Corporate Responsibility

 

 

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One of the most astounding Bible prophesies involving corporate responsibility is the following verses wherein God told rebellious Israel He would bring upon them all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the time of righteous Abel to the tme of Zacharias, whom they slew between the temple and the Altar. Will the despisers of corporate responsibility say that God is of the devil for this prophecy on corporate responsibility?

 

Before you proceed, read what happened at Ai https://omega77.tripod.com/achanssin36die.htm

 

Will some indict God as being of the devil for what HE says in Ezekiel 9, as they call anyone who teaches corporate responsibilility as being of the devil? Remember that Ezekiel 9 was literally fulfilled upon rebellious Israel in A.D 70:

 

Ez 9:5 And to the others he said in mine hearing, Go ye after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity:

 

Ez 9:6 Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house.

 

Ez 9:7 And he said unto them, Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain: go ye forth. And they went forth, and slew in the city.

 

Ez 9:8 And it came to pass, while they were slaying them, and I was left, that I fell upon my face, and cried, and said, Ah Lord GOD! wilt thou destroy all the residue of Israel in thy pouring out of thy fury upon Jerusalem?

 

Ez 9:9 Then said he unto me, The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceeding great, and the land is full of blood, and the city full of perverseness: for they say, The LORD hath forsaken the earth, and the LORD seeth not.

 

Ez 9:10 And as for me also, mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity, but I will recompense their way upon their head.

 

Ez 9:11 And, behold, the man clothed with linen, which had the inkhorn by his side, reported the matter, saying, I have done as thou hast commanded me.

 

Matthew 23:35 That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.

 

Matthew 23:36 Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.

 

Matthew 23:37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!

 

Matthew 23:38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.

 

Even though Ellen White and the Bible make clear teachings on the principle of Corporate responsibility, there are Adventists who are ready to say that corporate responsibility is of the devil because it sometimes includes the "innocent" with the guilt. For example, in the Biblical example of Achan and his family, thirty six men were killed. Indeed, God indictes “the children of Israel for Achan’s sin":

 

Jos 7:1 But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing: for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against the children of Israel.

 

Will the critics of Corporate responsibility accuse God of being of the devil for His application of Achan’s sin to all the Children of Israel, holding them responsible until Acan’s sin was searched out and dealt with?

 

Joshua 7:15 And it shall be, that he that is taken with the accursed thing shall be burnt with fire, he and all that he hath: because he hath transgressed the covenant of the LORD, and because he hath wrought folly in Israel.

 

Joshua 7:16 So Joshua rose up early in the morning, and brought Israel by their tribes; and the tribe of Judah was taken:

 

Joshua 7:17 And he brought the family of Judah; and he took the family of the Zarhites: and he brought the family of the Zarhites man by man; and Zabdi was taken:

 

Joshua 7:18 And he brought his household man by man; and Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken.

 

Joshua 7:19 And Joshua said unto Achan, My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the LORD God of Israel, and make confession unto him; and tell me now what thou hast done; hide it not from me.

 

Joshua 7:20 And Achan answered Joshua, and said, Indeed I have sinned against the LORD God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done:

 

Joshua 7:21 When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it.

 

Joshua 7:22 So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran unto the tent; and, behold, it was hid in his tent, and the silver under it.

 

Joshua 7:23 And they took them out of the midst of the tent, and brought them unto Joshua, and unto all the children of Israel, and laid them out before the LORD.

 

Joshua 7:24 And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the garment, and the wedge of gold, and his sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had: and they brought them unto the valley of Achor.

 

Joshua 7:25 And Joshua said, Why hast thou troubled us? the LORD shall trouble thee this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones.

 

Joshua 7:26 And they raised over him a great heap of stones unto this day. So the LORD turned from the fierceness of his anger. Wherefore the name of that place was called, The valley of Achor, unto this day.

 

Why Achan’s Family Perished—"Have you considered why it was that all who were connected with Achan were also subjects of the punishment of God? It was because they had not been trained and educated according to the directions given them in the great standard of the law of God. Achan’s parents had educated their son in such a way that he felt free to disobey the word of the Lord. The principles inculcated in his life led him to deal with his children in such a way that they also were corrupted. Mind acts and reacts upon mind, and the punishment, which included the relations of Achan with himself, Jos 7:24 And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the garment, and the wedge of gold, and his sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had: and they brought them unto the valley of Achor. Jos 22:20 Did not Achan the son of Zerah commit a trespass in the accursed thing, and wrath fell on all the congregation of Israel? and that man perished not alone in his iniquity."

