victory

Did Jesus take the nature of Adam

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Today God’s people are faced with a question that is designed in such a way as to deceive, if possible, the very elect. The question, “Did Jesus take the nature of Adam before the Fall or after the Fall” is asked in a way that will lead to one of two soul-destroying conclusions.

  1. We cannot overcome sin until Jesus comes.
  2. We unwittingly ascribe to the human nature of Christ the attributes of Satan.

Who Do Men Say …

In Matthew 16:13-18, Jesus asked His disciples a very important question, “Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?” Their answer indicated that men only saw Jesus as a man; they did not discern His divinity, His divine nature.

Then Jesus asked His disciples, “But whom say ye that I am?” Peter said, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” They recognized Christ as more than just a man; they recognized His divinity blended with His humanity in one Person, the Son (humanity) of the living God (divinity).

“Was the human nature of the Son of Mary changed into the divine nature of the Son of God? No; the two natures were mysteriously blended in one Person—the Man Christ Jesus. In Him dwelt all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.” Manuscript Releases, Vol. 21, 418

When two things are blended they become one. Jesus was fully human and fully divine; humanity and divinity were blended in one Person.

In the next verse, Jesus blessed Peter and said that flesh and blood did not reveal this truth to him. In other words, man cannot reveal to man the divinity of Christ, but God the Father revealed that the Man Christ Jesus was more than just a man; He was the Son of the living God and in His real and fully human body, “dwelt all the fullness of the Godhead.” This truth is what makes Christ the Rock, the foundation, upon which God’s church is built, and faith in this truth is essential to salvation.

The Scribes

There is another story, recorded in Mark 12:28–34, that directly relates to the divinity of Christ and complements the story in Matthew, but also adds the component of the law of God which is a transcript of God’s character. Together they begin to expose the error of the deceptive question that is facing God’s people today.

Scribe: “Which is the first commandment of all?”

Jesus: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.”

Scribe: “Well, Master, Thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but He: And to love Him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbor as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

The scribe recognized that love to God and man is the underlying principle, the foundation of all the commandments. But then what did Jesus say to the scribe?

Jesus: “And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, He said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God.”

Why did Jesus tell the scribe that he was not far from the kingdom of God? Before looking at the answer we need to know what the kingdom of God is. Paul answers this question in Romans.

“For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.” Romans 14:17

“And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance forever.” Isaiah 32:17

So why did Jesus tell the scribe that he was not far from the kingdom?

“The scribe was near to the kingdom of God, in that he recognized deeds of righteousness as more acceptable to God than burnt offerings and sacrifices. But he needed to recognize the divine character of Christ, and through faith in Him receive power to do the works of righteousness.” The Desire of Ages, 608

The kingdom of God is His righteousness and it is through faith in His righteousness that we receive power to do the works of righteousness. Faith in the righteousness of Christ is the basis of justification. But unless we recognize His righteousness in contrast to our unrighteousness, we cannot be justified and all efforts to obey the law of God will simply be legalism.

The Rich Young Ruler

Another individual in the Bible who is pointed out as not recognizing the divinity of Christ is the rich young ruler. His story pinpoints the very issue that prevents men from recognizing Christ, the Son of man, as also the Son of the living God. Matthew 19:16–22 records this story. The rich young ruler came to Jesus and asked, “Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?” Before answering his question, Jesus asked him, “Why callest thou Me good? there is none good but One, that is God.” What is the problem with the way the young ruler addressed Jesus?

“The ruler had addressed Christ merely as an honored rabbi, not discerning in Him the Son of God. … On what ground do you call Me good? God is the one good. If you recognize Me as such, you must receive Me as His Son and representative.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 390

The word good in these verses refers to an “intrinsic goodness.” Jesus said that there is only One who is inherently good and that is God. The young ruler did not recognize the inherent goodness in Jesus and without recognizing His inherent goodness, we cannot recognize Him as the Son of God nor as His representative. Jesus came to this earth to represent His Father’s righteous character, and in order to represent His character, He had to possess it. So, did He?

“I delight to do Thy will, O my God: yea, Thy law is within my heart. I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O Lord, Thou knowest. I have not hid Thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared Thy faithfulness and Thy salvation: I have not concealed Thy lovingkindness and Thy truth from the great congregation.” Psalm 40:8–10

The law of God is a transcript of His character, the very essence of His goodness and righteousness. The law was written in the human heart of Jesus. Therefore, the righteousness of this holy law was manifested in His life.

“Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit. … For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.” Matthew 12:33, 34, last part, 35

So, in addition to receiving Jesus as the Son of God, the rich young ruler needed to receive Him as His Father’s representative. But Jesus continued explaining what else was required, “If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.” First, He essentially quotes the last six commandments but when He gets to the last commandment instead of saying, “Thou shalt not covet …” Jesus said, “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.”

What is covetousness?

“All covetousness is condemned as idolatry.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 261

“Put away all selfishness, all covetousness.” The General Conference Bulletin, October 1, 1899

Are we born selfish? Or do we become selfish sometime after we are born and if so, how?

“Under God, Adam was to stand at the head of the earthly family, to maintain the principles of the heavenly family [the principles of the law of God]. This would have brought peace and happiness. But the law [of self-sacrificing love] that none ‘liveth to himself’ (Romans 14:7), Satan was determined to oppose. He desired to live for self. He sought to make himself a center of influence. It was this [selfishness] that had incited rebellion in heaven, and it was man’s acceptance of this [selfish] principle that brought sin on earth. When Adam sinned, man broke away from the heaven-ordained center. A demon became the central power in the world. Where God’s throne should have been [in the heart of man], Satan placed his throne. The world [representing men] laid its homage [loyalty], as a willing offering, at the feet of the enemy.

“The transgression of God’s law brought woe and death in its train. Through disobedience man’s powers were perverted, and selfishness took the place of love.” Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, 33

Where does Inspiration say that God’s throne is to be?

“God has bought us, and He claims a throne in each heart.” Manuscript Releases, Vol. 18, 48

“When God has His rightful place on the throne of the heart, the right place will be given to our neighbor. We shall love him as ourselves. And only as we love God supremely is it possible to love our neighbor impartially.” The Desire of Ages, 607

“Until self is laid upon the altar of sacrifice, Christ will not be reflected in the character. When self is buried, and Christ occupies the throne of the heart, there will be a revelation of principles that will clear the moral atmosphere surrounding the soul.” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, Vol. 6, 1098

The heart of man is to be the throne of God, but when Adam sinned, the powers of man were perverted with selfishness because Satan placed his throne in man’s heart.

“All sin is selfishness. Satan’s first sin was selfishness. He sought to grasp power, to exalt self. A species of insanity led him to seek to supersede God. And the temptation which led Adam to sin was the false statement of Satan that it was possible for him to attain to something more than he already enjoyed—possible for him to be as God Himself. Thus, seeds of selfishness were sown in the human heart.” The Ellen G. White 1888 Materials, 1763

Do the seeds of selfishness affect the nature or the character of man?

“We have hereditary tendencies to wrong. This is a part of self that no one need carry about. It is a weakness of humanity to pet selfishness, because it is a natural trait of character.” The Faith I Live By, 140

Yes, seeds of selfishness do affect the character of man, because selfishness is “a natural trait of human character.”

“By nature, man has no love for God. It is not natural for him to think of heavenly things. Satan has worked against God and His government, leading men to attribute to God the traits which belong to the power of evil. Christ came to this world to reveal the Father.” The Review and Herald, March 12, 1901

When Adam failed to maintain the principles of God’s law of divine love, the seeds of selfishness were sown in the human heart and selfishness took the place of love. Selfishness became the inherent, natural trait of character, the driving force in man’s nature.

Back to the rich young ruler

“Christ does not lessen the claims of the law. In unmistakable language, He presents obedience to it as the condition of eternal life—the same condition that was required of Adam before his fall. The Lord expects no less of the soul now than He expected of man in paradise, perfect obedience, unblemished righteousness. The requirement under the covenant of grace is just as broad as the requirement made in Eden—harmony with God’s law, which is holy, just, and good.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 391

“The lover of self is a transgressor of the law. This Jesus desired to reveal to the young man, and He gave him a test that would make manifest the selfishness of his heart. He showed him the plague spot in his character [thoughts and feelings]. The young man desired no further enlightenment. He had cherished an idol in the soul; the world was his god. He professed to have kept the commandments, but he was destitute of the principle [divine love] which is the very spirit and life of them all. He did not possess true love for God or man. This want was the want of everything that would qualify him to enter the kingdom of heaven. In his love of self and worldly gain, he was out of harmony with the principles of heaven [the law of God].” Ibid., 392

“A good man, out of the good treasure of his heart, bringeth forth good things. God does not deal with actions so much as with the heart that prompts them.” Manuscript Releases, Vol. 4, 440

“Holiness of heart will produce right actions. It is the absence of spirituality, of holiness, which leads to unrighteous acts, to envy, hatred, jealousy, evil surmisings, and every hateful and abominable sin.” Testimonies, Vol. 2, 445

Is sin limited to our actions?

