Obstacles

Neither the Old nor the New Testament predicts that the world will be converted in the last days. In fact, it predicts just the opposite, that almost all the world will worship the antichrist. Only a small group of people, a remnant in comparison to the world’s population, will keep God’s commandments in the last days.

Jesus said the last days would be like it was in the days of Noah. He gave Noah a message and 120 years to declare it. Some believed, but were laid to rest before the Flood came. But of all the people still alive on the day the Flood came, only eight people believed enough to be on that ark.

Imagine, eight inside the ark and something north of a billion outside. If you were one of the eight, would you have been thinking “I could be outside with so many more people”?

Almost the whole world right now thinks that way—billions of people, all dashing rapidly to destruction. But a few people still listen to the three angels’ messages, and only this remnant will be saved from the destruction that is coming.

Let’s look at three scriptures that all speak about a similar subject. These scriptures are Zechariah 4:7, first part, Isaiah 40:3, 4, and Matthew 21:18–22:

“ ‘Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain!’ ”

“The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted and every mountain and hill brought low; the crooked places shall be made straight and the rough places smooth.’ ”

“Now in the morning, as He returned to the city, He was hungry. And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, ‘Let no fruit grow on you ever again.’ Immediately the fig tree withered away. And when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, ‘How did the fig tree wither away so soon?’ So Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, “Be removed and be cast into the sea,” it will be done. And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.’ ”

So what are we to learn from these three scriptures?

Zechariah says that a great mountain will be turned into a plain. Is he talking about a literal mountain? Skeptics will say that they have never heard of such a thing. The Rocky Mountains, Mount Everest, the Himalayan Mountains, the Andes, they all are still where they have been. So these skeptics do not believe that this has happened or will happen. But this scripture isn’t about a literal mountain.

Isaiah 40 sounds like the construction of an interstate highway, where you smooth out the mountains and the valleys, so the road is straight and level. But this isn’t about the literal removal of a mountain and making rough terrain smooth to travel on. We know that Isaiah is predicting the work of John the Baptist, 700 years before he was born, as the one who would come to prepare the way for the Messiah.

And if Jesus’ purpose in Matthew 21 isn’t to simply curse a literal, unproductive tree, what is He talking about?

Obstacles, friends, are the difficulties and trials that are in front of us that seem as big as a mountain, too big to go around and too high to climb over. We have all been confronted at some point in our lives with something that seems completely insurmountable—no way through, no way around, no way over and hedged about on every side. Jesus is talking about a spiritual mountain or obstacle in our lives that we do not know how to overcome. So Jesus says in Matthew 21:22, “[W]hatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.” Simply believe, ask for guidance and assistance, and these apparent impossibilities can be removed.

The Christian is faced with both external and internal obstacles. Let’s look at some of the external obstacles first since they are the easier ones. The internal obstacles are harder.

In the New Testament, external obstacles are referred to as the world. First John 2:15–17 says, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust (craving) of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not from the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.” These are the same three temptations that the devil brought to Jesus in Matthew 4.

The lust of the flesh consists of sensual temptations that include sexual passions and the appetite for food and drink and other harmful substances that are sinful. It is not a sin to eat and drink, but we can sin by what and how we eat and drink. This temptation is very successful for the devil.

The devil took Jesus to the pinnacle of the temple and said, “Throw yourself down. For it is written that the Lord will send His angels to protect you.” This temptation is known as presumption. Presumption is when someone claims the promises of God and believes that they will be saved, all while breaking His commandments (see Matthew 7:21–23). It is one of the most common sins in the Christian world today, so much so, that Mrs. White says that the devil is successful nine times out of ten with this temptation (Lift Him Up, 80). We don’t have a very good average when dealing with temptations of presumption.

It is often beyond comprehension just how easy it is to fall in love with the world. The devil promised Jesus the whole world. He didn’t take it, but there are people that will yield to temptation for just a little piece of worldly real estate; they are willing to give up eternal life for just a little something on this earth. But Jesus said, “What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul?” Mark 8:36

The external temptations that every Christian faces—every man, woman, boy, and girl—are present in any one of a variety of ways that will result in breaking the law of God and make the lawbreaker a member of the devil’s ranks. “He who sins is of the devil.” 1 John 3:8

So, if the devil can entice us, seduce us, terrify us into sinning, desiring the world, with its sensuality, presumption, and love for things and possessions, then we have switched to his side of the great controversy; and unless we repent, we lose our souls, and that is his ultimate goal.

No matter how difficult facing these external temptations can be, it is the internal obstacles that are the most difficult for a Christian to overcome.

As Christians, we are to surrender to Jesus Christ and acknowledge Him as our Saviour from sin and the Lord of our lives. The entire purpose of the Christian life is to become like Jesus, to be Christlike. “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” 1 John 3:2. Becoming Christlike is hearing and doing what God says.

But many Christians who claim the name of Jesus too often forget the hearing and doing part. “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord’ and not do the things which I say?” Luke 6:46. We cannot call Him Lord and not obey His commands if we are to be true Christians.

So let’s consider this: if a person wishes to be made Christlike, but there is something inside him or her that is not Christlike, what is the problem? There is an obstacle that must be overcome so that there is nothing left inside but the character of Christ. “And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” 1 John 3:3

God is able to remove even the most difficult obstacles outside, but it won’t matter if the internal obstacles are not removed first. It is only when the devil’s power over a person’s nature has been replaced by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, that his power to cause difficulties in a person’s life can be overcome.

Individual Christians are not the only ones who experience obstacles; Christians as a church group also must meet obstacles. One of the greatest obstacles for a church is that of false teaching, or heretical doctrines. Jesus talked about this in Matthew 24, as well as other places in the Bible. He said that many false prophets would arise and deceive many (verse 24). When revival and reformation is happening in a church, then all kinds of heretical and fanatical doctrines will be seen, instigated by Satan to counteract that revival.

However, a much bigger obstacle for the church is found in Last Day Events, 156: “We have far more to fear from within than from without. The hindrances to strength and success are far greater from the church itself than from the world. … [H]ow often have the professed advocates of the truth proved the greatest obstacle to its advancement!”

“If we hope to wear the crown, we must expect to bear the cross. Our greatest trials will come from those who profess godliness. … The opposition which Christ received came from His own nation, who would have been greatly blessed had they accepted Him. In like manner the remnant church receive opposition from those who profess to be their brethren.” The Review and Herald, August 28, 1883

Another obstacle, particularly for new Christians, is similar to something that the children of Israel said while wandering in the wilderness. They had given their lives to God, had chosen to follow and obey all that He said, but now they were experiencing more trouble in their lives than they had ever experienced before. People are tempted to think that if God is all powerful, and if He is really leading them, then they should be having an easy life, but they aren’t. Why?

“Trial is part of the education given in the school of Christ, to purify God’s children from the dross of earthliness. It is because God is leading His children that trying experiences come to them. Trials and obstacles are His chosen methods of discipline, and His appointed conditions of success.” Reflecting Christ, 362

Trials and obstacles are the appointed conditions to successfully take us from where we are to where we need to be if we would spend eternity with God. God never sends a trial that we do not need.

“God’s care for his heritage is unceasing. He suffers no affliction to come upon His children but such as is essential for their present and eternal good. He will purify His church, even as Christ purified the temple during His ministry on earth. All that He brings upon His people in test and trial comes that they may gain deeper piety and greater strength to carry forward the triumphs of the cross.” Ibid.

Trials and obstacles are God’s chosen methods of discipline and the appointed conditions of success, meaning God has something wonderful in store for us. Let’s look in the Bible for some examples of great men who suffered great obstacles.

Joseph’s life was one of severe trial—sold as a slave at a young age, forced to learn a new language, culture and customs, falsely accused and imprisoned. But the greater the future and destiny that God has for a person, the greater the trials He may allow. Because of his obedience and loyalty to God, Joseph ultimately, according to God’s plan, was exalted to a high position in Egypt, enabling him to save his father and his entire people from famine.

God made David perhaps the greatest king of Israel, but David made many very serious mistakes—a fugitive, an adulterer, a conspirator, a murderer. But when he repented and committed his life to obeying God, he was once again restored to God’s favor.

Daniel was taken captive to Babylon at a young age, but he remained committed to following the things he had been taught regarding obedience to God, specifically how he should eat and drink. While this was a hard trial for him to endure, his most difficult trial came when he was an old man. He had become the prime minister of Persia, but was hated by the other government officials. They conspired together to create a law that they knew Daniel would break because obeying it would mean disobeying God. The law required that all men would worship only King Darius for 30 days. If anyone failed to do so, they would be thrown into the lions’ den. We are all familiar with the story. Rather than attempting to hide his prayers, Daniel chose to continue to pray to God three times a day—as was his custom—with his face set toward Jerusalem. He was thrown into the lions’ den, but God sent His angel to save his life.

Friends, God knows how to deliver us from the obstacles that stand in our way, but He delivers us because we are faithful to Him, as were Joseph, David, and Daniel.

There are many reactions when obstacles come. For instance, someone might say, “Well, my spouse won’t accept the truth” or “I love my son/daughter so much that if he/she doesn’t go to heaven, I don’t want to go either.” Revelation 21:8 tells us, “But the cowardly [fearful] … shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” When the obstacle came, they gave up.

Another common reaction is unbelief. This is what the children of Israel did. Their unbelief was so bad that the Lord must have thought, “I can’t lead these people into the land of Canaan, because they are not ready. They don’t even believe in Me or that I am able to bring them into the promised land.” God could not do for them what He wanted to do because they did not believe.

A third common reaction is discouragement. Someone might say, “But you just don’t know how bad my situation is.” And they would be right. But God does know and He knows how to remove that obstacle or how to get the person through it. However, we will never get through the obstacles that come to us if we have a halting, unbelieving spirit.

Some people in the world today, think that the Christian religion isn’t true because they have encountered an obstacle that they didn’t overcome. They either gave up, experienced unbelief, or became discouraged and did nothing. However, the Christian religion does work because many people have overcome all kinds of apparently insurmountable obstacles when united with the power of God’s grace.

The children of Israel thought their trek through the wilderness to the promised land would be obstacle free because God was leading the way, but God allowed trials and troubles to help perfect their characters, and He does the same for us.

The apostle Paul wrote to the Christian churches in Acts 14:22, “[S]trengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, ‘We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.’ ” In John’s vision recorded in Revelation 7:13 and 14, we are told that those who will be in God’s kingdom will be those “who come out of the great tribulation.”

The most serious obstacles that we must conquer are not external ones, but rather those that are internal such as pride, selfishness, covetousness, and love of the world. So how do we face them?

There are four necessary steps to successfully meeting our obstacles:

  1. Persistent prayer

“Men always ought to pray and not lose heart.” Luke 18:1

“ ‘There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, “Get justice for me from my adversary.” And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, “though I do not fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.” ’ Then the Lord said, ‘Hear what the unjust judge said. And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?’ ” Luke 18:2–8

What is the lesson found in this parable? Be persistent in prayer. As we fulfill the conditions of the promises that the Lord has made, we can believe that He will not go back on His word. When the insurmountable obstacle comes, we are to go to God in prayer and He will deliver us.

  1. Faith like Caleb

In Numbers 13, the children of Israel were camped at the border of the promised land. Twelve spies had been secretly sent to spy out the conditions and people there. Ten of the spies were afraid and expressed their fear openly, telling them that there were mighty giants in the land, and the people then took up the cry of fear and complaining, as they most typically did. But two of the spies, Caleb and Joshua, said, “Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.” Verse 30, last part.

