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Bible Study Guides – The Saints Taken to Heaven

October 25, 2018 by Maurice Hoppe

September 4, 2005 – September 10, 2005

Memory Verse

“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17. “And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this [is] our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this [is] the Lord; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.” Isaiah 25:9.

Suggested Reading: Revelation 22:1–8; The Great Controversy, 645–652, 657; Early Writings, 287–289.

Introduction

In the previous lesson, we learned that when Jesus comes the second time, He comes as “King of kings and Lord of lords” to fight the coalition of Revelation 16:13, 14 in what is called the Battle of Armageddon. During the battle, Christ frees the subjects of His kingdom from the captivity of Satan. We were told about the resurrection of the sleeping saints and how they, with the living saints, receive immortality and are caught up together to meet their Lord in the air.

In this lesson, we will learn about their journey to the Holy City and their reception into the kingdom of glory.

1 Describe the gathering of the saints in preparation for the trip to heaven. See Isaiah 26:19; 1 Corinthians 15:51–55.

note: “The living righteous are changed ‘in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.’ At the voice of God they were glorified; now they are made immortal and with the risen saints are caught up to meet their Lord in the air. Angels ‘gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.’ Little children are borne by holy angels to their mothers’ arms. Friends long separated by death are united, nevermore to part, and with songs of gladness ascend together to the City of God.” The Great Controversy, 645.

2 Describe the winged chariot as it moves upward with the saints toward the New Jerusalem. Compare Ezekiel 1:22–28.

note: “On each side of the cloudy chariot are wings, and beneath it are living wheels; and as the chariot rolls upward, the wheels cry, ‘Holy,’ and the wings, as they move, cry, ‘Holy,’ and the retinue of angels cry, ‘Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty.’ And the redeemed shout, ‘Alleluia!’ as the chariot moves onward toward the New Jerusalem.” The Great Controversy, 645.

3 When Jesus comes, is His reward with Him? Revelation 22:12.

note: “Before entering the City of God, the Saviour bestows upon His followers the emblems of victory and invests them with the insignia of their royal state. The glittering ranks are drawn up in the form of a hollow square about their King, whose form rises in majesty high above saint and angel, whose countenance beams upon them full of benignant love.” The Great Controversy, 645, 646.

4 What three emblems (items) of victory are presented to the saints during this ceremony? Revelation 2:10; 7:9; 15:2.

note: “Throughout the unnumbered host of the redeemed every glance is fixed upon Him, every eye beholds His glory whose ‘visage was so marred more than any man, and His form more than the sons of men.’ Upon the heads of the overcomers, Jesus with His own right hand places the crown of glory. For each there is a crown, bearing his own ‘new name’ (Revelation 2:17), and the inscription, ‘Holiness to the Lord.’ In every hand are placed the victor’s palm and the shining harp. Then, as the commanding angels strike the note, every hand sweeps the harp strings with skillful touch, awaking sweet music in rich, melodious strains. Rapture unutterable thrills every heart, and each voice is raised in grateful praise: ‘Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and His Father; to Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever.’ Revelation 1:5, 6.” The Great Controversy, 646.

5 When Jesus opens the gates of the Holy City for the saints to enter in, what is the scene they behold? Revelation 22:1–5; Genesis 2:8–15.

note: “Before the ransomed throng is the Holy City. Jesus opens wide the pearly gates, and the nations that have kept the truth enter in. There they behold the Paradise of God, the home of Adam in his innocency.” The Great Controversy, 646.

6 Will God’s people (His church) be victorious commandment-keepers? Revelation 22:14; 15:2; 14:12; 1 Corinthians 15:56, 57; 1 John 5:4.

note: “The church militant is not in this world the church triumphant. From generation to generation, the enemy has been marshaling his forces against God. . . . But God’s children will not be frightened from their purpose by the proud, presumptuous opposition of evildoers. By faith they see a crown of life awaiting those who are victorious, and they press forward toward the mark for the prize of their high calling in Christ Jesus.” Review and Herald, July 26, 1898.

“The Church militant is not the Church triumphant. Unless the people of God wage a valiant warfare against every species of sin, they will never pass through the portals of the holy city. And we shall have no second trial. Now is the accepted time, the time in which we are to obtain the education that will enable us to live in the heavenly courts. The whole heavenly universe is watching with the deepest interest to see who in this primary school is practicing the lessons of Christ.” Ibid., December 31, 1901.

“The injunction to each one of us is, ‘Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.’ The ardent desire of the apostles was to know God, and Jesus Christ, whom he hath sent. Jesus lives; he is before the Father in the heavenly courts, making intercession for those who are still upon the earth in the turmoil and strife of life; for the church militant is not yet the church triumphant.” Signs of the Times, July 24, 1893.

“Then that voice, richer than any music that ever fell on mortal ear, is heard, saying: ‘Your conflict is ended.’ ‘Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.’ [Matthew 25:34.]” The Great Controversy, 646.

7 Who does Jesus present to the Father after they enter the Holy City? John 17:9, 12, 24; Isaiah 8:18; Jude 24.

note: “Now is fulfilled the Saviour’s prayer for His disciples: ‘I will that they also, whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am.’ ‘Faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy’ (Jude 24), Christ presents to the Father the purchase of His blood, declaring: ‘Here am I, and the children whom Thou hast given Me.’ ‘Those that Thou gavest Me I have kept.’ Oh, the wonders of redeeming love! the rapture of that hour when the infinite Father, looking upon the ransomed, shall behold His image, sin’s discord banished, its blight removed, and the human once more in harmony with the divine!” The Great Controversy, 646.

8 When Jesus and the redeemed gather around the great white throne, what is the cause of the unspeakable joy they experience? Matthew 18:12–14; Luke 15:4–7.

note: “With unutterable love, Jesus welcomes His faithful ones to the joy of their Lord. The Saviour’s joy is in seeing, in the kingdom of glory, the souls that have been saved by His agony and humiliation. And the redeemed will be sharers in His joy, as they behold, among the blessed, those who have been won to Christ through their prayers, their labors, and their loving sacrifice. As they gather about the great white throne, gladness unspeakable will fill their hearts, when they behold those whom they have won for Christ, and see that one has gained others, and these still others, all brought into the haven of rest, there to lay their crowns at Jesus’ feet and praise Him through the endless cycles of eternity.” The Great Controversy, 647.

9 What group receives special recognition at this time? Revelation 15:2, 3; 14:1–5.

note: “Upon the crystal sea before the throne, that sea of glass as it were mingled with fire,—so resplendent is it with the glory of God,—are gathered the company that have ‘gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name.’ With the Lamb upon Mount Zion, ‘having the harps of God,’ they stand, the hundred and forty and four thousand that were redeemed from among men; and there is heard, as the sound of many waters, and as the sound of a great thunder, ‘the voice of harpers harping with their harps.’ And they sing ‘a new song’ before the throne, a song which no man can learn save the hundred and forty and four thousand. It is the song of Moses and the Lamb—a song of deliverance. None but the hundred and forty-four thousand can learn that song; for it is the song of their experience—an experience such as no other company have ever had. ‘These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth.’ These, having been translated from the earth, from among the living, are counted as ‘the first fruits unto God and to the Lamb.’ Revelation 15:2, 3; 14:1–5. ‘These are they which came out of great tribulation;’ they have passed through the time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation; they have endured the anguish of the time of Jacob’s trouble; they have stood without an intercessor through the final outpouring of God’s judgments. But they have been delivered, for they have ‘washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.’ ” The Great Controversy, 648, 649.

10 What will be the song of the redeemed? Revelation 5:9, 12.

note: “The cross of Christ will be the science and the song of the redeemed through all eternity. In Christ glorified they will behold Christ crucified. Never will it be forgotten that He whose power created and upheld the unnumbered worlds through the vast realms of space, the Beloved of God, the Majesty of heaven, He whom cherub and shining seraph delighted to adore—humbled Himself to uplift fallen man; that He bore the guilt and shame of sin, and the hiding of His Father’s face, till the woes of a lost world broke His heart and crushed out His life on Calvary’s cross. That the Maker of all worlds, the Arbiter of all destinies, should lay aside His glory and humiliate Himself from love to man will ever excite the wonder and adoration of the universe. As the nations of the saved look upon their Redeemer and behold the eternal glory of the Father shining in His countenance; as they behold His throne, which is from everlasting to everlasting, and know that His kingdom is to have no end, they break forth in rapturous song: ‘Worthy, worthy is the Lamb that was slain, and hath redeemed us to God by His own most precious blood!’ ” The Great Controversy, 651, 652.

11 Whom do we address when we pray? Matthew 6:9.

note: “The mystery of the cross explains all other mysteries. In the light that streams from Calvary the attributes of God which had filled us with fear and awe appear beautiful and attractive. Mercy, tenderness, and parental love are seen to blend with holiness, justice, and power. While we behold the majesty of His throne, high and lifted up, we see His character in its gracious manifestations, and comprehend, as never before, the significance of that endearing title, ‘Our Father.’ ” The Great Controversy, 652.

The Man Who Would Not Give Up, Part II

October 23, 2018 by John J. Grosboll

When the time came for Jacob to return to the land of his father, he approached the country of his birth with trepidation, anticipating the welcome he would receive from his twin brother, Esau. To help soften his brother’s heart and to appease him, Jacob sent expensive gifts to him. He did everything he could, but he knew that it was not enough, and it was not enough. Esau was on his way with 400 armed men.

Jacob learned something, friend, that you and I need to learn. He was shrewd; he knew how to make business deals. But he was in a situation now where those skills were useless. There was no business deal that he could make, which would get him out of this. He knew that unless the Lord intervened, it was going to be all over.

Plea for Help

So, Jacob went to the Lord in prayer: “O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, Jehovah. You said to me, ‘Return to your land and to your kindred, and I will deal well with you: I am not worthy for any of your mercies which you have done with your servant.’ ” Genesis 32:9, 10.

Jacob had divided his family into two camps, thinking that if the people in one camp were killed, the people in the other camp would be able to flee on horses or mules and get away. Then he had crossed over the Jordan. His plea to God continues in verses 11 and 12: “Deliver me, please, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; because I am terrified lest he should come and strike me and the mother with the children. And now, You said, ‘Indeed, I will deal well with you, and I will make your descendants, your seed, as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.’ ”

We do not know the entire contents of his prayer; all that is recorded are those few verses in Scripture. He was, no doubt, praying there for hours, pleading with the Lord. From these verses, you can understand the gist of his prayer. He said, “Lord, You promised. You are the One Who told me to come back here, and You said that You would deal well with me. You said that my descendants would be like the sand of the sea, which could not be numbered for multitude. Now we are all about to get killed.”

