TO BE HOLY

TO BE HOLY

“Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.” 1 Pet. 16. To every Christian this command is undoubtedly the most “frightening” verse in scripture. Attaining holiness seems to be an unreachable goal, and this has discouraged many a reader. Ellen G. White, as a child, felt “shut out from the perfect joy of holiness (of) heart.” ST Feb. 3, 1876. The standard described in Mar. 230 states: “ The true Christian obtains an experience which brings holiness. He is without a spot of guilt upon the conscience, or a taint of corruption upon the soul. The spirituality of the law of God, with its limiting principles, is brought into his life. The light of truth irradiates his understanding. A glow of perfect love for the Redeemer clears away the miasma which has interposed between his soul and God. The will of God has become his will, pure, elevated, refined and sanctified. His countenance reveals the light of heaven. His body is a fit temple for the Holy Spirit. Holiness adorns his character. God can commune with him, for soul and body are in harmony with God.” What a lofty aspiration!
We know, too well, our condition. “All have sinned.” Rom 5:13. “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” Rom. 3:23. “If we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves, and the truth in not in us.” 1 Jn. 1:8. “All our righteousness is as filthy rags.” Isa. 6:4. We are so far from holiness.
What is holiness? The quote from Maranatha above defines personal holiness well for us. Webster’s Dictionary tells us it is “exalted or worthy of complete devotion, Divine, elevated entirely to the deity or the work of the deity, having a divine quality.” Wikipedia on line dictionary states it is “wholeness, may be taken to indicates a state of religious completeness or perfection.” The word describes God as deity, or a condition of the believer, or people or articles dedicated to God in most Biblical references. The Hebrew word is Kedushah, meaning “ set apart, separated, separateness.” This is echoed in 2 Cor. 6:17 “Come apart from them and be ye separate.” Heb. 7:26 tells us to be “undefiled, separate from sinners.” Numbers 6:2, in referring to dedicating to a holy purpose, calls them to “separate themselves unto the Lord.” .The Hebrew word Nazar, for separate, means set apart for sacred purpose, consecrate, abstain from. The term sanctify, has the same meaning. The Greek word for holy, hagios, means blameless, sacred, to purify, consecrate. (Strongs Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible.)
The Biblical use of holy refers to be dedicated to God, having the presence of God, being a name of God, having the characteristics of the divine, as in Isaiah 57:15 “The lofty One that inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy, I dwell in the high and holy place.”
Psalms 11 states: “The Lord is in His holy temple.” Several things and people are referred to as holy: prophets, brethren, covenant, tithe, oil, offering, name, kiss, fruit, day, clothes, Sabbath, nation, temple, convocation (meeting), hill, law, commandment, faith, virgin, promise, water, all within the Biblical definition. Even the ground can be holy, as in Acts 7:33. (David, in pleading his case to God in Ps. 86:2, even referred to himself- “I am holy”-the term he used was chesed, which almost undefineable in English, means “one who shows divine love,.” Among other meanings.)
The definitions of holiness only emphasize our distance from holiness. Yet the pen of Inspiration states: “Without holiness, the Word of God tells us, no man can see the Lord. Without purity of life it is impossible for us to be fitted and prepared to dwell with the holy and sinless angels in a pure and holy heaven. No sin can be there. No impurity can enter the pearly gates of the golden city of God. And the question for us to settle is, whether we will turn from all sin and comply with the conditions God has given us that we may become His sons and daughters. Separation from the world He requires of us in order to become members of the royal family.” RH April 12, 1870. “This perfection you must reach. Should I tell you that you need not be very earnest, you need not be very active, the Lord is pleased to have you enjoy the things of this life, therefore you may be as calm and moderate in religious things as you choose, and while you are thus doing you will be gaining everlasting life, I should be telling you things not written in this book.” (Ibid) .
This is the standard we must reach, but it is reachable. To reach heaven one must be holy. We have read. Enoch, and Elijah were taken to heaven without seeing death. Moses and the faithful dead in Jerusalem when Christ died, were raised from the dead and taken to heaven. Revelation 7:9 tells us “A great multitude, who no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes.” The saved will be so many “no man could number” them, so holiness is reachable.
How is perfection attained? “Holiness is within the reach of all who reach for it by faith, not because of their good works, but because of Christ’s merits.” 7 BC 908. “Accepting Christ as a personal Savior, and following His example of self-denial- this is the secret of holiness.” AG 120. “There must be a power working from within, a new life from above, before men can be changed from sin to holiness. That power is Christ. His grace alone can quicken the lifeless faculties of the soul and attract it to God, to holiness.” AG 120 “Holiness..is an entire surrender of the will to God.” (Ibid) “Be ye therefore perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect’ We are to keep Christ as our pattern ever in view, and by contemplating Him we become transformed in character. His own righteousness is imputed to us. Therefore all virtue, all light, all that is of any value, is derived from Christ.” MM Oct. 1, 1893.
The power to be holy comes from Christ, but the surrender of the will, the daily surrendering of the life to God, the daily repentance, is the work of the Christian through the power of the inworking of the Holy Spirit. It is a process that involves every waking minute, growing in grace, perfecting the character. It is our “Duty to perfect holiness in the fear of God” GC 429, RH Sept 7, 1886, OHC 230. “Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” Peter tells us. 2 Pet. 7:1. “’He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also to walk, even as He walked.’ (1 Jn. 2:6). We cannot plead that we are unable to do this, for we have the assurance, ‘My grace is sufficient for thee.’ (2 Cor. 12:9). As we look into the divine mirror, the law of God, we see the exceeding sinfulness of sin, and our own lost condition as transgressors. But by repentance and faith we are justified before God, and through divine grace enabled to render obedience to His commandments.” SL 6.
This is a daily work, a constant effort. “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God that worketh in you..” Phil. 2:12. “If any want to become My followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow Me.” Luke 9:23. “True sanctification is a daily work, continuing as long as life shall last…battling with daily temptations, overcoming their own sinful tendencies, and seeking for holiness of heart and life….They are hungering and thirsting for righteousness. Sin appears to them exceedingly sinful.” SL 10. “Sanctification is a state of holiness, without and within, being holy and without reserve the Lord’s, not in form, but in truth. Every impurity of thought, every lustful passion, separates the soul from God; for Christ can never put His robe of righteousness upon a sinner to hide his deformity…There must be a progressive work of triumph over evil, of sympathy with good, a reflection of the character of Jesus. We must walk in the light, which will increase and grow brighter unto the perfect day. This is real, substantial growth, which will finally attain to the full stature of men and women in Jesus Christ…” OHC 214. “It is the worthiness of Christ that must save us. His blood that must cleanse us.. But we have efforts to make. We must do what we can, be zealous and repent, then believe that God accepts us.” OHC 351 “”Only those who are willing to sacrifice all for the eternal life will have it; but it will be worth suffering for, worth crucifying self and sacrificing every idol for.” OHC 351. “The gold of faith and love, the white raiment of a spotless character, and the eyesalve, or the power of clear discernment between good and evil- all these we must obtain before we can hope to enter the kingdom of God. But these precious treasures will not drop upon us without some exertion on our part. We must buy-we must ‘be zealous and repent’ of our lukewarm state. We must be awake to see our wrongs, to search for our sins, and to put them away from us.” OHC 351. “There is no resting spot here; there is no period when you can relax your efforts, no period when you can safely cease striving, agonizing, to enter in at the strait gate.” MM Oct. 1, 1893. Daily searching the life and confessing your sin and seeking repentance are crucial. “All who endeavor to excuse or conceal their sins, and permit them to remain on the books of heaven, unconfessed and unforgiven, will be overcome by Satan.” GC 544. “Opportunity is now given you to improve and become perfect this side of judgment. You must obtain a moral fitness here to meet your God. You should be right, just right, if you wish to obtain an entrance the gates of the holy city of God.” RH april 12, 1870. This is a work that must be done daily, constantly, for we are told concerning the close of probation, which could happen to any of us at any time, “Just as you then are, you will remain. Just as you fall, you will come up in the resurrection. And if you are living when the Son of Man is revealed, just as you are then found when He shall appear, if unready, so you must remain.The impure cannot then obtain perfection of Christian character. No work of purification can then be performed.” RH april 12, 1870.
There will never come a time when the Christian feels they have attained holiness. “The more closely they contemplate the life and character of Jesus, the more deeply they will feel their own sinfulness, and the less will they be disposed to claim holiness of heart or to boast of their sanctification.” SL. 79. “The more we contemplate the character of Christ, and the more we experience of his saving power, the more keenly shall we realize our own weakness and imperfection, and the more earnestly shall we look to Him as our strength and our Redeemer.” SL. 83. “No one who claims holiness is really holy. Those who are registered in the books of heaven are not aware of this fact, and are the last ones to boast of their own goodness.” NL 57.
Enoch, a man so close to God, a man who achieved holiness to the point that God took him to heaven without seeing death, is a fit example for us. “To him prayer was the breath of the soul. He lived in the very atmosphere of heaven.” PP. 85. “The godly character of this prophet represents the state of holiness which must be attained by those who shall be ‘redeemed from the earth’ (Rev. 14:3) at the time of Christ’s second advent…But like Enoch, God’s people will seek for purity of heart and conformity to His will, until they reflect the likeness of Christ.” PP 88,89.
You have searched your heart and confessed every sin you have found- you have given your will to Christ, “all your soul,” –you have given your life to serving others-you cherish your time in prayer and you “live in an attitude of prayer”- then, though only the angels can see it, you wear the white robe of Christ’s righteousness*, and you are seen as holy. Christ is in you and you have accepted Him as your Saviour. You are holy-whole before God, separate from this world, dedicated to Him, set apart for his service, a vessel for the presence of God.






