secure Christ’s release. It was customary at this feast to release some one prisoner whom the people might choose. This custom was of pagan invention; there was not a shadow of justice in it, but it was greatly prized by the Jews.” The Desire of Ages, 733.

“And they had then a notable prisoner, called Barabbas.” Matthew 27:16. That word notable can mean noteworthy and also infamous or notorious. “Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ? For he knew that for envy they had delivered him.” Verses 17, 18.

Note here who was responsible for the choice made. “But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus.” Verse 20.

This is quite amazing. After all, are these not God’s chosen people? Pilate, desperate at that point to find some reason to release Jesus, brought both He and Barabbas hoping that as these religious leaders and the multitude compared the two, and unwilling to make the decision himself, he hoped the crowd would choose Jesus. After choosing Barabbas, “Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified” (verse 22)!

Pilate’s plan had failed. Many hardened criminals had stood before him and when Pilate looked into the face of Christ, he knew immediately that He was innocent. “The religious leaders and guides of the people—the men who ought to have led in right paths—persuaded the poor, ignorant multitude to reject the Son of God, and choose a robber and murderer in His place.” The Review and Herald, August 20, 1901. It is imperative to know what is truth for ourselves and not trust in the wisdom of others.

“Those who chose Barabbas thus yoking up with Satan gave evidence that a profession of piety and of love for God, and a claim to know the Scriptures, neither made them the sons of God nor led them to represent His character.” The Signs of the Times, April 14, 1898.

The religious leaders, the priests, were part of that mob dressed in their white robes, piously wearing their phylacteries on their hands and on their foreheads. The whole book of Moses they had memorized, learned from childhood, but this did not make them representatives of Christ. Profession is worthless!

“They [the high priest and leaders] cried out for the crucifixion of Christ and, as representatives of the Jewish nation, placed themselves under the Roman jurisdiction, which they despised, by saying, ‘We have no king but Caesar.’ When they said this, they unchurched themselves.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 12, 388.

No matter how high their profession, they were not God’s church. They were supposed to be the ones who led people in the right path, but they led them astray and unchurched themselves. They had switched leaders and the ones they hated, the Romans, now became their rulers. Remember, we are talking about parallels to our day.

Barabbas

This is the most interesting part of this story. It was the church that chose Barabbas. “And he [Pilate] released unto them him [Barabbas] that for sedition [conspiracy] and murder was cast into prison, whom they had desired; but he delivered Jesus to their will.” Luke 23:25. Barabbas was a conspirator against the Roman government. The Jews also wanted to overthrow the Romans. For centuries they taught that when the Messiah came He was coming as a conquering king to overthrow their enemies. Barabbas was a murderer, but he was a better fit for their false interpretations than the meek and lowly Jesus.

The motives and actions of Barabbas reflect the devil himself. Lucifer also was a conspirator and attempted to overthrow the government of heaven. Just as the fallen angels had before them, the Jews accepted a false Christ, a counterfeit Christ, a false Messiah. Barabbas means the son of a father. Speaking to the leaders, Jesus said in John 8:44, “Ye are of your father the devil. … He was a murderer from the beginning.” The same thing had brewed in the hearts of the Jews and they had yoked up with the devil. He was also a robber: “The thief cometh not but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.” John 10:10.

A manuscript was discovered during the 10th century with text that said Pilate came out and said, “I release to you Jesus Barabbas,” meaning Jesus who is called Christ. The translators in the 16th century did not want to put the word Jesus in the same sentence with Christ; so it was removed. However, it is mentioned in the Spirit of Prophecy.

“This man had claimed to be the Messiah. He claimed authority to establish a different order of things, to set the world right.” The Desire of Ages, 732.

Barabbas “had done wonderful things through satanic agencies, he had gained a following among the people, and had excited sedition against the Roman government. Under cover of religious enthusiasm he was a hardened and desperate villain, bent on rebellion and cruelty.” Ibid.

They chose Barabbas, the Messiah, the false Christ, the one working satanic miracles. Jesus had warned that, “Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name? and in Thy name cast out devils? And in Thy name done many wonderful works? And then I will profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity.” Matthew 7:22, 23.

So far we have looked at Herod, whose conscience was hardened, who was beyond repair and beyond reaching; Pilate with his weak vacillating character who really did want to know the truth, but let his pride rise till he spurned that truth; and Barabbas, the false Messiah, son of the devil, whom the church chose. Now we will consider Jesus, but first let us look at the end time scenario.

