Uplifting Articles by Joe Crews: 2c

As the last manifestation of God's truth and God's character to the world, this remnant church carries a tremendous responsibility. As our name indicates, we are the remnant, or final end-piece, of a long illustrious line of loyalists whose minority voices have been heard in every generation since Christ was here. Those same neglected doctrines and standards which were so dear to our spiritual forebears have been handed to us to defend in the last generation. What a privilege!

The early church suffered and died for those principles. The Waldenses, Reformers and Puritans laid down their lives in defense of the original faith delivered to the saints. We are now charged with the protection and proclamation of the same pure gospel. Dare we dilute it or allow it to be changed?

Perhaps we need to be reminded of how those persecuted ancestors of ours exercised unbelievable courage in standing for unpopular truth. In 1593, the English Parliament branded as "disloyal persons" all who worshiped outside the Church of England. They did this because increasing numbers of ardent, reform-minded

Puritans were withdrawing from the state church and organizing independent congregations. Death or expulsion from the country was decreed against all who did not stay with the Church of England.

But the spirit of reform could not be suppressed. By the time Queen Elizabeth died in 1603, fully ten percent of the Anglican clergy were converted to the Puritan views. And when King James arrived in London that same year to assume the crown, he was immediately waited upon by a delegation of ministers who presented him with the "Millinary Petition," so-called because it was signed by one thousand members of the Church of England clergy. In the New King James Bible, printed by Thomas Nelson, a historical supplement in the back of the Bible describes some of the requests made by those concerned preachers in their Petition to the new king. "The Petition asked that the sign of the cross be abolished in baptism, the use of the ring be dropped from the marriage ceremony, and that the wearing of a cap and surplice葉he loose fitting white gown worn by some of the clergy傭e made optional." (p. 222).

Although it may seem puzzling to modern Christians that one tenth of the Protestant ministers of England should have been so concerned over such seemingly trivial matters as wedding rings and crosses, we need to understand the basis for their protest. They were living closer to the heathen origin of those practices, and held stronger convictions against mingling the holy and the profane. Sister White explains why they made these matters such issues of reform:

"The English Reformers, while renouncing the doctrines of Romanism, had retained many of its forms. Thus though the authority and creed of Rome were rejected, not a few of her customs and ceremonies were incorporated into the worship of the Church of England. It was claimed that these things were not matters of conscience; that though they were not commanded in Scripture, and hence were nonessential, yet not being forbidden, they were not intrinsically evil. Their observance tended to narrow the gulf which separated the reformed churches from Rome, and it was argued that they would promote the acceptance of the Protestant faith by Romanists.

"To the conservative and compromising, these arguments seemed conclusive. But there was another class that did not so judge. The fact that these customs tended to bridge over the chasm between Rome and the Reformation was in their view a conclusive argument against retaining them. They looked upon them as badges of the slavery from which they had been delivered and to which they had no disposition to return. They reasoned that God has in His Word established the regulations governing His worship, and that men are not at liberty to add to these or to detract from them. The very beginning of the great apostasy was in seeking to supplement the authority of God by that of the church. Rome began by enjoining what God had not forbidden, and she ended by forbidding ding what He had explicitly enjoined.

"Many earnestly desired to return to the purity and simplicity which characterized the primitive church. They regarded many of the established customs of the English Church as monuments of idolatry, and they could not in conscience unite in her worship." The Great Controversy, pp. 289, 290.

I have quoted at length so that you can get the inspired picture of why the religious ancestors of our own church rejected those worship customs which were tainted with Romanism and paganism. Even though the wedding ring and crosses were not specifically forbidden in the Bible, the reformers evidently knew the background of those customs and considered them "monuments of idolatry." They wanted nothing which would link them to the manmade traditions of the apostate Catholic Church.

Evidence that the heathen connection was well known by the Church of England leadership is fully established by the famous statement of John Henry Newman. After he forsook Anglicanism to become, later, a cardinal of the Church of Rome, he wrote: "Constantine, in order to recommend the new religion to the heathen, transferred into it the outward adornments to which they had been accustomed in their own. It is not necessary to go into a subject which the diligence of Protestant writers has made familiar to most of us. The use of temples, and these dedicated to particular saints ... incense ... candles ... holy water ...processions...the ring in marriage, turning to the east, images at a later date ... are all of pagan origin, and sanctified by their adoption into the Church." An Essay On the Development of Christian Doctrine, p. 373. (Emphasis supplied.)

Surely if this apostate of the Church of England i understood the religious elements which had been inherited from paganism, the loyal Puritans would have been more aware of them. Newman said that it was the diligence of Protestant writers which had made these facts well known. No wonder the protesting Puritans felt uncomfortable about the use of the wedding ring.

It is significant that Ellen White enjoined the Puritan principles on dress as the model for modern Christians.

"Puritan plainness and simplicity should mark the dwellings and apparel of all who believe the solemn truths for this time." Testimonies, Vol. 5, p. 189.

"Not one penny should be spent for a circlet of gold to testify that we are married." Testimonies to Ministers, p. 181.

"That ring encircling your finger may be very plain, but it is useless, and the wearing of it has a wrong influence upon others." Testimonies, Vol. 4, p. 630.

"To dress plainly, abstaining from display of jewelry and ornaments of every kind, is in keeping with our faith." Testimonies, Vol. 3, p. 366.

It was those courageous Puritan protesters against remnants of error and idolatry who made their way to this continent and established the Protestantism of America. How sad it is that their bold convictions did not continue to prevail among the descendants of the Pilgrim Fathers. Some did hold on to the true faith and became links in maintaining and restoring those principles to the Seventhday Adventist Church when it emerged in the midnineteenth century. John Wesley was greatly influenced by the Puritan ethic of revival and reformation within the established church.

Our own church leaders in one of the earliest Review and Herald magazines paid tribute to Wesley as an ancestral champion of our view on high Christian' standards. In defense of the Adventist stand on jewelry': they quoted Wesley's appeal to the early Methodists:

"I exhort you to wear no gold, no pearls, or precious stones.... I do not advise women to wear rings, earrings, necklaces.... It is true these things are little, very little things; therefore, they are not worth defending; therefore give them up, let them drop, throw them away, without another word; else a little needle may cause much pain in the flesh, a little self-indulgence much hurt to your soul." (Review and Herald, July 10, 1855).

Today it is sobering to see how Wesley's fears were fulfilled. He was addressing a smaller church than our own, who held standards very little different from ours. Those early Methodists were instructed, not only against a wedding ring, but against drinking tea, dancing, etc. Yet, that little needle which Wesley referred to-that tiny bit of worldly leaven-has permeated the ten million member Methodist Church to such a degree that 82 percent of its ministers do not even believe in the inspiration of the, Bible anymore. Drinking, smoking and gambling are no longer foundational issues, even among the pastoral leadership of the church.

Some Methodist ministers are perceptive enough to recognize how this tragedy happened, and why, today the church is losing many more members than it is gaining. Dean M. Kelly, ordained Methodist minister; author and church growth expert, wrote an article for the Ministry magazine entitled, "How Adventism Can Stop Growing." It appeared in the February, 1983 issues

After citing the declining membership of his own church, as well as other large, formal, mainline Protestant churches, he gave this candid advice to the Seventh-day Adventist Church:

"If Adventists want to stop growing and begin declining like everybody else, all they have to do is to emphasize that abstinence from alcohol, tobacco and caffeine isn't really essential to salvation. Decide that vegetarianism isn't actually all that important, and foot-washing is a little tacky.... Recognize that membership in labor unions might not be altogether a bad thing, and that tithing, like the requirements already mentioned, can be a form of righteousness by works....