Jacob kept praying into the night hours. He was alone and unprotected, having sent his family and everything that made life dear to him a distance away. He was there all by himself. In describing the region where he was praying, Ellen White wrote: “It was in a lonely, mountainous region, the haunt of wild beasts and the lurking place of robbers and murderers. Solitary and unprotected, Jacob bowed in deep distress upon the earth. It was midnight.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 196.

Midnight, and his mind is still filled with doubts and questionings: “Maybe the Lord cannot fulfill His promises to me, because I am such a bad sinner. I am a crook and a liar. Maybe, even though He promised this to me, it will not happen, because I am so sinful, and now all my children, my wives, and everything will be killed, because of what I have done.”

If you are a father, you can understand Jacob’s anguish. For most fathers, it would be easier to die themselves than to watch their children get killed. This is why, during the Dark Ages, to torture the Waldenses, the agents of Rome would kill their sons before them, cut off their heads, tie them to the necks of their fathers, and then march the fathers to their deaths.

Bless Me

“He arose in that night and took his two wives, his two concubines, and his eleven sons and passed over the Brook Jabbok.” Genesis 32:22. Verse 23 says that he “sent them over the brook,” and verse 24 emphatically states that “Jacob was left alone.” He was left alone, all by himself. No one else was around. While Jacob was praying, all of a sudden, “There wrestled with him a man until the breaking of day. And He saw that He did not prevail against him, and He touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob’s thigh went out of joint as He was wrestling with him. And He said, ‘Send Me away, because the dawn is coming.’ And he said, ‘I cannot send You away unless You bless me!’ ” Verses 24–26.

You see, when his thigh was touched, Jacob realized instantly that he was dealing with a supernatural being, with someone from heaven. He was not dealing with another man. If you were struggling with another man and the man just touched you with his finger, your hip would not go out of joint. He knew, then, with Whom he was dealing.

“And He said, ‘What is your name?’ He said, ‘Jacob, Heel Grabber.’ And He said, ‘Not Jacob shall be called anymore your name, but rather Israel; because you are a prince with God and with men you will prevail.’ And Jacob asked and said, ‘Declare, please, Your name.’ And He said, ‘Why is this that you ask My name?’ And He blessed him there.” Verses 27–29.

The Meaning

What is the meaning of this story? During this night, Jacob struggled with the Lord Jesus. Jacob called the name of this place Peniel, which means “The Face of God,” because he said, “I have seen God face to face, and I am still alive.” Verse 30.

Jacob wrestled as hard as he could wrestle. What lesson can we learn from this? Have you ever met someone who has wrestled hard to overcome sin in his or her life, and he or she says, “I can never do it; I guess I will just have to be lost”? Jacob was fighting to overcome. He thought he was fighting Esau, one of Esau’s men, or a robber or a murderer who was going to kill him. He was determined to overcome, but he found that he could not. If you have a besetting sin in your life, you cannot overcome it anymore than Jacob could overcome. You cannot overcome unless you are blessed.

Confess and Forsake

Over and over again this night, it came to Jacob’s mind that he had stolen from his brother, and he had lied to and deceived his father. It kept coming back to him, and he told himself that was why he was going through this. But in the midst of it all, he had to keep fighting or, he thought, he himself would be killed.

While those sins kept coming to his mind, he also thought to himself, “But I have repented. I have told the Lord over and over again for 20 years that I am sorry, and I want to be forgiven. I do not do those things anymore, and I will not do them anymore. The Lord has promised me . . .”

The promise is very clear in the Bible. Proverbs 28:13 tells us, “He who hides his rebellions, his transgressions, will not prosper. But the one who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.” Jacob’s transgressions were rebellions. They were deliberate transgressions against the Law of God. They were not sins of ignorance.

Although the Book of Proverbs had not yet been written in Jacob’s time, he knew the principle. He knew that if a person confessed and repented of his sins, God had promised mercy. And he kept saying, as he was fighting, “Lord, I have repented. I have confessed. I have tried to do everything I know to make it right. I am not living like that anymore.”

This experience was also recorded by Hosea, in Hosea 12:4: “He wept and pleaded.” For what was he pleading? He wanted the assurance that his sins were pardoned and that they would not be held against his account. He continued to weep and plead until, it says, “He had power over the Angel and prevailed.”

This is quite a statement, that a human being would have power over an angel! And this was the Angel of the covenant, whose name we know as Jesus Christ! Jacob was fighting with Jesus Christ!

No Excuse for Sin

This is the story of a sinful human being who, by humbling himself, by repentance, and by self-surrender, prevailed with the Majesty of heaven. He did not come to the Lord and say, “Lord, You made a promise before I was born that my older brother would serve me,” even though God had made this promise before he was born. He did not come to the Lord and say, “Lord you know that Esau is a profane person”—and Esau is called a profane person. (See Hebrews 12:16.) Jacob did not use either divine promises or the character defects of his brother to excuse his own sin. Remember this. A confession is not an excuse; there is no excuse for sin.

“Satan is jubilant when he hears the professed followers of Christ making excuses for their deformity of character. It is these excuses that lead to sin. There is no excuse for sinning. A holy temper, a Christlike life, is accessible to every repenting, believing child of God.” The Desire of Ages, 311.

There is no excuse for sin. I cannot come to the Lord and say, “I sinned because so and so did this wrong.” This is not a confession. This is an excuse. Jacob did not do this. He did not say, “Lord, my brother did something . . . .” No, he just confessed his own sin and said, “Lord, I need to be cleansed from what I have done.”

Time to Come

This story about Jacob and the Angel—called “Jacob’s Time of Trouble”—when a helpless, unworthy person pleaded God’s promise of mercy to repentant sinners, is used in the Bible as a symbol of future events. In Jeremiah 30:5–7, we read, “Because thus Jehovah said, ‘A voice of trembling we have heard of dread, and not of peace. Ask now, and see, if a male bears a child. Wherefore do I see every male with his hands upon his loins as a woman giving birth to a child, and they have turned all faces into paleness? Alas! Because that day is great, so there is none like it; it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble, But he will be saved out of it.’ ”

If you look at the whole context of this prophecy, you will understand that this is a prophecy about the end of time. We are approaching the time when the plan of salvation is going to be completed.

The Book of Hebrews teaches that Christ is our High Priest. He is an all-powerful mediator. Even if you are the worst and weakest of sinners, you have an all-powerful Mediator who, if you call upon Him, can help you. He specializes in helping people who other people consider helpless, and this is what the strongest of Christians have to learn too. This is what Jacob had to learn.

Time of Jacob’s Trouble

There is coming a time when Christ’s work as a mediator in man’s behalf is over. What happens next? The Bible says, in Revelation 22:11, 12, “He who is unjust, shall be unjust still; and he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; and the righteous one, let him do righteousness still; and the holy one, let him be holy still. And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every one according as his work shall be.”

Soon after this pronouncement is made, the time of Jacob’s trouble is going to begin, because the plan of salvation will be over. It is the end of probation. Soon after this pronouncement is made, if you are filthy or unjust, you are going to stay this way forever. If you are righteous and holy, you are going to stay this way forever. When this pronouncement is made, then the time of Jacob’s trouble will begin for all of God’s children.

Bible prophecy tells us, in Revelation 13:15, that there is coming a time when, if we do not accept the mark of the beast or do not worship the beast, there will be a death decree against our lives. It will be just as it was with Jacob. Was Jacob in danger of losing his life? Yes, he was. Every member of his family was in danger of losing his or her life. If the Lord had not worked a miracle on Esau’s heart, they all would have lost their lives.

Jacob knew that the only way he would be saved was if he received the mercy of God. This is the only way you and I are going to be saved too.

Repent and Confess

Almost driven to despair, Jacob began to plead for deliverance. Imagine having to wrestle with someone from midnight until almost dawn! He held on. He would not give up. This is going to be the experience of God’s people who are alive during the last days, in their final struggle with the powers of evil spoken of in Jeremiah 30:5–7. It will seem to each person that his or her case is hopeless. Did Jacob’s case look hopeless? It looked absolutely hopeless.

God’s people will have a deep sense of their shortcomings. We all have shortcomings. If we look at our pasts, we are tempted to lose all hope. This is the feeling the devil tries to impress upon people. If the devil can convince us to believe we are absolutely hopeless and our hold on God is broken, then he has us. The people of God are going to do the same thing as did Jacob, when they know the greatness of God’s mercy, and they know that they have repented and confessed their sins.

My dear friend, right now is the time. If you have any sins on your record, which the Holy Spirit brings to your remembrance, say, “Lord, I want to be through with sin.” Repentance means that you are sorry for your sins—sorry enough to not keep repeating them. Confess the sin. If it is a private sin, confess it to the Lord. If you have injured someone, go to him or her and make it right. Jacob had to make things right with Esau.

Just think of coming to the end of the world and realizing the devil can point at you and say, “This sin you have concealed; you have never repented of it; you have never confessed it!” If this is true, what will happen? You will lose salvation. Now is the time to make sure there is nothing on your record for which you have not repented and confessed.

Remember, the other person’s sin does not excuse your sin. You can never say to the Lord, “I sinned because he sinned.” He does not accept this excuse. No matter what the other person does, you are not responsible for it, but you are responsible for what you say and do.

Assurance of Salvation

Are you going to be as persevering in your Christian walk as Jacob was in his struggle? If you are willing not to give up, then it is absolutely guaranteed that you are going to be saved, as is Jacob.

Mrs. White penned a very encouraging statement about Jacob’s experience. “Jacob’s history is an assurance that God will not cast off those who have been betrayed into sin, but who have returned unto Him with true repentance. It was by self-surrender and confiding faith that Jacob gained what he had failed to gain by conflict in his own strength. God thus taught His servant that divine power and grace alone could give him the blessing he craved.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 202, 203. Jacob learned that he could not do it on his own. This is what we must learn.

“Thus it will be with those who live in the last days. As dangers surround them, and despair seizes upon the soul, they must depend solely [only] upon the merits of the atonement. We can do nothing of ourselves. In all our helpless unworthiness we must trust in the merits of the crucified and risen Savior.” Ibid., 203. Acknowledging that we are unworthy, we must put our trust in His merits. If we do this, we are given the promise: “None will ever perish while they do this.” Ibid.

What good news! If you realize that you are helpless and you put your complete trust and confidence in Him, you cannot perish, because you serve an all-powerful Mediator.

