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Crucified with Christ

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“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

Galatians 2:20

Saul of Tarsus was a Jew, a Pharisee, and a zealous persecutor of the Christian church. “Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.” Acts 9:1, 2. When a Christian met someone walking on the road, he would ask, “Are you of the way?” This was how Christians identified each other. If the answer was in the affirmative, then each of them knew they had found a Christian brother.

On his journey to Damascus, Saul carried with him letters granting him the authority to round up Christian Jews, arrest them, and bring them back to Jerusalem where they would be tried in the Jewish court. But something miraculous and unimaginable happened to Saul on that journey.

“As he journeyed, he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’ ” Verses 3, 4

Friend, did God know Saul? Yes, He did. In fact, God knows your name, where you live, what you do, and where you are headed. He can, at any time He chooses, address any member of the human family by their first and last name.

Saul is stricken by this bright light. He hears this voice and falls on the ground shaking and says, “ ‘Lord, what do you want me to do?’ Then the Lord said to him, ‘Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.’ ” Verse 6. That is a very brief description of what happened that day on the Damascus Road. If you read the full account in Acts 26, you will see that Jesus gave Saul detailed instructions that he should bear witness to what he had seen, experienced, and all that Jesus would, in time, show him. This is when Saul was crucified with Christ and became Paul. You see, you cannot truly witness for Christ until you have been crucified with Him.

According to the Bible, a human being has three parts.

“Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Thessalonians 5:23

Notice, a human being has a spirit, a soul, and a body. So when Paul said, “I am crucified with Christ,” was he saying that he was crucified on a tree as Christ was? No.

The Bible refers to the soul as being the mind or a person’s intellectual capability, his or her ability to analyze, to reason, to remember, and to think. Was Paul’s mind, his mental nature, crucified? No. In fact, we find that his mind was stimulated by the experience. Inspiration tells us that, though he was blind, he reviewed all the prophecies about the Messiah in his mind.

So, if Paul was crucified with Christ and it was not in his body or soul, it must then be that Paul was crucified with Christ in his spirit. Man’s spirit has to do with his feelings and emotions. The Bible often calls man’s spirit his heart.

“Out of the heart proceed the issues of life.” Proverbs 4:23

“A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” Luke 6:45

“But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.” Matthew 15:18, 19

Saul’s heart was filled with hatred and murder toward the Christians. But when the light from heaven encompassed Saul on the Damascus Road, it was like a sword piercing through his spirit. His spirit was shattered, completely broken; it was crucified.

Man’s natural heart is hard like a stone and his natural nature is selfish, and, therefore, sinful. It wants to do things its own way, to think and feel the way it wants. But God wants to do something miraculous in our lives. “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” Ezekiel 36:26

All the while Saul was hating, hunting down, and putting Christians in jail, Jesus was preparing a new heart for him. He planned to remove his stony heart and replace it with one that would have a new spirit, a heart crucified and restored, so that it would seek to do the will of God.

When my old man—my natural self—is crucified with Christ, the Lord will remove my heart of stone and give me a new heart of flesh and put a new spirit in me. But here is the problem. The devil comes and tempts you and me, and sometimes, our crucified old nature is allowed to take charge of our lives again. Then we are back to the person we were before—bitter speech, selfish words, self-exaltation, jealousy, anxiety, strife, dissension in the church, and so much more. Whenever there is dissension or division in the church or in a group of Christian people or a Christian family, someone has let the old man come down from the cross; they are not crucified anymore.

But here Paul says, “I am … .” He didn’t say he was, or that he would be. He says, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me.” (KJV). I must ask myself that if I were to say, right now, that I am crucified with Christ, would my recording angel be able to write down that I have told the truth or that I told a lie?

Today, even among God’s people, too often, the old man comes down off the cross and we start acting like we are unconverted. This is what happened to the Corinthian church. “Brethren, I could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal.” 1 Corinthians 3:1. “You are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?” Verse 3

Paul says more, “the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20, last part, KJV). Love has to do with the spiritual nature of man. Jesus loved me. He loves me now, and everything that He did on this earth, the life He lived and the sacrifice He made were all done because of His love for me.

The Bible says that Christ was fully human, with a physical nature, a mental nature, and a spiritual nature. Kneeling in the garden of Gethsemane, He looked down the stream of time and saw the entirety of mankind. That day in the garden, He knew each of us by name. But He didn’t just know us, He loved us. Friends, we do not have the spiritual capability to understand what Jesus did on Calvary, nor the depth of His love.

“Only by love is love awakened. To know God is to love Him; His character must be manifested in contrast to the character of Satan. This work only one Being in all the universe could do. Only He who knew the height and depth of the love of God could make it known. Upon the world’s dark night the Sun of Righteousness must rise, ‘with healing in His wings.’ Malachi 4:2

“The plan for our redemption was not an afterthought, a plan formulated after the fall of Adam. It was a revelation of ‘the mystery which hath been kept in silence through times eternal.’ Romans 16:25, R. V. It was an unfolding of the principles that from eternal ages have been the foundation of God’s throne. … God did not ordain that sin should exist, but He foresaw its existence, and made provision to meet the terrible emergency. So great was His love for the world, that He covenanted to give His only-begotten Son, ‘that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ John 3:16.” The Desire of Ages, 22

While Jesus hung on the cross, some of those standing by as witnesses to His crucifixion said, “You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross. … And we will believe You.” Matthew 27:40, 42, last part. Jesus could have done that. He could have decided that His 33 years of life in this world was enough—and too much. He could have chosen to go back to heaven. His life, and, particularly, His death was a voluntary act. The decision to execute the plan of salvation was made before the beginning of the world. He did not have to go to the cross, but if He had not, I would be lost, and so would you.

So, to be crucified with Christ, I must make a voluntary choice to have this miraculous work done in my life, just as Jesus voluntarily chose to come to this earth as a man, to live and die, so that mankind could be saved. God did not force Jesus, and He will never force you or me.

You cannot force anyone to love you, and God knew that only by the greatest, most powerful display of love that had ever been seen in the history of the universe, would mankind be awakened from its stupor of selfishness and sin. In the incarnation of Jesus Christ and His sacrifice on the cross, God’s incomprehensible love was displayed to the entire universe.

Peter wrote, “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory.” 1 Peter 1:6–8

In one generation, the story of the incarnation, the crucifixion, especially the resurrection and the ascension of Jesus Christ to heaven, and His promise that He would return again went to the entire inhabited world. And people listened.

John, the beloved, said, “We love Him because He first loved us.” 1 John 4:19. As I look at the life of Jesus, I find that the defilement of sin that is in me is not in Him. Sin does not come at me just from the outside, but is a part of me on the inside; you might say, it’s in my DNA. And you then might say, as Paul did, “Lord, what do you want me to do?”

Jesus says that if I am weary and burdened and will come to Him, He will yoke Himself together with me and I will have rest in my soul. This rest doesn’t mean that you won’t have trials or troubles. Sin is still in the world, and we will have to face it every day. But, if I say that I love Jesus, if I allow Him to be a moment-by-moment part of my life, then I will surrender my life to Him and work to remove from it the things that I know are wrong. Then He will walk beside me providing peace and grace even through the most difficult times. Many people today claim that they love God, but God has to correct them, because they continue to hold on to the sinful things of this world that keep them separated from Him. No, He says, they do not love Me because they are not willing to give up all for Me.

Friend, is there any sinful thing in your life that needs to be let go of, removed?

“Christ hates sin. From Him evil met with stern rebuke. But while He hates sin, He loves the sinner. Laying aside His riches and glory, He came to this earth to seek for us, sinful, erring, unhappy, that He might lead us to heaven. He humbled Himself, and took upon Him our nature, that He might make us like Himself, pure and upright, free from defilement. He suffered more than any of you will ever be called to suffer. He gave His all for you. What have you given for Him?” The Signs of the Times, July 9, 1902

Jesus cannot save me unless I am willing to allow Him to take my sin away. My carnal, selfish nature must be crucified. “There is nothing so hard as the crucifixion of the will.” Our High Calling, 107. So, I must ask myself whether I have come to the place in my Christian walk where I can say to the Lord, not my will, but Your will. If I want to be saved, I must be crucified with Christ.

“When the heart yields to the influence of the Spirit of God, the conscience will be quickened, and the sinner will discern something of the depth and sacredness of God’s holy law, the foundation of His government in heaven and on earth. … [The sinner] sees the love of God, the beauty of holiness, the joy of purity; he longs to be cleansed and to be restored to communion with heaven.” Steps to Christ, 24

Being crucified with Christ means the crucifying of our sinful spirit. No one can go to heaven if they have not been crucified with Christ. Crucifying the will means to follow God wherever He leads, to accept His will rather than our own to control our lives.

It is God’s purpose that the life of Christ is to be reproduced in every one of His people, but this does not mean the body or the ability to reason. God wants my heart—the part of me that has made me a sinner. But by His power and grace, my heart can be transformed.

“Not by the decisions of courts or councils or legislative assemblies, not by the patronage of worldly great men, is the kingdom of Christ established, but by the implanting of Christ’s nature in humanity through the work of the Holy Spirit.” The Desire of Ages, 509

“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statues, and you will keep My judgments and do them.” Ezekiel 36:26, 27

Implanting Christ’s nature into humanity by the work of the Holy Spirit, giving them His spiritual nature is the only way the kingdom of Christ can be advanced. “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name; who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” John 1:12, 13. It is this power alone that uplifts mankind. And we, as the human agents for the accomplishment of this work, are to teach and practice the word of God.

“When the apostle Paul began his ministry in Corinth, that populous, wealthy, and wicked city, polluted by the nameless vices of heathenism, he said, ‘I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.’ 1 Corinthians 2:2. Writing afterward to some of those who had been corrupted by the foulest sins, he could say, ‘But ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.’ ‘I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ.’ 1 Corinthians 6:11; 1:4

“Now, as in Christ’s day, the work of God’s kingdom lies not with those who are clamoring for recognition and support by earthly rulers and human laws, but with those who are declaring to the people in His name those spiritual truths that will work in the receivers the experience of Paul: ‘I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me.’ Galatians 2:20. Then they will labor as did Paul for the benefit of men.” The Desire of Ages, 510

Friend, if you are hoping someday to wear the crown of glory and have the gift of eternal life, there must be an unreserved, total surrender of your will to God’s will. He does not accept a half surrender. He wants all of your heart. And when self is crucified, then the Holy Spirit can work a miracle of transformation in your life.

God’s purpose for the incarnation, life, death, and resurrection of Christ was so all who would behold by sight or by faith the marvelous display of His law and love, would yield their will to His will and be given a new heart and a new spirit.

“Christ, the precious Saviour, is to be the Christian’s all in all. Every holy thought, every pure desire, every Godlike purpose, is from Him who is the light, the truth, and the way. Christ is to live in His representatives by the Spirit of truth. …

“Under the mighty impulse of His love He [Jesus] took our place in the universe and invited the Ruler of all things to treat Him as a representative of the human family. He identified Himself with our interests, bared His breast for the stroke of death, took man’s guilt and its penalty, and offered in man’s behalf a complete sacrifice to God. By virtue of this atonement He has power to offer to man perfect righteousness and full salvation. Whosoever shall believe on Him as a personal Saviour shall not perish but have everlasting life.” In Heavenly Places, 65

Jesus never fails. Our only danger is that we will not be crucified with Him.

“Jesus identifies His interest with His chosen and tried people. He represents Himself as personally affected with all that concerns them. …

“His sympathy with His people is without a parallel. He will not simply remain a spectator, indifferent to what His people may suffer, but identifies Himself with their interests and sorrows. If His people are wronged, maligned, treated with contempt, their sufferings are registered in the books of heaven as done unto Him.” Ibid.

Imagine it—a world where all Christians, maybe even all of mankind, could say Christ is living in me. There would be peace, unity, humility, benevolence, selflessness, respect, and love; not the hatred, selfishness, lawlessness of every kind that we see today.

“Everyone that shall see the King in His beauty, must be without spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing. We now have an opportunity to form characters for the future life, and what a rich blessing we shall receive if we obtain the recompense of the reward! There is no comfort in sin. Men are made miserable because they refuse to obey the commandments of God. The whole world lieth in wickedness, but Christ came to remove the woe that comes as a consequence of sin. He came to our world to show us how to live a pure, holy life, and I have purposed in my heart that He shall not have lived and died in vain for me. I want to say with the apostle: ‘I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me; and the life I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me.’ I want to leave a bright track heavenward for all that may be attracted in the way of life.” The Signs of the Times, August 4, 1890

When your will is crucified, then the Holy Spirit will work a miracle inside. We should be praying for that miracle every day.

“There are many who conclude that they are saved simply because they have good impressions; but this is not enough. The entire affection must be renovated. Every individual must learn by experimental knowledge where lies his true strength. No one can leave his first love without a forfeiture of the Christian character. The Church must come up out of the wilderness, leaning upon the arm of her Beloved. When each member of the church can say, ‘I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me; and the life I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me,’ then Christ, the hope of glory, will be revealed in His people.” Ibid., August 18, 1890

God will have a people in the last generation who can say “I am crucified with Christ.” This is the biggest and best offer that mankind will ever receive and it is available to everyone in the world. But it is up to each of us to take advantage of it.

Are you willing to sacrifice everything carnal, fleshly, sinful, and sensuous, so that Jesus can live inside? And when the devil tempts you, will you say “I’m staying right here on the cross. I want to be crucified with Christ so that He can live in me.”

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

The Struggle for Unity

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Today the revival and reformation movement in Adventism is being attacked from several different directions.

  1. It is attacked by professed Adventists in the organized church structure.
  2. It is attacked by the world.
  3. It is being attacked, and will be more and more, by the powers of Babylon.

However, none of these attacks are our most serious threat. The most serious problem that the revival and reformation movement in Adventism has today is what I call the attack from within.

Zechariah 13:6 speaks about the experience which Christ went through when He was here on this earth. “And one will say to Him, ‘What are these wounds between your arms [or between your hands].’ Then He will answer, ‘Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.’”

Where was Jesus wounded? In the house of His friends! What was the most serious attack that Jesus had to meet? Was it the Romans? No, it was not. It was the attack from within.