"The things that I have mentioned...are the things that make the Seventh-day Adventist movement unique, distinctive and demanding. They give it its bite, its convincingness, its seriousness. Each church needs its own way of insisting that 'you've got to live up to this to be one of us.' If you strip the requirements all away, you can render the movement feeble, pallid, and ordinary overnight. So there's the answer to the question: How can the Seventh-day Adventist Church stop growing? Be like the Methodists." (p. 7.)

Did you follow that amazing concession? Be like the Methodists if you want to lose power, vitality and membership. What did they do? They lost those unique high standards that demanded sacrifice and self-denial. Are we heeding the lesson to which he is pointing us? Are we able to learn from the record of our Puritan ancestors, from John Wesley, and from the example of these once-virile church giants which now sit in decay and apathy?

Perhaps I should also tell you that in the following issues of Ministry magazine, four strong letters of protest were registered against the article. Were they written by Methodist preachers? No, they were written by Adventist ministers who, believe it or not, contended that Kelly's position was too works-oriented. They were already busily rejecting the counsel of the Methodist minister by trying to emulate the Methodists. Perhaps they had read and believed that Adventist publication which declared, "We are not given salvation because of our good deeds, nor are we deprived of it because of our misdeeds." If so, Dean Kelly's final paragraph must have irritated them to no end. The Methodist advice to the Adventist ministry was this: "Now I know it's true that there is no particular thing you can do to commend yourself to God, but there are a lot of things you can do that will separate yourself from God. They are called sins." Shades of John Wesley! All Methodists haven't forgotten. Have we?

It would be a most profitable experience to follow the course of those dynamic religious movements through the years, and confirm the erosive process of compromise which finally did them in. But as a church, we have not yet been willing to face up to it. For some reason, we still seem to believe that more members can be acquired if we lower the restrictions and make it easier to qualify. That is surely the most popular road to follow, but is it the right one? Even if we could win larger numbers, they would be a weakness instead of a strength to the corporate body.

Sister White said:

"We are not to elevate our standard just a little above the world's standard; but we are to make the line of demarcation decidedly apparent." Fundamentals of Christian Education, pp. 288-289.

Again she wrote:

"The test of discipleship is not brought to bear as closely as it should be upon those who present themselves for baptism. It should be understood whether those who profess to be converted are simply taking the name of Seventh-day Adventists, or whether they are taking their stand on the Lord's side to come out from the world and be separate and touch not the unclean thing." Testimonies to Ministers, p. 128.

I'd like to suggest that there are four reasons for Satan's incredible success rate in sweeping so many Seventh-day Adventists into his snare of popular, worldly indulgences. First: We have been deceived into thinking that attention to external concerns is a form of legalism and totally irrelevant to salvation. Second: We have been deceived into believing that God does it all, and any effort on our part to overcome sin is an exercise of the flesh. Third: We have failed to understand that we are responsible for closing doors of temptation and removing ourselves from the circumstances creating the temptation. Fourth: We have been deceived into an accommodation of culture in order to appear less isolated, unfriendly and peculiar to the society around us.

How safe is it to seek a cordial coexistence with culture? Should there indeed be congeniality with those majority elements in society which dictate how people should live? I submit that we as Seventh-day Adventist Christians should make no attempt to tailor our standards in order to be more socially acceptable. There is not a country in the world whose culture is not carnal. We owe no degree of allegiance to the worldly lifestyle of an AIDS-stricken, entertainment-mad society.

I am fearful even to think about the future consequences of the seeds which have already begun to grow in our young people. Researchers from Andrews University reported that nineteen percent of Seventh-day Adventist youth see nothing wrong with premarital sex and another nineteen percent are not sure that it is a sin. This is almost forty percent of our total young people surveyed. We have no reason to believe that their confused moral values are not leading into the same promiscuous excesses as the rest of society. Adventist ministers are spending more and more time counseling those who have contracted venereal diseases as well as those who have alcohol and drug problems.

As the AIDS plague penetrates deeper into the heterosexual community, will our own college students be protected from infection? If nearly forty percent of them have no conviction of conscience to protect their virtue, how can they escape the predicted holocaust of death which no vaccine or treatment has been able to arrest? And what about those young people who will be at risk on our campuses because they innocently believe every Adventist college to be a "haven from the world"?

Please do not assume that I am placing the responsibility upon the colleges. The breakdown of morals really begins in the home and the church. The wicked, perverted principles of Satan have filled the minds of our boys and girls from their earliest years. How can one hour of Sabbath School each week counteract the twenty or thirty television hours of implicit (and often explicit) instruction in sin?

We must also ask what they are hearing in the church which prepares them to reject the entertainment of the world. Pastors and Pathfinder leaders often accompany our children to the exciting sports arenas where teams fiercely compete to beat each other down.

Incidentally, there surely must be a parallel between Intertestamental times and our own day. During those four hundred years between Malachi and Matthew, God wanted His people, the Jews, to be preparing the world for the first coming of Jesus. But history tells us that they became Hellenized, and were almost swallowed up by assimilation into the Greek culture. Especially were they fascinated by the great Olympic sports events of the stadiums. We are told that the Jews began to take part in the athletic competition, even to the point of exercising nude in the sacred temple precincts. Some of the priests were involved in the gymnastic activities. This hellenization program led finally to acceptance of many pagan practices. Parents changed the names of their children from the combinations of Yahweh to the names of corrupt Greek gods and goddesses.

Now we live in another special age just before Jesus is to come the second time. Again, we find the people of God obsessed with the spirit of rivalry and commercialized competitive sports. The "gods" of this age are the idols of baseball, basketball, football, and tennis. The Seventh-day Adventist Church has not gone as far as the Jews, but we have been so impacted by the frenzy that we have officially discussed the issue of ; intercollegiate sports as an accepted feature of our church and school system. Will this secularization affect us in the same way it did God's people of old? Will we be so busy practicing our games, and competing to "beat" the other team, that we have no time for sharing the good news about Christ's soon coming?

Should we not begin to speak out against these preoccupations that dull our spiritual sensibilities and open up avenues of the mind for Satan's influence? We need not apologize for writing articles and preaching sermons about the incredible emotional assaults of Satan against the senses. These things may not be tests of fellowship, but they might well be tests of obedience for these special times. It is a fearful thing to take pleasure in those activities that God hates. This is a mark of half-hearted Laodicea.

Someone might ask at this point, who then can be saved? If the mind can be so easily influenced, and the flesh has such incredible appeal, what hope do we have for victory? Not even the most concentrated forces of temptation can cause a person to sin unless he gives mental consent and physical cooperation to the tempter. All who are controlled by Satan must choose to be controlled by him. By choosing to cooperate with Christ, we are immediately allied to a source of irresistible strength and victory. We have the final word. A decision to serve Christ will bring to our side the same kind of angel messengers who ministered to Daniel and Joseph in their besetments.

It would be just as serious for us to underestimate the power of our ally as to misjudge the strength of our ' enemy. We have no cause to be discouraged. He that is for us is greater than he that is against us. The secret is in the will-the power of choice. Once we have made the decision to accept Christ as the Lord of our life, we also receive the insulating energy of the Holy Spirit to protect all approaches to the newly-committed mind. But we need to say it again: THAT PROTECTION IS NOT AUTOMATIC. The power is there, and the victory is there, but we must exercise it in resisting the entrance of sin through the five senses. This is faith that works. We get no credit for the victory, because without Him we can do nothing.

