speech

The Power of Speech, Part IX

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[Editor’s Note: This article concludes a compilation of counsel given to strengthen and encourage anyone who is struggling through a crisis caused by the “Power of Speech.”]

Why the church is continually weak:

“God may choose instrumentalities that we do not accept, because they do not exactly meet our ideas. They do not work in the very line marked out as perfect, and in place of leaving them with God, for His Spirit to work with them, many begin to present difficulties, barricade the way, and cherish a grieved feeling because they see that they are doing a work that has not been done. Then begins the dissecting of character and the gathering up of tidbits of complaints, and faultfinding and slander, and magnifying of little occurrences and events into grave sins. This has been done in the church until we are weak, and we will always be weak unless this narrow order of things is changed. May the Lord show you all what to do that you may be filled with thanksgiving, gratitude and praise to God for the precious gift of the Son of God, and put away envyings, jealousies and rivalries, that true love and unity may exist.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 11, 265.

Faultfinders and their sympathizers are to be disfellowshipped.

“There are those members who are busybodies, speaking evil, sowing the seeds of doubt and infidelity, who pay no heed to the light God has given them in His Word. If we have but one church member who by his spirit, words, and influence seeks to counterwork the influence of the minister of Christ, labor with that one faithfully; and if after taking the steps required by Christ, he will not hear, will not change his course of action, then separate him from the church, and let him know the reason why the church cannot hold him in her fellowship. And if there are those who sympathize with him, who will not discern the right from the wrong, who, after patient instruction has been given them, choose to keep on the wrong side, let them also be suspended. God’s name must not be dishonored by murmurers, faultfinders, and those who are continually sowing seeds of disaffection.” Ibid., vol. 15, 163, 164.

We are not to yield to a faultfinding element in the church.

“It is so childish and inconsistent and miserable a mess that I do not think (it) possible for me to write. These murmurings, faultfinding, these exalting little motes to mention this. Making a man an offender for a word is a grievous sin in the sight of God. But this battle has turned; victory through Jesus Christ is ours. And we know the battle must be fought sometime and it must be done without yielding one inch to gratify and please this faultfinding, disorderly element.” Ibid., vol. 20, 360.

The faultfinder is not converted.

“We may make mistakes, and we may have to ‘admonish one another.’ But there has come into the churches at Oakland and the surrounding community a spirit of backbiting, of faultfinding and evil-speaking, which demonstrates that you are not converted. Words are uttered that never should pass the lips of a Christian. My brethren and sisters, when you have nothing better to speak of than something about the faults of others, remember that ‘silence is eloquence.’ Cease to dwell upon the shortcomings of others. Keep the tongue sanctified unto God. Refrain from saying anything that might detract from the influence of another; for by indulging in these words of criticism, you blaspheme God’s holy name as verily as you would were you to swear.” Sermons and Talks, vol. 1, 367.

Satan tempts men to call reproof “faultfinding” (or accusing), saying that they are misused, etc.

“I see perplexities on every side. As character develops man and woman will take their position, for varied circumstances brought to bear upon them will cause them to reveal the spirit which prompts them to action. Every one will reveal the character of the bundle with which he is binding himself. The wheat is being bound up for the heavenly garner. The true people of God are now bound up for the heavenly garner. The true people of God are now pulling apart, and the tares are being bound in bundles ready to burn. Decided positions will be taken. Satan will move upon minds that have been indulged, upon men who have always had their own way, and anything presented to them in counsel or reproof to change their objectionable traits of character is considered faultfinding, binding them, restraining them, that they cannot have liberty to act themselves. The Lord in great mercy has sent messages of warning to them, but they would not listen to reproof. Like the enemy who rebelled in heaven, they do not like to hear, do not correct the wrong they have done but become accusers, declaring themselves misused and unappreciated.” The Ellen G. White 1888 Materials, vol. 3, 995.

Do we have a Christlike character?

“When Christ was living on this earth, how surprised would have been His associates, if, after becoming acquainted with Him, they had heard Him utter one word of impatience, one word of accusation or of faultfinding! He expects those who love Him and believe in Him, to represent Him in character.” The Paulson Collection of Ellen G. White Letters, 16.

“The children of God should never be rough and discourteous in their bearing toward one another. They should never blame and condemn. To those who want to give vent to a spirit of faultfinding, I would say, Go out among the rocks and stumps, and there relieve your mind of its evil thoughts; for these inanimate objects will not be harmed by your words. Only your own soul will suffer. After you have talked it all out, consider that it is written in the books of heaven what manner of spirit you are of. Then come to God with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, confess your need, and plead for his grace to make you one of his humble children. Let the ambition you have be exercised in a way that will bless needy souls.” Spalding and Magan Collection, 407.

“It is not the opposition of the world that most endangers the church of Christ. 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, faultfinding, and evil surmising.” The Acts of the Apostles, 549.

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

Words, Part I

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In Hebrews 4:2, the apostle Paul says, “For the gospel is preached to us as well as them, but the word did not profit them, not being mixed with faith.” Friends, I need to forewarn you. What we will be studying in this article could be very discouraging, if you do not have enough faith. But if you realize that for everything God has told us to do or not to do, He will give us the grace and power to do it—if we trust in Him and choose to follow Him—then what we are going to study can be very exciting.

Heaven Talk

Have you ever wondered how people talk in heaven? Do you talk in your home the way people talk in heaven? When do you think you should learn to talk like people talk in heaven? Now? Yes, now!

In the Book of James, we are told that the one who controls his tongue is a perfect man. (James 3:2.) If you are not yet perfect, do not be discouraged. Just take hold of the Lord by faith and say, “Lord, this is the way you want me to speak, and I am determined, by Your grace, to talk the way You want me to talk.” If you follow the principles, the Lord will give you the power and the grace to talk His way. Of course, we need to understand how God wants us to talk.

As I have studied the Spirit of Prophecy writings, I have been interested to discover how much Ellen White wrote on the subject of speech in reference to the family. We are going to look at some of these principles, and I hope they will be as great a blessing to you as they have been to me.

Plan Each Morning

One of the first principles is that we need to plan in the morning what we are going to say.

“The first missionary work is to see that love, light, and joy come into the home circle. Let us not be looking for some great temperance or missionary work to do until we have first done the duties at home. Every morning we should think, What kind act can I do today? What tender word can I speak? Kind words at home are blessed sunshine. The husband needs them, the wife needs them, the children need them.” Review and Herald, December 23, 1884.

What do you suppose, friends, would happen in our homes if every morning, every husband, before he got out of bed, was thinking to himself, “What kind word, what tender word, what kind act can I do today for my wife or for my children?” If every wife was thinking before she got out of bed, “What kind word can I speak to my husband today? What tender act could I do for him or for my children?” If we started making plans the first thing in the morning, like the Lord has instructed us, would that make a difference in our homes?

We need the sunshine of kind and tender words in our homes, but that is going to take some planning. Have you noticed that anything worthwhile does not just happen? Someone has to make plans. If we want our speech to be right, the time to start is before we ever get out of bed in the morning. We need to start making plans then—“What kind and tender word could I speak to my spouse today? What act could I do for my spouse today or for my children?” If we start making plans each morning, like the Lord has told us to do, it will have a tremendous influence in our homes. Who knows? We might even think of something kind and tender to say before breakfast!

How We Should Speak

How should we speak? In The Signs of the Times, November 14, 1911, Ellen White advised that we should “cultivate soft tones.” What is the opposite of soft? Harsh—so we want to avoid all harshness of expression.

Mrs. White also said, “We should accustom ourselves to speak in pleasant tones.” Ibid., February 22, 1905. We all like to be spoken to with pleasant tones. She also told us what to avoid: “Never let a frown gather upon your brow.” Testimonies, vol. 3, 532. That is a high standard! Did you know that people do not frown in heaven? They do not, and we are to cultivate a heavenly atmosphere in our homes.

She continued, “Never let a frown gather upon your brow or a harsh word escape your lips. Harsh words sour the temper and wound the hearts of children, and in some cases these wounds are difficult to heal. Children are sensitive . . . .” Ibid. Are your children sensitive? I have known for a long time that my children are sensitive, but I have learned, as I have studied this subject, that all children are sensitive. “Children are sensitive to the least injustice, and some become discouraged under it and will neither heed the loud, angry voice of command nor care for threatenings of punishment.” Ibid. Some become discouraged and may finally decide they do not care whether they are punished or not; they will do what pleases them. We do not want our children to develop that frame of mind, so we must avoid all harsh words and not let frowns develop on our brows.

Passionate Words

We are all tempted to speak passionately at times. What should we do when we realize passionate feelings are arising, and we are about to really let somebody have it? There are all kinds of expressions for this in our language. Have you heard anyone say that they are going to give somebody “a piece of their mind”? Usually they do not mean a good piece!

What should we do when such feelings start to develop? “When about to speak passionately, close your mouth. Don’t utter a word. Pray before you speak, and heavenly angels will come to your assistance and drive back the evil angels, who would lead you to dishonor God, reproach His cause, and weaken your own soul.” Ibid., vol. 2, 82.

When we are tempted to speak passionately, it is time not to speak. It is time to close our mouths. If we are really heated up, we might even need to seek a private place, get down on our knees, and have a session of prayer, asking the Lord to calm our souls so our spirits will not be chaffed. We cannot avoid speaking passionately if our spirits are chaffed. That irritableness in our spirits has to be taken away. The Lord has to take it away, or no matter what we say, our words will not be right. Friends, if we ask, God will give us victory over the passion of spirit. We must have that. Otherwise, when we open our mouths, no matter how good are our intentions, we will have a lot of apologizing to do, to say the least.

Begins in the Home

“The work of sanctification begins in the home. . . .

“In the home the spirit of criticism and faultfinding should have no place. . . .

“No harsh, passionate word is ever spoken without grieving the Lord Jesus, and hurting the heart of speaker and of hearer. From the Christian home all angry or trifling speeches will be excluded; for in the home above nothing of this character finds place.” The Signs of the Times, February 17, 1904.

We are to avoid all angry, trifling, passionate speeches. In the Christian home, those must be excluded, along with the spirit of criticism and faultfinding. That does not mean we are to close our eyes and not be aware of what is going wrong, but we are not to have a spirit of trying to tear down.

Have you ever noticed how sensitive we are to having our faults exposed? I have been amazed, over and over again, at how sensitive we as human beings are. We may have a hundred things wrong, but to have someone point out even one fault, just about tears us to pieces. Have you ever wondered about your children? Since we as adults are sensitive to having someone point out any fault that we have, do you suppose our children might be sensitive to having their faults pointed out? If you keep that in mind, it will be a great help to you.

We need to do a lot of praying, friends, before we seek to point out a fault in our children. Remember, they are just as sensitive as we are, maybe more so. It takes great tact and love and kindness to be able to point out a fault and have it received in the right way so that the child will be drawn to Jesus and be determined to correct it. Mrs. White talked about this: “When you are obliged to correct a child, do not raise the voice to a high key . . . .” Ibid.

Some of us have this problem. I personally have to do a lot of praying about this. It is easy for me to raise my voice to a high key. What happens when we do that? “Do not raise the voice to a high key bringing into it that which will arouse the worst passions of the child’s heart.” Ibid. When the voice is raised to a high key, what is a natural response for the listener? It is easy for the child to feel like he or she is getting scolded, and that might be exactly what is happening.

Hasty Speech

“Restrain every hasty speech that struggles for utterance. Before you speak that fretful, impatient word, stop and think of the influence which, if spoken, it will exert. Remember that children are quick to hear every word, and to mark every intonation of the voice.” Ibid.

I have tested this out on our dog. I did not want to test it on my children. I have found that I can speak the most severe reproofs, commands, and awful things to our dog, and if I speak softly, with a smile on my voice, she just wags her tail. But if I yell at her, telling her that I love her and that she is a good dog, she starts to cower. Children will respond just as dogs do. They recognize the tone of our voices. That is why we are to accustom ourselves to always speaking in pleasant tones.

Should we not reprove our children? God has commanded us to not allow the faults of our children to pass by without being corrected. Notice what Mrs. White wrote about this: “Under all circumstances reproof should be spoken in love. . . .

“Not one word is to be spoken unadvisedly.” Ibid., February 22, 1905.

Corrupt Communication

The Bible talks about corrupt communication in 1 Corinthians. What is corrupt communication? “No evil speaking, no frivolous talk, no fretful repining or impure suggestions, will escape the lips of him who is following Christ. . . . A corrupt communication does not mean only words that are vile. It means any expression contrary to holy principles and pure, undefiled religion. It includes impure hints and covert insinuations of evil. Unless instantly resisted, these lead to great sin.

