unity

Unity and the Waymarks

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The servant of the Lord has told us that we must have unity or in the storm that is coming, we will be destroyed. In two previous articles, we have studied two of the prerequisites for unity—repentance and confession. “He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.” Proverbs 28:13

One of the reasons Historic Adventists all over the world are in trouble now is that there has been sin in spiritual Israel. But as soon as someone stands up and says: “To have a clear conscience, I have to speak out on this,” that person gets into trouble.

If we are going to be in harmony as a people, we are going to have to quit covering things up and repent of all sin. If there is lying or stealing or other forms of dishonesty, this must be repented of, confessed and forsaken. Departure from Bible truth must also be repented of, confessed and forsaken. When the early Adventists first learned the truth of the Sabbath, though they had been breaking it ignorantly, they were very sad. They not only repented and confessed it, but they started to live differently. Whenever anyone becomes involved in error, when it is pointed out, he must go to the Lord, repent, confess and forsake it. If others have been hurt by their teaching, they need to go to them and confess and tell them that they have forsaken their erroneous belief. If the offending person does not confess it, he must be separated from God’s professed people.

In this article we are going to consider the remaining two points that must be met in order for there to be unity between Historic Adventists today and the Seventh-day Adventist world church structure.

The third requirement is that there must be a reformation in the life of the person. See Desire of Ages, 555. After confession, as far as is in their power, they must make restitution. Ezekiel 33:15 says, “If the wicked…gives back what he has stolen…he shall surely live.” Full restitution is then the third step.

The fourth thing that must be done to prepare the way for unity is that there must be an agreement to stand together on the pillars of the truth that the Lord has given us. Unless all four of these things take place, there can never again be unity and harmony.

“If your faith in the Word of God is strengthened; if you will fully accept the truths that have called us out of the world and made us a people denominated by the Lord as His peculiar treasure; if you will unite with your brethren in standing by the old landmarks, then there will be unity.” Manuscript Releases, vol.11, 319 [Emphasis supplied] Notice that it is these truths that have brought about unity.

In Adventism in the last days, it is only those who stand by the landmarks, on the platform of truth, who can be truly united. The people who reject the Spirit of Prophecy and preach new theology are all confused. Though they may have an outward union, they will never have true unity.

“God is leading out a people to stand in perfect unity upon the platform of eternal truth.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 9, 311

“We are one in faith in the fundamental truths of God’s Word. And one object must be kept in view constantly; that is, harmony and cooperation must be maintained without compromising one principle of truth. And while constantly digging for the truth as for hidden treasure, be careful how you open new and conflicting opinions. We have a worldview message. The commandments of God and the testimonies of Jesus Christ are the burden of our work.” Counsels to Writers and Editors, 79

Notice that in giving counsel in how we may have unity, she says, “Be careful how you introduce new and conflicting opinions.” We are to be united on the fundamental truths of God’s Word, and if we have new light, there are ways that the new light can be introduced to the church. In Historic Adventism, we must get back to gospel order or the devil is going to destroy us. There is a right way and a wrong way to introduce new light. We are never going to have unity if we all go off on our own ways.

Some people think that we just preach on anything that comes into our mind. That is absolutely not true. There are many things that we use great restraint in preaching or teaching because we want to move in harmony and unity with the body of God’s people. There are many scriptures that I have studied and I am very interested in understanding, but that I do not preach about. They are not the scriptures of primary importance for the world to understand right now. The messages that are critical for the world to understand at this point in time are the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation and especially the three angels’ messages.

When we find some precious new light in scripture, we should not be sending it all over the world before we have sought counsel. If you are going to an Historic Seventh-day Adventist Church, even if you are absolutely sure that what you have found is truth, until you have counseled with some other experienced brother, prayed about it and come to a unity of opinion, you should not present it publicly. Suppose that after you have presented it to the brethren, the brothers say, “Well, I just don’t know.” Then you might want to talk it over with some leaders or minister in historic Adventism.

There are many scriptures that are interesting to study which we do not have unity of opinion on right now. I can continue to enjoy studying them and, if the Lord wills, one of these days soon maybe we can have a Bible conference or two on some of these scriptures. We need to get together like they did in the Bible conferences in 1848 and kneel down, pray and study the Word and come to unity of understanding among the brethren before we introduce something, even though we may be very sure of opinion.

To have unity in Historic Adventism, we must be united on what the Bible calls “present truth.” See 2 Peter 1:12. One of the great reasons for the lack of unity in Adventism today is that some people who call themselves Seventh-day Adventists have gotten away from present truth.

“The oneness and unity of God’s truth-believing remnant people carries powerful conviction to the world that they have the truth, and are the peculiar, chosen people of God. This oneness and unity disconcerts the enemy, and he is determined that it shall not exist. The present truth, believed in the heart and exemplified in the life, makes God’s people one, and gives them a powerful influence.” Testimonies, vol. 1, 327

There are some timeless truths. Since the Fall, it has always been true that if you are going to be saved, you can only be saved through the blood of Christ’s sacrifice. But there are other truths that are present truth—truth for a certain time. There was a present truth in the time of Noah; there was a present truth in the time of Christ and the apostles; and there was present truth in Martin Luther’s time. There has been present truth in every generation of God’s people—and there is present truth today.

What is present truth today? How about the three angel’s messages? Were the three angel’s messages preached in the time of the apostle Paul? No, that prophecy was not even given yet. Were they preached in the time of Martin Luther? No, they were not. It was not present truth then. The three angel’s messages began to be preached in the 1840s. Since then, and all the way to the close of time, the three angel’s messages are present truth.

Now, to understand the three angel’s messages, there are some other truths that we could also call present truth. In the three angel’s messages in Revelation 12:14 it says, “Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God.” Can you be called a commandment keeper if you break one? No, you cannot because it says in James 2:10, if you keep the whole law but you break one, you are guilty of all. So, you cannot be called a commandment keeper unless you keep all of God’s commandments. Is the Sabbath part of present truth? Yes, it is.

Then you have in the fist angel’s message that the hour of God’s judgment is come. What information do you have to know to be able to say to the whole world with a loud voice that the hour of God’s judgment has come. You have got know that the judgment has already started. How do you know for sure that it has started? There is only one way that you can determine that for certain, and that is from Hebrews 8 and 9 and Daniel 8 and 9.

Daniel 8 tells you that the judgment will begin in 1844. Here you have the subject of the sanctuary. You cannot understand that the hour of God’s judgment has come without an understanding of the sanctuary. If you forsake the doctrine of the sanctuary, you have forsaken present truth. When this happens, unity is impossible. The only people who are going to be united at the end of time are the Historic Adventists who hang on to present truth. Everybody else is going to be in all kinds of confusion. They can call themselves Seventh-day Adventists or anything they choose to, but if they do not hold to present truth, there can be no unity. When you start forsaking present truth, you lose the unity. That is why we have confusion now, and we will never, never have unity again until we come back and stand on present truth.

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

If we would all make the decision that when God commands something, that would be the end of all controversy, we would have unity.

Ellen White says that historically God sent a message to Christendom that would have brought unity, if they had accepted it.

“The first angel’s message of Revelation 14, announcing the hour of God’s judgment and calling upon men to fear and worship Him, was designed to separate the professed people of God from the corrupting influences of the world and to arouse them to see their true condition of worldliness and backsliding. In this message [preached in the United States by William Miller and his cohorts], God has sent to the church a warning, which, had it been accepted, would have corrected the evils that were shutting them away from Him. Had they received the message from heaven, humbling their hearts before the Lord and seeking in sincerity a preparation to stand in His presence, the Spirit and power of God would have been manifested among them. The church would again have reached that blessed state of unity, faith, and love which existed in apostolic days, when the believers ‘were of one heart and one of soul,’ and ‘spake the Word of God with boldness,’ when ‘the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.’ Acts 4:32,31; 2:47.” The Great Controversy, 379

Do you realize what this statement is saying? If the first angel’s message had been accepted, it would have brought the church back to the condition it was in the days of the apostles. Do you suppose that this message could still bring unity in the 1990s?

The people who are destroying the unity in the Seventh-day Adventist Church are not the Historic Adventists. It is the people who are trying to change our doctrines! It is the people who no longer believe in the two apartment sanctuary, who no longer believe in 1844, who no longer believe that you can overcome sin and who no longer know who Babylon is. If you do not understand these things, how can you even call yourself a Seventh-day Adventist?

Satan has a goal for Seventh-day Adventists, and I leave it with you to decide whether or not he has had any success.

“This is intended as a warning to the people of God living in the last days. If they follow after righteousness and true holiness, if they keep all the commandments of God, Satan and his agents will not be permitted to overcome them. All the opposition of their bitterest foes will prove powerless to destroy or uproot the vine of God’s own planting, Satan understands what Balaam learned by sad experience, that there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither divination against Israel, while iniquity is not cherished among them; therefore his power and influence will ever be employed to mar their unity and defile the purity of their characters. His snares are laid in a thousand ways to weaken their power for good.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 599

If we will cling to the truth and live the truth, if we will follow after righteousness and true holiness, there is no way that the devil can overcome us. The devil understands this much better than we do. There is no divination against Israel, there is no enchantment against Jacob, there is no way that he can overcome the people of God, and he knows this. That is why he is laying traps and snares to try to get us to trip up into sin so that our unity will be marred and our characters defiled so he can destroy us. This is one of the reasons why at Historic Adventist meetings there is so much emphasis on how to overcome sin. When God’s people understand how to overcome sin and they are standing on the truth and are united, the devil knows that there is no way that he can overcome us. He is trying to divide us up, split us up into all kinds of factions, get us arguing or quarreling over anything imaginable so that our unity can be broken up and our characters defiled so that he can destroy us.

There are many people today who are separationists. I want to share with you who the real separationists are. I want you to see how important this is.

