Ten Commandments

Bible Study – The Ceremonial Law

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July 3 – 9, 2022

Key Text

“[Christ Jesus] having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace.” Ephesians 2:15

Study Help: Patriarchs and Prophets, 363–373

Introduction

“We have the types and the shadows in the ceremonial laws, and these were to last until they should meet the reality.” The Review and Herald, July 15, 1890

Sunday

1 THE CEREMONIAL LAW ABOLISHED

1.a. Of what was the ceremonial law a shadow or type? Galatians 3:19; Hebrews 9:9, 10; 10:1; Hebrews 8:5

Note: “Men who claim to be teachers of the people blind the eyes of the ignorant by blending the moral law with the ceremonial, and using the texts which speak of the ceremonial law to prove that the moral law has been abolished. This is a perversion of the Scriptures. There are two distinct laws brought to view. One is the law of types and shadows, which reached to the time of Christ, and ceased when type met antitype in His death. The other is the law of Jehovah, and is as abiding and changeless as His eternal throne. After the crucifixion, it was a denial of Christ for the Jews to continue to offer the burnt offerings and sacrifices which were typical of His death.” The Signs of the Times, July 29, 1886

1.b. How long was the ceremonial law to be in force? Galatians 3:19

Note: “But there is a law which was abolished, which Christ ‘took out of the way, nailing it to His cross.’ Paul calls it ‘the law of commandments contained in ordinances.’ This ceremonial law, given by God through Moses, with its sacrifices and ordinances, was to be binding upon the Hebrews until type met antitype in the death of Christ as the Lamb of God … .” The Signs of the Times, September 4, 1884

Monday

2 SEVEN CEREMONIAL SABBATHS

2.a. Name the seven days of feasts called “sabbaths.”

1    The first day of the Passover week. Exodus 12:15; Leviticus 23:5–7; Numbers 28:17, 18

2    The seventh day of the Passover week. Exodus 12:16; Numbers 28:24, 25

3    The first day of the seventh month. Leviticus 23:24, 25; Numbers 29:1

4    The tenth day of the seventh month. Leviticus 16:29–31; 23:27–32; Numbers 29:7

5    The fifteenth day of the seventh month. Leviticus 23:34, 35; Numbers 29:12

6    The twenty-second day of the seventh month. Leviticus 23:39

7    The fiftieth day (Pentecost), known also as the “feast of weeks.” Leviticus 23:15, 16, 21; Deuteronomy 16:9, 10

 Note: “Anciently the children of Israel were commanded to keep three annual feasts each year: the Passover, the Feast of Tabernacles, and the Feast of Weeks.” The Review and Herald, December 11, 1879

2.b. What does the apostle Paul say about keeping the ceremonial sabbaths which were “a shadow of good things to come”? Colossians 2:14–17

Note: “We have the types and the shadows in the ceremonial laws, and these were to last until they should meet the reality. The sacrificial offerings were continually revealing the fact that Christ was coming to our world, and when type met antitype in the death of Christ, then the sacrificial offerings, typifying Christ, were no more of any value, but the royal law of God could not be changed. … There is no shadow in the precepts of the decalogue. The ten commandments are not a type.” The Review and Herald, July 15, 1890

“The Lamb of God was a complete and perfect offering. Types and shadows, offerings and sacrifices had no virtue after Christ’s death on the cross; but God’s law was not crucified with the Saviour.” Ibid., October 10, 1899

“In the death of Christ, the sacrificial offering ceased. The ceremonial law was done away. But by the crucifixion the law of ten commandments was established. The gospel has not abrogated the law, nor detracted one tittle from its claims.” Ibid., June 26, 1900

Tuesday

3 A SHADOW OF THE REALITY

3.a. Who was the Saviour of patriarchs, prophets, and holy men in the Old Testament? Isaiah 43:11; Hosea 13:4; John 5:39

Note: “There is no such contrast as is often claimed to exist between the Old and the New Testament, the law of God and the gospel of Christ, the requirements of the Jewish and those of the Christian dispensation. Every soul saved in the former dispensation was saved by Christ as verily as we are saved by Him today. Patriarchs and prophets were Christians. The gospel promise was given to the first pair in Eden, when they had by transgression separated themselves from God. The gospel was preached to Abraham. The Hebrews all drank of that spiritual Rock, which was Christ.” The Signs of the Times, September 14, 1882

“The Jewish services all testify of Him [Christ], pointing out the attributes of His divine character. Important truth concerning Him was veiled in types and shadows and symbols, and was to be fulfilled in Christ’s mission and ministry.” Ibid., December 10, 1894

3.b. If we were to keep the ceremonial law, offer sacrifices, and keep the feast days, (which were a shadow), what would it mean? Galatians 2:21

Note: “The ceremonial law, given by God through Moses, with its sacrifices and ordinances, was to be binding upon the Hebrews until type met antitype in the death of Christ as the Lamb of God to take away the sin of the world. Then all the sacrificial offerings and services were to be abolished.” The Review and Herald, September 27, 1881

“The ceremonial law was glorious; it was the provision made by Jesus Christ in counsel with His Father, to aid in the salvation of the race. The whole arrangement of the typical system was founded on Christ. Adam saw Christ prefigured in the innocent beast suffering the penalty of his transgression of Jehovah’s law.” Ibid., May 6, 1875

“It was Christ’s desire to leave to His disciples an ordinance [the foot washing and Communion service] that would do for them the very thing they needed—that would serve to disentangle them from the rites and ceremonies which they had hitherto engaged in as essential, and which the reception of the gospel made no longer of any force. To continue these rites would be an insult to Jehovah.” Ibid., June 14, 1898

Wednesday

4 DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE TWO LAWS

4.a. Where were the ten commandments written, by whom, and where were they placed? Exodus 31:18; Deuteronomy 10:1, 2. In contrast, who wrote the law of ceremonial commandments, and where was the book placed? Deuteronomy 31:24–26; Galatians 3:10

Note: “In the ark were placed the tables of stone upon which God had engraved with His own finger the ten commandments. It was made expressly for this purpose, and hence was called the ark of the covenant, and the ark of the testament, since the ten commandments were God’s covenant, and the basis of the covenant made between God and Israel.” The Signs of the Times, June 24, 1880

“Nothing written on those tables [of testimony] could be blotted out. The precious record of the law was placed in the ark of the testament.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, Vol. 1, 1109

“The ceremonial law was … given to Moses, and by him written in a book. But the law of ten commandments spoken from Sinai had been written by God Himself on the tables of stone, and was sacredly preserved in the ark.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 365

4.b. Name some of the ordinances contained in the book of the law. Hebrews 9:9, 10; 10:1; 2 Kings 23:21; Ezra 3:2; Nehemiah 8:14

Note: “After the completion of the tabernacle He [God] communicated with Moses from the cloud of glory above the mercy seat, and gave him full directions concerning the system of offerings and the forms of worship to be maintained in the sanctuary.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 364, 365

“Moses completed the work of writing all the laws, the statutes, and the judgments which God had given him, and all the regulations concerning the sacrificial system. The book containing these was placed in charge of the proper officers, and was for safekeeping deposited in the side of the ark.” Ibid., 466

“[D]uring the first Passover celebrated by Hezekiah, provision had been made for the daily public reading of the book of the law to the people by teaching priests. It was the observance of the statutes recorded by Moses, especially those given in the book of the covenant, which forms a part of Deuteronomy, that had made the reign of Hezekiah so prosperous.” Prophets and Kings, 392

Thursday

5 THE ONLY TRUE SACRIFICE

5.a. What was the significance of the Passover feast and the slain lamb? Exodus 12:26, 27; John 1:29; 1 Corinthians 5:7

Note: “All the ceremonies of the feast [Passover] were types of the work of Christ. The deliverance of Israel from Egypt was an object lesson of redemption, which the Passover was intended to keep in memory. The slain lamb, the unleavened bread, the sheaf of first fruits, represented the Saviour.” The Desire of Ages, 77

5.b. What was the meaning of the Day of Atonement, and what is its significance today? Leviticus 23:27–32; Isaiah 22:12–14

Note: “As you come with humble heart, you find pardon, for Christ Jesus is represented as continually standing at the altar, momentarily offering up the sacrifice for the sins of the world. He is a minister of the true tabernacle which the Lord pitched and not man. The typical shadows of the Jewish tabernacle no longer possess any virtue. A daily and yearly typical atonement is no longer to be made, but the atoning sacrifice through a mediator is essential because of the constant commission of sin. Jesus is officiating in the presence of God, offering up His shed blood, as it had been a lamb slain.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 343, 344

“We are living in the great antitypical Day of Atonement. We must individually seek God. This is a personal work. Let us draw near to God, allowing nothing to come into our efforts that would misrepresent the truth for this time. Let everyone confess, not his brother’s sin, but his own sin. Let him humble his heart before God and become so filled with the Holy Spirit that his life will show that he has been born again.” Testimonies, Vol. 9, 218

Friday

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1    Why was the ceremonial law added?

2    Why is it no longer appropriate to keep the ceremonial sabbaths?

3    How does God view the keeping of these rituals today?

4    What were the main differences between the two laws?

5    Explain the Day of Atonement today.

Copyright 2000, Reformation Herald Publishing Association, 5240 Hollins Road, Roanoke, Virginia 24019-5048, U.S.A.

Bible Study – The Divine Law—the Ten Commandments

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This We Believe

June 26 – July 2, 2022

Key Text

“The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.” Psalm 19:7

Study Help: The Great Controversy, 433–450

Introduction

“Without the law, men have no just conception of the purity and holiness of God or of their own guilt and uncleanness.” The Great Controversy, 468

Sunday

1 A TRANSCRIPT OF GOD’S CHARACTER

1.a. What is declared about the law of God, the ten commandments, and why is it so important for us? Psalm 119:142, 151, 172

Note: “Christ came to our world to represent the character of God as it is represented in His holy law; for His law is a transcript of His character. Christ was both the law and the gospel. The angel that proclaims the everlasting gospel proclaims the law of God; for the gospel of salvation brings men to obedience of the law, whereby their characters are formed after the divine similitude.” Selected Messages, Book 2, 106

“The word of the only true God is infallible. Infinite wisdom, holiness, power, and love are blended in pointing us to the standard by which God measures character. … His law is the transcript of His character. It is the standard that all must reach if they would enter the kingdom of God. No one need walk in uncertainty.” In Heavenly Places, 137

1.b. Since God is immutable, and His law is a transcript of His character, for how long will His law exist? Matthew 5:17, 18

Note: “[T]his law [of God] will maintain its exalted character as long as the throne of Jehovah endures.” The Review and Herald, October 10, 1899

Monday

2 SATAN’S ENMITY AGAINST THE LAW

2.a. What is the object of Satan’s hatred which he began in heaven and pursues on earth? Revelation 12:17

Note: “Satan, with all his masterly power, has interposed himself between man and the law of God, that through falsehood and sophistry he may inspire men with the same rebellion against God and His law as actuates himself. Those whom he cannot deceive, he hates.” The Signs of the Times, November 14, 1895

2.b. Whom does Satan successfully use to war against the holy law of God? Revelation 3:9; Ephesians 2:2; 2 Timothy 3:13

Note: “Satan has a large confederacy, his church. Christ calls them the synagogue of Satan because the members are the children of sin. The members of Satan’s church have been constantly working to cast off the divine law, and confuse the distinction between good and evil. Satan is working with great power in and through the children of disobedience to exalt treason and apostasy as truth and loyalty.” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 16

“There is enmity against the commandments of God in the hearts of those who claim sanctification and refuse to acknowledge the binding obligation of the law. Hatred arises in their hearts as soon as the law is mentioned. They profess to believe that the law is abolished. But if the law is abolished, what is the standard by which we shall be judged before the judgment seat of Christ? This work of belittling the law is the work of the great deceiver. If Satan can persuade men that the God of the universe has no law by which He governs them, then he can set up a standard of his own, and turn men into the path of transgression and destruction.” The Signs of the Times, February 10, 1888

“Satan’s work in our world today is to destroy the moral image of God in man, by making void the divine law; and our enemies are inspired by his spirit. By casting aside God’s great standard of character, he can deprave human nature and win men and women to his standard; for, ‘Where no law is, there is no transgression.’ With what triumph, then, he watches the professedly Christian world, as they earnestly do the very work he is doing.” The Review and Herald, January 26, 1897

Tuesday

3 THE STANDARD OF JUDGMENT

3.a. After many years of experience in transgression, what was the final conclusion of King Solomon? Ecclesiastes 12:13; Proverbs 28:9. What must we realize about the law of God?