“Upon every family, upon every individual Christian, is laid the duty of barring the way against corrupt speech. When in the company of those who indulge in foolish talk, it is our duty to change the subject of conversation if possible.” Ibid.

We do not want corrupt communication in our homes. We cannot have it in our homes if we are getting ready to go to heaven, because people do not talk like that in heaven.

False Witness

Mrs. White also gave the definition of false witness: “We think with horror of the cannibal who feasts on the still warm and trembling flesh of his victim; but are the results of even this practice more terrible than are the agony and ruin caused by misrepresenting motive, blackening reputation, dissecting character? . . .

“God’s Word condemns also the use of those meaningless phrases and expletives that border on profanity.” Ibid., March 1, 1905.

Do you know what an expletive is? An expletive is a word that is not used according to its dictionary definition, but is used to express emotion. Unfortunately, many people use the characteristics of God as expletives, thereby breaking the third commandment. The characteristics of God are listed in Exodus 34:6. “And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth . . . .” Those are the characteristics of God.

One of the words used to describe His characteristics is the word merciful. Have you ever heard the word mercy used as an expletive? That is a name for God, friends. It is part of His character. To use that word just to express emotion is to break the third commandment. Part of His Name is the word gracious. To use that word in a flippant way is to break the third commandment.

There are all sorts of words that I do not want to repeat and develop bad habits of speaking by repeating them, but you know what I am talking about. Have you ever heard somebody say, “Oh, _____”? There are several words that could follow that. Some of them men’s names—and they are not used to refer to any man. They are just used to express emotion. Those are expletives. Mrs. White calls them “meaningless phrases.” Jesus never used those. You will not find any expletives that He ever used in the entire Gospel account, and He is our example.

Deceptive Compliments

The Bible condemns the deceptive compliments, meaningless phrases, and expletives that border on profanity. Oh, friends, this bothers me. This is a problem, friends, for Christians. We have a big problem in giving deceptive compliments, trying to make people feel good in saying something to them that we do not really believe. That is breaking the ninth commandment.

“The evasions of truth, the exaggerations . . .” You know, some people have become so used to exaggerating that in their common, everyday speech—whatever they are talking about—they exaggerate. That will not happen in heaven, friends. They do not make understatements or give exaggerations there. Since I have studied this, I am trying to correct my own speech. We need to be careful that our speech is accurate.

“Closely allied to gossip is the covert [hidden] insinuation, the sly innuendo, by which the unclean in heart seek to insinuate the evil they dare not openly express. Every approach to these practices the youth should be taught to shun as we would shun the leprosy.” Ibid.

Friends, if we are getting ready for heaven, we must train our children to not speak the way they hear other people speaking. Other people are not to be our guides. Jesus is our Guide. We must train our children from babyhood that they must not say anything that they hear other people speaking. This is one of the reasons we as parents need to take time to talk with our children. We need to know how they speak and what they are saying. If they are picking up phrases and expressions from someone else that are not suitable, not understanding what they mean, we must correct their speech and teach them how to speak appropriately. This is also a reason for being careful with whom our children associate.

Quarreling Children

What do you do with children in the home who are quarreling? Ellen White gave counsel regarding that. “Parents, do all in your power to keep disagreements out of the home circle. If the children quarrel, remind them that God has said, ‘Let not the sun go down upon your wrath.’ Teach them never to let the sun go down on angry feelings or sin unconfessed. Teach them that harmony should reign in the home, even as it reigns in heaven. . . .

“Repress every harsh word. Remember that fretting and scolding are as injurious to your children as profanity, and that too much management is as bad as no management at all. Be firm, but let no loud, angry words escape your lips. [There, again, are two kinds of speech we are to avoid—harsh words and loud, angry words.] Rule your children with tenderness and compassion, remembering that ‘their angels do always behold the face of My Father which is in heaven.’ . . . Work with loving tenderness; for this is the way Christ works.” The Signs of the Times, April 23, 1902.

Of what are we to remind the children? Not to let the sun go down on their wrath. That is a very literal expression from the Bible. (Ephesians 4:26.) We are to tell our children to not let the sun go down before they have made things right—to not let the sun go down on unconfessed sin or angry feelings.

Self-Control

“God looks into every secret thing of life. By some a constant battle is maintained for self-control.” The Signs of the Times, August 23, 1899. Perhaps you have a constant battle with your tongue. God knows that, friend. You may have to keep up a constant battle your whole life, but God will give you the victory. “Daily they [those battling for self-control] strive silently and prayerfully against harshness of speech and temper. These strivings may never be appreciated by human beings. They may get no praise from human lips for keeping back the hasty words which sought for utterance. The world will never see these conquests, and if it could, it would only despise the conquerors. But in heaven’s record they are registered as overcomers. There is One who witnesses every secret combat and every silent victory, and He says, ‘He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.’ [Proverbs 16:32.]” Ibid.

Scolding

A few statements about scolding have already been addressed, but in the following statement, we are given some counsel on dealing with children who are in trouble. Now, children from the earliest ages get into troubles of various kinds. Their feelings are aroused; maybe they are angry or depressed or hurt or discouraged. Children have all of these kinds of problems just as do adults. To them, their trials are just as severe as our trials are to us. How do we deal with these?

“The little ones must be carefully soothed when in trouble. Children between babyhood and manhood and womanhood do not generally receive the attention they should have. Mothers are needed who will so guide their children that they will regard themselves as a part of the family. Let the mother talk with her children regarding their hopes and their perplexities. Let parents remember that their children are to be cared for in preference to strangers. They are to be kept in a sunny atmosphere, under the mother’s guidance. Be careful that you are not rude to your children, either in speech or in temper. Require obedience, and do not allow yourself to speak carelessly to your children, because your manners and your words are their lesson-book. Help them gently, tenderly, over this period of their life. Let the sunshine of your presence make sunshine in their hearts. These growing boys and girls feel very sensitive, and by roughness you may mar their whole life. Be careful, mothers. Never scold; for that never helps.” Ibid., August 23, 1899. We do not want to do something that would never help, do we? That does not mean, however, that we should not be firm. The very next sentence says, “Firmness is ever to be united with love in the home life.” Ibid.

Harmony

How much harmonious speech in the home means to the children! “Allow in the home nothing that savors of cheapness or commonness. You are preparing your children for entrance into the City of God, and nothing that defiles can enter there.

“Be pleasant and cheerful. Remember that love is the power that binds your children to you.” Ibid., September 16, 1903. We should always remember that sentence. It is the power of love that binds our children to us.

“Keep your words and actions free from anger. Do nothing that will destroy the harmony of the home. Let the sharp words [there is another type of word to avoid] that you are tempted to speak die unspoken. Such words wound and bruise the hearts of the hearers.” Ibid.

To be continued . . .

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

Words, Part II

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A statement in The Signs of the Times, November 11, 1903, speaks of the power of love: “Never treat your children harshly; for harshness arouses stubbornness and resistance. You will find that they are most easily and successfully governed by kindness and gentleness.” Kindness and gentleness is what we need. “Love breaks down all barriers, and gentleness subdues the most stubborn will. Treat your children as you would wish to be treated were you in their place. Let there be no scolding, no loud-voiced, angry commands.” Ibid. Do not be discouraged, friends. Remember to have faith and say, “Lord, this is how You have told me to speak. I am choosing to follow Your counsel. Give me the grace to speak this way.” Friends, the Lord will do it. The Lord will answer your prayer. If you keep praying, the Lord will keep answering.

No Disagreements

Counsel is also given that the father and mother, in reference to their speech, should not have verbal disagreements between themselves in the children’s presence. Mrs. White says, “Not a particle of variance should be shown by parents in the management of their children. Parents are to work together as a unit. There must be no division. But many parents work at cross-purposes, and thus the children are spoiled by mismanagement. If parents do not agree, let them absent themselves from the presence of their children until an understanding can be arrived at.” Review and Herald, March 30, 1897. Oh friends, if parents would honor this, it would save so much trouble in the home.

As parents, we must have a united front. We must not have the father saying one thing and the mother saying another. That will destroy harmony, and it will ruin the child. Having said this, it does not mean we are to be wishy-washy. When we say, “No,” it has to mean no, and when we say, “Yes,” it has to mean yes.

“Scolding, loud-voiced commands, or threatenings should never be heard. Parents should keep the atmosphere of the home pure and fragrant with kind words, with tender sympathy and love; but at the same time, they are to be firm and unyielding in principle.” Ibid. If a principle is involved, we are not to give way. “If you are firm with your children [this simply means that when you say, ‘No,’ it means no], they may think that you do not love them.” They may think this way for a while, but Mrs. White says, “This you may expect; but never manifest harshness. Justice and mercy must clasp hands; there must be no wavering or impulsive movements.” Ibid.

True Words

Counsel has been given on a subject about which you would think Christians would never need to be counseled, but Ellen White spent considerable time on this subject. Our words at home are always to be true. Oh friends, one of my cherished memories of my own home is that I can never, ever remember either my father or my mother, at any time, telling me something that was not true. My parents did not have to explain to me, as I grew up, that there was not a Santa Claus, because they had never told me that there was a Santa Claus. Neither did they have to explain to me that there was no real Donald Duck or Mickey Mouse or a hundred other things that some children believe. If you tell your children fictitious or untrue stories or speak anything that is untrue, someday their confidence in you is going to be weakened, because a child believes everything that their parents tell them—until they find out their parents do not always tell the truth. Then they flip the other way, and they do not believe anything their parents say.

Mrs. White says, “Never let your children have the semblance of an excuse for saying, Mother does not tell the truth. Father does not tell the truth.” Review and Herald, April 13, 1897. Children, from their earliest years, should have confidence that if mommy said it, it is so. If daddy said it, it is so. We often do not realize how our words affect whether or not our children are going to believe what they hear in Sabbath School or church.

Criticism

Ellen White also speaks about criticism. She wrote, “We should abstain from all evil-speaking and evil-surmising.” Review and Herald, April 21, 1891. Do you know what evil surmising is? I suppose it is something that every individual has been tempted to do at some time or another. Have you ever had suspicions about someone or something—you did not yet have the facts, but things just did not seem right to you? When this happens, you may have suspicions, and you may have to watch things develop, but it is dangerous to talk about your suspicions. This is evil surmising. You think something is bad; you do not yet have the facts; you do not yet have the evidence, but it looks bad. You think there is something awry, so you start talking about it, which starts all kinds of trouble in homes and churches and institutions and everywhere else.

“We should abstain from all evil-speaking and evil-surmising. Our children will be in danger of losing all respect for religion if we indulge in criticism of others.” Ibid.

I have thought about this so many times. How would I feel if someone who knew me really well began telling everybody all of the mistakes I have made? I have made so many mistakes that if anyone but the Lord knew them all, I suppose they would think that I am a bad person. I would prefer that all of the mistakes I have made not be publicized to everybody. Do you suppose that there are other people who feel the same way? When we are talking about the subject of criticism, people think that we are talking about something that is not true, but this is not the case. We can destroy each other while telling the truth! We can destroy our neighbors, and in the process, we will destroy our children. Ellen White says that they will lose all respect for religion.

Respect Those Older

The relationship of our children with the elderly has become very painful in America today. Our young people do not respect older people. Ellen White wrote: “Teach your children to be kind and courteous to all, and especially to respect the old. If you do all that God has given you to do, you will have no time to criticize your neighbor.” Ibid.

Jesting and Joking

I was once acquainted with a person who told a lot of jokes. He was one of the funniest persons I ever knew. When I was with him, I laughed and laughed and laughed, and everybody else did, too. He was a religious person, but when he would give a testimony in church, the young people did not give it much account. Our words need to be true.

When I was in academy, I learned how to tell jokes. I was very fortunate that about the time I started learning how to tell jokes, I read some statements in the Spirit of Prophecy stating that if I jested and joked, I would lose the Holy Spirit. When I found that out, I had to make a decision whether I was going to be a jester and a joker and a popular person, or whether I was going to have the Holy Spirit.

In the same article, it says, “Instead of indulging in jesting and joking, suppose you begin to exalt Jesus, talking of his wonderful charms.” Ibid. Oh friends, that is what we need in our homes. That is what we need in our churches. We need to be exalting Jesus and talking of His wonderful charms, the unsearchable riches of Christ.

The Way Jesus Spoke

One of the main facets of the unsearchable riches of Christ is the way that He spoke. When the people that were sent to arrest Jesus returned without Him, the rulers and the Pharisees asked, “Why did you not bring Him?” They said, “Never a man spoke like this Man.” (John 7:45, 46.)

