MID-WEEK MANNA FROM PASTOR NAT’S DESK:
March 1, 2023
God’s Saving Enmity
Part 9
THE CARNAL MIND AT ENMITY WITH GOD’S LAW
“For to be carnally-minded is death, but to be spiritually-minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither can be.” Rom. 8: 6, 7, KJV.
Clearly understanding this divine dichotomy and making spiritually-enlightened, consistent and unwavering intelligent choices and decisions will determine both our present condition and eternal destiny—either a vibrant life and inward peace on one hand or guilt, misery, self-inflicted suffering, spiritual and physical decay and even premature death. It is only in this definitive sense that we are “masters of our own destiny.” Note the following [all emphasis and bracketed words mine]:
“The law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.” (Gal. 3:24). In this Scripture the Holy Spirit through the apostle [Paul] is speaking especially of the MORAL law [Decalogue]. The law REVEALS SIN to us, and causes us to feel our NEED of Christ, and to FLEE to Him for pardon and peace BY EXERCISING REPENTANCE TOWARDS GOD AND FAITH TOWARD OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST.
“An unwillingness to yield up PRECONCEIVED opinions, and to ACCEPT this truth, lay at the foundation of a large share at the OPPOSITION manifested at.....[in 1888] AGAINST the Lord’s message through brethren….. By exciting that OPPOSITION, Satan succeeded in shutting away from our people, in a great measure, the SPECIAL POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT that God longed to impart to them. The ENEMY prevented them from OBTAINING that efficiency which might have been theirs in carrying the TRUTH TO THE WORLD, as the apostles proclaimed it AFTER the Day of Pentecost! The light that is to ‘lighten the whole earth with its glory’ [the fourth angel of Revelation 18] was RESISTED, and by the action of our own brethren has been in a great degree, KEPT AWAY from the world.
“The law of Ten Commandments is not to be looked upon as much from the PROHIBITORY side, as from the MERCY side [this is only by the spiritually-minded]. ITS PROHIBITIONS ARE THE SURE GUARANTEE OF HAPPINESS IN OBEDIENCE [exact opposite of a ‘heavy yoke and burdensome’ as taught by antinomians of mainstream Christianity].
“As received in Christ, it works in us the PURITY OF CHARACTER that will bring JOY to us through ETERNALAGES. By the obedient it is a WALL OF PROTECTION. We behold in it the GOODNESS of God [the true meaning of ‘God is good all the time.’], by revealing IN men the IMMUTABLE PRINCIPLES OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, seeks to SHIELD them from the EVILS that result from transgression [sin; iniquity].”- E. G. White, Manuscript Releases, Vol. 1. MR No. 33, pp 133-4, RH Publishing.
To be continued next MWM, God willing. Bless all, NMF.