Eden to Eden

Kenneth Jorgensen Fairplain, MI Seventh-day Adventist Church

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I wish I could preach in Norwegian, but I realize there is no one here that could translate; so let's do the next best. It is a tremendous privilege and a blessing to be able to communicate the Word of God to God's people. You never know. Maybe there is one in this congregation who will hear the gospel for the last time; therefore it is a tremendous responsibility. Can you remember the first weeks and months that you gave your life to Jesus? Do you remember the happiness of your life during those days? I can remember my life when I surrendered. And I think its the most happy time of my life. I'm still a happy person, but you know, the feelings, they were so strong during those days. And you could almost touch them. And I remember as I went out in the forest, I looked up into the blue sky, and I was thinking about Jesus. And I was thinking by myself, maybe He will come back in the next hour with His angels. Maybe He will end all sin and suffering in this world. You know, this thought gave me so much happiness. But as I matured as a Christian, I realized that Jesus—He would not come back, you know, the next hour. Because certain things had to take place before He would come back. This is the clear word of God. But you see, we are allowed to ask the question, why hasn't Jesus come back yet? You think that He would like to come back? Oh yes! He's eager to come back. But why hasn't He come back? It is a legitimate question for God's people to ask. Because it seems to delay. Why hasn't Jesus come back? Why is He waiting? Let us turn to God's Word for the answer to this pertinent question. Let us turn to Acts chapter three, verse 19 to verse 21. Acts 3:19-21. And I believe that the Bible gives us the answer to this very complex and difficult question. By the way, it's one of the most difficult questions you can ask a Seventh-day Adventist scholar. Dissertations have been written about it; books have been written about it. And there are so many answers to this complex question. But I think the Bible will give us a quite simple answer. Acts 3:19-21: "Repent therefore, and be converted; that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send Jesus Christ who was preached to you before." And verse 21: "Whom heaven must receive until" (this word "until" is a crucial word), "until the times of restoration of all things which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since this world began." So in other words, Jesus is going to stay in heaven until something special takes place. And what is going to take place? A restoration of all things that the prophets have spoken about. Let's go to Isaiah chapter 61, verse 4. Because we need to ask, what have the prophets been spoken about? Let's go to Isaiah 61:4: It speaks about God's people, after Christ came to this world, because when you read the first verse it is addresses the Messianic time. It says in verse four: "And they [God's people] shall rebuild the old ruins, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the ruined cities, the desolations of many generations." So there is a work of restoration that needs to take place before Jesus comes back. Let's go to another text that is found in Jeremiah chapter six, verse 16. Jeremiah 6:16: "Thus says the Lord. Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk in it. Then you will find rest for your souls." And the next sentence says why the Israelites had to spend forty years in the desert, why we are still in this world. It says but they said, "We will not walk in it." We will not walk in it. I believe when you go back to the old paths—I believe the "old paths" are the two first chapters of the Bibel—of Genesis. Because these chapters describe the perfect environment; these chapters describe the ideal. And you need to go through the rest of the Bible to the last two chapters to see these ideal conditions be restored. So the first two chapters of the Bible speak about ideals. The last two chapters speak about ideals. And God, He wants to implant these principles in our hearts. But then you will say, "but isn't the reason for the delay that God loves everyone and He wants everyone to be saved?" Oh yes, sure—that's the Word of God. But you see, if Jesus had to wait until everyone would be saved in this world, how long would we have to wait? Forever. Millions and millions of years. So you see, Jesus is waiting to save those who can be saved, and then He will come back. He is merciful. But the Bible also says that when the Bible has been proclaimed to all the world, then Jesus will come back. That is true; it is the Word of God. But who is going to preach this gospel? It's people. So God has to raise up people to preach this gospel. And not only raise up people to preach this gospel, but raise up people that can be a demonstration of the gospel. Because if they are no demonstration of the gospel, they can't preach the gospel as God wants them to preach the gospel. So you see—these principles—they have to be part of God's people before Jesus comes back. Let's go to Genesis chapter one, O.K.? And I'll summarize seven principles there in the two first chapters, and I believe from the bottom of my heart, that these seven principles must be a part of God's people before Jesus comes back.

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First Point: Trust in God as the Creator

O.K. Let's go to the first. And that's found in the first sentence of the Bible: "in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." You see, it doesn't tell us why he created it; it doesn't tell us how He created it; but He explicitly states that he created it. And do you think that He wants us to believe it? Oh yes. Of course, you can make a few inquiries, and consult science, but that's secondary. First, pay attention to what God says. And God—';He wants His people to believe His Word. Even if it is seemingly contradictory to current science. If you have the choice of believing in science or the Bible, what do you want to believe in? The Bible, ya. We have seen through history that science has to be adjusted according to the Word of God. There is no question. You know, if God's people had not trusted God's word, however contrary to science it may have appeared, there would have been few great stories in the Bible. Isn't that true? I think the Bible would have been just a few pages. We need to trust the Bible just as it is written. Because if we cannot trust the first verse in the Bible, and the first chapter in the Bible, how can we trust that Jesus is our Savior? How can we trust that He hung on the cross to save mankind? I think that demands even more faith. You see, we need to be consistent. And before Jesus comes back, there will be a people that believe in the word of God as it is written. So this is very important. Let's go to Revelation 14:7, because we can see it confirmed there. These are words about the last days. And what is the message that God's people are going to proclaim? You know, they started to proclaim this around 1844. And around that time Charles Darwin was just completing the first draft of his Origin of the Species. And at that time Nizche rose up with his anti-God philosophy, just before the French revolution had declared God dead. See, at this special time God raised up a people to address the issue of belief in God as the Creator; to believe in Him as the Word of God. Let's see: chapter fourteen, verse six. "Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth, to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, fear God, and give glory to Him. For the hour of His judgment has come. And worship Him who made heaven and earth, sea, and springs of water." God, the Creator. See, that was the first point. And there are seven points in the two first chapters of Genesis.

