The Seven Pillars of
Our Faith
Pro 9:1 Wisdom hath builded
her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars:
"We cannot now step off the foundation that God has established.
We cannot now enter into any new organization for this would mean apostasy from
the truth.--Manuscript 1290, 1905. Selected
Messages, vol. 2, 390.
This
part of my vision of Tuesday, July 10, 2018, involves what God showed me about
the foundation of our faith and how some of the pillars of our faith have not
been fully understood, and I refer primarily to the Godhead, which Ellen White
defines as a pillar, landmark doctrine. I was shown that all else is
meaningless without the truth on the most fundamental of all issues confronting
professing Seventh-day Adventists. Why? Because any half gospel on the Heavenly
Sanctuary/Atonement sacrifice, sweeps away the entire Christian economy, and
that is exactly the end result of the teachings of the
Trinity Doctrine.
I was
shown that every Seventh-day Adventist should ask him/herself the questions
·
Why did Ellen White
never ONCE use the word trinity in referring to the Godhead?
·
Why did Ellen White
never ONCE use the word co-equal in reference to the
three persons of the Godhead?
·
Why did Adventist
pioneers believe that the Trinity Doctrine was subversive to the Atonement?
·
Why did Adventist
not adopt the Trinity Doctrine BEFORE the 1980 World General Conference
Session?
·
If the Trinity
Doctrine, Rome’s Central Doctrine, was/is the truth on the most fundamental
doctrine of Christianity, THE GODHEAD, why pray tell, would God let His “chosen
people” dwell in ignorance on that all-important issues for 136 years?
·
Since any error on
the Godhead issue is antichrist, why would God permit Adventists to supposedly
teach an antichrist doctrine on the most fundamental issue of Christianity
until 1980, 136 years after the beginning of Adventism?
·
The Alpha heresy
involved the personality of God and Christ. The Omega heresy was to be far
worse in scope. It was to involve the Godhead as well. Why do SDA leaders not
understand this? Is it because of Isaiah 56:10-12?
·
Why was Ellen White
the only person who recognized the fact that Kellogg’s pantheism swept away the
entire Christian economy by rendering the Sanctuary/Atonement as GONE? It was because
of that sacrifice that the gift of the Holy Spirit Divine Nature became available
to man. Kellogg’s pantheism taught that all created things were already
invested with the Spirit of God? Only Ellen White saw this important truth.
·
Why, IF NO MORE
PROPHETS WERE TO COME AFTER ELLEN G.WHITE, was Ron Beaulieu the only person who
first saw the serious implications of the Trinity Doctrine—that if there are
three co-ETERNAL persons to the Godhead, that means THERE WAS NO DEATH OF THE
TESTATOR, NO HEAVENLY SANCTUARY
ATONEMENT; that the Trinity Doctrine results in the same abomination as
Kellogg’s heresy—the sanctuary is RENDERED AS GONE; THE ATONEMENT GONE, because
it was the Incarnation sacrifice which produced a THIRD PERSON in the humanity
of Christ, and His humanity is NOT CO-ETERNAL. There was no human element to
the Godhead before the Incarnation Sacrifice. Because of Isaiah 56:10-12 and Testimonies, Vol. 5, p. 211, more true
prophets are required. Especially was a true prophet required to see the
antichrist implications of the Trinity Doctrine.
·
The Lord showed me
that the above factor is the greatest proof of my gift of prophecy, and that if
folk will not accept this proof, they won’t accept any proof. All the kings men could not see the implications of the Trinity
Doctrine, but one man did, just as one person did in the Alpha. This should be
cause for pause to those who think that more prophets are not necessary. All
the watchmen of Isaiah 56:10-12 could not, and still cannot see what is wrong
with the Trinity Doctrine, while only one man could, and this ONLY BY THE
SPIRIT OF PROPHECY. There are SDA thought leaders far more intelligent than I!
Why could they not see what they were doing? There were Jewish thought leaders
far more intelligent than the disciples, but they could not see what they were
doing! So intelligence is not the decisive factor.
·
Why could SDA
leaders not discern that three eternal dignitaries are different from three
CO-ETERNAL DIGNITARIES? Naturally, after the humanity of Christ was adopted
into the Godhead, He became an eternal dignitary in heaven, meaning He will continue forever
after INTO THE FUTURE. But the humanity of Christ is not co-eternal WITH
HIS FORMER HOLY SPIRIT DIVINE NATURE AND THE FATHER, because His humanity did not exist until
His Incarnation. Thus, it was totally erroneous for LeRoy Froom and
other SDA leaders to “USE AND ABUSE” Ellen White’s statement that there are
three eternal dignitaries in heaven, to teach as the Trinity Doctrine teaches
that all three are CO-ETERNAL, when even common sense
dictates that THEY ARE NOT.
·
When we get to
heaven and are made even higher than angels, we will be eternal dignitaries of
the King, but we won’t be CO-ETERNAL with Him!
Sanctuary Gone Atonement Gone
-- "In a
representation which passed before me, I saw a certain work being done by
medical missionary workers. Our ministering brethren were looking on, watching
what was being done, but they did not seem to understand. The foundation of our
faith, which was established by so much prayer, such earnest searching of the
Scriptures, was being taken down, pillar by pillar. Our faith was to have
nothing to rest upon--the
sanctuary was gone, the atonement was gone."
E.G. White, The Upward Look, 152.
·
Even the three day death of the humanity of Christ, makes His
humanity NON-CO-ETERNAL with the Father and the Son as they existed before the
Incarnation sacrifice.
It
saddens my heart to read presentations like the following by Jerry Stevens and
Andrew Henriques, which teach only a half gospel on the Atonement. By this I
mean that they portray only the cross part of the Atonement, and don’t deal
with the heavenly Incarnation Sanctuary/Atonement at all, which met the
prescribed limit of a sacrifice by and of itself, and provided the highest
good, crowning gift that heaven can bestow. It saddens my heart even more
because all the highest thought leaders in the church are alike guilty of this
greatest of all travesties; the worst abomination possible because it involves
the highest good, crowning gift that heaven can bestow: the gift of partaking
of the Divine Nature of Christ. This gift was made possible by the Incarnation
Sacrifice.
The
Two Sacrifices – The Incarnation Sacrifice and the Cross Sacrifice
"The
darkness rolled away from the Saviour and from the Cross. Christ bowed His head
and died. In His
Incarnation He had reached the prescribed limit as a sacrifice, but not
as a redeemer." E.G. White Manuscript Releases Volume Twelve, p.
409.
"The Incarnation of Christ was an act of
self-sacrifice; His life was one of continual self-denial. The highest glory of
the love of God to man was manifested in the sacrifice of His only-begotten
Son, who was the express image of His person. This is the great mystery of
godliness. It is the privilege and the duty of every professed follower of
Christ to have the mind of Christ. Without self-denial and cross bearing we
cannot be His disciples." E.G. White, Selected Messages,
Book 2, p. 185.
The prescribed limit as a
sacrifice is defined in the Testator Testament (Covenant), as follows:
Heb 9:16 For where a testament
is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.
Heb 9:17 For a testament is of
force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the
testator liveth.
The Testator was Divine only
when He made His Testament. The only prescribed limit for the Testator’s
sacrifice is death. But divinity cannot die as we understand death, and Ellen
White said that divinity did not die on the Cross? So how could the Incarnation
act in and of itself reach the prescribed limit as a sacrifice?
"Christ declared that after his ascension, he would
send to his church, as his crowning gift, the Comforter, who was to take his
place. This Comforter is the Holy Spirit,--the soul of his life, the efficacy of
his church, the light and life of the world. With his Spirit Christ sends a
reconciling influence and a power that takes away sin.
In the gift of the Spirit [HIS LIFE--THE SOUL OF HIS
LIFE], Jesus gave to man the highest good
that heaven could bestow....
The Spirit was given as a regenerating agency, and without
this the sacrifice of Christ would have been of no avail....
It is by the Spirit that the heart is made pure. Through
the Spirit the believer becomes a partaker of the divine nature. Christ has
given his Spirit as a divine power to overcome all hereditary and cultivated
tendencies to evil, and to impress his own character upon the church."
E.G. White, Review and Herald Articles, May
19, 1904, vol. 5, p. 42.
“Christ
had stooped to take upon Himself man’s nature; He was to bear an infinite
weight of woe as He should make His
soul an offering for sin; yet angels desire that even in His humiliation the Son of
the Highest might appear before men with a dignity and glory befitting His
character.” E.G. White, The Great
Controversy, pp. 313, 314.
·
The Testator
(Divinity Alone—Only) somehow met the prescribed limit of a sacrifice, which
limit is “death” of the Testator. If Divinity cannot die, how did this
sacrifice occur?
·
If the Incarnation
sacrifice met the prescribed limit of a sacrifice, “death,” how did this occur?
·
The wages of man’s
sin is eternal death. How was that penalty Atoned for
by death of the Testator?
·
How could Christ
make His soul, His Holy Spirit, the soul of His life and the life of His soul,
an offering for sin?
The
answer that God showed me is that the Son “died” FOREVER to His Divine ONLY
existence. This met the prescribed limit of a sacrifice per the Testator’s
Covenant (Testament of the Testator). By this “death” the Testator is eternally
“dead,” whereas the cross sacrifice involved only three days of death of the
humanity of Christ.
Could the humanity of Christ atone for man’s sin?
Was the humanity of Christ the Testator originally? Would not only one equal
with God, the author of the Everlasting Covenant, be qualified to be the
Testator? Was Jesus’ humanity equal to the Father, or was it His Divine Nature
Holy Spirit which shared with His Father, that is equal to the Father—the ONE
ETERNAL SPIRIT?
The following statement, is an excerpt from Andrew Henriques’ view of the
foundational pillars of Adventism, which I cite further down in this document.
The statement is true, but Andrew has never addressed the most important
pillar, landmark of our faith, the complete truth on the personality of God and
Christ, and the Heavenly Sanctuary Atonement, without which the entire
Christian economy is swept away.
“As there are more than 7 pillars of the
faith mentioned by Ellen White, the “seven pillars” symbolize the
“completeness” of more than only seven pillar, landmark doctrines of truth.
They represent the whole system of truth.”
