WORSHIP IN THE EARLY CHURCH

WORSHIP IN THE EARLY CHURCH

If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it does it make a sound? If the Holy Spirit is poured out and no one hears it does it make a sound? “For as the rain cometh down, . . . and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, . . . so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void. . .” (Isa. 55:10, 11).

Peter explained the meaning of Pentecost from the prophet Joel: “I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh” (Acts 2:17). God pours out His Holy Spirit upon everybody in the world, but it doesn’t mean that everybody receives Him. Christ “was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world” (John 1:9). The ancient Jews didn’t believe this. They thought they were the only enlightened ones.

Jesus helps us understand: “when He [the Holy Spirit] is come, He will reprove [convict] the world of sin. . . . because they believe not on Me” (John 16:7-9). The Holy Spirit sheds light on every human heart; that person may not receive the light, but in the last great judgment day, no one can accuse God of not letting some light shine upon his pathway, some evidence on which that soul could make a choice. In every human heart the Holy Spirit has brought a conviction of sin, a sense of right and wrong. And blessed are those who respond to that conviction the Holy Spirit gives.

Something bigger than the worship on the day Pentecost happened in 1888 and there was minimal reception and maximum rejection. Does that mean that nobody heard it and therefore it never happened? Ellen White pled with “men” to “give up their spirit of resistance to the Holy Spirit. . . . The Holy Spirit has been insulted, and light has been rejected” (EGW 1888 Materials, p. 1494, Feb. 6, 1896).

“We” have “Pentecostal envy” because they have “light and much power.” There is pop “christian” music, dramatic presentations, comic monologues, and light heartedness, mega churches, but they have not followed Jesus into the holiest; consequently, “Satan would then breathe upon them an unholy influence . . . but no sweet love, joy, and peace” (Early Writings, p. 56).

It’s time for us to awake to the fact that it is only “those who rose up with Jesus [who] would send up their faith to Him in the holiest, and pray, ‘My Father, give us Thy Spirit.’ Then Jesus would breathe upon them the Holy Ghost. In that breath was light, power, and much love, joy, and peace” (Early Writings, p. 55).

The fact of the matter is that Pentecost happened again in 1888. “. . . The loud cry of the third angel has already begun in the revelation of the righteousness of Christ, the sin-pardoning Redeemer. This is the beginning of the light of the angel whose glory shall fill the whole earth” (Review and Herald, Nov. 22, 1892). “. . . The message of justification by faith . . . ‘is the third angel’s message in verity’” (Review and Herald, April 1, 1890).

It was greater “light” on the truth of “justification by faith”—a dynamo of power rushing through the floodgates—as the Holy Spirit came straight from the “holiest” with a message of heart-reconciling agape-love. The message of the forgiveness of sins was God’s declaration of “peace” to the sinner resulting in much “joy”. It was our Day of Atonement message.

This message wins the hearts of a “lukewarm” church and they, in turn, share it with the world. “The message given us by A. T. Jones and E. J. Waggoner is the message of God to the Laodicean church. . . . Justification by faith and the righteousness of Christ are the themes to be presented to a perishing world” (EGW 1888 Materials, p. 1052).

These themes are the “much more abounding grace” of God’s love. This is the cleansing of the sanctuary truth. Jesus is ministering the “present truth” of the cross to turn hearts. It is the very “heart and soul” of the Ten Commandments. The “seal” of God’s law is the seventh-day Sabbath. The very foundation of His law is agape. Hence, the Sabbath is the gospel of Jesus’ reconciling love. The Sabbath is the very embodiment of the sanctuary message—the centerpiece of worship.

Our pioneers were divinely directed to choose the name “Seventh-day Adventist.” The Sabbath is the cleansing of the sanctuary truth which prepares a people for translation at His second coming. “At the commencement of the time of trouble, we were filled with the Holy Ghost as we went forth and proclaimed the Sabbath more fully” (EGW, Maranatha, p. 170). Sabbath day worship is now seen in the light of Calvary as the heart-reconciling truth of the heavenly sanctuary.

We are living in the shaking time, when everything is going to be shaken furiously. The basic idea of a “shaking” among God’s people is that the Lord is fed up with the hypocrisy of professed faith that is not validated by appropriate works motivated by agape. “Some will not bear this straight testimony. They will rise up against it, and this is what will cause a shaking among God’s people” (EW 270).