In The Great Controversy, 187, 188, we find a statement about the reformation in the time of Martin Luther. “The opposition of the Pope and the Emperor had not caused him so great perplexity and distress as he now experienced. From the professed friends of the reformation had risen its worst enemies.”

Where did the worst enemies of the reformation come from? From her professed friends. Where is our greatest danger today? Is it from the world, or Babylon, or is it from the structure church? No, the worst danger for the revival and reformation today is our professed friends. We are our worst enemies!

“From the professed friends of the reformation had risen its worst enemies. The very truths that had brought him so great joy and consolation were being employed to stir up strife and create confusion in the church.” Ibid.

Is there strife and confusion in the revival and reformation movement in Adventism today? Yes, it is all over the world. We are in a battle: not against human beings, but against the greatest deceiver of all times and he deceives human beings and uses them to wound the very work which they profess to be strengthening. This is why we have so much strife and confusion in our midst today.

However, look at what the Lord desires for us. In Christ’s most famous prayer He said, “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.” John 17:20–23.

Do you believe that, by the grace of God, we are going to develop unity and harmony? Are we going to learn how to get along with each other or must we just go on scrapping and fighting until the Lord takes us to heaven and works a miracle in our hearts so that, suddenly, we will be able to get along? Even if we wished that it could happen this way, we know that the Lord will not change our characters when we go to heaven. We must finish that work here, with His help.

Do we have work to do? We have much work to do if we are going to be part of the one hundred and forty-four thousand who will be perfectly united. I cannot say that I have all of the answers, but through studying the inspired writings on this subject I am trying to learn all that I can on how we can have unity. In this article, we will study just a few of the thousands of inspired quotations on this topic, as we consider character traits that we must develop or character flaws that we must overcome if we are going to have unity among us today.

Respect and Honor

As I have studied the Ten Commandments, I have come to the conclusion that every one of the Ten Commandments has to do with the concept of respect and honor. We will never have the harmony and unity that we want until we learn to respect one another.

Much is said on this topic in inspired writings. Inspiration instructs that in the home we are to cultivate honor and respect. Children should never see their father say or do something that is disrespectful to their mother. Likewise they should never see their mother say or do something that manifests a lack of honor or respect for the father. (See Child Guidance, 239.)

However, this concept is not just for the home. We must especially learn respect in our relationships with others in the church. We must have respect, not just for certain people, but for every person in the church. We need to ask ourselves, Do I respect my brother when he does something that I do not like? Or when he holds a different opinion on some issue, do I still respect him? I do not have to think the same way that every one else thinks, but I must still respect them, even though I do not agree on every point.

In 1888, Ellen White wrote a letter to Dr. John Harvey Kellogg. At the time that this testimony was written, Kellogg was trying to promote health reform in the Adventist Church almost single handedly, and was receiving opposition from other leading men in the church. And, as can easily happen when one is standing alone, he became discouraged. The following is a part of the message Sister White gave him: “We must have unity. These representative men [physicians and ministers in Battle Creek that Kellogg was having difficulty working with] must respect one another and work in harmony. You have a most responsible position, and the Lord will greatly bless you if you walk in humility before Him. But do not, my brother, expect every mind to be constituted like your own. Do not expect that your brethren will see everything in the same light, and attach the same importance to some matters that you do, for you will certainly be disappointed.” 1888 Materials, 1156.

Did you notice the two major points that Sister White made in this statement? They were that:

  1. We must have respect for all our brothers and sisters in the faith.
  2. While we must respect each other, we must not expect that everyone else is going to think just like we think on everything.

It is only when we learn these principles about respect and honor that we will be able to find true unity and harmony.

As we noted earlier, these lessons should first be learned and practiced in the home. Children need to learn it because, the fifth commandment says, “Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.” Exodus 20:12. No one will go to heaven who has not learned to keep the fifth commandment. A young person may not agree with the way his father or mother manages the household (and he does not have to think exactly as his parents do), but he still has an obligation, written in the law of God, that he is to honor his parents.

Do we honor each other in our homes? Do we honor each other in the church? Consider for a moment how the principle of respect applies in practical situations. Take the following example: If I am going to honor you and respect you, even though you think completely different than I do on some points, will I try to prove that you are wrong and make you look like a fool in public? Will I do that? No, I will not. I may go to you privately and say, “I do not see this the way you do,” but if I truly respect you, I will not try to make you look foolish before others.

Pride and Passion

Consider this statement: “There is nothing which will weaken the strength of a church like pride and passion. If one engaged in the work of God does things in contradiction to another engaged in the same work, that is strife and variance. If we do this to be esteemed or to exalt self, it is vainglory, and death to spirituality and to Christian love and unity of action.” Review and Herald, July 5, 1887.

Pride is a very serious problem according to Malachi 4:1. “‘For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, and all the proud, yes all who do wickedly will be stubble. And the day which is coming shall burn them up’ says the Lord of Hosts.” Is pride a serious problem? It will send you straight to hell. And it is one of the most deeply ingrained problems in fallen, sinful, human nature.

What really is pride? Pride is a disease of the heart that you and I cannot see. So, I do not have any right to go to anyone and say, “You are proud.” Only the Lord could do that through His prophet. However, pride is one of the roots of disunity and I need to know something about the symptoms of pride so that I can check myself to see if pride is still alive in my heart.

I have found two major symptoms of pride in inspired writings. First, pride leads people to make a display. This love of display can be seen in the clothes we wear, the homes or cars we buy or in the way that we behave. In The Desire of Ages, 261, we read about the life of Christ: “ In that life no noisy disputation, no ostentatious worship, no act to gain applause, was ever witnessed. Christ was hid in God, and God was revealed in the character of His Son. To this revelation Jesus desired the minds of the people to be directed, and their homage to be given.” Christ never behaved in any way that would lead others to look to Him; He never sought the applause of others.

We need to teach this principle to our young people. I think it is wonderful when we train our young people to be musicians, but we must be careful that the motive in learning to play music is not to demonstrate skill so that we attract attention to ourselves. That is pride; the desire to make a display. And remember there is nothing that will weaken the strength of a church like pride.

The second symptom of pride is the desire for self-exaltation. When pride first developed in heaven, this is the symptom that was manifest in Lucifer. It finally led him to the point where he wanted to control the angels and possess the position that Jesus Christ alone was worthy to hold. He wanted to be in control of the government of God. He wanted to be in control of the work. Have you ever been in a church where there is one or more persons that think that they ought to control what goes on there? If you or I desire to control others or we demonstrate that we want to control the work, we still have a problem with pride. And if we get upset because someone else does not do exactly what we told them to do, it is time that we begin searching our hearts and realize how deeply pride is rooted there!

Brotherly Love

“Our strength is in our unity. We are weak when we do not love one another.” The Kress Collection, 84.

When we do not love one another, what is the problem? We are weak. We may know all the right theology. We may be able to prove all of our positions, but if we do not love one another, we are weak. Ellen White wrote many testimonies and counsels to people that needed help in this area.

I would like to quote a few lines that are pertinent to our study, from a testimony that Sister White wrote to a Seventh-day Adventist woman. She said: “You see the truth, and then you mark out how this one and that one should practice it; and if they fail to come up to the mark you set, you feel to draw off from them. [When did she begin to condemn others? When they did not come up to how she thought they should behave.] You cannot fellowship with them, and love dies out of your heart for them, when in reality they are just as near right as you are. [This is quite a warning for us!] You make yourself enemies when you might have friends. You are ardent and positive in your temperament, and when you see points of truth, you carry matters to extremes. You thus repulse persons, instead of winning and binding them to your heart.

“You look upon the objectionable features in the character of those with whom you associate, and dwell upon their seeming inconsistencies and wrongs, overlooking their redeeming traits. I was referred to this scripture: ‘Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.’” Testimonies, vol. 2, 437.

This sister was looking on the objectionable points of other’s temperaments. But do we not all have objectionable traits of character which require mercy from others. Shouldn’t we then be willing to give mercy to other people who have some objectionable traits of character, as we do? If God treated us the way we treat each other, I do not believe any of us would be here today. We serve a wonderful God of mercy; are we really His children?

“Here, dear sister, you may meditate and speculate with profit. Dwell upon the good qualities of those with whom you associate, and see as little as possible of their errors and failings.” Ibid. If we could just put this sentence in our mind and say, “Lord, help me to dwell on the good qualities of those with whom I associate.”

Did you know that there are people that you associate with who already know about some of their objectionable traits of character and they sometimes abhor themselves because of the way they are? They need a word of encouragement so that they will be encouraged to fight the battles with self and to overcome their objectionable traits of character. Just think, Is it easier for you to overcome an objectionable trait of character if someone is encouraging you or if they are condemning you?

“You possess too much of a spirit of war, and throw things into confusion and strife. You must change your life and character if you are ever classed with those who hear the words: ‘Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.’” Ibid.

“The great lesson that Christ taught by His life and example was that of unity and love among brethren. This love is the token of discipleship, the divine credentials which the Christian bears to the world. ‘By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if ye have love one to another.’ Love to God and man must be an inwrought principle in the soul; for there is no other way that the Christian can become a ‘partaker of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.’” Review and Herald, August 12, 1884.

Humility

“In humility and union there is strength.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 15, 357. We are never going to have unity that we must have, according to John 17, until we learn how to be humble. And friend, it does not matter how wicked the world becomes or what Babylon does, I do not believe that the Lord will return to this world until John 17 is fulfilled. And it will never be fulfilled unless we become humble people. Are we humble enough yet so that the Lord could bring in unity among us through the Holy Spirit? Are we humble enough to realize that the Lord is in charge of the work and that we do not have to get everything straightened out? Is this a lesson that we need to learn?

“Another great need of the church is humility,—the deep humility of Christ. Believers need to see the necessity of working as Christ worked. O for that devotion and humility of heart that will lead God’s people to do those things that Christ has commanded, and still in all humility and truth say, ‘We are unprofitable servants; we have done only that which it was our duty to do!’ But many, many are swelling with pride and importance, who in God’s estimation are lukewarm. Self-gratification is revealed because of a few things accomplished. Where do we hear the testimony of hearts that are broken in repentance and confession before God? Where do we see professed believers wearing the yoke of Christ? How little time is given to fervent prayer, the result of which would be the possession of a meek and quiet spirit, which in the sight of God is of great price.” Review and Herald, September 16, 1909.

Death to Self

One of the greatest reasons that we have so much strife is that self is not dead yet. The Holy Spirit wants to create unity among us, but it says in Manuscript Releases, vol. 20, 268, “Just as soon as self gains the supremacy, the Spirit of God is quenched.” When self is still ruling the hearts of those in the church, the Holy Spirit cannot work to bring unity.

When I read this statement, I wanted to know what the symptoms are of self still being alive so that I could examine my own life, and so I started studying the Spirit of Prophecy. Here are some of the symptoms that demonstrate that self is not dead and is gaining the supremacy in the human heart. They are taken from many different places in the Spirit of Prophecy.

The Basis of Unity

“The truth is one. It will take people . . . and, mingling them with other elements, soften and refine them through the truth. Teach them that in humility and union there is strength. The love of Christ and living faith would have a transforming power upon the man, upon his ideas, upon his character. The temper and the life experience will be softened and ennobled by divine truth. The influence of the truth is to take away from man that which is impetuous and rebellious, and bring him into harmony with heaven. God’s purpose is to bring all into harmony and unity on the platform of truth as it is in Jesus.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 15, 357, 358. [Emphasis supplied.]

The basis for true unity and harmony is whether or not we are willing to stand on the same platform of truth. When we talk about unity and harmony, we are not talking about it in an ecumenical sense. We are not talking about unity and harmony with all the world. We are not even talking about unity and harmony with all professed Adventists. We are talking about unity and harmony with the people that are all willing to stand on the same platform of truth. And what is that platform?

In the book Early Writings there is a chapter entitled “A Firm Platform.” In that chapter Sister White identifies the Three Angels’ Messages as an immutable platform. She also states that these three messages are infallible (this is a very strong statement if you consider what Adventists believe about the infallibility of the inspired writings), and will triumph over the whole world. A proper understanding of them will guide you to a complete chain of truth and prepare you for the Second Coming of Christ.

Many people ask, “Do you think the church is going through?” The truth is that the church which stays with the Three Angels’ Messages is going to go through and none of the rest of the churches are going through. Even if you meet in a tiny homechurch, if your church stays faithful and true to the Three Angels’ Messages, it will go through. Because, the Three Angels’ Messages, Ellen White says, will triumph. Conversely, if your church, no matter how large and respected it is, does not remain faithful and true to the Three Angels’ Messages, it will not go through. (This same principle applies to a sisterhood of churches or even a world-wide system of churches, for if these organizations apostatize from the truth, they will certainly not go through to the end, either.)

The truth is the platform on which unity is built. Do you want to be on the platform that is going through? People talk about the ship that is going through. However, contrary to popular opinion, the ship that is going through is the ship that is based on the Three Angels’ Messages. If there was only one person in the world that believed them, that person would go through and the rest of the world would go down, because these precious messages are infallible. The people that believe them, and are willing to change their ideas to come into perfect harmony with them, will triumph with them. Is this your great desire? Then diligently study the Word and ask the Lord to help you to stand faithfully on the platform of eternal truth.

If self is not dead the person:

  1. Is ready for a contest.
  2. Has an ambition to be noticed and is afraid of being in some way mistreated.
  3. Regards their judgment as the best of all.
  4. Is not willing to forgo his wishes. (He feels that he should have his own way.)
  5. Has too high an appreciation of himself and eventually he becomes “too good” to labor with his brethren unless he is in charge.
  6. Becomes self-sufficient.
  7. Feels that he can manage the work.
  8. Reveals self in his management.
  9. Is a part of many religious controversies which result.
  10. Is not tender when dealing with others.
  11. Is ready to express his own mind and will, all the time.
  12. Is strenuous to have his will regarded as the will of God.
  13. Wants rules and regulations concerning even the details of the work.
  14. Seeks for knowledge or skills that will bring him into notice.
  15. Shows exhibitions of self. (This has to do with being angry, being harsh or impatient.)
  16. Is jealous of others.