Speaking of those who forsake the historic Adventist teaching on the sanctuary, Ellen White said, “But on no other platform than that which the Lord has laid can we unite with them. Never could we combine on any other basis. The foundation has been laid and all who will take their stand upon this platform, uniting wholeheartedly with the Lord’s people, will be made welcome with rejoicing. But we cannot unite with those who choose to take their stand upon another foundation.” Manuscript Releases vol. 760, 5

“There is to be a decided change in those who have kept up their warfare against the principles delivered to us by the Lord. Truth is truth, and righteousness is righteousness. To those who have separated in principle from true believers, choosing their own course, the word is spoken, ‘Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.’ There is to be unity, but it is to be on the right basis.” Ibid.

Now, who are the real separationists? She calls them the people who have separated in principle from the true believers—the people who have forsaken the true doctrines, the present truth, the fundamental doctrines, the platform which God has made for His people. In Early Writings, the three angels’ messages are called a firm platform and the angel pronounced a curse upon anyone who tried to move a pin or a block in those messages. The people who leave the truth—the three angels’ messages, the sanctuary and the commandments of God and the ability to overcome sin through the grace of Christ—are the separationists.

It is time to think straight, friends. You need to recognize that it is those people who have separated from the truth who are in the business of labeling those who have stayed with the truth, separationists, when just the opposite of what they say is true.

There are some times and situations in which God has forbidden us to attempt to unify with others. I would like to mention three situations.

  • We are not to unify with those who are departing from the faith.
  • We are not to unify on wrong practices.
  • We are not to attempt to unify on a platform of error.

Are we willing to have unity with the entire world church? Absolutely, but there are four requirements—repentance, confession, restitution and a willingness to stand together on the truth, the truth that God has given to Seventh-day Adventists.

Ellen White has told us that this unity cannot occur in a moment. It takes prayer, time, and discussion together. When unity comes, however, it will give more force to our evangelistic preaching than anything else we can do. When we come into perfect unity, we are going to see miracles, the sick healed among us and many wonderful things. Is it worth working toward?

Like a great sweeping tidal wave, there are people around the world who are recognizing that we must get together and work together as Historic Adventists to finish the work—we must have perfect unity. The will of God demands it. The sacrifice of Jesus demands it. For the work to be finished, it must happen. If it is your desire that there be perfect unity in God’s people, let the prayer of your heart be, “Lord, any change that there has to be in my mind, my body, my spirit or anything about my life, show me what it is and give me the grace to do it.”

The Four Prerequisites for Unity

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Surrounded by the eleven men who were going to be responsible for taking the gospel of His grace to the whole world, Jesus offered the prayer for them that we find recorded in John 17. This prayer, however, is not for those eleven men alone, because verse 20 says; “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word.” All who believe in Jesus are included, because we only know of Him through the testimony of these men.

Jesus continues: “That they all may be one, as You, father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.” All the way to the end of His prayer inverse 26, the primary point for which Jesus expressed great concern was that there might be unity among His people.

Unity is not just something that is important; it is something the must take place before Jesus comes again. It is so important that Ellen White has told us that if we do not press together in unity, we will be destroyed.

In studying this subject, I have found that a number of areas are included. In this article we will explore two of them.

From time to time, I have been asked to meet with various individuals in administration in the Seventh-day Adventist Church organization. While I would be glad to meet with these men, I cannot do it unless some conditions are met. We can have no unity with the various branches of the organization until four things have first taken place. The first two areas which we sill consider in this article, are repentance and confession.

What do we need to repent of? We need to repent for having wandered into doctrinal error, or heresy. There was a time when the head of our medical work, Dr. John Harvey Kellogg, wandered into some theological positions that were not sound. Not only were they not sound, they would have destroyed Adventism had they been accepted, as was pointed out by Ellen White.

“I leave this matter as it now stand; for I am pained beyond measure because our brother’s spiritual views ate not founded on a solid basis. The man can never be relied upon in the future, unless heart and soul, mind and strength, are entirely changed, revamped. As matters now stand, I can not see how there can be Christian unity between the medical missionary work as led by those in error, and the gospel ministry. There can be no unity without a decided change in the one who has stood as leader of our medical work.” Series B, 7,54 [All emphasis supplied.]

Notice that she said that he could never be trusted in the future. It is no different today. When a minister or leader wanders into doctrinal heresy, he can not be trusted unless he decides to repent of his error and that fact has been demonstrated by a full confession. Our problem is that we have grown up in a public relations era where people believe that you can smooth everything over with a veneer and after a time everyone will forget and life can go on, but this is not the gospel.

Because of their desire for harmony, many people are tempted to seek a type of unity with those whom they know to be in error. The devil wants us to harmonize with error, but there is a grave danger in doing so, and we must not do it.

“Oh, how deceptive is the human heart! How easy it is to harmonize with that which is evil! There is nothing more detrimental to the soul’s interest, its purity, its true and holy conceptions of God, and of sacred and eternal things, than constantly giving heed to and exalting that which is not form God. It poisons the heart, and degrades the understanding.” Selected Messages, book 2, 78

What does it mean to repent? In the Greek language, the word for repentance comes form a word that means a change of mind. In other word, you change your mind about sin, and when repentance is genuine, you will change you life. That is why we are told that genuine repentance is followed by reformation. See The Desire of Ages, 555. If there is no reformation in the life, then there has not been true repentance.

If, however, we are too proud to confess, if we are too proud to repent, we can never come into unity.

It is so easy for people who have been Christians for a long time, and have not been living openly immoral lives, to think that somehow they no longer need to confess. This is especially true of those in positions of trust. Minister, however, need to study the subject of repentance and confession just as much as anyone else, and maybe more, because their position makes repentance and confession so much more difficult to do.

“If when the Lord reveals your errors you do not repent or make confession, His providence will bring you over the ground again and again. You will be left to make mistakes of a similar character, you will continue to lack wisdom, and will call sin righteousness, and righteousness sin. The multitude of deceptions that will prevail in these last days will encircle you, [she is talking to ministers here] and you will change leaders, and not know that you have done so.

“I ask you who are handling sacred things, I ask the individual members of the church, Have you confessed your sins?” Review and Herald, December 16, 1890

It is a dangerous thing, when God reveals to a person something in their life that is wrong, for that person not to accept it with repentance and confession. When this takes place, the thinking becomes distorted so that sin appears as righteousness and righteousness as sin. It is even possible for a minister to continue preaching and call himself a Seventh-day Adventist, but to have changed leaders without realizing it. Instead of following Christ, he has become a part of Satan’s organization.

Confession is absolutely vital and of all people, ministers should be the most diligent to be sure that their sins are repented of and confessed.

“Confess your faults to one another, that you may be healed. How many there are who are carrying a load of unconfessed wrongdoing. They try to shape matters so that their dignity will not be hurt. To make wrongs right from the very first departure, looks to them like extinguishing themselves.” Signs of the Times, October 30, 1901

Where am I to go back to, to get things made right? To the very first departure from the right. This is a critical point to understand when you want to have unity. Some people ask, “Why can’t we all just all get together?”

Before we can get together in unity, we are going to have to go back to where the departure was and make it right.

Let me just give and illustration that has to do with this. Have you ever had somebody ask you, “Why can’t you just associate and fellowship with the Seventh-day Baptists? What is the difference?” Oh, there is a big difference between Seventh-day Baptists and Seventh-day Adventists. The difference is that in the 1840s, the Seventh-day Baptists did not accept the first angel’s message. When you do not accept the first angel’s message, you are not in a position to accept the second angel’s message. If you do not accept the second angel’s message, you are no in a position to accept the third angel’s messages which are present truth for today.

I worked with and evangelist once who told me that when you are explaining something sensitive, always put it on the other foot. Do not every make the person you are talking with appear in a bad light. If you are talking with Methodists, do not talk about the Methodists, talk about the Baptists or some other group, or the person to whom you are speaking is very apt to take it personally and you will have a barrier of prejudice to overcome before you can reach them. I just followed that principle. I have not talked to you about Seventh-day Adventists, but if you follow this principle through, it applies in Adventism.

“Men have in their minds justified the course that was then taken. They have viewed things, from beginning to end, in a altogether false light; and form the present showing, the same course will be followed in the future.” Spalding-Magan Collection, 178

These words are part of an appeal to our leading ministers to repent and confess of what we had done wrong. Some people urge charity and express a concern that it is hurtful to those involved to discuss these things, but notice what we are told about true charity.

“True charity never covers up unrepented and unconfessed sins.” Signs of the Times, May 11, 1876

“While we should manifest Christian courtesy, we are authorized to call sin and sinners by their right names—that this is consistent with true charity. While we are to love the souls for whom Christ died, and labor for their salvation, we should not make a compromise with sin. We are not to unite with the rebellious, and call this charity. God requires His people in this age of the world to stand, as did john in his time, unflinchingly for the right, in opposition to soul destroying errors.” Sanctified Life, 65

Some people believe that it is wrong to name names, but that is not what we are told by inspiration. It is necessary that they be named so that other people will no be led astray. We are to call sin and sinners by their right name and appeal to them to repent. We are to denounce what they are doing so that the Holy Spirit can convict their minds to repent and confess their sins, because we are very close to the time when there will longer be an opportunity to confess our sin, to repent.

Friend, in Adventism today, there is a lot to repent of and much to confess, but there can never be unity unless these steps are first followed.

“When Brother G once takes a position on the wrong side, it is not easy for him to confess that he has error; but if he can let his wrong course pass out of his mind and pass from the memory of others, and he can make some changes for the better without an open acknowledgement of his wrong, he will do so. But all these errors and unconfessed sins stand registered in heaven and will not be blotted out until he complies with the directions given in the word of God: ‘Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed.’” Testimonies, vol. 4, 241

Do you see what it is that is blocking us from having unity? Can we deny that there has been scheming and prevarication in Adventism in the last few years? These things make unity impossible.