Yet, after recognizing the glorious truth that all may have the victory, we must sadly confess that the majority in the church today are in the lukewarm state of Laodicea. They are not laying hold of the precious experience of true righteousness by faith. There is an alarming lack of concern over the honor of God's law, and reflecting God's character. It is all through our ranks, at all levels of laity and leadership. Few would deny this. We would be less than honest if we pretended that only the unordained church members are having struggles in keeping self under subjection to Christ. The fallen nature is waging exactly the same kind of battle against the spiritual mind in every single individual, no matter what our position in the church. Not one of us can retain the mind of Christ unless we are receiving the imputed and imparted merits of our Saviour on a continual, daily basis. How easy it is to start depending on human effort, neglect the personal hours of devotion, and begin deviating from the blueprint of God's Word. It is only as we saturate our minds with the inspired counsels of the Holy Spirit, and follow those counsels, that we can be true shepherds and administrators of God's work.

It is a tremendously weighty responsibility to be chosen as an officer or leader in the remnant church. Qualities of character and leadership are not conferred upon certain positions, but upon persons who meet the spiritual requirements of the office. The wisdom to be a good deacon, elder or conference president will accrue only to those who seek for it in a deep, personal way. In this time of compromise and Laodiceanism, we desperately need overseers who can lead us back to the "first love" experience in Christ. If leaders are "blind" and "naked" it bodes very ill for the lukewarm local body which gropes for direction from those over them.

CAN ONE BE LOYAL TO LAODICEA?

THE identity of this remnant church with Laodicea immediately raises some very troubling questions in the minds of many. Those questions have to do with loyalty and authority. Can a person be fully obedient to the Word of God and still be loyal to a compromised Laodicean Church which stands in need of repentance? Where does the final resolution of truth reside?

Admittedly, these are delicate issues and one runs the risk of being misunderstood for even raising the questions. But I believe they must be clarified in order to save thousands from fatal rebellion against the "pillar and ground of the truth"宥od's church.

This is the day for extremism. Satan is seeking to divide the advent movement into equally-polarized segments where false emphases prevail. Just as there is a decided dichotomy over the issue of legalism and cheap grace so there are two extreme views on the question of final authority. One group believes that the organized church should receive no support because it has made regressive errors in directing the work. Therefore, no recognition of its administrative or spiritual authority should be granted. They believe it is now an apostate organization whose leadership can no longer be trusted to formulate policies, and that each person must decide truth for himself.

The other group argues that God is not leading individuals but a church and, therefore, He has unified that body by providing infallible direction. This group believes that whatever is officially voted becomes the voice of God upon the earth, and all private convictions or opinions should be surrendered for the sake of unity in the church.

Neither of these positions is correct. The truth lies in between, where corporate leadership is recognized and respected, but where limits are biblically applied to the actions of governing committees. Sister White wrote the equivalent of an entire book to correct the extremist claims of these opposition groups. In Testimonies to Ministers she presented the most balanced treatise on proper leadership that can be found anywhere. She clearly established that in the Adventist Church there can be only one final infallible arbiter of truth, and that is the Word of God.

We have been justifiably suspicious of the Catholic concept of settling questions of doctrine and religious practice by decisions of men, regardless of their hierarchial rank. We have looked with amusement and pity upon pronouncements of the Catholic Church, reversing the former "no meat on Friday" rule, and declaring certain highly revered "saints" to be no saints at all. It brought considerable confusion to the Catholic laity, but they adjusted quickly because they accepted the ecclesiastical doctrine of papal infallibility. Truth for them could be settled and sealed by an ex-cathedra decision by the head of the church.

The Catholic myth of infallible men speaking with divine authority has been rejected, not only by the Seventh-day Adventist Church, but by Protestantism as a whole. The leaders of our General Conference would be the first to dispel such a misconception. Often they have appealed to the membership of our churches to pray for them as they come together to make decisions regarding the administration of the worldwide work.

In the Bible, we are admonished to pray for kings and magistrates, but how much more important it is to uphold our church leaders in prayer. No political group on earth has ever met to discuss matters which are of greater importance than the affairs of this church. Discussions between nations may take the headlines of the newspaper, but they are only significant as they relate to the accomplishment of God's work in the earth.

It is not vain on our part to recognize that the progress of this special, final message of truth is heaven's highest priority. The coming of Jesus, and the end of the great controversy is closely related to the proclamation of Revelation 14 to every nation, tongue and people.

Many times during the last forty years I have served on administrative committees and prayed with my brethren for God to give us wisdom to make right decisions. I have never had the responsibility of sitting on a General Conference Committee, but I can imagine the tremendous sense of urgency with which those members plead for God's counsel to prevail in their discussions. They understand very well their total dependence upon God to make right decisions. When special councils are held to decide issues within the church, the prayers of all our people should be ascending for God to guide the minds of those men who did not choose themselves to be in such sensitive positions.

Why do they need our prayers so much? Because we believe the General Conference Committee constitutes the highest spiritual authority on earth. Does this mean, therefore, that whatever decision they make about doctrine should be received as unquestioned truth? Of course not! No men are infallible. Our church has always urged that any teaching be submitted to the test of the Bible, and that no man or group of men should take precedence over the Word.

In the book, Questions on Doctrine, produced by the General Conference, we read the well-known, official stance of the Seventh-day Adventist Church on this issue:

"We believe that all theological beliefs must be measured by the living Word, judged by its truth, and whatsoever is unable to pass this test, or is found to be out of harmony with its message, is to be rejected." (p. 28).

"The opinions of learned men, the deductions of science, the creeds or decisions of ecclesiastical councils, as numerous and discordant as are the churches which they represent, the voice of the majority-not one nor all of these should be regarded as evidence for or against any point of religious faith. Before accepting any doctrine or precept, we should demand a plain 'Thus saith the Lord' in its support." The Great Controversy, p. 595.

In defense of the inspired Scriptures as the last word on truth, Sister White pointed out that leaders of the work had made mistakes, and it would be disastrous to consider their human judgment as any kind of ultimate test for true doctrine. She wrote:

"Those who have not been in the habit of searching the Bible for themselves, of weighing evidence, have confidence in the leading men and accept decisions they make; and thus many will reject the very messages God sends to His people, if these leading brethren do not accept them.... Even if all our leading men should refuse light and truth, that door will still remain open. The Lord will raise up men who will give the people the message for this time." Testimonies to Ministers, pp. 106, 107.

"We must not trust to others to search the Scriptures for us. Some of our leading brethren have frequently taken their position on the wrong side; and if God would send a message and wait for these older brethren to open the way for its advancement, it would never reach the people." Gospel Workers, p. 303.

These statements do not indicate that the leading brethren or General Conference leadership should not be respected and consulted. They merely remind us that their decisions are subject to the higher authority of Scriptural truth, and no one should blindly accept everything that men decide without submitting it to the test of the Bible. She clearly enunciated this principle in Testimonies to Ministers, page 30:

"It is the duty of ministers to respect the judgment of their brethren; but their relations to one another, as well as the doctrines they teach, should be brought to the test of the law and the testimony; then, if hearts are teachable, there will be no divisions among us."

Again she wrote:

"Our church members see that there are differences of opinion among the leading men, and they themselves enter into controversy regarding the subjects under dispute. Christ calls for unity. But He does not call for us to unify on wrong practices. The God of heaven draws a sharp contrast between pure, elevating, ennobling truth and false, misleading doctrines.... I urge our brethren to unify upon a true, scriptural basis." Selected Messages, Vol. 1, p. 175.

Notice that she made strong appeals for unity of the church and brethren, but that unity was to be based on the authority of the Scriptures rather than the majority vote of church committees, or the opinions of "leading men." Six years before her death Sister White wrote in the Review and Herald: "We are not to put confidence in the counsel of men unless we have evidence that they are under the influence of the Spirit of God." (July 1, 1909).

