Christ

Bible Study Guides – “I Pray For Them”

March 10, 2001 – March 16, 2001

Memory Verse

“Sanctify them through Thy truth: Thy word is truth.” John 17:17.

Study Help: Testimonies, vol. 8, 239–244.

Introduction

“…we are to learn to answer the prayer recorded in the seventeenth chapter of John. We are to make this prayer our first study. Every gospel minister, every medical missionary, is to learn the science of this prayer. My brethren and sisters, I ask you to heed these words and to bring to your study a calm, humble, contrite spirit, and the healthy energies of a mind under the control of God. Those who fail to learn the lessons contained in this prayer are in danger of making one-sided developments, which no future training will ever fully correct.” Testimonies, vol. 8, 239.

“I Have Finished the Work Which Thou Gavest Me To Do”

1 What was the purpose of Christ’s life? John 17:1, 2, 4.

note: “In all the gracious deeds that Jesus did, He sought to impress upon men the parental, benevolent attributes of God. In all His lessons He was seeking to teach men the wonderful truth that ‘God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ Jesus would have us understand the love of the Father, and He seeks to draw us to Him by presenting His parental grace. He would have the whole field of our vision filled with the perfection of God’s character. In His prayer for His disciples He says, ‘I have glorified Thee on the earth: I have finished the work which Thou gavest Me to do. I have manifested Thy name unto the men which Thou gavest Me out of the world.’ Jesus came into the world to illustrate the character of God in His own life, and He swept back the misrepresentations that Satan had originated, and revealed the glory of God. It was only by living among men that He could reveal the mercy, compassion, and love of His heavenly Father; for it was only by actions of benevolence that He could set forth the grace of God.” Sons and Daughters of God, 139.

2 What precious gift does Christ give to His followers and for what purpose? John 17:22.

note: “The glory of God is His character. While Moses was in the mount, earnestly interceding with God, he prayed, ‘I beseech Thee, show me Thy glory.’ In answer God declared, ‘I will make all My goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.’ The glory of God—His character—was then revealed: ‘The Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty’ (Exodus 33:18, 19; 34:6, 7). This character was revealed in the life of Christ. That He might by His own example condemn sin in the flesh, He took upon Himself the likeness of sinful flesh. Constantly He beheld the character of God; constantly He revealed this character to the world. Christ desires His followers to reveal in their lives this same character. In His intercessory prayer for His disciples He declared: ‘The glory [character] which thou gavest Me I have given them; that they may be one, even as We are one; I in them, and Thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that Thou hast sent Me, and hast loved them, as Thou hast loved Me.’ (John 17:22, 23.) Today it is still His purpose to sanctify and cleanse His church ‘…that He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing….’ (Ephesians 5:26, 27.)” God’s Amazing Grace, 322.

“This is Life Eternal”

3 What knowledge is essential for eternal life? John 17:3. Compare John 14:7.

note: One of the major themes of John’s writings, both in his Gospel and Epistles, is the knowledge that a follower of Christ must have.

“Having received the faith of the gospel, the next work of the believer is to add to his character virtue, and thus cleanse the heart and prepare the mind for the reception of the knowledge of God. This knowledge is the foundation of all true education and of all true service. It is the only real safeguard against temptation; and it is this alone that can make one like God in character. Through the knowledge of God and of His Son Jesus Christ, are given to the believer ‘all things that pertain unto life and godliness.’ No good gift is withheld from him who sincerely desires to obtain the righteousness of God.” Acts of the Apostles, 530.

4 How did Jesus communicate the knowledge of God to His disciples? John 14:8, 9.

note: “It would be well to spend a thoughtful hour each day reviewing the life of Christ from the manger to Calvary. We should take it point by point and let the imagination vividly grasp each scene, especially the closing ones of His earthly life. By thus contemplating His teachings and sufferings, and the infinite sacrifice made by Him for the redemption of the race, we may strengthen our faith, quicken our love, and become more deeply imbued with the spirit which sustained our Saviour. If we would be saved at last we must all learn the lesson of penitence and faith at the foot of the cross.….Everything noble and generous in man will respond to the contemplation of Christ upon the cross.” Maranatha, 77.

“The World Hath Hated Them”

5 What plea did Jesus make for His disciples after He was to be taken from them? John 17:11, 12.

note: “Jesus loves the purchase of His blood, and in passing through the scene of His humiliation to the scene of His exaltation in the heavens, He lost none of His compassionate nature. To–day the same loving, tender, sympathizing heart is open to all the sorrows and woes of humanity. To–day the hand that was pierced is reached forth to bless more abundantly His people that are in the world. Can Christ forget the struggling church that has been left here in the world, which has come to be like the world before the flood, fit for destruction, which has become like Sodom, meet for the wrathful fires from heaven? The Father sees the wormwood and the gall which His dear Son drank for the fallen race. He hears His prayer in behalf of His children: ‘I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to Thee. Holy Father, keep through Thine own name those whom Thou hast given Me, that they may be one, as We are.…’” Sabbath School Worker, September 1, 1893.

See also The Desire of Ages, 680.

6 Why does the world hate those who seek to follow Jesus? John 17:14. Compare Matthew 10:22; Luke 6:22.

note: “Through trial and persecution the glory—the character—of God is revealed in His chosen ones. The believers in Christ, hated and persecuted by the world, are educated and disciplined in the school of Christ. On earth they walk in narrow paths; they are purified in the furnace of affliction. They follow Christ through sore conflicts; they endure self-denial and experience bitter disappointments; but thus they learn the guilt and woe of sin, and they look upon it with abhorrence. Being partakers of Christ’s sufferings, they can look beyond the gloom to the glory, saying, ‘I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.’ Romans 8:18.” Acts of the Apostles, 576, 577.

“Sanctified Through the Truth”

7 What is the will of God for His church? 1 Thessalonians 4:3; John 17:19.

note: “John and Judas are representatives of those who profess to be Christ’s followers. Both these disciples had the same opportunities to study and follow the divine Pattern. Both were closely associated with Jesus and were privileged to listen to His teaching. Each possessed serious defects of character; and each had access to the divine grace that transforms character. But while one in humility was learning of Jesus, the other revealed that he was not a doer of the word, but a hearer only. One, daily dying to self and overcoming sin, was sanctified through the truth; the other, resisting the transforming power of grace and indulging selfish desires, was brought into bondage to Satan. Such transformation of character as is seen in the life of John is ever the result of communion with Christ. There may be marked defects in the character of an individual, yet when he becomes a true disciple of Christ, the power of divine grace transforms and sanctifies him. Beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, he is changed from glory to glory, until he is like Him whom he adores.” Acts of the Apostles, 558, 559.

8 What means is available to us to sanctify our characters? John 17:17; Ephesians 5:26, 27; Psalm 119:11.

note: “‘Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.’ Romans 10:17. The Scriptures are the great agency in the transformation of character. Christ prayed, ‘Sanctify them through Thy truth; Thy word is truth.’ John 17:17. If studied and obeyed, the word of God works in the heart, subduing every unholy attribute. The Holy Spirit comes to convict of sin, and the faith that springs up in the heart works by love to Christ, conforming us in body, soul, and spirit to His own image. Then God can use us to do His will. The power given us works from within outwardly, leading us to communicate to others the truth that has been communicated to us.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 100.

“That Thay All May Be One”

9 What was the dearest desire of Christ’s heart for all His followers? John 17:20, 21, 23.

note: “Harmony and union existing among men of varied dispositions is the strongest witness that can be borne that God has sent His Son into the world to save sinners. It is our privilege to bear this witness. But, in order to do this, we must place ourselves under Christ’s command. Our characters must be molded in harmony with His character, our wills must be surrendered to His will. We are of the same faith, members of one family, all children of the same heavenly Father, with the same blessed hope of immortality. How close and tender should be the tie that binds us together. The people of the world are watching us to see if our faith is exerting a sanctifying influence upon our hearts. They are quick to discern every defect in our lives, every inconsistency in our actions. Let us give them no occasion to reproach our faith.” God’s Amazing Grace, 210.

10 What joyful prospect awaits those who fulfil Christ’s prayer for unity? John 17:24.

note: “Oh, how the divine Head longed to have His church with Him! They had fellowship with Him in His suffering and humiliation, and it is His highest joy to have them with Him to be partakers of His glory. Christ claims the privilege of having His church with Him. ‘I will that they also, whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am.’ To have them with Him is according to covenant promise and agreement with His Father. He reverently presents at the mercy seat His finished redemption for His people. The bow of promise encircles our Substitute and Surety as He pours out His petition of love, ‘Father, I will that they also, whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am; that they may behold My glory.’ We shall behold the King in His beauty, and the church will be glorified.” Testimonies to Ministers, 20, 21.

“I In Them And Thou In Me”

11 What is the secret of unity among the followers of Christ? John 17:23, first part; Colossians 1:27.

note: “The Lord has made abundant provision that His love may be given to us as His free, abundant grace, as our inheritance in this life, to enable us to diffuse the same by being yoked up with Christ. Jesus conveys the circulating vitality of a pure and sanctified Christlike love through every part of our human nature. When this love is expressed in the character, it reveals to all those with whom we associate that it is possible for God to be formed within, the hope of glory. It shows that God loved the obedient ones as He loves Jesus Christ; and nothing less than this satisfies His desires in our behalf. As soon as the human agent becomes united with Christ in heart, soul, and spirit, the Father loves that soul as a part of Christ, as a member of the body of Christ, He himself being the glorious head.” Fundamentals of Christian Education, 466.

12 What gracious invitation is made to each individual Christian? Revelation 3:20.

note: “It is the voice of Jesus asking for entrance. With every knock unheeded, the disposition to open becomes weaker. The impressions of the Holy Spirit if disregarded today, will not be as strong tomorrow. The heart becomes less impressible, and lapses into a perilous unconsciousness of the shortness of life, and of the great eternity beyond. Our condemnation in the judgement will not result from the fact that we have been in error, but from the fact that we have neglected heaven-sent opportunities for learning what is truth.” The Desire of Ages, 490. See also Christ’s Object Lessons, 235.

Bible Study Guides – Hebrews 1:8-14

January 5- 11, 2003

MEMORY VERSE: “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?” Hebrews 1:14.

SUGGESTED READING: Acts of the Apostles, 152–154.

INTRODUCTION: “The glad message of Hebrews 1:14 is for all. The entire chapter is a wonderful encouragement for every tried and tempted soul. [Hebrews 1:13, 14 quoted.] These messages are coming down along the line to our time, to them that shall be heirs of salvation. Angels actually come to our world. Nor are they always invisible. They sometimes veil their angelic appearance, and appearing as men, they converse with and enlighten human beings. . . .” My Life Today, 304.

1 Who speaks to the Son of God, and what is He called? Hebrews 1:8.

NOTE: “If Christ made all things, He existed before all things. The words spoken in regard to this are so decisive that no one need be left in doubt. Christ was God essentially, and in the highest sense. He was with God from all eternity. God over all, blessed forevermore.

“The Lord Jesus Christ, the divine Son of God, existed from eternity, a distinct person, yet one with the Father. He was the surpassing glory of heaven. He was the commander of the heavenly intelligences, and the adoring homage of the angels was received by him as his right. This was no robbery of God [Proverbs 8:22–27 quoted].

“There are light and glory in the truth that Christ was one with the Father before the foundation of the world was laid. This is the light shining in a dark place, making it resplendent with divine, original glory. This truth, infinitely mysterious in itself, explains other mysterious and otherwise unexplainable truths, while it is enshrined in light, unapproachable and incomprehensible.” Review and Herald, April 5, 1906.

2 Who does He invite to share His throne? Revelation 3:21.

NOTE: “The choice we make in this life will be our choice through all eternity. We shall receive either eternal life or eternal death. There is no middle ground, no second probation. God calls upon us to overcome as Christ overcame, that we may sit down with the Saviour in his throne. He has provided us with abundant opportunities and privileges, making it possible for us to overcome.” The Youth’s Instructor, May 9, 1901.

3 How long will He possess His throne? Luke 1:32, 33; Psalm 89:29, 35–37.

NOTE: “To David was given the promise that Christ should reign forever and ever, and that of his kingdom there should be no end.” The Youth’s Instructor, September 13, 1900.

4 How is Christ’s attitude toward iniquity described? Hebrews 1:9.

NOTE: “Christ hated one thing only, and that was sin.” The Bible Echo, April 9, 1894.

“How often we bring our sinful, polluted souls in contact with the heart of Christ, who hates nothing but sin. O, how we grieve the pure, holy Spirit of Christ with our defiling sins!” Review and Herald, July 5, 1898.

5 What should our attitude be towards sin [iniquity]? 1 John 3:4–9.

NOTE: “Those who are looking for the revelation of Christ in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory, . . . will hate sin and iniquity, even as Christ hated sin. They will keep the commandments of God, as Christ kept His Father’s commandments. They will realize that it is not enough to acquiesce in the doctrines of truth, but that the truth must be applied to the heart, practiced in the life, in order that the followers of Christ may be one with Him, and that men may be as pure in their sphere as God is in His sphere.” Faith and Works, 115.

6 Who laid the foundations of the earth? Hebrews 1:10.

NOTE: “In the beginning, God was revealed in all the works of creation. It was Christ that spread the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth. It was His hand that hung the worlds in space, and fashioned the flowers of the field. ‘His strength setteth fast the mountains.’ ‘The sea is His, and He made it.’ Psalms 65:6; 95:5. It was He that filled the earth with beauty, and the air with song. And upon all things in earth, and air, and sky, He wrote the message of the Father’s love.” The Desire of Ages, 20.

7 What will happen to the heavens and earth? Hebrews 1:11, first part. Compare Revelation 21:1, 5.

NOTE: “God will cleanse the earth from its moral corruption, not by a sea of water as in Noah’s day, but by a sea of fire that cannot be quenched by any human devising.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 179.

