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The Church in Apostolic Times

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“He [Jesus] who was the foundation of the ritual and economy of Israel would be looked upon as its enemy and destroyer.” The Desire of Ages, 111. The reason for this was that those who were in charge of the system viewed themselves as being the church, and they realized that if Jesus were to be accepted, many of them would lose their positions.

Considered Dangerous to the Church

Today, there is a similar problem in the professed church of God; there are some inspired counsels we are willing to deal with but others that we are not. If many of the counsels of Ellen White were really advocated, they would be considered to be dangerous to the church, possibly even capable of destroying it. I do not believe, however, we will ever receive God’s blessing until we feed upon every word.

Principles of church organization affect every aspect of the church, from the youngest member on up to the General Conference. In the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy, there is a great deal of information dealing with church organization that is written not only to those in leadership positions but to laymen as well.

Throughout history, whenever doctrine becomes corrupted, organization also becomes corrupt. In fact, in Revelation God is as concerned about false organization as He is about false doctrine. In the writings of Ellen White there is a great deal written about doctrine, but I also find hundreds of pages written about church organization which we are afraid to touch, because if we even read the quotation, we will be accused of criticism. It is time, however, that we have the courage of John the Baptist and, with the spirit of love, humbly look at the things God has given to us, praying that He will help us to implement these things so He can pour out His Spirit and finish the work He is seeking to do.

I Corinthians 1:2 tells us how the New Testament church is organized. “To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints.” The church at Corinth, identified by Paul, is not addressed as the church which is registered. It could be registered, but that is not the point. Nothing is said regarding their organization or where they meet. They may meet in some building, and they are organized, but that is not the point. The church here in Corinth is those people in Corinth who are sanctified and called to be the saints of God. Now the church was to be organized, but the organization was not the church. The people were the church. These people could work in harmony, because this is possible when God is in your heart. So they would meet and work together, send out missionaries and take up offerings, and do all those things which are necessary for God’s work to progress. But the church itself was the people. This is what the church has always been.

In a special sense, the church is those people who are registered in the books of heaven. “But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven. . . .” Hebrews 12:22, 23. The church, the true church of God, is composed of those people who are registered in the Book of Life in heaven.

Now this presents a very interesting situation. Who decides who is going to be a church member? Is it the pope who has the keys? If it is not the pope, is it the church board? Can they decide? What about the church body? Can we decide who is saved and who is not, whose name is written in heaven and whose is not?

Well, do we not have anything to do? Oh, yes, we have something to do. We are called to recognize those whom God has registered in the books in heaven; and those whom He has registered there, we are to register here. He does not, however, follow our suit; we are to follow His, and there is a difference.

The Books on Earth Must Match the Books in Heaven

Let us suppose that God takes someone’s name off of the books in heaven, and they are disfellowshipped. Are they still church members? No! But suppose their names remain in the books on earth. This is an interesting dilemma. The church is purified when the books on earth match the books in heaven. You see, God has given mankind no authority to decide who can be a member and who cannot be a member but to simply recognize those whom He has accepted or rejected.

God has local congregations here on earth, and we have organizations here to help organize the work. But the headquarters of your local church is in heaven, where only the sanctified are registered, not in some office in your state or some office in Takoma Park, Maryland. Some people find this rather disconcerting, believing such a policy could lead to all kinds of trouble.

Just suppose that a coup took place in some local church or conference through politicking, and some people, who were not inspired by the Lord or filled with the Holy Spirit, took over through manipulation, and because of their prejudices, certain people were unjustly disfellowshipped. Would those who were disfellowshipped cease to be church members? Certainly not. Suppose, on the other hand, that people were allowed to come into the church who were never converted. Because their names were in the books on earth, would they, therefore, be church members? Not in any way, shape or form. God has never left His church to be manipulated and tampered with by the political whims of mankind. There is coming a time when He is going to turn and overturn the professed church that is called by His name. God’s true church remains the same as it has always—those people who are registered in the books of heaven.

“God has a church. It is not the great cathedral, neither is it the national establishment, neither is it the various denominations; it is the people who love God and keep His commandments. ‘Where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them’ (Matthew 18:20.) Where Christ is even among the humble few, this is Christ’s church. . . .” Upward Look, 315.

When Paul was ordained, he was ordained to baptize and establish churches—the two together. According to inspiration, the same ordination that gives people the right to baptize gives them the right to establish churches. More and more, however, there are increasing restrictions controlling the starting of new churches.

I have been doing some studying on the history of Kansas. In 1903, Kansas had one hundred Seventh-day Adventist churches. The state has grown by almost a million people in the last fifty years, and during that period of time, we have gone from one hundred churches down to fifty-four. [Editor’s Note: This information is taken from ???????????]

God’s Presence Alone Establishes a Church

Not only has God alone reserved the right to start and to recognize a church, but if you and I decide to go out and start a church apart from His will, no matter what conference committee may approve it, it will never be a church. “For the presence of the High and Holy One who inhabiteth eternity can alone constitute a church.” Upward Look, 315. [All emphasis supplied.] If God’s presence is not the center of His church, it is not recognized by Him as His church, whether or not it is recognized by a conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

In New Testament times, the church was those who were called and sanctified. Wherever Paul went and converted a few people, he organized them into a church, right there and then, without seeking any other permission. It was not up to the church in Jerusalem to give permission or to decide if they were a church but to recognize the fact that they were. Now, of course, if a church apostatized or if a local member apostatized, it was also up to the church in Jerusalem to decide that, as these people were no longer keeping the commandments of God, they were no longer recognized as being one of God’s churches.

