Fall on the Rock

Many years ago, at a General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, one of the most powerful and successful evangelists gave his personal testimony. People were surprised to hear that although he was successful and looked up to as a leading minister for many years, he had become convicted that he was not converted.

This is not a rare situation. Over the years I have heard of many similar cases. It often takes a catastrophic event for a person to realize their true position with God and their need for a deeper conversion. It is easy for the heart to be divided. You may think you have a heart for the Lord, but often there is still something in this world that has a hold on you.

After a prophecy seminar in North Dakota, I was visiting the home of some of the attendees with another minister who at that time was a very successful evangelist. It was clear that these people understood the truths that had been shared and had no objection to anything, but they would not go the extra step and make a commitment to follow Jesus all the way. Something in the world had a hold on them.

I have found myself in that same scenario many times. From a very young age I had been taught that once we preached the gospel in all the world for a witness to all nations, Jesus would come and we could all go to Heaven. It seemed easy if we would all get busy. But I got a reality check from a retired missionary to South America while visiting with him one morning. He said that if it were just the information of the three angels’ messages that was needed, God could give it to every single person in the world in one night in a dream. The trouble is, it takes more than information to finish God’s work.

In order for God’s work to be finished, those spreading the three angels’ messages need a change of heart, what we call conversion. There is division amongst God’s people. Some people have become upset with some Bible translations because the word converted in the King James Bible is translated turned in many modern translations. However, the Greek word used actually means to turn around and go a different way. It is not enough to have the information, to have an intellectual knowledge of the truth unless the truth has changed my life.

Pastor David Kang was another well-known minister who experienced a deeper conversion. He was born in Korea and immigrated into the United States with his wife in 1975. After studying at Andrews University, he became a very successful Seventh-day Adventist pastor in Florida pastoring a number of Korean churches.

In 1984 as he was studying, he said the Holy Spirit convicted him of being a hypocrite. When the Holy Spirit convicts you, a choice must be made. Either you accept the conviction and the reproof, or you reject it. Pastor Kang began to spend many hours each day in serious study of the Spirit of Prophecy. Those privileged to have heard him preach know that his preaching was intensely practical. He preached about practical godliness and the blessing of really experiencing the gospel and living the life of Christ. He saw the need of reflecting to the world an image of the character of Jesus.

The theme of Pastor Kang’s message came from 2 Peter 3 where the apostle Peter tells us that the day of the Lord is going to come as a great surprise. It says, “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells” (verses 10–13).

The new earth in which righteousness dwells is what we are expecting and looking for. So Peter says, “Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless” (verse 14).

Pastor Kang would repeat to his staff the necessity of being without spot and blameless to be ready for the Lord to come. He preached so much about practical godliness that he had to resist the criticism from people all over the world that his message was too strict.

Another preacher, Elder Fordyce Detamore, one of my favorites, had another style of preaching and burden to share. It is important to allow each preacher to share what the Lord has put on his heart. In making his appeals at camp meetings, it was not uncommon at all for him to spend 30 minutes in an appeal. To those whose hearts were warmed with his message, it seemed like just a few moments.

At the end of the meeting on one occasion while making his appeal he called for those who knew somebody in the congregation that needed to make a decision to follow the Lord all the way, to go up to them and tell them that if they would go forward, you will go forward with them. He suggested that if you encourage them to make a commitment, they will not hold it against you in the day of judgment.

It just so happened that while sitting in the back of the meeting I noticed a lady to whom I had given Bible studies sitting probably two or three rows from the front. She believed the truths that I had shown her, but I had been unable to help her to make a decision. As Elder Detamore made his appeal I was convicted that I had nothing to lose if I encouraged her to go forward. Even if she might get mad at me, she would not hold it against me in the day of judgment. So I walked up to her and made the offer to go forward with her if she should choose. She made a decision and went forward and was baptized just a few days later.

If you are almost saved, you are still totally lost. On the day of judgment there will be many people like Felix Agrippa (Acts 26:28). He heard the gospel and he believed it but put off making a decision until a convenient time that never came. Consequently, he will be lost.

A mere intellectual knowledge of the truth will not save you. The Pharisees knew the truth better than anyone, but they refused the power necessary for that truth to change their hearts and lives.

After Pastor Kang’s deeper conversion experience in 1984, he started to preach that unless our characters are without spot and blameless, we will not be fit to go to heaven, even if we know the truth. This teaching infuriated the church leaders who accused him of fanaticism and smeared his reputation as a proponent of heresy. At his funeral, a man who had attended the seminary in Korea with him said that for many years he would not listen or read anything from Pastor Kang solely because the church had been told not to have anything to do with him. However, when he did investigate, he found that Pastor Kang did speak truth and wondered why the church was so against it.

Pastor David Kang had such a conviction, not just to get information out, but for the need to show people by example what has to happen in their heart to be ready for Jesus to come. As a result of the mission projects that he started, there are seven hundred literature evangelists working in China under very dangerous conditions. In fact, Pastor Kang came in danger and narrowly escaped being put in prison himself on a number of occasions.

Hundreds of Sunday keeping pastors from different countries in the Far East that attended Pastor Kang’s sanctuary seminars found out that God has a sanctuary in heaven, and that within the veil of that Most Holy Place of the sanctuary in heaven there is an ark that contains the ten commandments. The news about the unchangeable character of God’s law has been fearlessly presented in Korea, China, and other Asian countries and is spreading underground like wildfire.

It is not enough to know truth; the truth must change lives to be effective. If the knowledge of the truth you know has not yet changed your life, it is not too late for you to have a conversion experience. Maybe your conversion is just superficial, and you need a deeper experience in your life. The good news is that the door of salvation is still open, and Jesus is standing at the door of your heart knocking and longing to be invited in. Now is the time to open that door, for the time is coming when the door of salvation will be closed.

God’s offer of salvation is made even to the world’s most wicked, to the people that the world most despises because of their crimes, if only they would hear and respond to God’s Spirit. We can read in the writings of Ellen White that on one occasion salvation was offered to Nero. Nero was one of the most wicked men that has ever lived yet salvation was still offered to him but he did not accept it. Nero was guilty of killing his own mother as well as murdering at least one of his wives and who knows how many other people.

We wonder how someone as wicked as Nero could ever be saved, but Jesus came into the world to save sinners and if Nero had accepted the invitation and allowed the Holy Spirit to transform his life he could have been saved. But like most, he saw no value in the gift that was offered. However Saul, who later became the apostle Paul, considered himself “the chief of sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15). He had chased down the saints of God who feared him and would set out to capture them to be imprisoned or even put to death. When salvation was offered to him on the Damascus Road, he repented and was forgiven. His former companions, the Pharisees, all turned against him. Now if you really have a change of heart so that you go full out for the Lord; in other words, you are fully committed to God and His cause, you are going to have some opposition in this world. Some people that used to be your friends will not be your friends anymore. That is just the way it will happen so do not be too surprised when it does happens.

When your life is fully surrendered to Jesus you are no longer in charge of your life, because you are walking in a different way. Sins that once had an attraction and a hold on you are discarded as you walk the narrow path.

Thank God that our sins can be forgiven. We are told in Romans 3:25, 26, “Whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”

Notice that when you come to Jesus, you are forgiven for the sins that you have previously committed, but this does not give license to go on sinning. Forgiveness is always in the past. There is no such thing as being forgiven for a sin that you are going to commit tomorrow. This is contrary to what some Roman Catholic theologians believe.

When the woman was taken in adultery and brought to Jesus in John the 8th chapter, Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more” (John 8:11). There were people in the early church who had a hard time with that story and were afraid that if everybody knew about that, it would give people a license to sin. They feared that people would be at liberty to go and sin because they knew they could be forgiven. They thought that the Lord was being too lenient with the woman. But notice that when Jesus forgave that woman of everything that she had done in the past, He said to her, “Go and sin no more.” He did not say to go on a 5-day plan to stop sinning or to cut down on her sin. He said to not do it anymore.

No matter how bad a sinner you are, if you are willing to quit, the Lord can forgive you for what is in your past. Maybe you have a besetting sin that nobody knows about, not even your husband or your wife. Be sure that God knows about it and that your secret sin of which no one else knows is written down in His book. Sins that are not erased by confession and repentance will come up again in the judgment and even though you may profess Christ and go to church every week they will cause you to be lost.

The Bible contains warnings about being ready for the end of the world and for the second coming of Jesus:

“Take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare [a trap] on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man” (Luke 21:34–36).

“Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming—in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning—lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping. And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch” (Mark 13:35– 37)! Are you sleeping like the foolish virgins? Pray that the Lord will keep you alert and awake.

“When the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. So he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ For many are called, but few are chosen” (Matthew 22:11–14). No one is allowed into the wedding feast of the Lamb without the wedding garment, a righteous Christ-like character.

“And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure” (1 John 3:3).

“The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness has seized the hypocrites: ‘Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?’ He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly, he who despises the gain of oppressions, who gestures with his hands, refusing bribes, who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed, and shuts his eyes from seeing evil: He will dwell on high; his place of defense will be the fortress of rocks; bread will be given him, his water will be sure” (Isaiah 33:14–16). There are some people who need to pay special attention to Isaiah 33:15.

Zephaniah 2 was always a very scary passage to my mother. She would talk to me about what it could mean, but I had no answer. “Gather yourselves together, yes, gather together, O undesirable nation, before the decree is issued, or the day passes like chaff, before the Lord’s fierce anger comes upon you, before the day of the Lord’s anger comes upon you! Seek the Lord, all you meek of the earth, who have upheld His justice, seek righteousness, seek humility, it may be that you will be hidden in the day of the Lord’s anger” (verses 1–3).

The part of the text that was so scary to my mother is where it says, “it may be that you will be hidden in the day of the Lord’s anger” which does not sound like a guarantee.

Isaiah 4 describes a time coming when all human pride will be brought low, and the Lord alone will be exalted in that day, and everyone that is left among the living in Jerusalem will be holy. At that time when only those who are holy are alive, where will you be?

“And they shall call them The Holy People, The Redeemed of the Lord; and you shall be called Sought Out, A City not Forsaken” (Isaiah 62:12).

God is preparing a holy people who are ready to meet Him, ready to meet the Lord when He comes.

A time is coming when there will be no more weeping. But right now it is the time to say, Lord, I am surrendering myself totally, completely to you. Whatever change needs to be made in my life, I am surrendering myself totally and completely to the control of Your Holy Spirit. If you are willing to make that kind of a decision, God is willing to answer your prayer and transform your life. The time will come when there will not be any more tears because the former things will be in the past and will never be repeated. It will be a time of rejoicing for those who have kept their garments white and are ready to meet the Lord in peace.

May the Lord prepare our hearts for what is going to break upon this world as an overwhelming surprise; that we might not only know truth, but that the truth will change us from the inside out by the power of His Holy Spirit.

(Unless appearing in quoted references or otherwise identified, Bible texts are from the New King James Version.)

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

Bible Study Guides – “Not of the World”

November 6, 1999 – November 12, 1999

Memory Verse

“I pray not that Thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that Thou shouldest keep them from the evil.” John 17:15.

Study Help: The Great Controversy, 600–602.

Introduction

“I have been shown the high and responsible position which God’s people should occupy. They are the salt of the earth and the light of the world, and they must walk even as Christ walked. They will come up through great tribulation. The present is a time of warfare and trial. Our Savior says in Revelation 3:21: ‘To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with Me in My throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with My Father in His throne.’ The reward is not given to all who profess to be followers of Christ, but to those who overcome even as He overcame. We must study the life of Christ and learn what it is to confess Him before the world.” Testimonies, vol. 1, 303.

