growth

The Ups and Downs of the Christian Experience, Part II

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A person may go a certain distance in their walk with Christ, in their Christian growth, but then they reach a point where they say, No, I can’t go any further.  I can’t go along with that point of doctrine; that is too much.  They do not even know what has happened, but those watching can see that a different spirit has taken hold of them.  In the Scriptures it happened in one day—a different spirit took control.  (See John 6:60, 66.)

What happened when this different spirit took control?  “As those disaffected disciples turned away from Christ, a different spirit took control of them.  They could see nothing attractive in Him whom they had once found so interesting.”  The Desire of Ages, 392.

Notice what they did next:  “They sought out His enemies, for they were in harmony with their spirit and work. They misinterpreted His words, falsified His statements, and impugned His motives.”  Ibid.

Let’s just get this straight.  Who were Christ’s enemies?  Were they the Romans?  No!  Christ’s enemies were the professed, faithful, and true church!  They were the people who professed to be God’s people in the world.  They, not the Romans, were the enemies of Christ.  Christ was never in trouble with the Romans; the Romans only crucified Christ at the insistence of the Jews.  So when the disaffected disciples sought out His enemies, whom did they seek?  They went down to the big church; they went down to mainline Adventism in those days.  They went there because they were more in harmony with them.  This happened about 30 A.D., one year before the crucifixion.  One year before that time, around Passover of 29 A.D., the mainline church had taken an official position rejecting Christ (see The Desire of Ages, 200) at the time He healed a man at the pool of Bethesda (See John 5).  At that time, messengers had been sent all over the country to say that Jesus was an imposter.  So when these people left Christ, they went to the very ones who opposed what Christ was doing, because they were more in harmony with them.

False Reports

There is a spiritual war taking place in the world and in Adventism today, and you cannot just sit and watch.  You are going to be on one side or the other!  God is arranging things so that what is really in our hearts is going to be revealed.  When these followers went back to the mainline church, the church that had been opposing Christ for over a year, they misinterpreted His words.  It should be comforting to us to know that Jesus, Who was perfect, went through such misunderstandings.  Our words are not perfect; we are frail, mortal, defective human beings.  But Jesus was perfect, and even His motives and words were impugned and misinterpreted; His statements were falsified.

Why did they do that?  Ellen White explains:  “They sustained their course by gathering up every item that could be turned against Him; and such indignation was stirred up by these false reports that His life was in danger.”  The Desire of Ages, 392, 393.  The disciples who had left Christ had to justify what they were doing.  Have you ever noticed that when human beings are doing something, especially when they know it is wrong, they have to have a good reason for doing it?  Whether there is one or not, they have to think one up; otherwise they could not live with themselves.  The former followers had to sustain that what they were doing was the right thing to do, so they had to conjure up all of these false statements.

Were there some items that could be turned against Christ?  Yes, there were.  Did Christ have some followers who were making mistakes in those days?  You know that He did, because their mistakes are recorded in the Scriptures.  Were there people who had a pretty checkered past following Jesus?  Oh, yes.  People who were looked down upon as the most evil people in society had decided to follow Jesus, because He gave hope to the chief of sinners.  No matter how bad their past was, they could come to Him.  He promised that He would forgive their sins, take away their guilt, and give them the power to live a new life.  There were cheating tax collectors and prostitutes who were interested in a better life, and even though their past had been very checkered, they found the idea of having their guilt taken away and living a better life very, very attractive.

Jesus allowed all of these people to follow Him, so there were a lot of things that could be used against Jesus—all of these defective, low-life people who were following Him.  All of that information was gathered up, and some Bible studies were written for this occasion.  The purpose of the Bible studies was to prove, from the Old Testament, that Jesus of Nazareth was not the Messiah.

Counter Bible Study

Have you ever had someone give you a Bible study in an effort to prove that the seventh day is not the Sabbath?  Have you ever had someone give you a Bible study to prove that when somebody dies they don’t really die?  That is the type of Bible study that was developed.  I have actually trembled to think that if I had lived in that day and time, I may have been buffaloed by their misinterpreted Scriptures.  They were very convincing and effective.  They were so effective that Jesus questioned the twelve remaining disciples to see if they, too, would leave Him.  It appears that most of the 70 disciples that Jesus had sent out turned against Him.  Ellen White says that Christ winnowed His followers again and again until at one time there were only eleven men and a few faithful women for the beginning of the Christian church.  (See Testimonies, vol. 5, 130.)

Christ actually took His followers through more low experiences than He took them into high experiences.  They did have high experiences: there was Peter’s confession of faith; the time when they saw Him feed the 5,000; the times when they saw Him raise the dead—they saw it!  Wouldn’t that make shivers run up and down your skin to see that happen?  They saw that it only took a look, a touch, or a word and the most grievous physical disease would instantly disappear.  They had some high times.  They saw that if He said to someone, I am not going to condemn you, go and sin no more, that person’s life was turned around; they saw them set free from the spiritual disease which had held them in bondage all of their life.  It was exciting, but Jesus also took them through some low experiences, so deep, that when they started following Him they could not even have imagined what they would have to go through.