“In Noah’s day philosophers declared that it was impossible for the world to be destroyed by water; so now there are men of science who endeavor to show that the world cannot be destroyed by fire—that this would be inconsistent with the laws of nature. But the God of nature, the Maker and Controller of her laws, can use the works of His hands to serve His own purpose.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 103.

8 What is said of the unchangeable nature of Christ? Hebrews 1:12; 13:8.

NOTE: “Keep the eye fixed on Christ. . . . Let the hand of God mold and fashion you after the divine similitude. . . . Hang your helpless soul on Jesus Christ. He is unchangeable, the same yesterday, today, and forever.” The Ellen G. White 1888 Materials, vol. 1, 143.

“In your humiliation do not forget that Jesus knows it all, that His love is deep and unchangeable, that He pities our woes, He carries our sorrows, He is our Helper in whom we may trust.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 21, 430, 431.

9 To whom did the Lord say, Sit thou on my right hand? Hebrews 1:13; Psalm 110:1.

NOTE: “In reply to the statement that Christ was the Son of David, Jesus said, ‘How then doth David in Spirit [the Spirit of Inspiration from God] call Him Lord, saying, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit Thou on My right hand, till I make Thine enemies Thy footstool? If David then call Him Lord, how is He his son? And no man was able to answer Him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask Him any more questions.’ [Matthew 22:43–46.]” The Desire of Ages, 609.

“In the words of David referred to by Peter—[Psalm 110:1 quoted], the Father is called Lord, who said unto Christ, who is also Lord, and equal with the Father, ‘Sit thou on my right hand.’ ‘Therefore,’ said Peter, ‘let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.’ [Acts 2:36.]

“David called the Messiah, in his divine character, Lord, although, after the flesh, he was the son of David by direct descent. David, by prophetic foresight, saw Christ enter into the heavens, and take his position at the right hand of God.” The Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 3, 271.

10 Until what time does He sit at the right hand of His Father? Hebrews 1:13; 10:12, 13. Compare 1 Corinthians 15:24–27.

NOTE: “The Lord is soon to come in the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. Is there not enough in the truths which cluster around this event and in the preparation essential for it, to make us think solemnly of our duty? ‘The Son of man shall come in His glory; . . . and before Him shall be gathered all nations.’ [Matthew 25:31, 32.] This subject should be kept before the people as a means to an end,—that end the judgment, with its eternal punishments and rewards. Then God will render to every man according to his work. . . . ‘Fear God, and keep His command-ments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.’ [Ecclesiastes 12:13, 14.]” Review and Herald, June 18, 1901.

11 What will the Son of God do with his enemies when they are given to Him or put under His feet? Psalm 2:7–9; Luke 19:27.

NOTE: “Fire comes down from God out of heaven. The earth is broken up. The weapons concealed in its depths are drawn forth. Devouring flames burst from every yawning chasm. The very rocks are on fire. The day has come that shall burn as an oven. The elements melt with fervent heat, the earth also, and the works that are therein are burned up. The earth’s surface seems one molten mass—a vast, seething lake of fire.

“Satan and all who have joined him in rebellion will be cut off. Sin and sinners will perish, root and branch (Malachi 4:1)—Satan the root, and his followers the branches. . . . ‘They shall be as though they had not been.’ Obadiah 1:16.” The Faith I Live By, 357.

12 What office do the angels fill? Hebrews 1:14, first part.

NOTE: “All things both in heaven and in earth declare that the great law of life is a law of service. The infinite Father ministers to the life of every living thing. Christ came to the earth ‘as He that serveth.’ Luke 22:27. The angels are ‘ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation.’ Hebrews 1:14. The same law of service is written upon all things in nature. The birds of the air, the beasts of the field, the trees of the forest, the leaves, the grass, and the flowers, the sun in the heavens and the stars of light—all have their ministry. Lake and ocean, river and water spring—each takes to give.” Education, 103.

13 To whom do angels minister? Hebrews 1:14, last part.

NOTE: “Yet the angels were to have a part to act in the plan of redemption. Christ was to be made ‘a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death.’ Hebrews 2:9. As He should take human nature upon Him, His strength would not be equal to theirs, and they were to minister to Him, to strengthen and soothe Him under His sufferings. They were also to be ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who should be heirs of salvation. Hebrews 1:14. They would guard the subjects of grace from the power of evil angels and from the darkness constantly thrown around them by Satan.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 65.

The Jewish Rejection of Christ

This article will be a disturbing study to many Seventh-day Adventists because of what it reveals. The subject is the rejection by the Jews of Jesus when He came to this earth as a babe. I want to be sure that we understand its application to the last days.

We are going to study history, but we are not just studying history. We are studying history that prophecy has told us is going to be repeated. I have learned that God’s people are very poor at understanding prophecy when they see it being fulfilled. We are not too bad at understanding prophecy that has been fulfilled in the past, because we can read a history book and compare history with the prophecy. We can go back and forth and see that the history book confirms what a prophet said 2,500 years before.

Such a comparison can be done with the history of the Messiah. We can look at the history and the prophecies and ask why the Jews rejected Jesus. They had been expecting the Messiah to come for over 1,000 years. They were preaching about it every week in the synagogue. They were all expecting it to happen. They were talking about it, they had been studying about it, and every Jewish boy, ever since he could remember, had been told about the wonderful things that were going to happen when the Messiah came. Yet, when He came, they rejected Him.

The Jewish people did not recognize that they were rejecting the Messiah. They said, “The Messiah has not yet come. We are expecting the Messiah to come, and we want the Messiah to come, but that event is in the future; it is not right now.” One of the great dangers of God’s people today is that when prophecy is fulfilled right in front of our eyes, we will not recognize it. We will say, “No, that is not it. It is coming in the future.”

I get telephone calls and letters from people all of the time who agree that the Lord is going to purify the church, but they are talking about the future. Friends, that is a terrible mistake. God is purifying His church right now, in front of us. While they are looking for something to start, it is going to all be over, and they will not even know it. Ellen White indicated that it had started in her day, and that was over 100 years ago. We need to ask the Lord to open our eyes so that we will be able to understand what is happening in the spiritual world right in front of us.

Devil in Control

Ellen White writes, “We want to understand the time in which we live. We do not half understand it. We do not half take it in. My heart trembles in me when I think of what a foe we have to meet, and how poorly we are prepared to meet him. The trials of the children of Israel, and their attitude just before the first coming of Christ, have been presented before me again and again to illustrate the position of the people of God in their experience before the second coming of Christ—how the enemy sought every occasion to take control of the minds of the Jews, and today he is seeking to blind the minds of God’s servants, that they may not be able to discern the precious truth.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 406.

She said that the devil had been trying to take control of the minds of the Jews. Was he very successful? Yes, he was. Then let me ask you another question: Those Jews, of whom the devil was able to take control of their minds, did they know that the devil was in control? No, they did not. And she said, to illustrate the position of the people of God in their experience before the Second Coming, the Lord showed her over and over that the devil would try to do the same thing again.

By What Authority

Why did the Jews reject Jesus? In John 2:13–22 we read about the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. It is at the Passover time, 28 A.D. Jesus began His ministry as the Messiah by cleansing the temple. Verse 18 reads, “So the Jews answered and said to Him, ‘What sign do You show to us, since You do these things?’ ”

In Matthew we see some of the reasons they were asking for a sign. Let us see if this sounds familiar to anybody. “Now when He came into the temple [this is the time after He had just cleansed the temple the second time, at the close of His ministry], the chief priests and the elders of the people confronted Him as He was teaching, and said, ‘By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority?’ ” Matthew 21:23.

To understand the significance of the question they were asking, you have to understand the system with which they were working. These people believed that they were God’s people, God’s church, His children. They had a worldwide representative body that they called the Sanhedrin. It is equivalent to what we call the General Conference today. This was a group of 70 individuals which, they said, had been duly appointed by God. They could prove it by the Scriptures.

“So the Lord said to Moses: ‘Gather to Me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and officers over them; bring them to the tabernacle of meeting, that they may stand there with you. Then I will come down and will talk with you there. I will take of the Spirit that [is] upon you and will put [the same] upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, that you may not bear [it] yourself alone.’ ” Numbers 11:16, 17.

The Lord directed Moses to choose 70 of the elders of the people. He said He would put His spirit on these people. Now, obviously the time came when those people died, right? And after they died they selected other elders. And then after they died, they selected other elders, and they kept doing that. In Christ’s day they still had this group of 70. They said:

  • This group of 70, the Sanhedrin, is the group that is duly appointed. God directed us through Moses to have this group of people as the elders of His people.
  • These are the duly appointed leaders of God’s people.
  • These men are representatives from all parts of the field.
  • These men have been ordained since the days of Moses that they should represent the Lord to His people and that they should have divine authority. It is the responsibility of these men to plan for the prosperity and the advancement of God’s work.
  • This is the highest authority God has on earth and this authority must be respected.

Individual Responsibility

In the days of Christ, before you could be a teacher or a preacher and talk to God’s people and be known as an instructor, you needed to have authorization from this group. We have a modern name for it; today we call it credentials.

Jesus and John the Baptist did not have these credentials. You see, in order to get these credentials, you had to go through their school system and neither Jesus nor John the Baptist had done this. That is why, in Matthew 21:23 and in John 2, the question is being asked, Who gave you authority to do this? The Sanhedrin had not given authority, and the people thought that if the Sanhedrin had not given authority, then you were like what we would call an offshoot. So they accused both Jesus and John the Baptist of taking something upon their own individual responsibility.

Have you ever heard that you are not supposed to work on your own individual responsibility? that you are to be appointed and directed by the church? The Jews rejected both John the Baptist and Jesus; because they had not gone through their school system; they had not received the proper theological training, and therefore, they did not have any credentials. They were taking upon their individual responsibility when they should have not done anything except as they were directed through the Sanhedrin. They had a total misconception in those days about who the church was. That is what led to that kind of thinking.

John the Baptist talked very plain and straight to them. “But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, ‘Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come.’ ” Matthew 3:7.

Harmony With the Law

We know that the Judgment is not based on profession but on character. The Judgment is not based on who your father is or to what organization or group you belong. Oh, no. In the Judgment the question is not going to be, Did you belong to this church organization or that organization? Ellen White says that God is only going to ask one question on the Day of Judgment: Did this person keep My law or not? That is it, because that reveals the character. (See The Signs of the Times, May 19, 1887.)

Abraham’s Children

The Jews did not understand this. They said, “We are God’s people.” How did they know that they were God’s people? Because, they said, “We are Abraham’s children.” They had all been circumcised. They were all Abraham’s children, but notice what John the Baptist had to say about this. He does not call them Abraham’s children. He calls them a brood of poisonous snakes, and in verse 8 he says, “Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance.” In other words, your life, your character has to be in harmony with what you say you are doing. You say you are repenting of your sins, well, your life has to be in harmony with that repentance. “And do not think to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as [our] father.’ ” Matthew 3:9. That is what they were saying: “We are God’s people because Abraham is our father; we are the children of Israel; we are God’s chosen people.” John the Baptist told them that profession was worthless. He told them that unless their lives were in harmony with the Law of God, they were not God’s people. (See The Desire of Ages, 107.)

That was pretty strong, because they had been taught ever since they were little children that they were God’s chosen people because they were Abraham’s children. You know, you tend to believe something if you have been taught it ever since you were a little child, if you learned it from your mother’s knee.

You can see why John the Baptist was not very popular with the leaders. It was not just because he called them a bunch of poisonous snakes; it was because He was attacking something that they had cherished as a belief ever since they could remember. He was attacking one of their most fundamental beliefs—that they were Abraham’s children, God’s people.

John the Baptist said, No, that is not true. Profession is worthless unless your character backs up your profession. Unless your character is in harmony with God’s Law, you are not His people. It was a shock! They knew they were not obeying the Law of God. They knew that there was a prophecy, but they said, “We are God’s people because we are Abraham’s children.” They believed that, when the Messiah came, He would purify the church. He would straighten out the Sanhedrin. So they said, “Even though things are bad, we are just praying, hoping, and waiting. The Messiah is coming, and when the Messiah comes, He will purify the church.” Now let me ask you something. When the Messiah came, did He purify the church?

Church Purified

Whether you believe He purified the church or not depends upon who the church is in your thinking.

You see, if you believe that the church is those people who are Abraham’s children—the Sanhedrin, Caiaphas and company, and all of those in that whole group,—if that is who you believe the church is, then it did not get purified. The question is, Is that really the church?

Did the true church actually get purified? Yes, it did. Who is the church? That is not difficult. The Bible tells us in Colossians 1 who and what the church is. It says that the church is the body of Christ. How many heads does the body have? One! The Bible is very clear about that in Ephesians 1. The church has one head. There are beasts in the Bible that have seven heads, four heads, and all sorts of things, but the church has just one head.

When Jesus was here in the flesh, who was the head of the church? He was! There are many people who believe that Caiaphas was the head of the church when Jesus was here. Who you believe to be the head of the church has all kinds of implications. Because of the Jew’s belief about who and what the church is, they believed that Jesus and John the Baptist were tearing down the church.

Ellen White says, “Though He was the Prince of Peace, His coming must be as the unsheathing of a sword. The kingdom He had come to establish was the opposite of that which the Jews desired. He who was the foundation of the ritual and economy of Israel would be looked upon as its enemy and destroyer. He who had proclaimed the law upon Sinai would be condemned as a transgressor. He who had come to break the power of Satan would be denounced as Beelzebub.” The Desire of Ages, 111.

With all of the miracles that Jesus performed, with all of His preaching and teaching, and with the character that He brought, why was it that He could not turn the Jewish nation around? It was because of their understanding of the Scriptures!

Scriptures “Prove” Error

Do you realize that they used the Scriptures to prove that Jesus was not the Messiah? There were hundreds of Scriptures that they used. We will read only two, so you can get a feel for the way they developed Bible studies to prove to the Jewish people that Jesus was not the Messiah. These Bible studies were very effective.

