Cain

Beware of Ungodly Men

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The epistle of Jude was written to “them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ and [to them that are] called.” Jude 1. For what main purpose was this epistle written? To ” . . . exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.” Verse 3.

With what are we to contend? Well, Jude said, there are ungodly men who creep in unawares, “turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.” Verse 4.

Jude continues in verses 11 and 12: “Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core [Korah].” (Korah, Dathan and Abiram rebelled against the authority of Moses and caused rebellion in the Israelite camp. See SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 7, 707.)

Jude describes ungodly men further in verse 12 as, “spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots.” James talks about them as people who are unstable, double-minded. (See James 1:8.)

Proverbs 14:12 and Proverbs 16:25 talk about such ungodly men: “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” Proverbs 21:2 states, “Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the Lord pondereth the hearts.” And in Proverbs 30:12 it describes not merely a person or an individual who thinks this way, but it even talks about a generation: “There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness.” We are part of the final generation for whom the warning in I Corinthians 10:12 was given: “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.”

Let us consider the examples given in Jude 11 of ungodly men.

Who was Cain? What was the way of Cain? He was one who acknowledged no need of God’s mercy. Do we need God’s mercy today, friends? Oh, we do!

God’s Two Hands

Somebody once said that God has two hands, a long hand of mercy and a short hand of justice. Cain was one who acknowledged no need of God’s mercy. He thought he did not need, nor did he ask for, forgiveness. He was unthankful, and he was not penitent. With his sacrificial offering he expressed no faith in Christ. (See The Desire of Ages, 165.) Unlike his brother, Abel, whose gift was the very choicest that he could bring from the flock as God had directed, Cain brought only of the fruit of the ground. His offering was not accepted by the Lord. He brought a bloodless sacrifice to secure the divine favor. It did not express faith in God. “In every offering to God we are to acknowledge the one great Gift; that alone can make our service acceptable. . . . All our offerings must be sprinkled with the blood of the atonement. As the purchased possession of the Son of God, we are to give the Lord our own individual lives.” Review and Herald, November 24, 1896.

Cain was a man who expressed no penitence for sin. “Cain came before God with murmuring and infidelity in his heart in regard to the promised sacrifice and the necessity of the sacrificial offerings. His gift expressed no penitence for sin.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 72. When we give our offerings, should they be accompanied with penitence?

“He felt, as many now feel, that it would be an acknowledgment of weakness to follow the exact plan marked out by God, of trusting his salvation wholly to the atonement of the promised Saviour. He chose the course of self-dependence. He would come in his own merits. He would not bring the lamb, and mingle its blood with his offering, but would present his fruits, the products of his labor. He presented his offering as a favor done to God, through which he expected to secure the divine approval.” Ibid.

Partial Obedience

Cain offered partial obedience. He obeyed in building the altar. He obeyed in bringing in a sacrifice. “But he rendered only a partial obedience. The essential part, the recognition of the need of a Redeemer, was left out.” Ibid.

Cain thought himself righteous. Now, let us be honest, has there been any time in our walk with Christ that we did not entertain thoughts of being righteous? Did we? There is a great danger that those thoughts can creep into our midst, into our hearts, into our homes.

If we ever want to get to heaven, we cannot be like Cain. That is what the message in the book of Jude is all about. Cain thought himself righteous, and he came to God with a thank offering of fruit only. He would not mingle it with the blood that pointed to the Lamb of God.

Attempting the Impossible

The sense of need, the recognition of our poverty and sin, is the very first condition of coming to God. Cain is like men who make their own efforts to try to save themselves. “He who is trying to reach heaven by his own works in keeping the law, is attempting an impossibility. Man cannot be saved without obedience, but his works should not be of himself; Christ should work in him to will and to do of His good pleasure. (Philippians 2:13). If a man could save himself by his own works, he might have something in himself in which to rejoice. The effort that man makes in his own strength to obtain salvation, is represented by the offering of Cain. All that man can do without Christ is polluted with selfishness and sin; but that which is wrought through faith is acceptable to God. When we seek to gain heaven with the merits of Christ, the soul makes progress.” Review and Herald, July 1, 1890.

The ungodly race of Cain had no respect for God or for His commandments. Cain’s descendants chose their own time for work or for rest. (See Spiritual Gifts, Book 1, 60.) “Before the Fall our first parents had kept the Sabbath, which was instituted in Eden; and after their expulsion from Paradise they continued its observance. They had tasted the bitter fruits of disobedience, and had learned what every one that tramples upon God’s commandments [both natural and moral] will sooner or later learn—that the divine precepts are sacred and immutable, and that the penalty of transgression will surely be inflicted. The Sabbath was honored by all the children of Adam that remained loyal to God. But Cain and his descendents did not respect the day upon which God had rested.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 80, 81.

The Mark of Cain

What is the mark of Cain? Did you ever think about that? “God has given to every man his work; and if any one turns from the work that God has given him, to do the work of Satan, to defile his own body or lead another into sin, that man’s work is cursed, and the brand of Cain is placed upon him.” Review and Herald, March 6, 1894. “Satan is the parent of unbelief, murmuring, and rebellion. He filled Cain with doubt and with madness against his innocent brother and against God, because his sacrifice was refused and Abel’s accepted. And he slew his brother in insane madness.” Review and Herald, March 3, 1874.

“Any man, be he minister or layman, who seeks to compel or control the reason of any other man, becomes an agent to Satan, to do his work, and in the sight of the heavenly universe, he bears the mark of Cain.” SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 1, 1087. So there is more to the book of Jude than we thought! Let us summarize the characteristics of Cain which may be found in ungodly men today.

They acknowledge no need of God’s mercy.

They do not express any faith in Christ but depend on their own works.

They present their own fruits, their own works.

They render partial obedience.

They bring a bloodless sacrifice; they do not believe in the blood of atonement or in the work of Christ as their High Priest.

They have no respect for God’s commandments.

They are self-righteous.

They choose their own Sabbath.