Highs and Lows

“The news spread swiftly that by His own confession Jesus of Nazareth was not the Messiah.”  The Desire of Ages, 393.  The disaffected disciples twisted His words.  He never said that He was not the Messiah, but since He did not do what they thought the Messiah had to do, they decided He could not be the Messiah.  Have you ever had anyone twist your words?

Mrs. White continues, “And thus in Galilee the current of popular feeling was turned against Him, as, the year before, it had been in Judea.”  Ibid.  The year before had been the experience at the pool of Bethesda when the popular feeling of Judea turned against Him.  Now the popular feeling in Galilee turned against Him.  When the mainline church had turned against Jesus, the disciples were not too worried, because there was a grass-roots revival and reformation movement among the common people that was centered in Galilee, and they thought it would overturn everything that the church leaders in Jerusalem could do.  So, as long as this popular feeling in Jesus’ favor continued in Galilee, there were thousands of people who came to see Jesus.

They were on a high then.  When you see 5,000 men plus women and children who have come to see the Lord all fed, you have to follow Him.  You have a church!  And the disciples were not worried right at that moment what the priests and leaders said.  So what?  Look at all the people!  They had a big group with which to work.  But those 5,000 people all disappeared.  The popular feeling turned against Jesus, and there were very few who followed Him.  Can you imagine it?—the Saviour of the world, the One who came to redeem the world, had lost most of His followers.  Would you have hung on?  That was a low experience, down in the very depths.

To Whom Shall We Go?

Jesus turned and said to the twelve, “Do you also wish to depart?”  John 6:67.  That is an interesting question.  You would think that by the time you only had twelve followers left you would do something to start a campaign to get more.  But instead, Jesus asked, “Are you going to go, too?”  But Peter responded, “Lord, to whom shall we go?”  John 6:68.  You ask us if we want to leave You, but if we leave You, where are we going to go?

I remember a few years ago when my brother was fired as a pastor from the Kansas-Nebraska Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.  When he was fired, they cut off his salary.  They thought that would be the end of him.  That has been the end of a lot of preachers.  We will never know until the Day of Judgment how many preachers the Seventh-day Adventist Church has ruined by just cutting them off.  They may now be pumping gas, fixing cars, or doing whatever they can to support their families.  People used to say that things like that were an isolated instance, but that is not true.  It has happened all over the world.  When I travel, I meet people from many different countries that have had this happen to them.  When my brother kept preaching, after he had been cut off, people were amazed.  They would ask, Where are you going to go?  Who are you going to join?  A lot of people think that you have to be with some organization or you cannot keep going.  They have not read about John the Baptist.

When people would ask these questions, Marshall would reply just as did Peter, To whom are we supposed to go?  What we have been doing we have been doing because we have been convicted by the Word of God that we have to do this.  Are we going to turn back on our convictions now, because it is unpopular, because we have been financially cut off, because everybody is trying to destroy us?  Should we have decided that our convictions were wrong because of the pressure, or were we going to stand for that which we had been standing?  There was no place to go.  We still had to stand for what we believed.

The remaining disciples could have gone back to mainline Adventism in those days.  Jesus told them they could, if they wanted to do so.  There were only twelve—and they were not on the mountain anymore; they were way down deep in the pit of despair.  “To whom shall we go?”

Ellen White says, “ ‘To whom shall we go?’  The teachers of Israel were slaves to formalism.  The Pharisees and Sadducees were in constant contention.  To leave Jesus was to fall among sticklers for rites and ceremonies, and ambitious men who sought their own glory.”  The Desire of Ages, 393.  To leave Jesus is to fall into human control.   The Spirit of Prophecy says that when a preacher goes to any of our large convocations, tell the people for their own soul’s sake, and for Christ’s sake, to not make flesh their arm.  The church of Christ is not to come under human control.   (See Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 375.)

Why did Jesus allow all of these awful things to happen?  Why does He allow His people to go through these low periods?  Why did He allow it with the children of Israel, with Daniel and the three worthies, or with the disciples?  Ellen White says: “When Jesus presented the testing truth that caused so many of His disciples to turn back, He knew what would be the result of His words; but He had a purpose of mercy to fulfill.”  The Desire of Ages, 394.

Mercy of God

Did you know that what Adventism is going through right now is because of the mercy of God?  People question, What is happening?  There are people who were with the home church movement, that were with the revival and reformation movement, who have left and gone other places.   Many people think that we should all be discouraged because of this.  We should not be discouraged at all!  We should be praising the Lord for His mercy!  Do you know how much more difficult it would be for God’s people if what has happened in the last five years would happen after the national Sunday law is passed?  It would be so much more difficult that a number of us would probably lose our souls.  You see, the Lord could not take those 5,000 men plus the women and children, 15,000 or 20,000 people, with Him and let them follow Him all the way to the cross, because when He came to His trial, they would have rejected Him.