“He would teach His people that disobedience and sin are exceedingly offensive to Him and are not to be lightly regarded. He shows us that when His people are found in sin they should at once take decided measures to put that sin from them, that His frown may not rest upon them all. Bur if the sins of the people are passed over by those in responsible positions, His frown will be upon them, and the people of God, as a body, will be held responsible for those sins.” Testimonies, vol. 3, 265

The plain, straight testimony must live in the church, or the curse of God will rest upon His people as surely as it did upon ancient Israel because of their sins. God holds his people, as a body, responsible for the sins existing in individuals among them. If the leaders of the church neglect to diligently search our the sins which bring the displeasure of God upon the body, they become responsible for these sins.” Ibid. 269

Now, friends, if you understand very much at all about church history, that statement should put a great load on you. Do you have any idea of some of the things that have happened in Adventism that, as far as I can find out, have never been repented of or confessed?

What was happening in the 50s, 60s, and 70s?

Remember when the book Questions on Doctrine came out in the 1950s, introducing heresy?

Remember what took place in the Mary Kay Silvers case in the 1970s? Was it right? We have been defending it ever since. I have a whole booklet in my library defending what we did. I read the booklet and then read the accounts of what had happened and when I finished, I said, “It was not right.”

Somebody may say, “Well, she did this, that and the other.” It does not matter what the other person has done. You don not have to answer for what she did, but if we were a member of the organization at that time, we are going to have to answer for what we have don, or allowed others to do in our church, without protest. I think we have more repenting and confessing to do than many of us have ever imagined. I think that if we want to be ready for the Lord to come, we had better figure out what we are going to do and start doing something about everything that comes to our notice.

In the 1980s there was John Marik who was put in prison for religious reasons. This action was initiated by the General Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, and I have paper work confirming this. That was a sin, friends, and what we did is registered in the book of heaven.

The first thing that is essential to unity is repentance.

Someone may ask, “Pastor John, are you speaking only about the organization?” No, I am not denying that there may be things for which I need to repent. If there are blind spots in my character that I do not see, for which I need to repent, then someone among god’s people who loves me needs to point them out to me, so that I can repent. Unity will never be obtained without repentance, and true repentance will always be followed by confession.

“All sin unrepented of and unconfessed will remain upon the books of record. It will not be blotted out, it will not go beforehand to judgement, to be canceled by the atoning blood of Jesus. The accumulated sins of every individual will be written with absolute accuracy.” Review and Herald, March 27, 1888

We are living in the Day of Atonement. Are you reviewing your life? Are you asking, “Lord, did I think a thought , speak a word or do anything today that was not pleasing in Your sight?”

If you will begin the process of repenting and confessing your faults and mistakes, you will find that it becomes progressively easier. It is certainly humbling, but as with many difficult things, it is always hardest at first.

Some of you may feel overwhelmed as you consider the formidable task before you and be tempted to say, “pastor John, if I follow your advice on repenting and confessing of sin, I would not even get all my sins repented of and confessed before the Lord comes; there are too many!” but, god is the One who said this and if you co not know how to get it all done, you had better talk to Him about it. All I can do is share with you what the Lord said. Ask the Lord to help you to get it done. The sooner you get started, the sooner you will finish.

About this time, one of the questions that makes people very nervous is, “What if I cannot remember? Am I then shut out of the kingdom of heaven?”

The Bible says: “For if there is first a willing mind, it is accepted according to what one has, and not according to what he does not have.” 2 Corinthians 8:12. If you have a willingness in your mind and will make a commitment with the Lord, the Holy Spirit will point out to you what you need to do to be right with God. The problem is not with our memories because god can supply our deficiencies. The real problem is that we need to have a mind that is willing to make things right.

“There are those who are supposed to be excellent men, but they have some flaw in their character which, under special temptation, becomes as a dead fly in the ointment. The whole character will be perverted by one unconfessed sin.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 13, 190

If we allow one sin in our life that is not confessed and repented of, that one sin will flaw the entire character. In Testimonies, vol. 5, 53, we are told that one sin will neutralize all the power of the gospel.

Ellen White once wrote to an elderly person who was living in sin, but who had not long to live. She said, “The sands of your life are nearly run out, and now if you will come to God just as you are, without one plea but that He has died to save the chiefest of sinners you will find pardon even in this the eleventh hour.” Testimonies on Sexual Behavior, Adultery, and Divorce, 133

Oh, friend, whatever your situation, whatever the sin in your life, even if it is the eleventh hour of your life, you can come to Jesus and repent and confess and find forgiveness for your sin. The gospel is a wonderful thing. Not only can you find forgiveness from your sins, but you can find power to live a new life, to no longer live in sin.

“Christ did not die to have power to cover transgression unrepented of and unconfessed. Not all sins are to be confessed publicly, but some are to be confessed alone to God and the parties that have been injured.” Ibid.

We need to pray: “Lord whatever You have to do with me to prepared me for heaven, whatever experience I have to go through, whatever trial, whatever happens, please, Lord, do not let me die in sin.” If you die with your mistakes concealed and unconfessed, you are lost.

“The mansions that Jesus has gone to prepare for all who love Him, will be peopled by those who are free from sin. But sins that are not confessed will never be forgiven; the name of him who thus rejects the grace of God will be blotted out of the book of life.” Ibid.

Friend, I am willing for you to correct me on anything that you can find from inspired writings, but if I am correct, we have a lot more repenting and confessing to do than most of us have ever had any idea of and we had better pray and ask the Lord to help us to get it done. We are either going to confess it now, or after the millennium. By the grace of God, let us begin now.

The End

Editorial – Receiving The Latter Rain

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The message of the Loud Cry is given in Revelation 18:1-5, and constitutes the final warning of mercy to be given to the inhabitants of this fallen world before Jesus can come. The Loud Cry is not something that will drop like a bomb, rather it is something which will swell like a giant tidal wave. “The truth for this time, the third angel’s message, is to be proclaimed with a loud voice, meaning with increasing power, as we approach the great final test….The present truth for this time comprises the messages, the third angel’s message succeeding the first and the second. The presentation of this message with all it embraces is our work. We stand as the remnant people in these last days to promulgate the truth and swell the cry of the third angel’s wonderful distinct message, giving the trumpet a certain sound. Eternal truth, which we have adhered to from the beginning, is to be maintained in all its increasing importance to the close of probation. The trumpet is to give no uncertain sound.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 9, 291

One of the greatest privileges that God can give to anyone is that of being of this last generation, sharing in the latter rain, and the giving of the Loud Cry to a world perishing in sin. One of the great reasons why we must press together and seek for unity of spirit and doctrine is that the Loud Cry will not be given by groups of people teaching conflicting views of the prophecies, of how to be saved, and other doctrines. We must be unified before we can be used by God to give the Loud Cry.

Sadly, the vast majority of professed Seventh-day Adventists will be unable to recognize either the latter rain or the loud cry. “Many have in a great measure failed to receive the former rain. They have not obtained all the benefits that God has thus provided for them. They expect that the lack will be supplied by the latter rain. When the richest abundance of grace shall be bestowed, they intend to open their hearts to receive it. They are making a terrible mistake….Only those who are living up to the light they have will receive greater light. Unless we are daily advancing in the exemplification of the active Christian virtues, we shall not recognize the manifestations of the Holy Spirit in the latter rain. It may be falling on hearts all around us, but we shall not discern or receive it.” Testimonies to Ministers, 507

Unless we are under the influence of the Holy Spirit, we will be controlled by another spirit and will not recognize what is taking place until it is too late.

“In the manifestation of that power which lightens the earth with the glory of God, they see only something which in their blindness they think dangerous, something which will arouse their fears, and they will brace themselves to resist it. Because the Lord does not work according to their ideas and expectations, they will oppose the work. ‘Why,’ they say, ‘should not we know the Spirit of God, when we have been in the work so many years?’—because they did not respond to the warnings, the entreaties of the messages of God, but persistently said, ‘I am rich, and increased in goods, and have need of nothing.’” Review and Herald-Extra, December 23, 1890

It is the enemy’s avowed purpose to keep God’s people from coming into the unity for which Jesus prayed. “There is nothing that Satan fears so much as that the people of God shall clear the way by removing every hindrance, so that the Lord can pour out His Spirit upon a languishing church and an impenitent congregation. If Satan had his way, there would never be another awakening, great or small, to the end of time. But we are not ignorant of his devices. It is possible to resist his power. When the way is prepared for the Spirit of God, the blessing will come.” Selected Messages, book 1, 124

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 must make it manifest that we are not only Bible readers but Bible believers, and cooperate with Christ in fostering the spirit of unity. It is to meet this need for unity that Historic Adventist Landmarks was brought into perfect unity of doctrine and spirit so that we can be ready to be part of that army who will give the Loud Cry and stand through the last great test.

The Initial Steps Toward Unity

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The messenger of the Lord to the remnant church has told us explicitly that unless we press together, we will be destroyed in the storm that is coming. See Signs of the Times, October 31, 1900. Unity is not something that is just nice to study about; it has to do with your survival.

“Our only hope of reaching heaven is to be one with Christ.” Upward Look, 141. Therefore, the most important unity that we need to seek is to be one with Jesus. Unless we are one with Christ, we have no chance of being saved. If we are one with Jesus, Ellen White continues, “then, in and through Christ, we shall be one with one another.” Ibid. As we come closer to Christ, we come closer to one another.

The Christian world today is seeking for unity, but they do not know how to find it. One of these days very soon, they will believe they have finally achieved it and that the whole world is in unity. See Maranatha, 209. The whole world is going to think that they are in unity, but their harmony will be with the Antichrist.

Unity is a primary subject of Jesus’ prayer in John 17; how we might be one with him. If I am not in harmony with Jesus on something, who do you think should change his mind? The Bible is crystal clear on this subject. “For I am the Lord I do not change.” Malachi 3:6. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.” Hebrews 13:8. What Jesus said when He was here almost 2,000 years ago, is still what He thinks; it is still what He believes; it is still what He is like. He is the same; His character has not varied. So, if I want true unity with Jesus I must study what He is like, as recorded in his word. Then, as we come into unity with Jesus, we will come into unity with each other.