“Until the requirements of the holy law were applied as the rule of life, fallen man could not understand his own guilt, nor realize his condemned, lost condition. Jesus made application of the law directly to the soul, and laid under its jurisdiction the will and desires and works of man. Wrongdoing and all thoughts and feelings condemned by the law are to be overcome.” Manuscript Releases, Vol. 9, 235, 236

“The law of God takes note of the jealousy, envy, hatred, malignity, revenge, lust, and ambition that surge through the soul, but have not found expression in outward action, because the opportunity, not the will, has been wanting. And these sinful emotions will be brought into the account in the day when ‘God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil.’ ” The Signs of the Times, April 15, 1886

The deeds of the law may be performed, there may be an outward obedience, but what is the principle in the heart that motivates the action? What is the principle in the heart that is being worked out in the life? The natural principle in the heart is what determines whether outward action is true obedience or legalism. Without the power to do the works of righteousness, obedience is legalism.

“Even the moral law fails of its purpose, unless it is understood in its relation to the Saviour.” The Desire of Ages, 608

Before looking at the purpose of the law we want to understand its relation to the Saviour.

The Requirement of the Law in Relation to Sinful Man and Christ

“The law requires righteousness—a righteous life, a perfect character; and this man has not to give. He cannot meet the claims of God’s holy law.” The Desire of Ages, 762

The law requires righteousness and a perfect character. Sinful man has neither one. What about Jesus’ finite human nature?

“Jesus volunteered to meet the highest claims of the law, that He might be the Justifier of all who believe on Him. We look to the cross, and see in Jesus a fully-satisfied and reconciled God. Jesus is righteousness. What fullness is expressed in these words!” The Review and Herald, September 2, 1890

“To human eyes, Christ was only a man, yet He was a perfect man. In His humanity, He was the impersonation of the divine character. God embodied His own attributes in His Son—His power, His wisdom, His goodness, His purity, His truthfulness, His spirituality, and His benevolence. In Him, though human, all perfection of character, all divine excellence, dwelt.” The Youth’s Instructor, September 16, 1897

In the next reference, notice how Inspiration uses the words character and nature synonymously in describing what happened when man sinned in Eden.

“When man sinned, all heaven was filled with sorrow; for through yielding to temptation, man became the enemy of God, a partaker of the satanic nature. The image of God in which he had been created was marred and distorted. The character of man was out of harmony with the character of God; for through sin man became carnal, and the carnal heart is enmity against God, is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.” The Signs of the Times, February 13, 1893

At the Fall, man became a partaker of the satanic nature because the seeds of selfishness were sown in the heart of man. Selfishness is the very essence of Satan’s nature and this is the nature, the character, that we inherit from Adam.

The next two references refer to the humanity of Christ. Notice the contrast.

“The Sun of Righteousness, shining amid the moral darkness in such distinct rays, revealed the contrast between sin and holiness, purity and defilement, and such light was not welcome to them [the Jews]. Christ was not such a one as themselves.” The Review and Herald, July 12, 1898

“Christ points us to the key of all His suffering and humiliation—the love of God. We read in the parable, ‘Last of all He sent unto them His Son, saying, They will reverence My Son.’ Again and again, the Jewish nation had apostatized. Christ came to see what He could do for His vineyard that He had not done. With His divinity clothed with humanity, He stood before the people, presenting to them their true condition.” Ibid., July 17, 1900

Without recognizing His divinity, we cannot see our true condition. And if we do not see our true condition as a partaker of the satanic nature and then ascribe our condition to Christ, whose character, whose nature are we ascribing to Him?

“Satan has worked against God and His government, leading men to attribute to God the traits which belong to the power of evil.” Ibid., March 12, 1901

What is the purpose of the moral law?

“Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.” Galatians 3:24

“Christ had repeatedly shown that His Father’s law contained something deeper than mere authoritative commands. In the law is embodied the same principle that is revealed in the gospel. The law points out man’s duty and shows him his guilt. To Christ he must look for pardon and for power to do what the law enjoins.” The Desire of the Ages, 608

The purpose of the law is to bring us to Christ that we might be justified. If we recognize Christ as the Son of God in human nature, we will recognize the contrast between His natural righteousness [divinity] and our natural unrighteousness [humanity]; the difference between self-sacrificing love and the plague of selfishness or covetousness. This is the only way that we can recognize our guilt and the only remedy for our guilt is Jesus. We must look to Him for two things: pardon and power to obey.

“Pardon and justification are one and the same thing. Through faith, the believer passes from the position of a rebel, a child of sin and Satan, to the position of a loyal subject of Christ Jesus, not because of an inherent goodness, but because Christ receives him as His child by adoption. The sinner receives the forgiveness of his sins, because these sins are borne by his Substitute and Surety.” Manuscript Releases, Vol. 9, 301

When we are justified, we become a loyal subject of Christ, not because of an inherent goodness. The law requires this inherent goodness and while we do not inherit this righteousness, Jesus did, and notice what He said in Matthew 5:17, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.” Mrs. White explains what Jesus meant when He said that He came to fulfill the law.

“He here used the word ‘fulfill’ in the same sense as when He declared to John the Baptist His purpose to ‘fulfill all righteousness’ (Matthew 3:15); that is, to fill up the measure of the law’s requirement, to give an example of perfect conformity to the will of God.” Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, 48, 49

Jesus is our substitute in fulfilling the law’s requirement of righteousness, just as His baptism fulfilled the requirement of baptism for the thief on the cross.

“His mission was to ‘magnify the law, and make it honorable.’ Isaiah 42:21. He was to show the spiritual nature of the law, to present its far-reaching principles, and to make plain its eternal obligation.” Ibid., 49

If we confess our guilt and recognize that Jesus is righteousness and as our substitute filled up the measure of the law for us, then He will pardon us. This is the very essence of justification by faith. But faith does not end here. We must look to Christ not only for pardon [justification], but also for power to do what the law enjoins. What is the power?

“Love is power. Intellectual and moral strength are involved in this principle, and cannot be separated from it. The power of wealth has a tendency to corrupt and destroy; the power of force is strong to do hurt; but the excellence and value of pure love consist in its efficiency to do good, and to do nothing else than good. Whatsoever is done out of pure love, be it ever so little or contemptible in the sight of men, is wholly fruitful; for God regards more with how much love one worketh, than the amount he doeth. Love is of God. The unconverted heart cannot originate nor produce this plant of heavenly origin, which lives and flourishes only where Christ reigns.

“Love cannot live without action, and every act increases, strengthens, and extends it. Love will gain the victory when argument and authority are powerless. Love works not for profit nor reward; yet God has ordained that great gain shall be the certain result of every labor of love. It is diffusive in its nature, and quiet in its operation, yet strong, mighty, to overcome great evils. It is melting and transforming in its influence, and will take hold of the lives of the sinful and affect their hearts when every other means has proved unsuccessful. Wherever the power of intellect, of authority, or of force is employed, and love is not manifestly present, the affections and will of those whom we seek to reach assume a defensive, repelling position, and their strength of resistance is increased. Jesus was the Prince of Peace. He came into the world to bring resistance and authority into subjection to Himself. Wisdom and strength He could command, but the means He employed with which to overcome evil were the wisdom and strength of love. …” Gospel Workers (1915), 311, 312

“The divine beauty of the character of Christ, of whom the noblest and most gentle among men are but a faint reflection; of whom Solomon by the Spirit of inspiration wrote, He is ‘the chiefest among ten thousand, … yea, He is altogether lovely’ (Song of Solomon 5:10–16); of whom David, seeing Him in prophetic vision, said, ‘Thou art fairer than the children of men’ (Psalm 45:2); Jesus, the express image of the Father’s person, the effulgence of His glory; the self-denying Redeemer, throughout His pilgrimage of love on earth, was a living representation of the character of the law of God. In His life it is made manifest that heaven-born love, Christlike principles, underlie the laws of eternal rectitude.” Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, 49

Rectitude involves both the mind and the conduct. Rectitude of mind is the natural inclination, the natural tendency or propensity to do what the law requires. Rectitude of conduct is doing what the law requires.

The issue in the controversy regarding the nature of Christ is justification. Jesus filled up the full measure of the law and brought into human nature the power of divine love, the power that we need to not only meet the law’s requirement of righteousness but also the power of divine love for true obedience to be sanctified. But before His divine love can be imparted to us in the life-long process of sanctification we must be justified; His righteousness must be imputed to us, put in our account. And before His righteousness can be applied to our record we must recognize our guilt of natural covetousness, natural selfishness, and confess this sin.

“If we say that we have [present tense] no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [justification] our sins, and to cleanse us [sanctification] from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:8, 9 (brackets added.)

Prior to the conversion of Paul, he was a stickler for outward obedience but when Jesus revealed His divine nature to Saul on the road to Damascus, Paul was convicted of his sin. And what commandment did Paul say convicted him? “I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.” Romans 7:7

We have been warned

“The danger has been presented to me again and again of entertaining, as a people, false ideas of justification by faith. I have been shown for years that Satan would work in a special manner to confuse the mind on this point. The law of God has been largely dwelt upon, and has been presented to congregations, almost as destitute of the knowledge of Jesus Christ and His relation to the law as was the offering of Cain. I have been shown that many have been kept from the faith because of the mixed, confused ideas of salvation, because the ministers have worked in a wrong manner to reach hearts. The point which has been urged upon my mind for years is the imputed righteousness of Christ. I have wondered that this matter was not made the subject of discourses in our churches throughout the land, when the matter has been kept so constantly urged upon me, and I have made it the subject of nearly every discourse and talk that I have given to the people.” The Ellen G. White 1888 Materials, 810

If we do not understand how the humanity of Christ is related to the law of God, we will have false ideas of justification by faith, which is the imputed righteousness of Christ. It is impossible to do the works of righteousness without first being justified, and before we can be justified we must be convicted that our condition of selfishness, our state of evil, is sin because it is an imperfection of character, out of harmony with the perfect character of God as manifested in His only begotten Son.