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Second Point: God Wants Us to be Faithful Stewards

And the next point I have chosen to call stewardship. Stewardship. Because God wants His people to be true stewards. It says there in chapter one of Genesis, verse 26, "Then God said, let us make God in our image, according to our likeness. Let them have dominion..." Dominion—do you know what that means? To "have dominion" means to be stewards. "To have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." Chapter two, verse 15 speaks about the garden God gave them to tend. It says "Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it." And this should be a reminder about the greatness of God. It should be to God's glory. Who do you think is interested in destroying this garden? Satan, of course. And Satan, he started to attack God's creation. We can see the result of it when we read together, for example, Isaiah chapter 24. That is a chapter that addresses the condition of the world just prior to Jesus second coming. Isaiah chapter 24:3-5. And here is the result of Satan's work, and people have followed him, joining in with his effort to destroy this world. "The land shall be entirely emptied and utterly plundered, for the Lord has spoken this word. The earth mourns and fades away. The world languishes and fades away. The haughty people of the earth languish. The earth is also defiled under its inhabitants because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinances, and broken the everlasting covenant." And at the end of the Bible in the book of Revelation, only one short sentence in Revelation 11:18 speaks about the enemies of God's people. The enemy of God, it says there in chapter eleven, verse eighteen, the last sentence, "God will destroy those who destroy the earth." Two thousand years ago by the grace of God and by the Spirit of God the prophet anticipated that somebody would try to destroy the world. That's a big prophecy. God wants us to be true stewards of His planet. We must make a garden of Eden wherever we can. You know, how you treat the animals, or your neighbors, is stewardship, either for good or bad. God's people—those who are keeping the commandments of God and have the faith of Jesus—they have an advantage in these days. We know they are the remnant people. As your conference President just stated, it is not that they are a better people, but there is more responsibility. Because of our knowledge, we have received principles on how this planet should work. I think about the health message. I think about the message about agriculture. I think about the message against the tobacco exploiters. You see, if you think about this planet as a cake, it's supposed to be divided between the 6.2 Billion people living on this planet. But you know that the people in the western world, they take up eighty or ninety percent of this cake. Why? Because of the worlds craving for tobacco, spirits, tea, sugar, and meat.

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Third Point: God Gives Mankind a Healthy Diet

You know, I'm coming to this in the next point, because if you read in Genesis chapter one, verse twenty-nine, the diet for mankind is described. And what kind of diet is the ideal diet? It is plant food. Plant food. Because it says there in verse 29, "and God said, See, I have given you every herb that yields seed that is on the face of the earth. And every tree whose fruit yields seed, to you it shall be for food." Did you know that it takes 15 pounds of grain to feed one kilogram or two pounds of pork-meat. And it takes like almost one gallon of petrol to feed one or two pounds of pork-meat. And it takes almost three thousand liters (I don't know how much this is in English, American), 3000 liters of water to feed up two pounds of pork-meat. So you see, lots of energy from this earth goes into the meat industry. And this is a factor in the tremendous imbalance between the poor and the rich in this world. Because some people, they starve, some people they eat too much. And shouldn't God's people be in the forefront to defend those poor people in this world? And one thing we can do is to change a little bit in our diet. I am not promoting that everyone should cut off everything here and now. It needs to be progressive. We need to make a deal with the Lord, and say, Lord, I want to reform my life. So if you are used to eating pork every day, maybe you should leave this pork for awhile. Forever! And uh, [congregation, laughter] and eat a little [meat] sparingly. Maybe if you eat a lot of meat, even clean meat, you should maybe leave it maybe to once a week instead of three times a week. Make progress. You see, make progress. That is what God wants of us. Why should Christians be vegetarians before Jesus comes back. I'll tell you why. Because God loves us. That's the reason. Because God loves us. He knows about all these diseases. He knows about this unfairness. He knows about all these things. And you know it is scientifically proven beyond doubt that the diet from Genesis one is superior to the diet that is proposed by the world today. So we don't need even to be contrary to science to follow this advice. Ellen White, she has a strong statement. I decided to leave out some of the toughest, because there may be some people here who can't bear it. But I will read two for you, O.K.? "Again and again I have been shown that God is trying to lead us back step by step to His original design, that man should subsist upon the natural products of the earth." That's a good statement, isn't it? God wants to lead us back to this ideal of paradise. The next statement: "Among those who are waiting for the coming of the Lord, meat eating will eventually be done away. Flesh will cease to form a part of their diet. We should ever keep this end in view, and endeavor to work steadily toward it. I cannot think that in the practice of flesh eating we are in harmony with the light which God has been pleased to give us." You know, I could spend lots and lots of time on this. But during the forty years the Israelites wandered in the desert the priests, they were eating meat. The people, they were eating manna—that's not meat. Why did the priests eat meat. Because it was ceremonial. It was a symbol of Jesus' life death, and resurrection. So when they ate this meat, they were reminded that an animal had to be slain. And when they partook of this meat, they partook of Christ. So it was a symbol. It was a ceremony. And when Jesus came 2000 years ago, we are not under the ceremonial law any longer. And so you see, the conclusion is, you come under the bondage of the law if you continue. So give it up. Give it up. That's the advice from the Word of God. And you can blame me afterwards, but that would not be fair, because you have to blame the Word of God. And you have to blame the prophet God sent to this world. Not me. I'm clear. [appreciative amens]. You see? But I have a question: shall we continue? We are not half through yet. There are four more points. Do you dare to hear any more? [responses: yes, yes]. O.K., let's go to point number four. That is Genesis 2:2-3. I'll do it quick. I'll cut it short in righteousness.

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Fourth Point: The Seventh-day Sabbath Comes to Us From Eden

Chapter verse two and three: this is the beloved Sabbath. "And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested ont he seventh day from all His work that He had done. And He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it because that in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made." So the seventh day is one of the seven points from Eden. And do you think that Satan was interested in destroying this? Oh yes, sure. And you know he found all kinds of other days that they could worship on later in history. But God always reminded them to come back to His holy day. And um, the book of Isaiah chapter 58 speaks of the restoration work just prior to Jesus' return. Look at this chapter: Isaiah 58:12-13. By the way, Clinton, he read one text from the Bible during his inauguration speech. That was Isaiah chapter 58, verse 11. He should have continued, because then thousands of people in America would think about the Sabbath. But he didn't. He stopped there. Verse twelve. Let us read: "Those from among you shall build the old waste places. You shall raise up the foundations of many generations. And you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to dwell in, if you turn away your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on My holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy day of the Lord, honourable, and shall honour Him. Not doing your own ways, nor finding your own pleasure, nor speaking your own words. This is the kind of restoration work that we have to be part of in the last days if we are to be called God's people. You know, this work started with a test. God tested His people—seeing whether they would obey His word. Because He put many trees in the garden, and He said, you can eat from all the trees of the garden. But the tree in the middle of the garden, the fruit there, you shall not eat of. Because when you do that, you will die. You know what God did. He gave us many days during the week. And He told us, you can work on all these days. But this particular day, the seventh day, you shall not work on it. And you know where He put this commandment? He put it in the middle of the Ten Commandments. God started the world by testing men and women, and He will end the world by testing us. And the test will be on this point. Will you follow God, or will you follow man? This is the real test.