The
Foundational Seven Pillars of Our Faith
by
Jerry Stevens &
Andrew Henriques
The following article was
written by Jerry Stevens, a member of the Crossville SDA Church, in Crossville,
Tennessee. He lists 7 pillar landmark doctrines of the SDA church. However, I
will present more than seven in this document. For example: As the list of the seven pillars, Jerry
listed The Sanctuary, in his original document at the link below. To that I
added: THE GODHEAD, THE PERSONALITY OF
GOD. Ellen White expressly stated
that the personality of God and Christ is a pillar, landmark doctrine, and that
includes the Godhead. Notice:
Godhead as a pillar doctrine
-- Personality of God and of
Christ Landmarks: "Those who seek to remove the old landmarks are not holding fast they are not remembering how
they have received and heard. Those who try to bring in theories that would
remove the pillars of our faith
concerning the sanctuary or
concerning the personality of God or of Christ, are working as blind men.
They are seeking to bring in uncertainties and to set the people of God adrift
without an anchor." {MR760 9.5}
"You are not definitely
clear on the personality of God, which is everything to us as a people. You
have virtually destroyed the Lord God Himself." EGW letter 300 1903.
The Seven Pillars of Our Faith by Jerry
Stevens
http://biblelight.net/JS/Adventism%27s%207%20Pillars,%20Web%20Version.pdf
“It is Saturday, December 20,
1845, and a teenaged girl, barely turned 18, is writing a personal letter to
Enoch Jacobs, editor of The Day-Star, an early Cincinnati newspaper
proclaiming new and startling Advent truths. Bear in mind that at this point in time, the establishment of the Seventh-day
Adventist Church lies nearly 18 years in the future.
In her letter, the young woman
records details of her very first prophetic vision, which she had experienced a
full year before. Up until this time, the girl, Ellen Harmon, had only shared
her literally out-of-this-world experience in oral form.
Why did she wait so long? The
simple but sad answer is that due to a very fragile state of health, she had a
terrible time holding her hand steady enough to write it out. When only nine
she had been injured severely by a rock thrown by an older schoolgirl, and with
a pitifully rearranged face and in a permanently weakened condition she was
forced to drop out of school before completing the fourth grade.
Ellen’s letter was destined to
be published in Jacobs’s paper the following month, and fortunately has been preserved.
It contains many thrilling details of what life in Heaven will be like,
immediately followed by similar details of life on the New Earth when restored
to its Eden state. Still in vision as the millennium in Heaven comes to a
close, Ellen descends with Jesus and the saints inside the Holy City, New Jerusalem,
on down to planet Earth (see Rev. 21:2), now recreated entirely new, perfect,
and sinless, . . . and on the very spot from which Jesus had ascended (see Acts
1:9–12; Zech. 14:4):
Mount Zion was just before us,
and on the mount was a glorious temple, and about it were seven other
mountains, on which grew roses and lilies. And I saw the little ones climb, or
if they chose, use their little wings and fly to the top of the mountains, and
pluck the never-fading flowers. There were all kinds of trees [see Isa. 41:19]
around the temple to beautify the place—the box [prob. cypress], the pine, the
fir, the oil [prob. wild olive], the myrtle, the pomegranate, and the fig tree
bowed down with the weight of its timely figs; these made the place all
over glorious. And as we were about to enter the holy temple, Jesus raised His
lovely voice and said, “Only the 144,000 enter this place,” and we shouted,
“Alleluia!”
This temple was supported by seven
pillars, all of transparent gold, set with pearls
most glorious. The glorious things I saw there, I cannot describe. Oh, that I
could talk in the language of Canaan, then could I tell a little of the glory
of the better world. . . .
[Ellen picks up her narrative:]
After I came out of vision, everything looked changed; a gloom was spread over
all that I beheld. Oh, how dark this world looked to me! I wept when I found
myself here, and felt homesick. I had seen a better
world, and it had spoiled this for me. [In another place she adds:] Then an
angel bore me gently down to this dark world. Sometimes I think I can stay here
no longer; all things of Earth look so dreary. Oh, that I had wings like a
dove, then would I fly away and be at rest! (Ellen G. White,
RH July 21, 1851).
Did you catch that little
detail about the pillars of the temple on Mount Zion? How many pillars will it
have? That’s right; seven pillars. Isn’t that interesting? It will have
an odd number of supporting pillars; maybe that’s because it’ll be shaped like
a rotunda—round, without corners. And have you ever noticed how the Bible uses
the number seven to expresses completeness and perfection? We have come to this house to worship on the
only day God declared holy, the seventh day. Seven churches,
golden candlesticks, stars (or angels), lamps of fire, seals, trumpets, and
thunders are all mentioned in Revelation. And as Solomon says, “Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars”
(Prov. 9:1).
In my research of the topic of
pillars in connection with the number seven, I recently came to a astonishing and wonderful realization: The Seventh-day
Adventist Church rests upon seven distinctive pillars that set it apart from
all other beliefs or denominations. I’m not talking about the upstanding
members who definitely are spiritual pillars of the Crossville church (God
bless you, every one!).
No, in this case I’m talking
about those firm spiritual supports that undergird or make secure everything
the worldwide remnant church stands for.
I’d like to share with you a
very brief snapshot description of each of these seven distinctive pillars.
Pillar #1: sanctuary.. What makes this a
pillar of Adventism, friends? That’s right, the Bible tells us that Christ is
in Heaven right now, in God the Father’s presence, ministering on our behalf
(see Heb. 9:24). The work of atonement is only complete when mankind’s great
High Priest finishes ministering there (Lev. 16), and sin is forever eradicated
from the universe. Most other folks sharing space on our planet either don’t
teach this Bible truth or else neglect it, whether consciously or otherwise.
Pillar #2: death. The Bible
plainly teaches that when people die, they enter into
a temporary state of unconsciousness, out of which God awakens them at one of
the resurrections. Jesus declared that His dead friend Lazarus was asleep (read
Jn. 11:11–14), and from righteous Abel down to the last saint who will ever
die, all sleep in Christ (see 1 Cor. 15:18). Let your fondest hopes overflow as
you try to picture this: Jesus’ silver trumpet sounds as He descends on a great
cloud, wrapped in flames of fire. Looking on the graves of the sleeping saints,
He raises His hands to Heaven, crying, “Awake, awake, awake, ye that sleep in
the dust, and arise!”
There is a mighty earthquake.
Graves open, and the dead come up clothed with immortality. Hallelujah! (See DS
1/24/1846; 4SP 463.)
Pillar #3: the Second Advent. It’s
in the heart of our denominational name. We’ve always been about proclaiming
Christ’s advent near. Jesus Himself gives us many signs of His return in
Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21, laying stress on its suddenness and the
urgent need for His followers to be ready. Heb. 9:28 tells us that He shall
appear a second time, when His work to get rid of sin is finished in the
heavenly sanctuary. One of Jesus’ parting promises was, “I will come again”
(Jn. 14:3).
Pillar #4: the millennium. The
20th chapter of Revelation talks a lot about a period of 1,000 years, or a
millennium, the time between two resurrections. The people who have loved Jesus
are raised to life at the first resurrection, and the unrepentant,
stubborn sinners resume their
hateful habits at the second one. As we saw earlier, young Ellen referred to
the millennium in relating her vision. This brings us to a related subject . .
.
Pillar #5: the three angels’ messages of Revelation 14. I can’t think of another religious group in the world
that teaches the importance of these three messages, which are an urgent call
for every honest-hearted soul on Earth to worship our Creator, keep all His
commandments, and pull away from those persons or institutions teaching a
misdirecting Babel of untrue doctrines (see Rev. 14:6–12).
Pillar #6: the Spirit of Prophecy. The
Bible’s concluding book makes it plain that the Devil hates God’s last-day
church, symbolized in Rev. 12:17 as a pure woman, whose very last-born
generation, or seed, keep all 10 of God’s commandments and
have the testimony of Jesus
Christ, and that testimony is His special gift of the Spirit of Prophecy (see
Rev. 19:10). We believe that Ellen Harmon (later White) possessed that gift.
Pillar #7: the seventh-day Sabbath. The Bible couldn’t be clearer on any teaching than it is
on this one: “The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: . . . In ix
days the Lord made heaven and Earth, . . . and rested the seventh day:
wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath, and hallowed it” (Ex. 20:10, 11).
Together with the Second Advent, it’s in the very heart of our name.
And so, that frail little
17-year-old who recorded what the Holy Spirit revealed to her in holy vision
had it just right: The glorious temple on Mount Zion is to be supported by
seven transparent gold pillars. These pillars are to have seven highly prized,
lustrous inlaid pearls, which lend even more exquisite beauty to an already
resplendent edifice. God certainly doesn’t stint in His use of building
materials, does He? We know that from the description John gives us of future
glories in the concluding chapters of Revelation.
To conclude, the seven
distinctive pillars of Seventh-day Adventism are as necessary as they are
beautiful. As a faith system, they form a vital, complete whole. Not one pillar
can be eliminated without the entire edifice collapsing. Do you sense the
implications of this? We can’t pick and choose! It’s all or nothing!
Almost since I became an
Adventist in 1977, the evil one has been working from within our beloved
church to undermine, chip away, and finally tear down all seven pillars. This
work is still going on through offshoot movements, confused or disaffected
former Adventists, bloggers, and a growing army of misguided scholars and other
regrettably articulate agents of Satan.
We need to keep the pillars
firmly in mind as these things continue to happen, and especially if family
members or friends fall for the enemy’s lies or we ourselves are even tempted
to do so. So I say to all, including myself: Embrace
the pillars of our faith. Spiritual termites, chisels, and even battering rams
may appear to be bringing them to ruin and thus threatening the entire set of
underpinnings, but “We should remember that the church, enfeebled and defective
though it be, is the only object on Earth on which God bestows His supreme
regard” (Ellen G. White, Lt 279, Aug. 1, 1904, in 2SM 396). As such, the
remnant church will go clear through until Jesus comes to take His faithful ones home. Shouldn’t we then hold on with all our might to
these pillars, all seven of them, thanking God for His bountiful mercy and
truth? Dear Lord, may You find each one of us ready when our Saviour returns.—Jerry Stevens, 1/30/96 (rev. 2/20/10)
*
Cf. SDAEn 10: 895-6, s.v.
“Landmarks” & CW 30-1: “The Landmarks Defined.
End
of Article by Stevens
Notice
from the following article by Andrew Henriques, that there are more than seven
pillar, landmark doctrines. This is why:
Therefore the “seven pillars” may represent
more than just seven distinctive doctrines of truth, but the whole system of
truth.
Actually there
are more than Seven Pillars to the Faith
Pastor Andrew Henriques
www.prophesyagain.com
Ben Carson’s Church Scrutinized! SDAs Proclaim
7 Pillars of Truth and Destroy Babylon’s 2
Pillars of Error
1. Let us read Proverbs 9:1. We are going to study the seven pillars of truth that
confirm God’s true church.