Additional material:

Certificate of property ownership

Certificate of property ownership





This is to certify that the property:

Plot 45,438
Seventh Tier
New Jerusalem


Is the property of Sarah Corbett who has sole and legal ownership. According the following terms: “Ye believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Fathers house are many mansions; if it were not so I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you, And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. Jn. 14:1-3” “ Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” “Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.” (Heaven p55)
This title includes the golden mansion and attached garden areas and gives the owner shared ownership and access to the streets of transparent gold.
Said mansion includes a built in shelf of Gold which shall be the area set aside for the golden crown with attached stars, when said crown is not in direct use. All this according to the terms: “A crown of glory…is laid up for us who wait, and love, and long for, the appearing of the Saviour.” Mar. 309,310. “I saw a very great number of angels bring from the city glorious crowns- a crown for every saint, with his name written thereon. As Jesus called for the crowns, angels presented them to Him, and with His own right hand the lovely Jesus placed the crowns on the heads of the saints.”Mar 309, 310.
Said property is in Reserved Area # 67754, reserved for faithful Pathfinders and Pathfinder staff members. There shall be weekly, non-mandatory drill and marching exercises on the streets of gold there with rejoicing and perfect step and harmony.

This Deed Certified by:
Recording Angel #56,788
Fourth Level

Why we are here defines what is important

Why we are here defines what is important


Why are we here? We are here to form righteous characters, follow God, and to serve others. The wisest man who ever lived, Solomon, wrote: “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter. Fear God and keep His commandments for this is the whole duty of man.” (Eccl. 12:13) The whole duty, not a side interest while we pursue worldly “success” John Mark and Doctor Luke echo this: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.” (Mark 12:30, Luke 10:27) The emphasis is on the word ALL. The prophet Micah in Micah 6:8, writes: “He has shown thee oh man what is good, and what does the Lord require of thee, but to do justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God.”
Over and over again the Bible writers emphasize our purpose in living is to help others. “I give you a new commandment that you love one another, just as I have loved you.” (John 13:34) “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Lev. 19:18, Matt. 19:19, John 15:12)
God defines why we are here, it is not ours to decide. God, our Creator and Sustainer, tells us “You are not your own. You are bought with a price.” (1 Cor. 6:19,20)
This life is important because it is my only chance, by God’s power, to prepare my character for eternity. My time on earth is important because it is time spent in helping others and witnessing for my Lord. This life is important because God is using me to show His love to others. But in these reasons and only these, is it important in the grand scheme of things. We are the bride of Christ and our whole concentration is on preparing for the coming of the Bridegroom- with All of our mind and strength and soul and heart. A bride sits, fingering the lace of her wedding gown, waiting for the time in keen anticipation- looking forward to a life of shared love that grows with each passing day- looking forward to the coming of the groom who has promised to love her forever and to always be there with her and for her. We are that bride.
We do not discount this life- we put it into perspective. If we follow Him this life will have fulfillment and peace and joy, “I came that they might have life and have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10) “Thou shall keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee.” (Isa. 26:3) “But the fruits of the Spirit is love, joy, peace.” (Gal. 5:22) These are values of the heart. The body may have troubles, illness, poverty, stress- but these values are possible through God’s gift of them to us. We have no guarantees of being appreciated, or loved, or of wealth or prestige. These are not important to our purpose. Our earthly success or accomplishments are not our purpose. (If it serves God’s purpose His followers may become people of prestige and power and riches, as in Moses, Abraham, Jacob, Esther, Mordecai, David and Solomon. If it serves His purpose His followers give up their successful businesses to serve Him, as in Matthew and James and John. The disciples and apostles were not recorded to be men of worldly wealth but were men wholly dedicated to fulfilling their purpose in life. Jesus had “not a place to lay His head” yet lived the most important and purposeful life the world has ever known.)
Life on earth does not give you peace or joy or fulfillment. It distracts you from your God-given purpose. Life here, though it screams for your attention, trying to drown out the voice of God, is hollow. “All flesh is like grass and its glory like the flowering of grass.” (1 Pet. 1:24) “Yet you do not even know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes…” (James 4:13-17) “Time and chance happen to them all…no one can anticipate the time of disaster.” (Eccl. 9:11-12) “Vanity of vanities, says the Teacher, all is vanity.” (Eccl. 12:8) As the song says: “This world is not my home, I’m just a stranger here.” In this world Christians are “aliens and exiles” (1 Pet. 2:11) It is said of Christians: “But they desire a better country, a heavenly.”(Heb. 11:16) We look forward to going home “to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.” (Heb. 11:10)
The ending of this life is so much different for the Christian whose priority is a relationship with God and serving his fellow man. He does not go out scratching and clawing to hold on to life with both hands because this life is not that important. When I die, I may fear death because I am human and fear the “unknown”, but if I do this will be a ridiculous fear because it is NOT the unknown. I know it is a sleep without consciousness, and I know The next conscious thought is when I see Jesus coming again in the clouds of glory and I see an angel reaching out his hand for me, to take me to me Saviour. (1Thess. 4:16, Eccl. 9:5,6) If it is a conscious moment, I should raise my hand to grasp that of the angel coming for me, because that is, for me, reality. The priority of our life as Christians is to be with the Lord, not to hang on to this sinful sphere. Christ at this death uttered the words: “Into Thy hands I commend my spirit.” Stephen, at his death, prayed: “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” (Acts 7:59) The great heroes of the Reformation showed they were looking forward to heaven, not hanging on to this world. Just before his death John Calvin stated he looked forward to a “happy resurrection.” Huldreich Zwingli, dying from wounds in battle with Catholic armies, said “What does it matter. The body they can kill, but not the soul.” Martin Luther’s last words were: “Father into thy hands I commend my spirit. Thou hast redeemed me God of truth.” John Huss, just before dying at the stake, spoke: “In the truth of the gospel, which I have written, taught, and preached, I will die today with gladness.” Jerome of Prague sang hymns on the way to his execution and told the executioner who was to light the fire around him: “Come forward boldly; apply the fire before my face. Had I been afraid, I should not be here” His lips continued to move in prayer as the fire consumed him. Truly they all followed the Bible admonition: “Take no thought for your life.” (Matt. 6:25)
In the service of God there will be things that happen to the Christian that he would not will; discomfort, sorrow, illness, death of family members, his own death. He will not understand why these things are happening. He will echo Job “Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.” (Job. 38:42) God created me. He gives me life every moment. He has the right as my Creator and Sustainer to do with my life as He wishes. God loves me with an everlasting love. There is no question about that- Christ answered that on the cross. Therefore, if God sees fit that my life has trials or ends, I accept that “My ways are not your ways” and His decision was made in love. For years Christians have prayed “Thy will be done”- this is an acceptance of God being smarter than we are, of placing our lives totally to take or use as He sees fit, according to His Divine will. Will we ever understand why these things happen while we are on this earth? To be able to do so would be knowing the mind of God. The Bible gives us glimpses “through a glass darkly” but only in time eternal will we understand, and maybe not even then. Our understanding is not important- only our faith in our Savior. Throughout recorded history Christ has been leading us and guiding us in love. This same Jesus we worship and love because of His sacrifice is the same God that created the world, spoke from the burning bush, watched over the children of Israel in the pillar of fire by night, that serves as our intercessor and priest in the heavenly sanctuary now, and that will come again as conqueror, king, shepherd, priest and judge. This same Jesus will walk and talk with us in the New Jerusalem and will be our glorious light, so much so that there will be no need for sun or moon (Rev. 21:22) Do we understand this?- no more than we understand creation, His resurrection, or His incarnation. We live for and look forward to what we do not understand, for the Bible tells us: “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the human heart conceived, what God has prepared for those who love Him.” (1 Cor. 2:9) Humans, in their pride of heart, question what they do not understand. Christians accept the mind of God, and do not expect to understand until it is revealed to them.
All we need to know is “All things work together for Good to them that love God.” (Rom. 8:22), and that why we are here defines who we are, even in heaven, on the sea of glass before the pearly gates- “Here is a call for the endurance of the saints. Those who keep the commandments of God and hold fast to the faith of Jesus.” (Rev. 14:22, 12:17)

