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Bible Study Guides – Thoughts and Moods

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September 5 – 11, 2021

Key Text

“The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all His thoughts” (Psalm 10:4).

Study Help: Testimonies, vol. 2, 707–709.

Introduction

“Let your spirit be cleansed from all earthliness, all unholy, uncharitable thoughts. Let your words be clean, sanctified, vivifying and refreshing all with whom you associate. Be not easily provoked.” Our High Calling, 174.

Sunday

1 DEVELOPING NOBLE QUALITIES

1.a. What should characterize our attitude toward everyone—and what can help us consistently maintain such an attitude? 1 Thessalonians 5:14, 15, 23; 1 Corinthians 9:25.

 1.b. How is advancement seen in the life of the faithful steward, and by what means is this gained? Colossians 3:8–10, 13; James 3:17, 18.

Note: “When you have little difficulties to bear which seem hard, think of Jesus the dear Saviour, how He suffered and endured to save sinful mortals.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 3, 124.

“You will be misunderstood. Leave with God the wrongs which you think exist. Be easily entreated, and be not easily provoked. Do not speak angry words because of something you have heard. This hurts your influence. May the grace of God help you to have patience.” Ibid., vol. 19, 149.

“We must cherish love, not that which is falsely called charity, which would lead us to love sin and cherish sinners, but Bible charity and Bible wisdom, that is first pure, then peaceable, easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 558.

Monday

2 HOME AND COMMUNITY STEWARDS

2.a. What principles of God’s government should be remembered by parents training children? Psalm 85:10.

Note: “Disobedience and rebellion must be punished; but remember that the punishment is to be given in the spirit of Christ. Require obedience, never with a storm of angry words, but firmly and kindly. And when called upon to discipline your child, remember your own relation to your heavenly Father. Have you walked perfectly before Him? Are you not wayward and disobedient? Do you not grieve Him continually? But does He deal with you in anger? Remember, too, that it is from you that your children have received their tendencies to wrong. Remember how often you act like grown-up children. In spite of your years of Christian experience, in spite of your many opportunities for self-discipline, how easily you are provoked to anger. Deal gently, then, with your children, remembering that they have not had the opportunities you have had to gain self-control.” The Review and Herald, July 8, 1902.

2.b. What way of acting gives credibility and life to our missionary efforts in the community? Luke 6:28–30.

Note: “In all our associations with unbelievers, be careful to give them no occasion to misjudge your faith, or to reproach the cause of truth which you advocate. Many hedge up the way by their own course of action. There is some indiscretion on their part. They are easily provoked. Little difficulties arise in trade or in some other temporal matter, which lead them to think themselves misjudged or wronged by their neighbors. These things are allowed to create coldness or ill feeling, and thus to close the door of access to those who might be reached by the truth. We should never allow matters of temporal interest to quench our love for souls. Brethren, be kind and courteous on all occasions. Never be sharp, critical, or exacting in your deal. If there is any advantage to be gained, give it to your neighbor, whom you are required to love as you love yourself. With the patience and love of Jesus, watch for opportunities to do him a kindness. Let him see that the religion which we profess does not close up nor freeze over the avenues of the soul, making us unsympathizing and exacting.” The Review and Herald, May 22, 1888.

Tuesday

3 EXERCISING CHARITY

3.a. How does bitterness toward our brethren or sisters affect our relationships with others? Hebrews 12:15.

Note: “ ‘A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another: as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if ye have love one to another’ (John 13:34, 35). These words are not the words of man, but the words of our Redeemer; and how important it is that we fulfill the instruction that He has given! There is nothing that can so weaken the influence of the church, as the lack of love. Christ says, ‘Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves’ (Matthew 10:16). If we are to meet opposition from our enemies, who are represented as wolves, let us be careful that we do not manifest the same spirit among ourselves. The enemy well knows that if we do not have love one for another, he can gain his object, and wound and weaken the church, by causing differences among brethren. He can lead them to surmise evil, to speak evil, to accuse, condemn, and hate one another. In this way the cause of God is brought into dishonor, the name of Christ is reproached, and untold harm is done to the souls of men.” The Review and Herald, June 5, 1888.

3.b. What is the result of daily cultivating charity? Matthew 12:35, first part; Colossians 3:12–15.

 Note: “If you have love in your heart, you will seek to establish and build up your brother in the most holy faith. If a word is dropped that is detrimental to the character of your friend or brother, do not encourage this evil speaking. It is the work of the enemy. Kindly remind the speaker that the word of God forbids that kind of conversation. We are to empty the heart of everything that defiles the soul temple, that Christ may dwell within. Our Redeemer has told us how we may reveal Him to the world. If we cherish His Spirit, if we manifest His love to others, if we guard one another’s interests, if we are kind, patient, forbearing, the world will have an evidence by the fruits we bear, that we are the children of God. It is the unity in the church that enables it to exert a conscious influence upon unbelievers and worldlings.” The Review and Herald, June 5, 1888.

Wednesday

4 A TYPICAL PROBLEM

4.a. Name one evil commonly found in the church. Leviticus 19:16, first part; Proverbs 16:17–20; Jeremiah 20:10.

Note: “Floating rumors are frequently the destroyers of unity among brethren. There are some who watch with open mind and ears to catch flying scandal. They gather up little incidents which may be trifling in themselves, but which are repeated and exaggerated until a man is made an offender for a word. Their motto seems to be, ‘Report, and we will report it.’ These tale-bearers are doing the devil’s work with surprising fidelity, little knowing how offensive their course is to God. If they would spend half the energy and zeal that is given to this unholy work in examining their own hearts, they would find so much to do to cleanse their souls from impurity that they would have no time or disposition to criticize their brethren, and they would not fall under the power of this temptation. The door of the mind should be closed against ‘they say’ or ‘I have heard.’ Why should we not, instead of allowing jealousy or evil-surmising to come into our hearts, go to our brethren, and, after frankly but kindly setting before them the things we have heard detrimental to their character and influence, pray with and for them?” The Review and Herald, June 3, 1884.

4.b. How can we overcome this problem? Proverbs 14:15; 25:9, 10.

 4.c. If we find that a brother or a sister is indeed guilty of some wrong, what is our personal duty? Galatians 6:1; James 5:19, 20.

Note: “When we see errors in others, let us remember that we have faults graver, perhaps, in the sight of God, than the fault we condemn in our brother. Instead of publishing his defects, ask God to bless him, and to help him to overcome his error. Christ will approve of this spirit and action, and will open the way for you to speak a word of wisdom that will impart strength and help to him who is weak in the faith.” The Review and Herald, June 5, 1888.

Thursday

5 LOVING OUR NEIGHBOR

5.a. What changes are seen when we are not easily provoked and think no evil (1 Corinthians 13:5)? Ephesians 4:23–25; 5:9–12.

Note: “The person who cultivates the precious plant of love will be self-denying in spirit and will not yield self-control even under provocation. He will not impute wrong motives and evil intentions to others, but will feel deeply over sin when discovered in any of the disciples of Christ.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 123.

“Love is unsuspecting, ever placing the most favorable construction upon the motives and acts of others. Love will never needlessly expose the faults of others. It does not listen eagerly to unfavorable reports, but rather seeks to bring to mind some good qualities of the one defamed.” Ibid., 169.

5.b.        How can the world see in our life a daily growth in Christ? Titus 2:7, 8, 11–14.

Note: “Let each ask himself: Do I possess the grace of love? Have I learned to suffer long and to be kind? Talents, learning, and eloquence, without this heavenly attribute, will be as meaningless as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 169.

“While we cannot love and fellowship those who are the bitter enemies of Christ, we should cultivate that spirit of meekness and love that characterized our Master—a love that thinketh no evil and is not easily provoked.” The Review and Herald, June 3, 1884.

Friday

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

  1. Describe the reformation cited in Colossians 3:8–10, 13.
  2. How can we better represent Christ in temporal matters?
  3. How can we overcome the common problem plaguing many churches?
  4. What is wrong with “they say” and “I have heard”?
  5. Describe some ways by which the stewardship of God’s love can be manifested on behalf of others.

Copyright 2011, Reformation Herald Publishing Association, 5240 Hollins Road, Roanoke, Virginia 24019-5048, U.S.A.

A Song for You

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It happened in 1829 to a young girl by the name of Susanna Foster. She had a younger sister by the name of Elisa who lived to be very old. She also had some brothers, one of which was Steven Foster, a famous song writer from the last century. Susanna was a very promising musician and singer, but while she was still young, she contracted tuberculosis, a disease of the lungs. She was seriously ill and was expected to die. Some of her friends stayed up all night with her, not knowing at the time that it would be her last. At 4:30 in the morning, she awoke and sang a song. Her voice was clear and crisp; however, a short time after, she died, never to sing again.

Her family mourned her loss. Steven Foster was so young when she died that he never really got to know his sister personally, but the memory of her song on the night she died lived on.

There are often discouraging experiences in life that we simply do not understand. Some years ago, another young woman with two young daughters and a little baby boy died. After having a surgery for cancer, she went through a course of chemotherapy followed by some other treatments in an effort to help her get better. However, she did not get better; she got worse. When you are only 29 years old and you have two beautiful daughters and a beautiful baby boy, the last thing you want to do is die.

In the Bible, there is a story about a man who was told that he was going to die. The prophet Isaiah came to Hezekiah and told him to get his house in order, thus he was given forewarning. Hezekiah did not want to die right then so he turned his face towards the wall and he said, “Lord, I do not want to die.”

Hezekiah pleaded with the Lord that he would live a little longer and the Lord answered his prayer telling him that he would lengthen his life another fifteen years. However, a very sad thing happened during that time. Hezekiah fathered a child by the name of Manasseh who was one of the most wicked kings that ever ruled Judah. It was Manasseh who was responsible for martyring Isaiah the prophet and it was because of his influence that the children of Israel were taken into captivity.

This was the terrible consequence that resulted because Hezekiah did not die at the right time, at God’s appointed time.

Sometimes it is hard to accept God’s will when we do not understand the big picture. This young lady, only 29 years old, did not want to die either, but her condition worsened. The last time I saw her at church she was so sick that she was in a wheelchair and on oxygen. Her husband, standing beside her, too sad for words, just gave a nod of recognition. No words were exchanged; it was just too sad to say anything. Unknown to me then, it was the last time I would see her alive; a few days later she died. I visited her husband with his three children and felt the emptiness and the hollowness inside their home. The light of that house was no longer there; this man’s crown of rejoicing was no longer with them.

Jesus said, “Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear his voice and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation” (John 5:28, 29, literal translation).

This young lady had deteriorated so much that she had to be taken to a hospital. The family all knew she was dying, but still every effort was made to try and save her life and help her to stay a little longer. As the evening grew on, her husband decided to stay there with her all that night. In the afternoon she had asked him, “Who are all these people in my room?” He looked around and said, “I don’t see anybody; there’s nobody here.” She was insistent that there was, that the room was full of bright shining beings who were all around her bed, but he did not see anybody.