2. Note: The word “wisdom” refers to Jesus, because He is the one who builds the
house. See Psalm 127:1. Additionally Proverbs 8:12-35 speaks about
“wisdom.” Verse 35 says that “whoso findeth me
(wisdom) findeth life.” Jesus says that He is the
way, the truth, and the life. See John 14:6.
3. Note: The
“house” that wisdom (Jesus) builds refers to the home and the church. See 1
Timothy 3:15.
4. What are some of the reasons why we should
understand the seven pillars of truth?__________________________________________
“Our people have been regarded as too insignificant to be worthy
of notice, but a change will come. The Christian world is now making movements which will
necessarily bring commandment-keeping people into prominence. There
is a constant supplanting of God's truth by the theories and false doctrines of
human origin. Movements are being set on
foot to enslave the consciences of those who would be loyal to God. The
lawmaking powers will be against God's people. Every soul will be tested.
Oh, that we would, as a people, be wise for
ourselves, and by precept and example impart that wisdom to our children! Every
position of our faith will be searched into; and if we are not thorough Bible
students, established, strengthened, and settled, the wisdom of the world's
great men will lead us astray.” {5T 546.2}
5. Note: The accounts surrounding Ben Carson are
fulfilling the above quotation in a secondary sense. (The above quotation will
be fulfilled primarily at the enforcing of the Sunday Law) We are all aware
that Ben Carson, a professed Seventh-day Adventist, is campaigning for the
office of the President of the United States. As a result, the beliefs of
Seventh-day Adventists are being scrutinized by people in the world, people
from various religions and denominations.
“What Seventh-day Adventists like Ben Carson believe” http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/27/politics/seventh-day-adventist-beliefs/?iid=ob_article_racetoWH_pool&iref=obnetwork
6. What does the Lord’s messenger say?_____________________________________________________________________________
“It does not seem possible to us now that any should have to
stand alone; but if God has ever spoken by me, the time will come when
we shall be brought before councils and before thousands
for his name's sake, and each one will have to give the reason of his faith. Then
will come the severest criticism upon every position that has been taken for
the truth. We need, then, to study
the word of God, that we may know why we believe the doctrines we advocate. We
must critically search the living oracles of Jehovah.” {RH, December 18, 1888
par. 12}
7. Note: The following news report shows that people
are leaving the Protestant faith and are joining the Roman Catholic Church,
because of an erroneous understanding of 1 Timothy 3:15 and 2 Thessalonians
2:15.
“Marcus
Grodi was brought up in a nominally Christian home,
trained as a chemical engineer and eventually, after a profound adult
conversion experience, trained to be a Presbyterian pastor. However, his
experience welcoming new members from other Protestant denominations to his
church began to disturb his Presbyterian certainties. Protestant pastor Grodi explained his
Presbyterian beliefs from the Bible, but the other Protestant Christians
responded by quoting the Scripture verses that supported their different
convictions. Marcus began to realize that his interpretation of
the Bible was filtered by his Presbyterian assumptions and traditions. Furthermore the same was true of the other Protestants. A conversation with his friend Scott Hahn helped him discover
some Bible verses he had never seen before. Scott asked, “What
is the pillar and bulwark of truth?” As a good Protestant, Grodi
answered, “The Bible of course!” Hahn replied, “But what does the Bible itself
teach about that? Let’s look up 1 Timothy
3:15.”
Together they read the St. Paul’s words, “I am writing to you…so
that you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household,
which is the church of the
living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.” Grodi explains, “I had simply never
seen that verse. I had no answer. If the church was the
pillar and bulwark of the truth where could I find such a church? Clearly
the thousands of Protestant churches with their contradictory doctrines and
disciplines could not be that church.” Another key passage was 2
Thessalonians 2:15 in which St. Paul writes, “So then, brothers and sisters,
stand firm and hold fast to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word
of mouth or by letter.” If the Sacred Scriptures were the sole foundation for
Christian doctrine and discipline, as the Protestant doctrine of sola Scriptura (Scripture alone) asserts,
then why was St. Paul telling the Christians in Thessalonica to “stand firm and
hold fast to the teachings” he had passed on by both “word of mouth and by
letter”? Grodi was seeing for the first time that the apostolic teaching was
not only in written form, but also through a living oral tradition. The
Catholic Church was the only Christian body that affirmed both the authority of
Scripture and a dynamic, ongoing voice of authority in the church.”
Eventually
Grodi resigned from his post as senior pastor of a
large Presbyterian congregation and was received with his family into the Catholic
Church. In 1993 he established an
apostolate to assist other Protestant pastors on the same journey “home to
Rome.” About the same time he was
invited to host a new program for the Eternal Word Television Network called The Journey Home.
Each
week Grodi interviews a convert to Catholicism, and
over the years the Journey Home program
has become one of EWTN’s most popular shows. He and his team at The Coming Home Network are in constant
contact with an increasing number of Protestant clergy. Over the years they have assisted nearly 1,000 into full
communion from over 100 different denominations. They maintain a nationwide
network of 1,500 mentors who have already made the
journey and put enquirers in touch with a local friend who will answer their questions,
pray for them and support them and their families in their quest.”
http://aleteia.org/2015/10/26/done-roman-and-coming-home-to-the-catholic-church/
8. Note: Based on the above report, Roman Catholic teachers teach that 2
Thessalonians 2:15 shows that the true church will adhere to the Bible and the
tradition of men. However, what does Jesus say? Matthew 15:1-3,6,9:
Mat 15:1
Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem,
saying,
Mat 15:2 Why
do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not
their hands when they eat bread.
Mat 15:3 But
he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also
transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?
Mat 15:4 For
God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother:
and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die
the death.
Mat 15:5 But
ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his
mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be
profited by me;
Mat 15:6 And
honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus
have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.
Mat 15:7 Ye
hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,
Mat 15:8
This people draweth nigh unto me with their
mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their
heart is far from me.
Mat 15:9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for
doctrines the commandments of men.
9. Note: The following were the sentiments of Marcus Grodi. “If the church was the pillar and bulwark of the
truth where could I find such a church?. In other
words, Marcus Grodi was asking the following
question, which church has
the pillar of truth?
10. Note: The word “pillar” means a supporting column,
beam, or post.
11. Note: Therefore, the real question is, which church
does the truth of the Bible support?
12. Let us read 1 Timothy 3:15 from the King James
Version of the Bible and analyze it carefully.
1Ti
3:15 But if I tarry long, that thou
mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in
the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground
of the truth.
13. We arrive at Bible truth by comparing spiritual
things with spiritual, following the principles of Isaiah 28:9,10 and 1
Corinthians 2:13.
Accordingly,
we will analyze every scripture that mentions the words, “pillar, pillars,
house, temple, church,” and see what lessons of truth are
there in the various accounts.
14. The primary pillar of truth that confirms God’s true church is
that the church must accept Jesus as the head of the denomination and not a
man. To confirm analyze the following.
15. What did Jacob use for a pillow to support his head?
What did he do with it? What did he call it? Genesis 28:18,22
16. Who does the stone represent that was placed at
Jacob’s head? Matthew 21:42,45,46; Acts 4:10,11; Ephesians 2:20,21.
17. Note: The following shows that the Roman Catholic Church is not the
true church, because they claim that the Pope is the head of the church.
“All
bishops, with Peter at their head, are vicars,
that is, they take the place of
Christ on earth. It demands of the holder
of the office of bishop of the Catholic Church humility,
prudence and holiness and of the faithful continual prayer to God for the head of the Church on earth.”
https://www.ewtn.com/faith/teachings/papab3.htm
18. What happened to the Jewish House, the Jewish
Church, when Jesus, the chief corner stone, the head-stone of the corner, left
the church? Matthew 23:37-39 and Matthew 4:1,2
19. Therefore, God’s true church proclaims Jesus as the head of the
church in heaven (Hebrews 12:22-24) and on earth.
20. Note: We must personalize this pillar of truth. What
experience will God’s people have, who make Jesus the head of their lives?
Ephesians 5:23,26,27,3221.
Note: Baptism by immersion is one of
the pillars of truth in God’s true church.
22. What was poured upon the stone that represents
Jesus? Genesis 28:18__________________________________________________
23. Who does the oil represents? 1 Samuel
16:13______________________________________________________________________
24. When was Jesus anointed with the Holy Ghost? Acts
10: 37,38; Matthew 3:13-17 ___________________________________________
25. Since Jesus was baptized by immersion, God’s true church must uphold
baptism by immersion.
26. Note: Any denomination that does not conduct baptism
by immersion cannot be God’s true church.
27. What should we experience from this pillar of truth,
namely baptism by immersion? Romans 6:3-7______________________________
28. Note: The following shows us another pillar of truth
that confirms God’s true church. This other pillar of truth is the second coming of
Jesus Christ, when He is
crowned king. Consider carefully that Joash was
placed at the pillar in the house of the Lord when he was
crowned
king. See 2 Kings 11:12-14. And afterward, Athaliah and the house of Baal were
destroyed. See 2 Kings 11:15-21. This account
typifies
the time when Jesus will be crowned King of kings, when He returns the second
time, and when He destroys the unrepentant.
See
Revelation 19:13-21.
29. What experience should we have, in
order to be ready for the Second Coming of Jesus? Titus
2:11-14_________________________
30a. Note: The following shows us the pillars of truth
that confirm God’s true church, namely proclaiming the Investigative Judgment by
God’s Ten Commandments and
also upholding the Spirit of Prophecy. Consider
carefully that the king of Judah, Josiah, was standing in the
house
of the Lord by the pillar in the house and covenanted to keep God’s commandments and
His testimonies.
And all the people
stood
to their feet signaling that they also made that covenant. See 2 Kings 23:2,3.
Therefore, God’s true church
will keep and proclaim
God’s Ten Commandments and the Testimony of
Jesus Christ. See Revelation 12:17.
30b. What is one of the primary purposes for God’s Ten
Commandments, His Law? Ecclesiastes 12:13,14; James 2:12________________
30c. According to Acts 17:30,31, Jesus has appointed a
day to judge the world in righteousness (Psalm 119:172). This opens up another
Bible
study that would prove that on October 22, 1844, Jesus began the work of
Investigative Judgment in the Most Holy Place of the
Heavenly
Sanctuary.
30d. Note: The truth concerning the Investigative Judgment, God’s professed people
being judged by God’s Ten Commandments, is one of
the pillars of God’s true church.
30e. What do we need, in order to
keep God’s commandments and to pass the Investigative Judgement? John
14:15__________________
30e. What is the Testimony of Jesus Christ? Compare
Revelation 12:17 with Revelation 19:10____________________________________
30f. God speaks to His church through a human prophet,
just as he spoke through Moses to the Hebrews. The Seventh-day Adventist
Denomination
upholds the writings of Ellen Gould White, as the Spirit of Prophecy, since she
manifests the signs of a true biblical prophet.