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Fifth Point: Man Has Conditional Immortality Only

The next point is in Genesis 2:7, and that has to do with the conditionality of man. You see, the whole world, at least the religious world, believe that man has a soul within him. And when man dies, this soul continues to live. We call it the immortality of the soul doctrine. And especially in the eastern religions this is a fundamental belief. But it is also a fundamental belief in the Christian world, Protestant and Catholic. But God's Word is contrary to it, because chapter two, verse seven says that the soul cannot live apart from the body. This is essential. It sets the tone for the rest of the Bible. It says there, "And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living being, or a living soul." So you see, dust—material, and God's spirit together, becomes a soul—a living soul. This is the teaching throughout the Bible. In Revelation 18, and verse two it describes Babylon. And I think that the term Babylon is a term that we as a people need to come to terms with. Because it is so misunderstood. We don't—we don't really believe what the pioneers believed on that point. Maybe a reason could be that we have been too closely connected with Babylon in many aspects. And um, you know, it is basic to identify because there is so much imitation of Babylon among us today—worship style, music, taste, preaching. And what is Babylon? Babylon is religion. Christianity or whatever religion, that denies the truth of the first angel's message. If you deny the truths of the first angel's message, that group is part of Babylon. And you know that the Word of God says that the seven plagues are going to fall on Babylon. So what do we have to do? We have to call people out from Babylon. And instead of calling methods out of Babylon, we need to call people out of Babylon. There is a difference between people and methods, isn't there? We are not called to call methods out, but people. Because the people—they are going to perish there, if we are not calling them out! So therefore we need to call them out. So I wish that God's people could study this term Babylon. Study carefully. Because there is some truth for us to discover there. For some of us, I guess. But there it says in chapter 18, verse 2, "And he cried mightily with a loud voice, Babylon is fallen," because it had rejected the first angel's message. "It has fallen, and has become a habitation of demons." I would not like to be there, would you? Think of what it would be to be int he same place as a host of devils. Oh no. That would be horrible. We need to call them out. And what are these devils doing in the last days? Oh, they are pretending to be deceased relatives, aren't they? They are extremely active. It is so dangerous to be in Babylon. So let's endeavor to call people out from Babylon. And let's also endeavor not to be influenced by Babylon ourselves.

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Sixth Point: God Expects Obedience

Point number six: obedience. Point number six, obedience. Genesis chapter two, verse 16 and 17. And you know, we have touched it carefully. God, He told Adam and Eve not to eat of this tree—the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. He put them on a test. He wanted to see if they really wanted to obey Him, if they really wanted to be His people. And let me say it, so there is no misunderstanding. Without Christ, we cannot obey God, O.K? Without Christ it is impossible to obey God. The Bible says so. So we need to invite Christ into our hearts. He has to transform our character. And only then can we obey God's law. And Adam and Eve, did they have Christ in their hearts? Oh ya, of course. So God, He didn't require anything from them that they could not give. And the same with us. If Christ is in our hearts, we can obey His commandments. Not only outwardly, but also inwardly: in thought, in word, and in works. And God calls us to be obedient. The last people, belonging to God in the last days, they are called the people who keep His commandments and have the faith of Jesus. They are a patient people. A strong statement here, from Ellen White's Evangelism, page 696: "For forty years did unbelief, murmuring, and rebellion shut out ancient Israel from the land of Canaan. The same sins have delayed the entrance of modern Israel into the heavenly Canaan. In neither case were the promises of God at fault. It is the unbelief, the worldliness, unconsecration, and strife among the Lord's professed people that have kept us in this world of sin and sorrow for so many years." That's pretty clear words, isn't it? So we need to go into a deeper relationship with God so that Christ can dwell in us so that we can honor Him by keeping His commandments. A few words from a former General Conference President, Elder Pierson. Pierson was the General Conference President for ten or fifteen years. And he wrote the following: "The greatest need of the Seventh-day Adventist church today is not more money, bigger budgets, more buildings, more institutions and facilities. It is not even more evangelistic crusades. What we as Seventh-day Adventist Church members need is to be saved from our sins. God is not waiting for more storms, more political furor, more wars and rumors of wars before Jesus can come. He is waiting for His people to gain victory over sin, so that He can trust them with His heaven. Jesus came to save His people from their sins, to help us to be overcomers. This should be in focus." So there are reasons why there is a delay. When we study the Word of God and His inspired sources, we can find the reasons.

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Seventh Point: Marriage Comes From From Eden

The last point, because I can't stop before I give you the last point, is marriage. Genesis 2:18f, "And the Lord God said, it is not good that man be alone. I will make him a helper comparable to him." And then verse 24 and 25: "therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed." Marriage is a symbol of our connection with Christ. It is also a foretaste of heaven. Those of you who live happy lives as couples, you know that it is a foretaste of heaven. You can't come higher in this world than with Christ, but marriage is as if it were the next thing to that. So marriage, it is a symbol of our connectedness with Christ and foretaste of heaven. And Christ, He was confronted by some of the Pharisees in Matthew chapter nineteen. I will focus a short time on this text, because it is crucial to the whole argument that we have presented this morning. Pay attention to what Jesus answers when these Pharisees try to put Him into a corner. It is in relation to divorce, marriage and divorce, O.K.? Verse three: "The pharisees also came to Him testing Him, and saying to Him, is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason? And he answered and said to them, have you not read that He who made them in the beginning made them male and female." O.K., He refers to the beginning, He refers to Eden. Verse five, "and said, for this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife and the two shall become one flesh. So then there are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, let not man separate. They said to Him, why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce and to put her away? He said to them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts permitted you to divorce your wives. But from the beginning it was not so." Do you see? "But from the beginning it was not so." So what is the ideal in the mind of Christ? The beginning. The beginning. He refers back to the beginning. There's the ideal. And we should strive to reach this ideal. God knows that we are dust. He is merciful to us. But that is no excuse for willfully disobeying His advice. So, when we go to Matthew chapter five, we can clearly see that Jesus was lifting up the standard. As the prophets of old time, they came to lift up the standard, so did Jesus. Because chapter five says so very, very clearly. Verse 21: "You have heard that it was said to those of old ...but I say to you," Jesus He lifted it up! And what are we supposed to do as a movement just before Jesus comes back? Lift the standard of course. Lift Jesus high up for the world! So that they can see Eden. So that they can see Jesus Christ as this world's Savior. You know, in these times of unveiling monuments and these things, this movement is not a monument. You know what it is? It is a movement. It is not a monument, it is a movement. Ya. We are dust. Let us remember that God is merciful. However, we are a movement. We should do progressive reformation.

