gospel

The Two Ones, Adam and Christ

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We cannot say that we have not been warned. The apostle Peter, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, warned us very clearly: “Even as our beloved brother Paul also, according to the wisdom given unto him, hath written unto you; As also in all of his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to be understood, which they who are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.” 2 Peter 3:15, 16.

What shall we do then, with the writings of Paul? Shall we just lay them aside? Certainly not, they are scriptures, and we need them. But let us not approach them carelessly, and let us carefully abide by our basic rule of all Bible study, that a passage which is not clear to us at first reading must be understood in the light of other passages on the same subject. Thus the Bible interprets itself to us, and we do not place a private interpretation on the Bible. And since the Holy Spirit is the ultimate author of the scriptures, it follows that all Spirit inspired writings should be included in our study. Peter did not say that some of Paul’s writings are impossible to understand—he just said that they are difficult.

So with all due caution and care, let us address ourselves to one of those difficult passages, Romans 5:12–19. Many people have started to read this scripture, and after a few verses have given it up and gone on to the next chapter. But just now this passage is being placed before us as the cornerstone of a false theology. We are going to be hearing a great deal about this false theology, and if we do not have an understanding of Paul’s message in these verses, we are in danger of being deceived. We note in passing that false teachers quite customarily seize upon obscure passages as a vehicle for their errors, but we do not have time to enlarge on that point and cite examples just now.

In Romans 5:12 Paul sets up a comparison, which might be called The Comparison of the Two Ones, since he uses the term “one” repeatedly, and in the comparison itself does not use names. Then he does something a bit out of the ordinary. Before finishing his comparison, he stops in the middle of it to make some explanations and state some qualifications. Having done this in verses 13–17, he then returns to his comparison and completes it in verses 18 and 19.

The King James translators took note of this unusual circumstance, and put verses 13–17 in parentheses, as you will see if you look at them carefully. Paul himself also took note of it, and used a word in verse 18 which, in the Greek language, signifies a return to a line of thought which has been interrupted. This is not indicated in the King James translation, where verse 18 is introduced with the word “therefore.” But Paul did not use the single word ara, which means “therefore.” He used the compound form, ara oun, which means “therefore, to return to my interrupted subject.” (Refer to any Greek-English lexicon.)

Phillip Schaff offers this comment: “The Apostle might have spared the commentators a great deal of trouble, if he had, according to the ordinary rules of composition, first stated the comparison in full, and then given the explanations and qualifications.” Quoted in Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 6, 529.

Having now made ourselves aware of Paul’s arrangement of his ideas, let us read the comparison in full, in verses 12, 18 and 19, passing by, for the moment, the explanations and qualifications in verses 13–17: “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned . . . Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life; For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.”

Let us make a list of the comparisons and contrasts between the accomplishments and influences of “The Two Ones,” who are obviously Adam and Christ:

One (Adam): One (Christ):

·Disobedience ·Obedience

·Sin ·Righteousness

·Condemnation ·Justification

·Death ·Life

·Many made sinners ·Many made righteous

Now we understand his comparison, so let us go back and examine the explanations and qualifications that Paul had put in verses 13–17. Verses 13 and 14 are an explanation of what he had said in verse 12: “and so death passed upon all men.”

Nothing else that he had said in verse 12 called for any explanation, but this did. How did death pass upon all men? How about the Gentiles, who had not had the law? Were they not exceptions? If not, why not?

Paul denies that they are exceptions, though conceding that they had not sinned “after the similitude of Adam’s transgression,” that is, not in defiance of a direct and specific command, such as God had given to Adam about the tree of good and evil. Nevertheless he holds them accountable for such light as they had, insisting that “death reigned from Adam to Moses,” even over the Gentiles who did not have the written law of Moses.

“For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression.” Romans 5:13, 14.

Paul is arguing that the Gentiles, even though they were not being held accountable for disobeying the laws of Moses, which they had not known, were nevertheless being held accountable in the manner that he had already described in Romans 2:14–16: “For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves . . . their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another. In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.”

This is a reflection of the same truth that had been expressed by the Apostle John in John 1:9: “[Jesus] was the true light, that lighteth every man that cometh into the world.”

Having thus explained in verses 13–14 what he had meant by the words, “death passed upon all men,” in verse 12, he moves on to state, in verse 15, a qualification of his comparison of “The Two Ones,” using the words “but not,” and “much more:” “But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one, many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, had abounded unto many.”

The Grace of God

He recognizes that his comparison is lopsided, because the act of God in Christ is so much greater than the act of Adam, so he puts in this much more qualification, then follows it by another qualification of a similar nature in verses 16–17: “And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification. For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.”

So the act of Adam and the act of Christ are not equal, even though both brought far-reaching results. The saving act of Christ far surpasses and transcends all other acts, and can only be compared with them if qualifications are stated. Having made this clear, he now returns to his comparison, and finishes it, in verses 18–19, which we have already examined.

The tragic act of Adam brought disobedience, sin, condemnation, death and the making of many sinners. The glorious act of Christ brought obedience, righteousness, justification, life, and the making of many righteous.

So where is the problem? How is this scripture being used as the cornerstone of a false theology?

First or the Second Death?

The problem is in the short phrase in verse 12: “and so death passed upon all men.”

Is this referring to the first death, or to the second death? We remember that the first death comes to all, as a result of Adam’s sin. We pause to reflect that others die as a result of Adam’s sin, not because they are responsible for it. Your cat, your dog, and your horse will all die as a result of Adam’s sin—not because they were responsible for it.

We remember that the second death is total annihilation. This creates a question: How could death pass from an annihilated person to other persons? Can annihilation be passed from one to another?

And in verse 15 Paul writes: “For if through the offence of one many be dead.”

Obviously these persons were already dead when Paul was writing, but had they been annihilated? No. And carrying this point a step further, Had Adam himself been annihilated? Again we must answer, No. If we choose to believe that the death referred to in Romans 5 is the second death of annihilation, we are confronted with insurmountable difficulties. How could an annihilated Adam pass on annihilation to others? Impossible.

Yet some theologians and some among us are arguing for that position. What shall we do when confronted with a problem like this? Go to the Spirit of Prophecy. That is what it is for. And if someone casts the senseless accusation at us, that we are putting Ellen White above the Bible, just look them in the eye and firmly set them straight. We are not putting Ellen White above the Bible, we are putting her above all earthly interpreters. We are saying that Ellen White had a better understanding of the Scriptures than anyone else since the Apostle Paul.

As quickly as we turn to her writings, we find that she understood clearly the difference between the first death and the second death, and that she understood which death Paul was referring to when he wrote in Romans 5:12 that “death passed upon all men.”

She discusses the matter on pages 533 and 544 of The Great Controversy. She quotes certain scriptures on page 544, including Romans 6:23: “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” She then writes: “The death referred to in these scriptures is not that pronounced upon Adam, for all mankind suffer the penalty of his transgression. It is the ‘second death’ that is placed in contrast with everlasting life.”

That makes sense. It would hardly be sensible to place eternal life in contrast with the earthly, temporary death. To contrast eternal life with eternal death would be much more logical. Then she enlarges on the subject of the first death, and in a precise parallel with Romans 5:12 she writes: “In consequence of Adam’s sin, death passed upon the whole human race.”

Here she uses three of Paul’s words, “death passed upon.” On page 533, dealing with the same subject, the first death, she uses a longer quotation from Romans 5:12: “While ‘death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned,’ Christ ‘hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.’”

On page 544 she continues in the same vein, stating what happens after the first death: “In consequence of Adam’s sin, death passed upon the whole human race. All alike go down into the grave [the first death]. And through the provisions of the plan of salvation, all are to be brought forth from their graves. ‘There shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust;’ (Acts 24:15) ‘for as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.’ (1 Corinthians 15:22) But a distinction is made between the two classes that are brought forth. ‘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) They who have been ‘accounted worthy’ of the resurrection of life are ‘blessed and holy.’ ‘On such the second death hath no power.’ (Rev 20:6) But those who have not, through repentance, and faith, secured pardon, must receive the penalty of transgression,—‘the wages of sin.’ They suffer punishment varying in duration and intensity, ‘according to their works,’ but finally ending in the second death.”

So God’s inspired messenger answers our questions about Romans 5, and clears away our problems, just as she did in the early Bible conferences of our pioneers, and in countless other situations where divine insight was needed to protect God’s people from scriptural error. Now we know beyond question that the death described in Romans 5, that began with Adam and passed upon all men, is the first death, not the second death of annihilation.

What did not pass?

Another simple means of determining what passed from Adam to others is to pose the question, What did not pass from Adam to others? Ellen White, with crystal clear consistency, deals with this question in The Great Controversy, 533, 534: “Adam could not transfer to his posterity that which he did not possess . . . Had man after his fall been allowed free access to the tree of life, he would have lived forever, and thus sin would have been immortalized. But cherubim and a flaming sword ‘kept the way of the tree of life,’ (Genesis 3:24) and not one of the family of Adam has been permitted to pass that barrier and partake of the life-giving fruit. Therefore there is not an immortal sinner.”

A prominent Seventh-day Adventist theologian, one of those who were trying to introduce the falsehoods of Calvinism into Adventism, once challenged me with the question: If guilt is not passed from Adam to his children, why do babies die? He obviously was not familiar with the above passages from the scriptures and the Spirit of Prophecy, or else just did not accept them.

Beyond Belief

It is even so today. Those who refuse to permit God’s chosen messenger to correct their thinking, and protect them from misunderstanding the scriptures, go blindly on, stumbling from one error to another, blundering in the darkness of their own presumed wisdom. An outstanding example may be seen in the recent book, Beyond Belief, by Jack Sequeira. In a chapter entitled The Two Adams—Romans 5, he argues most strenuously for six and a third pages that the death referred to in Romans 5 is the second death. Thus he firmly rejects the Spirit of Prophecy, placing his own judgment above the light that has come to us from God, and uses this as a foundation pillar in a fearfully false theology.