Let us think this through.  What if the disciples, who saw these 15,000 or 20,000 followers, said, We do not have to worry about the priests and elders in Jerusalem; we have all of these people.  We have a strong movement here in Judaism.  But then when the whole group comes all the way up to the cross . . . they leave.  What do you think would have happened to the disciples then?  It was hard the year before, but if they had stayed on that high,—with all of those people, with all of that human support, and they had all left at the trial and crucifixion of Jesus,—the disappointment would have been so overwhelming that they could not have stood it.  It was overwhelming enough as it was.

Are you aware that we are approaching another time that is going to test and try men’s souls?  God is getting His people ready for that time.  Are you thankful that God does not just allow you to stay on a mountain high and then all of a sudden allow the biggest test of all time to hit you?  Are you thankful that He takes you through some low places first so that you can get some experience in faith?   If Jesus had not brought this test beforehand, some of His disciples may not have made it; some of the twelve might have been lost.  The Lord knew it all beforehand, and He said, I am going to do you a favor.  I am going to bring the test a year beforehand, while I am still with you, so that you will not fail.

What is happening today in Adventism is by the mercy of God, and we should be praising the Lord every day.  God is allowing people to reveal what is really inside.  If He let it go on and they all revealed their true characters after the national Sunday law is passed, it would be too much.  We could not take it.

Mrs. White wrote, “He foresaw that in the hour of temptation every one of His beloved disciples would be severely tested. . . .  Had no previous test been given, many who were actuated by merely selfish motives would have been connected with them. . . .  These self-seeking ones would, by renouncing their allegiance to Jesus, have brought upon the disciples a bitter, heart-burdening sorrow, in addition to their grief and disappointment in the ruin of their fondest hopes.  In that hour of darkness, the example of those who turned from Him might have carried others with them.  But Jesus brought about this crisis while by His personal presence He could still strengthen the faith of His true followers.”  The Desire of Ages, 394.

Does your faith hang on, not just at the high time, but when God’s people go down through a dark valley?  That is the kind of faith we are going to have to have, because we are coming to a period of time when it could easily look to each one of us that we are the only believers left.  It could look that way.

Cleansing

These same experiences happened in the beginning of the Second Advent Movement.  From the beginning of 1844 to the beginning of 1846, the number of believers went from between 50,000 and 100,000 down to 200 or 300.  They went from a high to a low, but there were some people that hung on.  There was a cleansing of the temple at the beginning of Christ’s ministry and there was a cleansing of the temple at the close.  Ellen White says, “He will purify His church even as He purified the temple at the beginning and close of His ministry on earth.”  Testimonies, vol. 9, 228.

Did God cleanse the Advent movement at its beginning?  Yes, He did.  Is He going to cleanse it at the close?  Yes, He is.   He cleanses it by bringing people down from a high and bringing them into the depths of a testing, trying experience.  When that happens to you, are you going to hang on?

I met a man who told me that a few years ago he was going to a home church where there were 60–70 members. Then they all left except four or five.  Praise the Lord for the four or five that are left, and get on with the work!  I am not saying that we should not pray for the people who left; some of them might come back, and that would be good.  Probation has not yet closed, and people can still decide that they are going to follow the Lord all the way.  But friends, God is preparing a people who are going to receive the Latter Rain.  It is not just any or every Adventist who is going to receive the Latter Rain.  Oh no, it will be just a little handful compared with all who profess the faith.  If we are going to be part of that group, we are going to have to hang on—not just when it is easy, when everyone is shouting and the multitudes are fed, when it is popular, when there are 15,000 or 20,000 saying, Let’s do it; Let’s have the Latter Rain and the Loud Cry, finish the work, and go to heaven!

The Lord reads the hearts of those doing all that shouting, and He says, It is time to do a little purging here, and He takes that group of people into a valley, and when that happens, suddenly you discover, as did Gideon, that the great majority are not really with you.  Are you going to hang on then?

We have been promised that there is going to be an army that will remain solid as a rock right through to the close.  Do you want to be part of that army?  I pray that you do.

[Bible texts quoted are literal translation.]

Pastor Grosboll is Director of Steps to Life Ministry and pastors the Prairie Meadows Church in Wichita, Kansas.

Bible Study Guides – Going on to Perfection

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July 1, 2012 – July 7, 2012

Key Text

“Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God.” Hebrews 6:1.

Study Help: The Acts of the Apostles, 529–538.

Introduction

“We are not yet perfect; but it is our privilege to cut away from the entanglements of self and sin, and advance to perfection.” The Acts of the Apostles, 565.

1 BABIES IN CHRIST

  • How does an individual become a Christian? John 3:5; I Peter 1:23.

Note: “The change of heart by which we become children of God is in the Bible spoken of as birth.” Steps to Christ, 67.

“When truth becomes an abiding principle in the life, the soul is ‘born again.’ … This new birth is the result of receiving Christ as the Word of God. When by the Holy Spirit divine truths are impressed upon the heart, new conceptions are awakened, and the energies hitherto dormant are aroused to co-operate with God.” The Acts of the Apostles, 520.