Coming into unity is like a jigsaw puzzle—it has more than one piece and we cannot look at all the pieces at once. Right now, however, we will look at one of the initial pieces, a first step toward coming into unity.

You cannot imitate or emulate someone if you do not know what they are like. Therefore, we want to study to understand what Jesus is like. Though I do not spend a lot of time giving my opinions when preaching, I am going to share one of my personal opinions with you. As I have studied the life of Jesus, it does not appear to me that there are very many Seventh-day Adventists who know what Jesus is really like.

There are many people coming to historic Adventist preachers and saying: “You should not do that, or you should not say that; it is not Christlike.” When I hear that, the first question that comes into my mind is simply this: How do you know that it is not Christlike? I personally believe that there are many Seventh-day Adventists telling us those things who have no idea what Jesus is like.

In Hebrews 1, we see a text that graphically tells us in just a few words, something about what Jesus is like. “But unto the son He saith [This is the Father speaking to the Son and He addresses Him as God—One equal in authority with the Father.] ‘Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom. You have loved righteousness.’” Hebrews 1:8-9. Jesus loves what? Righteousness!

We cannot generate love. Love is a precious gift that we receive from Jesus. See Ministry of Healing, 358. If we are to become like Jesus, coming into unity and harmony with Him, we must learn to love righteousness just as He does.

A few years ago I read a story of a beautiful young lady who experienced an automobile accident. Not having her seat belt on, she was thrown through the windshield of her car. Though she survived, her face was badly disfigured. As a result of her change in appearance, her husband divorced her. He had married a beautiful face and when that face was no longer there, there was nothing to hold the marriage together.

What is called love in the world today is often nothing short of selfishness. There are many people who have been married for years but who have never really loved each other. They have gotten married because of what the other person could do for them, and that is not godly love at all.

It took me a long time to learn that I did not have the ability to generate love of any kind, not even for my wife. But, Jesus’ heart is full of love, and He wants you to have that love. His final request in his last prayer, recorded in John 17, is that He would be in his followers and that this love would be in them.

Jesus loves righteousness, and if we ask him for this precious gift of love, he will give it to us. See Romans 8:32.

What is righteousness? Sometimes the easiest way to explain an idea is to express it in opposite terms. What is unrighteousness? In 1 John 5:17, we are told that all unrighteousness is sin. And, what is sin? “Sin is the transgression of the law.” 1John 3:4. Then what is righteousness? It is being in harmony with the law.

Did you know that there are things Jesus hates? Though there are some people who do not seem to believe this anymore, Hebrews 1:9 (last part) tells us that Jesus not only loves, but that He hates as well. So, if you are really going to be like Jesus Christ, you are not only going to have love in your heart, but you also have hatred there. Notice what it says in Hebrews 1:9 “You have hated lawlessness.” (NKJV)

Another text that also reveals this hatred is Psalm 87:10, “You who love the Lord hate evil.”

Some people think that they should just put up with everything, but Jesus is not like that. Jesus is not like that. Jesus and His father have decided that lawlessness is something that they are going to obliterate because they hate it. If you love Jesus, you will also hate lawlessness, especially when you realize that it was this lawlessness—this sin—that caused Jesus to go to the cross. You cannot love Jesus and something that caused Him to go to the cross. That is why Ellen White tells us that, even though those who teach people to break God’s laws may consider themselves Christians, God considers that they hate Him.

The first angel’s message says to fear God.

What does it mean to fear God? For one thing, it means to hate evil. “The fear of the Lord is to hate evil.” Proverbs 8:13. This idea that we can just live a good life, setting a good example, is not enough. If we are really going to be Christlike, we must not only love righteousness, but we must hate lawlessness. We will never achieve Christian unity until we hate lawlessness as much as we love righteousness.

So, what are you to do in a world of evil, among people who profess to follow the Lord, but are not living righteously. The first step that must be taken before we can have Christian unity is that someone is going to have to stand up and attack the evil? It is not enough just to teach the truth; not enough just to set a good example. It is not enough to be loving and kind; you must attack evil. Now we will see the evidence for this from the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy.

In about the 1920s, Julius Gilbert White wrote a manuscript called The Alpha and the Omega of Apostasy. In this book he accurately describes a departure from truth that was then taking place in Adventism, and that I have seen during my whole lifetime. The result of this departure from truth is the great apostasy that we see in the church today; the greatest apostasy that has ever been seen in the 6,000 years of this world’s history, except perhaps at the time of the flood.

“Those who reject the apostasy [he is speaking to Adventists] will be severely charged with criticism because they will protest against it. [Have you ever been accused of being too critical?] A great effort has been made for a long time to eliminate ‘criticism.’” The Alpha and the Omega of Apostasy, 57

What is it that he says has been going on for a long time? “A great effort has been made for a long time to eliminate criticism.” Remember now, this was written in the 1920s. This plot of the devil was laid a long time ago.

“It [criticism] has been terribly condemned far and near in sermons, articles, conventions, institutes, camp meetings and conferences. Honest protest has been stifled and suppressed by branding it ‘criticism’ and then condemning it. A distinction must be made between ‘protest and criticism.’ For if not, no voice can be raised against wrong! Pernicious criticism is a wicked thing, and ought to be confessed and forsaken. Criticism of men is that bad. But there is another side to this question of criticism.

“If men have gone so far in criticism that they criticize the work of the Spirit of God and the messages from the Spirit of God and denounce those who are maintaining those messages as having the spirit of the devil, that would come terribly close to being a sin against the Holy Spirit and would call for alarm and utter humiliation and abasement before such men should dare lift up their heads and ask God for the gift of His Holy Spirit in the latter rain.

“This criticism of the work of the Spirit of God is more heinous and disastrous to ourselves and to the work of God than is criticism of men.

“If leaders so criticize the Spirit of Prophecy that men are moved by the Spirit of God to protest against such apostasy, there must be a distinction made between such protest and evil criticism. When men are in the wrong and do not see it and God sends brethren to counsel them and they persist in denouncing such counsel as unjust criticism, they are indeed in a great delusion, and it is most difficult for God to reach them.

“According to Inspiration, there will be various voices in the church from this time forward till after the shaking is over. There will be false reformations that will sweep in thousands; there will be great worldliness and there will be those who ‘sigh and cry’ over the condition of the church as God sees it, and these will reprove and warn and ‘will not hold their peace to obtain the favor of any.’ (See Testimonies, vol. 5,209).” Ibid., 58,59

Ellen White here describes two groups of people. One group of people put a cloak over the existing iniquity, but another group will not hold their peace for anyone. They are going to protest. Now, if you would like to know who is sealed and who is not, you need to read the rest of the chapter.

There have been times in the past when God has sent people to attack evil. Concerning these people, Ellen White says, “They have ever been received with distrust and suspicion.” Testimonies, vol. 3, 261. Anciently, when Elijah was sent with a message from God, the people did not heed the warning. They thought him unnecessarily severe.

Today, someone says, “Do you have to state it so strongly?” Yes, I do, in order to have a clear conscience.

“They [children of Israel] even thought that he must have lost his senses.” What did they think about Elijah? They thought he had gone crazy! Why? “Because he denounced them, the favored people of God, as sinners and their crimes as so aggravated that the judgments of God would awaken against them.” Ibid. (All emphasis supplied.) Many people have never noticed this.

Is there to be an Elijah message to the church just before the end? Do you know what the Elijah message is? It is a lot different than what many people have thought. Very soon the judgements of God are going to fall on apostate Seventh-day Adventists and it is going to be worse than you can imagine. It is necessary to preach a message that will shake people right down to their toes and make them realize that if they do not change their ways they will be in worse trouble than they can imagine.

“Oh,” somebody says, “Pastor John, Jesus would never do anything like that.” Well, did Jesus approve of what Elijah did or not? Who was inspiring Elijah to denounce them? Many people think that anybody that does anything like that is the devil’s instrument, but according to the Spirit of Prophecy, Elijah was the Lord’s instrument. He denounced them because he was Christlike and was filled with the Holy Spirit.

“They abhorred not the sins which had brought them under the chastening rod, but hated the faithful prophet, God’s instrument, to denounce their sins and calamity.” Review and Herald, September 23, 1873

“But,” someone will say, “don’t you realize that we must respect our leaders?” Well, let me tell you, Elijah did not. “The prophet, as God’s messenger, had reproved their sins, and denounced the judgments of God because of their wickedness. Elijah, standing alone in conscious innocence, firm in his integrity, surrounded by the train of armed men, shows no timidity, neither does he show the least reverence to the king. The man whom God has talked with, who has a clear sense of how God regards man in his sinful depravity, has no apology to make to Ahab, nor homage to give him. Elijah, now as God’s messenger, commanded, and Ahab obeyed at once the command, as though Elijah was monarch, and he subject.” Ibid., September 30, 1873

There is a time when a rebuke must be given; and when God’s people are in apostasy, if God’s messengers do not stand up and rebuke it and reprove it, we will lose our own souls.

There was a time in the New Testament when there was perfect unity. It says in Acts 2:1 that they were all of one accord in one place. That is going to happen again. I long for it and want to be part of it, but do you know that that unity which they enjoyed would never have come to pass without the cross and the resurrection? Now the cross and the resurrection would not have done for the disciples what it did if they had not been acquainted with Him first for three years and gotten to know what He was like. But, they would never have gotten acquainted with Jesus and found out what he was like if it had not been for the ministry of John the Baptist. The ministry of John the Baptist was the initial step that finally brought that unity three and a half years later. What we are studying now is one of the initial steps that finally results in unity.