Answered Prayer

Answered Prayer


1. Always ask for forgiveness of your sins before you pray. Your heart needs to be set right with God for Him to hear you. Always pray in Jesus name.
2. Mean what you say. Sincere, heartfelt prayer is heard. “Now I lay me down to sleep” said without thought or meaning goes no higher than the ceiling. “ The most eloquent prayers are but idle words if they do not express the true sentiments of the heart, but the prayer that comes from an earnest heart, when the simple wants of the soul are expressed, as we would ask an earthly friend for a favor, expecting it to be granted-this the prayer of faith.”
3. “To every sincere prayer an answer WILL COME. It may not come just as you desire, or at the time you look for it, but it will come in the way and at the time that will best meet your need…..God answers, not always according to your expectations, but always for your own good.” Prayer p8.
4. Do your part to fulfill what you pray for , your work. You cannot expect God to help you on a test if you have not studied for it.
5. “ We may bring Him our little cares and perplexities as well as our greater troubles. Whatever arises to disturb or distress us, we should take it to the Lord in prayer.” “Nothing that in any way concerns our peace is too small for Him to notice.”
6. “Prayer is the opening of the heart to God as to a friend.”
7. God is able to answer our prayers, He is strong enough to do anything. “With God all things are possible.” We can have “firm assurance” that He is capable of filling our needs.
8. “We should have the door of the heart open continually” to God in prayer. If we did this, we would never sin!
9. “Prayer is the breath of the soul, It is the secret of spiritual power.” You often hear people say that they were not strong enough to resist the temptation- if they were praying about it sincerely, they could.
10. “Neglect the exercise of prayer or engage in prayer spasmodically, now and then, as seems convenient, and you lose your hold on God.”
11. Prayers are taken to heaven by the angels and presented to God by Christ Himself, translated in a form acceptable to God.
12. “If you offer no prayer for help…your neglect of duty will be marked in the book of God in heaven.”
13. “Consecrate yourself to God in the morning; make this your very first work.”
14. “Only the work accomplished with much prayer and sanctified by the merit of Christ, will in the end prove to have been efficient for good.”
15. “It is a part of God’s plan to grant us, in answer to the prayer of faith, that which He would not bestow did we not thus ask.” *********
16. “If your faith wavers, you will receive nothing from Him.” If you don’t believe He can or will help then your prayer will not be answered. Faith, Belief is mandatory for answered prayer. “Blessings received are proportionate to the faith exercised. “according to your faith be it unto you.” “
17. “He longs to have you expect great things from Him. He longs to give you understanding in temporal as well as in spiritual matters. He can sharpen the intellect. He can give tact and skill. Put your talents into the work. AskGod for wisdom and it will be given you. “
18. There are prayers that if they are sincere, God always answers YES to. They are for wisdom, “for the pardon of sin, for the Holy Spirit, for a Christlike temper, for strength to do His work, for any gift He has promised, we may ask; then we are to believe that we receive and return thanks to God that we have received.”
19. “The Bible should never be studied without prayer.” The Holy Spirit alone can give you understanding of it.
20. “If we cling to any known sin, the Lord will not hear us; but the prayer of the penitent, contrite soul is always accepted.” “If we render to Him only a partial, halfhearted obedience, His promises will not be fulfilled to us.”***********
21. Tithes and offerings- “But if we withhold from Him that which is His own, how can we expect Him to entrust us with the things of heaven? It may be that this is the secret of unanswered prayer.” COL.44.
22. “Sometimes answers to our prayers come immediately; sometimes we have to wait patiently and continue earnestly to plead for the things that we need. “
23. “Often our plans fail that God’s plans for us may succeed.” “In the future life the mysteries that have here annoyed and disappointed us will be made plain. We shall see that our seemingly unanswered prayers and disappointed hopes have been among our greatest blessings.” Remember that “ Our heavenly Father is more willing to give His Holy Spirit to that that ask Him, than are earthly parents to give good gifts to their children.”
24. “Continual earnest Prayer is the way to walk with God. “This is how Enoch walked with God.”
25. ”The youth who finds his joy in reading the word of God, and in the hour of prayer, will be constantly refreshed by drafts from the fountain of life. His will attain a height of moral excellence and a breadth of thought of which others cannot conceive. Communion with God encourages good thoughts, noble aspirations, clear perceptions of truth, and lofty purposes of action.”
26. “Any amusement in which you can engage asking the blessing of God upon it in faith, will not be dangerous.”

The Justice of God

The Way

The only Door, the only Path

The only Door:
“Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life, no man comes to the Father but by Me.”(John 14:6) “We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ” (1 John 2:1) We have but one advocate. “He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9) Only He can cleanse us. “Nor is there salvation in any other, there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”(Acts. 4:12) “Through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men”(Rom. 5:18) “I am the door, if any man enter by Me he will be saved.” (John 10:9)
“The one thing for us to know is Christ, ‘the Way, the Truth, and the Life.’ ‘this is life eternal’ he said, ‘that they might know Thee the only true God and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”(ST Jan. 6, 1898) “If these looked to Jesus..they would realize the truth of the words, ‘without Me you can do nothing.”(Ibid) “..with His own body Christ bridged the gulf that sin had made.” (Ibid) “Christ is the ladder to heaven. The base of the ladder rests firmly on the earth, brought to the very level of humanity, while the topmost round reaches and rests firmly on the throne of God.” (Ibid.) “We can reach heaven only by the mystic ladder, Jesus Christ.” (Ibid.) “Had it not been for Christ, the way to heaven would never have been known by the fallen race.” (TMK 82) “Since the first gospel sermon was preached, when in Eden it was declared that the seed of the woman should bruise the serpent’s head, Christ has been uplifted as the the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” (ST Jan 13, 1898) “Christ was the way by which the patriarchs were saved…enshrouded in the pillar of cloud and giving directions to Moses to be given to the children of Israel. There was plenty of light in the old way to lead every soul to the abodes of bliss.”(Ibid.) Only through Him could salvation even be possible-“Since the divine law is as sacred as God Himself, only one equal with God could make atonement for its transgression.” (CHS 19)
Jesus is the only Way, the only Door, the only ladder, the only Bridge. The sanctuary service of the Old Testament illustrates this beautifully. There was only one entrance, one door, to the way of salvation, “through” Him. (Rom. 5:19, 10: 9,10) I enter and claim the sacrifice that He made and He alone could make. I step forward to the laver and am cleansed of all my sin by Him. In faith I enter the Holy Place and to my left is the 7-branched candlestick and I see Christ as the “light of the world.” To my right is the table of showbread, where Jesus has told me “Take eat, this is my body,” and has told me “I am the living bread which came down from heaven”(John 6:48) I know that Just knowing about Christ is not enough, I must “eat” the bread, I must internalize Christ and take Him into my life as an integral, living part of me.(CHS 33, Rom. 2:13) I step forward with Jesus to the altar of incense where He Himself sends my prayers and confessions to God, and He Himself is my advocate with the Father.(CHS 32), and I know “No one comes to the Father but by Me.”(Rom. 8: 26,27, 34) In faith, with Him, I pass through the veil, which is His body (Heb. 10:19-22) and where He took all my sins upon Himself. And at last, I stand at the mercy seat, the throne of God, where perfect love and perfect justice meet, and I stand there in the pure white robe of Christ’s righteousness with my High Priest, and I know I am only there because He has given His blood to redeem me from my sins. Every step I have taken has been because of Him and what he has done for me, and only Jesus could take me here. There is no other way. Justification and sanctification is all about Jesus. (As one stands back and views the sanctuary from above, the furniture forms the form of a cross (Path To the Throne of God by Sarah Peck 269) and this is only right, for the cross explains the character of Christ. “The mystery of the cross explains all other mysteries. In the light that streams from Calvary the attributes of God which had filled us with fear and awe appear beautiful and attractive. Mercy, tenderness and parental love are seen to blend with holiness, justice, and power.” (GC 571))

The only path:
“Enter ye in at the strait gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat. Because strait is the gate and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” (Matt. 7: 13,14, HP 266) “Search me O God and know my heart; try me and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Ps. 139:24) “Cause me to know the way wherein I should walk.” (Ps. 143) “Righteousness shall go before him (that fear Him) and He shall set us in the way of His steps.”(Ps. 85:13) “The way of the Lord is strength to the upright.” (Prov. 10:29)
The way of righteousness involves recognizing our sin, confessing it, asking forgiveness for it, and giving up our will to follow the will of God, and some day soon attaining His kingdom in heaven.. This is the only way to salvation. E.G. White describes this way in many terms, which include the way as: path of obedience, peace, light, of holiness, righteousness, for the pilgrim, consecrated by His footsteps(YI May 21, 1903), truth, leading to eternal life, where God leads, to the paradise of God, will grow clearer, will be illuminated, marked out, will grow brighter and brighter, of self denial and sacrifice, of God’s providence, open, that God has chosen, safe. “It is a difficult path.” (ST June 22, 1904)
“The way of righteousness is Life”(Job 12:28) we are told. This way has two main characteristics, following the law and scriptures, and giving up one’s will to God ( which in truth are one and the same). As to following the law it describes “the way of Thy testimonies…Thy precepts..of truth..of Thy commandments, of Thy statutes.” (Ps. 119) “For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light, and reproofs of instruction are the way of life.” (Prov. 6:23) Giving up one’s will to God is mandatory to follow this path. “But the way of life is narrow and the entrance straight. If you cling to any besetting sin, you will find the gateway too narrow for you to enter. Your own ways, your own will, your wrong habits and unchristlike practices, must be given up if you would keep the way of the Lord.” “Toil, patience, self-sacrifice, reproach, poverty, the contradiction of sinners against Himself, was the portion of Christ, and it must be our portion, if we ever enter the Paradise of God.” (ST June 22, 1904) “The first step in the path of obedience is to surrender..the path of faith and self-denial is an upward path.” (BEcho April 6, 1903) “What man thinks is for his spiritual and temporal interests may be altogether at variance with the experience he must have in order to be a follow or Christ.” (HP 266).
This upward path, hanging on only to the “ropes” of giving up the will and leaning only on Christ was so clearly shown to E.G. White in Her vision of the narrowing upward path she received in August 1868. (2 T 594-597)
“The path of righteousness is as the light of dawn, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.”(Prov. 4:18) “This is the way, walk ye in it” is a command we must all follow to attain the kingdom. To attain His “perfect day.”
This path is illustrated so well in the work Pilgrims Progress, written in 1678, by John Bunyan. E.G. White stated that he “breathed the very atmosphere of heaven” as he wrote this.(GC 224)