  • What type of experience did the believers at Ephesus enjoy at the very beginning of their Christian life? Revelation 2:2, 3; Acts 4:32–34.

Note: “After the descent of the Holy Spirit the disciples went forth to proclaim a risen Saviour, their one desire the salvation of souls. They rejoiced in the sweetness of the communion with saints. They were tender, thoughtful, self-denying, willing to make any sacrifice for the truth’s sake. In their daily association with one another they revealed the love that Christ had commanded them to reveal. By unselfish words and deeds they strove to kindle this love in other hearts.” Testimonies, vol. 8, 241.

2 GROWING UP

  • What do we expect from babies as they age? I Peter 2:2.

Note: “In giving us the privilege of studying His word, the Lord has set before us a rich banquet. Many are the benefits derived from feasting on His word, which is represented by Him as His flesh and blood, His spirit and life. By partaking of this word our spiritual strength is increased; we grow in grace and in a knowledge of the truth. Habits of self-control are formed and strengthened. The infirmities of childhood—fretfulness, willfulness, selfishness, hasty words, passionate acts—disappear, and in their place are developed the graces of Christian manhood and womanhood.” Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, 207.

  • Spiritually speaking, how important is proper food intake in the growth of a child? II Peter 3:18; Ephesians 4:14, 15.

Note: “The work of sanctification begins in the home. Those who are Christians in the home will be Christians in the church and in the world.” My Life Today, 261.

“If as newborn babes you desire the sincere milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, you will have no appetite to partake of a dish of evil speaking, but all such food will be at once rejected, because those who have tasted that the Lord is gracious cannot partake of the dish of nonsense, and folly, and backbiting. They will say decidedly, ‘Take this dish away. I do not want to eat such food. It is not the bread from heaven. It is eating and drinking the very spirit of the devil; for it is his business to be an accuser of the brethren.’ ” Fundamentals of Christian Education, 458.

“As they [God’s hungering, thirsting people] feed upon His [God’s] word, they find that it is spirit and life. The word destroys the natural, earthly nature, and imparts a new life in Christ Jesus. The Holy Spirit comes to the soul as a Comforter. By the transforming agency of His grace, the image of God is reproduced in the disciple; he becomes a new creature. Love takes the place of hatred, and the heart receives the divine similitude. This is what it means to live ‘by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God’ [Matthew 4:4]. This is eating the Bread that comes down from heaven.” The Desire of Ages, 391.

3 LEVELS OF ACCOUNTABILITY

  • How does God treat those who have a limited amount of knowledge in the present truth? Acts 17:30; James 4:17.

Note: “Said the angel: ‘If light come, and that light is set aside or rejected, then comes condemnation and the frown of God; but before the light comes, there is no sin, for there is no light for them to reject.’ ” Testimonies, vol. 1, 116.

  • What is expected of those who are privileged to hear and understand the truth? Proverbs 4:18; Hebrews 6:1.

Note: “It is a sad thing when a people claiming to be reformers cease to reform.” The Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 4, 185.

“God requires of His people according to the grace and truth given them. All His righteous demands must be fully met. Accountable beings must walk in the light that shines upon them. If they fail to do this, their light becomes darkness, and their darkness is great in the same degree as their light was abundant.” Testimonies, vol. 2, 123.

“The word of the Lord, spoken through His servants, is received by many with questionings and fears. And many will defer their obedience to the warning and reproofs given, waiting till every shadow of uncertainty is removed from their minds. The unbelief that demands perfect knowledge will never yield to the evidence that God is pleased to give. He requires of His people faith that rests upon the weight of evidence, not upon perfect knowledge. Those followers of Christ who accept the light that God sends them must obey the voice of God speaking to them when there are many other voices crying out against it. It requires discernment to distinguish the voice of God.

“Those who will not act when the Lord calls upon them, but who wait for more certain evidence and more favorable opportunities, will walk in darkness, for the light will be withdrawn. The evidence given one day, if rejected, may never be repeated.” Ibid., vol. 3, 258.

4 REJECTING KNOWLEDGE

  • Does punishment and destruction come to a people because of a lack of knowledge—or is it through a rejection of the knowledge that God gives us? Hosea 4:6.

Note: “It is not for lack of knowledge that God’s people are now perishing. They will not be condemned because they do not know the way, the truth, and the life. The truth that has reached their understanding, the light which has shone on the soul, but which has been neglected or refused, will condemn them. Those who never had the light to reject will not be in condemnation. What more could have been done for God’s vineyard than has been done? Light, precious light, shines upon God’s people; but it will not save them unless they consent to be saved by it, fully live up to it, and transmit it to others in darkness.” Testimonies, vol. 2, 123.

  • How dangerous is neglecting to follow the light we are privileged to receive? Galatians 3:1.