Note: “The law of God is a transcript of His character; it is the standard of righteousness. … Man is required to render obedience to the revealed will of God in the smallest requirement of the law. …

“The law of God is the foundation of His government, and is exactly what is needed to preserve life and righteousness. Every principle of the law emanates from the Infinite God, and man will fail in his duty to God and his neighbor unless he believes and weaves the principles of the law into his life. Without faith it is impossible to please God, for it is through faith that we may render obedience to the law.” The Signs of the Times, February 26, 1894

“The law of God is the great standard of righteousness, and it will measure every man’s profession and progress. It is a mirror which discovers the defects of our characters, and shows us the requirements of God. It is holy and just and good.” Ibid., March 30, 1888

“The ten commandments, Thou shalt, and Thou shalt not, are ten promises, assured to us if we render obedience to the law governing the universe. ‘If ye love Me, keep My commandments’ (John 14:15). Here is the sum and substance of the law of God. The terms of salvation for every son and daughter of Adam are here outlined.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, Vol. 1, 1105

3.b. By what standard will every person be judged in the heavenly court? Ecclesiastes 12:14; James 2:11, 12

Note: “God has a law, and it is the great standard of righteousness. Everyone who has presumed upon the mercy of God, and practiced iniquity, will be judged according to his works. God has warned you to depart from all iniquity. He has commanded you individually to resist the devil, not to entertain him as an honored guest.” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 448

“Men may close their eyes to the plainest truths in the word of God, they may trample His law under their feet; but the law, instituted in the beginning, proclaimed from Sinai, and engraven on tables of stone, will judge them in the last day.” The Signs of the Times, August 5, 1886

“The law of God is the standard by which the characters and the lives of men will be tested in the judgment.” The Great Controversy, 482

Wednesday

4 WILLING OBEDIENCE

4.a. When the rich young ruler asked Jesus what to do to inherit eternal life, what condition did the Lord present? Matthew 19:16, 17; Luke 18:18–20

Note: “The condition of eternal life is now just what it always has been—just what it was in paradise before the fall of our first parents—perfect obedience to the law of God, perfect righteousness. If eternal life were granted on any condition short of this, then the happiness of the whole universe would be imperiled.” Steps to Christ, 62

“We are to seek for the pearl of great price, but not in worldly marts or in worldly ways. The price we are required to pay is not gold or silver, for this belongs to God. Abandon the idea that temporal or spiritual advantages will win for you salvation. God calls for your willing obedience. He asks you to give up your sins.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 117

4.b. What kind of obedience should be manifested by a true child of God? Isaiah 1:19. How can we demonstrate that we really love God? 1 John 2:3, 4; 5:2, 3

Note: “The religion that comes from God is the only religion that will lead to God. In order to serve Him aright, we must be born of the divine Spirit. This will purify the heart and renew the mind, giving us a new capacity for knowing and loving God. It will give us a willing obedience to all His requirements. This is true worship.” The Desire of Ages, 189

“Willing obedience to God’s requirements gives vital energy and power to the soul. A work enduring as the sun is done for the worker as well as for those for whom he labors. However limited the capacity of the one who engages in this work, the labor which he performs in his humble sphere will be acceptable to God.” Testimonies, Vol. 4, 613

“Those who dishonor God by transgressing His law may talk sanctification; but it is of the same value, and just as acceptable, as was the offering of Cain. Obedience to the commandments of God is the only true sign of sanctification. … Our Saviour speaks so plainly that no one need fail to understand that true love will always produce obedience. Obedience is the sign of true love. Christ and the Father are one, and those who in truth receive Christ will love God as the great center of their adoration and will also love one another; and in so doing they will keep the law.” The Review and Herald, October 26, 1897

Thursday

5 THE UNCHANGEABLE LAW OF GOD

5.a. What is the greatest proof that God does not change His law? Malachi 3:6, first part; James 1:17; Luke 16:17

Note: “Satan declared that mercy destroyed justice, that the death of Christ abrogated [overturned] the Father’s law. Had it been possible for the law to be changed or abrogated, then Christ need not have died. But to abrogate the law would be to immortalize transgression, and place the world under Satan’s control. It was because the law was changeless, because man could be saved only through obedience to its precepts, that Jesus was lifted up on the cross.” The Desire of Ages, 762, 763

“If God could have changed one iota of His law, Jesus need not have come to our world and died. But our Saviour, who was equal with God Himself, came into our world and suffered the death upon the cross, to give man another probation.” The Review and Herald, June 10, 1890

“It was to atone for man’s transgression of the law that Christ laid down His life. Could the law have been changed or set aside, then Christ need not have died. By His life on earth He honored the law of God. By His death He established it. He gave His life as a sacrifice, not to destroy God’s law, not to create a lower standard, but that justice might be maintained, that the law might be shown to be immutable, that it might stand fast forever.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 314

5.b. Where was the law written, and by whom? What is its meaning? Exodus 31:18; Romans 3:20. How long are its principles to endure? Psalm 89:34

Note: “God’s law is unchangeable; and though by human beings it has been slighted, scorned, and rejected, it will ever stand as firm as the throne of Jehovah.” The Review and Herald, September 24, 1901

Friday

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1    How does the law of God provide security and stability to our life?

2    What is Satan’s strategy in his rebellion against God and His law?

3    Why is there need of a standard in the day of judgment?

4    Since we are saved by faith, not works, why is obedience important?

5    How does the cross of Christ relate to the law of God?

Copyright 2000, Reformation Herald Publishing Association, 5240 Hollins Road, Roanoke, Virginia 24019-5048, U.S.A.

Editorial – Why the Law Cannot Be Changed

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“The kingdom of heaven is of a higher order than any earthly kingdom. Whether we shall have a higher position or a lower position, will not be determined by our rank, wealth, or education, but by the character of the obedience rendered to the word of God. Those who have been actuated by selfishness and human ambition, who have been striving to be greatest, who have been self-important, who have felt above confessing mistakes and errors, will have no place in the kingdom of God. Whether men will be honored as members of the royal family of God, will be determined by the manner in which they bear the test and proving of God that is brought to bear upon them in this life. … The laws of Christ’s kingdom are unalterable; for they have their foundation in His own unchangeable righteous character. Not one of His precepts will be weakened or altered in the slightest degree. Heaven and earth will pass away rather than one tittle of His law shall fail.” The Review and Herald, March 26, 1895

“Abraham recognized the fact that Jehovah had a law, and he determined that he would keep that law as the apple of His eye. He recognized the fact that he was amenable to the Lawgiver, and he would not be turned aside from his duty. God rules by the combined influence of authority and affection, and blessings follow in the track of those who obey His law. The Holy One has given us rules by which we are to be guided to the courts of heaven, and these rules form the standard, from which there can be no turning aside. The first principles of holiness are yet to be learned when God’s voice is not heard and obeyed as the supreme authority.” The Signs of the Times, November 14, 1895

“If you are careful, prompt, and conscientious in your homelife; if in your prayers you claim the Lord’s promises, and expect an answer; if you discharge your duties faithfully, you will not be left to stumble on in darkness. The Lord of heaven will be present with you; by His Holy Spirit He will guide you. Everyone who is to receive the overcomer’s reward must first overcome every sin; and not until he overcomes through divine grace, can he entertain hope of entering the haven of eternal bliss.” Testimonies to the Church Regarding Individual Responsibility and Christian Unity, 13

Bible Study Guides – God Speaks to His People

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December 13 – 19, 2002

Key Text

“The Lord talked with you face to face in the mount of the midst of the fire” (Deuteronomy 5:4).

Study Help: Patriarchs and Prophets, 301–305.

Introduction

“When the law was spoken, the Lord, the Creator of heaven and earth, stood by the side of His Son, enshrouded in the fire and the smoke on the mount.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 1, 1103.

Sunday

  1. ARRIVING AT SINAI

 1.a. How long after they had left Egypt did the Israelites come to Mount Sinai? Exodus 19:1, 2. What revelation was God about to make to them?

Note: “On every hand vast, rugged heights seemed in their solitary grandeur to speak of eternal endurance and majesty. Here the mind was impressed with solemnity and awe. Man was made to feel his ignorance and weakness in the presence of Him who ‘weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance’ (Isaiah 40:12). Here Israel was to receive the most wonderful revelation ever made by God to men. Here the Lord had gathered His people that He might impress upon them the sacredness of His requirements by declaring with His own voice His holy law. Great and radical changes were to be wrought in them; for the degrading influences of servitude and a long-continued association with idolatry had left their mark upon habits and character. God was working to lift them to a higher moral level by giving them a knowledge of Himself.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 302.

1.b.      What beautiful words did God speak to Moses in the Mount, sharing His desire for the Israelites as well as His people in all ages? Exodus 19:3–6.

Monday

  1. PREPARING TO MEET GOD

2.a. After Moses shared with the people what God had spoken to him, how did the people respond? Exodus 19:7–9.

Note: “Moses returned to the camp, and having summoned the elders of Israel, he repeated to them the divine message. Their answer was, ‘All that the Lord hath spoken we will do’ (Exodus 19:8). Thus they entered into a solemn covenant with God, pledging themselves to accept Him as their ruler, by which they became, in a special sense, the subjects of His authority.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 303.

“This is the pledge that God’s people are to make in these last days. Their acceptance with God depends on a faithful fulfilment of the terms of their agreement with Him. God includes in His covenant all who will obey Him.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 1, 1103.

2.b.      What preparation was required of the people in order to appear in God’s presence when He presented His law? Exodus 19:10–15. What care should we take before we appear in the presence of God at church?

Note: “That great and mighty God who created the beautiful Eden and everything lovely in it is a God of order, and He wants order and cleanliness with His people. …

“There was to be nothing slack and untidy about those who appeared before Him when they came into His holy presence. And why was this? What was the object of all this carefulness? Was it merely to recommend the people to God? Was it merely to gain His approbation? The reason that was given me was this, that a right impression might be made upon the people. If those who ministered in sacred office should fail to manifest care, and reverence for God, in their apparel and their deportment, the people would lose their awe and their reverence for God and His sacred service. If the priests showed great reverence for God by being very careful and very particular as they came into His presence, it gave the people an exalted idea of God and His requirements. It showed them that God was holy, that His work was sacred, and that everything in connection with His work must be holy; that it must be free from everything like impurity and uncleanness; and that all defilement must be put away from those who approach nigh to God.” Testimonies, vol. 2, 611, 612.