Submitting to God

What is the safeguard against Cain worship and against receiving the mark or the brand of Cain? “Had man co-operated with God, there would have been no Cain worshipers. Abel’s example of obedience would have been followed. Man might have worked out the will of God. They might have obeyed His law, and in obedience they would have found salvation. God and the heavenly universe would have helped them to retain the divine likeness. Longevity would have had been preserved; and God would have delighted in the work of His hands.” Review and Herald, December 27, 1898.

So what is the secret, dear friends, of the safeguard against Cain worship? Co-operation with God. The word co-operation comprehends complete submission to the will of God.

Another characteristic of Cain is envy. One of the prominent sins of Cain was that he was envious of his brother. We should remember that, “God dispenses His gifts as it pleases Him. He bestows one gift upon one, and another gift upon another, but all for the good of the whole body. It is in God’s order that some shall be of service in one line of work, and others in other lines—all working under the selfsame Spirit. The recognition of this plan will be a safeguard against emulation, pride, envy, or contempt of one another. It will strengthen unity and mutual love.” Counsels to Teachers, 314, 315.

We should recognize the gifts. God gives them severally as He desires, for He knows what to do with us. It has been said that envy is but the smoke of low estate ascending still against the fortunate. What frenzy dictates, jealousy believes. Now it is important that we go through trials, because we learn little from success but much from failure.

The Balaam Mentality

Now let us consider “the error of Balaam.” Who was Balaam? He was a false prophet, but he was not always a false prophet. Let us identify traits of ungodly men with a Balaam mentality.

  1. They dally with temptation. “Balaam was once a good man and a prophet of God; but he had apostatized, and had given himself up to covetousness; yet he still professed to be a servant of the Most High. He was not ignorant of God’s work in behalf of Israel; and when the messengers announced their errand, he well knew that it was his duty to refuse the rewards of Balak and to dismiss the ambassadors. But he ventured to dally with temptation, and urged the messengers to tarry with him that night.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 439.

Sometimes we tempt Satan to tempt us. We go to places where we should not go. Here is a story that helps to illustrate this. Once upon a time the driver for a very rich man died. The rich man did not trust the interviewing or the selecting of a new driver to anyone but himself, so he put an ad in the newspaper that read, “The sky is the limit but only the qualified need apply.” Many drivers applied. After screening the applicants, there were, finally, only three individuals left from which to choose. The employer decided to ask each finalist one last question: “How fast could you drive me from point A to point B? Now point A to point B takes me on a very narrow road across the mountains.”

When asked this question, the first applicant said, “Well, first, you should see my record, Sir. I can take you safely across the mountain on that narrow road three inches away from the edge, and you will not have anything to worry about.” The man said, “That is impressive.”

The next interviewee comes in, and he is asked the same question. The second man replied, “You should see my record, Sir. I can take you from point A to point B as fast as you think you can go, only two inches away from the edge.”

Then he called in the third applicant, and he asked him the same question. In a small voice the third applicant said, “You know, Sir, I believe I can take you safely across that dangerous mountain road by driving you as slowly as possible and as far away from the edge as I can possibly get.” The millionaire exclaimed, “You are hired today!”

  1. They hope to make God’s service a steppingstone to riches. They mingle the sacred with the profane or with the ordinary. “The fate of Balaam was similar to that of Judas, and their characters bear a marked resemblance to each other. Both these men tried to unite the service of God and mammon, and met with signal failure. Balaam acknowledged the true God, and professed to serve Him; Judas believed in Jesus as the Messiah, and united with His followers. But Balaam hoped to make the service of Jehovah the steppingstone to the acquirement of riches and worldly honor; and failing in this he stumbled and fell and was broken.” Ibid., 452.

It is so dangerous to use the church, even a home church, as a steppingstone for some personal agenda.

  1. They presume upon God’s mercy. “If Balaam had had a disposition to accept the light that God had given, he would now have made true his words; he would at once have severed all connection with Moab. He would no longer have presumed upon the mercy of God.” Ibid., 448.
  2. They confuse confession of sin and true repentance from sin. “There are many who fail to understand the true nature of repentance. Multitudes sorrow that they have sinned and even make an outward reformation because they fear that their wrongdoing will bring suffering upon themselves. But this is not repentance in the Bible sense.” Steps to Christ, 23.

They lament the suffering rather than the sin. Balaam, terrified by the angel standing in his path with a drawn sword, acknowledged his guilt lest he lose his life. That is all he was concerned about. He was not repentant of his sin. He was afraid to lose his life. You can repent for the wrong reason, friends.

  1. They are double-minded. “A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.” James 1:8. “At the time Balak sent his messengers for him [Balaam], he was double-minded, pursuing a course to gain and retain the favor and honor of the enemies of the Lord.” SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 1, 1116. Some people are doing this today. They are trying to gain favor and honor at the hands of the enemies of the Lord for the sake of rewards that they have received from them.
  2. They are covetous and time-servers. “Here is a solemn warning for the people of God today, to allow no unchristian trait to live in their hearts. A sin which is fostered becomes habitual; and strengthened by repetition, it soon exerts a controlling influence, bringing into subjection all the nobler powers [of the mind]. Balaam loved the reward of unrighteousness. The sin of covetousness, which God ranks with idolatry, he did not resist and overcome. Satan obtained entire control of him through this one fault, which deteriorated his character, and made him a time-server. He called God his Master; but he did not serve Him; he did not work the works of God.” Ibid.

No Solution for Genuine Rebellion

That is who Balaam was. That describes traits of ungodly men today. God’s servant says she doubts if there is any solution for genuine rebellion. (See Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 1, 21.) And we need to understand, friends, that rebellion is an open sin against God. That is what happened to the angels. That is what happened to Israel. That is what happened to the Jews, and it could happen to anyone today.

Even though our own feelings, ideas and plans may appear good to us, having the best of intentions does not necessarily guarantee that we are in harmony with God’s expressed will. Mrs. White said, “Had the purpose of God been carried out by His people in giving the message of mercy to the world, Christ would have come to the earth, and the saints would ere this have received their welcome into the city of God.” Australasian Union Conference Record, October 15, 1898.