“The long, black catalogue of our delinquencies is before the eye of the Infinite. The register is complete; none of our offenses are forgotten. But He who listened to the cries of His servants of old, will hear the prayer of faith and pardon our transgressions. He has promised, and He will fulfill His word.” Ibid.

Greatest Need

Many people believe that we need more talent, more education, more money, or more manpower to finish God’s work. I want to tell you that we will never finish God’s work with all the talent, education, money, or manpower in the world. Where must we go to gain the victories that we need for ourselves and as a church?

“The greatest victories to the church of Christ or to the individual Christian are not those that are gained by talent or education, by wealth or the favor of men. They are those victories that are gained in the audience chamber with God, when earnest, agonizing faith lays hold upon the mighty arm of power.” Ibid.

Do not say, “We need more money; we need more education; we need more talent; we need more manpower.” It would be nice to have all of those things, but what we need more than anything else is people who will go to the audience chamber and pray, as did Jacob, “Lord, I am not going to quit asking until a change happens in my life.”

When God sees that you are serious, a change is going to happen in your life. He said that, if you lay hold of God’s promises, “I am going to take away your stony heart, and I am going to give you a heart of flesh.” Ezekiel 11:19; 36:26. Claim this promise and say, “Lord, I must have a change in my heart or I am lost, and I am not going to give up. I am going to keep asking. I am going to cooperate with the Holy Spirit, and I am going to plead with you for this until I have it.”

John Knox went to the Lord and said, “Lord, if you don’t give me Scotland, I am just going to die.” He kept praying, and Scotland became a Protestant country as the result of one man’s prayers. Just think what could happen if people went to the Lord and said, “Lord, I am like Jacob. I am helpless. I am vile, and I am wretched. I know I must have a change in my heart or I will be lost, so I am not going to quit asking. I am coming to you, because I have a great need. I want to be ready for heaven, and I want you to change my heart and my life.” God would gladly hear and answer such a prayer! He heard Jacob’s cry for help, and He is no respecter of persons. (Acts 10:34.)

[Bible texts quoted are literal translation.]

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

The Man Who Would Not Give Up, Part I

October 5, 2018 by John J. Grosboll

Several examples are given in the Bible of men and women who would not give up. One outstanding example of a man who would not give up is given in the Old Testament, and because he would not give up, you will meet him in heaven someday, if you are saved. You can be saved, if you determine to never give up. The Holy Spirit is working on your heart, but you have to make the decision. There have been (and are) people who have found themselves in a situation where they could be saved, but they gave up, and they lost out. There are several such examples in the Bible, but, in this study, we want to learn about the person who would not give up, and who was saved as a result.

This Bible story is about one of the most well-known men in the entire Bible. If you have started to read your Bible through, you have probably read the story of his life, because it is found in the Book of Genesis. This man was a miracle child. His father’s wife had been unable to have children. After his father and his mother had been married for about 20 years, his father prayed, “Lord, you have promised my father and me that we are going to have children, and through us all of the world is going to be blessed. My wife cannot conceive. What am I going to do?” The Lord answered his prayer. (Genesis 25:21.) His wife not only became pregnant, but she carried twins. While she was pregnant with these twins, they began fighting inside her womb. She talked to the Lord about it, and the Lord told her what it meant. (Verses 22, 23.)

When these twins were born, the coloring of the first one was red. That is why he was named Edom [Esau]. (Verse 25.) In the Hebrew language, Edom means “red.” When the younger one was born, the Bible says that his hand grabbed hold of the heel of his older brother. He was named Heel Grabber. Yàaqob in the Hebrew language means “the heel grabber.” In English, he is called Jacob. How would you like your name to be Heel Grabber? What does that name imply? It implies that a person is cunning, a person of which to be wary, because he will take advantage of you. That is exactly the kind of person Jacob developed into being. He was named correctly!

When I, as a young boy, first read the story of Jacob, I thought that Laban was the fellow of whom to be scared. But the more I read the story, I discovered that Jacob was actually just about as dangerous as Laban. I really do not think that I would have wanted to do business with either one of them.

Firstborn Responsibilities

Until modern times, it has been the custom—not just with the children of Isaac and Abraham, but throughout that part of the world—that the firstborn had certain responsibilities, which the other children did not have. For example, the firstborn child was always expected to be responsible for the welfare and well-being of his or her parents when they became old. When the firstborn child became an adult, that child was expected to resolve any of the problems of the other brothers and sisters, as well as to support the parents in their old age. Because the firstborn child had these extra responsibilities, it was an ancient custom that, when the father’s inheritance was divided among his children, the firstborn was to receive a double portion.

Isaac had only two children, so it is easy to calculate. If the firstborn received a double portion, it would mean that the firstborn would receive two-thirds of the family estate and the other child would be given one-third of the family estate. Jacob was just a few minutes younger, but he was a heel grabber. He was a smart businessman. He knew how to take advantage of circumstances. He knew when the opportunity was ripe.

Theft and Deceit

One day, Jacob, who was caring for the flocks and herds, had cooked some lentils. Esau, who had been hunting, returned ravenously hungry and, smelling the savory dish Jacob had prepared, said, “Please give me something to eat. I am so hungry; I am about to die.”

Jacob recognized a golden opportunity, and he responded: “I will give you a bowl of lentils, if, for it, you will sell me your birthright.”

Talk about a deal! Isaac was a very wealthy man. One-third of his estate would be worth several hundred thousand dollars in today’s money. How would you like to double your net worth for a bowl of lentils? That is one of the most expensive bowls of food mentioned in the Bible. Esau was so hungry that he said, “I will do it.” It was a foolish thing for Esau to do, but it was a sharp thing for Jacob to do, although not very righteous. In fact, it was not righteous at all. It was very wicked.

Are you aware of the meaning of the eighth commandment? If I sell you something for much more than it is worth, because you are ignorant and do not know any better, I have stolen from you. And if I buy something from you for much less than it is worth, because you do not know its worth, I have stolen from you. Jacob stole from his brother. He was a thief in the worst sense, because he stole from his own family. But it got worse. He eventually deceived his own father.

Jacob stole from his brother, and he deceived his own father. Do you not agree that those are heinous sins? It is terrible to steal from your own brother, and it is just as bad or worse to lie and to deceive your own father. God did not keep Jacob from having to bear some very terrible consequences for those two sins. He bore consequences all the rest of his life.

When reading the Bible, people read about the chief characters and say, “These are the chief characters of the Bible, and look at all of the awful things they did.” But what they are not looking at is that the chief characters of the Bible paid a terrible price for the terrible sins they committed. The Bible teaches that there are consequences for sin.

Esau became very angry with Jacob. It is not difficult to figure out why he became so angry. How would you feel if you had just lost several hundred thousand dollars to your brother—cheated out of it because you were nearly out of your mind with hunger? Would you become angry? I have seen people become angry for a lot less than that!

Jacob had to flee from home, because his brother said, “I am going to do away with him. If I do away with him, instead of getting one-third of the inheritance, as I am now supposed to receive, I will get the whole thing.” Incidentally, that still happens.

The Whole Inheritance

I remember when the very first airliner with a bomb on board crashed, in 1955. At that time, it was not mandatory for air travelers to go through security before boarding an airplane. A passenger bought his or her ticket, deposited their baggage, walked through a door, and got on the plane. I have done that, and I have seen my father do it many times. The world then was not as wicked as it is today.

This airplane came down in a field near Longmont, Colorado, within ten miles of where my family lived. A bomb in the baggage compartment had exploded, killing everyone on board. An investigation revealed that a man, whose mother was traveling on this plane, had hidden a bomb in her luggage. He had a time clock on the bomb, timed to explode over the Rocky Mountains. He planned that the plane would go down in the Rocky Mountains, and it would be considered just an accident. Everything would be in smithereens; nobody would know what had actually happened. But the plane was late. You see, Longmont, Colorado, is located about 15 or 20 miles east of the Rocky Mountains. Since the plane was late, when the timer went off and the bomb exploded, instead of going down in the Rocky Mountains, it went down in a field.

Why had this man performed such a deadly act? He wanted to receive his mother’s life insurance right then. He did not want to wait for her to die a natural death. He wanted his inheritance—the whole thing—immediately.

That was Esau’s problem. He wanted his inheritance, and he thought, “Jacob stole my inheritance from me. I will not only get back a double portion; I will get the whole thing.” Consequently, Jacob had to flee for his life. He went to his mother’s brother, Laban, and served him for 20 years. That is another story, which we will not study now. You may read it in Genesis 28–30.

20 Years of Guilt

We will pick up the story in Genesis 31. Jacob had been serving Laban for 20 years. He had been a fugitive. He had come to Laban with nothing, but the Lord had blessed him, and he had become a very wealthy man. Laban’s sons were jealous of all the wealth that Jacob had acquired. They said, “He has taken all of our father’s wealth.”

Laban had deceived Jacob, so instead of having one wife, he had two. Some men would say that two wives are twice as bad as one. I would not want to put it that way, because then it would seem like one is bad, and I am not trying to intimate that, but Jacob’s entire life was troubled, as a consequence of having two wives. He was in this situation as a result of his sin, and he knew it. He knew that the reason he had two wives instead of one, and the reason he had trouble with Laban, was because of his sin.

The sin that he had committed against his brother and the sin against his father bothered his conscience all those 20 years. That entire time he thought, “I would not be in this situation if I had not deceived my father. I would not be in this situation if I had not robbed my brother.”

Return to Your People

Then the Lord gave Jacob instruction to return to his people: “Jehovah spoke to Jacob, ‘Return to the land of your fathers and to your kindred, and I will be with you.’ ” (Verse 3.) Jacob knew where that land was. It was where Esau lived. “Return to your own kindred and I will be with you.” The Lord promised to be with him.

Jacob called Rachel and Leah out into the field and talked with them. They agreed that Jacob, along with his household, should follow God’s counsel. (Verses 4, 14–16.) But he was afraid Laban would not let him go, so he decided to leave secretly. While Laban was in another place shearing his sheep, Jacob left, with his two wives, eleven sons, all of his livestock, and his servants. Because of the thousands of cattle, sheep, and goats, they were unable to travel very fast, so when Laban learned they were gone, he was able to overtake them. God had intervened on Jacob’s behalf regarding Laban, and the two parted peaceably.