End Time Scenario

“The scene in the judgment hall in Jerusalem is a symbol of what will take place in the closing scenes of this earth’s history.” The Review and Herald, January 30, 1900.

In “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 5, 1106, she says, “When Christ was upon this earth, the world preferred Barabbas.” Is it any different today? The world and the churches today are making the same choice. If the scenes of the betrayal and rejection of Christ will again be reenacted but on an immense scale, we need to stop and think for just a moment and consider into which category we fall.

When we yoke up with Christ we are on the side of infinite power, for there is nothing beyond God’s ability to accomplish in our life. Will we be the church that accepts Barabbas, the false Messiah, the worker of miracles and satanic delusions, or Jesus the Christ? “Those who apostatize leave the true and faithful people of God, and fraternize with those who represent Barabbas.” Selected Messages, vol. 2, 395.

Revelation 13:4 says, “And they worshipped the dragon.” “As the crowning act in the great drama of deception, Satan himself will personate Christ. The church has long professed to look for the Saviour’s advent as the consummation of her hopes. Now the great deceiver will make it appear that Christ has come. In different parts of the earth, Satan will manifest himself among men as a majestic being of dazzling brightness, resembling the description of the Son of God given by John in the Revelation (Revelation 1:13–15). The glory that surrounds him is unsurpassed by anything that mortal eyes have yet beheld. The shout of triumph rings out upon the air: ‘Christ has come! Christ has come!’ ” The Great controversy, 624.

It has happened before. The Jews chose the imposter, Barabbas and again the majority will be deceived. “The people prostrate themselves in adoration before him, while he lifts up his hands and pronounces a blessing upon them, as Christ blessed His disciples when He was upon the earth. His voice is soft and subdued, yet full of melody.” Ibid.

The statement goes on to say that “he heals the diseases of the people, and then, in the assumed character of Christ, he claims to have changed the Sabbath to Sunday, and commands all to hallow the day which he has blessed.” Ibid. Ellen White says, “This is the strong, almost overmastering delusion.” Ibid.

Friends, study your Bibles. Pray daily. Those scenes in the judgment hall will be reenacted. Jeremiah 17:5 says, “Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm.” Put your trust in Christ. He is the only One Who can keep you from falling, not man. The church will be swept off its feet when the devil comes in all his deceitfulness.

You would think that the church would recognize something like this, but the church will be swept off her feet saying, “Christ is come! Christ is come!” prostrating themselves at the feet of the imposter in adoration, not in abhorrence but in acceptance.

When the church does this, she will have accepted Barabbas. When Barabbas was accepted, what did they want to happen to Christ? Crucify Him! That is what will happen in the person of the saints of God at that time. Those who experience this treatment will need a character like Jesus to be able to stand.

Jesus

At His trial, Jesus was beaten and mocked. Jesus was patient with the people through His whole trial. There was no vengeful spirit in Him. This is a hard thing to fathom. Let me tell you friends, if we can’t even shut our mouths and lock our lips when someone says something wrong to us now, how will we stand during a trial like that? If I retaliate now when my coworker irritates me and gets under my skin, will I be able to be patient and Christlike when my character is attacked during the time of trouble? No.

We need to be like Jesus. That is the bottom line; we need to have His character and possess His spirit. The trials we suffer now are to prepare us for the trials of the end time.

By God’s grace, let us reflect the character of Jesus day by day and be ready to meet Him when He returns to take us home.

Mike Bauler was ordained into the ministry in 2005 and serves as pastor of the Historic Message Church in Portland, Oregon. Prior to locating in Portland, Pastor Bauler served as a Bible worker for Steps to Life Ministries. His goal is to help give the gospel to the greater Portland area with an emphasis in helping his Bible students discover the truths in Bible prophecy, which are so often neglected today. His wife, Amanda, a family nurse practitioner, and their daughters Hannah, Esther and Abigail assist him in his ministry.

Terrible Consequences

by

There is little space given in the Bible to recounting the virtues and wonderful qualities of even the very best men who have ever lived. This silence is not without a purpose and the reason is that all the good qualities men possess are the gift of God. Their good deeds are performed by the grace of God through Christ, and since we owe to God whatever glory or whatever we have or do, we are just instruments in His hand to do His work. In addition to this, it is a perilous thing to praise or exalt men. The reason for this is that if one comes to lose sight of his entire dependence upon God and begins to trust in his own strength, he is absolutely sure of falling.