The law of God convicted the scribe of his duty that obedience [deeds of righteousness], is necessary for salvation, and because of this Jesus said that he was “not far from the kingdom of God.” But he also “needed to recognize that the divine character of Christ, that the kingdom of God was in Him.” This story does not reveal whether or not the scribe ever recognized His divine character and through faith in His righteousness received the power of divine love to obey. But Inspiration is crystal clear that without recognizing that His finite human nature possessed the divine attributes of His Father, the righteousness that the law requires, we will never gain an entrance into His kingdom, His righteousness.

Those who do not understand the difference between the human nature of sinful man and the human nature of the Son of God unwittingly ascribe to Jesus the attributes of the satanic nature, for that is what we inherit from Adam.

We may intellectually understand that it is our duty to obey the law of God, but until we are convicted of our guilt we will never receive the power, the divine love of God, to do the works of righteousness. And we will never be convicted of our guilt until we see the contrast between our condition of evil, our lack of righteousness, and the human condition of Jesus, full of righteousness and holiness. He was the personification of the law of God, the law of self-sacrificing love. Without His righteousness we are the personification of Satan’s law, the law of selfishness.

There are many scribes today in God’s church who recognize that deeds of righteousness are necessary; they profess to believe in obedience but they limit sin to a choice and thereby deny that our state or condition of evil is sin. Then they teach that the human nature of Jesus inherited all that we inherit from Adam. Lacking knowledge regarding the far-reaching principles of God’s law and how the humanity of Christ is related to His law, they unwittingly join Satan in working “against God and His government, leading men to attribute to God the traits which belong to the power of evil.” The Review and Herald, March 12, 1901

“Christ was the pattern minister. He was the greatest teacher the world ever saw.” Sermons and Talks, Vol. 2, 75

“Let it never be forgotten that the teacher must be what he desires his pupils to become.” The Review and Herald, January 10, 1882

“We are to look to the man Christ Jesus, who is complete in the perfection of righteousness and holiness. He is the Author and Finisher of our faith. He is the Pattern Man. His experience is the measure of the experience that we are to gain. His character is our model.” Ibid., March 9, 1905

All scriptures are from the King James Bible.

Peggy Nixon has a deep love for the “truth as it is in Jesus.” She does not claim to be an expert on this subject but found that it opened to her a better understanding of righteousness by faith, both in justification and sanctification.  She can be reached at natureofchrist@gmail.com.

Be Ye Therefore Perfect

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As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him, rooted and built up in Him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.” “For in Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in Him.”

There is opened before all Christians a path of continual advancement. They have an object to reach, a standard to gain, which includes everything good, and pure, and noble, and elevating; and they should make constant progress toward perfection of character. The ideal of Christian character is Christlikeness. The religion of Jesus Christ never degrades the receiver, never makes him coarse or rough, discourteous or self-important, passionate or hard-hearted. On the contrary, it refines the taste, sanctifies the judgment, and softens the heart. It purifies and elevates the thoughts, bringing them into captivity to Christ.

The living God has given us in His law a transcript of His character, and this law He calls upon us to obey, saying, “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” As God is perfect in His high sphere of action, so man may be perfect in his human sphere.

The case of Daniel may be studied with profit by all who desire perfection of character. He and his companions were sincere, faithful Christians. To them the will of God was the supreme law of life. They knew that in order to glorify God all their faculties must be developed, and they sought to gain knowledge, that they might perfect a Christian character, and stand in that heathen nation as fitting representatives of the true religion. In order to preserve health, they resolved to avoid the luxuries of the king’s table, they refused to partake of any stimulating drink, but practiced strict temperance in all things, that they might not enfeeble brain or muscle. They exerted all their powers to work out their own salvation, and God worked in them to will and to do of His good pleasure. Under His training, their faculties were able to do the highest service for Him … .

When Nebuchadnezzar’s golden image was set up on the plains of Dura, Daniel’s three companions were commanded to fall down and worship it; but their principles forbade them to pay homage to the idol, for it was a rival to the God of heaven. They knew that they owed every faculty they possessed to God, and while their hearts were full of generous sympathy toward all men, they had a lofty aspiration to prove themselves entirely loyal to their God.

These faithful witnesses were cast into the fire for refusing to obey the command of the king, but God manifested His power for the deliverance of His servants. One like unto the Son of man walked with them in the midst of the flame, and when they were brought forth, not even the smell of fire had passed upon them.

Thus these three Hebrew youth, imbued with the Holy Spirit, declared to the whole nation their faith that He whom they worshiped was the only true and living God. This demonstration of their faith was the most eloquent presentation of their principles. In order to impress others with the power and greatness of the living God, His servants must reveal their own reverence for Him, making it manifest that He is the only object of their honor and worship, and that no consideration, not even the preservation of life itself, can induce them to make the least concession to idolatry.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and all who live in communion with their Creator, will have an understanding of His design in their creation, and a sense of their own obligation to employ their faculties to the very best purpose. They will seek neither to glorify nor to depreciate themselves, but they will glorify God; for the man who consents to be molded and fashioned after the divine similitude, is the noblest specimen of the work of God.

But the Lord wants no man to wait until he thinks he has repented, before he turns his steps toward Jesus. The Saviour is continually drawing men to repentance; they need only to submit to be drawn, and their hearts will be melted and subdued, fit temples for the indwelling of Christ. …

God calls upon all men to avail themselves of the blessings He has set before them, that they may cooperate with Him in carrying forward the great work of redemption. He has given His Holy Spirit as a power sufficient to overcome all man’s hereditary and cultivated tendencies to wrong. By yielding his capabilities to the control of this Spirit, man will be impressed with God’s perfect character, and will become an instrument through which He can reveal His mercy, His goodness, and His love. …

The knowledge which will give the highest culture, is obtained from God’s word. The words of revelation, carefully studied, strengthen the intellect as well as the heart. The experimental knowledge of true godliness, found in daily consecration and service for God, gives true culture of the mind, soul, and body. This consecration of our powers prevents self-exaltation; and the impartation of divine power honors our sincere striving after wisdom in order that we may know how to use our faculties to honor God and to bless our fellow men.

This is the will of God concerning every human being, even your sanctification. In urging our way heavenward, every faculty must be kept in the most perfect condition, in order that it may do the most faithful service. The powers with which God has endowed man are to be put to the test. That which God requires of those whom He has created and redeemed, is summed up in the words: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength.” “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God which worketh in you, to will, and to do of His good pleasure.”

Man is allotted a part in the great struggle for everlasting life. He must respond to the working of the Holy Spirit. It will require a struggle to break through the powers of darkness, but the Spirit that works in him can and will accomplish this. … He is called upon to strain every muscle in the struggle for immortality, yet it is God that supplies the efficiency. No human being can be saved in indolence.

Christ assumed human nature, to demonstrate to the fallen world, to Satan and His synagogue, to the universe of heaven, and to the worlds unfallen, that human nature, united to His divine nature, could become entirely obedient to the law of God, that His followers by their love and unity would give evidence that the power of redemption is sufficient to enable man to overcome. And He rejoices to think that His prayer that His followers might be sanctified through the truth, will be answered; they will be molded by the transforming influence of His grace into a character after the divine similitude. The Signs of the Times, November 5, 1896

Your Nature Can Be Changed

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It is only the overcomer who at last will receive a crown and eternal life.(See Revelation 21:5-7; 1 John 5:4, 18.)

All must overcome sin if they are to have eternal life, but there are many who become discouraged, believing they cannot overcome because they inherited evil tendencies (propensities) from Adam; tendencies they cannot change. Consequently, overcoming is not possible for them, or so they say. However, Inspiration tells us it is possible.