Oftentimes, because we do not know the true condition of our own hearts, we may actually be doing things that are displeasing to God. That is why “It is written” was Christ’s never–failing weapon. “Our only safety is in following the example of Christ.” Review and Herald, October 9, 1894. A clear “thus saith the Lord” and “unto the law and the testimony” should form the foundation of all our decisions. If you follow this counsel, dear friend, you will be safe from the ungodly men who bear the characteristics of Cain or the traits of Balaam.

Bible Study Guides – Regaining Paradise

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October 13, 2002 – October 19, 2002

MEMORY VERSE: “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” John 14:6.

SUGGESTED READING: Patriarchs and Prophets, 71–79; “Ellen G. White Comments,” Seventh-day Adventist Commentary, vol. 7, 931.

INTRODUCTION: “Sorrow filled heaven, as it was realized that man was lost and that world which God had created was to be filled with mortals doomed to misery, sickness, and death, and there was no way of escape for the offender. The whole family of Adam must die. I [Ellen White] saw the lovely Jesus and beheld an expression of sympathy and sorrow upon His countenance. Soon I saw Him approach the exceeding bright light which enshrouded the Father. Said my accompanying angel, He is in close converse with His Father. The anxiety of the angels seemed to be intense while Jesus was communing with His Father. Three times He was shut in by the glorious light about the Father, and the third time He came out from the Father, His person could be seen. His countenance was calm, free from all perplexity and doubt, and shone with benevolence and loveliness, such as words cannot express.

“He then made known to the angelic host that a way of escape had been made for lost man. He told them that He had been pleading with His Father, and had offered to give His life a ransom, to take the sentence of death upon Himself, that through Him man might find pardon; that through the merits of His blood, and obedience to the law of God, they could have the favor of God and be brought into the beautiful garden and eat of the fruit of the tree of life.” The Story of Redemption, 42.

“The Father has given the world into the hands of Christ, that through His mediatorial work He may redeem man and vindicate the authority and holiness of the law of God.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 366.

1 What promise of God is repeated throughout the Bible? Genesis 12:3; 22:18; 28:14; Galatians 3:8, 16.

NOTE: “Not alone at the Saviour’s advent, but through all the ages after the Fall and the promise of redemption, ‘God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself.’ 2 Corinthians 5:19. Christ was the foundation and center of the sacrificial system in both the patriarchal and the Jewish age. Since the sin of our first parents there has been no direct communication between God and man. The Father has given the world into the hands of Christ, that through His mediatorial work He may redeem man and vindicate the authority and holiness of the law of God. All the communion between heaven and the fallen race has been through Christ. It was the Son of God that gave to our first parents the promise of redemption. It was He who revealed Himself to the patriarchs. Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses understood the gospel. They looked for salvation through man’s Substitute and Surety. These holy men of old held communion with the Saviour who was to come to our world in human flesh . . . .” Patriarchs and Prophets, 366.

“Plain and specific prophecies had been given regarding the appearance of the Promised One. To Adam was given an assurance of the coming of the Redeemer. The sentence pronounced on Satan, [Genesis 3:15 quoted], was to our first parents a promise of the redemption to be wrought out through Christ.

“To Abraham was given the promise that of his line the Saviour of the world should come . . . .

“Moses, near the close of his work as a leader and teacher of Israel, plainly prophesied of the Messiah to come. . . .

“The Messiah was to be of the royal line, for in the prophecy uttered by Jacob the Lord said, ‘The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto Him shall the gathering of the people be.’ Genesis 49:10.

“Isaiah prophesied: ‘There shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots.’ . . . Isaiah 11:1 . . . .

“Jeremiah also bore witness of the coming Redeemer as a Prince of the house of David . . . .

“The work that the Saviour was to do on the earth had been fully outlined . . . .” The Acts of the Apostles, 221–224.

2 How was this promise fulfilled? Luke 4:18, 21.

NOTE: “His [Christ’s] birth was without worldly grandeur. He was born in a stable and cradled in a manger; yet His birth was honored far above that of any of the sons of men. Angels from heaven informed the shepherds of the advent of Jesus, and light and glory from God accompanied their testimony. The heavenly host touched their harps and glorified God. They triumphantly heralded the advent of the Son of God to a fallen world to accomplish the work of redemption, and by His death to bring peace, happiness, and everlasting life to man. God honored the advent of His Son. Angels worshiped Him.” The Story of Redemption, 196.

“The Son of God came from heaven to make manifest the Father. . . .

“[Luke 4:18 quoted.] This was His work. He went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed by Satan.” Steps to Christ, 11.

3 Through the gospel, how was Abel blessed, accepted, and justified? Genesis 4:4; Hebrews 11:4.

NOTE: “Abel grasped the great principles of redemption. He saw himself a sinner, and he saw sin and its penalty, death, standing between his soul and communion with God. He brought the slain victim, the sacrificed life, thus acknowledging the claims of the law that had been transgressed. Through the shed blood he looked to the future sacrifice, Christ dying on the cross of Calvary; and trusting in the atonement that was there to be made, he had the witness that he was righteous, and his offering accepted.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 72.

4 How did Cain forfeit the blessings and acceptance of the gospel? Genesis 4:3, 5.

NOTE: “Cain came before God with murmuring and infidelity in his heart in regard to the promised sacrifice and the necessity of the sacrificial offerings. His gift expressed no penitence for sin. He felt, as many now feel, that it would be an acknowledgment of weakness to follow the exact plan marked out by God, of trusting his salvation wholly to the atonement of the promised Saviour. He chose the course of self-dependence. He would come in his own merits. He would not bring the lamb, and mingle its blood with his offering, but would present his fruits, the products of his labor. He presented his offering as a favor done to God, through which he expected to secure the divine approval. Cain obeyed in building an altar, obeyed in bringing a sacrifice; but he rendered only a partial obedience. The essential part, the recognition of the need of a Redeemer, was left out.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 72.