Close to Home

Can you imagine the tumultuous thoughts in Jacob’s mind, as he drew close to his journey’s end? Think this through. For the last 20 years, he had been gone. During that time, what expectation would his brother, Esau, have had should their father die? How much inheritance would he have thought he would receive? He would have gotten it all. So Esau, for 20 years, had thought that whenever his father died, he would inherit everything.

But now Jacob returns. Jacob owns two-thirds of the inheritance. Esau’s net worth is going to drop by over 60 percent when Jacob comes home. This is on Jacob’s mind. He knows that the reason he is in this difficult situation is because of his own sin. He knows what is going to go through Esau’s mind.

Interests of Brothers

Let me tell you the difference between Esau and Jacob. Both Esau and Jacob wanted the birthright. The birthright involved more than a double portion of the family’s wealth. It also involved a blessing, that being that the one holding the birthright would become the progenitor of the Messiah. That is what Jacob wanted. Esau wanted the double portion of the property. He wanted the worldly wealth. Jacob wanted to be the progenitor of the Messiah.

Jacob, actually, in spite of all his character deficiencies, was a very, very remarkable person. Jacob was a person who chose spiritual blessings over temporal blessings. People like that are quite rare in this world. In spite of his faults, he was an exceptional person. Have you ever met someone who, if given a choice between receiving a lot of money or receiving a spiritual blessing from the Lord, would choose the spiritual instead of the temporal? Have you ever met someone like that? They are very, very rare.

Jacob knew that, when he returned, it would excite fear in Esau’s heart, because Esau would think, “My brother is coming to claim the inheritance.” Jacob knew that Esau could do him great injury. He thought that Esau could decide even now to kill him, and if he did take revenge and kill him, then, of course, he could have the whole inheritance.

Gifts of Appeasement

So, as you may read in Genesis 32, Jacob tried to appease Esau by sending him some very expensive gifts. Even today these gifts would be worth many, many thousands of dollars.

As I was driving recently to Independence, Kansas, I drove past the house where, several years ago, I had purchased one of the dogs that we now own. I noticed a sign in the front yard, as I drove past. The owner of the home has been raising cattle, and he has some good breeding stock for sale. He is advertising them for $800 to $1,200 each.

Good breeding stock is worth money, and Jacob gave a large herd to Esau as a gift that was worth many thousands of dollars. But when the servants who had delivered the gift returned, they reported that Esau was on his way, with 400 men, to meet Jacob. (Verses 3–6.) “Jacob was afraid exceedingly.” (Verse 7.) Terror pervaded the whole encampment. His wives, his children, and his servants knew that, in less than 24 hours, they could all be dead.

Jacob did everything he could. He sent expensive gifts to try to appease his brother. He divided his family into two camps, thinking that if the people in one camp were killed, the others would be able to flee on horses or mules and get away. He did everything he could, but he knew that it was not enough, and it was not enough. Esau was on the way. He was on his way with 400 armed men.

Divine Help Needed

Jacob learned something, friend, that you and I need to learn. He was shrewd; he knew how to make business deals. But he was in a situation now where those skills were useless. There was no business deal that he could make that would get him out of this. He knew that unless the Lord intervened, it was going to be all over.

The sooner we learn what Jacob learned that night, the better off we are going to be. Did you know, friend, that you cannot save yourself? You cannot be good on your own. You cannot keep God’s Law on your own. You cannot get ready for heaven on your own, even if you are as smart and clever as was Jacob. The Bible speaks of this in Psalm 33. It says that a horse is a vain thing to think on for security. It says that the king is not saved by the multitude of his army. (Verses 17, 16.)

Jacob realized that unless he had divine help it was all over. We have a better chance of being saved, friend, if we realize that we cannot ever save ourselves by anything we do. We do not have the ability. We must have divine power operating in our lives or we are lost. The Bible is very clear about this. You may try your whole life, but you will never be able to develop enough self-control, enough power, enough might to be a good person.

I have been a preacher for some time, and I learned a long time ago that I am a lot more scared for the good people than for the bad people. People who think they are good do not realize that, as the Bible says, the “heart [is] deceitful above all [things], and desperately wicked.” Jeremiah 17:9. The bad people at least know they need help.

Jacob was a smart man, but the Lord allowed him to get into a situation where he recognized that unless he had divine help, it was all over. The sooner that you and I learn that lesson, the better off we will be.

To be continued . . .

[Bible texts quoted are literal translation.]

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

Ask the Pastor – Who Will Be Saved?

October 2, 2018 by Mike Baugher

Question:

Will babies and children who are too young to make a decision for Christ be saved? What will happen to older people who have had no opportunity to know Christ? Will they be saved?

Answer:

These questions have been in the minds of many people over the centuries. The popular teaching is that everyone will go to heaven, but the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy, I believe, give clear information on this question.

In Ezekiel 18, there are statements made that we must take into account in searching for truth in this matter. The first part of this chapter establishes the fact that all life (souls) belongs to God. He is the giver of life, and He is the withholder of life. It all belongs to Him to do with as He pleases. In verses 5–9, God lays down the qualifications for acceptance with Him. Then, in verses 10–13, there is established the difference between a father who is just and his offspring who is unjust. The offspring cannot ride on the father’s good deeds; he will be judged for his own sin. “The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son.” Verse 20. This establishes the fact that every person is responsible for his own sin. It is sin that brings forth death.

In Romans 2:2, we read: “But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things.” Verses 6 and 7 tell us: “Who will render to every man according to his deeds: To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life.” Verses 11–16 go on to tell how God will judge the people who do not have knowledge of God through the Law of God. They will be judged according to what they know. God will not excuse some just because they did not know and were bad. “For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law.” Verse 12. He will judge accordingly. Good or bad, they will be judged according to what they have done.

The story of the Passover reveals to us the plan of God regarding little children. In Selected Messages, Book 3, 314, we read: “The word of God came to the Israelites in bondage to gather their children into their houses and to mark the doorposts of their houses with blood from a lamb, slain. This prefigured the slaying of the Son of God and the efficacy of His blood, which was shed for the salvation of the sinner. It was a sign that the household accepted Christ as the promised Redeemer. It was shielded from the destroyer’s power. The parents evidenced their faith in implicitly obeying the directions given them, and the faith of the parents covered themselves and their children. They showed their faith in Jesus, the great Sacrifice, whose blood was prefigured in the slain lamb. The destroying angel passed over every house that had this mark upon it. This is a symbol to show that the faith of the parents extends to their children and covers them from the destroying angel.”

Regarding the children of unbelieving parents, we read, “Whether all the children of unbelieving parents will be saved we cannot tell, because God has not made known His purpose in regard to this matter, and we had better leave it where God has left it and dwell upon subjects made plain in His Word.” Ibid., 315.

I hope this has helped to give some understanding to this age-old question.

Pastor Mike Baugher is Associate Speaker for Steps to Life. If you have a question you would like Pastor Mike to answer, e-mail it to: landmarks@stepstolife.org, or mail it to: LandMarks, Steps to Life, P. O. Box 782828, Wichita, KS 67278.

Question & Answer – What can I do to help my children to be saved?

April 3, 2018 by Ruth Grosboll

Dear friend, there are many mothers and fathers with a burden on their hearts for the salvation of their children. “Children are an heritage of the Lord.” Psalm 127:3. They are given to us for our joy and learning that we may develop characters like Jesus.

The training of children should begin at birth, and this requires much sincere prayer and in-depth study of the Scriptures. Study how God dealt with His people. Memorize and apply Scripture verses such as Philippians 4:8; II Peter 1:3-9; Galatians 5:22–24; Psalm 1; Psalm 15, and, of course, the Ten Commandments. These are just a few suggested texts to memorize. If you learn and practice these principles, you will set the example and your children will understand what it means to be a Christian.

Children learn from observation and take in the environment in which they live. They may not always listen and practice what you tell them, but they absorb how they are treated and the relationship between other members of the family. Parents will often make mistakes in dealing with their children, but it is very important to be humble enough to ask forgiveness.

It is very easy to tell a child that he should say please and thank you, but if the parents do not practice these things the children will soon forget the training. The same thing is true with Bible study and prayer. Morning and evening worship is a wonderful training time for all members of the family.

Children also must learn to make choices. Once the child has made a choice, do not deny him the choice he has made, but allow him to follow through with it. Our young people should be sheltered from the influence of the world as far as possible by keeping our homes free from television and a worldly environment. Our conversation should be more on the things pertaining to the Lord and His righteousness than on money and worldly enterprises. This will help to positively influence the young person’s choices later in life.

When the child has grown up and thinks he is an adult, you must allow him to choose his lifestyle. You can make suggestions and guide, but you cannot force him into your choice of life. You may make restrictions and insist on rules in the home. You can pray with him and for him, but ultimately he must choose his own lifestyle, and you must let him know that he will reap the result of his choice but you will still love him or her.

There are many young people who are lonesome, and by just showing kindness and friendship you will win them to the Lord. There are also those who are so rebellious that all you can do is pray and ask the Lord to lead you and your loved one. The Lord has promised to answer our prayers. Lean heavily upon Him. He will not disappoint you.

“Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children.” Isaiah 49:25.

Price of Peace

March 28, 2018 by W.D. Frazee

I Thessalonians 5:2 says, “The day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.” Now, what will the people be saying when they are surprised? “Peace and safety” [verse 3], or as we noted in other translations, “Peace and security.” Does God intend that His people shall be engulfed in this great disaster? No! We are to be saved from this overwhelming surprise.

In order to be saved we must be prepared. We must understand what is leading the world to these disasters and we must be kept, not merely from the end result, but from all the causes along the way. That is the purpose of these studies, to help us understand the basic causes that are leading the world to Armageddon.

We found in Isaiah 8 that because of the fear of war and the fear of want, men are being led to extensive combinations. God plainly states that His people are not to enter into those confederacies. While the people of this world are talking confederacies, where will God’s people be looking?—upward, to Him. That’s the answer. “When we look to man, trouble grows. When we look to God, trouble goes.” And we must learn that day by day in our own personal experience.

In The Review and Herald, November 4, 1965, there is a most interesting report of a statement made by a leading Roman Catholic Cardinal commenting on the Pope’s visit to the United Nations. He says, “It was a striking thing that no responsible voice has been raised in protest against the Pope’s visit. As recently as ten years ago a papal visit to the United Nations would have been considered an onslaught and an invasion, but today, people are simply thrilled at the invitation of the Pope to visit the UN and his willingness to do so. The reason for this is that people are so frightened of war that they’re willing to try anything in desperation.”

