Tag: sanctuary

FROM YOUR PASTOR’S DESK:
November 3

THE SANCTUARY DOCTRINE EXPLAINS THE WAY OF SALVATION OF THE GOSPEL (Part 38)

What That One Thief Crucified With Christ Saw and Heard from The Antitypical Sacrificial Lamb of God at the Calvary Moment.

“In the judgment hall and on the way to Calvary he [this particular condemned criminal] had been with Jesus. He had HEARD Pilate declare, ‘I find no fault in Him..’ John 19:4. He had marked His GOD-LIKE bearing, and His PITYING FORGIVENESS of His tormentors. On [his vantage height in] the cross he sees the MANY GREAT RELIGIONISTS shoot out the tongue with scorn, and ridicule the Lord Jesus. He sees the WAGGING HEADS. He hears the UPBRADING SPEECH of his companion in guile [the other condemned thief]: ‘If Thou be Christ, save Thyself and us.’ Among the PASSERSBY he hears many DEFENDING Jesus. He hears them repeat His WORDS, and tell of His WORKS.

“The conviction COMES BACK to him that this is the Christ. Turning to his fellow criminal he says, ‘Dost thou not FEAR GOD, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?’

“The dying thieves have no longer anything to fear from men. But upon one of them pressed the CONVICTION that there is a God to FEAR [see the first angel’s message, Rev. 14: 6,7], a future to cause him to TREMBLE. And NOW [at that Calvary Moment], all sin-polluted as IT is, HIS LIFE HISTORY IS ABOUT TO CLOSE. ‘And we indeed justly,’ he moans; ‘for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this MAN has done nothing amiss.’“ – E. G. White, Desire of Ages, p. 749.

If still conscious somehow though visibly undetectable, the “conviction that there is a God to fear” in the ebbing moments of a dying person who has led a sinful life, is the final glimmer of hope for his eternal salvation, if he repents and confesses in his mind to God, even in a matter of seconds or in his thoughts, unheard by mortals and evil angels.

In such special but not strange cases, as established prototypical by that one thief on the cross, they are eternally saved exclusively through JUSTIFICATION, not by sanctification or “overcoming by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony.”

They no longer had any time whatsoever left for the latter work. As there are “eleventh hour workers” illustrated in the parable, there are also souls that will be saved at the “eleventh hour” of their individual probation time.

How? Because “the plan of salvation is broad enough to embrace the whole world,” and God in Christ “sees the end from the beginning,” and “looks upon the heart while men looks upon the outward appearance,” the perfect righteousness of Christ is instantly IMPUTED to such souls by child-like, implicit trusting faith in the merits of Christ’s sacrifice and sin-cleansing blood.

It is not imparted as in sanctification—the process of character perfection, which is purification from sin and it’s defilement, a progressive work of a lifetime in the “new creature in Christ” in his “walk in the Spirit,” as he, like Paul, “presses towards the mark of the high calling in Christ Jesus” till the end of his earthly journey. Having “died in Christ,” not perished in his sins, he is blessed, rests from his labors, and his sanctified works follow him to eternity! Rev. 14:13.

(To be continued). Bless all, NMF.

FROM YOUR PASTOR’S DESK:
November 2

THE SANCTUARY DOCTRINE EXPLAINS THE WAY OF SALVATION OF THE GOSPEL (Part 37)

The Untold, Unparalleled, All-encompassing Sufferings of the Antitypical Lamb of God at the Antitypical Altar of Sacrifice at Calvary.

We continue reviewing what took place at Calvary, in the treatment He received from His own people. Out of that dark moments before He finally expired at 3 PM (our time), came one and only one weak ray of light as it were, of human comfort that the humanity of Christ craved for, but not “from His own people,” not even from His own twelve disciples, not even from the Father, the Holy Spirit, or the holy angels!

From whom then? One of the two thieves condemned to die by crucifixion simultaneous with Christ! Strange as it seems, the Bible does not even identify him by name! Why? It was the deed, not the name (or title) that mattered.

