“CLOSING EVENTS”
Study 33 - Excerts
Elder Gordon Collier,
God’s Eternal Purpose in the Great Controversy
[ THE GREAT ADVENT MOVEMENT IN BIBLE PROPHECY ]
4 THE CENTRAL ISSUE OF THE GREAT CONTROVERSY BETWEEN CHRIST AND SATAN
WHY?
WHAT is man? WHY was the human race created? WHAT is the history of this world all about?
“In order to understand what is comprehended in the work of education, we need to consider both 1) The nature of Man, and 2) the Purpose of god in creating him.” – Ed 14.
What sublime purpose did God have in 1) creating this world and the human race, and 2) in quarantining sin to this planet?
WHAT is the one great central issue in the Great controversy between Christ and Satan?
WHY do Seventh-day Adventists believe themselves to be a Movement of Destiny?
WHAT special, decisive responsibility has God assigned to the members of the Remnant Church in Earth’s last generation?
HOW will the entire universe and eternity itself be affected by the outcome of the Great Controversy?
HOW may the reader have a decisive part in God’s great eternal triumph?
OUR GREAT NEED
It is extremely important that every Seventh-day Adventist understand clearly the great issues in the war between Christ and Satan.
“More clearly than we do, We need to understand the issues at stake in the great conflict in which we are engaged.” – MH 451.
“THE TREMENDOUS ISSUES OF ETERNITY”
“THE TREMENDPOUS ISSUES OF ETERNITY demand of us something besides an imaginary religion – a religion of words and forms - . . . COR 80, 81 (1926 ed. 100).
PROMPT AND DECISIVE ACTION REQUIRED NOW!
“There will be crises in this cause. Prompt and decisive action at the right time will gain glorious triumphs, while delay and neglect will result in great failures and positive dishonour to God.” – 3T 498.
UTMOST HASTE NOW IMPERATIVE – DELAY WILL COMPROMISE GOD AND HIS THRONE
“Something great and decisive is to take place, and that right early. If any delay, the character of God and His throne will be compromised.” – THE CRISIS IMMINENT, GCB 1893, p. 73.
ASK YOURSELF
1) Am I, by my unbelief and failure to overcome, compromising God’s throne? 2) Am I prolonging the reign of Satan, sin and suffering? 3) Am I increasing and prolonging the sufferings of Christ? 4) Am I delaying the revival of my church and the finishing of the work, 5) the vindication of God, 6) the second coming of Christ, and 7) the securing of the universe?
THIS WE KNOW
We know that in a sense god is on trial. “The hour of His judgement is come.” – Rev. 14:6, 7This text may also be understood in this sense.
“God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That Thou mightiest be justified in thy sayings, and mightiest overcome when thou art judged.” – Rom. 3:4.
“. . . that Thou mightiest be justified when Thou speakest, and be clear when Thou judgest.” – Ps. 51:4 KJV.
“. . . so that Thou mayest be proved right in thy charge and just in passing sentence.” – Ps. 51:4 NEB.
p. 22
GRACE
Many Christians believe that GRACE is God’s merciful and gracious treatment of sinners; and this is true. But grace is not only the loving kindness of God toward undeserving sinners; Grace is also the power to OBEY – Power to Overcome – Power to live in harmony with God.
“I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation.” – Rom. 1:16.
The only power that can create or perpetuate true peace is the GRACE of Christ. When this is implanted in the heart, it will cast out the evil passions that cause strife and dissension. – DA 305.
Can it be that God who created . . . the perfect man, the perfect woman, - all things perfect and beautiful – is now satisfied with not-quite-perfect human beings?
Can it be that the God who had the power to create a perfect universe and a perfect (sinless) man and woman, does not have the power to RECREATE man and RESTORE him to his original perfection (sinlessness)?
Two of the purposes of Christ’s coming to Earth were to reveal what God desired – SINLESS PERFECTION – of His people, and to demonstrate that, with the help of divine power, it can be done!
ENCOURAGEMENT
“When a soul receives Christ, he receives power to live the life of Christ.” – COL 304.
“But upon him who looks to Jesus, Satan’s temptations have no power.” – 1SM 224.
“AS we do this (pray and confess our sins) the power of the Spirit will come to us. We need the Pentecostal energy. This will come; for the Lord has promised to send His Spirit as the All-Conquering Power!” 8T 297-298.
”. . . You need never yield to temptation, . . .” – OHC 19.