Substitutionary Atonement

Sequiera’s false theology is built upon three main pillars. The first pillar is his misuse of Romans 5, as already noted. The second pillar is a rejection of the substitutionary atonement, which we will consider next. The third is a total rewriting of the gospel into the incomprehensible gibberish of metaphysical language. But before I share with you anything from this book, I must caution you that the book abounds in inglorious self-contradictions. Whatever you read from it to a friend, you must be prepared to have the friend say, “Oh no, that is the opposite of what he believes,” and then actually read to you, from a different page, the exact opposite of what you read. We will have reason to note this as we go along.

Sequeira’s false theology’s rejection of the substitutionary atonement, the great truth that Christ took our punishment and died for our sins, is found on pages 39–49 of his book, Beyond Belief. There we find the following remarkable statements, attributed to Catholic scholars (but with no documentation):

“No law allows one person to assume the guilt or punishment of another. Righteousness cannot be passed from one person to another.” Beyond Belief, 39.

“It is a fundamental principle of all law, God’s or man’s, that guilt or punishment cannot be transferred from the guilty to the innocent, nor can the righteousness of one person be legally transferred to another.” Ibid., 40.

“No law of God or man will allow guilt or righteousness to be transferred from one person to another . . . Law simply will not allow sin to be transferred from the guilty to the innocent.” Ibid., 42.

What then of the following scripture?

“But 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. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all . . . he shall bear their iniquities . . . he bare the sin of many.” Isaiah 53:5, 6, 11, 12.

I just made a quick scan of the writings of Paul, and counted sixteen references saying that Christ died for us. Are these all in error? And what of the sanctuary service, which is entirely built around the concept of a transfer of sin and guilt from the sinner to a sin bearer, a substitutionary atonement? Is this all nonsense? I have just counted seventeen references in the Spirit of Prophecy which use the word transfer in describing how our guilt is laid on Jesus, and His righteousness is credited to us. Here is a sample:

“The iniquity is transferred to the innocent, the pure, the holy Son of God; and man, all undeserving, stands before the Lord cleansed from all unrighteousness, and clothed with the imputed righteousness of Christ.” Bible Commentary, vol. 4, 1178.

In my CD-ROM I found more than five hundred passages where Ellen White uses the word substitute in a similar manner. She firmly believed in the substitutionary atonement, that Christ took our punishment and died for our sins. Sequeira with equal firmness denies this, except as the word substitution is defined by himself as something other than substitution. See page 48, where he contradicts himself in a single paragraph. In a similar self-contradiction, he refers to Jesus as our sin-bearer, after redefining the term as something other than sin-bearing. (See pages 14, 124, 131, et. al.)

We have now noted two of the basic principles, the foundations, or pillars, upon which Sequeira’s false theology is based: the misuse of Romans 5 and the denial of the substitutionary atonement. We have noted that he contradicts himself in regard to the substitutionary atonement. He also contradicts himself in regard to the second death, advancing the argument that Romans 5 applies to both the first and the second death.

Metaphysical Gibberish

There is a third principle of his false theology which is made necessary by these two. This third basic principle is a virtual rewriting of the plan of salvation into the incomprehensible gibberish of metaphysical language. (Metaphysical means part physical and part nonphysical.) Consider these examples:

“All three aspects of our salvation—justification, sanctification, and glorification—have already been accomplished in the birth, life, death, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Ibid., 30. (Then why are we still here? Glorified persons are in the kingdom of God.)

“All mankind, as a corporate unit, participated in Adam’s fall.” Ibid., 36. (Jesus, according to Sequeira, was a part of corporate humanity. Did Jesus participate in Adam’s fall?)

“In Him we lived a perfect life. . .” Ibid., 43. (Before we were born?)

“In Him we died the penalty for sin.” Ibid., 43. (Were we our own saviors?)

“All humanity corporately obeyed the law in one Man, Jesus Christ.” Ibid., 48. (Then why are they called sinners?)

“Every baby is born subjectively under the reign of sin, condemnation, and death because of Adam’s fall.” Ibid., 61. (What happens if they die soon after birth? And what about the baby Jesus?)

“Our eternal destiny depends on which humanity we have chosen.” Ibid., 62. (Are there two humanities, and do we have a choice?)

“Thus the life we receive at birth is a life that has sinned.” Ibid., 63. (Is this reincarnation?)

“On the cross, Christ actually experienced the second death on behalf of fallen humanity.” Ibid., 75. (This statement is not qualified, so it must include annihilation. Did Jesus experience annihilation? Ellen White indicates that Jesus did in a certain manner experience the anguish of the second death (See The Desire of Ages, chapter 74.) but she does not introduce that concept into Romans 5.)

“The whole human race, which originated in the first Adam, died in Christ, the last Adam.” Ibid., 86. (But there are still seven billion of us here.)

“God will never help the flesh to be good, because the flesh is Satan’s domain, and unalterably opposed to God.” Ibid., 94. (What about the flesh of Jesus? For the shocking answer, read on.)

“Christ’s flesh, being our corporate sinful flesh, lusted after sin.” Ibid., 147. (Is that clear enough? Ellen White says that the flesh, of itself, cannot sin. Adventist Home, 127.)

“A believer is no longer under the law’s authority.” Ibid., 164. ( Then how can we sin? and what about James 2:12: “So speak ye and so do as they who shall be judged by the law of liberty?”)

“I believe the Bible teaches that God actually and unconditionally saved all humanity at the cross.” Ibid., 8. (But the conditions are stated in the next sentence.)

We could go on, but is it necessary? In a statement that is exceptional for its accuracy, Sequeira writes in his preface: “This book presents the plan of salvation in a new light and, therefore, will require the reader to put aside all preconceived ideas in order to appreciate its message.” Ibid., 7. (It will also be helpful to put aside your reasoning faculties. This is tacitly conceded on page 8.)

“In studying the truth of the gospel, you will discover much that contradicts human reasoning.” Ibid., 8. (This is emphatically true of Sequeira’s gospel, but not of the true gospel.)

If one should put one or more of these questions directly to Sequeira, as I have done, there will be an immediate and fluent answer, but the answer will be just as incomprehensible as the statements themselves. We are reminded of Ellen White’s response to persons who asked her to explain the writings of John Harvey Kellogg in his pantheistic book, The Living Temple. They cannot be explained, she said. They are unexplainable. All in all, Sequeira’s book is a tragic conglomeration of false reasoning, contradictions of scripture, contradictions of the Spirit of Prophecy, and even contradictions of itself. What is strongly affirmed on one page is with equal firmness denied on another. The book appears to be bringing about a striking fulfillment of the solemn warning by Ellen White: “God will arouse His people. If other means fail, heresies will come in among them, separating the chaff from the wheat.” Testimonies to the Church, vol. 5, 707.

The heresies are here, pouring forth from our publishing houses and being preached from the pulpits of our churches. How can we hope to analyze them all and decipher their incomprehensible mysteries? Here is a practical suggestion. Don’t bother with the intricate arguments, the convoluted concepts, the false reasoning. Just look at the bottom line. If the bottom line tells you that you don’t need to stop sinning, that is all that you need to know. Throw the book away, even if other pages tell you that you should stop sinning, and do not pollute your mind with its mixture of truth with falsehood. Then fortify your soul by drinking from the pure fountains that flow from the throne of God, the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy. Here are the strong towers in which we may find safety. May God be with you.

The End

Africa, The Soul Winning Gardens of Opportunity

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The Seventh-day Adventist movement has a tremendous heritage in foreign mission work. J.N. Andrews was the first missionary that went into a foreign land to spread the good news of salvation and a soon coming Savior. Since that time thousands have spent their lives working for the less fortunate in various places of the world. As we grew up, we all knew someone who was a missionary. We listened to their stories from South America, China, India, Africa, and other far-away places. Most of us who grew up within Adventism have probably, at one time or another, dreamed of going to one of these far-away places to be a missionary.

What has that heritage of foreign missionaries left to the movement today? What is the condition of the work in these foreign lands? And what is our responsibility within Historic Adventism to continue the work that has gone before us?

Today there are approximately nine million people in the world professing to be Seventh-day Adventists. North America has not kept up the pace of growth that foreign missions have. In most places of the world today you can find Seventh-day Adventists, and in many, many places you can find Adventist churches, schools, and hospitals. This work was established with tremendous sacrifice. I was told by one missionary that West Africa was considered the white man’s grave. During the 1920s, as families of missionaries went there to establish the work, almost without exception one of the family members would become sick and die within the first six weeks after arrival.

What is the spiritual condition of these churches around the world? It is very much like it is here in the United States. You see worldliness, broken homes, and celebration. The structure is demanding absolute allegiance to the church leadership, as they embrace liberalism and apostasy, and push out those who are trying to hold up the law of God as the great principle of life. So we ask the question, Is there any value today in the work that was established in such sacrifice? The answer is, Absolutely. There are faithful souls around the world who are upholding the great standards of truth that God has given His people. Many of those people are no longer accepted by the structure, even though they are standing faithful to the great principles of truth that so many today want to put down and label unchristian.

What is our responsibility to other faithful souls around the world who are working at tremendous sacrifice to continue the work of spreading the Three Angels’ Messages in their area? We need to hold up their hands so that they can do more. In many places of the world today, God has people who are working for Him who don’t even have enough food to eat. I believe that while we are still in a condition of plenty, we need to share what we have. However, we have a responsibility to do more than just share so that they will have enough food to keep going; we also need to help them with their evangelism. The ground is so fertile. Unlike the United States, where it is getting harder and harder to develop interests, people are responding in these foreign countries.