5 How are the two classes of worshipers (Cain and Abel) reflected in the life of Paul? Philippians 3:4–9.

NOTE: “Cain and Abel represent two classes of men that have existed from generation to generation, and will continue to exist to the close of time. One availed himself of the promised sacrifice for sin; the other ventured to depend upon his own merits. His was the sacrifice of a sinner without the virtue of divine mediation, which is alone able to bring him into favor with God. It is only through the merits of Jesus that our transgressions of the law can be pardoned. Those who feel that they can be moral without divine help, who feel no need of the blood of Christ, are betrayed into grievous sins. If they do not gladly, gratefully, accept the cleansing blood, they are under condemnation. There is no other provision made whereby they can be released from sin’s terrible thralldom. There must be repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. This is the only way to secure excellence of character, the only path to divine favor.” Signs of the Times, September 11, 1884.

6 What lesson should we learn from Cain’s offering? Jude 11; Genesis 4:13, 14.

NOTE: “The class of worshipers who follow the example of Cain includes by far the greater portion of the world; for nearly every false religion has been based on the same principle—that man can depend upon his own efforts for salvation. It is claimed by some that the human race is in need, not of redemption, but of development—that it can refine, elevate, and regenerate itself. As Cain thought to secure the divine favor by an offering that lacked the blood of a sacrifice, so do these expect to exalt humanity to the divine standard, independent of the atonement. The history of Cain shows what must be the results. It shows what man will become apart from Christ. Humanity has no power to regenerate itself. It does not tend upward, toward the divine, but downward, toward the satanic. Christ is our only hope.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 73.

7 What lesson is there for us in the fig-leaf garments of Adam and Eve? Genesis 3:7.

NOTE: “The garment of innocence, a covering from God, which surrounded them, departed; and they supplied the place of this heavenly garment by sewing together fig-leaves for aprons.

“This is the covering that the transgressors of the law of God have used since the days of Adam and Eve’s disobedience. They have sewed together fig-leaves to cover their nakedness, caused by transgression. The fig-leaves represent the arguments used to cover disobedience. When the Lord calls the attention of men and women to the truth, the making of fig-leaves into aprons will be begun, to hide the nakedness of the soul. But the nakedness of the sinner is not covered. All the arguments pieced together by all who have interested themselves in this flimsy work will come to naught.” Review and Herald, November 15, 1898.

“Naked and ashamed, they [Adam and Eve] tried to supply the place of the heavenly garments by sewing together fig leaves for a covering.

“This is what the transgressors of God’s law have done ever since the day of Adam and Eve’s disobedience. They have sewed together fig leaves to cover the nakedness caused by transgression. They have worn the garments of their own devising, by works of their own they have tried to cover their sins, and make themselves acceptable with God.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 311.

8 How are we in danger of failing—as did the Israelites—to truly understand the gospel? Exodus 24:7; Joshua 24:19–21; Hebrews 4:2.

NOTE: “The people did not realize the sinfulness of their own hearts, and that without Christ it was impossible for them to keep God’s law; and they readily entered into covenant with God. Feeling that they were able to establish their own righteousness, they declared, ‘All that the Lord hath said will we do, and be obedient.’ Exodus 24:7. They had witnessed the proclamation of the law in awful majesty, and had trembled with terror before the mount; and yet only a few weeks passed before they broke their covenant with God, and bowed down to worship a graven image. They could not hope for the favor of God through a covenant which they had broken.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 371, 372.

“The unbelief and murmurings of the children of Israel illustrate the people of God now upon the earth. Many look back to them, and marvel at their unbelief and continual murmurings, after the Lord had done so much for them, in giving them repeated evidences of his love and care for them. They think that they should not have proved thus ungrateful. But some who thus think, murmur and repine at things of less consequence. They do not know themselves. God frequently proves them, and tries their faith in small things, and they do not endure the trial any better than did ancient Israel.

“Many have their present wants supplied, yet they will not trust the Lord for the future. They manifest unbelief, and sink into despondency and gloom at anticipated want. Some are in continual trouble lest they shall come to want, and their children suffer. When difficulties arise, or when they are brought into strait places—when their faith and love to God is tested, they shrink from the trial, and murmur at the process by which God has chosen to purify them. Their love does not prove pure and perfect, to bear all things. The faith of the people of the God of Heaven should be strong, active, and enduring—the substance of things hoped for. Then the language of such will be, Bless the Lord, oh my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name; for he hath dealt bountifully with me. Self-denial is considered by some to be real suffering. Depraved appetites are indulged. And a restraint upon the unhealthy appetite would lead even many professed Christians to now start back, as though actual starvation would be the consequence of a plain diet. And, like the children of Israel, they would prefer slavery, diseased bodies, and even death, rather than to be deprived of the flesh-pots. Bread and water is all that is promised to the remnant in the time of trouble.” Spiritual Gifts, vol. 3, 251, 252.

9 What did God offer to establish with Israel and with each of us? Jeremiah 31:31–34, Hebrews 8:8–11.

NOTE: “The same law that was engraved upon the tables of stone is written by the Holy Spirit upon the tables of the heart. Instead of going about to establish our own righteousness we accept the righteousness of Christ. His blood atones for our sins. His obedience is accepted for us. Then the heart renewed by the Holy Spirit will bring forth ‘the fruits of the Spirit.’” Patriarchs and Prophets, 372.

10 Only one gospel has saved men since Eden; how does it apply to us? John 14:6; Acts 4:12.

NOTE: “It is the glory of the gospel that it is founded on the principles of restoring in the fallen race the divine image. The Godhead was stirred with pity for the race, and the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit gave themselves to the working out of the plan of redemption. In order fully to carry out his plan, it was decided that Christ, the only begotten Son of God, should give himself an offering for sin. And in giving Christ, God gave all the resources of heaven, that nothing might be wanting for the work of man’s uplifting. What line can measure the depth of this love? God would make it impossible for man to say that he could have done more.” Review and Herald, May 2, 1912.