30g. Note: The Spirit of Prophecy is another pillar of truth among God’s true
church.
30h. How important is obedience to the Testimonies of
Jesus, the Spirit of Prophecy? 1 Corinthians 1:4-8___________________________
31a. Note: The following shows us another pillar of truth
among God’s true church. This
pillar of truth is keeping God’s seventh-day Sabbath
and being sealed (the sealing message). To
confirm, consider Revelation 3:12.
31b. What will the Lord write upon this pillar in His
temple? Revelation 3:12___________________________________________________
31c. Where does the Lord want to write His name?
Revelation 14:1_________________________________________________________
31d. What does the Lord do to those who have the Father’s
name in their foreheads? Revelation 7:3,4______________________________
31e. What is the seal of God? Answer: God’s seventh-day
Sabbath, the fourth commandment. Consider Esther 3:12,13, a seal has three
parts,
namely, the person’s name, title, and dominion. According to Isaiah 8:16, God’s
seal is found in His law. The three parts of the seal
are
found in the fourth commandment, Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. See Exodus 20:8-11.
“The
Lord commands by the same prophet: ‘Bind up the testimony, seal the law among
My disciples.’ Isaiah 8:16. The seal of
God's law is found in the fourth commandment. This
only, of all the ten, brings to view both the
name and the title of the Lawgiver. It
declares Him to be the Creator of the heavens and the earth, and
thus shows His claim to reverence and worship above all others.
Aside from this precept, there is
nothing in the Decalogue to show by whose authority the law is given.
When the Sabbath was changed by
the
papal power, the seal was taken from the law. The disciples of Jesus are called
upon to restore it by exalting the Sabbath of the fourth
commandment
to its rightful position as the Creator's memorial and the sign of His
authority.” {GC 452.1}
31f. How important is it to keep God’s Sabbath holy?
Ezekiel 20:12,20; 2 Timothy 2:19__________________________________________
32a. Note: The following shows us another pillar of truth
among God’s true church. This
pillar of truth is victory over sin, in order to
receive
immortality at the second coming of Jesus.f To
confirm, consider Revelation 3:12. Notice the fact that the pillar in God’s
temple is a symbol of
a
person who overcomes sin and goes out no more.
32b. However, in the Garden of Eden, Satan told Eve that
she should disobey God, she should sin, because she would not surely die. See
Genesis
3:1-6. Satan told Eve that naturally she had life, immortality. Those words of
Satan to Eve lay at the foundation of Spiritualism.
32c. “Spiritualism is a lie. It is founded upon the great
original lie, ‘Ye shall not surely die.’” {1T 301.1}
32d. Note: As a result of
Satan’s lie, many people today do not believe that they can attain victory over
sin; on the other hand, many people
believe
that they can have communication with the dead. However, God’s true church will
believe and teach that people can and must get
victory
over sin, by God’s grace. Additionally, God’s church will proclaim the truth of
the non-immortality of the soul, that the dead are dead;
and
that an apparition of the dead is the manifestation of devils.
32e. What warning does the Lord give? 1 Timothy 4:1;
Ecclesiastes 9:5,6,10__________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
33a. Note: In this
study, so far, we have identified seven distinctive doctrines of God’s true
church. The seven pillars that are mentioned in Proverbs 9:1
have another application. The number “seven” represents completion in the Bible
(Genesis 2:2,3 and Exodus 20:11).
Therefore the “seven pillars” may
represent more than just seven distinctive doctrines of truth, but the whole
system of truth. Read the following quotations and discover more
pillars of truth.
33b. “After the passing of the time, God entrusted to His
faithful followers the
precious principles of present truth. These principles were not given to those who had had no
part in the giving of the first and second angels' messages...These men are not to permit their faith to be
changed to infidelity; they are not to permit the
banner of the third angel to be taken from their hands...Every truth that He has given
for these last days is to be proclaimed to the world. Every pillar that He has
established is to be strengthened. We cannot now step off the foundation that God has established. We cannot now enter into any
new organization; for this would mean apostasy from the truth.” {2SM 390.1}
33c. “Infidelity prevails to an
alarming extent, not in the world merely, but in the church.
Many have come to deny doctrines
which are the very pillars of
the Christian faith. The great facts of creation as presented
by the inspired writers, the
fall of man, the
atonement, and the
perpetuity of the law of God, are practically rejected, either wholly or
in part, by a large share of the
professedly Christian world.” {GC 582.3}
33d. “The ordinances of baptism and the Lord's Supper are two
monumental pillars, one without and one within the church. Upon
these ordinances Christ has inscribed the name of the true God.”
{6T 91.1} To
confirm the Lord’s Supper as a pillar of truth for God’s
true church, read Genesis 35:12-15; Genesis
28:22; Exodus 29:40; Matthew 26:27-29.
33e. “In the family circle and in the church
we should place
Christian temperance on an elevated platform.” {Te
165.3} “Neither of you
have seen the necessity of health reform,
but when the plagues of God shall be all around you, you will then see the
principles of health
reform
and strict temperance in all things,--that temperance alone
is the foundation of all the graces that come from God, the
foundation of all
victories to be gained.” {Te 201.4}
34a. Note: We are not only called to proclaim the seven
pillars of truth of God’s true church, but to tear down the apostate churches,
expose
false
doctrines, in order to set God’s sincere people free.
As Samson was chosen to be God’s messenger, as Samson was called by God to
judge,
lead, and deliver Israel from the Philistines (Judges 13:5), we are also called
to be God’s messengers in these last days, and to
deliver
His sincere people from Babylon. See Revelation 18:4.
34b. Who would the Philistines represent in these last
days? Answer: The
Philistines represent the Papacy. To confirm consider the
following.
Firstly, the battle between David and Goliath, the Philistine, was not only
physical but spiritual, in order to see which of the
two
systems
of worship was correct or superior. See 1 Samuel
17:4,8,9.
Secondly,
the Philistines burned up a father and his daughter, because both were
associated with Samson. See Judges 15:6. Historically, the primary religious organization that
is known to burn up people that associate themselves with God’s people is the
Papacy. Thirdly, the Philistines made sport of
Samson; they brought him into their arena and made fun of him in preparation to
kill him. See Judges 16:24,25. Historically, the primary religious organization that is known to make sport of God’s faithful Christians in arenas and
coliseums and then kill them, is the Papacy.
35a. Consider carefully how God strengthened Samson to
overthrow the enemies of the Lord. Read Judges 16:24-31. Samson destroyed
the
two main pillars of the house of the Philistines, the church of the
Philistines, the church of the heathens that had enslaved and
persecuted
God’s people.
35b. What are the two main pillars of error for the
Papacy?
“Through the two great
errors, the immortality of the soul and Sunday sacredness, Satan will bring the
people under his
deceptions. While the former lays the foundation of
spiritualism, the latter creates a bond of sympathy with Rome. The Protestants
of the
United
States will be foremost in stretching their hands across the gulf to grasp the
hand of spiritualism; they will reach over the abyss to
clasp
hands with the Roman power; and under the influence of this threefold union,
this country will follow in the steps of Rome in trampling
on
the rights of conscience.” {GC 588.1}
36. Note: In the prayer of Samson to the Lord, he
mentioned that the Philistines had poked out his two eyes. See Judges 16:28.
37. What led to the Philistines’ blinding Samson?
Answer: Samson entered an lawful relationship with Delilah. And the
Philistines enticed her
to
discover Samson’s strength and to betray him into their hands. As a result,
Delilah caused Samson’s seven locks of hair to be cut.
Judges
16:4-6,16-21.
38. Note: Since the Philistines represent the Papacy, Delilah represents the apostate
Protestant churches.
39. As the Protestant churches are questioning the faith
of Seventh-day Adventists and are calling Seventh-day Adventism a cult, many
Seventh-day
Adventists will reject the pillars of truth; then like Samson they will fall
and become spiritually blinded. See Revelation 3:17.
40. Consider
carefully the prayer of Samson and how the Lord pardoned him, used him to
deliver Israel, even after all the sins that he had
committed.
41.Note: By dying that day, Samson set the Israelites
free from the deception and persecution of the Philistines. Samson will be
saved.
Hebrews 11:30-33.
End or Article by Andrew
Final Commentary by Ron Beaulieu
All of the above stated foundational, pillar, landmarks of
Seventh-day Adventism were established long before 1955, when a new movement,
new organization, was formed ‘among” “within” the SDA church militant, and it
began to move and step off this foundation. Satan knew that Adventists knew we
were to join no new movement, so he cleverly worked in a Trojan-horse modus
operandi, and formed a new movement within the church, and the sleeping virgins
were/are none-the-wiser.
The tearing down of the pillars
of Adventism by apostate leaders, began by agreeing with the Evangelicals Dr.
Walter Martin and Dr. Donald Grey Barnhouse, that Jesus DID NOT come in our
sinful flesh. That means there was no atonement, no Sanctuary sacrifice,
because the Sanctuary service involved a blood sacrifice of the Testator as
well as a form of “eternal death” of the Testator.
Heb
9:16 For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.
Heb
9:17 For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all
while the testator liveth.
If
Jesus did not come in our sinful flesh, His death on the cross was no atonement
for our sin, for the following reasons:
1.
Only a DIVINE
TESTATOR could atone for our sins. Divinity cannot die. The death of the
Testator had to be an eternal death to pay the price of our wages of sin, which
is eternal death.
2.
In addition to the
above sacrifice, which met the prescribed limit of the Incarnation, of and by
itself, without the cross. The cross was the redeeming part by Christ taking
our sins upon Himself and being faithful unto death. That was the blood
sacrifice. The necessary ETERNAL “DEATH” of the Testator via the Incarnation
separation of His Divinity from His humanity FOREVER, constituted death of the
Divine Testator as far as it is possible for DIVINITY to “die.”
“The darkness
rolled away from the Saviour and from the Cross. Christ bowed His head and
died. In His Incarnation
He had reached the prescribed limit as a sacrifice, but not as a
redeemer.” E.G. White Manuscript Releases Volume Twelve, p. 409.
“The Incarnation
of Christ was an act of self-sacrifice; His life was one of continual self-denial.
The highest glory of the love of God to man was manifested in the sacrifice of
His only-begotten Son, who was the express image of His person. This is the
great mystery of godliness. It is the privilege and the duty of every professed
follower of Christ to have the mind of Christ. Without self-denial and cross bearing we cannot be His disciples.” E.G. White, Selected
Messages, Book 2, p. 185.