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Conclusion

I have a grandmother (maybe that should be the last story). And uh, She died a long time ago. But I was told this story by the pastor who baptized her. And also I met her, and my mother has told me this story. When she received the gospel, and was converted, in the little village where she lived it stirred up all the people, and especially her husband. He was furious. He told her to leave the home. He didn't want to be married to her anymore. And the day she was going to be baptized, you know what happened? My grandfather, he was furious. He invited the local priest to come and warn my grandmother not to be baptized. Just before she was going to be baptized, this priest came to my grandmother, and there were many people around. And this priest told her, "You must not do this Bertha, because this is a sect. It is dangerous. You are going to lose your soul if you join yourself with these people." And he used hard words. And my grandmother she was a tremendous humble person. You know, she patiently listened to this priest. And then, when he had finished with all of his accusations, she gave him one text from the Bible: Ezekiel 22:26. I'll read it for you. And she said to this priest, "her priests have violated my law, and profaned my holy things. They have not distinguished between the holy and the unholy, nor have they made known the difference between the unclean and the clean. And they have hidden their eyes from My sabbaths so that I am profaned among them." And then he (the priest) said, "oh, we do the best that we can." And he never said anything more. And there is a happy ending to this story. My grandfather, he became an Adventist. So by the example of this God-fearing older woman he turned into an Adventist two or three years before he died. So you see, there are many who have not the peace of God. There are many people, even among God's people, who do not even know Jesus Christ. Who is the King in your life? You know, wherever God rules, there is the kingdom of God. Does God rule in your life? Who is ruling in your life? Is it the world? Is it the influences from all kinds, from all sides? Or is it Jesus Christ? Surrender to Jesus Christ this moment. He stands there, knocking at our doors. You see, we can compare this movement of the last days with a single person. Because Jesus, He's waiting for His people. Maybe Jesus is waiting for me and for you. He's a gentlemen. He stands and He knocks at the door. Open the door and let Him in. And there will be a newness in your life. And we can together experience the tremendous happiness of being connected with Jesus Christ as our Savior. He died on the cross so that we should be saved. Do not let His death be in vain. Jesus—He loves us. He will forgive us. He will give us His power so that we may live new lives for Him. May His name be glorified. Amen. Let's pray. Dear Father in heaven, in the name of Jesus do we come before You. Thank You so much for the gift of life that we receive through Jesus Christ. Be with us now as we go out into the world to share the wonderful gospel. Be with Your movement. Bless it. And Father, we know that You are still in charge. You are still loving these people on earth. Be with us now, and send us Your Spirit, we pray in the name of Jesus, amen.

El juez paga

Trajeron al acusado ante el juez, por haberse negado a pagar su viaje en taxi. Rogó que le dieran tiempo para conseguir el dinero.

-¿Dónde lo obtendrá? –preguntó el juez.

-¿No me lo podría prestar usted? contestó el acusado.

-El juez se quedó admirado y divertido por la osadía del acusado, sacó su billetera y le alcanzó lo suficiente.

-Páguele al hombre -le dijo-, y no se olvide devolvérmelo el sábado.

Nosotros también tenemos una gran deuda de pecado, y no tenemos con qué pagarla. Nuestra única esperanza es apelar al Gran Juez. Y en su inmenso amor y bondad, se ofrece a pagar toda nuestra deuda de pecado. En realidad, ya la pagó cuando sufrió y murió en tu lugar en la cruz del Calvario. Murió por tus pecados y los alejó para siempre. (Juan l: 12-13).

First Need and Last Hope

Isaiah 53:1 Who hath believed our report? and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

Larry Kirkpatrick. 22 Jan 2000. Moab Seventh-day Adventist Church

Our First Need

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You are in need. I am in need. We are in need of Jesus. If we don't have Him, we need Him, and if we do have Him, we need Him still more. If you don't breath, you will die. You simply must have air in order to live. Why? Because that's the way you are made. And if you don't receive Jesus you will die. Why do you have to have Jesus in order to live? Because that's the way you are made. The Bible tells us what we are like, although these aren't often our favorite verses. Isaiah 1:4-6 will serve as a reminder:

Ah, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the Lord, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward. Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.

Most directly, this is (of course) an application to the nation of Israel in the time of Isaiah. But unfortunately, it also describes our own situation. We are a "seed of evildoers," we are descended from Adam and Eve, the original human evildoers. But we aren't guilty for their sins--not for a moment. No--our issue is our guiltiness for own sins; which will lead us to be lost unless we let God intervene. <!-- Apart from God we will get owrse and worse -->How would we do on our own? Will we somehow begin to get better and better? On the contrary, the report of Scripture in this passage is that "ye will revolt more and more." There is no soundness in us from head to toe. Now let's get this straight:

1. We are sick unto death.
2. We cannot heal ourselves.

Therefore, we are in need. And what do we need? We need Jesus. <!-- Jesus is our source of life -->His name is salvation. That's what He is. The Bible says that "in Him was life; and the life was the light of men" (John 1:4). And we are men. We are humans. We are made of the dust and to dust we will go unless we are healed and changed and given life. <!-- Two important questions asked -->The problem is not that He's slow to give us life; it's that we are slow to receive it. Turn with me to Isaiah 53:1 where we will spend a few moments during this message today. Notice there the cry of the prophet Isaiah. He asks two important questions: "Who hath believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?" <!-- Israel fell into a situation os spiritual deadness -->"In Him was life and the life was the light of men," yet Isaiah looks around him and can only ask "Who has believed our report?" The situation in Isaiah's day was generally of prosperity. The people were well fed, the nation was prosperous, everything seemed peaceful and safe. Yet the prophet of God saw matters from a different perspective. Around him he saw a deadness in the spirituality. To Isaiah it was plain that for many in his day, "the whole head" was sick. <!-- God calls His people -->So Jesus--"salvation"--worked for His people. He sent His prophets. He called Isaiah. And what did Isaiah see? You'll recall that he saw the Lord "sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and His train filled the temple" (Isaiah 6:1). And when God asked "who will go for us" to proclaim the truth about God to His people, he could only answer "Here am I. Send me." <!-- Only God could give us hope -->It was as if even the day when the Messiah would finally arrive in the flesh could not contain His glory and His life--as if heaven could hardly keep itself from giving a preview of the One who would come and bring the last hope to man. Jesus was always our first need, and Jesus was always our last hope. Because only God could solve our dilemma. And Jesus was God. <!-- Only God coming in the flesh could bring salvation -->But curiously, only a man could solve our dilemma too, for only a man could die. Jesus was God and the value of His character was infinite. It matched the value of the law. Only the Father, or Jesus, or the Holy Spirit could equal the law, because it was simply the reflection of the immeasurable brightness of their character. But God "only hath immortality" (1 Timothy 6:16), and couldn't die without making some significant adjustments to His situation. So Jesus came to this planet as a human being, as human as we are, although He was still God. He layed aside His divine power, but was still Jesus. Remember, He had to become human in order to die; more than that, He had to become human in order to identify Himself with humanity--to be a valid representative and a valid offering on our behalf. He joined our fallen family. He never sinned. But He became as human as we are. He took our flesh and blood. What kind of flesh and blood? "The same" (Hebrews 2:14).