There is a deep lesson here many have missed even to this late hour of probation! Truth is indeed stranger than fiction, at times! Now read on from the inspired pen:

“To Jesus in His agony at the cross there came ONE GLEAM of comfort. It was the PRAYER OF THE PENITENT THIEF. Both the men that were crucified had AT FIRST railed against Him; and one [of them] under his suffering only became MORE desperate and defiant. But not so with his companion. This man was NOT a hardened criminal; he had been led astray by evil companions, but he was LESS GUILTY than many of those who stood beside the cross reviling the Savior. He had seen and heard Jesus, and had been CONVICTED by His teaching, but He had been turned away from Him by the PRIESTS AND RULERS.
Seeking to stifle conviction, he had plunged deeper and deeper into sin, UNTIL he was arrested, tried as a criminal, and condemned to die on the cross.”- E. G. White, Desire of Ages, p. 749, April, 1950, Pacific Press Publishing Asso.

There are countless victims from that Calvary Moment to this very moment in time and up to the close of probation, of this devastating combination.

What is it? Sinners being convicted of their sins and sinful lives by the truth and righteousness only to turned away from it by the very men whose primary religious duty and responsibility is to encourage sinners to repent and turn away from their sins.

This very naturally leads him in his already weakened state to seek ways and means to stifle a bothered conscience, the only ways available being to go deeper into sin and wickedness, until aborted by death or in this case, by his arrest by the civil authorities.

Furthermore, because of the principle of command responsibility “unto whom much is given much is required,” those religious leaders were not merely “partners in crime” with the condemned thief, they were promoters and purveyors of human depravity and sin. Hence it was the thief, not the “thief-makers” who found salvation in that Calvary Moment! Please remember that!

(To be continued). Bless all, NMF.

FROM YOUR PASTOR’S DESK:
November 1

THE SANCTUARY DOCTRINE EXPLAINS THE WAY OF SALVATION OF THE GOSPEL (Part 36)

Who Is This Jesus?

History unlearned repeats itself only with fiercer fury and to greater magnitudes with its devastating antitypical results and consequences.

So lest the antitypical “chosen people” of these last days become also deceived—as were the ignorant-but-not-innocent rabble gathered at Calvary, agitated and egged on by the Pharisees, elders, and scribes of the nation—-and similarly get duped and join the threefold union of the final confederacy against Christ through His faithful remnant (Rev. 14: 12), let Christ’s true disciples, beginning in theOld to the New, filled with the Spirit of inspiration, remind us:

“ADAM will tell you. It is ‘the Seed of the woman that shall bruise the serpent’s head.’ Gen 3:15., KJV.

“ABRAHAM will tell you, It is ‘Melchizedek, King of Salem,’ King of peace. Gen.18.; [cf. Heb. 7:1-25].

“JACOB will tell you, He is ‘Shiloh of the tribe of Judah.’ [Gen. 49:10].

“ISAIAH will tell you, ‘Immanuel,’ ‘Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of peace.’ Isa. 7:14, 9:6.

“JEREMIAH will tell you, The ‘Branch of David, the Lord our Righteousness.’ Jer. 23:6.

“DANIEL will tell you, Ha is ‘the Messiah.’ [See the 70-week prophecy of Dan. 9:24-27].

“HOSEA will tell you, He is ‘the Lord God of hosts; the Lord is His memorial.’ Hos. 12:5.

“JOHN THE BAPTIST will tell you, ‘He is The Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.’ John 1:29.

“THE GREAT JEHOVAH has declared from His throne, ‘This is My Beloved Son.’ Matt. 3:17.

“WE, HIS DISCIPLES [if we truly are!] declare, This is JESUS, the MESSIAH, the PRINCE OF LIFE, the REDEEMER of the world.’

And SATAN, “the prince of the powers of darkness,’ acknowledges Him, saying, ‘I know Thee who Thou art, the Holy One of God.’ Mark 1:24.’” (From Desire of Ages by E. G. White, pp. 578, 579, April, 1950, Pacific Press Publishing Asso.