Let me share with you what is happening in Ghana, West Africa (I could tell you stories about other places also). One year ago, Steps to Life decided to help the Historic Adventists in that area for two main reasons. First, people in that area are interested in learning about the Bible, and the Historic Adventists there are organized. There are over fifty churches in the country that are organized into a group called the Historic Adventist Church. The group has fourteen pastors. They are responsible to an executive council that is elected by the national council. The national council is made up of two delegates from each of the smaller churches and three delegates from each of the bigger churches. It was our opinion that with that kind of organization, outreach could be followed up in an effective manner. We saw that new interests would have church groups to fellowship with and to be nurtured into Christian maturity. Their headquarters have been in the bedroom of a church member’s home, but with money sent by you, the donors, they now have a building for the headquarters and a clinic. We were also enabled to help them with some church buildings. We have been able to send money monthly for the added support of the ministry and for evangelism, and also a Bible correspondence school has been started.

God is blessing these efforts, and we praise Him for the opportunity to be a part of the work. The Bible correspondence school is being managed by Joseph Class Peters in Accra, Ghana. He established an office in the church that was purchased there. He then advertised in two of the national newspapers, with two consecutive ads in each paper. There are now over one thousand students enrolled in the school, all from those four advertisements. You should read the letters from the people enrolling—there are teachers, business people, government workers, bankers, and students who write and say that they would like to learn more about the Bible! When the students complete their fourteenth lesson, their name will be given to a pastor or church elder in their area for a follow-up. It is exciting to watch this happen! This would not be possible without the continued support from the historic Adventists in this country. We are working toward developing programs in other parts of the world also. We want to be faithful to each opportunity that God directs us to help with.

Africa is a garden of opportunity for soul winning. You can sponsor a bible worker for between $75.00 and $100.00 per month. Evangelistic campaigns are conducted for between $400.00 and $500.00. Last year they conducted an evangelistic series in Tema, and now they have a church with 27 people. They are meeting in a rented school house.

Is the movement today benefiting from the strong heritage of foreign missionaries? Absolutely! Does our responsibility for spreading the gospel reach outside the borders of the United States? It certainly does! We are all members of a body, and one part of the body shows care for the other parts. “There should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.” 1 Corinthians 12:25–27.

As we respond to our brothers and sisters and develop the fellowship of believers so that we can carry out the campaign of battle and war in the order of heaven, we will be much more successful against the Devil and will actually see more people in heaven. “He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.” 2 Corinthians 9:6, 7.

God requires that everyone who has been blessed with means here on this earth should give liberally to those who have little. “The time has come for us to take advance steps. We should beware lest a selfish, covetous spirit shut out the blessing of God. The Lord calls upon us to give of our means to support His cause. He requires more of us than merely the payment of the tithe. . . We should come before Him with both thank-offerings and sin-offerings. Our obligation to God is endless. His work must not languish for want of means. His claims must be met first, at whatever cost or sacrifice. It is time for those who have large possessions to cut down the principal, that God’s work may be extended in foreign lands.” Signs of the Times, September 27, 1883.

It is our duty not only to wait and be ready ourselves for the Second Coming, but also to hasten the soon coming of God by warning others. “Looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God.” 2 Peter 3:12. We need to do all we can to get the last great Message of Mercy to the whole world. “Had the church of Christ done her appointed work as the Lord ordained, the whole world would before this have been warned, and the Lord Jesus would have come to our earth in power and great glory.” Desire of Ages, 634.

The Gospel is going to go to the whole world with or without us. May each one of us search our own hearts as to our duty in spreading the Three Angels’ Messages.

“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.” Matthew 24:14. “Even so, come, Lord Jesus!” Revelation 22:20.

The End

Inspiration – The Net

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The kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind; which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.” Matthew 13:47–50.

The casting of the net is the preaching of the gospel. This gathers both good and evil into the church. When the mission of the gospel is completed, the judgment will accomplish the work of separation. Christ saw how the existence of false brethren in the church would cause the way of truth to be evil spoken of. The world would revile the gospel because of the inconsistent lives of false professors. Even Christians would be caused to stumble as they saw that many who bore Christ’s name were not controlled by His Spirit. Because these sinners were in the church, men would be in danger of thinking that God excused their sins. Therefore Christ lifts the veil from the future and bids all to behold that it is character, not position, which decides man’s destiny.

Both the parable of the tares and that of the net plainly teach that there is no time when all the wicked will turn to God. The wheat and the tares grow together until the harvest (Matthew 13:25–40). The good and the bad fish are together drawn ashore for a final separation.

Again, these parables teach that there is to be no probation after the judgment. When the work of the gospel is completed, there immediately follows the separation between the good and the evil, and the destiny of each class is forever fixed.

God does not desire the destruction of any. “As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die?” Ezekiel 33:11. Throughout the period of probationary time His Spirit is entreating men to accept the gift of life. It is only those who reject His pleading that will be left to perish. God has declared that sin must be destroyed as an evil ruinous to the universe. Those who cling to sin will perish in its destruction.

Christ’s Object Lessons, 122, 123.

The Latter Rain

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The latter rain is a most important topic for our generation, because Jesus Christ must come soon. With so many personal as well as world problems the only answer is the coming of Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world, for a witness unto all nations, and then shall the end come.” Matthew 24:14. The only thing holding back Christ’s coming is our witness to all nations. I would like to devote my whole life and all that I have to hasten that day.

According to Colossians 1:23, the apostle Paul said that this gospel has been preached to the whole world. That was written 30 or 40 years after the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Because of persecution, the early Christians had been scattered, and the gospel of the kingdom was preached in the whole world; truth was available for any seeking soul.

A life witness, powered by the unction of the Holy Spirit, is what we need. We live in a very unique generation with technology capable of communicating information worldwide in seconds. Even countries that were previously difficult to evangelize now have the opportunity to hear truthful messages via Internet broadcasting from many ministries.

China is now producing their own programs that are having a tremendous impact on many people in that country. The Lord has convicted my heart to work for the Korean and Chinese-speaking people for whom our ministry is responsible. God has been working tremendous miracles through Light for Life Ministry. It is no human achievement, but purely the work of holy angels and the Spirit. More than 20,000 Sunday church pastors in the United States are regularly receiving materials, including magazines and DVDs. Up to 100,000 DVDs and CDs are being sent to China every month. Most of these are targeting Sunday church people. It is nothing short of a miracle that this amount of literature can be distributed. The last events of this earth are going to happen very rapidly, and this world’s history is not going to last much longer.

With so many of the devil’s sophistries, erroneous doctrines and teachings, many human hearts are becoming depraved. But the power of the Holy Spirit is breaking through the darkness to reach those whose hearts are yearning, and there are many people who are really seeking for the truth.

“To Jesus, who emptied Himself for the salvation of lost humanity, the Holy Spirit was given without measure. So it will be given to every follower of Jesus Christ.” Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, 20.

This promise is for all who claim to be followers of Jesus. But what does it mean to empty ourselves? It is not to become a programmed robot or machine without personal characteristics or personality, but to be willing to dethrone self from our life and allow the Holy Spirit to control our thoughts and feelings in righteousness.

We are born with a sinful, selfish nature, and the only thing we can do is to have the desire to be born again and be willing to respond to God’s Spirit and daily receive new dew from heaven which will imbue with new motivations, new thoughts, new desires and new plans. This is available right now, not tomorrow, not months from now, but today! “Do not love the world or the things of the world. If you do, there is no love of the Father in you.” I John 2:15, literal translation. Pray today to be given new motivation, new desires, and Jesus will answer your prayer.

There is not much time to waste. Our life duty is to hasten the coming of Jesus Christ. The same measure of the Spirit given to Jesus—without measure—is promised to every follower of Christ when the whole heart is surrendered.

To surrender is just an empty expression to many Christians. We talk about it often, but what difference does it make when trials come or when a problem arises? How does it make a difference when we interact with other people in our jobs or businesses? How does being surrendered to Christ affect our plans and conversation when around those who do not know the truth of the Three Angels’ Messages?

God allows us to face the stumbling blocks of troubles and trials to expose the hidden things of the heart. These trials expose the true heart desire and what we are willing to surrender for the cause of God’s work, and whether or not we are willing to pay any cost to follow Jesus Christ all the way. To walk the narrow road surrendering self is not a natural desire, but one that comes only when the heart is purified.

Would you, like the widow who gave her last mite, give your entire savings if the Lord required it? What if Jesus asked you to devote all of your talents to God, even though you could make millions of dollars with them, what would you do? If we had been willing to empty ourselves of pride and surrender all to God to be used as a living testimony, a living vessel and instrument to hasten Jesus Christ’s coming, He could have come a long time ago and we would be in heaven.

In my travels throughout many different parts of the world, I have seen many people suffering. There is much sorrow and sadness. It hurts my heart deeply when I think of some of our leaders who are still locked in jail. Many brothers and sisters in China are working under the pressure of persecution every day. Many people sacrifice themselves and their finances to print and distribute materials and books to people to hasten Jesus’ coming.

The latter rain experience is the anointing of Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit. “That word, I say, ye know, which was published throughout all Judaea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached; How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with Him.” Acts 10:37, 38.

After Jesus was baptized, He was anointed for His messiahship by the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The world, the angels and the whole universe were witness when the Father said: “This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” Matthew 3:17. Jesus’ sole mission was to separate humanity from their sins. The latter rain experience is an anointing, it is a commission to a special task, a sealing of the Father to give the final message to the world.

Consider the anointing of John the Baptist. “For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb.” Luke 1:15. He was filled with the Holy Ghost even when He was in His mother’s womb! He was chosen, delegated, commissioned, anointed for a special task. That is the purpose of the latter rain. Are you ready to receive this anointing and have a special commission, or task, coming down from heaven? Our Father is yearning and heaven is yearning for Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour to return for His people.