“What a change would be wrought in our world if men would keep the way of the Lord, giving supreme love and loyalty to God, and manifesting love and respect for their neighbors.” (RH Oct. 1, 1895)
“Christ is indeed the Way, the Truth, and the Life. There are not many ways to heaven. Each one may not choose his own way. Christ says: ‘I am the way..’No man cometh to the Father but by Me.’ Unless we are individually in this way, we can not reach the heavenly mansions. The question for each one to ask himself is, Am I following Christ because I know that He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life?” Am I in the path that leads to perfect obedience?” Those who walk in this way will never lose their strength, but constantly receive new power for their heavenward march” (ST Jan. 13, 1898)
“The pathway to heaven is narrow, but no one need fail of finding it. It has been plainly marked out by the Father’s hand. Not one trembling sinner need fail of walking in pure and holy light. Altho the upward path is sometimes difficult and often wearisome, although the Christian may have to endure toil and conflict, yet let him go forward in rejoicing, trusting as a little child in the loving guidance of Him ‘who keepeth the feet of His saints,’ knowing that the path he is traveling will bring him at last to the mansions that Christ has gone to prepare for those who love Him.” (ST June 22, 1904)
Following the path of righteousness is a daily, step by step process. It is a series of choices to do the right thing, as God has shown us in His revealed will. These choices decide our destiny. If John the disciple wrote verse, I am sure he would have penned words much like Robert Frost in his poem The Road Not Taken:
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence.
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I..
Took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.




The followers of Mohammed and Buddha are not on different paths that all lead to salvation. There is but one path. Part of the “new theology” is expressed in the book The Shack by Wm. Paul Young, where the character who is a personification of Jesus states: “You will grow in the freedom to be inside or outside all kinds of systems and to move freely between and among them.” “Remember, the people who know Me are the ones who are free to live and love without any agenda.” “I have no desire to make them Christian.” (The Shack 183, 184). This is not following the way. There is one path, one Shepherd, one Way. “To the law and to the testimonies, if they speak not according to these, there is no light in them” and “One Lord, one faith, one baptism” (Eph. 4:5) speak of one way, one true belief. The Bible has no room for ecumenism.
This being said, Jesus said “Other sheep have I that are not of this fold”(John 10:16) He was speaking of Gentiles to the Jews, but His message was directed to the world also, Desire of Ages tells us. Those who have not had opportunity to learn of Him and His way but are living according to the light they have, and are living lives of love, may be saved. “Therefore to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.”(James 4:17) “Love is the fulfillment of the law” applies to them, and Christ died for them too. “Wherever there is an impulse of love and sympathy, wherever the heart reaches out to uplift and bless others, there is revealed the working of God’s Holy Spirit in the depths of heathenism, men who have no knowledge of the written law of God, who have never even heard of the name of Christ, have been kind to His servants, protecting them at the risk of their own lives. Their acts show the working of a divine power. The Holy Spirit has implanted the grace of Christ in the heart of the savage, quickened his sympathies contrary to his nature, contrary to his education. The ‘Light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world,’ is shining in his soul; and this light, if heeded, will guide his feet to the kingdom of God.” (RH Dec. 24, 1908) God knows the heart, and can see the love in it, and knows they are “safe to save.”
Our prayer should always be “Cause me to know the way wherein I should walk.” (Ps 143) Our response should be obedience when “Thus says the Lord; Stand at the crossroads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way lies; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls” (Jer. 6:16)

The Crown of Righteousness

A Study

The crown the saved are presented and wear in heaven and the New Jerusalem is described as a literal and physical crown, not just as a spiritual symbol.
It is called by several names, some describing the crown itself, and some describing the character and characteristics of the saved that wear it. “And when the Chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.” (1 Pet. 5:4) “There is a crown of life for the overcomer.”(1) “Their joy is complete and they take their glittering crowns and cast them at their Redeemer’s feet.”(2) “Finally, there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on that day, and not to my only, but also to all that have loved His appearing.” (2 Tim. 4:8) “They do it to win a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.” (1 Cor. 9:25)
It is made of gold and decorating with brilliant stars. “We want you to live among the pure and holy angels in heaven, and wear a crown of gold…”(4). “God wants to put the harp in your hand and the crown of gold on your head.”(5) “The white robe and jeweled crown given to them by Christ as a reward for their unselfish efforts..The stars in their crowns will shine forever and ever..”(6) “The crown of life will be bright or dim, will glitter with many stars, or be lighted by a few gems, in accordance with ones own cause of action.” (7) “For each there is a crown bearing his own ‘new name’ and the inscription ‘Holiness To The Lord.’”(10)
The stars in the crown signify those who are in heaven because of your influence. “
By living a life of devotion and self-sacrifice in doing good to others, you might have been adding stars and gems to the crown that you will wear in heaven, and laying up unfading, eternal, treasure.” (8) “The lives saved through their efforts will be more precious to them than costly and fashionable dress. The white robes and jeweled crown given them by Christ as a reward for their unselfish efforts in the salvation of souls, will be more valuable then needless ornaments. The stars in their crowns will shine forever and ever…”(9) “The crown of life will be bright of dim...in accordance to ones own cause of action.”(7) “On the sea of glass the 144,000 stood in a perfect square. Some of them had very bright crowns, others not so bright. Some crowns appeared heavy with stars, while others had but few. All were perfectly satisfied with their crowns.”(11)
God, our just God, rewards them for their deeds, as He does the wicked.(12)
“There will be no one saved in heaven with a starless crown. If you enter there will be some soul in the courts of glory that has found an entrance there through your instrumentality.” (13) A well known hymn by Elisa Edmunds Hewitt asks the question: “Will there be any stars in my crown, when at evening the sun goeth down?” If the answer is no, another hymn answers the question by singing “I Dreamed I searched heaven for you, searched vainly in heaven for you.”(14)
We have a part in attaining this crown of glory. We know that if we have not been instrumental in saving at least one person here on earth the crown will not be ours.Also: “How many of us are worthy to receive the crown of life?”(15) “The Christian moves steadily onward and upward, daily drawing near his heavenly home, where awaits for him a crown of life, and a new name…”(16) “ For you are fighting for the crown of life and should not rest satisfied for a low standard.” (17) “Those who are ready will receive an unfading crown of life.”(18) “Those who expect to wear at last a crown of life, must in this life be lightbearers.” (19) “Blessed is he who endureth temptation, for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to them that love Him.”(James 1:12) “A crown of life awaits all who fight the good fight of faith.” (20) “. It is also a fearful thing to fold the talent entrusted to us in a napkin, and hide it away in the world; for this is casting away the crown of life. God claims our service.”(21) “There is laid up for me a crown of righteousness…also to all that have loved His appearing.”(2 Tim. 4:8) “Be thou faithful unto death and I will give you a crown of life.” (Rev. 2:10)
The crowns are made by angels. “Angels are employed in making crowns for such ones, and upon these star-gemmed crowns will be reflected, with splendor, the light which radiates from the throne of God…I saw a very great number of angels bring from the city glorious crowns-a crown for every saint, with his name written thereon. As Jesus called for the crowns, angels presented them to Him.”(22)
The crowns of life will be placed on the heads of the saved by Jesus Himself. “Before entering the city of God, the Savior bestows upon His followers the emblems of victory and invests them with the insignia of their royal state. The glittering ranks are drawn up in the form of a hollow square about their King, whose form rises in majesty above saint and angel, whose countenance beams upon them full of benignant love. Throughout the unnumbered host of the redeemed every glance is fixed upon Him, every eye beholds His glory whose ‘visage was so marred more than any man, and His form more than the sons of men.’ Upon the heads of the overcomers, Jesus with His own right hand places the crown of glory. For each there is a crown, bearing his own ‘new name” (Rev. 2:17), and the inscription ‘Holiness to the Lord.’ In every hand are placed the victor’s palm and the shining harp.”(23)
The saved put up the crowns when they are not wearing them. “In each (house outside the city) was a golden shelf. I saw many of the saints go into the houses, take off their glittering crowns and lay them on the shelf, then go out into the field by the houses and do something with the earth..”(24)
In adoration of Christ, the saved will throw down their crowns at His feet in love at times. “I want to cast my crown at His feet, and I want to touch the golden harp and fill all heaven with sweetest music.”(25) “Then all the heavenly host surrounded the Son of God, their majestic Commander, and with the deepest adoration bowed, casting their glittering crowns at His feet, and they touched their golden harps, and in sweet, melodious strains, filled all heaven with their rich music and songs to the lamb that was slain, yet lives again in majesty and glory.”(26) The 24 elders in their crowns of gold (Rev. 4:5) often adore God in this manner. “The 24 elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast down their crowns before the throne..”(Rev. 4:10,11) All know without question that “Christ is your hope and your crown of rejoicing.”(27)
All the saved can echo with joy the poetry of Wyman Allen:
He is coming, oh my spirit with His everlasting peace,
With His blessedness, immortal and complete;
He is coming, oh my spirit, and His coming brings release-
I listen for the coming of His feet. (28)