Pretty soon it was supper time. Surprisingly, for being in her condition, she ate a good supper and after supper they had a wonderful conversation together. They did not know then, but it would be their last conversation together, and then she went to sleep.

This lady had prayed, “Lord, if I have to die, because this is so distasteful to me leaving my children, please let me die in my sleep.” The Lord that night answered her prayer, and she went to sleep. About 5:00 o’clock in the morning, her husband who was sleeping in a chair by her bed, woke up with a start. He felt her and saw that she was not breathing. Ten minutes before, the nurse had checked on her and had seen that everything was fine. The doctors tried to resuscitate her, but it was too late; she was gone. She was only 29 years old, leaving two beautiful girls, a two-year-old baby boy, and a loving husband. Who can understand?

Life is so uncertain. At every opportunity show the members of your family the affection that you ought, so that if something should happen and they are taken suddenly from you, you will have some pleasant memories of the way you talked to them, and the way you treated them.

A physician was working in his office when his wife stopped by on her way to do some business downtown. She had wanted some time with him but was brushed off because he was “too busy.” A few minutes later he received the telephone call that everyone dreads. A policeman was on the other end of the line informing him that his wife had been involved in a serious car accident. A few minutes before, he had been impatient and “too busy.” Would those words be the last he would ever speak to her, words of impatience?

What if something happened to somebody you love? Would the last words you spoke be words that you would want to remember? Always make sure that your parting words are a pleasant exchange and never impatient or fretful. Life is uncertain and none of us know how long we have our loved ones with us. We need to take advantage of every opportunity to show love, sympathy and affection to those we love.

“Home should be made all that the name implies. It should be a little heaven upon the earth, a place where the affections are cultivated instead of being studiously repressed. Our happiness depends upon this cultivation of love, sympathy, and polite courtesy to one another. The reason why there are so many hard-hearted men and women in our world, is because true affection has been regarded as weakness, and has been discouraged and repressed. The better part of the nature of those of this class was perverted and dwarfed in childhood; and unless rays of divine light can melt away their coldness and hard-hearted selfishness, the happiness of such is buried forever. If we would have tender hearts, such as Jesus had when He was upon the earth, and sanctified sympathy, such as angels have for sinful mortals, we must cultivate the sympathies of childhood, which are simplicity itself. Then we shall be refined, elevated, and directed by heavenly principles.” The Review and Herald, June 22, 1886.

We need to express love and affection in our homes so that our children don’t grow up to be hard-hearted. What kinds of words do you speak with your spouse and with your children, with your brothers, and with your sisters?

That Sunday morning, I was on the way to the prison and needed to get all the sadness from my mind for the prisoners needed to be encouraged. I had been going to this jail for some time and I knew there would be between 15–25 inmates who would be there to sing songs and hear the gospel. Out of that jail ministry there were people who had accepted Christ, some who had become Seventh-day Adventists, and I was going there to be an encouragement to them and cheer them up. Jesus said, “Let not your heart be troubled; you 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 to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:1–3).

Promises like this we would share with the people in the prison and tell them that there are no jails in heaven. Neither will there be hospitals or any other trouble at all in heaven. The prisoners loved to hear about heaven and they loved to sing the song, “Power in the Blood.”

As Jesus comforted His disciples when they were in trouble, He left us an example. In the first chapter of 2 Corinthians you can read how Paul also comforted those who found themselves in all kinds of trouble. While behind bars many inmates reach out for hope of a better life. This can be a very fruitful field for evangelism for Christians who are able to comfort prisoners and give them hope.

As I was on my way to the jail, I was preoccupied with thoughts about these children who had just lost their mother from cancer. I just could not shake it out of my mind as I went up into the cell block that morning. One of the prisoners, whom I knew quite well, recognized a different expression on my face at once and asked, “What’s the matter with you, preacher?”

My purpose for being there that day was to encourage these people and not to tell them my troubles. He had asked a direct question, so not to tell a lie, I told him about my friend whose wife had just died from cancer, that she was only 29 years old with three children, two older girls and a little baby boy, two years old, and that when he grows up he will not even be able to remember his mother.

That whole cell block went quiet. Though I was only talking to this man who had asked me the question, everybody else was listening. I came right up to the bar that divided us and he did the same, and looking up into my face he began to tell me the story of his life.

He said, I have two older sisters, and when I was two years old my mother died from cancer. She was only 29 years old. When my mother died, my father could not cope and as a result became an alcoholic. There was nobody to take care of the children, so we were separated. My two sisters were raised somewhere else and I was taken to an orphanage.

This man had heard the Gospel presented a number of times with never a response, but now, all of a sudden, I understood what had happened to this boy, what had happened to this man. He had grown up deprived of a mother to love him, without the special tender love of a family, and no one to express that love and sympathy and affection that is so needed. With his mother, whom he never knew, and his father an alcoholic as a result, he had become hard-hearted, and as he became a man he had gotten into trouble with the law and ended up in jail.

Never before had this man responded after hearing the Gospel, but this time his heart was touched. I had been given the key to his heart as he had told me the story of his life, and he was now ready to respond and receive hope and comfort.

“The Lord has done great things for us, and we are glad. Bring back our captivity, O Lord, as the streams in the South. They who sow in tears shall reap in joy. He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him” (Psalm 126:3–6).

With all the prisoners still listening, even though I was just talking to this one man, I asked him if his mother was a Christian. He said that his sisters had told him that she had been a Bible believing Christian. Then I asked him if he would like to see his mother again some day, and he said, “Yes.” I commenced to tell him how that could happen. Someday Jesus is going to come back to this world; He is going to come back from heaven. The Bible says that every eye is going to see Him and when He returns, He is going to look down on this world, and He is going to say, “Awake and sing, you who dwell in dust” (Isaiah 26:19).

I told him that when Jesus comes in the clouds and says, “Awake, awake, awake, ye that sleep in the dust and arise” (Ephesians 5:14), your mother is going to awake and come out of the grave, and she is going to look for you. If you surrender your heart and life to Jesus, you are going to be there. Your mother is going to look for you when she wakes up when Jesus returns.

By the way friend, when Jesus comes, is there anyone who is going to wake up and look for you? Are you going to be there? If you are there, then they are going to sing.

I believe one of the persons who will awake in the first resurrection and will look for me, is my father. My father died as a result of being hit by a car in April 2000. I remember when I was a small boy at home, over and over again I heard my father pray during family worship. He would ask the Lord that our family might be saved, without the loss of one. My father did not want anybody in his family to be lost. He continually worked for all people wherever he lived in the world to share the Gospel with them, but he always prayed that all his family would be saved.

Who is going to look for you? Are they going to sing? Are they going to have a song in the night for you because you are there?

In Isaiah 30:29 the Lord says that you are going to have a song in the night.

Isaiah 21 talks about the watchmen: “Watchman, what of the night? … The watchman said, ‘The morning comes, and also the night. If you will inquire, inquire; Return! Come back’ ” (Isaiah 21:11, 12)!

The night of sin, friends, is almost over and the eternal morning is going to break very soon for the righteous. It will be eternal night for the wicked. So, because the night of sin is about over and the morning is going to come soon, the watchman says, “If you return, inquire and come.”

The context of the verses in Isaiah 21 is the fall of Babylon. In Revelation 18, when Babylon falls, the morning is coming. That is one of the reasons why people are going to sing, because the night is over. They will have a song in the night because the eternal morning is coming. With it, however, is also the night; eternal night for the wicked.

“Before the final visitation of God’s judgments upon the earth there will be among the people of the Lord such a revival of primitive godliness as has not been witnessed since apostolic times.” The Great Controversy, 464.

In order for the night of sin to end there must be a return to primitive godliness. As Jeremiah puts it, “ask for the old paths” (Jeremiah 6:16).

“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things” (Philippians 4:8).

Come out from among them and be separate. God wants a peculiar people who reflect His image, a people who will return to primitive godliness, a people who will reject worldly ways and its entertainments, adornments, and lifestyles. God wants people who are not afraid to be known as Christians and turn away from harmful substances like alcohol, and delight in the Sabbath, the special day that God gave to man for rest and worship.

The worldly ways that have been allowed to fester in the church have caused confusion and strife. Proverbs 13:10 says, “By pride comes nothing but strife.”

The Lord is coming! He is going to end this night of sin and we are going to have a song. But the people who have the song are going to be the people who beforehand had an experience in primitive godliness.

Make sure you are among that group of people, the ones who have a song, and are ready to meet their Lord and Savior when He returns (Isaiah 30:29, 30).

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

A Little Heaven…What Home should be…

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“A Little Heaven to Go to Heaven In”

“Society is composed of families and is what the heads of families make it. Out of the heart are ‘the issues of life’; and the heart of the community, of the church, and of the nation is the household. The well-being of society, the success of the church, the prosperity of the nation, depend upon home influences.” The Adventist Home, 15

The members of the home, through their speech and interactions with each other, will prove to be a blessing or a curse. Thus, much is at stake in the home. Now, more than ever, Satan is attempting to sabotage this critical establishment of society that God Himself instituted in Eden. The goal of any home should be to provide “a little heaven to go to heaven in.” The Review and Herald, April 21, 1891.

“The family on earth should be a type of the family in heaven. The home that is beautified by love, sympathy, and tenderness is a place that angels love to visit, and where God is glorified. The influence of a carefully guarded Christian home in the years of childhood and youth is the surest safeguard against the corruptions of the world. In the atmosphere of such a home, the children will learn to love both their earthly parents and their heavenly Father.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 10, 206.

“The home in which the members are polite, courteous Christians exerts a far-reaching influence for good. Other families will mark the results attained by such a home, and will follow the example set, in their turn guarding the home against Satanic influences. The angels of God will often visit the home in which the will of God bears sway. Under the power of divine grace such a home becomes a place of refreshing to worn, weary pilgrims. By watchful guarding, self is kept from asserting itself. Correct habits are formed. There is a careful recognition of the rights of others. The faith that works by love and purifies the soul stands at the helm, presiding over the whole household. Under the hallowed influence of such a home, the principle of brotherhood laid down in the word of God is more widely recognized and obeyed.” The Adventist Home, 31.

The devil does not want you to have such a home. He is determined to destroy the happiness in your home. One of the principal ways he does this is by influencing the members of the family, including the husband and the wife, to speak in an unsanctified way to each other. Here is an inspired description of this transgression. Notice that Satan’s ultimate goal is to destroy the church by destroying the family.

 “Well does Satan know what heaven is, and what the influence of the angels is. His work is to bring into every family the cruel elements of self-will, harshness, selfishness. Thus he seeks to destroy the happiness of the family. He knows that the spirit governing in the home will be brought into the church.” The Upward Look, 163.

Another method Satan uses to attempt to destroy the happiness of the home is by leading the husband into a misunderstanding between what it means to be the head of the house and what it means to be God. God has absolute authority. When God told Abraham to kill his son, Abraham was under moral obligation to obey. But no human being, whether husband or wife or employer or ruler, has absolute authority. All human authority is to be subservient to God’s authority and under the rule of His government. The following statements clarify this subject that is widely misunderstood.

