Editorial – Purity

Enoch sought for purity of heart for 300 years (see Patriarchs and Prophets, 87). At the end of that period the Lord translated him and took him to heaven. He still lives there today, approximately 5000 years later. It is only the pure in heart who will see God (Matthew 5:8) and be taken to heaven at the end of the world. The trouble is that you and I do not have 300 years to seek for purity of heart. What are we to do in our short lifetime?

The Apostle Paul wrote to Titus that Jesus gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all lawlessness, and purify unto Himself His own special people, zealous of good works (Titus 2:14).

“Our only hope is perfect trust in the blood of Him who can save to the uttermost all that come unto God by Him. The death of Christ on the cross of Calvary is our only hope in this world, and it will be our theme in the world to come. Oh, we do not comprehend the value of the atonement! If we did, we would talk more about it. The gift of God in His beloved Son was the expression of an incomprehensible love. It was the utmost that God could do to preserve the honor of His law, and still save the transgressor.” Our High Calling, 45.

“Before the cross the sinner sees his unlikeness of character to Christ. He sees the terrible consequences of transgression; he hates the sin that he has practiced, and he lays hold upon Jesus by living faith. He has judged his position of uncleanness in the light of the presence of God and the heavenly Intelligence. He has measured it by the standard of the cross. He has weighed it in the balances of the sanctuary. The purity of Christ has revealed to him his own impurity in its odious colors. He turns from the defiling sin; he looks to Jesus and lives.

“He finds an all-absorbing, commanding, attractive character in Jesus Christ, the One who died to deliver him from the deformity of sin, and with quivering lip and tearful eye he declares, ‘He shall not have died for me in vain. Thy gentleness hath made me great’ (Psalm 18:35).” Manuscript Releases, vol. 4, 120, 121.

Bible Study Guides – The New Earth

September 18, 2005 – September 24, 2005

Memory Verse

“And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God [is] with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, [and be] their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” Revelation 21:3, 4.

Suggested Reading: The Acts of the Apostles, 593–602.

1 Who is now praised and honored? Revelation 5:12.

note: “In the presence of the assembled inhabitants of earth and heaven the final coronation of the Son of God takes place.” The Great Controversy, 666.

“Before the universe has been clearly presented the great sacrifice made by the Father and the Son in man’s behalf. The hour has come when Christ occupies His rightful position and is glorified above principalities and powers and every name that is named. It was for the joy that was set before Him—that He might bring many sons unto glory—that He endured the cross and despised the shame. And inconceivably great as was the sorrow and the shame, yet greater is the joy and the glory. He looks upon the redeemed, renewed in His own image, every heart bearing the perfect impress of the divine, every face reflecting the likeness of their King. He beholds in them the result of the travail of His soul, and He is satisfied. Then, in a voice that reaches the assembled multitudes of the righteous and the wicked, He declares: ‘Behold the purchase of My blood! For these I suffered, for these I died, that they might dwell in My presence throughout eternal ages.’ And the song of praise ascends from the white-robed ones about the throne: ‘Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing.’ Revelation 5:12.” The Great Controversy, 671.

2 When the elevation of Christ to His rightful position is finished, what does Satan attempt? Isaiah 14:14.

note: “Notwithstanding that Satan has been constrained to acknowledge God’s justice and to bow to the supremacy of Christ, his character remains unchanged. The spirit of rebellion, like a mighty torrent, again bursts forth. Filled with frenzy, he determines not to yield the great controversy. The time has come for a last desperate struggle against the King of heaven. He rushes into the midst of his subjects and endeavors to inspire them with his own fury and arouse them to instant battle.” The Great Controversy, 671, 672.

3 What is the reaction of Satan’s subjects to his objective? Ezekiel 28:6–8, 16–19; Isaiah 14:15–17.

note: “But of all the countless millions whom he has allured into rebellion, there are none now to acknowledge his supremacy. His power is at an end. The wicked are filled with the same hatred of God that inspires Satan; but they see that their case is hopeless, that they cannot prevail against Jehovah. Their rage is kindled against Satan and those who have been his agents in deception, and with the fury of demons they turn upon them.

“Saith the Lord: ‘Because thou hast set thine heart as the heart of God; behold, therefore I will bring strangers upon thee, the terrible of the nations: and they shall draw their swords against the beauty of thy wisdom, and they shall defile thy brightness. They shall bring thee down to the pit.’ ‘I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. . . . I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee. . . . I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee. . . . Thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more.’ Ezekiel 28:6–8, 16–19.” The Great Controversy, 672.

4 While this turmoil is taking place in Satan’s camp, what happens? Revelation 20:9; Isaiah 9:5; 34:2; Psalm 11:6.

note: “Fire comes down from God out of heaven. The earth is broken up. The weapons concealed in its depths are drawn forth. Devouring flames burst from every yawning chasm. The very rocks are on fire. The day has come that shall burn as an oven. The elements melt with fervent heat, the earth also, and the works that are therein are burned up. Malachi 4:1; 11 Peter 3:10. The earth’s surface seems one molten mass—a vast, seething lake of fire. It is the time of the judgment and perdition of ungodly men—‘the day of the Lord’s vengeance, and the year of recompenses for the controversy of Zion.’ Isaiah 34:8.” The Great Controversy, 672, 673.