“The Light Shineth in Darkness”

  1. What is the light that is to shine into the world? 2 Corinthians 4:3–5.

note: “In order to gain a proper knowledge of ourselves, it is necessary to look into the mirror, and there discovering our own defects, avail ourselves of the blood of Christ, the fountain opened for sin and uncleanness, in which we may wash our robes of character and remove the stains of sin. But many refuse to see their errors and correct them; they do not want a true knowledge of themselves. If we would reach high attainments in moral and spiritual excellence we must live for it. We are under personal obligation to society to do this, in order continually to exert an influence in favor of God’s law. We should let our light so shine that all may see that the sacred gospel is having an influence upon our hearts and lives, that we walk in obedience to its commandments and violate none of its principles. We are in a great degree accountable to the world for the souls of those around us.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 58–59.

  1. Whom do God’s remnant people have as their example in bringing light to a dark world? John 3:17.

note: “Our Lord Jesus Christ came to this world as the unwearied servant of man’s necessity. He ‘took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses,’ that He might minister to every need of humanity. Matthew 8:17. The burden of disease and wretchedness and sin He came to remove. It was His mission to bring to men complete restoration; He came to give them health and peace and perfection of character.” Ministry of Healing, 17.

  1. What is Christ asking us to do for our Heavenly Father? John 17:18; Matthew 5:16.

note: “I have been shown that the disciples of Christ are His representatives upon the earth; and God designs that they shall be lights in the moral darkness of this world, dotted all over the country, in the towns, villages, and cities, ‘a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men.’ If they obey the teachings of Christ in His Sermon on the Mount, they will be seeking continually for perfection of Christian character, and will be truly the light of the world, channels through which God will communicate His divine will, the truth of heavenly origin, to those who sit in darkness and who have no knowledge of the way of life and salvation.” Testimonies, vol. 2, 631.

  1. Whose life shows that it possible to live as a pure light for God in today’s world? Genesis 5:21–24.

note: “Christ came into the world to save it, to connect fallen man with the infinite God. Christ’s followers are to be channels of light. Maintaining communion with God, they are to transmit to those in darkness and error the choice blessings which they receive of heaven. Enoch did not become polluted with the iniquities existing in his day; why need we in our day? But we may, like our Master, have compassion for suffering humanity, pity for the unfortunate, and a generous consideration for the feelings and necessities of the needy, the troubled, and the despairing.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 113.

“An Holy Nation”

  1. What characteristics will be seen in our lives if we are truly to reflect God to those around us? 1 Peter 1:13–16.

note: “In order to manifest the character of God, in order that we may not deceive ourselves, the church, and the world by a counterfeit Christianity, we must become personally acquainted with God. If we have fellowship with God, we are His ministers, though we may never preach to a congregation. We are workers together with
God in presenting the perfection of His character in humanity.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 13.

  1. What will be the sign of true holiness and loyalty to our Savior and Creator? Exodus 20:8; Psalm 29:2; Revelation 14:7.

note: “Not all who profess to keep the Sabbath will be sealed. There are many even among those who teach the truth to others who will not receive the seal of God in their foreheads. They had the light of truth, they knew their Master’s will, they understood every point of our faith, but they had not corresponding works. These who were so familiar with prophecy and the treasures of divine wisdom should have acted their faith. They should have commanded their households after them, that by a well-ordered family they might present to the world the influence of the truth upon the human heart.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 213, 214.

“A Royal Priesthood”

  1. A priest is the one who stands between God and man. What is the “royal priesthood” to declare about God to the world? 1 Peter 2:9, 10.

note: “God declares, ‘I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last.’ He is the benefactor of the universe. His tender mercies are over all His works. ‘The eyes of all wait upon Thee; and Thou givest them their meat in due season. Thou openest Thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing.’ It is God’s desire that man shall proclaim the benevolence of His character. In word and deed His people are to reveal His mercy, calling attention to His compassionate designs. The world is to see in the believers who make it their first aim to fulfil the will of Christ, a true representation of Christianity.” Review and Herald, November 26, 1901.

  1. What are the sacrifices to be offered by today’s “royal priesthood”? Romans 12:1, 2.

note: “In the ancient Jewish service it was required that every sacrifice should be without blemish. In the text we are told to present our bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is our reasonable service. We are God’s workmanship. The psalmist, meditating upon the marvelous work of God in the human frame, exclaimed, ‘I am fearfully and wonderfully made.’ Psalms 139:14. There are many who are educated in the sciences, and are familiar with the theory of the truth, who do not understand the laws that govern their own being. God has given us faculties and talents; and it is our duty, as His sons and daughters, to make the best use of them. If we weaken these powers of mind or body by wrong habits or indulgence of perverted appetite, it will be impossible for us to honor God as we should.” Christian Temperance and Bible Hygiene, 15.

“A Chosen Generation”

  1. What special work for the world is assigned to the last generation of God’s people? Revelation 14:6.

note: “We are nearing the close of this earth’s history. We have before us a great work, the closing work of giving the last warning message to a sinful world. There are men who will be taken from the plough, from the vineyard, from various other branches of work, and sent forth by the Lord to give this message to the world. The world is out of joint. As we look at the picture, the outlook seems discouraging. But Christ greets with hopeful assurance the very men and women who cause us discouragement. In them He sees qualifications that will enable them to take a place in His vineyard. If they will constantly be learners, through His providence He will make them men and women fitted to do a work that is not beyond their capabilities; through the impartation of the Holy Spirit He will give them power of utterance. Many of the barren, unworked fields must be entered by beginners. The brightness of the Savior’s view of the world will inspire confidence in many workers, who, if they begin in humility, and put their hearts into the work, will be found to be the right men for the time and place…He corrects our erring piety, giving the burden of the work for the poor and needy in the rough places of the earth to men and women who have hearts that can feel for the ignorant and for those that are out of the way. The Lord teaches these workers how to meet those whom He wishes them to help. They will be encouraged as they see doors opening for them to enter places where they can do medical missionary work. Having little self-confidence, they give God all the glory. Their hands may be rough and unskilled, but their hearts are susceptible to pity; they are filled with an earnest desire to do something to relieve the woe so abundant; and Christ is present to help them.” Testimonies, vol. 7, 270, 271.

  1. How will these workers find protection from the final, angry onslaught of the evil one? Ephesians 6:10–18.

note: “The Great General is not only leading a few generals; but the Captain of the Lord’s host is leading the armies of both heaven and earth to battle; and they are marching on to the glorious victory. Every soldier is to put on the whole armor of God, and fight courageously, realizing that he is battling in full view of the invisible universe. If they will obey orders, the Lord’s army will find themselves influenced by the Holy Spirit to work the works of God. The battlefield is glorified with the light shining from the cross of Calvary.” Australasian Union Conference Record, April 1, 1898.

“I Pray for Them”

  1. How are we included in Jesus’ prayer for His disciples? John 17:11, 20, 21.

note: “Yes, that prayer of Christ embraces even us. We should be comforted by the thought that we have a great intercessor in the heavens, presenting our petitions before God. ‘If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.’ In the hour of greatest need, when discouragement would overwhelm the soul, it is then that the watchful eye of Jesus sees that we need His help. The hour of man’s necessity is the hour of God’s opportunity. When all human support fails, then Jesus comes to our aid, and His presence scatters the darkness and lifts the cloud of gloom.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 530.

  1. As we realize our weakness and frailty, what invitation and promises come to us from the Most Holy Place? Hebrews 4:14–16.

note: “Let us begin to work for those who have not had the light. ‘All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth,’ the Savior declares, ‘and, lo, I am with you alway.’ Matthew 28:18, 20. What we need is a living faith, faith to proclaim over the rent sepulchre of Joseph that we have a living Savior, one who will go before us and who will work with us. God will do the work if we will furnish Him the instruments. There needs to be among us a great deal more of prayer and much less of unbelief. We need to lift up the standard higher and still higher before the people. We need to remember that Christ is always at our right hand as we proclaim liberty to the captives and deal the bread of life to hungry souls. When we keep before our minds the urgency and importance of our work, the salvation of God will be revealed in a remarkable manner.” Testimonies, vol. 9, 107.

Bible Study Guides – “The Hour of His Judgment”

May 7-13, 2000

MEMORY VERSE: “And, behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work shall be.” Revelation 22:12.

STUDY HELP: The Great Controversy, 423–425.

INTRODUCTION: “Says the prophet: ‘Who may abide the day of His coming? And who shall stand when He appeareth? For He is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap: and He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and He shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.’ Malachi 3:2, 3. Those who are living upon the earth when the intercession of Christ shall cease in the sanctuary above are to stand in the sight of a holy God without a mediator. Their robes must be spotless, their characters must be purified from sin by the blood of sprinkling. Through the grace of God and their own diligent effort they must be conquerors in the battle with evil. While the investigative judgment is going forward in heaven, while the sins of penitent believers are being removed from the sanctuary, there is to be a special work of purification, of putting away of sin, among God’s people upon earth. This work is more clearly presented in the messages of Revelation 14. When this work shall have been accomplished, the followers of Christ will be ready for His appearing.” The Great Controversy, 425.

“The Judgment Was Set and the Books Were Opened”

1 What vision was Daniel given of the judgment? Daniel 7:9, 10.

NOTE: “Thus was presented to the prophet’s vision the great and solemn day when the characters and the lives of men should pass in review before the Judge of all the earth, and to every man should be rendered ‘according to his works.’ The Ancient of days is God the Father.…It is He, the Source of all being, and the Fountain of all law, that is to preside in the judgment. And holy angels, as ministers and witnesses, in number ‘ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands’ (Revelation 5:11,) attend this great tribunal.” The Faith I Live By, 209.

2 What are the books by which we are to be judged? James 2:10–12; Ecclesiastes 12:13, 14; Revelation 20:12; Malachi 3:16.

NOTE: “The books are opened—the book of life and the book of death. The book of life contains the good deeds of the saints; and the book of death contains the evil deeds of the wicked. These books are compared with the statute book, the Bible, and according to that men are judged.” Early Writings, 52. (See also, The Faith I Live By, 210.)

“And Behold I Come Quickly”

3 How are we shown that the decisions of the judgment are made before Christ returns? Revelation 22:11, 12.

NOTE: See Christ’s Object Lessons, 310.

4 What warning are God’s people called to give the world as they preach the everlasting Gospel? Revelation 14:6, 7.

NOTE: “The judgment is now passing in the sanctuary above. For many years this work has been in progress. Soon—none know how soon—it will pass to the cases of the living. In the awful presence of God our lives are to come up in review. At this time above all others it behooves every soul to heed the Saviour’s admonition, ‘Watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.’ Mark 13:33. ‘If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.’ Revelation 3:3.” The Faith I Live By, 211.

“One Like the Son of Man”

5 Who did Daniel see appearing before the throne of God in the judgment? Daniel 7:13.

NOTE: “Attended by a cloud of heavenly angels, our great High Priest enters the Holy of Holies, and there appears in the presence of God to engage in the last acts of His ministration in behalf of man—to perform the work of investigative judgment, and to make an atonement for all who are shown to be entitled to its benefits.” The Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 4, 307, 308.