“If the husband is tyrannical, exacting, critical of the actions of his wife, he cannot hold her respect and affection, and the marriage relation will become odious to her. She will not love her husband, because he does not try to make himself loveable. The Lord Jesus has not been correctly represented in His relation to the church by many husbands in their relation to their wives, for they do not keep the way of the Lord. They declare that their wives must be subject to them in everything.

“But it was not the design of God that the husband should have control, as head of the house, when he himself does not submit to Christ. He must be under the rule of Christ that he may represent the relation of Christ to the church. If he is a coarse, rough, boisterous, egotistical, harsh, and overbearing man, let him never utter the word that the husband is the head of the wife, and that she must submit to him in everything; for he is not the Lord; he is not the husband in the true significance of the term.

“If the wife should have the same mold of character as her husband, woe be to the children; the whole family would be a blot upon the earth. Instead of being a house-band, to bind the family together into the unity that is symbolized by the unity of Christ and the church, he will break every tie of affection, and the members of the family will be scattered, filled with bitterness and hatred one toward another.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 21, 215, 216.

Not only does the husband bear a critical responsibility to represent the character of Christ in his family relationships, every member of the family is to bear a degree of responsibility as well.

“Unless we control our words and temper, we are slaves to Satan. We are in subjection to him. He leads us captive. All jangling and unpleasant, impatient, fretful words are an offering presented to his Satanic majesty. And it is a costly offering, more costly than any sacrifice we can make for God, for it destroys the peace and happiness of whole families, destroys health, and is eventually the cause of forfeiting an eternal life of happiness.” Testimonies, vol. 1, 310.

We need to remember always that the words that we speak will be one of the major factors that determines our eternal destiny.

If our speech is to be reformed and changed, it must happen in this world before the coming of the Lord. This cannot be done in an instant and is why Ellen White told some people that they did not have a moment to lose. She cautioned that if they did not live long enough so that their speech could be reformed, they would be excluded from heaven. This idea is very unpopular today. Most people, including probably the vast majority of clergymen, believe and teach in effect that you can live like the devil without overcoming your character defects, but if the moment before you die you say, “Lord save me,” you will be saved. Wherever this idea originated it is not in the Bible and it is not true. The story of the thief on the cross does not substantiate this theory—see the description of that person who was saved at the 11th hour in The Desire of Ages, pages 749–751.

Notice how clearly the Spirit of Prophecy warns against the error of delay in self-reformation.

“Few have that genuine faith which works by love and purifies the soul. But all who are accounted worthy of everlasting life must obtain a moral fitness for the same. ‘Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is. And every man that hath this hope in Him purifieth himself, even as He is pure’ (1 John 3:2, 3). This is the work before you, and you have none too much time if you engage in the work with all your soul.

“You must experience a death to self, and must live unto God. ‘If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God’ (Colossians, 3:1). Self is not to be consulted. Pride, self-love, selfishness, avarice, covetousness, love of the world, hatred, suspicion, jealousy, evil surmisings, must all be subdued and sacrificed forever. When Christ shall appear, it will not be to correct these evils and then give a moral fitness for His coming. This preparation must all be made before He comes. It should be a subject of thought, of study, and earnest inquiry, What shall we do to be saved? What shall be our conduct that we may show ourselves approved unto God?

“When tempted to murmur, censure, and indulge in fretfulness, wounding those around you, and in so doing wounding your own soul, oh! let the deep, earnest, anxious inquiry come from your soul, Shall I stand without fault before the throne of God? Only the faultless will be there. None will be translated to heaven while their hearts are filled with the rubbish of earth. Every defect in the moral character must first be remedied, every stain removed by the cleansing blood of Christ, and all the unlovely, unlovable traits of character overcome.

“How long a time are you designing to take to prepare to be introduced into the society of heavenly angels in glory? In the state which you and your family are in at present, all heaven would be marred should you be introduced therein. The work for you must be done here. This earth is the fitting-up place. You have not one moment to lose. All is harmony, peace, and love in heaven. No discord, no strife, no censuring, no unloving words, no clouded brows, no jars there; and no one will be introduced there who possesses any of these elements so destructive to peace and happiness. Study to be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate, laying up for yourselves a good foundation against the time to come, that you may lay hold on everlasting life.

“Forever cease your murmurings in regard to this poor life, but let your soul’s burden be, how to secure the better life than this, a title to the mansions prepared for those who are true and faithful to the end. If you make a mistake here, everything is lost. If you devote your lifetime to securing earthly treasures, and lose the heavenly, you will find that you have made a terrible mistake. You cannot have both worlds. ‘What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul’ (Mark 8:36, 37)? Says the inspired Paul: ‘For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal’ (2 Corinthians 4:17, 18).” Testimonies, vol. 1, 705, 706.

In this world we are actually in an all or nothing warfare of which there is no escape. It is a war in which we either win everything or lose everything. Our speech in our families, to stress a point already made, will be one of the most decisive factors as to where our eternal destiny is going to be.

There is an excellent testimony written to “Brother M” in volume 2 of the Testimonies, pages 84–88, in which strong counsel is given that details many of the errors made within the family that prevent the home from becoming “a little heaven to go to heaven in.”

The concluding paragraph of this testimony provides food for thought that all who have a deep yearning for heaven—not just a heaven-like atmosphere in their homes, but an eternal abode—should give deep thought and make a matter of earnest prayer:

“If you lose heaven, you lose everything; if you gain heaven, you gain everything. Do not make a mistake in this matter, I implore you. Eternal interests are here involved. Be thorough. May the God of all grace so enlighten your understanding that you may discern eternal things, that by the light of truth your own errors, which are many, may be discovered to you just as they are, that you may make the necessary effort to put them away, and in the place of this evil, bitter fruit may bring forth fruit which is precious unto eternal life.” Testimonies, vol. 2, 88.

We may not carry all of the errors that Inspiration pointed out to Brother M in this testimony, but it is true for everyone that “if you lose heaven, you lose everything.” May God, in His providence, guide us as we seek to make our homes “a little heaven to go to heaven in.”

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

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

Friendly Fire

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Many people are unaware that friendly fire is a serious problem. We think that because of modern technology, friendly fire is a sad fact of the past. However, the statistics tell a different story. During six years of the Vietnam War, there were over 29,000 casualties due to friendly fire. In operation Desert Storm, 45% of all American casualties were due to friendly fire.* The government spends enormous amounts of money on research focused on inventing and utilizing devices that can prevent friendly fire, because, in a war, one of the most dangerous problems is not knowing who the enemy is and who he is not.

We all know what literal friendly fire is. It is when a person, or military unit is fired upon by one of his own side. It is impossible to win a war if you are wounding or killing your own men and not the enemy, thus in a war, if you are going to be victorious you must know who the enemy is and who the enemy is not.

Although this is a problem that many in the military and government are concerned about, literal friendly fire is not where my concern lies. What concerns me is that friendly fire is not isolated to the military world; spiritual friendly fire has become a problem of large magnitude in the church today.

In Galatians 4:14–16, Paul gave us an example of spiritual friendly fire. He wrote this about his experience with the Galatian Christians: “And my trial, which was in my flesh you did not despise or reject, but you received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus. What then was the blessing you enjoyed? For I bear you witness that, if possible, you would have plucked out your own eyes and given them to me. Have I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth?”

Paul here is asking a very interesting question of the Galatian believers. He recounts how, when he first brought the gospel to them, they received him “as an angel of God.” If it were possible, he said, they would have even plucked out their own eyes and given them to him. However, a change took place. A change in the Galatian church, that caused them to look at Paul as their enemy instead of their beloved teacher and friend. The Galatians forgot who the real enemy was and they began using spiritual friendly fire. They turned their weapons, not only upon their brother, but upon the very one who had brought the precious truths of salvation to them. They became confused about who the enemy was and as a result became guilty of spiritual friendly fire.

Since friendly fire involves firing upon your comrade, instead of your enemy, it is imperative that we understand very clearly the true identity of the enemy. Jesus had many objectives when He came to this earth, but one of them was to reveal to us who the enemy is and who he is not. Sister White wrote, “While on earth Christ sought to sweep away the distinction that had been made by the Jews as to who was their neighbor and who was their enemy.” Home Missionary, June 1, 1897. This topic is something that we, as humans, have had a problem with for a long time. It is so easy for us to become confused about the true identity of the enemy.

The entire parable of the Good Samaritan was given to correct the erroneous belief the Jews held concerning who was their neighbor. “Among the Jews the question, ‘Who is my neighbour?’ caused endless dispute. They had no doubt as to the heathen and the Samaritans. These were strangers and enemies. But where should the distinction be made among the people of their own nation and among the different classes of society? Whom should the priest, the rabbi, the elder, regard as neighbor?” Christ’s Object Lessons, 376. The Jews were certain that the heathen and Samaritans were their enemies, but Jesus came to reveal a higher order of love. Through the teaching of this parable, He swept away the prevalent thoughts of the day about who their neighbor was and who their enemy was. And the lesson He taught the Jews then is just as applicable to us today. “He teaches us to regard every man as our neighbor who is in need of our sympathy, of our assistance and our love.” Home Missionary, June 1, 1897. Who is in need of our sympathy, our assistance and our love? That encompasses nearly every person alive today and we need to regard each one, not as our enemy, but as our neighbor.

Who is Not the Enemy?

The first group that is not the enemy are those people that are in Babylon and that do not know this precious truth that we know. Like the Jews we are inclined to think that the “heathen” are our enemies, but if we think this, we are just as wrong as they were. We can never preach the truth in love, as God desires, if we regard the people in Babylon as enemies. We must come to the realization that although they do not believe the truth from the Word of God, they are not our enemies. They are the ones most in need of our assistance, our sympathy and our love. It is our work to do everything in our power to bring them to a knowledge of the truth; that they may not just be our neighbors, but our brothers and sisters also.

The second group that is not the enemy is even more subtle than the first. This group is made up of those who believe some heresy or fanaticism. Once again, it is not difficult to develop a mindset that looks upon these people as the enemy. We must not sanction heresy or error, and there are times that discipline is essential, but those that have been deceived into accepting false doctrines are not our enemies. They are in need of our assistance to show them the truths from the Bible. They are in need of our sympathy and love. None will ever be rescued from error if they are contemptuously treated as enemies!

Paul counseled us about exactly how we should deal with cases like this. “And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.” II Thessalonians 3:14, 5.

The last class who are not our enemies is perhaps the most difficult for us to deal with. These are those who believe the truth, and are striving to live it, but who think or work differently than we do. Although they think, act, and work differently from us they are not our enemies. This is often very hard for us to handle because we are often brought in contact with them every day, but it is essential that we learn not to regard them as our enemies, because, if we do, we will eventually become guilty of spiritual friendly fire.

“Christ said, ‘Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents and harmless as doves.’ Matthew 10:16. If we are to meet opposition from our enemies, who are represented as wolves, let us be careful that we do not manifest the same spirit among ourselves.” Ibid. Let us be careful that we do not become guilty of spiritual friendly fire. Are we being careful? Or have we started firing our weaponry at our brothers and sisters? Is historic Seventh-day Adventism being riddled with friendly fire because we have manifested the same spirit toward each other that our enemies manifest toward us? Are we confused about who we are fighting?

