Faith and Spirit.

THE VICTORY OF FAITH.

The Bible says that "the just shall live by faith."

Rom_1:17  For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

Gal_3:11  But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.

Heb_10:38  Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.

The righteousness of God is "revealed from faith to faith." Rom. 1:17. Nothing can better illustrate the working of faith than some of the examples that are recorded for our learning, "that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope." Rom. 15:4. We will take, first, a notable event recorded in the twentieth chapter of 2 Chronicles. Let the reader follow the running comment with his Bible.

"It came to pass after this, also, that the children of Moab, and the children of Ammon and with them other beside the Ammonites, came against Jehoshaphat to battle. Then there came some that told Jehoshaphat, saying, There cometh a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea on this side Syria; and, behold, they be in Hazazontamar, which is Engedi." Verses 1, 2.

2Ch 20:1  It came to pass after this also, that the children of Moab, and the children of Ammon, and with them other beside the Ammonites, came against Jehoshaphat to battle. 

2Ch 20:2  Then there came some that told Jehoshaphat, saying, There cometh a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea on this side Syria; and, behold, they be in Hazazontamar, which is Engedi. 

This great host caused the king and the people to fear, but they took the wise course of gathering together, "to ask help of the Lord; even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord." Verses 3, 4.

2Ch 20:3  And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. 

2Ch 20:4  And Judah gathered themselves together, to ask help of the LORD: even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD. 

Then follows the prayer of Jehoshaphat, as leader of the congregation, and it is worth special study, since it was a prayer of faith, and contained within itself the beginning of victory:—

"And Jehoshaphat stood in the congregation of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord, before the new court, and said, O Lord God of our fathers, art not Thou God in heaven? and rulest Thou not over all the kingdoms of the heathen? and in Thine hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand Thee?" Verses 5, 6. 

 That was an excellent beginning of a prayer. It starts with a recognition of God in heaven. So the model prayer begins, "Our Father who art in heaven." What does this signify?—That God, as God in heaven, is Creator. It carries with it the recognition of His power over all the kingdoms of the world and of the powers of darkness; the fact that He is in heaven, the Creator, shows that in His hand there is power and might, so that none is able to withstand Him. Why, the man who can begin his prayer in the hour of need with such a recognition of God's power, has victory already on his side. For, notice, Jehoshaphat not only declared his faith in God's wondrous power, but he claimed God's strength as his own, saying, "Art not thou our God? He fulfilled the Scripture requirement: "He that cometh to God must believe  [80]  that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him."28

Heb_11:6  But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Jehoshaphat then proceeded to recount how the Lord had established them in that land, and how, although He29 had not suffered them to invade Moab and Ammon, those nations had come to cast them out of their God-given inheritance. Verses 7-11.

2Ch 20:7  Art not thou our God, who didst drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever? 

2Ch 20:8  And they dwelt therein, and have built thee a sanctuary therein for thy name, saying, 

2Ch 20:9  If, when evil cometh upon us, as the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we stand before this house, and in thy presence, (for thy name is in this house,) and cry unto thee in our affliction, then thou wilt hear and help. 

2Ch 20:10  And now, behold, the children of Ammon and Moab and mount Seir, whom thou wouldest not let Israel invade, when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them, and destroyed them not; 

2Ch 20:11  Behold, I say, how they reward us, to come to cast us out of thy possession, which thou hast given us to inherit. 

And then he concluded: "O our God, wilt Thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do; but our eyes are upon Thee." Verse 12. It is nothing with the Lord to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power (2 Chron. 14:11); and since the eyes of the Lord run to and from throughout the earth to show Himself strong in the behalf of those whose heart is entire towards Him (2 Chron. 16:9), it well becomes those who are in need, to trust Him alone. This position of Jehoshaphat and his people was in keeping with the apostolic injunction, "Looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith." Heb 12:2. He is the beginning and the end, and all power in heaven and earth is in His hands.

Now what was the result?—The prophet of the Lord came in the power of the Holy Spirit, "and he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou King Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the Lord unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's." Verse 15. And  [81]  then came the command to go forth in the morning to meet the enemy, and they should see the salvation of the Lord, for He would be with them Now comes the most important part:—

"And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established; believe His prophets, so shall ye prosper. And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the Lord, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the Lord; for his mercy endureth forever." Verses 20, 21.

Surely, this was a strange way to go out to battle. Few armies have ever gone to battle with such a vanguard. But what was the result?

"And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten. For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir, utterly to slay and destroy them; and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, everyone helped to destroy another. And when Judah came toward the watch-tower in the wilderness, they looked unto the multitude, and, behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and none escaped." Verses 22- 24.

If there have been few armies that have gone to battle with such a vanguard as did the army of Jehoshaphat, it is equally certain that few armies have been rewarded by such a signal victory. And it may not be amiss to study a little into the philosophy of the victory of faith, as illustrated in this  [82]  instance. When the enemy, who had been confident in their superior numbers, heard the Israelites coming out that morning, singing and shouting, what must they have concluded?—Nothing else but that the Israelites had received re-enforcements,30 and were so strengthened that it would be useless to try to oppose them. Also a panic seized them, and each one looked upon his neighbor as an enemy.

And were they not correct in their conclusion, that Israel had received re-enforcements?—Indeed they were; for the record says, "When they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir." The host of the Lord, in whom Jehoshaphat and his people trusted, fought for them. They had re-enforcements, and doubtless if their eyes could have been opened to see them, they would have seen, as did the servant to Elisha on one occasion,31 that they that were with them were more in number than the enemy.

But the point which should be specially noticed is that it was when Israel began to sing and to praise that the Lord set ambushments against the enemy. What does that signify?—It signifies that their faith was real. The promise of God was considered as good as the actual accomplishment. So they believed in the Lord, or, more literally, they built upon the Lord, and thus they were established, or built up. Thus they proved the truth of the words, "This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith." 1 John 5:4.

Let us now apply this illustration in a case of conflict against sin. Here comes a strong temptation to do a thing known to be wrong. We have often proved to our sorrow the strength of the temptation, because it has vanquished us, so that we know that we have no might against it. But now our eyes are upon the Lord, who has told us to come with boldness to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.32 So we begin to pray to God for help. And we pray to the God that is revealed to us in the Bible as the Creator of heaven and earth. We begin, not with a mournful statement of our weakness, but with a joyful acknowledgment of God's mighty power. That being settled, we can venture to state our difficulty and our weakness. If we state our weakness first, and our discouraging situation, we are placing ourselves before God. In that case Satan will magnify the difficulty and throw his darkness around us so that we can see nothing else but our weakness, and so, although our cries and pleading may be fervent and agonizing, they will be in vain, because they will lack the essential element of believing that God is, and that He is all that He has revealed Himself to be. But when we start with a recognition of God's power, then we can safely state our weakness, for then we are simply placing our weakness by the side of His power, and the contrast tends to beget courage.