Tuesday

  1. IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD

3.a. Describe the majesty and solemnity of the scene when God descended from heaven to speak to His people. Exodus 19:16–20; Deuteronomy 33:2, 3.

Note: “On the morning of the third day, as the eyes of all the people were turned toward the mount, its summit was covered with a thick cloud, which grew more black and dense, sweeping downward until the entire mountain was wrapped in darkness and awful mystery. Then a sound as of a trumpet was heard, summoning the people to meet with God; and Moses led them forth to the base of the mountain. From the thick darkness flashed vivid lightnings, while peals of thunder echoed and re-echoed among the surrounding heights. …

“And now the thunders ceased; the trumpet was no longer heard; the earth was still. There was a period of solemn silence, and then the voice of God was heard. Speaking out of the thick darkness that enshrouded Him, as He stood upon the mount, surrounded by a retinue of angels, the Lord made known His law.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 304.

“By proclaiming the Ten Commandments to the children of Israel with His own voice, God demonstrated their importance. In awful grandeur He made known His majesty and authority as Ruler of the world. This He did to impress the people with the sacredness of His law and the importance of obeying it.” Testimonies, vol. 8, 198.

3.b.      When Moses was again called to the top of the mountain, what did the Lord say to him? Exodus 19:21–25.

Note: “When the divine Presence was manifested upon Sinai, the glory of the Lord was like devouring fire in the sight of all Israel.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 339.

“God is a being of infinite love and compassion, but He also declares Himself to be a ‘consuming fire, even a jealous God’ (Deuteronomy 4:24).” The Review and Herald, August 14, 1900.

“To sin, wherever found, ‘our God is a consuming fire’ (Hebrews 12:29). In all who submit to His power the Spirit of God will consume sin. But if men cling to sin, they become identified with it. Then the glory of God, which destroys sin, must destroy them.” The Desire of Ages, 107.

Wednesday

  1. THE LAW OF LOVE

4.a. Who spoke the law on Mount Sinai? What did He later do with the law? Deuteronomy 5:4, 5; 9:10.

Note: “The law, which is the transcript of His character, no one need fail to understand. The words written by the finger of God on tables of stone so perfectly reveal His will concerning His people that none need make any mistake.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 225.

4.b. What is the basic principle behind the law? Matthew 22:37–39.

Note: “The ten commandments, Thou shalt, and Thou shalt not, are ten promises, assured to us if we render obedience to the law governing the universe. ‘If ye love me, keep my commandments’ (John 14:15). Here is the sum and substance of the law of God. The terms of salvation for every son and daughter of Adam are here outlined.

“The ten holy precepts spoken by Christ upon Sinai’s mount were the revelation of the character of God, and made known to the world the fact that He had jurisdiction over the whole human heritage. That law of ten precepts of the greatest love that can be presented to man is the voice of God from heaven speaking to the soul in promise, ‘This do, and you will not come under the dominion and control of Satan.’ There is not a negative in that law, although it may appear thus. It is DO, and Live.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 1, 1105.

4.c. How do genuine Christians show that they have the love of God in their hearts? 1 John 5:2, 3; Romans 13:10.

Note: “The love of Jesus in the soul will banish all hatred, selfishness, and envy; for the law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul. There is health in obedience to God’s law. The affections of the obedient are drawn out after God. Looking unto the Lord Jesus, we may encourage and serve one another. The love of Christ is shed abroad in our souls, and there is no dissension and strife among us.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 1, 1105.

“The law of love calls for the devotion of body, mind, and soul to the service of God and our fellow men. And this service, while making us a blessing to others, brings the greatest blessing to ourselves.” Education, 16.

Thursday

  1. AN UNCHANGING LAW

5.a. What effect did the proclamation of the law have upon the people? Exodus 20:18–20. What effect did it have upon Moses? Hebrews 12:20, 21.

Note: “The people of Israel were overwhelmed with terror. The awful power of God’s utterances seemed more than their trembling hearts could bear. For as God’s great rule of right was presented before them, they realized as never before the offensive character of sin, and their own guilt in the sight of a holy God. They shrank away from the mountain in fear and awe.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 309, 310.

5.b.      Was there a need to change this law? Did Jesus change it? Psalm 111:7, 8; Matthew 5:17–19.

Note: “The law of God in the sanctuary in heaven is the great original, of which the precepts inscribed upon the tables of stone and recorded by Moses in the Pentateuch were an unerring transcript. … The law of God, being a revelation of His will, a transcript of His character, must forever endure, ‘as a faithful witness in heaven’ (Psalm 89:37). Not one command has been annulled; not a jot or tittle has been changed. Says the psalmist: ‘Forever, O Lord, Thy word is settled in heaven.’ ‘All His commandments are sure. They stand fast for ever and ever’ (Psalm 119:89; 111:7, 8).” The Great Controversy, 434.

Friday

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1    How did the natural beauty surrounding Mount Sinai affect the Israelites? Why is it so important to regularly spend time in nature?

2    What pledge does God want me to make with Him daily?

3    Why did God speak with His own voice when proclaiming the Ten Commandments to the children of Israel?

4    What is the result of having the law of love, the love of Jesus, in the soul?

5    Explain why the law is unchanging.

Copyright 2019, Reformation Herald Publishing Association, 5240 Hollins Road, Roanoke, Virginia 24019-5048, U.S.A.

Editorial – If You Are Loyal and True

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When King Nebuchadnezzar had the three Hebrews cast into the fiery furnace (see Daniel 3), “his triumph suddenly came to an end. He saw something that he thought must be an illusion. … With a voice trembling with excitement, he cried, ‘Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.’ (Daniel 3:25). [Emphasis author’s.] …

“History will be repeated. False religion will be exalted. The first day of the week, a common working day, possessing no sanctity whatever, will be set up as was the image at Babylon. …

“Trial and persecution will come to all who, in obedience to the word of God, refuse to worship this false sabbath. Force is the last resort of every false religion. At first it tries attraction, as the king of Babylon tried the power of music and outward show. If these attractions, invented by men inspired by Satan, failed to make men worship the image, the hungry flames of the furnace were ready to consume them. So it will be now. The Papacy has exercised her power to compel men to obey her, and she will continue to do so. …

“ ‘If ye love Me,’ said Christ, ‘keep My commandments.’ ‘He that hath My commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me; and he that loveth Me shall be loved of My Father, and I will love him, and will manifest Myself to him’ (John 14:15, 21). And has not Christ manifested Himself to His faithful children? Did He not walk in the furnace with the captives who refused to yield to the golden image one tittle of the reverence which belonged to God? Did He not manifest Himself to John, banished to the Isle of Patmos for his faithfulness? …

“Truth is to be obeyed at any cost, even tho gaping prisons, chain-gangs, and banishment stare us in the face. If you are loyal and true, that God who walked with the three Hebrew children in the fiery furnace, who protected Daniel in the lions’ den, who manifested Himself to John on the lonely island, will go with you wherever you go. His abiding presence will comfort and sustain you; and you will realize the fulfilment of the promise, ‘If a man love Me, he will keep My words; and My Father will love him, and We will come unto him, and make Our abode with him’ (verse 23).” The Signs of the Times, May 6, 1897.

Bible Study Guides – For in Six Days the Lord Made Heaven and Earth

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September 12, 1999 – September 19, 1999

MEMORY VERSE: “And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had made; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it He had rested from all His work which God created and made.” Genesis 2:2–3.

STUDY HELP: Desire of Ages, 281–289.

Introduction

“The Sabbath is a golden clasp that unites God and His people. But the Sabbath command has been broken. God’s holy day has been desecrated. The Sabbath has been torn from its place by the man of sin, and a common working day has been exalted in its stead. A breach has been made in the law, and this breach is to be repaired. The true Sabbath is to be exalted to its rightful position as God’s rest day. In the fifty-eighth chapter of Isaiah is outlined the work which God’s people are to do. They are to magnify the law and make it honourable, to build up the old waste places, and to raise up the foundations of many generations. To those who do this work God says: ‘Thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in. If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on My holy day; and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable; and shalt honour Him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.’” Testimonies, vol. 6, 352.

“Call the Sabbath a Delight”

  •  When was the Sabbath instituted? Genesis 2:2, 3.

NOTE: “The object of the Sabbath was that all mankind might be benefited. Man was not made to fit the Sabbath; for the Sabbath was made after the creation of man, to meet his necessities. After God had made the world in six days, He rested and sanctified and blessed the day upon which He rested from all His work which He had created and made. He set apart that special day for man to rest from his labour, that, as he should look upon the earth beneath and the heavens above, he might reflect that God made all these in six days and rested upon the seventh; and that, as he should behold the tangible proofs of God’s infinite wisdom, his heart might be filled with love and reverence for his Maker.” Testimonies, vol. 2, 583.

  • What indication are we given that Noah was aware of the days of the week? Genesis 7:4, 10, 8:10, 12. (Compare Genesis 31:23, 50:10, Exodus 7:25, 12:15, 19, 13:6, 7.)

NOTE: Unlike the day, month and year, the week has no astronomical origin. The day, month and year are fixed by astronomical cycles. The day is the period in which the earth rotates upon its axis. The Month was designed to reflect the period during which the moon circles the earth while the year is the period during which the earth revolves about the sun. The week alone has no natural origin and comes only from the word of God.

“The Sabbath was hallowed at the creation. As ordained for man, it had its origin when ‘the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy.’ Job 38:7. Peace brooded over the world; for earth was in harmony with heaven. ‘God saw everything that He had made, and, behold, it was very good;’ and He rested in the joy of His completed work. Gen. 1:31. Because He had rested upon the Sabbath, God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it,’—set it apart to a holy use. He gave it to Adam as a day of rest. It was a memorial of the work of creation, and thus a sign of God’s power and His love. The Scripture says, ‘He hath made His wonderful works to be remembered.’ ‘The things that are made,’ declare ‘the invisible things of Him since the creation of the world,’ ‘even His everlasting power and divinity.’ Gen. 2:3; Ps. 111:4; Romans 1:20, R. V.” Desire of Ages, page 281.

  • For whom was the Sabbath made? Mark 2:27.

NOTE: Though there are still some who claim that Sabbath-keeping was confined to the Jews, the testimony of history does not support this opinion.

“It is a well-attested historical fact that the weekly cycle was observed and the seventh day was kept sacred by nearly all the most ancient nations of the earth beside the Jews. There are decisive evidences to show that the Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Arabians, Greeks and Romans and even the Chinese knew of the Sabbath and at an early period regarded at as a sacred day . . . John G. Butler, a Free-Will Baptist author, in his Natural and Revealed Theology, page 396 says: ‘We learn also, from the testimony of Philo, Hesiod, Josephus, Porphyry and others, that the division of time into weeks and the observance of the seventh day were common to the nations of antiquity. They would not have adopted such a custom from the Jews. Whence, then, could it have been derived but through tradition, from its original institution in the Garden of Eden?’ The Asiatic Journal says: ‘The prime minister of the empire affirms that the Sabbath was anciently observed by the Chinese, in conformity to the directions of the king.’ The Congregationalist (Boston) November 15, 1882, referring to the Creation Tablets found by Mr Smith on the banks of the Tigris near Nineveh, gives the following: ‘Mr George Smith says in his Assyrian Discoveries (1875): ‘In the year 1869 I discovered, among other things, a curious religious calendar of the Assyrians, in which every month is divided into four weeks and the seventh days, or Sabbaths, are marked out as days on which no work should be undertaken…The calendar contains lists of work forbidden to be done on these days, which evidently correspond to the Sabbaths of the Jews.’” George I. Butler, The Change of the Sabbath, 20, 21.