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Our Final Hope

<!-- Will Jesus find faith when He returns to the earth? -->Jesus asked whether, when He returned, He would find faith on the earth (Luke 18:8)? Oh yes, there is "faith"--faith in some supposed spark of innate goodness within humankind. But (of course) this was precisely the kind of faith He was not asking about. Although there is no evidential basis for faith in ourselves, there is a hearty dose of it spread through the culture we are stationed in, for the simple reason that such a "faith" is the only other option when you rule faith in God out. That is, since it is the only alternative to belief in a Creator-God, then it must be true by default. This was not the kind of faith Jesus was probing for. <!-- We are called to a faith that recognizes our need of Jesus -->The kind of faith Jesus was calling out in us is the kind that is willing to recognize both our depth of need and our impossible position apart from Him. He is not only our first need, but our last hope. There are no other alternatives on the horizon that lead to eternal life. There is no other way we can climb up (John 10:1). Our adversary thinks there is one; he has flexed all of his vast intellectual muscle in an attempt to "ascend above the heights of the clouds" (Isaiah 14:14). But he is bankrupt. <!-- Our last hope is outside of ourself, yet we do participate meaningfully in what God does in us -->Our last hope is one that is outside of ourselves. It is Christ. But that's the very thing that so often we don't particularly wish to believe. We want a bi-line in the salvation-thing somewhere, and the devil takes full advantage of that. Satan has built the track of presumption right alongside the track of salvation. He has had great success in leading many of us to misunderstand the role our actions are to have in the salvation process. First he tries to get us to take credit, but if that doesn't succeed, he tries to lead us to think that if we do anything we have somehow added something to our salvation. He knows that faith without works is dead (James 2:20, 26). So he silently tells us with all of the spiritual subtlety and solemn piety he can muster that if we think of "cooperating with God," of submitting to an inward work of God that will make us "perfect," we're being legalists. But it is only a lie from hell. A lie calculated to lead us down the primrose pathway of dead-faith boulevard. <!-- Jesus became as human as we are -->Jesus came to the earth and lived His life here as a man. He became as human as we are so that we could become as obedient as He is. He came to destroy the works of the devil. And the devil came to earth and tempted men, and told a pack of lies that would put a subtle spin toward destruction on our thinking if he could. And here we are. And our Father has given us a Bible chock-full of truth about who He is and what He's like from front to back, and showing us the wonderful news of how He purposes to save us. <!-- Christ in us is the hope of glory -->But Isaiah was led to ask the searching question, "who has believed our report?" Oh yes, the way of salvation is really just too-good to be true. Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No man comes to the Father but by Him. And when we come to the Father and ask for Jesus, He gives us Jesus: "Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27-29). It is not Christ outside of us--not that alone--that is our hope of glory, but rather Christ in us along with His sacrificial offering on the cross that is our last hope. The last hope is not a cheap plastic covering on the outside that hides spiritual darkness on the inside, but a salvation "from" sin (Matthew 1:21) that is unbreakably linked with the crucifixion. He became a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief (Isaiah 53:3) in order that we might become a people of joy and acquainted with His overcoming power. He longs to be in us, that we might no longer live in bondage to the fallen nature, but break free right alongside with Him in us to the glory of God the Father. <!-- Have you experienced God's power? -->Oh yes. Isaiah knew something about this beforehand; being a prophet has, along with its disadvantages some perks, too. Read the book--the gospel--of Isaiah and you'll see that He knew where this was going. But to the question "who has believed our report," he added "And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?"--a question that we might ask ourselves. Has the arm of the Lord been revealed to me? You know it has. <!-- A new birth had changed you... -->Remember when you first came to know Him, and how your life was charged with joy and hope and newness? How you couldn't be quenched? People saw you. They saw an undefinable sparkle in your eye. They knew without voicing it that this was not something that evolution could account for. You were changed. You had been with Jesus. The arm of the Lord had been revealed to you as God reached out through His Spirit and gave you life. Now since then you and I have had, in our individual experiences, some ups and some downs. Because Satan is ever lurking in the background, waiting for a moment of weakness to leap in and try to drag you (whom he considers his prey) away. But because you are a child of God, Jesus has been protecting you. You've got some wounds and scratches and some spiritually skinned-knees, but He has prayed, time after time that your faith would not fail. And you are still standing. But you know its not in your own strength. You'd have been dragged away into the underbrush and consumed by the lion if you had trusted in you. That's just the facts. In high times and in low times, you've trusted in Jesus for salvation. <!-- Jesus is our first need and our last hope -->To you the arm of the Lord has been revealed. You know the answer to Isaiah's question. We know today that Jesus is our first need and our last hope. And we do eat this bread and drink this cup until He come. <!-- Rejoice because we have been changed by Jesus -->Therefore my brothers and my sisters, let us rejoice today in our Lord Jesus Christ. We're not what we're going to be, but thank God we're not what we once were. And it is all because of Jesus. It is all because of Jesus. It is all because of Jesus. Today let us believe His report.

Sujeta las cadenas Un mártir condenado a morir en la hoguera, acababa de elevar una fervorosa oración dando- gracias a Dios por el privilegio que le concedía de sellar su fe con su propia vida; pero viendo que el verdugo emocionado paraba poca atención en sujetarle a la estaca, inclinóse y díjole: "Amigo mío sujeta -bien la cadena". Terlía núedo de la flaqueza de su carne cuando el dolor del fuego arreciase. Pero, ¿qué cadenas ataban a Cristo en la cruz? Sólo las de su amor.

What Is a Seventh-day Adventist?