Who is the real enemy behind the error and fanaticism in the world today? Jesus said: “The enemy who sowed them is the devil.” Matthew 13:39. It is true that there are “children of the wicked one” (Matthew 13:38) in the church and in the world, but they are not the enemy. They are the very ones whom we need to love and help so that they may become “children of the kingdom.” Matthew 13:38.

How to Prevent Friendly Fire

In 1 John 4:7, 8, we read: “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” What must we do so that we are not guilty of spiritual friendly fire? We must learn to love one another. And, this is not something that comes naturally to us; it is contrary to our nature, and thus it is possible only through the grace of Christ combined with much effort on our part.

Jesus came to this earth, not only to die that our sins might be forgiven, but He “took the nature of humanity, in order to reveal to man a pure, unselfish love, to teach us how to love one another.” SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 5, 1126. It was one of Jesus’ special missions to teach us how to love one another, how to be free from friendly fire. Have we learned the lesson yet? Or are we still in the combat zone with one another?

Sometimes we think it is enough to have the truth, but we must not only have the truth, we must live it as well. The truth lived out in our lives is going to lead us to have deep brotherly love for one another. Speaking of the power of the word of God, Jesus said, “Sanctify them by Your truth: Your word is truth.…That they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, that they also may be one in Us.” John 17:17, 21. If we do not have this love among ourselves, those in the world will not be attracted to the truth, instead they will be driven away. (John 13:35.)

While I was in Ghana, earlier this year, I talked with a man who was a minister from another denomination. As we were talking, I discovered that he had previously been educated and served for many years as a minister of a Sabbath-keeping church, but he had left that church and joined a Sunday-keeping church. This aroused my curiosity. Why had he abandoned the Sabbath to join another church? It was not because he no longer believed in the Sabbath truth. He still knew that the Sabbath was the day God had sanctified. He told me that he left the Sabbath-keeping church because he did not see very much love among the members and leaders, and he found a loving atmosphere in the Sunday keeping church. How many others are there like this? Are people drawn to our churches because of the brotherly love they see there or do they spurn the truth because of the friendly fire that exists?

Learning Brotherly Love

Inspired writings contain counsel on many practical ways that we can learn to love one another. However, there are three main guidelines that, if applied to our lives, will bring about a transformation in our homes and in our churches.

The first and most important of the three is found in I Corinthians 13:5. In this verse it gives the following description of love: Love “does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil.” This is the most important thing to remember in our study on how to love one another. We must think no evil of one another. Spiritual friendly fire originates in our thoughts. In the military, no one can be guilty of friendly fire by only thinking about it, but this is how spiritual friendly fire most often occurs. If we are going to overcome friendly fire, this is where we must begin. Fortunately for us, the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy give us much instruction on what steps we need to take in order to think no evil of our brothers and sisters.

In Our High Calling, 178, we read, “See how you can forgive those who trespass against you, even as you want your Father in heaven to forgive your trespasses.” Probably all of us have had a brother or sister do something to us that hurt or offended us in some way. It is important, then, that we learn to forgive, because that is one of the first steps in thinking no evil and learning to love one another. Forgiveness is a much large topic than most people realize. It must go deeper than just saying that we forgive one another—it must come “from the heart” (Matthew 18:35) and be as deep and full as the forgiveness that the Lord freely gives to us.

God freely forgave Paul, who assisted in the murder of His appointed messenger. Can we forgive the one who wrongs us that much? God’s forgiveness is not just lip service, it is full and deep. At the close of the judgment, all the sins of the truly penitent will be “blotted out.” (Acts 3:19.) Can we blot from our memory the wrongs that have been committed against us? If we are going to have the love for one another that Jesus prayed would exist, we must.

“Jesus, who died for us, loves us with a love that is infinite; and we must love one another. We must put away all selfishness, and work together in love and unity. We have loved and petted ourselves, and excused ourselves in waywardness; but we have been unmerciful toward our brethren, who may not be as faulty as ourselves. The Lord loves us, and bears with us, even when we are ungrateful to Him, forgetful of His mercies, wickedly unbelieving; but consider, brethren, how relentless we are to one another, how pitiless; how we hurt and wound one another, when we should love as Christ has loved us. Let us make a complete change.” Gospel Workers, 429. If we are going to love one another, we must put away our selfishness. We must not look on our own things, but on the things of others. (Philippians 2:4.) We have loved, petted and excused ourselves while we are unmerciful toward our brethren. All of these things originate in how we think about one another. We must consider our own deplorable condition and how God deals with us and then deal with our brethren in the same manner.

“Then let us feast upon Christ. Let us enjoy His love, and praise God for this great salvation. Then we shall come together, heart to heart. When we shall subdue our pride, when we shall pluck from the garden of the soul every fiber of the root of bitterness, our hearts will flow together as the heart of one.” General Conference Daily Bulletin, April 13, 1891. Pride must come out of our hearts. It was pride that caused the great division in heaven and pride will continue to do so here. Also every fiber of bitterness must be thoroughly uprooted. If we are harboring bitterness of any kind in our minds, we will not be loving our brethren as we must and we will be defiled. (Hebrews 12:15.)

“Then all this heart burning and distrust must cease, and in place of it, there will be love and union, courtesy, kindness, and tenderness.” Ibid.

In Our High Calling, 178, we are told, “Press together. Do not make little wedges of slight differences of opinion, and drive them in to separate heart from heart, but see how you can love one another even as Christ has loved you.” The slight differences of opinion that will inevitably arise among us can become little wedges. Just as a wedge begins by making an ever so slight crack and continually increases it until the wood is split in two, so slight differences of opinion can drive us far apart. At first they may be ever so small, but if harbored and dwelt upon, they can separate the dearest of friends.

Our natural tendency is to be lenient with our mistakes, but to be harsh on others. This also must change if we are going to stop using friendly fire. “We must be kind, forbearing, patient with one another’s errors; we must keep our sharp criticisms for ourselves, but hope all things, believe all things, of our brethren.” Gospel Workers, 429.

“Then how dare you allow one thought of opposition against one child of God? How dare you do it? We want melting mercy to fall upon us. And Jesus says it is not possible for the Father to love us if we do not love one another. It is possible to love one another. Therefore you must not make up your minds you cannot do it.” Sermons and Talks, vol. 2, 16. If we are striving to not think evil of our brethren, then we must not allow thoughts of opposition against a child of God to fester in our minds.

Speak No Evil

The second main point that we must adhere to, if we are going to cease our friendly fire, is found in 1 Peter 2:1. “Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking.” If we have learned to think no evil of our brethren, the second step will be a natural result; we will speak no evil.

“How the enemy has brought his own spirit into our work! We do not love one another, as Christ has enjoined upon us, because we do not love Christ. If your track is crossed in any way, if any one differs in opinion from you, then in place of feeling humility of mind, in place of carrying your burden to Christ, and asking Him for wisdom and light to know what is truth, you draw from Him, and are tempted to present your brother’s views in a false light, that they shall not have influence.” Review and Herald, August 27, 1889.

If you have ever heard two sides of the same story, you realize the relevancy of this counsel. We always tend to present our side in the best colors possible and our brother’s side in as dark hues as we can, but this must stop. We must learn to go to Jesus for wisdom and light and leave the enemy’s spirit out of our work.

“Those who learn His meekness and lowliness learn also how to love one another as He has loved them. They reach the place where they refuse to criticize and condemn others.” Upward Look, 359. Have we come to that place yet? If we are going to learn to speak no evil of our brethren, we must reach this place.

Love Shown In Our Actions

Lastly, if we have applied the other two points, our actions will show our love to one another. Jesus spoke about this high ideal in the sermon on the mount. He said, “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.” Matthew 5:44. It is difficult not to think or speak evil of those with whom we do not see eye to eye. However, Jesus’ ideals are even higher than simply not thinking or speaking evil. He says that we must love, bless, do good, and pray for those with whom we have differences.

Jesus exemplified this in His life when, as the Roman soldiers drove the spikes through His hands, He said, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.” We can and must reach the point where we too can say when someone drives those figurative spikes through our hands, “Father forgive them for they do not realize what they are doing. They do not realize that I am not the enemy.”

The very top of the ladder of brotherly love is found in 1 John 3:16. “By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” Jesus demonstrated that perfect love for us by dying for us while we were yet His rebellious children, and He desires that love to be perfected in us. If we are finding it difficult to love someone, we need to go to our closet and plead with the Lord to give us love enough to die for that person. The Lord will answer that prayer if we are only willing to follow the steps that He has already walked before us.

* These statistics were taken from the following web sites: www.members.aol.com/warlibrary and www.members.aol.com/amerwar

Principles of Protestantism

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The root word of Protestantism is protest, which means “to express strong dissent or objection.” Do Protestants today know the protest of their forefathers? Are Protestants today still standing in protest? During the Reformation, our forefathers stood for and died for the principles of Protestantism. Can you do the same? Do you know the principles of Protestantism?

The Bible alone is the foundation of faith

Protestants took the position that the Bible, and the Bible alone, constituted the rule of faith and doctrine, that the word of God is the only unerring guide for human souls, and that it is unnecessary and harmful to take the words of priests and prelates instead of the word of God. The Bible alone is the religion of true Protestantism.

All men may read and understand the Bible

The Protestant Reformers believed that the Bible was written for all mankind, and with the aid of the Holy Spirit, everyone could read and understand God’s Word.

Truth is progressive — Accept all new truth

Protestant Reformers believed that truth is progressive, and all should be ready to accept new light as it shines from God’s Word.

“The Puritans had joined themselves together by a solemn covenant, as the Lord’s free people, ‘to walk together in all His ways made known or to be made known to them.’…Here was the true spirit of reform, the vital principle of Protestantism.…John Robinson…said: ‘Brethren, . . I charge you before God and His blessed angels to follow me no farther than I have followed Christ. If God should reveal anything to you by any other instrument of His, be as ready to receive it as ever you were to receive any truth of my ministry; for I am very confident the Lord hath more truth and light yet to break forth out of His holy word.’.…‘Remember your church covenant, in which you have agreed to walk in all the ways of the Lord, made or to be made known unto you. Remember your promise and covenant with God and with one another, to receive whatever light and truth shall be made known to you from His written word; but withal, take heed, I beseech you, what you receive for truth, and compare it and weigh it with other scriptures of truth before you accept it; for it is not possible the Christian world should come so lately out of such thick antichristian darkness, and that full perfection of knowledge should break forth at once.’”
The Great Controversy, 291, 292.

Church has no authority against the Scriptures

“In the presence of the monarch and the leading men of Sweden, Olaf Petri with great ability defended the doctrines of the reformed faith against the Romish champions. He declared that the teachings of the Fathers are to be received only when in accordance with the Scriptures. …Christ said, ‘My doctrine is not Mine, but His that sent Me’ (John 7:16); and Paul declared that should he preach any other gospel than that which he had received, he would be accursed (Galatians 1:8). ‘How, then,’ said the Reformer, ‘shall others presume to enact dogmas at their pleasure, and impose them as things necessary to salvation?’…He showed that the decrees of the church are of no authority when in opposition to the commands of God, and maintained the great Protestant principle that ‘the Bible and the Bible only’ is the rule of faith and practice.” Ibid.,243.