Instead of exercising faith in the One who had brought them through the wilderness and the Red Sea, they refused to believe Caleb and, as a result, they were left in the wilderness to wander another 40 years before finally being permitted to enter the promised land. Even after 40 additional years of wandering, Caleb’s faith was strong and he prayed that the Lord would cleanse his inside obstacles away—any pride, selfishness, covetousness—so that he would have the power to overcome the outside obstacles and defeat the giants. He was 85 years old and yet, by the power of the Lord, he conquered the giants in the land.

  1. Action

We must pray and exercise faith, but we must also act. We must press against the obstacle.

“You will have obstacles and difficulties to encounter at every turn and you must, with firm purpose decide to conquer them, or they will conquer you.” Gospel Workers, 133

“Success will come to them as they struggle against difficulties.” Prophets and Kings, 595

We have to do something, press against the obstacle, ask for God’s help, and keep going.

“The obstacles they encounter, instead of leading them to seek help from God, the only Source of strength, separate them from Him, because they awaken unrest and repining.

“Do we well to be thus unbelieving? Why should we be ungrateful and distrustful? Jesus is our friend; all heaven is interested in our welfare; and our anxiety and fear grieve the Holy Spirit of God. We should not indulge in a solicitude that only frets and wears us but does not help us to bear trials. … It is not the will of God that His people should be weighed down with cares.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 293, 294

There are so many people who have a trial or difficulty in their lives, and they try so hard to overcome it, but fail, and since they failed, they just stop trying. What would have happened to the widow in Luke 18 if she had given up after the first try? Not a thing. But she was persistent and, in the end, the judge granted her request.

“There are strong and subtle influences to bind them to the ways of the world; but the power of the Lord can break these chains. He will remove every obstacle from before the feet of His faithful ones or give them strength and courage [faith] to conquer every difficulty, if they earnestly beseech His help. All hindrances will vanish before an earnest desire and persistent effort to do the will of God at any cost to self, even if life itself is sacrificed.” Testimonies, Vol. 4, 147

  1. Correct physical habits.

These habits are very important and have a great deal to do with our state of mind and whether or not we will have the determination to attack and solve the problem with the help of God.

For example, if a person is using alcoholic beverages, the very first drink has an anesthetizing effect on the frontal lobe of the brain. This anesthetizing effect weakens the willpower. The devil takes advantage of that weakened state and sends the imbiber strong, sinful temptations. He may tempt them to try drugs or to smoke while he or she continues drinking. When we do things that weaken our bodies and minds or fail to do the things that strengthen them, the door is opened wide for the devil to work his will against us.

It is important for us to remember that when meeting an obstacle or trial, we should do so in accordance with a way that aligns with God’s direction. When we do this, He promises that mountains of difficulty will be removed. We must pray for strength in meeting them, but our obstacles will not be moved while we sit and expect God to do all the work. We must work with Him.

Christian men and women who meet their obstacles in the way the Lord directs—with prayer, faith, persistent action and following the right physical habits—will overcome them, one after another. It is God’s purpose in allowing obstacles and trials, so that we might become men and women of power who will not be moved.

“When hedged about on every side, this is the time above all others to trust in God and in the power of His Holy Spirit. We are not to walk in our own strength, but in the strength of the Lord God of Israel. It is folly to trust in man or to make flesh our arm. We must trust in Jehovah; for in Him is everlasting strength.” The Review and Herald, January 16, 1908

We are in a battle against the devil, against the world, but most importantly we are in a battle against our own sinful, carnal nature. The internal enemy is the most dangerous of all, but we can overcome this enemy if we are willing to fight.

“There are few who are really consecrated, few who have fought and conquered in the battle with self.” The Watchman, June 12, 1906

The Bible teaches that from the beginning to the end, if we want to inherit eternal life, we must fight this battle with self.

“Let the tempted soul remember … it is only by coming in contact with obstacles and difficulties and overcoming them that we become strong. Our necessity is God’s opportunity. If we will hold fast to Christ, every trial will work out for our good.” The Signs of the Times, October 17, 1900

“Christ has given us no assurance that to attain perfection of character is an easy matter. A noble, all-around character is not inherited. It does not come to us by accident. A noble character is earned by individual effort through the merits and grace of Christ. God gives the talents, the powers of the mind; we form the character. It is formed by hard, stern battles with self. Conflict after conflict must be waged against hereditary tendencies. We shall have to criticize ourselves closely, and allow not one unfavorable trait to remain uncorrected.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 331

This process does not happen in a day, but every one of us can be certain that we can become like Jesus Christ. We can surmount these internal obstacles in the character that are unchristlike. Then by facing our obstacles and trials head on with prayer, faith, persistent action, having the right physical habits, and following God’s direction, we will become just like Him.

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

Achieving Perfect Flight

Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

Matthew 5:48

We are all familiar with the statement Christ made in His Sermon on the Mount to be perfect. It is a verse that Adventists accept as an enabling command. In the nominal Christian world, there are some who try to ignore or explain it away, while many others expect that at some point in their life’s journey, perhaps at the second coming or at the resurrection, Jesus will accomplish this act for them with a wave of His miracle-working hand.

Allow me to use a metaphor as a means of clarifying the challenge we face as Bible-believing Christians.

Suppose that instead of telling us to be perfect, God told us to fly. We know that He wouldn’t tell us to do that without also providing the means for us to fulfill the command.

We might be tempted to say, “I can’t fly.” Well, of course we cannot fly by ourselves, but God says, “I have an airplane, I have a pilot, and I have fuel.”

The airplane is the Bible and the hope it so unfailingly supplies; the Pilot is Jesus and the faith we have in Him to fulfill His promises and His enablings; and the fuel is the working of the power of the Holy Spirit and our trust in the working of that power in response to our prayers of faith.

These elements are also exactly what we need to enable us to achieve perfection. Although God provides the means, it is up to us to use them correctly and faithfully. The Bible is our instruction manual telling us how to fly—how to obey and overcome, thereby achieving the perfection that we seek in our sphere and the fulfilled hope that we harbor and yearn for so dearly.

Jesus is our Pilot, our Guide, who has trodden the narrow way before us. His life is clearly laid out as our example. As Adventists, we have been blessed not only with the description of Christ’s character in the sacred canon of God’s word, but we also have The Desire of Ages, an incredibly detailed and uplifting look into His daily life and faultless character. As fuel—the energy we need—we have the Holy Spirit to empower us as we seek to know and do God’s will.

Most importantly, though, we have the privilege of prayer. Inspiration tells us that prayer is (1) “the key in the hand of faith to unlock heaven’s storehouse.” Steps to Christ, 94, and (2) a means—“We cannot bring Christ down, but, through faith, we can lift ourselves up into unity and harmony with the perfect standard of righteousness.” The Review and Herald, October 30, 1888. What a privilege we have of beginning and ending each day’s activity in conversation with our Creator!

So, indeed, we can fly. We can achieve the obedience necessary to be awarded robes and crowns, palm leaves of victory, and golden harps!

Passages found in chapters 27 and 28 in Messages to Young People should provide us great encouragement as we seek to fly a straight course over the Jordan to the promised land.

“We have little idea of the strength that would be ours if we would connect with the source of all strength. We fall into sin again and again, and think it must always be so. We cling to our infirmities as if they were something to be proud of. Christ tells us that we must set our face as a flint if we would overcome. He has borne our sins in His own body on the tree; and through the power He has given us, we may resist the world, the flesh, and the devil. Then let us not talk of our weakness and inefficiency, but of Christ and His strength. When we talk of Satan’s strength, the enemy fastens his power more firmly upon us. When we talk of the power of the Mighty One, the enemy is driven back. As we draw near to God, He draws near to us. …

“Many of us fail to improve our privileges. We make a few feeble efforts to do right, and then go back to our old life of sin. If we ever enter the kingdom of God, we must enter with perfect characters, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing. Satan works with increased activity as we near the close of time. He lays his snares, unperceived by us, that he may take possession of our minds. In every way he tries to eclipse the glory of God from the soul. It rests with us to decide whether he shall control our hearts and minds, or whether we shall have a place in the new earth, a title to Abraham’s farm.” Messages to Young People, 105

“Christ has made every provision for us to be strong. He has given us His Holy Spirit, whose office is to bring to our remembrance all the promises that Christ has made, that we may have peace and a sweet sense of forgiveness. If we will but keep our eyes fixed on the Saviour, and trust in His power, we shall be filled with a sense of security; for the righteousness of Christ will become our righteousness. …

“We dishonor Him by talking of our inefficiency. Instead of looking at ourselves, let us constantly behold Jesus, daily becoming more and more like Him, more and more able to talk of Him, better prepared to avail ourselves of His kindness and helpfulness, and to receive the blessings offered us.

“As we thus live in communion with Him, we grow strong in His strength, a help and a blessing to those around us. If we would only do as the Lord desires us to, our hearts would become as sacred harps, every chord of which would sound forth praise and gratitude to the Redeemer sent by God to take away the sin of the world.” Ibid., 107

“While true faith trusts wholly in Christ for salvation, it will lead to perfect conformity to the law of God. Faith is manifested by works.” The Review and Herald, October 5, 1886

And faith is the element that brings together all of the components we need to be able to fly safely through this sin-filled world to the world beyond the Jordan.

There are several scriptures, when used together as we kneel before the throne of grace in conversation with our Maker that should give us great hope and encouragement as we recognize the love God has shown for us erring mortals by inspiring Paul to write them.

Through the inspiration and guidance these scriptures provide, we are privileged to pray that the Holy Spirit will enable us to bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Jesus Christ so that we may set our minds, our affections, on things above and not on things of the earth, allowing us to be hid with Christ in God, thereby, by faith, quenching the fiery darts of the wicked one (2 Corinthians 10:5; Colossians 3:2, 3; Ephesians 6:16).

Thanks to inspiration, we know that Satan uses the avenues of the soul—our senses—in his efforts to dislodge us from the path of truth and righteousness. However, if, when Satan injects unholy thoughts into our consciousness, either by what we see, hear, or sense in any way, we can remember the promises and the enabling commands that these verses provide. Then by making the conscious effort to direct our thoughts to things above, we are able to thwart the enemy’s efforts and can abide safely under the shelter of the Almighty, taking safe refuge under His wings.

We can indeed achieve perfect flight!

[Emphasis supplied.]

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

Bible Study – Winning the Battle of the Mind

June 20 – 26, 2021

Key Text:

“I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live” (Deuteronomy 30:19).

Study Help: Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, 141–144; Mind, Character, and Personality, vol. 2, 797–806.

Introduction

“Thoughts and meditations upon the goodness of God to us would close the avenues of the soul to Satan’s suggestions.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 222.

Sunday

1 STRENGTH FOR TODAY

1.a. What defense is available to us in the battle against temptation? Psalms 17:4; 119:11, 130.

 Note: “Let the youth … be taught to give close study to the word of God. Received into the soul, it will prove a mighty barricade against temptation.” Education, 190.

1.b.      What is to be our guide in directing our steps and making choices in life? Psalm 119:105; Proverbs 18:10; Matthew 4:4, first part.

Note: “I counsel you to receive with meekness the engrafted Word, which is able to save your soul. The word of God is your haven. It is a tower of strength, into which you may run and be safe.” The Upward Look, 125.

Monday

BEING ABLE TO THINK CLEARLY

2.a. How can the follower of Christ obtain positive and clear spiritual discernment? 1 Corinthians 2:9–13; Revelation 3:18, last part.

Note: “Satan has summoned the hosts of darkness to war against the saints. We cannot afford to be indifferent to his attacks. He comes in many ways, and we must have clear spiritual discernment, that we may be able to discern when he is seeking to gain possession of our minds.” Our High Calling, 19.

“Do not permit yourself to be discouraged. Do not permit yourself to be provoked, but let intelligent reason control your actions.” The Upward Look, 139.