(To be continued). Bless all, NMF.

FROM YOUR PASTOR’S DESK:
October 29

THE SANCTUARY DOCTRINE EXPLAINS THE WAY OF SALVATION OF THE GOSPEL (Part 35)

Here’s more of the profound truths unfolded at the antitypical altar of sacrifice, where and when Christ, the suffering, the Creator incarnate, the only-begotten Son and Lamb of God was crucified, that have been mysteriously ignored or studiously avoided, both fatal errors!

Magnifying on the Biblical accounts regarding these events, the inspired pen continues (all emphasis mine):

“RELIGIOUS LEADERS [of the nation] united with Satan and his angels. They were doing his bidding. Jesus, suffering and dying, heard every word as the PRIESTS declared, ‘He saved others; Himself He cannot save. Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe.’ BUT IT IS BECAUSE HE WOULD NOT SAVE HIMSELF THAT THE [humble, repentant] SINNER HAS HOPE OF PARDON [forgiveness or justification] AND FAVOR WITH GOD.

“In their mockery of the Savior, THE MEN WHO PROFESSED TO BE EXPOUNDERS OF PROPHECY were repeating the very words which Inspiration had foretold [not foreordained or predestined] they would utter upon this occasion! Yet in their [spiritual] BLINDNESS they did not see that THEY were fulfilling the prophecy. Those who in DERISION uttered the words, ‘He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now, if He will have Him: for He said, I am the Son of God’, little thought that their testimony would SOUND down the ages.

“But although spoken in mockery, THESE WORDS led men to SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES as they had never done before! WISE MEN HEARD, SEARCHED, PONDERED, AND PRAYED. There were those who never rested until by COMPARING SCRIPTURE WITH SCRIPTURE [see Isa. 28:9-13], they saw the meaning of Christ’s mission.

“NEVER BEFORE WAS THERE SUCH A GENERAL KNOWLEDGE OF JESUS AS WHEN HE HUNG UPON THE CROSS. Into the hearts of many who beheld the CRUCIFIXION SCENE, and who heard Christ’s words, the LIGHT OF TRUTH was shining.” – E. G. White, Desire of Ages, p. 749.

(To be continued). Bless all, NMF.

FROM YOUR PASTOR’S DESK:
October 28

THE SANCTUARY DOCTRINE EXPLAINS THE WAYg bookc OF SALVATION OF THE GOSPEL (Part 34)

The Prophesied Sufferings of Persecutions of the Lamb of God at the Antitypical Altar of Sacrifice by His Enemies: Who were they?

On the Thursday night just hours before His path to the cross began, Jesus prepared His first disciples with the prototypical counsels and warnings for all His faithful followers down through the generations after, particularly for our final one, who shall experience its antitype, as recorded in John 15: 17-23 (emphasis mine):

“These things I command you, that ye love one another. If the WORLD hate you, you know that IT HATED Me before IT hated you. If ye were of the WORLD, the world would LOVE his own: but because ye are NOT of the world, but I have CHOSEN you OUT of the world, therefore the world hateth you.

REMEMBER the word that I said unto you, the servant is not greater than his lord. If they had PERSECUTED Me, THEY will ALSO persecute you; if THEY have kept My sayings, they will keep yours also. But all these things THEY WILL DO UNTO YOU FOR MY NAME’S SAKE; because they know NOT Him that sent Me. If I had NOT COME AND SPOKEN unto them, they had NOT SIN: but NOW they had NO CLOAK FOR THEIR SIN. He that hateth Me hateth My Father also.” John 15: 17-23, KJV.

Based on the Scriptures’ account of the following, God’s messenger-servant wrote:

“The enemies of Jesus vented their rage upon Him as He hung upon the cross. PRIESTS, RULERS, AND SCRIBES, JOINED with the MOB in mocking the dying Savior.