You need to understand, friends, that there is a right way and a wrong way to use inspired writings. You can prove error from the Bible and from the Spirit of Prophecy. It has happened many times, and it will continue to happen. That is one of the reasons Ellen White counsels us that before we ever study the Bible, we should pray. (See The Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 4, 350.) We should say, Lord, help me to understand truth so that the devil does not work on my mind and wrest the Scripture so that the very Word of truth is taken to teach error.

“He [that is the Messiah] shall have dominion also from sea to sea, And from the River to the ends of the earth.” Psalm 72:8. The Jews would read that Scripture and ask, “Is this Jesus of Nazareth? Does He reign from sea to sea? Does His dominion go to the ends of the earth?” Everybody would see the answer was No. The Romans were ruling the world then. Jesus was not ruling to the ends of the earth. So, they reasoned, that proves that He is not the Messiah.

Another text they used says, “Thus says the Lord, Who gives the sun for a light by day, the ordinances of the moon and the stars for a light by night, Who disturbs the sea, And its waves roar (The Lord of hosts [is] His name): ‘If those ordinances depart From before Me, says the Lord, [Then] the seed of Israel shall also cease From being a nation before Me forever.’ Thus says the Lord: ‘If heaven above can be measured, And the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel For all that they have done, says the Lord.’ ” Jeremiah 31:35–37.

They would read this Scripture and say, “This Jesus and John the Baptist are preaching against the Sanhedrin and against the church organization, and if they get their way, they are going to destroy our nation.” That is what Caiaphas said. (See John 11.) They would ask, “Is the sun still up there? Is the moon still up there? Are the stars still up there?” Well, yes. “Then, Israel is still God’s people.”

Character Counts

Now I want you to see how much different their idea was than Jesus’ ideas. Jesus, just like John the Baptist, showed them that it was character that counted. Character is always what has counted in God’s sight.

In John 8:37, 38 is recorded Jesus’ words: “I know that you are Abraham’s descendants, but you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you. I speak what I have seen with My Father, and you do what you have seen with your father.” Jesus tells them, My Father and your father are not the same.

They said, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus immediately denied that in verse 39: “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham.” In other words, If Abraham were your father, you would manifest the character of Abraham. Jesus denied their allegation. He acknowledged in verse 37 that Abraham was their father according to the flesh, but He denied in verse 39 that Abraham was their father spiritually.

He said, Abraham is not really your father. He proved to them that they were doing something completely contrary to what Abraham would ever do. In verse 41 He said, “You do the deeds of your father.” Your character shows who your spiritual father is. That was too much. They got sarcastic.

All of His life Jesus was accused of being a product of fornication and of being an illegitimate son. The Jews never accepted the fact of the virgin birth, because if they had, they would have had to acknowledge that He was the Messiah. So they said, “We have not been born of fornication. We have one Father, God.” Verse 41. They did have some standards and rules. You could not be born of fornication and be part of the Sanhedrin. Jesus immediately replied, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me. . . . Your father is the devil.” Verses 42, 44.

He hit them right between the eyes! My Father is God, but your father is the devil. You say that God is your Father, but it is not true. The devil is your father. How did Jesus know that the devil was their father? “You are of [your] father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and [does not] stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own [resources], for he is a liar and the father of it.” Verse 44. How do you tell who your father is? Your character tells.

Of the Devil

The devil was a liar and a murderer, Jesus says, from the beginning. He told them they were lying and murdering, plotting His murder. That proved that the devil was their father. Or as the same writer says in 1 John 3:8, “He who sins is of the devil.”

Oh, no, we say, we are Christians. That is not what the Bible says. No matter what we profess, if we are living in sin, the Bible says our father, our spiritual father, is the devil. In fact, John is so strong about this in 1 John 3:4–10, that he says, If you really are converted, if you are born again, you will not sin. And if you are sinning, you are of the devil.

So why did the church in Jesus’ day reject Him? Why did they reject the Messiah? Oh, it was because of all these theological theories that they had built up directly from the Old Testament. Even in the face of miracles and everything else, they said, “The miracles have to be from the devil, because He could not be the right one. We can prove it from the Bible.”

The same thing is happening today. People say to me, “We just have to wait. God is going to purify the church someday, and then we will finish the work.” Let me tell you something, God will have the work all finished while these people are waiting for the purifying to happen.

The evidence right now is that God is getting ready to finish His work all over the world. And the most wonderful experience that you and I can have is if we could just be a little part of it.

[Bible texts quoted are literal translation.]

Bible Study Guides – Jesus Christ Our Only Hope

January 6, 2008 – January 12, 2008

Key Text

“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” Acts 4:12.

Study Help: Selected Messages, Book 1, 226–228.

Introduction

“Christ alone is exalted to be ‘a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.’ ‘Neither is there salvation in any other.’ Acts 5:31; 4:12.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 264.

1 What happened the same day Adam and Eve sinned? Genesis 3:21.

Note: “To Adam, the offering of the first sacrifice was a most painful ceremony. His hand must be raised to take life, which only God could give. It was the first time he had ever witnessed death, and he knew that had he been obedient to God, there would have been no death of man or beast. As he slew the innocent victim, he trembled at the thought that his sin must shed the blood of the spotless Lamb of God. This scene gave him a deeper and more vivid sense of the greatness of his transgression, which nothing but the death of God’s dear Son could expiate. And he marveled at the infinite goodness that would give such a ransom to save the guilty. A star of hope illumined the dark and terrible future and relieved it of its utter desolation.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 68.

2 How does the prophet Isaiah explain this substitution? Isaiah 53:4, 5.

Note: “Christ was treated as we deserve, that we might be treated as He deserves. He was condemned for our sins, in which He had no share, that we might be justified by His righteousness, in which we had no share. He suffered the death which was ours, that we might receive the life which was His.” The Desire of Ages, 25.

3 Upon what condition do we obtain eternal life? Matthew 19:16, 17.

Note: “The condition of eternal life is now just what it always has been,—just what it was in Paradise before the fall of our first parents,—perfect obedience to the law of God, perfect righteousness. If eternal life were granted on any condition short of this, then the happiness of the whole universe would be imperiled. The way would be open for sin, with all its train of woe and misery, to be immortalized.” Steps to Christ, 62.

“Christ does not lessen the claims of the law. In unmistakable language He presents obedience to it as the condition of eternal life—the same condition that was required of Adam before his fall. The Lord expects no less of the soul now than He expected of man in Paradise, perfect obedience, unblemished righteousness. The requirement under the covenant of grace is just as broad as the requirement made in Eden—harmony with God’s law, which is holy, just, and good.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 391.

“As the Bible presents two laws, one changeless and eternal, the other provisional and temporary, so there are two covenants. The covenant of grace was first made with man in Eden, when after the Fall there was given a divine promise that the seed of the woman should bruise the serpent’s head. To all men this covenant offered pardon and the assisting grace of God for future obedience through faith in Christ. It also promised them eternal life on condition of fidelity to God’s law. Thus the patriarchs received the hope of salvation.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 370.

4 Can human beings present perfect obedience by themselves? Isaiah 64:6.

Note: “It was possible for Adam, before the fall, to form a righteous character by obedience to God’s law. But he failed to do this, and because of his sin our natures are fallen and we cannot make ourselves righteous. Since we are sinful, unholy, we cannot perfectly obey the holy law. We have no righteousness of our own with which to meet the claims of the law of God. But Christ has made a way of escape for us. He lived on earth amid trials and temptations such as we have to meet. He lived a sinless life. He died for us, and now He offers to take our sins and give us His righteousness.” Steps to Christ, 62.

5 What assurance do we have through the merits of Christ? John 15:5; Philippians 4:13.

Note: “The world’s Redeemer, the only begotten Son of God, by His perfect obedience to the law, by His life and character, redeemed that which was lost in the fall, and made it possible for man to obey that holy law of righteousness which Adam transgressed. Christ did not exchange His divinity for humanity, but combined humanity with divinity; and in humanity He lived the law in behalf of the human family. The sins of every one who will receive Christ were set to His account, and He has fully satisfied the justice of God.” Special Testimonies on Education, 21.

“Because man fallen could not overcome Satan with his human strength, Christ came from the royal courts of Heaven to help him with his human and divine strength combined. Christ knew that Adam in Eden, with his superior advantages, might have withstood the temptations of Satan, and conquered him. He also knew that it was not possible for man, out of Eden, separated from the light and love of God since the fall, to resist the temptations of Satan in his own strength. In order to bring hope to man, and save him from complete ruin, he humbled himself to take man’s nature, that with his divine power combined with the human, he might reach man where he is. He obtained for the fallen sons and daughters of Adam that strength which it is impossible for them to gain for themselves, that in his name they might overcome the temptations of Satan.” Review and Herald, August 18, 1874.

6 What was prophesied by Daniel in regard to the righteousness of Christ? Daniel 9:24.

Note: “In the prophecy of Daniel it was recorded of Christ that He shall ‘make reconciliation for iniquity, and . . . bring in everlasting righteousness’ (Daniel 9:24). Every soul may say: ‘By His perfect obedience He has satisfied the claims of the law, and my only hope is found in looking to Him as my substitute and surety, who obeyed the law perfectly for me. By faith in His merits I am free from the condemnation of the law. He clothes me with His righteousness, which answers all the demands of the law. I am complete in Him who brings in everlasting righteousness.’ ” Selected Messages, Book 1, 396.

7 Under what symbol did John the Baptist introduce Christ to the people? John 1:29.

Note: “John had been deeply moved as he saw Jesus bowed as a suppliant, pleading with tears for the approval of the Father. As the glory of God encircled Him, and the voice from heaven was heard, John recognized the token which God had promised. He knew that it was the world’s Redeemer whom he had baptized. The Holy Spirit rested upon him, and with outstretched hand pointing to Jesus, he cried, ‘Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.’ [John 1:29.]” The Desire of Ages, 112.

8 What does the apostle Peter say about Jesus Christ? 1 Peter 1:18, 19.

Note: “ ‘In him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.’ [Colossians 2:9.] Men need to understand that Deity suffered and sank under the agonies of Calvary. Yet Jesus Christ whom God gave for the ransom of the world purchased the church with His own blood. The Majesty of heaven was made to suffer at the hands of religious zealots, who claimed to be the most enlightened people upon the face of the earth.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, 907.

“As the sinner looks upon the Saviour dying on Calvary, and realizes that the Sufferer is divine, he asks why this great sacrifice was made; and the cross points to the holy law of God, which has been transgressed. The death of Christ is an unanswerable argument as to the immutability and righteousness of the law. In prophesying of Christ, Isaiah says, ‘He will magnify the law, and make it honourable.’ [Isaiah 42:21.] The law has no power to pardon the evil-doer. Its office is to point out his defects, that he may realize his need of One who is mighty to save, realize his need of One who will become his substitute, his surety, his righteousness. Jesus meets the need of the sinner; for He has taken upon Him the sins of the transgressor. ‘He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and with his stripes we are healed.’ [Chapter 53:5.] The Lord could have cut off the sinner, and utterly destroyed him; but the more costly plan was chosen. In his great love He provides hope for the hopeless, giving his only begotten Son to bear the sins of the world.” The Bible Echo, March 15, 1893.

9 What unanswerable question did Christ put to His enemies? John 8:46.

Note: “In His life on earth, Christ developed a perfect character, He rendered perfect obedience to His Father’s commandments. In coming to the world in human form, in becoming subject to the law, in revealing to men that He bore their sickness, their sorrow, their guilt, He did not become a sinner. Before the Pharisees He could say, ‘Which of you convinceth me of sin?’ [John 8:46.] Not one stain of sin was found upon Him. He stood before the world the spotless Lamb of God.” The Youth’s Instructor, December 29, 1898.

10 How can we be saved? John 3:16–18.

Note: “How, then, are we to be saved? ‘As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness,’ [John 3:14] so the Son of man has been lifted up, and everyone who has been deceived and bitten by the serpent may look and live. ‘Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.’ John 1:29. The light shining from the cross reveals the love of God. His love is drawing us to Himself. If we do not resist this drawing, we shall be led to the foot of the cross in repentance for the sins that have crucified the Saviour. Then the Spirit of God through faith produces a new life in the soul. The thoughts and desires are brought into obedience to the will of Christ. The heart, the mind, are created anew in the image of Him who works in us to subdue all things to Himself. Then the law of God is written in the mind and heart, and we can say with Christ, ‘I delight to do Thy will, O my God.’ Psalm 40:8.” The Desire of Ages, 175, 176.

Additional Reading:

“Jesus met Satan with the words, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God’ (Matthew 4:4). In every temptation the weapon of His warfare was the Word of God. Satan demanded of Christ a miracle as a sign of His divinity. But that which is greater than all miracles, a firm reliance upon a ‘Thus saith the Lord’ was a sign that could not be controverted. So long as Christ held to this position, the tempter could gain no advantage.

“A familiarity with the Word of God is our only hope. Those who diligently search the Scriptures will not accept Satan’s delusions as the truth of God. No one need be overcome by the speculations presented by the enemy of God and of Christ. We are not to speculate regarding points upon which the Word of God is silent. All that is necessary for our salvation is given in the Word of God. Day by day we are to make the Bible the man of our counsel.

“From all eternity Christ was united with the Father, and when He took upon Himself human nature, He was still one with God. He is the link that unites God with humanity. ‘Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same’ (Hebrews 2:14). Only through Him can we become children of God. To all who believe on Him, He gives power to become the sons of God. Thus the heart becomes the temple of the living God. It is because Christ took human nature that men and women become partakers of the divine nature. He brings life and immortality to light through the gospel.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 228.

Reprinted with permission, Reformation Herald Publishing Association, Roanoke, Virginia.

Bible Study Guides – The Heavenly Trio

February 10, 2008 – February 16, 2008

Key Text

“Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 1:2.

Study Help: “Ellen G. White Comments,” Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7A, 442.

Introduction

“There are three living persons of the heavenly trio; in the name of these three great powers—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—those who receive Christ by living faith are baptized, and these powers will co-operate with the obedient subjects of heaven in their efforts to live the new life in Christ.” Special Testimonies, Series B, No. 7, 63.