“The love of Christ reaches to the very depths of earthly misery and woe, or it would not meet the case of the veriest sinner. It also reaches to the throne of the Eternal, or man could not be lifted from his degraded condition, and our necessities would not be met, our desires would not be satisfied. Christ has led the way from earth to heaven. He forms the connecting link between the two worlds. He brings the love and condescension of God to man, and brings man up through His merits to meet the reconciliation of God. Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. It is hard work to follow on, step by step, painfully and slowly, onward and upward, in the path of purity and holiness. But Christ has made ample provision to impart new vigor and divine strength at every advance step in the divine life.” Testimonies, vol. 3, 193.

11 How are we to benefit from the gospel? 1 Timothy 1:15; Ephesians 1:4–11.

NOTE: “The Father sets his love upon his elect people who live in the midst of men. These are the people whom Christ has redeemed by the price of his own blood; and because they respond to the drawing of Christ, through the sovereign mercy of God, they are elected to be saved as his obedient children. Upon them is manifested the free grace of God, the love wherewith he hath loved them. Everyone who will humble himself as a little child who will receive and obey the word of God with a child’s simplicity, will be among the elect of God.” Signs of the Times, January 2, 1893.

Watchmen Unto the House of Israel, Part II

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Like Cain, God’s church today is saying, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” Genesis 4:9. Abel, Adam’s son, was dead, but it was of no concern to Cain, his brother, for he had killed him. As Abel was dead, the world is dead in trespasses and sins, but even though their voices are crying out to us, just as God said, regarding Abel, “The voice of thy brother’s blood cries unto me from the ground” (verse 10), are we concerned?

The church, God’s watchman in this world, is helping to kill those who need guidance. The unconverted, the Gentiles, are saying, “Watchman, what of the night?” Isaiah 21:11. By their poor example of righteousness and holiness, the church is killing the world. The apostle Paul, speaking to the Corinthians, in 1 Corinthians 14:8, said: “For if the trumpet makes an uncertain sound, who will prepare for the battle?” Peter states, in 1 Peter 2:9–12, “But ye [are] a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: Which in time past [were] not a people, but [are] now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. Dearly beloved, I beseech [you] as strangers and pilgrims . . . .” We do not belong here; we are strangers and pilgrims, yet we are operating as though this world is our home. Too many of us are behaving as though we live here and are not going anywhere. This world is not our home! Peter says, “Dearly beloved, I beseech [you] as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; Having your conversation” or your lifestyle “honest among the Gentiles.”

It is said that businessmen are not happy anymore to do business with Seventh-day Adventists, because we are not filled with fear. We bargain down their prices to the minimum or below the minimum. We should be a people of righteous statute. When people hear about Adventists, they should be honored to be in our presence; they should be honored to deal with us, because we are of a royal stock. We are children of the heavenly King. But, alas, this is not so. Satan has made his inroad on us, and we have lost our identity. We have become comfortable. We are like other Gentiles. We curse like them; we eat like them, and we sin like them. When people look at us, they see no difference. When they speak to us and need guidance, we cannot give guidance, because we ourselves need guidance.

“Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by [your] goods works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.” Verse 12. I am saying that people do not necessarily come to church because of what we say to them, but because of what they see in us.

Observers

I can never forget about what Ellen White wrote regarding Nicodemus and Jesus. Nicodemus came to Jesus by night. (See John 19:39.) “For a time Nicodemus did not publicly acknowledge Christ, but he watched His life, and pondered His teachings. In the Sanhedrin council he repeatedly thwarted the schemes of the priests to destroy Him.” The Desire of Ages, 176. Although Nicodemus was convinced that night that Jesus was the Saviour of the world, he did not show it right away. Mrs. White says, “Nicodemus hid the truth in his heart, and for three years there was little apparent fruit.” Ibid. Why was that? It was because he was a Pharisee, a learned man. He was watching Jesus.

After his interview with Him, Nicodemus was observing Jesus to see if what He said corresponded with how He lived. And after three years of observation, Nicodemus was satisfied that what Jesus said corresponded with His life. She states that, “After the Lord’s ascension, when the disciples were scattered by persecution, Nicodemus came boldly to the front. He employed his wealth in sustaining the infant church that the Jews had expected to be blotted out at the death of Christ. In the time of peril he who had been so cautious and questioning was firm as a rock, encouraging the faith of the disciples, and fur-nishing means to carry forward the work of the gospel. He was scorned and persecuted by those who had paid him reverence in other days. He became poor in this world’s goods; yet he faltered not in the faith which had its beginning
in that night conference with Jesus.” Ibid., 177. Praise God that Nicode-mus’ name is written in the Lamb’s book of life.

There are many intelligent people whom we have come across, there are many people to whom we have witnessed, and they are convinced in their hearts. Sometimes they may not tell us, but they are convinced about what we say—that the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord, that the sanctuary is true, that health reform is right. But they are privately watching us. They will not tell us, but they watch when we start the Sabbath. In our homes, they watch what we eat.

God has called us to be a peculiar people, holy in lifestyle, showing His glory and praise to the Gentile world. We are not to be giving the world an uncertain sound. To give an uncertain sound means to give confusion, when people not knowing which way to go are depending on us for guidance in the dark hour of earth’s history. The people are depending on the watchmen, God’s true church that keep the commandments of God and have the faith of Jesus.

Uncertainty and Confusion

Today, however, among God’s people there is great uncertainty and confusion over many things. As a result, the world is perishing in darkness for want of guidance. Consider some areas of uncertainty and confusion in the Adventist church today.

There is confusion on the fact that Jesus is coming back for a church without spot or wrinkle. Many who are struggling with sin question that if Jesus is our example, then why did He not sin? Jesus led a sinless life, and He is our example, that we should follow in His steps.

Another significant problem in the church is the issue of worldly music in the church. People are confused as to what type of music we are to play in the house of God. Why are we confused? God does not want reggae music in His house. God does not want rap in His house either. God is not asking for rock and roll or the blues. There will be no such music in heaven.

What about health reform?

What about the Holy Spirit? There are those who are teaching that the Holy Spirit is not a person. Confusion! What does the Bible have to say about the Holy Spirit? That He is the third person of the Godhead. “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” Mat-thew 28:19. (See also Romans 8:16; 1 Corinthians 2:11–14; Acts 5:3, 4.)