5 How is the level of punishment determined in the execution of the judgment? Revelation 22:12; Proverbs 11:31; Luke 12:47, 48.

note: “The wicked receive their recompense in the earth. Proverbs 11:31. They ‘shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts.’ Malachi 4:1. Some are destroyed as in a moment, while others suffer many days. All are punished ‘according to their deeds.’ The sins of the righteous having been transferred to Satan, he is made to suffer not only for his own rebellion, but for all the sins which he has caused God’s people to commit. His punishment is to be far greater than that of those whom he has deceived. After all have perished who fell by his deceptions, he is still to live and suffer on. In the cleansing flames the wicked are at last destroyed, root and branch—Satan the root, his followers the branches. The full penalty of the law has been visited; the demands of justice have been met; and heaven and earth, beholding, declare the righteousness of Jehovah.” The Great Controversy, 673.

6 Who will now come to an end? Revelation 20:10; Ezekiel 28:18, 19.

note: “Satan’s work of ruin is forever ended. For six thousand years he has wrought his will, filling the earth with woe and causing grief throughout the universe. The whole creation has groaned and travailed together in pain. Now God’s creatures are forever delivered from his presence and temptations. ‘The whole earth is at rest, and is quiet: they [the righteous] break forth into singing.’ Isaiah 14:7. And a shout of praise and triumph ascends from the whole loyal universe. ‘The voice of a great multitude,’ ‘as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings,’ is heard, saying: ‘Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.’ Revelation 19:6.” The Great Controversy, 673.

7 When the fires from heaven burn out, what is then seen? Revelation 21:1–4.

note: “ ‘I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away.’ Revelation 21:1. The fire that consumes the wicked purifies the earth. Every trace of the curse is swept away. No eternally burning hell will keep before the ransomed the fearful consequences of sin.” The Great Controversy, 674.

8 What reminder of the great controversy between Christ and Satan remains? Zechariah 13:6; Habakkuk 3:4.

note: “One reminder alone remains: Our Redeemer will ever bear the marks of His crucifixion. Upon His wounded head, upon His side, His hands and feet, are the only traces of the cruel work that sin has wrought. Says the prophet, beholding Christ in His glory: ‘He had bright beams coming out of His side: and there was the hiding of His power.’ Habakkuk 3:4, margin. That pierced side whence flowed the crimson stream that reconciled man to God—there is the Saviour’s glory, there ‘the hiding of His power.’ ‘Mighty to save,’ through the sacrifice of redemption, He was therefore strong to execute justice upon them that despised God’s mercy. And the tokens of His humiliation are His highest honor; through the eternal ages the wounds of Calvary will show forth His praise and declare His power.” The Great Controversy, 674.

9 What original purpose in God’s creation is now fulfilled? Psalm 37:29.

note: “ ‘O Tower of the flock, the stronghold of the daughter of Zion, unto Thee shall it come, even the first dominion.’ Micah 4:8. The time has come to which holy men have looked with longing since the flaming sword barred the first pair from Eden, the time for ‘the redemption of the purchased possession.’ Ephesians 1:14. The earth originally given to man as his kingdom, betrayed by him into the hands of Satan, and so long held by the mighty foe, has been brought back by the great plan of redemption. All that was lost by sin has been restored. ‘Thus saith the Lord . . . that formed the earth and made it; He hath established it, He created it not in vain, He formed it to be inhabited.’ Isaiah 45:18. God’s original purpose in the creation of the earth is fulfilled as it is made the eternal abode of the redeemed. ‘The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein forever.’ Psalm 37:29.” The Great Controversy, 674.

“Human language is inadequate to describe the reward of the righteous. It will be known only to those who behold it. No finite mind can comprehend the glory of the Paradise of God.” Ibid., 675.

10 What relationship will God’s people have in heaven? Revelation 13:9–12; Ephesians 3:15.

note: “There the redeemed shall know, even as also they are known. The loves and sympathies which God Himself has planted in the soul shall there find truest and sweetest exercise. The pure communion with holy beings, the harmonious social life with the blessed angels and with the faithful ones of all ages who have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb, the sacred ties that bind together ‘the whole family in heaven and earth’ (Ephesians 3:15)—these help to constitute the happiness of the redeemed.” The Great Controversy, 677.

11 What will heaven be like? Isaiah 35; 65:17–25.

note: “All the treasures of the universe will be open to the study of God’s redeemed. Unfettered by mortality, they wing their tireless flight to worlds afar—worlds that thrilled with sorrow at the spectacle of human woe and rang with songs of gladness at the tidings of a ransomed soul. With unutterable delight the children of earth enter into the joy and the wisdom of unfallen beings. They share the treasures of knowledge and understanding gained through ages upon ages in contemplation of God’s handiwork. With undimmed vision they gaze upon the glory of creation—suns and stars and systems, all in their appointed order circling the throne of Deity. Upon all things, from the least to the greatest, the Creator’s name is written, and in all are the riches of His power displayed.” The Great Controversy, 677, 678.

12 What is the result of the great controversy being ended? Revelation 21:3–5.

note: “ ‘And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.’ Revelation 5:13.

“The great controversy is ended. Sin and sinners are no more. The entire universe is clean. One pulse of harmony and gladness beats through the vast creation. From Him who created all, flow life and light and gladness, throughout the realms of illimitable space. From the minutest atom to the greatest world, all things, animate and inanimate, in their unshadowed beauty and perfect joy, declare that God is love.” The Great Controversy, 678.

Bible Study Guides – Temperance and Purity

May 1, 2011 – May 7, 2011

The Character of the Wise

Lessons from the Writings of Solomon

Key Text

“Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.” Galatians 5:16.