“That I May Prove Them”

  •  What example of Sabbath-keeping is recorded before the giving of the Ten Commandments at Sinai? Exodus 16:11–26.

NOTE: “Every week during their long sojourn in the wilderness the Israelites witnessed a threefold miracle, designed to impress their minds with the sacredness of the Sabbath: a double quantity of manna fell on the sixth day, none on the seventh, and the portion needed for the Sabbath was preserved sweet and pure, when if any were kept over at any other time it became unfit for use.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 296.

  • What purpose did God have for the giving of the manna? Exodus 16:4, 28.

NOTE: “In the circumstances connected with the giving of the manna, we have conclusive evidence that the Sabbath was not instituted, as many claim, when the law was given at Sinai. Before the Israelites came to Sinai they understood the Sabbath to be obligatory upon them. In being obliged to gather every Friday a double portion of manna in preparation for the Sabbath, when none would fall, the sacred nature of the day of rest was continually impressed upon them. And when some of the people went out on the Sabbath to gather manna, the Lord asked, ‘How long refuse ye to keep My commandments and My laws?’” Patriarchs and Prophets, 296, 297.

“The Seventh Day is the Sabbath of Rest”

  • For what purpose was the Sabbath made? Exodus 20:10. (Compare Nehemiah 13:13–19)

NOTE: “Those who are not fully converted to the truth frequently let their minds run freely upon worldly business, and, although they may rest from physical toil upon the Sabbath, their tongues speak out what is in their minds; hence these words concerning cattle, crops, losses, and gains. All this is Sabbath breaking. If the mind is running upon worldly matters, the tongue will reveal it, for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.” Testimonies, vol. 2, 703.

  • What other purpose does the Sabbath afford? Leviticus 23:3. (Compare Isaiah 66:23.)

NOTE: Among the advocates of Sunday observance, the claim is made that the Sabbath was for rest only and not for God’s people to meet for worship. It is Sunday, they claim that is, in contrast, a day for worship. The Hebrew word ‘miqra’ ranslated as “convocation” has the meaning of a public meeting or assembly.

“Those who receive the light of truth are to have lesson upon lesson to educate them not to keep silent, but to speak often one to another. They are to keep in mind the Sabbath meeting, when those who love and fear God, and who think upon his name, can have opportunity to express their thoughts in speaking one to another. Let not the little companies think that they can have no meeting when they have no minister. Let them not think that one of their members must stand in the pulpit and preach to them. The time and season are very precious. The assembled believers are in the audience chamber of the universe of Heaven. They are to witness for God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave his life for the world. The little company are to do service to God by offering to him spiritual worship. When there is no delegated minister to speak to the little companies, let each one witness to the truth, and be faithful to speak often one to another of the love of God, and thus train and educate the soul. Let each one seek to become an intelligent Christian, bearing his responsibility, and acting his personal part to make the meeting interesting and profitable.” Review and Sabbath, September 10, 1895.

“Lawful to Do Well on the Sabbath Day”

  •  What other activity did Jesus describe as lawful for the Sabbath day? Matthew 12:10–13.

NOTE: “He had chosen the Sabbath upon which to perform the act of healing at Bethesda. He could have healed the sick man as well on any other day of the week; or He might simply have cured him, without bidding him bear away his bed. But this would not have given Him the opportunity He desired. A wise purpose underlay every act of Christ’s life on earth. Everything He did was important in itself and in its teaching. Among the afflicted ones at the pool He selected the worst case upon whom to exercise His healing power, and bade the man carry his bed through the city in order to publish the great work that had been wrought upon him. This would raise the question of what it was lawful to do on the Sabbath, and would open the way for Him to denounce the restrictions of the Jews in regard to the Lord’s day, and to declare their traditions void. Jesus stated to them that the work of relieving the afflicted was in harmony with the Sabbath law. It was in harmony with the work of God’s angels, who are ever descending and ascending between heaven and earth to minister to suffering humanity.” Desire of Ages, 206.

  • How was this teaching of Jesus regarded by the Pharisees? Matthew 12:14.

NOTE: “The Jews had so perverted the law that they made it a yoke of bondage. Their meaningless requirements had become a byword among other nations. Especially was the Sabbath hedged in by all manner of senseless restrictions. It was not to them a delight, the holy of the Lord, and honourable. The scribes and Pharisees had made its observance an intolerable burden. A Jew was not allowed to kindle a fire nor even to light a candle on the Sabbath. As a consequence the people were dependent upon the Gentiles for many services which their rules forbade them to do for themselves. They did not reflect that if these acts were sinful, those who employed others to perform them were as guilty as if they had done the work themselves. They thought that salvation was restricted to the Jews, and that the condition of all others, being already hopeless, could be made no worse. But God has given no commandments which cannot be obeyed by all. His laws sanction no unreasonable or selfish restrictions.” Desire of Ages, 204.

“Hallow My Sabbaths”

  •  What special significance did the Lord attach to the Sabbath? Exodus 31:13, Ezekiel 20:12.

NOTE: “The Sabbath given to the world as the sign of God as the Creator is also the sign of Him as the Sanctifier. The power that created all things is the power that re-creates the soul in His own likeness. To those who keep holy the Sabbath day it is the sign of sanctification. True sanctification is harmony with God, oneness with Him in character. It is received through obedience to those principles that are the transcript of His character. And the Sabbath is the sign of obedience. He who from the heart obeys the fourth commandment will obey the whole law. He is sanctified through obedience. To us as to Israel the Sabbath is given ‘for a perpetual covenant.’ To those who reverence His holy day the Sabbath is a sign that God recognises them as His chosen people. It is a pledge that He will fulfil to them His covenant. Every soul who accepts the sign of God’s government places himself under the divine, everlasting covenant. He fastens himself to the golden chain of obedience, every link of which is a promise.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 350.

  • What further significance has God revealed in Sabbath observance? Ezekiel 20:20.

NOTE: “The Sabbath is the Lord’s test, and no man, be he king, priest, or ruler, is authorized to come between God and man. Those who seek to be conscience for their fellow men, place themselves above God. Those who are under the influence of a false religion, who observe a spurious rest day, will set aside the most positive evidence in regard to the true Sabbath. They will try to compel men to obey the laws of their own creation, laws that are directly opposed to the law of God. Upon those who continue in this course, the wrath of God will fall. Unless they change, they cannot escape the penalty.’ Testimonies, vol. 9, 234, 235.

“When the claims of the Sabbath are presented, there are many who ask, What difference does it make what day we keep as the Sabbath, so long as we observe one day in seven? We answer, It makes all possible difference whether we obey or disregard the word of God. God has given us the Sabbath as a memorial of the great work of creation . . . He declares through Moses, ‘It is a sign between me and the children of Israel forever.’ And the children of Israel include all who believe in Christ. For ‘if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed.’ Again, by the prophet Ezekiel, the Lord says, ‘Hallow my Sabbaths; for they shall be a sign between me and you, that you may know that I am the Lord your God.’ The Sabbath is a sign of God’s creative power; it shows him to be supreme, the Maker and Upholder of the universe, the One from whom we receive ‘life and breath and all things,’ and hence the One to whom our allegiance is due.” Signs of the Times, June 12, 1893.

“Turn Away thy Foot From the Sabbath”

  •  What attitude towards the Sabbath will bring the blessings that God placed upon the Sabbath? Isaiah 58:13.

NOTE: “To all who receive the Sabbath as a sign of Christ’s creative and redeeming power, it will be a delight. Seeing Christ in it, they delight themselves in Him. The Sabbath points them to the works of creation as an evidence of His mighty power in redemption. While it calls to mind the lost peace of Eden, it tells of peace restored through the Saviour. And every object in nature repeats His invitation, ‘Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.’ Matt 11:28.” Desire of Ages, 289.

  • What special promises are for those who remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy? Isaiah 58:14.

NOTE: “Great blessings are enfolded in the observance of the Sabbath, and God desires that the Sabbath day shall be to us a day of joy. There was joy at the institution of the Sabbath. God looked with satisfaction upon the work of His hands. All things that He had made He pronounced ‘very good.’ Genesis 1:31. Heaven and earth were filled with rejoicing. ‘The morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy.’ Job 38:7. Though sin has entered the world to mar His perfect work, God still gives to us the Sabbath as a witness that One omnipotent, infinite in goodness and mercy, created all things. Our heavenly Father desires through the observance of the Sabbath to preserve among men a knowledge of Himself. He desires that the Sabbath shall direct our minds to Him as the true and living God, and that through knowing Him we may have life and peace.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 349.

Is Exact Obedience Necessary?

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Elementary Principles that Every Child and Young Person Needs to Know

Among Christians today, a frequently debated question is, Do we really have to obey God exactly? Some people say that it is impossible to obey God exactly and completely, so we should just try to be as good as we can. Others think that we do not even need to try, since God will save us just the way we are. What is the Bible’s answer to this important question? There are several Bible stories that we will examine to help us discover that answer.

In the Garden of Eden, Eve did not think that it was really very important that she obey God exactly, so she ate a piece of fruit that God said not to eat. As a result of this seemingly small deviation from God’s command the floodgates of misery, woe, sickness, suffering, death, strife and war were opened up for all of their descendents.

Cain was another person that did not think it was important to obey God exactly. He thought that he could choose the part of God’s command he wanted to follow, and so when God instructed them to bring a lamb as a sacrifice, he brought a sacrifice, but instead of a lamb, he brought the fruit of his own hands to offer to God. What response did he receive from God? “And the Lord respected Able and his offering, but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell. So God said to Cain, ‘Why are you angry? And why is your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is at the door.” Genesis 4:3,4. Cain was worshipping the Lord. He was even bringing an offering to the Lord, but he did not follow the divine instructions. His obedience was not exact.

A Rebellious People

This failure of the human race, since the time of Adam, to recognize that God means what He says is also seen in the story of the Children of Israel in the wilderness. When God worked a miracle every day to provide manna for their food, He gave them special instructions about it’s preparation and use. In Exodus 16:19, 20 we read, “And Moses said, ‘Let no one leave any of it [the manna] till the morning.’ ” Did they follow these simple instructions? “Notwithstanding they did not heed Moses. But some of them left part of it until morning, and it bred worms and stank. And Moses was angry with them.” They refused to listen to God’s counsel through Moses. They did not think it was important to obey exactly.

When they disobeyed God, they saw the results. And it would seem logical that they would have learned to obey God when He gave them instruction, but when He told them to gather a double portion for the Sabbath day, and not go out on the Sabbath to gather food, they again tested God. “Now it happened that some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather, but they found none. And the Lord said to Moses, ‘How long do you refuse to keep My commandments and My laws? See! For the Lord has given you the Sabbath; therefore He gives you on the sixth day bread for two days. Let every man remain in his place; let no man go out of his place in the seventh day.’ So the people rested on the seventh day.” Exodus 16:25–30.