We need God’s strength because we are contending with foes that are stronger than we are. The Bible says in Ephesians 6:12, 13, “We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”

The Bible is very clear that before this world was created, a leading angel in heaven called Lucifer, rebelled against the government of God and persuaded one third of the angels to follow him in his rebellion. “War broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” Revelation 12:7–9. Satan personated a serpent when he spoke to Eve, deceiving her and causing the fall of Adam and Eve and all of their subsequent descendants.

Notice what the Bible says about this in Romans 5:12: “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men.” So, death came upon all the descendants of Adam and Eve because of the sin of one person. It is impossible for any of us in our own strength to maintain the conflict. And whatever diverts our minds from God, whatever leads us to self-exaltation or to self-dependence, is assuredly preparing the way for our overthrow. The entire tenor of Bible instruction is to inculcate distrust in human power and to encourage trust in divine power.

It was when David had been flattered, when he had been successful, winning many wars and victories, when he had become one of the most prominent kings on the face of the earth, that he fell. It was the spirit of self-confidence and self-exaltation that caused his fall. The whole story of what happened is recorded in the Bible in 11 Samuel 11. Some people have asked why God records in the Bible the awful things that good men have done. These records are to show man’s weakness and his liability to fall, making the most dreadful mistakes. In fact, the greater man’s position of power and authority, the bigger the sin it is possible to commit.

In II Samuel 11:2–5 it says, “It happened one evening that David arose from his bed and walked on the roof of the king’s house. And from the roof he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful to behold. So David sent and inquired about the woman. And someone said, ‘Is this not Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?’ Then David sent messengers, and took her; and she came to him, and he lay with her, for she was cleansed from her impurity; and she returned to her house. And the woman conceived; so she sent and told David, and said, ‘I am with child.’ ” Now, David was in trouble.

It is interesting that the work of the great tempter of mankind does not begin in an abrupt or crude fashion. The temptations are not, at the onset, sudden or startling but a secret undermining of the strongholds of principle. This undermining begins when a person is apparently unfaithful in small things like controlling his or her thoughts. It begins in a neglect to be true to God and to rely upon Him completely. It begins with a disposition to follow the customs and practices of the world.

Previous to this, David, while being hunted by King Saul, had been protected by the Lord from unnumbered snares and traps. But now, he was trapped on his own. He had become guilty; he was unrepentant; he did not ask help from the Lord, and he did not ask guidance from heaven. He was now desperate to extricate himself from the dangers in which he found himself.

Uriah the Hittite, Bathsheba’s husband, was one of David’s officers in the army. He was one of his most faithful solders, and nobody could foresee the problems that would be the result if this crime should become known. The law of God pronounced then and now that the adulterer is guilty of the death sentence. Had Uriah, the proud-spirited soldier who had been so shamefully wronged known, he could decide to avenge himself by killing the king or by exciting the whole nation to revolt. David made every possible effort to conceal his guilt even having Uriah called home so that he could be with his wife. But Uriah was a faithful soldier and refused to seek any pleasure with his wife while his soldiers were still in battle.

David had betrayed himself into the power of Satan and now danger surrounded him and dishonor, more bitter than death, was before him. This is not the first or last time something like this has happened. Perhaps you know of someone who has committed suicide in order to avoid the shame which they were afraid would come upon them because of an illicit connection. David was now desperate and there appeared to be no way to escape so, hurried on by the tempter, he added one more sin to the one he had already committed. Murder was added to his adultery.

The same tempter who had compassed the destruction of Saul was now attempting to lead David to ruin. And Uriah the Hittite was made the bearer of his own death warrant. David wrote a letter, sealed it and gave it to Uriah the Hittite to give to Joab, the head general. The letter told Joab to put Uriah in the front of the battle where he knew that there were valiant men, then retreat from him so that he would be killed.

Joab should not have obeyed such an order. The Bible is very explicit about these things. We are to obey human law. We are to obey kings and governments. Christians are never to be disobedient or disrespectful to the government. The apostle Paul had this to say: “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.” Romans 13:1, 2. Peter brings forth the same principle in I Peter 2:13, 14: “Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good.”

The Christian is to be subservient to the government and not to rebel against its authority. But there is one time when the Bible teaches that a person is to exercise civil disobedience and not obey the laws of man. This one exception is found in Acts 5:29. We are told what the apostle Peter said when they were commanded that they were not to preach anymore about Jesus. Peter and the other apostles said, “We ought to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). If the laws of men tell us, or require us, to break the law of God, then we cannot obey those laws. We must keep the higher law. But as long as we do not have to disobey the higher law of God, we are to keep the lower laws of men, the lower laws of government.