1. How many persons of the Godhead were present at Jesus’ baptism? Matthew 3:16, 17.

Note: “When Christ bowed on the banks of Jordan, after his baptism, the heavens were opened, and the Spirit descended in the form of a dove, like burnished gold, and encircled him with its glory; and the voice of God from the highest heaven was heard, saying, ‘This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’ [Matthew 3:17.] The prayer of Christ in man’s behalf opened the gates of heaven, and the Father had responded, accepting the petition for the fallen race. Jesus prayed as our substitute and surety, and now the human family may find access to the Father through the merits of his well-beloved Son.” Review and Herald, February 28, 1888.

2. What assurance is given to those who believe in Christ as their personal Saviour? John 20:17.

3. How many persons are mentioned in Christ’s promise to send the Comforter? John 14:16.

Note: “The Comforter that Christ promised to send after He ascended to heaven, is the Spirit in all the fullness of the Godhead, making manifest the power of divine grace to all who receive and believe in Christ as a personal Saviour. There are three living persons of the heavenly trio; in the name of these three great powers—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—those who receive Christ by living faith are baptized, and these powers will co-operate with the obedient subjects of heaven in their efforts to live the new life in Christ.” Special Testimonies, Series B, No. 7, 63.

4. Why is the Holy Spirit called “another Comforter” in John 14:16? Compare 1 John 2:1.

Note: “The promise of the Comforter presented a rich truth to the disciples. It assured them that they should not lose their faith under the most trying circumstances. The Holy Spirit, sent in the name of Christ, was to be their Guide, teaching them all things, and bringing all things to their remembrance. This Comforter was to be the representative of Christ their Advocate, who is constantly pleading in behalf of the fallen race.

“He who knows the end from the beginning has provided for the attack of satanic agencies; and he will fulfill his Word to the faithful in every age. That Word is sure and steadfast; not one jot or tittle of it can fail. The Holy Spirit is constantly at work, teaching, reminding, testifying, coming to the soul as a divine comforter, and convincing of sin as an appointed judge and guide. If men will keep under the protection of God, he will be to them as an impregnable fortress. He will give evidence that his Word can never fail. He will prove a light that shineth in a dark place until the day dawn; as the Sun of Righteousness he will arise with healing in his beams.” The Signs of the Times, November 18, 1897.

5. Who was mentioned by Christ in His commission to His disciples? Matthew 28:19.

Note: “The disciples were to carry their work forward in Christ’s name. Their every word and act was to fasten attention on His name, as possessing that vital power by which sinners may be saved. Their faith was to center in Him who is the source of mercy and power. In His name they were to present their petitions to the Father, and they would receive answer. They were to baptize in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Christ’s name was to be their watchword, their badge of distinction, their bond of union, the authority for their course of action, and the source of their success. Nothing was to be recognized in His kingdom that did not bear His name and superscription.” The Acts of the Apostles, 28.

6. What assurance did Christ give to His followers? Matthew 28:20.

Note: “Christ gave His disciples their commission. He made full provision for the prosecution of the work, and took upon Himself the responsibility for its success. So long as they obeyed His word, and worked in connection with Him, they could not fail. Go to all nations, He bade them. Go to the farthest part of the habitable globe, but know that My presence will be there. Labor in faith and confidence, for the time will never come when I will forsake you.

“The Saviour’s commission to the disciples included all the believers. It includes all believers in Christ to the end of time. It is a fatal mistake to suppose that the work of saving souls depends alone on the ordained minister. All to whom the heavenly inspiration has come are put in trust with the gospel. All who receive the life of Christ are ordained to work for the salvation of their fellow men. For this work the church was established, and all who take upon themselves its sacred vows are thereby pledged to be co-workers with Christ.” The Desire of Ages, 822.

7. How does Peter salute the readers of his epistle? 1 Peter 1:2. What does Paul mention also? 11 Thessalonians 2:13, 14.

Note: “ ‘God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation,’ the apostle Paul writes, ‘through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth.’ 11 Thessalonians 2:13. In this text the two agencies in the work of salvation are revealed—the divine influence, and the strong, living faith of those who follow Christ. It is through the sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth that we become laborers together with God. Christ waits for the co-operation of His church. He does not design to add a new element of efficiency to His word; He has done His great work in giving His inspiration to the word. The blood of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, the divine word, are ours. The object of all this provision of heaven is before us—the salvation of the souls for whom Christ died; and it depends upon us to lay hold on the promises God has given, and become laborers together with Him. Divine and human agencies must co-operate in the work.” Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, 22.

8. Who worked out the plan of redemption at the very beginning?

Note: “The Godhead was stirred with pity for the race, and the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit gave Themselves to the working out of the plan of redemption. In order fully to carry out this plan, it was decided that Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, should give Himself an offering for sin. What line can measure the depth of this love? God would make it impossible for man to say that He could have done more. With Christ He gave all the resources of heaven, that nothing might be wanting in the plan for man’s uplifting. Here is love—the contemplation of which should fill the soul with inexpressible gratitude! Oh, what love, what matchless love! The contemplation of this love will cleanse the soul from all selfishness. It will lead the disciple to deny self, take up the cross, and follow the Redeemer.” Counsels on Health, 222, 223.

9. What promise does the apostolic benediction include? 11 Corinthians 13:14.

Note: “To His church, Christ has given ample facilities, that He may receive a large revenue of glory from His redeemed, purchased possession. The church, being endowed with the righteousness of Christ, is His depository, in which the wealth of His mercy, His love, His grace, is to appear in full and final display. The declaration in His intercessory prayer, that the Father’s love is as great toward us as toward Himself, the only-begotten Son, and that we shall be with Him where He is, forever one with Christ and the Father, is a marvel to the heavenly host, and it is their great joy. The gift of His Holy Spirit, rich, full, and abundant, is to be to His church as an encompassing wall of fire, which the powers of hell shall not prevail against.” Christian Experience and Teachings of Ellen G. White, 209.

10. How can we avail ourselves of the help of the heavenly trio? Luke 11:11–13.

Note: “Christ illustrates the willingness of God to bless by the willingness of a father to grant the request of his child. He says, ‘If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him?’ Luke 11:11–13.” Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, 242.

Additional Reading:

“The Father is all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and is invisible to mortal sight.

“The Son is all the fullness of the Godhead manifested. The Word of God declares Him to be ‘the express image of His person.’ ‘God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ [Hebrews 1:3; John 3:16.] Here is shown the personality of the Father.

“The Comforter that Christ promised to send after He ascended to heaven, is the Spirit in all the fullness of the Godhead, making manifest the power of divine grace to all who receive and believe in Christ as a personal Saviour.” Evangelism, 614, 615.

“The Holy Spirit comes to convict of sin, and the faith that springs up in the heart works by love to Christ, conforming us in body, soul, and spirit to His own image. Then God can use us to do His will.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 100.

“All who receive the gospel message into the heart will long to proclaim it. The heaven-born love of Christ must find expression. Those who have put on Christ will relate their experience, tracing step by step the leadings of the Holy Spirit—their hungering and thirsting for the knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ whom He has sent, the results of their searching of the Scriptures, their prayers, their soul agony, and the words of Christ to them, ‘Thy sins be forgiven thee.’ [Matthew 9:2.]” Ibid., 125.

“Our sanctification is the work of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is the fulfilment of the covenant that God has made with those who bind themselves up with Him, to stand with Him, with His Son, and with His Spirit in holy fellowship. Have you been born again? Have you become a new being in Christ Jesus? Then co-operate with the three great powers of heaven who are working in your behalf. Doing this you will reveal to the world the principles of righteousness.” The Signs of the Times, June 19, 1901.

“Those who are baptized in the threefold name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, at the very entrance of their Christian life declare publicly that they have forsaken the service of Satan and have become members of the royal family, children of the heavenly king.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 91.

“When truth becomes an abiding principle in the life, the soul is ‘born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever.’ [1 Peter 1:23.] This new birth is the result of receiving Christ as the Word of God. When by the Holy Spirit divine truths are impressed upon the heart, new conceptions are awakened, and the energies hitherto dormant are aroused to co-operate with God.” The Acts of the Apostles, 520.

“Those who study the word of God with hearts open to the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit, will not remain in darkness as to the meaning of the word. ‘If any man willeth to do His will,’ Christ said, ‘he shall know of the teaching whether it be of God, or whether I speak from Myself.’ John 7:17, R.V.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 36.

“Morning by morning, as the heralds of the gospel kneel before the Lord and renew their vows of consecration to Him, He will grant them the presence of His Spirit, with its reviving, sanctifying power. As they go forth to the day’s duties, they have the assurance that the unseen agency of the Holy Spirit enables them to be ‘laborers together with God.’ ” The Acts of the Apostles, 56.

“What was the strength of those who in the past have suffered persecution for Christ’s sake? It was union with God, union with the Holy Spirit, union with Christ.” Ibid., 84.

Reprinted with permission, Reformation Herald Publishing Association, Roanoke, Virginia.

Bible Study Guides – “The Word Was Made Flesh”

January 27, 2008 – February 2, 2008

Key Text

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. . . . And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” John 1:1–4, 14.

Study Help: Selected Messages, Book 1, 252–256.

Introduction

“The apostle [Paul] exalted Christ before his brethren as the One by whom God had created all things and by whom He had wrought out their redemption. He declared that the hand that sustains the worlds in space, and holds in their orderly arrangements and tireless activity all things throughout the universe of God, is the hand that was nailed to the cross for them.” The Acts of the Apostles, 471, 472.

1 How does Paul summarize the incarnation? 1 Timothy 3:16.

Note: “ ‘Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in His apparel, traveling in the greatness of His strength?’ Isaiah 63:1. With assurance comes the answer: ‘Without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.’ 1 Timothy 3:16.” Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, 262.

2 How can we get a glimpse of this mystery? Matthew 16:24; Galatians 6:14.

Note: “The cross of Christ is all covered with reproach and stigma, yet it is the hope of life and exaltation to man. No one can comprehend the mystery of godliness so long as he is ashamed to bear the cross of Christ.” Review and Herald, April 15, 1875.

3 What other description does Paul make of the incarnation? Philippians 2:5–8.

Note: “Point after point Paul lingered over, in order that those who should read his epistle might fully comprehend the wonderful condescension of the Saviour in their behalf. Presenting Christ as He was when equal with God and with Him receiving the homage of the angels, the apostle traced His course until He had reached the lowest depths of humiliation. Paul was convinced that if they could be brought to comprehend the amazing sacrifice made by the Majesty of heaven, all selfishness would be banished from their lives. He showed how the Son of God had laid aside His glory, voluntarily subjecting Himself to the conditions of human nature, and then had humbled Himself as a servant, becoming obedient unto death, ‘even the death of the cross’ (Philippians 2:8), that He might lift fallen man from degradation to hope and joy and heaven.” The Acts of the Apostles, 333.

4 Why did Christ submit Himself to such humiliation? John 3:16.

Note: “When we study the divine character in the light of the cross we see mercy, tenderness, and forgiveness blended with equity and justice. We see in the midst of the throne One bearing in hands and feet and side the marks of the suffering endured to reconcile man to God. We see a Father, infinite, dwelling in light unapproachable, yet receiving us to Himself through the merits of His Son. The cloud of vengeance that threatened only misery and despair, in the light reflected from the cross reveals the writing of God: Live, sinner, live! ye penitent, believing souls, live! I have paid a ransom.

“In the contemplation of Christ we linger on the shore of a love that is measureless. We endeavor to tell of this love, and language fails us. We consider His life on earth, His sacrifice for us, His work in heaven as our advocate, and the mansions He is preparing for those who love Him, and we can only exclaim, O the height and depth of the love of Christ! ‘Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.’ ‘Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God.’ 1 John 4:10; 3:1.” The Acts of the Apostles, 333, 334.

5 How does God the Father address Christ? Hebrews 1:7–10.

Note: “The Angel of the covenant came in the name of God, as the invisible leader of Israel. The Son of God over His own house is higher than Moses, higher than the highest angel. He bears the name of Jehovah upon His miter, while on His breastplate is written the name of Israel. Christ took humanity that humanity might touch humanity. In the form of man He humbled Himself, and became a servant, but as the Son of God He was higher than the angels. By His life in humanity man may become a partaker of the divine nature. As the Majesty of heaven, He was exalted above the angels, and in His work of redemption He carries with Him all who have received Him and believed on His name.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, 928.

6 How clearly does John recognize the divinity of Christ? 1 John 5:20.

Note: “Everyone who is chosen of God should improve his intellectual powers. Jesus came to represent the character of the Father, and He sent His disciples into the world to represent the character of Christ. He has given us His word to point out the way of life, and He has not left us simply to carry that word, but has also promised to give it efficiency by the power of the Holy Spirit. Is there need, then, that any should walk in uncertainty, grieving that they do not know and experience the movings of the Holy Spirit upon their hearts? Are you hungering and thirsting for instruction in righteousness? Then you have the sure promise that you shall be filled. ‘And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know Him that is true, and we are in Him that is true, even in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.’ [1 John 5:20.]

“The Lord would have us in possession of the spirit of heavenly wisdom. Are we all being impressed to pray to the Lord humbly and earnestly as our necessities require, importuning Him for the spirit of wisdom? Do we pray, saying, ‘Show me the secrets which I know not, teach Thou me’? Oh, for humble, earnest prayer to go forth from unfeigned lips praying for the counsel that is of God! He says, Counsel is Mine, and sound wisdom.” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 199, 200.

7 What was prophesied about Christ’s incarnation? Psalm 40:6–8. Compare with Hebrews 10:5–7.

Note: “Christ alone was able to represent the Deity. He who had been in the presence of the Father from the beginning, He who was the express image of the invisible God, was alone sufficient to accomplish this work. No verbal description could reveal God to the world. Through a life of purity, a life of perfect trust and submission to the will of God, a life of humiliation such as even the highest seraph in heaven would have shrunk from, God Himself must be revealed to humanity. In order to do this, our Saviour clothed His divinity with humanity. He employed the human faculties, for only by adopting these could He be comprehended by humanity. Only humanity could reach humanity. He lived out the character of God through the human body which God had prepared for Him. He blessed the world by living out in human flesh the life of God, thus showing that He had the power to unite humanity to divinity.” Review and Herald, June 25, 1895.