 

Ask the Lord to Come In and Rule—"Exact obedience in your family; but while you do this, seek the Lord with your children, and ask Him to come in and rule. Your children may have done something that demands punishment; but if you deal with them in the spirit of Christ, their arms will be thrown about your neck; they will humble themselves before the Lord and will acknowledge their wrong. That is enough. They do not then need punishment. Let us thank the Lord that He has opened the way by which we may reach every soul."1 {CG 244.1}

 

We are as directly forbidden to indulge coveteousness as was Achan to appropriate the spoils of Jericho. We are warned, “Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” “Take heed, and beware of coveteousness.” “Let it not be once named among you.” Matthew 6:24; Luke 12:15; Ephesians 5:3. We have before us the fearful doom of Achan, of Judas, of Ananias and Sapphira. Back of all these we have Lucifer. Yet, notwithstanding all these warnings, covetousness abounds. {EP 352.5}

 

Unsanctified Ministers Will Be Weeded Out

 

The great issue so near at hand [enforcement of Sunday laws] will weed out those whom God has not appointed and He will have a pure, true, sanctified ministry prepared for the latter rain.—Selected Messages 3:385 (1886). {LDE 179.2}

 

Many will stand in our pulpits with the torch of false prophecy in their hands, kindled from the hellish torch of Satan.... {LDE 179.3}

 

Some will go out from among us who will bear the ark no longer. But these can not make walls to obstruct the truth; for it will go onward and upward to the end.—Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 409, 411 (1898). {LDE 179.4}

 

Ministers and doctors may depart from the faith, as the Word declares they will, and as the messages that God has given His servant declare they will.—Manuscript Releases 7:192 (1906). {LDE 179.5}

 

The Church May Appear as About to Fall

 

The shaking of God blows away multitudes like dry leaves.—Testimonies for the Church 4:89 (1876). {LDE 180.1}

 

Chaff like a cloud will be borne away on the wind, even from places where we see only floors of rich wheat.—Testimonies for the Church 5:81 (1882). {LDE 180.2}

 

Soon God’s people will be tested by fiery trials, and the great proportion of those who now appear to be genuine and true will prove to be base metal.... {LDE 180.3}

 

When the religion of Christ is most held in contempt, when His law is most despised, then should our zeal be the warmest and our courage and firmness the most unflinching. To stand in defense of truth and righteousness when the majority forsake us, to fight the battles of the Lord when champions are few—this will be our test. At this time we must gather warmth from the coldness of others, courage from their cowardice, and loyalty from their treason.—Testimonies for the Church 5:136 (1882). {LDE 180.4}

 

The church may appear as about to fall, but it does not fall. It remains, while the sinners in Zion will be sifted out—the chaff separated from the precious wheat. This is a terrible ordeal, but nevertheless it must take place.—Selected Messages 2:380 (1886). {LDE 180.5}

 

As the storm approaches, a large class who have professed faith in the third angel’s message, but have not been sanctified through obedience to the truth, abandon their position and join the ranks of the opposition.—The Great Controversy, 608 (1911). {LDE 180.6}

 

God’s Faithful Will Be Revealed

 

The Lord has faithful servants who in the shaking, testing time will be disclosed to view. There are precious ones now hidden who have not bowed the knee to Baal. They have not had the light which has been shining in a concentrated blaze upon you. But it may be under a rough and uninviting exterior the pure brightness of a genuine Christian character will be revealed. In the daytime we look toward heaven but do not see the stars. They are there, fixed in the firmament, but the eye cannot distinguish them. In the night we behold their genuine luster.—Testimonies for the Church 5:80, 81 (1882). {LDE 181.1}

 

On every occasion that persecution takes place, the witnesses make decisions, either for Christ or against Him. Those who show sympathy for the men wrongly condemned, who are not bitter against them, show their attachment for Christ.—The Signs of the Times, February 20, 1901. {LDE 181.2}

 

Let opposition arise, let bigotry and intolerance again bear sway, let persecution be kindled, and the half-hearted and hypocritical will waver and yield the faith; but the true Christian will stand firm as a rock, his faith stronger, his hope brighter than in days of prosperity.—The Great Controversy, 602 (1911). {LDE 181.3}

 

New Converts Will Take the Places of Those Who Leave

 

Some had been shaken out and left by the way. The careless and indifferent, who did not join with those who prized victory and salvation enough to perseveringly plead and agonize for it, did not obtain it, and they were left behind in darkness, and their places were immediately filled by others taking hold of the truth and coming into the ranks.—Early Writings, 271 (1858). {LDE 182.1}

 