Becoming One With God

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“`I pray not for the world, but for them which Thou hast given Me; for they are Thine. And all Mine are Thine, and Thine are Mine; and I am glorified in them.’ John 17:9, 10. Mark the words. It is Jesus Christ that is praying to His Father, `and all Mine are Thine, and Thine are Mine; and I am glorified in them.’ Is it truth? Are we Bible believers? Is Christ glorified in us? I want you to consider this. He is speaking of the oneness and that unity that shall exist with Christ and His disciples. In that unity, in that oneness, Christ is glorified in us. Now I would have you consider how very light a matter many of us make of seeking to preserve this unity. Why, this unity with believers in and through Christ is the great strength of the church! The oneness, the love which through their faith and unity exists with God’s people through faith in Christ, is a power.” Sermons and Talks, vol. 1, 194.

What is the strength of the church? Inspiration says it is the unity of the believers. Since this is true, it is surely important that we study this subject and understand how we can have unity with each other. Consider this statement from Signs of the Times, February 7, 1895: “If the members of the church are one with Christ, there will be union one with another. The unity of believers will be a living testimony to the world of the power of the Gospel. When there is love one to another, the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness will be diffused to a world that lies in darkness. Why can we not see from the lessons of Christ, and especially from His prayer for the unity of believers, that Christians must be perfect in unity in order to represent the glory of their Redeemer? If those who believe the truth would bring the prayer of Christ into their practical life, they would grow up into the full stature of men and women in Christ Jesus. As believers in Christ, we are `built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone; in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord. In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.'”

Christ is glorified in His people when we have unity and if we are going to have unity we must first become one with Christ: not just in spirit, but in character. To become one with Christ in character we must, by His grace and power, learn to keep His law, for it is a transcript of God’s character.

In the first Psalm it says that the righteous man meditates on the law of God day and night. The law of God and the gospel go hand-in-hand. However, the devil’s work has been to separate them in the minds of men. And he has been successful with many people. If you asked the typical Christian today “Do you love God?” they would say, “Oh, yes, I love God.” But if you asked them, “Do you love the law of God?” they would have to say no, if they told the truth. Now that is a contradiction of terms because the Ten Commandments are a description of the character of God. You cannot love God and hate His law. Jesus said, “If you keep My commandments, you will abide [continue] in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and I abide in His love.” John 15:10.

Becoming one with Christ, will result in unity (not uniformity). When we are all in harmony with the law of God, we will be in harmony with one another. When I discovered this principle, it caused me to do some very serious thinking. I realized that if there is dissension or strife among us then one or more people are not keeping the commandments. We need to ask ourselves whenever there is strife or dissension “Is there some commandment that I am not keeping.”

In Selected Messages, Book 2, 159, it reads: “Unity is the strength of the church. Satan knows this, and he employs his whole force to bring in dissension. He desires to see a lack of harmony among the members of the church of God. Greater attention should be given to the subject of unity. What is the recipe for the cure of the leprosy of strife and dissension? Obedience to the commandments of God.”

In this article, we will study just one of the commandments. As I have studied this commandment, I have become convinced that if we kept this one commandment, strife would no longer exist in our homes or churches. However, there is a catch. It is impossible to keep this commandment and not keep the others, for this first commandment lays the foundation for all of the other nine.

The Meaning of Worship

From the very beginning of the great controversy it has been the devil’s purpose to overthrow God’s law. His rebellion was primarily against the first commandment, which says, “You shall have no other gods before Me.” Exodus 20:3. (See The Great Controversy, 582.) The devil wanted to place himself above God and receive the worship, which belongs to God alone.

In John 4:23, the Bible tells us that the Father seeks the worship of mankind. That is His prerogative as God-for only God deserves worship. In order for us to learn what it means to keep the first commandment, we must first understand the whole concept of worship. Often, when we think of worship, the outward motions come to mind. We teach our children to bow their heads, fold their hands and close their eyes when they come to the Father in prayer. However, these are just the outward motions of worship, and although they can help place us in an attitude for worship, they do not constitute true worship. God seeks those who will worship Him in “spirit and in truth.” True worship, therefore, is an action of the mind and heart, not just a standard set of motions.

I have found that it is sometimes helpful, when I am trying to grasp the understanding of a word, to look at other words that have the same or similar meanings. One synonym for worship is respect. In order to worship someone, you must have profound respect or reverence for that person. If we really have profound respect for God, then there will be very practical results in our lives. For example: since we are free-moral agents, it is possible that there will be times when we will have differences of opinion with God. If we find out that we have a difference of opinion with God, who do you think needs to change? If I truly honor God, I will surrender my opinion to the Lord’s divine command. However, all too often we set ourselves up in the place of God and move forward following our own plans, contrary to inspiration. By doing this we are in actuality saying, “God, I realize we have a difference of opinion, and I have decided to follow my way, because I think it is the best for me.” But if we allow God to be God then we will respect Him so much that we will seek to have our minds brought into harmony with His mind.

Another practical example that we can learn, from the first commandment, has to do with God’s rightful authority as the king of the universe. Because God is the rightful king of the worlds He created, He has absolute authority. However, He never abuses His authority by exercising it arbitrarily. All His commands are based on moral principles, which He has devised for the good of His children. (This is something that parents should keep in mind when they are tempted to control their children by using arbitrary authority.) How does God’s absolute authority as a king relate to us? Since the first commandment says that we should have no other gods, should we ever set up any other king? No. Because if we ever give a person or a group of people kingly authority, in a nation, or church or home, we have placed that person in the place of God, to a certain extent, and that is breaking the first commandment.

How is it in your home? Husbands how do you relate to your wives? Parents how do you relate to your children? How is it in your local church? Jesus said, “Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.” Matthew 23:10. The word that is here translated “masters” means a ruler or someone who controls the whole operation. Jesus said, “Do not be called masters for you are all brothers.”

The devil’s way to get unity and harmony is to create a hierarchical system where the person at the top calls the orders and everyone follows that man. With that system there can be a type of unity. For an example of this, look at the papacy. It is set up in this way as was the Jewish church in the time of Christ, and they both achieved a type of unity that appears quite effective. However, a hierarchy can never bring about the true unity God wants His followers to have. In fact, throughout the Spirit of Prophecy, the word “hierarchy” is always associated with the devil’s mode of operation.

When Self is Our God

There are some things that God can do, because He is God, which you and I cannot do. One of these things that God alone can do is judge the hearts and motives of individuals. In Matthew 7:1, 2, Jesus forbids us to do this. He said, “Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.” Unfortunately, how often do we try to take God’s place and judge the motives of one another? If you have been around where people are gossiping or backbiting, you will notice that a tremendous amount of judging of people’s motives and hearts and characters takes place in those gatherings. Would this be different if you and I realized that every time we judge someone’s motives we are breaking the first commandment? Whenever we do this we are placing ourselves where God alone should be, and taking over the prerogative that He alone possesses.

The very first being to break God’s law was Lucifier, and he broke the first commandment. Who did Lucifer try to set up in the place of God? Himself. Who am I in the greatest danger of setting up in the place of God? Self. We have all probably read what inspiration says about dying to self. For the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy say much on this subject, but, after when we have studied this, do we realize that if we do not die to self, we are allowing self to be set up in the place of God? When I began studying this I started wondering who of us is keeping the commandments? We have no room for self-confidence when we study this subject. How much we need the Lord’s transforming power in our lives!

When Self is Alive

Have you ever had your feelings hurt? We all have. When we get our feelings hurt, that is proof that self is not dead. And have you noticed that wherever there is a person with hurt feelings, there is sure to be all manner of trouble. When this trouble comes into the church, unity is lost. As we read, in the beginning of this article, the church can no longer be strong, for “in unity there is strength.” (By the way, you only need to have one person who really has their feelings hurt about something to tear up a home church.) I know what some will be saying, “But, Pastor John, quit being so hard on me. You don’t know how awful the people in my church are treating me.” I may not, but I do know that if we are going to survive the shaking and be found standing with the people of God in the end, we must learn to keep the first commandment and we must die to self. Self can be our god no longer.

I have often observed another way that we break the first commandment. Often people come to me, either by letter, telephone or in person, and they say something to this effect, “Well, Pastor John, what do you think about this?” And then they give me a document or tell me about a doctrinal theory they have which is not based on the Bible or the Spirit of Prophecy. Sometimes I choose not to respond because I am not interested in arguing, but if I feel that a soul might be in danger, I will speak up and let the sparks fly. Here is an example of a typical conversation, which I have had several times, when people come to me with Aryan beliefs about the Godhead. After they present their case, that concludes that Christ is a created being and not really equal with the Father, I might read to them this quotation from The Desire of Ages, 530. It says: “In Christ is life, original, unborrowed, underived.” Then I ask the person, “What does that mean?” To me it means just what it says. However, one time an individual sent me a book of many pages, to explain how this quotation does not really mean what it says. After I read it, I went back and read the quotation again and I thought, “It still says the same thing.”

What is the problem here? When the word of God says it pointblank, what is the problem? The problem is, friend, we are breaking the first commandment. We have set up our own reason in the place of the real God. That is why we have so much theological controversy and fanaticism in our midst. We have set up our minds in the place of God. If we continue to do this will we go to heaven? Certainly not, for no one who continues to break God’s commandments is going to be there. Do you see the seriousness of fanaticism? The false ideas are not the root of the problem. The problem is that self is not dead.

I am sorry if that sounds hard, but it is reality. The first commandment is reality. It is right at the basis, the foundation, of all of the Ten Commandments. The most basic question is who is your god? I have told many audiences, during evangelistic meetings, “Whether you go to church on Sabbath or Sunday is not the issue. The issue is who is going to be god in your life? Who has the authority to tell you when to go to church? Will you let self or the traditions of men be your god, or will you submit to the God of all the universe and obey His commands?” Here again we see how the entire law rests upon the first commandment.

In The Great Controversy, 595, Ellen White says: “But God will have a people upon the earth to maintain the Bible, and the Bible only, as the standard of all doctrines and the basis of all reforms. The opinions of learned men . . . the voice of the majority-not one nor all of these should be regarded as evidence for or against any point of religious faith. Before accepting any doctrine or precept, we should demand a plain `Thus saith the Lord’ in its support.”

Dear friends, this is a lesson we must learn. When we begin to keep the first commandment and put God and His word first in our lives, dying to self and its demands, the strife and contention among us will cease. As I have studied this, I have felt my own great need and I am praying that the Lord will work a miracle in my life so that self will be dead all the time. I do not want any other gods. How about you? We need to ask ourselves what could happen in our home churches, where the devil is coming in and causing so much dissension and strife, if in our hearts we made a commitment to have no other gods beside the Lord. What could happen if we were dead to self so that we did not have hurt feelings and so that we did not speak evil of each other?

Sheep and Stress

Decades ago, some researchers studied the whole subject of stress, using sheep as their research subjects. To study how stress affects sheep, they placed young sheep in a pen which had a floor built on a grid that allowed an electrical shock to be sent to any area of the pen. Now that is certainly stress, for an animal to suddenly be shocked. In their experiments, they would start by sending a shock to the sheep when it was in just one corner of the pen. When the animal learned to avoid that part of the pen, they would start sending the electrical charge to another area of the pen where the animal was. Then he had two spots to avoid. A little while later they would give him another shock in another spot. Now he had three places to avoid. How many places can an animal remember to avoid? This got very stressful for these laboratory animals. In fact, it was so stressful that they eventually had a nervous breakdown. They would just stand in one spot and shake all the time.

That is what the devil wants to do to you and I. He works it out so that someone treats you badly and you have your feelings hurt. Then later it happens again, but this time with another person, and so soon you decide that half the people in your home church just do not like you because they have done all these terrible things. So what are you going to do? Maybe you could split up and start another home church across the street and then when you get that one full, do you know what will happen? You will go through the same process all over again. Churches will just keep splitting, splitting, splitting, because we cannot get along, we hurt each other’s feelings.

What is the solution? These researchers found that when they took the laboratory animals and put them on the same grid, but this time they put the mother sheep in with the younger animal, the young sheep learned to run to its mother, when it was shocked. After a while the young sheep was so confident that his mother was there and that he was not in danger that he did not worry about the shock. He just jumped a little bit and went on thinking nothing about it. That is the point we need to come to in Adventism. We need to come to the place that we trust our heavenly Father so much, that when someone does something that causes us pain, we immediately go to the Lord and say, “Lord, I am surrendering my feelings to You. Help me to die to self and to do Your will. Lift me up into a holy atmosphere and cause Your love to flow through me. Help me to love my enemies and to bless those that curse me and do good to those who hate me and to pray for those who despitefully use me and persecute me.”

Can this be done? It can and it must. Each of us want to go to heaven and if we want to get along together there, we must first learn to get along here. There is no rehabilitation program in heaven where we can learn to get along with our “enemies.” We must learn here in our homes and churches, or we will not go to that better place. And how are we going to learn to get along? We must learn from the first commandment that God is Number One. Self must die, and God must reign supreme in our lives.

Friend, are you going to keep the first commandment? Do you want to ask the Lord to help you and say, “Lord, I do not want any other gods in my life. I am tired of making myself a god and having so much pride in my own opinion and being so sensitive when someone has a different opinion than mine.” Do you want to keep the first commandment? It will change your home, your church, and most of all, it will help you get ready for heaven. If this is your desire, ask the Lord to work this miracle in your life and surrender to Him so that He can change your life completely.

Bible Study Guides – “Let No Man Deceive You”

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February 6-12, 2000

MEMORY VERSE: “That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro,
and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive.” Ephesians 4:14.

Study Help: Acts of the Apostles, 546–556.

Introduction: “The Lord will not compel men to deal justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with their God; He sets before the human agent good and evil, and makes plain what will be the sure result of following one course or the other. Christ invites us, saying, ‘Follow Me.’ But we are never forced to walk in His footsteps. If we do walk in His footsteps, it is the result of deliberate choice. As we see the life and character of Christ, strong desire is awakened to be like Him in character; and we follow on to know the Lord, and to know His goings forth are prepared as the morning. We then begin to realize that ‘the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.’” Review and Herald, March 31, 1896.