3.
If the Son did not come in likeness to our sinful flesh as the Bible
says He did, then He remained DIVINE, and it was impossible for divinity to die
on the cross. Ellen White said that divinity did not die on the cross.
"I am the resurrection, and the life' (John 11:25). He who had
said, 'I lay down my life, that I might take it again' (John 10:17), came forth
from the grave to life that was IN HIMSELF. Humanity died;
DIVINITY DID NOT DIE. In His divinity, Christ possessed the power to break the bonds of
death. He declares that He has life in Himself to quicken whom He will."
E.G. White, Selected Messages, Book 1, p. 301.
4.
If Christ was not human, He had to be divine and DIVINITY CANNOT DIE.
Ellen White said Divinity did not die. Thus, there would have been NO
SANCTUARY/ATONEMENT for sin since the Sanctuary does require a blood sacrifice
as well as the Testator ETERNAL sacrifice.
5.
Ellen White said that the human nature of Christ means everything to us
and now you know why (above).
Then the Evangelicals convinced the Adventists to
be Trinitarians in 1980, 136 years after SDA pioneers said that the Trinity
Doctrine is subversive to the Atonement.
Dr.
George Knight, Andrews University Seminary Theology Professor, made the
following statement in Ministry, the official Seventh-day Adventist
journal for ministers: "Most of the founders of
Seventh-day Adventism would not be able to join the church today if they had to
subscribe to the denomination's Fundamental Beliefs. More specifically, most
would not be able to agree to belief number 2, which deals with the doctrine of
the trinity." - Ministry,
October 1993, p. 10.
It is clear that the PILLAR, LANDMARK doctrine of the Godhead, as
portrayed by Ellen G. White, and John 14, was changed by New Movement Adventism
in 1980, and that the change which states that there are three CO-ETERNAL
persons to the Godhead, means that the Testator of the Everlasting Covenant,
NEVER DIED BECAUSE HE IS ETERNAL. So the heavenly
Sanctuary is GONE. The heavenly Atonement is GONE.
“Some
will tend to resist this doctrine (the trinity) because it is NOT FOUND
expressly stated in the scriptures.” – {Adventist Review Aug 20
1993 P-8} "ONLY by FAITH can we accept the
existence of the Trinity." – {Adventist Review, Vol.
158, No. 31, p. 4}
"Likewise,
the Trinitarian understanding of God, now part of
our fundamental beliefs, was not generally held by the early Adventists. Even today a few do not
subscribe to it.” (Adventist Review, January 6, 1994, page 10, 11)
The
Doctrine of a Trinity is Subversive to the Atonement by J. H. Waggoner
Ellen
White said that wrong, spiritualistic theories on the personality of God,
followed to their logical conclusion, sweep away the whole Christian economy.
Yet, many Adventists are saying the issue of the Godhead is not important.
Walter Veith is implying it is a silly issue, and that we should focus ONLY on
the three angel’s messages. Ellen White MET the Alpha heresy which she said
would have swept away the entire Christian economy. But Walter Veith ignores
the Omega heresy, which in effect, does the very same thing!
"The
spiritualistic theories regarding the personality of God [the Godhead],
followed to their logical conclusion, sweep away the whole Christian economy.
They estimate as nothing the light that Christ came from heaven to give John to
give to His people. They teach that the scenes just before us are not of
sufficient importance to be given special attention. They make of no effect the
truth of heavenly origin, and rob the people of God of
their past experience, giving them instead a false science." E.G. White, Selected
Messages, Bk.1, p. 204.
"He
(Christ) suffered the death which was ours, that we might receive the life
which WAS His." Desire of Ages, p. 25 1 Cor. 11:24-265, cf. John
6:53, 54, Titus 3:5, 6.
"Christ declared that after
his ascension, he would send to his church, as his crowning gift, the
Comforter, who was to take his place. This
Comforter is the Holy Spirit,--the soul of his life,
the efficacy of his church, the light and life of the world. With his Spirit
Christ sends a reconciling influence and a power that takes away sin.
In the gift of the Spirit, Jesus
gave to man the highest good that heaven could bestow....
The Spirit was given as a
regenerating agency, and without this
the sacrifice of Christ would have been of no avail....
It is by the Spirit that the
heart is made pure. Through the Spirit the believer becomes a partaker of the
divine nature. Christ has given his Spirit as a divine power to overcome all
hereditary and cultivated tendencies to evil, and to impress his own character
upon the church." E.G. White, Review
and Herald Articles, May 19, 1904, vol. 5, p. 42.
“The incarnation of Christ was
an act of self-sacrifice; His life was one of continual self-denial. The highest glory of the love of God to man
was manifested in the sacrifice of His only-begotten Son, who was the express
image of His person. This is the great mystery of godliness. It is the
privilege and the duty of every professed follower of Christ to have the mind
of Christ. Without self-denial and cross bearing we
cannot be His disciples.” {2SM 185.2}
Without the Heavenly Sanctuary
Incarnation sacrifice which provided for us the Holy Spirit soul of His life
BEFORE THE CROSS, the sacrifice on the cross would have been of no avail,
because there would have been no power to keep us from sinning. The Trinity
doctrine of Rome totally obfuscates that Heavenly Sanctuary sacrifice BEFORE
THE CROSS, by teaching that the Holy Spirit always existed as a third
person—thus, NO INCARNATION SACRIFICE of the Testator’s soul of His life as a
“highest good, crowning gift” for man whereby he is enabled to overcome sin.
And this is how the Trinity Doctrine, as a spiritualistic theory of man
(emanating from Rome), sweeps away the entire Christian economy because it does
not recognize the “highest good, crowning sacrifice heaven can bestow.”
Now
for our latest chapter from Fred Wright’s book, Behold Your God, which depicts
how and why God does not destroy.
In
the Name of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob,
Ronald
William Beaulieu
Chapter 7
Behold Your God by Fred T. Wright
The Constitution of
the Government of God
The full title
of this chapter is "The Constitution of the Government of God As it Was
Before the Entrance of Sin." Such a study is an essential introduction to
understanding God's government as it was after the entrance of rebellion. While
such an investigation is proceeding, continually keep in mind "that tradition and
misinterpretation have obscured the teaching of the Bible concerning the
character of God, the nature of His government, and the principles of His
dealing with sin." The Great Controversy, 492.
Every one of
these traditions and misinterpretations of God have been authored by Satan.
This explains why, when Christ came to the earth, the representation of God which
He gave was totally opposite from that given by Satan, as it is written, "He presented to men that which
was exactly contrary to the representations of the enemy in regard to the
character of God, . . ." Fundamentals of Christian Education, 177.
Therefore, if we find the truth on this question as
that truth is written in the Holy Scriptures, then we will find that which is
exactly contrary to what is generally believed. This means we would enter into a set of wholly revised and reversed concepts of
God's government and character. At the same time, there would be the continual
pressure of traditionally held theories seeking to drag the mind back to the
old ways again—a pressure which must be consciously resisted in
order to arrive at the pure truth.
The whole structure of God's government is
perfection. It cannot be improved and, to it, there is
not a single alternative. God's way is not the best way—it is the only way. While other
ways have been proposed and have even existed for a time, they cannot be
counted as a way of life for they shortly die by their own imperfections.
Essential in
the structure of divine government is the existence of law. The necessity is
there because of the provision of mighty powers without which life would be
impossible, but which have in them the potential for destruction. God's law, as we shall better
learn, is a love gift from Him to His creatures, perfectly designed to save
them from destruction. That law is perfect as it is written
"The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the
soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
"The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing
the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.
"The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring
forever: the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. [54]
"More to be desired are they than gold, yea,
than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
"Moreover by them is
Thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward." Psalms
19:7-11.
"Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment
holy, and just, and good." Romans 7:12.
That perfect,
holy, just, and righteous law is the very foundation of God's government.
"In the earthly temple the ark of the testimony took its name from the
testimony—the Ten Commandments—which was put within it. These commandments the
Lord Himself wrote with His own hand, and gave to
Moses to deposit beneath the mercy-seat, above which the presence of the glory
of God dwelt, between the cherubim. It is therefore evident that the ark of His
testament in the heavenly temple takes its title also from the fact that
therein, beneath the mercy-seat and the cherubim upon it, there is the original
of the testimony of God—the Ten Commandments—of which that on earth was a copy.
And as this holy law—the Ten Commandments—is but the expression in writing, a
transcript, of the character of Him Who sits upon the throne, therefore it is written:—
" 'The
Lord reigneth, let the people tremble,
He sitteth
upon [above] the cherubim, let
the
earth be moved.'
" 'Clouds
and darkness are round about Him:
Righteousness
and judgment are the foundation of His throne.'
"
'Righteousness and judgment are the foundation of Thy throne:
Mercy and
truth go before Thy face.' Psalms 99:1; 97:2; 89:14.
Revised
Version." Ecclesiastical Empires, 571, 572, by A.T. Jones.
The law of God
being, as it is, the very foundation of His throne, the nature of that law and
the relationship of God to it is a very important aspect of the study both of the character and government of God. Consider then
what the law is in its sublime perfection. In that consideration we will find
striking differences between the character of the laws of men and those of God.
In the
statement above, A.T. Jones declared that the law of God is "the
expression in writing, a transcript," of the character of God. This truth
is not merely his belief. It is found in the Word of God where it is written:—
"His law is a transcript of His own character,
and it is the standard of all character." Christ's Object Lessons, 315.
"The law of God is as sacred as God Himself. It
is a revelation of His will, a transcript of His character, the expression of
divine love and wisdom." Patriarchs and Prophets, 52.
"He has given in His holy law a transcript of
His character." Testimonies for the Church, 8:63.
Here is a
truth wherein lies something of the greatest importance. A transcription is the
rewriting of the former in a new location. It does not [55] matter whether you
read the former or the latter, for the message will be the same. Therefore in reading the holy law as the transcript of God's
character, the character of God itself is being read. Inasmuch
as God does what He does because of what He firstly is, then the law
being what God is, is the guide to His behaviour. God will do nothing which is not in His character.
Therefore, He will do nothing that is contrary to the law.
As surely as the understanding of the law will lead
to a clearer understanding of God's character, so, in turn, the better His
character is understood, the greater will be the comprehension of the
perfection of that law. It is impossible to separate one from the other and still remain in the truth.
Yet there is a
most serious tendency to do this. It is so natural and easy to think of the law
as something that God decreed as being His wishes for our deportment, but which
has little or no bearing upon His own conduct.