By Dennis Priebe

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A number of years ago the Seventh-day Adventist Church voted to have twenty-seven brief statements describing the beliefs held in common by members of the denomination. Anyone becoming a member of the Adventist Church must state that he or she is in agreement with these twenty-seven statements. Do these statements define the essence of Adventism? Have we gotten to the heart of Adventism by reading these statements? I understand the twenty-seven statements to be like a picket fence that defines the property lines. It tells you where your property ends and where the adjacent property begins. It distinguishes Adventism from other Christian groups. It shows why we are Seventh-day Adventists and not Baptists or something else. But does the picket fence tell us very much about the house that lies inside? Do the twenty-seven statements get to the essence of what it means to be a Seventh-day Adventist? Seventh-day Adventism is also a way of life. We prepare for the Sabbath on Friday, we go to church on Sabbath morning, and we close the Sabbath at sundown. Our dietary choices are somewhat different than the typical American diet. We have grown up with a cultural heritage, and we are used to the lifestyle of being Adventist. Is this what it means to be a Seventh-day Adventist? Or is there more we need to understand to get to the heart of Adventism?

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The Beginning of Adventism

When Jesus died for all mankind, was personal salvation secured for all who chose to receive it? Could the disciples of Jesus have the assurance that they would be saved because of the cross? Absolutely. Were there any Seventh-day Adventists standing around the cross? No. That happened eighteen hundred years before Adventism appeared on the scene. Yet forgiveness of sins and the assurance of salvation was offered right then to all who believed. So Adventism was not called into existence to offer the people the assurance of salvation, was it? That was taken care of long before there was an Adventist. When Jesus was inaugurated as our High Priest in the heavenly sanctuary, to intercede for mankind for the next eighteen hundred years, were there any Adventists around then? It seems that Adventism was not needed for that work either. The work of Jesus in sprinkling our prayers with the incense of His righteousness was initiated long before there was an Adventist. The ministry of the Holy Spirit in nurturing and caring for Christians in a church setting did not need the existence of Adventism at all. Now all of these things are vital to Christianity, and we are to hold them as very important for us today, but Adventists have inherited these truths from others. These truths were established without any need for the existence of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Then why was Adventism needed? Revelation 14:7 tells us to "Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come." Now the hour of God's judgment began in 1844, and with it began the final atonement, the cleansing of the sanctuary, and the blotting out of sin. Was this the time period when Adventism appeared on the scene? Could it be that the existence of the Seventh-day Adventist Church is directly and intimately related to the cleansing of the sanctuary? Is that the reason for its existence? But what does this all mean? What are the issues at stake?

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The Great Controversy

Satan has challenged God's character and His right to rule the universe. Satan has said that God's unfitness to rule is proved by His giving a law that could not be kept. Satan has had great success in advancing his claims in the great controversy. He has even gotten God's chosen people in the Old Testament to think that God is unfair and harsh. In the great apostasy after New Testament times Satan convinced Christians that God wants certain rituals and human works to supplement Christ's work at the cross. Just by reading the Bible and church history, you might think that Satan is going to win this battle. This fear is addressed in Daniel 8:13 by several questions. How long will this go on? How long will God's good name be trodden underfoot? How long will the sanctuary be trampled? Will Satan win, after all? The answer comes in verse 14. No, this will not go on forever. After 2300 days the sanctuary will be cleansed. There will be an end to the defaming of God's good name. God will be vindicated. Romans 3:4 says it well. "That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged." The word "justified" in this context means acquitted of charges, declared innocent, vindicated. Now Jesus did vindicate God's law and His character in the most noble demonstration ever seen on earth. Jesus showed that God's law is good and His character is love. But one nagging question remained unanswered. Can sinful human beings who have spent half of their lives in rebellion really live without rebelling any more? Maybe Jesus could, but can they? Some have expressed the thought that God's vindication was completed on the cross, and that nothing further is necessary to vindicate God and His government. But the evidence is clear that the vindication of God was not completed at the cross; that God is waiting for a final vindication before the end of sin on this planet. "All heaven is waiting to hear us vindicate God's law." (RH April 16, 1901) There is still a need to prove that God's law is good and right for sinners. "Christ is waiting with longing desire for the manifestation of Himself in His church. When the character of Christ shall be perfectly reproduced in His people, then He will come to claim them as His own." (COL 69) This famous quotation clearly says that the second coming must wait until Christ's character is seen in His professed people. The only possible reason for such a hold in God's plans for this earth is that something must yet be demonstrated about Satan's charges and God's character. Revelation 14:5 describes the last generation who will live on earth before Jesus comes. "And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God." God has made an incredible promise here. He claims that He will produce a people who will be without deceit or fault of any kind. In DA 671 is this classic statement: "The honor of God, the honor of Christ, is involved in the perfection of the character of His people." It is not our honor or salvation that is involved here, but God's name and His character. He has promised that He will perfect His people. Can He really do it? If He cannot make us perfect, then His word is a lie and Satan wins the great controversy. It's that simple. "The honor of His throne is staked for the fulfillment of His word unto us." (COL 148) Whenever God promises something, He puts His name behind His promise. His throne was at stake when Christ came to our earth, and His throne is at stake in what He will do through the last generation. "Every character will be fully developed; and all will show whether they have chosen the side of loyalty or that of rebellion. Then the end will come. God will vindicate His law and deliver His people." (DA 763) It is important to note that God does the vindicating of His own name, but it is also vital to understand that He will do the vindicating in the characters of His people. The full development of righteous and wicked characters is necessary for the final demonstration of God's character and law. The end of sin on this planet is clearly dependent on God's vindication as He brings the plan of redemption to completion. It is significant that Ellen White calls all of this the final atonement. At the cross the sacrifice was completed but the atonement was not completed there. Right here we have the difference between Adventism and all other Christian religions. The final atonement is all about when and how God will win the great controversy and how soon Jesus can come. This means that the purpose of Adventism's existence is to prove that Satan is a liar and that God is telling the truth in the great controversy. It's that simple. That is the message and the essence of Adventism. The only hope for eternal security from rebellion ever arising again in the universe is when no one will ever consider Satan's accusations any more because they have been proved false in the arena of demonstration. Of course this requires the involvement of God's people in this demonstration. Our role is to allow God to come into our lives and do what He said He could do--cleanse our hearts and make us totally obedient to Him. Do you really want to end sin on this planet, my friend? Are you tired of hearing about child abuse? Are you tired of hearing about the senseless violence of wars of aggression? Are you tired of hearing about the abuse of animals over which man has been given dominion? Are you tired of hearing about injustice in the court system, where too often the abundance of wealth determines the outcome of a case? There is only one way to end these problems, and that is the second coming of Christ. These abuses cannot be solved by picketing or boycotts or rioting. These methods might alleviate some of our pain but they are not the solution. The only way the ugliness of sin can be stopped is by allowing Jesus to come back. Please note that I did not say waiting for Jesus to come back. He is waiting for us; we are not waiting for Him. The mission of Adventism is different from the mission of any other Christian group that has ever existed. Adventism's mission is different from the mission of the early Christian church; it is different from the mission of the Waldenses; it is different from the mission of Martin Luther. Our mission is completely unique. It has never been given to any other group of people on the face of this earth. The reason is simply that we are living in the Day of Atonement when the cleansing of the sanctuary is in process, and there are unique issues involved with this Day.