6 How does Paul express the confidence that we may have in the intercession of Jesus on our behalf? Hebrews 4:15, 16.

NOTE: “Jesus does not excuse their sins, but shows their penitence and faith, and, claiming for them forgiveness, He lifts His wounded hands before the Father and the holy angels, saying, ‘I know them by name. I have graven them on the palms of My hands.’ ‘The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.’ [Psalm 51:17.] And to the accuser of His people He declares, ‘The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan; even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee. Is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?’ [Zechariah 3:2.] Christ will place His own signet upon His faithful ones, that He may present them to His Father ‘a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing.’ Their names stand enrolled in the book of life, and concerning them it is written, ‘They shall walk with me in white; for they are worthy.’” The Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 4, 310.

“I Will Not Blot Out His Name”

7 What work is required of us if our sins are to be blotted out of the books of record? Acts 3:19.

NOTE: “The conditions of obtaining mercy of God are simple and just and reasonable. The Lord does not require us to do some grievous thing in order that we may have the forgiveness of sin.…but he that confesseth and forsaketh his sin shall have mercy. Repentance includes sorrow for sin, and a turning away from it. We shall not renounce sin unless we see its sinfulness; until we turn away from it in heart, there will be no real change in the life.” The Faith I Live By, 127. (See also The Great Controversy, 483.)

8 What must the grace of God achieve in our lives in order for our names to remain in the Book of Life? Revelation 3:5.

NOTE: “The expression, ‘He that overcometh,’ indicates that there is something for every one of us to overcome. The overcomer is to be clothed in the white raiment of Christ’s righteousness, and of him it is written: ‘I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before My Father, and before His angels.’ O, what a privilege it is to be an overcomer, and to have our names presented before the Father by the Saviour Himself!” Sons and Daughters of God, 369. (See also Historical Sketches, 181.)

“His Bride Hath Made Herself Ready”

9 What triumphant proclamation in heaven will announce the end of the judgment? Revelation 19:6–8.

NOTE: “If we knew that in just one year from now, the Lord would come in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory, what a feeling of solemnity would rest upon us! How earnestly we should strive to prepare for His coming, that, clothed in the wedding garment, we might go in unto the marriage supper of the Lamb.” Counsels to Writers and Editors, 109.

“And you that have not sanctified your souls by obeying the truth, do you expect that Christ at His appearing will make you ready? There will then be no atoning blood to wash away the stains of sins. It is while it is called today that you may, if you will, hear His voice, and harden not your heart, as in the day of provocation. It is today that the Spirit of God invites. It is today that the sweet voice of mercy is falling upon your ears. It is today that the heavenly invitation comes to you. It is today that in Heaven everything says, ‘Come.’ And the Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come.’ And whosoever will, let him come and take of the water of life freely.” The Review and Herald, August 17, 1869.

10 How does Paul describe that readiness? Ephesians 5:25–27.

NOTE: “Do you want to find Jesus? He is at the feast. You may find Him here. He has come up to the feast. There are men and women that have brought Him with them; and now we want you to press through, and touch the hem of His garment, that you may receive of the virtue that is found in Him, and triumph in the God of your salvation. The waters of the fountain are freely opened for you; and will you drink? Will you come? Will you obey the gracious invitation? Come, for all things are now ready. Whosoever will, let him come and partake of the waters of life freely.…We make appeals to you, in the name of our Master, to get ready. We make appeals to you to rid yourselves of the pride of the world, the pride, and vanity, and folly, of life. Jesus loves you. Jesus pities you. The angelic host He sends to minister unto you. And now, while all Heaven is interested for you, will you be interested for yourselves? Will you begin to seek God earnestly for your own salvation? Will you work it out with fear and trembling? Will you be careful how you step before God? Will you have the approbation of Him whose arm moves the universe?” The Review and Herald, August 17, 1869.

“Let Him be Holy Still”

11 What solemn pronouncement will mark the close of the judgment? Revelation 22:11.

NOTE: “Jesus is in His holy temple, and will now accept our sacrifices, our prayers, and our confessions of faults and sins, and will pardon all the transgressions of Israel, that they may be blotted out before He leaves the sanctuary. When Jesus leaves the sanctuary, then they who are holy and righteous, will be holy and righteous still; for all their sins will then be blotted out, and they will be sealed with the seal of the living God. But those that are unjust and filthy, will be unjust and filthy still; for then there will be no priest in the sanctuary to offer their sacrifices, their confessions, and their prayers before the Father’s throne. Therefore what is done to rescue souls from the coming storm of wrath, must be done before Jesus leaves the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary.” Early Writings, 48.

12 How does Paul emphasize the need for us to make our decision for Christ today? 2 Corinthians 6:1, 2.

NOTE: “We believe without a doubt that Christ is soon coming. This is not a fable to us; it is a reality. We have no doubt, neither have we had a doubt for years, that the doctrines we hold today are present truth, and that we are nearing the judgment. We are preparing to meet Him who, escorted by a retinue of holy angels, is to appear in the clouds of heaven to give the faithful and the just the finishing touch of immortality. When He comes, He is not to cleanse us of our sins, to remove from us the defects in our characters, or to cure us of the infirmities of our tempers and dispositions. If wrought for us at all, this work will all be accomplished before that time. When the Lord comes, those who are holy will be holy still. Those who have preserved their bodies and spirits in holiness, in sanctification and honor, will then receive the finishing touch of immortality. But those who are unjust, unsanctified, and filthy will remain so forever. No work will then be done for them to remove their defects and give them holy characters. The Refiner does not then sit to pursue His refining process and remove their sins and their corruption. This is all to be done in these hours of probation. It is now that this work is to be accomplished for us.” Maranatha, 221.

13 How does the Bible picture the distress of those who put off the decision too long? Jeremiah 8:20.

NOTE: “O, that we would remember that it is court week with us, and that our cases are pending! Now is the time to watch and pray, to put away all self–indulgence, all pride, all selfishness. The precious moments that are now by many worse than wasted should be spent in meditation and prayer. Many of those who profess to be keeping the commandments of God are following inclination instead of duty. As they are now, they are unworthy of eternal life. To these careless, indifferent ones, I would say, ‘Your vain thoughts, your unkind words, your selfish acts, are recorded in the book of heaven. The angels that were present at Belshazzar’s idolatrous revelry stand beside you as you dishonor your Redeemer. Sadly they turn away, grieved that you should thus crucify Him afresh, and put Him to open shame.’” Maranatha, 39. (See also See The Great Controversy, 490.)

Be Ye Holy in all Manner of Conversation

“Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:13–16.

“The apostle Peter here gives instruction for believers to gird up the loins of their minds. We are to have special care over the thoughts of the mind. We are not to allow our minds to be diverted and allured by different things, because there is something more important for us. If we would allow the mind to take its natural turn, it might dwell upon unimportant things and we receive no benefit thereby.

“Here is presented before us the one great event—the coming of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, when the graves are to be opened and the dead be raised, and we are to be changed. This event should fill our mind and crowd out everything else. We want to make the most of the privileges and opportunities we have to prepare for the future immortal life.

“The truth of God has taken us out of the quarry of the world to fit us up for the heavenly temple of God. We may look upon one another and think, ‘There is a great work to be done for that brother and for that sister,’ but we may not take into consideration the work that is to be done for ourselves. And if Satan can get in among the people [and produce] a spirit of criticism, then he is satisfied, for a root of bitterness springs up in these [members] wherewith he will be satisfied. We are not all of the same character, but we are brought together in church capacity and we count ourselves as children of God, and we talk of having a home in the city of God.

“Our faith is that if we perfect a Christian character we shall be numbered as the family of God in the mansions that He has gone to prepare for us. Now, our heavenly father brings us together in church capacity that we may gain in knowledge and be fitting up for the community of heaven. ‘Well,’ some may say, ‘All I want is that everyone should see eye to eye.’ But there are those who want everyone to see just as they do. They do not consider that they have traits of character that must be changed. Then, what is the work before us in order to be ready to be among those who are waiting for their Lord to come in the clouds of heaven? It is for us to be in a position of humility before God. ‘Gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.’

“The Lord has not placed before one individual the trade of becoming a church tinker, but we want individually to feel that we have a responsibility before God to be a blessing to everyone with whom we associate. And we are to consider that every brother and sister is the purchase of the blood of Christ. Here we are, living stones out of the quarry, and we are to be chiseled and fitted for the new Jerusalem. Do not let any of us think that we are all right. As soon as we are taken out of the quarry, we have a work to do for ourselves. ‘The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh,’ and we want to be considering those things that will give us solidity of character. We do not want to have a high estimate of ourselves, but we want to esteem others better than ourselves. We want that our souls shall be uplifted to God every moment for help, for fear we shall fall. And while some are so diligent to look after others, they will forget the work there is for their own soul.

“We are to heed the exhortation of the apostle, that we are to be holy in all manner of conversation. And as we separate those things from us which will be a hindrance to our advancement, the Holy Spirit will come in. We want to be filled with the spirit of Jesus, and if you are not closely connected with Christ, then the thoughts of your mind will be upon unimportant things; but if you are connected with Jesus, you will just as surely be a channel of light as Jesus is light, for Jesus has said to His followers, ‘Ye are the light of the world.’

“Now, we are by living faith to keep our eyes fixed upon the Author and Finisher of our faith. ‘As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: but as He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation.’

“Before we become acquainted with Jesus, the conversation is upon the dress, and what shall we eat, and what shall we drink, and what shall we wear? And we find fault with one another. But as soon as we become acquainted with Christ, our conversation changes.

“Here we are, objects of His love. Has the change taken place in us? Namely, have we passed from death unto life? Have we died indeed to self? Have we fastened our hearts and affections upon the great God? He is all light and power.

“Every provision has been made for us that can be made by our precious Saviour, that we may have that abundant grace so that we may overcome every defect in our character. And we cannot afford to satisfy ourselves in this life, but we want the fullness that is in Jesus, and we must train ourselves to talk of those things which will bring to us peace and light. As we have our conversation upon heaven and heavenly things, the angels of God are all around us; and when we are, in our thoughts and with our hearts, drawing near to God, then He is drawing nigh to us. His love is in our hearts, and then we speak it from our lips.

“It is not only our duty to train our minds upon heavenly things, but we are to talk of these things, for it is our duty to bind about our mind, to gird up the loins of our mind, and say, ‘I will not think of these things.’ Then it is our duty to guard our conversation.

“We would think, from the shadow that many walk in, that they had no Saviour. But I want to speak to those, and say ‘Christ is risen! He is not in Joseph’s new tomb, but He has arisen and has ascended up on high to make intercession for us!’ We have a risen Saviour interceding for us, and we must walk in harmony with God. He is seeking to ‘purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.’ If we seek with all our hearts to be obedient children, conforming our will to the will of God, then the work can go forward in us without interruption. Let us not forget for one moment that we are living for the future immortal life, and let us put away from us everything like complaint and faultfinding. Let our words, our conversation, reveal to the world that we have a hope that is big with immortality.

“We want that His will shall be our will. We do not want that our will shall be such that it will control all that around us.…

“God wants us to go through the mill. Here this man’s sharp character must be burnished off, and here is one who has taken hold of the truth who has always been coarse in his conversation, and he must overcome that. This is the very thing the apostle means when he says, ‘You must overcome in order to have a home in heaven.’ Jesus must be in my whole work to transform my character. We must accept the truth as it is in Jesus, and then how kind will we be to one another, how courteous, for this was the work of my Master. We shall see the precious mold of Jesus upon the character, and when we learn the precious lessons He has for us to learn, we will be like Jesus. ‘Come unto Me,’ says He, ‘all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.’