When John the Baptist came, the angel told his father that he would come in the spirit and power of Elijah. So, what did John the Baptist do? “John denounced the corruptions of the Jews, and raised his voice in reproving their prevailing sins.” Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol.5, 1089.

From time to time, someone will say, “Your preaching is not Christlike because Jesus would speak in a calm, soft voice; He would never raise His voice like you Historic Adventist preachers do.”

But, John the Baptist did not speak in a soft, quiet voice—he raised his voice and shouted it out. “Amid discord and strife, a voice was heard from the wilderness, a voice startling and stern.” Desire of Ages, 104

Stern is another adjective that Ellen White uses quite often in regard to both Elijah and John the Baptist; they were stern in their preaching. When they were stern, were they Christlike or not? Were they filled with the Holy Spirit, or were they filled with another spirit? The Bible says that John the Baptist was full of the Holy Spirit from his mothers womb. “With the spirit and power of Elijah he denounced the national corruption, and rebuked the prevailing sins. His words were plain, pointed, and convincing.” Ibid.

We want to have unity. Who is it in the last days who is going to have unity? Well, let us consider what took place at the first advent of Christ, which is a type of our day, and find out who came into unity then. It was the people who listened to John the Baptist, accepted his rebuke and reproof, reformed their lives and followed Jesus. Three and a half years later they were in a condition of perfect harmony. Do you think there is any parallel between then and our time?

Before Gethsemane, one of the last things Jesus told His disciples was that when the Holy Spirit comes, He will reprove, that is, rebuke. See John 16. If you are receiving the Holy spirit into your life, you will be rebuked; but if you persist in rejecting that rebuke, you will eventually lose the Holy Spirit.

Who is it today that is going to come into unity? Is it those who are fighting the messengers that God has sent to denounce the apostasy and make a call to repentance? Will it be the people who are following the New Theology, who are stepping off the platform of truth, or is it the people who are listening to the messages of rebuke from the Spirit of Prophecy and reforming their lives?

The people who are going to come into unity in Adventism today are the people who allow the Holy Spirit to rebuke them in any way God chooses. It is the Historic Seventh-day Adventists, those who stand on the three angel’s messages and accept all of the Spirit of Prophecy, who believe the fundamental truths that the Lord revealed to our spiritual forefathers. These are the only people who are going to come into unity.

You can trust the One who loved you enough to be nailed to the cross for you, that He will not rebuke you more than you need. This does not mean, however, that you may not need a lot.

Sometimes we meet someone who says, “I know that there are problems and that there is apostasy, but you are never going to get reformation by talking about the problems all time. You should talk more about positive things.”

Listen to this: “They treated the warnings of the Spirit of God as a matter of indifference, as though that voice were human in place of divine. What there was to make any demonstration of on there part they could not see. If they had done wrong, why dwell upon it so much?” Special Testimony to the Battle Creek Church, 1 (published in 1882)

This is what they were thinking in their minds: “Just go on; let it all drop, and say as little about it as possible.” Ibid. Have you ever heard it said; “You are talking about this all the time; you should not talk about it so much. Talk about it as little as possible. Talk about positive things. Teach people how to develop their character and how to have love and how to be patient and kind; don’t be rebuking all the time”? That is what they thought in Battle Creek.

Do you know who Ellen White says would be pleased if they did that? The next sentence tells us. “This is the very thing the enemy of souls wants them to do.” Ibid. It was the devil! The problem, friends, is not going to be solved unless we face the issue straight on and attack it. Evil must be opposed.

Somebody has to attack what is going on today, and it has to be a firm unflinching attack. It must not be some mild little talk; it must be like Elijah, like John the Baptist.

Ellen White says, concerning the rebuke that was given to the children of Israel, “This firmness was essential; in no other way could the existing evils have been rebuked….The messengers of the Lord are never to fear the face of man, but are to stand unflinchingly for the right.” Conflict and Courage, 202

Inspired writings tell us that when Elijah rebuked Israel, he was angry. Yet, he was filled with the Holy Spirit when he was angry. He was also Christlike when he was angry.

“Never seek to cover sin; for in the message of rebuke, Christ is to be proclaimed as the first and the last, He who is all in all to the soul.” Selected Messages, book 1, 380

Friend, are you going to be one of those who come into unity? If you are, you will have to be humble enough to accept rebuke from whomever God chooses to send.

Anytime God sends anyone to reprove the evil, people do not like it and the messengers of reproof are accused of being the cause of the division. Have you ever heard anyone accuse Historic Adventists of being the cause of the division? Elijah was accused of being a troubler of Israel.

“God’s plan for the salvation of men, is perfect in every particular. If we will faithfully perform our allotted parts, all will be well with us. It is man’s apostasy that causes discord, and brings wretchedness and ruin.” Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 2, 999

So, what is the real cause of the lack of unity in Adventism today? It is not the people who are calling for repentance, but the apostasy that is responsible for the discord; and the only Adventists who will ever have unity again are those who will fight apostasy. Brothers and Sisters, we will never have unity until we are willing to stand up and fight the apostasy.

What is the purpose of rebuke? When we look at the preaching of John the Baptist and the early preaching of Jesus, as recorded in Matthew 3 and 4, we see that the burden of both Jesus and John the Baptist was repentance. See Matthew 4:17. The purpose of the rebuke is that we may repent, and it is only when people are willing to repent that they are able to come into perfect unity.

The End

The Valley of Deceitfulness

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I believe that God has a message for his people today, which is found in Isaiah 28. I have deepening conviction that what is here portrayed, is that which we are soon to face.

“Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, whose glorious beauty is a fading flower which is at the head of the verdant valleys, to those who are overcome with wine! Behold, the Lord has a mighty and strong one, like a tempest of hail and a destroying storm, like a flood of mighty waters overflowing, who will bring them down to the earth with His hand. The crown of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim, will be trampled underfoot; and the glorious beauty is a fading flower which is at the head of the verdant valley, like the first fruit before the summer, which an observer sees; he eats it up while it is still in his hand.” Isaiah 28:1-4.

The valley of deceitfulness can look so fair; there can be so many beautiful flowers in it; those in charge of the valley can be so fat with the gifts of God’s professed people; but, friend, the judgment of God hangs over the professed people of God today because we have disregarded the voice of his messenger. We have cast it aside if it called us to reform, and we have obeyed only that which has gone along with our natural inclination. Then, to prove that we are obeying it, we have held up that part of the counsel which goes along with our inclination. It is for this reason the judgement of God hangs over His people today. However beautiful the flowers in the valley of deceitfulness may be, destruction and judgment are coming from the Lord. If God’s people today are to know where they are in the stream of time, they must have the heavenly eye salve.

Many men who once might have given godly counsel to God’s people, today, are no longer fit to give that counsel because they have failed to stand against the prevailing apostasy. They have stood, watching it take place, but they have continued to make strange alliances with the falsehood. Perhaps these men, themselves, are trying to live righteous lives, but this is not enough. If we do not stand up against apostasy, wherever it is manifest, we are no longer fit to be messengers to God’s people.

To illustrate this point, let us draw from the rich, but terrible history, of the conflict between the Waldenses and the papacy. If we do not learn from the mistakes of history, we are destined to repeat them.

Before we look at this history let me share a story with you.

A few years ago, our family visited a Pennsylvania colony called the Ephrata Cloister. Here many years ago there lived a group who kept the seventh day Sabbath. They introduced the seventh day Sabbath to the Baptists. The Baptists who accepted this truth became the Seventh-day Baptists, who in turn, later shared this truth with the Seventh-day Adventist.

I remember the guide showing us into the print room where the old-fashioned press was located. The press had a long handle, which, when pulled down, lowered the plate, leaving an impression on the paper. This process was repeated again and again, all day long. Because the labor was very wearying to the people, the handle became known as the devil’s tail.

The guide explained to us that there were more copies of the Bible printed here than of any other book. But, do you know what book ranked second in the number of copies to be printed? Fox’s Book of Martyrs. It was the second most widely read book in the United States of America. Our forefathers used to read these stories to their children. This reading helped to make us a Protestant nation. Our people knew the history then.

History of Protestantism by Wylie records the history of God’s people during the seventeenth century. It is recorded that in 1655, a decree was made calling for the complete extermination of the Waldenses. Army after army attempted to destroy them, only to meet with failure. After a short time of peace, General Pianeza determined he was going to do that which others had failed to do. As he began his march, the Waldenses became aware of his plans and they sent ambassadors down to the town of Turin to plead with the army to leave them alone.

The governor on Turin stalled the Waldensian representatives, while the papal armies were secretly gathering, hoping to deceive them as to their real intentions. A meeting was arranged with the Waldensian representatives for April 17, 1655. At about two o’clock in the morning, on the day of the meeting, General Pianeza’a army surrounded the city. Three hundred of his army of 15,000 slipped under the city wall and made an attack on Sabbath morning, April 17.

The Waldenses, totally unprepared for the attack, hastily threw up a barricade, which the invading soldiers stormed. So stoutly did the Waldenses resist that after three hours of intense fighting, the papal soldiers, who had been unable to make any advance at all, were driven back.

At one o’clock the next morning, one of General Pianeza’s colonels who knew the territory, sent a flanking recruitment to storm the town from behind. The Waldenses turned about-face, pierced the enemy rank, held the soldiers back and escaped to the mountains. In the whole encounter, which involved much bloody fighting, there were only three Waldensian soldiers killed.

The Vaudois (Waldenses) were once more in the mountains, their families having previously been transported up because of the threat of war. They watched the valley below as their orchards were cut down and their homes burned. On Monday, the nineteenth, and the day that followed, a series of skirmishes took place. The Vaudois, although poorly armed and vastly out numbered, were victorious on every point, causing the popish soldiers to fall back, carrying wondrous tales of the Vaudois’ valor and heroism and infusing panic into the rest of their troops.