“We Deceive Ourselves”

1 How does John describe those who claim to be Christians but continue to live sinful lives? 1 John 1:6.

NOTE: “This is the class whom the apostle rebukes; for he says, ‘If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.’ It is evident that where a claim to sinlessness is made, there the law of God has not been written in the heart; for the commandments of God are exceeding broad, and are discerners of the thoughts and intents of the heart. The apostle speaks words of encouragement to those who realize that they are sinners, and says, ‘If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.’ ‘If we say we have no sin,’ when our thoughts, words, and actions, reflected from the law of God, the great moral mirror, reveal us as transgressors, we make God a liar, and prove that His word is not in us.’” Signs of the Times, April 30, 1896. (See The Sanctified Life, 68.)

2 Though Job was described by God as a perfect man, what was his estimate of himself? Job 9:20, 21.

NOTE: “Those who triumph, and claim that they are sinless, show in this very boasting that they are far from being without the taint of sin. The more clearly fallen man comprehends the character of Christ, the more distrustful will he be of himself, and the more imperfect will his works appear to him in contrast with those which marked the life of the spotless Redeemer. But those who are at a great distance from Jesus, whose spiritual senses are so clouded by error that they cannot comprehend the divine character of the great Exemplar, conceive of Him as altogether such an one as themselves, and talk of their own perfection of holiness with a high degree of satisfaction. They really know little of themselves, and less of Christ. They are far from God.” Life Sketches, 211.

3 What precious promise is given to those who confess their sins? 1 John 1:9; 2:1, 2. (See also Micah 7:18, 19.)

NOTE: (See Acts of the Apostles, 552.)

“If We Keep His Commandments”

4 How does John emphasize the importance of obedience to the Commandments? 1 John 2:3, 4.

NOTE: “Let none deceive themselves with the belief that they can become holy while willfully violating one of God’s requirements. The commission of a known sin silences the witnessing voice of the Spirit and separates the soul from God.” Maranatha, 232.

“It is true that there are many who have never had the light of present truth, who, through the grace given them of Christ, are keeping the law as far as they understand it. Those who are
thus living up to the best light they have, are not of the class whom the apostle John condemns.” Gospel Workers, 1892 edition., 227. (See Acts of the Apostles, 562, 563.)

5 What will be the effect on the character of the Christian who seeks to keep God’s Word? 1 John 2:5.

NOTE: “John did not teach that salvation was to be earned by obedience; but that obedience was the fruit of faith and love . . . If we abide in Christ, if the love of God dwells in the heart, our feelings, our thoughts, our actions, will be in harmony with the will of God. The sanctified heart is in harmony with the precepts of God’s law.” Acts of the Apostles, 563.

“Through Jesus there is divine sympathy between God and the human beings who, through obedience, are accepted in the Beloved. Thus humanity conforms to the will of divinity, fulfilling the words, ‘If ye love Me, keep My commandments.’ The commandment-keeping people of God are to walk in the sunlight of Christ’s righteousness, their countenances expressing cheerfulness and thanksgiving, joyful in the assurance, ‘Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.’” Review and Herald, May 3, 1898.

“Love not the world”

6 What choice lies before the Christian? 1 John 2:15, 17. (See 2 Timothy 4:10, 11).

NOTE: “Mark had become willing to follow the Master in the path of self-sacrifice. Now, sharing the lot of Paul the prisoner, he understood better than ever before that it is infinite gain to win Christ, infinite loss to win the world and lose the soul for whose redemption the blood of Christ was shed. In the face of severe trial and adversity, Mark continued steadfast, a wise and beloved helper of the apostle. Demas, steadfast for a time, afterward forsook the cause of Christ. In referring to this, Paul wrote, ‘Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world’ (2 Timothy 4:10). For worldly gain, Demas bartered every high and noble consideration. How shortsighted the exchange! Possessing only worldly wealth or honour, Demas was poor indeed, however much he might proudly call his own; while Mark, choosing to suffer for Christ’s sake, possessed eternal riches, being accounted in heaven an heir of God and a joint heir with His Son.” Conflict and Courage, 349.

7 What will happen to those professed believers who are not in harmony with the truth? 1 John 2:19.

NOTES: (See Testimonies, vol. 6, 400.)

“Hereby We Know . . .”

8 What is the evidence that a person is truly born again? 1 John 3:9, 10.

NOTE: “God has power to keep the soul who is in Christ, when that soul is under temptation.” Sons and Daughters of God, 297.

“God has made ample provision that we may stand perfect in His grace, wanting in nothing, waiting for the appearing of our Lord. Are you ready? Have you the wedding garment on? That garment will never cover deceit, impurity, corruption, or hypocrisy. The eye of God is upon you. It is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. We may conceal our sins from the eyes of men, but we can hide nothing from our Maker.” Review and Herald, December 13, 1887.

“God never places before us a requirement without giving us the power to perform it. He never asks us to take one step in advance of Him. He leads the way, and we are to follow after. Following Him, we are in no danger of going astray. Thus only can we perfect a Christian character as stewards of the grace of God.” Review and Herald, June 22, 1905.

9 What does John say is the foundation of a Christian’s assurance? 1 John 3:18–21.

NOTE: “Do not settle down in Satan’s easy chair, and say that there is no use, you cannot cease to sin, that there is no power in you to overcome. There is no power in you apart from Christ, but it is your privilege to have Christ abiding in your heart by faith, and He can overcome sin in you, when you co-operate with His efforts . . . You may be living epistles, known and read of all men. You are not to be a dead letter, but a living one, testifying to the world that Jesus is able to save.” Our High Calling, 76. (See Acts of the Apostles, 551.)

“We Ought Also to Love One Another”

10 Against what further self-deception does John warn us? 1 John 4:20, 21.

NOTE: (See Acts of the Apostles, 549.)

11 What assurance do we have that those Christians who live to see Christ come will be conformed to His character? 1 John 3:2, 3.

NOTE: “We desire to follow Christ and to be like Him; but we sometimes faint beneath trials, and remain at a distance from Him. Sufferings and trials bring us near to Jesus. The furnace consumes the dross and brightens the gold. At this time I was shown that the Lord had been trying us for our good, and to prepare us to labor for others; that He had been stirring up our nest, lest we should settle down at ease. Our work was to labor for souls; if we had been prospered, home would be so pleasant that we would be unwilling to leave it; trials had been permitted to come upon us to prepare us for the still greater conflicts that we would meet.” Christian Experience and Teachings, 114.

Inspiration – Heaven’s Part in Life’s Conflict

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Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might.

Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Ephesians 6:10–17.

“Now do we do it?…Do we take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God?

“I wish to call your attention…to the importance of everyone understanding that we cannot keep ourselves, that God has angels. These angels from heaven communicate with the children of men, and not one of us, by anything we may do, can uphold or keep ourselves. We are where we are, kept every moment by the power of God. I have thought that we do not make the ministration of heavenly angels as important as we should.

“We do not…keep in remembrance that every soul with whom we are connected has the guardianship of heavenly angels, sent forth to minister unto those who shall be heirs of salvation.

“I want you to consider this point, What should we do without them? I want you to consider what kind of position we should be left in if we had not the ministry of holy angels.

“From my text we see that ‘we wrestle not against flesh and blood.’ We meet the opposition of men, but there is someone behind that opposition. It is the prince of the powers of darkness, with his evil angels, who is constantly at work. We want to consider, all of us, that our warfare is against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world.

“Who is it that is ruling the world today? And who is it that has chosen to stand under the banner of the prince of darkness? Why, it is nearly the whole world at large. All the world that has not accepted Jesus Christ has chosen for their leader the prince of darkness, and just as soon as they stand under his banner, they have connection with evil angels.

“Either the evil angels or the angels of God are controlling the minds of men. Our minds are given to the control of God or to the control of the powers of darkness, and it will be well for us to inquire where we are standing today—whether under the blood-stained banner of Prince Emmanuel or under the black banner of the powers of darkness. We must make every preparation in our power in order to resist the enemy of souls. Every provision has been made; everything in God’s plan has been arranged so that man should not be left to his own impulses, to his own finite powers, to carry on the warfare against the powers of darkness in his own finite strength, because he would certainly fail if he were thus left to himself. I thank the Lord that we have a power provided for us.

“When Christ bowed on Jordan’s banks He encircled the race with His own human arm, while with His divine arm He grasped the throne of the Infinite. And what does that mean? It means that finite man, who is connected with the earth, is again united with God through the merits of Christ, and earth is again united with heaven.…

“In the Psalms David speaks of God’s being a refuge and a strong tower, a refuge and a fortress; unto Him we can run and we can be saved. How precious is the thought that God is our refuge and that He will be our helper in all times and in all places, and that in every emergency we have God with us. He says that He will give His angels charge over us to keep us in all our ways.

“But why can we not take this matter in? As we walk the streets, or wherever we are, Satan is on our track. When Christ engaged to fight the battles for man on this little speck of a world, He engaged to stand as our substitute and surety, and God put all heaven into His hands, with all the facilities and all the powers that heaven could afford. Now heaven is open to man, and the light and the glory of heaven is imparted to him through the merits of Jesus Christ our Lord.

“Then in our God we have a helper, and we will trust in Him. We must constantly look in that direction, believing that the angels of God are round about us, and that heaven is in communication with us, because these heavenly messengers are…watching and guarding the children of men. They keep us from the influence of sin and sinning, and when the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord lifts up for us a standard against the enemy.…

“There will be constant temptations that will come to a church, large or small, no matter where it is, and the temptations will come just according to the circumstances. How is it with us? Are we standing with the whole armor on, so that we can work in harmony with the angels of God who are working for us? If we separate ourselves from these angels by taking our own course of action, then we place ourselves where the wicked one can tempt us.…

“Curiosity is something bewitching, as says the apostle: ‘Who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth?’ [Galatians 3:3]. Do you think the devil is asleep? He is not asleep, he is wide-awake, and he is on the track of every one of us. We are right upon the very borders of the eternal world. While some are at strife on little points of doctrine—oh my soul!—they had better be fasting and praying and seeking God with all their hearts that they may find Him.…

“We are nearing the end; we are nearing the judgment; and every power that can break up our unity, our harmony, our pressing together, is at work to hinder our sustaining…[what] God has established. Every influence that can be brought to bear to bring us in connection with tendencies that are evil will arise, and Satan will use his power to confuse the minds. We want to stand as men and women of God.…

“Brethren and sisters, we need a great deal more of God. The angels of God are in our midst, and we want to put ourselves under their guardianship. We must be pressing together, and sustaining one another. In the place of drawing one another down, in the place of beating on the wrong track, we want to work where God works; we want to exert a telling influence in behalf of God’s people, and we want to listen for the voice of God. We want to hear what it saith.

“We are now coming down to the last days, and the devil wants to shake and confuse the confidence of His people.…He wants to bring persons where they will have a bad influence, where they have no love for the truth and things which we believe to be of God.

“Those who are doing…missionary work had better find out from whom they get their orders; they had better find out who has commissioned them to do this wonderful missionary work. We want to see that they are sailing under the proper colors. We want to see that they are laboring in harmony with the influence of the Spirit of God.…

“We want to stand as a unit, and those who stand ready to quibble over little points of doctrine to maintain their ideas are not really converted. Just as soon as you are truly converted, this quibbling will cease. You need to go to God with your Bible, with fasting and prayer. God wants us to be united in bringing this people up to a right standard,…for Satan is playing a deep game for their souls and many will be ensnared.

“Angels of God are all around us. You do not discern them with your human vision. Satan and his angels are here…today. Oh, we want to know these things, and fear and tremble, and to think much more of the power of the angels of God that are watching over and guarding us than we have done hitherto.

“We want to place ourselves under the blood-stained banner of Prince Emmanuel. We do not want to be serving Baal. We do not want to be giving ourselves up to the powers of darkness. Angels of God are commissioned from heaven to guard the children of men, and yet they draw away from their restraining influences and go where they can have communication with the evil angels. And then the evil angels fasten impressions in their minds that they will never get rid of so long as they live, just as going to the theater, billiard hall, and all such places lead them from the path of God to stand under the black banner of the prince of darkness. Oh, that we might all obey the injunction of the apostle (read 2 Corinthians 6:17, 18).…

“The vials of God’s wrath and the sprinkling of them, are already coming. What is the matter that we do not discern it? It is because the light of truth does not affect the heart. The Spirit of God is being withdrawn from the world.

“You hear of calamities by land and by sea, and they are constantly increasing. What is the matter? The Spirit of God is taken away from those who have the lives of men in their hands, and Satan is coming in to control them, because they give themselves to his control. Those who profess to be the children of God do not place themselves under the guardianship of the heavenly angels, and as Satan is a destroyer, he works through those men and they make mistakes.…

“And see the storms and tempests! Satan is working in the atmosphere; he is poisoning the atmosphere, and here we are dependent upon God for our lives—our present and eternal life. And being in the position that we are, we need to be wide-awake, wholly devoted, wholly converted, wholly consecrated to God. But we seem to sit as though we were paralyzed. God of heaven, wake us up!

“Don’t you read the newspapers and see the casualties? And don’t you feel afraid to place yourself out of the guardianship of the holy angels, under the control of the evil angels by going right where they are? Will you invite them to connect with you? Can we afford it? Why, you insult the living God if you do; and you are not converted, whoever you may be, rich or poor, high or low, in office or out of office; it is an abomination in the sight of God. And not only is it an abomination in the sight of God, but it is an abomination in our land. Let us stand clear from all these things, that the converting power of God may come into our midst.

“May God help us, brethren and sisters, to realize that this is missionary soil. We claim to be missionaries and workers for Christ, but while you are laboring, be sure that you are seeking to build up what God is building up. Be sure that you are working with all the powers of your being to build up the church, to establish it, and to bring all the piety and all the devotion that the Spirit of God will impart to you, into the church that it may be a living church, and that you may be light bearers to the world.…

“Shall we take hold of this work? Shall we take hold of it right? God help us to work where the angels work; God help us to work where Christ works; God help us to work where God works, that we may see the salvation of God.—Manuscript 1, 1890.” [Sermon at Battle Creek, Michigan, February 1, 1890.]

Sermons and Talks, vol. 2. 57–70.

What Does Soul-Saving Mean?

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There are two reasons why the majority of remnant-church members, among big or small congregations, have fallen into the Laodicean condition: 1) Misdirected delegation. They have gladly turned over the work of soul-saving to the institution’s soul-saving departments, a distinctly human tendency of escaping responsibility or “passing the buck.” 2) They do not fully realize that the work of soul-saving encompasses their daily lives and every little thing they say and do. The impartial, yet merciful and accurate, judgment will take all of these into account. “For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.” Ecclesiastes 12:14.