Stood for freedom of speech

The Reformers believed in the right to teach and preach their convictions of truth. They denied the power of the church to try to control what they could preach.

Freedom to worship according to your conscience

The Protestant Reformers believed all men have the right to freedom of conscience, the freedom for all to worship according to the dictates of their own conscience.

Protesting the Principles of Rome

Bible interpreted by the leaders

“The mistake made by the Roman Catholic is that he reads the Bible in the light of the priests and rulers of the church, the early fathers, or other Catholic expositors.” Review and Herald, August 13, 1859. “The Roman Church reserves to the clergy the right to interpret the Scriptures.” On the ground that ecclesiastics alone are competent to explain God’s word, it is withheld from the common people.” The Great Controversy,596.

Human traditions above the commands of God

“The spirit of the papacy,—the spirit of conformity to worldly customs, the veneration for human traditions above the commands of God,—is permeating the Protestant churches…” The Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 4, 390.

Rome’s plans reach far into the future

“The Protestant churches are in great darkness, or they would discern the signs of the times. The Roman Church is far-reaching in her plans and modes of operation.” Signs of the Times, June 30, 1898.

Rome will use oppression to further it’s cause

“It was a fundamental principle of the [Jesuit] order that the end justifies the means. By this code, lying, theft, perjury, assassination, were not only pardonable but commendable, when they served the interests of the church.” The Great Controversy, 235.

Rome never changes

“It is the boast of Rome that she never changes. The principles of Gregory VII and Innocent III are still the principles of the Roman Catholic Church.” Ibid., 581.

America, a Protestant Nation

America was founded upon religious freedom. Many of our forefathers came to the shores of America fleeing from Roman oppression.

Fleeing from Papal religious intolerance

“Those who first found an asylum on the shores of America rejoiced that they had reached a country free from the arrogant claims of popery and the tyranny of kingly rule. They determined to establish a government upon the broad foundation of civil and religious liberty.” Signs of the Times, November 1, 1899.

Government founded on Religious Liberty

“Among the Christian exiles who first fled to America and sought an asylum from royal oppression and priestly intolerance were many who determined to establish a government upon the broad foundation of civil and religious liberty. Their views found place in the Declaration of Independence, which sets forth the great truth that ‘all men are created equal’ and endowed with the inalienable right to ‘life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.’…Freedom of religious faith was also granted, every man being permitted to worship God according to the dictates of his conscience. Republicanism and Protestantism became the fundamental principles of the nation. The Great Controversy,441.

Our greatest fear is to forget the past

Have Protestants forgotten the cruelty of Roman oppression, the slaughter of thousands of Christians? Have Protestants forgotten that Rome never changes? She may work in secret, but her plan is still the same—to take control of government power and rule with oppression. Take a look at a very recent Apostolic letter (decree) from Pope John Paul II, given May 28, 1998, and instituted into the Code of Canon Law of the Catholic Church.

“Canon 1436:

  1. Whoever denies a truth which must be believed with divine and catholic faith, or who calls into doubt, or who totally repudiates the Christian faith, and does not retract after having been legitimately warned, is to be punished as a heretic or an apostate with a major excommunication; a cleric moreover can be punished with other penalties, not excluding deposition.
  2. In addition to these cases, whoever obstinately rejects a teaching that the Roman Pontiff or the College of Bishops, exercising the authentic Magisterium, have set forth to be held definitively, or who affirms what they have condemned as erroneous, and does not retract after having been legitimately warned, is to be punished with an appropriate penalty.”

It is now time for Protestant churches to take a stand, before it is too late, and protest any concessions with Rome or Roman principles.

The greatest fear of the future is to forget the past.

Be Ye Holy in all Manner of Conversation

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“Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:13–16.

“The apostle Peter here gives instruction for believers to gird up the loins of their minds. We are to have special care over the thoughts of the mind. We are not to allow our minds to be diverted and allured by different things, because there is something more important for us. If we would allow the mind to take its natural turn, it might dwell upon unimportant things and we receive no benefit thereby.

“Here is presented before us the one great event—the coming of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, when the graves are to be opened and the dead be raised, and we are to be changed. This event should fill our mind and crowd out everything else. We want to make the most of the privileges and opportunities we have to prepare for the future immortal life.

“The truth of God has taken us out of the quarry of the world to fit us up for the heavenly temple of God. We may look upon one another and think, ‘There is a great work to be done for that brother and for that sister,’ but we may not take into consideration the work that is to be done for ourselves. And if Satan can get in among the people [and produce] a spirit of criticism, then he is satisfied, for a root of bitterness springs up in these [members] wherewith he will be satisfied. We are not all of the same character, but we are brought together in church capacity and we count ourselves as children of God, and we talk of having a home in the city of God.

“Our faith is that if we perfect a Christian character we shall be numbered as the family of God in the mansions that He has gone to prepare for us. Now, our heavenly father brings us together in church capacity that we may gain in knowledge and be fitting up for the community of heaven. ‘Well,’ some may say, ‘All I want is that everyone should see eye to eye.’ But there are those who want everyone to see just as they do. They do not consider that they have traits of character that must be changed. Then, what is the work before us in order to be ready to be among those who are waiting for their Lord to come in the clouds of heaven? It is for us to be in a position of humility before God. ‘Gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.’

“The Lord has not placed before one individual the trade of becoming a church tinker, but we want individually to feel that we have a responsibility before God to be a blessing to everyone with whom we associate. And we are to consider that every brother and sister is the purchase of the blood of Christ. Here we are, living stones out of the quarry, and we are to be chiseled and fitted for the new Jerusalem. Do not let any of us think that we are all right. As soon as we are taken out of the quarry, we have a work to do for ourselves. ‘The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh,’ and we want to be considering those things that will give us solidity of character. We do not want to have a high estimate of ourselves, but we want to esteem others better than ourselves. We want that our souls shall be uplifted to God every moment for help, for fear we shall fall. And while some are so diligent to look after others, they will forget the work there is for their own soul.

“We are to heed the exhortation of the apostle, that we are to be holy in all manner of conversation. And as we separate those things from us which will be a hindrance to our advancement, the Holy Spirit will come in. We want to be filled with the spirit of Jesus, and if you are not closely connected with Christ, then the thoughts of your mind will be upon unimportant things; but if you are connected with Jesus, you will just as surely be a channel of light as Jesus is light, for Jesus has said to His followers, ‘Ye are the light of the world.’

“Now, we are by living faith to keep our eyes fixed upon the Author and Finisher of our faith. ‘As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: but as He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation.’

“Before we become acquainted with Jesus, the conversation is upon the dress, and what shall we eat, and what shall we drink, and what shall we wear? And we find fault with one another. But as soon as we become acquainted with Christ, our conversation changes.

“Here we are, objects of His love. Has the change taken place in us? Namely, have we passed from death unto life? Have we died indeed to self? Have we fastened our hearts and affections upon the great God? He is all light and power.

“Every provision has been made for us that can be made by our precious Saviour, that we may have that abundant grace so that we may overcome every defect in our character. And we cannot afford to satisfy ourselves in this life, but we want the fullness that is in Jesus, and we must train ourselves to talk of those things which will bring to us peace and light. As we have our conversation upon heaven and heavenly things, the angels of God are all around us; and when we are, in our thoughts and with our hearts, drawing near to God, then He is drawing nigh to us. His love is in our hearts, and then we speak it from our lips.

“It is not only our duty to train our minds upon heavenly things, but we are to talk of these things, for it is our duty to bind about our mind, to gird up the loins of our mind, and say, ‘I will not think of these things.’ Then it is our duty to guard our conversation.

“We would think, from the shadow that many walk in, that they had no Saviour. But I want to speak to those, and say ‘Christ is risen! He is not in Joseph’s new tomb, but He has arisen and has ascended up on high to make intercession for us!’ We have a risen Saviour interceding for us, and we must walk in harmony with God. He is seeking to ‘purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.’ If we seek with all our hearts to be obedient children, conforming our will to the will of God, then the work can go forward in us without interruption. Let us not forget for one moment that we are living for the future immortal life, and let us put away from us everything like complaint and faultfinding. Let our words, our conversation, reveal to the world that we have a hope that is big with immortality.

“We want that His will shall be our will. We do not want that our will shall be such that it will control all that around us.…

“God wants us to go through the mill. Here this man’s sharp character must be burnished off, and here is one who has taken hold of the truth who has always been coarse in his conversation, and he must overcome that. This is the very thing the apostle means when he says, ‘You must overcome in order to have a home in heaven.’ Jesus must be in my whole work to transform my character. We must accept the truth as it is in Jesus, and then how kind will we be to one another, how courteous, for this was the work of my Master. We shall see the precious mold of Jesus upon the character, and when we learn the precious lessons He has for us to learn, we will be like Jesus. ‘Come unto Me,’ says He, ‘all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.’

“Here you are with your variances and differences. Now, ‘Come to Me,’ says He, ‘and learn of Me.’…”

Sermons and Talks, Book 1, 40–43.

Bible Study Guides – Growing Up Into Christ

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February 10-16, 2002

MEMORY VERSE: “He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked.” 1 John 2:6.

STUDY HELP: Steps to Christ, 67–75.

THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: “Our growth in grace, our joy, our usefulness,—all depend upon our union with Christ.” Steps to Christ, 69.

INTRODUCTION: “God designs that Christians shall grow continually, grow up unto the full stature of men and women in Christ. All who do not grow stronger, and become more firmly rooted and grounded in the truth, are continually retrograding.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 556.

Abiding in Christ

1 What does Jesus say we can produce if we abide in Him and He in us? John 15:4, 5.

NOTE: “‘I am the vine, ye are the branches.’ Can we conceive of a more intimate relation to Christ than this? The fibers of the branch are almost identical with those of the vine. The communication of life, strength, and fruitfulness from the trunk to the branches is unobstructed and constant. The root sends its nourishment through the branch. Such is the true believer’s relation to Christ. He abides in Christ, and draws his nourishment from Him. This spiritual relation can be established only by the exercise of personal faith. This faith must express on our part supreme preference, perfect reliance, entire consecration.” My Life Today, 11. See also Acts of the Apostles, 284.

2 How may we abide in the love of Jesus? John 15:10.

NOTE: “All true obedience comes from the heart. It was heart work with Christ. And if we consent, He will so identify Himself with our thoughts and aims, so blend our hearts and minds into conformity to His will, that when obeying Him we shall be but carrying out our own impulses. The will, refined and sanctified, will find its highest delight in doing His service. When we know God as it is our privilege to know Him, our life will be a life of continual obedience.” The Desire of Ages, 668.

