Issue: 2008 September

Wholeness in Christ

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We live in a world where most people do not know a life of completeness. In fact, most feel that their cup is not even half full. The vast majority of men and women are searching desperately for a wholeness that they cannot seem to find. What most do not realize is that there is no completeness without Jesus Christ. He instilled in us a need for Him. God made man whole in the beginning, but when Adam and Eve chose to sin, they chose to have a part of themselves removed. We were created beings with free will. God will not force entrance into the void that they created; we must ask Him to fill it. Until we do, there will be a chasm; just as if our heart was taken out. And His presence is just as necessary.

I first want you to understand what a blessing this is. The restlessness that we feel in a life incomplete is an amazing gift; one that most people do not realize. If we were to be content with what we have, if life was full in and of itself, why would we search for Christ? Why would we need to? Our perception would be that we are self sufficient, that we have everything together on our own. We do not go searching for something if we think we already have all we need. God knows this. He gives us a thirsting spirit to bring us to the Wellspring of Life. We need to feel thirsty so we do not die of dehydration. In the same way, we need to feel our lack of Christ to accept His grace that we do not perish because of our sin.

And yet it is painful and we do need to fill our hearts. There is no person alive who has not struggled with a barrenness of spirit at one point in time or another. Eve fought this issue when she let the devil trick her into believing that God was in some way trying to restrict her happiness; that she was somehow missing something. She did not contemplate that what she was missing was not something that she would desire were she to obtain it. God did indeed wish to keep something from her. He wished to withhold the unpleasantness of sin. And through her distrust of God and resulting sin, she found from what God was hoping to exclude her. Adam struggled with this when Eve took the fruit. He felt that his life would not be complete without her, and so he too sinned so that his life could be whole. But the completeness he had was not found in his wife as he thought. They both immediately recognized that a portion of their beings was missing after their sin. The presence of God left them. That piece is still missing in each of us. Today we run around from home to the work place and perhaps elsewhere, looking for our fulfillment in our families, our career, hobbies, or other pastimes. We are so focused on these things that we lose sight of the one thing that can make us whole. We are trying to fill the space of a circle with a rectangle. The void was not created by a lack of wisdom like Eve thought. It was not created by the lack of a soul mate as Adam feared. It was and is the absence of connection with God. We were created with God being as much a part of our beings as our hearts. Without Him we are truly empty and lifeless. How do we receive Christ back in our lives and thus fill the fissure in our souls?

There is a simple truth about the character of Christ that must be understood to answer that question. In John 1:1, the Bible says that God, His word, and His law are one and the same. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” 1 John 4:16 says that, “God is love.” So if God was the Word and God is love, God’s Word is love also. And we know that God’s Word is His Law for us. That Law must then be of love. And out of love He would not permit anything that would destroy or restrict our happiness and “likewise” would not restrict anything that would enhance our existence. God has given us His law because He loves us, it is the essence of love. God’s Law, His Word, and His love are all the same. To think of one without the other would be the equivalent of taking the soul out of one’s body. There would be nothing but a shell. We cannot have one without the other. So if we are to accept Christ into our hearts, we must accept His divine law also.

I wish here to make something very clear. We tend to think in this day and age that freedom is the absence of law. Let’s look at this for just a moment. What would happen if there were no laws to govern humanity? Laws are instituted to place some moral boundaries in society. They are meant to regulate the evil impulses and to create consequences for insubordination. If there were no laws and no consequences for defiance to the law, people would feel at liberty to follow their evil impulses: killing, cheating, stealing, lying, adultery, etc. This would leave us in so much fear of one another that we would not feel at liberty to leave our homes for fear of what is outside our doors. Even with societal laws this is happening. I visited New York City not too long ago and was strongly warned not to go out after dark for fear of the violence. There is no freedom in this. Where is freedom when we live in fear? If we truly loved one another selflessly as God asks, we would restrict our actions to be in line with God’s law, and guide others to do the same for the safety and happiness of all. But we don’t. It was a disregard of God’s law that left Adam and Eve feeling naked and empty. God could not dwell with them as He had previously because God and sin cannot coincide. It is continued disrespect to the law of love that maintains the emptiness.

We were created out of love and we are each instilled with a need for affection. We all love to be loved. There is little else more satisfying to the human soul than feeling unconditional acceptance. Because of sin we all have limits as to how much love we can receive or impart. And yet it is to each other that we tend to look for acceptance. The truth is that no fallible human can fill the need. How can one empty cup fill another? Of course, it is very important for us to love one another. It is a commandment that God set above all others. “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” Matthew 22:37–40. But the love we give to one another is so very finite we cannot even begin to fill the void. We are blessed to have a God whose love knows no limits; He alone can fill the chasm. Realizing that God loves us so much more than anyone else and accepting His love is what fills our hearts and completes our beings.

We feel sometimes that even God is withholding His love from us. We may feel at times as though He is absent from us with the hardship we face, the losses we experience. The Bible says that God will not deprive you of any good thing. Furthermore, anytime we lose something dear it will be replaced by something better. It is with faith and patience that we must acknowledge that God promises that His love never ceases and He will care for us. Since we cannot see the whole picture we must lean on One who does. The blind must be led by the seeing. When we accept and understand this about God, our attitude begins to change. We can see that God’s law is not there to restrict and withhold, rather to ensure our safety and happiness. The change in how we view God is important to receiving Christ. It would be impossible for us to see that Jesus is the only one who can fill our need if He was Himself in any way limited. If we choose to believe that His law has been instituted because He loves us and wishes only good things for us, will we then not choose to obey? And in obedience, we are accepting Christ in our hearts; the missing portion of ourselves that the devil does not wish us to find. We are told that God created men and women for happiness. And if we follow in God’s path He will bring us delight. That is not to negate the fact that there will be sorrow. We live in a world of sin, but it does mean that God will ensure joy through all strife. And those who accept His presence in their heart will know the beauty and everlasting happiness of heaven.

When we learn of Christ’s everlasting love and learn to love Him in return, our position toward sin changes. Christ died to save us from our sins. He would have died on the cross for a single person with a single sin so they could spend eternity with Him. That is such a powerful and unfathomable statement. We cannot imagine love like that. But it is life altering. Who, when they know that their sins are what caused their beloved Christ’s suffering, would continue on the path of sin; continue to nail Jesus to the cross? And who would believe that someone who loved them so much that He would die just to save them would withhold anything good from them? In seeing Christ’s character and accepting the Holy Spirit into our hearts such that we do no more harm through transgression of His law, this is a repentant heart. This is the means by which we accept Christ and allow Him to fill our empty cup.

Just as we received Christ at the first, we continue to receive Him every single day. Our repentance grows deeper. We begin to hate sin increasingly with the knowledge of the price and our love for the One who paid it. And as Christ leads our repentant hearts, we turn away from the highway of sin and begin walking in the path of righteousness. What a blessing is in this. Yet, let us not let down our guard. The same devil who was working to prevent us from knowing Christ will work much harder to turn us away from Him. Even though we have accepted God’s love for us and have felt the peace and joy that His presence gives us, we are not yet complete. And we never will be complete until we reach heaven. As long as we are on this earth, the devil has an opportunity to rob us of our precious gift. Satan is working overtime to get us to lose sight of Christ in the immense distractions of the world. He would do anything to get us to search for wholeness in the world, because it preoccupies our attention. Possessions, relationships, and endeavors on earth are simply a rat race because they do not last. What takes a lifetime to build can be knocked down in a day. How can things that are so fleeting make us whole? It is like water through a strainer. The water constantly has to run to replace what has been lost. This occupation of constantly trying to keep the strainer filled keeps us from finding the glass that is overflowing with God’s blessings. We are so concerned with rebuilding what has been lost, despite the fact that it will once again be torn down at some point, that we forget our calling to build something that outlasts even our lifetime—a relationship with God.