“Christ in the courts of heaven had known that the time would come when the power of Satan must be met and conquered if the human race was ever to be saved from his dominion. And when that time came, the Son of God laid off His kingly crown and royal robe, and clothing His divinity with humanity, came to the earth to meet the prince of evil, and to conquer him. In order to become the advocate of man before the Father, the Saviour would live His life on earth as every human being must, accepting its adversities and sorrows and temptations.” Ibid., January 28, 1909.

8 How did Christ manifest His divinity even in His human nature? Matthew 2:2, 11.

Note: “ ‘When [the wise men from the East] were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary His mother, and fell down, and worshiped Him.’ Beneath the lowly guise of Jesus, they recognized the presence of Divinity. They gave their hearts to Him as their Saviour, and then poured out their gifts,—‘gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.’ [Matthew 2:11.]” The Desire of Ages, 63.

9 What other evidence do we have about Christ’s divinity in His human nature? Matthew 12:25; Luke 6:8.

Note: “In the multitude that listened to Christ’s teaching there were many Pharisees. These noted contemptuously how few of His hearers acknowledged Him as the Messiah. And they questioned with themselves how this unpretending teacher could exalt Israel to universal dominion. Without riches, power, or honor, how was He to establish the new kingdom? Christ read their thoughts and answered them.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 76.

10 How did Christ publicly reveal His divinity in Capernaum? Matthew 9:1–7.

Note: “Jesus had declared that the sins of the paralytic were forgiven. The Pharisees caught at these words as blasphemy, and conceived that they could present this as a sin worthy of death. They said in their hearts, ‘He blasphemeth: who can forgive sins but One, even God?’ Mark 2:7, R.V.” The Desire of Ages, 269.

“They saw that Christ possessed a power which they had ascribed to God alone; yet the gentle dignity of His manner was in marked contrast to their own haughty bearing. They were disconcerted and abashed, recognizing, but not confessing, the presence of a superior being. The stronger the evidence that Jesus had power on earth to forgive sins, the more firmly they entrenched themselves in unbelief.” Ibid., 270, 271.

Additional Reading:

“Christ was the greatest teacher the world has ever known. He came to this earth to shed abroad the bright beams of truth, that men might gain a fitness for heaven. ‘For this cause came I into the world,’ He declared, ‘that I should bear witness unto the truth.’ John 18:37. He came to reveal the character of the Father, that men might be led to worship Him in spirit and in truth.

“Man’s need for a divine teacher was known in heaven. The pity and sympathy of God were aroused in behalf of human beings, fallen and bound to Satan’s chariot car; and when the fullness of time was come, He sent forth His Son. The One appointed in the councils of heaven came to this earth as man’s instructor. The rich benevolence of God gave Him to our world, and to meet the necessities of human nature He took humanity upon Himself. To the astonishment of the heavenly host the eternal Word came to this world as a helpless babe. Fully prepared, He left the royal courts and mysteriously allied Himself with fallen human beings. . . .

“When Christ left His high command, He might have taken upon Him any condition in life that He chose. But greatness and rank were nothing to Him, and He chose the most humble walk of life. No luxury, ease, or self-gratification came into His experience. The truth of heavenly origin was to be His theme; He was to sow the world with truth, and He lived in such a way as to be accessible to all.” Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, 259.

“Jesus is called the Word of God. He accepted His Father’s law, wrought out its principles in His life, manifested its spirit, and showed its beneficent power in the heart. Says John: ‘The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.’

“All that man needs to know or can know of God has been revealed in the life and character of His Son. . . .

“Taking humanity upon Him, Christ came to be one with humanity and at the same time to reveal our heavenly Father to sinful human beings. He was in all things made like unto His brethren. He became flesh, even as we are. He was hungry and thirsty and weary. He was sustained by food and refreshed by sleep. He shared the lot of men, and yet He was the blameless Son of God.” The Faith I Live By, 17.

Reprinted with permission, Reformation Herald Publishing Association, Roanoke, Virginia.

The Pen of Inspiration – Christ Our Life

“Marvel not at this; for the hour is coming in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.” John 5:28, 29.

This statement was called out by a remark previously made with reference to the salvation of the soul. Jesus was presenting before his hearers, the Pharisees and Sadducees, the great principles of true religion; for they had become corrupt through sin, and were ignorant both of the Scriptures and the power of God. He would impress upon his hearers that all who will finally be heirs of the kingdom of heaven must be satisfied with nothing short of a conversion, a moral change, which is equal to a new creation.

The scribes and Pharisees listened in amazement to such words as these: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on Him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life.” [John 5:24.] The conversion of the soul is, as it were, a resurrection from the dead. It is like a re-creation to those, who, through the transforming power of the grace of God, have passed from death unto life. Those who listened to the Saviour’s words did not believe them. They said in their hearts, This is an impossibility. Jesus discerned their incredulity, and added: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God; and they that hear shall live.” [John 5:25.]

Now we want to keep in mind these two great facts: the change that takes place at conversion, and that which takes place at the resurrection of the dead. There are but two classes brought to view in the text. They are not divided into many grades, one composed of very great sinners, another of persons not so guilty, and still others of persons a little less guilty; but the two classes stand distinct. They are those who have accepted Christ, and those who have not.

There is no way to reach the city of God but by the cross of Calvary. As we lift this cross, which is covered with shame and reproach in the eyes of men, we may know that Christ will help us; and we need divine aid. The sinner has lived in sin; he must die to sin, and live a new life of holiness to God. Paul wrote to the Colossians: “Ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.” [Colossians 3:3.] The apostle here refers to the death to sin, the death of the carnal mind, and not to the death of the body.

Let me emphasize the importance of making Christ our hope and refuge every day of our lives. It is a pleasing fable that is presented to us in this age, that if we only believe in Christ, that is all that is required; works have nothing to do with our acceptance with God. Many trample the law of God under their feet, cherishing in their hearts the delusive thought that it is not binding on them. This is not the truth. In the resurrection all will come forth, they that have done good and they that have done evil, and the fate of each will be decided according as his works have been. All good works spring from genuine faith, and the fruits in the works show the character of the faith. Hence it is by our works that we shall be judged.

We each have a work to do in character-building. As we advance in this work, Satan stands ready to oppose us, and there are crosses to take up, and obstacles to be overcome; but our efforts may be a success. When we take hold on the merits of Christ, we shall overcome. He has made it possible for every one to gain eternal life. Many, looking forward to the solemn realities of the future, tremble in their hearts as they question. How will it be with me in the Judgment? To what fate shall I awaken, when all that are in their graves shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live? This is a question for us to decide each for himself. All stand on an equal footing. We are all free moral agents; we may accept God’s terms—keep his commandments and believe on Christ—and live; or we may disbelieve, pursue our own course, and perish.

The distance from earth to heaven may seem very great, for sin has fixed a great gulf; it has separated man from God, and has brought woe and misery upon the human race. But Christ throws himself into the gap. He it is that opens communication between man and God. He is the ladder that Jacob saw in his vision, the base resting on the earth, and the top reaching into the highest heaven. . . .

The God of the universe has given our cases in the Judgment into the hands of his Son, one who is acquainted with our infirmities, and knows that we are but dust. He has taken our nature upon him, and has himself felt the force of our temptations; he has borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows. When man rebelled, Christ became his surety and substitute. He undertook the combat with the powers of darkness; and when through death he destroyed him that had the power of death, the highest honors were bestowed upon him. He ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and sat down at the right hand of God;—the very Jesus who had borne the curse of sin for us. And there was given him a name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow. To him God has delegated his power; he has the keys of death and the grave.

And they that are in their graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth. Jesus shall come, and the angels of God with him; and the glory of his appearing shall flash on human eyes as the vivid lightning or as a consuming fire. He will descend with a shout and with the voice of a great trumpet, and those that hear that vivifying voice will spring rejoicing from the grave. And they will recognize the voice that awakens them to immortal life as that of Him who said, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” [Matthew 11:28.] . . .

Now we have opportunity to prepare for the solemn scenes before us. We may be converted to God, and have a change of character; but when Christ shall come there will be no time for this. The change then will be with our bodies. “This corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.” [1 Corinthians 15:53.] A new year is opening before us, and what shall its record be? You look back upon the past year, and you see many things that you would be glad to have different, that you wish had been better. How will it be with the new year that is just opening? Shall we not at its commencement present ourselves to God, an acceptable offering, to work, to suffer, and to endure according to his will? Shall we not, every one of us, live a life of faith in the Son of God?

Bible Echo, January 15, 1889.

The Worthlessness of Creature Merit, Part IV

As “The Worthlessness of Creature Merit” continues, the writer will attempt to deal with the problems that arise in the minds of many Seventh-day Adventists, as they arose in the minds of the church pioneers, when the gospel as presented in Parts I and II was the major part of the presentations in 1888. It was the way Ellen White understood the gospel and what she presented.

The gospel does not do away with sanctification. It makes it possible. The problem was, and still is for many people, that, like the common saying, we get the cart before the horse. We cannot get the results before we have the cause, and that is one of the reasons many Seventh-day Adventists are utterly discouraged.

More Questions and Answers

Questions with answers from inspired writings continue.

  1. What will be the result of laying hold of the merits of Christ?

Ellen White wrote: “John, while in vision, saw a company clothed with white robes… They were seen in the temple of God. This will be the result for all who will lay hold of the merits of Christ, and wash their robes in his blood.” Maranatha, 231.

How wonderful! John saw the saved people in the temple of God, clothed in white robes, and she says that this will be the result for all who trust in the merits of Christ, who wash their robes in His blood.

Salvation! Pray that you will be able to understand it and explain it to people. You cannot explain it to somebody else in a simple way unless you understand the simplicity of it yourself.

There are people all around us, even religious people, who do not understand this. It is the core concept of the Protestant Reformation. It is the core of the 1888 message. This is the gospel that Paul preached which turned the world upside down. This is what the Waldenses preached.

The simplicity of the plan of salvation is so wonderful. We are all included! Some of us, perhaps, are tempted to think that we are advanced—we are theologians or ministers or Bible workers. That is a great temptation.

  1. What is the work of a minister?

I was a minister for many years before I knew what the work of a minister is. It can be described in one sentence: “The work for the ministers of Christ is to hang their helpless souls upon His merit.” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 247.

What? That is what it is? That is what God’s messenger wrote! That is the minister’s work.

  1. How can you receive invincible power?

What does the word invincible mean? It means that you cannot be overcome.

“Nothing is apparently more helpless, yet really more invincible, than the soul that feels its nothingness and relies wholly on the merits of the Saviour.” Sons and Daughters of God, 35.

What is apparently the most helpless thing around, but actually the most invincible thing around? It is the soul that has two qualifications:

First, it feels its nothingness. This is good news, because many people feel that there is no hope for them, but there is hope for them. If they feel their nothingness, that is actually good. They are starting to recognize their real condition. When they start to realize their real condition, when they know that there is nothing they can do—they are such degraded, wretched sinners that they cannot get out of the pit they are in on their own—then there is hope, if they are willing to put their trust in Somebody who can get them out of the pit. Second, when they recognize their helplessness, but choose to trust in the merits of Jesus, then, “God would send every angel in heaven to the aid of such a one, rather than allow him to be overcome.” Ibid. He will give them the power to overcome.

God is watching every trial that each individual has. He is looking at every internal and external struggle through which you are going, the ones that nobody else understands. He knows how much help you need. He may not send every angel out of heaven to help you, because you may not need that much angel-power, but He is willing to send them all before allowing you to be overcome. God is not going to let you down if you put your trust in the merits of Jesus.

Mrs. White says, “Angels are God’s ministers, radiant with the light ever flowing from His presence, and speeding on rapid wing to execute His will.

“Angels are ever present where they are most needed, with those who have the hardest battle with self to fight, and whose surroundings are the most discouraging.” Ibid.

We should keep in mind that some people have surroundings that are more discouraging than others. That is just reality, but God knows all about that. He knows all about every trouble that you have—not just your spiritual troubles, but your financial, temporal, health, business, and job troubles. He knows all about that. The troubles in your family—your domestic troubles, trouble with your parents; He knows all about it. And, she says, “In all ages, angels have been near to Christ’s faithful followers. The vast confederacy of evil is arrayed against all who would overcome; but Christ would have us look to the things which are not seen, to the armies of heaven encamped about all who love God, to deliver them. From what dangers, seen and unseen, we have been preserved through the interposition of the angels, we shall never know, until in the light of eternity we see the providences of God. Then we shall know that the whole family of heaven was interested in the family here below, and that messengers from the throne of God attended our steps from day to day.” The Desire of Ages, 240.

Our Great Lack

  1. What is the result of receiving the virtue of Christ’s merits?

An answer to this question is given by Ellen White: “When we trust God fully, when we rely upon the merits of Jesus as a sin-pardoning Saviour, we shall receive all the help that we can desire.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 351. The answer is also given in Romans 5:1–5: “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only [that], but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”

The result of putting our trust in the merits of Christ and receiving the virtue of His merits is that we will have love poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit. As the love of God is poured out in our hearts, through the Holy Spirit, Ellen White says, “This promised blessing [the Holy Spirit], claimed by faith, brings all other blessings in its train.” The Desire of Ages, 672.

Some people think we are destroying their religion when we say that all we have to do is put our trust in the merits of Christ. No, we are not destroying their religion. We are revealing the true religion. When we trust in His merits, we are going to get everything else we need. The Holy Spirit is going to work in our hearts and put love in our hearts, and when we have love, then all the contention will cease. All the fighting, all the effort toward who can be the greatest, is going to stop. It will change our hearts.

All the strife, fighting, trouble, and contention going on among Seventh-day Adventists today proves that we are not experiencing the righteousness of Christ. We are not experiencing putting our trust in His merits and receiving His merits. If we were receiving His merits, the love of God would be pouring out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit. When our hearts are changed, then everything will change.