Friends, if we would learn to speak in our homes as did Jesus, the Christian religion would have an irresistible power, a charm over our children. They would go out from home, telling whomever they meet that the Christian religion is true. They would know it is true, because they have seen the image of Christ demonstrated by their father or their mother. The way we speak at home can mean the salvation of our children. It could be one of the most powerful Christian influences on our children, if we learn to speak to each other in our homes like Christ spoke. You know the children are listening to the way that we as parents speak to each other.

“If you had good home religion, you would be a bright and shining light, and represent Christ to a lost world.” Review and Herald, April 21, 1891.

“In the parable of the virgins, five were found wise, and five foolish. Can it be possible that half of us will be found without the oil of grace in our lamps?” Ibid. The apostle Paul said that our speech is always to be with grace. (Colossians 4:6.) “Shall we come to the marriage feast too late? We have slept too long; shall we sleep on, and be lost at last? Are there those here who have been sinning and repenting, sinning and repenting, and will they continue to do so till Christ shall come?” Ibid.

Mothers’ Words

Ellen White had some special words of counsel to speak to mothers concerning their words. These are some of the most beautiful statements in all of the Spirit of Prophecy, in my opinion, in relation to speech.

She says, “It is the heart that needs culture; for it is with the heart-life that women have to do. . . . The precious, finer feelings are to be carefully nourished that they may bloom into actions of goodness, truth, and holiness. . . . The words that are spoken by a mother should be choice words.” The Signs of the Times, March 23, 1891. God will give you the power to do it. He will give you the grace to do it.

“The mother should keep herself under perfect control, doing nothing that will arouse in the child a spirit of defiance. She is to give no loud-voiced commands. She will gain much by keeping the voice low and gentle. . . . If she is a wise Christian, she will not attempt to force the child to submit. She prays earnestly, and as she prays, she is conscious of a renewal of spiritual power. She sees that the same power that is working in her is working also in the child. He becomes more gentle, more submissive. The battle is won.” Ibid., April 1, 1903.

Our Child’s Faults

We are not to mention our children’s faults in the presence of others. “Remember that your child has rights which should be respected. Be very careful never to bring against him an unjust charge. Never punish him [now read this carefully] without giving him an opportunity to explain. Listen patiently to his troubles and perplexities. Never tell others in his hearing of his faults, or his clever sayings or doings. Even in the presence of his brothers and sisters these things should not be spoken of.” Ibid., April 23, 1902.

She goes on to say, “By speaking of his bright words and acts, you encourage self-confidence. By speaking of his faults, you humiliate him without softening him. Hatred springs up in his heart against your course, which he regards as cruel and unjust.” Ibid.

Heaven Talk

Friends, the things we have been studying are the way in which people talk in heaven. They do not speak any unpleasant words there. There are no loud, angry-voiced commands there, no angry, passionate words. They do not utter any unpleasant words there. In fact, a statement from Upward Look, 163, says, “No unpleasant words are spoken in heaven. There no unkind thoughts are cherished. There envy, evil surmising, hatred, and strife find no place.” We are to learn here how to speak, so we will be able to go to heaven. We are to learn it here, and the place we learn it, friends, is in our homes.

Confession

When I was a boy, I thought that everybody in the Adventist Church understood this, but I have had cause to wonder. The apostle James says, “He that does not offend in word is a perfect man.” James 3:2.

I do not know about you, but I have had to go to many people a number of times in my life and confess that what I had said was either not so or not right. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9.

Friends, the Lord wants to cleanse us from our improper speech. He wants to cleanse us from all the things that we have said in the past to our wives or our husbands or our children that have been wrong. But He cannot do it if we do not confess. This is so simple and basic; I was a minister for a number of years before I realized that there were many Christians who did not understand this.

Confession of sin is not just kneeling down by your bed at night and saying, “Lord, I confess my sins.” That is not proper confession; it is not wrong, but Ellen White states, in the chapter “Confession,” in Steps to Christ, that true confession is specific. Friends, if the Holy Spirit is speaking to your heart right now and telling you that you have something to confess to someone about words you have spoken, I want to appeal to you to not forget it. Write it down right now. Do not let the day go by—maybe you need to write a letter or make a long-distance telephone call.

If we want to reform our speech, one of the first steps is to confess what we have spoken that has injured or damaged someone else or is untrue or is unkind. That is a first step in procuring the kind of speech we desire in our homes.

Maybe you need to confess something to your children. Your child will never turn away from the Christian religion because you decided to confess your sins, because you decided to say to him or her, “I am sorry I said or did this to you and I want you to forgive me.” Your child will not turn away from the Christian religion when you do that.

Unless we confess our sins, the Holy Spirit cannot come into our lives and give us the power that we need to change. “He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes [them] will have mercy.” Proverbs 28:13. That is talking about eternal prosperity, not just temporal prosperity.

Friends, I stand myself in very great need of mercy, do you? I know that if I am going to receive the mercy of God in my life, I must confess, and then I must forsake. Do you want that experience? Decide right now you are not going to let the day go by before making whatever confession to whomever you need to make it. It may take you more than one day.

When I first became convicted on this subject, it was as a result of a sermon I listened to by a retired Adventist minister who said that when he became a Christian, he had to write 726 letters of confession. I hope that you do not have to write that many, but I would write however many letters I need to write or call however many people I need to call, to have a clear conscience.

[Bible texts quoted are literal translation.]

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

Editorial – A look at the Future

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“From that which God has shown me, a great number will be saved from among the Catholics. There has been but little done for them except to make them appear in the worst light.” Sermons and Talks, vol. 2, 41.

The future will be much different than many have supposed, and the only way to understand what is really going to happen is to study inspired writings. Here is some of the counsel that we have received:

“First of all then, I urge that supplications and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men for kings and all who are in authority.” I Timothy 2:1, 2, first part.

“Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority … Honor the king.” I Peter 2:13, 17.

It is not our work to attack individuals or institutions.

“The time will come when unguarded expressions of a denunciatory character, that have been carelessly spoken or written by our brethren, will be used by our enemies to condemn us. These will not be used merely to condemn those who made the statements, but will be charged upon the whole body of Adventists. Our accusers will say that on such and such a day one of our responsible men said thus and so against the administration of the laws of this government. Many will be astonished to see how many things have been cherished and remembered that will give point to the arguments of our adversaries. Many will be surprised to hear their own words strained into a meaning that they did not intend them to have. Then let our workers be careful to speak guardedly at all times and under all circumstances. Let all beware lest by reckless expressions they bring on a time of trouble before the great crisis which is to try men’s souls.” Counsels to Writers and Editors, 69.

The less we make direct charges against authorities and powers, the greater work we shall be able to accomplish, both in America and in foreign countries.

Do not speak to them one word of censure. Do not blame and condemn them. “We have nothing whereof to boast. We grieve the Lord Jesus Christ by our harshness, by our unchristlike thrusts. We need to become complete in Him.” Ibid, 63.

The world is becoming more and more violent, and soon God’s people will have to endure suffering as a result, but we need to be sure that we do not unnecessarily increase the suffering of God’s people in the world by communicating even the truth in a spirit that will be interpreted as follows:

“We shall force them to the conclusion that the doctrine, we profess cannot be the Christian doctrine since it does not make us kind, courteous, and respectful.” Ibid,71.

How much has been said that has turned souls to bitterness and gall against the truth.

“Words that should have been a savor of life unto life have been made a savor of death unto death by the spirit which accompanied them.” Ibid., 66.

No Guile in Their Mouth

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The four angels are holding the four winds until God’s people are sealed. When these winds are released, God will have a people—the living saints, 144,000 in number. They will know and understand the voice of God. Early Writings, 14. The Bible says, “And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps: And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth. These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.” Revelation 14:1-5. In this article we will concentrate on the characteristic described in verse 5, “And in their mouth was found no guile.”

In the Strong’s Concordance the word “guile” has several synonyms used to describe it: decoy, trick, wily, crafty, deceit, subtle and deceiver. Remember these words as we go on in this study.

Nathanael — An Example

Jesus spoke of a man without guile: “The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me. Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see, Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile! Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou was under the fig tree, I saw thee.” Nathanael was evidently bigoted against anyone from Nazareth. The devil used this to tempt him that Jesus could not be the Savior. Nevertheless, he went to see for himself. Nathanael was praying for truth and guidance in this exact thing—of a Saviour to come.

The Spirit of Prophecy says that Nathanael was a seeker after truth. As bad as his thought was of Jesus coming from Nazareth, he did not allow that to get in his way of accepting the truth. He was not just a seeker after truth, but was a follower of truth. That is why Christ said that he was an Israelite indeed in whose mouth there was no guile.

To better understand guile, let us look at it from an opposite view point. Nathanael had no guile, but here is a group that Jesus describes quite differently. “Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and truth shall make you free. They answered him, We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?” “I know that ye are Abraham’s seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you.” “But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham. Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God. Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. Why do ye not understand my speech? Even because ye cannot hear my word. Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.” John 8:31-33, 37, 40-45.

Professor Only

Remember synonyms for guile are: decoy, trickery, wily, crafty, deceitful or subtle. Nathanel was a seeker after truth, and nothing would stand in his way of seeking truth or following it when truth was revealed to him. But here Christ speaks to a group that he wants to give the truth to, and they will have nothing to do with it—yet they profess to be one in whose mouth is found no guile. But Jesus says to them, “Your father is” who? “the devil,” and that he was a liar and the father of it. They were professors only.

The hundred and forty and four thousand have no guile in their mouth—they do not just profess to be Christians. At the time of the end, the whole world will be converted to follow the beast, other than the small remnant that is following the lamb withersoever he goeth. Everyone at the end is going to profess to be a Christian.

The following verse fits that group whose father is the devil even though they profess to be Abraham’s seed and the children of God. “Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan which say they are Jews and are not, but do lie. Behold, I will make them to come and to worship before thy feet and to know that I have loved thee.” Revelation 3:9. If you are not of the church of God, what church are you? The synagogue of Satan. You can profess to be a Jew, because it says here that they say that they are Jews, but they are not. What are they? They are liars. They are bearing false witness.

All of these things tie in together with not having guile in your mouth. The ninth commandment says, “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.” Exodus 20:16. Any that are a decoy, or a deceiver, or tricky, or wily, or crafty or subtle—just as the group that Jesus talked to in John 8—have guile in their mouth and are bearing false witness.

There is no greater false witness than to bear witness that we are a Christian and in reality we are not. The greatest deception, subtlety and craft, and devil uses, is people who make a profession, but yet have guile in their mouth. This all came form the devil in the beginning. He is the one that was the first to have guile in his mouth. He has led all professed Christians who are not born again to have guile in their mouths also. The hundred and forty-four thousand have none of this in their mouth. They will be just what they profess, wholly and completely.

Lucifer in Heaven

The synonyms that were mentioned earlier are used in the Spirit of Prophecy to describe what went on in heaven with Lucifer. As the great conflict is just beginning to happen, the angels and even the devil himself did not see where it would lead. Lucifer was just letting the envy and jealousy that was found in him have control. Here are various descriptions from the book Patriarchs and Prophets talking about Lucifer. “The angels joyfully acknowledged the supremacy of Christ, and prostrating themselves before Him, poured out their love and adoration. Lucifer bowed with them, but in his heart there was a strange, fierce conflict. Truth, justice, and loyalty were struggling against envy and jealousy. The influence of the holy angels seemed for a time to carry him with them. As songs of praise ascended in melodious strains, swelled by thousands of glad voices, the spirit of evil seemed vanquished; unutterable love thrilled his entire being; his soul went out, in harmony with the sinless worshippers, in love to the Father and the Son. But again he was filled with pride in his own glory. His desire for supremacy returned, and envy of Christ was once more indulged.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 36, 37.

“Leaving his place in the immediate presence of the Father, Lucifer went forth to diffuse the spirit of discontent among the angels. He worked with mysterious secrecy, and for a time concealed his real purpose under an appearance of reverence for God.” Ibid., 37. He concealed his purpose under what?—an appearance of reverence for God. Everything now that he was saying and doing with the angels, he said, was in reverence for God. “He began to insinuate doubts concerning the laws that governed heavenly beings, intimating that though laws might be necessary for the inhabitants of the worlds, angels, being more exalted, needed no such restraint, for their own wisdom was a sufficient guide. They were not beings that could bring dishonor to God; all their thoughts were holy; it was no more possible for them than for God Himself to err. The exaltation of the Son of God as equal with the Father was represented as an injustice to reverence and honor. If this prince of angels could but attain to his true, exalted position, great good would accrue to the entire host of heaven; for it was his object to secure freedom for all. But now even the liberty which they had hitherto enjoyed was at an end; for an absolute Ruler had been appointed them, and to His authority all must pay homage. Such were the subtle deceptions that through the wiles of Lucifer were fast obtaining in the heavenly courts.” Ibid. [All emphasis supplied.]