“By obedience the people were to give evidence of their faith. So all who hope to be saved by the merits of the blood of Christ should realize that they themselves have something to do in securing their salvation. While it is Christ only that can redeem us from the penalty of transgression, we are to turn from sin to obedience. Man is to be saved by faith, not by works; yet his faith must be shown by his works. God has given His Son to die as a propitiation for sin, He has manifested the light of truth, the way of life, He has given facilities, ordinances, and privileges; and now man must co-operate with these saving agencies; he must appreciate and use the helps that God has provided—believe and obey all the divine requirements.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 279.

Our Thoughts

3 What must we experience, if we are going to resist every imagination? 2 Corinthians 10:5, last part.

NOTE: “Few realize that it is a duty to exercise control over the thoughts and imaginations. It is difficult to keep the undisciplined mind fixed upon profitable subjects. But if the thoughts are not properly employed, religion cannot flourish in the soul. The mind must be preoccupied with sacred and eternal things, or it will cherish trifling and superficial thoughts. Both the intellectual and the moral powers must be disciplined, and they will strengthen and improve by exercise.…It is only by the grace of God, combined with the most earnest effort on our part, that we can gain the victory.” Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, 544. See also The Ministry of Healing, 491.

4 Upon what six things does Paul admonish us to think? Phillipians 4:8.

NOTE: “The grace of God must sweep through the chambers of the mind, the imagination must have heavenly themes for contemplation, and every element of the nature must be purified and vitalized by the Spirit of God. The thoughts must be bound about, restricted, withdrawn from branching out and contemplating things that will only weaken and defile the soul. The thoughts must be pure, the meditations of the heart must be clean.…The noble powers of the mind have been given to us by the Lord, that we may employ them in contemplating heavenly things. God has made abundant provision that the soul may make continual progression in the divine life.…” Sons and Daughters of God, 107.

Growing in Christ

5 With what does the Bible tell us our knowledge of Jesus must be connected, for us to grow in our Christian experience? 2 Peter 3:18.

NOTE: “It is the Lord’s desire that His followers shall grow in grace, that their love shall abound more and more, that they shall be filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the praise and glory of God.…Sanctification is not the work of a moment, an hour, or a day. It is a continual growth in grace.…There is no point to which we can come and say we have fully attained.…How is it possible that we may grow in grace?
It is possible to us only as we empty our hearts of self, and present them to Heaven, to be molded after the divine Pattern.” Ellen G. White Comments, Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, 947. See also Steps to Christ, 68.

6 What is the only spiritual food that God has provided for us whereby we are enabled to grow up into the stature of Christ? Matthew 4:4; 1 Peter 2:2.

NOTE: “We receive Christ through His word, and the Holy Spirit is given to open the word of God to our understanding, and bring home its truths to our hearts. We are to pray day by day that as we read His word, God will send His Spirit to reveal to us the truth that will strengthen our souls for the day’s need.…In this communion with Christ, through prayer and the study of the great and precious truths of His word, we shall as hungry souls be fed; as those that thirst, we shall be refreshed at the fountain of life.” Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, 112, 113. See also The Desire of Ages, 390.

Our Words

7 If we are to be ministers of God’s grace, what avenue of the body must we guard? Ephesians 4:29; Colossians 4:6.

NOTE: “Where the heart is purified and refined, and made fit for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, the tongue will be sanctified to the glory of God.…You can surround your souls with an atmosphere that will be like breezes from the heavenly Eden. Open your heart to the Lord Jesus. Guard your tongue. Let not your tongue run at random in jesting and joking. These are signs that your heart needs to be cleansed from its defilement.…Our words index the state of our heart; and whether men talk much or little, their words express the character of their thoughts. A man’s character may be quite accurately estimated by the nature of his conversation. Sound, truthful words have the right ring in them.” Sons and Daughters of God, 180. See also The Desire of Ages, 323.

8 Jesus reveals the importance of our words in the context of what event? Matthew 12:36, 37.

NOTE: “Our acts, our words, even our most secret motives, all have their weight in deciding our destiny for weal or woe. Though they may be forgotten by us, they will bear their testimony to justify or condemn. As the features of the countenance are reproduced with unerring accuracy on the polished plate of the artist, so the character is faithfully delineated in the books above. Yet how little solicitude is felt concerning that record which is to meet the gaze of heavenly beings. Could the veil which separates the visible from the invisible world be swept back, and the children of men behold an angel recording every word and deed, which they must meet again in the judgment, how many words that are daily uttered would remain unspoken, how many deeds would remain undone.” The Great Controversy, 486, 487. See also Testimonies to Ministers, 224.

Walking with Christ

9 What does John say we ought to be doing, if we are abiding in Christ? 1 John 2:6.

NOTE: “Our Lord and Saviour laid aside His dominion, His riches and glory, and sought after us, that He might save us from misery and make us like Himself. He humbled Himself and took our nature that we might be able to learn of Him and, imitating His life of benevolence and self-denial, follow Him step by step to heaven.” Testimonies, vol. 2, 170.

“Christ came to do His Father’s will. Are we following in His steps? All who have named the name of Christ should be constantly seeking for a more intimate acquaintance with Him, that they may walk even as He walked, and do the works of Christ. We should appropriate the lessons of His life to our lives.” Ibid., vol. 3, 538.

“Those who walk even as Christ walked, who are patient, gentle, kind, meek and lowly in heart, those who yoke up with Christ and lift His burdens, who yearn for souls as He yearned for them—these will enter into the joy of their Lord.” Ellen G. White Comments, Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, 949.

10 What two things are necessary for us to experience before we can truly walk with Christ? Micah 6:8.

NOTE: “The words and law of God, written in the soul, and exhibited in a consecrated, holy life, have a powerful influence to convict the world. Covetousness, which is idolatry, and envy, and love of the world, will be rooted from the hearts of those who are obedient to Christ, and it will be their pleasure to deal justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly before God. Oh, how much is comprised in this, walking humbly before God! The law of God, if written in the heart, will bring the mind and will into subjection to the obedience of Christ.” Testimonies, vol. 3, 201.

“God desires His people to place themselves in right relation to Him, that they may understand what He requires of them above all things else. They are to reveal to every struggling soul in the world what it means ‘to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly’ with their God.” Testimonies to Ministers, 458, 459.

Our Habits

11 What habit are we told Jesus formed at an early age? Isaiah 7:14, 15.

NOTE: “At a very early age, Jesus had begun to act for Himself in the formation of His character, and not even respect and love for His parents could turn Him from obedience to God’s word. ‘It is written’ was His reason for every act that varied from the family customs.’” The Desire of Ages, 86.

“‘He that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.’ By unfaithfulness in even the smallest duties, man robs his Maker of the service which is His due. This unfaithfulness reacts upon himself. He fails of gaining the grace, the power, the force of character, which may be received through an unreserved surrender to God. Living apart from Christ he is subject to Satan’s temptations, and he makes mistakes in his work for the Master. Because he is not guided by right principles in little things, he fails to obey God in the great matters which he regards as his special work. The defects cherished in dealing with life’s minor details pass into more important affairs. He acts on the principles to which he has accustomed himself. Thus actions repeated form habits, habits form character, and by the character our destiny for time and for eternity is decided.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 356.

“The life of Daniel is an inspired illustration of what constitutes a sanctified character. It presents a lesson for all, and especially for the young. A strict compliance with the requirements of God is beneficial to the health of body and mind. In order to reach the highest standard of moral and intellectual attainments, it is necessary to seek wisdom and strength from God and to observe strict temperance in all the habits of life.” My Life Today, 254.

12 What does God say He will eventually do with all our thoughts, words and habits? Ecclesiastes 12:13, 14.

NOTE: “We shall be individually, for time and eternity, what our habits make us. The lives of those who form right habits, and are faithful in the performance of every duty, will be as shining lights, shedding bright beams upon the pathway of others; but if habits of unfaithfulness are indulged, if lax, indolent, neglectful habits are allowed to strengthen, a cloud darker than midnight will settle on the prospects in this life and forever debar the individual from the future life.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 452.

By Craig Meeker

Inspiration – Conversation, Part II

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“Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:13–16.

“The apostle Peter here gives instruction for believers to gird up the loins of their minds. We are to have special care over the thoughts of the mind. We are not to allow our minds to be diverted and allured by different things, because there is something more important for us. If we would allow the mind to take its natural turn, it might dwell upon unimportant things and we receive no benefit thereby.

“Here is presented before us the one great event—the coming of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, when the graves are to be opened and the dead be raised, and we are to be changed. This event should fill our mind and crowd out everything else. We want to make the most of the privileges and opportunities we have to prepare for the future immortal life.

“The truth of God has taken us out of the quarry of the world to fit us up for the heavenly temple of God. We may look upon one another and think, ‘There is a great work to be done for that brother and for that sister,’ but we may not take into consideration the work that is to be done for ourselves. And if Satan can get in among the people [and produce] a spirit of criticism, then he is satisfied, for a root of bitterness springs up in these [members] wherewith he will be satisfied. We are not all of the same character, but we are brought together in church capacity and we count ourselves as children of God, and we talk of having a home in the city of God.

“Our faith is that if we perfect a Christian character we shall be numbered as the family of God in the mansions that He has gone to prepare for us. Now, our heavenly father brings us together in church capacity that we may gain in knowledge and be fitting up for the community of heaven. ‘Well,’ some may say, ‘All I want is that everyone should see eye to eye.’ But there are those who want everyone to see just as they do. They do not consider that they have traits of character that must be changed. Then, what is the work before us in order to be ready to be among those who are waiting for their Lord to come in the clouds of heaven? It is for us to be in a position of humility before God. ‘Gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.’

“The Lord has not placed before one individual the trade of becoming a church tinker, but we want individually to feel that we have a responsibility before God to be a blessing to everyone with whom we associate. And we are to consider that every brother and sister is the purchase of the blood of Christ. Here we are, living stones out of the quarry, and we are to be chiseled and fitted for the new Jerusalem. Do not let any of us think that we are all right. As soon as we are taken out of the quarry, we have a work to do for ourselves. ‘The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh,’ and we want to be considering those things that will give us solidity of character. We do not want to have a high estimate of ourselves, but we want to esteem others better than ourselves. We want that our souls shall be uplifted to God every moment for help, for fear we shall fall. And while some are so diligent to look after others, they will forget the work there is for their own soul.

“We are to heed the exhortation of the apostle, that we are to be holy in all manner of conversation. And as we separate those things from us which will be a hindrance to our advancement, the Holy Spirit will come in. We want to be filled with the spirit of Jesus, and if you are not closely connected with Christ, then the thoughts of your mind will be upon unimportant things; but if you are connected with Jesus, you will just as surely be a channel of light as Jesus is light, for Jesus has said to His followers, ‘Ye are the light of the world.’

“Now, we are by living faith to keep our eyes fixed upon the Author and Finisher of our faith. ‘As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: but as He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation.’

“Before we become acquainted with Jesus, the conversation is upon the dress, and what shall we eat, and what shall we drink, and what shall we wear? And we find fault with one another. But as soon as we become acquainted with Christ, our conversation changes.

“Here we are, objects of His love. Has the change taken place in us? Namely, have we passed from death unto life? Have we died indeed to self? Have we fastened our hearts and affections upon the great God? He is all light and power.