2.b.      How is one to deal with the negative feelings of depression, fretfulness, hate, anxiety, sadness, etc.? Psalm 100:2, 4; Ephesians 6:10, 11; James 4:7, 8.

Note: “When you see iniquity all around you it makes you all the more glad that He [Christ] is your Saviour, and we are His children. Then shall we look at the iniquity around us and dwell upon the dark side? You cannot cure it; then talk of something that is higher, better, and more noble.” Mind, Character, and Personality, vol. 2, 490.

“It is our right, our privilege, to dismiss gloomy depression.” The Upward Look, 38.

“It is our duty not to live for self, but for the good of others—not to be controlled by feelings, but to consider that our influence is a power for good or evil.” Ibid., 55.

“It is not our efforts that bring victory. It is seeing God behind the promise, and believing and trusting Him. Grasp by faith the hand of infinite power. The Lord is faithful who hath promised.” Ibid., 133.

Tuesday

3 WEAPONS AGAINST THE ADVERSARY

3.a. How can we fight the battle victoriously as Christ did? Isaiah 26:4. What are some spiritual antidotes?

For fear: Isaiah 41:10, 13

For depression/sadness: Jeremiah 31:10–13

For worry: Psalm 37:5; 1 Peter 5:7

For impurity: 1 Corinthians 6:15–20

For worthlessness: 1 John 3:1, 2.

 Note: “The word of God must not be kept apart from our life. It must be entertained in the mind, welcomed in the heart, and be cherished, loved, and obeyed. We need also much more knowledge; we need to be enlightened in regard to the plan of salvation. There is not one in one hundred who understands for himself the Bible truth on this subject that is so necessary to our present and eternal welfare.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 360.

3.b.      What theme for meditation is provided for the Christian? 2 Corinthians 4:6; Ephesians 2:6.

Note: “It is only by long and persevering effort, sore discipline, and stern conflict that we shall be overcomers.” Testimonies, vol. 3, 324.

“With the great truth we have been privileged to receive, we should, and under the Holy Spirit’s power we could, become living channels of light. We could then approach the mercy seat; and seeing the bow of promise, kneel with contrite hearts, and seek the kingdom of heaven with a spiritual violence that would bring its own reward. We would take it by force, as did Jacob. Then our message would be the power of God unto salvation. Our supplications would be full of earnestness, full of a sense of our great need; and we would not be denied. The truth would be expressed by life and character, and by lips touched with the living coal from off God’s altar. When this experience is ours, we shall be lifted out of our poor, cheap selves, that we have cherished so tenderly.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 5, 1089.

Wednesday

4 REACHING GOD’S STANDARD

4.a. How will true followers of Jesus be perceived by others? 1 Corinthians 4:9, 13.

Note: “When we reach the standard that the Lord would have us reach, worldlings will regard Seventh-day Adventists as odd, singular, strait-laced extremists.” Fundamentals of Christian Education, 289.

“We are to make the line of demarcation decidedly apparent.” Ibid.

“Those who are uniting with the world are receiving the worldly mold and preparing for the mark of the beast. Those who are distrustful of self, who are humbling themselves before God and purifying their souls by obeying the truth—these are receiving the heavenly mold and preparing for the seal of God in their foreheads.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 216.

4.b.      How can we develop characters fit for eternity? Micah 6:8; Zephaniah 2:3; 2 Corinthians 10:5.

 Note: “If we are Christ’s, our thoughts are with Him, and our sweetest thoughts are of Him. All we have and are is consecrated to Him. We long to bear His image, breathe His spirit, do His will, and please Him in all things.” Steps to Christ, 58.

“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 Desire of Ages, 312.

Thursday

5 THE RESULTS OF INNER RENEWAL

5.a. As our mind is renewed, where will our thoughts and vision be directed? Romans 12:2; Hebrews 11:16; 12:2.

Note: “We should live for the next world. It is so wretched to live a haphazard, aimless life. We want an object in life—to live for a purpose. God help us all to be self-sacrificing, less self-caring, more forgetful of self and selfish interest; and to do good, not for the honor we expect to receive here, but because this is the object of our life and will answer the end of our existence. Let our daily prayer go up to God that He will divest us of selfishness.” Our High Calling, 242.

“Let every thought, every feeling be that of remembrance of God’s love. Let us gather up one token after another. …

“The evidence we have of God’s care and love for us is expressed in the lessons Christ gave to His disciples upon the things in nature.” The Upward Look, 15.

“Let nothing, nothing discourage you, and make you sad. Think of the goodness of God. Recount His favors and blessings.” Ibid., 30.

5.b.      What assurance do we have of victory? Philippians 1:6; 2 Timothy 1:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:24.

Note: “The more we love Jesus, the more entirely will self be humbled and forgotten. …

“Our God is a very present help in time of need. He is acquainted with the most secret thoughts of our hearts, with all the intents and purposes of our souls. When we are in perplexity, even before we open to Him our distresses, He is making arrangements for our deliverance.” The Upward Look, 46.

“If we trust in the Lord, we shall triumph in the warfare against unseen foes, but if we trust in our own strength, we shall surely meet with defeat. The armor is prepared. Put it on, and fight bravely for the Lord.” Ibid., 129.

“When the character of Christ shall be perfectly reproduced in His people, then He will come to claim them as His own.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 69.

Friday

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1    What is the source of the Christian’s strength and how is this strength received?

2    What promises does God give to the person who is struggling to control his thoughts?

3    What tools are given to each of us to win the battle for control of the mind?

4    What does God require of the Christian in regard to control of the thoughts?

5    How can you tell whether or not your mind has been renewed?

Copyright 1995 Reformation Herald Publishing Association, 5240 Hollins Road, Roanoke, Virginia 24019-5048, U.S.A.

Old Habits, New Habits

For most of my work life I have not had to “punch the clock,” meaning clocking in and out daily at a time clock. I’ve either recorded my time on a paper form on a weekly or bi-weekly basis or entered the number of hours I worked through a company timekeeping application.

So when I began a new job that required me to once again use a time clock, it was difficult to remember that my first stop of the day should be to clock in. I don’t really have trouble remembering to clock out to go to lunch and back in when I return, nor do I have trouble remembering to clock out at the end of the day.  But clocking in each morning has become a frustrating exercise for me, because I keep forgetting and have to ask my supervisor to clock me in.

You see, even though my supervisor is very gracious about clocking me in when I forget to do it myself, I feel that it should be my responsibility. This is a new, necessary habit I should be developing.

So, that got me to thinking, what exactly is a habit? The Merriam-Webster Dictionary has several definitions of the word habit. Let’s look at just two:

  • An acquired mode of behavior that has become nearly or completely involuntary
  • An addiction

In the spiritual realm, humans by nature tend toward addiction. Our natures compel us toward sin. We are addicted to sinning and nothing short of divine intervention can change this habit of sinning. However, let’s keep one thing in mind regarding addiction: it is necessary that the addicted one makes the choice to end the power addiction has over his or her life. It may not be possible to end it without outside help, but the addiction cannot be overcome until the addicted one chooses that the addiction will no longer have control over them. Remember also, that while an addicted person may no longer choose to allow their addiction to have sway over their life, the addiction itself remains and can regain control without daily, determined effort on the person’s part.

Spiritually our natures are wicked. The Bible says this repeatedly:

“All have turned away, all have become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one” (Psalm 14:3 NIV).

“The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. The Lord regretted that He had made human beings on the earth, and His heart was deeply troubled” (Genesis 6:5, 6 NIV).

“For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders” (Matthew 15:19 NASB 1995).

“Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear. For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue has muttered perversity. No one calls for justice, nor does any plead for truth. They trust in empty words and speak lies; they conceive evil and bring forth iniquity. … Their works are works of iniquity, and the act of violence is in their hands. Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood; their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; wasting and destruction are in their paths” (Isaiah 59:1–4, 6, 7).

Until we recognize what we are and choose to no longer allow sin to have domination over our lives, we will continue to sin. But understand this is not like choosing to wear red socks or blue socks today; once you make the choice, you wear those socks. This choice is an ongoing effort. I am afflicted with this spiritual habit of sinning. I can choose to change this habit, but it is rare that one chooses to change a habit (going cold turkey) and then tomorrow or next week or next year, there is no future temptation.

Let’s look at our first definition of habit – an acquired mode of behavior. Acquired suggests doing or having done something: learning, developing, gaining, or achieving as a result of one’s choosing until it becomes completely involuntary; until we do it without thinking or because to not do it would be unthinkable. Let’s look at some examples from the Bible of individuals who cultivated/achieved the habit of doing what was right.

DANIEL

“Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days” (Daniel 6:10). [Emphasis supplied.]

SHADRACH, MESHACH and ABEDNEGO

“Now from among those of the sons of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. To them the chief of the eunuchs gave names: he gave Daniel the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abed-Nego.

But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself” (Daniel 1:6–8). [Emphasis supplied.]

After being threatened with death in the fiery furnace for refusing to worship the golden image, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, ‘O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up’ ” (Daniel 3:16–18). [Emphasis supplied.]

JOSEPH

“Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. And Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him down there. The Lord was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. And his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made all he did to prosper in his hand. So Joseph found favor in his sight, and served him. Then he made him overseer of his house, and all that he had he put under his authority. So it was, from the time that he had made him overseer of his house and all that he had, that the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; and the blessing of the Lord was on all that he had in the house and in the field. Thus he left all that he had in Joseph’s hand, and he did not know what he had except for the bread which he ate.

“Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance. And it came to pass after these things that his master’s wife cast longing eyes on Joseph, and she said, ‘Lie with me.’ But he refused and said to his master’s wife, ‘Look, my master does not know what is with me in the house, and he has committed all that he has to my hand. There is no one greater in this house than I, nor has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?’ ” (Genesis 39:1–9). [Emphasis supplied.]

ABRAHAM

“Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, ‘Abraham!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’

“Then He said, ‘Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you’ ” (Genesis 22:1, 2).

Imagine Abraham’s agony and confusion. God doesn’t require child sacrifice. Isaac was the child of promise. How was Abraham to do this thing? Could you sacrifice your child, if God asked it, if you had not developed a lifelong faith in and habit of obedience to God?

“So Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife, and the two of them went together. But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, ‘My father!’ And he said, ‘Here I am, my son.’ Then he said, ‘Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?’ And Abraham said, ‘My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.’ So the two of them went together” (verses 6–8).

Notice, Isaac does not refuse. He understood what was being asked of Abraham and himself, and still he did not refuse; he did not run away which he easily could have done. He submitted with complete trust to His father.

‘Then they came to the place of which God had told him. And Abraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order; and he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.

“But the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, ‘Abraham, Abraham!’ So he said, ‘Here I am.’ And He said, ‘Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me’ ” (verses 9–12). [Emphasis supplied.]

Why were all these men able to do the right thing? Do you think they woke up on that particular morning and said, “Today, I’m only going to do what’s right.” I think there are a lot of people who think doing right works just that way. Today I will be better. Today I’m not going to sin at all. What did Daniel do? He purposed in his heart.  What did Joseph say? I cannot do this thing. The three worthies said we will not bow down.  These are statements of commitment, the kind of commitment developed over a lifetime.

We’ve all heard that it takes 21 days to form a new habit. Phillippa Lally, a health psychology researcher at University College London, and her team did a study on just how long it takes to form a habit and published her findings in the European Journal of Social Psychology. The study included 96 subjects studied over a 12-week period. Each subject chose the habit they wanted to develop and “reported daily on whether or not they did the behavior and how automatic the behavior felt.” In short, this is what they found:

  1. It’s supposed to take time to form a new habit.
  2. Making mistakes is okay, but develop a strategy to get back on track quickly.
  3. It’s a process, not an event.