“For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world; and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.” – 1 John 5:4
“None need fail of attaining, in his sphere, to perfection of Christian character. . . . God calls upon us to reach the standard of perfection (sinlessness, faultlessness). . . . In His humanity, perfected by a life of constant resistance to evil, the Saviour showed that through cooperation with divinity, human beings may in this life attain to perfection of character. This is God’s assurance to us that we too may obtain complete victory.” – AA 531.
THE [ HUMAN ] WILL
“The Holy Spirit takes the will and makes it one with the Divine will.” – Letter 24, 1899.
What it takes – The Surrender of the Will [ to God's will ]
“By steadily keeping the will on the Lord’s side, every emotion will be brought into captivity to the will of Jesus.” – 5T 514.
So complete will be the transformation of our will, so perfect the union of our will with the will of God that: “Duty becomes a delight and sacrifice a pleasure.” – SC 59.
“But while Satan can solicit, he cannot compel us to sin . . . The Tempter can never compel us to do evil. He cannot control minds unless they are yielded to his control.” – DA 125.
Satan’s Objective – Attack the Citadel of the Will
“This will, that forms so important a factor in the character of man, was at the Fall given into the control of Satan; and he has ever since been working in man to will and to do of his own pleasure, but to the utter ruin and misery of man.” – 5T 515
We are admonished to: “. . . break the power of Satan, and to emancipate the will of man.” – OHC 104.
The will is the governing power in the nature of man, the power of decision, or choice. Every human being possessed of reason has power to choose the right. In every experience of life, God’s word to us is ‘Choose ye this day whom ye will serve.’ Every one may place his will on the side of the will of God, may choose to obey Him, and by thus linking himself with divine agencies, he may stand where nothing can force him to do evil.
“Pure religion has to do with the will. The will is the governing power in the nature of man, bringing all the other faculties under its sway. The will . . . . is the deciding power, which works in the children of men unto obedience to God, or unto disobedience. . . . If you fight the fight of faith with all your will-power, you will conquer.” – 5T 513.
“But your will must cooperate with God’s will, . . .” – 5T 514. We choose it and God does it!
“CHRISTIANITY means the entire surrender of the will to God.” – ST July 26, 1899.
“. . . You can control the will, and you can make an entire change in your life.” – 5T 514; MYP 152.
DO IT NOW!
I lay aside my own will,
I surrender all,
I CHOOSE to repent,
I CHOOSE to love God with my whole heart,
I CHOOSE to obey God with my whole heart,
I CHOOSE to live without sinning,
I CHOOSE to gain the complete unbroken victory over every besetting sin, or die in the attempt!
“It is for you to yield up your will to the will of Jesus Christ; and as you do this, God will immediately take possession and work in you to will and to do His good pleasure.” – 5T 514.
When we choose it – He does it!
“Holiness is . . . an entire surrender of the will to God.” – AA 51.
“Let all have more to teach, to write, and to publish in regard to those things that are now to be fulfilled. . . . Let everything that can be said to awaken the church from its slumbers be brought forward without delay. . . . Let more time be given to the publication and circulation of books containing Present Truth.” – 7T 157, 158.
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RELIGIOUS LIBERTY IN THE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH
“But the Holy Spirit will, from time to time, reveal the truth through its chosen agencies; and no man, not even a priest or ruler, has a right to say, You shall not give publicity to your opinions, because I do not believe them. That wonderful ‘I’ may attempt to put down the Holy Spirit’s teachings.” – TM 70.
“Shall we, uninspired men, take the responsibility of placing our stakes, and saying, ‘This shall not appear in print?’” TM 294, 295.
“Precious light is to shine forth from the Word of God, and let no one presume to dictate what shall or what shall not be brought before the people in the messages of enlightenment that he shall send, and so quench the Spirit of God. Whatever may be his position of authority, no one has a right to shut away the light from the people.
“When a message comes in the name of the Lord to His people, no one may excuse himself from an investigation of its claims. No one can afford to stand back in an attitude of indifference and self-confidence, and say, ‘I know what is truth. I am satisfied with my position, whatever may come. I will not listen to the message of this messenger; for I know that it can not be truth.’
“It was from pursuing this very course that the popular churches were left in partial darkness, and that is why the messages of heaven have not reached.” – TSS p. 65. (See also CSSW 27, 28).
Thank God, Brothers and Sisters, that we have Religious Liberty in the Seventh-day Adventist Church! Thank God for our leaders – Leaders who have not sought to crush these ‘Closing Events’ studies, but rather have, for 10 years freely permitted them to go, “like the leaves of autumn” to God’s dear commandment-keeping people!
A LESSON FROM THE PAST
“The solemn testimony upon which the destiny of the church hangs, has been lightly esteemed, if not entirely disregarded.” – EW 270.