Heaven is anxious for a people to be ready for this commission. “And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” Luke 1:16, 17.

The Lord gave me a new kind of life after my open-heart surgery. I heard from my doctors that my chance of survival was very dismal, yet the Lord gave me perfect recovery. I knew immediately that I was given this new opportunity and new life to start preaching again. I knew that Light for Life Ministry had a last portion to accomplish by the power and unction of the Holy Spirit to prepare a people to receive the latter rain and to go out and become harvesters.

Friends, it is time to bring in the harvesters. It is time to bring in the eleventh hour workers, so they can be ready to receive the latter rain power that will empower them to go out and give the loud cry so the work can be finished and we can go home.

God has a plan for your life just as John the Baptist was chosen and anointed from his mother’s womb. Your life has been destined; God has called you for a special task. We call ourselves Seventh-day Adventists, and we are a people of prophecy with a special commission to finish the work of the gospel so we can go home.

I make this appeal to you with all my heart. As John the Baptist was called to prepare the way before the Messiah, we are chosen to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. “And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways; to give knowledge of salvation unto His people by the remission of their sins, through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the Dayspring from on high hath visited us.” Luke 1:76–78.

We are to prepare people for a Most Holy Place cleansing experience by helping them understand and receive righteousness by faith, so they can experience a continuous overcoming of sin. I yearn for the day that God’s people will stand together as a square on the sea of glass with palm branches in their hands praising God. This is the true spiritual Israel, the overcomers. Verse 79 says, “To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

“The soul of the prophet [John the Baptist], emptied of self, was filled with the light of the divine. As he witnessed to the Saviour’s glory, his words were almost a counterpart of those that Christ Himself had spoken in His interview with Nicodemus. John said, ‘He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: He that cometh from heaven is above all. … For He whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto Him’ (John 3:31).” The Desire of Ages, 181.

Our experience is to be the same as Christ who could say, “I seek not Mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent Me.” John 5:30. To Him it is declared, “Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest iniquity: therefore God, even Thy God, hath anointed Thee with the oil of gladness above Thy fellows.” Psalm 45:7. This experience of Jesus Christ should be the experience of all believers. When this experience comes, we will be endowed from heaven with the Spirit of God without measure. That is the latter rain.

Many voices are heard saying that to receive the latter rain we should be kind, merciful and more meek, being careful of our words and actions and do more evangelistic work. Of course this would be the result, but most of all we should behold Jesus, empty ourselves of self and give our all for God for the salvation of humanity. All thoughts and desires must be captivated for that work. That is our work and my desire, to give all to Jesus. Nothing else is important in my life.

“So with the followers of Christ. We can receive of heaven’s light only as we are willing to be emptied of self. We cannot discern the character of God, or accept Christ by faith, unless we consent to the bringing into captivity of every thought to the obedience of Christ. To all who do this the Holy Spirit is given without measure.” The Desire of Ages, 181. \

What a promise!

Mary, the mother of Jesus and her cousin, Elizabeth, were two godly mothers who surrendered themselves to God’s service and were given the honor of bearing their two special sons. An angel visited Mary to prepare her for her mission of bringing forth Jesus, and to convince her, she was told that her relative, Elizabeth, who was an old lady, had conceived a child, and it was in its sixth month. After those words, Mary submitted herself and said, “Be it unto me according to Thy word.” Luke 1:38.

Once she accepted God’s will to conceive the Son of God in her own womb, she stood up and went to Elizabeth’s house, and they stayed together there for three months. Their conversation during that time must have been on the miraculous working of God in their lives and the special mission they and their sons were to accomplish. Is this the subject of your conversations now? Are your thoughts on the Lord and what He has done and is about to do in the world?

“I saw that none could share the ‘refreshing’ unless they obtain the victory over every besetment, over pride, selfishness, love of the world, and over every wrong word and action. We should, therefore, be drawing nearer and nearer to the Lord and be earnestly seeking that preparation necessary to enable us to stand in the battle in the day of the Lord.” Early Writings, 71.

Every besetment, every possible sentiment we still have lingering in our sinful nature is to be overcome. Everything that can be shaken will be shaken. When a glass is shaken, any dirt that has settled on the bottom will muddy the water. Are there any hidden sins in your life that need to be removed? They all must go, with all pride, in order to be ready and prepared to receive the latter rain. It will take a complete emptying of self! Our self-esteem should only be in our confidence in Jesus Christ and what He has done for us. We should know our God and have the assurance of salvation and forgiveness.

Pride that desires the admiration of others must go. It is an emotion that blocks the Holy Spirit from flowing into the heart. Pride is a very dangerous enemy and was the cause of Lucifer’s rebellion against God, turning him into the devil.

The gift of righteousness by faith is available daily from Jesus to enable us to overcome sin. The Holy Spirit plants a renewed motivation every day, together with the power to respond to the call. That is the righteousness by faith experience.

In 1844, when the early Adventist believers expected Jesus to come, they prayed every morning. They would not eat their breakfast until they received the assurance that their sins were forgiven. That should be our experience today. We are so in need of the latter rain. It is the most crucial need at this time, for we must be about our Father’s business.

Light for Life Ministry is committed to work for the Chinese-speaking people. Today, one person out of every three in the world speaks Chinese. Please remember the work that we have undertaken and pray for us.

The latter rain is about to fall. If you plan on being part of this great work in the end time, now is the time to give it all; place all you have and all you are on the altar and become a burned offering acceptable to the Lord. Only when we die to self can God use us in a wonderful way. Let’s get ready so we can go home!

Pastor David Kang is the director of Light for Life United States Ministry operating out of Fort Lee, New Jersey. His sermons are broadcast weekly on New York and Virginia Korean television stations. Pastor Kang also frequently travels to Asia where he trains pastors who often work “underground.” Pastor Kang may be contacted by email at: landmarks@stepstolife.org.

Editorial – The Facts

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  1. Jesus of Nazareth was a real historical person who preached, healed and taught in Judea and Galilee in the early part of the first century A.D.
  2. He was opposed by the religious leaders of His day, resulting in His being arrested, condemned and crucified by the Roman government under Pontius Pilate, the Roman Governor of Judea. Secular historians from the first century A.D. corroborate this.
  3. He arose from the dead on the third day after His crucifixion and made at least ten appearances in public and private after His resurrection.
  4. He ascended to heaven 40 days later (Acts 1:3), but first He had, by the Holy Spirit, given orders to the apostles whom He had chosen (Acts 1:2).

The orders were to “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19, 20.

“And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.’ ” Mark 16:15.

“[Then] He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures. Then He said to them, ‘Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.’ ” Luke 24:45–47.

“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. …

“Whatever one’s calling in life, his first interest should be to win souls for Christ. He may not be able to speak to congregations, but he can work for individuals.” The Desire of Ages, 822.

If you have been baptized as a Christian, are you fulfilling your commission from Jesus Christ?

[Bible texts quoted are New King James Version translation.]

Bible Study Guides – A Plan to Regain Paradise

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April 14, 2013 – April 20, 2013

Key Text

“Jesus saith unto him [Thomas], I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.” John 14:6.

Study Help: Patriarchs and Prophets, 71–79; “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, 931.

Introduction

“The Father has given the world into the hands of Christ, that through His mediatorial work He may redeem man and vindicate the authority and holiness of the law of God.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 366.

1 GOD’S PROMISE

  • What promise has God often repeated? Genesis 12:3; 22:18; 28:14; Galatians 3:8, 16.

Note: “Not alone at the Saviour’s advent, but through all the ages after the Fall and the promise of redemption, ‘God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself’ (II Corinthians 5:19). Christ was the foundation and center of the sacrificial system in both the patriarchal and the Jewish age. Since the sin of our first parents there has been no direct communication between God and man. … All the communion between heaven and the fallen race has been through Christ. It was the Son of God that gave to our first parents the promise of redemption. It was He who revealed Himself to the patriarchs. Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses understood the gospel. They looked for salvation through man’s Substitute and Surety. These holy men of old held communion with the Saviour who was to come to our world in human flesh.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 366.

  • What does the Bible call God’s promise to send His Son into the world, and how was the promise fulfilled? Isaiah 61:1; Luke 4:18, 21.

Note: “The gospel preached to Adam, Noah, Abraham, and Moses was to them good news; for their faith embraced a coming Saviour.” The Signs of the Times, August 7, 1879.

2 CAIN AND ABEL

  • How was Abel blessed, accepted, and justified through the gospel? Hebrews 11:4.

Note: “ ‘By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain’ (Hebrews 11:4). Abel grasped the great principles of redemption. He saw himself a sinner, and he saw sin and its penalty, death, standing between his soul and communion with God. He brought the slain victim, the sacrificed life, thus acknowledging the claims of the law that had been transgressed. Through the shed blood he looked to the future sacrifice, Christ dying on the cross of Calvary; and trusting in the atonement that was there to be made, he had the witness that he was righteous, and his offering accepted.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 72.

  • How did Cain forfeit the blessings and acceptance of the gospel, and why? Genesis 4:3, 5.

Note: “Cain came before God with murmuring and infidelity in his heart in regard to the promised sacrifice and the necessity of the sacrificial offerings. His gift expressed no penitence for sin. He felt, as many now feel, that it would be an acknowledgment of weakness to follow the exact plan marked out by God, of trusting his salvation wholly to the atonement of the promised Saviour. He chose the course of self-dependence. He would come in his own merits. He would not bring the lamb, and mingle its blood with his offering, but would present his fruits, the products of his labor. He presented his offering as a favor done to God, through which he expected to secure the divine approval. Cain obeyed in building an altar, obeyed in bringing a sacrifice; but he rendered only a partial obedience. The essential part, the recognition of the need of a Redeemer, was left out.