Human beings seem to have a hard time learning that God means what He says even though God’s requirements are few. There are only Ten Commandments in the whole moral Law. There is not an encyclopedia, or books and books of laws. His Law is simple enough for a child to understand, but God is particular as to whether or not His word is obeyed.

It is important to obey God exactly. In fact, your eternal destiny is determined by whether you obey God exactly or not. Exact obedience does not earn salvation, but the gift of salvation is not given to those who are rebellious against God and are not particular to obey Him.

A Disobedient Prophet

The story of the prophet sent to rebuke king Jeroboam and to prophesy what was going to happen to him because of his idolatry adds to our understanding of the seriousness of this point. After the prophet gave His message, the king was so angry that he ordered his seizure. As he pointed his finger toward the prophet, his whole hand withered up and he could not move it—his hand was paralyzed. In terror he plead with the prophet, “Oh, please, pray for me!” So the prophet prayed for him and the Lord worked a miracle and restored his arm to perfect function.

Here he had very plain evidence, in his own body, that the Lord had spoken to him through this prophet, and so he realized that it would only be wise to listen. So he said to this prophet, “Come home with me and eat with me.” But the prophet said, No! ” ‘If you were to give me half your house, I would not go in with you; nor would I eat bread nor drink water in this place. For so it was commanded me by the word of the Lord, saying, “You shall not eat bread, nor drink water, nor return by the same way you came.”‘ So he went another way and did not return by the way he came to Bethel.

“Now an old prophet dwelt in Bethel, and his sons came and told him all the works the man of God had done that day in Bethel; they also told their father the words which he had spoken to the king. And their father said to them, ‘Which way did he go?’ For his sons had seen which way the man of God went who came from Judah. Then he said to his sons, ‘Saddle the donkey for me.’ So they saddled the donkey for him; and he rode on it, and went after the man of God and found him sitting under an oak.

“Then he said to him, ‘Are you the man of God who came from Judah?’ And he said, ‘I am.’ Then he said to him, ‘Come home with me and eat bread’. And he said, ‘I cannot return with you nor go in with you; neither can I eat bread or drink water with you in this place. For I have been told by the word of the Lord, “You shall not eat bread nor drink water there, nor return by going the way you came.” He said to him, ‘I too am a prophet as you are, and an angel spoke to me by the word of the Lord, saying, “Bring him back with you to your house, that he may eat bread and drink water.”‘ [He was lying to him.] So he went back with him, and ate bread in his house, and drank water.

“Now it happened, as they sat at the table, that the word of the Lord came to the prophet who had brought him back; and he cried out to the man of God who came from Judah, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Because you have disobeyed the word of the Lord, and have not kept the commandment which the Lord your God commanded you, but you came back, ate bread, and drank water in the place of which the Lord said to you, ‘Eat no bread and drink no water,’ your corpse shall not come to the tomb of your fathers.”‘
“So it was, after he had eaten bread and after he had drunk, that he saddled the donkey for him, the prophet whom he had brought back. When he was gone, a lion met him on the road and killed him. And his corpse was thrown on the road, and the donkey stood by it. The lion also stood by the corpse. And there, men passed by and saw the corpse thrown on the road, and the lion standing by the corpse. Then they went and told it in the city where the old prophet dwelt.

“Now when the prophet who had brought him back by the way heard it, he said, ‘It is the man of God who was disobedient to the word of the Lord. Therefore the Lord has delivered him to the lion which has torn him and killed him, according to the word of the Lord which He spoke to him.’ And he spoke to his sons, saying, ‘Saddle the donkey for me.’ So they saddled it.

“Then he went and found his corpse thrown on the road, and the donkey and the lion standing by the corpse. The lion had not eaten the corpse nor torn the donkey. And the prophet took up the corpse of the man of God, laid it on the donkey, and brought it back. So the old prophet came to the city to mourn, and to bury him. Then he laid the corpse in his own tomb; and they mourned over him, saying, ‘Alas, my brother.'” 1 Kings 13:8–30.

When Its Not Safe to Listen to an Angels’ Message

The problem for this prophet was that he listened to another prophet who lied to him, claiming to have a message from an angel. Do you realize that when God speaks, even if an angel should tell you to do something different, you are going to lose your soul if you disobey the Lord?

The apostle Paul makes this clear. “If we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you that what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.” Galatians 1:8. When God speaks, you will lose your soul if you listen to anybody else and disobey—even if it is an angel.

We need to learn this lesson today, for many people are going to eternal destruction who could be saved if they understood that whether you obey or disobey makes the difference between whether you will have eternal life or eternal death.

Notice what Moses said to the Children of Israel about this very point. “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, in that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgements, that you may live and multiply; and the Lord your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess. But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them, I announce to you today that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to go in and possess. I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendents may live; that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to give them.” Deuteronomy 30:15–20.

New Covenant Obedience

Moses said, “I am setting before you life and death determined by your obedience.” However, some will say, “But, I am living in the new covenant today.” Do you realize that the requirements of the new covenant are even more strict than the requirements of the old covenant? (Read the Sermon on the Mount found in Matthew 5, 6 and 7.)

In the new covenant, Jesus said it is not enough to keep the law of God on the outside, you have to keep it from your heart. Jesus declared the necessity of obedience in John 5:28, 29: “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.” Jesus links the type of life that you live to your eternal destiny. Obedience or disobedience determines your eternal destiny.

The apostle Paul repeats the same warning as he speaks concerning God, “who will render to each one according to his deeds, eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness—indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek; but glory, honor, and peace to every one who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For there is no partiality with God. For an many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many have sinned in the law will be judged by the law (for not the hearers or the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified; . . .)” Romans 2:6–13.

Another New Testament writer speaks to the same subject: “If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself,’ you do well; but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. For He who said, ‘Do not commit adultery,’ also said, ‘Do not murder.’ Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty.” James 2:8–12.

It is clear that James is talking about the moral law, the Ten Commandments. Breaking one of these commandments makes you guilty of breaking them all. Obedience or disobedience will determine the eternal destiny of men and women, boys and girls.

The Bible predicts that obedience will distinguish God’s true people from His professed followers in the last days, when Jesus predicted that “Because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.” Matthew 24:12. God’s last day people are described in Revelation 12:17. “And the dragon was enraged with the woman [the symbol of a church], and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring [the last of God’s people], who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.”

God’s people in the last days will be commandment keepers. Again in Revelation 14:12 we read: “Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.” God’s people are here contrasted with the disobedient, those who receive the mark of the beast. (See Revelation 14:9–11.)

The last chapter of the Bible says again, “Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.” Revelation 22:14. The next verse describes those who do not obey God’s commandments. Three times in the last three chapters of Revelation God contrasts the obedient with the disobedient, so we will not make a mistake. Eternal destiny is determined by whether you obey God exactly.

But today there is a worldwide deception concerning the law of God. Some people think that you cannot keep it. Others think that you do not need to keep it. But the worst deception of all is when people think that they can change or adjust the requirements of God’s law, and that then they are keeping it when actually they are breaking it. (This is especially true when people claim to be keeping God’s law while they are breaking the fourth commandment, the Sabbath commandment mentioned in Exodus 20:8–11.)
Through Jesus, God’s mercy has been manifested to men, but mercy does not set aside justice. The law reveals the attributes of God’s character and not one jot or tittle of it can be set aside to meet man in his fallen condition. God did not change His law. He sacrificed Himself in Christ to redeem man from the curse of the law.

The law requires righteousness, a righteous life, and a perfect character. But this, man does not have and so he can not give it. He cannot meet the claims of God’s holy law, but Christ came down to earth as a man, lived a holy life and developed a perfect character. These He offers to give to man as a free gift, if man will receive it.

More than this, Christ imbues a man with the attributes of God’s own character so that He can develop, within this human being, the attributes of the divine character, that the principles of the Law might be fulfilled in the life of the Christian. (Romans 8.) By His life and death, Christ proved that God’s justice did not destroy His mercy as the devil’s deception claims. He showed that sin could be forgiven and that the law is righteous and can be perfectly obeyed. The law was not abrogated, which would immortalize sin and place the whole world under Satan’s control.

Because the law could not be changed, Jesus died on the cross and established the law. However, Christ’s death on the cross is the very act which the devil claims destroyed the law. He has lead men to believe that the moral law, the Ten Commandments, were “nailed to the cross,” when in fact Christ came to do just the opposite.

Since the beginning of the great controversy, Satan has claimed that the law, spoken by God’s own voice, is faulty and that some specification can been set aside. The last great deception that Satan will bring upon the world will be on this same point. Bible prophecy foretells that in the last days Satan will assail one of God’s commandments, and lead men to keep a man-made law instead of God’s law.
Will the devil need to make you break the whole law? No, he knows that those who keep the whole law but offend in one point are guilty of all. (James 2:10.) He knows that if you consent deliberately to break one precept, that brings you under his control. So, the devil will work on the minds of men so that they will set up their laws to counterwork the Law of God and seek to compel the consciences of others to enforce their man-made laws.

This warfare against God’s law will continue until the end of time. Every man is going to be tested. Obedience or disobedience is the question to be decided by the whole world. Every single human being is going to choose between the law of God and the laws of men. Here the dividing line will be drawn. There will only be two classes. Every character will be fully developed, every person will demonstrate whether he will keep all the law of God. What will your decision be?

Bible Study Guides – “Behold I Stand at the Door and Knock”

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March 19-25, 2000

MEMORY VERSE: “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.” Revelation 14:12.

STUDY HELP: The Ministry of Healing, 503–516.

INTRODUCTION: “I know that in many hearts the inquiry arises, ‘Where shall I find Jesus?’ There are many who want His presence, want His love and His light; but they know not where to look for Him for whom their hearts yearn. And yet Jesus does not hide Himself away; no one need search for Him in vain. ‘Behold,’ He says, ‘I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me.’ Revelation 3:20. Jesus invites us to accept His presence; we are to open the door of the heart, and let Him in. But He will not share a divided heart. If it be given to the service of mammon, if selfishness and pride fill its chambers, there will be no room for the heavenly Guest; He will not take up His abode with us until the soul-temple has been emptied and cleansed. Yet there is no need of making a failure in the Christian life. Jesus is waiting to do a great work for us, and all heaven is interested in our salvation.” Our High Calling, 55.

“I Know Thy Works”

1 With what words, does the Lord open His message to each of the churches? Revelation 2:2, 9, 13, 19; 3:1, 8, 15.

NOTE: “The eye of the Lord is upon all the work, all the plans, all the imaginings of every mind; He sees beneath the surface of things, discerning the thoughts and intents of the heart. There is not a deed of darkness, not a plan, not an imagination of the heart, not a thought of the mind, but that He reads it as an open book. Every act, every word, every motive, is faithfully chronicled in the records of the great Heart-searcher, who said, ‘I know thy works.’” Life Sketches, 322.

2 What will be considered in the judgment? Ecclesiastes 12:13, 14; Matthew 7:21–23.

NOTE: “Sad will be the retrospect in that day when men stand face to face with eternity. The whole life will present itself just as it has been. The world’s pleasures, riches, and honors will not then seem so important. Men will then see that the righteousness they despised is alone of value. They will see that they have fashioned their characters under the deceptive allurements of Satan.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 318.

“Neither Cold Nor Hot”

3 How does the Lord see His church in the time of the judgment? Revelation 3:15.

NOTE: This verse is part of the message to the church of the Laodiceans. The word “Laodicea” means “a people judged.”