We tend to
think this way because of our familiarity with human law makers. Professedly,
in modern democracies, the same laws made to control the behaviour of the
citizenry, are to be obeyed by the rulers who make them. But ever more
frequently of late the cover has been lifted to reveal that this is not so in
fact. It is seen that the leaders are guilty of the worst kind of
crimes—bribery, deceit, theft, murders, and invasion of individual privacy. The
only mistake with them is not in doing it but in being found out. Yet even when
they are, they do not suffer the penalties imposed upon the man in the street
for the same crimes.
The more
absolute the ruler is, the more open and obvious is this practice of making
laws for the people which are not in any sense for the monarch.
This is not so in God's government. His law is first of all His very own character. As such, it is the
revelation of the way in which He will act under all circumstances. Then He
simply calls upon us to behave as He does. He is righteous in all His works. He
calls upon us to be and do the same. The same law is for God as for His people.
Therefore He says to us, "For I am the Lord your God: ye
shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy."
Leviticus 11:44.
"But as He which hath called you is holy, so be
ye holy in all manner of conversation;
"Because it is written, Be
ye holy; for I am holy." 1 Peter 1:15, 16.
The Revised Standard Version renders this as
follows: "But as He who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in all your
conduct; since it is written, 'You shall be holy, for I am holy. ' "
"Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father
which is in heaven is
perfect." Matthew 5:48.
". . . Throughout the Sermon on the Mount He
[Christ] describes its fruits, and now in one sentence He points out its source
and its nature: Be [56] perfect as God is perfect. The law is but a transcript
of the character of God. Behold in your heavenly Father a perfect manifestation
of the principles which are the foundation of His government.
". . . He tells us to be perfect as He is, in
the same manner. . . .
"Jesus said, Be
perfect as your Father is perfect. If you are the children of God you are
partakers of His nature, and you cannot but be like Him. Every child
lives by the life of his father. If you are God's children, begotten by His
Spirit, you live by the life of God. In Christ dwells 'all the fullness of the Godhead bodily' (Colossians
2:9); and the life of Jesus is made manifest 'in our mortal flesh' (2
Corinthians 4:11). That
life in you will produce the same character and manifest the same works as it
did in Him. Thus you will be in harmony with every
precept of His law; for 'the law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul.'
Psalm 19:7, margin. Through love 'the righteousness of the law' will be
'fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.' Romans
8:4." Mount of Blessing, 77, 78. Emphasis original.
Consider
carefully the message of these words and their implications.
The law is the
transcript of God's character. He
keeps that law not as something to which He is bound but because it is the
natural expression of what He is and therefore it is not possible for Him to
behave in any other way. A character which gives expression to a holy
law is a holy character. God calls upon us to be holy as He is holy so that our
behaviour will be as His behaviour is. Therefore, we are to receive His life,
which is His character, which is the transcript of the law, so that the law is
written on our hearts. Then that will "produce the same character and
manifest the same works as it did in Him." Thus
there is to be no difference in essence or nature between the character of the
Sovereign Father of the universe and the creatures whom He has created to fill
that universe.
The only
difference lies in the fact that the same love, mercy, justice, goodness,
power, tenderness, hatred of sin, and so on, which the true people of God have
to a certain degree, God has to infinitude. This is in no sense of the word
bringing God down to us but it is bringing us up to
Him. He is the Father. We are the children. As such He provides us with the
perfect example of how we are to live, asking of us nothing which He does not
firstly do Himself.
As we look as
best we are able through the revealed word into the eternity of the past we
have no difficulty in seeing that never in all the time before sin appeared,
did God ever behave out of harmony with His sacred law and character. It is
inconceivable to think of God acting out of harmony with some of the
commandments at least, such as putting another god in His own place, setting up
graven images for Himself to worship and such like. The areas where dispute in regard to
God's behaviour does exist is in respect to the commandments "Thou shalt
not kill," "Thou shalt not steal," and "Thou shalt not bear
false witness." [57]
During all the
eternity of the past, we know that death never made its appearance until sin
entered and brought death with it. Therefore as
certainly, God never once raised His powerful arm to take the life even of the
minutest organism in His vast realm. Nor did He ever act deceitfully, or
retrieve by force, or steal back that which He had given to any one of His
creatures.
It may be
protested that there was no necessity for the Lord to destroy the life of any
creature during that time because none had rebelled against Him to incur the
penalty of death. It was for this reason, it may be argued, that the Lord never
terminated life prior to the fall of angels and then of men, but, when sin did
enter, a situation arose different from any which had ever existed
and this required the Lord to take decisive action to cut the sedition short
and preserve the entire universe from corruption. After the fall, it is
contended, the state of things, the absence of which before the festering of
rebellion excluded any necessity for capital punishment, left God with no
choice but to kill the insurgents.
Such
an argument is not consistent with the truths laid down earlier in this
chapter. Aware as we are of the existence of these contentions about the
character of God and in anticipation of their appearing in the minds of those
especially who have long held to the traditional views of God's character, we
laid out those clear evidences from the inspired Word.
Those
evidences are summed up in these words, “I am the Lord, I change not," "the same
yesterday, today and forever, with Whom there is no variableness, neither
shadow of turning." Link with those words the truth that the law is the
very expression of His character. So if the transcript
of that character says "Thou shalt not kill," then how could we
possibly conceive of God taking life?
Certainly at this point there will run through the reader's
mind the many statements, especially in the Old Testament, where it appears
that God did come down and, by the direct and personal exercise of His mighty
power, destroy, sometimes with great cruelty, many thousands of people. We are
equally aware of these references and later we will invite you to take another look
at these incidents. They will be dealt with after we have studied the
constitution of God's character as it was before the admission of the great
mutiny.
For now we wish to consider the nature of that character in the
original kingdom and some of the implications of what we learn.
The Scriptures
make it forever plain that the Lord has never changed. Therefore, He has done
nothing this side of the fall that He did not do before, or
will do in the eternity of bliss to be reinstated in the near future.
Therefore, it is impossible to believe the
Scriptural truth that God changes not and, concurrently, hold the belief that
He takes the lives of the disobedient, unless there is a willingness to be an
inconsistent thinker. To recognize that God never destroyed before there
was sin, and to accept the [58] idea that He does destroy after its emergence,
is to believe that He has changed. It is to admit that with Him, of Whom it is
written that there is no variableness nor shadow of turning, there has been
variation, a complete turning about. It is to believe that God respected the
law in one way before iniquity arose, and then in a different and opposite way
thereafter. It is to believe that when sin is finally ended, He will return to
the original pattern of behaviour.
Just now the
reader may feel disposed to discontinue the pursuance of the arguments here
because they are so contrary to what he has formerly believed. We agree that
they are contrary, for they are Christ's teachings and He came to present
"to men that which was exactly contrary to the representations of the
enemy in regard to the character of God. . . ."
Fundamentals of Christian Education, 177.
If, in the
days of Christ, men had retained a correct knowledge of God's character, then there
would have been no need for the witness so contrary to their understanding
which Christ gave of His Father, and if, in the intervening time, men had
retained the picture of God as given by Christ, there would have been no need
for producing this volume as an effort directed to turning the minds of all
back to the divine pattern.
That which has
so far been presented is only the barest beginning of the evidences to be
tendered. It is important that all the evidences be considered before the
conclusions herein are rejected.
Consideration
must now be given to the way in which God keeps the law. He does not do it by
reining Himself up to a code of behaviour which is foreign to His nature. He
obeys it as a natural outworking of that which He Himself is. It is His
pleasure to do righteousness and He has interest in no other course of action.
This is the
only kind of obedience God wishes to receive from His creatures—that which
springs from a personal conviction that His way is the only way, and from a
heart created in the image of God and as a transcript of His holy law.
"Since
the service of love can alone be acceptable to God, the allegiance of His
creatures must rest upon a conviction of His justice and benevolence." The
Great Controversy, 498.
"The law
of love being the foundation of the government of God, the happiness of all
created beings depended upon their perfect accord with its great principles of
righteousness. God desires from all His creatures the service of love,—homage that springs from an intelligent appreciation
of His character. He takes no pleasure in a forced allegiance, and to all He
grants freedom of will, that they may render Him voluntary service."
ibid., 493. Patriarchs and Prophets, 34.
God recognizes
that if obedience to His law has to be compelled, then
He would have a form of government which was short of perfection. But He will
have nothing that is anything less than the ideal. He is determined [59] on
this for He will be content with the provision only of the ultimate in happiness
and prosperity for all His subjects. Therefore, in God's kingdom, no force is
ever employed to bring about allegiance to Him or to put down rebellion. We can
be certain of this for it is plainly written that it is so.
"God
could have destroyed Satan and his sympathizers as easily as one can cast a
pebble to the earth; but He did not do this. Rebellion was not to be overcome
by force. Compelling power is found only under Satan's government. The Lord's
principles are not of this order. His authority rests upon goodness, mercy, and
love; and the presentation of these principles is the means to be used. God's
government is moral, and truth and love are to be the prevailing power."
The Desire of Ages, 759.
"The
exercise of force is contrary to the principles of God's government; He desires
only the service of love and love cannot be commanded; it cannot be won by
force or authority." ibid., 22.
"Earthly
kingdoms rule by the ascendency of physical power; but from Christ's kingdom
every carnal weapon, every instrument of coercion, is banished." The Acts
of the Apostles, 12.
"In the
work of redemption there is no compulsion. No external force is employed. Under
the influence of the Spirit of God, man is left free to choose whom he will
serve. In the change that takes place when the soul surrenders to Christ, there
is the highest sense of freedom." The Desire of Ages, 466.
"God does
not employ compulsory measures; love is the agent which He uses to expel sin
from the heart." The Mount of Blessing, 77.
The message of
these statements is very clear. They tell us that "Compelling power is
found only under Satan's government." If compelling power or force is
exclusive to Satan and his government then it is never found under God's
government. It is foreign to Him. "The exercise of force is contrary to
the principles of God's government." If there is one thing of which there
is absolute certainty, it is that God does nothing that is contrary to His
principles. Men do over and again, but God never. Therefore, it needs to be
fixed in mind that because the exercise of force is contrary to the principles
of God and His government, under no circumstances will He use force to solve
any problem.
Certainly He never did in the eternity of the past before sin
entered for clearly no situation arose to necessitate it. Perfect harmony
pervaded the entire universe and not one being stepped out of line until the
betrayal of God by Lucifer.
Since the
fall, men and devils have continually exercised force in their efforts to solve
their problems for this is the way of Satan and men. They are fully convinced
that the circumstances in which they are placed make it impossible not to use
force both for survival and for achieving their ambitions.
