unity

On the Edge

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Many in this last generation hold the belief that love and justice are in opposition to each other. Because many people believe, in the practical sense, that love and justice are mutually exclusive, we live in a world that is in confusion. On one hand, the public at large believes in the erroneous theory that everyone is a victim. On the other hand, they moan and groan as the judicial system continues to place criminals back on the streets. It would be terrible enough for the public to believe this, but it is even worse that those who claim to be Christians are supporting the same notions. This the belief, that love and justice are in opposition to each other, is one of the major factors in the disintegration of standards within the ranks of organized Christian religion.

The true and the faithful, those who are saved in the end, will understand that justice is as much a part of love as justification is related to sanctification. It isn’t any wonder then, that those who do not believe in overcoming also believe that Jesus “did it all on the cross,” and are endeavoring to destroy our distinctive beliefs about the sanctuary in heaven. This is known as the new theology, but it is really just the ancient lie that you cannot stop sinning.

I wish to appeal to your raw logic for just a moment: If we serve a God who is all powerful, and through that power He was able to make the sacrifice for our sins on the cross, then why is He not powerful enough to save us from sin in our lives? If God is in fact the Sovereign of the universe, and the only reason Satan has not overcome God’s power to destroy him is because he cannot, then why couldn’t God overcome Satan? This, friend, is the height of stupidity. It is spiritual insanity. The least we can be is honest with each other and say something like “Oh well, okay, so God is all powerful, but I just do not like His plan and I want to go on sinning.” At least as long as probation lasted for that person he would have a practical chance to change his course. But a person that willfully lies himself into a peaceful conscience is placing himself in a more unreachable place than the admitted rebel! If we hope to be among the remnant of the Lord, we must learn to think these things through for ourselves as we seek knowledge from God.

 

The Report of the Spies

 

The Israelites were on the edge of the Promised Land much as we are today. They had been in the wilderness too long, but now their opportunity to realize the fulfillment of their salvation and enter the Promised Land had come. They merely had to, by faith, go in and take it as God had directed. The victory was sure! After all, the miraculous evidence of both mercy and justice witnessed in such a short time, by these newly liberated slaves, should have made it easy for them to follow God’s plan and take possession of the land.

Twelve spies were sent into the land, not just to see how strong the people of the land were, but to see the goodness of the gift which God wanted His children to have. The problem was that the majority of the spies were concerned with the appearance of the enemy instead of fixing their minds on God’s goodness and asking Him for the faith it would take to conquer the obstacles ahead. Ten came back and reported to the people that the land was indeed good, but the present inhabitants were too big for them to overcome. They completely left God out of the picture and forgot that the victory was already won, in faith. Instead of being an encouragement to the people these ministers became a hindrance, and ultimately were responsible for the loss of many thousands of lives. These leaders were unbelievers and cowards.

There is more we can learn from this story. God gave these people the power of choice and they could have rejected the report of the ten spies and sought God for further counsel. This would have relieved them of the doubt that these unfaithful spies had created. However, they chose not to, and it cost them dearly.

“The people did not wait to reflect; they did not reason that He who had brought them thus far would certainly give them the land; they did not call to mind how wonderfully God had delivered them from their oppressors, cutting a path through the sea and destroying the pursuing hosts of Pharaoh. They left God out of the question, and acted as though they must depend solely on the power of arms.

“In their unbelief they limited the power of God and distrusted the hand that had hitherto safely guided them . . .They accused their leaders [the true and faithful ones] of deceiving the people and bringing trouble upon Israel.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 388.

Brothers and sisters, this is what we are witnessing within the ranks of Christianity and Seventh-day Adventism. Even within the ranks of historic Adventism there are those who are murmuring, and who want to turn back. Sometimes it seems that everyone wants to run away from all the trouble. They run to find a new peaceful place instead of bothering with the battle. This kind of thinking will get you killed! When God says, “Go up and possess the land,” we had better go. If there is a battle to be fought along the way, we are to allow God to fight it. Complaining only shows a lack of faith. It matters not what our profession is, our actions are preaching much more powerfully than our words! The only way to obtain the eye salve, the gold tried in the fire and the white raiment is to engage in the great controversy—not run away from it. We are to meet the “iceberg” full steam ahead.

If you are not doing this, or are not willing to do it, what does that indicate about your position among the remnant? It is a very serious matter. God demonstrated this when the ancient “Adventists” were on the edge of the Promised Land. Caleb tried to give a report that was very accurate and full of courage and faith. He had seen the same things the ten spies had seen, but he trusted that God would indeed give them the victory. “But the ten, interrupting him, pictured the obstacles in darker colors than at first . . .these men, having entered upon a wrong course, stubbornly set themselves against Caleb and Joshua, against Moses, and against God. Every advance step rendered them the more determined. They were resolved to discourage all effort to gain possession of Canaan. They distorted the truth in order to sustain their baleful influence.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 388–389.

This is exactly what we see happening today in all corners of the Adventist movement. We must realize that the human mind is not a free mind, in the sense that we are completely our own. If we choose not to follow the Lord and seek His guidance and protection, then Satan will rush in and take our minds captive and we will become his agents. This is what happened to the ten spies,and this is what is happening to many today. The human heart is prone to travel not toward its Maker, but toward the Maker’s archenemy! We need the wisdom of heaven to realize our plight and we need to continually place ourselves in God’s hands or we will be taken by this deadly foe.

“By the covenant of God the land was ensured to Israel. But the false report of the unfaithful spies was accepted, and through it the whole congregation were deluded. The traitors had done their work. If only the two men had brought the evil report, and all the ten had encouraged them to possess the land in the name of the Lord, they would still have taken the advice of the two in preference to the ten, because of their wicked unbelief.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 390.

Brethren and sisters, do we understand how great our need is to know and follow what God has said? Do we really understand the danger of our own hearts if we do not “hunger and thirst” after the righteousness of the Lord? Do we realize that if we are not seeking His guidance, with the faith and honesty of an innocent child, we will be thrown into the woes of deception? Do we understand that the more knowledge we acquire only serves to push us deeper into rebellion if we do not serve the Lord with singleness of heart? This is why the Lord had these events written down for all to see. He wants us to know the great dangers we face and He wants us to talk about them and appreciate the provisions He has made for our salvation. We cannot look back, for things are happening all around us, both in the Conference, and in certain self-supporting ministries. This will continue to happen, as it has for nearly 6,000 years, but the good news of true Adventism is that it does not have to happen to you or me! Just like it did not happen to Caleb, Joshua or Moses.

 

We Must Make a Decision

 

God has made us individuals and He is coming back to save everyone who has taken Him at His word and have depended fully on His promises. It matters not that professed “Adventists” will seek to take the lives of the true and faithful. This will not change their purpose or prevent them from reaching the goals God has set before them on this planet. It is our lot in life, as Adventists, to share in the fate of our ancient brothers and sisters who were faithful unto death. It is also our privilege to know that God remains by our side every step of the way, and whatever circumstances come, God will provide a way.

We must start to speak and live the truth if we want to influence others for the truth and if we expect our faith to reach the stature needed for these last days. If we remain unwilling to engage in battle, we will fail.

There is nothing worse than a rebel who has known the truth and has dismissed it. An infidel will receive more compassion than a man (or woman) who once had the truth and has turned from it. The leaders of this agenda were some of the best Satan could find from within the structure of Israel:

“The former rebellions had been more popular tumults, arising from the sudden impulse of the excited multitude; but now a deep-laid conspiracy was formed, the result of a determined purpose to overthrow the authority of the leaders appointed by God Himself.

“Korah, the leading spirit in this movement, was a Levite [Pastor], of the family of Kohath, and a cousin of Moses; he was a man of ability and influence . . .The state of feeling among the people favored the designs [agenda] of Korah . . .He who reads the secrets of all hearts had marked the purposes of Korah and his companions and had given His people such warning and instruction as might have enabled them to escape the deception of these designing men.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 395–396.

In certain self-supporting ministries and the Conference, we see agendas of apostasy taking shape and being carried out. Men of influence who Satan is using to carry out his purposes are doing these things. He uses those, with many talents, who will easily gain influence with the people.

There is good news and there is bad news in our present day dilemma. The bad news is that the majority of people today, if anything, are worse than in the days of the wilderness. They will repeat the rebellion and insanity of the past. The good news is that God has given us the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy to show us these deceptions and to prepare all who are humbly willing to go on to victory! This is why a major portion of the agenda of apostasy is to distort what the Bible or the Spirit of Prophecy says. It is truly incredible to witness that words, even a young person can comprehend, are spoken of as though they either do not exist or are not relevant. They think that God’s people are too stupid to catch them in their schemes, and sadly, all too often they are correct. Most professed Adventists are willingly ignorant. They are supporting the agenda that is set on a course to ruin their souls and send their families to destruction. Can there be a more pitiful situation than to be so spiritually lazy and willfully ignorant as to actually support, with tithe and offerings, the Korahs, Dathans, and Abirams within the Adventist movement?

Let me repeat that in a slightly different way. Can we be more pitiful than to be too lazy to pray, study, and live to secure our own salvation, and actually pay those who are leading us into oblivion? I must give a resounding, No! We must prepare ourselves through God’s chosen methods to overcome. Those who do will be victorious.

 

Conformity for Unity

 

From every corner we hear the cry “unity,” “unity,” and in order to obtain a supposed security some are returning back to churches that once spurned them or which they left for the sake of principle. But ours must be the unity that will eventually carry one to the upper room experience. It must not be a unity that harmonizes with apostasy and the enemy of all truth.

The book of Revelation tells us that for a very short time the devil will have the largest union the world has ever seen. But it will not be a unity that will save the soul. This sinful and apostate unity is certainly nothing new. “In this work of disaffection there was greater union and harmony among the discordant elements of the congregation than had ever before existed.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 398. We must think of unity, but our thoughts and energies must be directed to the unity which is based solely on principles of truth. This unity will be achieved, but we must have the wisdom and the “patience of the saints” while we continue placing our lives in God’s hands.

Consider this: “Korah’s success with the people increased his confidence and confirmed him in his belief that the usurpation of authority by Moses, if unchecked, would be fatal to the liberties of Israel; he also claimed that God had opened the matter to him, and had authorized him to make a change in the government before it should be too late.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 398.

We can learn from these words that those who continue to support the apostasy are helping them to go to greater lengths and build their confidence in their rebellious leading. We can also learn that these apostate leaders will make statements such as “God has shown me” to influence the unsuspecting or those who are already entrapped by their unsanctified influence. Satan realizes what the language of the true prophet is and he endeavors to replicate it to ensnare the weary and complacent.

In the wilderness experience God raised up two men, not of Israel’s own choosing, to lead them to the Promised Land. These men were despised and rejected by the majority who preferred words that better suited their wicked hearts. “It is hardly possible for men to offer a greater insult to God than to despise and reject the instrumentalities He would use for their salvation. The Israelites had not only done this, but had purposed to put both Moses and Aaron to death.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 402.

Nothing has changed in our day. The words above are today’s news. This is our history and this is our future. The great controversy will close in the darkest hour ever witnessed since there was a nation. The only good news lies within the pages of God’s own books. The God of true Adventism will see His believing children all the way over into the Promised Land. Are we wandering in the wilderness as part of the crowd that is trying to “look like” the small remnant which is part of the greater movement? Or are we, with earnestness, seeking the goodly land the Lord has placed before us. We must know for sure, for we are even now on the edge.

 

The Prayer Satan is Determined Will Not Be Answered

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When I was nineteen years old, I started making a careful study of Steps to Christ. It details how to become a Christian and then how to live the Christian life. It is a very interesting book. In the second chapter it says that if Satan could be taken to heaven, he would not enjoy it. Not only would he not enjoy it, he would find heaven a place of supreme torture.

That is an interesting point. At least it was to me. I always thought that heaven would be the most wonderful place for anyone. Ellen White went on to say that if the sinner could be taken to heaven, he would not enjoy it either. You see, it is not really an arbitrary decree on the part of God that excludes sinners from heaven. God knows that if He should take sinners there, they would not enjoy it. If God took you to heaven right now, would you enjoy it? Evidently, if God took the majority of the people to heaven right now, they would not enjoy it.

The gospel does not just take away the guilt of our sins. It works a change in our hearts so that we can be taken to heaven and enjoy it. If you could not have happiness in heaven, you will not be happy here in this world, no matter how much you have. When I was pastoring in North Dakota, one of my church members, who had a large farm, told me a story about a man that lived near him. This man owned the largest wheat farm in the United States. He was a very wealthy man.

The area where he lived was along the Red River Valley. For the past four thousand years (since the flood) in the spring time, the Red River has flooded and deposited silt on the soil in the Red River Valley. In the summer time the waters would go back down leaving an almost coal black, alluvial soil that grew bountiful crops.

This man had a very productive farm, and since he was wealthy everyone knew him and thought that he was in a very enviable position. But for some reason, it did not make him happy. One morning he road off in his truck and did not come back. After a while people started looking for him. They found him in a secluded section of his farm, where he had put a gun to his head and ended it all. So, all the riches and possessions he had did not make him happy.

Even heaven would not make you happy unless a change occurs in the heart. This is the change that Jesus prayed for in John 17. He prayed that His followers would be one, would have unity, just as He and the Father are one. (See John 17:22.) It has been almost two thousand years since this prayer was prayed. This is the prayer that the devil is determined will never be answered. But I believe the Father is going to answer Jesus’ prayer, but it has to be answered through you and me.