(taken from How Long Does it Actually Take to Form a New Habit? (Backed by Science) written by James Clear)

Spiritually, the first and third findings can be combined and applied to the habit (addiction) of sinning. Living like that cannot be changed or broken except by choosing to allow the Holy Spirit to transform the life. We can ask as did David, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10). While the original creation, in which God had perfect material to work with took only a few days, after 6,000 years of sin, change is just going to take time. And then there is that second finding, the one that says we’ll make mistakes. We are, after all, sinners by nature ever able to choose to sin, no matter how truly committed we are not to.

David is referred to in the Bible as “a man after God’s own heart,” and yet David, when he saw Bathsheba bathing on her roof, rather than turning away and seeking God’s deliverance from the temptations that were assailing him, he lingered (see James 1:14, 15). He began a not-so-secret relationship with Bathsheba. She became pregnant and in an effort to hide what he had done, he had her husband Uriah killed. Even worse, David’s sin with Bathsheba came nigh to spiritually destroying the children of Israel. He made a mistake, but didn’t utilize that strategy to get back on track mentioned in the second of the study findings.

Peter walked and talked with Jesus for three and a half years during His earthly ministry. Peter committed himself to be ever faithful to Jesus. He refused to believe that he would ever deny Christ and yet, he did three times, just as Jesus said he would (Matthew 26:33). The problem for Peter, and I’d say David and us as well, is that he didn’t know himself as well as he thought he did; so sure of himself that he didn’t know what he really lacked. As the sound of the final denial disappeared into the night, it was then that Peter recognized what he was: a sinner in need of a Saviour. “Peter denied his Lord in the hour of trial, but Jesus did not forsake His poor disciple. Although Peter hated himself, the Lord loved him, and after His resurrection He called him by name and sent him a loving message. Oh, what a kind, loving, compassionate Saviour we have! And He loves us though we err.” That I May Know Him, 285.

Yes, the idea that forming habits takes time and is a process, not an event, reminds us that the development of a Christian character is described in the Spirit of Prophecy as “the work of a lifetime.” My Life Today, 267. The Bible calls this process sanctification – “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Sanctification is accomplished by our willingness to be transformed and then through the power of the Holy Spirit being transformed day by day.

Sometimes, even when we have fully made the commitment for the Holy Spirit to work this process of sanctification in our lives, we may still make mistakes. But by recognizing what we are and what the remedy is, we know that we can confess those mistakes, repent and be forgiven.

However, we should be keenly aware of how important sanctification and character building are. Ellen White says, “A character formed according to the divine likeness is the only treasure that we can take from this world to the next. Those who are under the instruction of Christ in this world will take every divine attainment with them to the heavenly mansions. And in heaven we are continually to improve. How important, then, is the development of character in this life.” Child Guidance, 161.

“It is your work to advance toward perfection, making constant improvement, until at last you are pronounced worthy to receive immortal life. And even then the work of progression will not cease, but will continue throughout eternity.” In Heavenly Places, 186.

I’m working hard every day to develop the habit of clocking in, but am I working as hard to commit my life to the formation of a perfected character by the transforming power of the Holy Spirit?

“Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; according to the multitude of Your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. …

“Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. …

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me” (Psalm 51:1, 2, 7, 10, 11).

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

Judy Rebarchek is a member of the LandMarks team. She can be contacted at: judyrebarchek@stepstolife.org.

How to Be Among the 144,000, Part II

Editor’s Note: Last month we looked at what kind of character the 144,000 must have and how they must obtain it. This month we will continue on with our study of what you and I must do to be among the 144,000 and what sanctification really means.

The closer we come to Christ, the more we will realize that within us there is no good thing. Self must be crucified every moment of every day.

Our will must be surrendered to God’s will. And we must allow God to live out His life within us. There is no one so weak that he cannot be saved, because all the power to win the victory comes from Christ. However, there also is no one so strong that he can be saved in his own strength. From the weakest to the strongest we must crucify self and turn to God for strength.

This crucifixion of self is a painful process. I wish I could give you some pleasing doctrine that would just open up the gates of heaven for you without any suffering or pain, but God in His wisdom did not make such a way. There is no way except the bloodstained path of the cross. Since this was true for Christ, should it be any different for us? Paul wrote of Christ’s experience, “For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through suffering.” Hebrews 2:10. “Though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.” Hebrews 5:8. Christ suffered with temptations. He had to daily crucify self, and having been perfected, “He became the author of eternal salvation to all those who obey Him.” Hebrews 5:9.

I propose that this is good news! Now it may not be good news to think that you have to go through some suffering, but it is good news that you can be perfected by it. And we have the promise that we will not have any temptations but those which are common to man, and God who is faithful “will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13.

What type of temptations did Christ suffer? Peter wrote, “Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind.” 1 Peter 4:1. Christ suffered in the flesh, what the Bible calls our fallen nature, and He overcame! That is wonderful to know, because all of us have sins of the flesh, which seem to bind us.

Some people say, “I know I lose my temper, but you have to realize that is the way I was born. You must take the good with the bad.” This is the fleshly nature, and the Bible says that if you live according to the flesh, (according to your inheritance) you will die! (See Romans 8:13).

So what do we do since we all have inherited sinful tendencies? We do not all have the same problems. Some have inherited a temper, others discouragement and others selfishness. However, in every life there is some special sin that will require a life and death struggle to overcome. These are what Paul called besetting sins (Romans 12:1), and the devil has been cultivating them in our lives since we were born.

When a baby is born the Lord says, “I died for this baby. He is mine.” But the adversary of souls says, “No, he is mine.” And the battle begins. The Lord works to keep that baby, but the devil begins to work from the day that baby is born to hold him in the bonds of sin. He seeks to develop within that little child’s heart some special desire for sin. Even if the baby is born into a worldly home, the devil does not know when he might someday have the opportunity to hear the gospel and be inclined to accept it. So he works every day to cultivate in that child a love for some besetting sin.

A Struggle to Overcome a Besetting Sin

I remember holding an evangelistic series in one of my first churches. About twelve had accepted the Lord and were preparing for baptism. In the baptismal class, I was reading some Bible verses on Christian adornment and jewelry. Suddenly, one young lady, who had been married for only six months, caught the drift of what the verses were saying. It was too much for her and she said right out loud, “If I have to take off my jewelry to get to heaven, I cannot go!” And she left!

I suppose that from the time she was born, Satan had tried to develop that desire within her. What is jewelry? A worthless piece of stone cut into a beautiful shape. I could cut a piece of glass and most people could not tell it from a diamond, but, for some reason, people have placed a special value on certain little stones. They are willing to pay thousands of dollars to wear them around on the fingers.

So it was for this young women. If you could review her life, I think you would find that the devil had arranged affairs throughout her childhood so that she had heard people comment about various ladies’ jewelry. In her mind, jewelry had come to signify success and being a woman, happily married, and all those ideals.

A few days later, I went to her home to visit her. I was surprised, when I stepped inside, to find two non-Adventist ministers standing in her living room. She had called these other preachers to tell her that she could keep all her jewelry on and still go to heaven. When I came in, it was like waving a red flag before a bull. They turned on me—this crazy, fanatical, legalistic fellow who thinks people must take off their jewelry to get to heaven.

I was not very interested in trying to discuss jewelry with these two preachers who were not really interested in the truth anyway, so I changed the subject. I said, “I can understand why you do not see any importance in jewelry. You do not even see any importance in keeping the Sabbath.” That turned the subject, and since they were little match for the Sabbath truth, they soon left.

Two days later, we had a baptism with all the other candidates and this lady came with her husband and all her jewelry on, but with a towel. She came up to me and said, “Could you go over those things again?” The church was full and everyone was there, ready for the baptism to begin, but we went into another room and we started going over the Bible texts. We were there for two hours as she struggled with a spiritual battle. Finally, the tears came to her eyes and she said, “I surrender.” She took off her jewelry and she and her husband were baptized along with the ten others.

For this dear lady, giving up jewelry was a trial. She had to suffer and sacrifice to give up this besetting sin. Your besetting sin may not be jewelry, we all have different weaknesses. But for each of us, the way to heaven is the way of the cross. We cannot just sit back and say, “Lord, make me clean.” That is not the way it is.

When Jesus cleansed the Jewish temple, He went in, uninvited, and drove all the wickedness out, but inspiration tells us that He does not cleanse the soul temple that way. (See The Desire of Ages, 161.) He is very willing to cleanse our soul temples, but He cannot do it without our invitation and cooperation.

The Right Use of the Will

“The expulsion of sin is the act of the soul itself. True, we have no power to free ourselves from Satan’s control; but when we desire to be set free from sin, and in our great need cry out for a power out of and above ourselves, the powers of the soul are imbued with the divine energy of the Holy Spirit, and they obey the dictates of the will in fulfilling the will of God. God gives the power, but we must exercise the effort.” The Desire of Ages, 466.

We cannot do what God must do for us, but neither will God do what He has asked us to do. Ellen White wrote about a man that she was asked to anoint. She did not feel that she could do that until she had taken the matter before the Lord. During the night she was given a vision, and the Lord showed her that this man had a besetting sin which he had developed in adolescence. He knew it was a sin and he had tried to overcome it by fasting and prayer, but he was still bound by it. God showed Sister White that this man’s prayers had been answered and God had given him the power to overcome, but he had to put forth the effort. God would not do for him what He had given him the power to do for himself.

“Everything depends on the right use of the will.” Steps to Christ, 47. We must learn that we have to choose to do what is right and refuse to do what is wrong. Then God can help us. It takes our effort and God’s strength.

The Secret of Samson’s Strength

The story of Samson, in the Bible, fitly illustrates this important spiritual lesson in physical terms. Samson had incredible physical strength. He could conquer every physical difficulty. One time he carried the iron gates of a city to the top of a hill and left them there. But was it really Samson who lifted those gates? Was the power really his own? No, he had no more natural strength before his hair was cut than after his hair was cut. It was the angels who were lifting those gates. But, the angels did not help without Samson putting forth all the effort he had.

Think of this promise. “All His [God’s] biddings are enablings.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 333. If God asks you to do something, He will provide the strength for you to do it. Nothing is impossible for Him. But He will not do anything, until you put for the effort.

“God saw it was impossible for man to overcome in his own strength, with his own feeble moral power; yet man is required to exercise all the capabilities and powers that God has given him in order to overcome, and then he needs a higher power, and help has been laid upon One who is human effort, that through Jesus man may stand free, a conqueror.” The Review and Herald, June 10, 1890.

“The pleasing fable that all there is to do is to believe, has destroyed thousands and tens of thousands, because many have called that faith which is not faith, but simply a dogma. Man is an intelligent, accountable being; he is not to be carried as a passive burden by the Lord, but is to work in harmony with Christ. Man is to take up his appointed work in striving for glory, honor, and immortality. God calls upon men for the use of every talent He has lent them, the exercise of every power He has given; for man can never be saved in disobedience and indolence.” The Review and Herald, April 1, 1890.

“There must be an earnest effort to conquer through the grace freely given of God.” The Review and Herald, January 24, 1893.

“The help of God is held in reserve for all who demand it. Divine help is to be combined with human effort, aspiration, and energy. But we cannot reach the battlements of heaven without climbing for ourselves . . . Not even divine power can lift one soul to heaven that is unwilling to put forth efforts in his own behalf.” Signs of the Times, August 14, 1884.

Judas’ Doctrine

Any doctrine that is teaching people that they do not need to put forth effort to overcome sin is preparing people to be eternally lost. This was the type of doctrine Judas held. Look for a moment at how his story is told in The Desire of Ages, and let us trace the steps that he took before his great fall.