For us, individually, to receive the Holy Spirit, we must study the Bible, pray, overcome sin and witness. For the church body to receive the Holy Spirit, they must, as a body, also have these four things present. Not only is it necessary for us as individuals to be winning others to Christ, but God’s design for His church is that every church should start new churches.

Primitive Organization?

One of the things that must take place before God can pour out His blessing upon the church is not only revival of primitive doctrine but a revival of primitive organization. The New Testament churches had the freedom to go out and start new churches, but they were not just started and left to flounder by themselves; they were left with local organization. “And when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, `We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.’ So when they had appointed elders in every church, and prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.” Acts 14:21–23.

Authority in the early church was to be earned because of a godly life, a knowledge of the Scriptures and the ability that God had given to one. Never was it to come just by virtue of office. Today, our church is almost being destroyed in some parts of this world, because some have assumed the office of minister and decided that, because they have that office, they are the king of the local church. God never intended that office to be that of a king but one of service.

“From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called for the elders of the church.” Acts 20:17. What elders were these that He called? These were the elders who had been appointed. Notice, it is elders plural, not the elder. “‘Therefore take heed to yourselves [This is the instruction he is giving to these elders.] and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears.’” Acts 20:28–31.

Organization is Needed for Protection

So he called the elders to guard the church from wolves. In a correlating passage to this, in Testimonies, vol. 5, 77, Ellen White, writing of her own experience, says that she could scarcely keep from weeping when she saw the people who were taking charge of the church who were trained by Satan. Paul had the same concern, and the elders were called to protect the church from these wolves.

Now the questions is, suppose that a wolf came from Jerusalem. Were the elders to protect the church from that wolf? “Oh, no,” someone says, “not a local elder.” Turn with me to one of the most interesting passages in the New Testament in regard to this. “Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed; for before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision. And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy.” Galatians 2:11–13. Paul stood up and rebuked Peter, but Paul was not happy about this, because he was not the one who should have had to do the rebuking.

God had established a local leadership to protect the church. “Not from Peter,” someone might say, “he was from Jerusalem. He was one of the pillars; he knew Jesus personally. No, not from Peter. They were only Gentiles who had been newly converted to the faith. You do not expect them, these Gentile Galatians who had just come into the Christian church a few years ago, to stand up and rebuke Peter, who was from the Jerusalem church, who had been a Jew all his life, one of the pillars in the church, a follower of Jesus—not Peter! I mean, Paul was an apostle. He could do that.” But Paul was most unhappy that he had to do that. “O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified?” Galatians 3:1.

“Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.” Galatians 5:1. Someone might say, “That scripture is dealing with circumcision and all those things.” Circumcision was involved, and eating with Gentiles was involved, but that was not the issue! The issue in Galatians was that Peter had caused them to transgress, and they were to stand in their freedom, even if it was Peter from Jerusalem who should come down and preach false theology.

What is this Strange Fire?

“But strange fire has been offered in the use of harsh words, in self-importance, in self-exaltation, in self-righteousness, in arbitrary authority, in domineering, in oppression, in restricting the liberty of God’s people, binding them about by your plans and rules, which God has not framed, neither have they come into His mind. All these things are strange fire, unacknowledged by God, and are a continual misrepresentation of His character.” Testimonies to Ministers, 358.

The Lord established the church upon the Rock, Jesus Christ, and He is to be the head of the church. (See Ephesians 1:22, 23.) The issue in the days of Martin Luther was who was in charge of the church, the Lord or the pope. That was the issue in Wesley’s day and it was the issue in 1888. I have been amazed at how little Ellen White deals with doctrine in relationship to 1888. The problem with Jones and Waggoner was that they did not go through the “proper channels.” They were not approved by the “proper people.”

The following statements are from a letter that Ellen White wrote to Elder Butler. “God designs that men shall use their minds and consciences for themselves. He never designed that one man should become the shadow of another, and utter only another’s sentiments. But this error has been coming in among us, that a very few are to be mind, conscience, and judgment for all God’s workers. The foundation of Christianity is `Christ our Righteousness.’” The Ellen G. White 1888 Materials, 112. Do you want to know what Christ our Righteousness means? She tells us what it means. “Men are individually responsible to God and must act as God acts upon them, not as another human mind acts upon their mind.” Ibid. God is to decide what is right, not some human committee. God makes the rules, not some human rule book. The Bible is our creed. We always used to say: “We do not have a creed book; the Bible is our creed.”

“For if this method of indirect influence is kept up, souls can not be impressed and directed by the great I AM. They will, on the other hand, have their experience blended with another, and will be kept under a moral restraint, which allows no freedom of action or of choice. . . . If we would be wise, and use diligently, prayerfully, and thankfully the means whereby light and blessings are to come to His people, then no voice nor power upon earth would have authority over us to say, `This shall not be.’” Ibid., 112, 113.