(Another kind of crown, the crown of sacrifice- not a literal crown, but a description of self-sacrificing service by the Christian, is mentioned in the writings of the Messenger of God. “All who follow Christ will wear the crown of sacrifice. They will surely be misunderstood by selfish men… the principle of self-sacrifice” (29) “The brows who do this work will wear the crown of sacrifice but they will receive their reward.”(30) The service is rewarded according to the spirit in which the service is given. “The value of service to God is measured by the spirit in which it is rendered, rather than by the length of time spent in labor.”(31) The reward is given here on this earth also. “those who give their lives to Christlike ministry know the meaning of true happiness.”(32) “Even in this life, they find a precious reward.”(33) )



Bibliography
1. DG 184
2. CS 349
3. SDG 340
4. YI Oct. 1, 1852, Heaven p.84, An Appeal to the Youth p.41
5. MR 3 p.290
6. DG 217
7. 6 SDABC 1105
8. 4 SDABC 1174, T.C. 200
9. DG 17
10. Heaven p.59
11. EW 16,17
12. GC 589
13. S.T. June 6, 1892
14. Song-“I Dreamed I Searched Heaven for You” by Kitty Wells
15. Mar 98
16. MYP 95
17. FCE 301
18. SDG 362
19. Words of Encouragement to Self-Supporting Workers p.11
20. Ms 21, 1895
21. MYP 37
22. Heaven pp. 56, 57
23. Heaven 59
24. Christian Experience and Teachings of Ellen G. White p.62
25. Sermons and Talks Vol.2, p 34
26. 1 SG 77, S.T. Nov. 10, 1881, Ms 21, 1885, Sermons and Talks 2 p.259, LDE 298, 8T 254
27. Spalding and Magen Collection 281
28. Poem: “The Coming of His Feet:” by Lyman Allen, The Best Loved Poems of the American People. P 306
29. DA 223
30. 6T 348
31. 9T 74
32. 9T 42
33. GT 308.309

The Will of God

What we know- and what we don’t

“If I only knew God’s will for me…” is often heard from the mouths’ of even dedicated Christians. We are not always privy to knowledge of His will and why He does a certain thing or allows a certain thing to happen.

What we know is that we have a complete revelation of His will in the law and in the scriptures. His plan for our lives and the principles we are to live by are written there for us.

“The will of God was to be recognized in His requirements (His law…over all created intelligences.)” (S.T. Sept 24, 1894) “The will of God is a perfect will and must be obeyed as it is set forth in His holy law.”(Ibid.) “The command to search the scriptures…lead(s) to an understanding of the revealed will of God.”(S.T. July 11, 1906) “The Bible is a guide book…it is a COMPLETE (italics mine) revelation of the attributes and will of God, in the person of Jesus Christ, and in it are set forth the obligation of the human agent to render whole-hearted service to God, and to inquire at every step ‘is this the way of the Lord?’”(BEcho July 20, 1896) “….(in the Bible) the great truths necessary for salvation are made as clear an noonday; and none need mistake and lose their way except those who follow their own judgment instead of the plainly revealed will of God.”(S.T. July 11, 1906) Truly “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path” as the statement of His will.(Ps. 119:105) “Christ’s obedience to His Father’s commandments is to be the measure of our obedience. Those who follow Christ, if they would be complete in Him, must keep their will surrendered to the will of God.”(OHC 107) We are told that “This law is the echo of His voice.”(OHC 213) We are told that in the scriptures we can “study the will of God.”(TMK 244)

Knowing that the Bible and His law are a complete revelation of His will, studying the Bible, not perusing or reading, but studying and applying the truths to our personal lives, is mandatory for us to know and be able to follow His will. Questions of “what should I do” can be answered by the Bible, but only if we have searched the scriptures and know what it says. Like the Bereans, searching for truth, we must “search the scriptures daily” (Acts 17:11).

One of the defining truths about the will of God is His goal for us- “This is the will of God for you, even your sanctification” (1 Thess. 4:3). “Our sanctification is God’s object in all His dealing with us.” (OHC 213) And what is sanctification? It is “being set apart for a holy purpose.” “Sanctification is nothing less than a daily dying to self and daily conformity to the will of God.” (TDG 251) So, in a perfect circle, His will for us is that we follow His will.

Following His revealed will, once we know it through Bible study, is the process of sanctification, of daily becoming closer to Him, and it is a process of surrender of our own will- this is the most difficult thing for us to do, but is absolutely the most important thing we do in this life, “letting go and letting God.” Over and over again we are counseled of the importance of this:

“God’s people are in danger of being separated from the Sun of Righteousness. ‘This is the will of God’ the apostle says, ‘even your sanctification.’ This sanctification means perfect love, perfect obedience, entire conformity to the will of God. We are to be sanctified to Him through obedience to the truth.” (YI Aug. 24 1899)

“Paul’s sanctification was a constant conflict with self. ‘I die daily,’ he said. Every day his will and his desires conflicted with duty and the will of God. But instead of following inclination, he did the will of God, however unpleasant and crucifying to his nature…We must show that we are emptied of all self.”(ibid)

“God’s people must have a fixed purpose. They will never be holy until they put all the energy of their being into the work of conforming to the will of God.” (ibid.)

“Only through the surrender of our will to God is it possible for Him to impart life to us. Only by receiving His life through self-surrender is it possible, said Jesus, for the hidden sins to be overcome.” (RC 377)

“The first step in the path of obedience is to surrender the will to God.” (BEcho April 6 1903)

“Whatever our position, we are dependant upon God who holds all destinies in his hands. He has appointed us our work, and has endowed us with faculties and means for that work. So long as we surrender the will to God, to trust in His strength and wisdom, we shall be guided in safe paths, to fulfill our appointed part in His great plan. But the one who depends upon his own wisdom and power is separating himself from God…” (DA 209)

“We are to surrender the will, the heart, to God and become acquainted with Christ. We must deny self…But how many wear the cross as an ornament on the person, but fail to bear the cross in practical, everyday life.”(LHU 245)

“We must have less trust in what we ourselves can do, and more trust in what the Lord can do for and through us. You are not engaged in your own work, you are doing the work of God. Surrender your will and way to Him. Make not a single reserve, a single compromise with self. Know what it is to be free in Christ…The mere hearing of sermons Sabbath after Sabbath, the reading of the Bible through and through, or the explanation of it verse by verse, will not benefit us or those who hear us, unless we bring the truths of the Bible into our individual experience. The understanding, the will, the affections, must be yielded to the control of the word of God. Then through the work of the Holy Spirit the percepts of the word will become the principles of the life.” (MH 513, 514)

“The will of man is only safe when it is united with the will of God.” (BEcho July 20, 1896)

“The follower of Christ must subordinate every power that has been bestowed upon him to the will of God.” (S.W. Oct. 16, 1906)

“And be ye not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”(Rom. 12:2) This proving is done by the Holy Spirit taking possession of the mind, spirit, and heart and character. (OHC 106)

Even in heaven- “The angels of heaven attain unto no higher knowledge than to know the will of God and to do His will is the highest service that can engage their powers.” (Mar 79)

This surrender and following in all inclusive. “The will of God…we are required to render perfect obedience to the rule laid down by the apostle, ‘whatever you eat or drink, or whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of God.”(S.T. Sept. 24, 1894)

“When we place our will in unison with the will of God, the holy obedience that was exemplified in the life of Christ will be seen in our lives…”(OHC 107)

“Entire conformity to the will of our Father which is in heaven is alone sanctification. The keeping of all the commandments of God is..sanctification”. being “controlled by the will of God” Is to be “submissive to His Spirit.” (14 MR 313)

“When self ceases to wrestle for the supremacy, and the heart is worked by the Holy Spirit, the soul lies PERFECTLY PASSIVE (italics mine) –and then the image of God is mirrored upon the heart, the soul is in accord with the mind of God, and human identity is lost in Jesus Christ.) (9MR 324)

Christ’s life is the perfect example of total surrender to the will of God and because of this “His life was the mind of God expressed in humanity.” (R.H. Feb. 15, 1898)

“In order to have the will of God done in you, you must trust your heavenly Father as a child trusts his parent.” (UL 314)

How often we gladly follow His will when it is in accord with ours, but do not when it is not. We become our own “blind guides.” “In deciding upon any course of action we are not to ask whether we can see that harm will result from it, but whether it is in keeping with the will of God. ‘There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” (Prov. 14:12, PP 634) Balaam- “He did not seek to do the will of God, but chose his own course, and then endeavored to secure the sanction of the Lord; there are thousands at the present day who are pursuing a similar course. They would have no difficulty in understanding their duty if it were in harmony with their inclinations.” (CC113) Cain is a sad example of wanting to “do it my way” when the express will of God was plain before him.(Jude 11, MS 41 1897)

These things we know with a certainty.