Is there an utterly necessary truth that must be held onto, even at the cost of life? The Bible says yes! Clearly so. We have come to the time when 1 Corinthians 13 itself has become a prophecy!

The apostle John agrees with Paul: he says that “God is love [agape]” (1 John 4:8), and “anyone who loves not [with agape] knows not God.”

Is there confusion? No, not a trace: this is the solid building block of Bible truth. It’s what Paul meant when he told the Corinthians, “I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Cor. 2:2). In other words, agape.

Obedience to the law is included, for only “agape is the fulfilling of the law” (Rom. 13:10). So it’s not sentimental emotionalism; love is being crucified with Christ, with joy and gratitude for the privilege of fellowship with Him.

Justification by faith brings the gift of heavenly agape-love “shed abroad in the heart” by the Holy Spirit (Rom. 5:5). That means a deliverance from all kinds of fear because “perfect agape casts out fear” (1 John 4:18). Fear ceases to be a motive in following Christ, for “the agape of Christ constrains us” to live not for self, but “for Him who died for us” (2 Cor. 5:14, 15).

Such agape produces the most miraculous change in human hearts ever seen in world history, for as Luther wisely said, a full understanding of justification by faith must grow as the world becomes progressively more wicked just before the end. “More abounding sin” will require a clearer revelation of “grace [that] much more abounds” (Rom. 5:20).

In other words, our “latter rain” truth of 1888 is recoverable! And what is the end result? A people prepared for translation when Jesus returns (1 Thess. 4:16, 17).

WORSHIP IN THE EARLY CHURCH (notes)