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When Can Christ Return?

The second coming of Christ is not possible just at any time, because it is dependent on God's victory in the great controversy. In the 1840's God led out a people, and they had a marvelous experience. But after the great disappointment things fell apart, and God's people didn't have the courage to move forward unitedly. They fragmented and only a few survived through this difficult period. Jesus wanted very much to return very soon after 1844 but He could not because His people were not united and moving together with Him. So Jesus put things on hold, much like space launch missions in Florida are put on hold when something is wrong with the equipment. After forty years of wandering in the wilderness, Jesus came again to His people and asked them if they were willing to move forward with Him. But once again God's people balked. Instead of asking "What does God's Word say?" they were asking "What do our leaders say?" We have spent a good part of the last century denying that we really delayed Christ's coming for one hundred years. We have claimed that our forefathers' repentance was genuine and we have been teaching righteousness by faith ever since. In reality the denial of the 1888 message is just as real and strong today as it was in 1890. As a result of our failure in the 1890's Christ had to put His plans on hold once again, this time for over a century. Now He is making yet another appeal to the Seventh-day Adventist movement He is telling us that He is ready to take us home if we are ready to move unitedly with Him. The question for us is identical to the question of 1888. What will happen this time? Will we respond in such a way that God can finally carry out His plan, or will we continue to put our selfish interests above the vindication of God in the great controversy?

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Lessons From Israel

When God called Israel to be His chosen people, it was not His purpose to qualify them alone as worthy of salvation. He wanted Israel to be His witness to the nations of the excellence of His character and His government. The purpose of Israel's existence was to enlighten the world so that all would welcome Jesus when He came to earth. Did Israel succeed or fail in its mission? We know that they did not prepare the world for the first coming of Christ. Please notice the approach of Christ in light of their failure. Have you noticed that Jesus spent very little time in outreach to the Gentiles--the world? Most of Jesus' time and energy was spent on efforts to restore Israel by bringing them to repentance. They were the people through whom God wanted to enlighten the world. So Jesus spent most of His time doing the most difficult work of all--breaking down the walls of apathy and prejudice to bring them back to obedience to God. Now the purpose of Adventism is exactly the same as the task given to Israel. God is not qualifying Adventists alone as worthy of salvation, but He wants us to be His witness to the world of the excellence of His character and His government. Our mission is to prepare the world for the second coming of Christ. Now the question must be honestly addressed: Is Adventism succeeding in its mission? Perhaps we can find an answer in an editorial by William Johnsson in the Adventist Review of July 3, 1986. A Gallup Poll was taken to determine the attitude of the public to the Seventh-day Adventist Church. "Although 70 percent of respondents say they have heard or read about the church, when asked what they like best about us, 52 percent can give no answer. Another 21 percent say 'Nothing in particular.' That is, fully 73 percent of the public can think of no attractive feature about the church. That figure is almost exactly paralleled by responses to the question 'What do you like least about Adventists?' Again 51 percent gave no answer, and another 20 percent say they don't dislike anything in particular. The church's failure to project a sharp image concerns me… I'm troubled that we are hiding our light under a bushel." In another public survey reported in the Adventist Review of February, 1995, only 53 percent had heard about the Seventh-day Adventist Church. In addition, there was a marked increase in the number who misidentify us with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or Jehovah's Witnesses. Now we must ask the question again: Are we succeeding or failing in our mission to prepare the world for the second coming of Christ? The truth which is very difficult for us to face is that we are in jeopardy of failing just as the Jews failed two thousand years ago. Inspiration spells out God's plan for this church. "Christ designs that heaven's order, heaven's plan of government, heaven's divine harmony, shall be represented in His church on earth. Thus in His people He is glorified." (DA 680) Notice that God is glorified when His church reveals heaven's plan of government to the world. Is heaven's plan of government currently being seen in the Seventh-day Adventist Church? Do human plans too often dominate over God's expressed will for this church? "God's people have a great work to do.. ..The world must see in the church of God true order, true discipline, true organization." (Ms. 30, 1900) This is when we will fulfill our mission and allow Jesus to return to this world "Through the church eventually will be made manifest the final and full display of the love of God to the world that is to be lightened with its glory." (TM 50) Notice that God's love will be seen through the church. It will not come through angels or the rocks, but through God's people. Thus the success of God's church in representing His character is very important to the finishing of the great controversy. Since our church is currently not succeeding in its mission to prepare the world for Jesus' return, what are we to do? One approach that many are adopting today is to ignore the problems in the Adventist Church and to go out to the world to do outreach work. This approach is attractive because Jesus told us to take the gospel to every nation, and because many are receptive to the gospel, while the church seems to be very resistant to any major reformations in its midst. Further, if we just forget about the disobedience within the church and concentrate on soulwinning, we will receive much praise from the church itself for the good work we are doing. In addition, it is personally fulfilling to give Bible studies and lead people into readiness for baptism. But is this approach the one Christ used when He came to His failing chosen people? For three and one-half years Jesus spent His time trying to restore His precious church that was in danger of self-destruction. He spent almost no time in outreach to the Gentile world, in spite of the fact that many Gentile souls were in need of the gospel. Jesus' first priority was trying to restore His people so that they could give the message of truth to the Gentile world. The late Henry Baasch, who served as a conference president, shares with us a vital principle and an important warning. "Music is made up of three parts: melody, rhythm and accompaniment. All three are essential, but are not equal in importance. The melody should have the most prominent part and should not be overshadowed by the rhythm or the accompaniment. The evangelization of the world by means of extensive preaching, teaching, and printed propaganda, and the expenditure of large sums of money for campaigns, buildings, equipment, travel, et cetera--vital though all these are--do not, in and of themselves, fulfill the principal commission entrusted to the remnant church. These are not the melody. At the most, they are the accompaniment. "The melody which is to ring forth, sketchily at first, but every more clearly, is the song of victory over sin, the song of Moses and the Lamb, soaring higher and higher, closer and ever closer to the heavenly Pattern, further and further away from the world, to the climactic height of a full and final display of His grace in vessels of clay, but divested of all earthliness and testified unto by the declaration of the angel: 'Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus." Revelation 14:12. For the first time this testimony will be said of a whole community of saints. "Let Laodicea be warned! At one time David fell victim to the magic influence of numbers (cf I Chronicles 21:1)--that Satan-inspired sport which so slyly leads to pride and self-complacency, which so trickishly substitutes quantity for quality, mediocrity for true merit, and pomp for paucity. The charm exerted by numbers, size, and quantity, if allowed to prevail, will fill Laodicea's pews with 'illegitimate children' and swell her ranks with a mixed multitude which, as of old, could bring her march to a standstill at another 'Kadeshbarnea.' God forbid that such a thing should happen! "Let Laodicea ponder her way! Let her pause and take inventory, let her consider and define where she has strayed from the Pattern in her multiple activities: ministerial, educational, medical, social, etcetera. Let her frankly confess her shortcomings, plead for forgiveness and then chart her future course in harmony with the divine counsel. Let her shun the subtle art of rationalizing, which makes evil appear good and transgression a necessity, trying to 'update' what is eternally fresh and young--ever the head and never the tail. "Unless Laodicea will submit to a candid self-examination and to an uncompromising self-discipline, there will descend upon her a tempest that will sift and shake her ranks and sweep to one side the whole of her household, with its elaborate furnishings and costly equipment, clearing the stage for the Lord Himself to take hold of the reins (cf Testimonies to Ministers, 300; Testimonies, vol. 5, 80; Romans 9:28) with an army of 'unidentified' ones whose names and pictures may not be found in any register, or church paper, or book, nor diffused from any desk or platform." (Our Firm Foundation March, 1989) Remember that this strong warning does not come from a critic of the church, but from a leader in the church who saw clearly what constitutes success and failure in the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