Christ wants to give us peace and wholeness, but He wishes to relieve us of something also—something that inhibits our ability to experience the serenity He gives fully. He wishes to take away our sins. Christ cannot dwell in us, but He also wishes us to be cleansed of our iniquity. What would be the point of new clothing if the body is still dirty? Through grace God wishes to cleanse us of our filth. This is a surgical procedure to cut away the decay of sin and carry on anew with Christ. We are forgiven our sins and are separated from them by the power and sacrifice of Christ. It is up to us to allow Christ to cleanse us of our guilt. And why would we not? It is anxiety-provoking and shaming to live with a guilty conscience. We can never be whole with sin, as sin and God cannot coexist. It is a barrier between us and a loving God. The good news is that through Christ we can be purified. Then, through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can live a life after Christ’s example to us.

God requires us to live a life of service for Him. In the mentality with which we are now surrounded, this seems like a life of drudgery and confinement. But God created His beings to want to serve, just as He created us to need love. It is not a wonder that a creation used for a purpose other than for which it was invented would fail in any other pursuit. Imagine trying to warm your food in a freezer. We do the same thing when we try to serve ourselves. We were not meant for that. There is no lasting satisfaction in a life of self-service. We all have heard that the more we give, the more we have. And yet it is not fully understood, and can not be understood until we realize that God created us with an innate desire to serve each other and Him. The contentment and satisfaction that accompanies a single good deed can be multiplied infinitely with the dedication of one’s whole life to the service of love. We were meant to be industrious for a good cause, not the gain of fortune which can be swept away at any moment, but rather the gain of Christ which neither person nor circumstance can obliterate without our permission. A lasting reward is found in the faithful work given to God. Even Christ, God’s Son, delighted in service. I do not speak of white-collared service either, but the service of a true servant. With a humble and loving heart Christ washed the feet of each disciple, including Judas, who Jesus knew would betray Him in a few short hours. Looking at the life of Christ there is not a trace of ambition, pride, or selfishness. A carpenter by trade, He touched the untouchable, drove demons from the demon-possessed, and washed the feet of sinners, all with a humble heart, a heart of service and love. The Bible tells us that God made us after His own image. That does not mean just physically, for He made us also to find satisfaction in service, worth in humility, joy in giving, and peace in Christ.

The fruit of love is service; the fruit of service is peace. It is through a life of service, obedience, surrender, and self sacrifice that we find peace and wholeness. Christ wants desperately to come into our hearts and guide us to these things. He is knocking at the door of each heart in hopes of being invited in. We cannot fill the space of a circle with anything other than a circle. That piece is Jesus Christ. He gave His all for us to be a part of His family. Let us give our hearts as a dwelling place for Him, and be whole.

Alicia Freedman works for Steps to Life as a part of the LandMarks team. E-mails can be sent to her at: landmarks@stepstolife.org.

Pen of Inspiration – Giving All to God

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What does the Lord require? He requires the whole heart. He says, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy mind, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and thy neighbor as thyself. (Mark 12: 30,31.) What chance does this give you to love and serve self? What allowance for the affections to be diverted from God, to have your interest upon the world and worldly things? No; it is an entire surrender that is required. Come out from among them, and be ye separate, and I will receive you.

It is the strength of the entire being that God requires. He requires of you a separation from the world and the things of the world. “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” (1 John 2:15.) It is separation from the love of the world that is required; and what is given you in its place? “I will be a father unto you.” Do you have to separate in your affections from friends? Does the truth require you to stand alone in your position to serve God, because others around you are not willing to yield to the claims that Christ has upon them? Does it require a separation in feeling from them? Yes; and this is the cross which you must bear, which leads many to say, I cannot yield to the claims of the truth. But says Christ, If any man love father, or mother, or brother, or sister, more than me, he is not worthy of me. (Matthew 10:37.) Whosoever will come after me, and will be my disciple, let him take up his cross and follow me. (Mark 8:34.) Here is the cross of self-denial and sacrifice; to separate in your affections here from those who will not yield to the claims of truth. Is this too great a sacrifice to make for him who sacrificed all for you? Here are the conditions specified by God. If we comply, he says to us, I will be a father unto you, and will receive you, and ye shall be sons and daughters of the Lord Almighty, members of the royal family, children of the heavenly King, and heirs of an immortal inheritance that is incorruptible, and that fadeth not away, reserved in Heaven for you. What a relationship is this? Do you call this degrading? Do you call this a position that shall lower you or detract from your dignity and bring you down to a low level in life? Do you call this humiliation? Do you call this a great sacrifice, to become members of the royal family and children of the heavenly King, elevated by the truths of God, fitted up for the society of heavenly angels in the kingdom of glory? What is this, in truth? It is true exaltation. It is that which will ennoble every time. The truth of God is ennobling, it is elevating, it is refining, it is sanctifying. Tell me not of any exaltation out of Jesus Christ.

When man was plunged in hopeless misery, when death was his portion, Christ left the majesty, splendor, and glory, of the heavenly kingdom, and humbled himself to a life of unexampled suffering and humiliation, and an ignominious death, that he might become a stepping-stone for man, that he might climb up upon his merits, and by virtue of his blood become enabled so to serve God, that he could accept his efforts to keep his broken law, and through obedience, man could thus be brought back again and reinstated in Eden, and share again in the glory that was at first given to the holy pair as they stood in the perfection of beauty, and in their holy innocence, in the garden of Eden. This was to be given back to Adam and his faithful children, who through the merits of the blood of Christ should be washed and sanctified and made worthy to be brought back to eat of the immortal fruit of the tree of life that Adam and Eve forfeited all right to by disobedience. If we then refuse to accept of Christ as our Saviour, are we in an exalted position? No, indeed; we are just where Adam and Eve were after their transgression, degraded, fallen, and without a Saviour; just where they would have remained had they not accepted Jesus Christ as their Redeemer.

Sinners, without God you are in this helpless condition, without hope in the world, in sin, in the bonds of iniquity and vileness and corruption; and yet your words imply that you consider it a great condescension to grasp the chain of truth that is let down from Heaven to earth, that you may take hold upon it and be brought nearer to Heaven and Jesus Christ. Do you call this condescension? Do you call this a humiliation? There are no other means of true exaltation. There is no provision made for man only through Jesus Christ whereby he may be exalted. You may talk of the honors of this world. But look at Moses. He refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. Here he had the privilege of living in kings’ houses. He was a mighty warrior, and went forth with the armies of the Egyptians to battle; and when they returned from their successful conquest, they everywhere sung of his praise and his victories. The highest honors of the world were within his grasp; but he chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy these honors and the pleasures of sin for a season, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he had respect unto the recompense of reward. He could look right through the cloud of affliction, persecution, and trials, and see the ransomed people of God, by faith, crowned with glory, honor, and everlasting life. He chose in this present life to suffer affliction with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. He esteemed the riches of the coming kingdom of glory greater than the riches of Egypt. (See Exodus.)