“You may claim much leniency because of your human nature, of your temptations and trials, and seek to excuse yourself for sin because of inherited tendencies, but Christ gave Himself in behalf of humanity, and there is no reason for failure. Christ bore temptations such as you will never be called upon to bear. He suffered as you will never suffer. He knew all your griefs, He has carried your sorrows. He has made it possible for you to be an overcomer. Do not say it is impossible for you to overcome. Do not say, ‘It is my nature to do thus and so, and I cannot do otherwise. I have inherited weaknesses that make me powerless before temptation.’ We know you cannot overcome in your own strength; but help has been laid upon One who is mighty to save. When God gave His only begotten Son, He provided everything essential to your salvation. … The resources of heaven are open to us. We should believe this precious truth. And when the enemy comes in like a flood to discourage and to dishearten, the Spirit of the Lord will raise up a standard against him. … All heaven was poured out to us in Christ, and He that spared not His own Son will not withhold any good thing from those who walk uprightly.” The Upward Look, 154

The true child of God will be made free of every defect of character by the blood of the Lamb and the transforming power of God. And it is the privilege of every believer to possess Christ’s nature. Jesus spoke of this change in the human heart when He said to Nicodemus, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see (discern) the kingdom of God.” John 3:3

“The blessings of salvation are for every soul. Nothing but his own choice can prevent any man from becoming a partaker of the promise in Christ by the gospel.” Conflict and Courage, 297

Forbearance with Honest Doubters

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August 4 – 10, 2024

Key Text

“Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near.” Isaiah 55:6

Study Help: Patriarchs and Prophets, 101–104

Introduction

“God does not give us up because of our sins. We may make mistakes and grieve His Spirit; but when we repent and come to Him with contrite hearts, He will not turn us away.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 350

Sunday

1 THE MORAL CONDITION OF HUMAN NATURE

1.a. Into whose hands did Adam betray the government of this world? Luke 4:5-6; John 16:11; 1 John 5:18-19. Whose spirit controls those who live in sin? Ephesians 2:1–3

Note: “We must inevitably be under the control of the one or the other of the two great powers that are contending for the supremacy of the world. It is not necessary for us deliberately to choose the service of the kingdom of darkness in order to come under its dominion. We have only to neglect to ally ourselves with the kingdom of light. If we do not cooperate with the heavenly agencies, Satan will take possession of the heart and will make it his abiding place.” The Desire of Ages, 324

1.b. With what thought do willful sinners deceive themselves? Malachi 3:14-15; Ecclesiastes 8:11

Note: “Satan does not enter with his array of temptations at once. He disguises these temptations with a semblance of good. He mingles with amusements and folly some little improvements, and deceived souls make it an excuse that great good is to be derived by engaging in them. This is only the deceptive part. It is Satan’s hellish arts masked. Beguiled souls take one step, then are prepared for the next.” Messages to Young People, 83

Monday

2 A COMMON TEMPTATION

2.a. How was the psalmist tempted when he saw the temporal prosperity of the wicked? Psalm 73:2–13. What struggle takes place in the mind of everyone who looks away (or is tempted to turn away) from God?

Note: “There are times when, under adversity and sorrow, the servants of God become discouraged and despondent. They brood over their circumstances, and, contrasting their condition with the prosperity of those who have no thought or care for eternal things, they feel aggrieved. They manifest a spirit of reproach and murmur and repine at their lot. They seem to consider that God is under special obligation to bless them and prosper their undertakings, and therefore, as they are placed in situations of trial, they grow rebellious and look with envy on the wicked who flourish in their iniquity. They seem to regard the condition of the transgressor as preferable to their own. These bitter thoughts are suggested to the mind by the deceiver of mankind. It is his delight to stir up rebellion in the breasts of the children of God. He knows it causes them weakness and is a source of dishonor to their God. He desires us to think that it is a vain thing to serve God, and that those who are unmindful of the claims of heaven are more favored than those who strive to obey the commandments of God.

“The psalmist David had this experience. When he looked upon the flourishing condition of the wicked he was envious of their success. … ‘Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches. Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency. For all the day long have I been plagued.’ ” The Signs of the Times, February 3, 1888

2.b.  When, where, and how did the king see the final end of those who fear God contrasted with those who fear Him not? Psalm 73:16-17

Note: “When he [David] went into the sanctuary and communed with the Lord, he no longer desired the portion of the wicked; for then he understood their end. He saw that their way led to destruction at last, and their pleasure was but for a season. Envy had no more a place in his heart. His rebellious spirit bowed in humble submission to his God.” The Signs of the Times, February 3, 1888

2.c. In the sanctuary service, how did he contemplate the end of the wicked? Psalms 73:18-19,27; Psalms 75:8; Psalms 76:12. How did he also see the merciful hand of God extended to repentant sinners? Psalm 77:7–9,15

Tuesday

3 THE PSALMIST’S CONFESSION

3.a. What confession did David make after his eyes were opened? Psalm 73:21–26,28

Note: “He [David] saw that the guidance of the Lord was of infinitely more value than all the temporal prosperity of the world; for the way of the Lord kept the feet in the paths of righteousness that lead to eternal glory.” The Signs of the Times, February 3, 1888

3.b.  After the psalmist’s repentance and confession, what appeal came forth from his heart in the sanctuary? Psalm 74:3-4,7–10

3.c. What must we realize in order to escape the common temptation to envy the temporal prosperity of ungodly people? Psalm 77:1–3

Note: “Yielding to temptation begins in permitting the mind to waver, to be inconstant in your trust in God. If we do not choose to give ourselves fully to God then we are in darkness. When we make any reserve we are leaving open a door through which Satan can enter to lead us astray by his temptations. He knows that if he can obscure our vision, so that the eye of faith cannot see God, there will be no barrier against sin.” Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, 92

“The warfare between good and evil has not grown less fierce than it was in the days of the Saviour. The path to heaven is no smoother now than it was then. All our sins must be put away. Every darling indulgence that hinders our spiritual progress must be cut off. The right eye or the right hand must be sacrificed if it causes us to offend. Are we willing to renounce our own wisdom and to receive the kingdom of heaven as a little child? Are we willing to part with our self-righteousness? Are we willing to sacrifice the approbation of men? The prize of eternal life is of infinite value. Are we willing to welcome the Holy Spirit’s aid, and cooperate with it, putting forth efforts and making sacrifices proportionate to the value of the object to be obtained?” Messages to Young People, 56

“Against every evildoer God’s law utters condemnation. He may disregard that voice, he may seek to drown its warning, but in vain. It follows him. It makes itself heard. It destroys his peace. … A quenchless fire, it consumes at last soul and body.” Education, 144, 145

Wednesday

4 THE PREDOMINANT CONCERN

4.a. After returning to God with repentance and confession, what was the psalmist’s main concern? Psalms 74:18–23; Psalms 79:1. What reveals the loving nature of God’s justice in behalf of His children?

Note: “God cannot be excluded from any transaction in which the rights of His children are concerned. Over every one that is serving Him in sincerity, His hand is spread as a buckler. None can wound the humblest disciple of Jesus without smiting that hand which holds the sword of justice.” The Signs of the Times, December 20, 1883

4.b.  By looking to the sanctuary (in Psalms 76:2 and Psalms 77:13), how did the psalmist plead for mercy and help—and why ought we to echo these sentiments? Psalms 79:8–10; Psalms 80:1, 3

Note: “When I think how strong we might be if we would take hold of the strength of the Mighty One, and then see how weak we are because we do not claim the promises of God, my soul cries out in anguish, ‘Spare Thy people, O Lord, and give not Thine heritage to reproach;’ ‘wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God?’

“There are among us many who profess the truth but who refuse to be crucified with Christ. The Author of our salvation labored and suffered for us. His whole life was one long scene of toil and privation. He could have done as many of His professed followers choose to do; He could have passed His days on earth in ease and plenty, and appropriated to Himself all the pleasures and enjoyments of this life. But He sought not His own comfort or gratification; He lived to do good, to save others from shame, suffering, and ruin.” The Signs of the Times, September 27, 1883

“We want to be sure that we are the children of light; that we are following in the footsteps of our Redeemer and Example. The cross lies in our pathway, but shall we not take it up and bear it for His sake who bore the cross for us? All who are seeking to serve God will have trials; but shall we say, What does it profit to come out from the world and be separate? …

“There must be a coming up, lest Satan divert the mind from the contemplation of the spiritual and eternal, to the earthly and temporal. God is willing to give you grace and strength for every time of need, if you seek for it with a sincere heart.” Ibid., February 3, 1888

Thursday

5 THE ONLY HOPE FOR FALLEN HUMANITY

5.a. Why should we share the concern of the psalmist who was perplexed by doubt? Psalm 119:53, 126; Ecclesiastes 12:14

Note: “For certain things, fasting and prayer are recommended and appropriate. In the hand of God they are a means of cleansing the heart and promoting a receptive frame of mind. We obtain answers to our prayers because we humble our souls before God.” Counsels on Diet and Foods, 187, 188

5.b. What should we do when we send our petitions to the One who is looking down from His throne in the sanctuary as described in Psalm 102:1-20? Revelation 3:20; Hebrews 12:25. What happens when we harden our hearts against the influence of the Holy Spirit?

Note: “Every time you refuse to listen to the message of mercy, you strengthen yourself in unbelief. Every time you fail to open the door of your heart to Christ, you become more and more unwilling to listen to the voice of Him that speaketh.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 237

5.c. What lesson should we learn from the apostle Paul’s struggling against evil? 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

Friday

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1     What are the only two possibilities between which every person must choose his or her destiny?

2     What thoughts almost led the psalmist into perdition?

3     When and where did he wake up to his error? What confession did he make?

4     What was the psalmist’s main concern after his repentance? Why should we share his concern?

5     How did the apostle Paul describe his struggle against sin? What is the only hope for fallen humanity?

Copyright 2010, Reformation Herald Publishing Association, 5240 Hollins Road, Roanoke, Virginia 24019-5048, U.S.A.

Story – Sin Stinks

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Years ago, my husband and I had two dogs, Dixie and Chuck. Neither of them were purebreds and both were rescue dogs. While Dixie was the smaller dog, she was what we call the alpha dog—the boss. Together those two got into all sorts of adventures.

Both Dixie and Chuck had been trained not to chase or harm any other animal or bird in any way, and they obeyed this directive to a tee, with one exception. For a reason known only to her, Dixie loved skunks. Being the boss, Dixie led the way in their adventures and this included the occasional run-in with the skunks that lived in the pasture around our house.