“He [Judas] witnessed the Savior’s mighty works in healing the sick . . . He felt in his own person the evidence of Christ’s power. He recognized the teaching of Christ as superior to all that he had ever heard. He loved the Great Teacher, and desired to be with him. He felt a desire to be changed in character and life, and he hoped to experience this through connecting himself with Jesus.” The Desire of Ages, 717.

This sounds pretty good. Judas loved Jesus and he wanted to be with Him. He wanted to be changed and he believed that if he associated with Jesus he would be changed. Doesn’t that sound like pretty good theology? Today a lot of preachers are telling people that if they will just spend time reading the Bible and studying every day they will be changed. But there is something more required than just reading and praying. There must be a crucifixion of self. When we are tempted to sin, we must refuse to sin with the power God has given us.

Continuing on with Judas’ story, it says, “He gave him a place among the twelve . . . He endowed him with power to heal the sick, cast out devils. But Judas did not come to the point of surrendering himself fully to Christ.” Ibid. That was the problem. Judas was no worse than any of the disciples in the beginning, but he never surrendered himself to Christ. He never went through the struggle, agony and the suffering of crucifying self. He never took up his cross. It makes me sad when I hear the doctrine of Judas being taught today, because I know that there are many people that will be as disappointed as Judas was.

Sanctification—More than Overcoming

A crucifixion of self is only half the Christian experience. It is not enough to get you to heaven. No one can ever get to heaven by simply overcoming sin. Sanctification is our goal. But what really is sanctification? Many people have been perplexed because they have equated sanctification with the process of overcoming sin, and they also know that sanctification is the work of a lifetime. Are we then supposed to spend our whole lives focusing on sin? No!

Sanctification is not the work of overcoming sin. That is only the beginning. When you overcome sin, your Christian life has just begun. We are all to go on to develop characters of righteousness. Adam, in the very beginning, although he had never sinned, had to develop a character. Jesus never sinned but His character had to be developed.

This development of character is something that is to go on as long as life lasts and will continue on throughout eternity. (See The Great Controversy, 678). There is so much more to living a Christian life than not sinning. It is not enough to quit stealing. We must go far beyond not stealing to giving unselfishly. We will not be saved because we do not curse. We must go far beyond not cursing until we are praising the Lord. We must go far beyond not hating our brother, we have to learn to love our enemy. We have to go far beyond not sinning. We have to go on in the path of righteousness.

We know that this is not an easy path. It requires us to struggle with agonizing efforts. (See Faith and Works, 48, 49). But, although it is a blood-strewn path, although it is the way through Gethsemane and Calvary, it is the only way to go that is worth living. For there is only one reason to live and that is to live forever.

There is nothing in this life. Soon we will see the final signs of Jesus’ Second Coming. And then we will see that cloud coming closer and closer. We will see the dead arising and we “shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” 1 Thessalonians 4:17.

When we get to heaven we will renew acquaintances. We will find people and make friends that have lived hundreds and thousands of years ago. I will look for my wife and children, my brother and sister, my parents. I will look for my friends and my church members whom I have learned to love. I will look for those with whom I have given Bible studies. Heaven will be very happy when I find someone there that I hoped would be there. It will be very sad every time I find someone not there.

I will go to the sanctuary because there is the greatest history class of the ages. A history that is in living color. I can see the battles that have been fought and I can go into the Councils with the Popes. I can see back before the flood or go to the angels and find out what happened in the great controversy in heaven. That will be so interesting! This life is passing away. It is not an easy way to heaven, but it is the only way out of this earth. It is the way of the cross. By God’s will and grace, I am willing to walk the bloodstained path. We must crucify self, every moment of every day. We must suffer in the flesh and yet we will have joy. That is one of the mysteries of the gospel. It is the only way of joy and yet it is the way of suffering.

There is no special time when God will send some mighty working miracle and all of a sudden you will be a different person. The only time there is to change character is today! There will never be any more power available than what has been given to us today.

If you cannot overcome today, you cannot overcome tomorrow. Right now in your present situation you must overcome the flesh. But you can do it! Jesus had all your weaknesses, and no more strength than He offers you and He was victorious. And you can be too. The very weakest Christians can be “more than conquerors through Him that loved us.” Romans 8:37.

Let us commit ourselves to the Lord. My prayer is that you will not be missing on that great day.

Do You Want Freedom?

Do you feel trapped? Are you weighed down with unwanted habits? Do you want freedom from smoking, overeating, a hot temper, etc.? Have you tried again and again to stop, but do not know how? Do you find yourself doing what you do not want to do, and not being able to do what you want to do? Well you are not alone; Paul expresses the same feelings, in Romans 7:15–18. “That which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I…for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.”

Is this how you feel? Do you want to do good but do not know how? Do you feel like you are in bondage, a slave to habits? Paul goes on to say, “For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.” Romans 7:19–23.

Paul is saying there is within us a law or power holding us in bondage to sin. This is terrible. Is there any hope? Can you ever be free from this bondage? In the next verse Paul says, “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?”

Christ is Our Deliverer

Paul goes on to say, “I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. . . . For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” Romans. 7:25; 8:2. “If the Son therefore shall make you free [from serving sin], ye shall be free indeed. John 8:36.

To bring us freedom is the whole purpose of the life of Christ. When Jesus began His ministry, He announced His mission in the sanctuary, He read, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He hath anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He hath sent Me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised.” Then Christ said, “This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.” Luke 4:18, 21.

Christ’s work is a work of deliverance and liberty. “Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?” Isaiah 58:6,7.

Life in Christ is Freedom

“The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” Romans 8:2.

Obedience to Truth (Christ) Makes us Free

“Jesus [said] to those Jews which believed on Him, ‘If ye continue in My word, then . . . ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.’” John 8:31, 32. “God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.” Romans 6:17, 18. “[How] shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy word.” Psalms 119:9.

Freedom from the Bondage of Sin

“Ye also are become dead to the law by the body [death] of Christ.…” Romans 7:4. “We are buried with Him by baptism into death…our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Romans 6:3–7.

Buried with Christ — Surrender Thy Will to God

“…if we have been planted together in the likeness of His death, we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection.” Romans 6:5. When Christ died, He prayed, saying, “‘O My Father, if this cup may not pass away from Me, except I drink it, Thy will be done.’” Matthew 26:42 “‘.…as I hear, I judge: and My judgment is just; because I seek not Mine own will, but the will of the Father.…’” John 5:30.

Surrender (Death to Self) — To Obey the Spirit

“…when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members.…But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit.” Romans 7:5.

Obedience to the Spirit — Freedom From Sin

“Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For…if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law [of sin].” Galatians 5:16, 18. “…sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law [of sin], but under grace.” Romans 6:14.

Through the Spirit Put to Death the Deeds of Sin

“For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.” Romans 8:13. “They that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.” Galatians 5:24.

Jesus said “If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself [die to self], and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.’” Luke 9:23.

Freedom Applied to Daily Living

Know and Claim Bible Promises

“Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” 2 Peter 1:4. “Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into His rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.” Hebrews 4:1.

Remember, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise.…” 2 Peter 3:9. And “God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13.

Read the Bible Every Day

“‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’” Luke 4:4. “‘Search the scriptures.’” John 5:39. “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.” Romans 15:4.

Guard Your Thoughts, Your Eyes and Ears

Temptation is stimulated by what you see and hear. “Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” Philippians 4:8. Keep your heart and mind stayed upon Christ. “Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” Galatians 5:16.

Give Yourself to God and Run From the Devil

When temptation comes, give yourself to God. “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7.

Resist Temptation with the Word of God

In Matthew 4:3–10 we read of Jesus being tempted of the devil again and again. And every time Jesus resisted, with a ‘thus saith the Lord.’ In verse 4 we read, “He answered and said, ‘It is written . . .’” In verse 7, “Jesus said unto him, ‘It is written again.’” In verse 10, “Then saith Jesus unto him, ‘Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written…’”

Be Prepared, Watch for Temptation Before it Comes

“‘Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape…’” Luke 21:36. Be prepared, watch for the things that trigger your habits (temptation). If the desire for a cigarette comes right after a meal, be prepared with prayer and Bible verses, and disrupt the habit with a change of routine. “Be sober, be vigilant [watch]; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” 1 Peter 5:8.

Total Abstinence

“Abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul.” 1 Peter 2:11. Put away sinful indulgences (such as cigarettes) completely and immediately.

Do Not Put Yourself in a Situation to be Tempted

“Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof.” Romans 13:14. If you are trying to stop smoking, throw away all cigarettes and do not purchase any. Do not “make provision” to be tempted.

Fellowship and Worship with God’s People

“And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together…but exhorting one another.…” Hebrews 10:24, 25. “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” James 5:16. “We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak.…” Romans 15:1.

Continue to Grow — Add to Your Christian Experience

Add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience;…if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.…give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall.” 2 Peter 1:5–10.

Victory is Through Faith and Obedience

“Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on Him [faith], ‘If ye continue in My word [obedience], then…the truth shall make you free.’” John 8:31, 32.

Obedience to Christ Wherever He Leads

“Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” Galatians 5:16. “These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth. These were redeemed from among men.…” Revelation 14:4.

Faith in Christ to Keep Us From Sinning

“…and thou shalt call His name Jesus: for He shall save His people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21. “…and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.” 2 John 5:4. “Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.” Jude 1:24, 25.

“…now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.” Romans 6:22.

To The Uttermost

In the sight of God, is there a hopeless case in this world? There are five stories to which I would like to refer, which are found in the Word of God. They are true living experiences that Inspiration records for us.

The first story is about a young David, who went up against the giant, Goliath. The situation there was apparently hopeless. If a vote had been taken from the Philistines and the Israelites standing and watching what was about to happen, the vote would have been unanimous: Defeat for David. (See 1 Samuel 17.)

Second, is a story about Naaman, a man who had a hopeless, incurable disease—leprosy. He was in a situation that was seemingly hopeless. (See 2 Kings 5.)

The third story involves three young Hebrew men who were taken captive and, with a vast company of Babylonians, were told to bow down to an image which King Nebuchadnezzar had erected on the Plain of Dura. Everyone bowed down except the three young Hebrews. It was an apparently hopeless situation for those three young men. (See Daniel 3.)

The fourth story, is the experience of 13 men in a ship on the Sea of Galilee, in the midst of a storm. The ship was filling with water, and it was sinking. It appeared to be another hopeless situation. (See Luke 8.)

The last story is the experience of two men in a dungeon, chained to the wall at midnight. Another totally hopeless situation. (See Acts 16.)

God’s Lessons

God has three lessons to teach us from each of these experiences. Every situation, from the human standpoint, was apparently hopeless, but God intervened in each case, and He brought hope to the hopeless.

  1. God says, I can do the impossible for you. I am reminded what Gabriel said to Mary when he was talking to her about giving birth to the Son of God. He told her that there is nothing impossible with God. Not one thing. (See Luke 1:37.)
  2. In these five experiences, we see God’s hand. In every deliverance from man’s hopelessness, there is God. Whether that man has realized it or not, acknowledged it or not, it is only God who can turn hopelessness into hope. Man can do nothing apart from God in regard to such situations. Some people may call it coincidence, but where there is deliverance from hopelessness, there is always the providence of God!
  3. God wants us to remember that, through these physical experiences which He has left on record for us, He is able to give us deliverance in the spiritual, just as much as in the physical. By leaving these experiences on record, He seeks to encourage us with what He can do for us. Physical deliverance, in every case, was by the hand of God. He is also able to do that for us in our spiritual lives.

The Universal Dilemma

Man, universally, is in a hopeless situation. All men, on the face of this earth, face the same hopelessness that is revealed in this statement of inspiration: “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” Isaiah 64:6.