In like manner we have fixed our minds upon the exceeding great and precious reward; and, in order to obtain it, we must have a perfect character. The angels of God are watching the development of character. Angels of God are weighing moral worth; and we are to obtain a fitness here to join the society of sinless angels. Do you expect that when Christ comes he will give you that fitness? Not at all. You must be found of him without spot, without blemish, or wrinkle, or anything like it. Now is the watching and trying time. Now it is the time to obtain a preparation to abide the day of his coming, and to stand when he appeareth. Do you say that you cannot do it because around you are so much sin and iniquity and corruption? I refer you to Enoch. He lived just previous to the world’s being washed from its moral pollution, by a flood. He was on the earth at the time when corruption was teeming on every hand; and yet he bore the impress of the divine. He walked with God three hundred years; and he was not, for God took him, that is, translated him to Heaven. The flaming chariots of God were sent for this holy man, and he was borne to Heaven. Enoch had the witness that he pleased God. And this witness we can have. (See Genesis 6:22-24; Hebrews 11:5.)

Enoch represents those who shall remain upon the earth and be translated to Heaven without seeing death. He represents that company that are to live amid the perils of the last days, and withstand all the corruption, vileness, sin, and iniquity, and yet be unsullied by it all. We can stand as did Enoch. There has been provision made for us. Help has been laid upon One that is mighty; and we all can take hold upon his mighty strength. Angels of God, that excel in strength, are sent to minister to those who shall be heirs of salvation. These angels, when they see that we are doing the very utmost on our part to be overcomers, will do their part, and their light will shine around about us, and sway back the influence of the evil angels that are around us, and will make a fortification around us as a wall of fire. Ample provisions have been made for us when we are burdened, and weary, and cast down, and in distress.

Help has been laid upon One who is mighty. The great burden-bearer, who took our nature that he might understand how to sympathize with our frailty, and with our temptations, knows how to succor those that are tempted. And does he say, Carry your burdens yourself? No; but, Come unto me ye that are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest to your souls; for my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30.) But you say, It is this yoke that I have dreaded to wear, and this burden I have endeavored to shun. But Christ says the yoke he has prepared for you to wear is easy if you submit your neck to it, and the burden is light if you cheerfully and resolutely lift it. “Come unto me,” says Christ, “and I will give you rest.” How much lighter than the burden of sin and iniquity that you take along. How much lighter than the conscience which is constantly stinging and reproaching you. A violated conscience is hard to be endured. How much easier is the yoke of Christ than all this!

The Review and Herald, April 19, 1870.

Christ’s Workshop

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As we each go through life, heartache, fear, failure, and uncertainty seem to color the vast majority of our existence. There seems to be no rhyme or reason to the trouble that we go through, and discouragement taints our vision. Uncertainty abounds, and we feel powerless to alter the downward spiral despite our greatest efforts. We grope around in the darkness for something solid on which to lay our hands. Hallelujah! Praise God!

I know that those are not the first words that come to mind for most of us, and I do not say them to mock individual struggles. I say them because we are in God’s workshop, and that is reason to rejoice! God is using the anxiety and pain we feel in life to mold our character after that of Christ! Just as gold must be refined in the fires to eliminate impurities and be transformed into the purest form, so we are in the fires to be purified.

There are two places we can choose between to have our characters altered and refined. Satan has his own workshop we call the world. He is ever ready to victimize any unsuspecting person to his fires. God’s workshop is always open for those who choose to be fashioned after Jesus. He does not force anyone to enter, but gently invites. Satan will discreetly demolish conscience and discretion and allow us a feigned sense of security and contentedness. He will hone our tendencies toward conceit and anger and self justification, slowly obliterating any trace of God-given character with which we may be gifted. In Christ’s workshop, our hardships will be used to sharpen our awareness of His character and give us trust in His arm and strength to endure for Him. He will remove our inborn tendencies toward selfishness and pride, and will instill in us His strength to endure the wiles of the devil through Jesus Christ. Satan will do anything in his power to keep us far away from Christ’s workshop. He is the source of all pain. God is not the one who inflicts sorrow. We can give in to the devil and allow him to accomplish his end by becoming discouraged, angry, bitter, and laying the blame for our troubles at God’s feet. On the other hand, we can give our grief to God and allow Him to use the misery we are dealt to teach us to lean on Him, to trust Him in every circumstance. We can learn to set self aside and have faith that God will care for our every need. Matthew 6:30 promises His care for us. “Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?” We live in a world of sin. We will suffer. Do we want to suffer Satan’s atrocities and allow him to wear on our hearts, or do we wish to set our burdens down at the feet of a loving Saviour and permit Him to use those troubles to create a character acceptable to Him?

Do not become discouraged believing that you should always be able to rejoice in hardship. We are human and will become downtrodden at times. However, there is not a need to stay there. The way we look at circumstances in our lives can make an immense difference in how we feel about them. God has promised us that we do not struggle in vain; rather, there is a divine purpose for all our anguish. Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose.” And though we suffer, we are not alone. Christ has trod the same path ahead of us and He is there to encourage and strengthen. Ellen White, in a letter to her children, says, “Christ bore the test of character in our behalf that we might bear this test in our own behalf through the divine strength He has brought to us.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 3, 100. Isaiah 43:2 tells us, “When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee; when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flames kindle upon thee.” We will most assuredly walk through the waters and fires, yet God promises His presence and that there will be no lasting detriment.

Though we may make the choice to ask God to shape us, there is usually the question of why we must go through such intense turmoil to be fashioned after Him. It is a common question with a very basic answer. Adam and Eve chose not to trust God. The moment their choice was made, they gave Satan dominion over them and all the earth. Sin has been inborn into each of us since that time, just as gold contains impurities in its raw form. The devil will go to great lengths to keep us from a personal relationship with God. It is the nature of sin, our tendency against Christ’s character, which requires us to be refined in the flames of life. There is no method to extract the impurities of any existing thing without drastic measures. Water must be boiled, gold melted, diamonds must be cut, and people must be tried. We still use the same modus operandi as Adam and Eve did when they sinned against God: skepticism, self-centeredness, and pride. Satan ensures that every human is born with these things in their minds and hearts. The horrible things that happen to us in life are a direct result of a sinful nature and are dealt by the devil’s hand.

Please bear in mind that, though it is essential for us to go through tribulation, it is by no means what God originally intended for us. God wanted us to learn through the joy of exploration and to grow in Him through daily communion with the Father. Yet, many tend to blame God for the despondency experienced at the hand of Satan. Though they realize that the devil is at the core of their suffering, they stand obstinately asserting that God could prevent the difficulty. He could, but would we truly, in our heart of hearts, wish Him to? Our purpose on earth is to perfect our characters for Heaven. How are we to accomplish this if there is no fire to remove our infirmities? We are sinful beings; sin is innate to us. God wants to eradicate this so that we may spend eternity with Him. In light of this, would we really wish to go through life unable to walk with Christ because of our evil natures? Or would we prefer to consent to the refinery so that God can rid us of our defects and we can live with Him? A common proverb says, “Short term pain, long term pleasure.” What is a lifetime of pain compared to an eternity of perfect peace and joy?

God warns us that the path of Christianity is one of hardship and toil. Matthew 7:13, 14 points this out clearly: “Enter ye in at the strait gate; for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” Satan is going to try to win at all costs, even to end our lives. Had God no plan, this would be an insuperable trial. But with each tragedy in our lives, we have been promised that God can work it to His glory. Joan of Arc was one of those who dedicated her life to Christ for His work. She lived during the Hundred Year War between England and France. The English had for some time been warring with France over control of the country. Already they had a portion of Northern France and interspersed loyalties in villages further south. A treaty was drawn between the French and English, The Peace of Troyes, giving the English king the power to rule France. No provision was given, however, for the death of both the French and the English kings. The French Dauphin and the English prince both were vying for the crown, and Joan was called in the midst of this to lead France to victory against the English and see to the coronation of the Dauphin, Charles v11. Notwithstanding the great difficulty and the insults directed toward her, Joan, at the age of 17, was made General of the French army and turned the military into a formidable force. And on July 17, 1429, the Dauphin was coroneted. Not long after, she was captured by her own people, the French Burundians, who did not wish to see war with England, and was burned at the stake as a witch and heretic on May 30, 1431. Satan did not win through Joan’s murder though. The loyal Frenchmen, enraged by her execution, eventually eradicated the disloyal in France and drove England to respect the borders of their country. Yes, Joan lost her life for obedience to God’s calling, yet because she chose to obey, she was a significant force that led to the freedom of France from England. Satan tried to thwart God’s plan by killing His servant, and yet even through Joan’s death God was able to make a triumphant victory to cause His will to prevail. So it is with all of us. The devil can bring his greatest attacks against us, he can create as much pain as he is capable of, and yet God will use it to His end. We can take great comfort in that promise.