“Love of self excludes the love of Christ. Those who live for self are ranged under the head of the Laodicean church who are lukewarm, neither cold nor hot. The ardor of the first love has lapsed into a selfish egotism. The love of Christ in the heart is expressed in the actions. If love for Christ is dull, the love for those for whom Christ has died will degenerate. There may be a wonderful appearance for zeal and ceremonies, but this is the substance of their self-inflated religion. Christ represents them as nauseating to His taste.” Our High Calling, 348.

4 What will the Lord do with those Christians who remain lukewarm? Revelation 3:16.

NOTE: “Says the True Witness, ‘I would thou wert cold or hot. So then, because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of My mouth.’ Satan is willing you should be a Christian in name, for you can suit his purposes better. You can have a form and not true godliness, and Satan can use you to decoy others in the same self-deceived way. Some poor souls look to you, instead of looking to the Bible standard. They come up no higher than you; they are as good as you, and are satisfied.” Spiritual Gifts, vol. 2, 262.

“Rich and Increased with Goods”

5 How do the Laodiceans see themselves? Revelation 3:17.

NOTE: “Indolence and pride…are apt to grow out of a consciousness that we have the truth and strong arguments which our opponents cannot meet; and while the truths which we handle are mighty to the pulling down of the strongholds of the powers of darkness, there is danger of neglecting personal piety, purity of heart, and entire consecration to God. There is danger of their feeling that they are rich and increased with goods, while they lack the essential qualifications of Christians. They may be wretched, poor, blind, miserable, and naked. They do not feel the necessity of living in obedience to Christ every day and every hour. Spiritual pride eats out the vitals of religion. In order to preserve humility, it would
be well to remember how we appear in the sight of a holy God, who reads every secret of the soul, and how we should appear in the sight of our fellow men if they all knew us as well as God knows
us. For this reason, to humble us, we are directed to confess our faults, and improve this opportunity to subdue our pride.” Testimonies, vol. 3, 210, 211.

6 How did Jesus describe those who have an appearance of godliness but are not godly in heart? Matthew 23:25–28.

NOTE: “What greater deception can come upon human minds than a confidence that they are right when they are all wrong! The message of the True Witness finds the people of God in a sad deception, yet honest in that deception. They know not that their condition is deplorable in the sight of God. While those addressed are flattering themselves that they are in an exalted spiritual condition, the message of the True Witness breaks their security by the startling denunciation of their true condition of spiritual blindness, poverty, and wretchedness. The testimony, so cutting and severe, cannot be a mistake, for it is the True Witness who speaks, and His testimony must be correct.” Testimonies, vol. 3, 252, 253.

“I Counsel Thee”

7 What remedy is first proposed for the spiritual pride of the Laodiceans? Revelation 3:18, first part.

NOTE: “God calls for a spiritual revival and a spiritual reformation. Unless this takes place, those who are lukewarm will continue to grow more abhorrent to the Lord, until He will refuse to acknowledge them as His children. A revival and a reformation must take place, under the ministration of the Holy Spirit. Revival and reformation are two different things. Revival signifies a renewal of spiritual life, a quickening of the powers of mind and heart, a resurrection from spiritual death. Reformation signifies a reorganization, a change in ideas and theories, habits and practices. Reformation will not bring forth the good fruit of righteousness unless it is connected with the revival of the Spirit. Revival and reformation are to do their appointed work, and in doing this work they must blend.” Review and Herald, February 25, 1902.

“But we must have a knowledge of ourselves, a knowledge that will result in contrition, before we can find pardon and peace. The Pharisee felt no conviction of sin. The Holy Spirit could not work with him. His soul was encased in a self-righteous armor which the arrows of God, barbed and true-aimed by angel hands, failed to penetrate. It is only he who knows himself to be a sinner that Christ can save.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 158.

8 What further remedy is offered to the Laodiceans? Revelation 3:18, middle part.

NOTE: “Only the covering which Christ Himself has provided can make us meet to appear in God’s presence. This covering, the robe of His own righteousness, Christ will put upon every repenting, believing soul.…This robe, woven in the loom of heaven, has in it not one thread of human devising. Christ in His humanity wrought out a perfect character, and this character He offers to impart to us.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 311, 312.

9 What final gift is needed to enable us to protect ourselves from self-deception? Revelation 3:18, last part

NOTE: “We need, O so greatly, keen discernment, clear spiritual eyesight. Our eyes need to be anointed with the heavenly eyesalve, that we may see all things clearly. The great and solemn truths for this time are to be proclaimed.…Our lesson for the present time is, How may we most clearly comprehend and present the gospel that Christ came in person to present to John on the Isle of Patmos—the gospel that is termed, ‘The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto Him, to show unto His servants things which must shortly come to pass.’ ‘Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy,…for the time is at hand.’ We are to proclaim to the world the great and solemn truths of Revelation. Into the very designs and principles of the church of God these truths are to enter.…We have a most important work to do,—the work of proclaiming the Third Angel’s Message. We are facing the most important issues that men have ever been called to meet. All should understand the truths contained in the three messages; for they are essential to salvation.” Counsels to Writers and Editors, 175. (See also Testimonies, vol. 6, 294.)

“Blessed Are They”

10 Who are the ones who will have the right to enter the New Jerusalem and eat from the Tree of Life? Revelation 22:14.

NOTE: “Those who make bold assumptions of holiness give proof in this that they do not see themselves in the light of the law; they are not spiritually enlightened, and they do not loathe every species of selfishness and pride. From their sin-stained lips fall the contradictory utterances: ‘I am holy, I am sinless. Jesus teaches me that if I keep the law I am fallen from grace. The law is a yoke of bondage.’ The Lord says, ‘Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have right to the Tree of Life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.’ We should study the Word of God carefully that we may come to right decisions, and act accordingly; for then we shall obey the Word and be in harmony with God’s holy law.” Faith and Works, 95.

11 What is the basis of obedience to God’s Law? Joshua 22:5; Romans 13:8–10.

NOTE: “While we are to be in harmony with God’s law, we are not saved by the works of the law, yet we cannot be saved without obedience. The law is the standard by which character is measured. But we cannot possibly keep the commandments of God without the regenerating grace of Christ. Jesus alone can cleanse us from all sin. He does not save us by law; neither will He save us in disobedience to law. Our love to Christ will be in proportion to the depth of our conviction of sin, and by the law is the knowledge of sin. But as we see ourselves, let us look away to Jesus, who gave Himself for us that He might redeem us from all iniquity. By faith take hold of the merits of Christ, and the soul-cleansing blood will be applied. The more clearly we see the evils and perils to which we have been exposed, the more grateful shall we be for deliverance through Christ. The gospel of Christ does not give men license to break the law, for it was through transgression that the floodgates of woe were opened upon our world.” Faith and Works, 95, 96.

12 How does John link obedience to God’s Commandments and love to Him and our fellow men? 1 John 5:2, 3.

NOTE: “There are those who profess holiness, who declare that they are wholly the Lord’s, who claim a right to the promises of God, while refusing to render obedience to His commandments. These transgressors of the law claim everything that is promised to the children of God; but this is presumption on their part, for John tells us that true love for God will be revealed in obedience to all His commandments. It is not enough to believe the theory of truth, to make a profession of faith in Christ, to believe that Jesus is no impostor, and that the religion of the Bible is no cunningly devised fable. ‘He that saith, I know Him, and keepeth not His commandments,’ John wrote, ‘is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth His word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in Him.’ ‘He that keepeth His commandments dwelleth in Him, and He in him.’ 1 John 2:4, 5; 3:24.” Acts of the Apostles, 562, 563.

13 What vision did John see of those who will be saved in Christ’s eternal kingdom? Revelation 7:9–17; Revelation 21:23, 24.

NOTE: “There the redeemed shall ‘know, even as also they are known.’ The loves and sympathies which God Himself has planted in the soul shall there find truest and sweetest exercise. The pure communion with holy beings, the harmonious social life with the blessed angels and with the faithful ones of all ages who have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb, the sacred ties that bind together ‘the whole family in heaven and earth’—these help to constitute the happiness of the redeemed. The nations of the saved will know no other law than the law of heaven. All will be a happy, united family, clothed with the garments of praise and thanksgiving. Over the scene the morning stars will sing together, and the sons of God will shout for joy, while God and Christ will unite in proclaiming, ‘There shall be no more sin, neither shall there be any more death.’” The Adventist Home, 544.

Bible Study Guides – “Not Everyone That Saith unto Me, Lord, Lord”

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April 16-22, 2000

MEMORY VERSE: “And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before Me, saith the LORD.” Isaiah 66:23.

STUDY HELP: Desire of Ages, 281–289.

INTRODUCTION: “So long as the heavens and the earth endure, the Sabbath will continue as a sign of the Creator’s power. And when Eden shall bloom on earth again, God’s holy rest day will be honored by all beneath the sun. ‘From one Sabbath to another’ the inhabitants of the glorified new earth shall go up ‘to worship before Me, saith the Lord.’” Sons and Daughters of God, 59.

“The Lord Blessed the Seventh Day and Sanctified It”

When was the Sabbath instituted? Genesis 2:1–3.

NOTE: “The Sabbath was hallowed at the creation. As ordained for man, it had its origin when ‘the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy.’” Job 38:7. Desire of Ages, 281.

For whose benefit was the Sabbath made? Mark 2:27.

NOTE: See Desire of Ages, 288.

“It Shall be a Sign Between Me and Thee”

What further significance did the Lord give to the Sabbath? Deuteronomy 5:15.

NOTE: “The Hebrews were held in bondage by the Egyptians, but the Lord delivered them from their bondage with a strong arm. Enshrouded in the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night, Christ, their invisible Leader, guided them through the wilderness. Through Moses, their visible leader, He educated and instructed them, that they might love and serve the only true and living God. For their food the Lord gave them manna from heaven. Day by day this food was given, and on the sixth day enough fell for the Sabbath. This miracle testified constantly to the Sabbath commandment, which was given in Eden.” Signs of the Times, March 31, 1898.

Of what did the Lord ordain that the Sabbath should be a sign? Ezekiel 20:20.

NOTE: “The Sabbath is ever the sign that distinguishes the obedient from the disobedient. With masterly power Satan has worked to make null and void the fourth commandment, that the sign of God may be lost sight of. The Christian world have trodden underfoot the Sabbath of the Lord and observe a sabbath instituted by the enemy. But God has a people who are loyal to Him. His work is to be carried forward in right lines.” Counsels on Health, 235.

“Men could not place themselves more decidedly in opposition to God’s work and to His law than by upholding a day that is without one evidence of sanctity, and professing to worship Him on that day. Those who have corrupted the law by substituting a false sabbath for the holy Sabbath of God, and who compel the observance of this false sabbath, exalt themselves above God, and honor the spurious above the genuine.” Signs of the Times, March 31, 1898.

Of what divine work in the life did God intend the Sabbath to be a sign? Ezekiel 20:12; Exodus 31:13.

NOTE: “The Sabbath is a sign of Christ’s power to make us holy. And it is given to all whom Christ makes holy. As a sign of His sanctifying power, the Sabbath is given to all who through Christ become a part of the Israel of God.” Desire of Ages, 288.

“To all who receive the Sabbath as a sign of Christ’s creative and redeeming power, it will be a delight. Seeing Christ in it, they delight themselves in Him. The Sabbath points them to the works of creation as an evidence of His mighty power in redemption..” The Faith I Live By, 33.