Pianeza now began to have misgivings. As he recalled history, he was haunted by the memory of other mighty armies that had perished on these mountains. He determined to resort to deceit. Before daybreak on Wednesday, the twenty-first of April, he announced by the sound of trumpet, his willingness to receive the Vaudois deputies and treat for peace. Delegates set out for his camp headquarters and, on arrival, were treated with utmost courtesy and sumptuously entertained. Pianeza expressed the utmost regret for the excesses committed by his soldiers, which he assured them had been done contrary to orders. He protested that he had only come into their valleys to track a few fugitives who had disobeyed Gastaldo’s order. He said that the higher communes had nothing to fear, but that if each would admit a single regiment for a few days, in token of their loyalty, all war would be amicably ended. Despite the warnings of the more discerning pastors, especially pastor Leger, Pianeza was able to convince the Vaudois of his sincerity and accomplished by craft that which he had been unable to do by open warfare. The Waldenses opened the passes to their valleys and the doors of their dwellings to the soldiers of Pianeza.

The first two days were passed in comparative peace—the soldiers eating at the same table, sleeping under the same roof and conversing freely with their destined victims. This interval was needed to allow for every preparation to be made for what was to follow. The enemy now occupied the towns, the villages, the cottages, and the roads throughout the valleys.

At last the blow fell with the sudden crash of a thunderbolt. At four o’clock on the morning of Sabbath, April 24, 1655, the signal was given and in an instant a thousand assassins began the work of death. In a moment dismay, horror, agony, and woe overspread the Valleys of Lucerna and Angrogna. The cries and groans of the dying were echoed and reechoed from the rocks around. It seemed as if the mountains had taken up a wailing for the slaughter of their children. “Our Valley of Lucerna,” exclaimed pastor Leger, “which was like a Goshen, was now converted into a Mount Etna, darting forth cinders and fire and flames. The earth resembled a furnace, and the air was filled with a darkness like that of Egypt, which might be felt, from the smoke of towns, villages, temples, mansions, granges, and buildings, all burning in the flames of the Vatican.” History of Protestantism, 484.

The soldiers were not content with the quick dispatch of the sword; they invented new and hitherto unheard-of modes of torture and death. No man to this day dare write in plain words all the disgusting and horrible deeds of these men; their wickedness can never be all known because it never can be all told.

Uncontrollable grief seized the hearts of the survivors at the sight of their brethren slain, their country devastated and their church overthrown. “Oh that my head were waters,” exclaimed Leger, “and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people! Behold and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow.” Ibid., 485

“Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own consciences seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.” 1 Timothy 4:1-3

Let us look carefully at verse two: “Speaking lies and hypocrisy.” If you allow the first part of this verse, “speaking lies and hypocrisy,” to lodge in your heart, the second half of the verse is the result, “speaking lies and hypocrisy, having their conscience seared with a hot iron.” Your conscience is seared by your speaking lies and by hypocrisy. If the lies start living in our heart and we start acting out these lies, we are preparing our conscience to be “seared by a hot iron” so that we have no conscience left.

Let us consider the fact that, in the Seventh-day Adventist Church, ministers are being trained in imaging, a form of mind control that is basic in the spiritual exercises of Ignatius Loyola. In this story we have seen the end result of training a priesthood to have a dead conscience. These men are now teaching these exercises to their congregations. We can already see the first fruits of the persecution through the disbanding and disfellowshipping taking place, but these persecutions will not be the last fruits.

What the Vaudois had power and valor to do in open confrontation, they were unable to do when they gave in to deceit. The deceit cloaked the murder in the wicked ones’ hearts. In Proverbs 12:5 we read: “The counsels of the wicked are deceitful.”

Friends, what do you think all these committee meetings concerning the independent ministries are really about? Do not be fooled; the devil knows that what he cannot do through open confrontation, he can often accomplish through the deceitfulness of pretended friendship. If you accept the proposals of such, it will be as fatal to your salvation and that of your family as was the Waldenses’ accepting of their murderers into their homes.

The devil has studied history; he knows what tricks will work. We would be extremely naive to believe that he will not use them on us. He is seeking to do through peace and unity what he has been unable to do by force.

“When God’s people voluntarily unite with the worldly and the unconsecrated, and give them the preeminence, they will be led away from Him by the unsanctified influence under which they have placed themselves. For a short time there may be nothing seriously objectionable; but minds that have not been brought under the control of the Spirit of God will not take readily to those things which savor of truth and righteousness. If they had heretofore any relish for spiritual things they would have placed themselves in the ranks of Jesus Christ. The two classes are controlled by different masters and are opposites in their purposes, hopes, tastes, and desires.” Counsels to Teachers, 542

This is the reason that the issue of who and what is the church is a salvational issue; one you must understand. If you are confused on this issue and you believe that there is a set of men which you need to go counsel with (regardless of their betrayal of sacred trust in upholding wickedness in others), you will lose your soul. In His instruction to His disciples, Jesus warned them to beware of men. “They were not to put implicit confidence in those who knew not God, and open to them their counsels; for this would give Satan’s agents an advantage. Man’s inventions often counterwork God’s plans. Those who build the temple of the Lord, are to build according to the pattern shown in the mount–the divine similitude. God is dishonored and the gospel is betrayed when His servants depend on the counsel of men who are not under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Worldly wisdom is foolishness with God. Those who rely upon it, will surely err.” Desire of Ages, 354

Do not go to the Pharisees and the Sadducees and try to unite with them in an evangelistic endeavor or some other seemingly worthy project. Do not get up in front of church and try to speak words that will please both the children of darkness and the children of light.

“‘The kingdom of God cometh not with outward show.’ The gospel of the grace of God, with its spirit of self-abnegation, can never be in harmony with the spirit of the world. The two principles are antagonistic.” Review and Herald, January 18, 1906. (All emphasis supplied.) What does it mean when it says never? Never! When those who were professing truth, but were not bringing forth its fruits in their life, came to John the Baptist, he refused to baptize them. In fact, he called them vipers, or deadly snakes.

Before the cobra strikes, it hypnotizes its victim. In the same manner, the Waldenses were first lulled to sleep with a treaty of peace. Then, when they least expected it, the deathblow was struck.

It says of John the Baptist’s harsh denunciation of religious leaders of his day: “This sect [the Sadducees] was largely composed of unworthy characters, many of whom were licentious in their habits. By the word ‘vipers’ John meant those who were malignant and antagonistic, bitterly opposed to the expressed will of God.” Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 5, 1077

Is malignant a safe situation to be in? It is deadly! Though they were the leaders of God’s professed church, it was not safe to follow them. Can we see the importance of the issue who and what is the church?

The devil is striving to lull the whole world into a fatal sleep from which they will not awaken until it is too late. I am so thankful that there are some people who are standing up and warning the people before they are struck by the poisonous snake.

“Those who have the mind of Christ will let the light shine forth to the world in good works, but that light will bring about a division. Shall the light therefore be hid under a bed or under a bushel, because it will mark a distinction between the followers of Christ and the world? It must be apparent that the believers in the truth are antagonistic to the serpent and to his seed.” Signs of the Times, April 9, 1894

The fear of being branded as “uncooperative” or ” uncharitable” leads many to join work with those they have no confidence in, and become involved in activities about which they have grave reservation. We must, brothers and sisters, stand up against the apostasy and not be content to remain in the shadows, mingling on the fringes. There are vipers in the camp today. With sublety and deceit they will seek to deceive you. Do not listen to their talk of peace.

“The words of Jesus addressed to this generation may well be regarded with sorrow and awe. He asks, ‘When the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?’ Christ looked down the ages, and with prophetic eye marked the conflict between the antagonistic principles of truth and error. He saw how real Christianity would become almost extinct in the world, so that at His second advent He would find a state of society similar to that which existed before the flood. The world will be engaged in festivity and amusement, in theatrical show, in the indulgence of base passion. Intemperance of every grade would exist, and even the churches would be demoralized, and the Bible would be neglected and desecrated. He saw that the desperate revelries of the last days would only be interrupted by the judgments of God.” Signs of the Times, April, 21, 1890

Judgments are coming. Do not try to secure peace by your silence. Regardless of the motive, beware of entering into any kind of agreement for peace with the children of darkness. You will be taking a step toward Babylon. “Peace is too dearly obtained if purchased by the smallest concession to Satan’s agencies.” Signs of the Times, November 8, 1899

“The opposition of the children of disobedience is excited by a Christianity that is spiritual….That peace and harmony which are secured by mutual concessions to avoid all differences of opinion are not worthy of the name.” Mind, Character, and Personality, vol. 1, 244

“We are to make no concessions to the enemy. [What is a concession? Giving in.] We are not to change one principle of the truth that we have received from God. We cannot hold converse with those who are in league with evil angels. Christ never purchased peace by compromise.” Notebook Leaflets, 124

Friend, no one should feel that he is so strong that he is safe to enter into discussions with people who are in league with evil angels in order to keep peace. None of us are safe from deception. Our only safety is in being kept by holy angels. If, however, we go where the Lord has not bidden us go, we forfeit their protection.

Do not think you are doing a soul winning endeavor when you join in peace talks with ministers who are not speaking up against the apostasy. You are preparing to be destroyed. God did not protect the Waldenses when they entered into an unauthorized treaty with the powers of darkness. Do you believe He will deal differently with us today?

If we do not learn the lessons of history, we are insuring that we will share the bitter results of the same mistakes.

Those who are teaching NLP and practicing it on our people are wicked men; and those who hold these men’s hands in quietness are partakers of their sins. The Word of God says, “Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, whose glorious beauty is a fading flower which is at the head of the verdant valleys, to those who are overcome with wine! Behold, the Lord has a mighty and strong one, like a tempest of hail and a destroying storm, like a flood of mighty waters overflowing, who will bring them down to the earth with His hand.” Isaiah 28:1-4

The judgments of God are far bigger than any of us. Our only safety when the storm breaks is to be found under the sheltering hand of God. There is no other safety.