“Every provision has been made for us that can be made by our precious Saviour, that we may have that abundant grace so that we may overcome every defect in our character. And we cannot afford to satisfy ourselves in this life, but we want the fullness that is in Jesus, and we must train ourselves to talk of those things which will bring to us peace and light. As we have our conversation upon heaven and heavenly things, the angels of God are all around us; and when we are, in our thoughts and with our hearts, drawing near to God, then He is drawing nigh to us. His love is in our hearts, and then we speak it from our lips.

“It is not only our duty to train our minds upon heavenly things, but we are to talk of these things, for it is our duty to bind about our mind, to gird up the loins of our mind, and say, ‘I will not think of these things.’ Then it is our duty to guard our conversation.

“We would think, from the shadow that many walk in, that they had no Saviour. But I want to speak to those, and say ‘Christ is risen! He is not in Joseph’s new tomb, but He has arisen and has ascended up on high to make intercession for us!’ We have a risen Saviour interceding for us, and we must walk in harmony with God. He is seeking to ‘purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.’ If we seek with all our hearts to be obedient children, conforming our will to the will of God, then the work can go forward in us without interruption. Let us not forget for one moment that we are living for the future immortal life, and let us put away from us everything like complaint and faultfinding. Let our words, our conversation, reveal to the world that we have a hope that is big with immortality.

“We want that His will shall be our will. We do not want that our will shall be such that it will control all that around us.…

“God wants us to go through the mill. Here this man’s sharp character must be burnished off, and here is one who has taken hold of the truth who has always been coarse in his conversation, and he must overcome that. This is the very thing the apostle means when he says, ‘You must overcome in order to have a home in heaven.’ Jesus must be in my whole work to transform my character. We must accept the truth as it is in Jesus, and then how kind will we be to one another, how courteous, for this was the work of my Master. We shall see the precious mold of Jesus upon the character, and when we learn the precious lessons He has for us to learn, we will be like Jesus. ‘Come unto Me,’ says He, ‘all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.’

“Here you are with your variances and differences. Now, ‘Come to Me,’ says He, ‘and learn of Me.’…”

Sermons and Talks, Book 1, 40–43.

He That Hath an Ear, Part I

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As the story goes, an elderly Christian man, who attended prayer meeting faithfully, consistently confessed the same things during prayer and testimony time. His prayer always went something like this: “O Lord, since last we gathered, the cobwebs have come between me and Thee. Clear away the cobwebs, that I may again see Thy face.”

One night, after the old man had prayed this prayer for the umpteenth time, another church member whispered to the person sitting next to him, “Why doesn’t he just ask the Lord to kill the spider?”

Good question! Several thoughts came to mind the first time I heard this story. First of all, is it not true that we allow too many things, usually trivial things, to come between our Saviour and ourselves? And secondly, have you ever noticed yourself getting into a habit of saying things that you do not even realize you are saying?

Words. What a powerful medium of communication! We can hardly drive down the street without being bombarded by words on signs. Turn on the radio and television and you are certain to hear lots of words. TV and radio marketers sell airtime, so advertisers can sell products to people who watch and listen. It is big business. It makes a lot of money and sells a lot of products. Time is money, and money is time. Squeeze as many words into as few seconds as possible. Do you realize that the rate of words coming at you from the radio and/or TV can be double or even higher than that of a normal conversation? Advertisers seem to count on an overload of auditory stimulation. Too much, too fast. The ears cannot hold on to it long enough to make sense of it, but it goes into the brain and is processed just the same. Scary thought, is it not? Powerful, nonetheless.

Strangers in Paradise

Despite what the evolutionists say, our ancestors did not slither out of oceanic slime. Neither were their earliest communications guttural grunts. I am so thankful that our Creator, the true God, has a wonderful plan for us. From the beginning, Adam and Eve held direct communion with God. They walked and talked with Him in the Garden. They spoke with Him face to face. How glorious that must have been, and how wonderful it will be for the redeemed in the earth made new to once again hold communion with Him, to walk and talk with God. Awesome!

Thankfully, there is yet time, though not much time, for us to consider these things. For the most part, we are still too much of this world. By our thoughts, by our actions, and especially by our words, we reveal to the universe what is in our hearts. It is from the abundance of our hearts that our mouths speak. (Luke 6:45; Matthew 12:34.)

Inspired Words

“But as He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation.” 1 Peter 1:15.

Here are some words, written by the Pen of Inspiration for God’s people living in the last days of this earth’s history: “If ever a people needed to walk before God as did Enoch, Seventh-day Adventists need to do so now, showing their sincerity by pure words, clean words, words full of sympathy, tenderness, and love.” Testimonies, vol. 7, 155.

“Those who are occupied with earthly things, enjoy a low, cheap level, and their souls could not bear the purity of the saints in light. The conversation of heaven would be a language which they could not understand, and they could not endure the purity of infinite holiness.” The Signs of the Times, October 3, 1895.

“You do not know the sentiments and principles of heaven; its language is almost a strange language to you . . . .” Testimonies, vol. 5, 437.

” ‘Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him show out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom’ [James 3:13]. My brethren and sisters, how are you employing the gift of speech? Have you learned so to control the tongue that it shall ever obey the dictates of an enlightened conscience and holy affections? Is your conversation free from levity, pride and malice, deceit and impurity? Are you without guile before God? Words exert a telling power. Satan will, if possible, keep the tongue active in his service. Of ourselves we cannot control the unruly member. Divine grace is our only hope. Those who are eagerly studying how they may secure the pre-eminence, should study rather how they may gain that wisdom which is ‘first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy’ [verse 17]. He who has Christ formed within, the hope of glory, will ‘show out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.’ ” The Signs of the Times, February 8, 1883.

“The light given me by the Word of God is that the speech needs to be converted and sanctified. The Lord requires that education should be given in the science of conversation. This faculty has been much abused and perverted. It has not been held as a precious gift from God, to be used to glorify His name. The words are a power for good or evil, a savor of life unto life, or of death unto death. Choice words must be spoken by those who would do service for Christ. Haphazard words, hasty, common words, talking for the sake of talking, when silence would be better, is a sin. . . . Manuscript 74, 1897.” The Voice in Speech and Song, 30, 31.

“I have heard loose language, careless, vulgar words, and slang phrases from the lips of parents. I have heard these words taken up and repeated by their children; and my heart has been pained; for I knew that these parents had sown the seed which Satan delights to cultivate. I knew that they had sown seeds that would produce a harvest of corruption. And oh, how Jesus is pained by the cruel work of these parents!” The Health Reformer, July 1, 1889.

Slanguage

“A fool’s mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul.” Proverbs 18:7.

In researching this topic, I spent some time at the library looking through the reference section. Surprisingly, they had several slang dictionaries. From these volumes, the following is a list of some slang words with their definitions. Many of them, such as darn, fooey, fudge, and screw, I choose not to print here.

slang: a cant clipped form of language; originally, the specialized vocabulary and idioms of those in the same type of work, way of life, etc.; now usually called “shop talk,” jargon, lingo. Colloquial language that is outside of conventional or standard usage and consists of both coined words (blurb, whoopee), and those with new or extended meanings (rubber-neck, sap, screw); slang develops from the attempt to find fresh and vigorous, colorful, pungent or humorous expression.

gee: corruption of Jesus; spoken as an oath or exclamation

gee whiz: euphemism for Jesus Christ

golly: corruption of God

gosh: corruption of God

guy: euphemism of God

heck: corruption of hell

jiminy cricket: euphemism of Jesus Christ

my goodness: vain corruption of “my God;” spoken as an oath or exclamation

shoot: euphemism for [expletive]

shucks: [expletive]

son-of-a-gun: euphemism for [expletive]

The servant of the Lord has much to say about the use of slang.

“The good man, from the good treasure of the heart, bringeth forth good things. [Matthew 12:35.] Why? Because Christ is an abiding presence in the soul. The sanctifying truth is a treasure-house of wisdom to all who practice the truth. As a living spring it is springing up unto everlasting life. The one who has not Christ abiding in his heart will indulge in cheap talk, exaggerated statements, that make mischief. The tongue that utters perverse things, common things, slang phrases, that tongue needs to be treated with the hot coals of juniper. Manuscript 17, 1895.” Mind, Character, and Personality, vol. 2, 577.

“Let it be seen that your life is hid with Christ in God. Let there be no hasty speech, no cheap words, no slang phrases. Let it be demonstrated that you are conscious of a Companion whom you honor, and that you will not make Him ashamed of you. Only think, we are representatives of Jesus Christ! Then represent His character in words, in deportment. . . .” That I May Know Him, 198.

Offerings to Satan?

“An ungodly man diggeth up evil: and in his lips there is as a burning fire.” Proverbs 16:27.

“Unless we control our words and temper, we are slaves to Satan. We are in subjection to him. He leads us captive. All jangling and unpleasant, impatient, fretful words are an offering presented to his satanic majesty. And it is a costly offering, more costly than any sacrifice we can make for God; for it destroys the peace and happiness of whole families, destroys health, and is eventually the cause of forfeiting an eternal life of happiness.” The Adventist Home, 437.

“Among the members of many families there is practiced the habit of saying loose, careless things; and the habit of tantalizing, of speaking harsh words, becomes stronger and stronger as it is indulged, and thus many objectionable words are spoken that are after Satan’s order and not after the order of God. . . . Burning words of passion should never be spoken, for in the sight of God and holy angels they are as a species of swearing.” Ibid., 439.

“Of the unsanctified tongue the apostle James writes: ‘The tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity; so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.’ Satan puts into the minds thoughts which the Christian should never utter. The scornful retort, the bitter, passionate utterance, the cruel, suspicious charge, are from him. How many words are spoken that do only harm to those who utter them and to those who hear! Hard words beat upon the heart awaking to life its worst passions. Those who do evil with their tongues, who sow discord by selfish, jealous words, grieve the Holy Spirit; for they are working at cross-purposes with God.” Review and Herald, May 12, 1910.

Happy The Home

There is no other place on earth where our true characters are more fully exposed than in our very own homes. In the book, The Adventist Home, Chapter 71 is devoted entirely to “Speech,” and it would do us well to spend time in serious contemplation of the counsel found therein.

“Unhappiness is often caused by an unwise use of the talent of speech. The word of God does not authorize anyone to speak harshly, thereby creating disagreeable feelings and unhappiness in the family. The other members of the family lose their respect for the one who speaks thus, when if he would restrain his feelings, he might win the confidence and affection of all.” The Adventist Home, 437.

“Hard words beat upon the heart through the ear, awakening to life the worst passions of the soul and tempting men and women to break God’s commandments. . . . Words are as seeds which are planted.” Ibid., 439.

“The husband or the wife may utter words that are liable to provoke a hasty reply, but let the one who is spoken to keep silence. In silence there is safety. Often silence is the severest rebuke that could be given to the one who has sinned with his lips . . . .” Ibid., 442.

“Words that intimidate, creating fear and expelling love from the soul, are to be restrained . . . .” Ibid., 308.

