In Every Test God is with Us

Christ Triumphant - A Devotional by E.G. White

In Every Test God is with Us

Today's Text: And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king's counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed. Daniel 3:27

The Message:      Suddenly the countenance of the king paled with terror. He looked intently upon the glowing flames and, turning to his lords, in tones of alarm, inquired, "Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?" The answer was "True, O king." His voice trembling with excitement, the monarch exclaimed, "Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God."      The Hebrew captives had told Nebuchadnezzar of Christ, the Redeemer that was to come, and from the description thus given the king recognized the form of the fourth in the fiery furnace as the Son of God. Hastening to the furnace, Nebuchadnezzar cried, "Ye servants of the most high God, come forth." And they obeyed, before that vast multitude showing themselves unhurt, not even the smell of fire being on their garments. True to duty, they had been proof against the flames. Only their fetters had been burned.      Tests will come to every one of us. We know not how many will be placed in peculiar positions where we shall have opportunity of showing forth the glory of God. We are to keep in view the honor of our heavenly Father....      History will repeat itself. In this age the great test will be upon the point of Sabbath observance.... A rival sabbath is exalted, as was the great golden image in the plain of Dura. Leaders claiming to be Christians will call upon the world to observe the spurious sabbath that they have made. All who refuse will be put under oppressive laws. This is the mystery of iniquity, the devising of satanic agencies, carried into effect by the man of sin....      We are to warn men and women against the worship of the beast and his image-against the worship of the idol Sunday. But in doing this work, we need not begin a warfare against unbelievers. We are simply to present the Word of the Lord, in its true dignity and purity, before the minds of those who are ignorant or indifferent regarding its teachings.... We need not tell them that they will go to hell unless they keep the Sabbath of the fourth commandment. The truth itself, accompanied by the power of the Holy Spirit, will convict and convert hearts.-Manuscript 110, 1904.

Commentary: My friend, through every trial that we go through for righteousness sake, God is with us.  As we stand true to Him in the face of trial and persecution, there He is with us.  The three Hebrew boys were blessed to walk through the fires of affliction with the Son of God at their side. In the last days the test of the mark of the beast which is Sunday worship enforced by the union of the religious and civil powers of the world, will be the final test that separates the wheat from the tares.  While the day of worship is the mechanism that will separate the righteous from the wicked, the mere keeping of the Sabbath of the Lord will not save us, for we are not saved by works but by faith in the Son of God.  In order for us to keep the Sabbath holy we must first ourselves be holy.  God declares through His prophet Ezekiel "Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the LORD that sanctify them." (Ezekiel 20:12). In order for us to be saved during the implementation of the mark of the beast, we must first be sanctified by God.  Our sanctification is the indwelling of the Spirit of Christ living within us.  As we are thus filled with His Spirit we will stand firm for God in the last days.  The keeping of the Sabbath at that time will seal the work that has already been accomplished within us.  As the Potter has perfected His creation of clay, it must pass through the furnace of affliction to make permanent that which has been done by His hand.  Thus the perfection of our characters must be accomplished before the final test is to come. Satan well knows that all those whom he can get to neglect the work of sanctification will come up to the final test unprepared to meet it.  It is a law of nature that we are changed by that which we behold.  Our only standard of righteousness is Jesus Christ, and as we look unto Him we will be changed into His image.  Thus Satan has sought to divert the minds of God's people away from the Son of God to the false god of the trinity.  As we look unto God the Son as the trinity proclaims, we are turned unto another god whose image cannot sanctify us and make us righteous. The trinity is a doctrine of men and Jesus says "But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." (Matthew 15:9).  The trinity is a man made doctrine and if we are worshiping the god of the trinity, we are worshiping a false god and as such are worshiping God in vain. My friend, if you desire to be saved; if you desire to have Christ with you through the trials of the last days you need to look away from the false god of the trinity and look unto Jesus the true Son of God that you may be changed into His image, sanctified by the dwelling of His Spirit within you, that you may be sealed through the final trial of the last days. God bless,

Video of the Week Triune Sonship - Imad Awde The Scripture says that Jesus was begotten three times. He was begotten in Heaven, begotten on earth, and begotten from the dead. How does His threefold Sonship relate to the plan of salvation? And why is the Sonship principle applied to all three of them? Join Imad as he addresses these questions and more.