We lived in the country, about a quarter of a mile north of a section of the Chikaskia River. Dixie and Chuck loved playing in the river, which was only ever about six to eight inches deep except for a handful of times in the five or six years we lived there when it flooded.

Many Sabbath afternoons, we would take the path mowed through the waist-high grasses down to the river to watch the dogs play in the water and fetch the sticks we threw for them.

One such Sabbath, we were headed back to the house when I heard my husband say quietly to me, “Run.” I wasn’t sure that I heard him, so I said, “What?” He repeated, a bit more urgently, “Run.”

I said, “Why?” He was already backing up the path away from me and pointing behind me. I turned just in time to see a skunk emerging from the grass with Dixie headed right for it. I yelled, “Dixie! No!” But Dixie wasn’t listening. She had to meet this new friend and she ran right up to the skunk as it turned around and raised its tail. I yelled for Chuck to come, and turned to run just as Dixie’s nose went right to that skunk’s tail. And with a resounding yelp, Dixie backpedaled away from that skunk very quickly.

When surprised or feeling threatened, skunks defend themselves by spraying a foul-smelling chemical that can cause irritation, temporary blindness, violent sickness, and a runny nose. It is strong enough that it can ward off bears and other potential attackers. But here’s the part about skunk spray that made it not only bad for Dixie, but for all of us. Skunk spray and smell can travel in the air as far as 3.5 miles downwind. While the wind that day wasn’t blowing hard, it was blowing straight toward us. My husband, Chuck and I ran as fast as we could to get inside the house, leaving Dixie to fend for herself.

When things had calmed down, we went out to give Dixie what had become a regular occurrence—a bath with some special, heavy-duty shampoo supplied by our vet to remove the smell.

You know, that experience, and the many others that followed for Dixie (because she never did give up her liking for skunks), is a lot like us and sin. Because of our sinful nature, we are attracted to the devil and seem to think that he is our friend, but, my sweet children, he is not. He tempts us to do wrong and when we give in, he just tempts us again and again. And the more we give in, the more sin fills our lives and covers every part of us until we are enveloped in the stink of sin.

But, there is a remedy. Just like we were able to use that special shampoo to get that horrible smell off Dixie, Jesus can cleanse us and remove the stink of sin.

David once did some very bad things, and all he could sense of himself was the stink of sin. So he prayed, “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. … Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” Psalm 51:7, 10

And Revelation 7:14 tells us that God’s people won’t be stinky with sin when He comes to take them to heaven because they will have been washed clean. “These are the ones who come out of great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”

I have a great many favorite songs and one of them is titled Are You Washed in the Blood? I’m sharing the words on the right.

Remember, the devil is not your friend. But if you forget or even purposely give in to his temptations and you start to stink of sin, just go to the fountain flowing with the cleansing blood of Jesus and He will wash you, clean you right up, and make you one of His children.

The next time you smell something really bad, say to yourself, “I don’t want to smell stinky with sin, so I’m going to ask Jesus to always help me to do what is right and to remember that the devil is not my friend and that sin stinks.”

 

Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing pow’r?

Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

Are you fully trusting in His grace this hour?

Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

 

Are you walking daily by the Saviour’s side?

Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

Do you rest each moment in the Crucified?

Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

 

Lay aside the garments that are stained with sin,

And be washed in the blood of the Lamb;

There’s a fountain flowing for the soul unclean,

O be washed in the blood of the Lamb.

Are you washed in the blood,

In the soul-cleansing blood of the Lamb?

Are your garments spotless?

Are they white as snow?

Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

Called to Victory

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Comfort ye, comfort ye, My people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned; for she hath received of the Lord’s hand double for all her sins. … O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God! Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand, and His arm shall rule for Him; behold, His reward is with Him, and His work before Him. He shall feed His flock like a shepherd; He shall gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young. … Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? There is no searching of His understanding. He giveth power to the faint, and to them that have no might He increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall; but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint.”

Isaiah 40:31

Let those who are engaged in the Master’s service study these eloquent words. What is the object of divine compassion?—The uplifting of fallen humanity. For this purpose messengers from the throne of God are sent to this earth. In Second Kings, we read how holy angels came on a mission to guard the Lord’s chosen servants. The prophet Elisha was in Dothan, and thither the king of Israel [Syria] sent horses and chariots and a great host to take him. “And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do? And he answered, Fear not; for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. And Elisha prayed, and said, “Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see.” And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw; and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.”

Angels of God came down in mighty power, not to rule or exact homage, but to minister to those who should be heirs of salvation. They came in mighty power to camp round about the Lord’s faithful servants.

Depend on this: If you study the word of God with a sincere desire to gain knowledge, God will fill your soul with light. The mysteries of heaven will become the treasures of your mind. Your work will be approved by God, and your influence will be a savor of life. Never complain. Let not your lips utter perverseness. Do not talk darkness because appearances are against you. We are in a world of sin and crime. As we work for the Master, we shall feel pressure for want of means, but God will hear and answer our petitions. Let your language be, “The Lord God will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded; therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.”

Look on the bright side. If the work is hindered, be sure that it is not your fault, and then rejoice in the Lord, even though the experience through which you are passing may be hard and grievous. Heaven is full of joy. It resounds with the praises of the One who has made such a wonderful sacrifice for the redemption of man. Should not the church on earth be full of praise? Should not Christians publish throughout the world the joy of serving Christ?

The Lord desires us to be strong in His strength and joyful in His love. Thus we reveal the power of redeeming grace. We may triumph in the keeping power of the Redeemer. Through faith in Him we may gain victory after victory over self.

Those who enter heaven must learn on earth the song of heaven, the keynote of which is praise and thanksgiving. Only as they learn this song can they join in singing it with the heavenly choir.

Never let your courage fail. The Christian always has a strong helper in the Lord. When, because you are unable to obtain the needed help, you come to a pause in your earnest efforts, cast your burden on the Lord. Be content to leave it there, knowing that He is faithful who has promised. The What and How of the Lord’s helping we know not; but this we do know: The Lord will never fail those who put their trust in Him. When He has fully proved His workers, He will bring them forth refined as gold tried in the fire.

The lessons that God sends will always, if well learned, bring help in due time. “Tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope; and hope maketh not ashamed, because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.”

Put your trust in God. Pray much, and believe that in His good work the Lord will guide you step by step. Trusting, hoping, believing in the Lord, holding fast the hand of Infinite Power, you will be more than conquerors. In God you will have victory and success. You will see the salvation of the Lord.

Work in faith, and leave the results with God. Pray in earnest faith, and the mystery of God’s providence will bring its answer.

“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.” At times it may seem that you cannot succeed. Hindrances will come. You will be tested and tried. But work and believe, putting faith and life and hope and courage into your work. After you have done what you can, wait for the Lord, declaring His faithfulness, and He will bring His word to pass. Wait not in fretful anxiety, but in undaunted faith and unshaken trust.

“For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace; the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir-tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree; and it shall be to the Lord for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.” Atlantic Union Gleaner, August 20, 1902

How to Overcome the Devil

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“So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, ‘Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has but a short time.’ ”

Revelations 12:9–12

Why are there so many tears and disasters? So much worry, sorrow, pain, suffering, and death? The answer is in these scriptures. Satan was cast down, set loose on this earth to wreak havoc, and the Bible says that he will deceive the whole world. Every man and woman has been deceived at some time by this arch deceiver.

I wish that we could, just in the smallest degree, understand the significance of his deceitfulness. From the time you were born, he has studied your life, and for whatever reason, by one means or another, he has become a master artist at deceiving you. Every time we sin, we have been deceived into thinking that Satan’s plan is superior to God’s plan.

Some time ago, I was studying the Bible with a woman in Pennsylvania. Every doctrine we studied from the Bible—the state of the dead, the Sabbath, and many other doctrines—she accepted.

But when we began to study diet—pork specifically—she began to have issues. You see, diet is the downfall of so many people. We all know that the Bible says pork is an unclean food, unfit for mankind to eat, and those who are holy and pure do not eat pork or any other food the Bible identifies as unclean.

Sadly, this woman liked pork. You can see how the devil’s deceptions were working against her. If she didn’t like pork, then it would have been no temptation to her and, like all the other doctrines she had so eagerly accepted, she would have gladly given up unclean foods including pork. But she did like pork, and soon she began the process of rationalization.

Perhaps you have done the same thing. So-and-so does something that is wrong, so it’s okay for me to do it, too. Unfortunately, friends, the old adage, “two wrongs don’t make a right” is absolutely true. Excusing our sin by pointing out someone else’s, doesn’t make our sin any less sinful, nor does it deliver us from the resultant consequences.

Still, the devil wanted to keep her from fully and faithfully following Jesus, and to do this he had a terrible deception ready to use against her. Remember, he is the master deceiver. He had studied this woman her whole life and knew just what he should do.

About a month into our studies together, in fact it was during the same time that she was struggling with the truth regarding diet, she had lost her six-year-old daughter, and, oh, how she grieved over the death of her child. It is dangerous to reject truth because we sacrifice the protection of Jesus completely and leave ourselves open to all kinds of deception.