Where Does Church Authority Come In?

In the book Testimonies to Ministers, Ellen White wrote a great deal of material to the leadership, and ministry in general, after 1888. Much of this book is dealing with this very principle of church authority. Among other similar statements, she said, “The high-handed power that has been developed, as though position has made men gods, makes me afraid, and ought to cause fear. It is a curse wherever and by whomsoever it is exercised.” Testimonies to Ministers, 361. “The spirit of domination is extending to the presidents of our conferences. If a man is sanguine of his own powers and seeks to exercise dominion over his brethren, feeling that he is invested with authority to make his will the ruling power, the best and only safe course is to remove him. . . .” Ibid., 362. “Rule, rule, has been their course of action. Satan has had an opportunity of representing himself.” Ibid., 363.

In the chapter “Under Which Banner?” she says, “Humanity is hailed as God.” Ibid., 365. She is talking to us dear friends. She says, “God will not vindicate any device whereby man shall in the slightest degree rule or oppress his fellowmen.” Ibid., 366. A curse is pronounced upon all who do this. (See Jeremiah 17:5.)

“State conferences may depend upon the General Conference for light and knowledge and wisdom; but is it safe for them to do this? Battle Creek is not to be the center of God’s work. God alone can fill this place. When our people in the different places have their special convocations, teach them, for Christ’s sake and for their own soul’s sake, not to make flesh their arm. There is no power in men to read the hearts of their fellow men. The Lord is the only One upon whom we can with safety depend, and He is accessible in every place and to every church in the Union. . . . Is the president of the General Conference to be the god of the people?” Ibid., 375. Following the counsel and teaching of these ideas does not make a person very popular, but we are told to do it.

We Have Placed God Second

Instead of teaching the truth God has commissioned to be taught, do you know what she says we have been taught? “For many years an education has been given to the people which places God second, and man first. The people have been taught that everything must be brought before the council of a few men in Battle Creek.” Ibid., 325. I want you to notice that this is a serious matter, because it is breaking the first commandment. God says, “‘You shall have no other gods before Me.’” Exodus 20:3. “Let me entreat our state conferences and our churches to cease putting their dependence upon men and making flesh their arm.” Ibid., 380. Today we have gone far beyond where they were in 1888.

“In reference to our conference, it is repeated o’er and o’er and o’er again, that it is the voice of God, and therefore everything must be referred to the Conference and have the conference voice in regard to permission or restriction or what shall be and what shall not be done in the various fields. . . . We have heard enough, abundance, about that ‘everything must go around in the regular way.’ . . . He [God] wants every living soul that has a knowledge of the truth to come to their senses.” Spalding and Magan Collection, 163. “The Lord wants His Spirit to come in. He wants the Holy Ghost king.” Ibid., 166. Today we have come to the point, in many places, that if you even invite someone to come and speak in the pulpit, you have to get the permission of the local conference.

God is looking for every one of us, from the General Conference president down, to be broken on the Rock. When Jesus is the King, unity, peace and love pervade. This does not do away with organization. It is the only thing that creates a workable organization. We still have offices, but when God’s plan is followed, no one is striving for office, because everyone is striving to serve one another. (See Matthew 20:25–28.)

Less Control

The message of Christ our Righteousness has to become practical. We need to exercise less and less control over one another and do more and more praying for one another. Let us not decide that God has given any one of us authority to tell everyone else how they are to serve God. God is calling for much more freedom in His church than what we have been willing to allow. There is a place for order, a place for leadership, but dear friend, God is calling for us to be broken on the Rock, to be filled with the humility and the love of Jesus. Then we will find that once again the Holy Spirit will be King.

Children’s Story – The Uglies

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Mother stood in the doorway of the living room. “What are you looking at, children?” she asked. “What kind of book do you have there?”

Linda jumped up from the footstool and began to leaf through her school reader that lay on the couch. But Betty Lou and Eddie did not look up. “Oh, come and see these funny pictures!” they said. “Look at this man with the big hands and feet and the crooked nose.”

“Where did you get that book?” asked Mother, taking one glance at the floor, where Eddie lay stretched out on the rug, chin in hands, while Betty Lou turned the pages.

“Under the chair cushion, where we were looking for a lost pencil.”

Mother took another look and then said, “Linda, please go into the garden and bring me the most beautiful flower you can find.”

Then to the younger ones she added, “Let us put the book away and look at something pretty for a while.”

Harold came into the room in time to see Linda bring in a beautiful chrysanthemum. At the same moment his quick eye caught sight of the comic book which Mother had laid on the mantelpiece. At sight of the book and the upturned chair cushion his face turned red, but Mother pretended not to see it.

She held up the chrysanthemum and said, “I want you to look at this lovely flower. Now shut your eyes. Can you still remember what it looks like with your eyes closed?”

Yes, they all agreed they could.

“Our minds make a picture of the things we look at,” continued Mother, “so that we remember them when we can no longer see. If our minds are full of beautiful pictures, our faces will show it. Little by little we become like the things we think about and the pictures we see. Of course we cannot change the shape of our noses or the color of our eyes or hair by looking at pretty things. But kind deeds, sweet thoughts, and beautiful pictures in our minds do make beautiful faces—faces full of sweetness and love.