WORSHIP IN THE EARLY CHURCH
A young pastor was just out of the theological seminary, sincere and earnest, interested in preaching the gospel as Good News to his congregation. But he had questions and a concern: Is there a danger in preaching too much about the cross, and the grace of Christ, and His love, and not balance that by preaching also enough about the law, and obedience, and duty? He doesn’t want to be pastor of a lazy congregation who take advantage of “cheap grace” and clothe their religion with a thin veneer of love and grace which covers hypocrisy.
Believe what the Bible says: (1) “where sin abounded, grace did much more abound” (Rom. 5:20); “cheap grace” is a counterfeit message, a detour around the atonement of Christ; you can’t preach too much about the genuine grace that “abounds much more” than all the sin the devil can heap upon a congregation. (2) If what Paul says is “the preaching of the cross” (1 Cor. 1:18) is clearly presented to a congregation, sin and hypocrisy cannot flourish among them because that grace conquers sin and eradicates it. The “power” is in the gospel itself, not in the law (see Rom. 1:16). And Paul says, Don’t doubt, pastor! “Sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under the law, but under grace. Shall we sin because we are not under the law, but under grace?” Says Paul: “That’s impossible!” (See Rom. 6:14, 15).
Being “under grace” is different than many superficial people imagine: it means you are under a new motivation imposed upon you by a deep heart-appreciation of what it cost the Son of God to save you from hell itself. There is where you see the length, breadth, depth, and height of the love of Christ at His cross (Eph. 3:18). That motivation is far stronger than all the fear-motivation you can use to assail your congregation.
(3) The pure, true gospel is not a perfect so-called “balance” between faith and works; it is a message of faith which works. How many “good works”? Infinitely more than legalism can ever produce! Don’t be afraid to preach salvation by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8, 9).
Wherever human pride or self-sufficiency raises its head even a little, there you can be sure the grace of God is being somehow “frustrated.” “Righteousness by the law” is the sure result. Close by 2:21 in context Paul defines what he means by “grace”; “before [your] eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified” (3:1). The people in Paul’s Galatian audience forgot who they were, where they were, for he brought them to the cross and they saw, “comprehended,” “the width and length and depth and height” of the revelation of that grace (Eph. 3:18, 19), as if they were at Calvary itself. They responded with what Paul called “the hearing of faith,” precisely the same as Abraham’s response (“he believed” when “God . . . preached the gospel unto” him, Gal. 3:6-8).
I walk softly here; I tread on holy ground; here is the solemn truth behind all the “frustration” of confusion about the gospel that so afflicts the modern lukewarm church. As James Stewart said long ago, “No man can give the impression that he himself is clever and at the same time preach Christ crucified.” “Who is sufficient for these things?”
Acts 1:14: “But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:”
Acts 2:15: “For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.”
Acts 2:16: “But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel.”
Acts 2:17: “And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.”
Millions of Christians are studying some refreshing news in about Pentecost: “It shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of My Spirit upon all flesh. . . . Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Acts 2:17; 2:21). That sounds like Good News, but is it too good?
The words “all flesh” surely mean everybody in the world. How can it be true? Note that Peter does not say that everybody will RECEIVE the Holy Spirit; he only says that God will give the gift to everybody. Jesus can help us understand. He says that “when He [the Holy Spirit] is come, He will reprove [convict] the world of sin. . . . because they believe not on Me” (John 16:7-9). The Father “so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son” (3:16). Christ “was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world” (1:9). The ancient Jews wouldn’t believe this, for they thought that only they are “lighted.” But Gentiles are also included! The Holy Spirit sheds light on every human heart; that person may not RECEIVE the light, but in the last great judgment day, no one can accuse God of not letting some light shine upon his pathway, some evidence on which that soul could make a choice. In every human heart the Holy Spirit has brought a conviction of sin, a sense of right and wrong. And blessed are those who respond to that conviction the Holy Spirit gives.
But there’s another statement in Peter’s sermon that arrests our attention: “whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Of course, that must mean, “in sincerity” (Eph. 6:24). God pays attention to “all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both their’s and our’s” (1 Cor. 1:2). Here is His “much more abounding grace” “the same Lord is rich unto all that call upon Him” (Rom. 10:12). David says, “This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles” (Ps. 34:6). Do you feel sinful and unworthy? Call upon the Lord, and believe that in His mercy He will hear you. Yes, He will convict you of sin; but thank Him for that with all your heart!
Acts 2:18: “And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy.”
Acts 2:19: “And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke.”
Acts 2:20: “The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and notable day of the Lord come.”
Acts 2:21: “And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
Acts 2:37: “Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?”
Acts 2:38: “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”
Acts 2:39: “For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the LORD our God shall call.”
Acts 2:40: “And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.”
Acts 2:41: “Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.”
Acts 17:15: “And they that conducted Paul brought him unto Athens: and receiving a commandment unto Silas and Timotheus for to come to him with all speed, they departed.”
Acts 17:22: “Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars’ hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.
Acts 17:23: “For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, Him declare I unto you.
Acts 17:24: “God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands.”
Paul the Jew unraveled the dispute when he discerned that only those who have faith in Christ as “Saviour of the world” are Abraham’s true descendants; and the promises God made to the patriarch include the whole world as an “everlasting possession.” Forget the Temple Mount; it means nothing. “Your house is left unto you desolate,” Jesus told the Jews (Mt. 23:38); in the true Messiah you have an infinitely greater inheritance! All idolatry is forever passé in the light of Christ’s sacrifice for the world; there is no spot of land or building in the whole earth that is “sacred.” “The Most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands” (Acts 7:48). Rather, “the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity” dwells “with him that is of a contrite and humble spirit” (Isa. 57:15). A Christlike spirit is the Lord’s true Temple now. Let both Israelis and Arabs “come unto [Him] . . . and rest,” for He is “meek and lowly in heart” (Mt. 11:28-30). The glorious Good News of the gospel not only “offers” this blessed rest; it actually gives it.
Acts 17:25: “Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though He needed any thing, seeing He giveth to all life, and breath, and all things.”
Acts 17:26: “And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation.”
Acts 17:27: “That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though He be not far from every one of us.”
Acts 17:28: “For in Him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also His offspring.”
Acts 18:4: “And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.”
Acts 18:5: “And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ.”
Acts 18:6: “And when they opposed themselves, and blasphemed, he shook his raiment, and said unto them, Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean; from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles.”
Acts 18:7: “And he departed thence, and entered into a certain man’s house, named Justus, one that worshipped God, whose house joined hard to the synagogue.”
Acts 18:8: “And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized.”
Acts 18:9: “Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace:”
Acts 18:10: “For I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city.”