“Everywhere there is a tendency to substitute the work of organizations for individual effort. Human wisdom tends to consolidation, to centralization, to the building up of great churches and institutions. Multitudes leave to institutions and organizations the work of benevolence; they excuse themselves from contact with the world, and their hearts grow cold. They become self-absorbed and unimpressible. Love for God and man dies out of the soul.

“Christ commits to His followers an individual work—a work that cannot be done by proxy. Ministry to the sick and the poor, the giving of the gospel to the lost, is not to be left to committees or organized charities. Individual responsibility, individual effort, personal sacrifice, is the requirement of the Gospel.” The Ministry of Healing, 147.

Individual Accountability

On the other hand, not enough is being said and done by the leadership itself to emphasize the very nature of the Investigative Judgment as regards the individual accountability of each member for how his character exerts an influence, consciously or unconsciously, upon others, towards eternal life or eternal death. Soul-saving is thought to be the exclusive work and responsibility of evangelists, pastors, ministers, Bible workers, etc. While this is true in the strictest sense, each member has a non-transferable, inescapable, definite role for soul-saving—because of the talents entrusted to him, especially that of life and time. Notice the following:

“Thou God seest me.” Genesis 16:13. “God is a vigilant observer of the actions of the children of men. Nothing occurs in earth or heaven without the knowledge of the Creator. Nothing can happen without His permission. He on whom the fate of an empire may depend is watched over with a vigilance which knows no relaxation by Him who ‘giveth salvation into kings,’ [Psalm 144:10] to whom belong ‘the shields of the earth’ [Psalm 47:9]. And the poor man is as tenderly watched over as the monarch upon his throne.

“God is constantly at work for the good of His creatures. . . . Times without number God has interposed to avert death, to keep men, women, and children in safety when Satan purposed a result wholly disastrous. . . .” My Life Today, 291.

While the above passages offer great comfort and assurance to God’s people who are in distress or who are being persecuted for righteousness sake (Matthew 5:10), it must never be forgotten that God loves righteousness but hates iniquity or sin, as well as rebellious sinners, “with perfect [or righteous] hatred.” (See Hebrews 1:8, 9; Psalm 139:22.) Because God is merciful, just, and righteous, His perfect love of purity will bring sin and impenitent sinners to a just and merciful judgment. Thus, the pre-advent or Investigative Judgment:

“In the Judgment the use made of every talent will be scrutinized. How have we employed the capital lent us of Heaven? Will the Lord at His coming receive His own with usury? Have we improved the powers entrusted us, in hand and heart and brain, to the glory of God and the blessing of the world? How have we used our time, our pen, our voice, our money, our influence? What have we done for Christ, in the person of the poor, the afflicted, the orphan, or the widow? God has made us the depositaries of His Holy Word; what have we done with the light and truth given us to make men wise unto salvation? No value is attached to a mere profession of faith in Christ; only the love which is shown by works is counted genuine. Yet it is love alone which in the sight of Heaven makes any act of value. Whatever is done from love, however small it may appear in the estimation of men, is accepted and rewarded of God.” The Great Controversy, 487.

Love for Self

While one may hasten to point out that whatever he or she is currently doing is “being done out of love” and thus is “accepted and rewarded by God,” the following paragraph qualifies it and takes it beyond any level of rationalization or self-justification. The secret motives that actuated their deeds that were supposedly “done out of love,” hidden to men and women their whole lives, will be revealed. They were actually done out of love for self, not for God’s glory, in accordance to His revealed will in the Law and Testimonies.

“The hidden selfishness of men stands revealed in the books of heaven. There is the record of unfulfilled duties to their fellow men, of forgetfulness of the Saviour’s claims. There they will see how often were given to Satan the time, thought, and strength that belonged to Christ. Sad is the record which angels bear to heaven. Intelligent beings, professed followers of Christ, are absorbed in the acquirement of worldly possessions or the enjoyment of earthly pleasures. Money, time, and strength are sacrificed for display and self-indulgence; but few are the moments devoted to prayer, to the searching of the Scriptures, to humiliation of soul and confession of sin.” Ibid., 487, 488.

“How solemn is the thought! Day after day, passing into eternity, bears its burden of records for the books of Heaven. Words once spoken, . . . can never be recalled. Angels have registered both the good and the evil. The mightiest conqueror upon the earth cannot call back the record of even a single day. Our acts, our words, even our most secret motives, all have their weight in deciding our destiny for weal or woe. Though they may be forgotten by us, they will bear their testimony to justify or condemn.

“As the features of the countenance are reproduced with unerring accuracy on the polished plate of the artist, so the character is faithfully delineated in the books above. Yet how little solicitude is felt concerning that record which is to meet the gaze of heavenly beings. Could the veil which separates the visible from the invisible world be swept back, and the children of men behold an angel recording every word and deed, which they must meet again in the judgment, how many words that are daily uttered would remain unspoken, how many deeds would remain undone.” Ibid., 486, 487.

In addition to doing the actual medical missionary work, giving Bible studies, preparing souls to accept Christ through baptism, and nurturing new members to grow in the faith and in the knowledge of the Scriptures towards character perfection, the following ways of witnessing are not given the attention of which they are worthy. Yet they are as important as a successful campaign of public evangelism!

A Saving Silent Influence

“Ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia. For from you sounded out the Word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing.”

1 Thessalonians 1:7, 8.

“If you can exert a saving influence over one soul, remember there is joy in heaven over the one that repented. . . . You may, by judicious effort, be the means of bringing back the lost sheep to Jesus’ fold. Although you may be young, you must work with Christ; with His Spirit in your heart you can do much more than it now seems possible for you to do.

“If your example is Christlike, that alone, if you do not say a word, will be a help to many. Patient continuance in well-doing will help others to place their feet in the path of truth and righteousness. . . . Be careful to start right, and then keep quietly on.

“The firm purposes you may possess in carrying out good principles will have an influence to balance souls in the right direction. There is no limit to the good you may do. If you make the Word of God the rule of your life, and govern your actions by its precepts, making all your purposes and exertions in the fulfilling of your duty a blessing . . . , success will crown your efforts.

“The youth [as well as the older ones, too] who are consecrated to God sway a mighty influence for good. Preachers or laymen advanced in years cannot have one half the influence for good upon the young that the youth, if devoted to God, can have upon their associates.” My Life Today, 122.

Influence by Example

“The unstudied, unconscious influence of a holy life is the most convincing sermon that can be given in favor of Christianity.” The Acts of the Apostles, 511.

“Be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.” 1 Timothy 4:12.

Influenced by our Atmosphere

“By the atmosphere surrounding us, every person with whom we come in contact is consciously or unconsciously affected.

“This is a responsibility from which we cannot free ourselves. Our words, our acts, our dress, our deportment, even the expression of the countenance, has an influence. Upon the impression thus made there hang results for good or evil which no man can measure. Every impulse thus imparted is seed sown which will produce its harvest. It is a link in the long chain of human events, extending we know not whither.” Messages to Young People, 417

“Every soul is surrounded by an atmosphere of its own [counterfeited by the New Age aura],—an atmosphere, it may be, charged with the lifegiving power of faith, courage, and hope, and sweet with the fragrance of love. Or it may be heavy and chill with the gloom of discontent and selfishness, or poisonous with the deadly taint of sin.” Ibid.

“If by our example we aid others in the development of good principles, we give them power to do good. In their turn they exert the same influence upon others, and they upon still others. Thus by our unconscious influence thousands may be blessed.

“Throw a pebble into the lake, and a wave is formed; and another and another; and as they increase, the circle widens, until it reaches the very shore. So with our influence. Beyond our knowledge or control it tells upon others in blessing or cursing.

“Character is power. The silent witness of a true, unselfish, godly life carries an almost irresistible influence. By revealing in our own life the character of Christ, we co-operate with Him in the work of saving souls. It is only by revealing in our life His character that we can co-operate with Him. And the wider the sphere of our influence, the more good we may do. When those who profess to serve God follow Christ’s example, practicing the principles of the law in their daily life; when every act bears witness that they love God supremely and their neighbor as themselves, then will the church have power to move the world.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 339, 340.

Our Words

“For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it.” 1 Peter 3:10, 11.

“A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.” Proverbs 25:11.

“If the lips were constantly guarded so that no guile could corrupt them, what an amount of suffering, degradation, and misery might be prevented. If we would say nothing to wound or grieve, except in necessary reproof of sin, that God might not be dishonored, how much misunderstanding, bitterness, and anguish would be prevented. If we would speak words of good cheer, words of hope and faith in God, how much light we might shed upon the pathway of others, to be reflected in still brighter beams upon our own souls. . . .” My Life Today, 180.

Help Others

“Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.” 1 Timothy 4:16.

“I have read of a man who, journeying on a winter’s day through deep drifts of snow, became benumbed by the cold, which was almost imperceptibly freezing his vital powers. He was nearly chilled to death, and was about to give up the struggle for life, when he heard the moans of a fellow traveler who was also perishing with cold. His sympathy was aroused, and he determined to rescue him. He chafed the ice-cold limbs of the unfortunate man, and after considerable effort raised him to his feet. As the sufferer could not stand, he bore him in sympathizing arms through the very drifts he had thought he could never get through alone.

“When he had carried his fellow traveler to a place of safety, the truth flashed home to him that in saving his neighbor he had also saved himself. His earnest efforts to help another had quickened the blood that was freezing in his own veins and sent a healthy warmth to the extremities of his body.

“The lesson that in helping others we ourselves receive help must be urged upon young believers continually, by precept and example, that in their Christian experience they may gain the best results. Let the desponding ones, those disposed to think that the way to eternal life is trying and difficult, go to work to help others.” My Life Today, 234.

“Every truly converted soul will be intensely desirous to bring others from the darkness of error into the marvelous light of the righteousness of Jesus Christ.” Ibid., 59.

Speak the Truth

Ezekiel 3:17–21 says that if we speak the truth boldly in God’s love to warn the erring one, and he repents, we have saved a soul and saved our souls as well. But if we refuse to warn the erring when God plainly brings the task upon us, that person will lose his soul and you and I have lost ours as well. It is in this sense that we are expected of God, by His enabling grace, to possess the courage of heroes and the faith of martyrs!

“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 15:58.

“Those who stand in defense of the honor of God, and maintain the purity of truth at any cost, will have manifold trials, as did our Saviour in the wilderness of temptation. The yielding temperaments, who have not courage to condemn wrong, but keep silent when their influence is needed to stand in the defense of right against any pressure, may avoid many heartaches and escape many perplexities, and lose a very rich reward, if not their own souls.

“Those who in harmony with God, and through faith in Him, receive strength to resist wrong, and stand in defense of the right, will always have severe conflicts and will frequently have to stand almost alone [in the choices and in the decisions they make]. But precious victories will be theirs while they make God their dependence. His grace will be their strength. Their moral sense will be keen, clear, and sensitive. Their moral powers will be equal to withstand wrong influences. Their integrity, like that of Moses, of the purest character.” My Life Today, 320.

Relieve Suffering

“And He sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.” Luke 9:2.

“Christ established His temporary hospital on the green hill slopes of Galilee and in every other place where the sick and the suffering could be brought to Him. In every city, every town, every village through which He passed, with the tender compassion of a loving Father He laid His hand upon the afflicted ones, and made them whole. This same work Christ has empowered His church to do.

“At the close of His earthly ministry, when He charged His disciples with a solemn commission to go ‘into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature,’ He declared that their ministry would receive confirmation through the restoration of the sick to health. Ye ‘shall lay hands on the sick,’ He said, ‘and they shall recover.’ Mark 16:15, 18. By healing in His name the diseases of the body, they would testify to His power for the healing of the soul.

“The Saviour’s commission to the disciples includes all believers to the end of time. . . . Never has the world’s need for teaching and healing been greater than it is today. The world is full of those who need to be ministered unto—the weak, the helpless, the ignorant, the degraded.

“God’s people are to be genuine medical missionaries. They are to learn to minister to the needs of soul and body. They should know how to give the simple treatments that do so much to relieve pain and remove disease. They should be familiar with the principles of health reform, that they may show others how, by right habits of eating, drinking, and dressing, disease may be prevented and health regained. . . . The Great Physician . . . will bless every one who will go forward humbly and trustfully, seeking to impart the truth for this time.

“In a special sense the healing of the sick is our work.” My Life Today, 226.

“The necessities of life must be attended to, the sick must be cared for, the wants of the needy must be supplied. He will not be held guiltless who neglects to relieve suffering on the Sabbath. God’s holy rest day was made for man, and acts of mercy [not mercenary acts!] are in perfect harmony with its intent. God does not desire His creatures to suffer an hour’s pain that may be relieved upon the Sabbath or any other day. . . .

“Labor to relieve the suffering was pronounced by our Saviour a work of mercy and no violation of the Sabbath.” Ibid., 231. (See John 9:1–14.)

Remember, we are saved in order to save others, not that we are saviours in and of ourselves, but that we are engaged in the sacred work of saving souls as co-laborers with Christ, pointing the sinner to Christ Jesus, the Source of salvation! Jesus said, “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Me.” John 12:32.

The Consecrated Way, Part VI – Brotherly Kindness

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This month we continue the series on climbing Peter’s ladder of Christian perfection, gaining those attributes that are preparatory for the Lord’s return. 2 Peter 1:3–7 says,

“According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that [pertain] unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness . . . .”

Every rung in the ladder is important. The rung of brotherly kindness causes Christians to really stretch to grab hold, because it is not an easy achievement, even though we might think loving our brethren is one of the easier things to do. Most Christians have a tendency to divide their religious operations into two categories—their personal relationship with God and their personal relationship with their fellow man.

Rightfully so, because it is in the two tables of the law that these areas are divided. We like to convince ourselves that we are balanced in these two aspects of our lives. It is indeed God’s desire that we be balanced in these areas, but there is a tendency to become unbalanced. When that happens, there are always consequences.

Self or Others

One of the reasons the gospel has not gone any farther than it has is because the personal witness of the Christian is tied up within himself. There is the cultivation of personal piety, or what we call today having a personal relationship to God, to the neglect of other important factors, such as what we are doing to help those near us have a better, closer relationship with God.