The Cardinal spoke more truth than he realized. He put his finger right on the point. It is not a sincere turning toward God or religion in the right sense that is motivating the world to welcome the leadership of the papacy. What is it? Fear! We read in Isaiah 8, verse 13, speaking to God’s people, “Neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid.” Are we afraid of war? No. Our Father is the King of this universe.

Notice the awful price that the people of this world are paying and will continue to pay, driven by their fear of war and fear of want. They are selling their souls for a mess of pottage, and they won’t even get the mess of pottage. Esau got his lentils, but the people of this world are not even going to get that for which they sell their souls.

What are they selling to get peace? What are they going to lay down in order to accept the leadership of the Pope of Rome? “All that dwell upon the earth shall worship him.” “All the world wondered after the beast.” Revelation 13:8, 3. Verse twelve shows that the United States is the one that leads out in causing all the world to accept this leadership of the papacy. What is the price of all this?

Proverbs 23:23 is right on the point: “Buy the truth, and sell it not.” Can truth be bought and sold? Apparently. In Revelation 3:18, the True Witness says, “I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire … and white raiment … and eyesalve.” The eyesalve is the discernment to know what’s right and what’s wrong. “Buy the truth.” But once you have bought it don’t sell it! This is the terrible mistake the popular churches are making today. In Reformation days men like Luther, Zwingli, Calvin, Knox, and Wesley bought the truth, and it led them to separation from Rome. Today the Protestant churches are selling that glorious heritage. They are selling the truth which their fathers sacrificed everything to buy. That’s the price they are paying to get back in favor with Rome in order that the Pope may save them from a third world war.

Do you know that some of the creeds of Christendom are being revised in order to say this—watch this little change—no longer “the Bible is the Word of God,” but the revised statement is, “The Bible contains the Word of God.” Which do you believe? John 17:17 says, “Thy word is truth.” The Bible is the Word of God. And there’s an infinite difference between those two things, my friends. The inroads of modernism, of higher criticism, are weakening the faith of Protestants in the Scriptures. These have prepared the way to accept a human court of appeal, in the person of the papacy, to interpret what is truth.

The servant of the Lord tells us that the reason the book, The Great Controversy, deals with the controversies of the past, the apostasy in the early ages, the rise of the papacy, the Dark Ages, and the reformation is simply this: What has been will be again. The last conflict into which we are even now entering is the climax of an age-long controversy. The issues are the same. The unseen forces are the same. And Rome that led the Christian world away from the Bible and set up the Pope as the representative of Christ; Rome which in the Dark Ages slew the saints of God, is the same Rome under whose leadership all the world will be united to war against God’s remnant.

On page 102 of The Great Controversy, we are told about the experience of John Huss, who was burned at the stake because he became a reformer. He had been a papist, but as he studied the Bible, he came to a certain conclusion, and this is the thing I want you to notice. “God speaking in the Bible, and not the church speaking through the priesthood, is the one infallible guide.” Here is the difference between Roman Catholicism on the one hand and true Protestantism on the other. And this is the truth which the Protestant world is selling that they may buy the favor of the papacy. And it is the fear of communism, the fear of atheism, the fear of war; yes, it is fear that is driving them to compromise.

Now notice the attitude of the true believers at the time the papacy was in process of formation. Here are the faithful few who would not go along with the Bishop of Rome and his hierarchy. “To secure peace and unity they were ready to make any concession consistent with fidelity to God; but they felt that even peace would be too dearly purchased at the sacrifice of principle. If unity could be secured only by the compromise of truth and righteousness, then let there be difference, and even war.” The Great Controversy, 45. This has been the position of Christ’s followers in all ages: not to make trouble unnecessarily, not to push minor points of difference; but when it comes to a vital principle, no ecumenical idea justifies the selling of truth.

In the seventeenth chapter of John, verse 17, we have the Saviour’s earnest prayer for unity among His believers, but in that same prayer is this text we have already noticed: “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” So the great question before Protestantism today is this: Which is more important, truth or unity? And there are thousands, yes millions, who are willing to sell the truth in order to secure unity. May I read this again: “To secure peace and unity they were ready to make any concession consistent with fidelity to God; but they felt that even peace would be too dearly purchased at the sacrifice of principle. If unity could be secured only by the compromise of truth and righteousness, then let there be difference, and even war.”

Now, the next sentence is meaningful: “Well would it be for the church and the world if the principles that actuated those steadfast souls were revived in the hearts of God’s professed people.” The Great Controversy, 46. The only thing, dear ones, which will keep us from being engulfed in this world movement for security and peace, the ecumenical movement, is a love for truth, so that we would rather have any war than give up truth. Our desire for peace must never degenerate into a willingness to compromise. And this must be manifest in the details of our personal lives. If we get in the habit of sacrificing principle so that we will be well thought of, we are on the road to Rome. No question about it. The remnant will be those who overcome by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and who love not their lives unto the death (Revelation 12:11).

Speaking of this apostasy in the early ages, we read in The Great Controversy, 49, “Almost imperceptibly the customs of heathenism found their way into the Christian church.” How did this compromise come about? “Almost imperceptibly,” that is, unnoticed, like the twilight falls. Well, this was the twilight, and as the darkness settled upon the Christian world, it came “almost imperceptibly.” That is the devil’s game, to make the advances toward the world so small that the person who resists one of those advances is looked upon as silly, odd, unreasonable, and stubborn.

And it isn’t always in direct defiance to what God says that this compromise begins. “Rome began by enjoining what God had not forbidden, and she ended by forbidding what He had explicitly enjoined.” The Great Controversy, 290. Rome began by telling people to do things that God had not plainly said they shouldn’t do. Let me illustrate. Here is Christmas for the birth of Christ; Easter for the resurrection. Is there a verse in the Bible that says, Don’t celebrate the birthday of Christ; don’t celebrate the day of His resurrection? No. So Rome began by introducing things that weren’t expressly forbidden in the Bible. She ended by forbidding what He had definitely told people to do, and the Sabbath is the great outstanding example. When men get in the habit of accepting as religious guides those who tell them to do more than the Bible says, they will inevitably end up following those guides to do what the Bible has forbidden. And this is the path that Protestantism, so-called, has been following for many years.

“As the Protestant churches have been seeking the favor of the world, false charity has blinded their eyes. They do not see but that it is right to believe good of all evil; and as the inevitable result they will finally believe evil of all good.” The Great Controversy, 571. This is what is responsible for their current attitude toward the papacy. The popular thing in the Protestant churches today is to pat everybody on the back, and for the moment even Seventh-day Adventists are riding on the tide of popular favor, the ecumenical spirit. Many in the popular churches are ready to welcome Seventh-day Adventists as a part of the great Christian world. But the same spirit that leads them to welcome us is leading them to welcome Rome. We need to look very carefully at the hand that’s stretched out to us, remembering that it is also offered to the Vatican. Let us not be flattered by the spirit of compromise. That hand which has been extended toward Rome will eventually be used, not to welcome us, but to smite us.

We need to look deep into our own hearts and see if there is anything in our souls that responds to this spirit of compromise. Are we weary of the war? Are we tired of the toil? Do we long for release from the conflict, and will we, in order to buy that release, sell the truth? That’s the question. Will we give up conscientious convictions; will we soft-pedal the Word of the Lord? God forbid!

Now, I mentioned that the world is not going to get the mess of pottage for which it sold out. Oh, my friends, this world that is selling the truth in order to buy peace from the Pope of Rome, see what it’s going to wake up and find! Revelation 19:19, “And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war.” This power that has supposedly led the world to peace is going to lead it instead to war! This is the war against God. “I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him that sat on the horse, and against His army.” And so while the nations of this world are following after the phantom of peace, they are led to the greatest war of the ages.

Again, Revelation 16:13, 14, “I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.” Notice this in Testimonies, vol. 7, 182, “The world is filled with storm and war and variance. Yet under one head—the papal power—the people will unite to oppose God in the person of His witnesses.”

For a short time this world is going to be united. The next sentence says, “This union is cemented by the great apostate.” “Under one head—the papal power”—all the nations will unite to oppose God in the person of His witnesses. Where will you and I be? On one side or the other. We’ll either be with Jesus and His remnant church conscientiously standing for what the Word of God says, all ten of His commandments, or else we’ll be with the great popular movement which has sold the truth in order to buy peace. They are going to sell the truth, but they are not going to get peace. “When they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them … and they shall not escape.” I Thessalonians 5:3. [Emphasis supplied.]

Oh, friends, when the voice of God ends the captivity of His people, when His law is seen in the sky, there will be a terrible awakening among all these churches that have combined together in compromise to buy peace. The union which the great apostate has cemented will fall to pieces. The great city will be divided into three parts and every man’s hand will rise up against the hand of his brother. Read the awful picture in Revelation 16, and Jeremiah 25, and in The Great Controversy in the chapter, “The Desolation of the Earth.” See the breakdown of civilization. See the churches in chaos and the members tearing the ministers and the priests limb from limb. The whole world is going to be plunged into the scenes of the French revolution. Peace? Oh, no. Not peace. Sacrifice of the truth can never lead to peace.

And so it means much to you and to me to answer the question, Do we love the truth enough to die for it, enough to live for it? Or are we willing to compromise?

Dear Lord, write upon our hearts Thy truth. Deep in our souls put a love for it so that we would rather die than sacrifice on principle. For Jesus’ sake, Amen.

Elder W.D. Frazee’s materials are reprinted with permission from Pioneers Memorial, a ministry he founded to promote the works of pioneer medical missionaries. Permission to reprint copyrighted material [in this publication, organization, or website] does not in any way imply affiliation with or endorsement by either the late W.D. Frazee or Pioneers Memorial. For more information, you may contact them at: Pioneers Memorial, PO Box 102, Wildwood, GA 30757, 706-820-9755.

Bible Study Guides – Many Called—but Few Chosen

March 28, 2018 by Judy Hallingstad

February 21, 2010 – February 27, 2010

Key Text

“Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall.” II Peter 1:10.

Study Help: Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 445–456, especially 450–456.

Introduction

“Man is elected to work out his own salvation with fear and trembling. He is elected to put on the armor, to fight the good fight of faith.” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 454.

1 To what are we told to give diligence, daily diligence, and why? II Peter 1:10.

Note. “If we comply with the conditions the Lord has made, we shall secure our election to salvation. Perfect obedience to His commandments is the evidence that we love God, and are not hardened in sin.

“Christ has a church in every age. There are in the church those who are not made any better by their connection with it. They themselves break the terms of their election. Obedience to the commandments of God gives us a right to the privileges of His church.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 6, 1079.