Then, as we pray, the promise of God comes to  [84]  our mind, brought there by the Holy Spirit. It may be that we can think of no special promise that exactly fits the case; but we can remember that "this is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ came into the world to save sinners" (1 Tim. 1:15); and that He "gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father" (Gal. 1:4); and we may know that this carried with it every promise, for "He that spared not His33 own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?" Rom. 8:32.

Then we remember that God can speak of those things that are not as though they were.34 That is, if God gives a promise, it is as good as fulfilled already. And so, knowing that our deliverance from evil is according to the will of God (Gal. 1:4), we count the victory as already ours, and begin to thank God for His "exceeding great and precious promises." As our faith grasps these promises and makes them real, we cannot help praising God for His wonderful love; and while we are doing this, our minds are wholly taken from evil, and the victory is ours. The Lord Jesus sets ambushments against the enemy. Our ascription of praise shows to Satan that we have obtained re-enforcements; and as he has tested the power of the help that is granted to us, he knows that he can do nothing on that occasion, and so he leaves us. This illustrates the force of the apostle's injunction:—

"Be careful for nothing [that is, do not worry about anything]; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." Phil. 4:6.

Christ And His Righteousness. 

E.J. Waggoner

(Excerpt)

*******

WHAT IS "WATCHMAN, WHAT OF THE NIGHT?"?

Ten years ago when the first issue of "Watchman, What of the Night?" was mimeographed and mailed to a limited list of readers, it was conceived to be a "thought paper." Now a "thought paper" is simply "the intellectual product or organized views and principles of an individual, written to stimulate in-depth thinking on a particular subject." But as the months passed, and the number of readers increased so did the scope and focus of "Watchman, What of the Night?" Some of the material presented could be considered "critiques" defined as "a critical estimate or discussion" of a given subject, book, or events. Then some of the material released through the publication was simply documented facts and comments on these facts which the hierarchy of the Church would prefer the laity not know. One individual in public, harking back for a comparison from yesteryears referred to "Watchman, What of the Night?" as "the Drew Pearson of the Adventist Church." We sometimes wish that we did have the net work for information that some political writers seem to have, for if we did, we could give the laity much more information than we are able to do. Since the publication has graduated from a mimeographed edition to a printed publication, we have included all of the above types of writing in most issues. However, the first subject of this month's issue - "The Holy Spirit and the Reflection of the Image of Jesus in Man" - falls into the category of a pure thought paper for in-depth thinking on the part of the reader. What is written is not to be considered an infallible pronouncement but a suggested outline for thought and study.

We have been overly cautious in our study of the Holy Spirit because of what we have conceived the counsel of the servant of the Lord to be. In Acts of the Apostles (p. 51), we are told that "it is not essential for us to be able to define just what [not "who"] the Holy Spirit is." Then on the next page, she writes:       The nature of the Holy Spirit is a mystery. Men cannot explain it, because the Lord has not revealed it to them. Men having fanciful views may bring together passages of Scripture and put a human construction on them; but the acceptance of these views will not strengthen the church. Regarding such mysteries, which are too deep for human understanding, silence is golden.

No man can define the nature of God. Zophar, one of Job's comforters well asked, "Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou understand the Almighty unto perfection?" (Job. 11:7). Jesus said - "God is a Spirit." (John 4:24) He also prayed - "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." (John 17:3) --It-has been written, "God is a spirit; yet He is a personal being, for man was made in His image." (8 Testimonies, p. 263). And

p 2 -- again - "The knowledge of God that works transformation of character is our great need." (Ibid., p. 329) Here is the key - a knowledge that works transformation of character. This is the same approach which must be accorded the study of the Holy Spirit. This is the approach which shall be used in the section of the thought paper on the subject of the Holy Spirit. We must avoid what the Holy Spirit is, not Who, even as we avoid what God is, not Who He is.

THE HOLY SPIRIT AND THE REFLECTION OF THE IMAGE OF JESUS FULLY -- Ellen G. White was shown that - "Those who receive the seal of the living God, and are protected in the time of trouble, must reflect the image of Jesus fully." (l)  In this one statement is the basis for "perfection" - the full perfection as revealed by Jesus in His earthly life. This "perfection" is connected with the reception of the seal of the living God, which involves the Holy Spirit for we are warned by Paul - "Grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption." (2)

The first chapter of the Bible reveals the Holy Spirit as the active Agent in the creation of the world - "And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters."(3)  Yet in the New Testament, we are told that God "created all things by Jesus Christ." (4)  Peter tells us that "in old time" prophecy came through "holy men of God" who "spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." (5)  Yet in his first Epistle, he states that these same prophets were motivated by "the Spirit of Christ which was in them." (6)  In the Old Testament, we find that Gabriel tells Daniel - "I will shew thee that which is noted in the scripture of truth: and there is none that holdeth with me in these things, but Michael your prince." (7)  It is evident that the relationship between Christ and the Holy Spirit is very close - much closer than we have been prone to think.

Jesus Christ in His upper room dialogue with the Eleven, pictures the relationship between Himself and the Holy Spirit in an alter-ego concept. He told them:       I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. (8)

This pronouncement of Jesus is worthy of careful consideration. He told the disciples that they knew Him - the Spirit - for "He is presently abiding, sojourneying in their presence (Greek word written with the dative) and shall be in them (a future experience that awaited them)." Then He declared - "I will not leave you orphans, I am coming to you." (Present indicative in Greek, not "I will" as in KJV.) The "interchangeableness" between Himself and the Holy Spirit dare not be passed by lightly.

In a letter written in 1895, the servant of the Lord stated:

p 3 -- Cumbered with humanity, Christ could not be in every place personally; therefore it was altogether for their advantage that He should leave them, go to His Father, and send the Holy Spirit to be His successor on earth. The Holy Spirit is Himself, divested of the personality of humanity, and independent thereof. He would represent Himself as present in all places by His Holy Spirit as the Omnipresent. (9)

Further study of the Spirit of Prophecy reveals that the Holy Spirit is noted to be "the soul of His [Christ's] life." (10)  In sending forth the Holy Spirit to the waiting disciples on the day of Pentecost, He "imparted of His fulness" to them. (11)  "The impartation of the Spirit is the impartation of the life of Christ." (12) 

The first point where we meet the Holy Spirit and Jesus Christ is at the Incarnation. Joseph was told - "Fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost." (13)  Luke records the message of the angel Gabriel to Mary. She was told - "Thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call His name Jesus." (14)  This Jesus was to be the "Son of God." The Agent in the accomplishing of this advent of God in human flesh was declared to be "the Holy Ghost" - "the power of the Highest." (15)  These verses can be understood in one of two ways. Either the Holy Spirit created the humanity of Jesus in the womb of Mary into which Michael entered to become Jesus Christ; -or the Holy Spirit effected the transition of Divinity into the body formed in the womb of Mary. The second position harmonizes with Paul's declaration - "But Himself He emptied, a form of a slave taking" (16) - and with the truth revealed in the Spirit of Prophecy.