Satan says he is reverencing God. He wants the best for God’s kingdom. But, at the same time he is working against His law.

“Taking advantage of the loving, loyal trust reposed in him by the holy beings under his command, he had so artfully instilled into their minds his own distrust and discontent that his agency was not discerned. Lucifer had presented the purposes of God in a false light—misconstruing [guile] and distorting them to excite dissent and dissatisfaction. He cunningly drew his hearers on to give utterance to their feelings; then these expressions were repeated by him when it would serve his purpose, as evidence that the angels were not fully in harmony with the government of God. While claiming for himself perfect loyalty to God, he urged that changes in the order and laws of heaven were necessary for the stability of the divine government. Thus while working to excite opposition to the law of God and to instill his own discontent into the minds of the angels under him, he was ostensibly seeking to remove dissatisfaction and to reconcile disaffected angels to the order of heaven. While secretly fomenting discord and rebellion, he with consummate craft caused it to appear as his sole purpose to promote loyalty and to preserve harmony and peace.” Ibid., 38.

Lucifer used subtlety, deception and craft. He talked to the angels and twisted the truth. Then when the angels made distrustful comments themselves, Lucifer would make it sound like He was loyal to God. He said, “You know, here I am, trying to magnify and follow God’s law and to give Him reverence that he deserves, and yet here you angels are causing discontent and strife.” Satan was the one doing this, but he turned the whole thing around once he got the discontent and strife started. Then he made it look like he was trying to lead the angels to the right path that they should be going in—while he was all the time drawing them to himself.

“Lucifer had at first so conducted his temptations that he himself stood uncommitted. The angels whom he could not bring fully to his side, he accused of indifference to the interests of heavenly beings. The very work which he himself was doing, he charged upon the loyal angels. It was his policy to perplex with subtle arguments concerning the purposes of God. Everything that was simple he shrouded in mystery, and by artful perversion cast doubt upon the plainest statements of Jehovah. And his high position, so closely connected with the divine government, gave greater force to his representations.

“God could employ only such means as were consistent with truth and righteousness. Satan could use what God could not—flattery and deceit. He had sought to falsify the word of God and had misrepresented His plan of government, claiming that God was not just in imposing laws upon the angels; that in requiring submission and obedience from His creatures, He was seeking merely the exaltation of Himself. It was therefore necessary to demonstrate before the inhabitants of heaven, and of all the worlds, that God’s government is just, His law perfect. Satan had made it appear that he himself was seeking to promote the good of the universe. The true character of the usurper and his real object must be understood by all. He must have time to manifest himself by his wicked works.

“The discord which his own course had caused in heaven, Satan charged upon the government of God. All evil he declared to be the result of the divine administration. He claimed that it was his own object to improve upon the statutes of Jehovah. Therefore God permitted him to demonstrate the nature of his claims, to show the working out of his proposed changes in the divine law. His own work must condemn him. Satan had claimed from the first that he was not in rebellion. The whole universe must see the deceiver unmasked.” Ibid., 42, 43.

He was supposedly reverencing God, but actually he was tricky, and crafty, he was deceitful, and subtle. All these words show that he had guile in his mouth. Here he was professing that he was there to exalt God. His position was the covering cherub. He was in the glory and presence of God. All of his life, he was to reveal to the angels the things that came from God. Now, he went around professing that he was doing such a thing, but in reality, he had guile in his mouth. All the things that he was saying were contrary to what he was professing.

Lucifer was actually a falsifier of God. Any professed Christian that has guile in his mouth is doing the same work as Lucifer did in heaven. Having guile in your mouth began with the devil. That is what the whole controversy is all about. Is the guile that the devil first gave in heaven and now on earth, true? The people in the world are struggling to know who to believe—God or Lucifer. In the end, when the great controversy is over, the hundred and forty-four thousand are going to be the full proof that the devil was a deceiver. They will be without guile in their mouth because they will be the full representation as far as we as human beings can be of what God’s character is all about. That is the reason they will have no guile in their mouth. Their profession will be fully shown by every work and deed and thought that they do.

1 Peter 3:10 says: “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.” No what?—guile. Do you love life? When Christ comes, eternal life and eternal death is going to be the end for each one. “If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.” James 1:26.

Bible Tests

The Bible tells us how we know if we have guile in our mouth. “For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, or of a bramble bush gather they grapes. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.” Luke 6:44, 45. Whatever is in your heart, your mouth is going to speak. Sooner or later, when circumstances are just right, the mouth will speak what the heart is feeling and believing.

The words that we speak are so important! “But I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.” Matthew 12:36, 37. The words that are coming out of your mouth are either going to justify you or condemn you. “By their fruits ye shall know them,” and what greater fruit than what comes out of your mouth?

List of Synonyms

We will look at some different words the Spirit of Prophecy uses when describing “guile.” No matter how much you profess to be a Christian, no matter how much you pay your tithe, and offering, and come to church every Sabbath, go door to door and do whatever it may be—if these kind of words are coming out of your mouth, you have guile in your mouth.

One that is mentioned is the use of enticing words. Webster’s dictionary says the word enticing is to lure or tempt. Do you use words to tempt somebody to say or do or think something that they would not do otherwise? Give thought to the words that come out of your mouth.

Another word that the Spirit of Prophecy describes as speaking with guile is using vain words. Vain words mean idle words, worthless words or empty words. For almost every word that Ellen White uses to describe guile—Webster’s Dictionary defines as false words, lying words or deceiving words. On vain words it says, “It suggests a deceiving lack of real substance.” Do you use vain words in your speech—worthless words, a conversation that does not amount to anything.

Another word that Ellen White describes as having guile in your mouth is exaggerating words. That is a representation of things beyond the truth, which means it is a lie. Do we use exaggerating words in what we say?

Those that gossip have guile in their mouth. The definition in the dictionary was “those that go from house to house tattling and telling news.” Do we have guile in our mouth as far as gossiping is concerned? Whether it be the truth or not, do we like to go and tattle tale the newest thing that is come up or going on with somebody?

Backbiting is having guile in your mouth. The definition of that was “to slander, to reproach, or speak evil of the absent.” In seeing a problem do we say, “Hey, you want to hear such and such about this person?” It serves no purpose other than to belittle, and slander the character of somebody else. Do you backbite in what you say?

A type of having guile in your mouth is joking. The definition is “to jest, something said to make a laugh, an illusion, not real.” Do we jest and joke? Unless it is something that has happened, most jokes have been made up by somebody. Although it makes people laugh, it is not the truth.

Related to joking is to speak light and trifling words. The definition of that was, “of little weight, or worth of importance.” In our conversations, do we have words that are light and trifling, that have no weight, or no importance? The words that we speak have their influence upon those that hear them. If people hear me speaking words that have no importance, how much are they going to listen when I give them the gospel message which is important?

Having guile in your mouth includes being proud and boastful. Do we speak proud and boastful words? Whether it be spiritual as with the Pharisees, or worldly, it is very easy to use proud and boastful words in the things we speak about.

Flattery and praise is another form of having guile in your mouth.

Another form of guile in your mouth is evil surmising. The definition of that is “presumption to accuse or guess, to form an opinion without knowledge.” When you have no absolute proof of something, but because of your feelings, or what has happened in the past, you evil surmise about somebody. You have no proof, but because of circumstances, you let your tongue speak words of evil surmising. That must be put away.

We need to be careful about using passionate words. This means “easily aroused, excited or agitated feelings and emotions.” Do you ever let your feelings and emotions get the best of you? Then before you know it you are saying passionate words. Do not let your emotions and feelings cause you to use passionate words.

The next one is using careless words. One understanding of careless words is speaking things that first pop into your mind without giving thought to them. Do you use careless words in your conversation?

Having guile in your mouth includes using harsh words. This means to be rude, abusive, stern, severe or cutting. We know that Jesus gave many rebukes, and very strong ones. In the one we just read He told the Pharisees that they were of their father the devil, that he was a liar and a murderer and they were just like him. But they were not harsh words. We are told that there were tears in His eyes when He gave these rebukes. It was the truth, but he had a love for these souls and their salvation.

A big one is scornful words. Do you use scornful words? Do you preach to and scorn your child until he just wants to turn away and walk in disgust?

A suspicious charge is having guile in your mouth. In a suspicious charge you just kind of throw the hint out there. “I don’t know if it’s so, but I kind of think that this is the way it is with that person.” You are throwing out a suspicious charge to get people to look in a certain direction and to believe what you are putting out there. You are not sure of it yourself, but you give a suspicious charge.

The next one is using jealous words. Do we use jealous words in our conversation?

The last synonym that we will look at is the use of filthy words. Anything that leads somebody to have a thought or word or action in a wrong impure direction is using filthy words. A major problem area for this is in telling jokes. You can use filthy words in the way that you lead your hearers to think upon what you are joking about. Do we use filthy words in our communication?

Where is Your Conversation?

The whole battle is over whether God is a God of love. Is His character a character of love? Is his law just? The devil once professed that God was love. But at the same time he went around deceiving the angels. His fruits were bearing witness of another thing. The hundred and forty-four thousand are going to end the great controversy. They are going to show that God is love and His law is just. They are going to show it because their profession will be more than a profession. There will be no guile in their mouths.

“For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.” Philippians 3:20. Is that where your conversation is that you have day in and day out? When it is all over with here, that is just where the hundred and forty-four thousand are going to be headed—to Heaven. We should strive to be among the hundred and forty-four thousand.

“For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously.” I Peter 2:21-23. There was no guile in his mouth. There was not a profession, and then turning around and being a deceiver and a decoy and deception. He left us an example that we should follow His steps. It is possible to have no guile in your mouth, as Jesus had no guile in His mouth.

“For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour [or help] them that are tempted.” Hebrews 2:16-18. We show by our conversation if we are in Heaven and we plan to be there in body and spirit as soon as the Saviour returns. Take action if the devil has deceived you into having a conversation that is not in Heaven. You can conquer no matter what kind of guile has been in your mouth. I pray that each one will look at the words that they are speaking. I pray for a blessing upon each one and I know the Lord will help every one to be victorious, that is truly seeking to be, without guile in their mouth.

Bible Study Guides – Whose Garment are you Wearing?

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February 28, 2010 – March 6, 2010

Key Text

“And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.” Jude 23.

Study Help: Sons and Daughters of God, 100; “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 4, 1178.

Introduction

“With garments of sin and shame the enemy clothes those who have been overpowered by his temptations, and then he declares that it is unfair for Christ to be their Light, their Defender.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 4, 1178.

1 Is it possible to “clothe” ourselves with our own anger, cursing or foul language? Is that the garment you would like to wear? Psalm 109:18, 19.

Note. “If our lips have need of cleansing, if we realize our destitution, and come to God in contrition of heart, the Lord will remove the uncleanness. He will say to his angel, ‘Take away the filthy garments,’ and clothe him with ‘change of raiment’ [Zechariah 3:4].” The Review and Herald, December 22, 1896.

“If in word and spirit you represent the character of Christ, then you are Christians; for to be a Christian is to be Christ-like. The tongue will testify of the principles that characterize the life; it is the sure test of what power controls the heart. We may judge our own spirit and principles by the words that proceed from our lips. The tongue is always to be under the control of the Holy Spirit.” The Review and Herald, May 26, 1896.

2 Where does this anger and foul language begin? Matthew 12:34–36.

Note. “Then let them not be used in bringing from the treasure of the heart words that will dishonor God and discourage those around you, but use them for the praise and glory of God, who has formed them for this purpose. When the cleansing coal is applied from the glowing altar, the conscience will be purged from dead works to serve the living God; and when the love of Jesus is the theme of contemplation, the words coming from human lips will be full of praise and thanksgiving to God and to the Lamb.” The Review and Herald, December 22, 1896.

3 When there is an evil treasure in our hearts that brings forth evil, what do we need and where do we find it? Ezekiel 36:26, 27.

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

“Then a spirit of kindness will be manifested, not by fits and starts, but continually. There will be a decided change in attitude, in deportment, in words and actions toward all with whom you are in any way connected. You will not magnify their infirmities, you will not place them in an unfavorable light. You will work in Christ’s lines.” Sons and Daughters of God, 100.