We are all soldiers, as Joan was. We are fighting in the war that dwarfs all wars: the great controversy between Christ and Satan. No soldier can undergo the fierceness of battle without conditioning. Here is where, once again, we choose whose workshop we are in; who will condition us for the battle. Satan will work his wiles on everyone to coerce them into battle against God. He will use force and brutality in our lives to accomplish this end. But God can use the vicious acts of the devil as conditioning tools to strengthen our trust and will for Him. They are the weights by which we gain spiritual muscle, if we so choose. Without this strength there is no possibility of our raising the Christian banner. For, just as the flag bearers in the great American wars, those who carry the banner of Christ are specifically targeted by the enemy. Without the development of our spiritual stamina, we would be no match for the battle. The test of faith outfits us to stand against doubt, the test of love helps us to eradicate hate, and the test of truth illuminates error. These are our weapons of war. We must be trained and sculpted with spiritual muscle. The Bible puts it like this: “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Ephesians 6:12–17.

Just as those beacons of purpose waved the colors in all the great battles of our nation, those who take a stand against the prince of darkness shall become primary targets in his scope. When we choose the life of Christ, fear is struck into the heart of Satan. He wants no one to know Jesus. The greatest injury we can inflict on the devil is to live our lives in a way that it is pleasing to our Creator. Satan knows better than to waste time with those who are already in his snare. There is no point in waging war on territory already obtained. His special attention, his wiles, sophistry, hatred, and fear are for any soldier of God, his mortal enemy. This in itself can be great comfort, though we are the center of such intense animosity. Knowing that the devil trembles before us because we are the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit allows us to call upon the power of the Holy Spirit to counteract the blows hurled at us by Satan.

Our sinful natures, the war that we are fighting at Christ’s side, the devil’s fear of Christians—these are all understandable reasons why life would be unpleasant, but there is one purpose that we can hold in our hearts as cause to rejoice: we need to feel our need for Christ. We would soon die for lack of water if not for feeling thirsty. The same principle applies with our need for a Savior. If we do not thirst for Him, why would we search for Him? And what is it that awakens us to the knowledge that we need God? It is always in our deprivation of a need that we know we are in want. Without trial there would be no need to trust God. If there were no pain we would not need the comfort of a Heavenly Father. Had God revealed all things to us, there would be no need for faith. So then where would we need God? When life is simple and all is going well, there is no test of character. When we go through life untried there is no attention paid to character. There is just as much necessity to develop a character after that of Christ, but the urgency is not felt. We do not see the need to work hard for something when we are perfectly content with what we have. God has given us trials to keep us constantly searching for Him and incessantly working for His character in our hearts. Though this is not an easy endeavor to undergo we can find joy in the goal that we are working to attain.

There is something beautiful and miraculous in our sorrows. It is through our tribulation that we see Jesus most clearly. It is not during the day that we see the innumerable stars, but at night. Likewise, it is not in times of tranquility that God’s love and purity are most visible, but in heartache and sorrow. Satan hurls trials at us in an attempt to force us away from God, just as he did with Job. The devil’s desire was to compel Job to curse God through the violence he brought to Job’s life. Come what may, Job’s fidelity to God was steadfast. God rewarded Job’s loyalty and blessed him doubly in the end. Satan’s designs on Job resulted in just the opposite effect of what he had hoped. Instead of separating the faithful servant from the Master, his attacks brought the two closer than before. In the same way, through unwavering devotion to our Lord, Satan’s devices can be used, not to tear us away, but rather, to fling us into the arms of our Father. In essence, the devil is then a springboard which drives us to Christ’s feet. Satan has a design, but that same design is used by Christ to a very different end. Through Jesus we can reverse the course of Satan’s weapons, and he is thus pierced with his own arrows. We have the privilege of trusting in a tender Father who will work with us on our behalf to turn the devil’s attacks into immense blessings. What greater blessing could there be than to be in the tender arms of Christ?

Before I close with you, I would like to leave you with one more thought. There is yet another purpose for our trials, one in which all created beings in all universes are involved. We are living out the great controversy to allow every being in every world to behold the infallibility of God’s law. Every world and created being is going to see His justice, mercy, love, and faithfulness. How would we know the true nature of Satan and our immense necessity of Christ if our lives were neatly packaged with a bow? No, we need to see the prince of darkness for what he truly is. Every being in every universe is bent toward earth and the harrowing struggle taking place here. Each must see the malevolence of the devil. God’s glory and power, His gentility and love, His integrity and purity are all made manifest alongside the diabolical sophistries of Satan. Through our distress God has an opportunity to demonstrate the immensity of His love and mercy.

“With sorrow and indignation the angels heard the choice made by the people and the sentence passed upon Christ. But they could not interfere; for in the great controversy between good and evil, Satan must be given every opportunity to develop his true character, that the heavenly universe and the race for whom Christ was giving His life might see the righteousness of God’s purposes. Those under the control of the enemy must be allowed to reveal the principles of his government.” Signs of the Times, March 28, 1900.

Though life is harrowing and agonizing we rest in the faith that God has each of us in the palm of His hand. He alone can turn the blows of the devil into showers of blessings on our behalf. It is obvious to all that Satan does not have our best interest at heart. There is no lasting reward in following his path. We are going to suffer regardless of which road we choose to traverse. In our anguish do we wish to be in the grip of Satan who wishes nothing other than the demise of all, or would we rather be in the arms of Christ and suffer for His good purpose? In whose workshop do you want to be?

Alicia Freedman works at Steps to Life as a part of the LandMarks team. She can be reached by e-mail at: landmarks@stepstolife.org.

Self-Examination

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I know the heart of the true Christian longs to be in harmony with God. I also know that it is in these same hearts that the devil is so very hard at work. We are very fallible as people and require great attention to the blemishes of character to touch our goal, the character of Christ. This is why, to the dedicated Christian, self-examination is an integral part of spiritual life. It is a strict investigation into the integrity of our faith; a means by which to know our defects that we may overcome them. The Bible speaks on the necessity of attending to this duty in 11 Corinthians 13:5 “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith.” The only remedy for self-deception is self-examination. This is how we are enabled to guard against a wrong judgment of our spiritual condition.

Men in every age have been able to deceive themselves in regard to their characters; to call good evil, and evil good. Now, one may be tempted to think that good and evil are so far separated, how could there be any confusion? It is through the nearly imperceptible wiles of the devil, coupled with our finite and sinful minds, that allows the perception that evil could be good and vice versa. How many people live and die in self-deception? It is not a condition restricted to the ungodly. Please understand this, for to think so is dangerous ground. Every era has found the majority of professed Christianity to be blinded as to their true character. The Laodicean church has been entrusted with important and sacred truths of the last message of mercy and yet has become shamefully deceived as to their spiritual state. They are described as them that say, “I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing.” Revelation 3:17. And yet they know not that they are, “wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.”