This is the universal, hopeless dilemma that is common to every man and woman who comes into this world of sin. Even our righteousness is as filthy rags to God. Whoever we are, at one time or another, we have all faced it, or we are facing it now.

This hopeless dilemma that we find ourselves in spiritually, because of sin, is increased. Job refers to it in Job 14:4. “Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one.” Our hopeless dilemma in sin is increased with the reality that we, in and of ourselves, can do nothing for ourselves about this situation. Not one human being has ever been able to make themself clean. It is totally hopeless!

The Most Hopeless Human Being

Even though we are all hopeless, there are degrees of hopelessness. Romans 7:18, 19 tells of an experience which reveals the greatest hopelessness that man can experience. Paul describes the man who is the most spiritually hopeless in this world today: “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: [Now here is a man who has found out what Isaiah 64:6 says about all men. There is nothing good in me.] for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.” “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” Verse 24.

The most hopeless individual on the face of the earth is the person who has become aware of their hopeless state and somehow senses that there is a remedy, but they do not know how to experience the solution. They have a will, but they are finding that the will is not sufficient to cleanse them from sin, from their dilemma, from their hopelessness in sin.

How Do I Rid Myself of Sin?

A person who recognizes that they have sin in their life, but they do not know how to get rid of the sin, is one of the most hopeless individuals on the face of the earth. Millions of human beings go about every day, every year, year in and year out, never even realizing their true condition before God. They never respond to God’s Spirit. But here is a person who does respond. They realize their wretched hopeless state, but they do not know how to remedy the problem. Oh, what hopelessness. God has an answer!

There was a time when my life looked like a ball of knotted up yarn in apparent total hopelessness. Some of us still have a life like this, and God is here to tell us that it is not hopeless. We find that we can do nothing of ourselves. It is impossible for us to escape from the pit of sin, in which we are sunken, by ourselves. “Our hearts are evil, and we can not change them.…Education, culture, the exercise of the will, human effort, all have their proper sphere, but here they are powerless.” Steps to Christ, 18.

So not only the uneducated, but the educated as well are in this situation. Not only the untalented, but also the talented. Not only the uncultured, but the cultured. It does not matter inwhat strata of society we find ourselves, this is an apparently hopeless situation for all mankind. But God has the ultimate answer. It is found in Hebrews 7:25: “Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them.” Jesus lives right now; He exists right now, for you and for me. He will make intercession for us, if we will come to God through Him.

He is Able to Save to the Uttermost!

The word uttermost, has three meanings to the hopeless.

  1. Jesus Christ is able to save the most hopeless, to the uttermost. God has the ability to pick a man up out of the gutter and stand him on his feet. It is amazing what God is able to do in the life of a man whose heart opens toward Him.
  2. He is able to save us fully, completely from all sin. That is what uttermost means. God is not dealing with partial salvation. He is not dealing with an occasional experience of victory here and defeat there. God wants to give us an “uttermost” experience, a full deliverance from the hopelessness of sin.
  3. He is able to save us forever. Jesus wants to save us from sin, not only today, but forever. He is not only able to do that, He is willing.

“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. Our only help in this apparent, hopeless, spiritual dilemma in which we find ourselves, is in one Person only, one Being, and that is Jesus Christ. Is it any wonder that Satan, the enemy of Christ, the enemy of truth, will seek to malign His name before men?

An Oasis of Hope

There is only one place that we can go for help in our hopeless dilemma. Thank God there is a place, and there is a Person who can take care of the problem. Let us look at four distinct steps that a person, who finds themself in this hopeless, sinful condition must take to overcome with Jesus Christ. These steps must be taken, if we are going to have hope. It is like finding an oasis in the middle of the desert when you are dying of thirst. It seems like all is hopeless, then, all of a sudden, there is an artesian well in the midst of the dry, hot sand. God has that for us, if we choose to wake up and respond.

The first two steps are found in Romans 7:24:

We must first wake up to the realization of Paul, when he exclaims, “‘O wretched man that I am!” That is simple. We must realize that when God says we are sinners, when God says that we are wretched, we must choose to believe that and to respond. We choose to accept the light from heaven and see ourselves as God sees us. We must wake up and realize who we are and how hopeless is our situation.

The sad thing is, most human beings never get to step one. They never realize that they are hopeless. They realize that this world is a terrible place, and they walk through their whole life complaining, murmuring, and justifying themselves. But they never wake up to the reality of their true condition before God, their Creator, so they never seek Him. It is a wonderful thing to come to recognize your true need, your true condition.

“O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” Step two is that we seek deliverance. We are not satisfied with our condition. It is not only becoming aware of our condition, but also becoming dissatisfied enough with it to want help, to want to right the wrong that we see in ourselves. It is called determination.

Determination goes beyond good intentions. It goes beyond desires for relationship. It is determination to experience what we see in the light of God’s Word. We may be totally hopeless, but we know there is something else, and so we seek it. It is like the merchantman seeking for the goodly pearl.

The third step is the step that man takes from hopelessness to hope in Jesus Christ. Jesus says, “‘Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.’” Matthew 11:28. I am going to give you rest from sin; I am going to give you a whole new experience; I am going to give you victory over sin.

Recognizing Our Need

There is only one place that we can go to exchange hopelessness for hope, and that is to Christ. We come to recognize our need; we determine that we are going to have a change, and then when we find out where we can go, we go!

When my gas tank is almost empty, I do not stop in front of the dentist’s office. I do not pull up to the Post Office. I pull up to a gas station, because I know that is where I can get what I need. The only place where we can get what we need, to get us out of hopelessness and into hope in our spiritual experience with sin, is Jesus Christ. We must go to Him, personally, individually. Jesus says, “Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

John 6:37 says, “him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out.” Do you know that Jesus never turns down a case, no matter how hopeless it is? You come to Jesus, and He accepts you. That is a marvelous thing! You see, God stands behind His Word. These are not just empty, spoken words. Oh, no. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. (See Hebrews 13:8.) He stands behind His promise right now, this very moment in time.

Filled with Power

The fourth and final step is found in Matthew 11:29. Jesus says, “Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me.” Jesus says, Come to Me and I will relieve you of the burden of sin. And then He says, Take from Me. What does He want to give us? He wants us to carry a yoke. He wants us to serve Him. He empowers us to do that. That is what He is saying: “Take My yoke upon you.” Verse 29.

When He asks us to do something, He promises us the power to do it. Are you willing to do what God wants you to do? If you are not, you will not have power in your life. If you are, there will be power. It is as simple as that. In 1 John 3:7, John says, “little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous.”

If you and I are to be made righteous, we must do righteousness. That is what Jesus is saying when He says, Take My yoke. He is saying, I want to empower you to do My righteousness, to do what is right. You see, we will never be righteous without doing righteousness. God is calling us to do righteousness, not just be righteous. The Christian life is not one of passivity; it is one of action.

I Will Direct Your Path

Proverbs 3:5, 6, sums up all four of these steps. “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.” God wants us to trust Him fully and completely. He wants us to acknowledge Him at all times, which means respond to Him, obey Him, and He has promised to direct our paths.

He has promised to direct us out of our hopeless state into a state of hopefulness, into hope with Him. “When temptations assail you, when care and perplexity surround you, when, depressed and discouraged, you are ready to yield to despair, look to Jesus, and the darkness that encompasses you will be dispelled by the bright shining of His presence. When sin struggles for the mastery in your soul, and burdens the conscience, look to the Saviour.” The Ministry of Healing, 85.

When you need gas in your car, you go to a gas station. When you need hope in your hopeless life, you go to Jesus. It is as simple as that.

There is a true-life story in the Bible, which reveals these four steps. It is the story of a man who had been an invalid for 38 years. That is a long time to be in a state of hopelessness. It does not matter how long you have been in a hopeless condition, Jesus can still give you hope.

“And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years. When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, He saith unto him, ‘Wilt thou be made whole?’” John 5:5, 6.

Was it the desire of Jesus to make this man whole, to make him happy, to fill him with hope instead of with hopelessness? Oh, yes. That is the desire that Jesus has for you and me every day. He wants to take our hopelessness and give us hope; He wants to take our sickness and give us health; He wants to take our weakness and give us strength, and He is able to do that because He is able to save us to the uttermost.

“The impotent man answered Him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me. Jesus saith unto him, ‘Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.’ And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the Sabbath.” Verses 7, 8.

This man first realized his need. How could he not? He could not walk. Second, He determined that he wanted help. That is why he was there at the pool. Hopefully, somehow or other, he was going to be healed miraculously, if he could just get there first! And third, Jesus came along, and he trusted what Jesus said. Fourth, he obeyed what Jesus said, and he was made whole.

Acting on Faith Brings Results

It is as simple as that. Faith is not enough. Justification is not enough. God not only wants to forgive us, but He also wants to help us to walk in newness of life. It is only as we are able to walk in newness of life that we have hope for everlasting life, a blessed assurance in Him.

Mrs. White comments on this experience: “The poor sufferer was helpless; he had not used his limbs for thirty-eight years. Yet Jesus bade him, ‘Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.’ The sick man might have said, ‘Lord, if Thou wilt make me whole, I will obey Thy word.’ But, no, he believed Christ’s word, believed that he was made whole, and he made the effort at once; he willed to walk, and he did walk. He acted on the word of Christ, and God gave the power. He was made whole.” Steps to Christ, 50.

This experience defines true will power. It is our will linked with His power. That kind of power will enable us to move from hopelessness to hope.

Choosing Hope

There are three lessons that God wants us to learn from these experiences:

  1. God is able to save those who are the most hopeless. He wants us always to remember that. If you find yourself in that situation today, you can know that God is interested. His focus is on you, because He cares.
  2. He has the ability and the power to fully save us from all sin. We do not have to be burdened with guilt because of sin in our lives. We can be filled with peace as a result of His power working in us, enabling us to live righteously before Him, all the time.
  3. He wants to help us today, so that we might be with Him forever. He is able to save us evermore. Jesus said, “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” John 14:1–3.

It is a full salvation that He is wanting for us, to take us from the most hopeless state into the most hopeful. The most hopeful state will be to someday see Jesus face to face, and walk into our Father’s house.

Do you want to be there? Do you choose to be there? Then choose to meet the four steps every day with Jesus Christ, to grow and receive the power that He wants to give to you. Choose to put your will with His power and be enabled to become everything He intended you to be as His created child.

Bible Study Guides – Conversion

November 8, 2003 – November 14, 2003

Memory Verse

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9.

Suggested Reading: Steps to Christ, 49–55.

Introduction

“None of the apostles and prophets ever claimed to be without sin. Men who have lived the nearest to God, men who would sacrifice life itself rather than knowingly commit a wrong act, men whom God has honored with divine light and power, have confessed the sinfulness of their nature. They have put no confidence in the flesh, have claimed no righteousness of their own, but have trusted wholly in the righteousness of Christ.

“So will it be with all who behold Christ. The nearer we come to Jesus, and the more clearly we discern the purity of His character, the more clearly shall we see the exceeding sinfulness of sin, and the less shall we feel like exalting ourselves. There will be a continual reaching out of the soul after God, a continual, earnest, heartbreaking confession of sin and humbling of the heart before Him. At every advance step in our Christian experience our repentance will deepen.” The Acts of the Apostles, 561.

1 What did Jesus teach concerning the importance of conversion? Matthew 18:2, 3.

note: “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. . . . 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.