“True religion that advocates Righteousness by Faith has been denounced as leading to enthusiasm and fanaticism; has been slighted, spoken against, ridiculed and rejected. But it is the active principle of love imparted by the Holy Spirit.” – GCB Feb. 7, 1893.
“The prejudices and opinions that prevailed at Minneapolis are not dead by any means.” – TM 467 (written Nov. 3, 1890).
“The Third Angel’s message will not be comprehended, the light which will lighten the earth with its glory will be called a false light, by those who refuse to walk in its advancing glory.” – RH May 27, 1890.
“In 1888, at the General conference held in Minneapolis, Minnesota, The Angel of Rev. 18:1 came down to do his work, and was ridiculed, criticized and rejected. And when the message He brings again, swells into a loud cry, it will again be ridiculed, spoken against and rejected by the majority.” – Some History, Some Experience, and Some Facts by Elder A. T. Jones (Taken from an article entitled ‘Taking Up A Reproach’ by Ellen G. White).
“Will you dare to turn from, or make light of, the warnings, because God did not consult you as to what would be preferred? God calls men who will speak, who will cry aloud and spare not. God has raised up his messengers to do His work for this time.” – RH May 27, 1890.
“God holds you to whom this light has come, responsible for the use you make of it. Those who will not hear will be held responsible, for the truth has been brought within their reach, but they despised their opportunities and privileges. Messages bearing the divine credentials have been sent to God’s people; the glory, the majesty, the righteousness of Christ, full of goodness and truth, have been presented; . . . “ – RH May 27, 1890.
“It is the first duty to learn what is truth.” – GC 598.
“Our only safety is to be constantly growing in the knowledge of the truth.” – SL 68.
p. 130
CONVERSION
FREE
MAN – A FREE MORAL AGENT
SATAN LIMITED
THANK GOD, SATAN IS STRICTLY LIMITED! HE CANNOT OVERCOME GOD’S CHILDREN
(This is one of the glories of the doctrine of perfection)
100 PERCENT – COMPLETE – WHOLE – FULL – ENTIRE - PERFECT
p. 174
THERE ARE TWO MAIN FUNCTIONS OR PURPOSES OF GOD’S GRACE
The Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy teach that God’s grace is sufficient 1) to give us the complete , unbroken victory over sin, 2) to completely rid us of every bent, bias, inclination, tendency, and propensity to sin, and 3) to transform us completely in this life.
To say that God cannot do these three things for the Christian, is to limit His grace; it is to say that His grace is NOT sufficient for us!
After the close of probation, those who have been fully converted and sealed, will continue to need God’s sustaining grace – grace to maintain their fellowship with God, and grace to maintain their victory over sin.
Although God’s sealed saints do not need His grace to convert them [they already are converted] or for the forgiveness of sins because they are fully converted, fully mature, fully perfected and victorious over sin, yet they continue to need His grace to keep them converted, and to enable them to endure, to persevere, to resist temptation, to maintain their victory over sin – even unto death if necessary.
They are still as dependent upon God after the Close of Probation as they were before the Close of Probation. They are not on their own, and never will – even in heaven. They will never be self-sufficient, autonomous, self-centered Christians; but will, throughout eternity, still operate on the ‘trolley car’ principle – Power only while connected with the one and only Source of Power [God].
The saints will joyfully acknowledge their momentary dependence upon God’s sustaining grace (Keeping Power), and will joyfully, continuously, and eternally surrender all to God.
Throughout eternity the redeemed are fully conscious of, and gladly acknowledge the fact that they are totally dependent upon union with God for 1) Life, 2) Love, 3) Grace (sustaining power), 4) Righteousness, 5) Wisdom, 6) Victory, and 7) Happiness.
Salvation from beginning to end is attributed to God and to God alone!
“We should ever remember that life is short, and if we would attain to that perfection of character which Christ requires of us, every hour of our probation must be wisely improved as a treasure more precious than gold.” – ST May 20, 1913.
“SINLESS”!
Being Then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. – Rom. 6:18
But now being made free from, . . – Rom. 6:22
“Learn of Him how to live the Christlike life – a life free from every taint of sin.” – ST Oct. 7, 1903.
“Christ died to make it possible for you to . . . . cease to sin, . . .” – RH Aug. 28, 1894.
p. 181
ENOCH AND ELIJAH ARE TYPES OF GOD’S PEOPLE IN THE LAST DAYS
ENOCH AND ELIJAH are the correct representatives of what the [human] race might be through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. Satan was greatly disturbed because these noble, holy men were untainted amid the moral pollution surrounding them, perfecting righteous characters, and accounted worthy for translation to heaven.