Note: “Religious knowledge has accumulated, and this has increased corresponding obligations. Great light has been shining upon the church, and by it they are condemned because they refuse to walk in it. If they were blind they would be without sin. But they have seen light and have heard much truth, yet are not wise and holy. Many have for years made no advancement in knowledge and true holiness. They are spiritual dwarfs. Instead of going forward to perfection, they are going back to the darkness and bondage of Egypt. Their minds are not exercised unto godliness and true holiness.” Testimonies, vol. 2, 123, 124.

“God requires of us according to the grace that He has bestowed upon us, and He will not accept less than He claims. All His righteous demands must be fully met. In order for us to discharge our responsibilities, we must stand on that elevated ground which the order and advancement of holy, sacred truth has prepared for us.” Ibid., vol. 3, 65.

“Every person who cherishes a known error, in faith or practice, is under the power of sorcery, and is practicing sorcery upon others. Satan employs him to mislead other souls.” The Signs of the Times, May 18, 1882.

5 NO STOPPING GROUND

  • How are we to maintain continual development as we walk with Jesus? Hebrews 13:12; Philippians 3:15; I Thessalonians 4:4.

Note: “The Word of Christ is the bread of life that is furnished for every soul that liveth. To refuse to eat this bread is death. He that neglects to partake of the Word of God shall not see life. Receiving the Word is believing the Word, and this is eating Christ’s flesh, drinking His blood. To dwell and abide in Christ is to dwell and abide in His Word; it is to bring heart and character into conformity to His commands.” The Southern Work, 52.

  • To what extent are we to continue our growth? Hebrews 6:1; Matthew 5:48.

Note: “Let us be growing Christians. We are not to stand still. We are to be in advance today of what we were yesterday; every day learning to be more trustful, more fully relying upon Jesus. Thus we are to grow up. You do not at one bound reach perfection; sanctification is the work of a lifetime.” Selected Messages, Book 3, 193.

“Every living Christian will advance daily in the divine life. As he advances toward perfection, he experiences a conversion to God every day; and this conversion is not completed until he attains to perfection of Christian character, a full preparation for the finishing touch of immortality.” Testimonies, vol. 2, 505.

“The Lord chooses His own agents, and each day under different circumstances He gives them a trial in His plan of operation. In each true-hearted endeavor to work out His plan, He chooses His agents not because they are perfect but because, through a connection with Him, they may gain perfection.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 330.

  • How can we see ourselves as we really are? Isaiah 6:1, 5; II Corinthians 13:5.

Note: “Every follower of Christ should daily examine himself, that he may become perfectly acquainted with his own conduct.” Testimonies, vol. 2, 511.

“The more experience we gain, the nearer we draw toward the pure light of heaven, the more shall we discern in ourselves that needs reforming.” Ibid., vol. 3, 542.

REVIEW AND THOUGHT QUESTIONS

1 When we are truly dedicated to our Saviour, how will our priorities change?

2 For proper spiritual growth, of what type of food do we need to partake?

3 As reformers by name, are we—am I—continuing the process of true reformation?

4 What is the true cause of destruction?

5 At what point can we rest satisfied in our Christian journey?

Extra Reading

“We may all do a good work in blessing others if we will seek counsel of God and follow on in obedience and faith. The path of the just is progressive, from strength to strength, from grace to grace, and from glory to glory. The divine illumination will increase more and more, corresponding with our onward movements, qualifying us to meet the responsibilities and emergencies before us.

“When trials press you, when despondency and dark unbelief control your thoughts, when selfishness molds your actions, you do not see your need of God and of a deep and thorough knowledge of His will. You know not the will of God, neither can you know it while you live for self. You rely upon your good intentions and resolutions, and the principal sum of life is composed of resolutions made and resolutions broken. What you all need is to die to self, cease clinging to self, and surrender to God. Gladly would I comfort you if I could. Gladly would I praise your good qualities, good purposes, and good acts; but God was not pleased to show me these. He presented before me the hindrances to your gaining the noble, elevated character of holiness needful for you to have that you may not lose the heavenly rest and immortal glory He would have you attain. Look away from yourselves to Jesus. He is all and in all. The merits of the blood of a crucified and risen Saviour will avail to cleanse from the least and greatest sin. In trusting faith commit the keeping of your souls to God as unto a faithful Creator. Be not continually in fear and apprehension that God will leave you. He never will unless you depart from Him. Christ will come in and dwell with you if you will open the door of your hearts to Him. There may be perfect harmony between you and the Father and His Son if you will die to self and live unto God.” Testimonies, vol. 3, 542, 543.

© 2005 Reformation Herald Publishing Association, Roanoke, Virginia. Reprinted by permission.

Growing Up Into Christ

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“If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” II Corinthians 5:17

Once an individual has consecrated his life to God and accepts by faith that God forgives him, the next step is the test of discipleship, and then to grow in a relationship with God.

How do we know that we are truly disciples of Jesus—that our old life is gone and a new life has taken its place? Many look at the change that was wrought in Saul who, after his conversion became known as Paul. This kind of conversion is not the only true conversion.

“A person may not be able to tell the exact time or place, or trace all the chain of circumstances in the process of conversion; but this does not prove him to be unconverted.” Steps to Christ, 57.