We are told:     The race in consequence of sin was at enmity with God. Christ, at an infinite cost, by a painful process, mysterious to angels as well as to man, assumed humanity. Hiding His divinity, laying aside His glory, He was born a babe in Bethlehem. (17)

The result of this process is also noted - "He united humanity with divinity: a divine spirit (sic) dwelt in a temple of flesh." (18)  The nature of that humanity into which the Divine Spirit came to dwell is also carefully stated - "He took upon Himself fallen, suffering human nature, degraded and defiled by sin." (18) It is this understanding that gives meaning and reality to the challenge that "those who receive the seal of the living God, and are protected in the time of trouble, must reflect the image of Jesus fully."' And what was Jesus? - "a divine spirit dwelt in a temple of flesh." What does it mean to "reflect the image of Jesus fully"? It means simply that the Divine Spirit again comes to dwell in another temple of flesh fully! It is Christ - "His fulness" - "His life" - "the soul of His life" - in you the hope of glory. Or to state it in another way - "The Holy Spirit, which proceeds from the only begotten Son of God, binds the human agent, body, soul, and spirit, to the perfect, divine-human nature of Christ." (19)

BUT there is another "painful process". "I am crucified with Christ." It should be evident to us from all our experience that this temple of flesh in which we

p 4 -- dwell cannot fulfill the requirements of the Law. That which we would, we do not, and that which we wish not to do, that we do. There is only one answer to be planted together in the likeness of His death. I, too must say, and mean it - "Father into thy hands, I commend my spirit," and having said thus, give up unconditionally. And the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead will also make alive our "mortal bodies" so that the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us. (20)  Paul puts it this way:      Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. (21)

The reason for this is clearly stated - "We have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us." (22)  This is righteousness by faith - and what is it? "It is the work of God in laying the glory of man in the dust, and doing for man that which it is not in his power to do for himself. When men see their own nothingness, they are prepared to be clothed with the righteousness of Christ." (23)

(l)  Ellen G. White, Early Writings, p. 71

(2)  Ephesians 4:30

Eph 4:30  And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. 

(3)  Genesis 1:2

Gen 1:2  And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

(4)  Ephesians 3:9

Eph 3:9  And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ

(5)  II Peter 1:21 

2Pe 1:21  For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. 

(6)  I Peter 1:11

1Pe 1:11  Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. 

(7)  Daniel 10:21 

Dan 10:21  But I will shew thee that which is noted in the scripture of truth: and there is none that holdeth with me in these things, but Michael your prince. 

(8)  John 14:16-18

Joh 14:16  And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 

Joh 14:17  Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. 

Joh 14:18  I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. 

(9)  Ellen G. White, Letter 119, 1895

(10)  Ellen G. White, Our High Calling, p. 150 

(11)  Ellen G. White, Education, p. 95

(12)  Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 805 

(13)  Matthew 1:20

Mat 1:20  But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. 

(14)  Luke 1:31

Luk 1:31  And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. 

(15)  Luke 1:35 

Luk 1:35  And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. 

(16)  Philippians 2:7 Lit. Gr.

Php 2:7  but emptied Himself, taking the form of a slave, having become in the likeness of men 

(17)  Ellen G. White, Ms. 29, 1899 (7BC:915)

(18)  Ellen G. White, Youth's Instructor, Dec. 20, 1900 (4BC:1147)

(19)  Ellen G. White, Review & Herald, April 5, 1906 

(20)  Romans 8:11, 4

 Rom 8:11  But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

Rom 8:4  That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 

(21)  II Cor. 4:10-11

2Co 4:10  Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. 

2Co 4:11  For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.

(22)  II Cor. 4:7

2Co 4:7  But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. 

(23)  Ellen G. White, Review & Herald, Sept. 16, 1902

ADDITIONAL NOTES -- The theological term, trinity, is found nowhere either in the Bible or the Spirit of Prophecy writings. Other words are used which some conclude mean the same thing. But in one's study of the Godhead, certain revelations of the Spirit of Prophecy must be noted. In Early Writings (p. 149) there is pictured the communion that took place between "the Father" and "Jesus" over the plan for man's redemption. The "order" in heaven prior to the entrance of sin is described on

p 5 -- page 145 - "Satan was once an honored angel in heaven, next to Christ." In our theological definitions we have stated the order as Christ the second Person of the Godhead, and the Holy Spirit as the third. But by no stretch of the imagination can we conceive that Lucifer, a created being, was the Holy Spirit.

The spark that ignited the rebellion in the life of Lucifer is revealed to be the decision of the Godhead "to make man in our image." "He wished to be consulted in regard to the formation of man." (Ibid) After the issue was settled in heaven, "the Father and the Son carried out their purpose which was designed before the fall of Satan, to make man in their own image." (Spiritual Gifts, Vol. III, p. 33) "Human beings were a new and distinct order. (Review & Herald, Feb. 11, 1902) They were made "capable of partaking of the divine nature," (Ibid, April 21, 1885) and "designed to be a counterpart of God." (Ibid. June 18, 1885) When one considers the objective of God in the creation of man, the formation of man as described in Genesis takes on a new meaning. "The Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." (Gen. 2:7) Elihu clearly understood his origin, and when he told Job - "The spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life" (Job 33:4) - he reinforced his conviction by stating that if God were to "gather unto Himself His Spirit and His breath; all flesh shall perish together and man shall return again to dust." (Job 34:14-15)

Sin destroyed the original intent that God had for man in the beginning. Thus it was essential for a second Adam. "And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam, a quickening spirit." (I Cor. 15:45) Paul declares this second Adam to be "the Lord from heaven." (I Cor. 15:47) He also states this Lord to be the Spirit. "Now the Lord is that Spirit." (II Cor. 3:17) It is now God's purpose that we be changed into the "same image from glory to glory, even as of the Lord the Spirit." (Verse 18, margin)

The place that God intended Adam to occupy, the second Adam occupies. But to the ones overcoming - even as He did - to those who will die to self to reflect His image fully, the 144,000, He grants to sit with Him in His throne. (Rev. 3:21) And the only way for this to be done is to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

A WARNING -- Brinsmead has written:      Any believer who really has the Holy Spirit will know that even his new obedience cannot stand before the Law of God and satisfy its divine standard. (Present Truth, June, 1977, p. 40)

Paul - expositor of "New Testament Christianity" if there is really a contrast between it and the Old Testament teaching of the prophets - wrote:      For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh,

p 6 -- God sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled [filled-full] in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. (Romans 8:3-4)