“God made man in His own image, after His likeness. Do you think He is pleased when people make ugly pictures of what He has created? Do you think He is pleased when we look at these ugly pictures? Most of these comic books show pictured stories of crime and sin that get us to thinking wrong. That is why Daddy and I haven’t bought them for you children. What do you think we should do with this one?”  The look on Mother’s face was serious.

“Let’s burn it, like all the rest of the rubbish,” volunteered Harold, who felt ashamed of himself for bringing the book into the house. As he spoke he tore the book in two and flung it into the fireplace.

“Who’ll strike the match?” asked Mother.

“I will! I will!” said Eddie in his shrill, eager voice. Linda held the matchbox while Eddie struck the match. Betty Lou wanted to help too; so Mother let her set fire to the other half of the book.

As they watched its pages shrivel in the flames and saw the smoke curl up toward the chimney, Mother said, “That is what God will do someday with all the ugly, wicked things in the world. They will be burned up with fire.

“Where did you get that comic book, Harold?” Mother asked.

“At school,” was Harold’s frank answer. “One of the boys brought it and hid it in the basement by the furnace. He was afraid the teacher would find it, so he asked me to take care of it. I wish I had told him right then to throw it into the furnace!”

“That would have been a good idea,” said Mother, as she laid a hand on Harold’s shoulder.

Happy Home Stories by Ella M. Robinson, TEACH Services, Inc., 2005, pages 107–111.

Examination of the Books

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The existence of records, or books, in heaven, and their use in the judgment, is plainly revealed. Thus Daniel says, “The judgment was set, and the books were opened.” Daniel 7:10. And John says: “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.” Revelation 20:12.

It is evident that the utmost importance is attached to the blotting out of the sins of the righteous from these books. When they are blotted out they can never rise up in the judgment against those who committed them; for men give account to God only for those things contained in the books. It is therefore certain that no individual can have his sins blotted out until the close of his probation. But when this work is wrought there must be an examination of the books for this very purpose.

The book of life is to be examined before the resurrection of the just. The words of Daniel render this point perfectly clear: “And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people; and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time; and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.” Daniel 12:1.

We have seen from other texts that the investigation and decision of the judgment, in the cases of the righteous, precedes the advent of the Saviour. We have also seen that there is a time before the coming of Jesus when the sins of the righteous are blotted out from the books of God’s remembrance. This is decisive proof that these books are subjected to examination before the Saviour comes again. But we have now another important fact. The book of life is examined before the deliverance of the saints. Daniel says, “At that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.” Daniel 12:1. The book must, therefore, be examined before the resurrection of the righteous to immortal life. This is another convincing proof that the investigation of the cases of the righteous precedes the first resurrection. This book is referred to in the following passages: Exodus 32:32, 33; Psalm 69:28; 87:6; Isaiah 4:3; Ezekiel 13:9; Daniel 12:1; Luke 10:20; Philippians 4:3; Hebrews 12:23; Revelation 3:5; 13:8; 17:8; 20:12, 15; 21:27; 22:19.

The book of life is the final means of determining the cases of the righteous in the judgment; for all are delivered who are at the time of deliverance found written in it. But before this book is made the final source of appeal, it is itself to be tested by the books of God’s record. For all the names which are entered in this book of life, of those who fail to overcome, are to be blotted out. Yet it is the record of these persons’ lives that is to cause their names to be stricken from the book of life. (See Exodus 32:32,33; Psalm 69:28; Revelation 3:5.) We must, therefore, conclude that before the final examination of the book of life in the case of the righteous, there is a prior examination of the books of God’s record to determine (1) whose record of repentance and of overcoming is such that their sins shall be blotted out, and (2) to ascertain from this book who have failed in the attempt to overcome, and to strike the names of all such from the book of life. When the books of God’s remembrance are thus examined, and the sins of the overcomers blotted out, and the names of those who have not overcome are removed from the book of life, that book becomes the final test, and an examination of its pages concludes the work of investigation preparatory to the deliverance of the saints.

We have seen that though the book of life is the final book of reference to determine who shall have part in the first resurrection, yet it must itself first be examined by the book of God’s remembrance, for the removal of the name of every person who has not completed the work of overcoming.

1.The book called “the book of remembrance” is written expressly for the righteous, and is the book which shall determine, in their cases, the decision of the judgment. This book is particularly referred to in the following passages: “Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another; and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.” Malachi 3:16–18. “Thou tellest my wanderings; put thou my tears into thy bottle; are they not in thy book?” Psalm 56:8.

“Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and wipe not out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God, and for the offices thereof.” Nehemiah 13:14.

The book of God’s remembrance mentioned in these texts pertains only to the righteous; yet it appears to be a different book from the book of life; for though that book belongs alone to the righteous, it seems to be simply the record of their names (See Luke 10:20; Philippians 4:3; Revelation 3:5; 13:8; 17:8.), while the book of remembrance is the record of their good deeds. (See Malachi 3:16–18; Psalm 56:8; Nehemiah 13:14.) But should we conclude that the book of life is identical with the book of God’s remembrance, it will not essentially change this argument, for it would still follow that the record of the good deeds of the righteous, if it shows that they have overcome all their faults, and perfected the graces of the Spirit of God in themselves, is that which determines that their names shall be retained in the book of life, and their sins blotted out of the books which record them. But if the record be not such as God can accept, then their names must be removed from that book (See Exodus 32:32,33; Psalm 56:28; Revelation 3:5.), and the record of their good deeds also be blotted out to be no more remembered. (See Nehemiah 13:14; Ezekiel 3:20.)