Have you ever been in a home where there is such unity and harmony that you enjoy being there? As soon as you walk in the door, you can feel that it is a wonderful place. This is the kind of home that all God’s people are to have. When it happens in the homes of God’s people, then it will happen in the church, and as it happens in a local church it will spread around the world.

The devil is at work in every church and family to keep this from ever happening. The devil is a liar. Every time there is a separation or a divorce, in a Christian family, the devil says, See there, it cannot happen. And every time there is fighting in a church the devil says, See there, it cannot happen.

However, the devil is much more deceptive than just stirring things up into contention and fighting. One of the greatest deceptions in the world in the last days will be a false unity. Christian people all over the world will think they are seeing the greatest revival and reformation ever. Most of the world will be involved in this unity: “These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast.” How did they get to be of one mind? “I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.” Revelation 16:13, 14.

Here we should notice some things about this counterfeit unity and how it works. Number One: The counterfeit unity is a unity to the system. In Jesus’ day it was the church organization. The Pharisees decided that anyone that would confess that Jesus was the Christ, would be cast out of the synagogue. (See John 11.)

They could point back to their history and say, “God is the One who ordained our church organization.” That was true, but notice where it went. Caiaphas the High Priest soon said, “Nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one Man should die for the people and not that the whole nation should perish.” John 11:50. He was saying that they must get rid of Jesus or have their church structure destroyed. Nobody would ever do that again, would they? If any church structure tells you to do something contrary to the Bible or to your conscience and you do it, you have made that structure a god. You are not following God, you are following a system. The first commandment says, “Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.” Exodus 20:3. That was the problem with the leaders of our church in 1888. Ellen White wrote to them in Testimonies to Ministers, in an article called, “Thou Shalt Have No Other Gods Before Me.”

Everything that the angels do is organized, and it is right for God’s people to be organized. But an organization must never take the place of the Bible or your conscience. The elders, the deacons, the officers in the church should be determined never to try to be conscience for anyone in the church. We try to be an encouragement in the church, but we will not be conscience for someone else.

That is what happened in Jesus’ day, and that is what is going to happen at the end of the world. Church organization can be placed above the Bible and the conscience. When that happens it does not matter what the name of that church is, it is wrong. When my brother was a pastor just a few miles from here, people said to him, Why do you not get in harmony with the structure? He said, “I am sorry, I cannot do it with a clear conscience. I am a Protestant and I have to live by my conscience.”

Those same reasons still exist. People ask me, Why cannot you be in harmony with the Conference? Because of my conscience and the Word of God. For us to unite would be a false unity. When you make a church structure a god and it becomes conscience for you, that is a false unity.

Number Two: False unity has the power of the state. There are legislators in countries around the world that think that the way to have unity is to pass laws to bring uniformity. Laws like that are in the works in the United States, Europe, the Pacific Islands, Australia, and China.

Constantine thought the same way, and that is what brought on the Dark Ages. In the Dark Ages, if you had a different religion than the king, you could be killed. Revelation 13:14–17 says that the same thing will take place at the end of the world.

Number Three: Who will people be following? For some people the church system or structure becomes their god or their conscience. For some people it is the state. But for some people it is a person and that is going to be a problem in the last days: “All who dwell on the earth will worship him [the antichrist power], whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” Revelation 13:8. If your name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, you do not worship this power, false unity or the church structure. Christians believe in obeying all the laws of the state as long as they do not require them to violate the laws of God. If the church structure or the state tells a Christian to do something that is contrary to God’s word, the apostle Peter said, “We ought to obey God rather than men.” Acts 5:29.

There are a number of other things besides the false unity that can prevent unity from happening. Worldly policy will prevent unity. This is the “If you favor me, I will favor you,” policy. And this is unsanctified worldly policy, which displeases God. It is paying favors and admiration for the sake of gain. It is showing a partiality for certain ones expecting to secure advantages through them. It is a hard thing to see one’s own errors, but everyone should realize how cruel is the spirit of envy, rivalry, distrust, fault finding and dissension.

Many people say, Pastor John, worldly policy (politics) is how the whole world runs. It may be, but it is not how the government of God runs. The Bible says that God is no respecter of persons. James 2 says that if we exercise partiality toward the rich instead of the poor we are guilty of sin! Worldly policy will prevent unity because we have our favorites. Jesus took special pains to be friends with people who did not have friends. He did not have favorites.

It is easy to understand how this worldly policy can prevent unity. Many churches are divided into two groups, the “in group” and the rest. Jesus Christ was a friend of the friendless, those who are not in the “in group.” He got in a lot of trouble with some people for this. All the “in group” said this Man is nothing but a drunkard and a winebibber. They said He was a friend of the tax collectors and of sinners.

This is something for us as a church to pray about. Who are the people that you and I know who have no friends? Those are the people we need to be reaching out to because that is what Jesus did. They were all equal in His eyes.

Feelings of contention will prevent unity from developing in the family or in a church. How does it work? This is from an article Ellen White wrote on unity in 1887. She wrote: “The Spirit of God will not abide where there is disunion and contention among believers in the truth. Even if these feelings are unexpressed, they take possession of the heart and drive out the peace and love that should characterize the Christian Church.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 221. Often if we have feelings of contention we think that if we do not talk about them then we are guiltless, but even if we do not talk about it, peace and love will be driven out of the church.

We need to remember that our church is to be a family. Jesus said to the people in His day, “You are all brothers.” Matthew 23:8. We are to consider each other in the church as our brothers and sisters. Primitive Christians addressed each other as “Brother or Sister.” They addressed each other that way because they were members of one family. They had unity and harmony. That custom has fallen out because unity and harmony has disappeared and there is contention and strife. Christians in church now call each other Mr. and Mrs. Will we ever get back to the old greetings of “Brother or Sister”?

I would like to get back to that place. I would like to have a revival and reformation that would cause this to happen again. This reformation is a change in the heart. We have to go to the Lord and say, “Lord, I want all feelings of contention to come out of my heart. I do not want it any more.” We cannot take it out, but the Lord can.

Sister White said about these feelings of contention: “They drive out the peace and love that should characterize the Christian Church. They are the result of selfishness in its fullest sense.” Ibid.

Unity is also kept from happening because we are too severe and sensitive. The same people who are too severe are too sensitive. “We are too severe upon those whom we suppose to be in error, and are very sensitive to the least blame or question in regard to our own course.” Ibid., 222.

What is the problem? I am too severe on the other person and I am so sensitive about myself. Can that be changed? It can if we will surrender to Jesus. He wants to change us completely. The reason for all this contention, worldly policy, and the reason that we are too severe and too sensitive is because we do not have the love of Jesus in our hearts.

“And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.” John 17:26. So, the reason we have these problems is that we do not have the love of Jesus in our hearts.

Here is another thing that keeps unity from developing within the church. This is a real problem for some individuals, pastors, the wealthy, professional people, and highly educated people. “He was the majesty of heaven, yet He stooped to minister to the humblest having no respect to persons or station. Our Lord after performing the most humiliating office for His disciples [washing their feet] recommended them to follow His example. This was to keep constantly before them the thought that they must not feel superior to the lowliest saint.” Review and Herald, January 18, 1887.

Who is the lowliest saint in our church? People have different ideas who it is. But whoever it is, we are not to feel superior to the lowliest saint, the lowliest believer in Jesus. The Majesty of Heaven came down and washed the feet of His disciples to teach them that they were to serve each other.

The history of the disciples reveals that in a church where feelings of superiority are manifested there will not be unity. That was one of the biggest problems for the disciples. They were in controversy and strife over who was to be the greatest. Jesus kneeled down and washed their feet. He acted the part of a servant of servants. He showed that He did not feel too superior to perform the lowliest humble service for any of His followers. And it is still that way. Jesus said that we are all brothers regardless of how much education, money or experience we have.

What keeps unity from happening? I had a teacher in elementary school that taught us that before you say something, count to ten. The trouble was that I could count to ten too fast. I found that I needed more help than counting to ten. I needed divine help to control my tongue. James 3 says that no man can tame the tongue. It is full of deadly poison and will destroy the unity and harmony in your home and church.

“Be pleasant and cheerful. Remember that love is the power that binds your children to you. Keep your words and actions free from anger. Do nothing that will destroy the harmony of the home. Let the sharp words that you are tempted to speak die unspoken. Such words wound and bruise the hearts of the hearers.” Signs of the Times, September 16, 1903.

“There is to be no sharp speaking, no fretful scolding for angels of God are walking up and down in every room. Little mistakes may be made but words of censure arouse feelings of retaliation and God is dishonored. Any word spoken thoughtlessly or unadvisedly should be retracted on the spot . . .We are to remember that as Christians professing to work in unity, we must not act like sinners whose sinful words and works unless repented of will condemn them.” In Heavenly Places, 182.

There is nothing unchristian about going to someone in the home and saying, I am sorry and I want you to forgive me. The Lord wants us to learn to stop speaking stinging, sharp, fretful words to the people in our homes whom we love and who love us. And when we learn it at home, things will change in the church.

“And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one.” John 17:22. The glory is His self-sacrificing love. The angels will study this throughout eternal ages. (See The Desire of Ages chapter 1.) That is the mystery that Peter said the angels desire to look into. I am not an angel, but I want to understand and experience it also. If we experience it, we will have to know more than theology, we will know Jesus. We will have to study His life and meditate upon it and say, “Lord, what are You trying to teach me by what You said and what you did?”

God’s glory is His character and it was revealed to Moses. “He said, Show me thy glory. And He [the Lord] said, I will make My goodness pass before thee.” Exodus 33:18, 19. “The Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth . . . Forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty.” Exodus 34:6, 7.

God’s glory is His character. His character is a love for others and that causes Him to sacrifice Himself. The cross of Christ is the extreme example of how far God will go to sacrifice Himself to save someone else. That is what the angels want to understand, and that is what I want to understand.

1 John 3 says that He gave His life for us, so we should be willing to lay down our lives for the brethren. When we get to the point in a church where everyone loves everyone so much that they would lay down their lives for them, then there will be unity.

That is exactly the spirit that Jesus had. Paul says, “While we were yet enemies, God sent His Son.” Jesus did not die for His friends. He died for His enemies, because He chose to and He wanted to. The love that He wants to give us is the same kind of love that He has.

The second thing that will bring unity is, “Perfection of character means perfection of unity.” (See John 17:21.) Some Christians today do not like their pastors or their teachers to talk about perfection, but Jesus taught and preached about it. The Sermon on the Mount ends with, “Be perfect.” That is a command. Would Jesus command you to do something that He would not give you the power to do?

Perfection of character should not have a negative connotation in your mind. We can never have perfect unity among God’s people until we have perfection of character. One of the reasons that there is so much dissension and disunity all over the Christian world today is because of the character of the people who profess to be Christians. Some who profess to be following the Lord live like the devil. It does not make sense, and it does not lead to unity. That is why the devil is so successful in getting people to think that we will get the church directors and governments together and we will unite the whole world under one system and force it to happen. They will force things to happen all right, but it will not be this unity that Jesus was praying for, because there is no glory of God in the way they are going about it.

Number Three: God is leading a people to stand in perfect unity upon the platform of eternal truth. True unity is based on truth. You cannot have a unified people who cannot even figure out whether or not to keep the Ten Commandments. Paul said that the church was the pillar and ground of the truth. If you leave the truth, you have left the true church. 1 Timothy 3:15.

Last of all, if you and I become one with Christ, the result will be that we will be one with each other. We will find that we are close to each other. We have unity and harmony. The Holy Spirit will work in our hearts to create unity and harmony so that people with all kinds of dispositions, temperaments, backgrounds and education, can have unity and harmony and love among them.

It will happen. The only question is, Will it happen to you and me? I am determined that I want to be part of the great unity that is developing around the world. I want to have my heart changed, so that I will have self-sacrificing love inside. Then I will be willing to change on any point to be in harmony with God’s Word. When that happens and I am heart-to-heart with Jesus in His work to save the world, the Holy Spirit will pour the love of God into my heart.

 

Unity Round Table

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The subject of this discussion will be unity, and how can we have it.

Reeves: A text that I have thought about many times over the last three or four weeks is Hebrews 2:11. It says, “For both He that sanctifieth and they which are sanctified are all of one; for which cause He is not ashamed to call them brethren.” That is an amazing text. He who sanctifies and we who are being sanctified are all one. And He is not ashamed to call us brethren. Pastor Grosboll, please share some thoughts with us about sanctification and how that leads us to becoming unified.

Grosboll: The world wants unity; they want harmony. And they try to manufacture it in clubs and organizations that use rules and bylaws to try to create unity. Sometimes it creates an exterior unity of purpose. The unity that Jesus is talking about in John 17, when He prayed that His followers might be one, was a unity that involved a unity of character, of thought and of feeling. It is an interior unity. Then the exterior is a result of what is on the inside and not just a veneer over the top. Jesus said to the Pharisees, “Make clean first what is inside the cup and the platter and then the outside will be clean also.” In order for us to have unity on the inside with each other, we have to have unity with Jesus. We have to have harmony of purpose. We can’t have unity of thought, purpose, feeling and character with Him unless we are holy. The Bible says, “Be ye holy because I am holy.” God created us for fellowship with Him, and our greatest happiness is found when we have a relationship, a harmony and a fellowship with Him. However, fellowship with anybody involves the fact that you can both experience the same feeling. You cannot experience the same feeling, the same thought and the same purpose with Jesus unless you have the same character.