Acts 18:11: “And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.”
Acts 18:13: “Saying, This fellow persuadeth men to worship God contrary to the law.”
1 Corinthians 13:1: “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.”
Not only are we living in what we have always said is “the shaking time,” but more than that: we are living in the time when everything possible is being shaken furiously.
Is there a sine qua non, an utterly necessary truth that must be held onto, even at the cost of life?
The Bible says yes! Clearly so, in 1 Corinthians 13:
“Though I [or anyone] speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not [the love which is] agape, I have become as sounding brass or a clanging cymbal . . .” A brilliant mind and ready speech may cover a lack of essential truth.
This brilliant mind may explain the prophecies: “And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge. . . . but have not [the love which is agape], I am nothing” (vs. 2).
We have come to the time when 1 Corinthians 13 itself has become a prophecy!
Almost overwhelming in its power of deception is the moving of mountains “by [supposed] faith,” where this alarming lack is there (vs. 2).
And we can “bestow all [our] goods to feed the poor [in Calcutta? What more could you give?)]. . . . but have not love [agape],” it’s again only vanity. This agape is deeper than giving “goods.” Or even giving physical life.
The apostle John agrees with Paul: he says that “God is love [agape]” (1 John 4:8), and “anyone who loves not [with agape] knows not God.”
Is there confusion? No, not a trace: this is the solid building block of Bible truth. It’s what Paul meant when he told the Corinthians, “I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Cor. 2:2). In other words, agape.
Obedience to the law is included, for only “agape is the fulfilling of the law” (Rom. 13:10). So it’s not sentimental emotionalism; love is being crucified with Christ, with joy and gratitude for the privilege of fellowship with Him.
1 Corinthians 13:2: “And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
1 Corinthians 13:3: “And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
1 Corinthians 13:4: “Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
1 Corinthians 13:5: “Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
1 Corinthians 13:6: “Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
1 Corinthians 13:7: “Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
1 Corinthians 13:8: “Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.”
1 Corinthians 13:9: “For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.”
1 Corinthians 13:10: “But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.”
1 Corinthians 13:11: “When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
1 Corinthians 13:12: “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.”
1 Corinthians 13:13: “And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.”
(b) The one so tempted tastes what Christ experienced on His cross: the curse of God, the being “forsaken” of God (Gal. 3:13). The total blackness of despair, the end of hope, the tunnel where no candle shines at the end (Matt. 27:46).
(c) Don’t denigrate Christ’s supreme sacrifice by short circuiting what He suffered: Christ endured the pangs of hell itself. Hope did not present to Him His coming forth a conqueror; He truly felt as the lost will feel in the Final Judgment. When Hebrews 4:15 says He was “in all points tempted like as we are,” it tells the truth: He was tempted to commit suicide. But the text goes on to say, “yet without sin.” He didn’t do it! Now, don’t you do it!
(d) Why didn’t He? Paul intimates the reason when he speaks of “these three” in 1 Corinthians 13: “now abideth faith, hope, charity [agape].” The one of the three that did “abide” the awful trial was “agape.” Not love for Himself; He chose to go to the unending hell because He loved US, not Himself! He prayed with Moses, “Blot me, I pray Thee, out of Thy book which Thou hast written” (Ex. 32:32). He made Paul’s prayer His own, “I could wish that Myself were accursed. . . . for My brethren” (Rom. 9:3).
(e) What sustained Him on the cross until He could shout, “It is finished!” was the joy of knowing that Moses, and Paul, and the believing thief (and Mary Magdalene!), and a few others (144,000?), appreciated what He was doing. Ah, THEY would be saved eternally, while He Himself would go down to ruin forever (cf. Ps. 22). “Agape never faileth.” That’s it.
(f) Tell someone about it; save him/her from a possible suicide. The missionary needed to know.
Justification by faith brings the gift of heavenly agape-love “shed abroad in the heart” by the Holy Spirit (5:5). That means a deliverance from all kinds of fear because “perfect agape casts out fear” (1 Jn. 4:18). Fear ceases to be a motive in following Christ, for “the agape of Christ constrains us” to live not for self but “for Him who died for us” (2 Cor. 5:14, 15).
(5) This change of character is produced by a heart-appreciation for the sacrifice of Christ who died for “sinners,” even His “enemies” (Rom. 5:7, 8). The “wrath” that He endured on the cross had to be that of the second death (vs. 10). Such agape produces the most miraculous change in human hearts ever seen in world history, for as Luther wisely said, a full understanding of justification by faith must grow as the world becomes progressively more wicked just before the end. “More abounding sin” will require a clearer revelation of “grace [that] much more abounds” (5:20).
(6) The end result? A people prepared for translation when Jesus returns (see 1 Thess. 4:16, 17).