“Here you are with your variances and differences. Now, ‘Come to Me,’ says He, ‘and learn of Me.’…”

Sermons and Talks, Book 1, 40–43.

The Seven Churches, Part X: The Church of Philadelphia

The Bible says that we are not to bear any grudge. Why? Because God does not bear grudges, and we are to have the character of Jesus. This is what it means to be holy. We are to be holy, for God is holy. We are to be like Him, so we are told that we are to not “bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself:  I [am] the Lord.” Leviticus 19:18.

“You shall keep My Sabbaths and reverence My sanctuary: I [am] the Lord.” Verse 30. In Genesis 2, God declared: “I keep the Sabbath, so you are to keep it too.” When Jesus came to earth, He kept the Sabbath, and He is our Example.

“Give no regard to mediums and familiar spirits; do not seek after them, to be defiled by them: I [am] the Lord your God.” Leviticus 19:31. Do not go after astrology, witchcraft, or mediums, because to do so is not holiness. This is not what Jesus did. “You shall rise before the gray headed and honor the presence of an old man, and fear your God: I [am] the Lord. And if a stranger dwells with you in your land, you shall not mistreat him. The stranger who dwells among you shall be to you as one born among you, and you shall love him as yourself.” Verses 32–34. The Jews taught that you should love your neighbor but hate your enemy. Sometimes they interpreted this to mean, “hate the stranger that is among you.” Somehow they did not read the entire message. The Bible does not just say, “Love your neighbor,” but love also the stranger whom you do not even know, just as you love your own self, “for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.” He loves us and wants us to be like Him.

Message of Holiness

In essence, the message to the church of Philadelphia, in Revelation 3, is, “I am Holy, therefore you shall be holy.” This was the message of the reformer, Wesley, and it brought a great reformation, which stirred the world and prepared the people for the Three Angels’ Messages.

The message of Martin Luther was a wonderful message, but, for some reason, the people did not respond to it in the way that they reacted to the message given by Wesley. The churches refused to allow him to speak from their pulpits, because they were teaching that an individual did not have to be holy. All you have to do is believe, the churches taught, and by faith you will be saved. But Wesley taught that this kind of faith would never save you; you not only had to believe, but you had to do what the Bible instructed. Consequently, he was turned out of the churches and forbidden to preach.

So, Wesley took his message to the people, often preaching five times a day, some days beginning at 4:30 or 5:00 in the morning. As workers were going to the coal mines, he would preach to them. They would get up an hour early and make their way to a field to listen to Wesley speak for an hour, before going to work. They would come by the thousands to hear him preach. His message turned society around! His movement grew into the British Bible Society and the American Bible Society. A great missionary outreach began with people like David Livingstone. Whole continents were influenced by Christianity.

Revelation 3:8 says, “I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it.” Oh, many tried so hard to shut this door. The preachers refused to let Wesley preach in the churches. They banished him, but God said, “I have set before you an open door,” so he went out into the fields, and the people came there to hear the message. The door could not be shut.

Pattern for America

The message came to America. The teachings of Wesley and Wycliffe helped to frame the Constitution and the Bill of Rights of the United States, when the Methodist movement became strong. Before this time, and even before the Revolution, there were many towns that were given up to wickedness. Many of the frontier towns had only a couple of saloons and maybe a general store. When the Methodist preachers came through these towns to preach, just as Jesus went through towns, some were left without a single sick person. Some towns were so transformed that there was not a single person left in the saloons, and these barrooms were sometimes transformed into churches. How wonderful it would be to see this again!

Studying America’s history, you learn that not all of its founders were of the purist sort. On some of the buildings, built during the beginning of this country, may be seen figures that portray pornography and other immoral things. But the Methodist influence had an effect on the society of America. There is a reason why pornography, in general, was not allowed in America, why morality was on such a high level.

No one can study American history without realizing that America probably had the highest morality of any nation since the days of David. The greater portion of the population read the Bible. It was read in morning and evening worship by the average person of America. People did not steal. You could leave your house unlocked and return to find it as you left it. Prostitution, astrology, and witchcraft were unheard of in America. America was fashioned by the message to the church of Philadelphia.

“Indeed I will make [those] of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but lie—indeed I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you.” Revelation 3:9. The preachers hated Wesley in his day. They tried, a number of times, to kill him. Burning at the stake was no longer used, but mobs were sent out to kill him. Many times he was saved from certain death by an angel of God. His movement influenced the Constitution and the Bill of Rights and the American lifestyle.

Door is Yet Open

The Bible says, “I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it.” Revelation 3:8. This door is open yet. The gospel is going to go forth with a loud voice. It will go to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. (Revelation 14:7, 6.) The door is still open, if we will but walk through it. Not everyone is going to respond. We will not see the great crowds that Wesley saw. Those days are gone. The Bible says that, in the last days, only a small remnant will be saved. (Romans 11:5.) But, dear friend, that small remnant is going to carry, with a loud voice, the gospel to all the world. The door is still open. Whether or not anyone comes through the door, it is open. The door is open for the gospel message.

“Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which hall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.” Revelation 3:10. The people of that generation, because they were faithful, died in relative peace. The great time of trouble, which was to come upon the entire world, was spared them. They did not have to go through the seven last plagues. Verse 11 says, “Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown.”

Decline of Methodism

Sad to say, they did not hold fast. This is why another church had to be formed. I have a book, written in 1963, which details the various religions of America. Each church was allowed to choose someone to write about it. The book is not biased. It is not written against anyone. It is just a book written to provide every church the opportunity to explain itself.

With some curiosity, I turned to the Methodist section, written by one of the Methodist leaders. There I read, “Methodists today are about as broad and liberal in their code of behavior as are other leading Protestants.” Now, the writer is stating this as a compliment. “We are just like all the others today.” I do not think it is a compliment, do you? I think it is a shame. It shows that this church has fallen.

It says, “Methodists traditionally have fought against intemperance, gambling, licentiousness, indulgence.” It is of interest that, throughout American history, until just a few years ago, gambling was outlawed in America. Everyone knew gambling was wrong. We have come a long way! “Traditionally the Methodist fought against intemperance, gambling, and licentiousness. John Wesley formulated a list of general rules for the members of his society, because he believed they needed concrete standards as well as ideals. For many years the church had a provision forbidding diversions such as card playing and dancing. This tradition was changed nearly 30 years ago. The Methodist church has taken official action to change all those rules.”

There was a time when Methodists did not believe in going to theaters. It was against their rules, because they did not believe such action would lead people to holiness. They were not allowed to wear jewelry; they were not allowed to smoke.

I met a young fellow, from a small town in Pennsylvania, who was a leader in the Methodist Church. His wife and, eventually, he were baptized into the Seventh-day Adventist Church. He told me that although the main body of the Methodist Church had long before changed, some of the little country churches did not change. This is generally the way things go. A ruling is passed in the main body, but some of the little country churches do not change. They continue to uphold the standards.

Hold Fast

The Bible says, “Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown.” Everyone who believes in the “once saved, always saved” theory has to cut this verse out of their Bibles. All they have to do to blow their theory is read, “Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown.” Revelation 3:11. Is it possible to have your crown and then lose it? The Bible says it is. This should cause every one of us as Christians to become very serious.

Paul said, “It is possible for me to preach the gospel and lose my own soul.” He added, “Therefore, I keep myself under subjection.” (1 Corinthians 9:27.) We have a victory to win today, not just yesterday. Paul says, “Forgetting those things which are behind . . . I press toward the goal,” to those things which are good. Philippians 3:13, 14. What is behind cannot save us today. We have to press on today.

“Hold fast,” says Jesus. “He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And [I will write on him] My new name.” Revelation 3:12.

The Bible says that those who overcome will have the Father’s name written in their foreheads. That is speaking of the 144,000. “Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred [and] forty-four thousand, having His Father’s name written on their foreheads.” Revelation 14:1.

What does it mean to have the Father’s name written on their foreheads? It means holiness to the Lord. This is what Aaron had written on his forehead. (Exodus 28:36–38.) What does this holiness mean? It means that we have God’s Law—His character of His Ten Commandment Law—written in our minds and our hearts. As it says, in Revelation 14:12, “Here [are] those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.”

The Open Door

Today, God has opened before us a door, to help us to be among the 144,000. He not only opened the door to mission work in the world, so the gospel could go to all the nations, but He opened also another door. In 1844, this door was opened in heaven, when Jesus entered the Most Holy Place. There was a door entered when Jesus went in to where the Ten Commandments are kept. In Revelation 11:19, we are told: “Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple.” This was the ark of the Ten Commandments. So, today, God has opened the door in heaven, the door to where His Ten Commandments are located. And the light from these Ten Commandments is shining through this open door to the world. Many people would like to shut this door, but it cannot be shut.

There may have been a day when people could keep Sunday as sacred and do other things and still be saved, because the door was shut and many people had not yet seen beyond this door. For instance, it was as if Martin Luther had a blindfold over his eyes. God can put a shield over people’s eyes. Remember what God said to the church of Thyatira? He said, “Just hold on to what you have. I will not require of you anything else, because you have come out of such great darkness.” So Martin Luther did not understand all these things. But the Bible says that God would open a door in heaven and no one could shut it, and today we are responsible for walking in the light which shines from this open door.

“And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light . . . .” John 3:19. Dear friend, we are simply accountable for the light, which God has allowed to shine on our pathways. The door has been opened, and no man can shut it. You and I are responsible for walking in this light. We can never be saved, as were our forefathers, whose door was not opened. We must walk in the light from this open door.

Two Happenings

Two things happened when the door was opened in the sanctuary in heaven. First, as we just read, the ark of the Ten Commandments was seen. Second, through this opened door, God has again chosen to communicate with the world.

In Revelation 12:17, we find there are two things which characterize God’s last day people: “And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God”—they walk in the light from this open door—“and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” In Revelation 19:10, we learn that the testimony of Jesus Christ is the spirit of prophecy. Indeed, once again, God is communicating to the world, and no one, dear friend, can shut this door. Oh, people can turn away from the light; they can reject it; they can cover their eyes; they can go with blinders on, if they choose, but no man can shut the door.

Malachi 4:5 tells us, “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.” Elijah, the prophet, will once again come before the Second Coming—this is “the great and dreadful day of the Lord.” As we have already read, “I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it.”

You and I cannot be saved the same way as were our forefathers, before the door to the Most Holy Place was opened. God told them, “I will not require of you any other thing.” We can try to open this door all we want, but it is shut to us. God has opened another door—the door into the Most Holy Place of the sanctuary, where His Ten Commandments are and where, today, our High Priest is ministering for us. He wants to write this law of love on our hearts and in our minds. This door is open, and no man can shut it.

He who overcomes will be made a part of the 144,000. “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” Revelation 3:13.

I want to hold on to the light that God has allowed to shine upon me. I do not want to be among those who do not hold on and lose the crown that I once had. I do not want someone taking my crown. How about you? May the Lord grant that each of us may have His holiness written within and without through faith in Jesus Christ. May His character of love and faithful obedience be written in our minds, on our hearts, and in our characters.

To be continued . . .

Pastor Marshall Grosboll, with his wife Lillian, founded Steps to Life. In July 1991, Pastor Marshall and his family met with tragedy as they were returning home from a camp meeting in Washington state, when the airplane he was piloting went down, killing all on board.

The Seven Churches, Part IX: The Church of Philadelphia

Verses 7 and 8 of Revelation 3 introduce the message to the church of Philadelphia: “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, ‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens: I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name.’ ”

In this study, we are coming to a time when God, immediately preceding the Second Coming, is going to open a door. We read, in verses 10 and 11, “Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown.”

