Bible

Manage Your Time

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Time is a talent. Each person born has been granted a certain amount for which they are accountable. One of the most important verses in the whole Bible about time is found in John 9:4 where Jesus said, “I must work the works of Him Who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work.” No matter how old you are, whether young or old, there are some things that you are able to do now that you will not be able to do in the future. No longer am I able to say to my deceased mother, “I love you.” There were many days that I could say that, but no more.

“And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He [Jesus] went to see if perhaps He would find something on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.” Mark 11:13. For everything, even the fig tree, there is a best time or season. Timing is everything. There is an opportune time, and then there is another time that is not the right time. There are things that are right when you are 30 that are not right when you are 15. There are things that are right when you are 18 that are not right when you are 9. It is often the timing that makes the difference. When Jesus approached the fig tree it was not the right time for the figs to appear. There is a time to plant and a time to reap. There is a time to work and there is a time to sleep. There is a time to eat. Part of maturing is to become wise in regard to discerning the right time for what you need or want to do.

In Luke 22:37, the Bible says, “For I say to you that this which is written must still be accomplished in Me: ‘And He was numbered with the transgressors,’ For the things concerning Me have an end.” Jesus said, “The things concerning Me have an end.” This world is temporal and everything in it has an end. It is true that everyone, whether two or ninety-two, will one day reach the last day that they will live in this world. Even for those who are alive when Jesus comes, a time will come when it will be the last day that they will live in this world. Knowing that everything in this world comes to an end should regulate the way we think and plan in regard to the use of our time.

Romans 13:11 and 12 tell us, “And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.” Paul says that first we need to know the time. Most people in this world do not know the time, but if you are a Christian, you should be aware that it is time to wake up out of a Laodicean slumber.

When I was a teenager, my uncle, a building contractor, would sometimes stay with my family. I can still hear him rallying the household with his loud voice saying, “It’s time to roll out. Do you know what time it is?” No one was allowed to sleep past 7:00 a.m.

Paul said, “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” Ephesians 5:15, 16.

“Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near at hand.” “Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this.” Revelation 1:3, 19.

The book of Revelation is about things that are in the present and what will be in the future. To regulate your time you need to understand what you need to do today, as well as have plans about the future, for next week, next month, and next year.

In the book Christ’s Object Lessons, page 342, Ellen White talks about the talent of time. Following are different facts in regard to time:

  1. How is your time spent?

Most important is to understand that we are accountable to God for how our time is spent. “Our time belongs to God. Every moment is His, and we are under the most solemn obligation to improve it to His glory. Of no talent He has given will He require a more strict account than of our time.”

That statement makes most people tremble for almost all of us have wasted some time in the past. In the day of final judgment God is going to require a strict account of how the time He has given us has been used. It will be a fearful day for those who have used their time only in pleasing themselves.

“Those who choose to neglect the great salvation offered to them freely, who choose to serve themselves and remain enemies of God, enemies of the self-sacrificing Redeemer, are earning their wages. They are sowing to the flesh, and will of the flesh reap corruption.” The Bible Echo, September 19, 1898. The devil delights in those who serve themselves and claims them as his own.

Jesus is the Christian’s example. “For even Christ did not please Himself.” Romans 15:3. Jesus did not live for Himself. If that were the case He would not have come to this world as a poor man and been born in Bethlehem in a cow barn. If He had lived for Himself, He would have never consented to fast for six weeks in the wilderness or spend day and night helping people, even when He was tired and hungry. If He had lived for Himself, He would not have been willing to sleep outdoors when nobody had invited Him into his house to share the home comforts.

If Jesus had lived for Himself, He certainly would never have consented to go the cruel cross and die the death of the worst of criminals, but for our sakes, He was not self-serving. On the day of final judgment will the recording angel be able to say, “According to the record, this person has spent his/her life living to try to help other people,” or sadly report that he/she lived for himself/herself? We must give an account to God for our time. Those who are saved will have lived to help others.

  1. The value of time.

How much is your time worth? When I was a small boy, my father would tell me this story to teach me a lesson. He said there were three bricklayers working on a building. A person came up to the first bricklayer and said, “What are you doing?” He said, “I’m earning $1.75 an hour.” His interest was only in collecting his pay.

When the second bricklayer was asked, he said, “I am laying brick.” This man saw no further than the immediate task; he was simply laying brick.

He then came to the third bricklayer and asked him, “What are you doing?” He replied, “I am building a temple.”

How do you see the work that you do and how would you describe what you are doing with your time? God has given us our job; it is to help people get ready for the kingdom of heaven. Time is so valuable that it cannot be measured and infinitely valuable when used to lead someone to Jesus.

“The value of time is beyond computation. Christ regarded every moment as precious, and it is thus that we should regard it. Life is too short to be trifled away. We have but a few days of probation in which to prepare for eternity. We have no time to waste, no time to devote to selfish pleasure, no time for the indulgence of sin. It is now that we are to form characters for the future, immortal life. It is now that we are to prepare for the searching judgment.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 342.

  1. Redeeming the time.

See Ephesians 5:16. The first thing to understand about redeeming time is that there is absolutely nothing you can do to redeem wasted time. Whatever age you are you cannot change one particle of how you spent one minute of the past. The only way that time can be redeemed is to use it more efficiently now and in the future. The past is forever gone.

  1. Taking time to witness.

Are you witnessing concerning your faith, your religion, and your hope for the future? Are you looking for opportunities to tell others about Jesus and His love for them? “Now is our time to labor for the salvation of our fellow men. There are some who think that if they give money to the cause of Christ, this is all they are required to do …” Ibid., 343. There are many Adventists like that. Some work 80 hours a week and earn so much money that they want to give money so that others can do the witnessing. Well, notice what Ellen White says about this: “The precious time in which they might do personal service for Him passes unimproved. But it is the privilege and duty of all who have health and strength to render to God active service. All are to labor in winning souls to Christ. Donations of money cannot take the place of this.” Ibid. It is not enough for me to say, “I’m going to work hard and earn so much, that I’ll be able to give money to get the … .” No, no! It is not God’s plan to work and earn what money I can and then pay someone else to go and win the souls.

There are people you can reach that your husband, or your wife, or your parents, or your children cannot reach. Young people can often reach people that older people cannot reach. You cannot buy your way into heaven. There are people that God wants you to reach personally.

Who is the person God has put in your pathway? Witnessing involves more than just giving out literature or giving Bible Studies. If you pray for guidance, the Lord might show you many other things that you could do to witness. It would be tragic to come to the day of judgment and say, “O, I didn’t take very much time to witness to anybody.” It will be too late then to do what is possible right now.

  1. How is your time being spent?

Jesus once said to His disciples, “Watch out that you do not become overcharged, overburdened with feasting, and the cares of this life, and that day overtake you unawares.” Luke 21:34 (literal translation).

For many people, especially the middle class, the whole day from early morning to late at night is taken up with just making a living. Many are working two or three jobs to bring in enough money to pay for their luxurious lifestyle. They make the mistake of being so busy with the cares of this life they just don’t have much time to prepare for eternity.

“Life is too solemn to be absorbed in temporal and earthly matters, in a treadmill of care and anxiety for the things that are but an atom in comparison with the things of eternal interest. Yet God has called us to serve Him in the temporal affairs of life. Diligence in this work is as much a part of true religion as is devotion.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 343.

Being a Christian does not mean that you will not have to make a living and manage your worldly business, but that must never become so all-absorbing that no time is spared to prepare for eternity.

The rich young ruler that met Jesus was not a crimina; he was a good man. He did not break the law. Everybody respected him. He was just totally absorbed in this world. Jesus tried to cut him loose, but he did not want to be freed and left Jesus sorrowful for he had many possessions.

  1. Idleness.

It is a great mistake for any adult or young person to be idle. In fact, “The Bible gives no endorsement to idleness. It is the greatest curse that afflicts our world.” Ibid.

It is because of idleness that there is such an avalanche of crime in America today. Idleness was one of the main reasons Sodom and Gomorrah got into the trouble they did. Read Ezekiel 16:49.

The devil has his greatest success with men and women, boys and girls when they have idle time and nothing practical to occupy them. Parents must make it their duty to keep their children productively occupied, teaching them to be productive, for idleness leads to every kind of crime.

  1. Efficient use of time.

About a hundred and seventy years ago there was a young boy growing up in Illinois by the name of Abraham Lincoln. His family was very poor and he had to spend early morning till evening working out in the field. After supper when the rest of the family retired after a long day’s work Abraham would light a fire, either in the lamp or in the stove, so that he could read. He hungered for knowledge and those who knew him said he devoured every book available for him to borrow or find in the community.

“The heights by great men reached and kept

Were not attained by sudden flight,

But they, while their companions slept,

Were toiling upward in the night.” Education, 296.

It is especially important that while still young the lesson is learned how to most efficiently use your time.

  1. Habits of order, thoroughness, and dispatch in your use of time.

“Upon the right improvement of our time depends our success in acquiring knowledge and mental culture. … A few moments here and a few there, that might be frittered away in aimless talk; the morning hours so often wasted in bed; the time spent in traveling on trams or railway cars, or waiting at the station; the moments of waiting for meals, waiting for those who are tardy in keeping an appointment—if a book were kept at hand, and these fragments of time were improved in study, reading, or careful thought, what might not be accomplished. …

“It is the duty of every Christian to acquire habits of order, thoroughness, and dispatch. There is no excuse for slow bungling at work of any character.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 343, 344.

“By tact and method, some will accomplish as much in five hours as others do in ten.” Ibid., 344. How long does it take you to get done with the job? Diligent people learn to use their time more efficiently.

One of the problems in today’s society is that parents do not understand that their children need to be occupied all day long every day with something that is worthwhile. “Parents should teach their children the value and right use of time. …

“Parents cannot commit a greater sin than to allow their children to have nothing to do. The children soon learn to love idleness, and they grow up shiftless, useless men and women. When they are old enough to earn their living, and find employment, they work in a lazy, droning way, yet expect to be paid as much as if they were faithful.” Ibid., 345.

Many people have been ruined because they didn’t learn how to work when they were growing up. Concerning children: “Lack of employment and of steadfast purpose opens the door to a thousand temptations.” Ibid.

Many children are left unsupervised for lengthy periods while both parents have to work to meet their financial commitments. A way must be determined that they have plenty to keep them occupied all day long. This does not always have to be work, but it does need to be useful activities so that the children can develop into happy and healthy citizens.

  1. The other time extreme.

Many years ago I read in inspired writings that we should not try to do two days’ work in one. “Let no one labor to the point of exhaustion, thereby disqualifying himself for other duties. Do not try to crowd two days’ work into one. All should use their strength wisely, and at the end those who work carefully and wisely will be found to have accomplished as much as those who so expend their physical and mental strength that they have no deposit from which to draw in a time of need.” The Signs of the Times, August 5, 1897.

It is very easy for man to go to extremes but we must find the right balance. Often in zeal to accomplish one thing, something else just as important gets neglected.

“You must learn to give up your will and your way, and to receive light from those whom God has made His helping hand, those by whom He designs that you shall be helped. Go to Christ for relief. Cling to Him. Stay long enough to yield up your will to the will of God. Many are in too great a hurry to pray. With hurried steps they pass through the shadow of Christ’s loving presence, pausing perhaps for a few moments within the sacred precincts, but not waiting for counsel. They have no time to sit down, no time to remain with the divine Teacher. With their burdens, they return to their work.” This Day With God, 154.