Worship in the Early Church by Pastor Paul Penno

In Spirit and in Truth Sources

IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH

John 4:23: “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him.”

Have you ever wondered why God doesn’t act to defend the so-called “Holy Sepulcher” Church in Bethlehem (where it is assumed that Christ was born)? And why is Jerusalem, the so-called “City of Peace,” the sore spot in centuries-old wars? And why is the so-called “Holy Land” the world’s focal point of hatred and conflict?

Could it be that God Himself doesn’t regard any idol as “holy”? No place or thing in the world today is “holy,” neither is any man “holy.” God wants us to be totally free of every vestige of idolatry. He doesn’t lift a finger to defend the so-called holiness of any shrine or idol on earth. Jesus said, “The hour is coming when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. . . God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth” (Jn. 4:21, 24). “Thus saith the high and holy One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones” (Isa. 57:15). People’s hearts, not places, are to be “sanctified.”

The believing heart welcomes the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. There is therefore a worldwide fellowship of those people who are “of a contrite and humble spirit,” and God works night and day to “revive the heart of the contrite ones.” Wherever they are, their influence radiates peace; they are a new “City of Peace” world-wide.

They are that special group we see in Revelation 7. “Another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God” places God’s seal on these people who welcome His special ministry. They surrender their sinful hearts to “let this mind be in [them] which was also in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 2:5). And the very fact that they welcome this “sealing work” makes it possible for “four” special angels to “hold the four winds of the earth” from wreaking havoc “on the earth,” to restrain ethnic hatreds (Rev. 7:1-3). God’s people have an important role to play in world affairs! In them “shall all families of the earth be blessed” (Gen. 12:3). May we awake to our calling!

Luke 1:46: “And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,”

Mary, the mother of Jesus, expressed some Good News that all of us can receive.

The angel Gabriel had just appeared to her, informing her that she was to become the mother of the Messiah.

She said: “My spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour, for He hath regarded the low estate of His handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed” (Luke 1:47, 48).

The Good News that we can accept is that whenever we see and confess that our “estate” is “low,” the dear Lord “regards” it.

In the case of Mary, the Lord wonderfully exalted her to worldwide, permanent honor.

The Lord does not want us to suffer the pain of being in a “low estate.”

He exalted Mary very highly, and although we may not be so highly exalted, yet it is sure that the Lord will “exalt” us in our little sphere and “give [us] the desires of [our] heart[s]” (Psalm 37:4).

The Lord does not desire us to suffer the privations of sickness, ill health, or poverty; and although we may be called to endure such things for a time, yet we are to cherish the hope and trust that the Lord will relieve our plight, and will “exalt” us appropriately in our place.

“Delight thyself also in the Lord; and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart” (Psalm 37:4).

That’s a BIG promise!

Now let us learn what it means to “delight” ourselves in the Lord.

Luke 1:49: “For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.”

Luke 1:50: “And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.”

Luke 1:51: “He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.”

Luke 1:52: “He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.”

Luke 1:53: “He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.”

“And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve” (Luke 4:5-8).

What do you suppose was the greatest temptation Jesus had to face? You know of course He was tempted—the Bible says “in all points like as we are.” His temptations were real—they bored in to His inmost soul. Well, the greatest temptation He had to face was the temptation to doubt who He was. And if the truth were known, that’s the greatest temptation you have to face also—to doubt who you are.