There were times when she saw that the Holy Spirit was leading the General Conference Committee, and their actions were in harmony with the Word. In 1875 she wrote:

"I have been shown that no man's judgment should be surrendered to the judgment of any one man. But when the judgment of the General Conference, which is the highest authority that God has on earth, is exercised, private independence and private judgment must not be maintained, but be surrendered." Testimonies, Vol. 3, p. 492.

It should be noted that only private opinions or judgments were to be given up, but not biblical principles or doctrines. And it is important to note how the Spirit of Prophecy qualified even that kind of submission to General Conference actions. Nineteen years later she wrote that she did not approve of some of their actions of 1894, and the following year she wrote these shocking words:

"At the center of the work matters are being shaped so that every other institution is following the same course. And the General Conference itself is becoming corrupted with wrong sentiments and principles." Testimonies to Ministers, p. 359.

Then, in 1896, she wrote this strong testimony to the Review and Herald office in Battle Creek:

"Who can now feel sure that they are safe in respecting the voice of the General Conference Association? If the people in our churches understood the management of the men who walk in the light of the sparks of their own kindling, would they respect their decisions? I answer, no, not for a moment. I have been shown that the people at large do not know the heart of the work is being diseased at Battle Creek." Special Instructions Relating to the Review and Herald Office and the Work in Battle Creek, p. 20.

Nevertheless, the strongest qualification of the earlier 1875 statement was made in the year 1901 and was incorporated into the General Conference Bulletin of that year:

"That these men should stand in the sacred place to be the voice of God to the people, as we once believed the General Conference to be, that is past." (p. 25, col. 2, paragraph 1).

These statements should not be construed as disrespectful or disloyal to the church leadership, and neither should they be automatically applied to other periods of the church's history. We are simply establishing the principle that no inerrant committee is recognized within the framework of the remnant church. Like all other Protestant leaders, the officers of our General Conference would be horrified to discover that anyone looked upon them as any kind of infallible deciders of truth. Without, exception, they ascribe that sovereign role to the Scriptures. For this reason, we should give the strongest support to this special remnant church and the men who f have been chosen for administrative positions. They carry heavy responsibilities which require greater than human wisdom. We should constantly uphold them in our prayers and with our encouragement.

The Lord desires to lead the minds of the committees who stand at the head of the work. As long as they act in harmony with the inspired counsels of God, they are to be accorded attention and respect as the highest authority of God on earth. But all of their actions and votes are葉o be subjected to the final test of all truth葉he Bible. No committee on earth, including the General Conference Committee, has authority to vote upon revealed Bible principles. Those principles are not subject to the vote of man. They can be approved or disapproved by the committee action, but they cannot be made less binding or more binding upon the consciences of men.

With these reasonable inspired principles our church has always been in agreement. Those who say that God will use some other organization to finish the work are mistaken. The final call for revival, reformation and separation from Babylon must come from within the Seventh-day Adventist denomination. They are wrong who contend that the church has gone too far in apostasy to repent. Such a scenario does not fit the biblical blueprint nor the Spirit of Prophecy. No other church is revealed in the counsels of God to receive the Latter Rain, the seal of God, and to give the Loud Cry.

There is no basis for the belief that God has rejected this church because of its lukewarmness. It is easy to forget, amidst the apostasy, that there are faithful shepherds and leaders who have not bowed the knee to Baal. They are grieved at the worldliness invading our churches, and are doing everything possible to stem the tide. We are clearly told that the church will not be spewed out, but only those people who will not be hewed by the message.

"God is leading out a people. He has a chosen people, and a church on earth, whom He has made the depositories of His law. He has committed to them sacred trust and eternal truth to be given to the world. He would reprove and correct them. The message to the Laodiceans is applicable to Seventh-day Adventists who have had great light and have not walked in the light. It is those who have made great profession, but have not kept in step with their Leader, that will be spewed out of His mouth, unless they repent. The message to pronounce the Seventh-day Adventist church Babylon, and call the people of God out of her, does not come from any heavenly messenger, or any human agent inspired by the Spirit of God." The Remnant Church, pp. 51, 52.

"Some have advanced the thought that, as we near the close of time, every child of God will act independently of any religious organization. But I have been instructed by the Lord that in this work there is no such thing as every man's being independent.... It is not a good sign when men refuse to unite with their brethren and prefer to act alone. Let laborers take into their confidence the brethren who are free to point out every departure from right principles. If men wear the yoke of Christ, they can not pull apart; they will draw with Christ." Testimonies, Vol. 9, p. 258.

Whatever final work the Spirit will do in relation to this earth must be done through those who heed the Laodicean message. That message does not call for people to leave the lukewarm church of Laodicea, but to repent. God will spew out only those who do not apply for the heavenly eyesalve, the oil and the gold. Admittedly, the majority will reject the invitation, but God has never promised to finish His work by vast numbers. "There is no restraint to the Lord to save by many or by few." I Samuel 14:6.

But here is a most important truth to remember: We must not try to ignore the fact that a Laodicean departure has taken place. God would not call for repentance if sins had not been committed which demanded such repentance. Doctrines and standards have been altered. To deny that we are guilty and need repentance is to negate what we have taught for over one hundred and forty years.

We have always applied the Laodicean prophecies to ourselves. We are Laodicea! We are the church that needs to hear the Straight Testimony. The trumpet needs to be blown in the Seventh-day Adventist Church. It is alarming that some still deny that the church has been guilty of anything which demands repentance. They charge that those who see things wrong in the church are "critics" and "judgmental" and are really trying to appear as the only ones who are righteous. Those who say that everything is great, and the church is not in need of repentance, are proving by such statements that they are the blind who stand in the greatest need of repentance.

The inspired writings do not tell us how Laodicea will respond except to say that the majority will reject the strong call to make things right, and the resultant "shaking" will cleanse and purify the church. The chaff will be removed, but the faithful minority will remain to be sealed and to give the Loud Cry. I do not speculate on how this traumatic purging will affect the organization of the church. That has not been revealed. Suffice it to say that the church will not fall even though it may seem ready to collapse. The "little company" will remain and go through in triumph with that host of others who will be gathered in from Babylon.

But as the sifting becomes more pronounced in the church, many sincere members perhaps wonder how to relate to leadership actions, especially when they might disagree with those actions.

Is it possible for committees always to make decisions which will be agreeable to all members of the body of Christ? It is entirely unlikely and probably impossible. In the administration of a worldwide church which seeks to coordinate workers in hundreds of countries and languages, insuperable problems are constantly confronted. Many of the decisions facing our world leaders are of secondary importance to the total membership. They have to do with only certain segments of the field, and involve policies of local administration.

From time to time, representatives serving on the General Conference Council bring specific problems from their division which may indeed affect the entire church. Usually the substance of such problems are either moral or cultural. In other words, they are either based on matters which involve biblical principle, or else they concern optional issues where no violation of principle is at stake.

By perusing the minutes from past committees, it seems obvious that most decisions have to do with the latter class of actions. But even in these peripheral matters, some might disagree and take exception to the final vote. What is their duty after the action is taken? Individual judgments and opinions should be surrendered to the counsel of the brethren. For the sake of unity and order, there must be submission in these matters to those who have been placed in administrative authority.

Do those committees ever make mistakes? Without question! The men who serve on them are human and they lay no claim to infallibility although they pray earnestly for wisdom and guidance. Is it even possible for them to make a wrong decision concerning the more important issues of doctrine and principle? Sister White makes it very clear that this is a possibility, and consequently urged everyone to let the Bible, not the leaders, be the final test in such cases. In the area of morals and conscience, the true Christian is answerable only to God. "So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God." Romans 14:12.

