Friday December 8
Further Thought: Read Ellen G. White, “Later English Reformers”, pp. 261, 262, in The Great Controversy; “Faith and Works”, pp. 530, 531, in The SDA Encyclopedia; Ellen G. White Comments, pp. 1099, 1100, in The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 1.
“There is an election of individuals and a people, the only election found in the word of God, where man is elected to be saved. Many have looked at the end, thinking they were surely elected to have heavenly bliss; but this is not the election the Bible reveals. Man is elected to work out his own salvation with fear and trembling. He is elected to put on the armor, to fight the good fight of faith. He is elected to use the means God has placed within his reach to war against every unholy lust, while Satan is playing the game of life for his soul. He is elected to watch unto prayer, to search the Scriptures, and to avoid entering into temptation. He is elected to have faith continually. He is elected to be obedient to every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God, that he may be, not a hearer only, but a doer of the word. This is Bible election.” - Ellen G. White, Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, pp. 453, 454.
Wow! If ever there were an opportunity to class our church as legalistic, this would appear to be such. Talk about working!! But, not so. When one is converted, these are his marching orders. Not all is bliss when one joins the army of God. Those who make a full surrender, who believe with the whole heart, have a fierce battle to fight. We must "have faith continually", that is we must have "saving faith" continually or else we shall fall from our high estate. And, even the battle prior to conversion is a great battle, the greatest battle we shall ever have to fight.
“No finite mind can fully comprehend the character or the works of the Infinite One. We cannot by searching find out God. To minds the strongest and most highly cultured, as well as to the weakest and most ignorant, that holy Being must remain clothed in mystery. But though ‘clouds and darkness are round about Him: righteousness and judgment are the foundation of His throne.’ Psalm 97:2, R.V. We can so far comprehend His dealing with us as to discern boundless mercy united to infinite power. We can understand as much of His purposes as we are capable of comprehending; beyond this we may still trust the hand that is omnipotent, the heart that is full of love.” - Ellen G. White, Education, p.169.
Amen!!
Discussion Questions:
Certain Christians teach that, even before we were born, God chose some to be saved and some to be lost. If you happened to have been one of those whom God, in His infinite love and wisdom, preordained to be lost, then no matter the choices you make, you are doomed to perdition - which many people believe means burning in hell for eternity. In other words, through no choice of our own but only through God’s providence, some are predestined to live without a saving relationship with Jesus here in this life, only to spend the next one burning forever in the fires of hell. What’s wrong with that picture? How does that view contrast with our understanding of these same issues?
God knows our future, but does not cause it.
How do you see the Seventh-day Adventist Church and its calling in the world today paralleling the role of ancient Israel in its day? What are the similarities and the differences? In what ways are we doing better? Or are we doing worse? Justify your answer.
God gave Israel almost 2,000 years to rightly represent Him to the nations of the world. Instead of doing so, they most often misrepresented Him. They, as a people, sunk lower and lower until when God sent His Son to them, they knew Him not and put Him to death.
How is it today? We have only been "chosen" for a little over 160 years. In that time we too, have misrepresented the character of our God. We too, have not done that entrusted to us as a people. Today we find rebellion in the church. It appears we too are falling lower and lower. Israel was in the wilderness when God was leading them with great light, for 40 years. We have been wandering in the wilderness for over 160 years, even with a modern day prophet giving to us great light. Jesus would have returned long ago if we had been His faithful witnesses.
While the leaders in Israel were primarily teaching salvation by works, Satan has been successful at bringing into the church today multiple "gospels" besides salvation by works. The line between truth and error is much closer today than then. If possible even the very elect, those abiding in Christ and He in them, would be deceived. But, they will not, for they are not looking to man, but to God and His Word.
God has allowed heresies to come into the church to awaken the sleeping sheep. The heresies are so bad that it is nigh impossible to not see them unless one has chosen to reject simple truth. Today, many leaders in the church are, like the Sanhedrin that condemned Christ, not following their own laws. The situation is so bad that many in the church have never experienced true conversion. Great light was given to the church in 1888, but it was rejected by many in leadership. The gospel had been perverted and in 1888 'God attempted to reveal the true message. Not long after, Ellen White revealed how bad the situation really was.
The new birth is a rare experience in this age of the world. This is the reason why there are so many perplexities in the churches. Many, so many, who assume the name of Christ are unsanctified and unholy. They have been baptized, but they were buried alive. Self did not die, and therefore they did not rise to newness of life in Christ (Manuscript 148, 1897). Vol 6, Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, pg 1075. Notice the date was nine years after 1888. Yes, the church rejected the gospel truth, and thus the church remained in a Laodicean condition where it was rare to find one who had been converted. What a statement! So it is today.
We are nearing the end. The true gospel, the righteousness of Christ, is going forth in our day as it did in 1888. This time it will not be stopped. Jesus is coming so very soon, and He will find a people who are keeping His commandments and have the faith of Jesus.