The book of God’s remembrance contains the names of all who enter the service of God and of such only. Yet not every one of these follows on to know Him. Many that set out to overcome do not complete the work. That record, however, will show just how far they advanced in overcoming, and how and when they failed. As it contains simply the good deeds of the righteous, it will show their acts of repentance, confession, obedience, and sacrifice recorded therein. When the work is complete, then this record shows them prepared for the examination of the judgment. This, therefore, is the book out of which the cases of the righteous are to be decided, and from whose record they are to be accounted worthy of that world and the resurrection from the dead.

  1. The justification of the righteous in the judgment must precede the resurrection which is called “the resurrection of the just.” By this designation our Lord speaks of the resurrection of the righteous. (See Luke 14:14.) Paul states that this resurrection shall be at the coming of Christ. (See I Corinthians 15:23, 51–54; I Thessalonians 4:16–18.)

“But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.

For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.” Matthew 12:36, 37.

The justification of the judgment must be when the righteous are accounted worthy of a part in the first resurrection. But before they are thus justified in the judgment they give an account of their words. And this being true, it follows that God preserves a record of the words which we speak; also that our evil words are not blotted out until this account has been rendered. But the acquittal and the blotting out do, of necessity, precede the gift of immortality to the righteous at the advent of our Lord.

  1. The decision of the judgment in the case of the righteous must be when the blotting out of their sins takes place. “For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.” Ecclesiastes 12:14.

God brings the conduct of men into the judgment by means of books of record. They are judged “out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.” Revelation 20:12, 13.

But the sins of the righteous are blotted out before the coming of the Lord. (See Acts 3:19, 20.) And it is manifest that their sins cannot be brought into the judgment after they are thus blotted out. But the righteous are to be judged as really as are the wicked. (See Ecclesiastes 3:17.) It follows, therefore, that their judgment must be at the time of the blotting out of their sins; for then there is an end made forever of the record of their transgressions. Now it is manifest that when this final work is wrought, it will pertain only to those who have fully repented of their sins, and have perfectly accomplished the work of overcoming. This work of blotting out sins brings our Lord’s priesthood to an end. He must be priest till then. He is not needed as priest after that. But when our Lord does blot out the sins of His people, He must present their cases individually before His Father, and show from the “book of remembrance” that they have severally repented of their sins, and have completed their work of overcoming. Then the Father accepts the statement thus made, and the evidence thus presented in the case of each one, and bids the Son to blot out the record of that person’s sins. This is manifestly the very time and occasion at which the righteous are accounted worthy of the resurrection to immortality. Their sins are thus brought into the judgment through their High Priest, and through Him the righteous render account of their sins to the Father. This account being accepted, their sins are blotted out, and themselves pronounced just before God. This is the justification of the judgment.

  1. There is a time for blotting out the names of some from the book of life, and of confessing the names of the others before the Father.

“He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.” Revelation 3:5.

The time of blotting out names from the book of life precedes the deliverance of the saints. For at the time of that event everyone shall be delivered “that shall be found written in the book.” Daniel 12:1. Thus the fearful threatenings of Exodus 32:32, 33; Psalm 69:28; Revelation 22:19, is executed in the removal of names from this book before the coming of Christ. Those who overcome are the ones who have their sins blotted out. But those who fail to overcome have their names stricken from the book of life. The examination of their record must, therefore, precede both these acts of blotting out, for the express purpose of determining whether they shall have their sins blotted out, or have their names removed from the book of life. We have seen that it is at this very point that the righteous give account of their sins through their High Priest, who, from the book of God’s remembrance, shows that they have repented, confessed, forsaken, and overcome, their sinful course; also that they are thus acquitted and justified in order that they may have a part in the resurrection to immortality. Here is also the very act of the Saviour in confessing the names of His people before His Father and the holy angels, that shall close our Lord’s priesthood and place His people where they shall be forever free from all their sins. For when the book of God’s remembrance is found to prove that the person under examination is an overcomer, it is then the part of the Saviour to confess his name before His Father and the holy angels, and the part of the Father to give judgment that that person’s sins be blotted from the record. Surely it is of some account to us that we have part in the fulfillment of the promise, “I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.” Revelation 3:5. (See Matthew 10:32; Luke 12:8.)

  1. The righteous are not done with their sins till they have rendered account in the judgment. (See Ecclesiastes 3:17; 12:14; Matthew 12:36, 37.) The only account that they can render is to show that they have made perfect work of repentance and of overcoming. This must be done before they are blotted out of the record above. Our Advocate with the Father must hold His office till He has saved His people from their sins. (See 1 John 2:1; Matthew 1:21. He cannot close this work till He has seen them accepted in the judgment. Whence it follows that His office of Advocate will constrain Him to confess their names before the tribunal of His Father, and to show that their sins should be removed from the books.
  2. When our Lord has thus finished His work as priest, His people are prepared to stand in the sight of God without an atoning sacrifice. The following texts make this very clear:

“Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? He retaineth not his anger forever, because he delighteth in mercy. He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.” Micah 7:18, 19. The Lord, in the promise of the new covenant, says: “I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sins no more.” Jeremiah 31:34. Paul quoting Jeremiah, says: “Their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.” Hebrews 8:12. “I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.” Isaiah 43:25. “In those days, and in that time, saith the Lord, the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none; and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found; for I will pardon them whom I reserve.” Jeremiah 50:20.