2 In what circumstance is all humanity involved? Romans 3:10, 23.

note: “If the transgressor is to be treated according to the letter of this covenant [the law of God], then there is no hope for the fallen race; for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. The fallen race of Adam can behold nothing else in the letter of this covenant than the ministration of death; and death will be the reward of everyone who is seeking vainly to fashion a righteousness of his own that will fulfill the claims of the law. By His word God has bound Himself to execute the penalty of the law on all transgressors. Again and again men commit sin, and yet they do not seem to believe that they must suffer the penalty for breaking the law.” The Signs of the Times, September 5, 1892.

3 What is sin? 1 John 3:4.

note: “Ministers who exhort sinners to be converted should distinctly define what sin is and what conversion from sin is. Sin is the transgression of the law. [1 John 3:4.] The convicted sinner must exercise repentance toward God for the transgression of His law, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.” Confrontation, 75.

“The desire for an easy religion that requires no striving, no self-denial, no divorce from the follies of the world, has made the doctrine of faith, and faith only, a popular doctrine . . . .

“Let none deceive themselves with the belief that they can become holy while willfully violating one of God’s requirements. The commission of a known sin silences the witnessing voice of the Spirit and separates the soul from God.” The Great Controversy, 472.

4 By what agency is the sinner convicted of sin? John 16:7, 8. What tool does this agency use to convince the sinner of transgression? Romans 7:9, 13.

note: “The office of the Holy Spirit is distinctly specified in the words of Christ: ‘When He is come, He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.’ John 16:8. It is the Holy Spirit that convicts of sin. If the sinner responds to the quickening influence of the Spirit, he will be brought to repentance and aroused to the importance of obeying the divine requirements.” The Acts of the Apostles, 52.

“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.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 213.

5 When the sinner is under conviction of wrong has he power himself to turn to obedience? Romans 7:18; 8:7, 8. How does the deliverance come? Romans 5:8; 8:3, 4.

note: “Man cannot transform himself by the exercise of his will. He possesses no power by which this change can be effected. The leaven—something wholly from without—must be put into the meal before the desired change can be wrought in it. So the grace of God must be received by the sinner before he can be fitted for the kingdom of glory. All the culture and education which the world can give will fail of making a degraded child of sin a child of heaven. The renewing energy must come from God. The change can be made only by the Holy Spirit. All who would be saved, high or low, rich or poor, must submit to the working of this power.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 96, 97.

6 What is the first step away from sin? Acts 2:37, 38.

note: “How shall a man be just with God? How shall the sinner be made righteous? It is only through Christ that we can be brought into harmony with God, with holiness; but how are we to come to Christ? Many are asking the same question as did the multitude on the Day of Pentecost, when, convicted of sin, they cried out, ‘What shall we do?’ The first word of Peter’s answer was, ‘Repent.’ Acts 2:37, 38. At another time, shortly after, he said, ‘Repent, . . . and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out.’ Acts 3:19.

“Repentance includes sorrow for sin and a turning away from it. We shall not renounce sin unless we see its sinfulness; until we turn away from it in heart, there will be no real change in the life.” Steps to Christ, 23.

7 What is our part in securing pardon? What is Christ’s part? Who does the cleansing? 1 John 1:9. Compare Psalm 32:5; 51:2.

note: “The only reason that we have not remission of sin is that we have not acknowledged to Him whom we have wounded by our transgressions, whom we have pierced by our sins, that we are at fault, and in need of mercy. The confession that is the outpouring of the inmost soul will find its way to the heart of infinite pity; for the Lord is nigh unto him that is of a broken heart, and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.

“How mistaken are those who imagine that confession of sin will detract from their dignity, and lessen their influence among their fellow men. Clinging to this erroneous idea, though seeing their faults, many fail to confess them, but rather pass by the wrongs they have done others, so embittering their own lives, and shadowing the lives of others. It will not hurt your dignity to confess your sins. Away with this false dignity. Fall on the Rock and be broken, and Christ will give you the true and heavenly dignity. Let not pride, self-esteem, or self-righteousness keep anyone from confessing his sin, that he may claim the promise. ‘He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy’ (Proverbs 28:13).” Selected Messages, Book 1, 326, 327.

8 What change is involved in conversion? Ezekiel 36:26. Compare Jeremiah 32:39; Ezekiel 11:19.

note: “When Jesus speaks of the new heart, He means the mind, the life, the whole being. To have a change of heart is to withdraw the affections from the world, and fasten them upon Christ. To have a new heart is to have a new mind, new purposes, new motives. What is the sign of a new heart?—a changed life. There is a daily, hourly dying to selfishness and pride.

“Then a spirit of kindness will be manifested, not by fits and starts, but continually. There will be a decided change in attitude, in deportment, in words and actions toward all with whom you are in any way connected. You will not magnify their infirmities, you will not place them in an unfavorable light. You will work in Christ’s lines. . . .

“The religion of Christ is to take possession of the whole being, and give force and power to all our faculties, renovating, cleansing, and refining. It manifests itself without parade, and high-sounding words, but is shown in an upright and unselfish life.

“God’s power alone can change a heart of stone to a heart of flesh.” Sons and Daughters of God, 100.

9 How did Jesus describe this divine transformation? John 3:3. Compare John 1:12, 13; 1 Peter 1:23.

note: “The Christian’s life is not a modification or improvement of the old, but a transformation of nature. There is a death to self and sin, and a new life altogether. This change can be brought about only by the effectual working of the Holy Spirit. . . .

“When the Spirit of God takes possession of the heart, it transforms the life. Sinful thoughts are put away, evil deeds are renounced; love, humility, and peace take the place of anger, envy, and strife. Joy takes the place of sadness, and the countenance reflects the light of heaven. . . . The blessing comes when by faith the soul surrenders itself to God. Then that power which no human eye can see creates a new being in the image of God. . . .” God’s Amazing Grace, 22.

10 Who may receive this new birth? John 3:16.

note: “The whole universe is under the control of the Prince of Life. Fallen man is subject to him. He calls upon them to obey, believe, receive, and live. He has paid the ransom money for the whole world. All may be saved through him. He will present those who believe on him to God as loyal subjects of his kingdom. He will be their Mediator as well as their Redeemer. He would gather together a church embracing the whole human family, if all would leave the black banner of rebellion and apostasy, and place themselves under his banner. He will defend his chosen followers against Satan’s power, and will subdue all their enemies. Through him they will be conquerors, and more than conquerors.” The Home Missionary, July 1, 1897.

11 What change will be seen in the converted life? Matthew 3:8; Galatians 5:22, 23.

note: “As the sinner, drawn by the power of Christ, approaches the uplifted cross, and prostrates himself before it, there is a new creation. A new heart is given him. He becomes a new creature in Christ Jesus. Holiness finds that it has nothing more to require. God Himself is ‘the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.’ Romans 3:26. And ‘whom He justified, them He also glorified.’ Romans 8:30. Great as is the shame and degradation through sin, even greater will be the honor and exaltation through redeeming love. To human beings striving for conformity to the divine image there is imparted an outlay of heaven’s treasure, an excellency of power, that will place them higher than even the angels who have never fallen.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 162.

12 What invitation does Jesus still give to those who have tried to work righteousness in their own strength? Matthew 11:28–30.

note: “The natural excellencies that men may imagine they possess are not to be considered. Natural religion, so-called, does not weigh in the scales with God, because all have sinned and come short of his glory. Those who are wise in their own estimation must see their need of heavenly wisdom. This fact is to stand out in clear lines: Man is a lost sheep, and can never, without divine aid, recover himself, or come back to the fold. There is only One who can reclaim him, and restore him to holiness and divine favor,—Jesus Christ our Redeemer. But, degraded by sin as he is, blind and wretched, man may be redeemed if he will accept Christ as his personal Saviour, and come back to his loyalty to God.” The Youth’s Instructor, August 27, 1896.

These lessons are adapted from the Sabbath School Lesson Quarterly, Pacific Press Publishing Association, Mountain View, California, April 1912.

The Malignity of Sin, Part II

You do realize, do you not, that the entire universe is watching you? Do not forget that you have been granted a probationary period in which to demonstrate your loyalty to the god you serve. “During probationary time the grace of God is offered to every soul. But if men waste their opportunities in self-pleasing, they cut themselves off from everlasting life. No after-probation will be granted them. By their own choice they have fixed an impassable gulf between them and their God.” God’s Amazing Grace, 243.

“Probationary time is granted us, opportunities and privileges are given us, to make our calling and election sure. How we should prize this precious time and improve every talent God has given, that we may be faithful stewards over ourselves!” In Heavenly Places, 359.

“Fallen man has the privilege of becoming intelligent in regard to the will of God. While probationary time is granted us, we should put our faculties to the very highest use, that we may make of ourselves all that it is possible; and while we endeavor to reach a high standard of intelligence, we should feel our dependence upon God, for without his grace, our efforts cannot bring lasting benefit. It is through the grace of Christ that we are to be overcomers; through the merits of his blood we are to be of that number whose names will not be blotted out of the book of life. Those who are final overcomers will have the life that runs parallel with the life of God, and wear the crown of the victor. When such great and eternal reward awaits us, we should run the race with patience, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.” The Signs of the Times, June 15, 1891.

This is a Test

Perhaps Abraham was called to give the greatest sacrifice ever required by a human being. Imagine being asked to cut the throat of your son! Do you realize that, because of Abraham’s earlier demonstration of lack of faith, Satan made accusations against him before the angels?

“The sacrifice required of Abraham was not alone for his own good, nor solely for the benefit of succeeding generations; but it was also for the instruction of the sinless intelligences of heaven and of other worlds. . . . Because Abraham had shown a lack of faith in God’s promises, Satan had accused him before the angels and before God of having failed to comply with the conditions of the covenant, and as unworthy of its blessings. God desired to prove the loyalty of His servant before all heaven, to demonstrate that nothing less than perfect obedience can be accepted, and to open more fully before them the plan of salvation.

“Heavenly beings were witnesses of the scene as the faith of Abraham and the submission of Isaac were tested. . . . All heaven beheld with wonder and admiration Abraham’s unfaltering obedience. All heaven applauded his fidelity.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 154, 155.

As with Abraham, because of our lack of faith, the test of loyalty we must go through (and should strive to excel) will tax our faith to the uttermost. The universe is watching us today. As we face our temptations, tests, and trials, heavenly beings are watching with great interest. One day soon our probationary time will be over. We do not know when, but we do know that the time will surely come. We will not receive a warning notice in the mail, nor will we be able to make arrangements for an extended period of grace. The books will be closed. What will be your final tally? It is up to you. Only you can make the difference.

The Work of Faith

One of my favorite chapters in the Bible is Hebrews 11. What an inspiration to read the accounts, “By faith . . . .” Our Bible heroes accomplished great things! Why don’t you put this study aside for a few minutes, get your Bible, and read that motivating chapter right now! Again and again we read the accounts where Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, and others feared, trusted, and obeyed the Lord and were blessed. Consistently, they received instruction from the Lord, acted upon it and received a blessing. Instruction + Action = Blessings!

While chapter 11 is an historical account, chapter 12 is for us today. I encourage you to go through this chapter in your personal study time, but for right now, take a close look at the first four verses: “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset [us], and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of [our] faith; 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. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.”

“The weights that are here referred to [Hebrews 12:1] are the evil habits and practices we have formed by following our own natural dispositions. Who are the witnesses? They are those spoken of in the previous chapter—those who have breasted the evils and difficulties in their way, and who in the name of the Lord have braced themselves successfully against the opposing forces of evil. They were sustained and strengthened and the Lord held them by His hand.

“There are other witnesses. All about us are those who are watching us closely, to see how we who profess a belief in the truth conduct ourselves. At all times and in all places, so far as possible, we must magnify the truth before the world.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, 934.