2 Knowing that our salvation is an issue in making our election sure, what are we told to do? Philippians 2:12.

Note. “Every soul is elected who will work out his own salvation with fear and trembling. He is elected who will put on the armor and fight the good fight of faith. He is elected who will watch unto prayer, who will search the Scriptures, and flee from temptation. He is elected who will have faith continually, and who will be obedient to every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. The provisions of redemption are free to all; the results of redemption will be enjoyed by those who have complied with the conditions.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 208.

“Genuine faith always works by love. When you look to Calvary it is not to quiet your soul in the non-performance of duty, not to compose yourself to sleep, but to create faith in Jesus, faith that will work, purifying the soul from the slime of selfishness. When we lay hold of Christ by faith, our work has just begun. Every man has corrupt and sinful habits that must be overcome by vigorous warfare. Every soul is required to fight the fight of faith. If one is a follower of Christ, he cannot be sharp in deal, he cannot be hardhearted, devoid of sympathy. He cannot be coarse in his speech. He cannot be full of pomposity and self-esteem. He cannot be overbearing, nor can he use harsh words, and censure and condemn.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 6, 1111.

3 To lay hold on eternal life, to what kind of fight are we called? I Timothy 6:12.

Note. “When we lay hold of Christ by faith, our work has just begun. Every man has corrupt and sinful habits that must be overcome by vigorous warfare. Every soul is required to fight the fight of faith.” Ibid., 1111.

4 The testing or trial of our faith is more precious than what? How are we to be found when Jesus comes? I Peter 1:7.

Note. “Many poor souls are groping in darkness, looking for the feelings which others say they have had in their experience. They overlook the fact that the believer in Christ must work out his own salvation with fear and trembling. The convicted sinner has something to do. He must repent and show true faith.

“When Jesus speaks of the new heart, He means the mind, the life, the whole being. To have a change of heart is to withdraw the affections from the world, and fasten them upon Christ. To have a new heart is to have a new mind, new purposes, new motives. What is the sign of a new heart?—A changed life. There is a daily, hourly dying to selfishness and pride.” Messages to Young People, 71, 72.

5 Since faith is based upon a moral conviction, how is it made perfect? James 2:22. Can faith be dead; if so, how? James 2:17.

Note. “While we must often impress the mind with the fact that the Christian life is a life of warfare, that we must watch and pray and toil, that there is peril to the soul in relaxing the spiritual vigilance for one moment, the completeness of the salvation proffered us from Jesus who loves us and gave Himself that we should not perish but have everlasting life, is to be the theme.

“Day by day we may walk with God, day by day following on to know the Lord, entering into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, laying hold on the hope set before us. If we reach heaven it must be by binding the soul to the Mediator, becoming partakers of the divine nature. Leaning on Christ, your life being hid with Christ in God and led by His Spirit, you have the genuine faith.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 182.

6 Name some works of the flesh. Galatians 5:19–21.

Note. “That which Satan plants in the heart—envy, jealousy, evil surmising, evil speaking, impatience, prejudice, selfishness, covetousness, and vanity—must be uprooted. If these evil things are allowed to remain in the soul, they will bear fruit by which many shall be defiled. Oh, how many cultivate the poisonous plants, that kill out the precious fruits of love and defile the soul!” My Life Today, 179.

7 To overcome corrupt and sinful habits by vigorous warfare is a battle. What does I Timothy 6:12 say?

Note. “Man, fallen man, may be transformed by the renewing of the mind, so that he can ‘prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God’ [Romans 12:2]. How does he prove this? By the Holy Spirit taking possession of his mind, spirit, heart, and character. Where does the proving come in? ‘We are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men’ [I Corinthians 4:9]. A real work is wrought by the Holy Spirit upon the human character, and its fruits are seen.

“Just as a good tree will bear good fruit, so will the tree that is actually planted in the Lord’s garden produce good fruit unto eternal life. Besetting sins are overcome; evil thoughts are not allowed in the mind; evil habits are purged from the soul temple. The tendencies which have been biased in a wrong direction are turned in a right direction. Wrong dispositions and feelings are changed, new principles of action supplied, and there is a new standard of character. Holy tempers and sanctified emotions are now the fruit borne upon the Christian tree. An entire transformation has taken place. This is the work to be wrought.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 6, 1080.

8 What is brought into the life of every true believer? I Corinthians 13:4–8.

Note. “Only the love that flows from the heart of Christ can heal. Only He in whom that love flows, even as the sap in the tree or the blood in the body, can restore the wounded soul.

“Love’s agencies have wonderful power, for they are divine. The soft answer that ‘turneth away wrath’ [Proverbs 15:1], the love that ‘suffereth long, and is kind’ [I Corinthians 13:4], the charity that ‘covereth a multitude of sins’ [I Peter 4:8]—would we learn the lesson, with what power for healing would our lives be gifted! How life would be transformed, and the earth become a very likeness and foretaste of heaven!” My Life Today, 179.

9 What character traits should no longer be found in the life of every true believer? Ephesians 4:31, 32.

Note. “We individually have a case pending in the court of heaven. Character is being weighed in the balances of the sanctuary, and it should be the earnest desire of all to walk humbly and carefully, lest, neglecting to let their light shine forth to the world, they fail of the grace of God and lose everything that is valuable. All dissension, all differences and faultfinding, should be put away, with all evil speaking and bitterness.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 279.

“I have this message for you from the Lord: Be kind in speech, gentle in action. Guard yourself carefully, for you are inclined to be severe and dictatorial, and to say rash things. The Lord speaks to you, saying, Watch and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. Harsh expressions grieve the Lord; unwise words do harm. I am charged to say to you, Be gentle in your speech; watch well your words; let no harshness come into your utterances or into your gestures. Bring into all you do and say the fragrance of Christlikeness. Let not natural traits of character mar and spoil your work. You are to help and strengthen the tempted. Let not self appear in rash words. Christ has given His life for the flock, and for all for whom you labor. Let no word of yours balance souls in the wrong direction. In the minister of Christ there must be revealed Christlikeness of character.” Gospel Workers, 163.

10 What promise is given to him that overcomes? Revelation 3:21.

Note. “Here is the beginning of our confidence which we must hold steadfast unto the end. If Jesus resisted Satan’s temptations, He will help us to resist. He came to bring divine power to combine with human effort.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, 929.

Additional Reading

“But those who are waiting to behold a magical change in their characters without determined effort on their part to overcome sin, will be disappointed. We have no reason to fear while looking to Jesus, no reason to doubt but that He is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto Him; but we may constantly fear lest our old nature will again obtain the supremacy, that the enemy shall devise some snare whereby we shall again become his captives. We are to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God that worketh in you to will and to do of His good pleasure. With our limited powers we are to be as holy in our sphere as God is holy in His sphere. To the extent of our ability, we are to make manifest the truth and love and excellence of the divine character. As wax takes the impression of the seal, so the soul is to take the impression of the Spirit of God and retain the image of Christ.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 336, 337.

“There is an election of individuals and a people, the only election found in the word of God, where man is elected to be saved. Many have looked at the end, thinking they were surely elected to have heavenly bliss; but this is not the election the Bible reveals. Man is elected to work out his own salvation with fear and trembling. He is elected to put on the armor, to fight the good fight of faith. He is elected to use the means God has placed within his reach to war against every unholy lust, while Satan is playing the game of life for his soul. He is elected to watch unto prayer, to search the Scriptures, and to avoid entering into temptation. He is elected to have faith continually. He is elected to be obedient to every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God, and that he may be, not a hearer only, but a doer of the word. This is Bible election.” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 453, 454.

“God has appointed means, if we will use them diligently and prayerfully, that no vessel shall be shipwrecked, but outride the tempest and storm, and anchor in the haven of bliss at last. But if we despise and neglect these appointments and privileges, God will not work a miracle to save any of us, and we will be lost as were Judas and Satan.

“Do not think that God will work a miracle to save those weak souls who cherish evil, who practice sin; or that some supernatural element will be brought into their lives, lifting them out of self into a higher sphere, where it will be comparatively easy work, without any special effort, any special fighting, without any crucifixion of self; because all who dally on Satan’s ground for this to be done will perish with the evildoers. They will be suddenly destroyed, and that without remedy.” Ibid., 453.

Lesson Studies were prepared by Judy Hallingstad of the LandMarks staff. She can be contacted at judyhallingstad@stepstolife.org .

Bible Study Guides – Unconditional?

March 28, 2018 by Judy Hallingstad

February 14, 2010 – February 20, 2010

Key Text

“For many are called, but few are chosen.” Matthew 22:14.

Study Help: Ephesians 2; “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, 943, 944.

Introduction

1 When we walk, or live, in the way of this world, we are made a part of what group? Ephesians 2:2; Revelation 2:9, last part.

Note. “Christ speaks of the church over which Satan presides as the synagogue of Satan. Its members are the children of disobedience. They are those who choose to sin, who labor to make void the holy law of God. It is Satan’s work to mingle evil with good, and to remove the distinction between good and evil. Christ would have a church that labors to separate the evil from the good, whose members will not willingly tolerate wrong-doing, but will expel it from the heart and life.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, 958.

2 One meaning of trespass is to deviate or turn aside from the straight road. Understanding that meaning, which leader do we turn to when we trespass? Ephesians 2:1–3.

Note. “The same spirit that prompted rebellion in Heaven still inspires rebellion on earth. Satan has continued with men the same policy which he pursued with the angels. His spirit now reigns in the children of disobedience. Like him they seek to break down the restraints of the law of God, and promise men liberty through transgression of its precepts.” The Great Controversy, 500.

3 Some say once saved, always saved or once on the right way, always on the right way. Is this true according to what the word of God says? Can we deviate from or forsake the right way? II Peter 2:15; Ezekiel 18:21; 33:13.

Note. “Balaam was once a good man and a prophet of God; but he had apostatized, and had given himself up to covetousness; yet he still professed to be a servant of the Most High.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 439.

“How many who have in adversity remained true to God, have fallen under the glittering allurements of prosperity. With the possession of wealth, the ruling passion of a selfish nature is revealed. The world is cursed today by the miserly greed and the self-indulgent vices of the worshipers of mammon.” Counsels on Stewardship, 139.

4 What is it better for a person to have not known than to know and turn away? II Peter 2:20, 21.

Note. “In spite of all their display, their garnished habitation, Satan comes in with a troop of evil angels and takes his place in the soul, to help in the deception. The apostle writes, ‘If after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them’ [II Peter 2:20, 21].” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 5, 1093.