Joab had already violated his conscience, which had been stained and seared by more than one unjust murder and as a result he listened to the words of David. Uriah the Hittite was killed. It was interesting how the report of Uriah’s death was worded when sent back to David. Joab said in 11 Samuel 11:20, 21, “If it happens that the king’s wrath arises, and he says to you: ‘Why did you approach so near to the city when you fought? Did you not know that they would shoot from the wall? Who struck Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? Was it not a woman who cast a piece of a millstone on him from the wall, so that he died in Thebez? Why did you go near the wall?’—then you shall say, ‘Your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.’ ” The message was worded so that it looked like an accident. Nobody could blame either Joab or the king for what had been done. They were in a war and it looked like an accident that Uriah the Hittite had been killed. But of course, like so many other things in this world, what looked like an accident wasn’t an accident at all. It was a premeditated murder, a murder ordered by the king.

The Bible says that there is nothing that is hidden from the Lord. Notice what it says in Hebrews 4:12, 13: “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.”

God knows everything. God knew exactly what happened. He knew what David intended, what Joab had done and why it was that Uriah had died. The Bible says that what David had done was displeasing to the Lord. That’s what we need to think about in our daily life. Is what you are doing or the way you are living, pleasing or displeasing to the Lord? Have you ever thought about the fact that the things people think are covered up and that nobody will ever find out? The Bible says, in Ecclesiastes 12:13, 14, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil.”

Nothing can be hid from God. Everything will be revealed. Jesus said, in Matthew 10:26, “Do not fear them. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known.”

Many people excuse their sins by saying, “Well, look what David did.” However, they have usually forgotten to read and find out the consequences of what he did. The consequences brought terrible trouble over David, not only for the rest of his life, but also over the nation of Israel that has lasted from that time on and has never ceased. How could this be? Remember, Jesus said, “There is nothing covered that won’t be revealed.” Everything is going to be brought into judgment. This time the judgment didn’t wait until the end. Judgment was going to come to David within about a year.

David had fallen so far that he could murder one of his most faithful and most valiant soldiers, then take his wife, and hope to enjoy undisturbed the reward of his sin. From the beginning, Satan has portrayed to men the gains to be won by transgression. In this same way he seduced angels. Thus he tempted Adam and Eve to sin and in this way he is leading multitudes today away from obedience to God. The path of transgression is made to appear desirable and better than following in the way of God’s commandments. But the Bible says that “the end thereof are the ways of death.” Proverbs 14:12.

As time passed on, David’s sin toward Bathsheba became known and suspicion was excited that maybe he planned the death of Uriah the Hittite. Well, of course, God knew everything that had happened. The Bible says, in II Samuel 11:27, that what David had done was displeasing to the Lord. And so the Lord sent Nathan the prophet to give a stern message to the king.

Ordinarily, especially in those days, it would be impossible for anyone to give a message like this to a king without incurring the death sentence himself. But Nathan faithfully gave the message, clothing it in a parable so the king would end up passing sentence upon himself. Here is the way it went; beginning at II Samuel 12:1–12 it says: “Then the Lord sent Nathan to David. And he came to him, and said to him: ‘There were two men in one city, one rich and the other poor. The rich man had exceedingly many flocks and herds. But the poor man had nothing, except one little ewe lamb which he had bought and nourished; and it grew up together with him and with his children. It ate of his own food and drank from his own cup and lay in his bosom; and it was like a daughter to him. And a traveler came to the rich man, who refused to take from his own flock and from his own herd to prepare one for the wayfaring man who had come to him; but he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.’

“So David’s anger was greatly aroused against the man, and he said to Nathan, ‘As the Lord lives, the man who has done this shall surely die! And he shall restore fourfold for the lamb, because he did this thing and because he had no pity.’ Then Nathan said to David, ‘You are the man!’ Thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. I gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your keeping, and gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if that had been too little, I also would have given you much more! Why have you despised the commandment of the Lord, to do evil in His sight? You have killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword; you have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the people of Ammon.’

“ ‘Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’ Thus says the Lord: ‘Behold I will raise up adversity against you from your own house; and I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, before the sun.’ ”

When David heard this message, he said, “I have sinned.” Verse 13. Some people wonder why it is that David was forgiven when he committed a worse crime even than had Saul, yet Saul was not forgiven. The difference is, David repented, and confessed his sin whereas Saul did not. Notice what David said after this in Psalm 51:1–7, 11, 12: “Blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight. … Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me and I shall be whiter than snow. … Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by Your generous Spirit.”