“There Remaineth Therefore a Rest to the Children of God”

What will prevent us from experiencing fully the Sabbath blessings? Hebrews 4:4–6.

NOTE: “The Sunday-sabbath is hoary with age, but this does not give it one tittle of sanctity, for God has not made it sacred. Sunday is not the Lord’s day; although it is called so by ministers throughout Christendom. This assertion of men has not removed the sanctity from the Sabbath of the fourth commandment, nor made the Sunday a day to be reverenced. God has not placed one particle of sanctity upon the first day of the week.” Review and Herald, September 13, 1898.

How does Paul show that the Sabbath rest was not finished in the earthly ministry of Christ? Hebrews 4:8–9.

NOTE: In verse 9, the word translated ‘rest’ literally means ‘a keeping of a Sabbath’, as will be found in the margin of the King James Bible.

“Here are the conditions upon which every soul will be elected to eternal life. Your obedience to God’s commandments will prove your right to an inheritance with the saints in light. God has elected a certain excellence of character; and every one who, through the grace of Christ, shall reach the standard of His requirement, will have an abundant entrance into the kingdom of glory.” Fundamentals of Christian Education, 118.

“Not Everyone that Saith unto Me, ‘Lord, Lord’”

To whom will be given the right to eternal life in the City of God? Revelation 22:14.

NOTE: “God has elected a character in harmony with His law, and anyone who shall reach the standard of His requirement will have an entrance into the kingdom of glory.” God’s Amazing Grace, 350.

How are the saints of God identified? Revelation 14:12.

NOTE: “What preparation have you made for the judgment? Have you made your peace with God? Are you seeking to help those around you, those in your home, those in your neighborhood, those with whom you come in contact that are not keeping the commandments of God? Remember that profession is worthless without a practice that enters into the daily life. God knows whether we are keeping His law in truth. He knows just what we are doing, just what we are thinking and saying. Are we getting ready to meet the King? When He comes in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory, will you be able to say, ‘Lo, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us’ (Isaiah 25:9)? To those who can say this Christ will say, ‘Come up higher. Upon this earth you have loved Me. You have loved to do My will. You can now enter the Holy City and receive the crown of everlasting life.’” In Heavenly Places, 356.

What will Christ’s response be to those who profess to call Him Lord, but refuse to obey the commandments? Matthew 7:21–27.

NOTE: See Christ’s Object Lessons, 272.

“Delight Thyself in the Lord”

What promise is made to those who honor the Sabbath? Isaiah 58:13–14.

NOTE: See Desire of Ages, 288.

In these days, when evolution has become the religion of science and the world, what message is to be given by God’s people to the whole world before Christ returns? Revelation 14:6–7.

NOTE: “In Revelation 14, men are called upon to worship the Creator; and the prophecy brings to view a class that, as the result of the threefold message, are keeping the commandments of God. One of these commandments points directly to God as the Creator. The fourth precept declares: ‘The Seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.’ Exodus 20:10,11. Concerning the Sabbath, the Lord says, further, that it is ‘a sign, that ye may know that I am the Lord your God.’ Ezekiel 20:20. And the reason given is: ‘For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day He rested, and was refreshed.’ Exodus 31:17. ‘The importance of the Sabbath as the memorial of creation is that it keeps ever present the true reason why worship is due to God’ because He is the Creator, and we are His creatures. ‘The Sabbath therefore lies at the very foundation of divine worship, for it teaches this great truth in the most impressive manner, and no other institution does this. The true ground of divine worship, not of that on the seventh day merely, but of all worship, is found in the distinction between the Creator and His creatures. This great fact can never become obsolete, and must never be forgotten.’ J. N. Andrews, History of the Sabbath, Chapter 27. It was to keep this truth ever before the minds of men, that God instituted the Sabbath in Eden; and so long as the fact that He is our Creator continues to be a reason why we should worship Him, so long the Sabbath will continue as its sign and memorial. Had the Sabbath been universally kept, man’s thoughts and affections would have been led to the Creator as the object of reverence and worship, and there would never have been an idolater, an atheist, or an infidel. The keeping of the Sabbath is a sign of loyalty to the true God. ‘Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.’ It follows that the message which commands men to worship God and keep His commandments will especially call upon them to keep the fourth commandment.” The Great Controversy, 437.

Your Name Will Not Save You

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Are you concerned about your personal salvation? Where will your personal destiny be? Jesus said that if we deny Him before men then He will deny us in heaven; but if we confess Him before men then He will confess us in heaven. (See Matthew 10.) Sometimes this confession has a big price but, salvation is either worth everything or it is not worth anything.

Standing Firm

“Even life itself should not be purchased with the price of falsehood. By a word or a nod the martyrs might have denied the truth and saved their lives. By consenting to cast a single grain of incense upon the idol altar they might have been saved from the rack, the scaffold, or the cross. But they refused to be false in word or deed, though life was the boon they would receive by so doing. Imprisonment, torture, and death, with a clear conscience, were welcomed by them, rather than deliverance on condition of deception, falsehood, and apostasy. By fidelity and faith in Christ they earned spotless robes and jeweled crowns. Their lives were ennobled and elevated in the sight of God because they stood firmly for the truth under the most aggravated circumstances.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 336.

While we are never to deny the truth, we must not put our trust in anything external such as profession of faith or being a professed Christian. We will let the Prophet speak for us. The following statements bear this out. (Emphasis is supplied)

“We are not saved as a sect; no denominational name has any virtue to bring us into favor with God. We are saved individually as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. And ‘by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.’ We may have our names recorded on the books of the most spiritual of the churches, and yet we may not belong to Christ, and our names may not be written on the Lamb’s Book of Life. Christ said, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.’ If we could reach heaven through our own merits and efforts, then Christ need not have come to the world, to endure suffering, reproach, and shame, to be subjected to humiliation, mockery, insult, and death. He made an infinite sacrifice, because it was the only way whereby man could be saved. Those who believe in Christ will reveal it in their life and character. By beholding Christ they will be changed into His image, and Christ will be represented to the world by His followers. If we are branches of the True Vine, precious clusters of rich fruit will appear in the life as the natural result. Practical faith in Christ will result in the doing of His words; the believer in Jesus will work the works of God. ‘We are laborers together with God.’ ‘Without Me,’ says Christ, ‘ye can do nothing.’ In and through the grace of Christ we can do all things.” Review and Herald, February 10, 1891.

Profession Does Not Save

The question in the judgment will not be primarily the name, because in this world many of God’s followers have been stigmatized as children of the devil. The question will not be the name, but the fruit of the life.

“’And now also,’ said the prophet, ‘the ax is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.’ Not by its name, but by its fruit, is the value of a tree determined. If the fruit is worthless, the name cannot save the tree from destruction. John declared to the Jews that their standing before God was to be decided by their character and life. Profession was worthless. If their life and character were not in harmony with God’s law, they were not His people.” Desire of Ages, 107.

“It is not profession, pharisaism, that God values, but moral worth. A Christian character unspotted by avarice, and possessing the grace of humility, is more precious in the sight of God than fine gold, even than the golden wedge of Ophir. Lazarus, though in so mean a condition, possessed true worth, and God regarded him of such value that He lifted him from his despised and suffering condition to exaltation and honor, while the wealthy, ease-loving man, who was devoid of the grace of Christ, was plunged into misery and woe unutterable. All the wealth of the rich man was unable to draw upon him the favor of God; for his character was worthless. And so Christ desires His followers to estimate character. They are not, like the Pharisees, to value men by their worldly possessions; for a man may possess both riches and worldly honor, and yet be worthless in the sight of God. The poor man, despised by his fellows, and loathsome to the sight, was of value with God because he possessed moral soundness; and these elements fitted him for the society of the holy angels, to be an heir of God and joint heir with Christ.” Review and Herald, December 19, 1899.

“Those who follow in the light need have no anxiety lest that in the outpouring of the latter rain they will not be baptized with the Holy Spirit. If we would receive the light of the glorious angel that shall lighten the earth with his glory, let us see to it that our hearts are cleansed, emptied of self, and turned toward heaven, that they may be ready for the latter rain. Let us be obtaining a fitting up to join in the proclamation of the angel who shall lighten the earth with his glory. Let us be co-laborers with Christ. Now is the time for us to let self die, to crucify the flesh, with the affections and lusts, to deny the cravings of appetite and passion. The minds of many are channels for impure thoughts. They do not have a realizing sense of the offensive character of sin. I call upon you to clear the King’s highway. Weighty responsibilities are resting upon you; for you are to represent the character of your Lord to the world. Faith without works is dead. There must be corresponding works, or the faith is worthless, a mere pretension, an empty profession. You are to manifest your faith by a life of integrity, making it evident that Christ is abiding in the heart, and that you are able to show forth what is the hope of His calling.” Signs of the Times, August 1, 1892.

“Your profession of Christianity is true if you follow Christ; worthless if you do not follow Him.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 16,49.

The Name that Will Save

“The name of Jesus is all powerful. It is accepted of the Father, always. No other name will He honor. It is through faith in His name that we are saved. We are complete in Him. Jesus will not sanction sectarianism or a legal religion, which is so prevalent even among those who claim to believe present truth. Christ and His righteousness is our only hope. Christ is our only hope, and He is everything to us. Self must die. Jesus must be to us all and in all. Let self be put out of sight. Let Jesus abide in our hearts by faith, and we will be strong in His strength.” 1888 Materials, 453.

Sectarianism is the idea that a person must belong to a certain religious organization or sect to be saved. It is forbidden and not allowed by Christ. (See Mark 9:38-41.)

“Only through faith in Christ’s name can the sinner be saved….Faith in Christ is not the work of nature, but the work of God on human minds, wrought in the very soul by the Holy Spirit, who reveals Christ, as Christ revealed the Father. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. With its justifying, sanctifying power, it is above what men call science. It is the science of eternal realities. Human science is often deceptive and misleading, but this heavenly science never misleads. It is so simple that a child may understand it, and yet the most learned men cannot explain it. It is unexplainable and immeasurable, beyond all human expression.” In His Presence, 51.

“Families must be divided, in order that all who call upon the name of the Lord may be saved. All who refuse His infinite love, will find Christianity a sword, a disturber of their peace. The light of Christ will cut away the darkness that covers their evil doings; and their corruption, their fraud, their cruelty will be exposed. Christianity unmasks the hypocrisies of Satan, and it is this unmasking of his designs that stirs his bitter hatred against Christ and His followers.” Bible Echo and Signs of the Times, March 26, 1894; Review and Herald, July 24, 1894.

“The test of discipleship is not brought to bear as closely as it should be upon those who present themselves for baptism. It should be understood whether those who profess to be converted are simply taking the name of Seventh-day Adventist, or whether they are taking their stand on the Lord’s side, to come out of the world and be separate and touch not the unclean thing. When they give evidence that they fully understand their position, they are to be accepted. But when they show that they are following the customs and fashions and sentiments of the world, they are to be faithfully dealt with. If they feel no burden to change their course of action, they should not be accepted as members of the church. The Lord wants those who compose His church to be true, faithful stewards of the grace of Christ.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 5, 329.

Our Banner, Which We are Not to Cast Down

“God has placed in our hands a banner on which is inscribed the words ‘The commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.’ ‘Here are they that keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ,’ he declares. At all times and in all places we are to hold the banner firmly aloft. God’s denominated people are to take a firm stand under the banner of truth.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 4, 246.