Study Help: Testimonies, vol. 3, 135–148; vol. 2, 439–484.

Introduction

“There must be a warfare of the spirit against the flesh, and through the grace of Christ we may obtain the victory.” The Review and Herald, March 12, 1889.

1 SHUNNING THE MOCKER

  • What does the Bible plainly declare about the use of intoxicating substances? Proverbs 20:1; 23:29–35.

Note: “Satan tempts men to indulgence that will becloud reason and benumb the spiritual perceptions, but Christ teaches us to bring the lower nature into subjection. He never places before men that which would be a temptation. His whole life was an example of self-denial. It was to break the power of appetite that in the forty days’ fast in the wilderness He suffered in our behalf the severest test that humanity could endure. It was Christ who directed that John the Baptist should drink neither wine nor strong drink. It was He who enjoined similar abstinence upon the wife of Manoah. Christ did not contradict His own teaching. The unfermented wine that He provided for the wedding guests was a wholesome and refreshing drink. This is the wine that was used by our Saviour and His disciples in the first Communion. It is the wine that should always be used on the Communion table as a symbol of the Saviour’s blood. The sacramental service is designed to be soul-refreshing and life-giving. There is to be connected with it nothing that could minister to evil.” The Ministry of Healing, 333.

  • Why is this warning especially important for men in positions of trust? Proverbs 31:4, 5; Ecclesiastes 10:17.

2 CARING FOR THE BODY AND MIND

  • How is intemperance a problem even among many who abstain from alcohol? Proverbs 23:1–3, 20, 21; 25:16, 27.

Note: “It is not necessary to drink alcoholic liquors in order to be intemperate. The sin of intemperate eating—eating too frequently, too much, and of rich, unwholesome food—destroys the healthy action of the digestive organs, affects the brain, and perverts the judgment, preventing rational, calm, healthy thinking and acting.” Counsels on Diet and Foods, 50.

“I frequently sit down to the tables of the brethren and sisters, and see that they use a great amount of milk and sugar. These clog the system, irritate the digestive organs, and affect the brain. Anything that hinders the active motion of the living machinery affects the brain very directly. And from the light given me, sugar, when largely used, is more injurious than meat.” Testimonies, vol. 2, 370.

  • What is true temperance, and how can it help us endure the trials of the last days? Proverbs 11:16; 24:10, 5; I Corinthians 9:25.

Note: “True temperance teaches us to dispense entirely with everything hurtful and to use judiciously that which is healthful.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 562.

“Reform, continual reform, must be kept before the people, and by our example we must enforce our teaching. True religion and the laws of health go hand in hand. It is impossible to work for the salvation of men and women without presenting to them the need of breaking away from sinful gratifications, which destroy the health, debase the soul, and prevent divine truth from impressing the mind.” Testimonies, vol. 7, 137.

“They [children] should be disciplined carefully, and educated to take their position upon the side of right, of reform and abstinence. In every crisis they will then have moral independence to breast the storm of opposition sure to assail those who take their stand in favor of true reform.” Temperance, 215.

3 PURITY

  • What warnings are given to protect us from temptations toward sexual immorality? Proverbs 2:11, 16–20; 5:3–13, 18, 21.

Note: “The religion of Jesus Christ is first pure, then peaceable, full of righteousness and good fruits. Many have fallen into the sad error which is so prevalent in this degenerate age, especially with females. They are too fond of the other sex. They love their society. Their attentions are to them flattering, and they encourage, or permit, a familiarity which does not always accord with the exhortation of the apostle, to ‘abstain from all appearance of evil’ [I Thessalonians 5:22].

“Some mingle with their religion a romantic, love-sick sentimentalism, which does not elevate, but only lowers.” The Review and Herald, March 12, 1872.

  • What ploy is Satan using with special intensity against God’s people in the last days? Proverbs 6:23–33.

Note: “Near the close of this earth’s history Satan will work with all his powers in the same manner and with the same temptations wherewith he tempted ancient Israel just before their entering the Land of Promise. He will lay snares for those who claim to keep the commandments of God, and who are almost on the borders of the heavenly Canaan. He will use his powers to their utmost in order to entrap souls and to take God’s professed people upon their weakest points. Those who have not brought the lower passions into subjection to the higher powers of their being, those who have allowed their minds to flow in a channel of carnal indulgence of the baser passions, Satan is determined to destroy with his temptations—to pollute their souls with licentiousness. He is not aiming especially at the lower and less important marks, but he makes use of his snares through those whom he can enlist as his agents to allure or attract men to take liberties which are condemned in the law of God.” The Adventist Home, 327.

  • How can we develop a barrier to temptation? Philippians 4:8.

4 A DEADLY PATHWAY

  • What happens to the conscience once the barriers of godly restraint are let down? Proverbs 30:20.

Note: “When one commandment of the Decalogue is broken, the downward steps are almost certain. When once the barriers of female modesty are removed, the basest licentiousness does not appear exceeding sinful.” The Adventist Home, 58.

“Whatever have been the little sins indulged will ruin the soul, unless they are overcome. The small sins will swell into the greater sins. Impure thoughts, private, impure actions, unrefined, low, and sensual thoughts and actions in the marriage life, the giving loose reins to the baser passions under the marriage vow will lead to every other sin, the transgression of all the commandments of God. Men that God has entrusted with noble talents will be, unless closely connected with God, guilty of great weakness, and not having the grace of Christ in the soul will become connected with greater crimes. … If not overcome, the weakness will become a tyrant, a conqueror, to overcome them, and the heavenly light will become beclouded and extinguished.” The Review and Herald, May 24, 1887.