Although Saul had a dramatic, immediate conversion, this statement outlines another conversion process that is every bit as genuine and effective. Jesus talks of this type of conversion in John 3:8 where we read about Nicodemus’ night interview in which Jesus told him that the Spirit was like the wind. We can hear the wind, and we can see the effects of its moving, but we cannot see it. This is an illustration of the kind of conversion that Jesus spoke about while here on earth. “Like the wind, which is invisible, yet the effects of which are plainly seen and felt, is the Spirit of God in its work upon the human heart. That regenerating power, which no human eye can see, begets a new life in the soul; it creates a new being in the image of God. While the work of the Spirit is silent and imperceptible, its effects are manifest. If the heart has been renewed by the Spirit of God, the life will bear witness to the fact. While we cannot do anything to change our hearts or to bring ourselves into harmony with God; while we must not trust at all to ourselves or our good works, our lives will reveal whether the grace of God is dwelling within us. A change will be seen in the character, the habits, the pursuits. The contrast will be clear and decided between what they have been and what they are. The character is revealed, not by occasional good deeds and occasional misdeeds, but by the tendency of the habitual words and acts.” Ibid., 57, 58.

But there is some clarification needed here. Sometimes there is an outward change for the better that is not conversion. “It is true that there may be an outward correctness of deportment without the renewing power of Christ. The love of influence and the desire for the esteem of others may produce a well-ordered life. Self-respect may lead us to avoid the appearance of evil. A selfish heart may perform generous actions. By what means, then, shall we determine whose side we are on?” Ibid., 58. Here is the key. Here are concrete questions we can ask ourselves to determine if a genuine conversion has taken place in our hearts: are we truly a disciple of Jesus? Ask yourself these questions and answer them honestly. Remember God, Who knows all things, searches the heart. He will answer truthfully whether you do or not. “Who has the heart? With whom are our thoughts? Of whom do we love to converse? Who has our warmest affections and our best energies? If we are Christ’s, our thoughts are with Him, and our sweetest thoughts are of Him. All we have and are is consecrated to Him. We long to bear His image, breathe His spirit, do His will, and please Him in all things.” Ibid.

We are told if that change has taken place, it will be seen in our lives. “Those who become new creatures in Christ Jesus will bring forth the fruits of the Spirit, ‘love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.’ Galatians 5:22, 23. They will no longer fashion themselves according to the former lusts, but by the faith of the Son of God they will follow in His steps, reflect His character, and purify themselves even as He is pure. The things they once hated they now love, and the things they once loved they hate. The proud and self-assertive become meek and lowly in heart. The vain and supercilious become serious and unobtrusive. The drunken become sober, and the profligate pure. The vain customs and fashions of the world are laid aside. Christians will seek not the ‘outward adorning,’ but ‘the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit.’ I Peter 3:3, 4.”

“There is no evidence of genuine repentance unless it works reformation. If he restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, confess his sins, and love God and his fellow men, the sinner may be sure that he has passed from death unto life.” Ibid., 58, 59.

And last, but certainly not least is the fact that once truly converted, these manifestations of change will not be a burden, but rather a joy. “When, as erring, sinful beings, we come to Christ and become partakers of His pardoning grace, love springs up in the heart. Every burden is light, for the yoke that Christ imposes is easy. Duty becomes a delight, and sacrifice a pleasure. The path that before seemed shrouded in darkness, becomes bright with beams from the Sun of Righteousness.” Ibid., 59. Jesus gives us joy in sins forgiven and confessed, the grace received. The resulting love, the duties fulfilled, and the sacrifices made on His behalf are a pleasure. We truly walk in the light of God.

If we have truly received the love of Jesus in our hearts it will flow out to others. How deep is this love? Well, of Jesus it is said: “So devoted was our Redeemer to the work of saving souls that He even longed for His baptism of blood.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 132. Have you considered Jesus’ “baptism of blood”? Have you contemplated what He endured that night in Gethsemane and the following day? Would you long for that experience if you knew that by it you could save a soul? Do you have that kind of love? That is the kind of love God wants us to have. First of all Jesus commands, “Love one another, as I have loved you.” John 13:34; John 15:12. And in the book, Our High Calling, 176, we read the same thing. “ ‘Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; and walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour.’ Ephesians 5:1, 2. This is the height of the love we are required to reach. And the texture of this love is not tainted with selfishness.” It was for the goal of saving souls that Jesus longed for His baptism of blood. That is love.

But before you get discouraged by the high standard, read these words of Inspiration: “There are those who have known the pardoning love of Christ and who really desire to be children of God, yet they realize that their character is imperfect, their life faulty, and they are ready to doubt whether their hearts have been renewed by the Holy Spirit. To such I would say, Do not draw back in despair. We shall often have to bow down and weep at the feet of Jesus because of our shortcomings and mistakes, but we are not to be discouraged. Even if we are overcome by the enemy, we are not cast off, not forsaken and rejected of God. No; Christ is at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Said the beloved John, ‘These things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.’ I John 2:1. And do not forget the words of Christ, ‘The Father Himself loveth you.’ John 16:27. He desires to restore you to Himself, to see His own purity and holiness reflected in you. And if you will but yield yourself to Him, He that hath begun a good work in you will carry it forward to the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6). Pray more fervently; believe more fully. As we come to distrust our own power, let us trust the power of our Redeemer, and we shall praise Him Who is the health of our countenance.