It is largely because of an over-confidence in corporate accountability that great religious movements of the past have lost their power. From a position of primitive faith and dedication, many denominations yielded step by little step to the pressures of conformity and compromise. As the members, with their varying degrees of commitment, gave way to weaknesses of the flesh, the POSITION of the church came into conflict with the PRACTICE of the church. Then, to resolve the inconsistency, the ecclesiastical leadership gradually modified the doctrinal standards to harmonize with the way members were living at the grass roots level.

Satan's program of hammering away at the fallen nature to gain entrance to the mind has brought about the spiritual ruin of many religious groups. Soon there is an accommodation made by the corporate committees to conform to the majority practice of the membership. This is the exact way most of the reformation churches lost their strength and influence. How carefully we, as Seventh-day Adventists, should consider the appeal of those Union Conference leaders who stated that there is "a head-on collision between what is happening in our colleges and churches, and what the church has been teaching and preaching."

The Andrews University survey made the same kind of appraisal. "Our historical positions simply do not correspond to our members' general practice." Ministry, April 1985, p. 6. These statements are not attacking the church or its institutions, but they are recognizing that there is exactly the same dangerous breakdown of standards that preceded and precipitated a top level liberalization on the part of other church movements. We stand in a most dangerous position right now. As the president of the North Pacific Union stated in The Adventist Review, "We are at a crossroads in the church as to whether we will go the way of what we classify as mainline, nominal Protestantism, or whether we will uphold the standards of Scripture and the Spirit of Prophecy." August 1, 1985, p. 14.

Let us not suppose that because we are fulfilling a special mission to restore the apostolic faith that our leaders could not come under pressure to lower the standards just like other movements before us. Our General Conference Council is made up of human beings with the same fallen nature as were the members of all other church councils of the past. They are subject to the same errors of judgment and emotional influences.

Think for a moment. Just as churches are made up of individuals at varying levels of spirituality, so the controlling committees are composed of the same mixture. All are under similar stresses and temptations from Satan's specialized arsenal of sensory weapons, but all; have not responded in the same way. Some have not yielded at all; others have compromised a little, and some much. Those with televisions in their home may have, different convictions than those who do not. Those with sons or daughters who have been involved in divorce may have a different attitude than those whose children are happily married. All these pressing influences, and more, get through to the highest church councils just as they often surface in the local church boards. It is just as difficult for the General Conference leaders to separate their emotional feelings from biblical issues of principle as it is for our laymen to do it. By the grace of God, they do a wonderful job, but this is what makes all human committee work short of infallible. And, of course, this is why the Word of God must be the final test of authority in matters spiritual.

Surely it is most apparent how much we need to pray for those men and women who must make decisions affecting the entire corporate body of believers. Without question, Satan will make unprecedented attempts to influence their vote on matters affecting the spirituality of the church. Sometimes Satan so veils an issue that only he is aware of the implications behind a negative or positive vote.

Great struggles of conscience take place over the resolution of delicate problems involving political and cultural relationships in various countries. There is often a strong debate over whether policies should be applied to the world field or only to the geographical area where the problem has broken into the open. Local leaders sometimes are inclined to press for church-wide regulations to cope with a situation in their country or island which looms larger than life at the moment.

Should concessions be made for the world field in order to accommodate these complications peculiar to only one area? Surely this would be the quickest way to dilute the message and weaken the work in other fields. A test situation in Borneo may have nothing to do with the work in Russia or America. In countries where polygamy is practiced, policies must be formulated to meet the problem, but it would have little relevance to the rest of the world. If concessions need to be made (short of violating a moral principle) let it be done only for those affected, and not for the entire denomination. To mitigate our world stand on polygamy because we feel sympathy for a group of our members in one area who are placed under special trial would be a compromising move for the church.

The same can be said of countries where the Sabbath is a special problem. Our hearts go out to parents in certain countries where the children are forced to attend school seven days a week. We are tempted to back off from the strong biblical stand our church has taken on the Sabbath in order to spare our suffering people from imprisonment or even worse. But what a mistake it would be to change a Bible principle for reasons of feeling or circumstance. Any circumstance must be God's stance or it is wrong to accommodate it.

Then there are countries where cultural mores make it difficult for our people to conform to the church's stand on the wearing of jewelry. Local marriage customs may dictate wearing nose jewels, bangles, necklaces or rings. Again there is pressure on the governing body to make a denominational ruling which will allow for some leniency in the area of adornment in order to relieve a local situation. It should never be done. History has already taught us that such actions diminish the strength of any church, and lead to sterility and death.

Over and over we have witnessed the demise of vibrant, Spirit-filled religious movements because they yielded to the illusive appeal of lowered standards. Satan is gambling that he will be able to destroy the remnant by the same avenues of approach.

Will people be saved just because they belong to the true remnant which is identified in prophecy as keeping the commandments of God and having the spirit of prophecy? No. We have found that the majority of its members will turn against the truth and be shaken out. No one should find comfort in simply being a member of a certain organization or church-not even the remnant church. Not one person will find assurance of salvation outside a deep, personal, Spirit-filled commitment which is demonstrated by total obedience to God's will. The church is made up of people, and the church of the translation will be composed of people who are without spot and blameless.

What will enable that little company to resist Satan's relentless, unrestrained attempt to capture their wills at the very end? How will they maintain an unbending loyalty in the face of the most unimaginable opposition? They will do it through faith, prayer and Bible study. Those who endure to the end will have an unshakable faith in the message. Their experience with Jesus will be so real that no combination of demons will be able to weaken or destroy it. Though distrustful of the flesh, they will radiate a perfect assurance of salvation through the justifying merits of Christ's blood.

Because they will be sensitive to the deadly nature of even the smallest compromise, that triumphant last legion for Christ will stand without wavering upon the straight line of Bible principle. Drawing power from the promises of total victory, they will confidently affirm their faith in the righteousness of Christ to keep them from falling.

The trying of God's professed people during that fearful final phase of Armageddon will disclose both weakness and strength. At that time, the real tragedy of Adventism's dallying with the "new theology" will be revealed. Entire companies will find it easy to loose their last links with a law that has gradually grown burdensome and embarrassing. At the same time those who have delighted in the law as a character-expression of their dearest Friend will proclaim such an anointed message that entire tribes will accept the truth. As the true nature of sin is exposed, men will recognize the honor and integrity of God's moral law of the Ten Commandments. Only those who allowed the Holy Spirit to write the law into their mind and heart will receive the Latter Rain and give the Loud Cry.

Under the new covenant, God declares, "I will put my laws into their mind and write them in their hearts." 3 Hebrews 8:10. We have already concluded that surrender of the heart to Christ actually signifies a yielding of the, mind through a decision of the will. Why does God use the terms "mind" and "heart" in describing the new covenant experience? The answer to this question is very important. The Bible often uses the word heart as a symbolic representation of the emotional nature while the mind represents intelligence and willful decision.

The sealed ones of God will not only have a thorough knowledge of truth through searching the Scriptures, but they will also be bound to Christ in a deep, personal heart-experience of love and commitment. The combination of knowing and doing will distinguish them from the shallow sentimentalists whose counterfeit love produces no obedience. No definition of love which excludes law-keeping could be valid or biblical, just as no definition of sin is correct which does not include lawbreaking. John the Beloved's two classic statements on law and love have been lightly regarded by many in the remnant church today: "For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments." I John 5:3, and "sin is the transgression of the law." I John 3:4.

Ellen G. White seemed to anticipate a time when John's definitions of law and love would be twisted to make sin appear less objectionable. She wrote:

"We are authorized to hold in the same estimation as did the beloved disciple those who claim to abide in Christ while living in transgression of God's law. There exist in these last days evils similar to those that threatened the prosperity of the early church; and the teachings of the apostle John on these points should be carefully heeded. 'You must have charity,' is the cry heard everywhere, especially from those who profess sanctification. But true charity is too pure to cover an unconfessed sin. While we are to love the souls for whom Christ died, we are to make no compromise with evil. We are not to unite with the rebellious and call this charity. God requires His people in this age of the world to stand for the right as unflinchingly as did John in opposition to soul-destroying errors." The Acts of the Apostles, pp. 554, 555.