Are we only interested in developing our own relationship, so we can become more holy, more acceptable to God, or are we interested in helping those around us become more God-like?

There has always been a danger of cultivating an inward religion to the neglect of working on behalf of others. Such cultivation is displayed in luxurious sanctuaries and in forgetting the desperate needs of the community at large. It seems there are those who donate large sums of money for projects of beauty and luxury so that their names might forever be associated with the structures, yet, at the same time, a call can go out for funds for mission projects and be met with silence.

Split Congregation

Some time ago, while I was employed as a conference pastor, I attended a workers’ meeting where I had the opportunity to visit with the conference evangelist’s wife. She told me about the church where she grew up, in a large eastern city. She said that the church consisted of a split congregation.

It was not split in the theological sense, like we experience today in Adventism, but there was a split as far as brotherly kindness was concerned. All the well-to-do people sat on one side of the church. On the other side sat all the average and below average people, as far as money was concerned. I sensed a real brotherly kindness object lesson as the story unfolded.

One day, those on the well-to-do side of the church decided that they would dress up the sanctuary a little bit. So, because most of them were on the church board, they voted to put some stained-glass windows in the church—but only on their side. The poor people could look at plain glass, as far as they were concerned, but they wanted stained glass to look at. They felt that it would help their Christian experience, while worshipping in the sanctuary, if they could look at their stained glass and know that they had a part in putting it there.

I have often wondered how those folks felt who could not afford to have the stained-glass windows on their side of the church. Did they feel that they were close to those who sat on the other side? Could they go to them with a spiritual or physical need?

Did they feel they could approach the stained glass members and find a responsive heart, because brotherly kindness was being exercised within the body of the congregation? Did they feel that they could pray with these people and have good fellowship? This was a well-known Adventist church, but brotherly kindness was lost in such a project.

Philadelphia

Brotherly kindness can be found operating at its finest when we are doing things for others who are members of the household of faith. Go to any dictionary and you will find that brotherly means an affectionate feeling for those of the same family.

The Greek word that is used for the word brotherly kindness is philadelphia. Brotherly love actually is the more accurate translation. It is a word that is usually reserved for members of the same family. It is a special bond, which only happens when children are raised with respect and appreciation and love for their brothers and sisters of the same blood. How much closer is that brotherly affection in the family of the household of faith!

Is there a reason why the apostle Peter uses the word philadelphia, brotherly love, brotherly kindness? Incidentally, 11 Peter 1:7 is the only place in the Bible where it is translated as brotherly kindness. It is translated as brotherly love everywhere else. It is the same Greek word for those of the same blood. Are you of the same blood as those who are seated on the opposite side of the church from you? If you are not, you have not yet grabbed hold of this rung of Peter’s ladder.

There are many instances where brothers and sisters have given their lives to save another member of the family. There is a closeness, which nothing can break. There is also the other side—where there is no bond and there is even denial that there is a family tree. Do you know of instances like that? This is especially sad when these people say they are Christians. Jesus knows nothing of this kind of attitude and certainly it is something that was strange to Peter also when he wrote about brotherly kindness, brotherly love.

There is only one way that you can even begin to reach the rung of the ladder of brotherly love, or brotherly kindness, and that is if you have successfully climbed the other rungs of the ladder. You cannot stand on the ground floor and reach up and grab hold of the rung of brotherly kindness. Brotherly kindness follows godliness in Peter’s list.

Continue to Climb

Do you remember the vision that Ellen White had about the group who were traveling to the holy city? Every little way, as the path became more difficult, they would stop and reassess their situation. With each stop they would leave something behind so they could continue to climb. At every change, some members of the company were also left behind; they turned back. (See Testimonies, vol. 2, 594–597.) When we are climbing Peter’s ladder, we see that there is somewhat of a fulfillment of this vision.

We are called to continue to climb to reach the goal that is before us. We are either to keep climbing, and reach the goal, or we turn back. We cannot stop. It is either up or it is down. But if we turn back or stop climbing, we never reach the goal of character perfection, which alone qualifies us for eternal life. This is the reason why I believe that Mrs. White says there is not one in twenty who are ready to close their probation. If their probation were to close, she says that many would be without salvation just as surely as would be the common sinner. What an awesome thought! (See Christian Service, 41.)

On Which Rung Are We?

The well-to-do Adventists, that I told you about earlier, are really a representation of ourselves to one degree or another. We take people to court that we do not like. We encourage people of different color or culture to worship by themselves, not with us. We have given preference to the rich and to the famous, and if you disagree with us, you are no longer our brother!

Is it possible that God permits us to create the situations in which we find ourselves to see just how we will react to them?

Have we climbed the ladder from faith to virtue? From virtue to knowledge? From knowledge to temperance? From temperance to patience, and from patience to godliness? But now are we grunting and grunting, trying to reach up and grab hold of the rung of brotherly kindness. Let us face it; let us be honest. There are people we do not like, people that we do not care to even be around. This is never appropriate in the grace that is so available to us to strengthen us, to pull us up to and over this rung.

Attitude of Jesus

Have you ever met a person whom you admire, who really has a handle on the character challenge of this rung? They are out there. Have you ever thought about what a tremendous thing it would be if every Seventh-day Adventist could be like those people who are no respecter of persons? That is to say, they love all people, regardless of race, religion, culture, education, economic level, or station in life?

In the Jewish church of Jesus’ day there was no such thing as brotherly kindness. The rich and the famous felt that God was blessing them and that all others were little better than dogs, the dogs being the Gentiles. They certainly could not love them. But those who were a little better than dogs were scorned to despair.

When Jesus came, He tried to tell the people that they must love one another, that they should hold up one another. As a reward for His words, they nailed Him to a cross! If we would take the attitude that Jesus had about brotherly kindness and apply it to the person with whom we are most at odds, what do you suppose would happen to our own experience with the Lord? What would it do for our family and for our church?

Essential Rung

Ellen White says, “we need to take this step, to add this quality to our characters.” My Life Today, 98. Do you know why? What if the person whom you dislike the most made it to heaven with you, and the Lord had built his mansion right next to yours? How would you get along? Would you plant fast-growing trees that grow tall so you would not have to look over into his yard?

Jesus delays His return because of us. We have climbed; we have gotten rid of all offensive sins, but do we have brotherly kindness? Do we have brotherly love? Do we have the right attitude?

Have we placed more than just our hand on the rung? Are we standing on the rung with our feet? Have we really climbed up on to that rung and have now gained the victory of brotherly love and brotherly kindness?

A New Commandment

Some words from The Acts of the Apostles indirectly come to bear on this topic, although not written specifically about brotherly kindness. When Jesus was resurrected and went back to heaven, there was an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2 tells us what this did for the church. Ellen White comments on the transition that took place after the descent of the Holy Spirit. “After the descent of the Holy Spirit, when the disciples went forth to proclaim a living Saviour, their one desire was the salvation of souls. They rejoiced in the sweetness of communion with saints.” The Acts of the Apostles, 547.

I do not think for one minute that there was one group on one side who said, “Let us put some stained-glass windows on our side, and let these guys over here just kind of look out through the old window glass.” It says that they rejoiced in the sweetness of communion with saints. “They were tender, thoughtful, self-denying, willing to make any sacrifice for the truth’s sake. In their daily association with one another, they revealed the love that Christ had enjoined upon them. By unselfish words and deeds they strove to kindle this love in other hearts.” Ibid.

You cannot give away what you do not have. “Such a love the believers were ever to cherish. They were to go forward in willing obedience to the new commandment.” Ibid. What was the new commandment? They were to love one another. Jesus said, “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another.” John 13:34. It was not really new; it was old! They just had not been practicing it for generations. They hated one another!

Jesus tried to bring something back that had been a part of the plan of redemption for centuries. “So closely were they to be united with Christ that they would be enabled to fulfill all His requirements.” The Acts of the Apostles, 547, 548. If you are collecting statements about what the power of God can do for you in your life, this is one you want to mark!

That means loving one another. “Their lives were to magnify the power of a Saviour who could justify them by His righteousness.” Ibid., 548. The Holy Spirit was poured out upon these people. They sold everything they had; they put the money in a common pot. This one has needs, let us supply that need. Another has this need, let us supply it. They displayed brotherly love, brotherly kindness. (See Acts 2:38–47.)

Walk in Darkness

But a change came. Have you ever wondered why the early rain of the Holy Spirit dried up? Why those miracles did not continue to go forward like they did under the original outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost? What was the change? What began to turn the whole tide from the sweetness of communion that the saints were having with one another?

How did this philadelphia attitude, that was pervading everywhere through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, change? What took place? “The believers began to look for defects in others. Dwelling upon mistakes, giving place to unkind criticism, they lost sight of the Saviour and His love. They became stricter in regard to outward ceremonies, more particular about the theory than the practice of the faith. In their zeal to condemn others, they overlooked their own errors. They lost the brotherly love that Christ had enjoined, and, saddest of all, they were unconscious of their loss.” Ibid. Do any bells go off for you, as far as a time-oriented message for us is concerned?

It is called Laodicea, is it not? The church did not know. “They were unconscious of their loss. They did not realize that happiness and joy were going out of their lives and that, having shut the love of God out of their hearts, they would soon walk in darkness.” Ibid.

Sometimes we have a tendency to think that the greatest fear we can have is the danger of the world. We think that somehow we have to build a fence around ourselves so that the world does not encroach upon us and we lose our way, our salvation. I do not want to minimize our need to stay clear of the world. I think we need to have a great consciousness of the dangers that are out there, but there is a greater danger. “It is not the opposition of the world that most endangers the church of Christ,” Ellen White wrote. “It is the evil cherished in the hearts of believers that works their most grievous disaster and most surely retards the progress of God’s cause. There is no surer way of weakening spirituality than by cherishing envy, suspicion, fault-finding, and evil surmising. On the other hand, the strongest witness that God has sent His Son into the world is the existence of harmony and union among men of varied dispositions who form His church.” Ibid., 549.

Let It Begin With Me

How sad it would be to have climbed the ladder of Peter, struggling to reach for the rung of brotherly kindness, but not quite being able to get our fingers around it, because we cannot stand the people who are around us. Where does brotherly kindness start? It really starts with each one of us. We each have to do everything that we can do to display brotherly kindness, brotherly love.

Do we have to see everything eye to eye? No! Can I respect you if you see things differently than I do? Absolutely! Somehow we must come to grips with our condition as a people and as a movement, or we are going nowhere. Our hair will grow grayer while we wait for the Reaper to come.

He is tarrying a little while, in mercy. He is waiting for us to get our act together, so the enemy cannot say “Behold how these people, standing under the banner of Christ, hate one another.” Ibid., 550.

I want the testimony of the church of which I am a part to be, Behold, look how much they love one another! “Of the special sense in which this love should be manifested by believers, the apostle writes: ‘A new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in Him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth.” Ibid., 548, 549.

Mrs. White goes on to say that when the believers, under the power of the Holy Spirit, sensed, in the fullest way, what Jesus actually did for them in dying on the cross, there was a conversion that took place that cannot be equaled by any other experience in the life. The deep conversion experience is needed to turn the life from self to others. But even when we have that deep conversion experience, there is a tendency after a while for it to wane, and we lose sight of what God has called us to do. In its place the exaction, the formalism and the ceremonies that she talks about begin to creep in and replace the conversion experience. There is a place for all of that, but not to the neglect of brotherly love. When Peter wrote the texts recorded in 11 Peter 1, I fully believe that he was able to see the unraveling that was taking place since the day of Pentecost. How sad it must have been for him.

Reaching the rung of brotherly kindness is preparation for the final rung, charity—love, Godly love, agape love. “That man [or woman] only who has unselfish love for his brother [or sister] has true love for God.” Ibid., 550. Have we done everything possible to climb up to the rung of brotherly kindness and to make it a reality in our lives, so that once our feet are firmly placed on that rung we are ready to reach over into that godly love to which God has called us?

To be concluded . . .

Good Men — Good Church

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“And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.” Revelation 3:14–17.

Self-Dependence

How could a people or a church ever become so blind that they are actually naked yet think they are clothed? It is because they have learned to depend upon their own works and their own righteousness rather than the righteousness of Christ. And, though they think they are clothed, their own righteousness cannot clothe them.

It is a situation similar to the one Jesus spoke of in Luke 18:10–13: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector [or publican]. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise [his] eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ ”

Today, Pharisees are looked down upon; but back in Jesus’ day, they were respected. Publicans, on the other hand, were the worst of people in the eyes of the Jews. They did not respect God’s church, and the Jews considered them to be collaborating with the Romans. Yet Jesus said, “I tell you, this man went down to his house justified [rather] than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Verse 14.

God Ordains and Removes

I have often studied with sadness the history of Saul. Here was a man who was chosen and ordained of God. He knew that he had been ordained by God to lead His church. When he went out to fight God’s battles, God fought for him. But when God told him to destroy the Amalekites, he failed to do as he was told. (See 1 Samuel 15.) He reasoned, “Let’s take these animals and show our appreciation and gratitude for God. Instead of just killing them and wasting them, we will sacrifice them to God.”

Look, however, at God’s assessment of what had taken place. “So Samuel said, ‘When you [were] little in your own eyes, [were] you not head of the tribes of Israel? And did not the Lord anoint you king over Israel? Now the Lord sent you on a mission, and said, ‘Go, and utterly destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are consumed.’ Why then did you not obey the voice of the Lord? Why did you swoop down on the spoil, and do evil in the sight of the Lord? And Saul said to Samuel, ‘But I have obeyed the voice of the Lord, and gone on the mission on which the Lord sent me, and brought back Agag king of Amalek; I have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. But the people took of the plunder, sheep and oxen, the best of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal.’ So Samuel said: ‘Has the Lord [as great] delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, [And] to heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion [is as] the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness [is as] iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He also has rejected you from [being] king.’ ” 1 Samuel 15:17–23.