God’s true people have chosen to improve since this message was seen to apply to them. They have been enabled to make the necessary improvements by way of self-examination. But the scriptures clearly state that many will continue down the path of willful blindness until the day of the Lord when they will say, “Lord, Lord,” claiming a right to His favor. Because they have chosen to remain blind to the truths they would otherwise have accepted, He returns saying, “I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” Matthew 7:22, 23. How heart wrenching it would be to hear this from our Lord, our Creator, and how wholly unnecessary. If we were but willing to take a look in the mirror and remove the imperfections, we would be saved from this. Self-deception cannot exist where the work of self-examination is correctly and faithfully undertaken.

If we were in a perfect state and had no defects in our character, the view in the mirror would be one easy to accept and even easier to alter. But as fallible human beings this is not an agreeable duty to perform. Strangely, it is uncomfortable for us to admit to our faults, even when they cause us so much harm. We would not knowingly leave cancer in our bodies because we know the great peril in which our lives would be put. And yet most of us put our lives in the same danger by ignoring our sinful faults. The difficulty arises from the pride and deceitfulness in our hearts and our tendency to look upon our characters with complacency and nonchalance. We tend to excuse ourselves of our wrongs. The adversary is hard at work to keep us from our duty to our characters through our tendency to focus on the faults of others, which are by far secondary to the attention our own characters desperately require. The Bible asks us why we would pay so much heed to the sliver in our neighbor’s eye when we have a whole tree in our own. (See Matthew 7:3.) It is considerably less labor intensive and painful to point the finger than to do the necessary work in ourselves. The unfortunate fact of the matter is that the greater portion of professed Christians choose not to remove their tree. So if we fail to examine ourselves, we cannot obtain a thorough and correct knowledge of our characters. Satan exults in our self-induced blindness as we cannot see the necessity of overcoming, and consequently fail to advance in sanctification. But if we become acquainted with our hearts and open ourselves to the ugliness of our sinful nature, we shall realize the necessity of overcoming and progressing in holiness.

The view in the spiritual looking glass will not be a pleasant one for most of us at first. We are so prone to sin and, without even realizing it, we frequently allow sin into our lives. The arch-deceiver did not earn this title for no reason. He knows where our weaknesses lie and will use them against us in such a way that we believe what we are letting in does not relate to sinfulness. The devil is slowly dimming the lights of our spiritual awareness. If we are not careful, eventually we will be unable to see. Our eyes adjust to the growing darkness, making it seem like we do not need additional lighting. But what happens when we go too long like this? We damage our eyesight. Satan has the same plan with our spiritual well-being. Notwithstanding the unpleasantness of the work and the great opposition that we experience from the devil, we must push forward in our endeavor to perfect our characters for the Lord. We want to be among those privileged to live with our beloved Father. Is this not worth any discomfort we may experience in looking at ourselves for what we truly are? But how do we turn the lights back on?

We are constantly presented ways for self-improvement. One common expression we have all heard as advice is to “follow your heart.” Jeremiah 17:9 tells us that, “the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked.” This warning is so vital given that we live in a world that operates on the emotional level rather than the intellect. There is nothing to keep emotions in check except the mind. So then do we follow our mind, or more specifically, our conscience? We answer only to our own conscience, but every person’s conscience will say something different, so how do we know whose is correct? How do we know that our own conscience has not been significantly blunted by the effects of living in a sinful world? And as how we think of things affects how we feel, we cannot safely accept feelings as a guide.

Humans are simply too inconsistent and incompetent to look to for any aid. One blind man does not lead another with great success. We cannot determine the status of our character without the Word of God. We are judged by the Word and so must live by the Word. The Bible serves as a light that can illuminate our beings and allow us to see ourselves. Just as a person would become quickly discouraged looking for something in a room completely dark, so would we become frustrated in trying to change if we did not see what we were asked to become. We need to become so acquainted with the truth that we see it, not merely as a theory, but as a standard by which to live. Just as we have the Scriptures as a guide, we have the unerring life of Christ as an example. We are asked to walk as He walked. This sounds intimidating and impossible, but we are promised that the Holy Spirit will strengthen us. “Without this,” says Helffenstein, “we shall be liable either to the extreme of presumption or despondency. While some cry, Peace, where there is no peace, others, overlooking the exercise of a renewed heart, will be held in perpetual bondage to their doubts and fears. Great care should then be taken to ascertain what the scriptures insist on, as essential to Christian character. It is by these points, and not by such as is merely circumstantial, that we are to determine the genuineness of our piety.

“There are some who place great dependence upon the pungency of their convictions, the ecstasy of their joys, remarkable dreams, sudden impulses, the unexpected application of some Scriptural promise, or the fact that they can refer to the particular moment and place of their supposed conversion. None of these things, however, constitute the distinguishing marks of race. Instead, therefore, of directing our minds to those circumstances which may be as marked in the cases of the self-deceived as in the cases of true believers, our inquiries should relate to those traits of character which are the invariable fruits of the Spirit, and which are common to all the subjects of its saving influence.”1

In looking at the Scriptures as a guide we must implore the Holy Spirit to be in our hearts and minds and illuminate the truths contained in what we read. Jesus said to the Laodiceans, “Anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.” Revelation 3:18. It may be slow at first. Just as coming out of a dark room our eyes are pained if we take in the light too fast, God will only reveal the light to us as we can deal with it. We must constantly be undertaking the work of self-improvement. The devil never ceases his work against us, so we must constantly be working against him to keep his deceptions out of our lives.

Christians tend to think that, once converted, the work is finished. But true conversion is a process. What are we working to be converted to anyway? Is it not Christ? And who can say that they are Christ-like? It is the consistent worker who does not lax in their duty who will reap the rewards. Dr. Watts tells us, “it was a sacred rule among the Pythagoreans that they should, every evening, thrice run over the actions and affairs of the day, and examine what their conduct had been, what they had done, or what they had neglected; and they assured their pupils that by this method they would make a noble progress in the path of virtue.”2 And should we Christians fall behind these heathen philosophers in this important exercise? Dr. Watts gives us some lines we would do well to remember here:

Sometimes it seems quite overwhelming with all the cares of the day to have yet one more thing to attend to. There are two remedies to this. Firstly, ask yourself what your purpose is in life? Is it to make money and be successful in the eyes of the world, or is your purpose to gain a closer walk with God to ultimately walk one day by His side? Secondly, take baby steps. Children are taught the alphabet before they are taught to read. If a child was handed a book and expected to be able to read, he would soon become discouraged and give up.

It is easier for our minds to grasp things which are tangible, such as our actions. Is our conduct that of a Christian? Do our actions uphold the fundamental principles of the Ten Commandments? As our actions and words are originated from what our minds contain, upon what are we thinking? Our thoughts determine our feelings toward a given situation which also provokes our actions. This is a question that needs to be carefully thought through. Much of the time we believe ourselves to be pious and yet our motives for our actions are less than admirable. The devil has tricked the mind so often into thinking that if we are doing the right thing we are okay. But Satan can lead us into doing the right thing and have it meet his purpose because our motives were not pure.

We can attach far too much importance to the idea that we are practicing a form of godliness and to the fact that we have attached ourselves formally with God’s people. Both of these are very beneficial and perhaps even necessary as a Christian. The Jews were a people who strictly adhered to one form of godliness and yet missed the heart of true godliness by a mile. A form of godliness can exist without the power of godliness. And Christ found it necessary to separate from believers at times for the respite of quiet communion with the Father. So these are not things that can necessarily aid in examining whether the heart of our actions are in alignment with that of Christ.