4 The enemy wants to clothe us with his garments of character. What other garment descriptions are we warned about? Psalm 73:6–9.

Note. “With garments of sin and shame the enemy clothes those who have been overpowered by his temptations, and then he declares that it is unfair for Christ to be their Light, their Defender.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 4, 1178.

5 Knowing that the enemy’s garments are garments of death, full of leprosy, which garment would you like to be clothed with? Isaiah 61:10.

Note. “Every true turning to the Lord brings abiding joy into the life. When a sinner yields to the influence of the Holy Spirit, he sees his own guilt and defilement in contrast with the holiness of the great Searcher of hearts. He sees himself condemned as a transgressor. But he is not, because of this, to give way to despair; for his pardon has already been secured. He may rejoice in the sense of sins forgiven, in the love of a pardoning heavenly Father. It is God’s glory to encircle sinful, repentant human beings in the arms of His love, to bind up their wounds, to cleanse them from sin, and to clothe them with the garments of salvation.” Prophets and Kings, 668.

6 With what will the Lord replace the spirit of heaviness? Isaiah 61:3.

Note. “There is nothing in us from which we can clothe the soul so that its nakedness shall not appear. We are to receive the robe of righteousness woven in the loom of heaven, even the spotless robe of Christ’s righteousness.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, 965.

7 Since our filthy garments will not be taken from us, what are we told to do? Philippians 2:12, last part.

Note. “The work of overcoming is a great work. Shall we take hold of it with energy and perseverance? Unless we do, our ‘filthy garments’ will not be taken from us. We need never expect that these will be torn from us violently; we must first show a desire to rid ourselves of them. We must seek to separate sin from us, relying upon the merits of the blood of Christ; and then in the day of affliction, when the enemy presses us, we shall walk among the angels. They will be like a wall of fire about us; and we shall one day walk with them in the city of God.” The Review and Herald, November 19, 1908.

8 If we do not want to be found naked, what are we to do? Revelation 16:15.

Note. “Trial is part of the education given in the school of Christ, to purify God’s children from the dross of earthliness. It is because God is leading His children that trying experiences come to them. Trials and obstacles are His chosen methods of discipline, and His appointed conditions of success. He who reads the hearts of men knows their weaknesses better than they themselves can know them. He sees that some have qualifications which, if rightly directed, could be used in the advancement of His work. In His providence He brings these souls into different positions and varied circumstances, that they may discover the defects that are concealed from their own knowledge. He gives them opportunity to overcome these defects and to fit themselves for service. Often He permits the fires of affliction to burn, that they may be purified.

“God’s care for His heritage is unceasing. He suffers no affliction to come upon His children but such as is essential for their present and eternal good. He will purify His church, even as Christ purified the temple during His ministry on earth. All that He brings upon His people in test and trial comes that they may gain deeper piety and greater strength to carry forward the triumphs of the cross.” The Acts of the Apostles, 524, 525.

9 To all that overcome and have not defiled their garments, what is promised? Revelation 3:4.

Note. “It is right to love beauty and to desire it; but God desires us to love and seek first the highest beauty, that which is imperishable. No outward adorning can compare in value or loveliness with that ‘meek and quiet spirit’ [I Peter 3:4], the ‘fine linen, white and clean’ (Revelation 19:14), which all the holy ones of earth will wear. This apparel will make them beautiful and beloved here, and will hereafter be their badge of admission to the palace of the King. His promise is, ‘They shall walk with Me in white: for they are worthy.’ Revelation 3:4.” The Acts of the Apostles, 523, 524.

10 Read Zechariah 3:2–7. Tell in your own words what these verses mean to you and which garment you prefer.

Note. “Satan seeks to bring us into temptation, that the evil of our characters may be revealed before men and angels, that he may claim us as his own. In the symbolic prophecy of Zechariah, Satan is seen standing at the right hand of the Angel of the Lord, accusing Joshua, the high priest, who is clothed in filthy garments, and resisting the work that the Angel desires to do for him. This represents the attitude of Satan toward every soul whom Christ is seeking to draw unto Himself. The enemy leads us into sin, and then he accuses us before the heavenly universe as unworthy of the love of God. But ‘the Lord said unto Satan, The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan; even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?’ And unto Joshua He said, ‘Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment.’ Zechariah 3:1–4.

“God in His great love is seeking to develop in us the precious graces of His Spirit. He permits us to encounter obstacles, persecution, and hardships, not as a curse, but as the greatest blessing of our lives. Every temptation resisted, every trial bravely borne, gives us a new experience and advances us in the work of character building. The soul that through divine power resists temptation reveals to the world and to the heavenly universe the efficiency of the grace of Christ.” Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, 116, 117.

Additional Reading

“Pride and weakness of faith are depriving many of the rich blessings of God. There are many who, unless they humble their hearts before the Lord, will be surprised and disappointed when the cry is heard: ‘Behold, the Bridegroom cometh.’ Matthew 25:6. They have the theory of the truth, but they have no oil in their vessels with their lamps. Our faith at this time must not stop with an assent to, or belief in, the theory of the third angel’s message. We must have the oil of the grace of Christ that will feed the lamp and cause the light of life to shine forth, showing the way to those who are in darkness.

“If we would escape having a sickly experience, we must begin in earnest without delay to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling. There are many who give no decided evidence that they are true to their baptismal vows. Their zeal is chilled by formality, worldly ambition, pride, and love of self. Occasionally their feelings are stirred, but they do not fall on the Rock, Christ Jesus. They do not come to God with hearts that are broken in repentance and confession. Those who experience the work of true conversion in their hearts will reveal the fruits of the Spirit in their lives. Oh, that those who have so little spiritual life would realize that eternal life can be granted only to those who become partakers of the divine nature and escape the corruption that is in the world through lust!

“The power of Christ alone can work the transformation in heart and mind that all must experience who would partake with Him of the new life in the kingdom of heaven. ‘Except a man be born again,’ the Saviour has said, ‘he cannot see the kingdom of God.’ John 3:3. The religion that comes from God is the only religion that can lead to God. In order to serve Him aright, we must be born of the divine Spirit. This will lead to watchfulness. It will purify the heart and renew the mind, and give us a new capacity for knowing and loving God. It will give us willing obedience to all His requirements. This is true worship.” Testimonies, vol. 9, 155, 156.

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

Don’t Take the Lord’s Name in Vain

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Exodus 20:1–4, 7 says, “And God spoke all these words, saying.” We need to take note that what follows is the beginning of the Ten Commandments spoken by the voice of the Lord. This is His preamble to the constitution of grace. “I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.” Verse 2.

He is your Deliverer and He is delivering you out of darkness into His light. He is cutting you free from the cord of the wicked that binds you. He says to listen and learn from the holy principles of His universal government, the constitution of His grace, His divine directive that sustains and maintains all that He has created. His commandments are ten promises of what He will do in your life if you will just surrender control over to Him.

“You shall have no other gods before me.” Verse 3. I will cause you to know my love for you and to understand My power. I will be your Father and will be the object of your worship when you come to know me.

“You shall not make for yourself any carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them or serve them.” Verse 4. He is delivering you from false worship. You will not be like the pagans who create their own gods rather than to worship their creator God. Your life will be marked by reverence for Him in contrast to being marred by malice, deceit, vanity and emptiness.

“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.” Verse 7.

There are serious consequences for breaking the third commandment and taking God’s name in vain. Why are we held guilty if we take His name in vain? What acts do we commit that amount to taking His name in vain?

To understand this we must understand the majesty of the Lawgiver as Nehemiah did when he said in Nehemiah 9:5, 6, “Stand up and bless the Lord your God Forever and ever! Blessed be Your glorious name, Which is exalted above all blessing and praise! You alone are the Lord; You have made heaven, The heaven of heavens, with all their host, The earth and everything on it, The seas and all that is therein, And You preserved them all. The host of heaven worships You.”

God says to fear, stand in awe and reverence of His glorious and awesome name, the Lord your God (Deuteronomy 28:58).

The Bible refers to God by many names and all reflect His character and represent the glory of God, including His word in His law which is a transcript of His character.

God revealed His glory to Moses. This is a conversation that God had with Moses after Moses had swung those first tables of the Ten Commandments to the ground and broke them. In Exodus 33:17–23, “The Lord said to Moses, ‘I will also do this thing that you have spoken; for you have found grace in My sight, and I know you by name.’ And he replied, ‘Please show me Your glory.’ Then God said, ‘I will make all My goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.’ But He said, ‘You cannot see My face; for no man can see Me, and live.’ And the Lord said, ‘Here is a place by Me, and you shall stand on a rock. So it shall be, when My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by. Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back, but My face shall not be seen.’ ”

Continue on in Exodus 34:6, 7:

“And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, ‘The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children unto the third and to the fourth generation.’ ”

What was Moses’ response to this revealed glory? In verse 8 it says, “Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped.”

God proclaimed His name as referencing His glory, His character. That is why His name is so exalted.

David wrote,

“I will worship toward Your holy temple, And praise Your name For your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word even above all Your name. In the day when I called, You answered me, And you strengthened me with strength in my inner self.” Psalm 138:2, 3.

Why does God magnify His word even above His name? Because, “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John 1:1. He became flesh and tabernacled among us. We have to recognize the majesty of the name of God, which represents His character.

When we take His name in vain, we are slandering His character. Do any of us take God’s name in vain?

We need to look at the spirit of the law and not just the letter. I would have never thought that I took the Lord’s name in vain. As I studied this, I found myself asking God to forgive me. The beauty of getting deep into the word of God is that the more we study His law, the mirror, we realize there is dirt on our own face and we recognize our great need for a Savior. Hebrews 4:12 says, “The word of God is alive and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, even to the point of judging the intentions of our heart and our thoughts.”

There are four categories in taking the name of the Lord in vain.

When we first think of someone taking God’s name in vain we think of the ungodly, disrespectful, unbelieving, sacrilegious person who uses God’s name as an irreverent byword—a curse word.

Swearing falsely is also taking God’s name in vain; not performing our oaths to the Lord.

Becoming wearied by the requirements of true worship and offering less than our best to God is taking His name in vain.

Hypocrisy—dishonesty, double-minded behavior, insincere, empty talk, not walking the talk, deceitful rebellion against God’s governing regulations; in other words, disobedience. That is taking God’s name in vain.

Ungodly and Irreverent

The first category is the ungodly, irreverent people who use His name as a byword.

At the last company I worked for before going into full-time ministry, the director was a computer programmer. This man used God’s name in vain and that irreverent byword all throughout the day. Everybody was very intimidated by this man because if you got on his bad side, he would not help you and without his help, you could not do your job because he was the program computer developer.

I was so grieved that I could not help but speak up. When I told him what the name of the Lord meant to me and how I felt when he did this, rather than respecting me, he got worse. As he ignored my request I realized that this is the one who God would say is an enemy against God. Psalm 139:19, 20 says, “Oh, that You would slay the wicked, O God! … For they speak against You wickedly; Your enemies take Your name in vain.”

Each time he would do this I determined in my heart that I was not just going to let it go by. Every time he would use the name of the Lord in vain around me I would say, “The name of the Lord is great and greatly to be praised. Give glory to His holy name.” Psalm 48:1; I Chronicles 16:29. I want to tell you that this irritated him to no end.

Finally, one day he came to me and said, “I am tired of you doing that.” I said, “You have got to be kidding. You are upset by me saying this?” I sat and talked with him more and this man became a good friend and he did not take the name of the Lord in vain anymore. Not just around me, but he quit taking the name of the Lord in vain around others. God gave me favor with this man.

As Christians, we are to be especially careful to reverence God’s name. We need to take caution not to use His name as a byword in careless phrases as, “Oh my God,” or “God only knows,” or “I swear to God.” We need to be careful not to use His name lightly in jesting. People are sending a lot of jokes about Jesus and Satan and they will say that they are so cute. Please don’t send those to me. They grieve my soul, because the name of the Lord is great and greatly to be praised and we need to give glory to Him that is due glory.

As Christians, we need to be careful never to offer a prayer in a robotic jesting manner, casually repeating canned and clever phrases. That is taking His name in vain. Prayer is a great privilege and when we come to Him we should pause for just a moment as we think about this great God who tells us we can call Him Abba.

Jesus taught us in Matthew 6:9 how to pray. He said, “In this manner, therefore pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed it be Your name.” What does it mean to be hallowed? It means to be kept holy. Jesus was saying, “Our Father, your name is to be kept holy” and Jesus did keep it holy.