Before the cross, the apostles had the same problems we have; they were all fighting with each other. The cross cured them. They began to understand the gospel plan of salvation. After that, when men saw the apostles, they said, “These people have been with Jesus. They are like Him.” (Acts 4:13.)

What could happen if, when people came into contact with us, they thought, “These people must be like Jesus; I have never before seen people like this”? It is going to happen to somebody, to some group of people. I would like to have this happen to me, but the only way it is going to happen is if I put my trust in the merits of Jesus. That is the only way.

Condition of Acceptance

Perhaps the following statement written by Ellen White will help you to understand how the gospel results in good works. Good works have no merit, but the gospel results in good works. In fact, the only way to get the good works is to receive the gospel. Sometimes we spend so much time looking at the results, trying to get the results, but we do not know the cause or the source of good works. We can never get the results. It will never happen. Until we understand the gospel, we will never have the results of the gospel.

“We can do nothing, absolutely nothing, to commend ourselves to divine favor. We must not trust at all to ourselves nor to our good works; but when as erring, sinful beings we come to Christ, we may find rest in His love. God will accept every one that comes to Him trusting wholly [that is, completely] in the merits of a crucified Saviour.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 353, 354.

There you have it again. There is a condition if you want to be accepted into God’s family. The condition is very simple. If you are willing to put your trust in the merits of Jesus Christ, then the Father will accept you. That is the only condition by which He has promised to accept you—if you put your trust in the merits of His Son. That is the one condition.

Here is what will happen if you do that: “. . . trusting wholly in the merits of a crucified Saviour. Love springs up in the heart.” Ibid., 354.

You cannot generate love; I cannot generate love. You cannot make yourself love anybody, and I cannot make myself love anybody. Ellen White says that love is a precious gift we receive from Jesus, and when you put your trust in the merits of Christ, love will come into your heart.

What is going to happen then? “There may be no ecstasy of feeling, but there is an abiding, peaceful trust. Every burden is light; for the yoke which Christ imposes is easy. Duty becomes a delight, and sacrifice a pleasure. The path that before seemed shrouded in darkness becomes bright with beams from the Sun of Righteousness. This is walking in the light as Christ is in the light.” Ibid., 354.

Emphasize the Cause

So, works are the result of being in the way of life. The works have no merit, but good works result when we receive the merits of Christ by faith. Never forget what is the cause, and confuse the cause with the result. By emphasizing the result instead of emphasizing the cause of salvation, which is the merits of Christ alone that are applied to the sinner’s account, we actually drive souls from Christ instead of drawing them to Him, because they see that we are teaching them something that is impossible for them to do. This is one of the biggest problems in Adventism, and it is happening all over the world. God sent the message in 1888 to correct this very problem.

We are hopeless and helpless, but if we put our trust in Jesus Christ, in His merits, He has promised that not one of us will be lost. Here is the remedy:

“Without the grace of Christ, the sinner is in a hopeless condition; nothing can be done for him; but through divine grace, supernatural power is imparted to the man and works in mind and heart and character. . . .

“The only way in which he [the sinner] can attain to righteousness is through faith. By faith he can bring to God the merits of Christ, and the Lord places the obedience of His Son to the sinner’s account. Christ’s righteousness is accepted in place of man’s failure, and God receives, pardons, justifies, the repentant, believing soul, treats him as though he were righteous, and loves him as He loves His Son. This is how faith is accounted righteousness; and the pardoned soul goes on from grace to grace, from light to greater light. He can say with rejoicing, ‘Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; that being justified by His grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.’ (Titus 3:5–7.)” Faith and Works, 100, 101.

“If by any effort of our own we could advance one step toward the ladder, the words of Christ would not be true. But when we accept Christ, good works will appear as fruitful evidence that we are in the way of life.” Ibid., 102.

Think as a Child

We seek to make ourselves better by our own efforts, but it is impossible; it can never be done. Somehow this is something that little children can understand, but when we become intelligent and educated adults, it is difficult for us to get a hold of something this simple. We think that we have to do something!

Ellen White worked with many highly educated people, writing them testimony after testimony to try to help them to get a hold of this; it is so simple. One of the persons she wrote letters to about this was a man by the name of John Harvey Kellogg. Following is part of a letter that she wrote to him:

“Dr. Kellogg, will you consider the spotless, pure, holy Son of the Infinite God—He passed through it all and was tempted in all points like as we are but without a single trace of tarnish, not the faintest blur was discernable upon His character. Through His virtue and through His righteousness imputed to us we have as His purchased possession to stand in His merits pure and undefiled before the Father.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 6, 223, 224.

Give special notice to the next sentence: “Bear in mind that the undeserving are made perfect through the merits of Christ.” Ibid., 224. How are the undeserving made perfect? By the merits of Christ. Unfortunately, this physician, evidently, did not take her counsel. He later lost his way.

“Bear in mind that the undeserving are made perfect through the merits of Christ, while the Saviour, the Son of God, undeserving, is made sin for us. He bore our sins in His own body on the accursed tree, and you, my brother [Dr. Kellogg], relying wholly upon Jesus, not trusting to what you have done or may do, through faith in the atoning sacrifice, have life, pardon, and the peace of Jesus Christ.” Ibid.

This is hard to learn when you are smart, educated, and able. A child does not yet have all those qualifications, so a child can understand. But when you are educated and talented, and you know it, then it is difficult for you to realize that really you are helpless. When it comes to salvation, you cannot help yourself; you cannot save yourself.

Continuing in her letter to this physician, Mrs. White wrote: “You, my brother, relying wholly upon Jesus, not trusting to what you have done or may do, through faith in the atoning sacrifice, have life, pardon, and the peace of Jesus Christ. You may claim all this rich endowment because Christ has borne the punishment of your own sins, all undeserving, that you undeserving may go free and receive the rich treasures of his grace. I bid you in the name of Jesus Christ …” This is a solemn appeal. “I bid you in the name of Jesus Christ to lay hold of the assurances of the word of God. But do not waver, do not look to yourself and doubt; trust the keeping of your soul to God as unto a faithful creator and He has promised that He will keep that which you have committed to His trust against that day.” Ibid. She is quoting from 11 Timothy 1:12 where the apostle Paul says, “I am confident that he is able to keep that which I have committed to his trust, until that day.”

Jesus is the Cause

I hope this series has been a help to you. Do not make the mistake that Seventh-day Adventists have made so many times—showing the results and never showing what the cause is. The cause of all character development, all sanctification, is when we begin to put our trust in Jesus Christ and His merits. Then the Holy Spirit can come into our hearts and minds and start to work. For this to happen, we must realize that we are helpless, that we cannot do anything, and that He must do everything. We just have to put our trust in His merits and then cooperate with the Holy Spirit. We can be saved, if we will do it. “We must trust in the merits of the crucified and risen Saviour. None will ever perish while they do this.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 202.

[Bible texts quoted are literal translation.]

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

Love Expressed Through Prophecy

“ ‘The Lord God will do nothing, but He revealeth His secret unto His servants and prophets.’ While ‘the secret things belong unto the Lord our God,’ ‘those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever.’ Amos 3:7; Deuteronomy 29:29. God has given these things to us, and His blessing will attend the reverent, prayerful study of the prophetic scriptures.” The Desire of Ages, 234.

Before the Fall

“Lucifer in heaven, before his rebellion, was a high and exalted angel, next in honor to God’s dear Son. His countenance, like those of the other angels, was mild and expressive of happiness. His forehead was high and broad, showing a powerful intellect. His form was perfect; his bearing noble and majestic. A special light beamed in his countenance and shone around him brighter and more beautiful than around the other angels; yet Christ, God’s dear Son, had the pre-eminence over all the angelic host. He was one with the Father before the angels were created. Lucifer was envious of Christ, and gradually assumed command which devolved on Christ alone.” The Story of Redemption, 13.

Lucifer Envious and Jealous

“Lucifer was envious and jealous of Jesus Christ. Yet when all the angels bowed to Jesus to acknowledge His supremacy and high authority and rightful rule, he bowed with them; but his heart was filled with envy and hatred. Christ had been taken into the special counsel of God in regard to His plans, while Lucifer was unacquainted with them. He did not understand, neither was he permitted to know, the purposes of God. But Christ was acknowledged sovereign of heaven, His power and authority to be the same as that of God Himself. Lucifer thought that he was himself a favorite in heaven among the angels. He had been highly exalted, but … he aspired to the height of God Himself.” Ibid., 14.

“How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! [how] art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.” Isaiah 14:12–14.

War in Heaven

“Satan was warring against the law of God … [he was] unwilling to submit to the authority of God’s Son, heaven’s great commander.

“All the heavenly host were summoned to appear before the Father … . Satan unblushingly made known his dissatisfaction that Christ should be preferred before Him. He stood up proudly and urged that he should be equal with God and should be taken into conference with the Father and understand His purposes.” The Story of Redemption 17, 18.

“And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” Revelation 12:7–9.

“God could employ only such means as were consistent with truth and righteousness. Satan could use what God could not—flattery and deceit. He had sought to falsify the word of God and had misrepresented His plan of government, claiming that God was not just … . It was therefore necessary to demonstrate before the inhabitants of heaven, and of all the worlds, that God’s government is just, His law perfect. …

“The whole universe must see the deceiver unmasked.

“Even when he was cast out of heaven, Infinite Wisdom did not destroy Satan. … Had he been immediately blotted out of existence, some would have served God from fear rather than from love. … For the good of the entire universe through ceaseless ages, he must more fully develop his principles, that his charges against the divine government might be seen in their true light by all created beings, and that the justice and mercy of God and the immutability of His law might be forever placed beyond all question.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 42.

Creation

“ ‘By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth. … For He spake, and it was; He commanded, and it stood fast.’ Psalm 33:6, 9. He ‘laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed forever.’ Psalm 104:5.

“As the earth came forth from the hand of its Maker, it was exceedingly beautiful. …

“After the earth with its teeming animal and vegetable life had been called into existence, man, the crowning work of the Creator, and the one for whom the beautiful earth had been fitted up, was brought upon the stage of action. To him was given dominion over all that his eye could behold; for ‘God said, Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness: and let them have dominion over … all the earth. … So God created man in His own image; … male and female created He them.’ ” Ibid, 44.

“The Lord made Adam and Eve and placed them in the Garden of Eden to dress the garden and keep it for the Lord. It was for their happiness to have some employment, or else the Lord would not have appointed them their work.” Child Guidance, 345.

Consequences of Rebellion

“In the midst of the garden, near the tree of life, stood the tree of knowledge of good and evil. This tree was especially designed of God to be the pledge of their obedience, faith, and love to Him. Of this tree the Lord commanded our first parents not to eat, neither to touch it, lest they die. He told them that they might freely eat of all the trees in the garden except one, but if they ate of that tree they should surely die.

“When Adam and Eve were placed in the beautiful garden they had everything for their happiness which they could desire. But God chose, in His all-wise arrangements, to test their loyalty before they could be rendered eternally secure. They were to have His favor, and He was to converse with them and they with Him. Yet He did not place evil out of their reach. Satan was permitted to tempt them. If they endured the trial they were to be in perpetual favor with God and the heavenly angels.” The Story of Redemption, 24.

Adam and Eve Warned

“God assembled the angelic host to take measures to avert the threatened evil. It was decided in heaven’s council for angels to visit Eden and warn Adam that he was in danger from the foe. Two angels sped on their way to visit our first parents. … They … gave them the sad history of Satan’s rebellion and fall. …

“They told Adam and Eve that God would not compel them to obey—that He had not removed from them power to go contrary to His will; that they were moral agents, free to obey or disobey.” Ibid., 29, 30.

Temptation and Fall—Man’s Freedom of Choice

Sadly “both [Adam and Eve] ate [of the forbidden fruit], and the great wisdom they obtained was the knowledge of sin, and a sense of guilt. …

“After Adam’s transgression he at first imagined that he felt the rising to a new and higher existence. But soon the thought of his transgression terrified him. … They felt a dread of the future, a sense of want, a nakedness of soul. The sweet love, and peace, and happy, contented bliss, seemed removed from them, and in its place a want of something came over them that they never experienced before. …

“Satan exulted in his success.” The Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 1, 40–42.

“The news of man’s fall spread through heaven—every harp was hushed. The angels cast their crowns from their heads in sorrow.” …

The Plan of Salvation

“Sorrow filled heaven, as it was realized that man was lost and that world which God had created was to be filled with mortals doomed to misery, sickness, and death, and there was no way of escape for the offender. The whole family of Adam must die. I saw the lovely Jesus and beheld an expression of sympathy and sorrow upon His countenance. Soon I saw Him approach the exceeding bright light which enshrouded the Father.” Early Writings, 148.

“Before the Father He pleaded in the sinner’s behalf, while the host of heaven awaited the result with an intensity of interest that words cannot express. Long continued was that mysterious communing—‘the counsel of peace’ (Zechariah 6:13) for the fallen sons of men. The plan of salvation had been laid before the creation of the earth; for Christ is ‘the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world’ (Revelation 13:8); yet it was a struggle, even with the King of the universe, to yield up His Son to die for the guilty race. But ‘God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ John 3:16. Oh, the mystery of redemption! the love of God for a world that did not love Him!” Patriarchs and Prophets, 63, 64.

“Lift Him up, the Man of Calvary. Let humanity stand back, that all may behold Him in whom their hopes of eternal life are centered. Says the prophet Isaiah: ‘Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.’ [Isaiah 9:6.] Let the church and the world look upon their Redeemer. Let every voice proclaim with John: ‘Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.’ [John 1:29.]” Lift Him Up, 231.

The One Possible Way of Salvation

“The angels prostrated themselves before Him (Christ). They offered their lives. Jesus said to them that He would by His death save many, that the life of an angel could not pay the debt. His life alone could be accepted of His Father as a ransom for man.” Early Writings, 150.