Many things about the will of God we do not know, and since “God is God and we’re not” this is only logical! But how many throughout the history of the earth questioned God and his scriptures and how many times have we chosen to obey ourselves rather than God. Ridiculous is much too weak a word to describe this attitude. Following the will of the omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, Creator of the universe, who is also the author and very definition of love should be the most natural thing we do. We question God’s actions when He is the Old Testament God demonstrating justice mixed with love, and we accept Him when He is the New Testament God demonstrated through the life and teachings of Jesus. How Dare We! We are created beings who only know about God what He has seen fit to show us. How do you understand the ocean by standing on the shore and not seeing or experiencing the limitless expanse and depths and qualities that are out there? We have read that even the angels of heaven seek to know His will, and they live with Him.

Job tells us: “But as for me, I would seek God, and to God I would commit my cause-who does great things, and unsearchable, marvelous things without number..(Job 5:9) David tells us: “Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and His greatness is unsearchable.” (Ps. 145:3). Paul tells us: “Oh the depth and riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out.” (Rom 11:33) Isaiah writes of God: “’For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways,’ says the Lord. ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isa. 55:8,9) Job 37-41 is God’s answer to those who question his ways.

(We have no reference point to understand God, unless He gives us one. A simple example of this is in Malachi 3:6, where He states: “I am the Lord, I change not.” We cannot understand this from our experience. It is often said that “the only constant in life is change.” Cities change- a city block goes from houses to stores, to a vacant lot, to stores, to whatever men can desire, in the space of a few short years. The forest about us changes with erosion, storms, the ever widening and deepening cutting of it by streams and rivers, and the cycle of death and life. The mountains themselves change with the movement of plate tectonics and the constant forces of erosion. Our bodies change with age and the affects of life. Our opinions and knowledge base changes over the years. Even the stars change in their cycles. All we know is change. But God does not. We cannot really understand this, but what a wonderful basis for our faith in Him. We can always count on Him. He will always be there for us. He will never stop loving us. He always seeks our best good, our sanctification. These things never change. He is our rock and our anchor in our ever-changing existence.)

If we would only mean the oft-repeated words of the Lord’s prayer when we ask for “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven,” and do our part in searching out this will in the scriptures, and then surrendering our will to follow it so it happens in our lives in a very personal and real way. There is so much happiness and joy in this path- “Rejoice evermore, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Jesus Christ concerning you.”(Phil. 4:4, 1 Thess. 15:16-18) This surrender comes with the promise: “The world passes away, and the lust thereof, but he that does the will of God abides forever.”(S.T. Sept. 24, 1894, 1 Jn 2:17)

Thoughts on Self-confidence

And Self-worth

(Note: E.G. White uses the term self-confidence to denote having confidence in one’s own abilities rather than God’s, and in many many quotes considers this to be one of the worst sins. That use of the term in this paper is not implied.)

People would deny they have any problems with self-worth or self-confidence, in most cases. The Bible approach seems to assume that people think far more of themselves than they should. Its’ theme is to look away from self to Jesus. It is too often true that people worship at the altar of themselves instead of God- saying “Thy will be done” but thinking and living “My will be done.” (2T 301).

A spirit of self-importance, of independence from God leads to rejecting Jesus as “the Way the Truth and the Life” to wander aimlessly and blindly alone in the rejection of truth and separating ourselves from the Life Giver. We get so enamored with our self-importance that we prefer to stand independent in our “filthy rags,” rejecting the “Eye salve” from the Holy Spirit which opens our eyes to our true spiritual condition and our need for the “white robe” of righteousness that comes only through a relationship with Christ. If we would only stand face-to-face with the person and presence of Christ Himself, how all this would fall away!

Maslow’s Heiarchy of Needs demonstrates that people have a need to be accepted and loved and appreciated. These are universal needs of all men. These needs form much of the basis of our feelings of self-worth. We need these so much that we will go to great lengths to have them, often to our detriment. God Himself, the source of all love (1 John 4:7), gives us perfect and everlasting love (Heb. 13:5) and He accepts us totally and He appreciates us so much He wants to spend eternity with us (John 3:16). Even with the children of Israel in the Old Testament He told them “build Me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them.” He is the truest and finest source for the fulfillment of our needs to have self-worth. Too often, though, we seek the “empty cisterns” of trying to fill this need from others. Often Boyfriends and acquaintances offer “love and acceptance” and teen pregnancies result. Husbands and boyfriends offer “appreciation and love” and battered women remain with them until they are killed because of their need, a need they seek filled by men who know not the meaning of love.

We do need to have self-confidence and a feeling of self-worth (in the finest sense of the words) to accomplish our missions in life, or we would shrink from them feeling we had nothing to offer. God gives us the confidence to do his will. Leaders, ministers, teachers, medical professionals, mothers and fathers all need this to function in their respective functions*. We also need to encourage it in others (2T 298). But a feeling of self-sufficiency and self importance have no place in the Christian life.

We have a God-given responsibility to our fellow men and women to make them feel loved and appreciated and valued and to have the confidence they need to live this life. Maybe those we meet who have a poor sense of self worth shows we are not doing our job. “God has no hands but our hands to do His work today.”

Every person on earth is given abilities and gifts (1 Cor. 12:7,; 7:7). Every life has meaning and purpose. We find happiness and fulfillment in using these gifts for God. We have worth.

We are the “temple of the Holy Spirit.” We are “set apart for a holy purpose.” We are His “treasured people.” (Deut. 26:18). We are “Gods own people.” (1 Pet. 2:9). We are important enough to God that Christ died for us and would have died if there was just one of us (RH May 3, 1892, John 15:12; 3:16). “God has valued man at an immense value.” (RH Oct 7, 1890) We are claimed by Him as His sons and daughters, His children. (John 3:2, UL 36). He is so concerned with us that “the very hairs of your head are numbered.” (Matt. 10:30). He values us so much that he has mansions and crowns waiting for us in the New Jerusalem. (TDG 313).

We are important. Without God, we are nothing and have no purpose and no strength. The consequences of standing alone in our independence from God on the battlefield of life, with the hordes of sin and temptation and pain and distraction from the Christian life and the myriad problems “without number” bearing down on us “terrible as an army with banners” are terrible and overcoming.

We were never meant to face life alone, in our own strength. The Holy Spirit, our Parakletos –“the One who stands beside”- was always meant to be there with us. We are special and appreciated and important, but seeking to be and to attain these without God is hollow and self-destructive.

Be a Paul the evangelist, be a Moses the leader, Be a David the king, be an Elijah the prophet, Be a Deborah the judge, and go forth with the confidence that God gives you just as He did them. Know that you are important to God and that all heaven is behind you.

*Leadership: To be a leader one must have Christian self-confidence. People will not follow a leader who does not show self confidence.

“Self confidence is the fundamental basis from which leadership grows..At the end of the day, leadership is about having the confidence to make decisions…Not only does confidence allow you to make the tough decisions that people expect from a strong leader but it’s reassuring to your employees…People don’t listen to those who are unsure of themselves.” (article Without Confidence, there is No Leadership by Francisco Dao Mar. 1, 2008 INC. The Daily Resource for Entrepeneurs.)

“Self-confidence + Humility = Kingdom advancement…Self confidence is absolutely necessary for you to succeed in your ministry…Our confidence does not come from ability, skill level or experience, it comes from Jesus Himself…Eph. 2:10 says ‘We are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things He planned for us long ago.’…I am God’s masterpiece and He created me for a purpose. This is the source of our confidence. “ (Today’s Children Ministries.com 3/7/2008 by Christianity Today International.)

“Confidence is that bridge connecting expectation and performance…Confidence is knowledge of one’s own strengths as well as one’s own limitations.” (Article A Matter of Confidence from Directory M.com articles)

“A delicate balance of self-confidence and humility defines true leaders.” (Harry Jansen Kraemer Jr. Adjunct professor, Kellogg School of Management.)

The Mosaic Health Laws

Medically Sound Rules from God

The Children of Israel were chosen by God to be His chosen people, and to carry the knowledge of God to all the world. When they left Egypt, they had been slaves for hundreds of years. They had no civil government structure. They had no medical knowledge. Antibiotics did not exist. Antibacterial cleaners did not exist. There was no recorded treatment for disease. There was no knowledge of bacteria or viruses. There was no knowledge of communicable diseases. There were 603,550 men 20 years old and up who were capable of fighting, not counting the levites (Num. 3:32,33). Therefore there were well over a million persons, maybe as many as two million persons, with flocks of sheep and cattle, all travelling together in close proximity. Any infection would logically have run through the camp killing thousands.