What about the Spirit of Prophecy? Many Adventist ministers do not believe in the Spirit of Prophecy at all. They say that it is your personal opinion, that it is devotional; use it if you want. And because they do not believe, the church does not believe.

What about the sanctuary? Many Adventist ministers do not believe in the doctrine of the sanctuary. These are the people who are preaching in the pulpits Sabbath after Sabbath! “Watchman, what of the night?”

What about dress reform? I am so disturbed when I attend church and see my sisters dressed a certain way—as if to say we have no guidance. I do not believe our sisters should dress in a way that exposes them. A godly woman dresses godly. We have guidance on that.

What about Seventh-day Adventists worshipping on Sunday? Oh, yes. I have been in churches where you can worship on Saturday, if that is your choice, or you can worship on Sunday, if that is your choice. Confusion! “Watchman, what of the night?” Which day is the Sabbath? Whichever—it is up to you! Is that what we teach as a people? Is that what we believe as a people?

Purpose Driven

Everybody seems tired of worship, so the celebration style of worship is coming into the churches. Many do not know why, but allow me to give you an idea about why this celebration style of worship is in our churches. In my office, I have a copy of the book, The Purpose Driven Life. (Rick Warren, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2002.) Have you heard about it? Rick Warren is senior pastor of the Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California, a wealthy suburb of greater Los Angeles. The church has an enormous membership. In the past seven years alone its congregation has taken in 9,100 new members! Today, I hear Adventists saying that we need mega churches. We need churches that seat 5,000 or 10,000 people. This is not, however, what the Spirit of Prophecy counsels.

We are not here to entertain people. The church must move away from being an entertainment center.

Warren or White?

Warren is remarkably gifted in the use of words and phrases, and his latest book, The Purpose Driven Life, has sold over 23 million copies.

The leaders of the Seventh-day Adventist denomination have decided that this book is the book that all of its members should study with extreme care. So, if we are to read Rick Warren’s book, what about the Spirit of Prophecy books that we are throwing away?

I was visiting at my brother’s home in Florida some time ago, and as he was showing me around his new home, we went into his library where he showed me a couple of the older Spirit of Prophecy editions. He told me that while he was attending a seminar at an Adventist school, these books were being thrown away in the garbage, so he said, “Give them to me.”

While the Spirit of Prophecy books that were given to guide us are being thrown away, a Sunday worshipper’s books are being advocated. Do not take me wrong. I am not saying that some Sunday worshippers cannot write good things. What I mean is that we must understand what this book says.

40 Day Guide

In it, Mr. Warren states that the current objective is to get each local church—talking about our denominational leaders—to carefully go through the book in study groups, very slowly, over a period of 40 days during lent. This is what the denominational leaders are saying to the local church leaders, so all of the churches can buy Rick Warren’s book and go through it in 40 days during lent, culminating in a grand Easter celebration. Does that sound like anything Catholic to you? We keep getting closer to the world, to its forms, ceremonies, celebration, and teachings.

“Those who will be heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ to the immortal inheritance, will be peculiar. Yes, so peculiar that God places a mark upon them as His, wholly His. Think ye that God will receive, honor, and acknowledge a people so mixed up with the world that they differ from them only in name?” Testimonies, vol. 1, 287.

Let me define what lent is, if you do not know. Lent is a period of six and one-half weeks from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday. During lent, for 40 days, excluding Sunday, fasting is recommended for all Catholics. Lent readies the faithful for celebrating the Pascal mystery after a period of closer attention to the Word of God and more ardent prayer. (Catholic Encyclopedia, www.catholicity.com.)

The Purpose Driven Life is more than a book. On page 9 of his book, Rick Warren states that it is a guide to a 40-day spiritual journey that will enable you to discover the answer to life’s most important question, What on earth am I here for? He asserts that, by the end of this journey, you will know that purpose for your life.

Your Purpose

Why are you here on earth? What is God’s plan for your life? According to Warren’s book, it does not include obedience to the Ten Commandments. In Chapter 35, “God’s Power in Your Weakness,” he says that the reader need not concern himself about his weaknesses and imperfections, that it is true that we can learn to live with many of our weaknesses and drawbacks, but we do not have to stay with them all. There are flaws and mannerisms we all probably should rise above and overcome. Warren uses Romans 7 in a way that will lead to false conclusions. Paul modeled vulnerability in all his lectures. He openly shared his failures: “When I want to do good, I do not, and when I try not to do good, I do it anyway.” (Romans 7:19.)

In Chapter 36, “Made for a Mission,” Warren carefully instructs the reader that he should totally ignore all preparations for Christ’s Second Coming and, of course, the final judgment. When the disciples wanted to talk about prophecy, he writes, Jesus quickly switched the conversation to evangelism. That is what Warren says. Jesus wanted them to concentrate on their mission in the world. Sounds good, does it not? But deceptive. Warren is intimating that Jesus was saying, in a sense, that the details of His return are none of your business. What is your business is the mission He has given you; focus on that.

From another Saddleback brochure, we learn that 40 days of The Purpose Driven Life was publicly endorsed and used in a large number of denominations, including: Assembly of God, Baptist, Church of God, Evangelical Free, International Pentecostal Holiness, Seventh-day Adventist, Presbyterian, Lutheran, Nazarene, and I could go on.

Church Growth

Now, this is the crux of the issue: In church growth seminars, pastors, including Seventh-day Adventist pastors, are being taught how to bring in more people off the streets and get them to join the church in droves. How is this done? Church growth seminars teach that doctrine should not be emphasized. That is why in the churches today you do not hear such things. Several years ago, for a couple of weeks, there was a Sabbath School quarterly that talked about the mark of the beast. I was in a church the Sabbath that lesson was studied, and the assistant pastor was teaching the class. He was saying that the mark of the beast could be anything! He said the mark of the beast could be your name; you could be the mark of the beast!