“The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie.” 2 Thessalonians 2:9-11

Everyone in this world is either going to have a new heart, a heart of truth and righteousness, or they will enter into a league with Satan’s angels and be deceived by a strong delusion. Which is it going to be for you?

The End

Editorial – The Need For Scriptural Unity

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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 unity upon a true, scriptural basis.” Selected Messages, book, 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

Because of this inspired counsel, a number of Historic Seventh-day Adventists met together for counsel and prayer on July 12 at Steps to Life. If we are humble and pray and receive the Holy Spirit, we will be drawn into a perfect unity because Christ is not divided. The universal longing of each was to come together in unity of spirit without compromising one principle of truth. The absence of any type of political spirit was refreshing. We make no claim to have perfect unity yet, but we are all praying about it and studying and looking forward to another meeting to pursue this goal. In order to have unity, several necessary items were studied, such as: What does an Historical Seventh-day Adventist believe—What are the historic tests of fellowship? I believe that God is leading us just as He led our spiritual forefathers in the 1840s to a perfect unity of spirit, thought, doctrine and faith.

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 and who do not believe in the investigative judgment and the other truths of the three angel’s 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 a part of it?

Unity Through Faith in Christ

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On the night of His betrayal, Christ made a very interesting statement, recorded in Luke 22:37. “For I say to you that this which is written must still be accomplished in Me: ‘AND HE WAS NUMBERED WITH THE TRANSGRESSORS.’ For the things concerning Me have an end.” [Emphasis added.]

Christ was quoting from Isaiah 53, a chapter that so faithfully and clearly describes Himself as the Messiah that Jewish parents refuse to discuss the chapter with their children. Thankfully, we are not so blind to the mercies of God that we refuse to recognize His prophetic voice speaking in the message He gave Isaiah centuries ago.

What are the things concerning Christ that “have an end” that He was referring to in Luke 22:37? A careful reading of Isaiah 53 will answer that question. Much of what Isaiah described about Christ ended at the cross—being “numbered with the transgressors”—but the entirety of the assertion He made in Luke has yet to come fully to pass. Christ continues to experience the sinfulness of sin as He pleads His blood before the mercy seat in the Most Holy Place in the heavenly sanctuary. And that ordeal will not end until the sanctuary is cleansed and He returns to this earth with the host of heaven to gather His saints.

Thus we ponder if Christ’s statement that “the things concerning Me have an end” has a broader application. Indeed, many things concerning Him did have an end when He was crucified. But there is, in my opinion, another end yet to come, and that will occur when Christ returns to gather His saints and ends the misery that sin has brought upon this earth.

What must we do to cope with the trials of life until that glorious event occurs? Remember that Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:19 KJV, “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.”

Our hope lies not in this life, but in the life to come. Christ referred to that eternal life time and time again when He was on earth, though at the time few comprehended what He meant. The most famous reference, perhaps, is in John 3:16, a text that most professors of Christ learned at their parent’s knee.

The promise of eternal life, though, occurs over and over again in the record of Christ’s life as recorded in the gospels, and that promise is always based on the same condition—obedience—sometimes clearly stated and sometimes implied by the context of the statement.

In Matthew 19, we have this record: “Now behold, one came and said to Him, ‘Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?’ So He said to him, ‘Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments’ ” (Matthew 19:16, 17).

This is a rather amazing statement for a reason that might be easily overlooked. Clearly Christ is mindful here of His human nature and recognizes the inherent capacity for sin in the natural heart, which He assumed when He came to this earth to rescue man from the wages of sin. Mindful of this, of the potential sinfulness of humanity, He refused to accept the accolade offered by this rich young ruler: “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.” After that assertion, Christ clearly states the one and only condition for eternal life: “keep the commandments.”

The gospel writer who wrote most frequently of the reward of eternal life was the apostle John, usually in his record of Christ’s interactions with non-believers or in response to questions from His erstwhile followers.

John records an interesting exchange in the sixth chapter of his gospel narrative, where there is a comprehensive record of the feeding of the five thousand and the events that followed.

Perceiving the intent of the masses to “take Him by force to make Him king” (John 6:15), Jesus absented Himself from the scene and sought solitude. After reuniting with His disciples in a rather startling manner (verses 19 and 20), He engaged in an extended conversation with the people about Himself as the bread of life.

“And Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst’ ” (John 6:35). A bit later, Christ made a less symbolic, more direct statement regarding eternal realities; “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life” (John 6:47). Unfortunately, there were not many who were willing to carry their belief in Him to complete fulfillment, as we see as this crisis in Galilee was building.

Christ’s statements that followed were unacceptable to the masses, for they failed to understand the symbolism in His assertion that “… unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you” (verse 53).

Even after Christ clearly stated in no vague language, “It is the Spirit Who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life” (verse 63), “many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more” (verse 66).

In the following chapter, John records a conversation that again was so full of symbolism that few truly understood His meaning.

“On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water’ ” (John 7:37, 38).

The meaning of this statement that so puzzled His hearers is made clear in the Spirit of Prophecy:

“The flowing of the water from the rock in the desert was celebrated by the Israelites, after their establishment in Canaan, with demonstrations of great rejoicing. In the time of Christ this celebration had become a most impressive ceremony. It took place on the occasion of the Feast of Tabernacles, when the people from all the land were assembled at Jerusalem. On each of the seven days of the feast the priests went out with music and the choir of Levites to draw water in a golden vessel from the spring of Siloam. They were followed by multitudes of the worshipers, as many as could get near the stream drinking of it, while the jubilant strains arose, ‘With joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation’ (Isaiah 12:3). Then the water drawn by the priests was borne to the temple amid the sounding of trumpets and the solemn chant, ‘Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem’ (Psalm 122:2). The water was poured out upon the altar of burnt offering, while songs of praise rang out, the multitudes joining in triumphant chorus with musical instruments and deep-toned trumpets.

“The Saviour made use of this symbolic service to direct the minds of the people to the blessings that He had come to bring them. ‘In the last day, that great day of the feast,’ His voice was heard in tones that rang through the temple courts, ‘If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink. He that believeth on Me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.’ ‘This,’ said John, ‘spake He of the Spirit, which they that believe on Him should receive’ (John 7:37–39). The refreshing water, welling up in a parched and barren land, causing the desert place to blossom, and flowing out to give life to the perishing, is an emblem of the divine grace which Christ alone can bestow, and which is as the living water, purifying, refreshing, and invigorating the soul. He in whom Christ is abiding has within him a never-failing fountain of grace and strength. Jesus cheers the life and brightens the path of all who truly seek Him. His love, received into the heart, will spring up in good works unto eternal life. And not only does it bless the soul in which it springs, but the living stream will flow out in words and deeds of righteousness, to refresh the thirsting around him.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 412.

In the eleventh chapter of John we have the record of the death and resurrection of Lazarus. After Christ and His disciples come to Bethany on the fourth day following Lazarus’ death, there is an interesting exchange between Martha and Jesus in which Martha’s understanding of the state of the dead is clearly revealed. “Jesus said to her, ‘Your brother will rise again.’ Martha said to Him, ‘I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day’ ” (John 11:23, 24).

In response, “Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this? ’ ” (verses 25 and 26).

Though Martha responded positively, her response indicated that she failed to fully comprehend what belief in Christ fully means.

“To the Saviour’s words, ‘Believest thou?’ Martha responded, ‘Yea, Lord: I believe that Thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world’ (verses 26, 27). She did not comprehend in all their significance the words spoken by Christ, but she confessed her faith in His divinity, and her confidence that He was able to perform whatever it pleased Him to do.” The Desire of Ages, 530.

There are two other passages in John’s gospel that should bring great joy to the believer. In John 16:33, Christ provides a reason for the continuing hope that His followers should have: “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

There is no greater peace, in the fullest meaning of the word, that one can have than is obtained in recognizing that Christ’s victory over the enemy of souls is our victory as well. Truly, “in the world” we “will have tribulation.” We have an enemy who is determined to drag humanity down into the same miserable pit of sin and degradation that he currently occupies. Nevertheless, by fully believing in Christ, by nurturing that measure of faith that each of us has been given, we can “be of good cheer” and “overcome the world.”

The final passage in the gospel of John that expresses the eternal life available to all who have faith in Christ is given in Christ’s prayer in John 17.

John 17:20–23: “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.”

All who understand fully what “belief” in Christ entails will indeed be unified in the bonds of Christian brotherhood that John summarized succinctly but powerfully in his first missive: “if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin” (I John 1:7).

We cannot “walk in the light” unless we have complete faith in Christ as the Redeemer of mankind and fully believe that His blood cleanses us from all sin. Then that unity that Christ prayed so fervently for in John 17 will be a reality and we will indeed have true Christian fellowship with one another.

The gospel writers were not alone in their affirmation that obedience through faith in Christ imparts righteousness to the believer—that righteousness by faith that alone provides the spotless wedding garment to the saved. Paul alluded time and time again to the inseparable union of faith, righteousness, and eternal life.

One of his strongest statements occurs in Philippians 3:8, 9: “Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for Whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith.”

As Paul’s long, final imprisonment began and his itinerate ministry was drawing to a close, he continued to bear faithfully the message that God had laid upon his heart. When arraigned before Felix, he took the opportunity to preach one of his most meaningful and memorable sermons.

For two years, “a ray of light from heaven had been permitted to shine upon Felix, when Paul reasoned with him concerning righteousness, temperance, and a judgment to come. That was his heaven-sent opportunity to see and to forsake his sins. But he said to the messenger of God, ‘Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee’ (Acts 24:25). He had slighted his last offer of mercy. Never was he to receive another call from God.” The Acts of the Apostles, 427.

Let us not be like Felix, who had at his disposal for two years one of the greatest expositors of the gospel, who apparently conversed with him at will, but who rejected this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to know more fully the way of salvation.

“And after some days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, he sent for Paul and heard him concerning the faith in Christ” (Acts 24:24).