It is so very difficult to look at ourselves without being partial. Preconceived ideas tend to be steadfast and opinions are most often formed to our own favor. Yet through prayer, the Holy Spirit will shed light where it is necessary as we are able to handle it. This is not a light matter as we are preparing our robes (characters) for the second coming of Christ. Every spot on our character is a spot on our robe and we are called to be without blemish upon the return of our King. “It is in this life that we are to put on the robe of Christ’s righteousness. This is our only opportunity to form characters for the home which Christ has made ready for those who obey His commandments.” Signs of the Times, November 22, 1905. I know that it is discouraging to look at something ugly and think of all the work it is going to take to restore beauty. God likens our bodies to temples for Him, and thus we should treat our spirits. To look at a home that is in desperate need of remodeling can be overwhelming. But the task becomes far less daunting when we have a concept of what we want the finished product to look like. Most of us are in this position spiritually. Our temple has been sorely neglected and looking at this is not pleasant, but Christ is our model so we have a clear idea of what we are to change.

People tend to look at personal trial as defeating and harmful. I would encourage us to look at hardship rather, as an inner mirror. Our response to hardship tells us most clearly where we stand intellectually, morally, and spiritually. It is a way for us to fine-tune what we lack, and also to acknowledge change where it has taken place. Is it not when we endure trials with an unruffled temper, without fretting or mumbling, that we can truly say that we are patient? Is it not when we are in a position to forgive a wrong that we see where we stand with grace?

Dear reader, Christ asks us to be prepared for His second coming by putting on the robe of righteousness. Our attendance at the marriage feast depends on this. I want to be there and I know that hearts that belong to God long to be there also. Take upon yourselves the work necessary to be presentable to Him, and do so with the knowledge that, though the work is daunting, the Holy Spirit will shed light unto your path and strengthen you in your efforts.

  1. Jacob Helffenstein, Self-Deception: Its Nature, Evils, and Remedy, Published by Albert Sims, Uxbridge, Ontario, Canada, 1887.
  2. Isaac Watts, Joseph Emerson, The Improvement of the Mind, Boston, Hickling, Swan & Brewer, Cleveland: Ingham & Bragg, 1858.

Let not soft slumber close your eyes

Before you’ve recollected thrice

The train of actions thro’ the day.

Where have my feet chose out the way?

What have I learned where’er I’ve been,

From all I’ve heard, from all I’ve seen?

What know I more, that’s worth the knowing?

What have I done that’s worth the doing?

What have I sought that I should shun?

What duty have I left undone,

Or into what new follies run?

These self-inquiries are the road

That leads to virtue and to God.

Surrender

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Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” Romans 12:1.

God asks us to give our whole being to Him. Furthermore, He desires a holy being; one not defiled by sin. Of course, as people born into transgression we have no hope of accomplishing this on our own. God gave us Christ to be our example and the Holy Spirit to be our guide. Complete surrender, though, is required; surrender of body, mind, and soul.

Surrender is defined as yielding to the possession or power of another, or to give oneself to an influence, course, or emotion. It is curious that the term surrender does not simply apply to the physical but also to the intellectual and emotional. So God does not want only our bodies, but our minds and souls. It may seem that He is asking a lot of us, but His is a very simple request from One who gave His life for every sinful soul, including those individuals who despised Him. We are giving ourselves to a loving Christ, One whom we can trust implicitly.

We are God’s creation and, by right of ownership, He could induce surrender; however, “It is not part of Christ’s mission to compel man to receive Him… Christ is ever showing mercy, ever seeking to win by the revealing of His love. He can admit no rival in the soul, nor accept of partial service; but He desires only voluntary service, the willing surrender of the heart under the constraint of love.” The Acts of the Apostles, 541.

What, though, does God call us to surrender? Anything that comes between us and Him. It is the infinite love of our Heavenly Father which prompts Him to ask for the removal of any barrier between Himself and His beloved creation. If we love God whole-heartedly this would not be a question or challenge in our minds. Far too often, though, we choose to love and serve something else above God. If God cannot participate in every thought, action, and emotion we are in defiance of His request, and we are asked to surrender it to Him in order that He might replace these things in our hearts. Ellen White provides a beautiful illustration of this.

“About this time Ellen passed by a tent on the campground and saw a little girl who seemed much distressed about something. She held in her arms a little parasol. Her face was pale as she tightly clung to her treasure. Several times she started to lay it down and then she held it closer to her again. After a few minutes the child cried, ‘Dear Jesus, I want to love you and go to heaven! Take away my sins! I give myself to you, parasol and all!’ Then crying, she threw herself into her mother’s arms. ‘Mother,’ she said, ‘I am so happy, for Jesus loves me, and I love Him better than my parasol or anything else.’

“Her face was shining with happiness as she smiled at those around her. Then her mother explained that her little daughter had received the parasol as a present not long before. She loved it very much. She carried it with her everywhere, even taking it with her when she slept at night. But during the meetings the little girl has heard that we must give all to Jesus. What a struggle she had gone through before she was willing to give up her treasure! But now that it was over, and she had given all she had, her face was bright with her new joy.

“Then it was explained to the little girl that since she had given up everything for her Savior, and allowed nothing to stand between her and her love for Him it was right for her to keep her parasol and use it.

“As Ellen walked on across the campground she said to herself, ‘How hard it is to give up the parasol! Yet Jesus gave up heaven for our sake, and became poor, that we, through His poverty and suffering, might have heavenly riches.’ ” Life Sketches of James and Ellen G. White, 142.

Just as this little girl in Ellen White’s illustration gave up her most prized possession, we are called to do the same. Every thought, word, action and feeling we are to give to God and let Him mold and perfect. Our bodies (see Romans 12:1), our wills (see Matthew 26:39), and our souls (see Deuteronomy 6:5) are to be given unreservedly to our loving Father.

It is not because of an arbitrary desire for control or possession that God wishes our submission to Him. Quite the contrary, God knows that only through total surrender can we gain. Our finite minds cling so tightly to what we have here because we cannot fathom the immeasurable wealth that God has in store for us if we choose to follow Him. Freedom from the confines of sin and pain, and freedom from our earthly endeavors, is what He offers us so that we are free to partake of His riches. “When you give up your own will, your own wisdom, and learn of Christ, you will find admittance into the kingdom of God.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 110. But let us consider also what Jesus surrendered for our sakes. “Do we talk about self-denial? What did Christ give for us? When you think it hard that Christ requires all, go up to mount Calvary and weep there over such a thought. Behold the hands and feet of your Deliverer torn by the cruel nails, that you may be washed from sin by his own blood.” Truly what God requires of us is a pittance in contrast to what we have already received. And still God does not ask this of us for His sake, but for ours.

“Many are inquiring, ‘How am I to make the surrender of myself to God?’ You desire to give yourself to Him, but you are weak in moral power, in slavery to doubt, and controlled by the habits of your life of sin. Your promises and resolutions are like ropes of sand. You cannot control your thoughts, your impulses, your affections. The knowledge of your broken promises and forfeited pledges weakens your confidence in your own sincerity, and causes you to feel that God cannot accept you; but you need not despair. What you need to understand is the true force of the will. This is the governing power in the nature of man, the power of decision, or of choice. Everything depends on the right action of the will. The power of choice God has given to men; it is theirs to exercise. You cannot change your heart, you cannot of yourself give to God its affections; but you can choose to serve Him. You can give Him your will; He will then work in you to will and to do according to His good pleasure. Thus your whole nature will be brought under the control of the Spirit of Christ; your affections will be centered upon Him, your thoughts will be in harmony with Him.” Steps to Christ, 47.