  • What must we realize in order to escape the perils of licentiousness so rampant today? Proverbs 22:14; I Peter 1:13.

Note: “We are now amid the perils of the last days. Satan has come down with great power to work his deceptions. He fastens the mind or imaginations upon impure, unlawful things. Christians become like Christ in character by dwelling upon the divine Model. That with which they come in contact has a molding influence upon life and character. I have read of a painter who would never look upon an imperfect painting for a single moment, lest it should have a deteriorating influence upon his own eye and conceptions. That which we allow ourselves to look upon oftenest, and think of most, transfers itself in a measure to us. The imagination trained to dwell upon God and his loveliness will not find delight in dwelling upon scenes that are created by the imagination that is excited by lust.” The Review and Herald, May 24, 1887.

5 VICTORY IN HEART AND LIFE

  • Explain how deep the concept of moral purity is. Proverbs 21:8; Matthew 5:27, 28.

Note: “When the thought of evil is loved and cherished, however secretly, said Jesus, it shows that sin still reigns in the heart. The soul is still in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity. He who finds pleasure in dwelling upon scenes of impurity, who indulges the evil thought, the lustful look, may behold in the open sin, with its burden of shame and heart-breaking grief, the true nature of the evil which he has hidden in the chambers of the soul. The season of temptation, under which, it may be, one falls into grievous sin, does not create the evil that is revealed, but only develops or makes manifest that which was hidden and latent in the heart. As a man ‘thinketh in his heart, so is he;’ for out of the heart ‘are the issues of life.’ Proverbs 23:7; 4:23.” Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, 60.

  • How can we gain the victory over all unlawful appetites and passions which clamor for the mastery? Matthew 5:29, 30; Galatians 5:16–21; I Corinthians 15:57.

Note: “Self-control can be complete only in the strength which comes from Jesus Christ, ever true to the rightful dominion of the higher powers and attributes having dominion over the lower.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 20, 54.

“In the wilderness Christ achieved a victory in behalf of the race upon the point of appetite, making it possible for man in all future time in his name to overcome the strength of appetite on his own behalf.” The Review and Herald, August 18, 1874.

Review and Thought Questions

1 What do we know about the wine that Christ used?

2 How can we uplift the temperance standard among us?

3 Discuss the perils of much of today’s social behavior.

4 What bitter consequences result from impure thoughts?

5 How does Matthew 5:8 reveal the importance of victory?

Copyright © 2002 Reformation Herald Publishing Association, 5240 Hollins Road, Roanoke, Virginia. Reprinted by permission.

A Purified Church

There are two texts of scripture upon which to build our study. The first is found in Ephesians 5:27. “That He may present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” That sounds exciting! For as we look at our church today, it is a far cry from perfection; but God states in His holy Word that His church will become holy and without blemish. John the Revelator describes this purified church in these words of which you are very familiar, “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” Revelation 14:12.

There will be a violent shaking within God’s remnant church, which will leave only the precious wheat within the city of Jerusalem. Of this we read in Joel 2:24: “And the floor shall be full of wheat, and the vats shall overflow with wine and oil.” “In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah; We have a strong city; salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks.” Isaiah 26:1. Jerusalem will be a completely united city. Her inhabitants will be fully armed, covered with the protection of Christ’s righteousness. She shall be enabled to stand against the enemy.

“The forces of the enemy will no more be able to overpower her than is the chaff to resist the whirlwind.” Testimonies, vol. 8, 11. In Early Writings, 270, this is explained: “Said the angel, ‘Look ye!’ My attention was then turned to the company I had seen, who were mightily shaken. I was shown those whom I had before seen weeping and praying in agony of spirit. The company of guardian angels around them had been doubled, and they were clothed with an armor from their head to their feet. They moved in exact order, like a company of soldiers.”

Concerning the remnant, the Word of God describes this purified and victorious church with these words: “Thus saith the Lord, I am returned unto Zion, and I will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth; and the mountain of the Lord of hosts the holy mountain.” Zechariah 8:3. “And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem.” Isaiah 4:3.

Polishing the Jewels

We are nothing but rough stones; we have no light or beauty in ourselves. We are nothing but common, warped and drab. “None is good, save One, that is, God.” Luke 18:19. But when the true light of Christ shines through us, we become living stones and emit His light. We become purified, polished, tested and tried, fitly representing the perfection that God wishes as He places us without a flaw to mar the reflection of Christ. Isaiah describes it in this way, “Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God.” Isaiah 62:3. Then in that beautiful book, Our High Calling, 167: “The company of believers may be few in number, but they have been taken by the cleaver of truth as rough stones from the quarry of the world . . . to be fitted up by test and trial for a place in God’s heavenly temple, and they are very precious in the sight of the Lord . . . Even in the rough, they are precious in the sight of God. The ax and the hammer and the chisel of trial and test are in the hands of the One who is skillful, and are used not to destroy, not to bring to nothingness, but to work out the perfections of every soul. The divine Worker spends little time on worthless material. Only the precious jewels does he polish after the similitude of a palace, cutting away all the rough edges. This process is severe and trying; it hurts human pride. Christ cuts deep into the experience that man in his self-sufficiency has regarded as complete, and takes away self-uplifting from the character. He cuts away the surplus surface, and putting the stone to the polishing wheel, presses it close, that all roughness may be worn away. Then, holding the jewel up to the light, the Master sees in it a reflection of Himself, and He pronounces it worthy of a place in his casket.” [All Emphasis Supplied]

We must allow Christ to measure, test, cleanse, and polish us; to fit us into the very temple of God. In the judgment all will be measured, whether we are good or evil, and all who do not measure up to the pattern will be rejected. But those who are wise, that is they are willing to be made ready, will be used in God’s building. “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house . . . acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.” I Peter 2:5.