Now sin is the transgression of the Law. (I John 3:4) "The plan of redemption contemplates our complete recovery from the power of Satan. Christ always separates the contrite soul from sin. He came to destroy the works of the devil, and He has made provision that the Holy Spirit shall be imparted to every repentant soul, to keep him from sinning." (Desire of Ages, p. 311) This treasure of the impartation of the Holy Spirit we carry in earthen vessels "that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us." (II Cor. 4:7)

To deny that the Holy Spirit can produce a character in fallen humanity that is acceptable before God is approaching dangerously close to the commission of the unpardonable sin! It is throwing into the face of God that the redemption provided in and through Jesus Christ is really inadequate to meet the sin problem. It is saying that God misnamed His Son, when He instructed through the angel that He be called, Jesus - One who was to save His people from - not in - their sins. It is saying that when Paul set forth Jesus in the book of Hebrews (7:25) as One who is able to save to the uttermost he was presenting to the Hebrew believers an inadequate Messiah, and thus deceiving them. It is saying that when Jude prayed - "Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever" (Jude 24-25) - he was praying amiss. It is saying that when Heaven declares - "Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus" (Rev. 14:12) - that heaven is the center of falsehood, and after all the devil was right, - man cannot keep the commandments. It is saying that Jesus who "was to complete His work, and fulfill His pledge 'to make man more precious than gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir'"(Desire of Ages, p. 790), is unable to fulfill the conditions of the Everlasting Covenant. (Heb . 10:15-18). It is saying that when Christ asks - "I will that they also, whom Thou has given Me, be with Me where I am," and a "voice" is heard to say - "They come! they come! holy, harmless, and undefiled" (Great Controversy, p. 636), God is setting forth propaganda to deceive the universe, and that these will be the seed to start a rebellion the second time.

NO! Absolutely not! God IS ABLE to keep us from falling; Jesus does save to the UTTERMOST all that come unto God by Him. "How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation?" (Heb. 2:3)

To us has been given the Holy Sabbath - a memorial of the creative power of God. The same Spirit that moved upon the face of the waters to bring forth a creation which God declared to be "very good" (Gen. 1:2, 31) is the same Spirit which breaths upon the hearts of man to bring forth a character which God will declare to be "very good". As we go forth to proclaim the Sabbath "more fully" (EW, p. 33) it will not be that we shall state more clearly that the seventh-day is the Sabbath, but that the Sabbath is the memorial of the power of God to keep us from falling and to present us faultless before the presence of His glory, from which man has come short. (Jude 24; Rom. 3:23)

p 7 -- It is interesting to note that had the "alpha of apostasy" succeeded in the days of Kellogg, "the Sabbath, of course, would be lightly regarded, as also the God who created it." (Special Testimonies, Series B, No. 2, p. 55) Are we not, therefore, in the very midst of the omega which lightly regards the God who is able to keep us from falling, and denies the very objective for which the Sabbath stands - the sign of the Lord God who sanctifies? And this doctrine that the Holy Spirit cannot keep us from sinning is not alone a Brinsmead concept, but the concept of men within the Church who are teaching against true perfection - LaRondelle and Hepenstall. (See book - Perfection, the Impossible Possibility, the sections written by these two men.)

The warning is needful. Beware of those teachers in and among us who are teaching doctrine that can lead to the unpardonable sin, the denial of the completed work of the Holy Spirit, the completed atonement - the final atonement. See Early Writings, pp. 251, 253.

AN ECUMENICAL MOVEMENT FOR SABBATH KEEPERS -- In a recent issue of The Sabbath Sentinel (August, 1977) a report reveals that a private conference was held between the president of the Bible Sabbath Association, Dr. Terril D. Littrell, and Robert D. Brinsmead, during a Present Truth Seminar held in Chicago, July 11 - 17. The last two paragraphs of this report are very revealing. They read:       President Littrell was invited by Mr. Brinsmead to meet with him for a private conference in which they talked of plans for the future which would involve more Sabbatarians of different backgrounds. It was agreed that Dr. Littrell and Mr. Brinsmead would correspond this forthcoming year concerning working together to promote an ecumenical spirit among God's people who desire to walk in complete obedience to the Word of God. 

The Bible Sabbath Association International takes a broad interest in the transdenominational efforts of Robert Brinsmead and stands ready to assist him in any way possible.

More and more two words begin to appear to express the objectives of present day religious movements - "ecumenical" and "transdenominational". In 1975,Christianity Today (Feb. 28) featured an article entitled - "A Profile of the Charismatic Movement." One paragraph of this profile reads:       One of the most striking features of the charismatic movement is the resurgence of a deep unity of spirit across traditional and denominational barriers. For though the movement is occurring within many historic churches - and often bringing unity among formerly discordant groups - the genius of the movement is its transdenominational or ecumenical quality. (p. 11)

How apropos are the words of God to Isaiah:

p 8 -- For the Lord spake thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people, saying, Say ye not A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid. Sanctify the Lord of hosts himself; and let Him be your fear, and let Him be your dread. (Isa. 8:11-13)

In the joint communiqué of Littrell and Brinsmead, it was emphasized that the ecumenical spirit was to be fostered "among God's people." The objectives of the Bible Sabbath Association state - "The only qualification [to be a part of the Association] is belief in the seventh-day Sabbath." This is a worthy qualification in itself, but we must never forget that the identifying criteria for unity among "God's people" are twofold - the commandments of God which involves the Sabbath, and the "testimony of Jesus" which "is the spirit of prophecy." (Rev. 12:17; 19:10).

Rev 12:17  And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. 

Rev 19:10  And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. 

Nov1977 "Watchman, What of the Night? " Thought Paper.  Adventist Laymen's Foundation.  (Excerpt)

(((2Pe 1:19  We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: 

2Pe 1:20  Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 

2Pe 1:21  For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. ))))

Willing to Be Deceived.

When we let God's word speak for itself we pray for comprehension, for understanding and hope by the grace of God that we are willing to learn.

False teachers, false prophets- these will be teaching the multitudes, these will be deceiving the many who are doomed, walking the broad way to destruction. The deceivers will snatch up the willing to be deceived. The willing to be deceived are those who choose things pleasing to their ears, to their senses, and their sense of self-righteousness, rather than God's righteousness.

There is a fine line between loving all, and condoning the evil of all.

I can love all, I can be loving to all without accepting the evil they choose to embrace under the guise of self-acceptance.

Somewhere along the more recent time line- loving someone has been synonymous with accepting their life choices.  Meaning, if you don't accept their life choices as being good things, then you can't love them.

Jesus loved without accepting life choices.  Jesus told us to love our enemies. Jesus told us to love those we've been conditioned through tradition to despise. Jesus told us to be willing to lay down our lives to save someone whose way of life we abhor.  Jesus led by example.  Jesus came speaking truth and told everyone that only few would find their way to the kingdom of heaven, only few would be saved compared to the great masses of people. Jesus did not tell everyone He came in contact with that they all would belong to Him, and not a single person will be lost. Jesus lamented the truth of the great losses that would be had. He wanted to save everyone, but not everyone wanted saving - not in truth, they wanted to be saved in their lies. The same holds true today. People want to be saved in their lies. They wrap themselves up in a comfy blanket crocheted out of the finest lies and deception, so fine they've managed to convince themselves the lies and deceptions are truths.