Saul thought he was so good, but he was blind. He thought he was clothed with righteousness, but he was absolutely naked. Verse 23 is a solemn reality that whom God ordains for service, He can remove, and what He has ordained for service, He can also remove. God ordained the children of Israel to be His people. Of them, He said, “Thus says the Lord, Who gives the sun for a light by day, The ordinances of the moon and the stars for a light by night, Who disturbs the sea, And its waves roar (The Lord of hosts is His name): If those ordinances depart From before Me, says the Lord, [Then] the seed of Israel shall also cease From being a nation before Me forever.” Jeremiah 31:35, 36. Even if the sun, moon, and stars should be removed, Israel would not be removed from being His people.

The children of Israel reasoned in Jesus’ day, “We are God’s people; nothing can change that. The tide is still coming in; there are still the sun, moon, and stars.” But somehow they forgot that what God establishes, He can also remove. Though God had established Saul, he also removed Him. As with Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, though God appointed them, He also removed them. (See Numbers 16:27–32.) Thus it was with the leadership in Jesus’ day, and thus it is today. When men begin to think that they are good because of position or works, they are absolutely blind. There is not a position or work in which we can engage that can make any one of us good. If there is any goodness in it, it is the goodness of Jesus that comes by faith in Him. But men have come to the place where they believe that they can break the Sabbath and be held guiltless. They believe that they can lie and bear false charges as the scribes and Pharisees did against Jesus in His day in order to preserve the system, because it is for a good purpose, and somehow still be guiltless.

Korah, Dathan, and Abiram were in the holy service of God. They had come out of Egypt and gone through the Red Sea; they had eaten manna and drunk the water from the rock. More than that, some of these leaders, possibly even Korah, Dathan, and Abiram themselves, had gone up on Mt. Sinai with Moses. God chose them, through Moses, to be representatives for Him. Moses, on the other hand, was not a representative of leadership; he was a prophet. Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, since they were elected and had all of the evidence of God’s leading, came to the place where they became good in their own eyes. They thought that they were rich and had need of nothing and knew not that they were miserable, poor, blind, and naked. (Revelation 3:17.) They came to the place where they thought that they could do things that God had never given them permission to do.

By Church Authority

In 364 a.d., the Council of Nicea declared that the sanctity of the Sabbath had been changed from the seventh day to the first day of the week. They did not do this by God’s authority but by church authority and church decree. They did so because they were leaders of the church.

It has interested me how people study the Bible and seem to twist everything to their own wishes. That was taking place in Ellen White’s day in the 1890s. The leadership was likening themselves to Moses, and anyone who did not go along with them was like Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. You see, in 1888, God had chosen Jones and Waggoner and others to give the message of Christ our righteousness, but the leaders said, “Listen, this message did not go through us. What right do these people have to preach? They are not ordained by us; they have not come through our authority. We are the leaders of God’s church.” Do you know what Ellen White says about that? “They were actuated by the same spirit that inspired Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.” The Ellen G. White 1888 Materials, vol. 3, 1067. This is just one place where she says that the leaders were likened to Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.

I have been shocked by the way committees of the church today can somehow come to believe that they have been vested with authority to disregard God’s commandments and laws. When we suppose that we can overlook all of God’s counsels on competitive sports and introduce intercollegiate sports into our schools, are we not committing the sin of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram? Are we not coming to the place where we think that we can go against God’s counsels and make our own decisions? When we follow the practices and policies of the world instead of those laid down in the Word of God, are we not committing the sin of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram? “Korah would not have taken the course he did had he known that all the directions and reproofs communicated to Israel were from God. But he might have known this. God had given overwhelming evidence that He was leading Israel.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 404, 405. When the church fights the very ministries that God has called into existence, is it not committing the sin of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram? That is the sin of the papacy, and dear friend, it is becoming the sin of the church today. It is the sin of anyone who decides that they are so good that they do not need to follow God exactly; they can make their own decisions in life.

Greek Philosophy

In Jesus’ day, the church of God had been sending some of their promising young men to the universities of Greece, especially down to Alexandria, Egypt. Of course, they remained members of God’s professed church, but they learned and brought into it the Greek philosophy, which is the basis of higher education.

The Greeks had come to the place where they believed that the way to be truly educated was to reject everything until it has been proved. When you incorporate that philosophy with the Word of God, it is disastrous, because the Word of God must be studied by faith, not by doubt. I talked with an educator at one of the denomination’s colleges, an ordained Seventh-day Adventist minister, teaching according to the principles of Greek philosophy. He was asking people how they could know that God had really created the world in seven days. I asked him, “How can you instill this doubt into students’ minds?”

He said, “I believe that the way we are educated is to doubt everything. That is the way we learn. This is true faith. Faith is when you doubt so much that you come to doubt your doubts and that is faith.”

When this system of doubt is applied to the Word of God, it destroys faith. You cannot study God’s Word except by faith.

In Jesus’ day, the Jew who was not educated was looked down upon as being a heathen, because everyone was supposed to have a Christian education; that was a duty of a Jewish parent. The educational system, however, had been taken over by a group of liberals called the Sadducees. They rejected much that was in the Old Testament, although they claimed to be true followers of God. What could not be proved, they reasoned away.

You know, it is interesting that there is not a record of a single Sadducee being converted or accepting Jesus as his Saviour. It is a deadly disease, this liberal philosophy that causes people to doubt the Word of God and put human reason and human logic above the Word. But in reaction to the Sadducees came a group of conservative people who said, “We do not believe in this liberal philosophy that puts logic above the Word. We believe the Word simply because God says it.” They were called the Pharisees, but sadly, they became so conservative that they began to look at themselves as good people, because they were doing everything the Bible said. As time went on, they began to confuse conservatism with structuralism and to place more and more faith in a structure and in a system rather than in God. They began to worship the church instead of God. In fact, the church was so sacred and so important that if anyone suggested that it would be destroyed or that the temple would be destroyed, as Jesus said it would be, that person was worthy of death, and they sought to kill him because he was blaspheming God. Any criticism of the structure became criticism of God in their minds, so they killed the person who said that the church would be destroyed.

Do you know what is interesting? The Pharisees were the ones who became the bitterest enemies of Jesus, much more so than the Sadducees. In their minds, anything that did not go through the structure was wrong and was not of God.

Truth will go Through

The Elijah message was the message that John the Baptist had to bring to the people in his day. (See Matthew 3:7–10). It is interesting that this same message that was to prepare a people before Jesus’ first coming is the same message that is to be brought back to the church today before Jesus’ second coming. Ellen White says, “In this fearful time, just before Christ is to come the second time, God’s faithful preachers will have to bear a still more pointed testimony than was borne by John the Baptist. A responsible, important work is before them; and those who speak smooth things, God will not acknowledge as His shepherds. A fearful woe is upon them.” Testimonies, vol. 1, 321.

As Saul so sadly learned, what God ordains, He can also remove. John the Baptist told the people of his day that God could raise up children to make a church out of the stones, and God did it. He took the stony hearts of the Gentiles and fashioned them into the true church of Israel in the New Testament. Paul says, in Galatians 3, Ephesians 2, and Romans 2, that the Gentiles had now become the true church of Israel. The church survived, but it was made up of different people. John the Baptist said “Do not think to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as [our] father.’ [We are the church!] . . . Even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree [not just the trees in John the Baptist’s day but every tree from Saul’s day until Jesus’ second coming] which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” Matthew 3:9, 10.

The truth will go through; the movement will go through; God’s true Seventh-day Adventist people, the movement that He has ordained for these last days, are going through. God promised it would go through. This is the last church, but the church is more than a structure. The structure is only an aspect of the church. God can raise up children to this church from the stones.

Independent Ministry

God says that every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down. In Jesus’ day, the church had become so structuralized that God could not reach it through the system. God had to send John the Baptist as an independent minister, independent of the system. When Jesus came down, He also came as an independent minister. He was never sanctioned or ordained by the church. The church never laid their hands upon Him, and they did not recognize Him.

It is interesting to note that even among those who were in independent ministry, pride and self-sufficiency often came in. We find it in Peter and John. They, thankfully, eventually overcame. But this became the spirit of Judas, and he betrayed Jesus from the independent ministry, from the self-supporting work, even from His own group.

Jesus said that the prevailing problem with the church in the last days would be the problem that has been with the church in all ages—self-righteousness. That is what has brought in all of the errors of the Christian church. It is that righteousness that makes a person so righteous that they no longer need to obey God, and they can decide for themselves what is right or wrong. That was the temptation of Eve in the Garden of Eden. “God knows that in the day you eat this fruit, that you will be so wise and so good that you will know yourself what you should do and what you should not do.” Self-righteousness, the fig leaves of self-righteousness.

God has a message to the church today. It is called the Elijah message—the Laodicean message. It is a message of love. God says, “I love you too much to let you go. If you will accept Me as your Lord and Saviour, if you will simply come and follow Me, I will give you righteousness; you will not have to earn it. I will give it to you as a free gift, and then you can obey Me because you love Me. I will give you the power to obey every precept from a heart of love.” You will no longer try to find out how little you can do to get to heaven. No! You will have salvation because God has given it to you, and you will be doing everything you can do, because you love Him. None of it will earn you a place in heaven; that was earned on the cross of Calvary 2,000 years ago. Praise the Lord! But it is a gift to the obedient.

Reprinted from LandMarks, June 1994.

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

The Malignity of Sin, Part I

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The test results are conclusive; you have cancer. It is inoperable, and I am sorry to have to say, it is terminal.” Those are probably some of the most traumatic words anyone could ever hear.

It was not too long ago that a neighbor came to my door inquiring about natural remedies. Her husband’s cancer had returned after having been in remission, and the doctors did not offer any hope. Two years earlier, her husband had been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, which had attached itself to one of his lungs. Sadly, it was malignant. At that time, surgery had been performed in hopes of preventing it from spreading. Tragically, during the surgery, the nerve to his diaphragm had been severed, resulting in the complete loss of the use of his good lung—the lung without cancer. In spite of this, the surgery seemed to have been successful, as far as the cancer was concerned. A tumor the size of a grapefruit had been removed. Since then, he has had x-rays taken of his lungs every few months to check for any signs of the cancer’s return.

Now their worst fears were a reality. It was back, and it had taken root in his chest cavity. The doctor referred them to the Cancer Research Foundation, telling them
that there was nothing he could do. Maybe the Foundation could help—good luck.

After bouncing from one sympathetic listener, unable to help, to another, my neighbor decided to investigate natural remedies. She was highly motivated—she wanted her husband to live! Both she and her husband realized that this was a matter of life and death.

Stop drinking coffee? No problem! Give up eating sugar and meat? No problem! Drink the juice of fresh vegetables three times a day? No problem! Exercise, breathe fresh air, drink plenty of water . . . no problem! Whatever it takes.

Why is it that something drastic has to happen to us to prompt us to re-evaluate our priorities? So often, when we find ourselves in a crisis, we earnestly plead, “Lord, save me! I promise, from now on . . . .” In our moment of need, and usually with good intentions, we solemnly promise to do this or change that. Whatever it takes. Like children wandering in the wilderness, we say, “All that the Lord hath spoken we will do.” (Exodus 19:8.) But after the crisis passes and things are going along fairly well, we find ourselves slipping back into our old ways. Though we may not utter the words, our actions betray us. “Who is the Lord that I should obey His voice?” (Exodus 5:2.)

Giving Good Gifts

The Word of God is an important factor in the maintenance of our health and physical well-being. “My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they [are] life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.” Proverbs 4:20–22. “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” Matthew 4:4. “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.” 111 John 2.

From the beginning, God has been very specific about the importance of temperance and a healthy diet. Adam and Eve, in the Garden of Eden, were given an abundance of fresh, wholesome food. (See Genesis 1:29.) After the flood, more instructions were given. (See Genesis 9:3.) Ancient Israel was given specific orders regarding clean and unclean foods. (See Leviticus 11:1–47.) At each step of the way, God has given His people ample instruction. It is no less true today. Through His modern-day prophet, Ellen White, God has given explicit instruction for the people upon whom the end of the earth is come.

Why? He has very good reasons. He has a vested interest in the great controversy, which is wrapping up, and He is acquainted, all too well, with our human nature and our bent toward sin. Deuteronomy 14:2, 3 makes it very clear: “For thou [art] an holy people unto the Lord thy God, and the Lord hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth. Thou shalt not eat any abominable thing.”

The Right Stuff

The world today is very much self-oriented and ego-driven. The youth are mercilessly pressured to “fit in.” To be different in any way is to be exiled to a life on the outside of the “in” crowd. For the most part, a good grade point average is not a thing to be sought after or desired. On the other hand, anything displaying a Nike logo is to die for. To be “cool” is to go along with the rest of crowd—the cigarettes, sex, alcohol, and drugs. Not to do so is to be viciously cast out. The young people know they have to do certain things to be accepted—hang with a certain crowd and wear the right stuff. To be accepted seems to be the most important thing. This is the world in which they live.

“Say no to drugs,” they are told by worldly educators—the same adults who are puffing on cigarettes and drinking cocktails. Is it any wonder children are confused and rebellious? Yet they are expected to conform to a standard which adults, in their sphere, seldom reach. And yes, it holds true inside the church as well. The youth are told, you have to do this; you cannot do that, and all the while they see inconsistencies in the lives of adults all around them.

When a youth becomes involved with drugs, alcohol, sex, cigarettes, or other vice, they are told, “Just say no!”—usually by an adult who will not say “No!” to his or her own vices. Youth see right through the facade. “Why should I listen to you when you cannot get it right?”

In a nation where the currency proclaims “In God We Trust,” to have Christian morals and values is to be scorned today. Unfortunately, that is not confined to the younger generation, nor is it just with the world. Too often, professing Christian (including Seventh-day Adventist) adults permit peer pressure to sway them from standing in steadfast opposition against wrong. “What will someone think?” “I might lose my position.”

We are too concerned about what others—our friends, neighbors, co-workers or family—will think if we do this or do not do that. We expect our children to ignore peer pressure and do the right thing. But how often do we do it? As Christians, should we not be showing them how to do it? Should not we be consulting God first, instead of our friends and neighbors? Should not we be doing the right thing because it is the right thing to do?

Putting it on the Altar

It is easy enough for us to read the story of Cain and Abel, and say, “Oh, I would never do that!” But if we examine our lives, we might discover that our actions betray our profession. Though we may not literally place fruits or vegetables upon the altar, upon closer inspection we may be surprised to see that our offering may not be precisely what God requires. Like Cain, we have disregarded the Lord’s direct and explicit command.