“At the BAPTISM and at the TRANSFiGURATION the voice of God had been heard proclaiming Christ as His Son. Again, just before His betrayal, the Father had spoken, witnessing to His DIVINITY. But now the voice from heaven was silent. No testimony in Christ’s favor was heard [from heaven]. ALONE He suffered abuse and mockery from wicked men.

“‘IF Thou be the Son of God,’ they said, ‘COME DOWN FROM THE CROSS.’ ‘Let Him save Himself if He be the Christ, the Chosen of God.’ In the Wilderness of temptation Satan had declared, ‘IF Thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.’ ‘IF Thou be the Son of God, cast Thyself down,’ from the pinnacle of the temple.’ Matt. 4: 3,6, KJV.

And Satan with his angels, IN HUMAN FORM, was present at the cross. The archfiend and his hosts [in comparison and contrast to Jesus the Archangel and His heavenly host of uncalled angels] were CO-OPERATING WITH PRIESTS AND RULERS. The [religious] teachers of the people had stimulated the IGNORANT MOB to pronounce judgment against One upon whom MANY of them had never looked, and urged to bear testimony against Him. PRIESTS, RULERS, PHARISEES, AND THE HARDENED RABBLE WERE CONFEDERATED TOGETHER IN A SATANIC FRENZY.” – Desire of Ages, pp. 748, 749.

The real enemies of the true people of God in these last days have already been revealed in the prototypical confederacy conspired against the Lamb of God! Do not be part of the antitypical “ignorant and deceived mob and rabble!l

(To be continued). Bless all, NMF.

FROM YOUR PASTOR’S DESK:
October 26

THE SANCTUARY DOCTRINE EXPLAINS THE WAY OF SALVATION OF THE GOSPEL (Part 32)

Jesus Christ is the Real (Antitypical) Lamb of God.

“The next day John (the Baptist) seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the LAMB OF GOD, which taketh away the sin of the world.” John 1: 29, KJV. See verses 19-37. Compare to Exodus chapter 12.

“As in the TYPICAL service the high priest LAID ASIDE His pontifical robes, and officiated in the WHITE LINEN DRESS of an ordinary dress, so Christ Himself [the Creator] laid aside His [divine] royal robes, and garbed Himself in HUMANITY [John 1:1-3, 14; Heb. 2: 9-18], and offered SACRIFICE, Himself the PRIEST, Himself the VICTIM.

“As the high priest [in the typical service], after performing his service in the HOLY OF HOLIES [or most holy place on the Day of Atonement], came forth to the waiting congregation IN HIS PONTIFICAL ROBES [replacing the white linen dress]; so CHRIST WILL COME THE SECOND TIME, clothe in garments whitest white ‘so as no fuller [soap] on earth can white them’ [Ps. 68: 32-34].
He will come in His own glory, and in the glory of His Father, and all the angelic host will escort His way.” – E. G. White, Acts of the Apostles, p. 33.

As the Lamb of God, “Christ’s SACRIFICE in behalf of men was full and complete. THE CONDITION OF THE ATONEMENT HAD BEEN FULFILLED. The work which He had come to this world had been accomplished. He had WON the kingdom. He had WRESTED it from Satan.” – Ibid, p. 29.

(To be continued). Bless all. NMF.

FROM YOUR PASTOR’S DESK:
October 22

THE SANCTUARY DOCTRINE EXPLAINS THE WAY OF SALVATION OF THE GOSPEL (Part 30)

In the Type the Repentant Sinner Brings the Lamb, Confesses His Sins over it, then Slays it.

“And if any one of the common people sin through ignorance, while he doeth somewhat against ANY of the commandments of the Lord, concerning things which ought not to be done, and be guilty; or if his sin, which he hath sinned, come to his knowledge: then he shall bring HIS OFFERING, a kid of the goats (sheep), a female without blemish, FOR HIS SIN, which he hath sinned.” Lev. 4: 27, 28, KJV.