Jesus blatantly revealed His truth, and many no longer followed Him.  Remember He fed five thousand followers, and then mere days later He turned to His apostles and asked if they were going to leave Him too. Those five thousand listened to the truth, but their hearts were focused on self-deception. How glorious to have five thousand people listening you, think about it…five thousand!  Maybe in this day and age when people count themselves important when they get millions of followers, five thousand seems like a drop in the bucket. However, for most people having five hundred is a lot, and five thousand gives them the wow factor. In a day without instant communication, without tweeting, instagramming, facebooking, messaging, etc five thousand people was a massive crowd. A legion of Roman soldiers number five thousand, and that was a lot of soldiers.  The religious leaders of the day were scared as they saw the great number of people hanging on the words of Jesus. Five thousand, and most of them turned and left when the truth became too hard to listen to. They ate of the miracle loaves and fishes, they ingested God produced bread, and yet it wasn't enough for them to make the leap to believing the truth.

Today is no different. 

We are surrounded by false teachers, by false prophets and we  lap up their lies- lies they have even deceived themselves to believe as truth.

Jesus has the truth- the hard truth.

I will love my neighbor by the grace and will of God. I will do my best to provide for the needs of my neighbor- the basic, life sustaining needs. What I will not do is tell my neighbor I accept their lies, their deception. If my neighbor believes I despise them because I won't accept their evil, prayerfully my love for them in spite of my beliefs I hold true to, will not cause them to hate me.

We are called to be missionaries among the heathen. To live our lives for our God, all the while helping those who choose not to live their lives for God- praying our loving ways will reveal to their hearts a need for God. 

Serving the sinners (of whom we are as well) is not accepting their sin (or our own sin), it is recognizing that Jesus' love is available for all, His truth is for all, and repentance is necessary, forgiveness a must, faith paramount.

*******

False Prophets and Teachers

2Pe 2:1  But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. 

2Pe 2:2  And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. 

2Pe 2:3  And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not. 

2Pe 2:4  For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; 

2Pe 2:5  And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; 

2Pe 2:6  And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; 

2Pe 2:7  And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: 

2Pe 2:8  (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;) 

2Pe 2:9  The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished: 

2Pe 2:10  But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities. 

2Pe 2:11  Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord. 

2Pe 2:12  But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption; 

2Pe 2:13  And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you; 

2Pe 2:14  Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children: 

2Pe 2:15  Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; 

2Pe 2:16  But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man's voice forbad the madness of the prophet. 

2Pe 2:17  These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever. 

2Pe 2:18  For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. 

2Pe 2:19  While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. 

2Pe 2:20  For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. 

2Pe 2:21  For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. 

2Pe 2:22  But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire. 

By Faith.

ACCEPTANCE WITH GOD.

Many people hesitate to make a start to serve the Lord, because they fear that God will not accept them; and thousands who have been professed followers of Christ for years are still doubting their acceptance with God. For the benefit of such I  [70]  write, and I would not bewilder their minds with speculations, but will endeavor to give them the simple assurances of God's word.

"Will the Lord receive me?" I reply by another question: Will a man receive that which he has bought? If you go to the store and make a purchase, will you receive the goods when they are delivered? Of course you will; there is no room for any question about it. The fact that you bought the goods, and paid your money for them, is sufficient proof, not only that you are willing, but that you are anxious, to receive them. If you did not want them, you would not have bought them. Moreover, the more you paid for them the more anxious you are to receive them. If the price that you paid was great, and you had almost given your life to earn it, then there can be no question but that you will accept the purchase when it is delivered. Your great anxiety is lest there should be some failure to deliver it.

Now let us apply this simple, natural illustration to the case of the sinner coming to Christ. In the first place, He has bought us. "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price." 1 Cor. 6:19, 20.

The price that was paid for us was His own blood—His life. Paul said to the elders of Ephesus: "Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the  [71]  flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which He hath purchased with His own blood." Acts 20:28. "For as much as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation [manner of life] received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." 1 Peter 1:18, 19. He "gave Himself for us." Titus 2:14. He "gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father." Gal. 1:4.

He bought not a certain class, but the whole world of sinners. "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son." John 3:16. Jesus said, "The bread that I will give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." John 6:51. "For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly." "God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Rom. 5:6, 8.

The price paid was infinite, therefore we know that He very much desired that which He bought. He had His heart set on obtaining it. He could not be satisfied without it. See Phil. 2:6-8; Heb 12:2; Isa. 53:11.

Php 2:6  Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 

Php 2:7  But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 

Php 2:8  And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 

Heb 12:2  Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. 

Isa 53:11  He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. 

"But I am not worthy." That means that you are not worth the price paid, and therefore you fear to come lest Christ will repudiate the purchase.

Now you might have some fear on that score if the bargain were not sealed and the price were not already paid. If He should refuse to accept you, on the ground that you are not worth the price, He would not only lose you, but also the amount paid. Even though the goods for which you have paid are not worth what you gave for them, you yourself would not be so foolish as to throw them away. You would rather get some return for your money than get nothing.

But, further, you have nothing to do with the question of worth. When Christ was on earth in the interest of the purchase, He "needed not that any should testify of man; for He knew what was in man." John 2:25. He made the purchase with His23 eyes open, and He knew the exact value of that which He bought. He is not at all disappointed when you come to Him and He finds that you are worthless. You have not to worry over the question of worth; if He, with His perfect knowledge of the case, was satisfied to make the bargain, you should be the last one to complain.

For, most wonderful truth of all, He bought you for the very reason that you were not worthy. His practiced eye saw in you great possibilities, and He bought you, not for what you were then or are now worth, but for what He could make of you. He says, "I, even I, am He that blotteth out thy transgressions for Mine own sake." Isa. 43:25. We have no righteousness, therefore He bought us, "that  [73]  we might be made the righteousness of God in Him." Says Paul: "For in Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in Him, which is the head of all principality and power." Col. 2:9, 10. Here is the whole process:—

"We all. . . were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ (by grace ye are saved), and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus; that in the ages to come He might show us the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God; not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."24

We are to be "to the praise of the glory of His grace." This we could not be if we were originally worth all He paid for us. There would in that case be no glory to Him in the transaction. He could not, in the ages to come, show in us the riches of His grace. But when He takes us, worth nothing, and at the last presents us faultless before the throne, it will be to His everlasting glory. And then there will not be any to ascribe worthiness to themselves. Throughout eternity, the sanctified hosts will unite in saying to Christ: "Thou art worthy . . . for Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; and hast   [74]  made us unto our God kings and priests." "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing." Rev. 5:9, 10, 12.