Some modern exponents of Adventism define sin as breaking a relationship, and love as so forgiving and tender that it can tolerate disobedience. Let it be forever settled that such definitions are only half true, and therefore are very misleading. A true conversion experience will bear the sweet fruit of compliance with all of God's requirements. Unless the law is written into the mind through a knowledge of right and wrong, and is written on the heart by an obedient love, there can be no real salvation. The heart and mind both must reflect the character of God as revealed in the law. Those who have only a head knowledge without the love which produces obedience will miss heaven by eighteen inches葉he distance from the head to the heart. Those who have only an emotional experience which does not acknowledge the requirements of the law will miss heaven by the same eighteen inches葉his time from the heart to the head.

This failure to coordinate love and obedience is largely the cause for our complacent, self-righteous Laodiceanism. Some are lukewarm, even though they are proper and careful about keeping the law, because they lack the joyous assurance of Christ abiding in the heart. Others are lukewarm because they have a highly vocal, emotional experience which gives little or no credence to principles of sanctified Christian living. Repentance and reform are called for on the part of both these groups.

There is no way to separate these two aspects of truth. Just as the law of God was bound to their fingers and written upon the table of their hearts (Deut. 11:18) signifying both physical and spiritual submission, God's people will be identified by their outward obedience and their inward devotion. True worship always involves both head and heart, mind and spirit. Concerning His Father Jesus said, "They that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." John 4:24.

Is it possible to worship with a lot of fervency and emotional spirit, and yet lack knowledge of and obedience to the truth? Certainly the boisterous Baal worshippers on Mount Carmel prove that such is altogether possible. Jesus said, "In vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." Matthew 15:9. People can have excitement and spirit in their worship, and yet be teaching false doctrine. The Master described such worship as vain.

But here is the serious question that every Seventh-day Adventist needs to face: Is it possible to worship God with a full theoretical knowledge of truth, and yet be lacking in the spirit of true worship? Indeed it is a deadly danger that we face as a church. By lack of that inward attitude of joy in Christ, worship services may become lifeless and almost mechanical; songs of praise may be turned into mournful dirges. In such meetings no revival is possible, and the dull spirit of Laodicea has full control.

I see four steps as absolute requirements in responding to the Laodicean call for repentance:

A HEARTFELT COMMITMENT TO FORSAKE THE PRACTICE OF ALL KNOWN SIN. No reservation can be permitted in this area. Known sin is not compatible with genuine revival and reformation. It is only when God's people become serious about dealing with a worldly lifestyle that the power of Satan can be broken. Because of deep-rooted deceptions over this issue, thousands of Seventh-day Adventists continue to believe that behavior patterns have little to do with salvation. Until this diabolical error has been corrected there will be continued game-playing and false security among our pastors and members. It goes without saying that this commitment must spring from a heart which is fully yielded to Christ and filled with the Holy Spirit.

A RETURN TO SERIOUS BIBLE STUDY AND A DISCIPLINED PRAYER LIFE. No stirring of new spiritual life is possible without the sanctified influence of these two ingredients. Social demands, work schedules and electronic entertainment have devastated the devotional habits of many Seventh-day Adventists today. It is probably not an exaggeration to say that most of our members depend upon their pastor to do the studying for, them and to tell them what to believe and not believe. No church can be strong and progressive whose members do not have deep convictions of truth based upon a personal study of the Scripture.

A SPIRIT OF CONTINUAL INWARD PRAYER AND PRAISE, because Christ, the hope of glory, has been enthroned in the heart. It is the absence of this sweet intimate awareness of the presence of God which robs many of their Christian joy. I cannot overemphasize the powerful influence of being in constant fellowship with Christ by having the mind stayed upon Him. It is altogether possible to train the thoughts in such a way that they spontaneously flood the conscious mind with sentiments of praise and worship. Instead of allowing the thoughts to ramble undirected, we may deliberately turn them into words and phrases of our most fervent feelings of devotion and love to God.

I believe that this experience is of special significance for Seventh-day Adventists who have been conditioned to be very restrained in their outward forms of corporate worship. We have often stifled the spirit of praise for fear of appearing too emotional or demonstrative. This has also cast an inhibiting influence over the mind so that we have lost some of the ability to praise and worship God in the spirit. For this reason, our services sometimes tend to be stereotyped and lacking in spiritual warmth and spontaneity.

This is not any kind of call to follow the noisy Pentecostal style of worship with its attendant confusion. But on the other hand, we should not become known as unemotional formalists who scrunch down in the pew if someone feels moved to say "Amen" or even "Praise the Lord."

I truly believe that if our heart experience is one of habitual inward praise, our Sabbath services will be more vibrant and satisfying. There should be restraint and reverence in the company of fellow-worshipers, but in the realm of the spirit, we do not have to be concerned about disturbing others. We can give unrestrained expression to our deepest emotional feelings. As I converse with God in my mind, and struggle to articulate my overflowing love and gratitude for what He has done in my life, tears often flow and a sense of ecstatic joy envelops my being. For years I assumed that all Christians were experiencing that same personal relationship with the Master through His indwelling Spirit, but, as a pastor and evangelist, I have learned that is not the case. I also believed for years that those deep, moving experiences were too private and personal even to share with other human beings. I felt, probably wrongly, that to talk about those precious seasons of intimacy would violate some unspoken confidence between Jesus and me. Now I am convinced that God is pleased for us to tell our friends what wonderful things He has done for us. "Talk ye of all his wondrous works." Psalm 105:2. "Let the redeemed of the Lord say so." Psalm 107:2. And this brings me to the fourth prerequisite for revival and reformation.

A PARTICIPATION IN EVERY EVANGELISTIC OR WITNESSING OPPORTUNITY TO REACH SOULS WITH THE TRUTH. A tragic poverty of spirit is revealed when Christians refuse to share their faith. No religious experience will survive long in such a barren climate. Not only have individuals been separated from Christ, but entire churches have shriveled and disbanded because they lost their burden for souls. Some Seventh day Adventist Church boards have taken official actions against conducting evangelistic crusades. My own personal observation, as an evangelist, indicates that about eighty percent of our membership don't even bother to attend one meeting of a crusade. Even though decisions of eternal life are being made by souls who hang in the balance, only a fraction of our members are there to help love them into the church. What a tragedy! I cannot believe that the triumphant church of the translation will be made up of those who are so unconcerned about the salvation of others. We insult the Spirit of God and heap reproach upon the truth by pretending to be Seventh-day Adventists while refusing to do all we can to win souls for Christ. Nowhere is Laodicean apostasy more clearly manifest in the church than through the lack of love and concern for the unsaved.

RETURN OF THE TRUE REMNANT

SOME who read this book may feel offended, because I have identified some of the physical and spiritual enemies which assail the Seventh-day Adventist Church today. Others will feel that I should have said much more and said it more strongly. It is by no means a comprehensive study of all the dangers we face. Many other issues could have been considered, but my chief concern has been to expose the deadly compromises our people are making by the way they respond to the physical senses. As a movement and as individuals, we have gradually lost the adversarial relationship with the world which once distinguished us as "an holy nation, a peculiar people."