Let us give this a practical application. For example, two people get married. The purpose of marriage is fellowship. That is one of the great reasons that marriage was created in the beginning. God said that it was not good for man to be alone. He was to be a social being; he was to have fellowship. So if two people get married and one is selfish and the other unselfish, the more selfish the one person is and the more unselfish the other person is, the less fellowship they will be able to have because they will have a different purpose. There can be no fellowship there because they are going in opposite directions; they are living for opposite reasons. Therefore, in order for fellowship to be created something has to change. Either one has to become more selfish or the other has to become more unselfish so that they have some sameness in their character. We do not like to think about this, but it is actually true that two selfish people can have some fellowship because they are both trying to get something. They have some unity in that striving. If I am selfish and God is unselfish, then we cannot have any fellowship together.

Ellen White says in the book Desire of Ages that the devil could not understand the incarnation. He could not comprehend how Jesus would come and humiliate himself to be a man. He could not comprehend it because he was so different in character. So before we can have harmony among the Adventist people we have to come into unity of character with Jesus. When Jesus was praying for His followers to have unity He said, “Sanctify them through your truth, your word is truth.” There can be no true harmony, no true unity, without sanctification, which has its basis in the truth.

Reeves: Brother Anderson, could you give us your thoughts on why we want to have unity?

Anderson: I know there are plenty of wrong reasons why we want unity. Therefore, it is important that we get the right reasons. The devil wants unity too, and he will get it. But it is a unity, which is totally unlike the unity of Christ. I was just reading this passage from Testimonies, vol. 5, 101. Talking about the unity that the devil has, she says, “With the ungodly there will be a deceptive harmony that but partially conceals a perpetual discord. In their opposition to the will and the truth of God they are united, while on every other point they are rent with hatred, emulation, jealousy and deadly strife.” Now that is the wrong kind of unity.

The unity that comes from Christ is different. It is not what you are aiming for; it is what you get when you are aiming for something else. I remember what Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount. He said, “Seek ye first.” That word first is so important. It means that it is the most important thing. “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things [unity is one of these things] will be added unto you.” For me, that is very simple. When you seek his righteousness—you get your own heart straight with God, you seek the kingdom of God, you do your part in the finishing of God’s work—then unity will come. But if that is not the focus, we will get a unity perhaps, but it will not be the unity of Christ.

Reeves: We do not want to be a part of the wrong unity. People like to parade around and say, I am a good Christian, or pretend to be things that they are not. We do not want to be part of a pretended unity.

Anderson: In a later paragraph she says, “Like will attract like. Those who are drinking from the same fountain of blessing will draw nearer together. Truth dwelling in the hearts of believers will lead to blessed and happy assimilation. Thus will be answered the prayer of Christ that His disciples might be one even as he is one with the Father.” That is unity. Isn’t that beautiful? You achieve unity by drinking from the same fountain of blessing and by having truth dwelling in the heart. You can get another unity another way, but it will not be the right unity.

Reeves: Some of the most blessed experiences that I have ever had in my life have been times when I have joined in group prayer. Unity in Christ is a wonderful experience.

Anderson: Some of the most wonderful experiences of my life during the past five years have been going to countries that I have never been in before, meeting people I have never met before, and yet immediately finding that unity. It is not something that I had to cultivate, but because we were drinking from the same fountain of blessing we felt a oneness of heart.

Reeves: This unity comes with effort. It is not something that just happens automatically. My wife and I get along wonderfully. But there have been times when we had to put a little effort into it. To experience unity there are times when we need to put some effort in it. If we know that someone is possibly upset with us, we are told to go do something about it.

Pastor Shelton, how do you think this unity is going to take place within Historic Adventism?

Shelton: I think we all know there are some severe things happening in Adventism. These are things we need to look closely at. We know we are at a crisis point; something must be done. First of all, we have to admit there is a problem. If we do not admit there is a problem, we are not going to do anything about it. Let us think about John 3 where Nicodemus came to Jesus by night. The best thing Jesus could do for Nicodemus was to be honest. And sometimes that is difficult because of friendship and associations. However, Jesus was so loving and so kind that he simply cut through all the red tape and said, “You need to be born again.” Being born again is the basis of unity. When we are born again and really give our heart and life to Jesus, unity will be the natural outflow. As we often say, an apple tree will bear apples. You do not have to tell it to. It just happens. And the natural thing that happens when you are born again is that your life is changed. Where once you were selfish, suddenly you begin to think about others and you have soul winning on your mind. That is a strange thing to some of us; we were not like that before. Conversion as it came to me was that I had a desire in my heart for others, for souls, where in the past it was “me, mine and I.” I had been in the church all my life, but when conversion really came, I began to see that there were other people out there, and they became so important. Then you begin to think about how you can best work for Jesus. You find the necessity of being linked with those of like minds. Paul said, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” If we have the mind of Christ, we will have unity.

I hear people say, “I have perfected Christian character.” That takes a lot of boldness. Yet if a group of people have perfected Christian character, Jesus has promised he that will come. Evidently, it is not completed yet, or He would already be here. We still lack some things. Unity will come, and it is going to be based on the truth of God’s word. Lots of times we go around parading unity and love for each other. But it is really just something that is on the surface.

The whole issue is that we must be born again and have the kind of conversion experience in which the only thing that will be paramount in our hearts and lives is the winning of souls. I believe that as historic Adventists we need to focus on the truth found in John 17—“Sanctify them through thy truth, thy word is truth.” We need to have a born again experience and a heart renewal. If we have a heart renewal, unity will be the natural fruit. We may not be experiencing what we need to experience in Jesus or we would already have this unity. It is an automatic thing. It comes through justification, sanctification, and perfection. Study the earthly sanctuary. The sanctuary is the pillar of the Adventist message. Yet very few Adventists really understand the sanctuary, even some of the simplest aspects of it. We need to get into the Bible; we need to be men and women of the book. If we are not experiencing sanctification—reading the word, praying and letting our light shine—then there can be some real difficulties. I know in my own experience that I lived for many years on what I heard somebody say, someone else’s experience of what I should be doing, rather than experiencing it for myself.

I am encouraging people today that there is a way to have unity. Unity will be accomplished, but it can only be through the truth—never compromise. It comes through knowing what truth is. The Bible says, “To the law and to the testimony.” It is about time we start measuring things up the way the Bible says to measure them up. If we do that, we will see unity begin to develop.

Something important to remember is that not everyone is the toe and not everyone is the eye. We need to realize that God has called different individuals to do a different work, even though it is a unified work. Maybe it is a matter of coming to the point of realizing that God has given gifts to the church and recognizing those gifts as God gives them. Last week I said to an individual, “Do you know why we are having so much trouble, and There is not the unity that there ought to be? It is because you’re operating where you should not be operating.” It is an interesting thought. You are operating out of that place where God has put you, and stepping into someone else’s area. How can you tell someone else what to do and how to do it when God has not called you to do that? But if we function where God has called us, we are going to see unity happen and we will have it based upon the truth of God’s word.

Reeves: You were talking about compromise. That is the deadliest thing to Christians. Yet, God’s law is so perfect and so wonderful that if we will learn to look at His law and determine to have it be a part of us, then with compromise out of the way we will be unified.

You said something that made me realize that there really can be no true unity unless we are committed to Christ. It just will not take place. Sanctification has to take place or there is no unity.

Shelton: We have got to realize that we do not have unity. That means there is a problem; we do not have the mind of Christ. There is not a people prepared to go to heaven, so He cannot come. We still have a work to do here, and it starts with my own heart and my own life. And if I give my life to Christ, I will be able to help others.

God gives people special gifts and he puts them in certain areas to do a specific work. God gives different gifts. All are not preachers; all are not teachers; all are not evangelists. A person came to me and said, I have been seeing all the things that have been happening in the church and the ministry and I just do not know how you can stand all these problems thrown in your face all the time. And I said, You know why you cannot? Because, God did not call you to that office. If God calls you to that office, He will equip you to endure that which is laid there for you; He will see you through. He will enable you to do those things when other people are saying it will not work.

Anderson: There is another aspect to that. Yes, we are called to different functions and we have different gifts. But that does not mean we are separate. It means that we cooperate with each other. I cannot do the work that you are doing, but if I can help you in your work then that is going to help unity.

Shelton: That is the key. The Bible says, “We are all called by the Spirit.” And if the right Spirit calls, the Spirit certainly knows how to put together the right people. An important key is that we need to be humble, teachable and loving. If I am humble and teachable, that simply says that I realize that I am not complete. I need the help, support, prayers and the working capability of my brothers.

Reeves: You said that when we are converted we start thinking about others. If we are doing service for others, we are not thinking about making ourselves the priority. That is when unity starts coming a lot easier, and that is what Jesus was teaching at the Last Supper.

Garcia: In the same line of thought, being born again is being a true disciple of Jesus. What Jesus had to say in John 6 is perhaps the most important message he has given to us. John 6:58-60: “This is that bread which came down from heaven—not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead. He that eateth of this bread shall live forever.” These things said he in the synagogue in Capernaum. Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, ‘This is a hard saying; who can hear it?’” Before that in John 6:53 Jesus said, “Verily, verily I say unto you, except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink His blood, ye have not life in you.” Jesus expressed a very important truth about eternal life—you either have it or you do not have it. There were certain of the disciples that were following Jesus because they saw in him something very attractive. But when Jesus pointed to something specific, they said that it was too hard to hear. And what did they do? We are told in verse 66, “From that time many of His disciples went back and walked no more with him.” It means that there was some truth there that they did not want to hear. And they withdrew from Christ and did not walk with Jesus anymore. Let me ask you a question. If a person does not follow Christ, if a person is not a disciple of Jesus, where can unity come from? Unity is not possible.

Grosboll: When you say that they withdrew themselves, I want to make sure that the people understand that when they withdrew themselves from Christ they made it impossible for any true unity to develop. They still went to the synagogue every Sabbath; they still said I am a member of the church in good and regular standing; I am a member of God’s chosen people. And they thought they were still on the way to the great kingdom of glory when they had just turned their back on it.

Reeves: Elder Berglund, I was very impressed when I was in Sweden. There were several ministries that got together and prayed, and I sensed a unity taking place there in Europe. What are some of the efforts that are being made in Europe to see that all the ministries are working together?

Berglund: First of all, we are trying to get to know each other. And I believe we have realized that real unity will come when we all understand that we are priests in the sight of God and that Jesus Christ is our High Priest. I think we have all experienced meeting people in different churches, and our own churches, with whom we differ on theology. Unity comes to one point and then it stops. Now we have started finding a few people working with the old Adventist message, and we realize that we have the same faith. We still have a job to do in getting to know each other, finding the projects, finding our weaknesses and strengths, and putting together a work. But we are also realizing that unity does not mean that we are all going to do the same thing at the same place and the same time. It means that we have the same message and are led by the same spirit. Then we can organize our activities, help each other, and compliment each other in the work. We are working in different places and different countries, but we have the message and the Spirit. And we have this brotherly love and unity among ourselves. This is what we are seeking to understand and develop.

Reeves: We have not had a lot of examples before us on unity, have we? We have a lot to learn. But the opportunities of unity are so wonderful.

Grosboll: I would like to share a statement written by Ellen White in 1898. It is in Manuscript Releases, vol. 11, 179. It says, “Perfection of character means perfection in unity.” Right before this, she said that one of the reasons we do not see the sick healed among us today is because we do not have unity. Therefore, God cannot do for us what he would like to do for us because we are all going our separate ways. She said in Letter 67, written in 1903, “The work committed to us by the Lord will advance rapidly only when we labor in unity.” Now we predict on the basis of prophecy that there is coming a time when the work will travel speedily “like fire in the stubble,” But she says here that the work will not advance rapidly until we are working in unity. That is something we should pray about. We could see many more people baptized; we could see many more churches established. I personally believe that the time is going to come when we are going to see millions of people come in. I do not necessarily mean in one city or one spot. I am talking about worldwide. But that is not going to happen among a people who are fighting and have not learned to be united in Christ. In order for the multitudes to come in they have to see Christ in the church. In the world There is all this discord and strife, disunity and disharmony, hatred and jealousy. When you visit the people in their homes, there is a heart cry in humanity today for something different and better than this world has to offer. They do not know what it is, but they know there has got to be something better than this. When they see the unity and brotherly love and the harmony of Christians that love each other and help each other, it is going to strike a chord that all of our preaching can never do. In fact, the churches that are growing today are the ones where the people help each other. That impresses people in the world even more than our preaching because it is something practical. We need to pray for this to happen in historic Adventism. Of all people, the world should see among us a brotherly love for each other that they do not see anywhere else. John says in 1 John 3 that we ought to be willing to lay down our life for our brother even as Jesus laid down his life on behalf of us. When people see that brotherly love and they see people that may not think the same on everything or understand all points of theology the same, but they love each other so much that they would die for each other, it is going to have an electrifying affect on the world.