David was afraid he had committed the unpardonable sin. He was afraid he could be struck down in judgment, in an unsaved condition, and he repented and pleaded for forgiveness.

Ellen White says, “I present before you the fifty-first psalm, a psalm filled with precious lessons. From it we may learn what course to follow if we have departed from the Lord. To the king of Israel, exalted and honored, the Lord sent a message of reproof by His prophet. David confessed his sin and humbled his heart, declaring God to be just in all His dealings [Psalm 51:1–17 quoted].” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 3, 1147.

Chief Guilt Is Sin Against God

“Sin is sin, whether committed by one sitting on a throne, or by one in the humbler walks of life. The day is coming when all who have committed sin will make confession, even though it is too late for them to receive pardon. God waits long for the sinner to repent. He manifests a wonderful forbearance. But He must at last call the transgressor of His law to account.” Ibid.

How is it with you? The Bible says we have all sinned. It is not a question of whether you have sinned or not. We have all sinned. The question is, what are you doing about it? David repented and he confessed his sin. You can read in Psalm 51, the entire chapter, giving the story of his confession. Now David was not excused from earthly punishment. Even though he was forgiven and will be in heaven, he had to suffer the consequence of his sin in this world. There are always consequences with sin. None of us are promised that we can escape those consequences. Sometimes we don’t perceive clearly what they are, but there are always consequences. Here were just some of the consequences that happened to David:

First of all, by transgression his relationship to God changed. God could no longer exercise His power to protect David from the results of the sin that he had done as He had protected him previously from the enmity of Saul. So, events were going to take their natural cause. Not only that, but there was a great change in David himself. He was broken in spirit by the consciousness of his sin. He felt humbled in the eyes of his subjects. His influence was weakened. His subjects and his sons were led to think of sin in an even lighter manner, and to commit sin. His authority over his own household was lessened. His claim to reverence and obedience by his children was weakened. His sense of guilt kept him silent when he should have condemned sin and made him feeble to execute justice. His evil example exerted an influence that was demoralizing to the whole nation and the terrible consequences went on and on. However, he himself, because of his repentance and his confession, was forgiven. This is the Bible promise to people who have fallen in sin, and who would like to be delivered from the guilt and power of sin. The Bible says, “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.” Isaiah 55:7.

All have sinned, but the question is, have you repented? Have you confessed your sins? Have you decided to forsake sins and follow the Lord that you might be forgiven?

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

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

Editorial – Our Greatest Foe

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Facts that all should know:

  1. Satan is a diligent Bible student.
  2. Satan knows the important truth that it is essential for the people to receive.
  3. His “study is to divert minds from the great truths given to prepare them for what is coming upon the world.” See Testimonies, vol. 8, 292.

“After the passing of the time in 1844, we had fanaticism of every kind to meet. … The experience of the past will be repeated. In the future, Satan’s superstitions will assume new forms. Errors will be presented in a pleasing and flattering manner. False theories, clothed with garments of light, will be presented to God’s people. Thus Satan will try to deceive, if possible, the very elect. Most seducing influences will be exerted; minds will be hypnotized. … The most sorrowful thought of all is that under his deceptive influence men will have a form of godliness, without having a real connection with God.” Excerpts from Ibid., 292–294.

What is this truth that is so essential to receive and that will prepare a people for what is coming on the world? It is the truth found in the Three Angels’ Messages of Revelation 14. The truth of these messages gives understanding to the subject of the sanctuary in heaven in connection with the 2300 days, which is the foundational knowledge of the first angel’s message. It uncovers the mystery of who Babylon is in the last days, who the beast is, who the image is and what is the mark of the beast as described in Revelation 14:9–11. Then, most importantly, you will understand the commandments of God and what constitutes the faith of Jesus.

“The third angel’s message is infallible. It is to unite a people to do a special work, preparing them with perfection of character to unite in one great family in the mansions Christ has gone to prepare for those who love Him.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 15, 362.

A.T. Jones preached many sermons on the faith of Jesus at the 1895 General Conference but here it is in a nutshell: “ ‘The faith of Jesus’ (Revelation 14:12). It is talked of, but not understood. What constitutes the faith of Jesus, that belongs to the third angel’s message? Jesus becoming our sin-bearer that He might become our sin-pardoning Saviour. He was treated as we deserve to be treated. He came to our world and took our sins that we might take His righteousness. And faith in the ability of Christ to save us amply and fully and entirely is the faith of Jesus.” Selected Messages, Book 3, 172.