“As they had stood forth in moral power, in noble uprightness, overcoming Satan’s temptations, he could not bring them under the dominion of death.” – RH March 3, 1874. (Also found in Redemption or the Temptation of Christ In the Wilderness, pp. 23, 24).
What God did for Enoch and Elijah, He is waiting to do for us. God has given us their example and the example of Jesus, first, to prove to us that it can be done, and second, to inspire us to follow their example, so that He will be enabled to do it again in us!
p.189
Jesus came to save us, in this life, from the power and dominion of sin, and to make us more than conquerors through His power! This is not to be a partial, but a complete, deliverance!
p. 197
CONCLUSION
In conclusion: There is to be no character change when Christ comes. The sinful character must be wholly transformed into a righteous character before that time. If it is not done by the time probation closes, it will never be done. It will then be too late. IT IS NOW – IN THIS LIFETIME – BEFORE THE CLOSE OF PROBATION, that we are to prepare. We are not to wait until after the National Sunday Law to be rid of every bent, bias, tendency, inclination, and propensity to sin. How crucial is the present moment for Seventh-day Adventists living today with the full blaze of the accumulated revelation of truth of all ages shining upon them!
p. 209
Today, God’s people stand face to face with another great crisis – the greatest in the history of the world! Soon God’s people will face rejection, disgrace, persecution, another death decree [similar to the one issued by King Ahasuerus [Xerxes] in the book of Esther) Rev. 13:11-17. Will we reason as did Esther of 488 BC [and] nobly risk all for God’s cause?
Our decisions from day to day are shaping our character and preparing us ultimately for ignominious defeat or glorious victory. Those of us who are, little by little, compromising with the world, reasoning like the world, and seeking favour with the world will forsake the cause of God in the coming time of trouble!
Is it compromise and capitulation, or conviction, courage and conquest as with Esther of 488 BC?
Today the church – Your church – is standing in critical need of help. Can god count on you now?
In a Nutshell:
We, like Queen Esther, are a people of destiny,
Working with tremendous sense of destiny,
In an hour of destiny,
With a message of destiny,
For a world whose destiny,
Depends upon us living up to our destiny!
A TREMENDOUS RESPONSIBILITY
The destiny of the whole world hangs upon us! We are God’s people with god’s message, for God’s hour! This is what the Great controversy is all about.
THE ISSUE
The Great Controversy is over the Law of God. Satan says it is a bad law, that it is unnecessary, and that it cannot be kept.
God says it is a good law, that it is necessary and that it can be kept!
SATAN’S BATTLE PLAN
Satan is seeking to lead the whole world into hating and disobeying God’s Law by believing that it is a bad law, that it is arbitrary, unnecessary, impossible to keep, or that it eith has been changed [the 4th commandment] or abolished altogether.
GOD’S STRATEGY
God has raised up a people in this last era of Earth’s history (1844 to the end) through whon He is going to vindicate His Law.
HOW WILL THIS BE ACCOMPLISHED?
God is going to vindicate Himself and His Law by means of a people all over the world who will love, honor, and perfectly obey it.
This will completely, decisively, and eternally defeat and vanquish Satan, vindiciate God, win and terminate the great controversy between Christ and Lucifer, and secure the universe against sin’s ever arising again.
THUS IT MAY BE SEEN THAT:
1) Seventh-day Adventists are a people of high destiny;
2) The stakes are higher than the highest human thought can reach;
3) God’s program for winning the Great controversy and His repudiation is in our hands;
4) The eternal destiny of more than three billion people [the whole world] rests upon us;
5) The termination of sin in the universe;
6) The termination of the suffering of the Father and the Son;
7) The finishing of the work;
8) The end of the world;
9) The Second Coming of Christ;
10) The defeat and destruction of Satan, and
11) The safety and securing of the universe is all dependent upon Seventh-day Adventists!
WHAT A TREMENDOUS RESPONSIBILITY RESTS UPON SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS!
THE PROOF
The doctrine of Righteousness by Faith.
God’s eternal purpose in the Great controversy between Christ and Lucifer.
The nature of Christ and the nature of man, and what happens to it in this life.
How the wonderful EXPERIENCE of Righteousness by Faith (the message of 1888) may be experienced and maintained – God’s ten provisions for the complete, unbroken victory over sin.
Last-day events of Earth’s history and how we may prepare for them.
TO GOD BE THE GLORY!
To God alone be all of the praise forever and ever! Amen!
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“CLOSING EVENTS”
Study 33 - Excerts
Elder Gordon Collier, God’s Eternal Purpose in the Great Controversy