When speaking to this church, God refers specifically to a certain period of time. It is that time period shortly before Jesus’ Second Coming. The open door was the door that was opened into the Most Holy Place of the heavenly sanctuary. The opening of this door is also predicted in Revelation 11:19. We see then that the message to the church of Philadelphia is anchored in the opening of this door, which actually occurred on October 22, 1844.

Of this, Ellen White wrote: “I was shown that the commandments of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ relating to the shut door could not be separated, and that the time for the commandments of God to shine out with all their importance, and for God’s people to be tried on the Sabbath truth, was when the door was opened in the most holy place in the heavenly sanctuary, where the ark is, in which are contained the ten commandments. This door was not opened until the mediation of Jesus was finished in the holy place of the sanctuary in 1844. Then Jesus rose up and shut the door of the holy place, and opened the door into the most holy, and passed within the second veil, where He now stands by the ark, and where the faith of Israel now reaches.

“I saw that Jesus had shut the door of the holy place, and no man can open it; and that He had opened the door into the most holy, and no man can shut it (Revelation 3:7, 8); and that since Jesus has opened the door into the most holy place, which contains the ark, the commandments have been shining out to God’s people, and they are being tested on the Sabbath question.” Early Writings, 42.

Let us review the seven churches, to help put the church of Philadelphia in perspective. The Lord, when returning to heaven, had left the church on a sure and solid foundation. It was in such a pure state that God poured out His Holy Spirit upon it. Before Jesus comes, the church will again be in a pure state, just as when He left it. We have two, great, anchor points for the church—when Jesus left the church, it was pure, and when He comes again, it will be pure.

The Wedding Garment

“They that were ready went in with Him to the marriage: and the door was shut.” [Matthew 25:10.] They were not to be present in person at the marriage; for it takes place in heaven, while they are upon the earth. The followers of Christ are to ‘wait for their Lord, when He will return from the wedding.’ Luke 12:36. But they are to understand His work, and to follow Him by faith as He goes in before God. It is in this sense that they are said to go in to the marriage.

“In the parable it was those that had oil in their vessels with their lamps that went in to the marriage. Those who, with a knowledge of the truth from the Scriptures, had also the Spirit and grace of God, and who, in the night of their bitter trial, had patiently waited, searching the Bible for clearer light—these saw the truth concerning the sanctuary in heaven and the Saviour’s change in ministration, and by faith they followed Him in His work in the sanctuary above. And all who through the testimony of the Scriptures accept the same truths, following Christ by faith as He enters in before God to perform the last work of mediation, and at its close to receive His kingdom—all these are represented as going in to the marriage. . . .

“Previous to the wedding the king comes in to see the guests, to see if all are attired in the wedding garment, the spotless robe of character washed and made white in the blood of the Lamb. Matthew 22:11; Revelation 7:14. He who is found wanting is cast out, but all who upon examination are seen to have the wedding garment on are accepted of God and accounted worthy of a share in His kingdom and a seat upon His throne. This work of examination of character, of determining who are prepared for the kingdom of God, is that of the investigative judgment, the closing of work in the sanctuary above.

“When the work of investigation shall be ended, when the cases of those who in all ages have professed to be followers of Christ have been examined and decided, then, and not till then, probation will close, and the door of mercy will be shut. Thus in the one short sentence, ‘They that were ready went in with Him to the marriage: and the door was shut,’ we are carried down through the Saviour’s final ministration, to the time when the great work for man’s salvation shall be completed. . . .

“This subject was not understood by Adventists in 1844. After the passing of the time when the Saviour was expected, they still believed His coming to be near; they held that they had reached an important crisis and that the work of Christ as man’s intercessor before God had ceased. It appeared to them to be taught in the Bible that man’s probation would close a short time before the actual coming of the Lord in the clouds of heaven. This seemed evident from those scriptures which point to a time when men will seek, knock, and cry at the door of mercy, and it will not be opened. And it was a question with them whether the date to which they had looked for the coming of Christ might not rather mark the beginning of this period which was immediately to precede His coming. Having given the warning of the judgment near, they felt that their work for the world was done, and they lost their burden of soul for the salvation of sinners, while the bold and blasphemous scoffing of the ungodly seemed to them another evidence that the Spirit of God had been withdrawn from the rejecters of His mercy. All this confirmed them in the belief that probation had ended, or, as they then expressed it, ‘the door of mercy was shut.’

“But clearer light came with the investigation of the sanctuary question. They now saw that they were correct in believing that the end of the 2300 days in 1844 marked an important crisis. But while it was true that that door of hope and mercy by which men had for eighteen hundred years found access to God, was closed, another door was opened, and forgiveness of sins was offered to men through the intercession of Christ in the most holy. One part of His ministration had closed, only to give place to another. There was still an ‘open door’ to the heavenly sanctuary, where Christ was ministering in the sinner’s behalf.

“Now was seen the application of those words of Christ in the Revelation, addressed to the church at this very time: ‘These things saith He that is holy, He that is true, He that hath the key of David, He that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth; I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it.’ Revelation 3:7, 8.” The Great Controversy, 427–430.

Anchored

We have, then, two great periods of time. When Jesus left this earth, the church was on a sure foundation. It was pure. It did not remain in that state long. The first church (Ephesus) left their first love. When Jesus comes again, the church will be on the same pure, solid foundation. Between these two events, there is a great chasm of sin, but God has spanned this gulf of sin and fastened into two great foundation points—times when He has a pure people on earth.

During the second and third centuries after Christ (the church of Smyrna), many true followers of the Lord were tortured and killed by the power and authority of paganism exercised through the pagan Roman Empire. In the fourth to sixth centuries, the pure church of Smyrna, was followed by the compromising church (the church of Pergamos).

The Middle Ages

Jezebel was allowed into the church during the Middle Ages (the church of Thyatira). She killed the true prophets of God and put Baal prophets in their places. The priesthood of the Middle Ages did not descend from the Jewish priesthood; it descended from the pagan priesthood.

I have only read about priests in the Old Testament, so those people who only read their Bibles—not truly study them—might be inclined to think that the priesthood originated from there. But you have never heard a Catholic priest claim to have come from the Jewish priesthood. They do not claim to come from that origin at all. Their rites and ceremonies are completely different from that of the Jewish priesthood. All their rites and ceremonies are almost exactly the same—except for a little Christian flavor thrown in—as the pagan priesthood.

The Surprise Church

At the lowest point of the church, God began to bring the church back up again to His secure foundation. He brought reformers (the church of Sardis), great men such as Wycliffe, Luther, and Tyndale. The whole face of Europe was changed during that time of Reformation. Catholicism was checked, and Protestantism flourished. The reformers were ready to give their lives so that the Bible could again be given to the people. We may think it a wonderful time, but I call the church of that period the “Surprise Church.” As we read the histories of Luther, Melancthon, Calvin, Zwingli, Tyndale, Huss and Jerome, and all those others, we think that they are some of the greatest men that have ever lived. When we go to the Bible, we expect only good things to be said about this church, but lo and behold, only bad things are said.

The Bible says, about that church, “I will give you the bright morning star.” (Revelation 2:28.) That is how the period of the church of Thyatira ended, looking forward to the church of Sardis. Wycliffe was the “morning star of the Reformation.” The Great Controversy, 80. Other stars followed. These leaders were wonderful individuals, but the people did not follow them. The Bible says they had a name that they were alive, because they were following these leaders, but they were dead. (Revelation 3:1.)

The Reformation did not succeed in its fullest sense, and it certainly did not succeed at all the way God wanted. The Reformation was cut short, and the Bible tells us that the deadly wound was healed. It was healed so well that eventually, “all the world will wonder after the beast.” Revelation 13:3.

The Protestant church took in the message of Martin Luther, which states that we are saved by faith. You see, in Luther’s day, people thought they were saved by doing penance, by paying money, and by earning forgiveness. If they did not have enough money to pay for their sins, they could perform certain tasks to “pay” penance. Sometimes this involved killing a Huguenot or a Mohammedan or a Waldensian. If an individual committed such a killing, then his or her sins were all forgiven, and he or she could go to heaven without having to pay money for penance. I am glad that Martin Luther brought the message that we do not have to murder people in order to gain forgiveness!

I am thankful for the message that we are saved by faith, but Luther’s followers began to interpret that to mean that we do not have to do anything to be saved—all we have to do is claim to believe in Jesus Christ, and then we are saved.

Wesley came along and preached on Romans 3:31: “Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.” In fact, the only way we can keep the law is by faith. If we do not have faith, the law does not do us any good at all except to condemn us. It is only by faith that we establish the law.

Philadelphia

God had little good to say about Sardis. He had to bring about another reformation to try to finish the work. When God commissions a work and it is not done right the first time, it never gets done as well as it could have been, had it been done right the first time. If the reformers, in the time of Sardis, had been true to the reformation, the deadly wound would never have been healed. But as time went on, it was healed, and the Protestant church was in a terribly decrepit situation, so God raised up some people to carry on the Reformation. They could not make up for all that had transpired, but they could bring new life into the church; they could bring a new reformation.

He raised up people such as Wesley, Whitefield, and Livingstone, and other great giants to carry on and finish the work that had been started 200 years earlier by Martin Luther and the other reformers.

The Bible has nothing but good to say regarding the church of Philadelphia. It did not have all the light that we have, but they lived up to all of it. God held them accountable for only the light they had.

God brought about a great reformation to prepare the world for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the last days and for the giving of the message of Revelation 14 that must go to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people.

I Am Holy

With this brief historical background, let us look at the message given, in Revelation 3, to the church of Philadelphia. “And to the angel of the church of Philadelphia write, ‘These things says He who is holy.’ ” Verse 7.

It is interesting how God identifies Himself with each church. Each time He states who He is, and it is something unique for that church. To the church of Smyrna, He said, “I am the One who died and rose.” (Revelation 2:8.) To the church of Ephesus, that thought it was built on the apostles, God said, “I am the One who holds the seven stars; you do not own them.” (Revelation 2:1.) He told that church He would “remove your candlestick out of its place—unless you repent.” (Revelation 2:5.) For every church, God gave a message that was just for that church, and always the message was found in who God said He was.

Here it says, “I am Holy.” You see, the Christian church had entered a time, as just mentioned, when they thought that they did not have to be holy to be saved, because they were saved by faith. They thought that all they had to do was to believe on Jesus. They had accepted salvation by faith alone as though that did away with the law. They did not consider Romans 3:31 or 1 John 3:4–7, which says, “Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins,” or our lawbreaking, “and in Him there is no sin. Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him. Little children, let no one deceive you.”

The descendants of the sixteenth century reformers came to a place where they believed that a person did not have to keep the law, and, by their preaching, they deceived many people. This passage says, “Let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous,”—not he who declares righteousness, who thinks he has been forgiven apart from the law.

Wesley’s Message

God calls Himself holy, when addressing the church of Philadelphia, and that was the message that John Wesley came to preach to the world. The first religious organization that John Wesley established, while he was yet in college, was one that would be ridiculed today. Some people made fun of it then too. He called this organization The Holiness Club, and Wesley preached holiness. His followers were called Methodists, because they believed in methods, in doing things. They believed that there were such things as rules in the Christian life, and an individual had to do something to be saved—not just believe.