When He was praying in the garden before he went to Gethsemane, in John 17:11, He said, “Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are one.” It goes on in verse 25, “O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me.”

Jesus addressed His Father as holy and righteous. Should we not also likewise worship in the same manner?

Swearing Falsely

The second category of taking God’s name in vain is swearing falsely, not performing our oaths to the Lord. Leviticus 19:12 says, “You shall not swear by My name falsely, nor shall you profane the name of the Lord your God: I am the Lord.” God wants us to be serious. Let our yes be yes and our no be no.

Jesus said, “Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.’ But I say unto you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne; nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ be ‘No.’ For whatsoever is more than these is from the evil one.” Matthew 5:33–37. How cautious we need to be.

Becoming Weary

The third category of taking His name in vain is when we become wearied by the requirements of true worship and offer less than our best.

As I studied this out I thought, Lord, I let my schedule get so crammed that sometimes I am going off to do a revival series somewhere and I am studying on the plane to get the message and I feel sometimes that I am giving God less than my best.

God is speaking about offering polluted things beginning in Malachi 1:6–10: “ ‘A son honors his father, And a servant his master. Then if I am the Father, Where is My honour? If I am the Master, Where is my reverence? Said the Lord of hosts To you priests who despise My name. And yet you say, ‘In what way have we despised Your name?’ You offer defiled food on My altar. But say, ‘In what way have we defiled You?’ By saying, ‘The table of the Lord is contemptible.’ And when you offer the blind as a sacrifice, Is it not evil? And when you offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? Offer it then to your governor! Will he be pleased with you? Will he accept you favorably? Says the Lord of hosts. But now I entreat God’s favor, That He may be gracious to us. While this is being done by your hands, Will He accept you favorably? Says the Lord of hosts. Who is there even among you that would shut the doors, So that you would not kindle fire on My altar in vain? I have no pleasure in you, Says the Lord of hosts, Nor will I accept an offering from your hand.”

The priests and the people had found God’s requirements for sacrifice and worship contemptible. Are we not a holy nation, a royal priesthood—is this not also applicable to us? When they found the requirements for worship contemptible, God found their acts of worship contemptible. In fact, He said, Who among you would shut the door—shut the door to the church? Don’t kindle an offering in vain to me. I would rather the doors be shut. God help us!

Have we forgotten the reverence due a holy God? Have we become so overly familiar with Him that we forget to stand in awe and honor of the Almighty God? Has church become a social club? Do we come to honor Him in truth and spirit, or do we come to be entertained, or even worse, to be wearied, because the sermons are too long? Do we criticize the message from Scripture when we are called to magnify the word of God?

God says,

“ ‘For from the rising of the sun, even to its going down, My name shall be great among the Gentiles; In every place incense shall be offered to My name, And a pure offering; For My name shall be great among the nations,’ Says the Lord of hosts.” Malachi 1:11.

God is telling them that He has a solution. If His people won’t correct their behavior He will raise up a people who will worship Him with gratefulness and purity in their hearts.

“But you have profaned my name, In what you say, ‘The table of the Lord is defiled; And its food is contemptible.’ You said also, ‘Oh what a weariness!’ And you have sneered at it, Says the Lord of hosts.” Malachi 1:12, 13.

The priests profaned and perverted sacred things. They provoked God by profaning His holy name, taking His name in vain. They may have started in full-time ministry with the right heart and the right spirit but they became polluted with pride. They sneered at the offering in which they were to give—they thought it too little, too plain for them, contemptible. They thought that they deserved more because they served in the temple.

Continuing on in verses 13, 14,

“ ‘You bring the stolen, and the lame, and the sick; Thus you bring an offering! Should I accept this from your hand?’ Says the Lord. ‘But cursed be the deceiver Who has in his flock a male, And takes a vow, But sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished—For I am a great King,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘And My name is to be feared among the nations.’ ”

The people had reckless disregard for the holy ordinances. The sacrifices they brought and the sacrifices that were accepted were substandard. It was not their best. They felt, it was enough just to come to the altar of sacrifice and they did not need to bring an acceptable offering. Surely they did not need to read their Sabbath School lesson before they came to Sabbath School.

He is a holy God whom we should worship in holiness, reverence, spirit and in truth. They had become wearied by real worship. God said, their offerings were offered in vain. He was not pleased with their acts of taking His name in vain.

As Christians in our home, are we blaspheming the name of the Lord, taking it in vain? Do our children see us arguing, fighting and not loving in character? Do they see us doing the very things that we tell them not to do? That is taking God’s name in vain.

Wherever you go, people are watching. If you get impatient in line and you think you are entitled to better treatment and you get all puffed up, you are taking God’s name in vain. You are profaning the name of the Lord and that causes people to blaspheme the name of God.

Hypocrisy

The fourth category is hypocrisy: dishonesty, double-minded behavior, insincere, empty talk, not walking the talk, deceitful rebellion against God’s governing regulations.

The Strong’s Concordance defines vain as emptiness, vanity, falsehood and nothingness, emptiness of speech, lying and worthlessness of conduct. That is taking God’s name in vain.

Jesus in Mark 7:6, 7, 9, 13 says, “He answered and said unto them, Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honors me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. In vain do they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ He said, All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your own tradition. Making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do.”

How cautious we need to be that we are not taking God’s name in vain.

The following Scripture should compel each one of us to check our spiritual pulse. In Matthew 7:21–23 Jesus says, “Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name? And in Your name have cast out demons? And done many wonders in Your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ ”

To these who thought they were in full-time ministry, doing the work of the Lord and professing the name of the Lord, Jesus says, “I don’t know you.” Professing the name is not what qualifies us for heaven. Obedience through His grace and by His divine power qualifies and equips us to enter the kingdom of heaven.

Those who called on Him were calling on Him in pretense only. They were not walking in obedience or in surrender to God. They were not really His followers, because they did not practice the Father’s revealed will. They were deceiving themselves into thinking that their own form of worship was enough. Yet they refused to practice His will.

Paul writes, “The Lord knows those who are His. Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.” II Timothy 2:19. If we profess the name of the Lord, we must live according to the profession. We need to depart from our lawless ways; otherwise we are nothing more than hypocrites who are taking His name in vain and practicing a useless religion.

“Therefore shall you keep My commandments, and perform them: I am the Lord. You shall not profane My holy name, but I will be hallowed among the children of Israel: I am the Lord Who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the Lord.” Leviticus 22:31.

By His grace He has promised to sanctify us and we will not then hypocritically take His name in vain. God’s commandments become His promises of what He will do in us if we will surrender to Him.

It is all about coming to the Lord and surrendering and saying, “Father I need you; I recognize my sinfulness. Work in me to will and to act according to your good purpose.”

“But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace towards me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was in me.” I Corinthians 15:10.

The grace of God is more than His unmerited favor. Jesus Christ, your gift from God, is your only hope of glory. The Holy Spirit is the second greatest gift of God who works in us and allows God to do abundantly more than we could ever think or ask. And the word of God, the sanctifying, transforming power of the word of God, is another gift of His grace.

Do we call Him Saviour and refuse to accept His gift of salvation by grace? That is taking His name in vain. We are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do the good works that He prepared before Him that we should do.

He says in I John 2:3–6, “Now by this we do know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, I know him, and does not keep his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought also himself to walk just as he walked.”

Do we call Him Lord and refuse to do as he commanded? If so, we take His name in vain.

Shelley Quinn’s sermon was taken from the Ten Commandment Weekend, 2008 series aired on 3ABN. For more information contact www.3ABN.org.

Pen of Inspiration – The Meaning of Consecration

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We have been seeking to do everything in our power to educate the people here to understand what it means to be a Christian. We have been holding morning meetings the past week at half past five, lasting one hour. All who are connected with the office and all in the building attend these meetings. I talk to them about 30 minutes and then we have a social meeting. …

I feel deeply that we must do everything in our power to educate the people to be Bible Christians. Not only must we show in our character the meekness and lowliness of Christ, but we must educate the people who profess present truth so that they will not be satisfied to merely have a nominal faith in the truth for this time but have that faith brought into their character as a sanctifying power. How few of us see the importance of living by every word that proceedeth from the mouth of God; that is, not depart from a Thus saith the Lord.

I feel deeply in regard to the fact that our people talk the truth, but do not live the truth, thus carrying its principles in their life practices. Every church that has been organized needs a work done for them that God alone can do. They talk consecration, mention consecration in their prayers, and say over and over again, “We give ourselves wholly to Christ,” when they hold tenaciously to their own ideas and will and are not consecrated to Christ.

Saying consecration, praying consecration, are not enough. We must practice consecration. We feel deeply pained to see the absence of consecration in the individual members of the church. These reach too high. When they bring their consecration down into their very words and actions, into their associations with one another, they will bring consecration into their practical life. It is present religion we need, not an imaginary religion. It is a Saviour today to help us. It is to reveal Christ in our words today; it is to be kind, tender, and affectionate today; it is to esteem others better than ourselves today. Each separate word and action is to show consecration not to ourselves, but to God. We are fitting up for heaven. The Spirit of Jesus dwells in us richly by faith.

Consecration is a very simple thing when brought daily into our individual life in practice, but it is our spiritual power. We shall know far more by consecration daily than by trusting to our experience. Each day, each hour, let the heart go out after God: “Here, Lord, am I, Thy property; take me, use me today. I lay all my plans at Thy feet; I will have no way of my own in the matter. My time is Thine; my whole life is Thine. Thou hast bought me with a price.” Let the heart be constantly going forth to God for strength, for grace every moment.

Let not one evil word escape our lips, because our lips, our voice, belong to the Lord, and must be consecrated to the Lord and to His service. These lips must not dishonor Jesus, for they belong to Him. He has bought them and I must speak nothing that will offend Jesus. My ears must be closed to evil. Thus day by day we can consecrate ourselves to God. The ears must not be defiled by listening to any gossip that faultfinding ones would have us hear, for I not only cause them to sin in allowing them to talk of others’ faults, but I sin myself in listening to them. I can prevent much evil speaking in thus having ears consecrated to God. I can say before the evil is done, “Let us pray,” then ask God to enlighten both our minds to understand our true relation to one another and our true relation to God.

Let us open our hearts to Jesus with all the simplicity that a child would tell its earthly parents his perplexities and the things that trouble him. Tell him you are not to listen to evil speaking, to hurt others. Thus we can restrain evil not only in ourselves but in others. Practice consecration to God daily; then there will be no danger in the life of service to God. We want gratitude brought into our life, words, and works.

Every word, every thought of complaining indulged in, is a reflection upon God, a dishonor to His name. We want our hearts attuned to His praise, full of thankfulness, talking of His love, our hearts softened and subdued by the grace of Christ, full of sweetness and peace and fragrance. We shall be patient, kind, tenderhearted, pitiful, courteous, even when dealing with those who are disagreeable. Oh, how many precious blessings we lose because we esteem self altogether too highly and have so little esteem for others. We want to live a life that will please God, one that will bear witness that we are children of God and not children of the wicked one.

This is the nature of the instruction that we are giving in the morning meetings, and we hope some good is being effected. I feel Jesus verily present. I tell you in the fear of God, our churches are altogether too formal. The love, the tenderness of Christ, is not expressed in practice in their intercourse with one another. We must not demerit ourselves and lightly esteem the ability given us of God, neither should we overestimate our own importance and trust to our human ability. Those who have far less ability may verily be doing far more for the Master because they put out of the exchangers every talent they possess. They keep up an unfaltering purpose, a brave heart, and a calm, peaceful, trusting confidence in God because they believe His Word.

Heaven recognizes the loyalty of the soul that is struggling to do the will of God, and to grow into the likeness of Christ. Each has to win his way by struggles and efforts to elevation of character and noble attainments. Jesus has divine help to give every one of us in our aspirations to seek to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling. God is ready to give abundant grace, and the door of the heart must be open to receive. Open the door and let the Saviour in. Then we must teach this, reveal it in our lives. What rich promises we have, how deep, how full, how abundant! If we do not grasp them, we meet with a great loss, and those with whom we associate also meet with a loss.

Jesus would reflect His light and grace through us to others. Then come close to Jesus; open the door of the heart that the bright beams of Christ’s righteousness may shine into our souls to be reflected upon others. We are to be constantly reaching upward to God. Think much, and talk little of ourselves, but talk of Jesus; dwell upon His matchless charms. Talk not of our trials, brood not over our privations, but remember Jesus, the Son of God.