The broken ranks will be filled up by those represented by Christ as coming in at the eleventh hour. There are many with whom the Spirit of God is striving. The time of God’s destructive judgments is the time of mercy for those who [now] have no opportunity to learn what is truth. Tenderly will the Lord look upon them. His heart of mercy is touched, His hand is still stretched out to save, while the door is closed to those who would not enter. Large numbers will be admitted who in these last days hear the truth for the first time.—Letter 103, 1903. {LDE 182.2}

 

Standard after standard was left to trail in the dust as company after company from the Lord’s army joined the foe and tribe after tribe from the ranks of the enemy united with the commandment-keeping people of God.—Testimonies for the Church 8:41 (1904). {LDE 182.3}

 

Chapter 13—The Latter Rain

 

The Work of the Spirit Likened to Rain

 

“He will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain.” In the East the former rain falls at the sowing time. It is necessary in order that the seed may germinate. Under the influence of the fertilizing showers the tender shoot springs up. The latter rain, falling near the close of the season, ripens the grain and prepares it for the sickle. The Lord employs these operations of nature to represent the work of the Holy Spirit. [See Zechariah 10:1; Hosea 6:3; Joel 2:23, 28.] {LDE 183.1}

 

As the dew and the rain are given first to cause the seed to germinate, and then to ripen the harvest, so the Holy Spirit is given to carry forward, from one stage to another, the process of spiritual growth. The ripening of the grain represents the completion of the work of God’s grace in the soul. By the power of the Holy Spirit the moral image of God is to be perfected in the character. We are to be wholly transformed into the likeness of Christ. {LDE 183.2}

 

The latter rain, ripening earth’s harvest, represents the spiritual grace that prepares the church for the coming of the Son of man. But unless the former rain has fallen, there will be no life; the green blade will not spring up. Unless the early showers have done their work, the latter rain can bring no seed to perfection.—Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 506 (1897). {LDE 183.3}

 

 

A. The Historical Application To the Church as a Whole

 

The Early Rain Came in A.D. 31 at Pentecost

 

In obedience to Christ’s command, they [the disciples] waited in Jerusalem for the promise of the Father—the outpouring of the Spirit. They did not wait in idleness. The record says that they were “continually in the temple, praising and blessing God.” (Luke 24:53).... {LDE 184.1}

 

As the disciples waited for the fulfillment of the promise, they humbled their hearts in true repentance and confessed their unbelief.... The disciples prayed with intense earnestness for a fitness to meet men and in their daily intercourse to speak words that would lead sinners to Christ. Putting away all differences, all desire for the supremacy, they came close together in Christian fellowship.—The Acts of the Apostles, 35-37 (1911). {LDE 184.2}

 

It was after the disciples had come into perfect unity, when they were no longer striving for the highest place, that the Spirit was poured out.—Testimonies for the Church 8:20 (1904). {LDE 184.3}

 

The outpouring of the Spirit in the days of the apostles was the beginning of the early, or former, rain, and glorious was the result. To the end of time the presence of the Spirit is to abide with the true church.—The Acts of the Apostles, 54, 55 (1911). {LDE 184.4}

 

Consequences of the Early Rain at Pentecost

 

Under the influence of the Spirit, words of penitence and confession mingled with songs of praise for sins forgiven.... Thousands were converted in a day.... {LDE 185.1}

 

The Holy Spirit ... enabled them to speak with fluency languages with which they had heretofore been unacquainted.... The Holy Spirit did for them that which they could not have accomplished for themselves in a lifetime.—The Acts of the Apostles, 38-40 (1911). {LDE 185.2}

 

Their hearts were surcharged with a benevolence so full, so deep, so far-reaching, that it impelled them to go to the ends of the earth, testifying to the power of Christ.—The Acts of the Apostles, 46 (1911). {LDE 185.3}

 

What was the result of the outpouring of the Spirit on the Day of Pentecost? The glad tidings of a risen Saviour were carried to the uttermost parts of the inhabited world.... The church beheld converts flocking to her from all directions. Backsliders were reconverted.... The ambition of the believers was to reveal the likeness of Christ’s character and to labor for the enlargement of His kingdom.—The Acts of the Apostles, 48 (1911). {LDE 185.4}

 

The Promise of the Latter Rain

 

The outpouring of the Spirit in the days of the apostles was “the former rain,” and glorious was the result. But the latter rain will be more abundant.—Testimonies for the Church 8:21 (1904). {LDE 185.5}

 

Near the close of earth’s harvest, a special bestowal of spiritual grace is promised to prepare the church for the coming of the Son of man. This outpouring of the Spirit is likened to the falling of the latter rain.—The Acts of the Apostles, 55 (1911). {LDE 186.1}

 