I have acquired and read a copy of Wesley’s diary. On October 30, 1743, he wrote the following about the sermon he had preached that day: “I showed in the plainest words I could devise that mere outward religion would not bring us to heaven, that no one could go thither without inward holiness which was only to be obtained by faith.” Almost 17 years later, on November 17, 1760, he entered: “The fundamental doctrine of the people called Methodist is this, ‘Whoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the true faith. The faith which works by love, which, by means of the love of God and our neighbor, produces both inward and outward holiness. He that thus believes is regenerate or born again.’ ” That is what it means to be born again, John Wesley says.

Wesley states that to be born again means that you are made holy by God’s indwelling Spirit. This holiness, this belief in methods, this belief in making one’s life holy, translated itself into areas of dress, diet, and witnessing. I found it fascinating to read that, in December 1746, he taught his followers to quit drinking tea in order to preserve health and to keep their bodies holy to the Lord. Wesley was ahead of his time! In fact, he, for quite a period of time, was a vegetarian! On December 29, 1746, he wrote in his diary: “I resumed my vegetable diet, which I had now discarded for several years and found it of use both to my soul and body.” He did not have all the health reform knowledge, but he did recognize that such a diet helped him spiritually, and it translated itself into many other areas of life.

Preparation for Canaan

Wesley’s message was similar to the message that God gave to the children of Israel before taking them into Canaan. Wesley came with a message for us, before we enter the heavenly Canaan.

God sent a message of holiness to the church of Philadelphia. “These things says He who is holy.” Before a message of holiness can be given to the world, we must recognize that God is holy, and the reason that we are to be holy is because we are to be His people. “You [are] a chosen generation . . . a holy nation,” it says, in 1 Peter 2:9.

The message Moses gave to the children of Israel before entering Canaan is found in Leviticus 19. “Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God [am] holy.’ ” Verse 2. We are to be holy because God is holy.

This one phrase gives so much to contemplate. It includes the nature of Jesus and a number of other things. Jesus came to earth in our nature and developed a holy character so that we can develop a holy character too. We are to be holy, because Jesus is holy. We can be holy, because Jesus is holy. This is the message in the Old Testament. We are to be holy as He is holy. We are to be His children. We are to have His character written in our hearts, in our minds, and in our souls. We are to be like Him. As we are told, in 1 John 3:2, we are to be children of God. That is the message of the Bible. Because God is holy, we, too, are to be holy.

The Pattern

In order to preach a message of holiness, we have to preach a message of God’s holiness, because we are to pattern after Him. He is our Pattern, dear friend, not one another, not some philosopher’s maxim. We are to pattern after the Great Standard. We are to pattern our characters after the character of God, and so the Bible says that we are to be holy, because He is holy.

Leviticus 19:3 tells us, “Every one of you shall revere his mother and his father, and keep My Sabbaths: I [am] the Lord your God.” I am holy, and I show reverence, so you are to do the same that I do. I kept the Sabbath; you are to keep the Sabbath. “Do not turn to idols, nor make for yourselves molded gods: I [am] the Lord your God.” “You shall not steal, nor deal falsely, nor lie to one another. And you shall not swear by My name falsely, nor shall you profane the name of your God: I [am] the Lord.” God is telling us that He is our Lord, and this is His character. We are to have His character—He is holy, so we are to be holy. “You shall not curse the deaf, nor put a stumbling block before the blind, but shall fear your God.” Why? Because we are to be like Him, and that is His character. “I [am] the Lord.” He is holy, and we are to be like Him. Verses 4, 11, 12, 14.

In verse 18, we read: “You shall not take vengeance . . . .” Oh, if only the world could learn this verse! When Jesus came to this earth, He did not take vengeance. His accusers spat in His face, and He said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Matthew 26:67; Luke 23:34. To us, He says, “Be like Me”; do “not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people.”

What a happy people we would be, if we were holy!

To be continued . . .

Pastor Marshall Grosboll, with his wife Lillian, founded Steps to Life. In July 1991, Pastor Marshall and his family met with tragedy as they were returning home from a camp meeting in Washington state, when the airplane he was piloting went down, killing all on board.

The Sabbath

A clear understanding of the origin and purpose of the seventh-day Sabbath and the part it occupies in the lives of God’s faithful people is necessary in the closing scenes of the great controversy between Christ and Satan.

The Sabbath was set apart on the seventh day of creation and is also the fourth commandment, which is evidence that the law of God was given to Adam and Eve on the very day of creation and was in effect at creation. The seventh-day Sabbath has also been a very prominent commandment all through the history of the controversy between Christ and Satan. It says, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” Exodus 20:8–11 NAS.

The sojourner and the Gentile are also advocated to keep the commandments, and if they are in your home, they are to keep the Sabbath with you. All ten commandments are for everybody, not just the Jews.

The Sabbath was introduced at creation. It has been in effect and will be in effect throughout eternity, “from one new moon to another and from one Sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before Me, saith the Lord.” Isaiah 66:23. All will gather from one new moon to another in the new earth, from one Sabbath to another.

The only ones that do not want to keep the Sabbath are the rebellious of this earth who are the minority in this universe. Sabbath keepers belong to the great majority of people in the universe. On this earth it looks like you are the outcasts, but in comparison to the whole universe and with God and with His Son, we are the great majority of Sabbath keepers. So be of good courage.

In Genesis 2:2 we are told that God rested on the seventh day. “And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had made; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made.”

In Patriarchs and Prophets, 47, it says, “The great Jehovah had laid the foundations of the earth; He had dressed the whole world in the garb of beauty and had filled it with things useful to man; He had created all the wonders of the land and of the sea. In six days the great work of creation had been accomplished. And God ‘rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it He had rested from all His work which God created and made’ (Genesis 2:2, 3). God looked with satisfaction upon the work of His hands. All was perfect, worthy of its divine Author, and He rested, not as one weary, but as well pleased with the fruits of His wisdom and goodness and the manifestations of His glory.”

This is a very clear statement of where the Sabbath came from and its purpose. So it was on the seventh day of creation that He set aside the Sabbath day as a day of rest.

We are told in Genesis 2:3 there were three things that God did for the seventh-day Sabbath that He did not do for the other six days. It says, “And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it He had rested from all His work which God created and made.”

God blessed the seventh day; He sanctified it and then He rested on it.

Often some people will say that they worship every day of the week, or they keep every day holy. Nobody can keep a day holy that God has not sanctified or made holy. But the seventh-day Sabbath He sanctified and therefore you can keep it holy because it is a holy day. The other six days do not have that blessing; they were not made holy. You cannot keep holy something that is not holy.

Many people recognize the association of the seventh day with the seventh-day Sabbath, but to avoid it they worship on Sunday in honor of the resurrection as justification. It is up to us to strive for holiness each and every day of the week, but there is only one Sabbath day. We are preparing for heaven, and in heaven the occupants keep the seventh-day Sabbath, and we want to fit into that heavenly environment. We need to understand the depth of meaning in the Sabbath.

God told us to remember. It is man’s duty to rest on the seventh-day Sabbath; he is to reflect upon God’s great work of creation and to behold the evidences of God’s wisdom and goodness. As we do this, we will be filled with love and reverence for our Maker. By observing the seventh-day Sabbath we acknowledge that God is our Creator and that we are the work of His hands and are subject to His authority.

The fourth commandment points to God as the Maker of the heavens and the earth, and it also gives the law its authenticity and binding force because it contains the seal of God which shows His authority as Creator and His claim to reverence and worship above all others. This seal gives the name of the Lawgiver, which is the Creator, and it identifies His territory, which is the heavens and the earth.

In Patriarchs and Prophets, 307, we are told: “God has given men six days wherein to labor, and He requires that their own work be done in the six working days. Acts of necessity and mercy are permitted on the Sabbath, the sick and suffering are at all times to be cared for; but unnecessary labor is to be strictly avoided. ‘Turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on My holy day; and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honorable; and … honor Him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure.’ Nor does the prohibition end here. ‘Nor speaking thine own words’ (Isaiah 58:13), says the prophet. Those who discuss business matters or lay plans on the Sabbath are regarded by God as though engaged in the actual transaction of business. To keep the Sabbath holy, we should not even allow our minds to dwell upon things of a worldly character. And the commandment includes all within our gates. The inmates of the house are to lay aside their worldly business during the sacred hours. All should unite to honor God by willing service upon His holy day.”

We find specific principles showing us that we are not to get involved in things that involve our worldly needs. We are to turn our thoughts heavenward.

  • We are not to do our own ways.
  • We are not to find our own pleasure; this includes sports and things like that.
  • Man’s own work is not to be done on the seventh-day Sabbath.
  • Unnecessary labor is strictly forbidden.
  • We are not to discuss business matters or lay plans.
  • Our minds are not to dwell upon things of a worldly character.

One of the big snares that Satan has introduced into God’s remnant people is the Saturday night entertainment, because many times the thoughts, especially with young people, are, throughout the Sabbath hours focused on “What is going to happen tonight?” Having parties for children and showing films are the talk of the day, and it is very hard for them to keep their minds upon things of eternal value when those kinds of incentives or plans are made for their entertainment. This does much to desecrate the Sabbath in the lives of the youth and the adults.

Looking at the law of God in a positive manner is a blessing to us. If we followed His commandments we would have a very safe society; we would not need police or jails because society would be living at peace with everybody and respectful toward each other’s needs. The law of God is a blessing to us, and we need to approach it as God would like us to. It is a wonderful blessing for the people of God and to all who observe the seventh-day Sabbath.

In The Desire of Ages, 285, we are told: “Christ would teach His disciples and His enemies that the service of God is first of all. The object of God’s work in this world is the redemption of man; therefore that which is necessary to be done on the Sabbath in the accomplishment of this work is in accord with the Sabbath law. Jesus then crowned His argument by declaring Himself the ‘Lord of the Sabbath’—One above all question and above all law. This infinite Judge acquits the disciples of blame, appealing to the very statutes they are accused of violating.”

Looking at the positive side of the law, this is to be a blessing to the fallen race. The whole purpose of God is to restore man to freedom from sin and to restore him to the kingdom of glory. Anything that can further that objective is appropriate to do on the Sabbath. That is another principle, and God leaves it up to us to decide the actual things we should or shouldn’t do in light of that principle. The things necessary to be done on the Sabbath for the accomplishment of the redemption of man is in accord with the Sabbath law. The law is a positive blessing.

“They were performing those rites that pointed to the redeeming power of Christ, and their labor was in harmony with the object of the Sabbath. But now Christ Himself had come. The disciples, in doing the work of Christ, were engaged in God’s service, and that which was necessary for the accomplishment of this work it was right to do on the Sabbath day.” Ibid., 285.

Isaiah 58:13 tells us, “If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on My holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable; and shalt honour Him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words.”

There are also several other things that are appropriate to do on the Sabbath.

  • Acts of necessity and mercy. Ask yourself if this is something that is a necessity to help somebody in their physical needs, etc.
  • The sick and suffering are at all times to be cared for.
  • We are to call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honorable; and honor Him in His character, doing those things that He would like to see us doing to help in the plan of redemption.
  • All should unite to honor God by willing service.

We do not want to get into the area of making statements for what to do and what not to do. The Jews got into that and became all mixed up and then missed the true meaning of the Sabbath. We need to look at the general principles and ask ourselves if this can help in the plan of redemption or help somebody in their necessity or needs. We need to understand what can be done on the Sabbath, because someday we will be tested. Many are watching us, and we may need to give a reason for the things we do and not do. We need to stand with the principle that it is lawful to do good and to promote the plan of redemption and to work with Jesus in the saving of souls.

God calls the Sabbath a “sign between me and you.” “Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily My sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify you.” Exodus 31:13.