5 The word elect in 1 Peter 1:2 has the same meaning as chosen in Matthew 20:16. Knowing this, what are the characteristics of the elect in 1 Peter 1:2?

“Our Saviour claims all there is of us; He asks our first and holiest thoughts, our purest and most intense affection. If we are indeed partakers of the divine nature, His praise will be continually in our hearts and upon our lips. Our only safety is to surrender our all to Him and to be constantly growing in grace and in the knowledge of the truth.” The Sanctified Life, 95.

6 Even though many are called, how many did Jesus say were chosen? Matthew 20:16; Revelation 17:14, last part.

Note. “The Father sets His love upon His elect people who live in the midst of men. These are the people whom Christ has redeemed by the price of His own blood; and because they respond to the drawing of Christ, through the sovereign mercy of God, they are elected to be saved as His obedient children.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 6, 1114.

7 To predestinate means to predetermine or to reach a definite purpose. What is God’s purpose for you and me? Romans 8:29, 30; Ephesians 1:4, 5.

Note. “Now here are the most precious jewels of truth for every individual soul of us. Here is the only election in the Bible, and you can prove yourself elected of Christ by being faithful; you can prove yourself the chosen of Christ by abiding in the vine.” Ibid., 1079.

“It will require a sacrifice to give yourself to God; but it is a sacrifice of the lower for the higher, the earthly for the spiritual, the perishable for the eternal. God does not design that our will should be destroyed, for it is only through its exercise that we can accomplish what He would have us do. Our will is to be yielded to Him, that we may receive it again, purified and refined, and so linked in sympathy with the Divine that He can pour through us the tides of His love and power. However bitter and painful this surrender may appear to the willful, wayward heart, yet ‘it is profitable for thee’ [Matthew 5:29, 30].” Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, 62.

8 By faithful obedience to the truth, what do we make sure? II Peter 1:10.

Note. “Here is the condition of the only saving election in the Word of God. We are to become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. We are to add grace to grace, and the promise is, ‘If ye do these things, ye shall never fall: for so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ’ [II Peter 1:10, 11].” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 6, 1114.

9 When we no longer walk in the way of this world and become strangers and foreigners of this country, who then are we fellow citizens with? Ephesians 2:12–19.

Note. “Our work is to attract minds away from earth to heaven; to take others with us as companions, to walk the path that is cast up for the ransomed of the Lord. The children of the Heavenly King are to move among men, not as citizens of the world, but as citizens of the kingdom above. We are pilgrims and strangers in this world, seeking a better country, even a heavenly.” The Signs of the Times, August 17, 1891.

10 What is our foundation built upon and who is the cornerstone? Ephesians 2:20.

Note. “The preparations made for the building of this house for the Lord, must be in accordance with the instructions He had given. No pains must be spared in its erection; for in it God was to meet with His people. The building must show forth to the nations of the earth the greatness of Israel’s God. In every part it must represent the perfection of Him whom the Israelites were called upon to honor before all the world.

“The specifications regarding the building were often repeated. In all the work done, these specifications were to be followed with the utmost exactness. Believers and unbelievers were to learn of the importance of the work from the care shown in its performance.

“The care shown in the building of the temple is a lesson to us regarding the care that we are to show in our character-building. No cheap material was to be used. No haphazard work was to be done in matching the different parts. Piece must fit piece perfectly. Just as God’s temple was, so must His church be. Into their character-building His people are to bring no worthless timbers, no careless, indifferent work.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 2, 1029, 1030.

Additional Reading

“There could be no such thing as one not prepared for heaven entering heaven. There is no such thing as a human being sanctified and fitted for the heavenly kingdom not having an election to that kingdom. God elects those who have been working on the plan of addition. The explanation is given in the first chapter of Second Peter. For every human being, Christ has paid the election price. No one need be lost. All have been redeemed. To those who receive Christ as a personal Saviour will be given power to become the sons and daughters of God. An eternal life insurance policy has been provided for all.

“Whom God elects, Christ redeems. The Saviour has paid the redemption price for every soul. We are not our own; for we are bought with a price. From the Redeemer, who from the foundation of the world has chosen us, we receive the insurance policy that entitles us to eternal life.

“There is the election of God on the condition of practice, and there is no other election in the Bible. Election is within our reach. ‘If ye do these things, ye shall never fall’ [II Peter 1:10].” Ibid., vol. 7, 944.

“Here is the condition of the only saving election in the Word of God. We are to become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. We are to add grace to grace, and the promise is, ‘If ye do these things, ye shall never fall: for so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ’ [II Peter 1:10, 11].

“There is no such thing in the Word of God as unconditional election—once in grace, always in grace. In the second chapter of Second Peter the subject is made plain and distinct. After a history of some who followed an evil course, the explanation is given: ‘which have forsaken the right way … following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness.’… [II Peter 2:15–20 quoted.] Here is a class of whom the apostle warns, ‘For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them’ [verse 21].

“There is truth to be received if souls are saved. The keeping of the commandments of God is life eternal to the receiver. But the Scriptures make it plain that those who once knew the way of life and rejoiced in the truth are in danger of falling through apostasy, and being lost. Therefore there is need of a decided, daily conversion to God.

“All who seek to sustain the doctrine of election, once in grace, always in grace, do this against a plain, ‘Thus saith the Lord.’ [Eze. 18:21; 33:13 quoted.]

“Those who have been truly converted have been buried with Christ in the likeness of His death, and raised from the watery grave in the likeness of His resurrection, to walk in newness of life. By faithful obedience to the truth they are to make their calling and election sure.” Ibid., vol. 6, 1114, 1115.

Lesson Studies were prepared by Judy Hallingstad of the LandMarks staff. She can be contacted at judyhallingstad@stepstolife.org .

Q & A – Is the 144,000 mentioned in Scripture a Literal or Symbolic Number?

March 28, 2018 by Ruth Grosboll

There is much speculation on this question. It is never wise to express one’s own opinion on any Bible subject but search to see what the Bible and then the Spirit of Prophecy have to say about the subject. Human reasoning often distorts the spiritual impact that the inspired word has for the reader. It is always best, without trying to reason as to what it might mean, to simply accept what is says.

I have found no place in the inspired writings that tells us if “144,000” is a symbolic or actual accounting number, but I believe if we are faithful, someday we will find out. The important thing to know about the 144,000 is not the meaning of the number, but what makes this group of people different from all of the other redeemed.

They are first mentioned in Revelation 7:3, 4. It says that they are going to be sealed in their foreheads. To be sealed means to be sealed shut. There is nothing more that can be done about it; the work has been finished. You could say, “the dye is cast”; whatever decisions have been made are there to stay. Their minds have been made up and no one can change them.

Revelation 14 gives a little more description of the 144,000. It says that they have the “Father’s name written in their foreheads.” They are “redeemed from the earth” and then it goes on further to say that they are “not defiled with women” and also they are “redeemed from among men.” “They follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth” and in their “mouth was found no guile, for they are without fault before the throne of God.” Verses 1, 3, 4, 5.

We know from these texts that these people are humans and are redeemed from this earth so they come from among us. It would be well for us to examine our characters because, even if we are not one of the 144,000, we want to be among the saved in the kingdom of heaven, and we know that all who enter there must have on the robe of Christ’s righteousness which is without any spot of sin or stain.

Christ has completed His work in these people and what a character they have developed! Some say that is impossible but Paul said, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” Philippians 4:13.

“All things” means also perfecting a character like the one which is ascribed to the 144.000. We must remember it is only through Christ. We cannot do it by ourselves, “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” Philippians 2:13. God said to Abraham, “Is any thing too hard for the Lord?” Genesis 18:14. Since the Lord said there are going to be “144,000 living saints” (Testimonies, vol. 1, 59), He is able to produce them, and if we wish to be among them we need to be working on our characters now.

We are told in the Spirit of Prophecy,

“Heaven is to begin on this earth. When the Lord’s people are filled with meekness and tenderness, they will realize that His banner over them is love, and His fruit will be sweet to their taste. They will make a heaven below in which to prepare for heaven above. …

“If you would be a saint in heaven, you must first be a saint on earth.” Sons and Daughters of God, 112.

If you have a Bible question you wish to have answered, please e-mail it to: ruthgrosboll@stepstolife.org.

The New Jerusalem and the City of Destruction

March 27, 2018 by Marshall Grosboll

My family and I received the call to the New Jerusalem and it is just too good for us to turn down. We didn’t want to go without telling friends and family. We read about it in Revelation 21:10, 11: “And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal.” If you could only see a picture of it—the grass is a living green, the flowers, the beauty—it’s all there, anything that you could ever want, or imagine.

Paul tried to describe it, but look what he says, “As it is written, Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither has entered into the heart of man, the things that God has prepared for them.” I Corinthians 2:9. You can’t imagine it, Paul says; it’s beyond description the things that God has prepared for us.

Abraham caught a glimpse of this city in his mind’s eye. “By faith, Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he should afterward receive for an inheritance, and he went out, not knowing whither he went. By faith he sojourned in a land of promise as in a foreign country.” He never really became a citizen; it was a foreign country to him. The whole rest of his life he was a foreigner, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise. “For he waited for a city that has real foundations, whose builder and maker is God.” Hebrews 11:8–10.

Why did Abraham leave his relatives, friends and the comfortable home where he had lived? When Abraham caught a glimpse of that city, he said, “Lord, however you lead, wherever you lead, I’m going. I am following.” And there the Lord led him away from his comfortable surroundings, his boyhood friends, work acquaintances from his job and all that he had established there. He led them away and he went out and he lived in tents. Imagine, for the rest of his life, in tents, moving here and there, having to pitch a tent every place he stopped. See Genesis 12.

As Abraham was journeying, his cattle began to increase. His nephew Lot was with him, and his cattle increased. Soon Lot’s herdsmen and Abraham’s herdsmen got into arguments because of all the cattle, and the watering situation. See Genesis 13.

Abraham came to Lot, who was the younger man, and he said, “Listen, Lot. We’re headed for a city. Let’s not argue or have our herdsmen argue. You go any place you want; you can stay here, or take anything you want. I’ll take anything that’s left.” See Genesis 13. Abraham knew that this wasn’t his home. It did not matter whether he was in the valley or ravines. Wherever he was, it was only a temporary place for him.

Wouldn’t it be fantastic if we had that same attitude in the church, and in church offices, and church duties, and all these things? This world is as a temporary journeying place with temporary duties until we get to our heavenly home. Abraham showed an unselfish attitude. I wish we could all live in tents, maybe not literal tents, but like Abraham lived, that we would see our houses and our dwelling places as only temporary abodes.