Most important is to take time each morning before the hustle of the day begins to sit down and receive some instruction from the divine Teacher. The time spent with your Maker will never be wasted and you can move on with the activities of each day laying all of your burdens at the foot of His cross. With the right allocation of time you will be amazed at what you are able to accomplish.

(Unless appearing in quoted references or otherwise identified, Bible texts are from the New King James Version.)

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

Lord’s Prayer Series – Scandalizing God’s Name

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A father is shamed when his son scandalizes the family name thereby bringing the family name into disrepute. But many people who are called by the name of the God of heaven scandalize His name and bring His name into disrepute by their conduct. Unbelievers see Christians with behavior worse than their own. Therefore, the Christian religion has very little force in the world.

Throughout the Bible the number seven has special significance for God. In the Hebrew Bible the very first sentence, Genesis 1:1, has seven words. There are seven Hebrew words in the first commandment of the ten that were handed to Moses on the mount (Exodus 20:3). In the fourth commandment, there are seven commands (Exodus 20:8–10), and in the tenth commandment there are seven things mentioned that we are not to covet (Exodus 20:17). The number seven appears throughout the Bible and in the book of Revelation it is repeated significantly.

It should not be a surprise then that the Lord’s Prayer contains seven petitions. The first of these is the phrase, “Hallowed be Thy name” (Matthew 6:9). This petition comes first because reverence is the very gateway into the divine presence. Reverence is the first step in approaching God because in that way we place ourselves in a proper attitude toward Him.

We place God where He rightly belongs by exalting Him above all earthly things that can claim our loyalty. It is the person who approaches God with reverence who finds God. One cannot find his way into the audience chamber of the Most High with a flippant or irreverent attitude. When Moses was speaking to the Lord, he approached Him with humility. He humbled himself because only the meek and the humble can enter into the secret chamber of the High and Holy God.

The Bible says that Moses was the meekest man on the face of the earth. The book of Isaiah tells us that it is the meek person who is going to find God. “For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.” Isaiah 57:15.

When Jesus gave the Beatitudes in the Sermon on the Mount, the very first one that He gave was, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3). Actually, this is a reference to what is written by Isaiah the prophet in Isaiah 66:2: “ ‘For all those things My hand has made, and all those things exist,’ says the Lord. ‘But on this one will I look: on him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My word.’ ”

It is the person who is humble and recognizes that God is Someone to be reverenced, the one who will properly approach God who will be received by Him and gain an audience with Him. We cannot properly approach God unless we recognize His holiness and His holiness is in His name. In the Bible, a person’s name and a person’s character are virtually synonymous. The wise man, Solomon, said, “A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches.” Proverbs 22:1.

Today when we say that somebody has a good name, we mean that the person has a good character or reputation. When Moses was called up into the mountain he wanted to know God’s name. “And he said, ‘Please, show me Your glory.’ Then He said, ‘I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.’ ” Exodus 33:18, 19.

And then the Lord said to Moses, “ ‘You cannot see My face: for no man shall see Me and live.’ And the Lord said, ‘… I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by. Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see my back part.’ ” Exodus 33:20–23. “Now the Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, ‘The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth.’ ” Exodus 34:5, 6.

Here the Lord proclaimed His name, “… merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and fourth generation.” Verses 6, 7.

All of these adjectives are descriptions of God. They are part of His name. Therefore they should never be used in a flippant, careless way, making an epithet or trying to make the point to somebody. When Moses heard this, he … “made haste and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshiped.” Verse 8. When the prophet Isaiah predicted when Jesus would come, he said that His name would be called Wonderful (Isaiah 9:6). The Bible contains many names of God to describe His character.

What does the name of God mean to you? We use names to distinguish one person or object from another. The mention of a person’s name always brings to mind the character or the nature of that person and causes a certain character image to be registered in our thoughts. We usually come to dislike the names of those whose characters are distasteful to us.

On the other hand, a noble character always glorifies the estimation of that name of a person who bears it. Our attitude toward any person’s name depends on our knowledge of the character to which that name is attached. God’s name is a revelation of Himself, a manifestation of who and what He really is. It stands for His matchless character. The purpose of the Scriptures is to reveal God’s character to man. This purpose was completed by the incarnation of God in human flesh through Christ.

When Jesus was on earth His disciples sometimes became impatient with Him. The night before He was betrayed, the day before He was crucified Jesus told them that they should not be troubled; He was going to go away but He was going to prepare a place for them. Then He would come back and receive them to Himself. He told them, “Where I go you know, and the way you know. Thomas said to Him, ‘Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’ ” John 14:4–6. And then Jesus told them that they did not really know Who He was. He said, “If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.” Verse 7.

When He said that, Philip said, “ ‘Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, “Show us the Father?” Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves.’ ” Verses 8–11.

Notice, when Jesus came into the world, by His life and also by His death, by His teaching and by His miracles, He revealed the character of the Father to all the inhabitants on this fallen planet. He made the name of God complete. “Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name.” Philippians 2:9.

The first petition of the Lord’s Prayer, “Hallowed be Thy name,” is inseparably connected with the invocation, the address, because we cannot hallow God’s name unless we are His sons and He is our Father. Holiness in man can only be attained through a union of humanity with divinity. When we understand that and can truly call God our Father, then we begin to understand the unfathomable love of God in making us His sons through the death of His Son. And then we can cry, as the apostle Paul said, “Abba, Father.”

The chief delight of a true son is to honor and magnify His Father’s name that he also bears. The hallowing of the name of God must include the holiness of our own characters.

If we are born again Christians, we are members of His family and we bear His name. So our first desire should be to protect His name by conduct that is appropriate or fitting for a son or daughter of God.

God’s name, His family name, should never be polluted by sin and folly. Just as the delight of an earthly father centers in the character development of his children, so God delights in the character development of His children and He is glorified by His children when they reflect His image. When Jesus was facing the great trial at the end of His life in Gethsemane and Calvary, He said to His Father, “ ‘Father, glorify Your name.’ Then a voice came from heaven, saying, ‘I have both glorified it and will glorify it again.’ ” John 12:28.

God’s name was glorified by the life of Christ, by His miracles, and by His teaching and it was going to be glorified again by His death. The love of the deity for a lost world in rebellion was demonstrated, as Paul says, “When we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son.” Romans 5:10.

It is not unusual today for the name of God to be mentioned maybe 15 or 20 times in a prayer. But this practice has a tendency to bring the name of God down to the level of common names and should therefore be discarded. The third commandment (Exodus 20:7) forbids the taking of false oaths and common swearing. So, it also forbids our using the name of God in a light and careless manner without regard to its profound significance.

If we mention God’s name thoughtlessly or irreverently in common conversation, or frequently repeat His name, we make Him altogether one like ourselves and God rebukes this kind of behavior. Notice what the Lord said about it in Psalm 50:21. “These things you have done, and I kept silent; you thought that I was altogether like you; but I will rebuke you, and set them in order before your eyes.”

We dishonor Him if we use His name in a light or flippant manner or repeat it many, many times. If we are born again Christians, by virtue of the new birth of the Holy Spirit, we have a right to call God our Father. It is also our privilege to bear His name, His image. If you take upon yourself the name Christian, then you are bearing the name of Christ. This is an exalted privilege. In all respectable families whose members are proud of their family name, they make every possible effort to defend and protect it. The family name of God, His family name, should stand for the character of those who profess to serve Him. A good reputation is taken in vain if one brings a disgrace upon the name of his family by unbecoming conduct.

A professed Christian who is not like Christ, whose conduct is ungodly, takes God’s name in vain and is guilty of breaking the third commandment. The children of Israel were warned about this. “Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel and say to them, ‘You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.’ And you shall not swear by My name falsely, nor shall you profane the name of your God: I am the Lord.” Leviticus 19:2, 12.

The apostle James wrote of rich people who despise and oppress the poor. “Do they not blaspheme that noble name by which you are called?” James 2:7. Thus we see that a name has significance only when applied to a person’s character. If your character is out of harmony with your name, your name is a falsehood or a lie.

To hallow God’s name, the person who prays the Lord’s Prayer must be a revelation of His character, a reflection of His image. The Bible describes a people who are alive when the Lord returns. They have God’s name, His character, in their minds. “Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father’s name written on their foreheads.” Revelation 14:1.

Only those who reach this standard of character, with their Father’s name, His character, in them, will receive the seal of God. The apostle Paul describes the condition this way. He says, “Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: ‘The Lord knows those who are His,’ and, ‘Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from all iniquity.’ ” II Timothy 2:19.

If you have taken the name of Christ and call yourself a Christian, the Bible says you are to depart from all iniquity. Otherwise, your name is deceptive. You are claiming a name that does not really belong to you. What did it mean in ancient times, recorded in II Chronicles 6, when the Lord declared that His name was in the sanctuary?

This has reference to the fact that the Ark of the Covenant containing God’s law was located in the sanctuary. God’s law is a transcript of His character. Therefore, it is a manifestation of His name, a revelation of His nature. A word study in the Bible will find that every characteristic of God that is revealed is also a characteristic of His law.

The Bible says that God is true. It also says that His law is true. God is holy and His law is also holy. God is righteous and His law is righteous. In fact, concerning the law it says it converts the soul. So, the law of God is a description, a transcription of His character.

In the New Covenant, the law of God is written upon the fleshly tables of the heart so that we may do by nature the things contained in the law. (See II Corinthians 3:3; Romans 2:14.)

Those who have this experience will have the Father’s name written in their foreheads. It is evident then that only born-again Christians can call God their Father and truly offer this petition. Only born-again Christians can really say, “Hallowed be Thy name.” God’s name is hallowed when those who are called by His name reveal His character in the world. A person who has an unconsecrated heart has no right to pray this prayer, for it belongs to His sons and daughters. We must join the family of God through a spiritual birth before it becomes our privilege to pray this prayer.

Friend, has your life been changed? Have you received the Holy Spirit? Have you been born again? When you commit your life to Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, when you acknowledge Him as your Lord and Saviour and choose to follow Him and obey Him in all things, then the promise is that you will receive the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit will give you a new heart, a new mind and a new character. (See Romans 8.)

When you pray and say, “Hallowed be Thy name,” you ask that it may be hallowed in this world, hallowed in you, through you. God has acknowledged you before men and angels as His child if you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Saviour and been born again. We need to pray that we might do no dishonor to the worthy name by which we are called.

God sends His children into the world as His representatives. In every act of life, we are to make manifest the name of God. This petition, this prayer, calls upon Christians to possess His character.

(Unless appearing in quoted references or otherwise identified, Bible texts are from the New King James Version.)

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

Lord’s Prayer Series – Thy Kingdom Come

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In the 19th century it was widely believed and taught that this world was getting better and better and that we would eventually set up a Utopia here on this planet. But sadly, the facts regarding the last hundred or so years have proven very clearly that the world is getting worse and worse, morally. The question on the minds of many people today is, “What will be the end of this?”

The Bible record is very clear on how this world will end. In Revelation 11:15–18, it says, “Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, ‘The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!’ And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying: ‘We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, the One Who is and Who was and Who is to come, because You have taken Your great power and reigned. The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints, and those who fear Your name, small and great, and should destroy those who destroy the earth.’ ”

There is coming a time when God is going to take to Him His great power and reign. The kingdoms of this world will become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and at that time, He will destroy those who are destroying the earth. This final triumph is encompassed in one simple phrase from the Lord’s Prayer, “Your kingdom come.”