Keeping the seventh-day Sabbath is a sign that we believe in the new covenant and that Jesus is ministering in the Most Holy Place of the sanctuary of the new covenant in heaven. Here is the reason this is true. To keep the Sabbath holy the individual must be holy himself. We are all sinners, unholy. To become holy we must have our sins removed. We can be freed from our sins in one way only. That way is to go to Jesus in the Most Holy Place, confess our sins and plead with our Redeemer to atone for these confessed sins with His blood. Jesus is just and will cleanse us from these sins and also give us strength to keep from committing sin. He then presents this humble one to the Father as if he had never sinned. God the Father now sees him as one “of the saints who obey God’s commandments and remain faithful to Jesus.” Revelation 14:12 NIV. The sinner is now free from sin and can keep the Sabbath holy because he is holy.

The Sabbath is a time to spend with the Lord. How are you going to know that He is the Lord and how are you to know that He is holy unless you spend time with Him in His word and keep your thoughts on things of eternal value? You will not know unless you observe the Sabbath.

Maurice Hoppe is Director of the Steps to Life training programs and a member of the Steps to Life Board. The Training Program for Ministers and Church Leaders is a correspondence course that prepares individuals to serve as a pastor or Bible worker. Preparing for the Final Conflict is a correspondence course for the laity. Both of these courses teach present truth that will be an anchor for the soul during the storm of opposition and persecution just ahead. He and his wife also have a correspondence course offered through Revelation Ministry. He can be contacted at: mauricehoppe@stepstolife.org.

Keys to the Storehouse – The Joy of Holiness

The joy of holiness in this time in history is almost like an oxymoron, a seeming contradiction. Many really believe that those three words do not fit together and therefore choose a path contrary to holiness to enjoy the temporary emotional stimulation which they believe to be joy.

The word joy means the emotion excited by the acquisition or expectation of good; gladness; delight. Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, Fifth Edition, 1939.

By looking around you can see the emotional expectation of good, gladness and delight in this world. But, without the word holiness, this turns out to be just a temporary upheaval of emotions. Many of these experiences bring sorrow and sin into the life and not the joy of holiness.

So, “What is holiness? Doing everything with an eye single to the glory of God. Holiness is so living that men shall see your good works, and by seeing them shall glorify God. This is the work of the unfallen angels of heaven. This was the life work of Christ upon the earth. Christ has given this command to every soul that believes in His name.” The Medical Missionary, October 1, 1893.

Again, “What is holiness? It is willing, whole-hearted service to your Redeemer. You are to be a representative of God in this world. God wants you to take your religion right along with you into your business relations. At every turn, you should remember that you are a representative of Christ. Ask your Heavenly Father to give you strength to flee from evil, that you may not fall under temptation, and become a captive of Satan.” The Review and Herald, August 14, 1888.

And again, “What is holiness? It is wholeness to God. Our words, our actions, the manner of spirit manifested, is the outward and visible manifestation of what is within, and testifies as to whether we have on the robe of Christ’s righteousness, woven in the loom of heaven, or are clothed with our own natural citizen’s dress. We are to give evidence to the world in our outward acts as to what is the influence of the truth upon our hearts. The world observes our lives, hears our words, watches and measures our characters by these outward signs, and estimates the truth we profess to believe, according to that which we reveal as having been accomplished by it for us.” Ibid., July 18, 1893.

Read again the above three paragraphs and ask yourself if you have found the joy of holiness. In Steps to Christ, 25, it says of David, “He longed for the joy of holiness—to be restored to harmony and communion with God.”

Could it be that you are out of harmony and communion with God? Remember David’s prayer: “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Thy presence; and take not Thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation; and uphold me with Thy free spirit.” Psalm 51:10–12. The joy of holiness is included in the joy of salvation. Plead for it as did David.

Father: I want that joy of holiness within my heart. Bring my heart into harmony and communion with Thee. Remove from my heart anything that would cause me to be out of harmony with Thee. Create in me a clean heart so that the joy of Your holiness may flow forth as streams of blessing to others. Amen.

Bible Study Guides – A Holy Nation

June 21, 2015 – June 27, 2015

Key Text

“Ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation.” Exodus 19:6.

Study Help: Christ’s Object Lessons, 286–293; The Acts of the Apostles, 14–16.

Introduction

“God desired to make of His people Israel a praise and a glory. …

“Their obedience to the laws of God would make them marvels of prosperity before the nations of the world.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 221, 222.

1 A CHOSEN PEOPLE

  • When the people of Israel were told that they were chosen to be a special people, a holy nation, entrusted with a specific mission, what did they answer? Exodus 19:8.

Note: “God had promised to be their [Israel’s] God, to take them to Himself as a people, and to lead them to a large and good land; but they were ready to faint at every obstacle encountered in the way to that land. In a marvelous manner He had brought them out from their bondage in Egypt, that He might elevate and ennoble them and make them a praise in the earth.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 292.

  • After all the commandments of the holy Law of God were declared to the people, what did they say? Exodus 24:3, 7.

Note: “God had chosen Israel as His people, and they had chosen Him as their King.” Prophets and Kings, 293.

2 A LIGHT IN THE WORLD

  • Near the end of their pilgrimage, how were the conditions of the covenant repeated to the Israelites? Deuteronomy 4:1, 2.

Note: “Through Moses they [the Israelites] were warned against the temptations that would assail them in the future; and they were earnestly exhorted to remain separate from the surrounding nations and to worship God alone.” Prophets and Kings, 294.

  • It was the purpose of God to set up Israel as a light in the world. What was Moses instructed to say to them? Deuteronomy 4:5–8.

Note: “Through the Jewish nation it was God’s purpose to impart rich blessings to all peoples. … The nations of the world, through following corrupt practices, had lost the knowledge of God. Yet in His mercy God did not blot them out of existence. He purposed to give them opportunity for becoming acquainted with Him through His church. He designed that the principles revealed through His people should be the means of restoring the moral image of God in man.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 286.

  • On what condition would the Lord extend His merciful hand toward them? Deuteronomy 4:29–31.
  • What would happen to them were they to forget the covenant of the Lord and turn away from Him? Deuteronomy 4:23–27.

Note: “Moses traced the evils that would result from a departure from the statutes of Jehovah. Calling heaven and earth to witness, he declared that if, after having dwelt long in the Land of Promise, the people should introduce corrupt forms of worship and bow down to graven images and should refuse to return to the worship of the true God, the anger of the Lord would be aroused, and they would be carried away captive and scattered among the heathen.” Prophets and Kings, 295.

3 A DIVINE SYSTEM OF EDUCATION

  • That Israel might be the light of the world, they needed to be an educated people. What duty was entrusted to the parents in Israel? Deuteronomy 6:6–9.

Note: “God had commanded the Hebrews to teach their children His requirements and to make them acquainted with all His dealings with their fathers. This was one of the special duties of every parent—one that was not to be delegated to another. In the place of stranger lips the loving hearts of the father and mother were to give instruction to their children.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 592.

  • Is education necessary as a preparation for the gospel work? II Timothy 2:15.

Note: “Christ is the ‘Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world’ (John 1:9). As through Christ every human being has life, so also through Him every soul receives some ray of divine light. Not only intellectual but spiritual power, a perception of right, a desire for goodness, exists in every heart. But against these principles there is struggling an antagonistic power. The result of the eating of the tree of knowledge of good and evil is manifest in every man’s experience. There is in his nature a bent to evil, a force which, unaided, he cannot resist. To withstand this force, to attain that ideal which in his inmost soul he accepts as alone worthy, he can find help in but one power. That power is Christ. Co-operation with that power is man’s greatest need.” Education, 29.

  • What knowledge do we need so that our light may shine brighter and brighter? Matthew 5:14–16.

Note: “The minister, the missionary, the teacher, will find their influence with the people greatly increased when it is manifest that they possess the knowledge and skill required for the practical duties of everyday life.” Education, 221.

4 THE GREATEST NEED OF THE WORLD

  • What is the greatest need of the world today? John 1:9–12.

Note: “The world today is in crying need of a revelation of Christ Jesus in the person of His saints. God desires that His people shall stand before the world a holy people. Why?—because there is a world to be saved by the light of gospel truth; and as the message of truth that is to call men out of darkness into God’s marvelous light is given by the church, the lives of its members, sanctified by the Spirit of truth, are to bear witness to the verity of the messages proclaimed.

“God desires His people to place themselves in right relation to Him, that they may understand what He requires of them above all things else. They are to reveal to every struggling soul in the world what it means ‘to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly’ with their God (Micah 6:8). Wherever they are, at home or abroad, they are to be His commandment-keeping people. They are to have the assurance that their sins are forgiven, and that they are accepted as children of the Most High.” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 458, 459.

  • For what purpose has the present truth contained in the threefold message (Revelation 14:6–12) been entrusted to the Advent people? Isaiah 60:1, 2.

Note: “The Lord in compassion is seeking to enlighten the understanding of those who are now groping in the darkness of error. He is delaying His judgments upon an impenitent world, in order that His light bearers may seek and save that which is lost. He is now calling upon His church on the earth to awake from the lethargy that Satan has sought to bring upon them, and fulfill their heaven-appointed work of enlightening the world. His message to His church at this time is, ‘Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee’ (Isaiah 60:1). To meet the conditions existing at the time when darkness covers the earth, and gross darkness the people, the church of God has been commissioned to cooperate with God in shedding abroad the light of Bible truth.” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 458.

5 THE EVERLASTING GOSPEL AND THE LAST MESSAGE

  • What responsibility has the Lord placed upon every believer in the threefold message? Philippians 2:15, 16.

Note: “The people of the world are worshiping false gods. They are to be turned from their false worship, not by hearing denunciation of their idols, but by beholding something better. God’s goodness is to be made known. ‘Ye are My witnesses, saith the Lord, that I am God’ (Isaiah 43:12). …

“We are to show to the world and to all the heavenly intelligences that we appreciate the wonderful love of God for fallen humanity. … Far more than we do, we need to speak of the precious chapters in our experience.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 299.

  • What does God intend to accomplish through His people today? 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.” The Acts of the Apostles, 111.

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1 How were the conditions of the covenant with the people repeated to them as they were approaching Canaan?

2 How did God use the principles revealed through Israel as a means of restoring His moral image in men and women?

3 What would happen to them were they to forget the covenant of the Lord and turn away from Him?

4 What emphasis was placed on education so that Israel might be the light of the world?

5 How are the people of the world to be turned from false worship?

© 2014 Reformation Herald Publishing Association, Roanoke, Virginia. Reprinted by permission.

The Holy People

According to Romans 8:13, it is possible to put to death the deeds of the body. It says, “If you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” By the Holy Spirit we are able to put to death the deeds of the body and these deeds are found in Galatians 5:19–21: “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish [what comes naturally]” (verses 16, 17). Verse 18 says, “… if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.” Many Protestants believe that they are not under the law. “Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God” (Romans 3:19). The whole world is under the law except those who are led by the Holy Spirit.

Paul said, “For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life” (Galatians 6:8). It is by the Holy Spirit that you are sealed unto redemption. (See 2 Corinthians 1 and Ephesians 1.) This truth is not only in the New Testament, but also the Old Testament. In Ezekiel 36:25, 26, it says, “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” Then verse 27 says, “I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.”

It is the Holy Spirit that gives God’s people the power to obey. 1 John 5:8 says, “… there are three that bear witness on earth: The Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree.” It says in Ephesians 5 that God is going to wash His church with water and make it clean and in 1 John 1:7 it says, “… the blood of Jesus Christ … cleanses us from every sin.” It is only by the Holy Spirit that the heart is made pure. The Spirit, the water, the blood, those are the three cleansing agents.