“So far as birth and religious instruction were concerned, these brothers were equal. Both were sinners, and both acknowledged the claims of God to reverence and worship. To outward appearance their religion was the same up to a certain point, but beyond this the difference between the two was great.” [Author’s italics.] Patriarchs and Prophets, 72.

3 TWO CLASSES OF WORSHIPERS

  • What two classes of worshipers do Cain and Abel represent? How do the two phases in the life of Paul illustrate the difference between these two classes? Philippians 3:4–9.

Note: “Cain and Abel represent two classes that will exist in the world till the close of time. One class avail themselves of the appointed sacrifice for sin; the other venture to depend upon their own merits; theirs is a sacrifice without the virtue of divine mediation, and thus it is not able to bring man into favor with God. It is only through the merits of Jesus that our transgressions can be pardoned. Those who feel no need of the blood of Christ, who feel that without divine grace they can by their own works secure the approval of God, are making the same mistake as did Cain. If they do not accept the cleansing blood, they are under condemnation. There is no other provision made whereby they can be released from the thralldom of sin.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 72, 73.

  • What lesson should we learn from the fig-leaf garments of our first parents and from the offering of Cain? Genesis 3:7; Jude 11, first part. What principle underlies the belief and practice of those who fail to abide by the true gospel?

Note: “The class of worshipers who follow the example of Cain includes by far the greater portion of the world; for nearly every false religion has been based on the same principle—that man can depend upon his own efforts for salvation. It is claimed by some that the human race is in need, not of redemption, but of development—that it can refine, elevate, and regenerate itself. As Cain thought to secure the divine favor by an offering that lacked the blood of a sacrifice, so do these expect to exalt humanity to the divine standard, independent of the atonement. The history of Cain shows what must be the result. It shows what man will become apart from Christ. Humanity has no power to regenerate itself. It does not tend upward, toward the divine, but downward, toward the satanic. Christ is our only hope.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 73.

4 THE GOSPEL AND THE TWO COVENANTS

  • How are we in danger of failing—as the Israelites failed—to truly understand the gospel? Exodus 24:7; Joshua 24:19–21; Hebrews 3:15–17; 4:2.

Note: “The people [of Israel] did not realize the sinfulness of their own hearts, and that without Christ it was impossible for them to keep God’s law; and they readily entered into covenant with God. Feeling that they were able to establish their own righteousness, they declared, ‘All that the Lord hath said will we do, and be obedient’ (Exodus 24:7). They had witnessed the proclamation of the law in awful majesty, and had trembled with terror before the mount; and yet only a few weeks passed before they broke their covenant with God, and bowed down to worship a graven image. They could not hope for the favor of God through a covenant which they had broken.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 371, 372.

  • What covenant did the Lord offer to establish with Israel and is offering to each one of us? Jeremiah 31:31–34; Hebrews 8:8–12.

Note: “The same law that was engraved upon the tables of stone is written by the Holy Spirit upon the tables of the heart. Instead of going about to establish our own righteousness we accept the righteousness of Christ. His blood atones for our sins. His obedience is accepted for us. Then the heart renewed by the Holy Spirit will bring forth ‘the fruits of the Spirit.’ ” Patriarchs and Prophets, 372.

“It is impossible for us, of ourselves, to escape from the pit of sin in which we are sunken. Our hearts are evil, and we cannot change them. ‘Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one.’ ‘The carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be’ (Job 14:4; Romans 8:7). Education, culture, the exercise of the will, human effort, all have their proper sphere, but here they are powerless. They may produce an outward correctness of behavior, but they cannot change the heart; they cannot purify the springs of life. There must be a power working from within, a new life from above, before men can be changed from sin to holiness. That power is Christ. His grace alone can quicken the lifeless faculties of the soul, and attract it to God, to holiness.” Steps to Christ, 18.

“By His perfect obedience He [Christ] has made it possible for every human being to obey God’s commandments.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 312.

5 ONLY ONE TRUE GOSPEL

  • Since the days of Eden, men and women have been saved by only one gospel. How does this apply to us? John 14:6; Acts 4:12.

Note: “Christ is the connecting link between God and man. He has promised His personal intercession by employing His name.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 6, 1078.

“Through the grace of Christ we shall live in obedience to the law of God written upon our hearts. Having the Spirit of Christ, we shall walk even as He walked.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 372.

  • How are we to benefit from the gospel? I Timothy 1:15; Ephesians 1:4–11.

Note: “Jesus … took humanity upon Himself that He might touch and elevate humanity. He came to seek and to save that which was lost. He reached to the very depth of human misery and woe, to take man as He found him, a being tainted with corruption, degraded with vice, depraved by sin, and united with Satan in apostasy, and elevate him to a seat upon His throne.” Fundamentals of Christian Education, 199.

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1 Why is the plan of salvation referred to as the “gospel”?

2 How do we know that Abel was under the “new” covenant?

3 What will make us today to be an “Abel” instead of a “Cain”?

4 How can we be sure our religious experience is really in accordance with the new covenant?

5 How would you summarize the gospel to someone who has never heard it before?

© 2007 Reformation Herald Publishing Association, Roanoke, Virginia. Reprinted by permission.

Bible Study Guides – Stages of “ Present Truth ”

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May 19, 2013 – May 25, 2013

Key Text

“I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth.” II Peter 1:12.

Study Help: The Desire of Ages, 632–636; The Great Controversy, 355–374.

Introduction

“There was a present truth—a truth at that time of special importance—in the days of Christ, of Paul, of Luther; there is a present truth for the church today.” The Signs of the Times, June 21, 1883.

1 THE GOSPEL: AN EVERLASTING TRUTH

  • How do Christ’s teachings perfectly harmonize with the Old Testament scripture (Deuteronomy 6:5; Leviticus 19:18)? Matthew 22:36–40. What explanation did Christ give concerning His doctrine? John 7:16, 17.

Note: “ ‘Jesus answered them [the Jews], and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me’ (John 7:16). My words are in perfect harmony with the Old Testament Scriptures, and with the law spoken from Sinai. I am not preaching a new doctrine. I am presenting old truths rescued from the framework of error, and placed in a new setting.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 5, 1136.

  • What was the “ present truth ” taught after Christ’s ascension? I John 1:1–3; I Peter 1:12, 15, 16. How does that truth also affect us today? John 17:17–20.

Note: “When, after His [Christ’s] ascension, the Holy Spirit brought His teachings to the remembrance of the disciples, their slumbering senses awoke. The meaning of these truths flashed upon their minds as a new revelation, and truth, pure and unadulterated, made a place for itself. Then the wonderful experience of His life became theirs.” The Acts of the Apostles, 520.

2 A MYSTERY REVEALED

  • What did Paul say about the plan of redemption that was more fully revealed in the gospel of Christ? Ephesians 3:3–6, 9; I Timothy 3:16; Romans 16:25, 26.

Note: “Mysteries which had been hidden for ages were revealed to him [Paul], and as much as he could bear of the workings of God, and of His dealings with human minds, was made known. The Lord told Paul that he must preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ. Light was to be given to the Gentiles. This is a mystery which had been hidden for ages.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 6, 1107.

  • What will happen when this mystery of God (the light given to the Gentiles) is completed? Matthew 24:14.

Note: “Long has God waited for the spirit of service to take possession of the whole church so that everyone shall be working for Him according to his ability. When the members of the church of God do their appointed work in the needy fields at home and abroad, in fulfillment of the gospel commission, the whole world will soon be warned and the Lord Jesus will return to this earth with power and great glory. ‘This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come’ (Matthew 24:14).” The Acts of the Apostles, 111.

  • What final verdict will then be declared? Revelation 22:10, 11.

Note: “The gospel dispensation is the last period of probation that will ever be granted to men. Those who live under this dispensation of test and trial and yet are not led to repent and obey will perish with the disloyal. There is no second trial. The gospel that is to be preached to all nations, kindreds, tongues, and peoples presents the truth in clear lines, showing that obedience is the condition of gaining eternal life. Christ imparts His righteousness to those who consent to let Him take away their sins.” “Ellen G White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, 971, 972.

3 SIGNS OF THE END

  • How do we know that the Lord’s return is very near? Matthew 24:32–39.

Note: “Christ has given signs of His coming. He declares that we may know when He is near, even at the doors. He says of those who see these signs, ‘This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled’ (Matthew 24:34). These signs have appeared. Now we know of a surety that the Lord’s coming is at hand.” The Desire of Ages, 632.

“Christ continues, pointing out the condition of the world at His coming: ‘As the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the Flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and knew not until the Flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be’ (Matthew 24:37–39). Christ does not here bring to view a temporal millennium, a thousand years in which all are to prepare for eternity. He tells us that as it was in Noah’s day, so will it be when the Son of man comes again.” Ibid., 633.

  • What should we realize about Noah’s day? Genesis 6:5.

Note: “How was it in Noah’s day? ‘God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually’ (Genesis 6:5). The inhabitants of the antediluvian world turned from Jehovah, refusing to do His holy will. They followed their own unholy imagination and perverted ideas. It was because of their wickedness that they were destroyed; and today the world is following the same way. It presents no flattering signs of millennial glory. The transgressors of God’s law are filling the earth with wickedness. Their betting, their horse racing, their gambling, their dissipation, their lustful practices, their untamable passions, are fast filling the world with violence.” The Desire of Ages, 633.

“God has given us laws whereby to live, but now, as in the Noachic age, the imagination of men’s hearts is evil and only evil continually; men walk after the desire and devices of their own hearts, and so accomplish their own ruin. God would have men stand in their God-given manhood, free from the slavery of appetite.” Temperance, 281.