The kingdom within is the work of the gospel of transforming grace in each individual heart. In the request that God’s kingdom should come, we first ask that heaven with its dominion of grace, peace, joy, and righteousness might rule our hearts right now.

It is also a petition that we may know now an experience in translation from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God’s Son. The apostle Paul wrote about it to the church at Colossae. “Giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed [translated] us into the kingdom of the Son of His love.” Colossians 1:12, 13.

We can never be translated physically into the kingdom of glory at the second advent of Christ unless we have been translated spiritually into the kingdom of grace before He returns. When we pray the Lord’s Prayer, “Your kingdom come,” we are asking that we might receive that kingdom into our hearts now while we are in this evil world.

The pen of inspiration describes it this way: “By the life we live through the grace of Christ the character is formed. The original loveliness begins to be restored to the soul. The attributes of the character of Christ are imparted, and the image of the Divine begins to shine forth. The faces of men and women who walk and work with God express the peace of heaven. They are surrounded with the atmosphere of heaven. For these souls the kingdom of heaven has begun.” The Desire of Ages, 312. “As through Jesus we enter into rest, heaven begins here. We respond to His invitation, Come, learn of Me, and in thus coming we begin the life eternal. Heaven is a ceaseless approaching to God through Christ. The longer we are in the heaven of bliss, the more and still more of glory will be opened to us; and the more we know of God, the more intense will be our happiness. … All that human nature can bear, we may receive here.” Ibid., 331, 332.

When we say, “Your kingdom come,” we are asking that the principles of the kingdom of heaven, the grace and the righteousness of the kingdom of God’s dear Son come into our heart now. When this happens, we will then become the recipients of every other blessing that God has in store for His children. We are promised that we will receive whatever we need in this world. We will receive pardon of our transgressions. We will have guidance of our footsteps and deliverance from evil. We have a word in the English language for that experience—Christendom. Christendom is simply a contraction for Christ’s kingdom. There can be no kingdom without a king, a throne, a territory, a dominion, and subjects over whom to rule. The kingdom within involves enthroning King Jesus in our hearts, to have complete dominion over the kingdom of the individual life.

The apostle Paul in one of the shortest descriptions of the work and effect of the gospel in all the New Testament described it this way: “To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Colossians 1:27.

There is no other way for Christ’s kingdom to come and for the final restoration of the kingdom to be given to the children of this world than for His grace to first enter our hearts and have complete dominion over our souls. In Revelation 3:20 we are given a sad picture of the Christian church in our time. Notice what Jesus says: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.”

The church here described is the modern Christian church, the last of the seven churches. Christendom today is keeping the King of heaven outside the door. He will not force His way in. The kingdom of God cannot come into our hearts unless the King is invited in. Is it any wonder that the church today that keeps the King outside knocking on the door asking for admission has its condition described in the following language? “ ‘I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew [vomit] you out of My mouth. Because you say, “I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing”—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked—I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.’ ” Revelation 3:15–18.

Jesus is described to the last church, the church of Laodicea, as standing outside the door, outside the door of your heart, knocking, asking for permission. He is polite and will not force an entrance, but He’s knocking at the door. He says, “Are you willing to open the door?” Why will people not open the door to Jesus? It is the darling sins that people are not willing to give up, though they know Jesus cannot come into their hearts while they do those things that keep the door shut. While they continue in their sins Jesus stands outside knocking.

If you want to be saved you must be willing to give up your sins and let Jesus come into your life. In Revelation 3:21, Christ says, “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.”

So, what does the coming of the kingdom involve? Some people think it simply involves the prosperity of the church. Millions of people have interpreted the text that way. To others it simply means the transformation of character; when a person is born again and has a new heart and his character is transformed.

To others the coming of the kingdom means the overcoming of evil. And to still others, the coming of the kingdom refers to the second advent of Christ to reign as the king of glory.

Actually, the coming of the kingdom of heaven includes all of these. It includes the results of the first as well as the second advent of Christ. The spirit and scope of the meaning of the Lord’s Prayer is very broad. We do not become citizens of the kingdom of God by natural birth, as in earthly kingdoms, but rather by spiritual birth and a voluntary surrender to the sovereignty of the King of heaven. Have you been born again? Have you actually become a citizen of the kingdom of heaven? Has the kingdom of heaven come into your heart or is the Lord’s Prayer just a meaningless phrase or a religious ritual that you recite?

When the kingdom of heaven comes into your heart and life, both you and other people will know something about it. Jesus refers to this experience as a new birth, being born again. When a baby is born it is the beginning of a new life with new relationships. The same is true with the spiritual life. It is the beginning of a new life with new relationships. Birth is never of our own origin. Never is it brought about by our own power. We cannot give birth to ourselves, either physically or spiritually. That is why Jesus said, “You must be born of the Spirit.” Each of the apostles talks about this in different language over and over again. Peter talks about it. John talks about it. James talks about it. When the subjects of God’s kingdom are born again of the Holy Spirit that person will demonstrate his citizenship by his conduct. The laws of the kingdom of heaven, expressing the will of the King of heaven, will govern his or her life.

Citizenship in the kingdom of grace is obtained on the basis of grace rather than works. But the citizen demonstrates his citizenship by what he does. If he has really been born of the spirit, he will eat, and drink, and talk, and act according to the ruling principles of the kingdom of heaven. In other words, the inward character and the outward life will be in harmony with heaven, for they cannot be separated.

Jesus, the King of heaven came to this world to establish His kingdom at a time when the pagan Roman Empire ruled the world. Their laws governed civilization. To be a Roman citizen was considered the greatest of earthly privileges. And into this atmosphere of pomp, and power, and earthly glory, Jesus came unheralded by blasts of trumpet or by marching armies. His kingdom, in contrast with all that had preceded it, was set up without bloodshed or violence. His weapons were faith and righteousness. His conquests of human hearts were accomplished by the power of love. The kingdom that Jesus came to establish, as He said over and over, was different from all earthly kingdoms.

The general Napoleon is reported to have said about the kingdom of Christ, “Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and I founded great empires. But upon what did the creations of our genius depend? Upon force. Jesus Christ alone founded His Empire upon love and millions would die for Him today.”

If you are a member of Christ’s kingdom, it is His plan and purpose to raise you to sonship and rulership. His promise is, if you overcome, you will sit down with Me on My throne as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. (See Revelation 3:21.)

The citizens of the kingdom of God are made up of all races, all classes, and all nationalities. They are bound together in love and unity by ties that are closer and stronger than blood kinship. There have been many efforts by various earthly kingdoms to amalgamate various races and nations into a single unit, but these efforts have all failed. In God’s kingdom “there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.” Colossians 3:11.

God’s kingdom is perfect and eternal because it is founded on perfect and eternal principles. The Bible says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.” Hebrews 1:8.

It must be evident to all genuine Christians that our greatest need is the answer to this petition in the Lord’s Prayer, “Your kingdom come.” Has that kingdom come into your heart? What we daily find our need of is a ruler, and a ruler loving enough to give us all confidence in Him. Firm enough to support us when we are weary, and compel us to the right path when we waver. Powerful enough to do what man cannot do, to change our hearts and deliver us from evil. Such a ruler God offers to us and such a ruler we choose when we pray, “Thy kingdom come.”

The answer to that prayer “Thy kingdom come” will have a final and complete answer when Jesus returns and sets up His kingdom. The kingdom of grace in which we are living today will be replaced by the kingdom of glory. You will never be a citizen of the kingdom of glory in the future world unless you are a citizen of the kingdom of grace in the present world. There is no such thing as a person living like the devil in this present age and then inheriting eternal life in the future age.

If your life has been one of sin and you would like to have eternal life, come to Jesus and repent. Say, “Lord, I want a change of heart. I want to receive the Holy Spirit. I want to quit living like the devil and come into harmony with Your kingdom and the laws of Your kingdom. I want to be born again.” Jesus never turns away anyone who comes to Him with repentance. You can be a citizen of the kingdom of glory. The plan of redemption will be consummated.

The earth someday will be burned up, cleansed of sin and sinners. In II Peter 3:10–13, the apostle said, “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.”

This earth is going to be recreated. “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, ‘Behold the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying; and there shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.’ Then He who sat on the throne said, ‘Behold, I make all things new.’ And He said to me, ‘Write, for these words are true and faithful.’ ” Revelation 21:1–5.

That is what you look forward to when you say in the Lord’s Prayer, “Your kingdom come.” It is indeed coming. Will you be ready?

(Unless appearing in quoted references or otherwise identified, Bible texts are from the New King James Version.)

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

Separation from God

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“But Zion said, ‘The Lord has forsaken me, and my Lord has forgotten me.’

“ ‘Can a woman forget her nursing child, and not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, yet I will not forget you. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; your walls are continually before Me.’ ”

Isaiah 49:14–16

You may be old enough to remember when automobiles had what were called “bench seats” in the front as well as in the back. Most pick-up trucks still do, but most sedans now have bucket seats instead of bench seats in the front.

Well, back in the day when bench seats were the norm in sedans, a story was told about a couple who had been married for several years. One day as they were driving along, the wife said to the husband, “When we were first married, we used to sit right next to each other. We don’t do that anymore. You’re over there, and I’m way over here.” The husband thought a moment, then replied, “I’m still sitting where I always did.”

The purpose of this story is to illustrate how a relationship can change over time if all parties in the relationship don’t work to maintain it.

In our walk along the narrow way, there are many side roads that frequently appear … diversions that Satan throws in the way to separate us from our loving Father. The enemy of souls exercises continual effort to get us to move over—to slide across the bench seat and distance ourselves from the loving arms with which God seeks to envelope us.

In Romans 8:35, Paul asks, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?”

Then a few verses later, Paul answers that question:

“For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38, 39.

If we take these texts to mean exactly what they say, it should be obvious that God’s love for us is omnipresent. It is always available to us. The problem is that we allow the vicissitudes of our daily lives—the ups and downs—to cause us to move away from the driver’s side closer to the window and create a breach between us and our Father.

That is why it is so imperative that we do two things … two simple things that will help us to stay in a close, loving relationship with our Father.

First, we need to make a habit of daily study of His word. Each day we need to make the teachings of God’s word the rule and guide of our lives. We need to seek to learn the full meaning of the words of truth and to drink deeply of the spirit of the holy oracles.

In The Bible Echo, October 1, 1892, is this statement:

“In the word of God is contained everything essential to the perfecting of the man of God. It is like a treasure-house full of valuable and precious stores; but we do not appreciate its riches, nor realize the necessity of equipping ourselves with the treasures of truth. We do not realize the great necessity of searching the Scriptures for ourselves. Many neglect their study in order to pursue some worldly interest, or to indulge in some passing pleasure. A trifling affair is made an excuse for ignorance of the Scriptures.”

The second thing we need to do to strengthen our connection with God is to remember how His loving hand has moved in our lives in the past. Inspiration terms it this way:

“We should ever recount our blessings. We should gather them together and hang them in memory’s hall.” The Review and Herald, March 26, 1889.

When Satan attempts to cast his hellish shadow over us to separate us from the love of God, we will have two weapons to refute his efforts—two sources of light with which to dispel his shadow:

  1. The precious promises in His word.
  2. The memories of how His loving hand has moved in our life in the past.

“God help us that we may hang memory’s hall all through with the rich promises of God, that when Satan shall come to cast his hellish shadow between us and the source of our strength we may just be armed; we have got the memorials all surrounding us—barricaded with the promises—and we can say, ‘Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation’ (Habakkuk 3:17, 18).” Sermons and Talks, Book 1, 133.