“The closer you come to Jesus, the more faulty you will appear in your own eyes; for your vision will be clearer, and your imperfections will be seen in broad and distinct contrast to His perfect nature. This is evidence that Satan’s delusions have lost their power; that the vivifying influence of the Spirit of God is arousing you.

“No deep-seated love for Jesus can dwell in the heart that does not realize its own sinfulness. The soul that is transformed by the grace of Christ will admire His divine character; but if we do not see our own moral deformity, it is unmistakable evidence that we have not had a view of the beauty and excellence of Christ.

“The less we see to esteem in ourselves, the more we shall see to esteem in the infinite purity and loveliness of our Saviour. A view of our sinfulness drives us to Him Who can pardon; and when the soul, realizing its helplessness, reaches out after Christ, He will reveal Himself in power. The more our sense of need drives us to Him and to the word of God, the more exalted views we shall have of His character, and the more fully we shall reflect His image.” Ibid., 64, 65.

What hope, what confidence we can have in God and in Jesus. “Although the human soul may cling to Jesus with all the desperate sense of his great need, Jesus will cling to the souls bought by His own blood with a firmer grasp than the sinner clings to Him.” That I May Know Him, 80. He will never let us go. He is there to help and aid in our growth to Him.

But from here, from a true, genuine conversion and discipleship, there is a continuous process of growing. After all, we are told that, “The work of sanctification is the work of a lifetime; it must go on continually.” The Review and Herald, June 17, 1890.

We learn of the truths of this process through the illustration of nature. When we plant a seed, it is not a mature plant overnight. It has to grow. And just as there is nothing that we can do to make the seed germinate, or make the plant grow, but rather it is God that gives the life and the growth, so the same is true in the Christian life. Steps to Christ, 67, 68 says, “As with life, so it is with growth. It is God who brings the bud to bloom and the flower to fruit. It is by His power that the seed develops, ‘first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.’ Mark 4:28. And the prophet Hosea says of Israel, that ‘he shall grow as the lily.’ ‘They shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine.’ Hosea 14:5, 7. And Jesus bids us ‘consider the lilies how they grow.’ Luke 12:27. The plants and flowers grow not by their own care or anxiety or effort, but by receiving that which God has furnished to minister to their life. The child cannot, by any anxiety or power of its own, add to its stature. No more can you, by anxiety or effort of yourself, secure spiritual growth. The plant, the child, grows by receiving from its surroundings that which ministers to its life—air, sunshine, and food. What these gifts of nature are to animal and plant, such is Christ to those who trust in Him. He is their ‘everlasting light,’ ‘a sun and shield.’ Isaiah 60:19; Psalm 84:11. He shall be as ‘the dew unto Israel.’ ‘He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass.’ Hosea 14:5; Psalm 72:6. He is the living water, ‘the Bread of God … which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.’ John 6:33.

“In the matchless gift of His Son, God has encircled the whole world with an atmosphere of grace as real as the air which circulates around the globe. All who choose to breathe this life-giving atmosphere will live and grow up to the stature of men and women in Christ Jesus.” That is a promise. “All who choose to breathe this life-giving atmosphere will live and grow up to the stature of men and women in Christ Jesus.” It doesn’t say maybe, or probably. It says “will.” That is a promise. “As the flower turns to the sun, that the bright beams may aid in perfecting its beauty and symmetry, so should we turn to the Sun of Righteousness, that heaven’s light may shine upon us, that our character may be developed into the likeness of Christ.”

How beautiful are these truths that as we turn our faces to the Sun of Righteousness, and drink of the “living water” that only Jesus can provide, but that in abundance, He brings about the growth.

What does it mean “so should we turn to the Sun of Righteousness, that heaven’s light may shine upon us, that our character may be developed into the likeness of Christ”? There is nothing we can do to “make” ourselves live right. Jesus Himself said, in John 15:5, “Without Me you can do nothing.”

“Our growth in grace, our joy, our usefulness—all depend upon our union with Christ. It is by communion with Him, daily, hourly—by abiding in Him—that we are to grow in grace. He is not only the Author, but the Finisher of our faith. It is Christ first and last and always. He is to be with us, not only at the beginning and the end of our course, but at every step of the way. David says, ‘I have set the Lord always before me: because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.’ Psalm 16:8.