Let us compare God’s last day remnant church with the following found in Bible Commentary, vol. 2, 1029. “The Jewish temple was built of hewn stones quarried out of the mountains; and every stone was fitted for its place in the temple, hewn, polished, and tested, before it was brought to Jerusalem. And when all were brought to the ground, the building went together without the sound of ax or hammer. This building represents God’s spiritual temple, which is composed of material gathered out of every nation, and tongue, and people, of all grades, high and low, rich and poor, learned and unlearned. These are not dead substances, to be fitted by hammer and chisel. They are living stones, quarried out from the world by truth; and the great Master-Builder, the Lord of the temple, is now hewing and polishing them, and fitting them for their respective places in the spiritual temple. When completed, this temple will be perfect in all its parts, the admiration of angels and men; for its Builder and Maker is God.”

The Harvest of Babylon Ripened

There is another city, Babylon, embracing the whole world, that must also be ripened for the harvest before Christ comes the second time. How can this be accomplished? Just as God is able to transform His subjects into living stones, so He produces the circumstances that will prepare the harvest of Babylon for the reapers. Even though the people of God, His very small remnant, have experienced victory over the beast and over its image and over every sin, there is still a great work for them to do on this earth. The remnant are to give the harvest producing message, the Loud Cry, designed to ripen the harvest within Babylon.

Who will give the Loud Cry? Many suppose it will be given by the whole church, those represented as the wheat and the tares, but the Spirit of Prophecy is very plain; this will never happen. “The third angel’s message is to lighten the earth with its glory; but only those who have withstood temptation in the strength of the Mighty One will be permitted to act a part in proclaiming it when it shall have swelled into the loud cry.” Review and Herald, November 19, 1908. Now that can mean only one thing: those represented by the tares will not be permitted to give the Loud Cry.

This is also explained in Testimonies, vol. 9, 40. “In the future the earth is to be lightened with the glory of God. A holy influence is to go forth to the world from those who are sanctified through the truth.” You see, the loud cry will be a demonstration given by those who have been sanctified. In this last call, the world is to be warned not by theories of the truth alone, nor of judgments, terrible as they are as foretold in the third angel’s message. No! They are to be given a demonstration! “The world can only be warned by seeing those who believe the truth sanctified through the truth, acting upon high and holy principles, showing in a high, elevated sense, the line of demarcation between those who keep the commandments of God and those who trample them under their feet. The sanctification of the Spirit signalizes the difference between those who have the seal of God and those who keep a spurious rest day.” Bible Commentary, vol. 7, 980.

God’s Noblemen

During the Loud Cry, the Sabbath will be preached to the world by a sanctified group who are showing the difference between keeping the Sabbath as commanded by God, and keeping Sunday as commanded by men. Merely representing the arguments of worship on the seventh day is not the third angel’s message. It is sanctification that draws a distinct line between those who proclaim the true Gospel and those who proclaim the Devil’s false theories. Sad to say, few of us today seem to realize this, nor do we fully comprehend the meaning of the third angel’s message, for it contains the glory of God that will lighten the whole earth. This is explained in Testimonies, vol. 6, 19: “The message of Christ’s righteousness is to sound from one end of the earth to the other to prepare the way of the Lord. This is the glory of God, which closes the work of the third angel.” How is this revelation of Christ’s character to be proclaimed to the world by men? “To give glory to God is to reveal His character in our own, and thus make Him known. And in whatever way we make known the Father or the Son, we glorify God.” Bible Commentary, vol. 7, 979. Then compare this with Christ’s Object Lessons, 414: “The light of His glory—His character—is to shine forth in His followers. Thus they are to glorify God, to lighten the path to the Bridegroom’s home, to the city of God, to the marriage supper of the Lamb.”

In Christ’s Object Lessons, 415, are these amazing words: “It is the darkness of misapprehension of God that is enshrouding the world. Men are losing their knowledge of His character. It has been misunderstood and misinterpreted. At this time a message from God is to be proclaimed, a message illuminating in its influence and saving in its power. His character is to be made known. Into the darkness of the world is to be shed the light of His glory, the light of His goodness, mercy and truth. Those who wait for the Bridegroom’s coming are to say to the people, Behold your God.” They will see in us the revelation of God’s character.

“God will make known the mystery which has been hidden for ages, He will make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you the hope of glory.” Selected Messages, vol. 1, 386. So you see, Christ will be within us. And as Christ represented the Father, so with Jesus in us, we will represent God. In Testimonies, vol. 8, 50, we read: “In the time of confusion and trouble before us, a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation, the uplifted Saviour will be presented to the people of all lands, that all who look to Him in faith may live.”