In her home, the daughter’s bedroom was at the top of the stairs on the second floor. One day, she looked up those stairs, still grieving, and for one fleeting moment, she saw her daughter standing there looking at her, smiling, and then she was gone. In that moment, she knew that her daughter was all right, that she was in heaven, and had come down to give her assurance and peace.

Also, in that moment, she decided that the Bible was wrong, or at least the way we were interpreting it was wrong. But the Bible doesn’t need an interpreter, for it plainly says regarding the dead, “The dead know not anything, neither have they any more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten.” Ecclesiastes 9:5

The devil’s deception was so powerful that she believed she had truly seen her daughter, and she was so truly deceived that she determined that everything she had learned and accepted to that point was wrong, and she rejected everything. Satan knew right where to strike. Tragically, this woman loved her daughter and unclean foods more than she loved the truth, and unless she repents of her rejection and again accepts the truth, it will cost her salvation.

Satan has a master file of your life and mine. He has traced every event. He and his angels have studied every aspect of your life. They know your special desires, weaknesses, and insecurities. They know what offends and irritates you the most, and how to upset you.

Is There Anything That Can Cause You to be Lost?

Is there anything in this world that means more to you than the truth as it is in Jesus Christ? Your spouse and children? Family or friends? A job, a position of power, wealth, or possessions? Are you proud of your looks? Do you enjoy the flattery of the world? Do you desire attention? Have you been driven to a dark place because of illness, loneliness, or discouragement?

Is there anything that could cause you to give up the truth and turn away from the Holy Spirit? If there is, then rest assured Satan will bend all his power to bring about your destruction.

God wants you to be happy, but if you seek to follow Him, know that the devil will pull out all the stops to work against you. He has a temptation, probably more than one, that is tailor-made just for you. You see, not all temptations are successful against all people. While one person may struggle with addiction to smoking, drinking, or drugs, another may struggle with gambling or pornography, and another with pride and envy. Yes, the devil has a specific portfolio of temptations for each of us.

We will all be tempted, tested, during our lifetime. No one can expect to have a free ride to the pearly gates. Sooner or later, we will have to meet the devil face to face. We are never alone because the Holy Spirit is always with us to provide the power we need to overcome him. But, just as Jesus did in the wilderness of temptation, we will have to face the devil in battle, and we must be prepared to be conquerors.

The Only One

“The great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world.” Revelation 12:9

Except for One.

Of all of the people who have ever lived in the world, there was only One who was never deceived, the Man Christ Jesus. There is no one who has ever been tempted more than He.

For more than thirty years, Satan had prepared, focusing all his energies into the destruction of Jesus. Throughout His entire life, he had sought to weaken Jesus, to cause Him to give up His faith and confidence in His Father. The time had come. Jesus was about to have that face-to-face confrontation that we ourselves will one day have with Satan.

“Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry.” Luke 4:1, 2

John the Baptist had baptized Jesus in the Jordan, and the Father had declared, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Matthew 3:17. But now God was leading Jesus to the wilderness for the fight of His human life. God took Him to the wilderness and left Him there, with no food or shelter, nothing but the hard ground for a bed, and no earthly protection against wild beasts or other dangers. Jesus had the power to provide for Himself, but the Father had ordained that He should come to earth and live as an ordinary man, trusting completely in Him for all of His needs.

Satan determined that Jesus would be overcome, understanding that “he must either conquer or be conquered. … All the energies of apostasy were rallied against the Son of God. Christ was made the mark of every weapon of hell.” The Desire of Ages, 116

Turn These Stones

Even in His weakened and starved condition, Jesus’ trust in God remained strong and He continued to pray until a beautiful angel came to Him, an answer, it seemed, to His prayer.

“He claimed to have a commission from God to declare that Christ’s fast was at an end. As God had sent an angel to stay the hand of Abraham from offering Isaac, so, satisfied with Christ’s willingness to enter the bloodstained path, the Father had sent an angel to deliver Him; this was the message brought to Jesus. The Saviour was faint from hunger, He was craving for food, when Satan came suddenly upon Him. Pointing to the stones which strewed the desert, and which had the appearance of loaves, the tempter said, ‘If Thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.’ ” Ibid., 118

God accepted Your sacrifice here in the wilderness. He has accepted Your submission to His will. Now He has given You permission, “ ‘If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.’ ” Matthew 4:3

Let’s look at this temptation. Yes, it was a test on appetite. But this angel said something, just a small word, that should give anyone a clue that he might not be what he appeared to be: “If.” “If You are the Son of God … .” Would God treat His Son this way? is the insinuation. An angel from heaven would know who Jesus is. This angel was not sent from God. Jesus discerned who he was. Imagine the added temptation for Him not to show this imposter just exactly who He is.

Why was Jesus not deceived as mankind usually is? Jesus recognized Satan because His relationship with and faith in His Father prevented even His humanity from being deceived.

But why is mankind so easily deceived?

“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.” 2 Thessalonians 2:9, 10

Without a saving relationship with Jesus, we will be unable to see Satan for who he is. He will come to us in a way that looks good, but it won’t be good, and if we do not have a love for the truth, we will be deceived.

Jesus loved truth more than He loved life itself. He would rather die than sacrifice even one of God’s precepts. God had said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” This was the word of God regarding who Jesus was. Knowing who Satan was from the beginning, Jesus did not enter into controversy with him. He would not parley with temptation and simply replied to Satan, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’ ” Luke 4:4

If You Will Worship Me

From there Satan took Jesus up on a high mountain. From this vantage point, he showed Him all the kingdoms of the world laid out in all their glory, along with all the people who lived in them, the very people Jesus had left heaven for, those He had come to save.

Satan said, “All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours.”

In that moment, Jesus saw a narrow path strewn with stones and thorns and thistles. As the path stretched tortuously up, He saw a cross, and hanging on that cross is a man; He sees Himself. Here is the choice: a mere act of homage or the cross.

Without hesitation, Jesus replies, “Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ” Luke 4:8

At the Cross

I am so happy that Jesus chose the cross, for it was through that choice that He gained the victory over Satan and his temptations and deceptions, and brought victory to us. For it is by that blood that we are saved and can find salvation from the temptations and deceptions Satan will surely bring to each one of us.

Do you spend time with the cross every day? Do you suppose that you can overcome Satan on your own? Do you think you are strong enough? It was at the cross that Satan was overcome. If we are to find victory over Satan and his deceptions, then we must go to the cross.

Revelation 12 says that Satan will deceive the whole world, but there are some who gain the victory.

“Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, ‘Now salvation and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb (Christ) and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.’ ” Verses 10, 11

Christ gained the victory on the cross, and it is to the cross that we also must go to find victory. It is accomplished by the union of the divine and human, uniting our lives with the life of Christ.

“Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?’ ” Matthew 16:24–26

How few today have found that personal victory over Satan. Have we? Can we know that we have experienced the same victory that we find in the life of Christ?

“Communion with Christ—how unspeakably precious! Such communion it is our privilege to enjoy if we will seek it, if we will make any sacrifice to secure it.” Maranatha, 74

Oh, Taste and See

What we need is an experimental religion. Putting God to the test, claiming His promises and finding them true. Think of the three worthies, who refused to eat from the king’s table. They did what was right, and they were blessed as a result and were a living testimony for all around them. Daniel continued to pray three times a day in spite of the king’s decree, knowing he would be thrown in the lion’s den. But He trusted that God would save Him, and He did.

“Experience is knowledge derived from experiment. Experimental religion is what is needed now. … Some—yes, a large number—have a theoretical knowledge of religious truth, but have never felt the renewing power of divine grace upon their own hearts. … They believe in the wrath of God, but put forth no earnest efforts to escape it. They believe in heaven, but make no sacrifice to obtain it. … They know a remedy for sin, but do not use it. They know the right, but have no relish for it. All their knowledge will but increase their condemnation. They have never tasted and learned by experience that the Lord is good.

“To become a disciple of Christ is to deny self and follow Jesus through evil as well as good report. … Every darling indulgence that hinders our religious life must be cut off. … Will we put forth efforts and make sacrifices proportionate to the worth of the object to be attained?” Ibid.

That’s when it becomes yours. That’s when you’ve experimented with the promises of God and found them true. That’s when you develop a testimony. Not one in twenty, we are told, have an experimental knowledge of religion (Messages to Young People, 384). Oh, they may know how God delivered the Israelites from Egypt, about Jesus’ temptations in the wilderness, Bible stories like Daniel and the lion’s den, but they have never had an experience like that, nor have they ever relied fully and only on the naked promises of God for deliverance. They have never sacrificed everything for a personal knowledge of God’s saving power.

We are not saved by good sermons nor by listening to CDs, watching DVDs, or reading books. Going to church will not save us. Even physically being with Jesus, as the disciples were, will not save us. We must have a close, intimate relationship with Jesus, a joining of the divine with the human. The experiences and trials that we live through in this life are meant to teach us that we can and must trust in God.

So, Here’s the Question

Do I have this experience, a testimony of victory in my own life? Remember what Revelation 12:11 says, “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb (Christ) and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.”

Think again of the three worthies, standing before the golden image on the plain of Dura. How easy it would have been to just kneel and pray to God. They wouldn’t have been worshiping the image, but their testimony would have looked the same as everyone around them. It would have appeared that they were worshiping the image. It would have shown lack of faith in God. Instead, they did what they knew was right, at the very real risk of their lives, believing that God would save them if it was His will to do so, and they learned that God is faithful to those who put their faith in Him.