Shelton: We have been feeling the necessity of unity, but I think that if we do not relate to this individually, it will never work. In our local church, the leaders—the deacons and the elders—meet every Wednesday night, and we get on our knees and plead, as the leadership of the church, for unity and for the power of the Holy Spirit so that we can be receptive to the Spirit and to all the souls that are out there. He wants to bring them in but they are not coming in because of the discord in the church. Then on Sabbath, as soon as the preaching is done, the leadership meets in the office again and we pray for unity. And what happened with us was that we saw division come in. We prayed for unity and all of a sudden things began to crop up. Some of the leaders got discouraged and said, Why is this happening? And I said, Because God in his infinite wisdom and love is showing us that we need to make improvements. There are things wrong in our hearts. He is showing us that there cannot be unity when we are harboring jealousies, envying and pride. Some almost came to the point of saying, Let us not pray for unity anymore because it is bringing up all these things. God is just trying to reveal to us what we really are so we can take our problems to Him and some changes can be made. We are going through a lot of tests and trials, but He is beginning to show us our defects because we are so close to the end; we need to be making preparation for the end. He simply revealed to us that we need to spend more time in study and prayer. So, let us start really praying for unity. If the leadership in your church has unity, God will bring people in. On the positive side, when we began praying, we had people who began coming to church as a result of outreach that we have done. One man, during his second visit to church, asked what he needed to do to be a part of God’s remnant church! There are people out there and they will come in, but we have to show them that there is unity and love.

Anderson: I think those tests that you talk about are to find out just how serious you are about unity. Just like if you pray for patience God is going to give you lots of situations where you could grow very impatient, because you will never know if God has answered your prayer unless you can face those trials and come through them. If you’re praying for unity, you’re going to have a lot of tests to discover whether you’re serious about wanting unity above all the other things.

Reeves: So the question is, do we really want it? You were talking about people coming in the church when you started praying, and it made me think. One of the struggles that I had a few years ago when I was a member of a conference church was that I felt like I could not bring interests into the church because of the problems and the apostasy that was there. And something just occurred to me. What if the Holy Spirit sometimes looks at our churches and says, I cannot bring converts to them yet? That is pretty serious. Pastor Grosboll read that if there were more unity the sick would be healed. So the next time we drive by the hospital we should realize that there might not be quite as many people there if we were more serious on the topic of unity.

Anderson: The example of the relationship in the home was mentioned earlier. If we were to work on unity in the same way that a good husband and wife work on unity in their home, I think we could see results. A good husband and wife do not compete with each other. They see their roles as complimentary. Are those of us who are in ministry trying to compete with other ministries? Or are we seeing ways in which we can compliment each other? This is one of the things that I feel we are trying to work on in Europe. We have very small ministries; we cannot do everything. So rather than trying to do everything, we are trying to see whether we can cooperate as a group. And for us that is like the marriage. The husband and the wife see roles in which they can not only fulfill their own positions, but they can also help the family to operate. We are a family, and we do not want strife within the family. We want to be all together in brotherly love.

Berglund: That makes unity very personal does not it? It means that my contribution will have to be that the Holy Spirit is Lord in my life. My sins must be forgiven. I must have victory in my life. Then I am ready to be a part of a unity with other people having the Lord as their master.

Anderson: And how many of us in ministry actually take the active step of going on to another ministry, particularly one that may not be happy about us, and say, What can I do to help you? Have we ever thought of the means that the Lord has given us to run our ministries? Have we thought about tithing those means, and using those tithes to help another ministry? These are practical things in which we can build unity, where we can show we are brothers and sisters in the same family.

Reeves: I like that idea. The Spirit of Prophecy has told us that there is danger in competitive sports. But we come up through the system and we get the idea of teams, and if somebody is on a different team then we are out to beat them. The devil has really sown some terrible ideas in our brains because of competitive sports. We have a lot of things to unlearn.

Grosboll: Pastor Shelton mentioned that in their church they were praying for unity and troubles started happening. I believe that in any situation, in any church, ministry, or group that gets together and prays for unity, that trouble is going to happen. I will explain it like this. If you have a broken bone you are already in trouble. But you want your body to work harmoniously together. So what are you going to do? You are going to have to go to a physician. That bone is going to have to be set, or sometimes you might have to have surgery. Something must be done to set that right; and to have that done it is going to hurt. You may even have to take some pain medication. You are going to have more pain before the situation is corrected, but you have to get the situation corrected. It is the same with a boil. When I was a child, I never liked the idea of having a boil lanced, but at some point it has to be done if it is going to heal. If there is something among us that is preventing unity, it cannot be covered up; the problem has to be solved so that we can have healing. And if we are going to have healing in Adventism, the problem has to be solved so that we can have healing. We need healing. There are a lot of people out there that are hurting, discouraged, bitter or angry. The Lord wants to take us all to heaven, but he cannot take us that way. These things have to be healed, and to be healed we have to pray. Then the Lord starts working so that we can work on our problems. When the problems start coming really fast, and we say, No Lord, I’m not going to work on the problem, it is just like when you have a broken bone and you say, No I do not want anybody to set it because it is going to hurt too bad. You can wait, but at some point down the line you are going to have to have it set if you are going to be able to function normally. So, can you hang on through the pain so that we can have the harmony and the unity that God wants us to have? That is the question that historic Adventists need to ask themselves today. Am I willing to hang on through the pain until we get the unity that God is trying to bring about among us?

Shelton: With a broken bone, if you let it go it begins to try to heal itself in the condition that it is in. The longer you let it go, the more difficult it is to have it made right. It would be easier to approach the issue in the beginning and have it set properly rather than to let it start healing in the wrong. You have to break that bone again. It is more painful to let something go rather than to deal with it as quickly as you can.

Reeves: I broke my knuckle one time, and it healed crooked. They had to go in and break it and pin it. It was very painful. What this has made me think about is that the next time I find myself walking down the hall and I know that at the other end of the hall there could be a little friction with somebody, it would be best to turn around right then, rather than letting the wound heal broken so that it has to be broken later. We need a little discipline in our lives.

Berglund: Perhaps more than anything we need humility. We need to go to the people that might have identified themselves as our enemies and say, I care about you; I love you. And we should pray with them. This humility is totally unnatural if Christ is not the Lord in our lives.

Reeves: It is the born again experience. On the one hand, we are thinking of self. When we are born again we change completely and our thinking of others. There is no humility in self, it is pride only.

Anderson: I would like to tell you a story. Our ministry runs entirely on faith. There was a time when the money stopped coming in, and this was serious. For a period of about four or five months no money came in. We started praying and asking, Lord what is going on? What is happening? And the Lord brought back to our minds something that had happened a year or so before when there had been some friction between us and another brother. The friction was still there, and the Lord put upon us very strongly that we needed to go sort that out. I wrote a letter to that brother, and I expressed deep regret for the situation that occurred between us. I asked him if we could be friends again. He wrote me back a very aggressive letter; He was not ready to make peace. But once that letter had been written, the means started coming back for our ministry again. The Lord does not want us to be at odds with each other, but sometimes we have to take the first steps. Sometimes we get kicked for that and it is an unpleasant and painful experience. But the Lord did the same thing. And He set us the example of how to do these things. That taught me a big lesson.

Reeves: It is like Stephen when he was stoned. He prayed that the sin would not be charged against his persecutors. And yet we are so tempted if we see someone that looks cross-eyed at us to cast him or her off to hell. That has got to stop. We need to be like Stephen. When Saul saw Stephen praying, that made an impression, and big things started happening. I think that if we can get some of this selfishness out of our hearts we will see some of those big things happen. You can see why the angels do not want us to get into heaven as long as we have it. They do not like it. It would not be a safe place if we went there with it.

Garcia: I think Jesus gave us some wonderful pictures in nature so that we would understand what true unity is. One is found in the vine and the branches. Where my office is located I have a window that overlooks a vineyard. The branches are connected to the parent stalk, which is Christ, and everyone who grows on the parent stalk will bear fruit. There will be one final, wonderful plant bearing fruit, if they are all connected. Everyone on this vine has pain, because Jesus says in John 15:2, “Every branch in me that beareth not fruit, He taketh away.” That is pain; that is separation. God is doing the separating because He does not find any fruit. And He says, “Every branch that beareth fruit, He purgeth it.” That means He prunes it; He cuts it. Why? So it bears more fruit. That is exactly what God is doing when we are going through trouble. When we pray, when we do our best, sometimes we find ourselves in trouble. God wants to prune us and show us our defects: He wants to help us. Ellen White says in Review and Herald 1897: “Christian unity consists in the branches being in the same parent stalk.” It is very clear.

Anderson: I like the picture, because unity is a fruit. And you have to have the plant for the fruit. I think many people want to have the fruit without the plant. They want to go down to the supermarket and buy the unity rather than grow the plant that brings the unity up. But without the plant, the fruit is useless.

Reeves: Unity is a very sweet fruit isn’t it? It is heaven ordained. We have talked about the fact that unity takes effort. The world is suffering because we have not experienced unity.

So where do we go from here? I can praise the Lord for the way he has brought us, but there is more to go. What do we need to be doing?

Anderson: We need to get out and work for others. Where we see that we are in disunity with others, we have a duty to do. We have to step out and build the bridges back to these people.

Garcia: I believe that one very practical thing is found in the example of the disciples. Were they united? No, they were not. They had fights. Why was that? They needed to have an experience. And that experience was the cross. Jesus talked to them so much about it. He wanted to share with them the need they had of understanding His great mission for the world and for them. But they did not understand that. Then he was crucified, and things started to happen in their lives. They did not understand it at first. They did not understand why Jesus had to die. But as the days went by, Jesus was resurrected, and He talked to them, then they could see things in a completely new light. Jesus was able to teach them something they could never understand before. They had been proud and had their own concept of how to do the work, but when they went through that cross experience, and became willing to learn from God and willing to receive the blessing—the Holy Spirit—then the Bible says they were with one accord, waiting for the blessing.

Anderson: Sister White said that a plant does not bear fruit for itself. It gives seed to the sower—that is Jesus—and bread to the eater. The eaters are the people out there who need this precious message that we have been hoarding to ourselves for so long. We have to realize that unity is not just for the church. It is for Jesus and it is for the folk out there. That is why this fruit has to be shared by us. We have not finished the work because we are not bearing the fruit.

Grosboll: I just wanted to comment about what you said regarding the disciples not having unity until after the cross. Before they had unity, they had to go through an experience where it looked like the church was going to get destroyed. There was almost no one left. There were a few who could not understand everything, but they hung on to their faith. And I want to appeal to historic Adventists—you may not understand what’s going on right now; it may appear that everything is going to ruin. Ellen White told us in Adventist Apocalypse that there was going to be a time when it was going to appear that the devil had won the great controversy. And we have to have enough faith so that when those times come we can hang on and say, Lord, I know that what you’ve told me is the truth and I’m just trusting you no matter what. When the disciples came to the cross, everybody in Jerusalem thought the cause of Christ was over. Yet that is the thing that brought unity. Sometimes the thing that brings unity is the thing that we think will destroy us all.

Reeves: As we have been sharing here the ideas of unity, I really appreciate a comment that was made about the old-fashioned religion. We serve an unchanging God; from the beginning of eternity He has been unchanging. That is an old-fashioned religion. That is the one that draws us together. And as we examine the law of God we are going to be drawn to each other. We have been told that right up to the end there are going to be people falling off the path. We need to help each other. If we see somebody slipping we have must be willing to help them. Through the grace of God we can all be in heaven and our lives can be used so that others will be there. Then we can spend eternity with the Lord.

 

Editor’s Note: The content of this article was taken from a roundtable discussion on the subject of unity done here at Steps to Life. The participants were Gordon Anderson (England), Elder John Berglund (Norway), Pastor John Grosboll of Steps to Life (Kansas), Daniel Garcia (France), and Pastor Kenny Shelton (Illinois).

One With Christ in God

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The Lord calls for men of genuine faith and sound minds, men who recognize the distinction between the true and the false. Each one should be on his guard, studying and practicing the lessons given in the seventeenth chapter of John, and preserving a living faith in the truth for this time. We need that self-control which will enable us to bring our habits into harmony with the prayer of Christ.

The instruction given me by One of authority is that we are to learn to answer the prayer recorded in the seventeenth chapter of John. We are to make this prayer our first study. Every gospel minister, every medical missionary, is to learn the science of this prayer. My brethren and sisters, I ask you to heed these words and to bring to your study a calm, humble, contrite spirit, and the healthy energies of a mind under the control of God. Those who fail to learn the lessons contained in this prayer are in danger of making one-sided developments, which no future training will ever fully correct.

“Neither pray I for these alone,” Christ said, “but for them also which shall believe on Me through their word; that they all may be one; as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be one in Us: that the world may believe that Thou hast sent Me.

“And the glory which Thou gavest Me I have given them; that they may be one, even as We are one: I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that Thou hast sent Me, and hast loved them, as Thou hast loved Me.

“Father, I will that they also, whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am; that they may behold My glory, which Thou hast given Me: for Thou lovedst Me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, the world hath not known Thee: but I have known Thee, and these have known that Thou hast sent Me. And I have declared unto them Thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith Thou hast loved Me may be in them, and I in them.” John 17:20–26.

It is the purpose of God that His children shall blend in unity. Do they not expect to live together in the same heaven? Is Christ divided against Himself? Will He give His people success before they sweep away the rubbish of evil surmising and discord, before the laborers, with unity of purpose, devote heart and mind and strength to the work so holy in God’s sight? Union brings strength; disunion, weakness. United with one another, working together in harmony for the salvation of men, we shall indeed be “laborers together with God.” Those who refuse to work in harmony greatly dishonor God. The enemy of souls delights to see them working at cross purposes with one another. Such ones need to cultivate brotherly love and tenderness of heart. If they could draw aside the curtain veiling the future and see the result of their disunion they would surely be led to repent.

The world is looking with gratification at the disunion amongst Christians. Infidelity is well pleased. God calls for a change among His people. Union with Christ and with one another is our only safety in these last days. Let us not make it possible for Satan to point to our church members, saying: “Behold how these people, standing under the banner of Christ, hate one another. We have nothing to fear from them while they spend more strength fighting one another than in warfare with my forces.”

