Learning the Lessons of Sacred History

Christ Triumphant - A Devotional by E.G. White

Learning the Lessons of Sacred History

Today's Text: Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. 1 Corinthians 10:11

The Message:      The instruction given in the Old Testament Scriptures is as verily the word of Christ as the instruction in the New Testament. Christ was as verily humanity's Redeemer in the days when the Old Testament was written as He was when He appeared in the form of a man. He gave those of ancient Israel just as favorable an opportunity of working out their own salvation as He did those who listened to His words.      A character formed after the divine likeness is the only treasure that people can take from this world to the next. The character as formed in this world determines one's destiny for eternity. The element of value in one's life in this world will be of value in the world to come. A person's future is determined by the way one allows himself or herself to be influenced. If one cherishes and cultivates hereditary tendencies for wrong, indulging fleshly inclinations, appetites, and passions, that individual can never enter the kingdom of God. But the person who strives to repress evil inclinations, who is willing to be governed by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, is transformed....      Christ's character was exemplified in Abel, Noah, Seth, Enoch, Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Samuel, David, and all the host of those recorded as having characters that God could approve. [As examples], we are also given Cain and all who form characters opposite to truth, fidelity, obedience, and righteousness. All had an opportunity to show themselves members of the Cain family, or as members of the royal family.... Purity and holiness come only through Christ....      We are to listen to the voice of Christ speaking in the creation of the world and from the pillar of cloud, for our eternal welfare depends upon our obedience to the voice of God. Let all move guardedly. Let us not pass by anything that Christ has given through the holy people of old for the benefit of every generation.       All that God's mind has planned, that His hand has touched, are lessons written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come. Those things that have been will be. Christ's words of approval or disapproval come sounding down along the line of our time. Our spiritual and eternal interests are involved in the facts stated. The Lord means what He says, and says what He means.-Letter 34, 1899.

Commentary: My friend, the decisions that we are making today have a decided affect upon our characters and who we are.  If we are compromising with sin today, we are preparing to compromise when it matters most.  By what we choose to place before us we are either taking upon ourselves the character of Christ or of Satan.  If we desire to enter into the kingdom of God and be saved, we must have the righteous character of Jesus Christ living within us.  We must be daily looking unto Jesus that we may be changed by beholding Him. Today, the whole of the Christian world to include the Seventh-day Adventist church looks unto God through the doctrine of the trinity and by doing so they are transformed into its image.  While on the surface it may look like God, but in reality it is not.  By representing God as three separate and individual beings, each God unto themselves, it robs from us the perfect image of the One true God and shrouds Him in mystery. By introducing the Holy Spirit as a separate being from the Father and the Son, it introduces to us another mediator between God and man.  It teaches us that we are connected to Christ through the being of the Holy Spirit, and as such is our mediator here on earth while Jesus is performing the work of mediation in the sanctuary above.  This view of the Holy Spirit is not in line with the Word of God for the it tell us in Ephesians 4:4-6 that "There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all." The Holy Spirit is not another being but is the Spirit of God Himself, and His Spirit dwells within His Son.  2 Corinthians 5:17-19 tells us "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.  And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation."  The Spirit of God is in Jesus Christ and as we accept the Spirit of Jesus within our hearts, we will be transformed into the image of God.  "To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:" My friend, if you are looking unto Jesus through the false image of the trinity you will be transformed into its image.  As you accept into your heart "God the Holy Spirit", you are accepting a being that is not Jesus Christ and as such cannot give you victory over sin, and thus you cannot be transformed into the image of God.  It is time to look away from this false god and look unto the One true God through His Son Jesus Christ, for Jesus Himself said in John 17:3 "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." God bless,

Video of the Week Who Will You Worship? - Matt Dooley Matt Dooley of Line of Truth Ministries traces Satan's desire for worship from heaven to the end of time, and how he has accomplished this through the trinity.