What would you have done?  Would you have knelt and prayed to God, rationalizing that you weren’t really worshiping that image? You could have come away from that experience saying, “Well, the Lord saved me from death.” But you wouldn’t have had a testimony. The three worthies received their testimony by going into the fiery furnace. They put their faith in God to the test, they did what was right even though it would mean death, and they found that He is faithful.

We have a testimony when we lose our job rather than work on the Sabbath. We have a testimony when to human eyes there are more bills to pay than money to pay them with and we still pay tithe first. We have a testimony when we pray and ask God for healing, but accept whatever His answer might be, even if it is not healing. When everything is against us and we have nothing but trust in God’s promises, then we have a testimony.

Too many of us do not have a testimony to bear for God because we have never tried Him. We bow down to the idol because we are afraid of the fiery furnace.

“Many look on this conflict between Christ and Satan as having no special bearing on their own life; and for them it has little interest. But within the domain of every human heart this controversy is repeated. Never does one leave the ranks of evil for the service of God without encountering the assaults of Satan. The enticements which Christ resisted were those that we find it so difficult to withstand. They were urged upon Him in as much greater degree as His character is superior to ours. With the terrible weight of the sins of the world upon Him, Christ withstood the test upon appetite, upon the love of the world, and upon that love of display which leads to presumption. These were the temptations that overcame Adam and Eve, and that so readily overcome us.” The Desire of Ages, 116, 117

Our testimony comes when we stand the test through the strength of God, and though Satan works to deceive the world, we overcome him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of our testimony. When Jesus’ wilderness experience becomes ours, when the divine has united with the human, then we can overcome the devil.

Friends, Satan is seeking to deceive the whole world, and he is successfully doing so for much of it today. But he can be overcome by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of our testimony.

I invite you, morning by morning, to come to the foot of the cross, meditate upon the sacrifice of Christ, and then step out on the promises of God and determine to do what God says, come what may, and see how the Lord will work, so that you also might have a testimony.

[Emphasis supplied.]

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

The Key to Overcoming

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Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.”

Matthew 16:24

Ellen White’s book Confrontation deals in great detail not only with the wilderness temptations of Christ, it also explains how Christ came off victorious as Satan used every means imaginable in his efforts to cause Him to fail in His mission, and shows how Christ’s success in resisting and overcoming can be ours.

In the wilderness, we know that Christ’s victories were gained through “Thus saith the Lord.” And of course, that is how we are to gain the victory over temptation as well.

However, it is clear from the details presented in this book that Christ did more than quote scripture in His constant confrontations with the enemy—He continually denied self.

In His assumed humanity, Christ faced the same temptations we face. “Appetite and passion, the love of the world, and presumptuous sins were the great branches of evil out of which every species of crime, violence, and corruption grew.” Op. cit., 47

That being the case, we can quickly and easily recognize that by overcoming those three temptations—also referred to in inspired writings as the world, the flesh, and the devil and in John’s first epistle as the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—by gaining the victory in these three critical areas, we are well advanced on the narrow way to the kingdom of glory.

There is no temptation faced by man that is as severe as the temptations Christ endured after forty days of fasting.

It is important to remember that not only during His wilderness trial but throughout His life, “He did not for a single moment doubt His heavenly Father’s love, although He was bowed down with inexpressible anguish. Satan’s temptations, though skillfully devised, did not move the integrity of God’s dear Son. His abiding confidence in His Father could not be shaken.” Op. cit., 41

If we are to come off victorious, we must have that same abiding confidence, a confidence that will give us the victory in every daily trial.

On page 43, is this interesting statement: “Although Christ was suffering the keenest pangs of hunger, He withstood the temptation. He repulsed Satan with the same scripture He had given Moses to repeat to rebellious Israel when their diet was restricted and they were clamoring for flesh meats in the wilderness, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.’ In this declaration, and also by His example, Christ would show man that hunger for temporal food was not the greatest calamity that could befall him.”

Think about that final sentence for a moment. Although Christ quoted the words that He had instructed Moses to give to the children of Israel when they were murmuring and complaining about their diet, Inspiration says that this statement applies to a much broader area than just temporal food. When we are living by “every word” of God, the application goes well beyond mere hunger for temporal food.

To get a broader understanding of our challenge to overcome appetite, we need to analyze a sentence from pages 50 and 51: “Our Saviour fasted nearly six weeks that He might gain for man the victory upon the point of appetite. How can professed Christians with enlightened consciences, and with Christ before them as their pattern, yield to the indulgence of those appetites which have an enervating influence upon the mind and body? It is a painful fact that habits of self-gratification at the expense of health and moral power are at the present time holding a large share of the Christian world in the bonds of slavery.”

Let’s break down that passage a little. Notice that it states, “… yield to the indulgence of those appetites,” plural.

We commonly think of appetite in terms of a desire for temporal food. However, the dictionary defines appetite as “a strong desire or liking for something, a craving.” Thus in its broadest application, our appetites include food, certainly, but also a craving for any number of things, such as fashion, conspicuous consumption in all its varied forms, preeminence, power, wealth. A hard look in a mirror will reveal more than just the wrinkles we have acquired as we have aged—especially in the mirror of God’s law.

Another word in that passage we need to understand is enervating. It might initially be assumed that it means energizing. However, it means just the opposite: “to cause [someone] to feel drained of energy or vitality; to weaken.”

With this understanding, let’s rephrase the rhetorical question asked in the passage quoted from pages 50 and 51: How can professed Christians yield to the indulgence of cravings that deplete the mind and body of energy?

In order to enable us to resist those cravings, Christ left heaven. There is a wonderful explanation of the victory He gained for us by leaving heaven and how it can be ours.

“Because man fallen could not overcome Satan with his human strength, Christ came from the royal courts of heaven to help him with His human and divine strength combined. Christ knew that Adam in Eden with his superior advantages might have withstood the temptations of Satan and conquered him. He also knew that it was not possible for man out of Eden, separated from the light and love of God since the fall, to resist the temptations of Satan in his own strength. In order to bring hope to man, and save him from complete ruin, He humbled Himself to take man’s nature, that with His divine power combined with the human He might reach man where he is. He obtained for the fallen sons and daughters of Adam that strength which it is impossible for them to gain for themselves, that in His name they might overcome the temptations of Satan.” Op. cit., 45

It is abundantly and encouragingly clear from this paragraph that we are entirely dependent on Christ for the ultimate victory.

On page 57, in the section entitled “Christian Temperance,” we find much guidance regarding temperance versus intemperance. The initial paragraphs are especially powerful.

“God gives man no permission to violate the laws of his being. But man, through yielding to Satan’s temptations to indulge intemperance, brings the higher faculties in subjection to the animal appetites and passions, and when these gain the ascendancy, man, who was created a little lower than the angels—with faculties susceptible of the highest cultivation—surrenders to the control of Satan. And he gains easy access to those who are in bondage to appetite. Through intemperance, some sacrifice one half, and others two thirds, of their physical, mental, and moral powers, and become playthings for the enemy.

“Those who would have clear minds to discern Satan’s devices must have their physical appetites under the control of reason and conscience. The moral and vigorous action of the higher powers of the mind are essential to the perfection of Christian character, and the strength or the weakness of the mind has very much to do with our usefulness in this world and with our final salvation. The ignorance that has prevailed in regard to God’s law in our physical nature is deplorable. Intemperance of any kind is a violation of the laws of our being.”

“The great enemy knows that if appetite and passion predominate, the health of body and strength of intellect are sacrificed upon the altar of self-gratification, and man is brought to speedy ruin. If enlightened intellect holds the reins, controlling the animal propensities and keeping them in subjection to the moral powers, Satan well knows that his power to overcome with his temptations is very small.” Op. cit., 58

“Sin drove man from paradise; and sin was the cause of the removal of paradise from the earth. In consequence of transgression of God’s law, Adam lost paradise. In obedience to the Father’s law, and through faith in the atoning blood of His Son, paradise may be regained.” Op. cit., 15

“The indulgence [of appetite] … counteracts the force of truth, and weakens moral power to resist and overcome temptation. …

“The adversary of souls is working in these last days with greater power than ever before, to accomplish the ruin of man through the indulgence of appetite and passions. … Unnatural desires for these indulgences are not controlled by reason or judgment.” Op. cit., 60

“Men and women indulge appetite at the expense of health and their powers of intellect, so that they cannot appreciate the plan of salvation. What appreciation can such have of the temptation of Christ in the wilderness, and of the victory He gained upon the point of appetite. It is impossible for them to have exalted views of God, and to realize the claims of His law.” Op. cit., 62

Note well this sentence: “The scene of trial with Christ in the wilderness was the foundation of the plan of salvation, and gives to fallen man the key whereby he, in Christ’s name, may overcome.” Op. cit., 63

Now contemplate this question: After being presented with all of this wonderful light from the pen of Ellen White, what is the foundation of the plan of salvation and the key whereby we, in Christ’s name, may overcome? That foundation and that key is nothing other than self-denial.

Throughout His life, Christ manifested self-denial to perfection. If you think back through the details we are given of His daily confrontations, His perfect self-denial gave Him the victory every time.