“As the fourth commandment and those who observe it are ignored and despised, the faithful feel that it is the time not to hide their faith but to exalt the law of Jehovah by unfurling the banner on which is inscribed the message of the Third Angel, the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.” Maranatha, 239.

“Our work now is to enlighten the world, in the place of bearing a peace-and-safety message. A banner has been placed in our hands, upon which is inscribed, ‘Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.’ This is a distinct, separating message—a message that is to give no uncertain sound. It is to lead the people away from the broken cisterns that contain no water, to the fountain of living waters.” Letter 60, 1898. Counsels to Writers and Editors, 102, 103.

“Stand firmly for God’s truth. Exalt before the people the banner bearing the inscription, ‘Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus’ (Rev. 14:12)” Selected Messages, vol. 2, 226.

“This distinctive banner, described in the words, ‘Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus,’ is to be borne through the world to the close of probation.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 144.

“Let the world go into spiritualism, into theosophy, into pantheism, if they choose. We are to have nothing to do with this deceptive branch of Satan’s work. The pleasing sentiments of pantheism will lead many souls into forbidden paths. God forbids His servants to leave their fields of labor to enter into a discussion of these sentiments. The last testimony published, opens to our people the danger of these theories, and the testimonies published in the future will urge still more strongly the necessity of lifting up and carrying high the banner on which are inscribed the words, ‘The commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.’ God’s people are to let no one take this banner from their hands. I am instructed that false theories will be presented, and that some in the medical missionary work, who have been wavering, will yield up the faith, and give heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils.” Special Testimonies, Series B.

Magnify the Law

“The Third Angel’s Message, embracing the messages of the First and Second Angels, is the message for this time. We are to raise aloft the banner on which is inscribed, ‘The commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.’ The world is soon to meet the great Lawgiver over His broken law. This is not the time to put out of sight the great issues before us. God calls upon His people to magnify the law and make it honorable.” Counsels on Health, 357.

“The passing of the time in 1844 was a period of great events, opening to our astonished eyes the cleansing of the sanctuary transpiring in heaven, and having decided relation to God’s people upon the earth, [also] the First and Second Angels’ Messages and the Third, unfurling the banner on which was inscribed, ‘The commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.’ One of the landmarks under this message was the temple of God, seen by His truth-loving people in heaven, and the ark containing the law of God. The light of the Sabbath of the fourth commandment flashed its strong rays in the pathway of the transgressors of God’s law. The non-immortality of the wicked is an old landmark. I can call to mind nothing more that can come under the head of the old landmarks. All this cry about changing the old landmarks is all imaginary.” Counsels to Writers and Editors, 30, 31.

“I call upon my brethren who are appointed to educate, to change their course of action. It is a mistake for you to link your interests with any political party, to cast your vote with them or for them. Those who stand as educators, as ministers, as laborers together with God in any line, have no battles to fight in the political world. Their citizenship is in heaven. The Lord calls upon them to stand as separate and peculiar people. He would have no schisms in the body of believers. His people are to possess the elements of reconciliation. Is it their work to make enemies in the political world? No, no. They are to stand as subjects of Christ’s kingdom, bearing the banner on which is inscribed, ‘The commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.’ They are to carry the burden of a special work, a special message. We have a personal responsibility, and this is to be revealed before the heavenly universe, before angels, and before men. God does not call upon us to enlarge our influence by mingling with society, by linking up with men on political questions, but by standing as individual parts of His great whole, with Christ as our head. Christ is our Prince, and as His subjects we are to do the work appointed us by God.” Fundamentals of Christian Education, 478, 479.

“Pretenders will arise with theories that have no foundation in the word of God. We are to hold aloft the banner bearing the inscription, ‘The commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.’ We are to hold the beginning of our confidence firm unto the end. Let no one attempt to dilute truth with a mixture of sophistry. Let no one attempt to tear down the foundation of our faith, or to spoil the pattern by bringing into the web threads of human devising. Not one thread of pantheism is to be drawn into the web. Sensuality, ruinous to soul and body, is always the result of drawing these threads into the web.” Letter 249, 1903. Medical Ministry, 97, 98.

Bear God’s Sign Before the World

“Every medical institution established by Seventh-day Adventists is to bear God’s sign before the world prominently, without disguising the facts in any way. We are to voice the message of the Third Angel flying in the midst of heaven with the everlasting gospel to proclaim to the world. We are to bear aloft the banner on which is inscribed, ‘The Commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.’” Medical Ministry, 164.

“In the name of God lift your banner for truth and righteousness—‘the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.’” My Life Today, 315.

“In the name of the Lord we are to go forward, unfurling His banner, advocating His word. When the authorities command us not to do this work, when they forbid us to proclaim the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, then it will be necessary for us to say as did the apostles: ‘Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.’ Acts 4:19, 20.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 395.

“Christ is our example. The determination of antichrist to carry out the rebellion he began in heaven will continue to work in the children of disobedience. Their envy and hatred against those who obey the fourth commandment will wax more and more bitter. But the people of God are not to hide their banner. They are not to ignore the commandments of God and, in order to have an easy time, go with the multitude to do evil.” Testimonies, vol. 9, 230.

“We are to raise the banner on which is inscribed, ‘The commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.’ This is the great issue. Let it not be put out of sight. We must strive to arouse church members and those who make no profession, to see and obey the claims of the law of heaven. We are to magnify this law and make it honorable. We are to arouse those who are sunk in spiritual slumber.” Letter 138, December 12, 1910. This Day with God, 355.

“I am sure Satan with his hellish agencies, is striving his best to dishearten and discourage; but we must not be discouraged, neither must we fail. We must suffer loss and be spoken against; and have false witness borne against us, and take it patiently for Christ’s sake. One thing is sure, God is true. We may lean heavily upon Him, and we shall not become confused amid the babble of voices. We must put the armor on, and keep it on. Then what? Fight manfully the battles of the Lord, and having done all, stand ready for another conflict. We must keep in harmony, taking the whole armor of God. We must have increased faith and move forward, carrying this banner of truth—the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. We must not think that we are the generals, but that we are under the mighty General of armies. Oh, let us pray as never before. Let us believe with heart and soul the words of John, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world.’ It is a poor time, when in the fierce conflict, to show one particle of cowardice. We have a General who never lost a battle. Have faith in God and we shall gain the victory.” Bible Training School, March 1, 1909.

“This is the work now to be done on earth. Those who are living in transgression of the holy law of God will not find the truth palatable. When it is made plain that Sunday is a spurious Sabbath, founded in the power of the man of sin, they will say in language too plain to be misunderstood, ‘We want not a knowledge of thy ways, O Lord.’ Others will say as did Pharaoh, ‘Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice?’ But in the face of all opposition we must hold aloft the banner of the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. It takes both of these to make up the burden of the message to be given to the world.” Review and Herald, February 7, 1893.

“Those who make light of the Third Angel’s Message do so because they know little of Daniel or the Revelation. They have not read these prophecies with a determination to find out the meaning by prayer, by study, and by fasting. If they had the experience of Daniel or of John, they would know that the Third Angel’s Message will go forth unto perfect victory. Those who proclaim that message because they see and believe it, will understand that very much is comprehended by it. The Third Angel is represented as flying through the heavens with a banner on which is inscribed, ‘The commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.’ All who will gather warmth from the coldness of others, courage from their defections, and loyalty from their treason, will triumph with the Third Angel’s Message.” Review and Herald, June 8, 1897.

A Chosen Generation

“’Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of Him Who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.’ The time when God is especially dishonored by those who make void His law is the time when every loyal subject should unfurl the banner inscribed ‘The commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.’ Signs of the Times, June 12, 1893.

“But though the attitude of the churches is discouraging, yet there is no need of being disheartened; for God has a people who will preserve their fidelity to His truth, who will make the Bible, and the Bible alone, their rule of faith and doctrine; who will elevate the standard, and hold aloft the banner on which is inscribed, ‘The commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.’ They will value a pure gospel, and make the Bible the foundation of their faith and doctrine.” Signs of the Times, February 19, 1894.

“Pray on, church of God, pray on; for the General of the heavenly army, with angels that excel in strength, is with His people on the field of battle. In the hour of peril, be steadfast. The adversary of souls is determined to oppose all who plant their feet on the platform of eternal truth, who would uplift the banner on which is inscribed, ‘The commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.’ They are the objects of Satan’s deadly hatred. But rest assured that Christ fights with His army. He Himself leads His followers, and He will renew the strength of every faithful soldier.” Signs of the Times, September 15, 1898.

“Who will now understand these things that I write? There are men who have known the truth, who have feasted upon the truth, who are now divided between infidel sentiments. There is only a step between them and the precipice of eternal ruin. The Lord is coming; but those who venture to resist the light that God gave in rich measure at Minneapolis, who have not humbled their hearts before God, will follow on in the path of resistance, saying, ‘Who is the Lord that I should obey His voice?’ The banner all will bear who voice the message of the Third Angel, is being covered with another color that virtually kills it. This is being done. Will our people now hold fast to the truth? ‘Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.’ This is our standard. Hold it aloft; for it is truth.” Special Testimony, Series A, 26.

Banner to be Borne until the Close of Probation

“A company was presented before me under the name of Seventh-day Adventists, who were advising that the banner or sign which makes us a distinctive people should not be held out so strikingly; for they claimed it was not the best policy in securing success to our institutions. This distinctive banner is to be borne through the world to the close of probation. In describing the remnant people of God, John says, ‘Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.’ [Revelation 14:12.] This is the law and the gospel. The world and the churches are uniting in harmony in transgressing the law of God, in tearing away God’s memorial, and in exalting a sabbath that bears the signature of the man of sin. But the Sabbath of the Lord thy God is to be a sign to show the difference between the obedient and the disobedient. I saw some reaching out their hands to remove the banner, and to obscure its significance.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 13, 69.

“While we inscribe on our banner the words, ‘The commandments of God and the faith of Jesus,’ we must not forget to cleanse the heart, that it may be a fit dwelling place for the Holy Spirit. By your words and your works, show that you love God supremely and your neighbor as yourself. The members of Christ’s flock are the objects of His constant favor. In holy love to their Saviour and to one another, they are to be hid with Christ in God. Discord and strife testify that the union with Christ is imperfect. God desires us to be bound heart to heart by His Spirit. He will save those who are imbued with His grace, for in dealing with one another they reveal His love and tenderness. They deal generously with one another.” Ibid., 223.

“Your voice is working against the success and triumph of the truth in these last days. Our God has a message for His people represented by an angel flying through heaven proclaiming the last message to a fallen world. What is the angel proclaiming? The commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. This represents that God’s messengers are to hold this banner high, and with no feeble voice proclaim to a perishing world the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 4, 432.

“To every soul will come the searching test, Shall I obey God rather than men? The decisive hour is even now at hand. Satan is putting forth his utmost efforts in the rage of a last despairing struggle against Christ and His followers. False teachers are employing every device possible to stimulate the hardened sinner in his rebellious daring, to confirm the questioning, the doubting, the unbelieving, and, by misrepresentation and falsehood, to deceive, if it were possible, the very elect. Who are prepared to stand firmly under the banner on which is inscribed, ‘The commandments of God and the faith of Jesus’? Signs of the Times, November 8, 1899.

“At last the victory was gained. The army following the banner with the inscription, ‘The commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus,’ was gloriously triumphant. Testimonies, vol. 8, 41.