After the descent of the Holy Spirit the disciples went forth to proclaim a risen Saviour, their one desire the salvation of souls. They rejoiced in the sweetness of the communion with saints. They were tender, thoughtful, self-denying, willing to make any sacrifice for the truth’s sake. In their daily association with one another they revealed the love that Christ had commanded them to reveal. By unselfish words and deeds they strove to kindle this love in other hearts.

The believers were ever to cherish the love that filled the hearts of the apostles after the descent of the Holy Spirit. They were to go forward in willing obedience to the new commandment:

“As I have loved you, that ye also love one another.” John 13:34. So closely were they to be united to Christ that they would be enabled to fulfill His requirements. The power of a Saviour who could justify them by His righteousness was to be magnified.

But the early Christians began to look for defects in one another. Dwelling upon mistakes, giving place to unkind criticism, they lost sight of the Saviour and of the great love He had revealed for sinners. They became more strict in regard to outward ceremonies, more particular about the theory of the faith, more severe in their criticisms. In their zeal to condemn others they forgot their own errors. They forgot the lesson of brotherly love that Christ had taught. And, saddest of all, they were unconscious of their loss. They did not realize that happiness and joy were going out of their lives, and that soon they would walk in darkness, having shut the love of God out of their hearts.

The apostle John realized that brotherly love was waning in the church, and he dwelt particularly upon this point. Up to the day of his death he urged upon believers the constant exercise of love for one another. His letters to the churches are filled with this thought. “Beloved, let us love one another,” he writes; for love is of God . . . God sent His only-begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him . . . Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.” 1 John 4:7–11.

In the church of God today brotherly love is greatly lacking. Many of those who profess to love the Saviour neglect to love those who are united with them in Christian fellowship. We are of the same faith, members of one family, all children of the same heavenly Father, with the same blessed hope of immortality. How close and tender should be the tie that binds us together. The people of the world are watching us to see if our faith is exerting a sanctifying influence upon our hearts. They are quick to discern every defect in our lives, every inconsistency in our actions. Let us give them no occasion to reproach our faith.

It is not the opposition of the world that endangers us the most; it is the evil cherished in the hearts of professed believers that works our most grievous disaster and most retards the progress of God’s cause. There is no surer way of weakening our spirituality than by being envious, suspicious of one an-other, full of faultfinding and evil surmising. “This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.” James 3:15–18.

Harmony and union existing among men of varied dispositions is the strongest witness that can be borne that God has sent His Son into the world to save sinners. It is our privilege to bear this witness. But, in order to do this, we must place ourselves under Christ’s command. Our characters must be molded in harmony with His character, our wills must be surrendered to His will. Then we shall work together without a thought of collision.

Little differences dwelt upon lead to actions that destroy Christian fellowship. Let us not allow the enemy thus to gain the advantage over us. Let us keep drawing nearer to God and to one another. Then we shall be as trees of righteousness, planted by the Lord, and watered by the river of life. And how fruitful we shall be! Did not Christ say: “Herein is My Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit”? John 15:8.

The heart of the Saviour is set upon His followers’ fulfilling God’s purpose in all its height and depth. They are to be one in Him, even though they are scattered the world over. But God cannot make them one in Christ unless they are willing to give up their own way for His way.

When Christ’s prayer is fully believed, when its instruction is brought into the daily life of God’s people, unity of action will be seen in our ranks. Brother will be bound to brother by the golden bonds of the love of Christ. The Spirit of God alone can bring about this oneness. He who sanctified Himself can sanctify His disciples. United with Him, they will be united with one another in the most holy faith. When we strive for this unity as God desires us to strive for it, it will come to us.

Taken from Testimonies, vol. 8, 239–244.

 

Is There Hope For Unity?

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This “unity” question continues to arise among God’s people. I, for one am glad it is still a major concern because it is good “sound doctrine.”

Will this “unity” really happen? If so, how? Will it come about as God’s Word describes it, or must it come about the way we as individuals perceive that it should? Or, if it does not, then we will just not accept it and throw out those who do not match our way of thinking? Saying, “These people cannot be of God because they do not see it as we do.”

Is it possible, even now, though many miles apart, that there can be unity existing among many brethren based upon the real gospel, the Three Angels’ Messages? I do not believe for a minute that the point has been reached that we can all say: “We have arrived.” But, that day will come. I am convinced, that God’s true people will be unified on the platform of truth and those who refuse the truth will not stay on the platform. This is why we must agree that the shaking is increasing—error is running rampant, and every wind of doctrine is blowing. Because of these things, we see people being blown around by every wind of doctrine and the other group settling into the truth of God’s word!

 

Unity—Just for the Sake of Unity?

 

What about unity and division? The Bible is clear that God wants His people united. 1 Corinthians 1:10 and 2 Corinthians 13:11, make it perfectly clear. “Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgement. Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace, and the God of love and peace shall be with you.”

Our commission here is “that ye all speak the same thing, and there be no divisions.” This seems clear. But, notice we must speak the same things. If we are not, there will be division. Can this situation be possible? The Word says we must have unity. But if we are not speaking the same things should we maintain unity—just for the sake of unity?

Eleven words will answer this question, as found in Special Testimonies, Series B., #2, 47. “We are to unify, but not on a platform of error.” What constitutes error? Would it be any deviation from the truth?

“Satan uses those who claim to believe the truth, but whose light has become darkness as his medium to utter his falsehoods and transmit his darkness.” Review and Herald, August 19, 1890.

“Whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is a partaker of his evil deed.” 2 John 9–11. [All emphasis supplied].

Is it possible to be a partaker of someone’s evil deeds by supporting their wrong concept of truth? “At times with burning earnestness and words of terrible severity Christ denounced the abomination that He saw in the Church and in the world. He would not allow the people to be deceived by false claims of righteousness and sanctity.” Special Testimonies, Series B., #2, 46, 47.

“It is impossible for you to unite with those who are corrupt and still remain pure.” Review and Herald, January 2, 1900.

“Mark them which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.” Romans 16:17.

“Like will attract like. Those who are drinking from the same fountain of blessing will draw nearer together. Truth dwelling in the hearts of believers will lead to blessed and happy assimilation. Thus will be answered the prayer of Christ that His disciples might be one even as He is one with the Father. For this oneness every truly converted heart will be striving.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 100, 101.

Over and over in the Scripture and Spirit of Prophecy we are reminded to “Stand fast in one spirit, with one mind, being of one accord.” (See Philippians 1:27; 2:2.) And on the other hand, as we have just read, a warning is given to separate from those “which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine.”

Is it possible to balance these statements? Yes, I believe it is. And here is a clear “no argument” quotation that will give us some direction. “Christ calls for unity, but does not call for us to unify on wrong practices. The God of heaven draws a sharp contrast between pure elevating, ennobling truth and false, misleading doctrine . . . I urge our brethren to unify upon a true Scriptural basis.” Selected Messages, vol. 1, 175. This tells us not to unify on wrong practices, not to unify on false misleading doctrine. True unity can only come if it is based upon sound Scripture.

There will be some that call themselves the same name that we will not be able to work with, but we can certainly pray for them.

 

A Choice

 

Amos 3:3 says: “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” Independent ministries are constantly encouraged to have unity among the ranks. That is the way it should be as long as the doctrine is sound. If two ministries disagree, they are either both wrong, or one is right and the other is wrong, based on the Word. The situation now comes down to various supporters to evaluate what they believe is truth. Since we cannot support error, we must decide which ministry we will support.

Now, let me ask you a question. Is it not right for an individual (you) to choose to support or work with, or not to support and work with certain ministries? Each individual makes their decision based upon the teaching of each ministry. If their teaching does not line up with what you believe the truth is, you withdraw your support.

That is the way it should be conducted. But what is the difference when we, the ministries, must withdraw from another ministry because of differences of doctrine? I hope you are getting the point! Yes, there will be unity among God’s true and faithful, and at the same time division because of those who will not come into line.

Ellen White made this point very well in Early Writings, 140: “We are assured that the watchman shall see eye to eye when the Lord shall again bring Zion. In the time of the end the wise shall understand. When this is fulfilled, there will be unity of faith with all whom God accounts wise.”

The Lord’s messenger gives us the bottom line in Selected Messages, vol. 3, 412: “We have a testing message to give and I am instructed to say to our people, unify, unify, but we are not to unify with those who are departing from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils . . . we are to go forth to proclaim the message, giving no heed to those who lead away from truth.”

We must continue, as Ephesians 4:3 tells us, “Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” And at the same time, “Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.” Ephesians 5:10, 11.

Unity is coming! Thousands are praying for it to happen. God will hear and answer as this is His will for each of us.

All we need in preparation for this grand event is to follow Ephesians 4:23, 24, which is my prayer for all of God’s people. “And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.”

 

Driven With the Wind

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On November 15 and 16, 1996, Elder Willard Santee, a minister of the Oregon Conference, delivered a series of five messages in a tent on the grounds of Prophecy Countdown in Mt. Dora, Florida. As a result of these messages, as well as some more private conversations, the leader of Prophecy Countdown, John Osborne, along with some of his staff, responded to an altar call by Elder Santee in which he appealed to them to “return to the Seventh-day Adventist Church.”

As he stood on the platform beside Santee, John Osborne said, “I don’t want to be a historic Seventh-day Adventist.”

These words created consternation on the part of many historic Seventh-day Adventists who have been trusting in the leadership of John Osborne and have been giving generous financial support to his ministry. What did these words mean?

A historic Seventh-day Adventist is by definition a person who is holding steadfastly to the principles of truth that were established by the pioneers of our church, and that have been repeatedly confirmed and re-confirmed by the testimony of the Holy Spirit. Had John Osborne decided to abandon these principles of truth? This was the question that troubled many hearts, and triggered many anxious inquiries. An apparent attempt to answer these questions was made one week later by Dianne Osborne, the president of Prophecy Countdown. She stood before the television cameras and made a statement that included these lines:

“We are seeking to have unity with God’s Church, but we will not unify with apostasy. We must be separate from the evil practices, from apostasy, and from sin both inside and outside the church . . . We realize that you cannot go where error is being preached, nor allow your children to go where error is being taught . . . We will continue to defend the truth.”

Thus the question about abandoning the historic principles of our faith appears to have been answered, at least for the time being. But the entire situation is calling forth another kind of question, which is proper and valid. Members of the historic Seventh-day Adventist community are asking, “What did Elder Santee tell the people of Prophecy Countdown? Did he present new evidence or new light that we all should be considering? Did he point out evidence that we have overlooked? What relevance do his messages have to the entire community of historic Seventh-day Adventists?”

In order to present an accurate answer to these questions, I have listened very carefully to the five messages presented by Elder Santee, and have reached conclusions that I will now share with you. I will first make some general observations as an overview.

  1. Elder Santee brought forth no new light, presented no new evidence, and advanced no new or overlooked principles of truth. All of the Biblical materials and Spirit of Prophecy materials that he used are very familiar to historic Seventh-day Adventists.
  2. Elder Santee’s burden of concern appeared to be for individuals or groups who had, a) separated themselves from the organized Seventh-day Adventist Church for invalid reasons; b) were fighting the organized church and manifesting unchristian hatred and contempt for its leaders and members; c) were calling the organized Seventh-day Adventist Church Babylon and calling people to come out of her; and, d) were engaging in theological hair-splitting and needless discussions of theological questions and the nature of Christ.

It is immediately apparent that these descriptions could be properly applied to only a minuscule portion of the members of the historic Seventh-day Adventist community, perhaps one or two percent. The vast majority of them are still members of the organized church, (and this includes John Osborne and his family). Most of the very few who are now separated from the “organized church” did not withdraw of their own volition, but were disfellowshipped over their protests. It would be wildly inaccurate to describe them as persons who had separated themselves from the church for invalid reasons. They are neither fighting the church nor manifesting hatred and contempt for its leaders or members, and they would not dream of calling the church Babylon. Their clinging to the principles of our historic faith is most emphatically not theological hair-splitting. So with whom is Elder Santee contending?

My conclusion is that Elder Santee’s messages may have limited application to those few persons who fit his descriptions, but to the vast majority of the members of the historic Seventh-day Adventist community they have no relevance at all. He appears to be contending with imaginary foes—shadow boxing.

The central theme of Elder Santee’s presentations seemed to be that there can never be any justification for separating oneself from the church for the reasons stated above. I view this from the sidelines, so to speak, as one not involved in the situation. But I do have some questions. Was it wrong for the first Christians to leave the Jewish church, for the Protestants to leave the Catholic church, for the Methodists to leave the Anglican church, and for our pioneers to leave the Protestant churches? If Elder Santee’s reasoning is correct, then these persons should have all stayed in their churches and left it to the Lord to clean the churches up. That is what he urges his hearers to do now. As evidence to support this position, he argues that in spite of the wickedness of the Jewish church, Jesus put His name on the books of that church and never took it off. (Actually, the name of Jesus was put on the Jewish church books by Joseph and Mary, when Jesus was a babe in arms. Jesus had nothing to do with it.)

Elder Santee concedes that there is much apostasy in the organized church, even going beyond most historic Adventists by stating that the church is in apostasy. Few of us would go that far. Most of us have pointed out apostasy in the organized church, but have not regarded the church as in apostasy. That might be an over-statement. Elder Santee does say this, but nevertheless affirms in another place that the church is “right on course.” I do not understand how one can hold to both of these positions. Nor do I understand how Elder Santee can urge his hearers on the one hand to be silent in the church and make no criticisms of evil doing, and on the other hand quote Ellen White statements that vigorously condemn such silence. Does she not call for men who are not afraid to call sin by its right name? (See Education, 57.)