God Himself instituted a system of health laws for these people (Lev. 11:1,2) to ensure their existence. This God, the Creator and Sustainer of all mankind, who knows intimately the workings of the human body, set down details, out of His love for them, of how do deal with disease and how to prevent disease. Since no treatment existed, one of the foundations for the system was the “clean” and “unclean” designations. Clean foods were allowed to be eaten. Anything “unclean” in the camp, be it person or item was to be taken outside the camp, away from others, and to be isolated for the protection of the camp. This system was presented in this language because it is simple and straightforward and understandable to the people. This plan for their preservation of health, from God Himself, reflects principles of health we understand today, and may reflect principles of health beyond our understanding.

Foods:

Animals were clean (edible) that had a divided hoof, and is cleft footed and chews the cud- “such you may eat.” (Lev. 11:2). They had do have a divided hoof AND chew the cud. “You may eat” “everything that has fins and scales” (Lev. 11:9) of water animals. The unclean animals, even “their carcasses you may not touch” (Lev. 11:8).

“The birds..they shall not be eaten...the eagle, the vulture, the osprey, the kite..every raven..the ostritch, the nighthawk..the sea gull, the hawk, the little owl, the cormorant, the great owl, the water hen, the desert owl, the carrion vulture, the stork, the heron..the hoopae, and the bat.” (Lev. 11:13-19)

All the above unclean animals are either carnivores or scavengers and would be the most likely carriers of disease.

Of the insects those were unclean that were “All winged insects that walk on all fours but you may eat those who have jointed legs above their feet with which to hop on the ground.”..”the locust..the cricket..the grasshopper.” (Lev. 20:20-23.)

Any of the above unclean animals: “By these you shall become unclean; whoever touches the carcass of them shall be unclean until the evening, and whoever carries any part of the carcass of any of them shall wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening.”Lev. 11:24-28).

Also listed as unclean were “the mouse, the great lizard, the gecko, the crocodile, the lizard, the land lizard and the chameleon.” Whoever touches one of them when they are dead shall be unclean until the evening.” “And anything upon which any of them falls when they are dead shall be unclean…it shall be dipped in water and it shall be unclean until the evening.” (Lev. 11:29-32). “If any one of them falls into any earthen vessel, all that is in it shall be unclean and you shall break the vessel.” (Contaminated items in an earthen vessel, that is porous, cannot be made clean without antibacterials.) “Any food that could be eaten shall be unclean if water from any such vessel comes upon it; and any liquid that could be drunk shall be unclean if it was in any such vessel.” “Everything on which any part of the carcass falls shall be unclean…it shall be broken in pieces.” “But spring or cistern(s) holding water shall be clean.” (Lev. 11:33-38).

“You shall not eat anything that dies of itself.” (Deut. 14:22). “If any animal which you may eat dies, anyone who touches the carcass shall be unclean until the evening…those who eat of the carcass shall wash their clothes and be unclean until the evening and those who carry the carcass shall wash their clothes and be unclean until the evening.” (Lev. 11:39,40).

Any creatures that crawl on their belly or “swarm” were “detestable.” (Lev. 11:42,43)

Eating blood is forbidden. (Lev. 17:10,11)..

Blood or fluid borne pathogens:

A woman bearing a male child is “ceremonially unclean” as is a menstruating woman, for 7 days. Her time of “blood purification” is 33 days. (unclean meant isolation from the camp, blood purification meant she could not go to the sanctuary or participate in religious ceremonies). If she bears a female child “she shall be unclean for 2 weeks.” Her time of purifications is 66 days. (Lev. 12:1-5).

Communicable disease isolation and diagnosis:

(Leprosy referred to several skin diseases.) The priest was designated to be the one who diagnosed skin diseases and to pronounce whether they were healed or not. If the skin disease was questionable the priest confined the person for 7 days, if it was still questionable they were confined for 7 more days, and if it was then confirmed to be leprosy the person was unclean. He “shall wear torn clothes, and let the hair of his head be disheveled, and she shall cover his upper lip and cry out ‘unclean, unclean’ He shall remain unclean as long as he had the disease..He shall live alone, his dwelling shall be outside the camp.” (Lev. 13:1-45).

The disease noted to be in any cloth or clothing had its’ own diagnosis and treatment. (Lev. 13:47-59).

Those who the priest stated were “clean of leprosy” were to wash and shave off all their hair and a specific process to ensure their recovery was dictated which was overseen by the priest, (Lev. 14:1-9) who went outside of the camp to examine them.

Homes that appeared to have a “disease” on the walls, as in mold or fungus or discoloration, were looked at by the priest after they were emptied. If the walls showed greenish or red spots and if it appeared to be deeper than the surface, the house was shut up for 7 days. If it was noticed to have spread on the walls, the stones were removed and taken to an unclean place outside the city and the inside of the house was scraped thoroughly and the plaster taken off and taken to an unclean place outside the city. It was then re-stoned and re-plastered. If the disease broke out again, the house is unclean and it is torn down and all the materials are taken outside the city to an unclean place. (Lev. 14:34-47).

A man with a “discharge” from his body, specifically his sexual organ is ceremonially unclean. The fluid is unclean. His bed is unclean, and anything he sits on is unclean. “Anyone who touches his bed shall wash his clothes, and bathe in water, and be unclean until the evening...”- as they must do if they sit on anything he has sat on, or touched his body, or are spit on by him, or if they touch anything that was under him, including his saddle. All these things are unclean. “All those whom the one with the discharge touches without rinsing his hands in water, shall wash their clothes, bathe in water, and unclean until the evening.” Any earthen vessel they touch shall be broken and other vessels must be “rinsed in water.” “When the one is cleansed of his discharge, he shall count 7 days for his cleansing, he shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in fresh water, and he shall be clean.” (Lev. 15:2-15). (This was a preventative from infection and sexually transmitted diseases.)

“If a man has an emission of semen, he shall bathe his whole body in water and be unclean until the evening.” “Everything made of cloth or of skin on which the semen falls shall be washed with water and be unclean until the evening. If a man lies with a woman and has an emission of semen, both of them shall bathe in water, and be unclean until the evening.” (Lev. 15:16-18).

“When a woman has a discharge of blood that is the regular discharge from her body, she shall be in her impurity for 7 days and whatever touches her shall be unclean until the evening. Everything upon which she lies during her impurity shall be unclean. Everything upon which she sits shall be unclean. Whoever touches her bed shall wash his clothes, and bathe in water, and be unclean until the evening. Whoever touches anything upon which she sits shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until the evening…if any man lies with her and her impurity falls on him, she shall be unclean 7 days, and every bed on which he lies shall be unclean.” (Lev. 15:19-24).

“If a woman has a discharge of blood for many days, not at the time of her impurity, or if she has a discharge beyond the time of her impurity, all the days of her discharge she shall continue in uncleanness.” (The same 7 day rules of menstruation apply to her too.) “If she is cleansed of her discharge, she shall count 7 days and after that she shall be clean.” (Lev. 15:25-28).

There is a repeated theme of being unclean until the evening and being isolated for 7 days of more. Microbiologists tell us that several bacteria, like the Streptococcal Pharyngitis and the virus for HIV become inactive when dried or exposed to air for prolonged periods of time.

Dead Bodies:

Anyone who has had contact with a corpse is unclean for 7 days. (Num. 5:2). They shall wash on the third and 7^th days and then be clean. (Num. 19: 11-13).

“When someone dies in a tent: everyone who comes into the tent, and everyone who is in the tent, shall be unclean 7 days…Every open vessel with no cover fastened on it is unclean…Whoever in an open field touches one who has been killed by a sword, or who has died naturally, or a human bone or a grave, shall be unclean 7 days. For the unclean thing they shall take some ashes of the burnt purification offering, and running water shall be added in a vessel (this creates lye soap) ..then it is sprinkled on the person, the tent and furnishings.” “The clean person shall sprinkle the unclean ones on the 3^rd and on the 7^th day…then they shall wash their clothes and bathe themselves in water and at evening they shall be clean.” (Num. 19:14-19).

Waste disposal:

When they were encamped against their enemies: ”With your utensils you shall have a trowel; when you relieve yourself outside, you shall dig a hole with it and then cover up your excrement.” (Deut. 23:13).

Circumcision:

Newborn males were to be circumcised on the 8^th day after they were born. (Gen. 17:12-14). “Circumcised little boys have a reduced risk of urinary tract infections. Circumcised men have a lower rate of cancer of the penis, and women married to circumcised men have a much lower rate of cervical cancer.” The blood clotting mechanism of children is not fully developed until the 8^th day. (Bible Health Laws by Douglas S. Winnail. In Tomorrows World.com Vol. 6. Issue 2.).

Selfless Love

“…unselfish love, which alone is life..” COL 393

One of the definitions and characteristics of maturity is an ability to see beyond oneself. “Growing in grace” and “growing up” in Christ is becoming more and more selfless. A baby is totally self-centered by nature. As a child matures they are able to become sensitive to the needs of others.

Love is defined by how selfless one is. “Greater love has no man than this, than to give his life for his friends.” (John 15:13) This “greater” love is here defined in terms of the greatest act of unselfishness. Jesus’ life and sacrifice demonstrated and epitomized this love. Our “God so loved the world that He gave…”

“Unselfish love..is the very atmosphere of the unfallen universe.” SC 30. The love we will experience in heaven is this selfless love. This is a love you can trust totally. Knowing this love and feeling it envelop you gives you “perfect peace.” We have no frame of reference for this kind of love here on earth, except in the life of Christ. (1 Cor. 2:9, ST aug. 1876). It is like trying to describe something you don’t even have a word for. True Christian love shown by the giants of faith, by His followers, and by Christian parents and siblings are wonderful exhibitions of, and are shadows and glimpses of, the perfection of love we will attain and feel and know.