Make no mistake about it, the true remnant church will turn back to the historic, biblical doctrines and standards which have always been our hallmark. It will be a bitter and traumatic experience on the part of the church. A great number will be too proud to confess their complicity in condoning the apostasy, and will be shaken out. Others will be so comfortable in their new proximity to the world that they will have no relish to return. A majority will leave the church and join the ranks of the enemy. It will seem as though the church might fall, but it does not. Instead, the decimated "little company" will draw so close to Christ, in experience and doctrine, that the latter rain falls upon them. Under the anointing of God, this purified remnant will go forth to give the "loud cry." God will raise up many of the common people and make them powerful spokesmen for the truth. They will be qualified by no educational institutions of men, but by the unction of the Spirit. (The Great Controversy, p. 606.)

Oh, how much better it will be in that day to have held the true faith without wavering. Those who are now approving the worldly bent will find it hard to retrace the painful steps of compromise which now seem so easy to take. Most will not be able to humble themselves and repent of their part in the defection. It will be too embarrassing to embrace that which they had for so long ' publicly scorned as fanatical and legalistic. And even when they see thousands responding to the pure message, like the Jews of old, they will only be more furious at those whom they have labeled as divisive troublemakers.

Somehow, if this book can open our eyes just a little bit to see the clearly predicted pattern described by the inspired writings, it might cause some to help hold the fast-disappearing line of principle now.

Those who accept the small changes that are being made because they want to be in harmony with the majority, ignoring recognized Bible principles, are doing something terribly damaging to their consciences.

"It is transgression in the little things that first leads the soul away from God." Review and Herald, Vol. 4, p. 233.

"In the day of judgment, many will be shut out of the City of God by sins which they supposed to be unworthy of notice." Signs of the Times Articles, Vol. 3, p. 348.

"The sins which man is disposed to look upon as small may be the very ones which God accounts as great crimes." Testimonies, Vol. 5, p. 337.

The sobering truth is that this church is being sifted right now over issues that may seem small and inconsequential in preparation for the Sabbath test which will involve one of the Ten Commandments. Daniel and his friends faced the very same thing in Babylon. Had they failed to stand firmly against the relatively minor matter of eating the king's food, they would not have been prepared for the major confrontation over bowing down to the image. The moral law test came after they had been fortified by victory in areas of lesser importance. Some might even call them "gray areas." Certainly it would have been easy for Daniel to convince himself that conformity to cultural requirements at the king's table was more important than being so rigidly legalistic about eating one meal. But he did not make the mistake of adjusting his conscience to accommodate a little deviation from recognized principle.

Many in the remnant church today are making that mistake. Like Daniel, they are being urged to change their practices in certain areas to save themselves unnecessary conflict with worldly associates or social demands. But, unlike Daniel, thousands of Seventh-day Adventists are yielding life-long convictions, and equivocating on practices that were never in question before. Couples are putting rings on their fingers because of "what people might think." Families are serving coffee to their guests, and providing TV sets for Sabbath viewing by week-end visitors. Movie attendance is becoming commonplace, and alcohol is gradually gaining popularity in certain Adventist communities. Dozens of tragic illustrations could be given of shifting standards among God's professed people. I have wept to see friends suddenly reverse their previous strong stance against worldly compromise in order to harmonize with a more popular majority view.

What does it all mean? Where is it leading? The sifting will soon turn into the shaking. The little issues will turn into the great Sabbath test, and the majority will give up the faith altogether. Is it possible to know now who will be among that large group of apostates? Yes, you can know this very moment where you will stand when the mark is enforced. It has been revealed to us in these words: "Those who have yielded step by step to worldly demands and conformed to worldly customs will then yield to the powers that be, rather than subject themselves to derision, insult, threatened imprisonment, and death." Prophets and Kings, p. 188.

Are you willing to apply this inspired revelation to your; own life and experience? What about your current lifestyle? Have convictions changed or practices been altered? If so, ask yourself why those alterations were made, and in which direction they are leading you. Do they fall into the pattern of "yielding step by step to worldly demands"? Were they made to conform more carefully with God's Word? Or did you adjust certain aspects of your behavior in order to be less "peculiar" to those around you?

By such seemingly innocuous tests, the character of every Seventh-day Adventist is gradually settling into an irreversible mold. The opportunity to turn back and make long-term changes is slowly closing up to those who have had great light. Soon it will be too late to redeem the wasted years.

Now, in the times of refreshing, let us grasp the promises of God and claim the mind of Christ. The enemy is at the gate, but we can keep him there on the outside as we allow the abiding Holy Spirit to guard well the avenues of the soul.

We have had much to say about the necessity of holding the world at bay through the power of a sanctified mind. Now let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter as far as victory over the world is concerned. How can it be conquered in all of its highly-charged, emotional appeal? Let this statement of Paul be the true focus of all we have tried to present in this book. If we miss this, we miss it all. "But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world." Galatians 6:14.

What is the substance of this verse? How only can the love for worldly things be put to death in my nature? Paul says it is through the cross. There can be no focus upon human strength or effort. Victory over the sins of the flesh will come only as a result of what Jesus accomplished in our behalf on the cross. Evidently, there is a special provision in the atonement which enables us to overcome the world and its sinful pleasures.

Does the cross help us die to the world by providing justification only? All of us certainly need forgiveness for yielding to the evil enticements of this world system in the past. Or is there much more involved in the cross than cleansing from guilt and condemnation? Specifically, how does it take away our attachments to the world, so that we become dead to its appeal? Paul tells us in the clearest possible language that our death to the world is made possible through the cross. It is not because of any strength we have in fighting the enemy. Even our faith in the cross is not the source of victory. It is the vehicle to connect us with the source, but His death as the Saviour of the world is the real secret. That is what qualified Him to be our Substitute for sin and our Saviour from sin. This is where the mind of Christ is both obtained and maintained. Let us take a look at the amazing and significant meaning of those events of the cross.

The answers we are looking for lie hidden in the ethics of the atonement. Some people challenge the viability of the entire plan of salvation because it violates one of the basic laws of human government.

How could it ever be right for an innocent person to bear the punishment of a guilty person who is consequently declared to be righteous and uncondemned? No legal system in the world would uphold such a principle. What defense can be offered for a plan which allows the one who is offended to bear the penalty of the one who offends?

There is an answer to these questions which should satisfy the most skeptical mind. Everything revolves around the principle of substitution. A moment of thought will reveal that the gems of forgiveness is rooted in an act of substitution. Justice demands an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. Whatever the offender does must be visited back upon him in equal measure. If a man gives a blow, he must receive a blow, etc.

But suppose the one who is wronged decides to forgive the offender. In that case the penalty which could legally be exacted is canceled, and the guilty one is not required to suffer the equivalent of the wrong done. In fact, the one who suffered the blow, agrees to accept the pain and the loss instead of the guilty one in order that the offender can go free of the punishment. In this case, the forgiven actually substitutes himself to bear the consequences which could legally be required of the offender.

If I forgive a debt, I agree to suffer the loss in order to relieve the debtor from paying the amount. If I forgive a blow, I consent to accept the pain in order to relieve the guilty from suffering an equal blow.

Suppose for a moment that a murdered man, from his grave, could forgive the man who killed him. He would, in effect, be consenting to his own death in order for the murderer to be spared from death. This brings us very close to the heart of the atonement.

In order to forgive us, Jesus had to suffer the legal consequences of our sins so that we would not have to bear them. "The wages of sin is death." Romans 3:23. Only by substituting Himself for us in accepting that death, could He be qualified to forgive us. The Bible says, "Without shedding of blood is no remission." Hebrews 9:22. Remission means forgiveness. Therefore, His death on the cross provided ethical authority for Him to grant us forgiveness.

Although some are appealed to by the ethics of this transaction, most of us will see it as a tremendous indescribable demonstration of selfless love. None who
have experienced the joy of His forgiveness will question the method by which it was made possible.