“A lack of courtesy, a moment of petulance, a single rough, thoughtless word, will mar your reputation, and may close the door to hearts so that you can never reach them.” Ibid., 38

“Passionate words sow seeds that produce a bad crop which no one will care to garner. Our own words have an effect upon our character, but they act still more powerfully upon the characters of others. The infinite God alone can measure the mischief that is done by careless words. These words fall from our lips, and we do not perhaps mean any harm; yet they are the index of our inward thoughts, and work on the side of evil. What unhappiness has been produced by the speaking of thoughtless, unkind words in the family circle! Harsh words rankle in the mind, it may be for years, and never lose their sting. As professed Christians, we should consider the influence our words have upon those with whom we come into association, whether they are believers or unbelievers. Our words are watched, and mischief is done by thoughtless utterances. No after association with believers or unbelievers will wholly counteract the unfavorable influence of thoughtless, foolish words. Our words evidence the manner of food upon which the soul feeds.” The Youth’s Instructor, June 27, 1895.

I Want to Be Like Jesus

“Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight . . . .” Psalm 19:14.

Before we leave the subject of the incorrect use of the tongue, it is important for us to take a look at our Example. So often I hear people say “I just want to be like Jesus.” And this is good. Unfortunately, we seldom have the proper understanding of Jesus. Most people want us to believe that Jesus never raised His voice, that He never rebuked anyone. Inspiration says differently.

Speaking of John, the Son of Thunder, “Jesus rebuked this self-seeking, disappointed his ambitions, tested his faith.” The Acts of the Apostles, 539.

“Jesus rebuked the disciples and commanded the crowd to make way for these faithful mothers with their little children . . . .” The Adventist Home, 273.

“Jesus rebuked his disciples, saying ‘Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of . . . .’ ” Review and Herald, February 15, 1881.

Of course, there are also many accounts where Jesus rebuked the religious leaders of His day, the scribes, Pharisees, priests, etc.

“The scribes and Pharisees claimed to be invested with divine authority similar to that of Moses. They assumed to take his place as expounders of the law and judges of the people. As such they claimed from the people the utmost deference and obedience. Jesus bade His hearers do that which the rabbis taught according to the law, but not to follow their example. They themselves did not practice their own teaching.

“And they taught much that was contrary to the Scriptures. Jesus said, ‘They bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.’ [Matthew 23:4.] The Pharisees enjoined a multitude of regulations, having their foundation in tradition, and unreasonably restricting personal liberty. And certain portions of the law they so explained as to impose upon the people observances which they themselves secretly ignored, and from which, when it served their purpose, they actually claimed exemption.” The Desire of Ages, 612.

“The Lord Jesus rebuked the Pharisees, likening them to sepulchers that do not appear, hidden from sight, but full of corruption. The Lord hates all deception, secrecy, and guile. This is Satan’s work; the work of God is open and frank.” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 274.

“Many who listened to the teachings of Christ said, ‘Never man spake like this man.’ [John 7:46.] But his words, that comforted, strengthened, and blessed the needy, that were as bread to the hungering soul, were as bitterness to the scribes and Pharisees. . . .

“Jesus spoke as one having knowledge and authority. The denunciation he uttered against the Jews condemned their formalism and hypocrisy. His scathing rebukes and denunciation of formalism have the same force today as they had in the days of the scribes and Pharisees, and apply to those who have a form of godliness, but deny the power thereof.” Sabbath School Worker, December 1, 1894.

Some of the most memorable incidents were when Jesus pronounced woes upon the scribes and Pharisees, and when He cleared the temple—twice. I have actually had people try to convince me that Jesus did not raise His voice nor demonstrate any passion while doing this. However, to the contrary, in many places Inspiration recounts the scenes of Jesus’ words and actions in vivid detail:

“Dishonest dealing was practiced by the men who brought cattle to sell in the temple courts; but the word of command was given; divinity flashed through humanity, and not trafficker or priest in his gorgeous dress looking on that countenance dared to remain. In haste all fled from the temple courts. Now under the symbol of the blighted tree Christ presents before His disciples the righteous anger of God in the destruction of Jerusalem.” The Signs of the Times, February 15, 1899.

“Divinity flashed through humanity, and the evil one could not resist the authority of the divine voice, as Jesus said, ‘Get thee behind me, Satan; for it is written . . . .’ ” Review and Herald, October 29, 1895.

“In His weakness, Christ laid hold of God. Divinity flashed through humanity. Christ stood revealed as the commander of heaven, and His words were the words of One who has all power . . . .” The Signs of the Times, December 10, 1902.

“His divinity flashed out before them with unmistakable power . . . .” Prophets and Kings, 712.

“Divinity flashed through humanity, and the soldiers were powerless before him . . . .” Review and Herald, July 12, 1892.

“There was a restraint upon these rulers [Pharisees]. They did not dare to do the things they longed to do; for divinity flashed through humanity as he spoke to the people . . . .” The Youth’s Instructor, September 30, 1897.

“As Jesus looked upon the people, it seemed to them that He read their very souls. Divinity flashed through humanity. There was indignation and anger in His look because of their hypocrisy and the hardness of their hearts. He hated their duplicity, their ingenious methods for resisting truth and righteousness. . . .” Review and Herald, August 10, 1897.

“As the eye of Jesus swept over the scene of busy traffic, divinity flashed through His humanity. He ‘cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the money-changers, and the seats of them that sold doves, and said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.’ [Matthew 21:12, 13.] The traffic suddenly stopped, and the throng of buyers and sellers fled as though a company of armed men were pursuing them.” The Signs of the Times, August 6, 1885.

“Divinity flashed through the garb of humanity. When Christ had made a scourge of small cords, ‘he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables; and said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise.’ [John 2:15.] He drove out the sacrilegious robbers, saying, ‘It is written.’ [Luke 19:46.]” Ibid., September 16, 1897.

Speaking of the second cleansing of the temple, Ellen White wrote: “the priests and rulers fled as if pursued by an armed band of soldiers, or by the presence of an offended God.” Ibid., February 10, 1898.

“Christ came suddenly into the temple courts; divinity flashed through humanity, and, raising a whip of small cords in his hands, with a voice that they will hear again in the execution of the judgment, he said, ‘Take these things hence.’ [John 2:16.] . . . These priests and rulers saw as it were an avenging angel with a flaming sword, such as guarded the way to the tree of life.” Special Testimonies for Ministers and Workers, No. 7, 54.

“Twice Christ’s displeasure was evidenced against them. Divinity flashed through humanity, and he drove out the buyers and sellers from the temple courts. . . . It was here divinity flashed through humanity, and the priests and rulers fled from before Him; for there was as the appearance of a flashing sword, turning every way like the sword to guard the tree of life.” Pamphlet 146, 28, 17.

[All emphasis supplied.]

To be concluded . . .

From the Pen of Inspiration – The Leaven of Evil Speaking

by

It pains me to say that there are unruly tongues among church members. There are false tongues that feed on mischief. There are sly, whispering tongues. There is tattling, impertinent meddling, adroit quizzing. Among the lovers of gossip some are actuated by curiosity, others by jealousy, many by hatred against those through whom God has spoken to reprove them. All these discordant elements are at work. Some conceal their real sentiments, while others are eager to publish all they know, or even suspect, of evil against another.

I saw that the very spirit of perjury, that would turn truth into falsehood, good into evil, and innocence into crime, is now active. Satan exults over the condition of God’s professed people. While many are neglecting their own souls, they eagerly watch for an opportunity to criticize and condemn others. All have defects of character, and it is not hard to find something that jealousy can interpret to their injury. “Now,” say these self-constituted judges, “we have facts. We will fasten upon them an accusation from which they can not clear themselves.” They wait for a fitting opportunity and then produce their bundle of gossip and bring forth their tidbits.

In their efforts to carry a point, persons who have naturally a strong imagination are in danger of deceiving themselves and deceiving others. They gather up unguarded expressions from another, not considering that words may be uttered hastily and hence may not reflect the real sentiments of the speaker. But those unpremeditated remarks, often so trifling as to be unworthy of notice, are viewed through Satan’s magnifying glass, pondered, and repeated until molehills become mountains. Separated from God, the surmisers of evil become the sport of temptation. They scarcely know the strength of their feelings or the effect of their words. While condemning the errors of others, they indulge far greater errors themselves. Consistency is a jewel.

Is there no law of kindness to be observed? Have Christians been authorized of God to criticize and condemn one another? Is it honorable, or even honest, to win from the lips of another, under the guise of friendship, secrets which have been entrusted to him, and then turn the knowledge thus gained to his injury? Is it Christian charity to gather up every floating report, to unearth everything that will cast suspicion on the character of another, and then take delight in using it to injure him? Satan exults when he can defame or wound a follower of Christ. He is “the accuser of our brethren.” Shall Christians aid him in his work?

God’s all-seeing eye notes the defects of all and the ruling passion of each, yet He bears with our mistakes and pities our weakness. He bids His people cherish the same spirit of tenderness and forbearance. True Christians will not exult in exposing the faults and deficiencies of others. They will turn away from vileness and deformity, to fix the mind upon that which is attractive and lovely. To the Christian every act of faultfinding, every word of censure or condemnation, is painful.

There have always been men and women who profess the truth, who have not conformed their lives to its sanctifying influence; men who are unfaithful, yet deceiving themselves and encouraging themselves in sin. Unbelief is seen in their life, their deportment, and character, and this terrible evil acts as does a canker.

Would all professed Christians use their investigative powers to see what evils needed to be corrected in themselves, instead of talking of others’ wrongs, there would be a more healthy condition in the church today. . . .

All should wait patiently until they hear both sides of the question, and then believe only what stern facts compel them to believe.

Testimonies, vol. 5, 94–97.

Reprinted from LandMarks, October 1995.

Those who separate from God and lose their spirituality, do not fall back all at once into a state which the true Witness calls lukewarm. They conform to the world little by little. As its influence steals upon them, they fail to resist it and maintain the warfare. After the first step is taken to have friendship with the world, darkness follows and they are prepared for the next. At every step they take in the downward course darkness gathers about them, until they are enshrouded. As they conform to the world they lose the transforming influence of the Spirit of God. They do not realize their distance from God. They think themselves in good case because they profess to believe the truth. They grow weaker and weaker, until the Spirit of God is withdrawn, and God bids his angels, Let them alone! Jesus spues them out of his mouth. He has borne their names to his Father; he has interceded for them, but he ceases his pleadings. Their names are dropped, and they are left with the world. They realize no change. Their profession is the same. There has not been so glaring a departure from the appearance of right. They had become so assimilated to the world that when heaven’s light was withdrawn they did not miss it. Review and Herald, November 26, 1861.

Reprinted from LandMarks, April 1994.

Ellen G. White (1827–1915) wrote more than 5,000 periodical articles and 40 books during her lifetime. Today, including compilations from her 50,000 pages of manuscript, more than 100 titles are available in English. She is the most translated woman writer in the entire history of literature, and the most translated American author of either gender. Seventh-day Adventists believe that Mrs. White was appointed by God as a special messenger to draw the world’s attention to the Holy Scriptures and help prepare people for Christ’s second advent.