He could indeed have turned the stones to bread to satisfy His hunger. He could have given Satan evidence of His heavenly Father’s loving watchcare by jumping from the top of the temple. He could have accepted all the kingdoms of the world offered Him by Satan (though in truth, they were already His, even after they had fallen under the sway of the enemy). He could have wiped the bloody sweat from His brow in the garden of Gethsemane and returned to His heavenly throne. He could have come down from the cross when taunted to do so by His enemies.

But to our eternal benefit, He denied self at every opportunity. By emulating His selflessness, His self-denial, we, too, can be victorious.

Op. cit. – all quotations are taken from the source first identified – Confrontation

John R. Pearson is the office manager and a board member of Steps to Life. He may be contacted by email at: johnpearson@stepstolife.org

To Him Who Overcomes

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It is recorded in several places in Scripture that one day there will be an almost complete reversal of the ranking of mankind so that those who are now last will become first, and those who are now first will become last. What is it that will determine a person’s ranking in society at that time?

Matthew 19 records that Jesus said that those who are first will be last, and the last will be first. He had stated this principle earlier in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5) where He said, “Do not think that I came to destroy the law or the prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”

There are two groups of people involved in this rearrangement of society. Revelation 21:5–7 describes one group: “ ‘Behold, I make all things new.’ And He said to me, ‘Write, for these words are true and faithful.’ And He said to me, ‘It is done!’ I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.’ ”

Verse 8 describes the other group: “ ‘But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.’ ”

These two groups are again described in Revelation 22:14, 15, “Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.”

Revelation 21:5–7 tells us that the one who is promised salvation and an inheritance is the one who overcomes. In the messages to the seven churches (Revelation 2 and 3), every church is given a promise, if they overcome.

Ephesus – “To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.” Revelation 2:7

Smyrna – “He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.” Verse 11

Pergamos – “To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it.” Verse 17

Thyatira – “And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations—‘He shall rule them with a rod of iron; they shall be dashed to pieces like the potter’s vessels’—as I also have received from My Father.” Verses 26, 27

Sardis – “He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the book of life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.” Revelation 3:5

Philadelphia – “He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name.” Verse 12

Laodicea – “To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.” Verse 21

The church at Pergamos is known as the compromising church. There are many people today who worship in compromising churches, and to them the Lord is saying that if they overcome, they will be given hidden manna to eat.

What is this hidden manna? We find the story of the children of Israel wandering in the wilderness in Exodus 16. They had no water to drink and no food to eat, but the Lord promised them that He would provide water and send them food from heaven. And the Lord promised each morning for six days a small, round substance, like white coriander seed, like wafers made with honey, that the people were to gather for food. Not knowing what it was, they called it manna which means “What is it?”

What was this manna and what is the difference between it and the hidden manna spoken of in Revelation 2:17? Jesus answered that question for us in John 6:47–51. “Most assuredly I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.”

Of course, the Jews got a little miffed when He said that, and they said, “How can this man give us His flesh to eat?” Jesus responded, “My flesh truly is food, My blood truly is drink. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.” They were accusing Jesus of teaching cannibalism, but Jesus was using symbolic language. Verse 63 makes it very clear what He was talking about. “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing.” Jesus wasn’t talking about literally eating His flesh and drinking His blood. The Bible attributes many names to Jesus and one of those names, found in John 1, is “The Word of God.”

The manna sent to the children of Israel in the wilderness was physical food meant to sustain the body during their wandering. But the hidden manna is Jesus, the true Bread that will give you eternal life if you eat it, and you do this by consuming His word. The word of God is powerful. It is powerful to recreate in a person new life, new desires, a new spirit, a new mind. To consume the Bread of God means receiving Jesus into your life and then living by His word.

When Jesus went into the wilderness to be tempted, the devil tempted Him to turn stones into bread (Matthew 4:3, 4). But Jesus’ response was, “… ‘It is written, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” ’ ”

To be in the kingdom of heaven, to have salvation, to live forever, you must eat the word of God, receiving it into your mind and heart, and then living according to that word. If you live according to the word, then you have received the hidden manna, and your life will be changed; you will be given a new name.

These days, there’s not much in a name. Most people name their children after someone famous or an ancestor or a character in a book or movie, because it sounds nice. But from the beginning of earth’s history, a person was given a name because it expressed something about the person. The Bible records some of these names. For instance, Jesu or Jesus means a Saviour or Deliverer. Elijah, that mighty Old Testament prophet, means Jehovah is my God. Daniel, who wrote so extensively about judgment, means God is my judge.

When you receive the word of God into your life, when your life is changed, then your new name will be in harmony with the character that you have developed; and as promised to the overcomer of the church of Ephesus, you will eat again of the tree of life.

Looking at the promise to the church of Thyatira, the Lord said that the overcomer would “rule over the nations with a rod of iron.” We see this in both the Old and New Testaments. Psalm 2:7–9 says, “ ‘I will declare the decree: The Lord has said to Me, You are My Son. Today I have begotten You. Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron: You shall dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.’ ”

Speaking of what would happen at the end of the world, Isaiah 11:4 says, “But with righteousness He shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked.”

In Revelation 19:13–16, John writes in symbolic language about the Second Coming of Christ, “He [Jesus] was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called the Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: king of kings and lord of lords.”

There is coming a time when everything in this world is going to be completely reversed. Today, there are people who believe in Christ—the overcomers—all over the world being persecuted, oppressed, and in great difficulty. However, when all things are overturned, they will be delivered, because their names are found written in His book, whereas those who may seem now to have all the power and money and fame, but who are not overcomers, will, when Christ comes, be destroyed.

Those imprisoned, persecuted and in all manner of trouble, but who love the Lord and obey His law, because of the promise given to the people in the church at Thyatira, will fulfill what Jesus said, “So the last will be first, and the first will be last. For many are called, but few are chosen.”

One other thing was promised to the overcomer of the church of Thyatira: “And I will give him the morning star.” Revelation 2:28

This is one of the most wonderful promises in the Bible. Friends, who and what is the Morning Star? Peter tells us in 2 Peter 1:19, “And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the Morning Star rises in your hearts.”

“ ‘I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.’ ” Revelation 22:16.

Jesus is the Morning Star. If you are an overcomer, you will have the Morning Star in your heart, the character of Christ will become your character.

What are we to overcome, and how do we do it? The Bible makes this very clear. First, John says in 1 John 5:4, that he that “is born of God overcomes the world.” Then he says, speaking of the world, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.” 1 John 2:15–17

The lust of the flesh (desire for unlawful sexual pleasure), the lust of the eyes (desire for possessions), the pride of life, and the desire for the praise and approbation of men, all are pleasing to the worldly man. However, these are the very things that must be overcome and eliminated from the life of the born-again child of God.

To be an overcomer, one must overcome the world, for everyone who is born of God overcomes the world. But how? “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” James 4:7, 8

Paul expressed the same principle in Ephesians 4:27–29: “Nor give place to the devil. Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.”

Both Paul and James say to resist the devil and make no room in our lives for him. Paul tells us in Ephesians 6:11, 12, just how to do that. “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

And Peter is just as direct, “Be sober, be vigilant because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” 1 Peter 5:8

We do not have to chase after the things of the world nor yield to the temptations put before us. The Holy Spirit can and will give us the power to overcome all of them. Paul dwells upon this repeatedly in his epistles. “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.

“For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you.” Romans 8:1–9, first part

Friends, we must seek the new birth experience, to fill ourselves with the Holy Spirit, so that the devil can find no place in us for him to dwell anymore. The Holy Spirit is waiting to create in us a new heart and a new spirit so that we may overcome the world, the flesh, and the devil and that we may have eternal life.

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

Editorial – On Being Perfect

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Nobody can go to the kingdom of heaven who is not perfect. “The Lord requires at this time just what He required of Adam in Eden—perfect obedience to the law of God. We must have righteousness without a flaw, without a blemish. God gave His Son to die for the world, but He did not die to repeal the law which was holy and just and good. The sacrifice of Christ on Calvary is an unanswerable argument showing the immutability of the law. Its penalty was felt by the Son of God in behalf of guilty man, that through His merits the sinner might obtain the virtue of His spotless character by faith in His name.” Faith and Works, 89, 90

We are imperfect, but there is One who is perfect, with a divine character that He wants to impart to us: “Our claim to Christ’s righteousness is without a flaw, if we meet the conditions upon which it is promised … if we accept Christ as our personal Saviour.” Sons and Daughters of God, 189

“The Son of God so conducted His life that even His unbelieving countrymen were compelled to say, ‘He hath done all things well.’ His character was without a flaw. He did not leave the example of a life of idleness and self-indulgence, although He was heir of all things in heaven and earth, the only-begotten Son of the Father.” The Signs of the Times, November 12, 1896

“The law requires righteousness—a righteous life, a perfect character; and this man has not to give. He cannot meet the claims of God’s holy law. But Christ, coming to the earth as man, lived a holy life, and developed a perfect character. These He offers as a free gift to all who will receive them. His life stands for the life of men. Thus they have remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God. More than this, Christ imbues men with the attributes of God. He builds up the human character after the similitude of the divine character, a goodly fabric of spiritual strength and beauty. Thus the very righteousness of the law is fulfilled in the believer in Christ. God can ‘be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.’ Romans 3:26.” The Desire of Ages, 762