When these prophetic declarations are accomplished, we shall no longer need an Advocate, Intercessor, Mediator, or High Priest. Our sins will never after that exist even in the record of the court of heaven. Our lost innocence will then have been recovered, and we shall then be like to the angels of God, who walk in their original uprightness.

  1. The accomplishment of this work of blotting out the sins of those who overcome is marked by a declaration of awful solemnity:

“He that is unjust, let him be unjust still; and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still; and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still; and he that is holy, let him be holy still. And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.” Revelation 22:11, 12.

These words virtually announce the close of our Lord’s work as High Priest. They cannot be uttered till He, as our Advocate, has secured the blotting out of the sins of His people at His Father’s tribunal. Yet we have seen that this work of blotting out is accomplished before He comes the second time without sin unto salvation. (See Hebrews 9:27, 28.) The text under consideration is in exact harmony with these facts. The solemn announcement, “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still; . . . and he that is holy, let him be holy still,” is followed by these words: “And behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.” Revelation 22:11, 12. The final work of our Lord for the removal of His people’s sins does therefore precede His return in the clouds of heaven to reward every man according to his works.

 

Editorial — Are You Reading the Books?

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We are living in that time when the following prophesied events are taking place:

  1. Great deceptions: “Satanic delusions and deceptions will increase as we near the end of earth’s history . . . The deceiving power of Satan will continually increase to the very end.” The Signs of the Times, June 4, 1894.
  2. Most will be lost: “A few, yes, only a few, of the vast number who people the earth, will be saved unto life eternal, while the masses who have not perfected their souls in obeying the truth, will be appointed for the second death.” Testimonies for the Battle Creek Church, 17.
  3. Most Adventists will be lost “I was shown the startling fact that but a small portion of those who now profess the truth will be sanctified by it and be saved. Many will get above the simplicity of the work. They will conform to the world, cherish idols, and become spiritually dead. The humble, self-sacrificing followers of Jesus will pass on to perfection, leaving behind the indifferent and lovers of the world.” Testimonies, vol. 1, 608, 609.
  4. Deceptions will be so great that only through the Holy Spirit will you survive: “Heresies are now arising among the people of God, and they will continue to arise. As we near the end of time, falsehood will be so mingled with truth, that only those who have the guidance of the Holy Spirit will be able to distinguish truth from error.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 7, 359.
  5. The foundation of the truth will be undermined: “The time has come when things must be called by their right names. The truth is to triumph gloriously, and those who have long been halting between two opinions must take their stand decidedly for or against the law of God. Some will take up with theories that misinterpret the Word of God, and undermine the foundation of the truth that has been firmly established, point by point, and sealed by the power of the Holy Spirit. The old truths are to be revived, in order that the false theories that have been brought in by the enemy may be intelligently met. There can be no unity between truth and error. We can unite with those who have been led into deception only when they are converted.” Upward Look, 88.
  6. Many Adventist ministers will apostatize: “At this time when God’s people should be bearing a plain, clear message, filled with earnestness and power, many who have been appointed to preach the truth are departing from the faith. The enemy with his evil angels has come down in great power, bringing in delusions and false theories. He is working with all deceivableness of unrighteousness that he may, if possible, ‘deceive the very elect.’ Our people are in danger of being drawn away from the important, definite truths for this time. A message of Bible truth is called for to-day, and should come from hearts imbued with the Holy Spirit, and lips that have been touched with live coals from the divine altar.” Special Testimonies, Series B, 56.
  7. You will not survive without a knowledge of the Scriptures: “A thorough acquaintance with the Scriptures is our only safeguard against the seductive errors that Satan will bring in, to deceive if possible the very elect. The Holy Spirit’s teaching is God’s means of enlightening the minds and purifying the hearts of His people, guiding them in duty, shielding them from danger, keeping them in the fear and love of God, and in patient waiting for His appearing.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 10, 4, 5.

If God has made it possible for you to have the special light provided for the remnant, He will not work a miracle to keep you from being deceived if you do not read the books! Notice these statements: “The volumes of “Spirit of Prophecy,” should be in every family, and should be read aloud in the family circle. More than one-half of our people know little or nothing of the contents of these books, and they are losing much by their neglect.” The Review and Herald, December 26, 1882.

“Many are going directly contrary to the light which God has given to His people, because they do not read the books which contain the light and knowledge in cautions, reproofs, and warnings. The cares of the world, the love of fashion, and the lack of religion have turned the attention from the light God has so graciously given, while books and periodicals containing error are traveling all over the country. Skepticism and infidelity are increasing everywhere. Light so precious, coming from the throne of God, is hid under a bushel. God will make His people responsible for this neglect. An account must be rendered to Him for every ray of light He has let shine upon our pathway, whether it has been improved to our advancement in divine things or rejected because it was more agreeable to follow inclination.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 390, 391.