From Patriarchs and Prophets, 72, 73, we read: “Cain and Abel represent two classes that will exist in the world till the close of time. One class avail themselves of the appointed sacrifice for sin; the other venture to depend upon their own merits; theirs is a sacrifice without the virtue of divine mediation, and thus it is not able to bring man into favor with God. . . .

“True faith, which relies wholly upon Christ, will be manifested by obedience to all the requirements of God. From Adam’s day to the present time the great controversy has been concerning obedience to God’s law. In all ages there have been those who claimed a right to the favor of God even while they were disregarding some of His commands. But the Scriptures declare that by works is ‘faith made perfect;’ and that, without the works of obedience, faith ‘is dead.’ James 2:22, 17. He that professes to know God, ‘and keepeth not His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.’ 1 John 2:4.”

A Polluted Offering?

Spend some time considering your offering. Dust off your copy of The Sanctified Life and read chapter three. Space does not permit us to print the entire chapter here, but it would be time well spent to study it. The following excerpts may provide the challenge we need to face our personal obstacles and press toward the mark.

“ ‘Abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul,’ is the language of the apostle Peter (1 Peter 2:11). Many regard this text as a warning against licentiousness only, but it has a broader meaning. It forbids every injurious gratification of appetite or passion. Let none who profess godliness regard with indifference the health of the body, and flatter themselves that intemperance is no sin, and will not affect their spirituality. A close sympathy exists between the physical and the moral nature. Any habit which does not promote health degrades the higher and nobler faculties. Wrong habits of eating and drinking lead to errors in thought and action. Indulgence of appetite strengthens the animal propensities, giving them the ascendancy over the mental and spiritual powers.” The Sanctified Life, 25.

“In the ten commandments God has laid down the laws of His kingdom. Any violation of the laws of nature is a violation of the law of God.

“The Lord has given His holy commandments to be a wall of protection around His created beings, and those who will keep themselves from the defilement of appetite and passion may become partakers of the divine nature.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 1, 1105.

“Every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they [do it] to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: but I keep under my body, and bring [it] into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.” 1 Corinthians 9:25–27.

“What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost [which is] in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” 1 Corinthians 6:19, 20.

“We are to use every spiritual nerve and muscle in the contest for the crown of life. No one who does his best will fail in this contest.

“All who seek for the prize are to place themselves under strict discipline. ‘Every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things.’ [1 Corinthians 9:25.] . . .

“How much more should those who enter for the gospel race, restrain themselves from the unlawful indulgence of appetite and ‘abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul.’ [1 Peter 2:11.] They must be temperate at all times. The same restraint that gives them the power to obtain the victory at one time will, if practiced constantly, give them a great advantage in the race for the crown of life.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 6, 1089.

“So the Christian today needs to keep strict guard over his appetite. He needs to subject himself to severe training, that he may not run uncertainly or at random, without seeing his standard and striving to reach it. He must obey the laws of God. The physical, mental, and moral powers must be kept in the most perfect condition if he would obtain the approval of God. ‘I keep under my body,’ the apostle says. [1 Corinthians 9:27.] This means literally to beat back its desire and impulses and passions by severe discipline . . . .” Ibid.

“God has bought us, and He claims a throne in each heart. Our minds and bodies must be subordinated to Him, and the natural habits and appetites must be made subservient to the higher wants of the soul. But we can place no dependence upon ourselves in this work. We cannot with safety follow our own guidance. The Holy Spirit must renew and sanctify us. In God’s service there must be no halfway work.” Ibid., 1088.

“Again, the apostle writes to the believers, ‘I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service’ (Romans 12: 1). Specific directions were given to ancient Israel that no defective or diseased animal should be presented as an offering to God. Only the most perfect were to be selected for this purpose. The Lord, through the prophet Malachi, most severely reproved His people for departing from these instructions.

“ ‘A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the Lord of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name? Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar; and ye say, Where-in have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of the Lord is contemptible. And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? and if ye offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? offer it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? saith the Lord of hosts. . . . Ye brought that which was torn, and the lame, and the sick; thus ye brought an offering: should I accept this of your hand? saith the Lord’ (Malachi 1:6–13).

“Though addressed to ancient Israel, these words contain a lesson for the people of God today. When the apostle appeals to his brethren to present their bodies ‘a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God,’ he sets forth the principles of true sanctification. It is not merely a theory, an emotion, or a form of words, but a living, active principle, entering into the everyday life. It requires that our habits of eating, drinking, and dressing be such as to secure the preservation of physical, mental, and moral health, that we may present to the Lord our bodies, not an offering corrupted by wrong habits, but ‘a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God.’ ” The Sanctified Life, 27, 28.

Defining the Terms

A closer look at Romans 12:1 needs to be taken. You can probably recite it from memory, but you need to understand more fully what the words really mean. “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, [which is] your reasonable service.”

living (zao): lively, active, enduring, living and constant, as opposed to what is dead, inactive, or intermittent.

holy (hagios): set apart, sanctified, consecrated. Chaste, pure. Its fundamental idea is separation, consecration, devotion to the service of Deity, sharing in God’s purity and abstaining from earth’s defilement. It particularly means perfect, without blemish.

acceptable (euarestos): well-pleasing, used with reference to God, that which God wills and recognizes. Antonym: hard to bear, oppressive, bad, bitter, heavy, grievous, difficult, perilous.

reasonable (logikos): from logos, pertaining to reason; that service to God which implies intelligent meditation or reflection, without heathen practices.

service (latreia): service for hire or as a slave, divine service. Synonym: religion, worship; voluntarily adopted worship; piety; godliness; service, ministry.

In like manner, let us define several more words pertaining to our subject.

appetite: 1) a: any of the instinctive desires necessary to keep up organic life. b: a desire for food or drink. 2) a desire to satisfy any bodily need or craving. 3) a desire or liking for something; fondness, taste; an appetite for power or pleasure. 4) an inherent, insatiable craving. Synonym: longing, inclination, wish, relish, gusto, zest.

lust: 1) a: pleasure, delight. b: personal inclination: wish; 2) intense or unbridled sexual desire: lasciviousness. 3) a: an intense longing: craving. b: enthusiasm, eagerness.

passion: 1) any emotion or feeling (love, desire, anger, hate, fear, grief, joy, hope, etc.) especially when of a powerful or compelling nature; 2) strong feeling or desire; . . . 6) a strong or extravagant fondness, enthusiasm, or desire for anything; . . . 8) an outburst or strong emotion or feeling; 9) violent anger; 10) the state of being acted upon or affected by something external, especially something alien to one’s nature or to one’s customary behavior. Synonym: fervor, zeal, ardor, ire, fury, wrath, rage.

Appetite is not spelled H-U-N-G-E-R

If Eve was hungry when she tasted the forbidden fruit, inspiration is strangely silent on the point. That fact is worthy of consideration. Please notice that appetite is not hunger; rather, words such as desire and craving are given. It could be said that for Eve it was a desire to appease her curiosity that caused her to leave her husband’s side. And we all know the rest of that story.

Appetite in and of itself is not sin. However, permitting the appetite to rule or have dominance over that which God has set forth as principles of health is surely a violation of the first commandment: “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” Exodus 20:3.

“It is as truly a sin to violate the laws of our being as it is to break the ten commandments. To do either is to break God’s laws. Those who transgress the law of God in their physical organism, will be inclined to violate the law of God spoken from Sinai.” Counsels on Diet and Foods, 17.

Taste is only one of the five senses—taste, sight, smell, touch, and hearing. Our nature is a combination of the spiritual, mental, and physical being. Our character is made up of the things we think, do, and say. An unsanctified appetite can, or dare I say will, disqualify a person from acceptable service to God by corrupting the senses, nature, and character, ultimately bringing that person to eternal ruin.

“The controlling power of appetite will prove the ruin of thousands, when, if they had conquered on this point, they would have had moral power to gain the victory over every other temptation of Satan. But those who are slaves to appetite will fail in perfecting Christian character.” Ibid., 59.

“It is impossible for those who indulge the appetite to attain to Christian perfection.” Ibid., 22.

This is not about an egg or a piece of chocolate. It goes so much deeper than that. In fact, the first two sections of Counsels on Diet and Foods are entitled “Reasons for Reform” and “Diet and Spirituality,” and they provide a wonderful foundation upon which to base our decisions and build our characters. Each day we place our offering upon the altar. The decisions we make reveal to the watching universe precisely who is upon the throne in our hearts—either the god of this world, or the God of Heaven.

To be concluded . . .

Cathy Summers Timmons, a member of LandMarks’ editorial staff, writes from her home in Wichita, Kansas. She may be contacted by e-mail at cathytimmons@stepstolife.org.

The Pen of Inspiration – A Lesson on Covetousness

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As Jesus was departing from a certain place, a young man came to him with the inquiry, “Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is, God; but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Honor thy father and thy mother; and, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. The young man saith unto him, All these have I kept from my youth up; what lack I yet? Jesus said unto him. If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor and thou shalt have treasure in heaven; and come and follow me. But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful; for he had great possessions.” [Matthew 19:16–22.]

Jesus quoted to the young man five of the last six commandments, also the second great commandment, on which the last six commandments depend. These he thought he had kept. Jesus did not mention the first four commandments, which define our duty to God. In answer to the inquiry, “What lack I yet?” Jesus said to him, “If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven.”

Idol Revealed

Here was his lack. He failed to love God with all his heart and his neighbor as himself. Jesus touched his possessions. Said he, “Sell that thou hast, and give to the poor.” This pointed out the young man’s idol. His love of riches was supreme; hence it was impossible for him to love God with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his mind. And this supreme love for his riches shut his eyes to the wants of his fellow-men. He did not love his neighbor as himself; therefore he failed to keep the last six commandments. His heart was on his treasures, swallowed up in his earthy possessions. He loved the things of earth better than God, better than the heavenly treasure. Jesus tested him to see which he loved most, riches or eternal life. Did he eagerly lay hold of the eternal prize? Did he earnestly strive to remove the obstacle that was in the way of his having a treasure in heaven? Oh, no; “he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.”

“Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you that a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.” [Matthew 19:23, 24.]

It is God’s plan that riches should be used properly, distributed to bless the needy, and to advance the work of God. If men love their riches better than they love their fellow-men, better than they love God or the truths of his word, if their hearts are on their riches, they cannot have eternal life. Some would rather yield the truth than sell and give to the poor. Here souls are proved; and, like the rich young man, many go away sorrowful because they cannot have their riches and a treasure in heaven too. They cannot have both, and they risk their chance of eternal life for a worldly possession.

All Things Possible

“It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.” “With God all things are possible” [Matthew 19:26]; but he will not permit the rich men to selfishly hoard their riches, and yet enter into his kingdom. Truth, set home to the heart by the Spirit of God, will crowd out the love of riches. The love of Jesus and the love of money cannot dwell in the same heart. The love of God so far surpasses the love of money that the possessor breaks away from his riches and transfers his affections to God. Through love he is then led to minister to the wants of the needy and to assist the cause of God. It is his highest pleasure to make a right disposition of his Lord’s goods. He holds all that he has as not his own, and faithfully discharges his duty as God’s steward. Then he can keep both the great commandments of the law: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.” “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” [Matthew 22:37, 39.]

In this way it is possible for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. “And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.” [Matthew 19:29.] Here is the reward for those who sacrifice for God. They receive a hundredfold in this life, and shall inherit everlasting life.

Reward to Come

“But many that are first shall be last, and the last shall be first.” [Matthew 19:30.] Some who receive the truth do not live it. They cling to their possessions, and are not willing to use their means to advance the cause of God. They will not trust God’s promises. Their love of this world swallows up their faith. God calls for a portion of their substance, but they heed it not. They reason that they have labored hard to obtain what they have, and they cannot lend it to the Lord, for they may come to want. “O ye of little faith!” [Matthew 6:30.] That God who cared for Elijah in the time of famine, will not pass by one of his self-sacrificing children. He who has numbered the hairs of their head will care for them, and in days of famine they will be satisfied. While the wicked are perishing from hunger and thirst, their bread and water will be sure. Those who cling to their earthly treasure, and will not make a right disposition of that which is lent them of God, will lose the heavenly treasure, eternal life.

There was a time when there were but few who listened to and embraced the truth, and they had not much of this world’s goods. Then it was necessary for some to sell their houses and lands, and obtain cheaper, while their means were freely lent to the Lord to publish the truth, and otherwise aid in advancing the cause of God. These self-sacrificing ones endured privations; but if they endure unto the end, great will be their reward.

Sacrifice for God

God has been moving upon many hearts. The truth for which a few sacrificed so much has triumphed, and multitudes have laid hold of it. In the providence of God, those who have means have been brought into the truth, that as the work increases the wants of his cause may be met. God does not now call for the houses his people need to live in; but if those who have an abundance do not hear his voice, cut loose from the world, and sacrifice for God, he will pass them by, and will call for those who are willing to do anything for Jesus, even to sell their homes to meet the wants of the cause. God will have free-will offerings. Those who give must esteem it a privilege to do so.

Some give of their abundance, yet feel no lack. They do not practice self-denial for the cause of Christ. They give liberally and heartily, but they still have all that heart can wish. God regards it. The action and motive are strictly marked by him, and they will not lose their reward. But those who have less means must not excuse themselves because they cannot do as much as some others. Do what you can. Deny yourself of some article you can do without, and sacrifice for the cause of God. Like the poor widow, cast in your two mites. You will actually give more than all those who give of their abundance; and you will know how sweet it is to deny self, to give to the needy, to sacrifice for the truth, and to lay up treasure in heaven.

Learn Self-Denial

The young, especially young men, who profess the truth, have yet a lesson of self-denial to learn. If these made more sacrifice for the truth, they would esteem it more highly. It would affect their hearts, and purify their lives. Too often the young do not take the burden of the cause of God, or feel any responsibility in regard to it. Is it because God has excused them? Oh, no; they excuse themselves. They do not realize that they are not their own. Their strength, their time, is not their own. They are bought with a price; and unless they possess the spirit of self-denial and sacrifice, they can never gain the immortal inheritance.

Said the great Teacher, “Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” “Choose ye this day whom ye will serve.” [Matthew 6:24; Joshua 24:15.]

Review and Herald, September 16, 1884.