Surely all doubt as to acceptance with God ought to be set at rest. But it is not. The evil heart of unbelief still suggests doubts. "I believe all this, but—." There, stop right there; if you believed you wouldn't say "but." When people add "but" to the statement that they believe, they really mean, "I believe, but I don't believe." But you continue: "Perhaps you are right, but hear me out. What I was going to say is, I believe the Scripture statements that you have quoted, but the Bible says that if we are children of God we shall have the witness of the Spirit, and will have the witness in ourselves; and I don't feel any such witness, therefore, I can't believe that I am Christ's. I believe His word, but I haven't the witness." I understand your difficulty. Let me see if it cannot be removed.

As to your being Christ's, you yourself can settle that. You have seen what He gave for you. Now the question is, have you delivered yourself to Him? If you have, you may be sure that He has accepted you. If you are not His, it is solely because you have refused to deliver to Him that which He has bought. You are defrauding Him. He says, "All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people." Rom. 10:21. He begs you to give Him that  [75]  which He has bought and paid for, yet you refuse and charge Him with not being willing to receive you. But if from the heart you have yielded yourself to Him to be His child, you may be assured that He has received you.

Now as to your believing His words, yet doubting if He accepts you, because you don't feel the witness in your heart, I still insist that you don't believe. If you did, you would have the witness. Listen to His word: "He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself; he that believeth not God hath made Him a liar, because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son." 1 John 5:10. To believe in the Son is simply to believe His word and the record concerning Him.

And "he that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself."25 You can't have the witness until you believe; and as soon as you do believe, you have the witness. How is that? Because your belief in God's word is the witness. God says so. "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Heb. 11:1.

If you should hear God say with an audible voice that you are His child, you would consider that sufficient witness. Well, when God speaks in His word, it is the same as though He spoke with an audible voice; and your faith is the evidence that you hear and believe.

This is so important a matter that it is worth careful consideration. Let us read a little more of  [76]  the record. First, we read that we are "all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus." Gal. 3:26. This is a positive confirmation of what I said concerning our unbelief in the witness. Our faith makes us children of God. But how do we obtain this faith?—"Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Rom. 10:17. But how can we obtain faith in God's word? Just believe that God cannot lie. You would hardly call God a liar to His face; but that is just what you do if you don't believe His word. All you have to do to believe is to believe. "The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart; that is, the word of faith, which we preach; that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed." Rom. 10:8-11.

All this is in harmony with the record given through Paul: "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God; and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ." Rom. 8:16, 17. This Spirit which witnesses with our spirit is the Comforter that Jesus promised. John 14:16.

Joh 14:16  And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever

 And we know that Its witness is true, for It is the "Spirit of truth." Now how does It bear witness?—By  [77]  bringing to our remembrance the Word which has been recorded. It inspired those words (1 Cor. 2:13; 2 Peter 1:21),

1Co 2:13  Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 

2Pe 1:21  For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. 

 and, therefore, when It brings them to our remembrance, it is the same as though It were speaking them directly to us. It presents to our mind the record, part of which we have quoted; we know that the record is true, for God cannot lie; we bid Satan be gone with his false witness against God, and we believe that record; but if we believe the record, we know that we are children of God, and we cry, "Abba, Father." And then the glorious truth breaks more fully upon the soul. The repetition of the words makes it a reality to us. He is our Father; we are His children. What joy the thought gives! So we see that the witness which we have in ourselves is not a simple impression or an emotion. God does not ask us to trust so unreliable a witness as our feeling. He who trusts his own heart is a fool,26 the Scripture says. But the witness that we are to trust is the unchangeable word of God, and this witness we may have through the Spirit, in our own hearts. "Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable Gift."27

This assurance does not warrant us in relaxing our diligence and settling down contentedly, as though we had gained perfection. We must remember that Christ accepts us not for our sake, but for His own sake; not because we are perfect, but that in Him we may go on unto perfection. He blesses us not because we have been so good  [78]  that we have deserved a blessing, but in order that in the strength of the blessing we may turn away from our iniquities. Acts 3:26. To everyone that believes in Christ, the power—right or privilege—is given to become the sons of God. John 1:12, margin. It is by the "exceeding great and precious promises" of God through Christ that we are "made partakers of the Divine nature." 2 Peter 1:4.

Let us consider briefly the practical application of some of these scriptures.

Christ And His Righteousness. 

E.J. Waggoner

(Excerpt)

*******

THE EXERCISE OF THE WILL --Part 2 -- The process by which our human wills interact with the purposes of God is presented clearly in The Desire of Ages. Note the following: In the work of redemption there is no compulsion. No external force is employed. Under the influence of the Spirit of God, man is left free to choose whom he will serve. In the change that takes place when the soul surrenders to Christ, there is the highest sense of freedom. The expulsion of sin is the act of the soul itself. True, we have no power to free ourselves from Satan's control; but when we desire to be set free from sin, and in our great need cry out for a power out of and above ourselves, the powers of the soul are imbued with the divine energy of the Holy Spirit, and they obey the dictates of the will in fulfilling the will of God. (1)

When I choose to surrender to Christ - crown Him Lord of all that I am and have and sensing my great need, cry for deliverance, I am imbued with the energy of the Holy Spirit, so that my decisions harmonize with the will and purpose of God for my life. Obedience becomes literally what we sometimes call "second nature" but which is merely the restoration of what was originally man's endowment. We read: All true obedience comes from the heart. It was heart-work with Christ. And if we consent, He will so identify Himself with our thoughts and aims, so blend our hearts and minds into conformity to His will, that when obeying Him we shall be but carrying out our own impulses. The will, refined and sanctified, will find its highest delight in doing His service. When we know God as it is our privilege to know Him, our life will be a life of continual obedience. Through an appreciation of the character of Christ, through communion with God, sin will become hateful to us. (2)

In this statement we find the key to the surrender of the will, so that when imbued with the divine energy, we can carry out the purposes of God. Observe again - "When we know God as it is our privilege to know Him, our life will be a life of continual obedience." Jesus prayed - "This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." (3)  This is our great need, for we read - "The knowledge of God that works transformation of character is our great need. If we fulfill His purpose, there must be in our lives a revelation of God that shall correspond to the teaching of His word." (4)

P 2 -- What is this knowledge of God which we must have? We must believe that God is too wise to err, and too good to withhold from us anything that would be for our best interest. "God never leads His children otherwise than they would choose to be led, if they could see the end from the beginning, and discern the glory of the purpose which they are fulfilling as coworkers with Him." (5)

Let me illustrate. Suppose I ask you to give me your bank account, the keys to your car, and I assure you that I will direct your life and future so that in the end you will be completely satisfied with the direction your life was lived. Would you do this? No! Why? Either you really do not know me, or you really do know me - and because my promises are only human you cannot trust me with your life. BUT - can you trust yourself anymore than you can trust me? we read: "The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked, who can know it." (6)  Again - "There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death." (7)  we must come to the place where we trust God with our all - absolutely all!