“And he shall lay his HAND upon the HEAD of the SIN OFFERING, and SLAY the sin offering in the place of the burnt offering.” Lev. 4:29.

Num. 5: 5-7. “And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, speak unto the children of Israel, When a man or a woman shall commit any sin that men commit, to do a trespass against the Lord, and that person be guilty. Then they shall confess their sin which they have done: and he shall recompense his trespass with the principal thereof, and add them to the fifth part thereof, and give it unto him against whom he hath trespassed.” Num. 5: 5-7.

In both the Old Testament type and New Testament antitype, nowhere does the Bible teach or even imply suggest that sins (the transgression of God’s law) whether committed ignorantly or intentionally are “already forgiven” because Christ already paid them all at Calvary,” etc.

Christ, the one and only Lamb of God, PAID the one and only ransom price acceptable to heaven’s plan and way of salvation—HIS BLOOD, not obtained by non-fatal extraction or transfusion, but by and through His actual DEATH at Calvary. Through this sacrificial blood atonement provision, devised by the Godhead, the guilt and burden of sin and the AUTOMAtTIC condemnation that comes with the sinful act, may all be TRANSFERRED to Christ, the Burden-bearer and Sin-bearer.

How and when? Each time the winner sins, is genuinely sorrowful for his deed, repents in true contrition for the act, not the painful consequences, confesses this sin in prayer, “having repentance towards God,” white law had been transgressed, and “exercises faith in Christ, his Substitute, Surety, Advocate, Mediator, and intercessor to the Father.

He then receives forgiveness, pardon of justification. That forgiven sun is now COVERED with Christ’s blood in his book of records in heaven. It is only BLOTTED OUT, if and when he is found to have fully overcome “by the blood of the Lamb and the word of his testimony” when he dies, during the pre-advent judgment currently taking place in the most place in the heavenly sanctuary!

Such kind of believers continually “asks, seeks. and knocks” for the grace of God, imparted through the Holy Spirit that empowers him to successfully resist temptation and overcome all the “sins that have so easily beset him.”

This is how he “turns away” or “forsakes his sins” while trusting implicitly on the efficacy of Christ’s shed blood” to “cleanse him from all unrighteousness.” This is the essence of “overcome even as He (Christ) overcame.”

(To be continued). Bless all, NMF.

FROM YOUR PASTOR’S DESK: October 21

THE SANCTUARY DOCTRINE EXPLAINS THE WAY OF SALVATION OF THE GOSPEL (Part 29)

Christ’s Shed Blood was for the Remission of Sins:
“And He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them [the Twelve], drink ye all of it; for this is MY BLOOD OF THE NEW TESTAMENT, WHICH IS SHED FOR MANY FOR THE REMISSION OF SINS.” Matt. 26, 27, 28, KJV.

[Read 1 John 3: 1, 2; 1: 9]. The conditions for obtaining MERCY from God are simple and reasonable. The Lord does NOT require us to do some GRIEVOUS THING in order to obtain forgiveness (pardon of justification) [as Church of Rome and other world religions do].

We need not make long and wearisome pilgrimages, or perform painful penances, to commend our souls to the God of the HEAVEN or to expiate our transgression. For he that ‘confesseth and forsaketh his sin shall have mercy.’ (Prov. 27:13).

“In the courts above, CHRIST is pleading for His church—pleading for those for whom HE HAS PAID THE REDEMPTION PRICE OF HIS BLOOD. Centuries, ages, can NEVER LESSEN the efficacy of His atoning sacrifice [made on earth at Calvary]. ‘Neither life nor death, height nor depth, can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus;’ not because WE hold Him SO FIRMLY, but because HE holds us SO FAST.

“If our salvation depended on OUR EFFORTS, we could not be saved; but it depends on the One who is behind all the promises. Our grasp on Him may be FEEBLE, but His LOVE is that of an older brother; so long as we maintain our UNION with Him, no one can pluck us out of His hand.” -E. G. White, Acts of the Apostles, pp. 552, 553.

(To be continued). Bless all, NMF.