 

Witnessing to People At the State Fair

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“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.” Matthew 24:14. Jesus said that this gospel would be preached to all nations before He returned to receive His people to Himself. How is this to be accomplished? The Lord has given you and me the privilege to work for Him. He has called us to “cry out with a loud voice,” to “plead with the people,” and to present the “Third Angel’s Message.” He has asked us to tell his people to “come out of Babylon.” How can we accomplish this most sacred work for the Lord?

There are many avenues of witnessing. We can travel, do door to door evangelism, give Bible studies, feed the poor, visit the sick, be hospitable, preach, print books, give literature and magazines and much more. If we take advantage of our opportunities, if we listen to the guiding voice of the Holy Spirit, if we love Jesus more than ourselves, and if we love people more than ourselves, we will be looking for any opportunities to do the Lord’s work. A member of our church recently had back surgery. Most would not think of this as a witnessing opportunity. But God can turn even the worst situations into an opportunity. This gentleman was able to witness and even give whole Bible studies to nurses and patients in the hospital. He was only there three days and gave out many Spirit of Prophecy books and signed up several people for Bible studies through the mail. Is there anything impossible for God?

God is raising up a people for Himself, and a group of people who want to finish the work of getting out His last day message. Ellen White says, “If you are in communion with Christ, you will place His estimate upon men; you will feel for others the same anxiety, the same deep love that He has felt for you. Then you will be able to win, not drive, to attract, not repulse, the souls for whom Christ died.” She goes on to say, “Not one soul would ever have been brought back to the fold, if Christ had not made a personal effort to save that which was lost; and it is by this personal effort that you can rescue souls. If they stray, you will not, cannot rest in quiet indifference and ease. You will leave the ninety and nine that are within the fold, and will go out to seek the lost.” General Conference Bulletin, 23.

Leaves of Autumn

Last year we were looking for new avenues of witnessing. It was suggested that we secure a booth at the Kansas State Fair. Ellen White tells us that we should be represented at these kinds of events so we can spread God’s literature like the “leaves of autumn.” We were truly blessed both last year and this year by witnessing at the fair. The fair here in Kansas is a ten day event and there are always many exhibitors showing off their products and competing for the attention of the people. We were on the second floor of the commercial building and as you walk in the door and look up, you saw Steps to Life’s bright blue exhibit. It was the most outstanding booth in the building. Unlike the other exhibitors, we were not competing for the business of the people. On the contrary, we were giving away free books! As people passed by our booth, we would hold out a book and ask them, “Would you like a free book?” Most people are astounded that anyone would be giving away free books. As they passed by, they would often take either a book or a pamphlet and sometimes more than one. Last year, we featured the National Sunday Law as our give away book. This year, we featured two books: Who are the Angels and What’s Behind the New World Order? Both of these books are excerpts from The Great Controversy.

We found that more women liked the book on angels, and more men liked the book on the New World Order. We also found out that less people came to the fair this year than last, yet we were able to give away more books. Praise God. Let me give you a list of the books we gave away. You will be amazed. First, there were 7500 What’s Behind the New World Order and over 6000 Who are the Angels. We also gave out 600 National Sunday Law books, 1210 Steps to Christ for a Sanctified Life, 200 Why Protestants, Why Catholic (which is the same book as the New World Order book with a different title), 200 How to Quit Smoking, 100 How to Keep the Sabbath, 100 Uncertainty of Life, 400 8 Laws of Good Health, 1500 Wake Up to Wellness, 2000 Eat for Strength. (These three pamphlets were about God’s 8 laws of health and the harm that meat, caffeine, alcohol, and tobacco can have on the body.)

Health—Entering Wedge

Many people today are interested in good health. They are hungering for anything that will help them take off weight, avoid illnesses, and give them a better quality of life. We see in today’s world that God is able to use our health message to reach people for Christ. It is truly the right arm of the gospel. Many people want to quit smoking but are just not strong enough to overcome. Can you relate to not being strong enough of yourself to overcome sin? Jesus is strong enough, though. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. Philippians 4:13. Through our love for others, we can help them to find God’s answers to the dilemmas they face. The theme of our booth was the 8 Laws of Health. We listed them on our blue background in an easy to remember order. It spelled NEW START; Nutrition, Exercise, Water, Sunshine, Temperance, Air, Rest, Trust, in Divine Power. We even talked to many people about vegetarianism. Some were so interested that they bought Country Life cookbooks. Of course, as we presented healthy living to them, we also talked to them about God’s plan for their lives.

We saw many people at the fair this year that we saw last year. One was an exhibitor who was very interested in the National Sunday Law book. When she saw that we were back out at the fair again this year, she rushed down to our booth to see if she could acquire three more National Sunday Law books. She said she had people who had to read this book. Her name was Virginia. Virginia also told us that she had been talking to her daughter about the Sabbath and on what day the Sabbath fell upon. Her daughter said it wasn’t Saturday, so Virginia told her to read the National Sunday Law book. After reading this book, her daughter decided to do some investigative work to prove it all wrong or right. She later came back and told her mother, “You know, Mom, you were right!” Then she went to work and started telling all her coworkers about the Sabbath. Praise God!