How does a person receive the Holy Spirit?

Jesus said to ask.: “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him” (Luke 11:13)! Have you asked today that you might receive the Holy Spirit?

You must obey. “And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit Whom God has given to those who obey Him” (Acts 5:32). You can never receive the Holy Spirit until you choose to obey. The Spirit will then give you the power to obey, but never against your choice. The apostle John said the very same thing in 1 John 3:24: “Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit Whom He has given us.”

You must be willing to be led by the Spirit. One text is found in Romans 8:1: “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.” You must follow the Spirit’s leading.

Accept Jesus as your personal Lord and Saviour. John the Baptist said, “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He Who is coming after me is mightier than I, Whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Matthew 3:11). In other words, if you received Him, you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit. Just before Jesus ascended to heaven He said, “John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now” (Acts 1:5). Only those who accepted Jesus as their personal Lord and Saviour received the Holy Spirit.

You must recognize all souls as of the same Father. Malachi 2:10 KJV says, “Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us?” All people in this world are to be treated as brothers and sisters if you want to receive the Holy Spirit; we are one creation, one family under God.

Holy People are the only people that will be in the kingdom of heaven. Isaiah the prophet deals a great deal with this subject. In Isaiah chapters 2, 3, and 4 contain a prophecy about the very last days. He says, “And it shall come to pass that he who is left in Zion and he who remains in Jerusalem will be called holy—everyone who is recorded among the living in Jerusalem” (Isaiah 4:3). Jerusalem was the church headquarters in those days so Jerusalem is a symbol of the church. According to Isaiah, everybody that is alive is going to be called holy.

Isaiah 35 is a wonderfully encouraging chapter which will cheer you up anytime you have time to read it, for it is a prediction about heaven and the new earth. Notice what it says about the future life there: “A highway shall be there, and a road. And it shall be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean shall not pass over it, but it shall be for others. Whoever walks the road, although a fool, shall not go astray” (Isaiah 35:8). Only the holy people walk on this highway.

The time is coming when the members of the church who are not holy are going to be in terror. “The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness has seized the hypocrites: Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings? He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly, he who despises the gain of oppressions, who gestures with his hands, refusing bribes, who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed, and shuts his eyes from seeing evil: He will dwell on high; his place of defense will be the fortress of rocks; bread will be given him, his water will be sure” (Isaiah 33:14–16).

The deliverance that is coming to the people of God will only come to the holy people. Those who remain in sin in Zion will be terrified.

Notice what Isaiah says about God’s people in the future life: “Also your people shall all be righteous; they shall inherit the land forever, the branch of My planting, the work of My hands, that I may be glorified” (Isaiah 60:21). All of God’s people are going to be righteous. Isaiah 62:12 KJV says, “And they shall call them The Holy People, The Redeemed of the Lord; and you shall be called Sought Out, a City Not Forsaken.”

Isaiah is not the only Old Testament prophet that talks about this subject. Joel 3:17 says, “So you shall know that I am the Lord your God, dwelling in Zion My holy mountain, then Jerusalem shall be holy, and no aliens shall ever pass through her again.”

There’s a tiny book in the Old Testament among the minor prophets called Obadiah and in chapter 1, verse 17 it says, “But on Mount Zion there shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness; the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions.” Mount Zion was one of the mountains in Jerusalem and was the headquarters of God’s people, His church.

Some years ago I was in a meeting with several Seventh-day Adventist ministers. Some of them told me very clearly that they were the remnant and part of the remnant church. I read to them Zephaniah 3:13 which says, “The remnant of Israel shall do no unrighteousness and speak no lies, nor shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth; for they shall feed their flocks and lie down, and no one shall make them afraid.” Looking into the faces of those ministers who had boldly made that claim, I asked if they still maintained that they were the remnant according to that verse. There was no response. If your character is not in harmony with this verse, you cannot claim to be part of the remnant, regardless of how long you have been a member of the Seventh-day Adventist church. Praise the Lord that probation has not closed yet, so there is still time to become part of the remnant. But remember, there is a prerequisite before you can make that claim. If there is anything short of righteousness in your character, such as speaking deceitfully, of lying, then your claim is presumptuous.

This truth is spelled out many times in the New Testament. When Paul, or Saul as he was known at that time, was on his way to Damascus he was suddenly stopped in his path. When Jesus appeared to him shining brighter than the sun, he fell to the ground. Paul was a persecutor of the Christians but Jesus said to Him, “Why are you persecuting Me” (Acts 26:14)? Anything that you do to one of God’s children is accounted, good or bad, as if you had done it to Jesus Christ Himself. Paul said, “ ‘Who are you Lord?’ and He said, ‘I am Jesus, Whom you are persecuting’ ” (verse 15). Notice what Jesus tells him to do: “Rise and stand on your feet: for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you. I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, to open their eyes and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me” (verses 16–18). The word sanctified simply means to be made holy. The apostle Paul never forgot that and he told the elders at Ephesus, “And now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified” (Acts 20:32).

Look again at Ephesians 1:4. It says, “Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love.” That was God’s will for you and for me, before the world was even created. All the apostles teach the same thing. Peter said, “But as He Who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy’ ” (1 Peter 1:15, 16). Here he quotes from the Old Testament, which says, “You be holy, as I am holy” (Leviticus 11:44, literal translation). Holiness affects every aspect of the life of the believer: what they eat, what kind of clothes they wear, how they talk, how they conduct their business. Everything in their lives will be in harmony with the law of God, including their thoughts and feelings.

Jesus told the Pharisees that on the outside they may look righteous and holy, but on the inside—in their hearts—were all kinds of corruption and iniquity. They were offended to hear that just as people do not like to hear that today. But my dear friend, there is One Whom you will have to meet with in the judgment Who knows everything about you. He does not just see what is on the outside, but He knows even your thoughts and your feelings.

Jesus said that every idle word that man shall speak, they shall give an account in the day of judgment. He knows all about it, every detail, every secret thing, what you think, how you act, and why you act that way. Holiness, then, involves everything in your life.

“Pursue peace with all men, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14). If I am not holy, I will not see the Lord. When you begin to understand this subject, you will begin to understand why the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy say that relatively few people out of all the people that are living on this earth will be saved. It is not because they cannot be saved, but because they do not allow the Holy Spirit to work out a holy character in their lives; this does not happen unless there is cooperation. The Holy Spirit does not work without your consent.

This is a special problem with people who appear to be more successful than their fellow human beings; that is, for people who are highly educated, people who have lots of money or have high positions. It is especially difficult for those kinds of people to be saved. Jesus understood that when He said, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God” (Matthew 19:24).

Ellen White wrote about it this way: “When in the great day of God each one is apportioned his own reward, not many great, not many wealthy, not many of the now-extolled wise, will find mansions awaiting them. Christ says to them, … ‘you had many disparaging remarks to make in regard to the poor and suffering, the homeless widows and the fatherless children, as though they were made of different material from you. You despised My poor …’

“The needy have been left to cry unto God because of the conduct of hardhearted men, who are lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 16, 50.

God requires of people that they receive the Holy Spirit so that they can arrive at perfection of character. “Those who enter heaven must be one with Christ. Unless they should bear the same perfection of character that He bore while on this earth, they would spoil heaven.” Special Testimonies, Series B, 45. God will not take anyone to heaven that will risk spoiling it again.

Many people become discouraged because they do not understand the power of the Holy Spirit and what the Holy Spirit can do in their lives. “We are to be individual toilers. Character cannot be bought or sold. It is formed by patient, continuous effort. Much patience is required in the striving for that life which is to come. We may all strive for perfection of character, but all who come into possession of it will earn it step by step, by the cultivation of the virtues which God commends.” Notebook Leaflets, 90.

No one here knows the next step that is needed to be taken in your character development, but the Holy Spirit knows and understands. If you pray and say, “Lord, I want to do Your will,” the Holy Spirit will put a finger right on the plague spot in your character and reveal it to you. Remember, it is toilsome, step by step. When you get the victory on one point, ever so gently the Holy Spirit will put the finger on your conscience and say, “How about this?” There are many people in the world and even in the church that get stalled right there. Maybe there are a hundred other steps you need to take, but you will never take them until you take the next step that has been revealed—one step at a time. Don’t stall because of something you don’t want to give up.

Many others have been in that situation for years, hesitant and resistant to take the next step. How patient is the Holy Spirit Who keeps prompting, but the longer you wait, the less that sin will bother you and then you will be in a very dangerous situation. Take the plunge and move on to the next challenge, believing that all the power of heaven is at your command just for the asking.

“God has chosen men from eternity to be holy. … God’s law tolerates no sin, but demands perfect obedience. … Divine power is provided for every soul struggling for the victory over sin and Satan.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, 908. It is the devil that tempts you to be discouraged and believe that you cannot get the victory. Do not believe the lie, for with the Lord, you can have victory over your besetting sin.

God’s church is to encourage, help, and pray for each of its members. God will give you the power to conquer and put to death your sinful nature so that you can be an inheritor with those that are taken to the realms of light. “The law of God, which is perfect holiness, is the only true standard of character. Love is expressed in obedience, and perfect love casteth out all fear. Those who love God, have the seal of God in their foreheads, and work the works of God.” The Youth’s Instructor, July 26, 1894. All who love God will have His seal in their forehead and their love will be manifested in works of obedience. “Holiness is wholeness for God. It means perfect obedience to every precept of the law of God. This is the only true moral excellence. A character in harmony with the law of God is the only character which will receive His approval.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 12, 145.

Are your thoughts and feelings in harmony with the Law of God? There is no vacuum in the mind. When your thoughts stray to such that is not in harmony with God, train your mind to think upon things of eternal interest. Pray and ask for divine guidance and help. It can be a tremendous help to memorize Scripture and pray God’s promises.

“Unless this converting power shall go through our churches, unless the revival of the Spirit of God shall come, all their profession will never make the members of the church Christians. There are sinners in Zion who need to repent of sins that have been cherished as precious treasures. Until these sins are seen, and thrust from the soul, until every faulty, unlovely trait of character is transformed by the Spirit’s influence, God cannot manifest Himself in power.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 1, 366. By resisting the Spirit’s influence and holding on to our unlovely traits of character we are holding back the power of God among God’s professed people today.

“There is more hope for the open sinner than for the professedly righteous who are not pure, holy, and undefiled.” Ibid.

Jesus is coming soon. Soon there will be a final outpouring of the Holy Spirit on God’s people. But some will not be prepared to receive it, because they have failed to allow the Spirit to sanctify them. Therefore they are not holy, they are not part of the holy people.

In the book Early Writings, page 71, Ellen White said, “I saw that none could share the ‘refreshing’ [the latter rain] 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. Let all remember that God is holy and that none but holy beings can ever dwell in His presence.” It is past time that each of us would honestly examine ourselves to see if we are living up to the light we know in order to be ready to receive the latter rain when it is poured out.

It would be wonderful if our churches could be saved without the loss of one, but friend, if we are going to be saved without the loss of one, that means all must be willing to receive the Holy Spirit and be sanctified. “Being confident of this very thing, that He Who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6).

Now is the time to make a covenant with the Lord and say, “Lord, by Your grace, I’m going to cooperate with the Holy Spirit. Show me the next step You want me to take.”

(Unless appearing in quoted references or otherwise identified, Bible texts are from the New King James Version.)

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