If we follow this counsel, memory’s hall will be replete with the promises in God’s word that we have stored up from our studies, and with the many, many times that He has fulfilled those promises in our daily life. Embellishments will include His providences and His blessings that our spiritual vision, sharpened by the exercise of faith, has discerned countless times.

If we are faithful and determined to commit ourselves to this practice, we will find that the distance between ourselves and our loving Father becomes less and less, rather than greater and greater. Then, truly, “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6.

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

Lord’s Prayer Series – His Will on Earth

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Christians believe that someday God is going to set up a kingdom, an everlasting kingdom of righteousness in this world and that war and violence and evil of all kinds will be abolished forever. But the question is, “What would be the requirement for a person to become a citizen of such a kingdom?”

The third petition of the Lord’s Prayer is “Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). This is the climax of the first division of the Lord’s Prayer, that part which looks toward God and heaven and has to do with things divine. Each petition follows in its proper order. First we recognize the God of heaven as our Father. We ask then that His name, that is, His character, might be hallowed in us, which is accomplished when His kingdom is established in our hearts. That is why the next petition is, “Your kingdom come.” When His kingdom is established in our hearts and He reigns as King in our lives, then we will be doing His will. The evidence of God’s rulership over the dominion of our souls is our complete submission to His will. This petition is inseparably connected with the one that immediately precedes it. Praying for the coming of the kingdom of heaven implies a willingness to submit to the will of the King. Before we can enter the kingdom of heaven in its final and glorious phase, the principles of the kingdom must enter our hearts and have dominion over our souls.

When this desire is our experience, every provision is made for the fulfillment of the divine will. Our obedience to the will of the King, to the laws that govern His kingdom, is the evidence that you and I are citizens of the kingdom of heaven. The coming of the kingdom of grace into our hearts transfers our citizenship to the kingdom of heaven. But right now, we are still living in a revolted world where God’s will is almost universally disregarded. Earnest prayer is needed to be able to completely submit to the sovereignty of the King of heaven. Perhaps there is no petition that we need to make more often than this because we find this petition difficult to be fulfilled in our lives.

In this world we have a hard time learning the lesson of complete surrender to the will of God—a very severe discipline for many people. The purpose of the gospel is to give us victory over the spirit of rebellion that reigns in this world and governs the human race. Rebels cannot enter the kingdom of God and the kingdom of God cannot enter them. The kingdom and dominion were lost by Adam and Eve by disobedience, and only the obedient will be allowed to enter paradise restored.

When people presume upon God’s mercy while knowingly transgressing His law, they are actually trifling with their eternal destiny. It doesn’t matter what my profession of good works might be; if I am not doing the will of my Father in heaven, if I am not obedient to Him, I will have no right to be a citizen of His kingdom. Jesus made this exceedingly plain in the very same Sermon on the Mount where the Lord’s Prayer is recorded in Matthew 5. At the end of the sermon, Jesus made the following, astounding statement that many people still today have not paid attention to.

He said, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me at that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ ” Matthew 7:21–23.

In the Day of Judgment these people have an argument with the Lord. It is recorded in both the Old and New Testaments how dangerous it is to have an argument with the Lord. How can we think that we know more about anything than the Lord knows? How can we think that we know what is right and that He is wrong? How can we think that He is deceived and we know better? And yet, so often, that is the way human beings act now and will act on Judgment Day. Those referred to here are not atheists or infidels. They are not agnostics or people who do not claim to be Christians. Rather they are people who do claim to be Christians because they call Jesus Lord.

They believe they should be saved. They have prophesied in His name. They had the Holy Spirit and even cast out demons in His name. They knew they had the Holy Spirit because of the miracles and wonders they had performed. What could possibly have gone wrong?

But Jesus says, “I never knew you. Depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.” They are not loyal subjects of His kingdom because they do not keep the laws of His kingdom. They break the commandments; they are lawless and are practicing lawlessness. The Bible says that in the last days the idea that you can break God’s law and practice lawlessness and still be saved is going to be the great deception that will take the whole world captive. You can read that prophecy in II Thessalonians 2:1–12.

In the very heart of the prayer is the petition or request, “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” There is no such thing as really being a true Christian without seeking with all your heart to do the will of God. After Jesus’ declaration in Matthew 7:21–23, He followed with a story about the two builders, one who built his house upon the sand while the other built his house upon the rock (verses 24–27). He said that if a person hears these sayings of Mine and doesn’t do them, he will be like the man who built his house on the sand, and when the storm and the flood came, it was all swept away. But the one who hears these sayings of Mine and does them, he’ll be like a man who built his house on the rock and when the flood came, the wind came, and the rain came, the house did not fall because it was established on a rock.

We must consider how the house of our character is being built day by day. Is it being built in harmony with the instruction that Jesus has given in the gospels or are we building on sand? Jesus said if you hear truth and do nothing about it, your character is being built on sand and it will not stand the storm that is coming that will examine and test every man’s work to see what it is like.

What Jesus was in this rebellious world, His disciples are also to be. Jesus lived in this world for more than thirty years in human flesh, and the Bible says in Hebrews 4 that He was tempted in all points just like we are and yet was without sin. His submission to the will of His heavenly Father was so complete that His heavenly citizenship was never cancelled or even questioned or interfered with in the slightest degree. He fulfilled the divine will while He was on earth just as He had when He was in heaven before He came to earth.

The change in environment did not alter His relation to the law or the government of God. The character and the conduct of Christ while He was on earth remained unchanged during His entire earthly pilgrimage. In John 6:38 Jesus gives the reason for His coming to this earth. He said, “I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.”

Jesus said in John 5:30: “I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.” In other words, the purpose of His life and what governed His every action was not to please Himself but to do the will of the Father.

He had no other reason for being in this world, and in fulfilling this purpose Jesus was preeminently successful. Notice what He says to His Father just before He was betrayed in the Garden of Gethsemane: “I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do.” John 17:4.

All the efforts of Satan to turn Him from His purpose had been thwarted. He finally said just before He died upon the cross, “It is finished.” He had perfectly performed the will of the Father. Every day of His life He fulfilled the will of His Father. Every day of His life and in His prayers at night, He sought and received directions for the following day.

Jesus is our example. He came to this world from heaven to show us the way from death to life, to show us the way out of darkness into light, to deliver us from the dominion of evil to the sovereignty of righteousness. And because of the completeness of the provision that He made for us, no earthly circumstance can excuse you or me from the same kind of submission to the will of our heavenly Father. For such obedience Jesus asks us to pray, “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

Jesus never asks us to do something that is impossible. It might be impossible on our own, but it is never impossible with His help. All of His commands, all of His promises will be fulfilled in us if we accept them by faith and cooperate with the heavenly agencies. Complete provision has been made so that God’s will can be done on earth just as it is in heaven. In fact, the time is coming when the Lord’s Prayer is going to be answered. God’s will is to be perfectly done here on this earth.

The time is coming when there will be no more war, or violence, or evil of any kind in this world.

How can the kingdom of God be established in this world so that war could be a thing of the past? The petition is, “Your will … as it is in heaven.” How is God’s will performed in heaven? Notice what the Bible says in Psalm 103:19: “The Lord has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all. Bless the Lord you His angels, who excel in strength, who do His word, heeding the voice of His word.”

Notice that the angels, the beings in heaven, perform God’s word. They execute His will perfectly. The sovereignty of God is the sovereignty of law and order. His will is defined by His law. Actually when you think about it, the will of any king or government is made known to the citizens of that nation by the laws that have been enacted. There can be no kingdom without law.

The kingdom of grace, therefore, spoken of in the Bible, must also be ruled by His law. Some people are confused upon this point. They think that somehow grace abolishes the law or does away with the law. But the gospel does not abolish or alter any principle of the law. In fact, not in the least particular is the authority of the law broken down by the gospel. Jesus was very emphatic about this. He says, “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets.” Matthew 5:17. Jesus knew that people would get confused by the devil’s lies that grace abolishes law. Jesus said, “Don’t even think that.” Jesus came to establish the kingdom of grace by His death on the cross of Calvary to pay the price of our sins. But He says, “I didn’t come to destroy the law or the prophets.” Notice how He talks about it in Luke 16:17: “And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the law to fail.” A tittle is not a whole letter of the Hebrew alphabet. It is just a part of a letter.

Remember Who is saying this. It is Jesus, the One Who not only created all things, as you can read in Colossians 1 verse 16, but He upholds all things by the word of His power (Hebrews 1:3). The sun, the moon, our world, our solar system, the innumerable heavenly bodies that spin in countless cycles and circles through space are all held in place by the word of His power. This person, the One Who does that, says that it would be easier for the heaven and earth to pass away than for part of a letter of the law to fail.

The more you think about it, the more intense that statement appears to be. He says that He would destroy the universe before He would allow even a part of a letter of His law to be done away (Luke 16:17). Read it a number of times and you will begin to be awestruck by what Jesus is saying and the extreme value that He places on His law. The modern teaching that grace supplants the law and that faith is a substitute for practice is a fallacy.

The apostle Paul wrote, “Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.” Romans 3:31. Notice, faith does not do away with the law; grace does not do away with the law; it establishes the law. This is a most emphatic denial of the idea that the exercise of faith would make void the demands and authority of God’s law. Not only that, but the apostle Paul says that through faith the law is established. In other words, it is through faith that the binding claims of the law are made certain or established. It is the purpose of the gospel to set up the kingdom of heaven in us and with it, the law of the kingdom expressing the will of the King.

The Bible defines sin as the transgression or violation of God’s law, or lawlessness (I John 3:4). The mission of the gospel is to take away sin so that we may come under grace, the unmerited favor of God. Paul drives home this question in Romans 6:1 with a very strong statement. He says, “Shall we continue in sin (continue transgressing the law) that grace might abound?”

Then he answers the question, “Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?” In the light of such a clear statement in Romans 6:1, 2, how can anyone say that the gift of grace takes away the necessity of the law? The very work of the kingdom of grace is to establish the law of the kingdom of heaven in our heart. In II Corinthians 3:3, the apostle Paul explains how that under the old covenant, the law was written in tables of stone, but under the new covenant, “It is written not with ink in tables of stone; it is written by the Holy Spirit in the fleshly tables of the heart.” Literal translation.

In Hebrews 8:10, quoting from the prophet Jeremiah, Paul says that “under the new covenant the law is written in our heart by the Holy Spirit.” Literal translation. Let it never be forgotten, that we cannot be saved by law without grace any more than we can be saved by grace without law.

In this petition we are asking that our obedience shall measure up to the obedience of the unfallen beings in the heavenly universe. Your will be done “on earth as it is in heaven.”

This prayer is not just a prayer for the future; it is a prayer to be fulfilled in your life, now, right here in this evil, sinful world that is in rebellion against the God of heaven. It is in this world, in this environment of sin and evil that we ask for God’s name to be hallowed. It is here that we ask for His kingdom to be established. And it is right here in this world that we petition in the Lord’s Prayer and ask for His will to be done.

This prayer is going to be answered. The question is, “Is it going to be answered in your life?” Will His will be done in your life, “on earth as it is in heaven”?

Bible texts are from NKJV unless otherwise noted.

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

True Education Series – The Lesson Books

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“And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine.” I Samuel 17:40

We are in the middle of the great controversy between Christ and Satan. At a critical time in the history of the Seventh-day Adventist church, we find this important statement from the pen of inspiration:

“Now, as never before, we need to understand the true science of education. If we fail to understand this, we shall never have a place in the kingdom of God.” Christian Educator, August 1, 1897.