For the most part, we do not know what it means to resist unto blood, striving against sin. Usually, we do not even work up a good sweat. When one of our “desires” presents itself to us, we may, at first, put up a little resistance. We may even mentally give a decided No! But before long, we are smitten. We parley with the tempter. Then we begin to negotiate—“Just a little of this. Maybe just this once.” We begin to justify what we are about to do. Before we know it, we are seduced. We are in the spider’s web. Captured.

“Every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” James 1:14, 15.

Although temptation alone is not sin, when it is ignited by the sparks of humanity’s lustful desires, sin is the result. Sin is the transgression of God’s law (1 John 3:4), a departing from Him alone Who can save us.

“The tempted one needs to understand the true force of the will. This is the governing power in the nature of man—the power of decision, of choice. Everything depends on the right action of the will. Desires for goodness and purity are right, so far as they go; but if they stop here, they avail nothing. Many will go down to ruin while hoping and desiring to overcome their evil propensities. They do not yield the will to God. They do not choose to serve Him.” The Ministry of Healing, 176.

“The righteousness of Christ is not a cloak to cover unconfessed and unforsaken sin; it is a principle of life that transforms the character and controls the conduct. Holiness is wholeness for God; it is the entire surrender of heart and life to the indwelling of the principles of heaven.” The Desire of Ages, 555, 556.

The Way of Escape

“There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God [is] faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear [it].” 1 Corinthians 10:13.

“And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This [is] the way, walk ye in it . . . .” Isaiah 30:21.

“I have seen the tender love that God has for His people, and it is very great. I saw angels over the saints with their wings spread about them. Each saint had an attending angel. If the saints wept through discouragement, or were in danger, the angels that ever attended them would fly quickly upward to carry the tidings, and the angels in the city would cease to sing. Then Jesus would commission another angel to descend to encourage, watch over, and try to keep them from going out of the narrow path; but if they did not take heed to the watchful care of these angels, and would not be comforted by them, but continued to go astray, the angels would look sad and weep. They would bear the tidings upward, and all the angels in the city would weep, and then with a loud voice say, ‘Amen.’ But if the saints fixed their eyes upon the prize before them and glorified God by praising Him, then the angels would bear the glad tidings to the city, and the angels in the city would touch their golden harps and sing with a loud voice, ‘Alleluia!’ and the heavenly arches would ring with their lovely songs.” Early Writings, 39.

Obviously, we do not realize the effort expended in heaven to provide us every opportunity to be successful, because if we did, we would take full advantage of it. When the temptation comes, a way of escape is made available. The same power available to Jesus, by which He was victorious, is available to us today. Right now!

“In Christ dwelt the fullness of the Godhead bodily. This is why, although He was tempted in all points like as we are, He stood before the world, from His first entrance into it, untainted by corruption, though surrounded by it. Are we not also to become partakers of that fullness, and is it not thus, and thus only, that we can overcome as He overcame?” “Ellen G. White Comments,” Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, 907.

When you resist this effort—the heavenly power to keep you from falling to temptation—you demonstrate the true power of your will. If need be, all of heaven would be emptied in answer to your cry. Jesus is waiting, and the angels are ever ready and willing to come to your aid. But when the temptation comes, you cry, “I am weak,” and in your “weakness” (which is more accurately your strength, because in reality, you desire to partake of the temptation), you resist the power of the entire Godhead. That is what you and I do each time we decide to sin. In our “weakness” we manifest our true strength and desire to sin. But when we choose to do the right thing, and then do it, all heaven rejoices!

“As soon as we incline our will to harmonize with God’s will, the grace of Christ stands ready to cooperate with the human agent.” In Heavenly Places, 27.

“In the whole Satanic force there is not power to overcome one soul who in simple trust casts himself on Christ.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 157.

“Satan is ever ready to insinuate that prayer is a mere form, and avails us nothing. He cannot bear to have his powerful rival appealed to. At the sound of fervent prayer, the hosts of darkness tremble. Fearing that their captive may escape, they form a wall around him, that Heaven’s light may not reach his soul. But if in his distress and helplessness the sinner looks to Jesus, pleading the merits of his blood, our compassionate Redeemer listens to the earnest, persevering prayer of faith, and sends to his deliverance a re-enforcement of angels that excel in strength. And when these angels, all-powerful, clothed with the armory of Heaven, come to the help of the fainting, pursued soul, the angels of darkness fall back, well knowing that their battle is lost, and that one more soul is escaping from the power of their influence.” The Signs of the Times, November 18, 1886.

“We want to become so sensitive to holy influences, that the lightest whisper of Jesus will move our souls.” Selected Messages, Book 3, 355.

Partakers of the Divine Nature

“Those who would overcome must put to the tax every power of their being. They must agonize on their knees before God for divine power. . . . Men may have a power to resist evil—a power that neither earth, nor death, nor hell can master; a power that will place them where they may overcome as Christ overcame. Divinity and humanity may be combined in them.” Review and Herald, February 18, 1890.

We have another formula: Humanity + Divinity = Victory. How does this happen? The first ten verses of 11 Peter 1 give us a glimpse, but let us look at verse 4: “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” This theme lies at the root of many of Paul’s writings. (See also Ephesians 2:1–6.)

Inspiration gives us clear illustrations of how this happens. “We must realize that through belief in him [Jesus Christ] it is our privilege to be partakers of the divine nature, and so escape the corruption that is in the world through lust. Then we are cleansed from all sin, all defects of character. We need not retain one sinful propensity. . . .

“As we partake of the divine nature, hereditary and cultivated tendencies to wrong are cut away from the character, and we are made a living power for good. Ever learning of the divine Teacher, daily partaking of His nature, we co-operate with God in overcoming Satan’s temptations. God works, and man works, that man may be one with Christ as Christ is one with God. Then we sit together with Christ in heavenly places.” Review and Herald, April 24, 1900.

“It is our privilege to be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. God has plainly stated that He requires us to be perfect; and because He requires this, He has made provision that we may be partakers of the divine nature. Only thus can we gain success in our striving for eternal life. The power is given by Christ. ‘As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God’ (John 1:12).” Selected Messages, Book 3, 203.

“God’s purpose for us is that we shall be partakers of the divine nature. Only thus can we overcome the evils that beset us. It is by beholding Christ that we are made partakers of his nature. Keeping him ever in view, we are changed into his likeness. Thus we gain strength to overcome as he overcame. God does not ask us to fight the battle against sin in our own strength. He has given Christ to be our helper in every time of need.” Review and Herald, September 3, 1903.

“Christ has pledged himself to co-operate with those who work with him. He has pledged himself to train us to be his colaborers. He will help us to follow his example, doing good, and refusing to do evil. By Christ’s wonderful union of divinity with humanity, we are assured that even in this world we may be partakers of the divine nature, overcoming the corruption that is in the world through lust.” Ibid., May 13, 1909.

“The human agent who yields obedience to God, who becomes a partaker of the divine nature, finds pleasure in keeping the commandments of God; for he is one with God; he holds as vital a relation with God as does the Son to the Father. He understands the oneness that Christ prayed might exist between the Father and the Son.” The Youth’s Instructor, October 24, 1895.

“When we know God as it is our privilege to know Him, our life will be a life of continual obedience. Through an appreciation of the character of Christ, through communion with God, sin will become hateful to us.” The Desire of Ages, 668.

The Diagnosis

My friend, you and I suffer from the same terminal disease—sin. Yours may not be as far advanced and widespread as mine, but it is, nonetheless, just as deadly. Just as my neighbor and her husband are willing to do “whatever it takes” to overcome his cancer [see Part I in the February 2004 LandMarks], so must we be willing to do whatever is necessary to overcome our sins. The sins, which so easily beset us, must be resisted unto blood—now! Just as the addict and alcoholic must forsake their drug of choice, we must turn away from our cherished sins. There is only one type of offering that will be accepted by the God of Heaven. It has no blemish. It has no taint of carnal humanity.

There is coming a day—and I believe it is sooner than we would like to believe—when each of us will have to face our life’s record. On that day, there will be no negotiations, no explanations, and no exemptions. Our lives, our words, and our deeds will be measured alongside God’s unchangeable law—the same law that has governed this universe from the beginning and will continue throughout eternity. This may be your last reminder.

“Your only safety is in coming to Christ, and ceasing from sin this very moment. The sweet voice of mercy is sounding in your ears today, but who can tell if it will sound tomorrow?” The Signs of the Times, August 29, 1892.

It is far too late in this earth’s history to be playing games with your eternal destiny. “Choose you this day whom ye will serve . . . .” Joshua 24:15.

The Cure

“If man will cooperate with God by returning willingly to his loyalty, and obeying the commandments, God will receive him as a son. Through the provision Christ has made by taking the punishment due to man, we may be reinstated in God’s favor, being made partakers of the divine nature. If we repent of our transgression, and receive Christ as the Life-giver, our personal Saviour, we become one with him, and our will is brought into harmony with the divine will. We become partakers of the life of Christ, which is eternal. We derive immortality from God by receiving the life of Christ for in Christ dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. This life is the mystical union and cooperation of the divine with the human.” The Signs of the Times, June 17, 1897.

Cathy Summers Timmons, a Steps to Life staff member and a member of LandMarks’ editorial staff, writes from her home in Wichita, Kansas. She may be contacted by e-mail at: cathytimmons@stepstolife.org.

Ask the Pastor – Hatred

Question:

I have a problem with hatred. I have gained the victory over anger, for the most part, but I have a real problem with hatred. Is there any help for me at my old age?

Answer:

Hatred and anger are very closely related to each other. Usually the same circumstance will give rise to both of these emotions. We can define them differently by using the word anger or hatred, but they really arise from the same center of our being. Anger and hatred arise because of what someone does or says—either what we do to ourselves or what someone does or says to us or about us. Both of these can be overcome completely through the grace and power of God.

What we need to work on, by faith, is our perspective of what is happening. While we are to hate sin, we are to love the sinner, so we must change our perspective from the sinner to the sin. If the sinner makes us angry and we hate him, we are not working within the will of God. Leviticus 19:17 tells us that, “Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart.” There is an opposite side to this, and that is hating evil. We can hate evil because we love the Lord. “Ye that love the Lord, hate evil.” Psalm 97:10.

The interesting thing about all of this is that we are never commanded to hate the devil! We are to hate the evil and the sin, but not bring it into a personalized form. That places us in a position where we begin to judge a person’s motives and heart. “Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.” Romans 2:1.

So, if we can come to understand things this far, then the next step in getting over hatred is to understand 11 Corinthians 5:17: “Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” This is a transition that comes through faith. The New Testament makes it very clear that the burden of our life now becomes one of faith overshadowed by the grace of God that then moves us into an ever-changing pattern of living. This can only come through faith. It cannot come through any effort of our own in trying to overcome either anger or hatred. The more we exercise faith—which comes by hearing the Word—the more we become changed.

I know that this all seems like a lot of platitudes that sound good, but that do not really work. This is really not the case. If faith, which can bring change in the life, did not work, then the Christian way would have died out a long time ago. But because faith does work and it has been experienced by hundreds of millions over the centuries, Christianity survives today. The forces of evil try in every way possible to make of non-effect the Word of God, but it lives on. It is the continuous exercise of faith that counts and gives the victory. God has not left us to fall. He has promised to keep us from falling, which includes hatred of any kind and anger of any kind. “Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present [you] faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy . . . .” Jude 24. Faith is that element which is able to make the spirit of forgiveness a workable commodity in the life. Forgiveness can take the anger and the hatred away and still leave life with meaning in the Lord, which is the only thing that makes life meaningful anyway.

Pastor Mike Baugher is a retired minister of the gospel. If you have a question you would like Pastor Mike to answer, e-mail it to: landmarks@stepstolife.org, or mail it to: LandMarks, Steps to Life, P. O. Box 782828, Wichita, KS 67278.