We also met another lady who had been at the fair last year and she also had read the National Sunday Law book. She was convicted on the truth and when she saw us at the fair this year, she came over to get more of our books. She told us that she believed the truth and wanted to keep the Sabbath. She said that when she had read the book, she went to talk to her pastor to get some answers, but her pastor could not give her any good rebuttals to the truth she had learned. The devil can not do anything against the truth of God. She told us that she had recently moved to Iowa and wanted to know if we knew of any home churches. Do we ever! We are setting her up with a home church in Iowa so that she can worship with God’s true Seventh-day Adventist people.

Our very first day at the fair was very exciting. We were passing out books left and right. Suddenly, two gentlemen came up to me and started talking to us about God. They were very enthusiastic about following Jesus the way He said to follow Him. We talked about overcoming sin and that this is why we need the Holy Spirit in our lives. They agreed and said today most people do not believe you can overcome sin. Then one of the men asked me to tell him on what day the Sabbath fell.

I said, “What does the Bible say?”

He said, “The Bible tells me it is the seventh day, which would be Saturday.”

“That’s right,” I said. He was amazed.

He said that we were the first people he has met that agree with him. He then asked “When does it start and end?”

I said, “What does the Bible say?”

He said, “The Bible tells me that it starts from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset.”

“That is correct,” I said.

“You mean you believe that too?” he said.

“Yes, we believe in only what the Bible says. We go by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God,” I said.

As we talked further, I found that he had learned all this from studying his Bible and searching for the truth. He told me that they had no where to worship God and did not know of anyone who believed as he did. I discussed starting a home church in his area. He is very excited about the home church idea and wants to learn how to keep the Sabbath properly. He has even offered to let us use a small warehouse which he is building for his company to worship in. God is wonderful!

High School Students

We had many high school students at the fair and some were there not solely for fun. Some had school projects, and they were working on customer service. We found this out as they came by our booth and loaded up on books and pamphlets. They said they were looking for bad customer service and we were not it. As they went from booth to booth, we saw one student earnestly reading What’s Behind the New World Order. He was sitting directly opposite our booth at a rest area. We continued to pass out books and talk to people, periodically looking over to where this young man was sitting. He must have read half that book before he moved on, because he sat there for a very long time. We could tell that this young man was going to have more than customer service stories to share with friends and family.

Of course, there is always a down side to every effort to do Gods’ work. Satan is out to discourage and destroy the people of God and all who would listen to them. This should not dishearten us, though. God’s people triumph in the face of adversity. When you pass out free literature, you must expect some people to take the books and throw them away. Pastor Marcussen calls his National Sunday Law books little preachers. I agree with this analogy when speaking of literature that leads people to the truth. When people threw these books at the fair, it was like shooting these poor little preachers. But God is merciful. Periodically, we would send out our medics and nurses to check the trash cans and retrieve the wounded little preachers.

Some had been destroyed, but a lot were just wounded and after retrieval and revival, we sent these little books back out to fight the battle against the powers of darkness. One man read the New World Order book and was furious. We watched as he climbed the stairs, rounded the corner, then the second corner, then to our booth and said “This is what I think of you and your book.” He ripped it in half and threw it in the trash can in front of our booth. He then stormed off looking very pleased with himself. But I think we had more people take the books after his big show. They probably were interested to find out why he was so upset. The children who helped at our booth were a big help handing out literature and checking trash cans. These little helpers of God were not too proud to go and retrieve these little books. Remember Virginia that I told you about earlier? Her booth was at a very strategic corner where people would throw away their books. She was helping with our booth by retrieving books thrown away in her trash can. Does God have everything planned out?

The Lord wants to use each one of us to complete His work, but we need to listen to that still small voice which is the Holy Spirit. One morning as I was getting the booth ready, I had sat down to d o some morning devotions. As I was reading, I was impressed by the Holy Spirit. I looked downstairs and saw a girl who was running a horoscope booth. I was impressed that I should go down and give her a book. So I picked out a book and some pamphlets, and I went downstairs, walked up to her and said, “Hi. I was upstairs doing my devotions and the Lord impressed me that I should give these books to you. I hope you will enjoy them.” She said thank you, and I walked off. That was the last time I saw her at the booth. I do not know if she read the books or what the Lord is doing in her life. I do know that she did not sell horoscopes anymore. God knows the hearts of the people. We need to just follow his guiding hand and listen to the urging of His Spirit.

Call Now for Next Year

“The harvest truly, is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” Luke 10:2. God wants all to be laborers for His harvest. There are many people who will be saved if we love them enough to give them this message. The state fair in your area is a great way to reach people with His last day message. You will need to get in contact with your state fair as soon as possible. They fill up booth spaces very quickly. Remember, time is growing short. Paul said in 2 Timothy 4:2-5: “Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrines, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned away to fables. But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.” There will come a time when people will no longer listen to God’s last day messages. We are responsible for the people we know and will have to answer for those who we did not love enough to give them the message. The fair is a great way to meet people and to present God’s message. I encourage you, reader, and your church to actively get involved in witnessing. We at Steps to Life want to help you to get God’s Three Angels’ Messages out to the world. Let us know how we can help.