What is involved in the true science of education?

“In the highest sense the work of education and the work of redemption are one, for in education, as in redemption, ‘other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.’ ‘It was the good pleasure of the Father that in Him should all the fullness dwell’ (I Corinthians 3:11; Colossians 1:19, R.V.)” Education, 30.

My parents and grandparents were all well educated people. They emphasized the importance of education in our lives. After I was converted to Christianity at 24 years of age, I became interested in the science of all sciences.

“The science of redemption is the science of all sciences—the science that is the study of the angels and of all the intelligences of the unfallen worlds; the science that engages the attention of our Lord and Saviour; the science that enters into the purpose brooded in the mind of the Infinite—‘kept in silence through times eternal’ (Romans 16:25, R.V.); the science that will be the study of God’s redeemed throughout endless ages. This is the highest study in which it is possible for man to engage. As no other study can, it will quicken the mind and uplift the soul.” Ibid., 126.

The Lord has been leading me in the study of this science now for over forty years. I am totally convinced of the truthfulness of this statement. “Five Smooth Stones” represents some of the significant findings in this science of all sciences. This article is an overview of the basic lesson books of this science.

Webster’s definition of science is “from scientia, from scio, to know. In a general sense, knowledge, or certain knowledge; the comprehension or understanding of truth or facts by the mind.”

“ ‘This is life eternal, that they might know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent’ (John 17:3). If this is the price of heaven, shall not our education be conducted on these lines? Christ must be everything to us. ‘Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace’ (Isaiah 9:6).” Christian Educator, August 1, 1897.

In John 15:1 we find one of the most beautiful illustrations of the Christian life. “I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.” In verse 5, we are brought into the picture. “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.” In other words, we can say that Jesus is the main stem.

“The central theme of the Bible, the theme about which every other in the whole book clusters, is the redemption plan, the restoration in the human soul of the image of God. From the first intimation of hope in the sentence pronounced in Eden to that last glorious promise of the Revelation, ‘They shall see His face; and His name shall be in their foreheads’ (Revelation 22:4), the burden of every book and every passage of the Bible is the unfolding of this wondrous theme—man’s uplifting—the power of God, ‘which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ’ (I Corinthians 15:57).” Education, 125.

This truth is at the center of the great controversy. It is found in the meaning of the name “Jesus”. “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21. “For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour.” Isaiah 43:3. “I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.” Exodus 20:2. “He shall cry unto me, Thou art my father, my God, and the rock of my salvation.” Psalms 89:26.

“The sacrifice of Christ as an atonement for sin is the great truth around which all other truths cluster. In order to be rightly understood and appreciated, every truth in the word of God, from Genesis to Revelation, must be studied in the light that streams from the cross of Calvary. I present before you the great, grand monument of mercy and regeneration, salvation and redemption, the Son of God uplifted on the cross. This is to be the foundation of every discourse given by our ministers.” Gospel Workers, 315.

I have worked for many years in various aspects of the construction industry. The blueprint, or plan, is the center of attention. As builders, our part is to study the plan and, to the best of our ability, fulfill the requirements. If we succeed, we are rewarded. If we fail, we are punished in one way or another. The plan is simply the means by which the workers can know what is expected of them. The basic plan, or will of God, His thought expressed, is the plan of redemption. The sanctuary was one of the tools that God used to communicate this plan.

“Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary:” Psalms 77:13.

In the camp of Israel, there was an exact order to follow. There were three tribes on each of the four sides, and one in the middle. One tribe on each side was chosen to bear an insignia, or banner, on which a creature was displayed. (See the illustration to right.) These same creatures were shown to Ezekiel in vision. “I saw visions of God.” Ezekiel 1:1.

“As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle.” Ezekiel 1:10.

Since Jesus moved into the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary in 1844, we have been given even greater insight into the visions of God. One of the most significant is found in the book, Education.

“Christ came to demonstrate the value of the divine principles by revealing their power for the regeneration of humanity. He came to teach how these principles are to be developed and applied.

“With the people of that age the value of all things was determined by outward show. As religion had declined in power, it had increased in pomp. The educators of the time sought to command respect by display and ostentation. To all this the life of Jesus presented a marked contrast. His life demonstrated the worthlessness of those things that men regarded as life’s great essentials. Born amidst surroundings the rudest, sharing a peasant’s home, a peasant’s fare, a craftsman’s occupation, living a life of obscurity, identifying Himself with the world’s unknown toilers—amidst these conditions and surroundings—Jesus followed the divine plan of education. The schools of His time, with their magnifying of things small and their belittling of things great, He did not seek. His education was gained directly from the Heaven-appointed sources; from useful work, from the study of the Scriptures and of nature, and from the experiences of life—God’s lesson books, full of instruction to all who bring to them the willing hand [physical], the seeing eye [mental], and the understanding heart [spiritual].” [Emphasis added.] Education, 77.

“It [true education] is the harmonious development of the physical, the mental, and the spiritual powers.” Ibid., 13.

These lesson books are illustrated by the four creatures on the banners of the tribes and the creatures in Ezekiel 1.

In the New Testament, these books also relate to the four gospels.

Each of these lesson books is full of instruction for every one of God’s children. There are five main lessons that we need to learn from these four books. That is what I refer to as the “Five Smooth Stones.”

In a following article will be an overview of these five lessons. I would like to encourage all to study the book, Education, carefully and prayerfully. It is a rich resource on this important topic.

May the Lord bless each of us as we seek to know the One who is “altogether lovely” (Song of Solomon 5:16).

Lynn Alan Humes became a Christian in 1974 at 24 yrs of age, and a Seventh-day Adventist two years later. Since then he has worked in many parts of the United States, doing canvassing, restaurant work, teaching, preaching, writing, building, agriculture, and whatever needs to be done. He and his wife, Lorraine (Butler) Humes, care for her father, Dr. Maurice Butler, and are involved with many aspects of Gospel Medical Missionary work, building and agriculture in rural Tennessee. He may be contacted by email at: optimalife@gmail.com.

 

Lack of the Holy Spirit

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“But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, He shall testify of Me’ (John 15:26).

“It is not right for us to devote time, brain, bone, and muscle to gathering in the things of earth and drop eternity out of our reckoning, but we should gather sheaves from the Master’s garner. … The Lord wants us to expand, to grow like the seed introduced into the soil—first the blade, then the ear, then the full corn in the ear. …

“Some have asked, What shall I do to receive the Holy Ghost? Ask God to search your hearts as with a lighted candle. Do nothing for selfish gratification. Suppose that Christ’s professed followers were representatives of Christ in our earth; would not worldlings see this and take knowledge of such that they had learned of Jesus? Will not such be a power? We want the religion of Christ. This will bring forth the fruits of love, joy, and peace. The desire of the Master is not for a scanty supply, but to bear it in abundance.” Christ Triumphant (1999), 300.

We are told: “The Lord is more willing to give the Holy Spirit to those who serve Him than parents are to give good gifts to their children.” The Acts of the Apostles, 50. So why is it that the Spirit appears to be so lacking in the Christian church today?

Here are twelve reasons why we do not have the Holy Spirit that we desire.

  1. Lack of unity. We are not seeking for unity with our brethren. Before the Holy Spirit came on Pentecost, the Bible says, “… they were all with one accord in one place.” Acts 2:1.
  2. Lack of faith. Because we do not see God move in miraculous ways every time we ask, we have trouble believing His promises are real. (See Signs of the Times, September 29, 1898, paragraph 3.)
  3. Lack of love for one another. We have to love each other as well as love the Lord. “If someone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God Whom he has not seen?” I John 4:20.
  4. Unbelief. The Bible and Ellen White have much to say on the subject of unbelief. If you have access to a concordance or CD ROM you will find tons of information on that subject. (See The Review and Herald, July 9, 1895, paragraph 6.)
  5. Lack of confidence in one another. You cannot work together with people in whom you lack confidence. If you have absolutely no confidence in your family, how can you do anything together? Only with confidence and trust can you successfully accomplish something together. (Manuscript Releases, vol. 2, 26.)
  6. Content with mere theory of the truth. There are many people who know what is right and wrong theologically who do not apply the principles of truth to their life. Many people have listened to television programs or done Bible studies and would tell you that the seventh-day is the Sabbath, and can even prove it from the Bible, but they don’t keep it. They have a theory of the truth, but do not live according to what they know. (See Selected Messages, Book 2, 56.)
  7. Not following Jesus in self-denial. Jesus said, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.” Matthew 16:24.Self denial, which is a huge subject, is His first requirement. No one will enter the kingdom of heaven that has not learned that lesson.
  8. Not following Jesus in stability. A synonym for stability is consistency. A Christian sets his goal for eternity and does not waver from that goal. He is consistent in his search for truth not letting go of the gift of salvation. If he stumbles, he immediately gets up and continues his journey holding the hand of One Who never lets go. But how often people let go and become tired of carrying His cross! (See Manuscript Releases, vol. 11, 54, 55.)
  9. Minor matters occupy the attention. One of the devil’s most successful tricks is to get the Christian sidetracked so that they spend much time concentrating on things that are not the most important. They allow minor matters to occupy their attention. (See The Review and Herald, May 19, 1904, paragraph 10.)
  10. Lack of sympathy and compassionate love. Many people are so busy with their own lives that they do not take the time to be interested in others’ needs. The world today is confused about true love. Most think that love is all about passion. That is only one aspect of love. (See The Review and Herald, December 23, 1890, paragraph 9.)
  11. Refusing Christ’s messengers. Often the messenger God sends is not recognized as such, maybe because they do not have the same social standing, or as much money as I have. Maybe they don’t have as much education or they are younger and have not had as much experience as I have. We may have many reasons why we think they are not qualified to give us any counsel or advice. That is what happened in 1888 in Minneapolis when A. T. Jones and E. J. Waggoner delivered a message to the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists on righteousness by faith; it was rejected because of the messengers. There are millions of people in the world that if God sent them a message through a woman, they would not accept it. There are many people that refuse to accept the Adventist message because of the messages of Ellen White—a woman. However, God does not ask our advice when He decides to send us a message. He chooses whom He sees the best, even if it is a little child. (See Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 97.)
  12. Refusing Christ’s message. It is a dangerous thing to refuse the Saviour’s invitation of salvation. There are many who have heard the truth as it is in the life of Jesus who are too busy or too comfortable in this life to take note and follow. All who refuse this last message of mercy will be lost. (See Manuscript Releases, vol. 14, 134.)

It is not too late to recognize your true spiritual condition, fall on your knees and ask for help to be delivered from sin. Remember, Jesus is more willing to give the Holy Spirit to those who love Him than are parents to give good gifts to their children.

The World’s Biggest Cemetery

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Because of unbelief the children of Israel, after the miraculous delivery from slavery in Egypt, were not allowed to enter the Promised Land and for forty years they wandered around the wilderness. The story is told in the fourteenth chapter of Numbers.

“Then the Lord said: ‘I have pardoned, according to your word; but truly, as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord—because all these men who have seen My glory and the signs which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have put Me to the test now these ten times, and have not heeded My voice, they certainly shall not see the land of which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who rejected Me see it. But My servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit in him and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land where he went, and his descendants shall inherit it. Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites dwell in the valley; tomorrow turn and move out into the wilderness by the Way of the Red Sea.’