Elder Santee manifests a curious unawareness that we who are trying to protect ourselves from error are dealing with theological problems. He sets forth an illustration that he says God gave to him. It consists of two circles which represent two kinds of church members, the “Liberals” and the “Conservatives,” and he states that the two circles are drawing apart. But as they draw apart, there is created a small ellipse where the two circles overlap. This is where God wants us to be, Elder Santee says, in the ellipse in the center, which is partly liberal and partly conservative.

But we are not primarily concerned about the differences between liberals and conservatives. Our major concern is theological. And one has only to recognize this fact and change the labels in the circles from “Liberal” and “Conservative,” to “True Theology” and “False Theology” to see the inappropriateness of this illustration. Does God want us to have a theology that is partly true and partly false? Have we not been warned that truth mixed with error is more dangerous than error alone? (See Great Controversy, 587.)

We may disguise poison by mingling it with wholesome food, but we do not change its nature. On the contrary, it is rendered more dangerous, as it is more likely to be taken unawares. It is one of Satan’s devices to combine with falsehood just enough truth to give it plausibility.

As for seeking unity by theological compromise, the inspired messenger is equally clear: “Christ calls for unity. But He does not call for us to unify on wrong practices. The God of heaven draws a sharp contrast between pure, elevating, ennobling truth and false, misleading doctrines . . . I urge our brethren to unify on a true, scriptural basis.” Selected Messages, vol. 1, 175.

“We are to unify, but not upon a platform of error.” Series B, Freedom in Christ, 47.

The same unawareness of the theological dimensions of our problem is seen in Elder Santee’s description of his own experience. He devotes almost one entire message to a harrowing description of his own sufferings when he was put out of the ministry by “the brethren.” It seems that “the brethren” had dealt with a case of adultery and wanted Santee to stay out of the matter, but he insisted on dealing with it himself. For this, he says, he was put out of the ministry. If his report of the situation is accurate and fair, (which we have no way of knowing) we sympathize with him, but we see no connection between this and our theological problems in the church. To compare this experience with the experience of those who are being put out of the church because they will not accept false theology is hardly appropriate. Procedural problems and theological apostasy are two different categories.

A third and even more astonishing example of Elder Santee’s theological unawareness is placed before us in a passage in which he describes the contributions of a correct theology that have been made by various religious groups. He credits the Greek Orthodox church with getting rid of the doctrine of papal infallibility, and the Anglicans with getting rid of Mariolatry; he credits Lutherans for a true doctrine of justification and the Methodists for a true doctrine of sanctification; he credits the Congregationalists and Presbyterians for getting rid of excessive form and ceremony in worship and the Baptists for getting rid of sprinkling as a method of baptism; he credits Millerite, George Storrs for correcting the immortal soul error and the Seventh-day Baptists for correcting the error of the day of worship. He concludes this litany with the stunning statement that: “the Seventh-day Adventists contributed nothing at all.”

This leaves us gasping! Is this man a Seventh-day Adventist minister? Has he never heard of the sanctuary doctrine, that Ellen White describes as: “the very message that has made us a separate people, and has given character and power to our work.” Counsels to Writers and Editors, 54.

Elder Santee’s use of both the Scripture and the Spirit of Prophecy is curious, to say the least. In a lengthy exposition of Exodus, chapter 32, he labors to prove that Moses was never angry with Aaron on the matter of the golden calf, but rather that he was always tender, gentle, and kind, both to Aaron and the people. He quotes verses both before and after verses 26-28 in which Moses is described as calling the faithful to his side, and then ordering them to take their swords and go through the camp and “slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbor.” This command of Moses resulted in the slaughter of 3000 men, but

Elder Santee does not read these verses, for obvious reasons. They would not fit his theory very well.

Similarly, he quotes words from Series B, Part 1, 15, in which Ellen White writes, “No longer consent to listen without protest to the perversion of truth,” and asserts that this means to protest on your knees. This is in harmony with his teaching that church members should make no comment on evils that they see in the church, but only pray about them. In like manner he refers to Ellen White’s warnings against listening to error, but limits her warning to errors presented by non-Adventist teachers and preachers. One can hardly feel comfortable with such handling of inspired writings, nor with his reference to himself and others as “secondary prophets.” We are left to speculate as to what this might mean.

The general tenor of all of the messages was to support Elder Santee’s doctrine that there is no salvation outside of the organized church. This is inferred and implied throughout all of the messages and was firmly and clearly stated in these two passages: “If I want to be in God’s kingdom, I must be part of the organized church,” and “You are going to be lost if you are outside of the church.”

These strong affirmations were followed by an appeal to “return to the church.” We find this puzzling in view of these realities.

  1. Probably 99% of all historic Seventh-day Adventists have never left the “church,” and have no intention of ever leaving the “church” unless forced out by being disfellowshipped.
  2. John Osborne, to whom Elder Santee’s words were presumably addressed, has never left the “church.” He and his family have for years held membership in a church in California.
  3. As noted before, the historic Seventh-day Adventists are not calling the church Babylon, or calling people to come out of her. They are rather trying as best they can to survive spiritually and spread the Three Angels’ Messages to all the world. They understand from statements like the following that listening to error greatly diminishes their chances of survival.

“No error can sanctify the soul . . . Sanctification comes not through error, but through belief in the truth.” Review and Herald, September 30, 1890.

“Truth sanctifies. Error corrupts.” Review and Herald, December 2, 1875.

“Error is falsehood and deception. Those who partake of it must suffer in consequence.” Upward Look, 125.

“Error is never harmless. It never sanctifies, but always brings confusion and dissension. It is always dangerous.” Counsels to Writers and Editors, 47.

“There is in error and unbelief that which bewilders and bewitches the mind.” Selected Messages,vol. 1, 46.

“I was shown the necessity of those who believe that we are having the last message of mercy, being separate from those who are daily imbibing new errors. I saw that neither young nor old should attend their meetings . . . God is displeased with us when we go to listen to error, without being obliged to go; for unless He sends us to those meetings, where error is forced home to the people by the power of the will, He will not keep us. The angels cease their watchful care over us, and we are left to the buffeting of the enemy, to be darkened and weakened by him and the power of his evil angels, and the light around us becomes contaminated with darkness.” Early Writings, 124.

This makes it impossible for us to accept Elder Santee’s recommendations that we attend worship services where error is presented, and simply ignore the error. This is far too dangerous to be attempted, and the inspired warnings against it are unmistakably clear. We firmly reject the proposition that we are attacking the church, or fighting against the church. If one can not speak against sin without attacking the church, what does that say about the church? If one can not speak against apostasy without attacking the church, what does that say about the church?

We have to recognize that if a church leader is misusing his office and performing evil actions, and if church members protest against the evil actions, probably the best defense that the church leader could contrive would be to set up a shrill cry that: “The church is being attacked! The church is being attacked! Come to the defense of the church everybody! Defend the church! Protect the church!”

The Lord will deal with such persons as He sees best. We can safely leave that problem to Him. Meanwhile we are faced with a very practical problem. How shall we avoid the apostasy that is raging in the church today, and survive the great shaking time that will purge all unworthy elements out?

If Elder Santee wants to be helpful, let him cease his shadow boxing with imaginary foes, and address himself realistically to this grimly relevant question. He concedes that there is great apostasy in the church, even saying that the church is in apostasy. The word “apostasy” denotes a departure from theological truth. In disregard of the inspired warnings about listening to error, Elder Santee counsels us to continue worshiping in the churches where theological untruths are being presented, and to remain silent and do nothing but pray about the evils we see and hear. He seems to feel that to do other than this is to be guilty of attacking the church and fighting against the church.

We can only pray that his understanding will be improved, and that he will be able to offer better counsel to us. Until this happens, we will just have to say that he is not really speaking to the historic Seventh-day Adventist community, or ministering to our needs. In the final analysis, the church is described in these words: “God has a church. It is not the great cathedral, neither is it the national establishment, neither is it the various denominations, it is the people who love God and keep His commandments.” Upward Look, 315.

Editorial — Press Together

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“Press together, press together; that you may not be destroyed as were the inhabitants of Jerusalem . . . Persecution is coming, and God calls upon all to stand firm in Christian love,their hearts knit together, of one mind and one judgment. His people are to cleave to Him, and they are to love one another as He has loved them. Christ’s life is to be their example. In love, in meekness, in humility, they are to follow Him.” Signs of the Times, October 31, 1900.

This inspired statement shows that we must press together or be destroyed as the inhabitants of Jerusalem. The destruction of Jerusalem is a symbol of what will happen to the whole world at the end. In spite of this inspired counsel, we see more division and unsanctified independence in Adventism today than ever before. The devil is determined that this unity will never be accomplished.

“Satan well knows that the combined strength of Satanic agencies with that of evil men is but weakness when opposed to a band of faithful, united servants of the great King, though in number they may be few. In order to overcome the people of God, Satan will work upon the elements in the character which have not been transformed by the grace of Christ, and through these unsanctified characteristics, he will seek to bring about disunion among the people of God. Unless these persons who become agents of Satan are converted, their own souls will be lost, and the souls of those who have looked up to them as men led of God will be destroyed with them, because they are partakers with them of their sins. Satan endeavors to create suspicion, envy, and jealousy, and thus lead men to question those things that it would be for their soul’s interest to believe. The suspicious ones will misconstrue everything . . . and if this spirit is allowed to prevail, it will demoralize our churches and institutions.” Review and Herald, May 14, 1895.

Is not this prophecy fulfilled all around us? To fulfill the longing of Christ as expressed in John 17 that God’s people might not be totally destroyed, we must press together and come into perfect unity. We must unify in the way God has specified or we will never have true Christian unity: “We have a testing message to give, and I am instructed to say to our people, ‘Unify, unify.’ But we are not to unify with those who are departing from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils. With our hearts sweet and kind and true, we are to go forth to proclaim the message, giving no heed to those who lead away from the truth.” Selected Messages,book 3, 412. “Christ calls for unity. But He does not call for us to unify on wrong practices.” Selected Messages, book 1, 175.

“The God of heaven draws a sharp contrast between pure, elevating, ennobling truth and false, misleading doctrines. He calls sin and impenitence by the right name. He does not gloss over wrongdoing with a coat of untempered mortar. I urge our brethren to unify upon a true, scriptural basis.” Selected Messages, book 1, 175. “We are to unify, but not on a platform of error.” Battle Creek Letters, 111. “Unify, unify is the word from heaven. The work of bringing about perfect harmony cannot be done in a moment. It will take close examination and careful study on the part of those who bear responsibilities. Not a selfish thread is to be drawn into the web.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 19, 149.

If we are united to Christ, we will be united to one another. When this happens, the church on earth will be a symbol of the church in heaven. “It is those who are not worked by the Holy Spirit that mar God’s plan. Another spirit takes possession of them, and they help to strengthen the forces of darkness. Those who are sanctified by the precious blood of Christ will not become the means of counter working the great plan which God has devised. They will not do anything to perpetuate division.” The Kress Collection, 17.

We want to invite every Historic Seventh-day Adventist person and institution to pray for unity
and to press together. This is no time for independence; it is time for the prayer of Jesus in John 17 to be fulfilled. It will never be fulfilled among those professed Adventists who have essentially rejected the Spirit of Prophecy and who do not believe in the investigative judgment and the other truths of the Three Angels’ Messages. It will never happen to those who are willing to compromise with error or who are unwilling to protest the apostasy. It will never happen to those who reject the New Testament concept of the nature of the church. It can only happen among Historic Seventh-day Adventists. Will you be part of it?

Bible Study Guides – Beware!

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January 23, 2011 – January 29, 2011

Key Text

“Ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.” Jude 3.

Study Help: The Great Controversy, 518–530; The Acts of the Apostles, 346–358.

Introduction

“I saw a company who stood well guarded and firm, giving no countenance to those who would unsettle the established faith of the body.” Early Writings, 258.

1 What prophecy is now being fulfilled as never before? Job 24:12, 13; Amos 2:12; II Chronicles 36:16. Why is Satan working so intensely to throw discredit on the Testimonies through unfaithful leaders? Proverbs 29:18.

Note: “Soon every possible effort will be made to discount and pervert the truth of the testimonies of God’s Spirit.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 41.

“The very last deception of Satan will be to make of none effect the testimony of the Spirit of God. …

“There will be a hatred kindled against the testimonies which is satanic. The workings of Satan will be to unsettle the faith of the churches in them, for this reason: Satan cannot have so clear a track to bring in his deceptions and bind up souls in his delusions if the warnings and reproofs and counsels of the Spirit of God are heeded.” Ibid., 48.

2 On the other hand, what snare is Satan trying to lay for those who profess to believe in the writings of the Spirit of Prophecy? Jeremiah 14:14.

Note: “There will be those once united with us in the faith who will search for new, strange doctrines, for something odd and sensational to present to the people. They will bring in all conceivable fallacies, and will present them as coming from Mrs. White, that they may beguile souls.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 41.

3 How and through whom are many souls being led astray? Acts 20:28–30; Jude 11–13.

Note: “False theories will be mingled with every phase of experience, and advocated with satanic earnestness in order to captivate the mind of every soul who is not rooted and grounded in a full knowledge of the sacred principles of the Word. In the very midst of us will arise false teachers, giving heed to seducing spirits whose doctrines are of satanic origin. These teachers will draw away disciples after themselves.” The Review and Herald, January 7, 1904.