Before the final visitation of God’s judgments upon the earth there will be among the people of the Lord such a revival of primitive godliness as has not been witnessed since apostolic times. The Spirit and power of God will be poured out upon His children.—The Great Controversy, 464 (1911). {LDE 186.2}

 

The work will be similar to that of the Day of Pentecost. As the “former rain” was given, in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at the opening of the gospel, to cause the upspringing of the precious seed, so the “latter rain” will be given at its close for the ripening of the harvest.—The Great Controversy, 611 (1911). {LDE 186.3}

 

The Latter Rain Will Produce the Loud Cry

 

At that time the “latter rain,” or refreshing from the presence of the Lord, will come, to give power to the loud voice of the third angel, and prepare the saints to stand in the period when the seven last plagues shall be poured out.—Early Writings, 86 (1854). {LDE 186.4}

 

I heard those clothed with the armor speak forth the truth with great power. It had effect.... I asked what had made this great change. An angel answered, “It is the latter rain, the refreshing from the presence of the Lord, the loud cry of the third angel.”—Early Writings, 271 (1858). {LDE 186.5}

 

B. The Personal Application To Individual Christians

 

The Early Rain Produces Conversion; The Latter Rain Develops a Christlike Character

 

At no point in our experience can we dispense with the assistance of that which enables us to make the first start. The blessings received under the former rain are needful to us to the end.... As we seek God for the Holy Spirit, it will work in us meekness, humbleness of mind, a conscious dependence upon God for the perfecting latter rain.—Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 507, 509 (1897). {LDE 187.1}

 

The Holy Spirit seeks to abide in each soul. If it is welcomed as an honored guest, those who receive it will be made complete in Christ. The good work begun will be finished; the holy thoughts, heavenly affections, and Christlike actions will take the place of impure thoughts, perverse sentiments, and rebellious acts.—Counsels on Health, 561 (1896). {LDE 187.2}

 

We may have had a measure of the Spirit of God, but by prayer and faith we are continually to seek more of the Spirit. It will never do to cease our efforts. If we do not progress, if we do not place ourselves in an attitude to receive both the former and the latter rain, we shall lose our souls, and the responsibility will lie at our own door.... {LDE 187.3}

 

The convocations of the church, as in camp meetings, the assemblies of the home church, and all occasions where there is personal labor for souls, are God’s appointed opportunities for giving the early and the latter rain.—Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 508 (1897). {LDE 188.1}

 

When the way is prepared for the Spirit of God, the blessing will come. Satan can no more hinder a shower of blessing from descending upon God’s people than he can close the windows of heaven that rain cannot come upon the earth.—Selected Messages 1:124 (1887). {LDE 188.2}

 

We Should Pray Earnestly for the Descent of the Holy Spirit

 

We should pray as earnestly for the descent of the Holy Spirit as the disciples prayed on the Day of Pentecost. If they needed it at that time, we need it more today.—Testimonies for the Church 5:158 (1882). {LDE 188.3}

 

The descent of the Holy Spirit upon the church is looked forward to as in the future, but it is the privilege of the church to have it now. Seek for it, pray for it, believe for it. We must have it, and Heaven is waiting to bestow it.—Evangelism, 701 (1895). {LDE 188.4}

 

The measure of the Holy Spirit we receive will be proportioned to the measure of our desire and the faith exercised for it, and the use we shall make of the light and knowledge that shall be given to us.—The Review and Herald, May 5, 1896. {LDE 188.5}

 

We are not willing enough to trouble the Lord with our petitions, and to ask Him for the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Lord wants us to trouble Him in this matter. He wants us to press our petitions to the throne.—Fundamentals of Christian Education, 537 (1909). {LDE 188.6}

 

We Must Humble Our Hearts in True Repentance

 

A revival of true godliness among us is the greatest and most urgent of all our needs. To seek this should be our first work. There must be earnest effort to obtain the blessing of the Lord, not because God is not willing to bestow His blessing upon us, but because we are unprepared to receive it. Our heavenly Father is more willing to give His Holy Spirit to them that ask Him, than are earthly parents to give good gifts to their children. But it is our work, by confession, humiliation, repentance, and earnest prayer, to fulfill the conditions upon which God has promised to grant us His blessing. A revival need be expected only in answer to prayer.—Selected Messages 1:121 (1887). {LDE 189.1}

 

I tell you that there must be a thorough revival among us. There must be a converted ministry. There must be confessions, repentance, and conversions. Many who are preaching the Word need the transforming grace of Christ in their hearts. They should let nothing stand in the way of their making thorough work before it shall be forever too late.—Letter 51, 1886. {LDE 189.2}