Study His life of self-denial, self-sacrifice, His life of privation, and how much abuse He endured for our sakes on the cruel cross, and then let us never exalt ourselves or think we have a trying time, but let us be thankful. God does not want us to be in gloom, but walk in the light as He is in the light. Jesus lives; He is not in Joseph’s new tomb, but lives to make intercession for us. He does not forget us for one brief moment. He encouraged His disciples to [obey] that which He commanded them, [then promised], “Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world” [Matt. 28:20]. Then let peace come into the soul, joyfulness into the heart, and speak forth the words Christ has given us, and show forth by our piety, “the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” [I Peter 2:9].

Manuscript Releases, Book 21, 306–309.

Habits are Forever

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Have you ever wondered what makes a person who he is? When Jesus comes, our bodies will be changed when the mortal body that we now occupy puts on immortality (I Corinthians 13 and 15). Even though our physical appearance will have changed, we will still be the same person. What makes us who we are is our character, and this character is formed by our habits.

When Jesus comes, I am sure that we will not recognize some people. Imagine someone who was very old, and who was deformed because of an accident. When you meet them, all the scars will be gone and they will appear young and healthier than they ever were during their life on this earth. You probably would not recognize them by their appearance, but you will know them because they will have the same habits and personality as they had when you knew them in this world.

Job knew that he would be the same person when He met His God. While he laid suffering from the boils that encompassed his body, he looked forward to the great day when he would meet his Maker. He said about this, “Whom I shall see for myself, And my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!” Job 19:27. Job’s body was so sick and wounded that he may not have been recognizable to his friends, but when Jesus comes, he will not have any boils; he will have a completely new, healthy body. Yet, he will still be the same person with the same thoughts, the same emotions and the same habits that he had developed in this life.

“We shall be individually, for time and eternity, what our habits make us.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 452. Now that can be a very wonderful thought if our habits are good, or it can be a rather discouraging thought if our habits are not good. Thank the Lord that in His power our habits can change, because every one of us have developed some that are undesirable that we would like to change. However, changing our habits is not an easy thing to do. Jeremiah wrote, “Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots? Then may you also do good who are accustomed to do evil.” Jeremiah 13:23. Day by day, as we form habits, they become more and more firmly established and someday, when we are sealed, they will never be able to be changed. Either we will be sealed with good habits or we will be sealed with bad habits.

However, there is no need to become disheartened. The Lord can help us do what looks impossible to us, and would be impossible in our own strength. Later, in this article, we will study how the Lord can help us do the seemingly impossible, but first I would like to look at one other aspect of habits that we need to study carefully.

What We Might Have Become

Did you know that there are not only bad habits, which will keep us out of Heaven if they are not overcome, but also good habits which we need to cultivate? There are some habits that may not be such that they would keep us out of heaven, but they could greatly affect us throughout eternity. For years, I struggled with what it means when it describes these habits in Christ’s Object Lessons, 363. Consider it with me carefully, and we will see if we can better understand it. “For all that we might become through the right use of our talents God holds us responsible. We shall be judged according to what we ought to have done, but did not accomplish because we did not use our powers to glorify God. Even if we do not lose our souls, we shall realize in eternity the result of our unused talents. For all the knowledge and ability that we might have gained and did not, there will be an eternal loss.”

I read and re-read that passage, and wondered, how could that be? How could it be through the billions and billions of years of eternity that there would be an eternal loss because I did not develop some talent here on earth? If I do not learn to play the piano well here, I will have a million years to practice up there. What difference does it make? If I do not learn to speak correctly here, I will have a million years to learn there. All that really matters is that I make it there, right? And yet, this statement startled me. I thought, What in the world does this mean? Could I get to heaven and yet not have all that I could have and have to endure some eternal loss?

I also pondered over what Paul says about this in I Corinthians 3:11–15: “For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become manifest [clear]; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it, endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.”

Paul here is talking about people who will be saved in heaven, but they will be saved with a loss. Jesus taught in the parable of the talents that the one who had the most talents was given another one. Could it be that those who develop their talents in this life will receive more talents in heaven? That seems to be indicated in Matthew 10 and Matthew 25. But it goes even beyond that. We take our characters with us to heaven. Those characters that are firmly established on earth will be the characters that will last throughout eternity.

Why is it that those who do poorly in grade school continue to do poorly in high school and college? Is it simply because they do not have the knowledge to make it? No, it is because the habits they developed in grade school go on with them to high school and the habits they had in high school go on with them to college.

Young people go to college and think, “I have not done well in the past, but now I will turn over a new leaf.” I tried to do this, and it was one of the hardest things I have ever done. I had to seek the Lord’s help, and I thank Him that He brought me through.

Some young people enter college with such poor habits that they flunk. (That is like those who will not make it to heaven at all.) Others have not developed the best habits, but at least they make it through college by plodding along. Although they never really develop their abilities to the utmost, at least they still graduate. And yet, throughout their lives, they carry a loss because they did not learn all that they could have.

There is one more group of college students. These are the ones who have learned to utilize their time, learned to concentrate, developed their memory and learned how to listen during their early school years, and they carry these skills into their college years. They are blessed throughout life. This is the way it will be in heaven. Some will not make it at all because they have developed such bad habits. But others, who have not developed specific bad habits, but have not developed all the talents God has given them, when they get to heaven they will carry the loss throughout eternity.

Habits Seldom Changed

When is the easiest time for habits to be developed? Sister White counseled parents in Child Guidance: “What the child sees and hears is drawing deep lines upon the tender mind, which no after circumstance in life can entirely efface. The intellect is now taking shape, and the affections receiving direction and strength. Repeated acts in a given course become habits. These may be modified by severe training, in afterlife, but they are seldom changed.” Child Guidance, 199, 200.

You know by your own experience that this is true. Very few people ever change the habits they develop in their youth. These habits are retained throughout life, usually with little modification. However, God’s prophet did not leave us without hope. Although these bad habits are “seldom changed,” it is not impossible to change them if we allow God’s spirit to work in our hearts.

Yet it is true that the older one gets, the harder it is to change. But we cannot let this be an excuse. Hard or not, now is the time to make the needed changes. If a person is fifty years old they may say, “I am too old to change now. If I were fifteen years old, I could have done it. But I guess I will just have to wait until I get to heaven to change my habits.” That will not happen!

If it is hard to change after fifty years, how hard do you think it will be to change after five hundred or five thousand years? Now is the time to make the necessary changes to our characters. Someone says, “Oh, heaven is not like that. Whatever we have been like here, if we simply make it, somehow we will immediately be little saints when we get to heaven.”

Lucifer found a way to become discontented, rebellious and jealous. It all happened in heaven, which shows that it can go on there. That is why God has to make sure that our characters are developed here so that we will be safe to be saved in heaven. Our characters will not be changed after we arrive in heaven. The personality that we have here is the personality that we will have there. Job said, “When God comes, I will see Him for myself. It will be me, not someone else.” It will be our characters that we take to heaven—if we get there, by God’s grace.

Character Fit for Heaven

The following are several quotations from the pen of inspiration on this subject. Here we can see exactly what God’s expectations are for us. “We are here to form perfect characters for heaven.” The Review and Herald, July 13, 1886.

“An important work is before us. We are to obtain a moral fitness for heaven.” Ibid., July 6, 1886. That is what this life is all about. Just like college is to prepare us intellectually to carry on a business or a profession, so this life is the fitting up place for heaven.

“Those who would be saints in heaven, must first be saints upon the earth; for when we leave this earth, we shall take our characters with us.” Ibid., August 19, 1890. Whatever you want to be like in heaven, that is what you must be like here.

Heaven will be a happy place for everyone who gets there, because no one will get there who has not learned to be happy. In The Signs of the Times, November 14, 1892, we read: “Let no unkind words fall from the lips of those who compose the home circle. Make the atmosphere fragrant with tender thoughtfulness of others. Only those will enter heaven who in probationary time have formed a character that breathes a heavenly influence. The saint in heaven must first be a saint upon the earth. The habits of speech, the character of our actions, put a mould upon us; and that which we cultivate in our association with others in this life, goes down into the grave with us, and will be unchanged when we shall come up from the grave. Many are deceiving themselves by thinking that the character will be transformed at the coming of Christ; but there will be no conversion of heart at his appearing. Our defects of character must here be repented of, and through the grace of Christ we must overcome them while probation shall last. This is the place for fitting up for the family above.”

“How long a time are you designing to take to prepare to be introduced into the society of heavenly angels in glory? In the state which you and your family are in at present, all heaven would be marred should you be introduced therein. The work for you must be done here. This earth is the fitting-up place. You have not one moment to lose. All is harmony, peace, and love in heaven. No discord, no strife, no censoring, no unloving words, no clouded brows, no jars there; and no one will be introduced there who possesses any of these elements so destructive to peace and happiness. Study to be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate, laying up for yourselves a good foundation against the time to come, that you may lay hold on everlasting life.” Testimonies, vol. 1, 705, 706.

“What can be done for you? Do you design to wait until Jesus comes in the clouds of heaven? Will He make you all over new when He comes? Oh, no, this will not be done then. The fitting up must be done here; all the hewing and squaring must take place here upon earth, in the hours of probation. You must be fitted up here; the last blow must be given here.” Ellen G. White, vol. 2, The Progressive Years, 1862–1876, 95. (By Arthur L. White). The longer one waits to begin the overcoming process, the more difficult it becomes. But thank the Lord that no one is so old and so entrenched in habits that God cannot change him or her if they really want to change. God has promised extra grace—grace sufficient for every need.

This extra measure of grace is given to us through the ministry of the Holy Spirit and the angels, and their help is available in this life only. We have not been promised these extra gifts in heaven, for it is here in this life that the grace is needed. Without this added grace, we are in the situation that Paul described in Romans 7:18, 19; “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do.”

Paul realized that without help, he could do nothing at all about his evil tendencies. So what did he do? Did he just sit back and say, “Well, God, You will just have to accept me as I am because I cannot change. I know that You will take care of perfecting my character when I get to heaven?” No, he cried, “Oh wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!” Romans 7:24, 25. He realized that alone he could do nothing, and that he could not take his sinful character to heaven. So, he looked to Christ as his hope.

Overcoming With the Spirit

Paul explained more about this hope in Romans 8:3, 4: “For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”

Paul had some habits of the flesh that he wanted to overcome but could not in his own strength. Have you ever been convicted about something that needed to be changed in your life, but you have tried and found you cannot change? That is where Paul was. Some have been convicted about smoking. They have tried and tried and they just cannot break it. They are slaves to this wicked habit. Other people are impatient. They do not want to be nor do they mean to be impatient. But though they try hard, they are still impatient. It is seemingly impossible to overcome the habit. Some are afflicted with habits of laziness. They do not have enough get-up-and-go to even read their Bibles or the Spirit of Prophecy. There are still others who have developed habits of lust over years and years and they are constantly thinking thoughts of lust and they cannot break free from them. The list of evil habits that we have developed goes on and on: gluttony, fretfulness, worrying, daydreaming, envying, etc.

Just like Paul we want to overcome, but we cannot. What is our only hope? Paul tells us: “For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” Romans 8:13. [Emphasis supplied.]

There has to be a new birth in each of our lives. The old life must be a crucified and be resurrected to a new life in Jesus who came down to make this possible. Jesus said, “Most assuredly, I say unto you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3.

It takes the crucifixion, death and burial of the old life, and a resurrection to a new life of holiness. Is that possible? Paul said, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13. This is not just an empty phrase. It is a promise and it is guaranteed by the infinite power of the God of the universe.

Replacing the Old with the New

Our old, acquired habits that do not reflect the sunshine of obedience and the trust of heaven must be put off. Yet this, in itself, is not enough. We must also develop good habits. The Christian life is not just a matter of don’t do this or don’t do that; it also involves developing what is good.

It is not good enough to simply overcome fretfulness. We must then go on to cultivate cheerfulness. It is not good enough to just overcome lust. We must then learn to develop the true, holy and sanctified love that God wants each one of us to have. It is not good enough to just overcome worrying; we must develop a faith that will carry us through every trial and every perplexity. It is not good enough to just overcome grumbling. We must develop an attitude of praise and thanksgiving that, as Paul said, is thankful in every situation.

There is a parable in Luke 11:24–26 about a man who had an unclean spirit. That means he had bad habits that he could not overcome. These were such bad habits that the devil actually took over his life in some of these areas. The Lord came and cast out the demon and set this man free. The demon then went out from this man, it says in verse 24, and went “through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none.” So then this demon said, “I will return to my house from which I came. And when he comes, he finds it swept and put in order. Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man was worse than the first.” It is impossible to have an empty life forever. Sooner or later that vacuum will be filled with something. If it is not filled with what is good, it will be filled with what is evil. Today is the only day that God has given us to develop habits that will make us the kind of people who will be happy in heaven throughout eternity.