For example, think back to Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness after His baptism. Three times the wily old enemy, Satan, zeroed in on Him at the deepest core of His being—“if Thou be the Son of God,” command these stones to be bread; “if Thou be the Son of God,” do a hang-glide from the top of the temple tower; “if Thou be the Son of God,” claim the empires of the world as Yours and I’ll give them to You, for they are mine, the devil said; just play ball with me, be reasonable, let’s cooperate. Do you think that was a temptation? “If You are who You think You are”—You have delusions of grandeur like a mental patient who thinks he is Napoleon. Yes, Jesus gained a victory then, but remember that the enemy came back again and again on this point of doubting His real identity as the Son of God.

Finally at the very end, something happened that helped to crystallize it all in Jesus’ mind and heart when Mary washed His feet with tears. He realized that He was the only person in all of world history to be so honored; no one, not even Alexander the Great, had ever had his feet washed with human tears. Yes, Jesus realized, He was the King of kings and Lord of lords. Now He was ready for John 13. At that last supper, He got up, stretched Himself to His full height, laid aside His expensive robe, and knowing fully that He had come from God and went to God, He humbled Himself to wash His disciples’ feet. He could not have done that until He had known for sure, and felt for sure, who He was.  He could never have faced the cross until He had that assurance; and even on the cross that last temptation was flung at Him—“if Thou be the Son of God come down from the cross”!

Who are you? Do you know? You cannot be truly humble until you realize your true identity in Christ, redeemed by His blood.

John 4:21: “Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.”

The gospel message is truth. Jesus says, “I am the truth” (Jn. 14:6). It’s impossible to believe in Christ and not believe the truth. The Bible sets forth truth. “He who does truth comes to the light” (Jn. 3:21). We must worship the Father in truth (Jn. 4:23, 24). Only the truth can make us free (8:32). But a most significant statement of Jesus is what He said to Pilate: “Everyone that is of the truth hears My voice” (18:37). That is where we derive the phrase, “honest-hearted.” The world will eventually be divided into two groups—those who are “of the truth” and those “who love and make a lie” (Rev. 22:15).

The lost are simply those who “received not the love of the truth” (2 Thess. 2:10, 11). Could it be that God is working behind the scenes in current history to make people aware of the existence of truth in contrast to a lie? There is a truth of the Sabbath, and there is a lie about the Sabbath; there is the truth of justification, and there is a lie about it. Oh God, grant us the gift of a “love of the truth.”

Luke 19:37: “And when He was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen.”

Luke 19:38: “Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest.”

Luke 19:39: “And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto Him, Master, rebuke Thy disciples.”

Luke 19:40: “And He answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.”

The “disciples” of Jesus did recognize Him in His humanity as the Divine “King” come with ambassadorial credentials “in the name of the Lord” God from on High. The “glory” of God is His agape-love. Christ’s descent from the Mt. of Olives going toward Jerusalem must be publicly proclaimed as the return of Israel’s “glory”. The news must go out. Christ’s ultimate self-sacrifice must not be hidden. It must be there for everyone to “see”.

The drama now to be played out will be whether the Godhead will remain intact. Will the “test” of God-forsakenness which must be met by Jesus “glorify” the agape of the Father; or, will Jesus’ faith succumb to defeat in self-preservation from the ultimate fear of death? If this test of the Godhead cannot be successfully met, then the “peace” of heaven will be shattered, and there will be no peace on earth.

All “peace” on earth flows from the headwaters of all “peace” and harmony within the Godhead. The cross is about to demonstrate that to the earth and the onlookers of the universe.

Matthew 2:11: “And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary His mother, and fell down, and worshipped Him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto Him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh.”

Of what did the “magi” worship consist? True worship proceeds from a heart from which all “idols” have been removed and replaced by God’s love which the Holy Spirit has shed abroad in the heart. In other words, true worship is righteousness by faith. The “gifts” were manifestations or “works” that were motivated by God’s love. The magi had eyes to “see” that God could become an infant in lowly estate and they chose to humble themselves in His presence.

Matthew 9:18: “While He spake these things unto them, behold, there came a certain ruler, and worshipped Him, saying, My daughter is even now dead: but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live.”