“The angels of God were commissioned to visit the fallen pair and inform them that although they could no longer retain possession of their holy estate, their Eden home, because of their transgression of the law of God, yet their case was not altogether hopeless. They were then informed that the Son of God, who had conversed with them in Eden, had been moved with pity as He viewed their hopeless condition, and had volunteered to take upon Himself the punishment due to them, and die for them that man might yet live.” Lift Him Up, 23.

“Adam was informed that an angel’s life could not pay the debt. The law of Jehovah, the foundation of His government in heaven and upon earth, was as sacred as God Himself. … But the Son of God, who had in unison with the Father created man, could make an atonement for man acceptable to God. …

“To Adam were revealed future important events, from his expulsion from Eden to the Flood, and onward to the first advent of Christ upon the earth … [to the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world—Adam was instructed to sacrifice a lamb for a sin offering, and this] was to him a most painful ceremony. His hand must be raised to take life, which God alone could give, and make an offering for sin. It was the first time he had witnessed death. As he looked upon the bleeding victim, writhing in the agonies of death, he was to look forward by faith to the Son of God, whom the victim prefigured, who was to die man’s sacrifice.” The Story of Redemption, 48, 50.

Prophecy

“The history of the great conflict between good and evil, from the time it first began in heaven to the final overthrow of rebellion and the total eradication of sin, is … a demonstration of God’s unchanging love.” Lift Him Up, 50.

“Plain and specific prophecies had been given regarding the appearance of the Promised One. [We have not been left in darkness.] To Adam was given an assurance of the coming of the Redeemer. The sentence pronounced on Satan, ‘I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel’ (Genesis 3:15), was to our first parents a promise of the redemption to be wrought out through Christ.

“To Abraham was given the promise that of his line the Saviour of the world should come …

“Moses, near the close of his work as a leader and teacher of Israel, plainly prophesied of the Messiah to come. …

“The Messiah was to be of the royal line, for in the prophecy uttered by Jacob the Lord said, ‘The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto Him shall the gathering of the people be.’ Genesis 49:10.

“Isaiah prophesied: ‘There shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots.’ Isaiah 11:1. …

“Jeremiah also bore witness of the coming Redeemer: … ‘Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. … and this is His name whereby He shall be called, The Lord Our Righteousness.’ Jeremiah 23:5, 6. …

“Even the birthplace of the Messiah was foretold: ‘Thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall He come forth unto Me that is to be Ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.’ Micah 5:2.” The Acts of the Apostles, 222, 223.

There Are Over 300 Prophecies Concerning Christ

In the book of Daniel, chapter nine, we find an amazing prophecy concerning the first advent of Christ, His anointing, death, and final cutting off of the Jews as a nation under God. The seventy week prophecy of Daniel 9, written before 500 B.C., revealed exactly when Christ was to appear and exactly when He was to offer His life as an offering for the sins of the world. Christ was to appear 69 weeks (483 days/years) after the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem. (Daniel 9:25.)

Daniel 9:24–27

“ ‘Seventy weeks,’ said the angel, ‘are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy.’ Daniel 9:24. A day in prophecy stands for a year. See Numbers 14:34; Ezekiel 4:6. The seventy weeks … represent four hundred and ninety years. A starting point for this period is given: ‘Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks,’ sixty-nine weeks, or four hundred and eighty-three years. Daniel 9:25. The commandment to restore and build Jerusalem, as completed by the decree of Artaxerxes Longimanus (see Ezra 6:14; 7:1, 9, margin), went into effect in the autumn of B. C. 457. From this time four hundred and eighty-three years extend to the autumn of A. D. 27. According to the prophecy, this period was to reach to the Messiah, the Anointed One. In A. D. 27, Jesus at His baptism received the anointing of the Holy Spirit, and soon afterward began His ministry.” The Desire of Ages, 233.

The burden of Christ’s preaching was, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent ye, and believe the gospel.” [Mark 1:15.] Thus the gospel message, as given by the Saviour Himself, was based on the prophecies. The “time” which He declared to be fulfilled was the period made known by the angel Gabriel to Daniel.

“Then, said the angel, ‘He shall confirm the covenant with many for one week [seven years].’ [Daniel 9:27.]

“For seven years after the Saviour entered on His ministry, the gospel was to be preached especially to the Jews; for three and a half years by Christ Himself; and afterward by the apostles. ‘In the midst of the week He shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease.’ Daniel 9:27. In the spring of A. D. 31, Christ the true sacrifice was offered on Calvary. Then the veil of the temple was rent in twain, showing that the sacredness and significance of the sacrificial service had departed. The time had come for the earthly sacrifice and oblation to cease.

“The one week—seven years—ended in A. D. 34. Then by the stoning of Stephen the Jews finally sealed their rejection of the gospel; the disciples who were scattered abroad by persecution ‘went everywhere preaching the word.’ (Acts 8:4.)” The Desire of Ages, 233.

Looking down through history toward the time of the first advent of Christ, we find a faithful few diligently studying the Scriptures to know the prophecies concerning Christ, and God honored the faithful ones.

How Did the Magi Know that Jesus Was About to Be Born?

“ ‘Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the East to Jerusalem, saying, Where is He that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen His star in the East, and are come to worship Him.’

“The wise men from the East were philosophers. They belonged to a large and influential class that included men of noble birth, and comprised much of the wealth and learning of their nation. …

“The light of God is ever shining amid the darkness of heathenism. As these magi studied the starry heavens, and sought to fathom the mystery hidden in their bright paths, they beheld the glory of the Creator. Seeking clearer knowledge, they turned to the Hebrew Scriptures. In their own land were treasured prophetic writings that predicted the coming of a divine teacher. Balaam belonged to the magicians, though at one time a prophet of God; by the Holy Spirit he had foretold the prosperity of Israel and the appearing of the Messiah; and his prophecies had been handed down by tradition from century to century. … The prophecy of Balaam had declared, ‘There shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Scepter shall rise out of Israel.’ Numbers 24:17. … The magi learned with joy that His coming was near, and that the whole world was to be filled with a knowledge of the glory of the Lord.” The Desire of Ages, 59, 60.

The Shepherds Also Looked for the Messiah

“In the fields where the boy David had led his flock, shepherds were still keeping watch by night. Through the silent hours they talked together of the promised Saviour, and prayed for the coming of the King to David’s throne. ‘And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.’ [Luke 2:9–11.]

“At these words, visions of glory fill the minds of the listening shepherds. The Deliverer has come to Israel! Power, exaltation, triumph, are associated with His coming. But the angel must prepare them to recognize their Saviour in poverty and humiliation. ‘This shall be a sign unto you,’ he says; ‘Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.’ … The whole plain was lighted up with the bright shining of the hosts of God. Earth was hushed, and heaven stooped to listen to the song,— ‘Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, good will toward men.’ [Luke 2:12, 14.]” Ibid., 47.

Simeon & Anna

“Spiritual things are spiritually discerned. In the temple the Son of God was dedicated to the work He had come to do. The priest looked upon Him as he would upon any other child. But though he neither saw nor felt anything unusual, God’s act in giving His Son to the world was acknowledged. This occasion did not pass without some recognition of Christ. ‘There was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him. And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.’ [Luke 2:25, 26.]

“As Simeon enters the temple, he sees a family presenting their first-born son before the priest. Their appearance bespeaks poverty; but Simeon understands the warnings of the Spirit, and he is deeply impressed that the infant being presented to the Lord is the Consolation of Israel, the One he has longed to see. To the astonished priest, Simeon appears like a man enraptured. The child has been returned to Mary, and he takes it in his arms and presents it to God, while a joy that he has never before felt enters his soul. As he lifts the infant Saviour toward heaven, he says, ‘Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, according to Thy word: for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation, which Thou hast prepared before the face of all people; a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of Thy people Israel.’ [Luke 2:29–32.]

“The spirit of prophecy was upon this man of God, and while Joseph and Mary stood by, wondering at his words, he blessed them, and said unto Mary, ‘Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against; (yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.’ [Luke 2:34, 35.]

“Anna also, a prophetess, came in and confirmed Simeon’s testimony concerning Christ. As Simeon spoke, her face lighted up with the glory of God, and she poured out her heartfelt thanks that she had been permitted to behold Christ the Lord.

“ ‘And there was one Anna, a prophetess, … And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.’ Luke 2:36, 38.

“These humble worshipers had not studied the prophecies in vain. But those who held positions as rulers and priests in Israel, though they too had before them the precious utterances of prophecy, were not walking in the way of the Lord, and their eyes were not open to behold the Light of life.

“So it is still. Events upon which the attention of all heaven is centered are undiscerned, their very occurrence is unnoticed, by religious leaders, and worshipers in the house of God. Men acknowledge Christ in history, while they turn away from the living Christ. Christ in His word calling to self-sacrifice, in the poor and suffering who plead for relief, in the righteous cause that involves poverty and toil and reproach, is no more readily received today than He was eighteen hundred years ago.” The Desire of Ages, 55, 56.

Christ’s Second Advent Foretold in Prophecy

“As the message of Christ’s first advent announced the kingdom of His grace, so the message of His second advent announces the kingdom of His glory. And the second message, like the first, is based on the prophecies. The words of the angel to Daniel relating to the last days were to be understood in the time of the end. At that time, ‘many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.’ ‘The wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.’ Daniel 12:4, 10. The Saviour Himself has given signs of His coming, and He says, ‘When ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand.’ ‘And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.’ ‘Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.’ Luke 21:31, 34, 36.

“We have reached the period foretold in these scriptures. The time of the end is come, the visions of the prophets are unsealed, and their solemn warnings point us to our Lord’s coming in glory as near at hand.

“The Jews misinterpreted and misapplied the word of God, and they knew not the time of their visitation. The years of the ministry of Christ and His apostles,—the precious last years of grace to the chosen people,—they spent in plotting the destruction of the Lord’s messengers. Earthly ambitions absorbed them, and the offer of the spiritual kingdom came to them in vain. So today the kingdom of this world absorbs men’s thoughts, and they take no note of the rapidly fulfilling prophecies and the tokens of the swift-coming kingdom of God.

“ ‘But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.’ While we are not to know the hour of our Lord’s return, we may know when it is near. ‘Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.’ 1 Thessalonians 5:4–6.” The Desire of Ages, 234, 235.

“Christ should never be out of the mind. The angels said concerning Him, ‘Thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.’ [Matthew 1:21.] Jesus, precious Saviour! Assurance, helpfulness, security, and peace are all in Him. He is the dispeller of all our doubts, the earnest of all our hopes. How precious is the thought that we may indeed become partakers of the divine nature, whereby we may overcome as Christ overcame! Jesus is the fullness of our expectation. He is the melody of our songs, the shadow of a great rock in a weary land. He is living water to the thirsty soul. He is our refuge in the storm. He is our righteousness, our sanctification, our redemption. When Christ is our personal Saviour, we shall show forth the praises of Him who hath called us out of darkness into His marvelous light.” Reflecting Christ, 21.

“O the depth of the riches of the love that God bestowed upon men in the gift of his only begotten Son!” Christian Education, 77

“O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God.” Romans 11:33.

Karen Stoeckert serves as teacher and administrator for the Faith Haven Christian School. In addition to a Christian curriculum, Karen focuses on Bible memorization with her students through scripture songs she has composed. She can be reached by e-mail at: karenstoeckert@stepstolife.org or by phone at 316-788-5559.

The Coronation of Christ

We have established the fact by many indubitable proofs that the investigation and decision of the cases of the righteous precede their resurrection in the likeness of Christ. In establishing the fact that the cases of the righteous are thus decided before the sounding of the trumpet of God, we do really establish the fact that the cases of the wicked are also virtually decided at the same time. For when we have shown that all who are to have immortality are accounted worthy of it before their resurrection, it necessarily follows that though the actions of the wicked are not examined in detail until the saints sit with Christ in the judgment during the one thousand years, yet the wicked are, by the decision in the case of the righteous, left, as worthless and noxious, to the resurrection of the unjust and to the devouring fire.

The next event in the great day of God is the destruction of the living wicked by the seven last plagues. As these do not come until the wicked are accounted unworthy of the kingdom of God, their destruction comes as a part of the judgment work, and after the virtual decision of their cases. The fact is many times revealed in the Bible that before the final deliverance of the saints there comes a time of trouble such as never was. This is plainly marked as lying between the decision in the case of the righteous at the close of their probation, and the event of their deliverance.

Thus, according to Daniel, the deliverance of the saints does not take place until the existence of a time of trouble such as never was. And this time of trouble comes in consequence of the close of our Lord’s intercession and the assumption of His kingly office. (Daniel 12:1.) The wrath of God against sin is neither stayed nor mitigated after the Son of God ceases to plead for sinful man.

The closing work of Christ’s priesthood is in the second apartment of the heavenly sanctuary. This is opened under the sounding of the seventh trumpet. (Revelation 11:19.) It is after the temple is thus opened in heaven that the seven angels pour out the seven last plagues. (Revelation 15:5–8.) But these plagues fill up the wrath of God, which is threatened by the third angel. (Revelation 15:1 compared with 14:10.) And the third angel gives the final message of mercy and warning to mankind before the Son of man sits upon the white cloud. (Revelation 14:6–14.) So it is apparent that while Christ is finishing His work in the sanctuary, and while the third angel is giving the last message of mercy to man, the seven last plagues are withheld, though pending ready to be poured out. But when the work of probation is closed, and the intercession of Christ in heaven, and the voice of warning upon earth, are ended, then men drink from the cup of His indignation the wine of God’s wrath without any mixture.

That which constitutes this wrath is the seven last plagues. They are by this term distinguished from those plagues inflicted under the six trumpets. (Revelation 9:20, 21.) They are represented as the wrath of God without mixture, i.e., they have no element of mercy mingled with them. They are poured out into the cup of God’s indignation. This is an awful expression to indicate that men at that time fall into the hands of the living God. This fearful execution of God’s judgment is witnessed before the deliverance of the saints; for not less than six of the plagues are poured out prior to the advent of Christ. (Revelation 16:12–15.)