Now consider another vindication of His propitiatory atonement for us. He had an absolute right to be our substitute because He shared our fallen human nature. When He lived a perfect life of obedience and carried our sinful nature to the cross, we were corporately with Him in that experience. This is why Paul writes: "I am crucified with Christ." Galatians 2:20. "Like as Christ was raised up from the dead, by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life." Romans 6:4.

Our identification with Him in His sinless living and atoning death is made possible only because of His incarnate involvement with our nature. Had He carried any other flesh than fallen sinful flesh to that cross, He could not have "condemned sin in the flesh." Romans 8:4. Only someone in my family with my nature, could represent me, or stand in as my substitute. It would have been only a pretend situation for Him to impute His victory to me, if His victory was obtained in some alien nature impossible for me ever to experience or reproduce. Had He carried any other flesh than sinful flesh to the cross IT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN MINE, because mine is sinful. Therefore I could not have been "crucified with Him."

The only way any of us could die with Him and be resurrected with Him is through His substitutionary role in our behalf. And that was made possible solely by sharing that aspect of our nature that produced the sins requiring atonement on the cross-our fallen, sinful nature.

Thus we see that the true secret of living with Christ is to die with Christ. "For he that is dead is freed from sin."

Romans 6:7. Faith in the cross, with its forgiving, cleansing merits, produces the new spiritual life which triumphs over the flesh and sin.

Any effort on our part to fulfil the requirements of the law are doomed to failure unless they are centered in the cross. It was that glorious objective act of sacrifice and love which brings justification, the new birth, and sanctification to every one who believes. Jesus, the object of our faith, who "is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord." I Corinthians 1:30, 31.

So, even though we rejoice in the victory, we glory only in the cross by which "the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world." To allow any element in our human response, including the thrill of victory, to diminish our recognition of His all-sufficient, atoning work on the cross, would be a tragic mistake. In every prayer and in every testimony, we need to acknowledge gratefully that the world is crucified to us only because of what He did in our behalf. We have learned that there can be no forgiveness of our sins without His substitutionary death for us on the cross. This provides justification for all. Further, we have discovered that sanctification is possible only because He overcame sin in our flesh, with our fallen nature, so that He could reproduce that life of victory in our own human experience. Thus, everything we could possibly boast about is His work and not ours. "God forbid that we should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ." Will you not gladly receive Him as your Substitute, your Forgiveness, and your Victory?

"But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." I Corinthians 15:57.

"Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift." II Corinthians 9:15.

THANKS BE TO GOD!

THE CHURCH AND THE WORLD

The Church and the World walked far apart

On the changing shore of Time;

The world was singing a giddy song,

And the Church a hymn sublime.

"Come, give me your hand," cried the merry World,

"And walk with me this way;"

But the good Church hid her snowy hands,

And solemnly answered, "Nay;

I will not give you my hand at all,

And I will not walk with you;

Your way is the way to endless death;

Your words are all untrue."

"Nay, walk with me but a little space,"

Said the World with a kindly air;

"The road I walk is a pleasant road,

And the sun shines always there.

Your path is thorny, and rough, and rude,

And mine is broad and plain;

My road is paved with flowers and dews

And yours with tears and pain.

The sky above me is always blue;

No want, no toil, I know:

The sky above you is always dark,

Your lot is a lot of woe.

My path, you see, is a broad, fair one

And my gate is high and wide;

There is room enough for you and for me

To travel side by side."

Half shyly the Church approached the World,

And gave him her hand of snow;

The old World quick grasped it and walked along,

Saying in accents low;

"Your dress is too simple to please my taste;

I will give you pearls to wear,

Rich velvets and silks for your graceful form,

And diamonds to deck your hair."

The Church looked down at her plain white robes

And then at the dazzling World,

And blushed as she saw his handsome lip

With a smile contemptuous curled..

"I will change my dress for a costlier one,"

Said the Church with a smile of grace:

Then the pure white garments drifted away,

And the World gave in their place

Beautiful silks and shining satins,

And roses and gems and pearls,

And over her forehead her bright hair fell,

Crisped in a thousand curls.

"Your house is too plain," said the proud old World;

"I値l build you one like mine,

Carpets of Brussels, and curtains of lace

And furniture ever so fine."

So he built her a costly and beautiful house,

Splendid it was to behold;

Her sons and her beautiful daughters dwelt there,

Gleaming in purple and gold;

And fairs and shows in the halls were held,

And the World and his children were there;

And laughter and music and feasts were heard

In the place that was meant for prayer.

She had cushioned pews for the rich and great

To sit in their pomp and pride;

While the poor folk, clad in their shabby suits,

Sat meekly down outside.

The Angel of Mercy flew over the Church,

And whispered, "I know thy sin:"

Then the Church looked back with a sigh and longed

To gather her children in;

But some were off at the midnight ball,

And some were off at the play,

And some were drinking in gay saloons,

So she quietly went her way.

Then the sly World gallantly said to her:

"Your children mean no harm,

Merely indulging in innocent sports;"

So she leaned on his proffered arm

And smiled and chatted and gathered flowers

As she walked along with the World;

While millions and millions of sorrowing souls

To eternal death were hurled.

"Your preachers are all too old and plain,"

Said the World to the Church with a sneer

"They frighten my children with dreadful tales,

Which I like not for them to hear.

They talk of brimstone and fire and pain

And the night of an endless death;

They talk of a place which may only be

Mentioned with bated breath.

I will send you some of the better stamp,

Brilliant and gay and fast,

Who will tell them that people may live as they choose

And go to heaven at last.

The Father is merciful, great and good,

Tender and true and kind;

Do you think he would take one child to heaven,

And leave the other behind?"

So he filled her house with gay divines,

Gifted and great and learned,

And the plain old men that preached the cross

Were out of her pulpits turned.

"You give too much to the poor," said the world,

"Far more than you ought to do;

If the poor need shelter and food and clothes,

Why need it trouble you?

Go, take your money and buy rich robes,

And horses and carriages fine,

And pearls and jewels and dainty foods,

And the rarest and costliest wine!

My children, they dote on all such things;

And if you their love would win,

You must do as they do and walk in the ways

That they are walking in."

Then the Church held tightly the strings of her purse

And gracefully lowered her head,

And whispered, "I've given too much away;

I'll do, sir, as you have said."

So the poor were turned from her door in scorn,

And she drew her robes aside

As the widows went weeping on their way;

With all their needs denied,

And the sons of the world and the sons of the church

Walked closely hand and heart,

And only the Master who knoweth all

Could tell the two apart.

Then the Church sat down at her ease, and said,

"I am rich, and with goods increased;

I have need of nothing, and naught to do

But to laugh and dance and feast."

And the sly World heard her and laughed up his sleeve,

And mockingly said aside;

"The Church is fallen, the beautiful Church

And her shame is her boast and pride."

The angel drew near to the mercy-seat,

And whispered in sighs her name,

And the saints their anthems of rapture hushed,

And covered their heads with shame.

Then a voice came down through the hush of heaven

From Him who sat on the throne:

"I know thy works, and how thou has said,

'I am rich,' and hast not known

That thou art naked, and poor, and blind,

And wretched before my face.

Unless thou repent I will cast thee out

And blot thy name from its place.

I counsel thee to buy of Me

The gold that will make you rich;

And anoint your eyes with the heavenly salve

To discern your Maker's wish."

Then the awakened Church with deep regret

From her worldly course returned;

She opened her heart to the knock of Christ

As His love in her bosom burned.

And gave her robes and forgave her sins,

And together they sat and supped;

His proffered throne He shared with her

For whom He had suffered much.

O Church of Christ, hear the Spirit's voice

As He calls through the world today.

Would that every church throughout the realm

Would turn from the world away.

The world will be lost in eternal night,

But the penitent saved for aye.

Author Unknown