We are fallible humans, incapable of perfection on our own accord. Hence, it would stand to reason that the only way we could partake of the immense riches God has waiting for us is to be guided by Him to accept His gift of the Holy Spirit to cleanse us and allow ourselves to be hidden in Him. There is no way to do this aside from being in accordance with God spiritually, intellectually, and physically; thus, to surrender our whole beings. “The only defense against evil is the indwelling of Christ in the heart through faith in His righteousness. Unless we become vitally connected with God, we can never resist the unhallowed effects of self-love, self-indulgence, and temptation to sin. We may leave off many bad habits, for the time we may part company with Satan; but without a vital connection with God, through the surrender of ourselves to Him moment by moment, we shall be overcome. Without a personal acquaintance with Christ, and a continual communion, we are at the mercy of the enemy and shall do his bidding in the end.” The Desire of Ages, 324. [Emphasis supplied] We must be willing to sacrifice everything if we are to gain freedom. We all have sin that keeps us separated from Heaven and true freedom. Our duty is to be willing to separate from ourselves and cling to Jesus. Leave self behind and put on Christ. Christ was able to carry out His Father’s will through God’s strength. We also are able to carry out God’s will through the strength Jesus imparts to us.

How much is Christ’s sacrifice and eternal life worth to us? In Matthew 13:44, we see a man plowing a field, anxious to begin sowing the field when his plow hits something hard. He goes to see what he has bumped into and finds a vast treasure that has been buried there. When he sees the wealth that has been concealed in the field, he decides then and there that he must buy it, for it is worth more than all his assets. Where would he obtain the money to make the purchase? He is not independently wealthy; there is no savings account set aside. The only option is to sell all he currently owns to acquire the field. But what a simple choice to make, given the untold wealth he has just unearthed. “This parable illustrated the value of the heavenly treasure, and the effort that should be made to obtain it. The finder of the treasure in the field was ready to part with all that he had, ready to put forth untiring labor, in order to secure the hidden riches. So the finder of heavenly treasure will count no labor too great and no sacrifice too dear, in order to gain the treasures of truth.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 103. This man was willing to give his all for the treasure he found. Are we willing to give our all for the treasure God has promised us? “Those who feel the constraining love of God ask not how little may be given, in order to obtain the heavenly reward; they ask not for the lowest standard, but aim at a perfect conformity to the will of their Redeemer. With ardent desire they will yield all, and manifest zeal proportionate to the value of the object they are in pursuit of. What is the object? Immortality, eternal life.” Spiritual Gifts, vol. 2, 260.

The brief life of Betty Scott Stam is a powerful example of utter surrender to Christ. And though she and her husband met with a terrible end, they, like we, are called to carry the cross of Christ. And where did the cross lead but to Calvary?

They were young missionaries serving with the China Inland Missions in the early 1930s. Scarcely one year after their marriage in China, they found themselves caught up in the advance of the Communists into the town where they were living. They were captured, held for an exorbitant ransom, marched through the streets of the village, and they were beheaded.

Betty Scott had been raised in China. She was the daughter of a Presbyterian missionary couple. Perhaps her childhood of faith, her utter dependence on God, and her preparation for giving her life for the gospel can be best witnessed in the words of her own poetry.

At age ten she wrote:

I cannot live like Jesus
Example though He be
For He was strong and selfless
And I am tied to me.
I cannot live like Jesus
My soul is never free
My will is strong and stubborn
My love is weak and wee.
But I have asked my Jesus
To live His life in me.
I cannot look like Jesus
More beautiful is He
In soul and eye and stature
Than sunrise on the sea.
Behold His warm, His tangible
His dear humanity.
Behold His white perfection
Of purest deity.
Yet Jesus Christ has promised
That we like Him shall be.

As a young woman of eighteen, she wrote this:

Lord, I give up all my own plans
and purposes
All my own desires and hopes
And accept Thy will for my life.
I give myself, my life, my all
Utterly to Thee to be Thine
forever.
Fill me and seal me with
Thy Holy Spirit
Use me as Thou wilt, send me
where Thou wilt
And work out Thy will in my life
at any cost now and forever.

This young woman was ready to worship her Lord in life or death, to give her whole soul; and eventually she gave her life for His divine service.

Sometimes when we surrender ourselves to God we are subjected to experiences that make us question God’s purpose. What is God doing? How is this going to work for good? “God never leads His children otherwise than they would choose to be led, if they could see the end from the beginning, and discern the glory of the purpose which they are fulfilling as co-workers with Him.” The Desire of Ages, 224. What an amazing promise. In this life we may not understand why some things are taking place, however, if we knew all things, we would not choose anything different. It is a great comfort to know that, even when Satan throws ugly hurdles in our path, God is still in command and works all things for His glory and our eternal benefit.

In The Great Controversy Ellen White speaks extensively of the religious reformers Huss and Jerome. In their lives we see the courage to surrender everything to God and the intense anguish suffered as a result of doing so. However, God did not allow their sacrifice on His behalf to be without good purpose, without reward. “His [Huss’] persecutors vainly imagined that they had rooted out the truths he preached. Little did they dream that the ashes that day borne away to the sea were to be as seed scattered in all the countries of the earth; that in lands yet unknown it would yield abundant fruit in witness to the truth. The voices which had spoken in the council hall of Constance had wakened echoes that would be heard through all coming ages. Huss was no more, but the truths for which he died could never perish. His example of faith and constancy would encourage multitudes to stand firm for the truth, in the face of torture and death. His execution had exhibited to the whole world the perfidious cruelty of Rome. The enemies of the truth, though they knew it not, had been furthering the cause which they so vainly sought to destroy.” The Great Controversy, 110. And the same was true of Jerome’s execution. “So perish God’s faithful light bearers. But the light of truth which they proclaimed—the light of their heroic example—could not be extinguished. … But those [the writings of Wycliffe] that had escaped destruction were now brought out from their hiding places and studied in connection with the Bible, … and many were thus led to accept the reformed faith.” Ibid., 115. Had they known the end from the beginning, had they been able to see the good resulting from the forfeit of their lives, through God’s strength, neither man would have chosen a different path. However, not knowing, they still chose to surrender themselves to a higher purpose through trust and confidence in the character and promises of Jesus Christ.

Every new day requires us to surrender anew to the will of our Heavenly Father. A commitment to trust that no matter what we may forfeit, whatever we put into His hands, will be used to shape our characters such that we may put on the robe of Christ’s righteousness. Through our unconditional surrender, God will also work for the betterment of others and for their eternal life. There is nothing so great that we would give to God that would equal His reward for those faithful to Him.

A network engineer, Jana Grosboll lives in Derby, Kansas. She may be e-mailed at: janawwjd@yahoo.com.

All for Jesus

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My heart is very heavy for humanity. The whole earth has been in turmoil and struggle for so long. Satan is in a life and death struggle for each soul. Many people feel the effects of this spiritual conflict and are caught between attraction for this world and a deep need for the love that only God can give. What a battle! It is the age-old war that has been going on since Eve first picked the fruit. This is not just a battle for this earth as a whole, but a fierce war within each individual who feels the call of the Holy Spirit in their lives. That war will persist until one of two things happen; either a person surrenders completely to God, or sin is dallied with for so long that the Holy Spirit quits striving with them and Satan then has sway to degrade as he wishes.

Surrendering is a terrible inward conflict. It means not having any agenda for ourselves, but being willing to be placed wherever God wants us to be, and being happy and finding blessings in that place. “God’s promise is, ‘Ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall search for Me with all your heart.’ Jeremiah 29:13.” Steps to Christ, 43. It takes that complete surrender. Notice the words “with all your heart.” I do not find any reference in the Bible which indicates that any portion can be withheld, no matter how small. “The whole heart must be yielded to God, or the change can never be wrought in us by which we are to be restored to His likeness. By nature we are alienated from God. The Holy Spirit describes our condition in such words as these: ‘Dead in trespasses and sins;’ ‘the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint;’ ‘no soundness in it.’ We are held fast in the snare of Satan, ‘taken captive by him at his will.’ Ephesians 2:1; Isaiah 1:5, 6; 11 Timothy 2:26. God desires to heal us, to set us free. But since this requires an entire transformation, a renewing of our whole nature, we must yield ourselves wholly to Him.” Steps to Christ, 43.