4 THE FIRST ANGEL INTRODUCED

  • What great religious revival marks the beginning of the “ present truth ” especially applicable in our day, and how is it described? Revelation 14:6.

Note: “A Great religious awakening under the proclamation of Christ’s soon coming is foretold in the prophecy of the first angel’s message of Revelation 14. An angel is seen flying ‘in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people.’ ‘With a loud voice’ he proclaims the message: ‘Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come: and worship Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters’ (verses 6, 7).

“The fact that an angel is said to be the herald of this warning is significant. By the purity, the glory, and the power of the heavenly messenger, divine wisdom has been pleased to represent the exalted character of the work to be accomplished by the message and the power and glory that were to attend it. And the angel’s flight ‘in the midst of heaven,’ the ‘loud voice’ with which the warning is uttered, and its promulgation to all ‘that dwell on the earth’—‘to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people’—give evidence of the rapidity and world-wide extent of the movement.” The Great Controversy, 355.

  • To prepare a people to see Christ, how does the message of the first angel exalt the law of God? I John 3:2–4; Psalm 19:7.

Note: “The message proclaimed by the angel flying in the midst of heaven is the everlasting gospel, the same gospel that was declared in Eden when God said to the serpent, ‘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). Here was the first promise of a Saviour who would stand on the field of battle to contest the power of Satan and prevail against him. Christ came to our world to represent the character of God as it is represented in His holy law; for His law is a transcript of His character. Christ was both the law and the gospel. The angel that proclaims the everlasting gospel proclaims the law of God; for the gospel of salvation brings men to obedience of the law, whereby their characters are formed after the divine similitude.” Selected Messages, Book 2, 106.

5 HERALDS OF OBEDIENCE

  • Who is to teach the first angel’s message? Matthew 28:19, 20.

Note: “As His representatives among men, God does not choose angels who have never fallen, but human beings, men of like passions with those they seek to save. Christ took humanity that He might reach humanity. A divine-human Saviour was needed to bring salvation to the world. And to men and women has been committed the sacred trust of making known ‘the unsearchable riches of Christ’ (Ephesians 3:8).

“In His wisdom the Lord brings those who are seeking for truth into touch with fellow beings who know the truth. It is the plan of Heaven that those who have received light shall impart it to those in darkness.” The Acts of the Apostles, 134.

  • What does the last remnant experience, and how is it distinguished from the rest of the world? Matthew 24:9; Revelation 12:17.

Note: “Whoever sees the repulsive character of sin, and in strength from above resists temptation, will assuredly arouse the wrath of Satan and his subjects. Hatred of the pure principles of truth, and reproach and persecution of its advocates, will exist as long as sin and sinners remain. The followers of Christ and the servants of Satan cannot harmonize. The offense of the cross has not ceased.” The Great Controversy, 507.

“The remnant church will be brought into great trial and distress. Those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus will feel the ire of the dragon and his hosts. Satan numbers the world as his subjects, he has gained control of the apostate churches; but here is a little company that are resisting his supremacy.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 472, 473.

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1 What should we learn from the “present truth” of apostolic days?

2 Why was Paul so enthusiastic about that “present truth”?

3 How are our days similar to Noah’s?

4 What does the first angel of Revelation 14 represent?

5 Why must those who preach the first angel’s message cling to the Source of their strength?

© 2007 Reformation Herald Publishing Association, Roanoke, Virginia. Reprinted by permission.

Bible Study Guides – Power From Above

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May 5, 2013 – May 11, 2013

Key Text

“I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” Romans 1:16.

Study Help: Fundamentals of Christian Education, 196–200; The Acts of the Apostles, 557–567.

Introduction

“The gospel is the power of God unto salvation when it is interwoven with the practical life, when it is lived and practiced.” My Life Today, 224.

1 GRASPING THE SOLUTION

  • How does the Bible define sin? I John 3:4; James 4:17. Why do we struggle with sin, and how can we gain the victory over it? Romans 7:14–24; John 8:34, 36; 15:5.

Note: “Enslaved by sin, the moral powers are under the tyranny of Satan. The soul is made the sport of his temptations; and unless some mighty arm is stretched out to rescue him, man goes where the arch-rebel leads the way.” Testimonies, vol. 7, 42.

  • What should we realize in seeking Christ’s strength? Hebrews 4:15, 16; 7:25; 12:2.

Note: “Many have a feeble religious experience because, instead of seeking the Lord for the efficiency of the Holy Spirit, they make flesh their arm.” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 381.

“Our faith must pierce beyond the veil, seeing things that are invisible. No one else can look for you. You must behold for yourself.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, 930.

2 JUSTIFICATION

  • What happens when we come to Christ? Ephesians 2:8; Romans 2:4; 5:1, 2.

Note: “The very first step to Christ is taken through the drawing of the Spirit of God; as man responds to this drawing, he advances toward Christ in order that he may repent.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 390.

“If we are drawn to Christ, it is through His power and virtue. The grace of contrition comes through Him, and from Him comes justification.” Ibid., 391.

  • When we accept Christ as our personal Saviour, how are we benefited by the work that Christ has done for us? Romans 5:18, 19; II Corinthians 5:21.

Note: “Justification is a full, complete pardon of sin. The moment a sinner accepts Christ by faith, that moment he is pardoned. The righteousness of Christ is imputed [credited] to him, and he is no more to doubt God’s forgiving grace.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 6, 1071.

“By faith he [the repentant sinner] 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.” Ibid., 1073.

“The nearer we come to Jesus, and the more clearly we discern the purity of His character, the more clearly shall we see the exceeding sinfulness of sin, and the less shall we feel like exalting ourselves. There will be a continual reaching out of the soul after God, a continual, earnest, heartbreaking confession of sin and humbling of the heart before Him. At every advance step in our Christian experience our repentance will deepen. We shall know that our sufficiency is in Christ alone and shall make the apostle’s confession our own: ‘I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing.’ ‘God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world’ (Romans 7:18; Galatians 6:14).” The Acts of the Apostles, 561.

3 SANCTIFICATION

  • What work does Christ do in us through the Holy Spirit, with our consent and cooperation? John 3:7, 8; II Corinthians 5:17; 7:1.

Note: “It is the grace that Christ implants in the soul which creates in man enmity against Satan. Without this converting grace and renewing power, man would continue the captive of Satan, a servant ever ready to do his bidding. But the new principle in the soul creates conflict where hitherto had been peace. The power which Christ imparts enables man to resist the tyrant and usurper. Whoever is seen to abhor sin instead of loving it, whoever resists and conquers those passions that have held sway within, displays the operation of a principle wholly from above.” The Great Controversy, 506.

  • In what way does the process of sanctification involve daily choices on our part? Romans 8:1, 5, 13; Galatians 5:16; Ephesians 5:8–11.

Note: “To walk in the light means to resolve, to exercise thought, to exert will-power, in an earnest endeavor to represent Christ in sweetness of character. It means to put away all gloom. You are not to rest satisfied simply in saying, ‘I am a child of God.’ Are you beholding Jesus, and, by beholding, becoming changed into His likeness? To walk in the light means advancement and progress in spiritual attainments. Paul declared, ‘Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but … forgetting those things which are behind,’ constantly beholding the Pattern, I reach ‘forth unto those things which are before’ (Philippians 3:12, 13). To walk in the light means to ‘walk uprightly,’ to walk ‘in the way of the Lord,’ to ‘walk by faith,’ to ‘walk in the Spirit,’ to ‘walk in the truth,’ to ‘walk in love,’ to ‘walk in the newness of life’ (Romans 6:4). It is ‘perfecting holiness in the fear of God’ (II Corinthians 7:1).” Sons and Daughters of God, 200.

“To learn of Christ means to receive His grace, which is His character. But those who do not appreciate and utilize the precious opportunities and sacred influences granted them on earth, are not fitted to take part in the pure devotion of heaven. Their characters are not molded according to the divine similitude. By their own neglect they have formed a chasm which nothing can bridge. Between them and the righteous there is a great gulf fixed.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 271.

4 A JOINT OPERATION

  • How do justification and sanctification operate together in our salvation? I John 1:9; Romans 6:1, 2, 7, 22.

Note: “Justification means the saving of a soul from perdition, that he may obtain sanctification, and through sanctification, the life of heaven. Justification means that the conscience, purged from dead works, is placed where it can receive the blessings of sanctification.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, 908.

  • Who directs the combined operation of justification and sanctification? I Corinthians 6:9–11; Colossians 3:8–10; Philippians 4:13.

Note: “The Christian will feel the promptings of sin, but he will maintain a constant warfare against it. Here is where Christ’s help is needed. Human weakness becomes united to divine strength.” The Great Controversy, 469, 470.

  • In what sense do we have to cooperate with Christ to become holy? Colossians 1:21–23, 29.
  • For what purpose do we receive power through the gospel? Romans 1:16; Ephesians 3:16–20.

Note: “The work of gaining salvation is one of co-partnership, a joint operation. There is to be co-operation between God and the repentant sinner. This is necessary for the formation of right principles in the character. Man is to make earnest efforts to overcome that which hinders him from attaining to perfection. But he is wholly dependent upon God for success. Human effort of itself is not sufficient. Without the aid of divine power it avails nothing. God works and man works. Resistance of temptation must come from man, who must draw his power from God.” The Acts of the Apostles, 482.

5 THE POWER OF GOD IN MAN

  • What changes does God bring forth in giving us His grace? Titus 2:11–14; 3:5. How does the leaven in the parable illustrate the radical change? Matthew 13:33.

Note: “As the leaven, when mingled with the meal, works from within outward, so it is by the renewing of the heart that the grace of God works to transform the life.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 97.