Jesus came to reveal the Father as One in who all could place their trust without fear. But you say, He let Jesus go to the Cross, and He might let me go there, too. This is absolutely correct - He will take you there! Of this there can be no question for Jesus in revealing the Father has clearly stated - "If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me." (8)  But if not, what?

If you cling to self, refusing to yield your will to God, you are choosing death. To sin, wherever found, God is a consuming fire. If you choose sin, and refuse to separate from it, the presence of God, which consumes sin, must consume you. 

It will require a sacrifice to give yourself to God; but it is a sacrifice of the lower for the higher, the earthly for the spiritual, the perishable for the eternal. God does not design that our will should be destroyed; for it is only through its exercise that we can accomplish what He would have us do. Our will is to be yielded to Him, that we may receive it again, purified and refined, and so linked in sympathy with the Divine that He can pour through us the tides of His love and power. However bitter and painful this surrender may appear to the willful, wayward heart, yet "it is profitable for thee." (9)

While the hymn recorded by Paul in his letter to the Phillipians teaches some very critical concepts regarding the Incarnation, there are also deep spiritual lessons to be learned. He admonishes - "Think ye, even as Jesus Christ thought". Then Paul lists the thinking of Jesus with its results. Jesus did not consider equality with God something to be retained while men perished, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a slave, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross. (10)  And what did God do? He exalted Him above all, and returned Him to His own throne. God's way leads back to glory from whence we have wandered. And there can be no return except via the Cross. We are told: The Christian life is a battle and a march. But the victory to be gained is not won by human power. The field of conflict is the domain 

p 3 -- of the heart. The battle which we have to fight - the greatest battle that was ever fought by man - is the surrender of self to the will of God, the yielding of the heart to the sovereignty of love. The old nature, born of blood and the will of the flesh, cannot inherit the kingdom of God. The hereditary tendencies, the former habits, must be given up. (11) 

Those who go through the gates of the City of Light will be those who have surrendered, not those who have conquered. "We cannot overcome the mighty foe who holds us in his thrall. God alone can give us victory." (12)  This concept that victory lies in surrender is so alien to the philosophy of this world that it is difficult for the human mind to grasp. Human history glorified in its annals of wars and battles with its heroes and generals teaches the student that to the conqueror belongs the spoils. Not so the true philosophy of history, but we have so long drunk of the broken cisterns of the human evaluation of history that we are unable to perceive the pure water of life which Christ the center of all true history invites us to drink. (13)

Why must we surrender to receive the gift of God in Jesus Christ? Why is Jesus able to save us to the uttermost? Note: This holy Substitute is able to save to the uttermost; for He presented to the wondering universe perfect and complete humility in His human character, and perfect obedience to all the requirement of God. (14)

What was the process in the victory of Christ? First perfect and complete humility in His human character, which was followed by perfect obedience to the commandments of God at each step of His life. Of ourselves we cannot keep the commandments. Suppose then that God gave us the power to keep the commandments before we manifest perfect and complete humility - before we surrendered fully to Him - what would be the result? Pride, second only to Lucifer, and the germ for a second rebellion - which God will never permit to arise again. Jesus said - "Of mine own self, I can do nothing." This too, we must recognize, and then hearing the Word of God, be willing that this be done. In a life thus surrendered, God can accomplish His Word - perfect obedience. "The law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul."

(1)  Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 466

(2)  Ibid. p. 668

(3)  John 17:3

Joh 17:3  And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. 

(4)  Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 8, p. 329

(5)  Ellen G. White, Ministry of Healing, p. 329 

(6)  Jer. 17:9 

Jer 17:9  The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? 

(7)  Prov. 16:25

Pro 16:25  There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. 

(8)  Luke 9:23 

Luk 9:23  And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. 

(9)  Ellen G. White, Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, pp. 96-97 

(10)  See Phil. 2:5-8

Php 2:5  Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 

Php 2:6  Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 

Php 2:7  But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 

Php 2:8  And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 

(11)  White, Op. cit., p. 203 

(12)  Ibid., p. 204 

(13)  John 7:37

Joh 7:37  In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. 

(14)  Ellen G. White, Selected Messages, bk., i, p. 256

p 4 -- DO YOU KNOW? -- Do you know how your Sabbath School dollar is spent? A recent publication of the new Worker, called Action reveals that only 49% - or 49 of each dollar given - goes to the World Mission Fund for exclusive overseas work. Of each dollar, 34 cents is retained by the General Conference Administration and its Institutions. The remaining 17 cents reverts back to the Unions and Local Conferences for "ministerial training, church buildings, elementary school education." (Worker Action, October, 1977, p. 3)

The editorial appearing in this issue was most intriguing. It reads in part:      "And there came a man from Baal-shalisha, and brought the man of God bread of the first fruits, twenty loaves of barley, and full ears of corn in the husk thereof." (2 Kings 4:42) we are often intrigued by what the Bible leaves unsaid. Who was this farmer? Why did he bring this gift to the prophet Elisha? The record is silent concerning any further details; even the place from which he came cannot be certainly identified. 

Never mind. This man retained his integrity as a worshiper of Jehovah in a period not only of physical crisis, with severe drought and famine, but of spiritual crisis. Thus, instead of bringing his offering of first fruits to unfaithful priests, he brought it to Elisha, whom he recognized as being a true servant of God. (p. 2)

Need more be said or written?

ALONE? NO! YET SEVEN THOUSAND -- Back in May - the weekend of May 21 to be exact - Dr. Edward Heppenstall gave two studies in the Paradise, California Seventh-day Adventist Church. Friday evening's study was titled - "The Sinlessness of Christ's Nature." On Sabbath morning he spoke on "God's Way of Saving Lost Men." A sister in the state of Washington who evidently was present wrote to me regarding these presentations and told me they had been taped. I wrote and obtained the tapes this past month. They can best be summarized as diabolical heresy. Professing to believe Ellen G. White to be a prophet, he ignored her writings, twisted and distorted what she did write when faced with same at a question and answer period. His premise was simply that one must first consider what the Bible says on any given subject - this is laudable - but when one resorts to what is termed "orthodox" Christianity through the centuries to bolster his position, something is wrong.