“Never, never was there a time when the truth will suffer more from being misrepresented, belittled, demerited through the perverse disputings of men than in these last days.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 6, 1064.

“There are those today who will present falsehoods as testing truths, even as the Jews presented the maxims of men as the bread of heaven. Sayings of no value are given to the people of God as their portion of meat, while souls are starving for the bread of life. Fables have been devised, and men are trying to weave these fables into the web. Those who do this will one day see their work as it is viewed by the heavenly intelligences. They choose to bring to the foundation wood, hay, and stubble, when they have at their command the word of God, with all its richness and power, from which they can gather precious treasures of truth.” The Review and Herald, June 18, 1901.

4 Who will contact some of these leaders personally, and what will be the result? II Corinthians 11:14.

Note: “Satan is watching his chance. He will come to men in human form, and will speak to them most entrancing words. He will bring against them the same temptations that he brought against Christ. Unless their minds and hearts are filled with the pure, unselfish, sanctified love that Christ revealed, they will fall under Satan’s power, and will do and say and write strange things, to deceive, if it were possible, the very elect.” The Review and Herald, June 30, 1910.

5 What attitude is being taken against the pillars of our faith, and why does it cause separation? Psalm 11:3.

Note: “The truth for this time is precious, but those whose hearts have not been broken by falling on the rock Christ Jesus, will not see and understand what is truth. They will accept that which pleases their ideas, and will begin to manufacture another foundation than that which is laid. They will flatter their own vanity and esteem, thinking that they are capable of removing the pillars of our faith, and replacing them with pillars they have devised.

“This will continue to be as long as time shall last. Anyone who has been a close student of the Bible will see and understand the solemn position of those who are living in the closing scenes of this earth’s history. They will feel their own inefficiency and weakness, and will make it their first business to have not merely a form of Godliness, but a vital connection with God. They will not dare to rest until Christ is formed within, the hope of glory. Self will die; pride will be expelled from the soul, and they will have the meekness and gentleness of Christ.” Selected Messages, Book 2, 389.

“After the truth has been proclaimed as a witness to all nations, every conceivable power of evil will be set in operation, and minds will be confused by many voices crying, ‘Lo, here is Christ; lo, He is there. This is the truth, I have the message from God, He has sent me with great light.’ Then there will be a removing of the landmarks, and an attempt to tear down the pillars of our faith.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, 985.

6 How do God’s faithful few respond? Jude 3, last part.

Note: “God’s servants are not to be easily discouraged by difficulties or opposition. Those who proclaim the third angel’s message must stand bravely at their post, in the face of detraction and falsehood, fighting the good fight of faith, and resisting the enemy with the weapon that Christ used, ‘It is written.’ In the great crisis through which they are soon to pass, the servants of God will encounter the same hardness of heart, the same cruel determination, the same unyielding hatred, encountered by Christ and the apostles.” Gospel Workers, 264.

7 Name some of Satan’s favorite weapons. Jeremiah 23:21.

Note: “Formality, worldly wisdom, worldly caution, worldly policy, will appear to many to be the very power of God, but when accepted, it stands as an obstacle to prevent God’s light in warnings, reproof, and counsel from coming to the world. …

“If Satan sees that the Lord is blessing His people and preparing them to discern his delusions, he will work with his master power to bring in fanaticism on the one hand and cold formalism on the other, that he may gather in a harvest of souls.” Selected Messages, Book 2, 19.

8 What distinction are those led astray by fanatical movements unable to see? Leviticus 10:10; Ezekiel 22:26.

Note: “Some zealous ones who are aiming and straining every energy for originality have made a grave mistake in trying to get something startling, wonderful, entrancing, before the people, something that they think others do not comprehend; but often they do not themselves know what they are talking about. They speculate upon God’s Word, advancing ideas that are not a whit of help to themselves or to the churches. For the time being, they may excite the imagination; but there is a reaction, and these very ideas become a hindrance. Faith is confounded with fancy, and their views may bias the mind in the wrong direction. Let the plain, simple statements of the Word of God be food for the mind; this speculating upon ideas that are not clearly presented there, is dangerous business.

“The danger that threatens our churches is that new and strange things will be brought in, things that confuse the minds of the people, and give them no strength, at the very time when they most need strength in spiritual things. Clear discernment is needed that things new and strange shall not be laid alongside of truth as a part of the burden of the message to be given at this time. The very messages we have been giving to the world are to be made prominent.” Selected Messages, Book 2, 13, 14.

“There will always be false and fanatical movements made by persons in the church who claim to be led of God—those who will run before they are sent.” Ibid., 84.

9 What warning applies wherever there is open apostasy? Matthew 15:14.

Note: “Christ calls for unity. But He does not call for us to unify on wrong practices.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 175.

“Let the watchmen on the walls of Zion not join with those who are making of none effect the truth as it is in Christ.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 4, 1141.

“To yoke up with those who are unconsecrated, and yet be loyal to the truth, is simply impossible. We cannot unite with those who are serving themselves, who are working on worldly plans, and not lose our connection with the heavenly Counselor.” Ibid., vol. 5, 1086.

“Even if they [those who follow the Lord] have to walk as did Enoch—with God alone—his children must separate from those who do not obey Him.” Ibid., vol. 2, 1037.

10 Upon which platform are God’s people to unify? John 17:17–21; I John 1:7.

Note: “I urge our brethren to unify upon a true, scriptural basis.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 175.

“Christ calls upon His followers to come into unity on the pure gospel principles which are plainly revealed in the word of God.” Gospel Workers, 391.

“The present truth is not difficult to be understood, and the people whom God is leading will be united upon this broad, firm platform.” Testimonies, vol. 1, 326.

Review and Thought Questions

1 What attack has been made on the Spirit of Prophecy?

2 What are the fruits of heresy?

3 Describe the two conflicting standards that can be observed among believers in the third angel’s message.

4 What harm will befall God’s people from “those who will run before they are sent”?

5 What are the conditions for unity among believers?

©2005 Reformation Herald Publishing Association, Roanoke, Virginia. Reprinted by permission.

Bible Study Guides – God’s Order Extended

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July 31, 2011 – August 6, 2011

Families for Christ

Key Text

“Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord; that walketh in his ways. For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee.” Psalm 128:1, 2.

Study Help: The Adventist Home, 114–120.

Introduction

“The cause of division and discord in families and in the church is separation from Christ. To come near to Christ is to come near to one another.” The Adventist Home, 179.

1 THE CHURCH FAMILY

  • Describe God’s plan both for individual families and for the church? Ephesians 3:14, 15; 2:19–22.

Note: “The secret of true unity in the church and in the family is not diplomacy, not management, not a superhuman effort to overcome difficulties—though there will be much of this to do—but union with Christ.

“Picture a large circle, from the edge of which are many lines all running to the center. The nearer these lines approach the center, the nearer they are to one another.

“Thus it is in the Christian life. The closer we come to Christ, the nearer we shall be to one another. God is glorified as His people unite in harmonious action.” The Adventist Home, 179.

“When religion is manifested in the home, its influence will be felt in the church and in the neighborhood.” Ibid., 38.

  • What is one purpose of the church family? Ephesians 4:12, 13.

Note: “God has appointed the church as a watchman. …

“The church has a special work to do in educating and training its children that they may not, in attending school, or in any other association, be influenced by those of corrupt habits.” Child Guidance, 312.

2 THE GREATEST DUTY

  • Who is described as a person of great importance? Proverbs 31:10.

Note: “Woman should fill the position which God originally designed for her, as her husband’s equal. The world needs mothers who are mothers not merely in name but in every sense of the word. We may safely say that the distinctive duties of woman are more sacred, more holy, than those of man. Let woman realize the sacredness of her work and in the strength and fear of God take up her life mission.” The Adventist Home, 231.

  • What is the mother’s role and why is it so important? Titus 2:4, 5.

Note: “The king upon his throne has no higher work than has the mother. The mother is the queen of her household. She has in her power the molding of her children’s characters, that they may be fitted for the higher, immortal life. An angel could not ask for a higher mission; for in doing this work she is doing service for God. Let her only realize the high character of her task, and it will inspire her with courage.” The Adventist Home, 231.

  • Describe how the enemy seeks to weaken the family.

Note: “If you ignore your duty as a wife and mother and hold out your hands for the Lord to put another class of work in them, be sure that He will not contradict Himself; He points you to the duty you have to do at home. If you have the idea that some work greater and holier than this has been entrusted to you, you are under a deception. By faithfulness in your own home, working for the souls of those who are nearest to you, you may be gaining a fitness to work for Christ in a wider field. But be sure that those who are neglectful of their duty in the home circle are not prepared to work for other souls.

“The Lord has not called you to neglect your home and your husband and children. He never works in this way; and He never will. … Never for a moment suppose that God has given you a work that will necessitate a separation from your precious little flock.” The Adventist Home, 245, 246.

3 SUBMISSION—WHAT IS IT?

  • In these days of frequent preoccupation with “women’s rights,” what is Christ’s injunction to wives? Colossians 3:18; Ephesians 5:22–24.

Note: “In the creation, God had made her [Eve] the equal of Adam. Had they remained obedient to God—in harmony with His great law of love—they would ever have been in harmony with each other. …

“Eve had been perfectly happy by her husband’s side in her Eden home; but, like restless modern Eves, she was flattered with the hope of entering a higher sphere than that which God had assigned her. In attempting to rise above her original position, she fell far below it. A similar result will be reached by all who are unwilling to take up cheerfully their life duties in accordance with God’s plan.” The Adventist Home, 115.

  • Is this counsel of submission only for wives? Ephesians 5:21. Are there any conditions as to when is it right to submit and when is it wrong? Colossians 3:18; Acts 5:29.

Note: “God requires that the wife shall keep the fear and glory of God ever before her. Entire submission is to be made only to the Lord Jesus Christ, who has purchased her as His own child by the infinite price of His life. God has given her a conscience, which she cannot violate with impunity. Her individuality cannot be merged into that of her husband, for she is the purchase of Christ. It is a mistake to imagine that with blind devotion she is to do exactly as her husband says in all things, when she knows that in so doing, injury would be worked for her body and her spirit, which have been ransomed from the slavery of Satan. There is One who stands higher than the husband to the wife; it is her Redeemer, and her submission to her husband is to be rendered as God has directed—‘as it is fit in the Lord’ [Colossians 3:18].” The Adventist Home, 116.

  • Explain the purpose and meaning of submission. I Peter 3:8.

Note: “The wife, if she has the spirit of Christ, will be careful of her words; she will control her spirit, she will be submissive, and yet will not feel that she is a bondslave, but a companion to her husband.” The Adventist Home, 118.

4 MORE LOVE

  • What else is needed in the marriage, and in the church relationship? I Peter 3:1–4; Proverbs 31:26.

Note: “Let each give love rather than exact it. Cultivate that which is noblest in yourselves, and be quick to recognize the good qualities in each other. The consciousness of being appreciated is a wonderful stimulus and satisfaction. Sympathy and respect encourage the striving after excellence, and love itself increases as it stimulates to nobler aims. …

“Neither the husband nor the wife should attempt to exercise over the other an arbitrary control. Do not try to compel each other to yield to your wishes. You cannot do this and retain each other’s love. Be kind, patient, and forbearing, considerate, and courteous. By the grace of God you can succeed in making each other happy, as in your marriage vow you promised to do.” The Ministry of Healing, 361.

“Pray for the sweet, molding influence of the Holy Spirit. Let your lips be governed by the law of kindness. Refuse to be sour, uncourteous, unkind. …

“Do not serve the enemy of God by exhibiting a harsh, unkind spirit.” This Day With God, 111.

  • How should her daily duties be viewed by the wife and by others? Proverbs 31:10–31.

Note: “The mother seldom appreciates her own work and frequently sets so low an estimate upon her labor that she regards it as domestic drudgery. She goes through the same round day after day, week after week, with no special marked results. She cannot tell at the close of the day the many little things she has accomplished. Placed beside her husband’s achievement, she feels that she has done nothing worth mentioning. …

“While the father has been dealing with the things which must perish and pass away, the mother has been dealing with developing minds and character, working not only for time but for eternity. …

“There are opportunities of inestimable worth, interests infinitely precious, committed to every mother. The humble round of duties which women have come to regard as a wearisome task should be looked upon as a grand and noble work. It is the mother’s privilege to bless the world by her influence, and in doing this she will bring joy to her own heart.” The Adventist Home, 232–234.

5 UNITY IN ACTION

  • What do all of us need in our relationships both in the family and in the church? Psalm 133:1; Ephesians 4:2, 3.

Note: “Parents are to work together as a unit. There must be no division. … It sometimes happens that, of the mother and father, one is too indulgent and the other too severe. This difference works against good results in the formation of the characters of their children. …

“If fathers and mothers are at variance, one working against the other to counteract each other’s influence, the family will be in a demoralized condition, and neither the father nor the mother will receive the respect and confidence that are essential to a well-governed family. … Children are quick to discern anything that will cast a reflection upon the rules and regulations of a household, especially those regulations that restrict their actions.” The Adventist Home, 312.

  • What are the results of disunity? Mark 3:25.

Note: “In these first disciples was presented marked diversity. They were to be the world’s teachers, and they represented widely varied types of character. In order successfully to carry forward the work to which they had been called, these men, differing in natural characteristics and in habits of life, needed to come into unity of feeling, thought, and action. This unity it was Christ’s object to secure. To this end He sought to bring them into unity with Himself.” The Acts of the Apostles, 20.