I said to him, “My brother, let me say this to you. We have no reason to apologize for what we believe. We know what the mark of the beast is; the Bible makes it abundantly clear, and we have no reason to apologize.” But we are confused, and it is because of where our ministers are being taught, where they are going and coming back with one voice to re-educate God’s people: Do not focus on standards! And as I see today in the church, wear anything you want to wear; eat anything you want to eat; listen to any kind of music; it does not make a difference as long as you are in the church. As long as you are called Seventh-day Adventist, that is fine.

Religious Marketing

Warren says that music, sociability, and excitement are key factors in bringing in and holding multitudes, not religious beliefs. Do not teach the doctrines, because when you teach the doctrines, it will run away the people. People want a convenient religion. Give the people what they want.

The Willow Creek (Willow Creek Community Church, South Barrington, Illinois) philosophy is that baptism and revival are really religious marketing, and when I studied into this, I discovered that this church and this minister employ a consulting firm called CMS. This firm markets the church for them.

Place for Holy Spirit

So what about the Holy Spirit? Jesus did not tell us to employ consulting firms. Jesus said, “It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.” “When he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, [that] shall he speak: and he will show you things to come.” John 16:7, 13. Are the consulting firms the Holy Spirit? CMS, the consulting firm that the Willow Creek Community Church employs, has an impressive list of clientele, including: the Quakers, Isuzu Motors, the City of West Covina, Saddleback Valley Community Church, Presbyterians, etc. A full-service custom marketing and communications agency headquartered in Covina, California, CMS’ consulting services are varied, but their focus is to give the people what they want. That is the strategy they use.

Music

To better understand, consider music. You should be made aware of the fact that Rick Warren calls his church the flock that likes to rock. He is referring to the music at Saddleback. According to Warren, every possible type of music is good. Now, remember that this is a man who is teaching Seventh-day Adventist ministers. Do you understand why different types of music are coming into this church? Do you understand the praise and worship? In one church I attended, I saw a lady on the stage starting to do some bodily things. Do you know what I mean?

According to Warren, every possible type of music is good, as long as it has Christian words. There is no such thing as Christian music; there are only Christian lyrics. It is the words that make a song sacred, not the tune. That is what he says. You must match your music to the kind of people that your church wishes to reach. The music you use positions your church in your community; it defines who you are. It will determine the kind of people you attract, the kind of people you keep, and the kind of people you lose. That is what Warren says. Now you can better understand why your local church is changing on Sabbath morning.

Warren says that God loves all kinds of music because He invented it all. But that is not true. Rick Warren says that we should use drums, clashing cymbals, loud trumpets, tambourines, and stringed instruments. Is that what we have in the Adventist churches today? How sad!

I want you to understand that the hour is late. The time in which we live is a momentous and stupendous one. Earl Nightingale, founder of the achievement-learning company Nightingale-Conant, once stated that we are living in a changing world. Great, solemn, and eternal events are taking place that point to one magnificent occasion.

Because the world knows us as a people of prophecy, the question comes to us again, “Watchman, what of the night?” The night of this current world is not very encouraging.

An Awakening

From the Sunday Observer (Jamaica), April 24, 2005, it was reported that Pope Benedict XVI said that he is determined to unite Christians of whatever stripe, and that his final attack will be to reconstitute the full and visible unity of all Christ’s followers.

Not many people understand why Benedict XVI chose the name Benedict. He took the name Benedict XVI because the Order of St. Benedict had sworn with a solemn oath to destroy the Sabbath-keeping, Bible-teaching churches and schools in Europe.

One Sabbath I visited with a pastor who had met, several years ago in Columbia, a former priest who used to work at the Vatican. This former priest had just become a Seventh-day Adventist, and he told that the Seventh-day Adventists had a bitter enemy in the Vatican—Joseph Ratzinger.

Today, Joseph Ratzinger is the pope, and he is resolved that Adventist Sabbath keepers will either cooperate or be annihilated. I believe Adventists are up for an awakening. We need to determine what we are about. Are we watchmen on the walls of Zion? Will we stand for Jesus no matter what? We have a decision to make today. If you have been fooling around with your Christianity, today is your opportunity. You can recommit yourself and get right with God.

Yes, as watchmen, we must be able to say, “The morning cometh”—the morning of hope, the morning of peace, the morning of deliverance. “Watchman, what of the night?”

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

Bible Study Guides – A Plan to Regain Paradise

by

April 14, 2013 – April 20, 2013

Key Text

“Jesus saith unto him [Thomas], I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.” John 14:6.

Study Help: Patriarchs and Prophets, 71–79; “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, 931.

Introduction

“The Father has given the world into the hands of Christ, that through His mediatorial work He may redeem man and vindicate the authority and holiness of the law of God.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 366.

1 GOD’S PROMISE

  • What promise has God often repeated? Genesis 12:3; 22:18; 28:14; Galatians 3:8, 16.

Note: “Not alone at the Saviour’s advent, but through all the ages after the Fall and the promise of redemption, ‘God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself’ (II Corinthians 5:19). Christ was the foundation and center of the sacrificial system in both the patriarchal and the Jewish age. Since the sin of our first parents there has been no direct communication between God and man. … All the communion between heaven and the fallen race has been through Christ. It was the Son of God that gave to our first parents the promise of redemption. It was He who revealed Himself to the patriarchs. Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses understood the gospel. They looked for salvation through man’s Substitute and Surety. These holy men of old held communion with the Saviour who was to come to our world in human flesh.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 366.

  • What does the Bible call God’s promise to send His Son into the world, and how was the promise fulfilled? Isaiah 61:1; Luke 4:18, 21.

Note: “The gospel preached to Adam, Noah, Abraham, and Moses was to them good news; for their faith embraced a coming Saviour.” The Signs of the Times, August 7, 1879.

2 CAIN AND ABEL

  • How was Abel blessed, accepted, and justified through the gospel? Hebrews 11:4.

Note: “ ‘By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain’ (Hebrews 11:4). Abel grasped the great principles of redemption. He saw himself a sinner, and he saw sin and its penalty, death, standing between his soul and communion with God. He brought the slain victim, the sacrificed life, thus acknowledging the claims of the law that had been transgressed. Through the shed blood he looked to the future sacrifice, Christ dying on the cross of Calvary; and trusting in the atonement that was there to be made, he had the witness that he was righteous, and his offering accepted.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 72.