On Sabbath afternoon, there was an extended Question and Answer session. As I listened to this tape, my heart rejoiced for I heard men and women of the laity bring forth strong arguments from the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy which left

P 5 -- Dr. Heppenstall confounded, and even at one point completely confused in how he replied. The point a sister made from the Bible which completely confused and routed Heppenstall is worth noting. On Friday night in presenting his heresy on the Incarnation, Heppenstall had used Romans 8:3-4 seeking to emphasize that "likeness" meant only "appearance" in relationship to "sinful flesh". But he ignored Philippians 2:6-8 in his presentation. So this unnamed sister asked on Sabbath afternoon if Heppenstall would consider the meaning of "likeness" in the phrase - "likeness of men" - as found in the book of Philippians. [The word is the same in the Greek in both texts.] She ably pointed out that if likeness means only "appearance", then Christ was not a real man, but only appeared to be so. But this is Docetism - a well known heresy of the early church - and Heppenstall wanted to avoid this. But he trapped himself with a docetic incarnation, and did not know how to escape!

May God bless these faithful laity who stood firmly for the historic position of the Adventist Church against this scholastic heretic! Yes - there are still seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal. May this faithful remnant soon be gathered into one.

NOT FOR SALE -- In the book Education (p. 57) is found the oft quoted and classic statement which defines the world's need. The first of these needs is stated to be "men who will not be bought or sold." Most people have price tags - some go rather cheaply, some not so cheap as rated in the currency of this world.

On several occasions over the past year, I have been approached personally and by letter with the suggestion that if I would change the format of the thought paper somewhat - be a bit more sparing in my comments on certain people in high church office, and put a little more "love-sick sentimentalism" - they call it just "love" - into what is written, they had sizable amounts of money that they were undecided just where to place. The inference was clear that if I would acquiesce, these monies would come to the Adventist Laymen's Foundation for the work of publication and research.

Let it be known by all - high or low, rich or poor - that the thought paper "Watchman, What of the Night?" - is not for sale, neither is anyone connected with the Adventist Laymen's Foundation or its Board of Directors. When God says - "Cry aloud, spare not" (Isa. 58:1) - He means just what He says, and no amount of money can get us to drop part of this text which reads - "Spare not." We have found an interesting thing, that when some who have contributed over a period of time to the work of the Foundation, and then because we could not be bought, dropped their support, that God raised up others very soon thereafter who filled the gap. Yes, "God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham." (Matt. 3:9)

P 6 -- COMMENTS FROM LETTERS RECEIVED -- Over the past decade we have thought of publishing certain letters which we have received from readers. In fact, we have at times asked permission, and received the same to quote these letters, but to the present we have held off from doing so mainly because of lack of space to quote in full the letter or letters. But in the future from time to time we shall select letters - pro and con - and quote and comment thereon. The next section of this month's thought paper will be our start.

WHY? -- A correspondent wrote:      We had a quick visit from [Brother] W last week . . .He says they had a "lovely" camp meeting this year and all the people in attendance signed up for next year. He was speaking to Elder "T. D." who was there doing a series on Righteousness by Faith. [Brother] W asked him if he thought the church would ever get back on the right track, and Elder "T. D." said "No". He also said that the Spirit of Prophecy points out that the majority of Adventists will be lost.

And then this reader asked the searching question - "Why does what these leaders say in private differ so much from their public utterances?"

Let us be absolutely honest with ourselves. If I teach righteousness by faith, but yet I know that the church will never get back on the right track, and that the majority will be lost, how can I give them only the doctrinal aspects and not the full picture of the meaning of 1888 and its present implications as of 1977? In other words, I would be saying, Stay with the "ship" even though it will not arrive in the right harbor. How can one then get to the right harbor? Is this approach not one reason why so many Adventist will be lost? And is not this the warning of the Spirit of Prophecy? Note the following:       Spiritual death has come upon the people that should be manifesting life and zeal, purity and consecration, by the most earnest devotion to the cause of truth. The facts concerning the real condition of the professed people of God, speak more loudly than their profession, and make it evident that some power has cut the cable that anchored them to the Eternal Rock, and that they are drifting away to sea, without chart or compass. (Review & Herald, July 24, 1888)

You will observe by the date that this was written in 1888 prior to the General Conference of that year. The message came at the Session which was to reverse this trend of spiritual death, and bring to the Church a chart and compass. But it was rejected, and the full message is still being rejected today even by some who are teaching it doctrinally correct, besides the many who are giving the message lip service. Righteousness by Faith is more than a doctrine - it is a

p 7 -- way of life, including the conduct and administration of the Church.

What the future holds because of the continued failure to reverse the trend of spiritual death is given in the prophecy found in Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 5, p. 211. One can read:       Here we see that the church - the Lord's sanctuary - was the first to feel the stroke of the wrath of God. The ancient men, those to whom God had given great light, and who had stood as guardians of the spiritual interests of the people, had betrayed their trust. They had taken the position that we need not look for miracles and the marked manifestation of God's power as in former days. Times have changed. These words strengthen their unbelief, and they say, The Lord will not do good, neither will He do evil. He is too merciful to visit His people in judgment. Thus peace and safety is the cry from men who will never again lift up their voice like a trumpet to show God's people their transgressions and the house of Jacob their sins. These dumb dogs, that would not bark, are the ones who feel the just vengeance of an offended God. Men, maidens, and little children, all perish together.

Observe closely the last sentence - "Men, maidens, and little children, all perish together."

Men in positions of influence know that the majority will be lost, and many know why - the hierarchy has betrayed the church - but why will they not speak out in public what they know to be true, but will say it privately? That's a good question!

However, some are saying certain things in public that the laity need to know. On the weekend of May 14, this year, the religion faculties of the three west coast Seventh-day Adventist colleges were together on the PUC campus for their annual conference. On Friday evening, Dr. Fred Veltman conducted the vespers. In this service he stated - concerning the Church - "Even its theology and religion has undergone change, though such developments are only recognized unofficially." (Spectrum, Vol. 8, #4, p. 42) In this gathering were three vice-presidents of the General Conference - Drs. Hackett and Hammill, and Elder Eva. So far I have not heard any challenge to the veracity of what Dr. Veltman said. And when you couple what Dr. Veltman said with what Elder "T. D." said about the possibility of the church getting back on the right track, the layman who wishes to be true to the faith is faced with a personal crisis of the greatest magnitude.

The answer to this crisis lies in the lesson of history. It is either continuity of organization, or continuity of truth. It is not both and never has been in any similar religious crisis in Church history. Paul faced this same choice on the Damascus Road; either the Jewish church, and the continuity of organization, or the Lord Jesus Christ, and the continuity of truth. Luther faced the same decision on the stair case at Rome. The Millerites faced it in the pre-1844 Advent Movement. Every sincere Adventist today - not born such

p 8 -- faced it when he chose between the church in which he was raised, and the Truth that came to him through Bible Studies, a book, a tent meeting, or some other means of evangelism. Now today the Church has apostatized from the Truth - it has changed its theology and religion - or else Dr. Veltman is a liar, and should not be entrusted with the training of the future ministry of the Church - thus the same choice confronts us - either continuity of organization, or continuity of Truth. Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.

Oct. 1977 "Watchman, What of the Night? " Thought Paper.  Adventist Laymen's Foundation.  (Excerpt)