“The faith in Christ” … Felix rejected his opportunity to understand what that meant. Thankfully, by the grace and love of God, we have on record Paul’s explanation of what it means to be in Christ and to have faith in Christ, so that we are “without excuse” if we fail to grasp the full import of what that means.

“But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus” (Romans 3:21–26).

“… through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe …”

Unity through faith in Christ!

All quotes NKJV unless otherwise noted.

John Pearson is the office manager and a board member of Steps to Life. After retiring as chief financial officer for the Grand Canyon Association, Grand Canyon, Arizona, he moved to Wichita, Kansas, to join the Steps team. He may be contacted by email at: johnpearson@stepstolife.org.

 

Unity Through Faith in Christ

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On the night of His betrayal, Christ made a very interesting statement, recorded in Luke 22:37: “For I say to you that this which is written must still be accomplished in Me: ‘AND HE WAS NUMBERED WITH THE TRANSGRESSORS.’ For the things concerning Me have an end.” [Emphasis supplied.]

Christ was quoting from Isaiah 53, a chapter that so faithfully and clearly describes Himself as the Messiah that Jewish parents refuse to discuss the chapter with their children. Thankfully, we are not so blind to the mercies of God that we refuse to recognize His prophetic voice speaking in the message He gave Isaiah centuries ago.

What are the things concerning Christ that “have an end” that He was referring to in Luke 22:37? A careful reading of Isaiah 53 will answer that question. Much of what Isaiah described about Christ ended at the cross—being “numbered with the transgressors”—but the entirety of the assertion He made in Luke has yet to come fully to pass. Christ continues to experience the sinfulness of sin as He pleads His blood before the mercy seat in the Most Holy Place in the heavenly sanctuary. And that ordeal will not end until the sanctuary is cleansed and He returns to this earth with the host of heaven to gather His saints.

Thus, we ponder if Christ’s statement that “the things concerning Me have an end” has a broader application. Indeed, many things concerning Him did have an end when He was crucified. But there is, in my opinion, another end yet to come, and that will occur when Christ returns to gather His saints and ends the misery that sin has brought upon this earth.

What must we do to cope with the trials of life until that glorious event occurs? Remember that Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:19 KJV, “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.”

Our hope lies not in this life, but in the life to come. Christ referred to that eternal life time and time again when He was on earth, though at the time few comprehended what He meant. The most famous reference, perhaps, is in John 3:16, a text that most professors of Christ learned at their parent’s knee.

The promise of eternal life, though, occurs over and over again in the record of Christ’s life as recorded in the gospels, and that promise is always based on the same condition—obedience—sometimes clearly stated and sometimes implied by the context of the statement.

In Matthew 19, we have this record: “Now behold, one came and said to Him, ‘Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?’ So He said to him, ‘Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments’ ” (Matthew 19:16, 17).

This is a rather amazing statement for a reason that might be easily overlooked. Clearly Christ is mindful here of His human nature and recognizes the inherent capacity for sin in the natural heart, which He assumed when He came to this earth to rescue man from the wages of sin. Mindful of this, of the potential sinfulness of humanity, He refused to accept the accolade offered by this rich young ruler: “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.” After that assertion, Christ clearly states the one and only condition for eternal life: “keep the commandments.”

The gospel writer who wrote most frequently of the reward of eternal life was the apostle John, usually in his record of Christ’s interactions with non-believers or in response to questions from His erstwhile followers.

John records an interesting exchange in the sixth chapter of his gospel narrative, where there is a comprehensive record of the feeding of the five thousand and the events that followed.

Perceiving the intent of the masses to “take Him by force to make Him king” (John 6:15), Jesus absented Himself from the scene and sought solitude. After reuniting with His disciples in a rather startling manner (verses 19, 20), He engaged in an extended conversation with the people about Himself as the bread of life.

“And Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst’ ” (verse 35). A bit later, Christ made a less symbolic, more direct statement regarding eternal realities: “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life” (verse 47). Unfortunately, there were not many who were willing to carry their belief in Him to complete fulfillment, as we see as this crisis in Galilee was building.

Christ’s statements that followed were unacceptable to the masses, for they failed to understand the symbolism in his assertion that “… unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you” (verse 53).

Christ clearly stated in no vague language, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life” (verse 63), “many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more” (verse 66).

In the following chapter, John records a conversation that again was so full of symbolism that few truly understood His meaning.

“On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water’ ” (John 7:37, 38).

The meaning of this statement that so puzzled His hearers is made clear in the Spirit of Prophecy:

“The flowing of the water from the rock in the desert was celebrated by the Israelites, after their establishment in Canaan, with demonstrations of great rejoicing. In the time of Christ this celebration had become a most impressive ceremony. It took place on the occasion of the Feast of Tabernacles, when the people from all the land were assembled at Jerusalem. On each of the seven days of the feast the priests went out with music and the choir of Levites to draw water in a golden vessel from the spring of Siloam. They were followed by multitudes of the worshipers, as many as could get near the stream drinking of it, while the jubilant strains arose, ‘With joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation’ (Isaiah 12:3). Then the water drawn by the priests was borne to the temple amid the sounding of trumpets and the solemn chant, ‘Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem’ (Psalm 122:2). The water was poured out upon the altar of burnt offering, while songs of praise rang out, the multitudes joining in triumphant chorus with musical instruments and deep-toned trumpets.

“The Saviour made use of this symbolic service to direct the minds of the people to the blessings that He had come to bring them. ‘In the last day, that great day of the feast,’ His voice was heard in tones that rang through the temple courts, ‘If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink. He that believeth on Me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.’ ‘This,’ said John, ‘spake He of the Spirit, which they that believe on Him should receive’ (John 7:37–39). The refreshing water, welling up in a parched and barren land, causing the desert place to blossom, and flowing out to give life to the perishing, is an emblem of the divine grace which Christ alone can bestow, and which is as the living water, purifying, refreshing, and invigorating the soul. He in whom Christ is abiding has within him a never-failing fountain of grace and strength. Jesus cheers the life and brightens the path of all who truly seek Him. His love, received into the heart, will spring up in good works unto eternal life. And not only does it bless the soul in which it springs, but the living stream will flow out in words and deeds of righteousness, to refresh the thirsting around him.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 412.

In the eleventh chapter of John we have the record of the death and resurrection of Lazarus. After Christ and His disciples come to Bethany on the fourth day following Lazarus’ death, there is an interesting exchange between Martha and Jesus in which Martha’s understanding of the state of the dead is clearly revealed. “Jesus said to her, ‘Your brother will rise again.’ Martha said to Him, ‘I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day’ ” (John 11:23, 24).

In response, “Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this? ’ ” (verses 25, 26).

Though Martha responded positively, her response indicated that she failed to fully comprehend what belief in Christ fully means.

“To the Saviour’s words, ‘Believest thou?’ Martha responded, ‘Yea, Lord: I believe that Thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.’ She did not comprehend in all their significance the words spoken by Christ, but she confessed her faith in His divinity, and her confidence that He was able to perform whatever it pleased Him to do.” The Desire of Ages, 530.

There are two other passages in John’s gospel that should bring great joy to the believer. In John 16:33, Christ provides a reason for the continuing hope that His followers should have: “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

There is no greater peace, in the fullest meaning of the word, that one can have than is obtained in recognizing that Christ’s victory over the enemy of souls is our victory as well. Truly, “in the world” we “will have tribulation.” We have an enemy who is determined to drag humanity down into the same miserable pit of sin and degradation that he currently occupies. Nevertheless, by fully believing in Christ, by nurturing that measure of faith that each of us has been given, we can “be of good cheer” and “overcome the world.”

The final passage in the gospel of John that expresses the eternal life available to all who have faith in Christ is given in Christ’s prayer in John 17.

John 17:20–23: “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.”

All who understand fully what “belief” in Christ entails will indeed be unified in the bonds of Christian brotherhood that John summarized succinctly but powerfully in his first missive: “If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

We cannot “walk in the light” unless we have complete faith in Christ as the Redeemer of mankind and fully believe that His blood cleanses us from all sin. Then that unity that Christ prayed so fervently for in John 17 will be a reality and we will indeed have true Christian fellowship with one another.

The gospel writers were not alone in their affirmation that obedience through faith in Christ imparts righteousness to the believer—that righteousness by faith that alone provides the spotless wedding garment to the saved. Paul alluded time and time again to the inseparable union of faith, righteousness, and eternal life.

One of his strongest statements occurs in Philippians 3:8, 9: “Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith.”

As Paul’s long, final imprisonment began and his itinerate ministry was drawing to a close, he continued to bear faithfully the message that God had laid upon his heart. When arraigned before Felix, he took the opportunity to preach one of his most meaningful and memorable sermons.

For two years, “a ray of light from heaven had been permitted to shine upon Felix, when Paul reasoned with him concerning righteousness, temperance, and a judgment to come. That was his heaven-sent opportunity to see and to forsake his sins. But he said to the messenger of God, ‘Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee.’ He had slighted his last offer of mercy. Never was he to receive another call from God.” The Acts of the Apostles, 427.

Let us not be like Felix, who had at his disposal for two years one of the greatest expositors of the gospel, who apparently conversed with him at will, but who rejected this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to know more fully the way of salvation.

“And after some days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, he sent for Paul and heard him concerning the faith in Christ” (Acts 24:24).

“The faith in Christ” … Felix rejected his opportunity to understand what that meant. Thankfully, by the grace and love of god, we have on record Paul’s explanation of what it means to be in Christ and to have faith in Christ, so that we are “without excuse” if we fail to grasp the full import of what that means.

“But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus” (Romans 3:21–26).

“… through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe …”

Unity through faith in Christ!

John Pearson is the office manager and a board member of Steps to Life. After retiring as chief financial officer for the Grand Canyon Association, Grand Canyon, Arizona, he moved to Wichita, Kansas, to join the Steps team.