Now during this little time of trouble, the attention of the entire world will be directed upon those who cannot be moved from their position of truth. This is exactly what God has proposed should take place. In vision, the Lord’s messenger was shown the remnant who had passed through the shaking, and had obtained the victory over every sin. They are the ones that will now go to Babylon and will give the truth with great power. “My attention was then turned to the company I had seen, who were mightily shaken. The company of guardian angels around them had been doubled, and they were clothed with an armor from their head to their feet. They moved in exact order, like a company of soldiers. . . The numbers of this company had lessened. Some had been shaken out and left by the way . . . I heard those clothed with the armor speak forth the truth with great power. It had effect . . . I asked what had made this great change. An angel answered, ‘It is the latter rain, the refreshing from the presence of the Lord, the loud cry of the third angel.’ ” Early Writing, 270, 271.

“Clad in the armor of Christ’s righteousness, the church is to enter upon her final conflict. ‘Fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners, she is to go forth into all the world, conquering and to conquer.’” Prophets and Kings, 725. The message of a purified church is to go forth triumphant as a conqueror.

“They are made indeed a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men. They are marked characters because of their purity of heart and life, their strength of purpose, their firmness and usefulness in the cause of God. They are God’s noble men.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 578. Just to think that we will be God’s noblemen! The church will give not only a final demonstration, but the full display of God’s character will be revealed within every individual. “The members of the church, those whom he has called out of darkness into His marvelous light, are to show forth His glory. The church is the repository of the riches of the grace of Christ; and through the church will eventually be made manifest, even to ‘the principalities and powers in heavenly places,’ the final and full display of the love of God.” The Acts of the Apostles, 9.

“While multitudes are devoted to mammon, and serve not the Holy One of Israel, there are a few who have not defiled their garments, but have kept them unspotted from the world; and these few will be a power.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 482. “Character is power. The silent witness of a true, unselfish, godly life, carries an almost irresistible influence. By revealing in our own life the character of Christ we cooperate with him. And the wider the sphere of our influence, the more good we may do. When those who profess to serve God follow Christ’s example, practicing the principles of the law in their daily life; when every act bears witness that they love God supremely and their neighbor as themselves, then will the church have power to move the world.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 340. “He will restrain the forces of darkness until the warning is given to the world and all who will heed it are prepared for the conflict.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 453.

As an example, do you remember how Nebuchadnezzar persecuted the truth, yet it only served to spread the truth? The king thought to force the worship of the golden image by casting the three Hebrews into the fiery furnace, but God preserved His servants in the midst of the flames. Thus the knowledge of the true God was presented to all the assembled princes and great men. “The efforts made to retard the progress of truth, will serve to extend it.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 554. That is encouraging. What is holding us back from having this wonderful experience? It is because God’s people are not ready to receive the great power of the Latter Rain.

Unfitted to Receive the Latter Rain

“Ministers and people are unprepared for the time in which they live, and nearly all who profess to believe present truth are unprepared to understand the work of preparation for this time . . . They are wholly unfitted to receive the latter rain . . . Ministers and people must make greater advancement in the work of reform. They should commence without delay to correct their wrong habits of eating, drinking, dressing, and working.” Testimonies, vol. 1, 466.

“God’s people are not prepared for the loud cry of the third angel. They have a work to do for themselves which they should not leave for God to do for them. He has left this work for them to do. It is an individual work; one cannot do it for another. ‘Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.’” Testimonies, vol. 1, 486.

“The great outpouring of the Spirit of God, which lightens the whole earth with his glory, will not come until we have an enlightened people, that know by experience what it means to be laborers together with God. When we have entire, wholehearted consecration to the service of Christ, God will recognize the fact by an outpouring of His Spirit without measure; but this will not be while the largest portion of the church are not laborers together with God.” Review and Herald, July 21, 1896. This experience will not take place until the shaking first shakes out the tares. And this will happen when the Sunday Law bursts upon us. Why did the lamps of the foolish virgins go out? Because character, not theology, lightens the way to the Bridegroom. This is why the tares are ruled out of having a part in giving the Loud Cry.

The false brethren have never fully comprehended the third angel’s message. Thus they will be left in darkness, and Satan will so delude these that they will actually denounce the Loud Cry as a false, spiritualistic phenomena. Where do I get this? In Review and Herald, May 27, 1890: “The third angel’s message will not be comprehended, the light which will lighten the earth with its glory will be called a false light, by those who refuse to walk in its advancing glory.” At Pentecost, the foolish virgins declared the demonstration of the Former Rain to be the result of the use of alcohol by the leaders of the church.

Only the members of the purified church will receive the Latter Rain, and give the Loud Cry. The storm of persecution perpetrated by Babylon in the Sunday Law harassment will finally separate the tares from the wheat and leave a small remnant perfectly united and holy. “As trials thicken around us, both separation and unity will be seen in our ranks . . . Those who have had great light and precious privileges, but have not improved them, will, under one pretext or another, go out from us.”

“The promises of God now repeated as if the soul had never tasted of His love, will then glow upon the altar of the heart, and fall in burning words from the lips of the messengers of God. They will then plead with souls with an earnestness that cannot be repulsed. Then the windows of heaven will be open for the showers of the latter rain. The followers of Christ will be united in love.” Review and Herald, February 25, 1890. “It is not numerous institutions, large buildings, or great display that God requires, but the harmonious action of a peculiar people, a people chosen by God and precious. Every man is to stand in his lot and place, thinking, speaking, and acting in harmony with the Spirit of God. Then, and not till then, will the work be a complete, symmetrical whole.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 293.