  • In what are we to be united? I Peter 1:22; I John 2:4, 5; 3:18.

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1 Why does God give us family relationships?

2 What is the most important duty for the wife?

3 What is submission and how do you accomplish it?

4 What are some of the wonderful challenges given to the wife and mother?

5 How can we achieve the unity needed in the family and in the church?

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

Another Love Story

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Jesus’ prayer for His disciples was not for them alone, but for you and me and all those who appreciate His will, His work, and His words. He prayed for all those who follow Him in Spirit and in truth.

He said, “I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which Thou hast given Me; for they are Thine. And all Mine are Thine, and Thine are Mine; and I am glorified in them. And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to Thee. Holy Father, keep through Thine own name those whom Thou hast given Me, that they may be one, as We are.”

At that point, the disciple Judas had already left. “While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Thy name: those that Thou gavest Me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the Scripture may be fulfilled. And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have My joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them Thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that Thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through Thy truth: Thy word is truth. As Thou hast sent Me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.” Verses 12–18.

Christ was about to take on another role, but His disciples were left to continue preaching and ministering to this world. They would now learn much more as they taught others. Christ’s life was one of continual giving and imparting to others. “And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on Me through their word.” Verses 19, 20.

Jesus continued, “And the glory which Thou gavest Me I have given them; that they may be one, even as We are One [referring to Himself and the Father]: I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that Thou hast sent Me, and hast loved them, as Thou hast loved Me.” Verses 22, 23.

The key to being ready when Jesus returns is having “Christ in us,” so when the Father looks at us, He sees the reflection of His Son.

We do not fully understand the love that Christ has for us. As a child, we may recite John 3:16, but as we start to investigate, we find that eternity will not exhaust the study of His love for man.

One of the things I learned when I got married was that every proclamation of love will be tested. What if your mate loses an arm or a leg; are you going to fall out of love with him or her? Love is a principle, and true love overcomes every obstacle.

The more I try to search out Christ, the less I understand what love is. God is love. “Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am; that they may behold My glory, which Thou hast given Me: for Thou lovedst Me before the foundation of the world.” Verse 24.

Christ wanted those whom the Father gave Him to be with Him. That is true love.

“Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. And when they saw Him, they worshipped Him: but some doubted.” Matthew 28:16, 17. Here was a Saviour who was crucified, sentenced to death, and was now once again with them, yet some doubted.

“And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” Verse 18. Giving the disciples the gospel commission, He said, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” Verses 19, 20.

“The time had come for Christ to ascend to His Father’s throne. As a divine conqueror He was about to return with the trophies of victory to the heavenly court. Before His death He had declared to His Father, ‘I have finished the work which Thou gavest Me to do.’ John 17:4.” The Desire of Ages, 829.

On the cross Christ said, “It is finished.” John 19:30. He declared that all the requirements to redeem the world had been met. He stated, “I have finished the work which Thou gavest Me to do.” John 17:4.

“After His resurrection He tarried on earth for a season, that His disciples might become familiar with Him in His risen and glorified body. Now He was ready for the leave-taking. He had authenticated the fact that He was a living Saviour. His disciples need no longer associate Him with the tomb. They could think of Him as glorified before the heavenly universe.” The Desire of Ages, 829.

Christ led His disciples to the Mount of Olives. He didn’t lead them to Mount Zion, where the devil said, “I will set my throne in the north, the city of the great king” (see Isaiah 14:12–14) that is representative of the city of the great King, God the Father. Christ was rejected in Mount Zion as their king. He did not take them to Mount Moriah, the site of the sanctuary where He was rejected as their priest. He avoided these two hallowed spots and went to where He often visited the house of His friend Lazarus, near the Mount of Olives. The Garden of Gethsemane was there, the place where He often found peace.

Christ ascended that Sunday morning. It was the feast of 50 days or what we call Pentecost. Christ had stayed with His disciples 40 days for them to get accustomed to Him as a risen Saviour. On that fortieth day, He led them to the top of the Mount of Olives. Of this, Ellen White wrote: “Now with the eleven disciples Jesus made His way toward the mountain. As they passed through the gate of Jerusalem, many wondering eyes looked upon the little company, led by One whom a few weeks before the rulers had condemned and crucified.” Ibid., 830.

As He led them up into the mountain, He passed through Gethsemane. One of the disciples’ biggest arguments or contentions throughout the three and a half years was who would be the greatest. But as He walked up to the Mount of Olives, through Gethsemane, not one of them was prideful or boastful, realizing that was the place where they all had deserted Him. All pride had been removed from them. It was almost a sense of guilt they felt, realizing their desertion. But Christ knew it would happen, and He foretold it. As they continued, Jesus talked to His disciples, teaching the same lessons that He had spoken to them for the past three and a half years.

As He reached the top of the mountain, and while still addressing the disciples, His face started to light up as He began to ascend. The disciples were amazed as they watched and strained to get even the last glimpse of Him.

A cloud of angels was waiting to welcome back their King. But even as that was happening, His heart was still with His disciples. He told them, “I want you to go to Jerusalem and wait” (see Luke 24:49). It took them ten days to come into one accord, working out their differences.

The Parallel Story

Invisible to the mortal eye was another scene in heaven. As Jesus departed from this earth and from the ones He loved, there were others patiently waiting for Him to welcome Him home.

“Christ had ascended to heaven in the form of humanity. The disciples had beheld the cloud receive Him. The same Jesus Who had walked and talked and prayed with them; Who had broken bread with them; Who had been with them in their boats on the lake; and Who had that very day toiled with them during the ascent of Olivet—the same Jesus had now gone to share His Father’s throne. And the angels had assured them that the very One whom they had seen go up into heaven, would come again even as He had ascended.” Ibid., 832.

I am sure those angels wanted to be part of that procession to welcome back their King. “These angels were of the company that had been waiting in a shining cloud to escort Jesus to His heavenly home. The most exalted of the angel throng, they were the two who had come to the tomb at Christ’s resurrection, and they had been with Him throughout His life on earth. With eager desire all heaven had waited for the end of His tarrying in a world marred by the curse of sin. The time had now come for the heavenly universe to receive their King. Did not the two angels long to join the throng that welcomed Jesus? But in sympathy and love for those whom He had left, they waited to give them comfort.” Ibid.

When the disciples went back to Jerusalem, they were expected to be sad, depressed, and broken, but what they saw was the absolute opposite. They were happy and joyous, because their Saviour was alive, and they knew now that He was at the right hand of God the Father pleading their cause.

“The disciples no longer had any distrust of the future. They knew that Jesus was in heaven, and that His sympathies were with them still. They knew that they had a friend at the throne of God, and they were eager to present their requests to the Father in the name of Jesus. In solemn awe they bowed in prayer, repeating the assurance, ‘Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in My name, He will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in My name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.’ John 16:23, 24. They extended the hand of faith higher and higher, with the mighty argument, ‘It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.’ Romans 8:34. And Pentecost brought them fullness of joy in the presence of the Comforter, even as Christ had promised.

“All heaven was waiting to welcome the Saviour to the celestial courts. As He ascended, He led the way, and the multitude of captives set free at His resurrection followed. The heavenly host, with shouts and acclamations of praise and celestial song, attended the joyous train.

“As they drew near to the city of God, the challenge is given by the escorting angels—

‘Lift up your heads, O ye gates;
And be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors;
And the King of glory shall come in.’

“Joyfully the waiting sentinels respond—

‘Who is this King of glory?’

“This they say, not because they know not Who He is, but because they would hear the answer of exalted praise—

‘The Lord strong and mighty,
The Lord mighty in battle!
Lift up your heads, O ye gates;
Even lift them up, ye everlasting doors;
And the King of glory shall come in.’

“Again is heard the challenge, ‘Who is this King of glory?’ for the angels never weary of hearing His name exalted. The escorting angels make reply—

‘The Lord of hosts;
He is the King of glory.’

Psalm 24:7–10.

“Then the portals of the city of God are opened wide, and the angelic throng sweep through the gates amid a burst of rapturous music.

“There is the throne, and around it the rainbow of promise. There are cherubim and seraphim. The commanders of the angel hosts, the sons of God, the representatives of the unfallen worlds, are assembled. The heavenly council before which Lucifer had accused God and His Son, the representatives of those sinless realms over which Satan had thought to establish his dominion—all are there to welcome the Redeemer. They are eager to celebrate His triumph and to glorify their King.” Ibid., 833, 834.

All this was going on while the disciples were getting themselves together into one accord. Normally you don’t hear about that parallel story. It is very important, because the church here had no clue what was happening in the heavenly courts. That is going to be repeated.

Paul says the things that are written are for our learning, and our admonition, and our instruction (Romans 15:4; I Corinthians 10:11; II Timothy 3:16). This is going to be repeated. When Christ was on earth, He was a Saviour—a Lamb. At His ascension He took on the role of High Priest.

When He takes the role as a King, mediation will cease. There will be no more a priest pleading for the people. He is returning as Christ the King. When He comes back the second time it will not be to invite people into the first apartment of the sanctuary. The devil is portraying Christ as coming back as a priest, which means that you can still confess your sins. But He is coming back as a King. When Michael (Christ) stands up and removes His priestly vestures and puts on His kingly robe, we need to take that seriously. At that time, all will have to live in the presence of God without a mediator. There will be no forgiveness for sin after that time.

“And I [John] saw in the right hand of Him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon. And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon. And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion [another name of King] of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. And I beheld, and lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain.” Revelation 5:1–6.

The individual who opens up the book is a King and Saviour. There is only One person Who fits that description.

“And He came and took the book out of the right hand of Him that sat upon the throne. And when He had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; and hast made us unto our God kings and priests; and we shall reign on the earth. And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands.” Verses 7–11.

This was a huge celebration. Christ ascends, there are a lot of beings, and there is a throne.

“But He waves them back. Not yet; He cannot now receive the coronet of glory and the royal robe. He enters into the presence of His Father. He points to His wounded head, the pierced side, the marred feet; He lifts His hands, bearing the print of nails. He points to the tokens of His triumph; He presents to God the wave sheaf, those raised with Him as representatives of that great multitude who shall come forth from the grave at His second coming. He approaches the Father, with Whom there is joy over one sinner who repents; Who rejoices over one with singing. Before the foundations of the earth were laid, the Father and the Son had united in a covenant to redeem man if he should be overcome by Satan. They had clasped their hands in a solemn pledge that Christ should become the surety for the human race. This pledge Christ has fulfilled. When upon the cross He cried out, ‘It is finished,’ He addressed the Father. The compact had been fully carried out. Now He declares: ‘Father, it is finished. I have done Thy will, O My God. I have completed the work of redemption. If Thy justice is satisfied …’ Here is our Mediator. If Thy justice is satisfied, ‘I will that they also, whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am.’ John 19:30; 17:24.” The Desire of Ages, 834.

Christ allowed His intentions to be known that His desire was that wherever He would be, those whom the Father had given to Him would be there also and He was going away to prepare that place.

The response came from the Father. “The voice of God is heard proclaiming that justice is satisfied. Satan is vanquished. Christ’s toiling, struggling ones on earth are ‘accepted in the Beloved.’ Ephesians 1:6.” Ibid.

Those who accept the gift of salvation are adopted into the Beloved “with joy unutterable.” Let’s go back a little bit. “Before the heavenly angels and the representatives of unfallen worlds, they are declared justified. Where He is, there His church shall be. ‘Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.’ Psalm 85:10. The Father’s arms encircles His Son, and the word is given, ‘Let all the angels of God worship Him.’ Hebrews 1:6.”

“With joy unutterable, rulers and principalities and powers acknowledge the supremacy of the Prince of life. The angel host prostrate themselves before Him, while the glad shout fills all the courts of heaven, ‘Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing.’ Revelation 5:12.” Ibid., 834.

John, the youngest of the disciples, in his old age, was shown a vision where Jesus explained to him the workings of the heavenly court. He heard somebody speaking to him: “And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks.” John saw Jesus doing the priestly work. He was in the first apartment of the sanctuary. “And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. His head and His hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and His eyes were as a flame of fire; And His feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and His voice as the sound of many waters.” Revelation 1:12–15.

The devil is going to come back with that description. Those who do not understand the workings of the earthly sanctuary will be deceived. The devil is going to personate Christ to deceive the world with a message of peace and safety and to forgive sins. The majority will say, “O, here comes our priest; our king is coming, and when he comes, He will cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” But, at the Second Advent, Jesus does not come to bring peace and safety or cleansing from sin, for the judgment is already completed before He comes.

In 1844, at the end of the 2,300 days prophesied by Daniel (Daniel 8:14), Christ moved into another apartment, the Most Holy Place where the ark of God is, where justice is combined with mercy. Justice is inside the ark—the Law of God. The mercy seat covers the law with the Shekinah glory. Justice and mercy meet in the Most Holy Place. God is both just and merciful. Jesus fulfilled justice by taking our place, suffering the second death for our sins. The plan of redemption has been completed and now there must be an investigation into those who are worthy of His atonement.

Do you really appreciate what God has done for you? Matthew 7:20 says, “Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.” You need to know yourself by your fruit. Do you truly appreciate what Christ has done? There are things that must be let go of to appreciate the sacrifice that was made. He says, “Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary.” Psalm 77:13.

Christ prayed, “Lord, I will that those whom thou hast given Me, be where I am.” Christ has ascended. That is where I want to be—with Him.

Bertrand Harry works for Steps to Life in the audio/video department.