“And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, ‘How long shall I bear with this evil congregation who complain against Me? I have heard the complaints which the children of Israel make against Me. Say to them, “As I live,” says the Lord, “just as you have spoken in My hearing [passing sentence on themselves], so I will do to you: The carcasses of you who have complained against Me shall fall in this wilderness, all of you who were numbered, according to your entire number, from twenty years old and above. Except for Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun, you shall by no means enter the land which I swore I would make you dwell in. But your little ones, whom you said would be victims, I will bring in, and they shall know the land which you have despised. But as for you, your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness. And your sons shall be shepherds in the wilderness forty years, and bear the brunt of your infidelity, until your carcasses are consumed in the wilderness. According to the number of the days in which you spied out the land, forty days, for each day you shall bear your guilt one year, namely forty years, and you shall know My rejection. I the Lord have spoken this; I will surely do so to all this evil congregation who are gathered together against Me. In this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die.” ’

“Now the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land, who returned and made all the congregation complain against him by bringing a bad report of the land, those very men who brought the evil report about the land, died by the plague before the Lord.” Numbers 14:20–37.

They wandered and kept wandering until all the people that had come out of Egypt above 20 years of age (except Caleb and Joshua) had died. The whole wilderness became a cemetery. Their experience was carefully recorded as an example to help the people who live at the end of time before the return of Jesus Christ. This story is for us, for we are those people.

In I Corinthians 10:1–13, it says, “Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.

“Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, ‘The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.’ Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell; nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents; nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer. Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”

Paul goes into great detail about their experience as they wandered back and forth for so many years. So that others may learn from it, He mentions some of the major sins that were committed, causing many of them to be destroyed. He says, “For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, while it is said: ‘Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.’ For who, having heard, rebelled? Indeed, was it not all who came out of Egypt, led by Moses? Now with whom was He angry forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness? And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.” Hebrews 3:14–4:2.

John also mentions the wanderings in the book of Revelation. “But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality.” Revelation 2:14.

Ellen White said, “We here read the warnings which God gave to ancient Israel. It was not His good pleasure that they should wander so long in the wilderness; He would have brought them immediately to the Promised Land had they submitted and loved to be led by Him; but because they so often grieved Him in the desert, He sware in His wrath that they should not enter into His rest, save two who wholly followed Him. God required His people to trust in Him alone. He did not wish them to receive help from those who did not serve Him.” Testimonies, vol. 1, 281.

The older you get, the more you recognize that many of the difficulties experienced in life are the result of choices that have been made earlier. There is no way to escape the fact that choices you make as a youth will affect your future.

The Israelites made wrong choices during the first year or two in the wilderness that affected their outcome. They continually rebelled against the Lord. Their failure of not entering Canaan a few months after they left Egypt was the result of their own choices.

Remember what Paul said, in I Corinthians 10:11 that all these things happened to them for examples for the people that are living in the end of the ages. We are those people.

Listed below are the reasons the Israelites were prohibited from entering the Promised Land:

  1. In Hebrews 3:15, Paul says, “If you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.” A heart is hardened by not listening. When the Holy Spirit speaks to your mind and you neglect to act on it and are determined to go your own way, the next time the Spirit speaks the voice will not be heard as distinctly. In that way a heart becomes hardened and less likely to respond to truth. Millions of people put off responding to the “still small voice” for a more convenient time, but the voice grows more faint with every rejection. (See Prophets and Kings, 169.)
  2. In Hebrews 3:16, Paul says, “For who, having heard, rebelled.” Rebellion occurs when God says to do something, and you decide to act differently.
  3. In Hebrews 3:17, Paul puts it plainly when he says, “They sinned.” Ellen White comments about that in the book Patriarchs and Prophets, 410. She says [towards the end of their wanderings], “Here Miriam died and was buried. From that scene of rejoicing on the shores of the Red Sea, when Israel went forth with song and dance to celebrate Jehovah’s triumph, to the wilderness grave which ended a lifelong wandering—such had been the fate of millions who with high hopes had come forth from Egypt. Sin had dashed from their lips the cup of blessing. Would the next generation learn the lesson?”
    After leaving Egypt and especially after crossing the Red Sea, the children of Israel were excited. They had all promised to be faithful and follow the Lord. We still have the same experiences today. When people get excited, they say, “O, we are going to finish the work in the next three to four years. We have a short-wave radio station. We’re going to reach the whole world.” The Lord allows things to develop so that the excitement wears off and the real heart is revealed. Often the situation takes a completely different turn. The Israelites thought they would be in the Promised Land in a few short months.

While they waited for Moses to return from the mount where he met with the Lord, the patience of the Israelites was tested. Led on by the mixed multitude that had left Egypt with them, they determined that they would not remain in the wilderness. Some wanted to go back to Egypt while others wanted to go forward to the Promised Land. One thing was sure—they did not want to stay in the wilderness. They had made their decision. However, they sinned and all died in the wilderness. “Sin had dashed from their lips the cup of blessing.” Ibid.

  1. In Hebrews 3:18, Paul explains it again. He says, “They did not obey.” There are many people today who want to be religious but they never understand the role that obedience must play as part of their religion.
  2. In Hebrews 4:3, Paul says that they did not enter into His rest.
  3. In Hebrews 3:19, Paul says, they could not enter into the Promised Land. These people had to die in the wilderness because of their unbelief. When the Bible talks about belief or unbelief, the same words can be translated faith or doubt. Unbelief means you do not trust what God has said enough to do what He says and put it into practice. We all need to pray to the Lord that we might have belief and never be a victim of unbelief. Life dishes up many situations where because of the circumstances Satan tempts unbelief.

John the Baptist said in John 3:35, 36, “The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand. He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” Unbelief will prohibit you from entering into the Promised Land.
Remember, these things are examples or types. The wilderness is the experience that we are going through right now in this world and represents the biggest cemetery. The land of Canaan is the Promised Land. It represents a land in heaven where God is going to take all of His faithful ones. The choices we make day by day will determine if we will make it or die in the wilderness. This death is not just temporal but is the loss of eternal life. Many Israelites who died in the wilderness will not be in the heavenly Canaan.

  1. Concerning the Israelite wandering, it says in Hebrews 4:1, “Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it.” This appears to be a description of people who are trying to get there but they never make it. This would make the worst kind of nightmare, with your mind all confused about everything, thinking that somebody is chasing but you cannot get away from them. It seems that the faster you run, you can never get away till something wakes you up. You come short. “They came short.” Tragically, they never made it.
  2. In Hebrews 4:2 is an especially sad reason for failure of the Israelites to enter the Promised Land. Paul says, “The gospel was preached to us as well as to them.” The Israelites had the gospel. We have the gospel, the good news of salvation through Jesus, and it is not complicated. Jesus said, “If you believe in Me, you have eternal life” (John 3:16). In the gospel of John that statement is made in different language over, and over, and over again. The word believe does not merely make reference to a mental assent, but it has reference to putting your trust in somebody. The Israelites had the gospel, but these people died in the wilderness. How can you perish if you have the gospel? Paul says that the gospel did not do them any good; it did not profit them because it was “not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.” Hebrews 4:2.
  3. In I Corinthians 10:6, Paul says, “We should not lust after evil things as they also lusted.” When God took them into the wilderness, He put them on a different diet from that which they had been used to in Egypt. They were given some health reform principles, which you can read in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. These included sanitation, quarantine, disease control, cleanliness, and diet. They did not like the health reform and wanted flesh food and more highly spiced food than the manna that was provided for them. Paul says, “Do not lust after evil things.” They lusted after the fleshpots of Egypt.

There is tremendous resistance in Adventism today against health reform. The Bible says in Psalms that they were eating angel’s food (Psalm 78:25) and they didn’t like it. They preferred the food they had become used to while in Egypt. The manna provided was such that throughout all their wanderings in the wilderness, their feet never swelled up, even though they walked many miles in the desert. Although they remained in perfect health, they continually grumbled and complained.

  1. In I Corinthians 10:7, Paul says, “Do not become idolaters as were some of them.” Idolatry is a huge subject. When I was a child I never thought I was an idolater. I did not worship idols. I never fell down before them. So I thought I was not an idolater. Spending time in Myanmar with my missionary parents, I had witnessed people kneeling down to a huge image of Buddha, but we were Christians. We did not kneel down to it. How shallow is often our understanding of idolatry. In I John 2:15, 16, the apostle warns about making idols of worldly things. People make many things into idols.
  2. In I Corinthians 10:8, Paul says, “Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did.”
  3. In I Corinthians 10:9, Paul says, “Nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted.” With all the evidence at the Red Sea and the manna never failing to fall to sustain them, the Israelites still questioned the presence of the Lord. They queried if the Lord was with them. (See Exodus 17:1–3.) Could we be guilty of the same kind of thinking? “Well, if God was with me, then this would not happen to me.”
  4. Paul says, “Don’t complain like they did.”

Because of all these things, they were not allowed into the Promised Land and had to die in the wilderness. The wilderness became their cemetery, the biggest cemetery in the world.

The Lord has led modern Israel, us, out of Egypt, and we are on a journey through the wilderness on our way to the land that He has promised us. The question remains to be answered if modern Israel will reach the Promised Land and be allowed to enter or will she die in the wilderness as did Israel before her. The devil is determined to claim her as his and cause modern Israel to die in the wilderness, as did ancient Israel. He was successful enough the last time that there were only two who went in and he wants to make the same thing happen again. Ellen White says, “Today Satan is using the same devising to introduce the same evils and his efforts are followed by the same results that in the days of Israel laid so many in their graves.” The Review and Herald, February 4, 1909.

Our carnal traits of character are not to be retained. An honest perusal of the above list will bring the conviction that many of us have been guilty of some of the same things. That being the case, what are we going to do about it? The choice remains with us. We can continue to hold on to our wrong traits of character and continue wandering or make a complete surrender to Jesus. In The Youth Instructor, March 5, 1903, we are told: “God will call us to account if we retain wrong traits of character, refusing to call to our aid the power of the Word, and in the name of Jesus correct our faults and subdue the passions of the natural heart. Many enthrone Satan in the heart, to triumph over Christ by the indulgence of evil inclinations. Sin reigns where Christ should reign. Those who thus continue to cherish sin can never be saved as they are.”

Cherished sin causes a condition in which you cannot be saved. “Unless they change, they will never enter heaven themselves, and they make very difficult the path of those who are trying to overcome. Their faulty, unconsecrated lives place them on the side of the power of darkness, while they are professedly on the side of Christ. Jesus makes them the objects of His tender solicitude and unwearied labor, until, notwithstanding all His efforts, they become fixed in sin. Then those over whom He has wept and yearned in love and compassion are left to pursue their own course. The Saviour turns from them, saying, sadly, They are joined to their idols; let them alone. God forbid that this should be said of us.” Ibid.

“Many who, like ancient Israel, profess to keep God’s commandments have hearts of unbelief while outwardly observing the statutes of God. Although favored with great light and precious privileges, they will nevertheless lose the heavenly Canaan, even as the rebellious Israelites failed to enter the earthly Canaan that God had promised them as the reward of their obedience.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 162.

It is too late in earth’s history to continue playing games. The Lord knows your spiritual condition and whether you have made a complete surrender and are willing to forsake all your sins.

When all others had apostatized, Caleb and Joshua committed their case to the Lord. If you are willing to commit your case to the Lord, He can save you. “Satan stands at our right hand to accuse us, and our advocate stands at God’s right hand to plead for us. He has never lost a case that has been committed to Him.” The Review and Herald, August 15, 1893.