Oh, how God wants to prepare His people now for this marvelous work of presenting the last message of mercy! As millions leave the true and faithful, as the tares separate, so millions from Babylon will take up the ranks of those that leave, because of the Divine Power of the Loud Cry which will sweep the world like fire in stubble. May we be among those faithful few who will have a part in the closing work; for there is a bright and glorious day just ahead for the church—a purified church, a triumphant church.

The End

Bible Study Guides – Purity in an Age of Decay

May 8, 2016 – May 14, 2016

Key Text

“Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity” (I Timothy 4:12).

Study Help: Testimonies, vol. 2, 390–411.

Introduction

“What a lesson for all youth we have in the history of Joseph. Here moral integrity was preserved under the strongest temptations.” Christ Triumphant, 97.

1 GOD CALLS JOSEPHS TODAY

  • What is God calling young people like Joseph to be today? Genesis 39:9; I Timothy 4:12; Proverbs 31:10–12.

Note: “Do not see how close you can walk upon the brink of a precipice and be safe. Avoid the first approach to danger. The soul’s interests cannot be trifled with. Your capital is your character. Cherish it as you would a golden treasure. Moral purity, self-respect, a strong power of resistance, must be firmly and constantly cherished. There should not be one departure from reserve; one act of familiarity, one indiscretion, may jeopardize the soul in opening the door to temptation, and the power of resistance becomes weakened.” The Adventist Home, 404.

  • What damage is done when sexual sins are practiced? Proverbs 6:27–33.

Note: “Few temptations are more dangerous or more fatal to young men than the temptation to sensuality, and none if yielded to will prove so decidedly ruinous to soul and body for time and eternity.” Letters to Young Lovers, 69.

“David was a repentant man, and although he confessed and hated his sin, he could not forget it.” Testimonies on Sexual Behavior, Adultery, and Divorce, 89.

2 MARRIAGE UNDER ATTACK

  • What is the only intimate physical relationship which God regards as moral and pure? Genesis 2:21–25; Hebrews 13:4.

Note: “When the divine principles are recognized and obeyed in this [marital] relation, marriage is a blessing; it guards the purity and happiness of the race, it provides for man’s social needs, it elevates the physical, the intellectual, and the moral nature.” The Adventist Home, 26.

  • What happens when the marriage institution, as given by God, is no longer recognized by society as the standard of sexual morality? Isaiah 5:20; Romans 1:26–32; John 3:19, 20.

Note: “Everywhere are seen wrecks of humanity, broken-down family altars, broken-up families. There is a strange abandonment of principle, the standard of morality is lowered, and the earth is fast becoming a Sodom. The Sodomitish practices which brought the judgment of God upon the world, and caused it to be deluged with water, and which caused Sodom to be destroyed by fire, are fast increasing. We are nearing the end. God has borne long with the perversity of mankind, but their punishment is no less certain. Let those who profess to be the light of the world, depart from all iniquity.” Testimonies on Sexual Behavior, Adultery, and Divorce, 120, 121.

  • What happens when God’s church allows sexual immorality to exist within her borders? Ephesians 5:11, 12; Romans 2:21–24; Jude 5–7.

Note: “Licentiousness, unlawful intimacy, and unholy practices are coming in among us in a large degree; and ministers who are handling sacred things are guilty of sin in this respect. They are coveting their neighbors’ wives, and the seventh commandment is broken. We are in danger of becoming a sister to fallen Babylon, of allowing our churches to become corrupted, and filled with every foul spirit, a cage for every unclean and hateful bird; and will we be clear unless we make decided movements to cure the existing evil?” Testimonies on Sexual Behavior, Adultery, and Divorce, 188.

3 VISUAL SINS ON THE RISE

  • With easy access to the Internet through personal computers and other portable electronic devices (smartphones, tablets), which sins of impurity are on the increase? Matthew 5:27, 28; I John 2:16.

Note: “Exciting love stories and impure pictures have a corrupting influence. … This is an age when corruption is teeming everywhere. The lust of the eye and corrupt passions are aroused by beholding and by reading. The heart is corrupted through the imagination. The mind takes pleasure in contemplating scenes which awaken the lower and baser passions. These vile images, seen through defiled imagination, corrupt the morals and prepare the deluded, infatuated beings to give loose rein to lustful passions.” Testimonies, vol. 2, 410.

  • What can be done to protect ourselves and our children against such strategies of the devil? Luke 11:34, 35; Psalm 101:3; Job 31:1.

Note: “If parents desire their children to be pure, they must surround them with pure associations such as God can approve.

“With what care parents should guard their children from careless, loose, demoralizing habits! Fathers and mothers, do you realize the importance of the responsibility resting on you? Do you allow your children to associate with other children without being present to know what kind of education they are receiving? Do not allow them to be alone with other children. Give them your special care. Every evening know where they are and what they are doing. Are they pure in all their habits? Have you instructed them in the principles of moral purity?” Child Guidance, 114.

  • With immorality abounding around us, where should our mind and affections be? Philippians 4:8; 2 Peter 1:4; Colossians 3:1, 2.

Note: “If in their tender years the minds of children are filled with pleasant images of truth, of purity and goodness, a taste will be formed for that which is pure and elevated, and their imagination will not become easily corrupted or defiled.” Child Guidance, 116.

“Recreation in the open air, the contemplation of the works of God in nature, will be of the highest benefit.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 653.

“Parents and guardians must themselves maintain purity of heart and life, if they desire their children to be pure.” Child Guidance, 27.