The words as
quoted above are God's positive assurances to us that He never resorts to the
use of compelling power. What God says, is the truth, [60] and His every action
is consistent with that truth for, unlike sinful men and devils, He does not
say one thing, then do another. Therefore, confidence should fill every child
of God, that the use of force is never to be found with God. God affirms it is
so. Accordingly, let us simply and implicitly believe it to be so.
It is a
principle of faith that belief in God's words must be maintained in the face of
evidences which declare the contrary is true. Thus in
the Old Testament, God's actions seem to say that He did use compelling power
to achieve His righteous ends, that He did resort to force to put down
rebellion, and that He did make an example of some by crushing them with
terrible punishments that were often fatal.
The
choice of belief between the declarations of God and the appearances of what
God did in the human arena, is before every person. The greater proportion
choose to believe what they think they see rather than what God has said.
Therefore, the almost universal belief is that God does use force, that He
exterminates whole nations who have utterly rejected Him, and that He relies on
compelling power to put down rebellion.
But the true
child of God will believe what God said despite any evidences which at least
appear to be contrary. God said that He does not use force or compelling power,
so he believes that, even though he cannot rightly understand what God really
did in those Old Testament incidents. He will simply admit to the challenger of
his faith that he does not yet understand just what God did, nor does he have
to necessarily. In the meantime, he will assure the doubting questioner that he
has the plain utterances of the Word of God, so that he can be assured that,
even though he cannot explain it in detail, God does not do what He appears to
do. This is the way faith works. It is based on the Word of God, not on
appearances. In due time such a faithful one will discover, under God's wise
tutelage, just what God actually did in each varied
incident. When he does, he will find that God did not once act contrary to His
principles, but only in perfect harmony with them.
Thus each person today falls into one or the other of two categories. Either
he is a believer in the Word of God or he builds his belief on the witness of
sight and circumstances. It is simple to know which you are. If you believe
God's declaration that compelling power is found only under Satan's government,
that He never turns to the use of force, and never crushes to destruction those
who do not serve Him, then you are a child of faith.
Otherwise, if you believe that God did find it
necessary to use force to destroy His opponents, then you are an unbeliever,
because you have allowed the witness of appearances to take precedence over the
witness of God's Word.
Without
question, the witness of sight and circumstances is very powerful. When the Old
Testament stories are read wherein it is reported that [61] God rained fire and
brimstone on the Sodomites; that He poured forth the waters of the flood until
they were all drowned; and so on, it is easy and natural to believe that God
was personally resorting to the weapons of force.
But that pure faith, the faith of Jesus, which
clings unswervingly to the spoken word of God, recognizes that if this is so,
then God is truly inconsistent. He has spoken one thing but does another. This
is the charge which Satan laid against God in heaven and which the great controversy
is designed to remove. If the Lord was to act contrary to His stated
principles, then He would quickly and effectively give Satan the very evidences
he needed to prove the point he had sought to make up in heaven. It would have
been much better for the Lord to have admitted inconsistency to Satan in the
first case than to blatantly continue it where it could be openly seen by all.
But, the very nature of the great controversy and the issues involved in that,
demand that if the Lord is to triumph, He must be utterly consistent with
Himself. He cannot say one thing and then do another. To do so, even for a
single instance, would be to lose everything and give the victory to Satan and
his angels.
It has been
the false interpretations of God's behaviour in the sin problem, imposed on
men's minds by Satan, which have made it appear that the Lord has been
inconsistent. In verity, there has been no inconsistency whatsoever. God has
been impeccably faithful to His word. What is more, when God's actions are correctly
evaluated, it will be confirmed that His ways are so perfect and infallible
that He experiences no need to turn to the use of force. There has been an aptness to
conclude that there is only one possible interpretation of the Old Testament
incidents. What is needed is a second and more educated investigation
into those happenings. This research, conducted along the lines of correct
principles of Scriptural interpretation, will bring the student to conclusions
which will dismiss ideas formed on the basis of what
it seemed God did. It will be
found that there are vital differences between what the Lord appeared to have
done and what He really did. This will be undertaken later when time is
given to studying the manifestation of God's character in His dealing with the
sin problem. For the present the study of His government as it was constituted
before sin appeared, must be continued.
We now need to
consider a most important aspect of God's relationship to His subjects. It is a
matter closely linked to, and consistent with, the fact that any use of force
is contrary to the principles of God's government and to the purpose and nature
of God's law. Only as all three of these are studied together will it be
possible to understand any one of them.
This vital
aspect is the one of freedom, one of the most precious gifts ever given by God
to His subjects. A little thought will show that as surely as God has no
intention of using compelling power to enforce the observance of His law, then
as certainly has He set His creatures absolutely free
to serve [62] Him or not to serve Him. The two are consistent with and
inseparable from each other. As soon as all compelling power is removed from a
person, then so soon is that person given complete freedom to choose not to
serve if that is his wish and desire.
"God never compels the obedience of man. He
leaves all free to choose whom they will serve." Prophets and Kings, 511.
"They [the angels] told Adam and Eve that God would
not compel them to obey—that He had not removed from them the power to go
contrary to His will; that they were moral agents, free to obey or
disobey." The Story of Redemption, 30.
"Our
first parents, though created innocent and holy, were not placed beyond the
possibility of wrong-doing. God made them free moral agents, capable of
appreciating the wisdom and benevolence of His character and the justice of His
requirements, and with full liberty to yield or to withhold obedience."
Patriarchs and Prophets, 48.
"The law
of love being the foundation of the government of God, the happiness of all
created beings depended upon their perfect accord with its great principles of
righteousness. God desires
from all His creatures the service of love,—homage
that springs from an intelligent appreciation of His character. He takes no
pleasure in a forced allegiance, and to all He grants freedom of will, that
they may render Him voluntary service." The Great Controversy, 493.
Patriarchs and Prophets, 34.
This is not to
be understood as stating that the Lord gave His creatures freedom to sin with
impunity. There is a doctrine
abroad which paints God as being so sweetly loving, that He will excuse and
protect all sin and sinners rather than see anyone perish. That doctrine is not
to be confused with the positions taken here. The sinner will die. The heavens
and earth will be destroyed and the entire universe
will be rendered clean from the stain of sin. But it will not be God Who wields
the scourge of destruction to effect this. Rather, He will firstly have warned
every created being of the terrible consequences attendant on choosing to take
the path of disobedience. Then, when they do, He will expend every effort to
save them from it, and, only when they reject His saving effort, will He
finally leave them to perish.
Observe the
relationship between rendering to God a service of love based upon an
intelligent conviction of God's justice and goodness and the granting to each
of perfect and complete freedom to obey or to disobey as the individual himself
shall choose. This connection is made particularly in the last statement
quoted. Interestingly, the exercise of that freedom in the wrong direction
immediately deprives a person of liberty, for sin is a cruel taskmaster which
forces its subjects into service. It is not God Who deprives of this freedom.
This is the work of sin and Satan.
But on the positive side, only where there is
complete freedom of choice is it possible for an intelligent service of love to
be rendered. Just so soon as any element of compulsion such as the threat of
punishment, is in- [63] troduced, then to that extent
will there be a service motivated by fear. God's subjects would then obey Him
because they were afraid not to.
This, God can never accept. He knows that
such a kingdom cannot be blessed with flawless happiness and fulness of joy. In
His kingdom, each and every subject is so intelligent
on the perfection of God's ways that his admiration and love for his Sovereign
spring spontaneously, naturally and joyously in devoted allegiance. Thus in the kingdom of God, perfectly and fully established,
there is no question of the service rendered being real or feigned. It can only
be genuine. Thus God will have in eternity's coming
perfection, what every earthly monarch through all time has craved—the total
and loving loyalty of every one of His people. Such indeed would be a blessed
kingdom in which perfect love and confidence would forever reign. Any ruler who
had this, could and would walk among his people without fear. Of him it could
not be said, "Uneasy lies the head which wears the crown."
No kingdom has
ever been like this, though some have approached it. Earthly kingdoms always
tend to servitude in one form or another and seek to hold the loyalty of their
citizens with the threat of punishment for disobedience. No crime is considered
worse than treason—disloyalty to the state.
But Jesus came
to deliver men from all this, testifying of this mission in these words,
"And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."
"If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed."
John 8:32, 36.
Jesus Christ
does not come to transfer the sinner from one form of bondage to another. God's
object in Christ is to restore the kingdom to its original perfection, the
perfection of complete freedom to serve God. Accordingly, Jesus said that those
whom the Son set free would be free indeed. Here Christ envisaged a total
freedom for His children. That is the nature of God's kingdom, the revelation
of His purpose of beneficence and love toward every creature.
A.T. Jones in
Ecclesiastical Empires, 586-588, has set forth these principles with the
greatest force and clarity.
"It may
be further asked: Could not God have prevented it all, by making Lucifer and
all others so that they could not sin? It is right and perfectly safe to
answer, He could not! To have made creatures so that they could not sin, would
have been really to make them so that they could not choose. To have no power
of choice is not only to be not free to think, but to be unable to think. It is
to be not intelligent, but only a mere machine. Such could not possibly be of
any use to themselves or their kind, nor be of any honor, praise, or glory to
Him who made them.
"Freedom
of choice is essential to intelligence. Freedom of thought is essential to
freedom of choice. God has made angels and men intelligent. He has made them
free to choose, and has left them perfectly free to
choose. He made them free to think as they choose. God is the author of [64]
intelligence, of freedom of choice, and of freedom of thought. And He will
forever respect that of which He is the author. He will never invade to a
hair's breadth the freedom of angel or man to choose for himself, nor to think
as he chooses. And God is infinitely more honored in making intelligences free
to choose such a course, and to think in such a way as to make themselves
devils, than He could possibly be in making them so that they could not think
nor choose, so that they would be not intelligent, but mere machines.
"It may
be yet further queried: As God made angels and men free to sin if they should
choose, did He not then have to provide against this possible choice before
they were made—did He not have to provide for the possibility of sin, before
ever a single creature was made?—Assuredly He had to
make such provision. And He did so. And this provision is an essential part of
that eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord, which we are
now studying.
"Let us
go back to the time when there was no created thing; back to the eternal
counsels of the Father and the Son. The existence of God is not a
self-satisfied existence. His love is not self-love. His joy is not fulfilled
in wrapping Himself within Himself, and sitting
solitary and self-centered. His love is satisfied only in flowing out to those
who will receive and enjoy it to the full. His joy is fulfilled only in
carrying to an infinite universe full of blessed intelligences, the very
fullness of eternal joy.
"Standing
then, in thought, with Him before there was a single intelligent creature
created, He desires that the universe shall be full of joyful intelligences
enjoying His love to the full.