You may be the weakest, most sinful person and be in a lot of trouble right now; you may think that your sin is so great that you will never get out of here. In fact, you will not, unless somebody leads you out. That Somebody Who can lead you out is Jesus Christ. He is the only Way out of the wilderness and He has never lost a case that has been fully committed to Him.

“He [Jesus] is making intercession for the most lowly, the most oppressed and suffering, for the most tried and tempted ones.” Ibid. “He will help His believing children in every emergency if they will place their entire confidence in Him, and implicitly obey Him.” The Review and Herald, March 15, 1887.

Bible texts are from NKJV unless otherwise noted.

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

Lord’s Prayer Series – Crosses Into Crowns

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What is the single most decisive factor in determining your eternal destiny? Some people believe that it is belonging to a church or religious organization where you have a membership. Others believe that it is the theology or philosophy that you adhere to or espouse. The question could be asked, Could you go to the right church and still end up being lost?

As human beings we often excuse ourselves from perfect obedience to God’s will because we live in such an evil age and are surrounded by sin. But notice what the apostle Paul wrote to the early Christians in Philippi, the city in which he himself had been met with abuse. He writes, “That you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.” Philippians 2:15.

He recognized that theirs was a Godless generation but still admonished the believers to be blameless and without fault and to shine. The Lord’s Prayer asks that, “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10).

One must consider how God’s will is performed in heaven. His will is obeyed with perfection, with constancy, in fullness, with joy and thankfulness. All the unfallen worlds are loyal and obedient. This planet is the only world in the whole universe that is in rebellion against God’s law.

The purpose of the gospel is to conquer the one fallen world. To ensure its success God sent His Son who offered His life to pay the price of our sin and bring the world back into harmony with heaven. When the gospel has completed its mission and God’s eternal purpose has been fully carried out, Jesus prayer for “God’s will on earth” will be answered. At that time the entire world will be in complete submission to His will. There will be no more war or violence, no more sickness and no more pain or death because sin will be no more. The earth will no longer be in isolation, quarantined because of the disease of sin but in harmony with the heavenly universe that is governed by God’s moral law.

When we look up at the heavens at night and see the heavenly bodies they appear to be still because of the great distance from earth, but when astronomers study them taking accurate measurements they see that they are moving at very great speeds. This planet circles the sun making one revolution every year. After each revolution the earth loses 1/10,000th of a second of time. The precision with which the heavenly bodies follow their prescribed course through space is mind blowing.

The strict obedience of the heavenly bodies to the laws that govern them is no greater than that obedience of the celestial beings that inhabit those other worlds. This same perfect standard of obedience is what we ask for ourselves when we pray that His will be done on earth.

Angels of heaven perfectly obey the Father’s will considering it their greatest pleasure. The service they perform is not performed as drudgery or as legality but in love for their Creator.

Love for God makes their allegiance and obedience a joy. Jesus desired that same relationship for His disciples. He taught them to pray that their obedience might be of the same high order. Unless obedience is prompted by love it is not recognized or accepted by God. Paul said that it is the love of Christ that constrains us to do His will and keeps us from doing evil.

On the night Jesus was betrayed He said to His disciples, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” John 14:15. If you do not love Him it will be impossible to keep them. Jesus said, “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him. … If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me.” Verses 21, 23, 24. To keep God’s commandments is a response of loving Him. There are many who profess to love Him, but without the response of obedience their love is not real. The motive that underlies each action determines the value of obedience.

God holds in high esteem the service of love and when this is lacking, no matter how much form of godliness we may have or how many rituals or ceremonies we perform, they are all worthless. John said, “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.” I John 5:2, 3.

Loyalty to God should be a delight. It is never a burden or a sacrifice to help or to serve a person that we love. That is why the apostle Paul said, “Love is the fulfilling of the law.” Romans 13:10. So many misunderstand that verse thinking that if they love there is no need to keep the law but love fulfills the law when those who love God obey Him.

We keep the first four commandments as an expression of our love to God. We do not serve other Gods, worship idols, or swear, or break His Holy day. The last six demonstrate how I conduct myself with my fellow man if I love him. If I love my parents I will not dishonor them and if I love my neighbor I will not lie to him, steal from him, run off with his wife or kill him. The love that I have for God and my neighbor is seen in my response to them as reflected in the law. That is why love is the “fulfilling of the law.”

God has promised to write His law in our hearts. “For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.” Hebrews 8:10. This is the new covenant.

Some people think that because they are not Jews they are not part of Israel but if you are not a part of spiritual Israel you will never be in the kingdom of heaven. Paul says, “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” Galatians 3:26–29.

According to the apostle Paul, all Christians are of Abrahams’s seed and are part of spiritual Israel. Paul told the Corinthian church that the law was not to be written just on tables of stone but in the fleshly tables of the heart. That is what made Jesus different than other people. The principles of God’s law of love within His heart motivated all of His actions.

In Psalm 40:7, 8 is a divine prophecy concerning the Messiah. It says, “Then I said, ‘Behold, I come; In the scroll of the book it is written of Me. I delight to do Your will, O My God, and Your law is within My heart.’ ”

Jesus did not do God’s will because He had to. He said, “I delight to do Your will.” Why? “Because Your law is written in My heart.” That is the essence of righteousness by faith. The prophet Isaiah said, “Listen to Me, you who know righteousness, you people in whose heart is My law.” Isaiah 51:7.

These people know righteousness because the law is written in their heart. This is the new covenant promise that brings salvation from sin and they find that obeying Him is no longer drudgery but a joy. God’s commandments are no longer seen as a list of don’ts written on cold stone but a set of guidelines that when followed are a joy, protection from a life of misery and sin and become something in which to delight.

Conversion is all about receiving a new spirit; the things you once loved you now hate and the things you once hated you now love.

The experience enjoyed in heaven where God’s will is done with rejoicing and pleasure is the experience that is available through the new covenant. “Thy will be done” is like the gospel itself. It has a negative meaning to those who refuse to accept it and is positive to those who have a desire for something better than this present world has to offer.

Many people recognize that it would be a most wonderful thing if God’s will was done right now. So why is it so difficult? By nature, man is self-willed and stubborn. The Bible describes us as being obstinate, stiff-necked, with a brow like brass and a neck like an iron sinew (Isaiah 48:4). It seems as if it is almost impossible to change us from our mindset and turn us from our course. Whether it is right or wrong we obstinately and stubbornly carry out our own will and want to do as we please.

After receiving some manufactured goods that needed to be assembled, a man once told me that directions had come with the package but he said, “I did it my way.”

That is the experience of the majority of people. Regardless of the consequences we want to stubbornly carry out our own will and do as we please. The will of man is invariably opposed to God and his own salvation causing a Spiritual warfare to be fought. The greatest battle encountered is the warfare against self and the surrender of the will. It is the human will that is the most decisive factor that will either open or shut to us the gate to the kingdom of God, the kingdom of glory. It may be called the hinge on which the gate of destiny depends.

God created man as a free moral agent with the power of choice. It is the greatest gift given to man and the choices he makes will determine his eternal destiny. Multitudes, while hoping and desiring to be saved, never come to the place of surrendering their will to God and will be lost because of it. The Lord will never force the will of any man for love cannot be forced; it must be given freely.

Some Christians hope that God will somehow work out His will for them without any cooperation on their part but that is a futile hope. The doctrine of predestination or foreordination is often an excuse for human indifference and indolence. Our will must come into harmony with God’s will and our lives must come into conformity with His character and in this work we have an important part to act. In Revelation 22:17, it says, “And the Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let him who hears say, ‘Come!’ And let him who thirsts come. And whoever desires [or whoever wills, or whoever wants to], let him take the water of life freely.”

That is an essential part of the gospel invitation, “… whosoever will.” The benefits of the gospel, the issue of the conflict with sin, whether you will be saved or lost depends completely on the action of your will. God will never violate your choice. By refusing to surrender to God, you will be outside salvation, outside the city of God and outside the domain of His will. Jesus said, “If anyone wants to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority.” John 7:17.

Have you surrendered your will to God? Can you say with sincerity, “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven”?

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believeth in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 literal translation. The devil would trick you into believing that God is a demanding tyrant but that is a lie. His will is that none would perish but that all would come to His saving grace.

The way to the kingdom of heaven is to surrender your will to His will and He will turn your crosses into crowns and the curses in your life into blessings. He wants to lead you out of darkness and bring you into light so that He can take you from death to an everlasting life of joy and happiness. The choice is yours!

Bible texts are from NKJV unless otherwise noted.

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

True Education Series – Five Smooth Stones

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“And he [David] took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine.” I Samuel 17:40

“It [true education] is the harmonious development of the physical, the mental, and the spiritual powers.” Education, 13.

It is helpful to consider, as we study Inspiration, each one of the three aspects involved. The physical part of the stories is apparent. The mental and spiritual aspects lie beneath the surface.

The early life of David presents many practical illustrations of true education. In his family life and his work as a shepherd, he developed into a strong young man in every way. There are spiritual applications to many events in his life. Five Smooth Stones represents the five main doctrines that we need to understand in our battle with the enemy. In this article we will discuss these with some of the important lessons involved with each one.

As we consider these, it is helpful to keep in mind the central theme of the Bible.

“The central theme of the Bible, the theme about which every other in the whole book clusters, is the redemption plan, the restoration in the human soul of the image of God.” Education, 125.

1 – The Sanctuary

We are His by creation and by redemption.

“God would have us realize that He has a right to mind, soul, body, and spirit—to all that we possess. We are His by creation and by redemption. As our Creator, He claims our entire service. As our Redeemer, He has a claim of love as well as of right—of love without a parallel. This claim we should realize every moment of our existence.

“Before believers and unbelievers we must constantly recognize our dependence upon God. Our bodies, our souls, our lives, are His, not only because they are His free gift, but because He constantly supplies us with His benefits, and gives us strength to use our faculties. By returning to Him His own, by willingly laboring for Him, we show that we recognize our dependence upon Him.” The Review and Herald, Nov. 24, 1896.

“The law of love being the foundation of the government of God, the happiness of all intelligent beings depends upon their perfect accord with its great principles of righteousness. God desires from all His creatures the service of love—service that springs from an appreciation of His character. He takes no pleasure in a forced obedience; and to all He grants freedom of will, that they may render Him voluntary service.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 34.

Everything depends on the right action of the will.

“What you need to understand is the true force of the will. This is the governing power in the nature of man, the power of decision, or of choice. Everything depends on the right action of the will. The power of choice God has given to men; it is theirs to exercise. You cannot change your heart, you cannot of yourself give to God its affections; but you can choose to serve Him. You can give Him your will; He will then work in you to will and to do according to His good pleasure. Thus your whole nature will be brought under the control of the Spirit of Christ; your affections will be centered upon Him, your thoughts will be in harmony with Him.” Steps to Christ, 47.

“Pure religion has to do with the will. The will is the governing power in the nature of man, bringing all the other faculties under its sway. The will is not the taste or the inclination, but it is the deciding power which works in the children of men unto obedience to God or unto disobedience.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 513.

“Desires for goodness and holiness are right as far as they go; but if you stop here, they will avail nothing. Many will be lost while hoping and desiring to be Christians. They do not come to the point of yielding the will to God. They do not now choose to be Christians.” [Emphasis author’s.] Steps to Christ, 47.

God wants us to understand what is involved with this choice.