4 STANDING FIRM FOR GOD

  • Why is it so important to stand up for purity now than it has been in any other time? 2 Timothy 3:13; I Corinthians 6:9–11.

Note: “Immorality abounds everywhere. Licentiousness is the special sin of this age. Never did vice lift its deformed head with such boldness as now. The people seem to be benumbed, and the lovers of virtue and true goodness are nearly discouraged by its boldness, strength, and prevalence. The iniquity which abounds is not merely confined to the unbeliever and the scoffer. Would that this were the case, but it is not. Many men and women who profess the religion of Christ are guilty. Even some who profess to be looking for His appearing are no more prepared for that event than Satan himself. They are not cleansing themselves from all pollution.” The Adventist Home, 328.

  • What kind of mind will highly principled, Christian men and women possess? What will this enable them to do? 2 Timothy 1:7; Ephesians 4:13, 14; James 1:6–8.

Note: “The greatest want of the world is the want of men—men who will not be bought or sold, men who in their inmost souls are true and honest, men who do not fear to call sin by its right name, men whose conscience is as true to duty as the needle to the pole, men who will stand for the right though the heavens fall.” Education, 57.

  • How can we have a mind governed by principle and truth rather than by policy and inclination? Philippians 2:5; Psalm 40:8; Matthew 4:4.

Note: “Those who have never learned their duty from God, and acquainted themselves with His purposes concerning them, are not reliable in times of severe conflict with the powers of darkness. They are swayed by external and present appearances. …

“In the renewed heart there will be a fixed principle to obey the will of God, because there is a love for what is just, and good, and holy. There will be no hesitating, conferring with the taste, or studying of convenience, or moving in a certain course because others do so. Everyone should live for himself.” Testimonies, vol. 2, 487, 488.

5 AN UNCHANGEABLE PRINCIPLE

  • What happened when Joseph chose to stand firm for God? Genesis 39:12–20. Why shouldn’t we be surprised by this? 2 Timothy 3:12.

Note: “Joseph’s faithful integrity led to the loss of his reputation and his liberty. This is the severest test that the virtuous and God-fearing are subjected to, that vice seems to prosper while virtue is trampled in the dust. The seducer was living in prosperity as a model of virtuous propriety, while Joseph, true to principle, was under a degrading charge of crime the most revolting.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 1, 1097.

  • How firmly should we be prepared to stand in upholding the purity of the marriage institution? Matthew 14:3–10.

Note: “Marriage was from the creation constituted by God a divine ordinance. … Then let this, God’s institution of marriage, stand before you as firm as the Sabbath of the fourth commandment.” Testimonies on Sexual Behavior, Adultery, and Divorce, 159.

“Why need he [John the Baptist] have provoked the anger of Herodias by telling Herod that it was unlawful for him to live with his brother’s wife? The forerunner of Christ lost his life by his plain speaking. Why could he not have moved along without incurring the displeasure of those who were living in sin?

“So men who should be standing as faithful guardians of God’s law have argued, till policy has taken the place of faithfulness, and sin is allowed to go unreproved. When will the voice of faithful rebuke be heard once more in the church?” Prophets and Kings, 141.

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1 Why is the violation of the seventh commandment so treacherous to the soul?

2 How is society today fast fulfilling the prophecies relating to Christ’s return?

3 How can technology become a deadly weapon in the hand of the user?

4 What is the greatest need in the world today?

5 Would you be willing to lay down your life in defending God’s institutions?

Copyright © 2015 Reformation Herald Publishing Association, 5240 Hollins Road, Roanoke, Virginia. Reprinted by permission.

Mental Purity

“As he thinketh in his heart, so is he.”

Proverbs 23:7

In a material sense man is a thinking machine. Thoughts evaporate from a healthy brain like light from a burning lamp. They flow involuntarily, and are fed from the surrounding elements in which we live. Our five senses take cognizance of such things as they come in contact with. Whatever the eye looks upon or the ear hears, sends a throb of a similar character through the brain. Profane or vile words, or obscene pictures, will leave thoughts generating in the mind that we dare not utter. Again and again they will flash upon us until the soul is corrupted or, if seeking the purity of heaven, divine help is implored to drive them away. The promise of seeing God is only to the pure in thought (Matthew 5:8).

We live in the sphere of our material surroundings. We are known by the company we keep and the books we read; but God “searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts” (I Chronicles 28: 9). To keep ourselves pure necessitates a total abstinence from other men’s sins, and a continual warfare against the passions of life, inflamed, as they are, by daily contact with the evil temptations around us. On the street or in public gatherings, the vulgar and profane exercise but little respect, and one is continually subjected to these annoyances. The mind is polluted, the public morals are continually being corrupted; and this generation is rapidly attaining to the condition of man as he was before the flood, when “every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5). The advertising illustrations on placards, the public show-bills, the theatrical display of nudity, the wily schemes of Satan that meet the eye and the ear on every hand, betoken the evils of the days in which we live, and are fast ripening the tares for the harvest of God’s wrath (Matthew 13:30).

It is hardly possible to escape the sight and sound of these things, although we strictly guard our fireside and maintain pure conditions around the home circle. The only sure remedy is a strict education in moral duties, and the cleansing power of God’s Spirit:—

“Vice is a monster of so frightful mien.

As to be hated, needs but to be seen.

Yet seen too oft, familiar with her face.

We first endure, then pity, then embrace.”

The Review and Herald, June 2, 1891.