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Priorities

The primary mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church is the vindication of God. It will be accomplished though the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary. But before the sanctuary in heaven can be cleansed from all the records of sin, the sanctuary of our hearts must be cleansed from the pollution which continues to dishonor God's name. Adventism is all about God's victory in the great controversy, as He finishes His six thousand year struggle against the lies of Satan. The secondary mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church is world mission and outreach through Bible studies and soulwinning. When the primary mission is understood and addressed, the secondary mission will find abundant success. If we try to reverse these priorities, as we have been doing for many years, we will continue to fail. Outreach alone is not the solution to our sickness. We have been putting the cart before the horse, and it simply hasn't worked. If outreach is to be successful, it must flow from a consecrated and obedient heart. Remember that Christ's efforts while on earth were to restore His people to obedience from the heart. Likewise our outreach must flow from total obedience and total love, with no more rationalizing so that we can do what our selfish hearts desire. We must abandon cultural values to determine what is right and wrong. Most of the problems in the Adventist Church today are the result of placing cultural values above a "thus saith the Lord." Will we decide once and for all to obey God, or will we continue to try to force Him to do it our way? The way we answer this question will determine the success or failure of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

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Ezekiel's Appeal

Ezekiel lived in a time of apostasy and backsliding, and God gave a special message to him for Israel. "So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me." (33:7) "Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?" (33:11) This is not just God's appeal to His rebellious chosen people in Ezekiel's time; it is His appeal to His rebellious chosen people today. God is saying, "Please turn back before it is forever too late. why do you insist on dying, O house of Adventism?" Can we really be faithful Adventists and ignore this question? Part of our responsibility as church members is to help heal our church so that it can fulfill both its primary and secondary missions. Sometimes the surgeon's knife is painful and the healing process is difficult, but our gracious God is the Master Physician. Right now there are some carefully laid traps by which Satan is trying to subvert this process of healing. One trap is a compromised gospel, a gospel which says that since Jesus did everything that was necessary, all we need to do is believe and the rest is taken care of. Then we have the absolute assurance of salvation. This gospel has been coming into Adventism for the past thirty years and has been gaining great strength in the past ten years. It is a gospel which gives false assurance of salvation, because it promises that we can be saved while still sinning. It teaches that we can ignore our little sins--our besetting sins--because Jesus loves us unconditionally. As long as we continue to believe in Him as our Saviour, we continue to be in a saving relationship with Him, regardless of our continued sinning. This trap may cause the loss of more sincere Adventists than any of Satan's other traps. Another trap laid by Satan is the trap of humanism and cultural priorities. Here we determine what is right and wrong by the best human thinking available. We take surveys and determine what should be done based on these surveys. We ask for the best scholarly research and the best logic, while we set aside inspired counsel as outdated, in need of cultural reinterpretation. Another trap is having a critical spirit. Some see clearly the problems in the church and spend their entire time exposing and delineating the sins of the church. Satan leads these individuals to become negative about everything they see. Then there is the most subtle of all Satan's traps--the moderate trap. We all want to be balanced; we want to avoid the extremes on both sides. We realize that there are some problems in the church, but we hear about all the souls being won, and we conclude that things must probably be headed in the right way. With all our progress and growth, things can't be too bad, can they? The problems must be someone else's problems, so we can safely ignore them. Even though our schools and hospitals are having difficulties, we'll just keep our mouths shut--it's safer that way. When strange music and worship styles come into our churches, we will make the best of it. Yes, it is very tempting to stay out of the fire so that we will not get burned. But is this silence in harmony with Ezekiel's appeal? Are we faithful watchmen if we remain silent while the enemy climbs over the walls? Or will we do what we can to save and heal our church? We cannot have a unique Adventist witness without a unique Adventist message. The gospel of Adventism is different from the gospel of contemporary Christianity. Will we let that gospel die? Our understanding of the great controversy between Christ and Satan is totally unique. Will we let it die by our silence? Our understanding of the relationship between law and grace is unique. Even our understanding of health reform is unique, because we do not live healthfully to avoid disease or to live longer, but to allow God to fully sanctify the soul. We need to uphold the highest lifestyle standards, so that God has a chance to win the battle for our minds. We have a unique understanding of a modern-day prophet, in which God speaks with just as much authority as He did in Paul's day. Are we willing to be Seventh-day Adventists today? Are we willing to prepare the way for the final vindication of the character of God? Are we willing to live in the house behind the picket fence? The price is high, but the reward is beyond anything we can imagine. "If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? And if in the land of peace, wherein thou trusted, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan?" (Jeremiah 12:5) Today we are in the land of peace and we are running with the footmen. Ahead of us are the horses and the swelling Jordan. This is our preparation time, the time to strengthen our characters. If the church militant is ever going to be the church triumphant, then we must get serious about the name Seventh-day Adventist. We must know who we are and why we exist. We must get our primary mission and our secondary mission straight, so that our efforts can be blessed by God. Let us pray together that the hard ground of our hearts may be broken up, so that the refreshing early rain may lead to the powerful latter rain. And above all, let us pray that this generation of Seventh-day Adventists will be the last generation to live on a sin-cursed earth.