“Do you ask, ‘How am I to abide in Christ?’ In the same way as you received Him at first. ‘As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him.’ ‘The just shall live by faith.’ Colossians 2:6; Hebrews 10:38. You gave yourself to God, to be His wholly, to serve and obey Him, and you took Christ as your Saviour. You could not yourself atone for your sins or change your heart; but having given yourself to God, you believe that He for Christ’s sake did all this for you. By faith you became Christ’s, and by faith you are to grow up in Him—by giving and taking. You are to give all—your heart, your will, your service—give yourself to Him to obey all His requirements; and you must take all—Christ, the fullness of all blessing, to abide in your heart, to be your strength, your righteousness, your everlasting helper—to give you power to obey.

“Consecrate yourself to God in the morning; make this your very first work. Let your prayer be, ‘Take me, O Lord, as wholly Thine. I lay all my plans at Thy feet. Use me today in Thy service. Abide with me, and let all my work be wrought in Thee.’ This is a daily matter. Each morning consecrate yourself to God for that day. Surrender all your plans to Him, to be carried out or given up as His providence shall indicate. Thus day by day you may be giving your life into the hands of God, and thus your life will be molded more and more after the life of Christ.” Steps to Christ, 69, 70.

When two people first meet each other, they can talk for hours about all kinds of things. What are they doing? They are getting to know each other. As they talk and get to know one another, often likes and dislikes are adjusted or changed.

In our relationship with God, the same principle takes place, only God is not the one who will change. James 1:17 says that God changes not. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” No shadow of turning; that means that He does not change. Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” We are the ones who need to do the changing. This is the only logical thinking. Do you want to go to a heaven that is simply a continuation of what this earth is like? That thought is not even to be considered. Well, if we want heaven to be different from this earth, then those inhabiting it need to be different from those inhabiting this planet. In reality, it is other humans in our lives that make life like a heaven on earth, or like hell on earth. Our relationships are the most important part of what life is like.

Just think, if there were no greed, no selfishness, but rather generosity, concern, a thinking of others first, there would be no poverty, hunger, nakedness, or want. So what is necessary is that we do the changing and allow God to work the miracle in our lives of being brought into harmony with Him, with His character.

Do you remember the definition of the new covenant, the plan that established the kingdom of grace? It is simply “an arrangement for bringing men again into harmony with the divine will, placing them where they could obey God’s law.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 371.

We have studied this plan in previous articles, this kingdom of grace, sufficiently to gain some understanding of how deep, how broad, how beautiful and self-sacrificing it is. If we all had the same kind of love that fostered this plan, what a world it would be in which to live. In fact, that is exactly what has to happen in order for us to be prepared and fit so God can take us to be in His holy presence. This is what it means to “grow up into Christ.” It means to be changed into His likeness. How does this change happen?

“A life in Christ is a life of restfulness. There may be no ecstasy of feeling, but there should be an abiding, peaceful trust. Your hope is not in yourself; it is in Christ. Your weakness is united to His strength, your ignorance to His wisdom, your frailty to His enduring might. So you are not to look to yourself, not to let the mind dwell upon self, but look to Christ. Let the mind dwell upon His love, upon the beauty, the perfection, of His character. Christ in His self-denial, Christ in His humiliation, Christ in His purity and holiness, Christ in His matchless love—this is the subject for the soul’s contemplation. It is by loving Him, copying Him, depending wholly upon Him, that you are to be transformed into His likeness.

“Jesus says, ‘Abide in Me.’ These words convey the idea of rest, stability, confidence. Again He invites, ‘Come unto Me … and I will give you rest.’ Matthew 11:28. The words of the psalmist express the same thought: ‘Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him.’ And Isaiah gives the assurance, ‘In quietness and in confidence shall be your strength.’ Psalm 37:7; Isaiah 30:15. This rest is not found in inactivity; for in the Saviour’s invitation the promise of rest is united with the call to labor: ‘Take My yoke upon you … and ye shall find rest.’ Matthew 11:29. The heart that rests most fully upon Christ will be most earnest and active in labor for Him.

“When the mind dwells upon self, it is turned away from Christ, the Source of strength and life. Hence it is Satan’s constant effort to keep the attention diverted from the Saviour and thus prevent the union and communion of the soul with Christ. The pleasures of the world, life’s cares and perplexities and sorrows, the faults of others, or your own faults and imperfections—to any or all of these he will seek to divert the mind. Do not be misled by his devices. Many who are really conscientious, and who desire to live for God, he too often leads to dwell upon their own faults and weaknesses, and thus by separating them from Christ he hopes to gain the victory. We should not make self the center and indulge anxiety and fear as to whether we shall be saved. All this turns the soul away from the Source of our strength. Commit the keeping of your soul to God, and trust in Him. Talk and think of Jesus. Let self be lost in Him. Put away all doubt; dismiss your fears. Say with the apostle Paul, ‘I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, Who loved me, and gave Himself for me.’ Galatians 2:20. Rest in God. He is able to keep that which you have committed to Him. If you will leave yourself in His hands, He will bring you off more than conqueror through Him that has loved you.” Steps to Christ, 70–72.

Brenda Douay is a staff member at Steps to Life. She may be contacted by email at: brendadouay@stepstolife.org