Truly this is why “love is the fulfilling of the law” (Rom. 13:10) because seeking to make God the center of our lives and giving our lives in service to others is the essence of its fulfillment. This loving God “with ALL your heart” (Matt. 22:37) leaves no room for selfishness in our hearts. (ChS 192).

Romans 13:9 admonishes us to “Love your neighbor as yourself.” This oft repeated text assumes the Christian will love themselves and does not criticize this unless it interferes with loving others the same or more than we love ourselves as in “consider others greater than ourselves.” (Phil. 2:3,4). We are a precious treasure in God’s sight, precious enough to die for. We are to love ourselves, not with “self love,” a selfish love, but with a love recognizing our worth in God’s eyes. We are “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people.” (1 Pet. 2:9), truly worth “more than many sparrows.” (Matt. 10:31). While we are in a constant war to fight the “disease of selfishness” (SM2 186), loving ourselves and self respect are allowed. “While we should not think of ourselves more highly than we ought, the word of God does not condemn a proper self-respect.” (DG 42). “Cultivate respect for yourself because you are Christ’s purchased possession.” (DG 144). Those who do not love themselves, who do not have a feeling of self worth, open wide the door for allowing misuse and abuse by others.

Our strongest witness to others is this selfless love. “Oh for love, sacred, holy, unselfish love! Let us as the Lord’s representatives realize what a terrible thing it is to misrepresent the Saviour by revealing selfishness.” (HP 302). “The way to evidence to the world that we are Christ’s followers is to manifest unselfish love for one another.” (UL 257).

This love is the life-blood of a marriage also. “Only where Christ reigns can there be deep, true, unselfish love. The soul will be knit with soul and the two lives will blend in harmony.” (MYP 440)

Over and over again in her writings, the messenger of God stresses the need for this selfless, “unselfish” and “disinterested” ( without self-interest), love in the Christian life. This love is the characteristic of the Christian, and the character of God.

“What Is Truth?”

(Pilate- John 18:38)

Truth is probably the most discussed, least understood, and most dangerous concept that exists.
In the secular world, truth is always suspect. There is a general belief that truth is a matter of perspective, your truth and my truth, what works for you and what works for me. Steve Turner, a poet, is quoted: “I believe each man must find the truth that is right for him.” If that is true, there is no “knowable truth, separate from your observational platform.” This has direct impact upon religious belief- “In my view, the height of arrogance is to attempt to show people the ‘errors’ in the religion of their choice.”-Dear Abby.
A cross-section of quotes concerning truth illuminates this, the scientists being more logical in their approach: “There are no creeds in mathematics.”- Peter F. Drucker. “No one knows the truth.”-Molly Irvins. “Myths which are believed in tend to become truths.”- George Orwell. “What each man wishes, that he also believes to be true.”- Demosthenes. “Believe only what you yourself test and judge to be true.”-Buddha. “Believe those who are seeking the truth, doubt those who find it.”-Andre Gide. “There are no whole truths, all truths are half truths.” -Alfred North Whitehead. “No amount of experimentation can ever prove me right. A single experiment can prove me wrong.”- Albert Einstein.
Then is there really a truth that is absolute, not related to being “relevant” or “politically correct” or related to one’s personal perspective? Abraham Lincoln, whose philosophy was formed working on a farm with an axe in his hand, probably says it best: “How many legs does a dog have if you count the tail a leg? Four, calling a tail a leg doesn’t make it a leg.” One’s perspective does not change reality. The famous quote by Carlyle B. Haynes, a Seventh-Day-Adventist author and evangelist, is the clearest statement I have found, and should be framed and placed on the wall of every place of learning in the world. “Truth is not what I believe. Truth is not even what I know. Truth is fact. I may not believe it. I may not know it. That does not change it. It is there nevertheless, waiting to be discovered and believed. Truth does not depend on the unsettled and changing opinions of men (and women). It was truth before it was believed. It will remain truth, whether it is believed or not. Reason does not originate or create it. It merely discovers it. Consequently reason is not a source. Truth goes back beyond reason.”
Truth, the dictionary tells us is “that which corresponds to reality or fact.” Truth, in Hebrew, Emeth, means truth, certainty, trustworthy, right, sure, verity. Truth in Koine Greek, is Alaythia, meaning truth or verity.
The Bible has much to say about truth. It tells us the Father (God) is “full of grace and truth” John 1:14. It is a characteristic of His being. John 17:17 tells us “Thy word is truth,” referring to the written scriptures and the actual verbal words of God. Galations 2:5 refers to the “truth of the gospel.” 1 John 5:6 tells us “the Spirit is truth.” Dan. 4:37, speaking of God states “All His works are truth.” Ps. 119:151 tells us of God; “All your commandments are true.” Ps. 19:9 states “The ordinances (judgments) of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.” 1 Tim. 3:15 refers to “The church of the Living God, the pillar and bulwark of truth.” In John 14:6, Jesus says “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” So what is truth? It is the Person, acts, judgments, commandments, words and writings of God the Father, God the Holy Spirit, and Jesus Christ. There is no other truth.
This truth does not change with time, with human perception, with increased knowledge. “For I the Lord do not change.” Mal. 3:6. “The Father of lights, with whom there is no change or shadow of turning.” James 1:18.
There is only one truth. There is “one Lord, one faith, one baptism.” Eph. 4:6. Jesus stated He was the “way, the truth, and the life,” in John 14:6. In the Old Testament Sanctuary where was only one door, one way, one access to forgiveness of sin-there were no side doors for those who choose to believe differently. In the heavenly Sanctuary, there is still one door to the Mediator, Jesus Christ. “There are all kinds of doctrines in this world, there is one truth.” RH April 3, 1888. “To the law and to the testimony, if they speak not according to these there is no light in them.” Isa. 8:20. (Not “new light”- No light.) “There is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved.” Acts. 4:12.
“You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.” John 8:32. Knowing that the only truth is God and His word and acts frees you from searching for truth in all the wrong places, from living a life where “truth” is constantly changing and cannot be relied upon. It frees you from being the one who has to decide what is true and what is not.
There is a price to knowing what truth is and following it. It separates you from the world because you no longer fit in. It is not popular to stand for something and be unwilling to change your beliefs. The heroes of the Reformation, the martyrs of the inquisition, would attest to this. Truly “All who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.” 2 Tim. 3:12. Yet to all those who choose to follow the truth, being separate is no less than a command of God. “Therefore come out from them and be separate from them, says the Lord.” 2 Cor. 6:17. “Come out from her My people, that you do not partake from her sins.” Rev. 18:4. And, the final judgment is not a great ecumenical movement, but a separation for salvation for those who choose the truth: “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.” Matt. 25:31,32.
God is truth and is the source of all truth, there is no other. Truth does not change because God does not change. God created truth. Man’s perception of what is truth and what he should be doing with his life has no validity unless they are perceptions led by God. Accepting this is absolutely mandatory in the Christian life. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, in his own succinct style, puts it this way: “Bewilderment is the true comprehension. Not to know where you are going is the true knowledge.” (The Cost of Discipleship. P. 93).- because God’s “comprehension exceeds yours.”

Personal thoughts:
Mankind is understandably suspect of those who have beliefs, of those who hold “truths” and stand up for them. The pages of history are littered with examples of intolerance, murder and suicide all in the name of held beliefs; from believing in ethnic purity causing the holocaust, to deeply held religious beliefs causing everything from the crusades to the inquisition, to the Jim Jones followers suicides, to the Catholic mission system destroying the culture of native peoples in South America and the southwestern United States, to the Northern Ireland catholic vs. protestant conflict, to the Islamic jihad.
Yet mankind has a need for a standard of truth to hold back the tide of disorganization and lawlessness, and it recognizes this. The Code of Hammurabi, the Talmud, the Roman jus gentium, jus civilium, and jus naturale, and even the U.S. constitution are attempts to bring order out of chaos and to raise a standard, a truth, to live by.
In this world, plummeting toward disaster ecologically, financially, politically, and religiously, it seems an ecumenical approach, a “new world order” of peace and cooperation, a “change” for the better is needed. Should these not be strived for and maybe even enforced if need be?....These thoughts, though they sound so good and full of hope send a shiver down the spine of any historian and any student of the Bible. They sound so good until one asks the price of ecumenism, which is the sacrifice of Biblical truth. The price of a new world order is the question: “Whose new world order, who sets the standards, who is in control?” The price of “change” is the question “who decides what needs changed, and what is destroyed in the process, and whose rights are trampled upon?” Man does not have the answers to these questions. This “good plan” would only perpetuate our cycle of history, and lead to more of the same- hope-belief-persecution-rebellion-war. We do need a religious reformation- God’s plan for our salvation. We do need a “new world order”- God’s plan, the New Jerusalem for the saved. We do need “change”- People recognizing their need for God, and Jesus’ second coming in the clouds of heaven. )