It is truly heartening to see an example of genuine faith from among the “ruling” class. Faith is a heart appreciation for what it cost the Son of God to humble Himself and become a servant to men. The Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection of the dead. Abraham, their lineal ancestor, did. Thus the Sadducees were no children of Abraham in thus denying his faith. But this “ruler[‘s]” “father” was Abraham. The “ruler” had the faith of Abraham. He believed the words of Christ, “I am the resurrection and the life.” He did not hinder the gift which God gives to every man and that is the capacity to believe that “Christ is life, original, unborrowed, underived” (DA 530).

Mark 7:7: “Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.”

There are two main holidays, well three, that are observed by many Christian people who don’t realize that they are encrusted with paganism that goes all the way back to ancient Roman times. One of them is Sunday observance. As its name signifies, it is the ancient day of the week dedicated to the worship of the sun. Jesus observed the seventh-day Sabbath, as did all of His apostles. Another is the day that many think they observe in honor of Christ’s resurrection, forgetting that baptism is the way the Lord commanded us to honor His resurrection. And then there is the day usually celebrated as the birthday of Jesus in Bethlehem. But simple, common reason shows how impossible it would be for Jesus to have been born in late December, because shepherds were camping out in the fields with their flocks—impossible in Bethlehem’s cold, rainy December weather. But what difference does it make? One reason is that worship mixed with paganism is in vain, for Jesus said, “In vain they do worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” (Mt. 12:9). But another reason is that invariably when we mix pagan customs with Christianity, we end up losing “the truth of the gospel” (Gal. 2:5), and as soon as we lose “the truth of the gospel,” we lose the salvation that only the gospel can bring (Rom. 1:16).

For example, take the doctrine of purgatory: it’s the pagan doctrine of KARMA which has been brought into the Christian church: you pay for your sins, and that means you can indulge your lust all you want to and still go to heaven simply by paying for those sins by staying a little longer in purgatory. It’s like buying a new Lexus with no payments due until 2012. So, enjoy your lust. No problem, you can pay later. That’s false doctrine, and it’s deadly!

The real problem with paganism (and all things pagan) is that false doctrine inevitably draws us away from Jesus the true Saviour. Paganism is the devil’s substitute for the genuine plan of salvation. This December, take time to read the pure, original Bible story of the birth of Jesus in Matthew and Luke; and soak up the Good News that is there.

Luke 24:52: “And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy:”

John 9:38: “And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him.”

(b) But what I did do was to re-read CHRIST AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS pp. 8-24. The date is 1890. I marked 30 distinct statements affirming Christ’s full, eternal, equal-with-the-Father deity, “in the beginning,” “from the days of eternity.” “As the Son of the self-existent God, he has by nature all the attributes of Deity.” He was not “elevated” to Deity; He is fully God, “by right.” All this is declared “most emphatic.” He is “forever and forever,” clearly affirming eternal preexistence. On the same page where we find the “offender-for-a-word” statement that is used as evidenceof EJW’s Arianism, we find a clear statement that in Christ was life original, unborrowed, underived in these words: “He has ‘life in Himself;’ He possesses immortality in His own right, and can confer immortality upon others. Life inheres in Him.” “Having life in Himself, He is properly called Jehovah, the self-existent One.” He must be given no “less honor than He gives the Father.”

And all this 8 years before EGW published her famous “original, unborrowed, underived” statement!

If EJW says Christ is “self-existent,” is it really fair to label him an Arian?

You told the congregation at AU (in effect) that Waggoner’s message of Christ’s righteousness is really dangerous for his supposed Arianism made his view of Christ’s incarnation tainted with error.

I don’t profess to be a wise theologian, but my heart is stirred to speak in defense of what EGW said was a “most precious message,” something she “could respond to with all my heart,” something of which she said, “Every fiber of my heart said Amen.”

In Spirit and in Truth by Pastor Paul Penno (notes)

IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH

Go to any cathedral in America or Europe and you will see idolatry on display—Notre Dame (Paris) and St. Paul’s (London), e.g. Go to any Protestant Church with their crosses prominently displayed and their stained-glass windows objectifying sacred truths and personages of the Bible, and you will see a more subtle form of idolatry. It is no different from the ancient Jews whose worship consisted of outward forms and ceremonies which were a substitute for the genuine. The joyous worship heralded by the 1888 message was a gospel which would rid man of his substitute idols for God and restore true worship.