“The grace of Christ is to control the temper and the voice. Its working will be seen in politeness and tender regard shown by brother for brother, in kind, encouraging words. An angel presence is in the home. The life breathes a sweet perfume, which ascends to God as holy incense. Love is manifested in kindness, gentleness, forbearance, and long-suffering.

“The countenance is changed. Christ abiding in the heart shines out in the faces of those who love Him and keep His commandments. Truth is written there. The sweet peace of heaven is revealed. There is expressed a habitual gentleness, a more than human love.” Ibid., 102.

  • On what condition can we receive the power of God’s grace? What kind of faith do we need? Matthew 17:20; Jude 20.

Note: “The heavenly intelligences will work with the human agent who seeks with determined faith that perfection of character which will reach out to perfection in action. To everyone engaged in this work Christ says, I am at your right hand to help you.

“As the will of man co-operates with the will of God, it becomes omnipotent. Whatever is to be done at His command may be accomplished in His strength. All His biddings are enablings.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 332, 333.

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1 How can we overcome feebleness in our religious experience?

2 What is justification, and how can we obtain it?

3 What is sanctification, and how can we obtain it?

4 Explain our co-partnership with Christ in the plan of redemption.

5 What symptoms reveal the action of the leaven of truth in the Christian’s heart?

© 2007 Reformation Herald Publishing Association, Roanoke, Virginia. Reprinted by permission.

The Sanctuary, Letters to the Churches, part 2

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In Questions on Doctrine, beginning at page 661, there is a collection from the writings of Ellen White on the subject of the Atonement, 30 pages in all. It claims to be a “comprehensive assemblage” of Ellen White’s teachings on the Atonement. From the use of the word comprehensive, I expected to find a full and extensive collection. But in consulting this material, I was disappointed in its lack and one-sidedness. I found it to be a very incomplete and meager collection, leaving out numerous quotations that rightly belong even in a small compilation, not to say a comprehensive one. Strangely enough, quotations that were omitted were such as much on no account be left out.

First of all, I wanted to know what Sister White had to say of the date 1844, which is the “crisis year.” I wanted to know if it had anything particularly to do with the Atonement, or if it could safely be left out. I found that the author had omitted it. So I looked in turn for other quotations, not one of which I found in the assemblage. I looked for the statement: “At the termination of the 2300 days in 1844 . . . our great High Priest . . . enters the holy of holies, and there appears in the presence of God, to . . . perform the work of the Investigative Judgment and to make an Atonement for all who are shown to be entitled to its benefits.” This is said to be the “great day of final Atonement.” The Great Controversy, 480. [All Emphasis supplied.] This important statement was not there. I looked for the parallel statement: “At the termination of 2300 days in 1844, Christ entered the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary to perform the closing work of Atonement preparatory to His coming.” Ibid., 422. I did not find it. I looked for this statement: “This is the service which began when the 2300 days ended. At that time, as foretold by Daniel the prophet, our High Priest entered the most holy, to perform the last division of His solemn work—to cleanse the sanctuary.” Ibid., 421. I could not find it. I looked for the statement: “The end of the 2300 days in 1844 marked an important crisis.” Ibid., 49. I did not find it. I looked for other statements, such as: “The sacred work of Christ (that) is going on at the present time in the heavenly sanctuary,” “The atoning work of Christ is now in progress in the heavenly sanctuary,” “Today He is making atonement for us before the Father.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 520; White Board Minutes, 1483; Manuscript 21, 1895, quoted in Ministry, February, 2957, 30. I found none of these.

At first I thought that this book Questions on Doctrine did not have room for these texts, nor did the Ministry. But I had to abandon this reasoning when I observed that it was only a particular kind of statement that was omitted. The omitted quotations all clustered about the important “crisis” date, 1844, the Investigative Judgment, Christ’s entering into the most holy for the final Atonement, His making Atonement now, His making Atonement “today before the Father.”

One thing that kept our men from going overboard, body and soul, to the Evangelicals, was doubtless, Mrs. White’s writings. She is very emphatic on the question of the sanctuary; and it would not be easy to convert our people to the new view, as long as they had the Testimonies to sustain them in the old position. The faith of our people in the Spirit of Prophecy must be weakened, or better yet, destroyed, before much headway can be made in bringing in the new view. The Ministry article serves well for this purpose.

It was the editor himself, who in his research had “become acutely aware of the E. G. White statements which indicate that the atoning work of Christ is now in progress in the heavenly sanctuary.” White Minutes, 1483. This did not at all fit in with the new view that the atonement was made on the cross, so he suggested that footnotes or appendix notes might appear to clarify what she meant. He suggested haste in the “preparation and inclusion of such notes in future printings of the E. G. White books.” When the plan became known, it was abandoned. The author of the article in the February, 1957 Ministry then took over and had the article printed which we are considering.

The author asks this question, “Why, in the early days, in the light of all this, did not Mrs. White point out and correct the limited or sometimes erroneous concept of some of the early writers concerning the atonement? And why did she employ some of their restricted phrases? How could this be explained? The answer, which the author gives, is the most astonishing and astounding answer that has ever been given to such a question.

“In answer: it is essential that we first of all remember this basic fact: No doctrinal truth or prophetic interpretation ever came to this people initially through the Spirit of Prophecy—not in a single case.” [Emphasis his.]

Read those words again, keeping in mind that this is an article which claims to give the true meaning of the atonement, the official interpretation, and that it has the approval of the administration and that the editor passed it. Also, it has not been retracted or changed. It stands.

These are bold, almost unbelievable words and are utterly untrue. To assert that Sister White never, not even in a single case, initially contributed any doctrinal truth or prophetic interpretation will not be believed by her thousands and millions of readers who all have been benefited by her works. The reader will have noted that the author does not say that Sister White never contributed any doctrinal truth or prophetic interpretation. He says that she never contributed anything initially; that is, she never made any original contribution. She got it from somebody else; she “lifted” it. Our enemies have made that assertion for years, but I never thought that such would be announced to the whole world with the consent of the leaders; but here it is. Whatever Sister White wrote, be it the counsel of Father and Son in eternity or Satan’s inmost rebellious thoughts, “somebody told her.” She never contributed a thing, initially. Never in a single case! Let me produce a single case. The following is taken from Testimonies, Series B, No. 2, 56, 57.

“Many of our people do not realize how firmly the foundation of our faith has been laid. My husband, Elder Joseph Bates, Father Pierce, Elder Edson, and others who were keen, noble, and true, were among those who after the passing of time in 1844, searched for the truth as for hidden treasure. I met with them, and we studied and prayed earnestly. Often we remained together until late at night, and sometimes through the entire night, praying for light and studying the Word. Again and again these brethren came together to study the Bible in order that we might know its meaning and be prepared to teach it with power. When they came to the point in their study where they said, ‘We can do nothing more,’ the Spirit of the Lord would come upon me. I would be taken off in vision, and a clear explanation of the passages we had been studying would be given me, with instruction as to how we were to labor and teach effectively. Thus, light was given that helped us to understand the Scriptures in regard to Christ, His mission, and His priesthood. A line of truth extending from that time to the time when we shall enter the city of God was made plain to me, and I gave others the instructions that the Lord had given me.” Review and Herald, May 25, 1905.

In this case, there was no human intermediary. Unless we are to believe that Sister White did not tell the truth, she got her instructions from above. In this case, the instruction concerned “Christ, His mission, and His priesthood,” the very subjects we have now under consideration. Whatever we may or may not be sure of, we know now that the instruction that came to Sister White on the subject of Christ, His mission, and His priesthood came direct from God. This means that the sanctuary question, as our forefathers taught and believed it, has God for its Author. It came as a result of a vision, which I do not believe can be said of any other doctrine that we hold.

We have reached a crisis in this denomination when leaders are attempting to enforce false doctrine and threaten those who object. The whole program is unbelievable. Men are now attempting to remove the foundations of many generations and think that they can succeed. To make the plain statement that “Christ is making atonement now” means that He is making application now is indefensible on grammatical, philological, theological or common sense ground. To go farther and upon such false interpretation build a new theology to be enforced by sanctions is simply out of this world. Undue assumption of authority coupled with over-confidence in the virtue of bestowed honors have borne fruit; and the fruit is not good.

The present attempt to lessen and destroy confidence in the Spirit of Prophecy and establish a new theology may deceive some, even many; but the foundations upon which we have built these many years, still stand; and God still lives. This warning should not go unheeded:

“If you lessen the confidence of God’s people in the testimonies He has sent them, you are rebelling against God as certainly as were Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 66.

From the booklet, A Word to the Little Flock, dated April 21, 1847, Sister White says: “I believe the sanctuary to be cleansed at the end of the 2300 days is the New Jerusalem temple of which Christ is a minister. The Lord showed me in vision more than a year ago that Brother Crosier had the true light on the cleansing of the sanctuary, etc., and that it was His will that Brother C. (Crosier) should write out the view which he gave us in the Day Star Extra, February 7, 1846. I feel fully authorized by the Lord to recommend that Extra to every saint. I pray that these lines may prove a blessing to you and to all the dear children who may read them. Signed, E. G. White.”

As I write this, I have before me a Photostat copy of the Day Star Extra from February 7, 1846. On pages 40 and 41 of that issue, I read Brother Crosier’s article. Brother Crosier observes, “But again, they say the atonement was made and finished on Calvary when the Lamb of God expired. So men have taught us, and so the churches and the world believe; but it is none the more true or sacred on that account, if unsupported by Divine authority. Perhaps few or none who hold that opinion have ever tested the foundation on which it rests.