“When Moses was about to build the sanctuary as a dwelling place for God, he was directed to make all things according to the pattern shown him in the mount. Moses was full of zeal to do God’s work; the most talented, skillful men were at hand to carry out his suggestions. Yet he was not to make a bell, a pomegranate, a tassel, a fringe, a curtain, or any vessel of the sanctuary, except according to the pattern shown him. God called him into the mount, and revealed to him the heavenly things. The Lord covered him with His own glory, that he might see the pattern, and according to it all things were made. So to Israel, whom He desired to make His dwelling place, He had revealed His glorious ideal of character. The pattern was shown them in the mount when the law was given from Sinai, and when the Lord passed by before Moses and proclaimed, ‘The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin’ (Exodus 34:6, 7).”

“Israel had chosen their own ways. They had not builded according to the pattern; but Christ, the true temple for God’s indwelling, molded every detail of His earthly life in harmony with God’s ideal. He said, ‘I delight to do Thy will, O My God: yea, Thy law is within My heart’ (Psalm 40:8). So our characters are to be builded ‘for an habitation of God through the Spirit’ (Ephesians 2:22). And we are to ‘make all things according to the pattern,’ even Him who ‘suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow His steps’ (Hebrews 8:5; I Peter 2:21).” The Desire of Ages, 208, 209.

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

When we truly understand and acknowledge God’s ownership of our whole being, we will be loyal to Him at all times and in everything.

“The essence of all righteousness is loyalty to our Redeemer.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 97.

2 – The Spirit of Prophecy

“Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.” Psalm 51:6.

“I call upon everyone who claims to be a son of God never to forget this great truth, that we need the Spirit of God within us in order to reach heaven, and the work of Christ without us in order to give us a title to the immortal inheritance.” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 441.

“The Comforter is called ‘the Spirit of truth’ (John 15:26). His work is to define and maintain the truth. He first dwells in the heart as the Spirit of truth, and thus He becomes the Comforter. There is comfort and peace in the truth, but no real peace or comfort can be found in falsehood. It is through false theories and traditions that Satan gains his power over the mind. By directing men to false standards, he misshapes the character. Through the Scriptures the Holy Spirit speaks to the mind, and impresses truth upon the heart. Thus He exposes error, and expels it from the soul. It is by the Spirit of truth, working through the word of God, that Christ subdues His chosen people to Himself.” The Desire of Ages, 671.

“The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.” Matthew 6:22.

“We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts.” II Peter 1:19.

“The Holy Ghost is the author of the Scriptures and of the Spirit of Prophecy. These are not to be twisted and turned to mean what man may want them to mean, to carry out man’s ideas and sentiments, to carry forward man’s schemes at all hazards.” Selected Messages, Book 3, 30.

“The spirit of this generation is: ‘Speak unto us smooth things.’ But the spirit of prophecy speaks only the truth. Iniquity abounds, and the love of many who profess to follow Christ waxes cold. They are blind to the wickedness of their own hearts and do not feel their weak and helpless condition. God in mercy lifts the veil and shows them that there is an eye behind the scenes that discerns their hidden guilt and the motives of their actions.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 13.

“In ancient times God spoke to men by the mouth of prophets and apostles. In these days He speaks to them by the testimonies of His Spirit. There was never a time when God instructed His people more earnestly than He instructs them now concerning His will, and the course that He would have them pursue.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 661.

3 – The Seventh-day Sabbath

“But the Lord gave me a view of the heavenly sanctuary. The temple of God was open in heaven, and I was shown the ark of God covered with the mercy seat. Two angels stood one at either end of the ark, with their wings spread over the mercy seat, and their faces turned toward it. This, my accompanying angel informed me, represented all the heavenly host looking with reverential awe toward the law of God, which had been written by the finger of God.

“Jesus raised the cover of the ark, and I beheld the tables of stone on which the ten commandments were written. I was amazed as I saw the fourth commandment in the very center of the ten precepts, with a soft halo of light encircling it. Said the angel, ‘It is the only one of the ten which defines the living God who created the heavens and the earth and all things that are therein.’ ”

“When the foundations of the earth were laid, then was also laid the foundation of the Sabbath. I was shown that if the true Sabbath had been kept, there would never have been an infidel or an atheist. The observance of the Sabbath would have preserved the world from idolatry.” Life Sketches of Ellen G. White, 95, 96.

“The Sabbath is not introduced as a new institution but as having been founded at creation. It is to be remembered and observed as the memorial of the Creator’s work. Pointing to God as the Maker of the heavens and the earth, it distinguishes the true God from all false gods. All who keep the seventh day signify by this act that they are worshipers of Jehovah. Thus the Sabbath is the sign of man’s allegiance to God as long as there are any upon the earth to serve Him. The fourth commandment is the only one of all the ten in which are found both the name and the title of the Lawgiver. It is the only one that shows by whose authority the law is given. Thus it contains the seal of God, affixed to His law as evidence of its authenticity and binding force.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 307.

“The Sabbath will be the great test of loyalty; for it is the point of truth especially controverted. When the final test shall be brought to bear upon men, then the line of distinction will be drawn between those who serve God and those who serve Him not. While the observance of the false sabbath in compliance with the law of the State, contrary to the fourth commandment, will be an avowal of allegiance to a power that is in opposition to God, the keeping of the true Sabbath, in obedience to God’s law, is an evidence of loyalty to the Creator. While one class, by accepting the sign of submission to earthly powers, receive the mark of the beast, the other choosing the token of allegiance to divine authority, receive the seal of God.” The Great Controversy, 605.

“What shall we say then? is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law.” Romans 7:7.

“For by the law is the knowledge of sin.” Romans 3:20.

“There is no safety nor repose nor justification in transgression of the law. Man cannot hope to stand innocent before God, and at peace with Him through the merits of Christ, while he continues in sin. He must cease to transgress, and become loyal and true. As the sinner looks into the great moral looking glass, he sees his defects of character. He sees himself just as he is, spotted, defiled, and condemned. But he knows that the law cannot in any way remove the guilt or pardon the transgressor. He must go farther than this. The law is but the schoolmaster to bring him to Christ. He must look to his sin-bearing Saviour. And as Christ is revealed to him upon the cross of Calvary, dying beneath the weight of the sins of the whole world, the Holy Spirit shows him the attitude of God to all who repent of their transgressions. ‘For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life’ (John 3:16).” Selected Messages. vol. 1, 213.

In keeping the Sabbath in spirit and in truth we are witnessing to everyone that we belong to the Creator of heaven and earth.

4 – The State of the Dead

“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23.

“Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse; A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you this day: And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known.” Deuteronomy 11:26–28.

“God’s love has been expressed in His justice no less than in His mercy. Justice is the foundation of His throne, and the fruit of His love. It had been Satan’s purpose to divorce mercy from truth and justice. He sought to prove that the righteousness of God’s law is an enemy to peace. But Christ shows that in God’s plan they are indissolubly joined together; the one cannot exist without the other. ‘Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other’ (Psalm 85:10).” The Desire of Ages, 762.

In the garden of Eden God gave Adam and Eve a test of their loyalty. “And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” Genesis 2:16, 17.

God explained His will, and the consequences of transgression.

Satan, on the other hand, presented his deception. “And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” Genesis 3:4, 5.

Satan suggested that they would benefit by transgressing God’s law.

“ ‘Your eyes shall be opened,’ the enemy had said; ‘ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil’ (Genesis 3:5). Their eyes were indeed opened; but how sad the opening! The knowledge of evil, the curse of sin, was all that the transgressors gained. There was nothing poisonous in the fruit itself, and the sin was not merely in yielding to appetite. It was distrust of God’s goodness, disbelief of His word, and rejection of His authority, that made our first parents transgressors, and that brought into the world a knowledge of evil. It was this that opened the door to every species of falsehood and error.” Education, 25.

“Like the angels, the dwellers in Eden had been placed upon probation; their happy estate could be retained only on condition of fidelity to the Creator’s law. They could obey and live, or disobey and perish. God had made them the recipients of rich blessings; but should they disregard His will, He who spared not the angels that sinned, could not spare them; transgression would forfeit His gifts and bring upon them misery and ruin.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 53.

“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.” Galatians 6:7, 8.

“If we ever know the truth, it will be because we practice it. We must have a living experience in the things of God before we are able to understand His word. This experimental knowledge is what strengthens the intellect and builds us up into Christ our living Head.” Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, 97.

“True obedience is the outworking of a principle within. It springs from the love of righteousness, the love of the law of God. The essence of all righteousness is loyalty to our Redeemer. This will lead us to do right because it is right—because right doing is pleasing to God.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 97.

“If ye love me, keep my commandments.” John 14:15.

5 – The Second Coming of Christ

We need to learn steadfastness and perseverance in our dedication to Christ.

“The doctrine of the second advent is the very keynote of the Sacred Scriptures. From the day when the first pair turned their sorrowing steps from Eden, the children of faith have waited the coming of the Promised One to break the destroyer’s power and bring them again to the lost Paradise.” The Great Controversy, 299.

“Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on Him, If ye continue in My word, then are ye My disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:31, 32.

“And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for My name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.” Matthew 10:21, 22.

“Who will render to every man according to his deeds: To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life.” Romans 2:6, 7.

“Christian life is more than many take it to be. It does not consist wholly in gentleness, patience, meekness, and kindliness. These graces are essential; but there is need also of courage, force, energy, and perseverance. The path that Christ marks out is a narrow, self-denying path. To enter that path and press on through difficulties and discouragements requires men who are more than weaklings.” The Ministry of Healing, 497.

“So with the great majority of the best and noblest men of all ages. Read the history of Abraham, Jacob, and Joseph; of Moses, David, and Elisha. Study the lives of men of later times who have most worthily filled positions of trust and responsibility.

“How many of these were reared in country homes. They knew little of luxury. They did not spend their youth in amusement. Many were forced to struggle with poverty and hardship. They early learned to work, and their active life in the open air gave vigor and elasticity to all their faculties. Forced to depend upon their own resources, they learned to combat difficulties and to surmount obstacles, and they gained courage and perseverance. They learned the lessons of self-reliance and self-control. Sheltered in a great degree from evil associations, they were satisfied with natural pleasures and wholesome companionships. They were simple in their tastes and temperate in their habits. They were governed by principle, and they grew up pure and strong and true. When called to their lifework, they brought to it physical and mental power, buoyancy of spirit, ability to plan and execute, and steadfastness in resisting evil that made them a positive power for good in the world.” The Adventist Home, 134.

“But this is the rule of conduct for all who would become His disciples. Nothing short of obedience can be accepted. Self-surrender is the substance of the teachings of Christ. Often it is presented and enjoined in language that seems authoritative, because there is no other way to save man than to cut away those things which, if entertained, will demoralize the whole being.”

“When Christ’s followers give back to the Lord His own, they are accumulating treasure which will be given to them when they shall hear the words, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; … enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.’ ‘Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God’ (Matthew 25:23; Hebrews 12:2). The joy of seeing souls redeemed, souls eternally saved, is the reward of all that put their feet in the footprints of Him who said, ‘Follow Me’ (Luke 5:27).” The Desire of Ages, 523.

[All emphasis supplied.]

Lynn Alan Humes became a Christian in 1974 at 24 yrs of age, and a Seventh-day Adventist two years later. Since then he has worked in many parts of the United States, doing canvassing, restaurant work, teaching, preaching, writing, building, agriculture, and whatever needs to be done. He and his wife, Lorraine (Butler) Humes, care for her father, Dr. Maurice Butler, and are involved with many aspects of Gospel Medical Missionary work, building and agriculture in rural Tennessee. He may be contacted by email at: optimalife@gmail.com.