What a dichotomy from the teaching of the world! Even the “church” has bought into the mindset of making our own lives. But what else was Paul saying when he says in Philippians 4:11, “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content”? This whole chapter is such a promise, such a gift that presents what we can have in God. I recommend not only reading it, but soaking it into your heart so the daily life is affected. The following is an excerpt from Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary that sheds some additional light on this verse: “I leave it to others if they will, to be discontented. I, for my part, have learned, by the teaching of the Holy Spirit, and the dealings of Providence (Heb 5:8), to be content in every state.” The Commentary goes on to expound on contentedness: “Content—The Greek, literally expresses ‘independent of others, and having sufficiency in one’s self.’ But Christianity has raised the term above the haughty self-sufficiency of the heathen Stoic to the contentment of the Christian, whose sufficiency is not in self, but in God.” The key here is the phrase, “whose sufficiency is not in self, but in God.” Nothing comes from our own independence! John 15:5 says, “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.” Paul says, in Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” You see, in and of ourselves we have nothing we can call good. In Isaiah 64:6 we read, “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” That is unmistakably clear.

I look at the ongoing misery and see the unhealthy ways in which people seek for fulfillment. I long for each person’s happiness. What most do not understand is that happiness in life comes from a true, complete surrender to God. One of the ways we look for fulfillment is by looking to another human. It is inevitable that they will disappoint us. There is not a single human in life who will not eventually disappoint or hurt. I have learned and am still learning to be okay with that. I am learning that this sad fact is part and parcel of a sinful world. God allows difficulties into our lives so we will learn that lesson. Without complete surrender, and dependence on Him, one can never find the peace or love that God offers. “In giving ourselves to God, we must necessarily give up all that would separate us from Him. Hence the Saviour says: ‘Whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be My disciple.’ Luke 14:33.” Ellen White further expounds on this saying, “Whatever shall draw away the heart from God must be given up. Mammon is the idol of many. The love of money, the desire for wealth, is the golden chain that binds them to Satan. Reputation and worldly honor are worshiped by another class. The life of selfish ease and freedom from responsibility is the idol of others. But these slavish bands must be broken. We cannot be half the Lord’s and half the world’s. We are not God’s children unless we are such entirely.” Steps to Christ, 44.

“This world is not my home, I’m just a passin’ through.” If we truly have this in the core of our heart, things will not matter so much here. Our own agenda will disappear and we can focus our eyes on the promises and glory to come. How truly, how deeply, how fervently God loves each one. Yet, I can truly say, the decision is yours, and yours alone. He has not a hair of feeling of coercion or force in Him; only a deep longing and love for you and your happiness, not only for heaven, but even here and now. Refer once again to Steps to Christ, 43. “The government of God is not, as Satan would make it appear, founded upon a blind submission, an unreasoning control. It appeals to the intellect and the conscience. ‘Come now, and let us reason together’ is the Creator’s invitation to the beings He has made. Isaiah 1:18. God does not force the will of His creatures. He cannot accept an homage that is not willingly and intelligently given.”

Whenever I feel overwhelmed by the difficulties of life, when I feel intense pain from a particular situation, I go to the life of Jesus. I think of the solitude that Jesus chose above all else when He left the perfect oneness with His Father; not like the broken connections we so cherish here. It is a connection not one of us here on earth has known or will ever know. Yet God the Father and Jesus chose the separation to achieve our salvation, only to have 100% of the people of earth desert Jesus in His darkest hour. This scene, this amazing character, this abounding love is ever open for our contemplation. The thought overwhelms me as I only just begin to grasp the immense love that must have been in their hearts to make the decision to go through that terrible separation. You know, when Jesus died, it was not from physical causes, and it was, medically speaking, from a broken heart. The separation from His Father, literally, broke His heart and it killed Him. “But it was not the spear thrust, it was not the pain of the cross, that caused the death of Jesus. That cry, uttered ‘with a loud voice’ (Matt. 27:50; Luke 23:46), at the moment of death, the stream of blood and water that flowed from His side, declared that He died of a broken heart. His heart was broken by mental anguish. He was slain by the sin of the world.” The Desire of Ages, 772. I only pray that God will subdue my own heart that I will choose to dwell on that and let His love so shape me that I can then share that love and peace with others.

There is another thought that is incomprehensible to me. God the Father loves Jesus even more because He gave His life to save whoever would accept His salvation on this sinful planet. Think about that. The Creator of an entire universe of perfection and beauty beyond compare allowed His Son to come to a planet filled with misery and hatred. He endured the separation of a perfect relationship, and to crown all, loves His Son more dearly for that sacrifice! What wondrous love.

Each and every one of us has pain in this life. That has been the lot of humanity since sin entered. Even Jesus had pain in His life. The crux of the matter comes in what we choose to do with that pain. What Jesus did with His pain is a study in and of itself. It is easy when we feel that pain to cherish it, to feel it and let it influence our decisions, to reason with ourselves that we are “entitled” to feel it. What a struggle. It brings us back again to surrender. Will we surrender it to God or let it rule our lives? I struggle with that decision on a regular basis, though I notice that the more I make conscious choice to live above it through the grace of God, the easier it becomes, which is what God promises. Praise Him.

“It is a mistake to entertain the thought that God is pleased to see His children suffer. All heaven is interested in the happiness of man.” Steps to Christ, 46. There is nothing to lose, and only happiness to gain here as well as in heaven. Will you surrender today?

Brenda Douay works as a part of the LandMarks team. She can be reached by e-mail at: landmarks@stepstolife.org.

Editorial – The Time of Uncertainty

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Do you know anything that is not true that most people believe? History is full of examples of people who were willing to die or fight for something that we know today is not reality. It is not that people do not think. It is that they cannot stop thinking. The issue with this is what they take for thought is often just the present delusion that is compounded by the media and continual reinforcement by the spoken opinions of their friends. A middle-aged person who has paid attention to the past should have hundreds of examples in his memory. Nowhere is this more dangerous than in the predictions of people who have never had documented visions or dreams from God. The amount of material predicting the future today is greater than ever before. We need to learn lessons from the mistakes of the past. In my library I have two books published about 1972. It is predicted in these books that by 1976 America will be under the control of the Soviet Union, and our money will be totally worthless. The author pointed out how to survive and prosper in such a situation (with commodities that he was selling). In 1953 the stock market was supposed to crash within a year or two (we did have a recession). The same was predicted in 1964, 1966, and again in 1969. In the national press there was talk about a repeat of the 1930s. In 1973 and 1974 the same thing was forecasted. Adventists have talked about the world coming to an end at numerous points in time: 1944, 1959, 1961, 1964, 1979, 1987, 1988, 1991, 1994, 1996, 2000, 2007. What effect do all these false predictions have on on God’s chosen people? One thing that it does is to turn our young people into practical skeptics. It is one of the reasons for the general malaise and an attitude of utter apathy that is seen in Adventism today.

Inspired: “Our position has been one of waiting and watching, with no time proclamation to intervene between the close of the prophetic periods in 1844 and the time of the Lord’s coming. We do not know the day nor the hour, or when the definite time is, and yet the prophetic reckoning shows us that Christ is at the door.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 16, 178.