  1. If the atonement was made on Calvary, by whom was it made? The making of the atonement is the work of a priest, but who officiated on Calvary? Roman soldiers and wicked Jews.
  2. The slaying was not making the atonement; the sinner slew the victim. (See Leviticus 4:1–5, 13–15, etc.) After the priest took the blood and made the atonement. (See Leviticus 4:5–12, 16–21.)
  3. Christ was the appointed High Priest to make the atonement and certainly could not have acted in that capacity until after His resurrection and we have no record of His doing anything on earth after His resurrection which could be called the atonement.
  4. The atonement was made in the sanctuary, but Calvary was not such a place.
  5. He could not, according to Hebrews 8:4, make the atonement while on earth. ‘If He were on earth, He could not be a priest.’ The Levitical was the earthly priesthood; the Divine, the heavenly.
  6. Therefore, He did not begin the work of making the atonement, whatever the nature of that work may be, until after His ascension, when by his own blood, He entered the heavenly sanctuary for us.”

This, then, is the “true light” which the Lord showed Sister White in vision, had His approval, and which she felt fully authorized to recommend to every saint. Only as we downgrade Sister White can we reject this testimony of hers. We are not ready to do this.

Completing the Temple with the Gospel of Jesus

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Through the ages that have passed since the days of the apostles, the building of God’s temple has never ceased. “Paul and the other apostles, and all the righteous who have lived since then, have acted their part in the building of the temple. But the structure is not yet complete. We who are living in this age have a work to do, a part to act.” The Acts of the Apostles, 598, 599.

In a previous article [LandMarks, November 2013], we studied about completing the temple with the law of God. We learned that, for ancient Israel, the ark of the covenant was a symbol of God’s presence and power. As we looked into the sanctuary we learned that wherever God’s law and mercy were found, there is where God’s presence was found and where communion with God occurred. Then we made the connection with modern Israel, the church. We learned that the law of God, as well as the mercy of God, should be located in the church and, specifically, in the hearts of His people.

The reason for addressing this is because, according to Early Writings, 254, “The minds of all who embrace this [the third angel’s] message are directed to the most holy place, where Jesus stands before the ark, making His final intercession for all those for whom mercy still lingers and for those who have ignorantly broken the law of God.” The third angel’s message emphasizes the law of God and the faith of Jesus which is present truth at its core and our primary message.

Another reason is because of what may be read in The Great Controversy, 478: “It is only as the law of God is restored to its rightful position that there can be a revival of primitive faith and godliness among His [God’s] professed people.” Friends, do you want to see a revival of primitive faith and godliness? Inspiration says, “A revival of true godliness among us is the greatest and most urgent of all our needs. To seek this should be our first work.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 121. Such a revival can come only as the law of God is restored to its rightful position, and that position is in the heart. Let us therefore do as Jesus did, magnify the law and make it honorable, first and foremost in our lives.

While the law of God is essential to the finishing of God’s work, the completion of God’s temple, there is something else that is as essential as the law. Without it the law of God would leave us sinners under eternal condemnation with no hope of eternal life. The Bible says that by the law is the knowledge of sin (Romans 7:7). Therefore, if we had only a knowledge of our sins, what rest or peace could we receive from such guilt? The law brings condemnation to the sinner; therefore, if man is to be restored to the image of God, there must be something blended with the law.

“The law and the gospel go hand in hand. The one is the complement of the other. The law without faith in the gospel of Jesus cannot save the transgressor of law. The gospel without the law is inefficient and powerless. The law and the gospel are a perfect whole. … The two blended—the gospel of Jesus and the law of God—produce the love and faith unfeigned.” Our High Calling, 141.

With this in mind, let’s consider completing the temple with the gospel of Jesus. But before discussing the completion of the temple, let us take a brief look at the gospel as it was given to man at the beginning of time and also as it is given to man at the end of time.

In Genesis 3:15, we read, “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.” Here God, in the Garden of Eden, made a decree that He would put enmity (hatred) between the serpent (Satan) and the woman (the church). He would also put enmity between Satan’s seed (his followers) and the woman’s seed (Jesus and all who belong to Him). There is one point from this that needs to be emphasized. According to this text, although Satan and his army will fight against Christ and His church, the promise is that Jesus will ultimately gain the victory in this war. God told the serpent that although he would bruise the heel of the woman’s seed, that seed would bruise the serpent’s head, signifying victory for Jesus and defeat for the devil.

Notice the following quotation concerning this Scripture: “To man the first intimation of redemption was communicated in the sentence pronounced upon Satan in the garden. … This sentence, uttered in the hearing of our first parents, was to them a promise. While it foretold war between man and Satan, it declared that the power of the great adversary would finally be broken. … Though they must suffer from the power of their mighty foe, they could look forward to final victory.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 65, 66. According to this statement, the sentence pronounced in Genesis 3:15 was a promise to Adam and Eve. It was a promise that the power of the adversary would eventually be broken and that they could look forward to final victory. In simple terms, this is the gospel, and this gospel is a promise of victory. Friends, I want you to keep the word victory in mind, because we will come back to it at the end.

While this gospel was first given to man at the beginning of time, the Bible declares that, in the last days, the same gospel, the everlasting gospel, is given to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. “And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come: and worship Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.” Revelation 14:6, 7.

Look at the phrase “another angel.” The word angel refers to a messenger. It can refer to a heavenly messenger, or it can refer to a human messenger. The angel in Revelation 14:6 has the everlasting gospel to preach. Notice what Jesus said in Mark 16:15: “And He said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” Here we learn that the responsibility of preaching the gospel was given to the church. Therefore, the angel referred to in Revelation 14:6 must represent a movement in which the church would proclaim a message to the world.

The message of the first angel is a message announcing the judgment hour. This message began to be proclaimed in the early 1830s by William Miller, Joseph Wolff and others. The movement became known as the Millerite movement and later on as the Advent movement. The Scripture that laid the foundation for this movement was Daniel 8:14: “And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.” Here we have a prophecy that the sanctuary is to be cleansed at the end of 2300 days. In this article we will not discuss this prophecy in detail or the misunderstanding of the Millerites concerning the sanctuary, but note that, in the everlasting gospel, the sanctuary is to be cleansed. This is the gospel of the first angel. It is a message of final victory.

This is the first angel that preaches the everlasting gospel at the end of time; however, it is not the last. The message of judgment was to be followed by two other messages, and all were to be proclaimed together. Skipping directly to the third and last angel’s message: “And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of His indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” Revelation 14:9–12.

There are at least five descriptions within the third angel’s message, but draw your attention to that which the angel of God directs. Recall the quotation mentioned earlier from the book, Early Writings, 254: “The minds of all who embrace this [the third angel’s] message are directed to the most holy place, where Jesus stands before the ark, making His final intercession for all those for whom mercy still lingers and for those who have ignorantly broken the law of God.”

Notice that the third angel draws the attention of God’s people to the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary. Our attention is drawn to the work that Jesus is doing for us, and according to this quotation, Jesus is making His final intercession for sinners. God’s mercy is still lingering for that man or woman who is ladened with the burden of sin, and it is the third angel’s message that points us to the sin-bearer. Once again, this is the gospel. This is the hope of the world. Preaching the law of God without this gospel would leave us sinners under eternal condemnation and with no hope of eternal life. Yet, because we have a gospel message, we have the hope that, though we are sinners, we can become saints by the shed blood of Jesus Christ. This is the gospel, and the sooner we fully receive the provisions of this gospel, the sooner the building of God’s temple will be completed and the sooner we can leave this world of sorrow and sin.

In conclusion, consider what is the provision of the third angel’s message and how it is connected with the finishing of God’s temple. In Revelation 14:12, it says, “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” Here is described the characteristics of the saints. Because sanctification is a lifetime process, this Scripture also gives a clue to the work that should occupy our attention in the last days. The keeping of God’s commandments and the faith of Jesus is the most important work we are called to do. Nothing should divert our attention from this. Because we have already discussed the importance of God’s law, let us now consider the importance of the “faith of Jesus.”

What is the faith of Jesus? “ ‘The faith of Jesus.’ It is talked of, but not understood. What constitutes the faith of Jesus, that belongs to the third angel’s message? Jesus becoming our sin-bearer that He might become our sin-pardoning Saviour. He was treated as we deserve to be treated. He came to our world and took our sins that we might take His righteousness. And faith in the ability of Christ to save us amply and fully and entirely is the faith of Jesus.” Selected Messages, Book 3, 172.

Friends, do you have the faith of Jesus? Do you believe that He can completely save you from all of your besetting sins, even today? The only solution for the transgressor of God’s law is the sacrifice and intercession of Jesus Christ. There is no need for us to bear our own guilt. There is no need for us to be doubtful, hateful, lonely, distressed, depressed, despaired or defeated. There is a Saviour who can, even at this moment, deliver you from the power of sin and give you the power to live victoriously. Not only can He do it, but He wants to do it, even right now. All you have to do is have faith in the promise, yea in the gospel of Jesus Christ, and He will give you the victory that was promised to Adam in the beginning and that is still being offered to all who will receive it today.

“Feeling is not faith; the two are distinct. Faith is ours to exercise, but joyful feeling and the blessing are God’s to give. The grace of God comes to the soul through the channel of living faith, and that faith it is in our power to exercise.

“True faith lays hold of and claims the promised blessing before it is realized and felt. We must send up our petitions in faith within the second veil and let our faith take hold of the promised blessing and claim it as ours. We are then to believe that we receive the blessing, because our faith has hold of it, and according to the Word it is ours. ‘What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them’ (Mark 11:24). Here is faith, naked faith, to believe that we receive the blessing, even before we realize it. When the promised blessing is realized and enjoyed, faith is swallowed up.” Early Writings, 72.

Friends, do you have faith in the promises of God? Do you believe that God can deliver you from all evil? Remember the word victory that was mentioned in the beginning? Victory over sin is the promise of the gospel, but it will come to those only who ask, believe, and receive it by faith.

Demario Carter is currently a Bible worker for Steps to Life.