When Jesus comes there will be two classes of people: those who have changed and those who have remained the same. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” II Corinthians 5:17.

Again recall the statement that we looked at in the beginning, from Testimonies, vol. 4, 452: “We shall be individually, for time and for eternity, what our habits make us.” Stop and think about the habits that you have formed throughout your life. What habits do you have that must be overcome, that will keep you from entering heaven? What talents have you neglected developing? Do you want to suffer an eternal loss because you did not gain all the knowledge or ability you might have?

Let us fix our minds on the goal to be won, and press toward the mark. Now is the probationary time that we have been allotted. Do not despair, my dear friend. Our Savior and all the host of heaven are near to help you in this work. No one is too weak or too sinful to be saved if they will fully surrender themselves to God. This is my prayer for each of you.

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

Destroying Love and Unity Among Believers

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Deuteronomy 13:12-18

Most, if not all of us, have heard the word rumor before; however, I would like to strongly suggest that most of us who have heard the word do not fully understand the damaging effects and awful results of rumors. By definition, rumor means a story or statement in general circulation without confirmation or certainty as to facts. It means gossip or hearsay.

The word gossip, which is a well-known word to most of us, means idle talk or rumor, especially about the personal or private affairs of others. It means light, familiar talk or writing.

Synonyms for the word gossip are small talk, hearsay, palaver, chit-chat, rumor and scandal.

It was the American historian, George Bancroft, who rightfully concluded, “Truth is not exciting enough to those who depend on the characters and lives of their neighbors for all their amusement.” The New Dictionary of Thoughts, 242. (Tryon Edwards, C. N. Catrevas, Jonathan Edwards, and Ralph Emerson Browns, New York Standard Book Co., 1969, 1960.) And Hector Hugh Munro said, “Hating anything in the way of ill-natured gossip ourselves, we are always grateful to those who do it for us and do it well.” Familiar Quotation by John Bartlett, 812. (Little, Brown & Company, New York, 1989.)

Having said all this, by now you are aware of the thrust and focus of this message! I desire to address a passage of Scripture that will help us Christians to understand how to relate to and deal with hearsay, rumor, gossip, and related synonyms.

From the Holy Scriptures we read, “If thou shalt hear say in one of thy cities, which the Lord thy God hath given thee to dwell there, saying, Certain men, the children of Belial, are gone out from among you, and have withdrawn the inhabitants of their city, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which ye have not known; Then shalt thou enquire, and make search, and ask diligently; and, behold, if it be truth, and the thing certain, that such abomination is wrought among you.” Deuteronomy 13:12–14.

In this passage the Lord gave to His people a divine principle based on strict justice, righteousness, integrity and love. It demonstrates a high regard for the rights of others and a profound measure of respect for our fellow human beings. If this divine principle were followed to the letter, what untold harm would have been prevented! How many estranged relationships would never have existed! How many enemies would never have been created!

The phrase hearsay conveys the understanding of a person avouching himself/herself concerning a report, which they have heard. This person boastfully certifies that what has been communicated is fact even though that which was reported has not been proven.

The phrase “children of Belial” literally means sons of evil, children of wickedness or ungodly men. The counsel given to the Israelites was this: If you hearsay that some of your brethren and sisters have severed association from the rest of Israel—the church—perhaps with the purpose of setting up a new church, and have made strong effort to draw away others with them, then some important steps must be followed before action is taken on these children of Belial.

What are the steps that must be followed in dealing with hearsay?

God through Moses commanded, “Then shalt thou enquire, and make search, and ask diligently; and, behold, if it be truth, and the thing certain. …” Verse 14.

The steps that must be followed are:

  1. Inquire
  2. Make Search
  3. Ask Diligently
  4. The Thing Certain

Let’s see what these mean.

To Inquire means to seek or to ask, to make inquisition. It is to investigate with the idea of demanding an answer.

To Make Search involves finding out, seeking out, to search out, to penetrate, to examine intimately. It has to do with use of intensive and minute investigation.

Ask Diligently conveys the idea of thoroughness; it is to make sure.

The Thing Certain literally means to substantiate, to verify, to establish after due investigation. It incorporates the phrase, without a shadow of a doubt. In the context of church discipline, it must be based on certainties, not on rumors. Hearsay should not be accepted as evidence. If one presumes to make an accusation, he/she should be required to provide proof in substantiation of it before action is taken.

This is how a person can ascertain the truth concerning a matter that is a floating rumor. These steps speak to the fact that it is absolutely necessary that all sides of the matter or issue be heard and examined carefully before conclusions are made and actions taken!

As far as the Israelites were concerned, they were required to search into the very heart of a matter. It would be a crime, a murder, if they should act judicially on mere rumor or through any evil bias. Certainty of the facts must precede any sentence of destruction.

Such instructions are repeated elsewhere in the book of Deuteronomy for emphasis. “If there be found among you, within any of thy gates which the Lord thy God giveth thee, man or woman, that hath wrought wickedness in the sight of the Lord thy God, in transgressing his covenant, And hath gone and served other gods, and worshipped them, either the sun, or moon, or any of the host of heaven, which I have not commanded; And it be told thee, and thou hast heard of it, and enquired diligently, and, behold, it be true, and the thing certain, that such abomination is wrought in Israel: Then shalt thou bring forth that man or that woman, which have committed that wicked thing, unto thy gates, even that man or that woman, and shalt stone them with stones, till they die. At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, shall he that is worthy of death be put to death; but at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death.” Deuteronomy 17:2–6.

In Deuteronomy 19:15–19, the principle of hearing both sides of the matter is emphasized: “One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established. If a false witness rise up against any man to testify against him that which is wrong; Then both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before the Lord, before the priests and the judges, which shall be in those days; And the judges shall make diligent inquisition: and, behold, if the witness be a false witness, and hath testified falsely against his brother; Then shall ye do unto him, as he had thought to have done unto his brother: so shalt thou put the evil away from among you.”

Jesus, while He was on earth, taught this important principle as recorded in Matthew 18:16: “But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.” The principle set forth here is that a perceived offender should be personally approached by one hearing of his or her possible or alleged wrongdoing with the sincere hope of hearing and understanding the other side of the story. The need for two or three witnesses has to do with the fact that they can bear witness to the efforts that have been put forth on the perceived offender’s behalf and also to the facts in the case. As convincing as a person’s story might be, the other individual’s testimony may be even more convincing and also may very well be the truth. Therefore, this is why it is so important to inquire, make search, ask diligently and see that the thing is certain!

Have you ever wondered what are the reasons why Christians practice or find delight in hearsay or gossip?

Well, here are several reasons:

  1. Actuated by curiosity
  2. Actuated by jealousy
  3. Many by hatred against those through whom God has spoken to reprove them
  4. Some conceal their real sentiments
  5. Others are eager to publish all they know, or even suspect, of evil against another. See Testimonies, vol. 5, 94.

It would do us much good to remember that as often as we engage in gossip or hearsay we literally grieve Jesus and sadden the angels. These words of Inspiration make this very plain: “You may feel it no sin to gossip and talk nonsense, but this grieves your Saviour, and saddens the heavenly angels.” Fundamentals of Christian Education, 457. It does not stop there, for this evil practice displeases the Holy Spirit to the degree that He will have little to do with such individuals or churches.

Some members who have been Christians for many years feel it their duty to gossip with the new converts, but this is not what God expects of us. Counsel is given on this matter: “The ministers may do their part, but they can never perform the work that the church should do. God requires His church to nurse those who are young in faith and experience, to go to them, not for the purpose of gossiping with them, but to pray, to speak unto them words that are ‘like apples of gold in pictures of silver.’ ” Testimonies, vol. 4, 69.

Here are some of the ways the church and individuals are affected by hearsay or gossip.

  1. The church becomes weak — “Christians should be careful in regard to their words. They should never carry unfavorable reports from one of their friends to another, especially if they are aware that there is a lack of union between them. It is cruel to hint and insinuate, as though you knew a great deal in regard to this friend or that acquaintance of which others are ignorant. … What harm has not the church of Christ suffered from these things! The inconsistent, unguarded course of her members has made her weak as water.” Testimonies, vol. 2, 186.
  2. Confidence destroyed and mischief created — “Confidence has been betrayed by members of the same church, and yet the guilty did not design to do mischief.” Ibid.
  3. Souls separated from God — “I saw that when sisters who are given to talk get together, Satan is generally present, for he finds employment. He stands by to excite the mind and make the most of the advantage he has gained. He knows that all this gossip, and tale-bearing, and revealing of secrets, and dissecting of character, separate the soul from God. It is death to spirituality and a calm religious influence.” Ibid., 185, 186. “The thoughtless, unkind words that are spoken grow with every repetition. One and another adds a word, until the false report assumes large proportions. Great injustice is done. By their unrighteous suspicions and unrighteous judgments the talebearers hurt their own experience and sow the seeds of discord in the church.” Ibid., vol. 8, 83.
  4. Faith is undermined, discord and strife created, friends are separated — “The spirit of gossip and talebearing is one of Satan’s special agencies to sow discord and strife, to separate friends, and to undermine the faith of many in the truthfulness of our positions. Brethren and sisters are too ready to talk of the faults and errors that they think exist in others, and especially in those who have borne unflinchingly the messages of reproof and warning given them of God.” Ibid., vol. 4, 195.

“Satan is working to crowd himself in everywhere. He would put asunder very friends. There are men who are ever talking and gossiping and bearing false witness, who sow the seeds of discord and engender strife. Heaven looks upon this class as Satan’s most efficient servants.” Ibid., vol. 4, 607.

  1. Majority of church trials arise from gossip — “Gossipers and news carriers are a terrible curse to neighborhoods and churches. Two thirds of all the church trials arise from this source.” Ibid., vol. 2, 466.

“Difficulties are often caused by the vendors of gossip, whose whispered hints and suggestions poison unsuspecting minds and separate the closest friends. Mischief-makers are seconded in their evil work by the many who stand with open ears and evil heart, saying: ‘Report, … and we will report it.’ This sin should not be tolerated among the followers of Christ. No Christian parent should permit gossip to be repeated in the family circle or remarks to be made disparaging the members of the church.” Ibid., vol. 5, 241, 242.

  1. The reclaiming of backsliders is hindered by hearsay —Ellen White wrote to a particular church to counsel them concerning some of their brethren who had backslidden and especially one brother A. She told them: “There was more gossiping over his case than sincere sorrow for him. All these things kept him from the fold and caused his heart to be separated farther and farther from his brethren, making his rescue still more difficult.” Ibid., vol. 2, 218.
  2. Has a twofold curse — “Evilspeaking is a twofold curse, falling more heavily upon the speaker than upon the hearer. He who scatters the seeds of dissension and strife reaps in his own soul the deadly fruits. How miserable is the talebearer, the surmiser of evil! He is a stranger to true happiness.” Ibid, vol. 5, 176.

I leave with you some wise counsels from the Word of God:

  1. “He that hideth hatred with lying lips, and he that uttereth a slander, is a fool. In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise. The tongue of the just is as choice silver: the heart of the wicked is little worth.” Proverbs 10:18–20.

“An hypocrite with his mouth destroyeth his neighbour: but through knowledge shall the just be delivered.” Proverbs 11:9.

  1. “A talebearer revealeth secrets: but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter.” Verse 13.

“He that goeth about as a talebearer revealeth secrets: therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips.” Proverbs 20:19.

  1. “He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life: but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction.” Proverbs 13:3.
  2. “An ungodly man diggeth up evil: and in his lips there is as a burning fire. A froward man soweth strife: and a whisperer separateth chief friends.” Proverbs 16:27, 28.

“He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends.” Proverbs 17:9.

  1. “The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.” Proverbs 18:8.

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.” Proverbs 18:21.

  1. “A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall perish.” Proverbs 19:9.
  2. “Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles.” Proverbs 21:23.
  3. “But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.” Matthew 12:36, 37.

I appeal to you with the words of the apostle Paul to the Philippian Christians: “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.” Philippians 4:8.

It is only through total reliance on Christ, surrendering ourselves to Him daily, that we will be delivered from the sin of gossip, hearsay, and talebearing. None need be discouraged because Jesus is waiting to give each one victory. All we need to do is claim the promise, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” Verse 13.

Pastor Ivan Plummer ministers through the Emmanuel Seventh Day Church Ministries in Bronx, New York. He may be contacted by telephone at: 718-882-3900.