  • How did Cain forfeit the blessings and acceptance of the gospel, and why? Genesis 4:3, 5.

Note: “Cain came before God with murmuring and infidelity in his heart in regard to the promised sacrifice and the necessity of the sacrificial offerings. His gift expressed no penitence for sin. He felt, as many now feel, that it would be an acknowledgment of weakness to follow the exact plan marked out by God, of trusting his salvation wholly to the atonement of the promised Saviour. He chose the course of self-dependence. He would come in his own merits. He would not bring the lamb, and mingle its blood with his offering, but would present his fruits, the products of his labor. He presented his offering as a favor done to God, through which he expected to secure the divine approval. Cain obeyed in building an altar, obeyed in bringing a sacrifice; but he rendered only a partial obedience. The essential part, the recognition of the need of a Redeemer, was left out.

“So far as birth and religious instruction were concerned, these brothers were equal. Both were sinners, and both acknowledged the claims of God to reverence and worship. To outward appearance their religion was the same up to a certain point, but beyond this the difference between the two was great.” [Author’s italics.] Patriarchs and Prophets, 72.

3 TWO CLASSES OF WORSHIPERS

  • What two classes of worshipers do Cain and Abel represent? How do the two phases in the life of Paul illustrate the difference between these two classes? Philippians 3:4–9.

Note: “Cain and Abel represent two classes that will exist in the world till the close of time. One class avail themselves of the appointed sacrifice for sin; the other venture to depend upon their own merits; theirs is a sacrifice without the virtue of divine mediation, and thus it is not able to bring man into favor with God. It is only through the merits of Jesus that our transgressions can be pardoned. Those who feel no need of the blood of Christ, who feel that without divine grace they can by their own works secure the approval of God, are making the same mistake as did Cain. If they do not accept the cleansing blood, they are under condemnation. There is no other provision made whereby they can be released from the thralldom of sin.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 72, 73.

  • What lesson should we learn from the fig-leaf garments of our first parents and from the offering of Cain? Genesis 3:7; Jude 11, first part. What principle underlies the belief and practice of those who fail to abide by the true gospel?

Note: “The class of worshipers who follow the example of Cain includes by far the greater portion of the world; for nearly every false religion has been based on the same principle—that man can depend upon his own efforts for salvation. It is claimed by some that the human race is in need, not of redemption, but of development—that it can refine, elevate, and regenerate itself. As Cain thought to secure the divine favor by an offering that lacked the blood of a sacrifice, so do these expect to exalt humanity to the divine standard, independent of the atonement. The history of Cain shows what must be the result. It shows what man will become apart from Christ. Humanity has no power to regenerate itself. It does not tend upward, toward the divine, but downward, toward the satanic. Christ is our only hope.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 73.

4 THE GOSPEL AND THE TWO COVENANTS

  • How are we in danger of failing—as the Israelites failed—to truly understand the gospel? Exodus 24:7; Joshua 24:19–21; Hebrews 3:15–17; 4:2.

Note: “The people [of Israel] did not realize the sinfulness of their own hearts, and that without Christ it was impossible for them to keep God’s law; and they readily entered into covenant with God. Feeling that they were able to establish their own righteousness, they declared, ‘All that the Lord hath said will we do, and be obedient’ (Exodus 24:7). They had witnessed the proclamation of the law in awful majesty, and had trembled with terror before the mount; and yet only a few weeks passed before they broke their covenant with God, and bowed down to worship a graven image. They could not hope for the favor of God through a covenant which they had broken.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 371, 372.

  • What covenant did the Lord offer to establish with Israel and is offering to each one of us? Jeremiah 31:31–34; Hebrews 8:8–12.

Note: “The same law that was engraved upon the tables of stone is written by the Holy Spirit upon the tables of the heart. Instead of going about to establish our own righteousness we accept the righteousness of Christ. His blood atones for our sins. His obedience is accepted for us. Then the heart renewed by the Holy Spirit will bring forth ‘the fruits of the Spirit.’ ” Patriarchs and Prophets, 372.

“It is impossible for us, of ourselves, to escape from the pit of sin in which we are sunken. Our hearts are evil, and we cannot change them. ‘Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one.’ ‘The carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be’ (Job 14:4; Romans 8:7). Education, culture, the exercise of the will, human effort, all have their proper sphere, but here they are powerless. They may produce an outward correctness of behavior, but they cannot change the heart; they cannot purify the springs of life. There must be a power working from within, a new life from above, before men can be changed from sin to holiness. That power is Christ. His grace alone can quicken the lifeless faculties of the soul, and attract it to God, to holiness.” Steps to Christ, 18.

“By His perfect obedience He [Christ] has made it possible for every human being to obey God’s commandments.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 312.

5 ONLY ONE TRUE GOSPEL

  • Since the days of Eden, men and women have been saved by only one gospel. How does this apply to us? John 14:6; Acts 4:12.

Note: “Christ is the connecting link between God and man. He has promised His personal intercession by employing His name.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 6, 1078.

“Through the grace of Christ we shall live in obedience to the law of God written upon our hearts. Having the Spirit of Christ, we shall walk even as He walked.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 372.

  • How are we to benefit from the gospel? I Timothy 1:15; Ephesians 1:4–11.

Note: “Jesus … took humanity upon Himself that He might touch and elevate humanity. He came to seek and to save that which was lost. He reached to the very depth of human misery and woe, to take man as He found him, a being tainted with corruption, degraded with vice, depraved by sin, and united with Satan in apostasy, and elevate him to a seat upon His throne.” Fundamentals of Christian Education, 199.

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1 Why is the plan of salvation referred to as the “gospel”?

2 How do we know that Abel was under the “new” covenant?

3 What will make us today to be an “Abel” instead of a “Cain”?

4 How can we be sure our religious experience is really in accordance with the new covenant?

5 How would you summarize the gospel to someone who has never heard it before?

© 2007 Reformation Herald Publishing Association, Roanoke, Virginia. Reprinted by permission.