In
order to do this they must be free to choose not to
serve Him, to choose not to enjoy His love. They must be free to choose Him or
themselves, life or death. But this involves the possibility of the entrance of
sin, the possibility that some will choose not to serve Him, will choose the
way of sin. Shall He then refuse to create because, if He does, it must be with
the possibility that sin may enter?—This would be but
eternally to remain self-centered and solitary. More than this, such a
shrinking would in itself cause Him to cease to be
God. For what is a god, or what is he worth, who can not do what he desires?
who can not fulfill his own will? Such a god would be worthless.
"Thank
the Lord, such is not the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He made all
intelligences free to choose, and to think as they choose; and therefore free to sin if they choose. And at the same time,
in His infinite love and eternal righteousness, He purposed to give Himself a
sacrifice to redeem all who should sin; and give them even a second freedom to
choose Him or themselves, to choose life or death. And those who the second
time would choose death, let them have what they have chosen. And those who
would choose life,—the universe full of them,— let
them enjoy to the full that which they have chosen,—even eternal life, the
fullness of perfect love, and the dear delights of unalloyed joy forever. [65]
"This is
God, the living God, the God of love, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, who is fully able to do whatsoever He will, and yet leave all His
creatures free. This is He who from the days of eternity 'worketh ALL THINGS
AFTER THE COUNSEL OF His own will.' Ephesians 1:11. And this is 'the mystery of
His will, . . . which He hath purposed in Himself; that in the dispensation of
the fullness of times He might gather together in one all things in Christ,
both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in Him.' Ephesians 1:9,
10. This is 'the eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord.'
Ephesians 3:11.
"The
choice of self is sin, bondage, and death. The choice of Christ is
righteousness, freedom, and life eternal in the realm and purpose of the
eternal God."
Let careful
contemplation be given to the thoughts expressed in this statement and the
implications thereof.
"Freedom of
choice is essential to intelligence." The proving ground of history
provides evidence enough of the truth of this. It is the work of the gospel to
set men free, and never was the gospel more gloriously and effectively preached
than in the days of Pentecost and thereafter until the decline in the Christian
Church. As the liberating
influence of the truth was robbed of its power, the world was carried down into
the Dark Ages. Freedom of choice was unknown, as the papal hierarchy ruled the
world with an absolute despotism. Such a state of ignorance and corruption
developed that the period was given the designation of the Dark Ages.
There can be
no fair argument to the effect that that condition of things was due to
something other than the deprivation of the freedom of the world. Against any such argument can be
marshalled evidence upon evidence to show that wherever men are despoiled of
their liberties they sink into a state of ignorance and darkness. Conversely, wherever the living
gospel of Jesus Christ sets men free, there is the greatest advance in
knowledge and intellectual development. It was the gospel preached in
the Reformation which set men free. That work had far greater impact in some
areas than in others. There were those cities and countries where the dominant
influence was Protestant while others remained bastions of the papacy. Those
areas today where the Reformation influence was the strongest are the places
where the greatest advances have been made in every form of intellectual
development. In fact, the
great wave of increased knowledge came directly upon the heels of the
Reformation. A.T. Jones is wholly correct in his assertion that freedom
of choice is essential to intelligence.
Note by Ron: Consider the plight of the countries
of the world where political communism has be forced
and enforced upon the people. Compare the lack of prosperity in those countries
where freedom reigns. Over one-hundred million people have died as a result of the Satanic experiment called communism as
envisioned by Mark. This is the result of Satan’s use of FORCE. End note.
God could
never be honoured or blessed by filling His kingdom with unintelligent
creatures. His is a kingdom of light—not darkness. Therefore
He made angels and men intelligent. He filled them with light and, in order to give that light the fullest scope for increase,
He gave them, as He had to do to achieve this, freedom of choice. [66]
Therefore,
"God is the author of intelligence, of freedom of choice, and of freedom
of thought." These are God's gifts to His creatures which are inseparably
and eternally associated with His dominion. They cannot be taken away from Him
and His creatures without changing the whole nature of His character,
government and law. This God will not do, for it would make perfection
imperfect, and would limit to destruction the happiness and contentment of His
creatures.
Therefore,
"He will ever respect that of which He is the author. He will never invade
to a hair's breadth the freedom of angel or man to choose for himself, nor to
think as he chooses."
This is
eternally true of God. He has given that freedom and never so much as by a
hair's breadth will He ever violate the right of any of His creatures to choose
the course they will pursue. This is the only way God would, and will, have it,
and it is the only way which any enlightened child of God would have it too.
Anything short of, or other than this, is less than perfection and therefore
less than total happiness.
This granting
of freedom because it was essential to fullness of development and happiness,
possesses in itself terrible danger. It is the danger
that, despite the overwhelming evidences that God's way was free from the
slightest stain of imperfection and had provided all with unspeakable joy and
fulfilment, some, or even all, of His subjects would choose to go their own
way, making themselves into demons of horror and destruction. But, even though
God thoroughly understood the possibilities of there being a period when some
or even all of His creatures would undertake a
terrible experimentation with a supposed way of life other than His, He would
not and did not, institute any safeguards involving the element of force. He
would have nothing less for them than perfection wherein lay the unlimited
possibilities of infinite development. That could not be if there was not the
total freedom to serve God or to serve themselves as they themselves should
choose.
What are the
implications of these points in the heavenly constitution? To what extent did
this determine how God would react to any of His subjects turning away from Him
and choosing another way?
Put these two principles together again—the
principle of no coercive force being used and the principle of granting
absolute freedom to choose. As surely as these two things are combined in the
constitution of God's kingdom, then just so surely does God place Himself where
He cannot punish those who do do what He said they
could do, namely, choose another master if they wished.
This is a most difficult principle for man to
understand because it is so foreign to his way of thinking. In human government
there exists only lawmakers who firstly frame the legislation, then draft
punishments for those who do not obey, and finally appoint enforcement machinery
to administer the sentence. This is all that is known to human experience in
the [67] framework of human justice. Because it is so hard to divorce the mind
from this concept, it is difficult to conceive of God placing Himself where He
cannot personally visit penalties upon the head of the evildoer.
Civil rulers
do not grant to anyone, freedom of choice. Their mandate is "Obey, or suffer at our hands." Those who make the law
are the ones who punish the lawbreaker, but it is not so in God's kingdom. He
has spelled out the law as the expression of His own character
but it is sin and death which enslave the transgressor.
If it is
possible for the dismissal of the human concept from the mind so that the steps
taken by God in putting together His empire can be viewed dispassionately and
objectively, it will be seen that to totally reject the use of force and at the
same time grant to all, freedom of will, is to set up a situation wherein it
would not be possible to administer punishment and death in
order to correct the problem. It does not matter how it may appear that
during the Old Testament period, for example, the Lord did administer
punishments as earthly rulers do, the fact remains that a government
constituted on the lines of total rejection of the use of force as a solution,
while at the same time giving freedom of choice to the subjects, simply cannot
punish those who do choose to go another way. God gave them the right to make
that choice and He cannot punish them for making the decision He Himself gave
them the liberty to make.
All that He
can do, prior to their making the wrong choice, is to work to save them from
making it by revealing the certain results of choosing the other course. It is
the same work as done by the mother who solemnly warns her child of the
consequences of painful burns which will certainly follow if the child touches
a hot stove.
When His
subjects had entered into a course of sin, God did all
He could to save them even then, if they would choose to be saved. He even went so far as to give His
own life in the Person of His Son, so that men might have a second opportunity
to choose life instead of death. Man's first choice was made from the
side of righteousness and freedom which he left for bondage and death. His
second choice is made from the opposite side from where he decides either to
remain in bondage and under sentence of death, or to come back to the side of
purity and eternal life. But the choice is just as free in the second stage as
it was in the first. The one difference is that in making the second choice,
man knows by experience the hurt of sin and so has first-hand evidence of the
truth of God's word.
If for the
second time men choose to go the way without God, then He has no recourse but
to leave them to that which they have chosen. Note again the way this truth is
expressed in the words of A.T. Jones, "He made all intelligences free to
choose, and to think as they choose; and therefore
free to sin if they choose. And at the same time, in His infinite love and
eternal righteousness, He purposed to give Himself a sacrifice to redeem all
who should sin; and give them even a second freedom to choose Him or [68]
themselves, to choose life or death. And those who the second time would choose
death, let them have what they have chosen. And those who would choose life,—the universe full of them,— let them enjoy to the full
that which they have chosen,—even eternal life, the fullness of perfect love,
and the dear delights of unalloyed joy forever." Ecclesiastical Empires,
588. Emphasis original.
Therefore,
"God does not stand toward the sinner as the executioner of the sentence
against transgression; but He leaves the rejecters of His mercy to themselves,
to reap that which they have sown." The Great Controversy, 36.
Before Lucifer
arose, the sincerity of God's gift of freedom to every creature remained
untested. In those days when no one chose anything but faithful service to Him,
it was a simple matter for God's methods to work. No one even thought about the
possible implications to the system.
It was when
those powerful beings stood up under Lucifer's leadership, determined to set up
a rival dominion, that the first challenge to God's promise was raised. Satan
and his followers have pressed that challenge to the utmost limits, exploring,
probing and searching for some weakness whereby they might gain a foothold and
topple the divine organization. God had declared that His ways were perfection,
not simply for the sunny, prosperous days, but for any possible circumstances
from the best to the worst. Under this searching inquisition, this endless
pressure, would those principles stand or would they
prove to be faulty? That was the question to be decided in the great
controversy. Would it be found that God had to make modifications and
concessions, that He would after all be forced to acknowledge that He had gone
too far in granting such complete freedom, and that He would have to withdraw
it in order to rain punishments on the wrong-doer?
The darkness
in which Satan has made God's actions appear, contends that God and His ways
did not survive the test, that He had to resort to force to punish those who
exercised the freedom He gave them not to serve Him, and that He was not able
to tolerate the exercise of the freedom of choice which enabled angels and men
to establish a competing kingdom. The devil asserts that he has already won the
debate, which claim would be entirely true if God had done what Satan charges
Him with doing. All too readily, men in general have subscribed to Satan's
lies. This gives support to his cause. The time has come when a revised
understanding of God's actions is imperative.
Such will be
offered as this study progresses but firstly consideration must be given to
another factor—the workings of the law of God. As already stated, the rejection
of force, the granting of perfect freedom of choice to all, and the nature and
purpose of God's law are three things so closely related that they must be
studied in conjunction with each other for any or all of them to be adequately
understood. Study has been given to the former two, so we must now consider the
last.
[69]
End Chapter 7