This same period of trouble is brought to view in Revelation 7, and located between the opening of the sixth and seventh seals. Before the four winds are loosed, the servants of God are sealed. The seal is placed upon them, that the destroying angel may not cut them down. (Compare Ezekiel 9 with Revelation 7.) This is a plain proof that the saints must continue upon the earth for a certain space after the time of trouble commences. The fact that all who are sealed at the commencement of this time of trouble are afterward seen standing upon Mount Zion with the Lamb, is proof that their probation closes with the commencement of this scene of trouble. Compare Revelation 7:4; 14:1.) In other words, they are then accounted worthy to escape the things that are to come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man. (Luke 21:36.) The very time when they are thus accounted worthy to stand before the Saviour, is at the close of our Lord’s priesthood; and the time of trouble itself comes when that priesthood is exchanged for His kingly office.

Probation does therefore close before the entrance of the people of God upon this great time of trouble. One of those events immediately following the close of probation, and therefore constituting a feature of the time of trouble, is what the Bible calls “the hour of temptation.” Thus we read: “Because thou has kept the word of My patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. Behold, I come quickly; hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.” Revelation 3:10, 11.

The keeping of the word of Christ’s patience especially pertained to the period of the third angel. (Revelation 14:12.) Those who keep this word are to be kept from the hour of temptation, while all others are to be taken captive by it. This shows that the saints are upon the earth during this period; and that when it commences, those who are unprepared are hopelessly lost.

But this season of unrestrained temptation is also brought to view by Paul, when describing the state of things existing just before our Lord’s return. Thus he says: “Whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie; that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” 2 Thessalonians 2:9–12.

When God sends men strong delusion to believe a lie that they all might be damned, it must be after the righteous have accomplished their work of overcoming, and after the Saviour has ceased to plead. The only way that God sends this strong delusion is by withdrawing His Spirit when men have sinned away the day of grace, thus leaving them a prey to the unrestrained power of the devil.

Now it is remarkable that the third angel brings to view this same period of Satan’s mighty working. It is the work of the third angel to give warning of the things that are to come to pass upon the earth at the close of human probation.

When he warns us against the worship of the image, and the reception of his mark, it is in direct reference to the fact that the two-horned beast is to make such an image and to require men to worship it on pain of death. (Revelation 14:9–12; 13:11–16.) And we do learn that this image is made in consequence of the miracles that are to be wrought. (Compare Revelation 13:13, 14; 16:13.) One of these miracles will be the bringing down of fire from heaven. This lies before us in the time of trouble. It is no wonder that those who are not kept by the power of God should be deceived by this fearful delusion.

It is at the close of the work of intercession that the Lord is represented as putting on the garments of vengeance for the destruction of His enemies. (Isaiah 59:16–18.) “And when the enemy [Satan] shall come in like a flood, in the strong delusion, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him.” Verse 19. “It is also at the close of our Lord’s priestly work that the prophecy of Amos meets its fulfillment:

Behold the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine in bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord; and they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it.” Amos 8:11, 12.

The third woe comes by reason of the voice of the seventh angel. (Revelation 8:13.) The seven last plagues come under the seventh trumpet. (Revelation 11:15–19; 15:5–8.) The seven plagues, which fill up the wrath of God, do therefore constitute the third woe. The people of God will not be removed from the earth till after six of the plagues have been poured out. They must witness the fearful scenes of the time of trouble. But the seal of the living God will be their protection, so that though a thousand fall at their side and ten thousand at their right hand, it will not come nigh them. (Psalm 91:1–10.) The situation of the saints during the outpouring of the plagues will be like that of Israel during the plagues upon Egypt.

These dreadful calamities which will come upon our earth before the people of God are taken from it may be mentioned as the loosing of the four winds, the pouring out of the vials of God’s wrath in pestilence, famine, and earthquake, and in the battle of the great day of God Almighty. It will be the hour of temptation for all the wicked world, when Satan shall exert his utmost power. To the wicked it will be the time of trouble such as never was; to the righteous it will be the time of Jacob’s trouble, at which, in answer to their cry day and night, like the importunate widow, they will be delivered. (Jeremiah 30:5–7; Genesis 32; Luke 18:7, 8.)

In view of this awful scene which must be witnessed by the people of God, Zephaniah calls upon all the meek of the earth to seek righteousness and meekness. And he adds, “It may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord’s anger.” Zephaniah 2:1–3. If they do their best in seeking God, it is but barely possible that they will escape. And our Lord beseeches His people to watch and pray always, that they may be accounted worthy to escape the things coming on the earth, and to stand before the Son of man. (Luke 21:36.) If, therefore, this great time of trouble is to come upon our world after the close of Christ’s intercession and before the deliverance of the saints, of what vast consequence is that final message of warning which reveals these great facts?

The fact that the resurrection of the righteous is declarative of their acceptance in the sight of God, and, therefore, proof that the investigation and decision of their cases precede that event, has been very distinctly stated by some of the clearest minds in the Advent ranks. The late Sylvester Bliss, for many years editor of the Advent Herald, thus states the case: “We are inclined to the opinion that the judgment is after death and before the resurrection; and that before that event the acts of all men will be adjudicated; so that the resurrection of the righteous is their full acquittal and redemption—their sins being blotted out when the times of refreshing shall have come (Acts 3:19); while the fact that the wicked are not raised [for one thousand years], proves that they were previously condemned.” Advent Shield, 4, 366 (published in 1845.)

He saw the fact perfectly distinct that there can be no trial of the righteous after they have been made immortal. But it is very evident that he did not well understand when and how the examination of their cases should take place. Elder Josiah Litch, one of the ablest writers in the early history of the Advent movement, states this subject even more distinctly than Mr. Bliss. In his Prophetic Expositions, written in 1842, on pages 49–54 he uses the following language:

 

The Meaning of the Term “Judge”

“1. It is used in the Bible in the sense of a trial according to law and evidence, the idea being drawn from a civil or criminal court . . .

“2. It signifies a penal judgment; or the execution of judgment.

“The terms are both used in reference to the judgment of the human race. All men will be brought to trial, or into judgment, and all their deeds and their moral characters will be examined, and their everlasting states will be determined by the evidence produced from God’s books, including the book of life, which will decide the moral character and everlasting destiny of each individual of Adam’s race. If their names are found in ‘the book of life,’ they will be saved; and if not found there, they will be cast into the lake of fire, the second death. But the degree of reward or punishment will be graduated by what each one has done . . .

 

The Trial Must Precede the Execution

 

“This is so clear a proposition that it is sufficient to state it. No human tribunal would think of executing judgment on a prisoner until after his trial; much less will God. He will bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing whether it be good or evil.

“But the resurrection is the retribution or execution of judgment; for they that have done good shall come forth to the resurrection of life. ‘We look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ; who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body.’ ‘In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump; for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.’ Here is clearly a retribution in the resurrection. It will be administered when the saints are raised. But no more certainly than they that have done evil will come forth damned, or ‘to the resurrection of damnation.’ They will come forth to shame and everlasting contempt. The saints will be raised and be caught up at once to meet the Lord in the air, to be forever with the Lord. There can be no general judgment or trial after the resurrection. The resurrection is the separating process, and they will never be commingled again, after the saints are raised, no matter how long or short the period to elapse between the two resurrections; it is all the same so far as the separation which the resurrection produces is concerned. If there is no more than a second which elapses between the two resurrections, the separation it makes is final.

 

God, the Ancient of Days Will Preside In the Trial

 

“1. Daniel 7:9, 10, presents the Ancient of Days coming on His throne of fiery flame; the judgment is set and the books opened. He is distinct from the Son of man, spoken of in verse 13, when He comes to the Ancient of Days. “2. Revelation 20:12 tells us it is God, before whom the dead stand and are judged.

 

The Son of Man Will Execute the Judgment

 

Thus the Saviour declares (John 5:27): ‘And hath given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of man.’ Also 2 Corinthians 5:10: ‘For we shall all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ, that everyone may receive the things done in his body according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.’

“Also Paul’s testimony in the Acts of the Apostles: God ‘hath appointed a day in the which He will judge the world in righteousness by that Man whom He hath ordained, whereof He hath given assurance unto all men, in that He hath raised Him from the dead.’ What we are assured of by the resurrection of Christ, is the execution, in the resurrection, of a righteous judgment on all men.

 

The Time of the Trial of the Dead

 

“It is under the opening of the sixth seal of Revelation 6, where the servants of God are sealed. . . And under the seventh seal (chapter 8:1) when there is silence in heaven about the space of half an hour; when the great Mediator ceases to plead for sinners, the day of grace ends; then the judgment or trial will proceed on the living inhabitants of the earth. That done, Christ will appear in the clouds of heaven, and come to the Ancient of Days and the scene of trial, and, with a shout, to announce the verdict and deliver all His saints as soon as they are declared innocent, or justified, and raise them to eternal life in the twinkling of an eye. We are now justified by faith; we must, however, be declared justified at the day of judgment, before the effects of the fall will be taken away, and the saints be restored to God’s perfect image and glory.

 

The Twenty-Fifth Chapter of Matthew

 

“This chapter does not, as has been supposed, describe the great trial, but the separation between the righteous and wicked, which will be accomplished by the resurrection of the just. And when the separation is accomplished; Christ will address each party, and show why He has made this separation. But through the whole scene, He acts the part of the executor of judgment.” Query: Did the judgment, or trial of the dead, begin to sit when they took away the papal dominion in 1798? (See Daniel 7:26, compared with Daniel 7:9, 10.)

The reader cannot fail to be deeply interested in these extracts from Bliss and Litch. We do not indorse every idea. Indeed, there is a degree of confusion in the language, which shows that the subject was not wholly clear. Thus, while Elder Litch teaches that the session of the judgment must be before Christ comes, and even though it might have commenced at the end of the twelve hundred sixty days, he seems also to teach that Christ comes to this tribunal when He descends to earth. This cannot be, as has been fully shown in a former article.

But this reasoning of Elder Litch relative to the investigation and decision of the cases of the righteous before the resurrection, is weighty and conclusive. It is worthy of notice that he places this judgment of the righteous at the tribunal of the Father, as presented in Daniel 7. He believed that this part of the judgment work was to be fulfilled while the living were yet in probation; for he suggested that it commenced in 1798, with the ending of the twelve hundred sixty years. These able writers saw the fact that this work must take place before the resurrection of the just, but they did not see the time and place for the work. They did not see the heavenly sanctuary, and therefore had no clear ideal of the concluding work of human probation, as presented to us in the Saviour’s ministration before the ark of God’s testament. The temple of God in heaven reveals the very nature of this work, and the prophetic periods mark its time. The proclamation of the angel that the hour of His judgment is come, and His solemn oath to the time, gives to mankind the knowledge of this great work, and the certainty that the present is the time of the dead that they should be judged. This doctrine is of the highest practical importance. It shows that we are now in the antitype of the great Day of Atonement. Our business should be the affliction of our souls and the confession of our sins.

At the ascension of our Lord, He entered the heavenly temple and sat down upon His Father’s throne, a great High Priest after the order of Melchizedek. (Psalm 110:1, 4; Hebrews 8:1, 2.) But when He returns in His infinite majesty as King of kings, He sits upon His own throne, and not upon that of His Father. He speaks thus of His descent from heaven: “When the Son of man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory.” Matthew 25:31.

It is evident, therefore, that there is a space of time at the conclusion of our Lord’s work in the temple in heaven, in which His priestly office is exchanged for His kingly dignity; and this transition is marked by His relinquishing His place upon the throne of His Father, and assuming His own throne. The judgment session of Daniel 7:9–14 is the time and place of this transition. Our Lord plainly distinguishes these two thrones: “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with Me in MY throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with My Father in His throne.” Revelation 3:21.

The Saviour’s reception of His own throne preparatory to His Second Advent is described in Psalm 45. As Psalm 110 makes prominent His priestly office upon His Father’s throne, so Psalm 45 describes His kingly office and work upon His own throne: My heart is inditing a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made touching the King; my tongue is the pen of a ready writer. Thou art fairer than the children of men; grace is poured into Thy lips; therefore God hath blessed Thee forever. Gird Thy sword upon Thy thigh, O most mighty, with Thy glory and Thy majesty. And in Thy majesty ride prosperously because of truth and meekness and righteousness; and Thy right hand shall teach Thee terrible things. Thine arrows are sharp in the heart of the king’s enemies; whereby the people fall under Thee. Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever; the scepter of Thy kingdom is a right scepter. Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness; therefore God, Thy God, hath anointed Thee with the oil of gladness above Thy fellows.” Psalm 45:1–7.

This personage who is fairer than the sons of men, can be no other than the King in His beauty (Isaiah 33:17), who is to be admired in the day of His advent by all them that believe. (2 Thessalonians 1:10.) The time when He rides forth for the destruction of His enemies is presented in Revelation 19:11–21.

The words of Paul establish the fact that this psalm relates to Christ, some of its words being addressed to Him by His Father when He invests Him with His kingly office and throne. Thus Paul quotes and comments: “But unto the Son He saith, Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever; a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even Thy God, hath anointed Thee with the oil of gladness above Thy fellows.” Hebrews 1:8, 9.

The relation of these two thrones to the work of our Lord is very important to be understood. As a priest after the order of Melchizedek, who was both priest and king (Genesis 14:18–20; Psalm 110:1, 4; Hebrews 7:1–3), the Saviour has had a joint rule with His Father upon the throne of the universe. (Zechariah 6:12, 13.) His office of Priest-King continues till His Father makes His enemies His footstool. Then He delivers up the kingdom, which He has shared with His Father to Him alone, that God may be all in all. (1 Corinthians 15:24–28.) His reign upon the throne of His Father ends with all His enemies being given to Him for destruction.

The throne given Him when His priesthood ends is that which He inherits as David’s heir. On that throne, He shall reign over the immortal saints for endless ages. (Luke 1:32, 33; Isaiah 9: 6, 7 Upon the throne of the Father, He had a joint rule as Priest-King; upon His own throne His people have a joint rule with Him. The first ends, that God may be all in all; the second is a reign that shall continue forever.