If we could only break away from the hypnotic trance of this world like Abraham did. If we could just get our eyes beyond that car or cars or whatever it may be in our driveways or out on the curb that is holding our affections. Oh, that we could take our affections away from our wardrobes, our homes or whatever else that may consume our time and our planning. They are all going to burn together. The Rolls Royce will burn just as well as the Volkswagen. The Taj Mahal is going to burn right along with the row houses of Washington, D.C. They are all but temporary dwellings whether people realize it or not. We do not own anything in this life; we just lease it. We are temporary sojourners and are just living here for a little while. I believe with all my heart that it’s not that far away.

We have received two calls. One of them is to the city of destruction which is an easy call and has a lot of temporary benefits. Even though it is an easy call, the retirement is lousy. Let me tell you about that call.

To accept that call, you do not really have to do anything. You can either sit down and watch television or go out and work hard earning a living. You can eat and drink and marry and give in marriage just like they did before the flood, and you’ve got the call. It is all paid for; the journey is paid for. The devil has your ticket and your name is written right on it. It is yours; you have got it. You can be basically a good person, outwardly. You can be a social person or a cultured person; whatever you want and it is all yours.

The only way you can forfeit that call is to take the cross of Jesus Christ. Take Him as your Saviour and as your Lord and your Master and take His cross for your cross. That is the only way you can forfeit the call. Other than that, it is yours for the taking. It’s all paid for; the way is free. The Devil has paid the way. It’s an easy call. There’s only one sad thing about that call. A whole lot of people have that ticket which is made out for the city of destruction, but think they are going to the New Jerusalem.

Jesus said, “Not every one who says to Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the Kingdom of Heaven; but he who does the will of My Father in Heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, look, we have a ticket to heaven; look at all these things we did. We prophesied in the name of Jesus. In your name, Lord, we cast out demons. We did many wonders in the name of Jesus, in your name, Jesus. And then I’ll declare to them, says Jesus, I never knew you, depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness” (Matthew 7:21–23).

They thought they had a ticket that was stamped to the New Jerusalem and it was to the city of destruction. What a disappointment that is. Jesus says in verses 13 and 14, “Enter by the narrow gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way.” You see, it is an easy way. It can encompass all your peculiarities and all of your prejudices. It can encompass all of your traditions and all of the things you think you should do. It is a broad way and many there be that go in thereat. But, remember, it is the broad way and leads to the city of destruction. The way to the New Jerusalem is narrow and the way is difficult.

Did Jesus really say it is difficult to get to heaven? Yes He did. He said it over and over again, but He has given us the strength, and it is the way that He has paid for. He wants everyone to make it and promises to be our personal guide, but it is not the easy way. It is the difficult way that leads to life and there are few who find it.

As I said, this way to the city of destruction is the easy way. But the retirement is lousy. Let me tell you about that retirement. The next moment, according to the Bible, after they die, those on that road wake up a thousand years later, a thousand years too late.

The centuries have passed by as in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, because when you are unconscious, totally dead, you know not the passing of time. The Bible says the dead know not anything. The Bible says they are asleep. Jesus said they are asleep but to them it is instantaneous; instantly they are awake. There they are outside of the New Jerusalem. One moment they are here; maybe in an auto accident, a heart attack, or something happens, and instantly they are in a new place, outside the New Jerusalem, in the city of destruction.

In Revelation 20:7, 8, it says, “Now when one thousand years are expired, Satan will be released from his prison, And he will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them to the battle: whose number is as the sand of the seas.”

Here we have the two great cities of earth, the New Jerusalem and the city of destruction. There was a time when God’s people lived in tents while those in Sodom, Gomorrah and Babylon built great and beautiful cities where they made their homes. But now the tables are reversed. Now it is God’s people who are in the city and it is those who have followed Satan who are all living in tents out there in tent city, out there in the city of destruction, in the country of Gog and Magog.

In Revelation 20:12, we find there is going to be a great white throne set up above the city: “And I saw the dead, both small and great, standing before God; and books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged according to their works by the things which were written in those books.”

What a time that is going to be when all the inhabitants who have ever lived on earth from the beginning to the end are all going to be at one place at one time—all the good and also the wicked. Some in tent city and some in the New Jerusalem. You will be there and I will be there; whatever our beliefs, we will all be there. Whatever our lives are like or whatever our habits are like, or wherever we are planning on going, we will all be there—every one of us. All of the inhabitants of earth are to meet at one place at one time. Do you ever wonder what it would be like to wake up outside the New Jerusalem?

You know it can happen in just a moment of time. Maybe you are driving down the road and all of a sudden someone swerves out, coming the opposite way in front of you and you get that panic feeling that comes up over you. You reach for that brake, your eyes open wide, and there’s that sound—an instantaneous split second crash sound of crashing metal, and instantly you wake up. You thought you were in the car. You pinch yourself. Where am I? And for a moment your thoughts go back to where they were, about what you were planning to fix for supper that night. Oh, the accident; I never made it home. My family. Where are they? Oh, no, my existence is over, and I’m a member of the church. My dear friend, that will be a heartache that will pierce so deep that there will be no remedy if you wake up in the wrong place. That will be a heartache that will go deeper than anything we’ve ever known or experienced before. And there is going to be no cure, no remedy. I will tell you, friends, that unless we are having a deeper experience than a lot of us are, that is a nightmare that ought to haunt us every night and every day because it is going to be a reality; it is going to happen. Jesus said that the way to destruction, to that city of destruction, is broad and it is easy, but the way to the city of God, to the New Jerusalem, is a narrow way. It does not matter what tradition is, what human opinion is, or what everyone else is doing. No, the only way to get there is God’s way. The only way is the narrow way.

There are many people who have a lot of false hopes today. They can sing songs about going to the New Jerusalem and get all excited about it, be happy and smiling. A lot of people are giving false assurances today, but there are a lot of people going to be disappointed. A lot of people who think they are going there, are not.

We have got to become like Jesus to go there, not only in name, but also in character. I John 3:2, 3 says, “Beloved, now are we the children of God, and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be: but we know this, that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” What a high calling. There is only one way to become pure like Jesus, and that’s by spending time with Him every day.

How do we break the shackles? We all know that we must spend time with God. Somehow when we sit down, we fall asleep. It’s just like we are shackled with shackles of iron. How can we ever break through the shackles and really develop a relationship with Jesus Christ?

II Corinthians 3:18 says, “We all with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory into glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

Are you being transformed into the image of Jesus Christ? There is no transformation without beholding, and we become what we behold. “By beholding, we become changed,” Wesley said.

If we are spending more time beholding television, the newspaper, the magazines of this world, and listening to rock radio, rock music and all these things of the world, than we are with God and His word, I can assure you we are not being transformed into Jesus’ image. We are being transformed by what we are beholding, by what we are seeing. There is no way we are going to the city of the New Jerusalem if we are spending more time with the things, the entertainments, and the attractions of this world than we are with our Lord Jesus Christ, because where the heart is, there is where we are going to spend time.

Are we being transformed into the image of Jesus Christ? That is the question. Are you less easily offended today than you were a year ago? Are you conquering those thoughts in your mind, those thoughts of pride and of self-emulation? That is a serious question because God reads the thoughts, and He reads the heart. Is your love all wrapped up in fashion and sports, and the things of this world, or is your love changing so that those things are losing their glitter? Where are your affections or your conversation? Do you love to talk about Jesus, or is your conversation all about this world?

We all have a call, and there is a position that God has waiting for us. It is an administrative position with great responsibility, if we will accept the call. Look at Revelation 3:21: “To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me in My throne, as I also overcame, and sat down with My Father on His throne.” In Revelation 20:4, “I saw thrones and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. And I saw the souls of them that had been beheaded for the witness of Jesus Christ and the word of God who had not worshipped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on his forehead or his hands and they lived and they reigned with Christ a thousand years.”

The Bible reveals that those who are saved are going to judge. Paul says we are even going to judge angels, the fallen angels, of course. Now, Jesus, of course, and the angels, the Bible reveals, are judging. God goes through and judges enough to know who is righteous and who is lost. The judgment of the lost, other than the fact that they are lost, is given into the hands of the saints. The Bible reveals that there are different punishments for different people.

The Devil has always accused Jesus of being a tyrant, intolerable, and being unjust. No one is going to be able to tell God He is unjust, tyrannical, or any of these other things, because He is not doing the judging. He is giving it into the hands of human beings who will judge their own parents, their own children, their own relatives, their own kinsmen, their own neighbors. The saved will be doing the judging and you know they are going to be fair.

Just imagine being able to see yourself in your living room and there see your son and your daughter and can see their thoughts. You see the angels struggling for their souls and there is the great controversy going on. You see the convictions of their lives and then to your horror you see yourself sitting there watching television while the great controversy is going on for your children, while they are under conviction. There you are earning money, hurrying to get ready for the Sabbath, hurrying to get ready for church, hurrying for everything, and they are not there. You think, Oh, if I could live my life over again, but you can’t. Later you were converted, but it was too late.

You look out your windows and you see your neighbors. You go outside the door and you can see their thoughts, wondering about your religion, what made you tick. There you see the angels in a great controversy for their souls and you are unconcerned. Then a thought flashes into your mind that you are going to meet them again; you are going to have to look into their eyes at the end of the millennium. You are all going to be there together. There your children are going to look up into your eyes. There you are in the city, and there they are in the city of destruction. Oh, if you had only helped them. There are your neighbors saying, If you had only told me; why didn’t you tell me?

There’s going to be anger and resentment outside the city. There are going to be tears for lost opportunities, tears for loved ones, tears for family.

Today is the day to make sure of our calling. Today is the day to do our witnessing. Today is the day to talk with our sons and our daughters and our next door neighbors. Tomorrow it may be too late. Today is the day to give money for the spread of the gospel. Today is the day to make an appointment to meet together on that other shore. Look at Revelation 22:14. It says, “Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.” Verse 17 says, “And the Spirit and the Bride say, Come.” Here is the call, friends, He’s calling today. He says, “Come. Come. And let him who hears say, Come. And let him who is thirsty and whosoever desires, let him take of the water of life freely.”

You need to make an appointment to meet around that great white throne by the river of life that flows from that crystal white throne. Today is the day to accept that call. We have all received the call. Today is our day of probation. Today is the day that God has given us life to make our calling and election sure. We are but sojourners in this earth. Let him who accepts the call, give the call.

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.