The problem of counterfeit worship and its solution are illustrated by the woman’s conversation with Jesus at the well. When Jesus got too close to her personal life, she tried to engage Him in a diversionary argument about the true place to worship, which was Mt. Gerizim for the Samaritans (John 4:20). For Jesus, all this was so much superfluous idolatry on the part of the Samaritans in rivalry with the Jews who idolized Jerusalem (vs. 21).

Jesus said, “salvation is of the Jews” for it had been revealed to them in God’s everlasting covenant, even though for the most part they were ignorant of it (vs. 22). Jesus knew what true worship is. He said, “we know what we worship” (vs. 22). Then He made it plain: “The true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:23, 23).

The 1888 good news of God’s promise to Abraham in the everlasting covenant alerts us to the truth “that the blessing of Abraham” is “through Jesus Christ”—“the promise of the Spirit through faith” (Gal. 3:14). “The promise of the Spirit” is righteousness (agape-love) by faith. “The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost” (Rom. 5:5). “I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them” (Heb. 10:16).

To “worship God in spirit and in truth” is for every idol to be cast out of the heart (paganism). It is paganism to consider worshipping God at holy places, shrines, or where there are holy people, or teachers. There are no “holy” places or holy “teachers”.

Paganism is the idol of “self-love” enshrined in every natural-born sinner’s heart. The gospel of Jesus’ cross, “the truth of the gospel” casts out eros, self-love; and through the Holy Spirit imports agape which is solid truth. So, to worship God in spirit and in truth is the transformation of the human heart by the Holy Spirit who brings with Him the truth (all of it).

This can only occur when God’s people choose to exercise “the faith of Jesus” which has been given to every man. God’s people have been given the capacity to believe the message of the cross and humble themselves in corporate repentance. Corporate repentance involves a recognition of the hidden idolatry of self-love within every human heart, which results in the outward manifestation of every sin and cherished idol. It is this very truth of corporate repentance which so many resist. Therefore, there is a hatred of the true message of the cross. Believe it or not, many of God’s people, unknowingly, now resist the message of the cross! The message of the cross draws us by Christ’s love to repentance and forgiveness of sin.

Many professed Christians go on as if the cycle of day, month, and year were to continue unending. They have no sense of urgency or regard to the Day of Atonement that is upon us. A common fable that is held among them teaches that man must continue to sin while in this flesh–he can’t help it and so forgiveness is great because he sins over and over again. This is not in Spirit and in truth; but a fable and a commandment taught by man.

What is the truth regarding this fable,—this commandment of man? “Let no professed Christian take counsel of his own imperfections, and say that it impossible for a Christian to live a sinless life. It is impossible for a true Christian, one who has full faith, to live any other kind of life. ‘How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?’ (Rom. 6:2).” (Ellet J. Waggoner, “The Glad Tidings”, p. 42).

There were a few throughout Christ’s visit on this earth who worshipped Him “in spirit and in truth”. Of what did the magi’ worship consist? True worship proceeds from a heart from which all “idols” have been removed and replaced by God’s agape-love which the Holy Spirit has shed abroad in the heart. In other words, true worship is righteousness by faith. The “gifts” of the magi, were manifestations or “works” that were motivated by God’s love (Mt. 2:11). The magi had eyes to “see” that God could become an infant in lowly estate and they chose to humble themselves in His presence.

It is truly heartening to see an example of genuine faith from among the “ruling” class in Christ’s day (Mt. 9:18). Faith is a heart appreciation for what it cost the Son of God to humble Himself and become a servant to men. The Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection of the dead. Abraham, their lineal ancestor, did believe in the resurrection. Thus the Sadducees were no children of Abraham in thus denying his faith. But this “ruler[’s]” “father” was Abraham. The “ruler” had the faith of Abraham. He believed the words of Christ, “I am the resurrection and the life.” He did not hinder the gift which God gives to every man, and that is the capacity to believe that “Christ is life, original, unborrowed, underived” (DA 530).

At the triumphal entry into Jerusalem, the “disciples” of Jesus recognized Him in His humanity, as the Divine “King” come with ambassadorial credentials “in the name of the Lord” God from on High (Luke 19:37). The “glory” of God is His agape-love (vs. 38). Christ’s descent from the Mt. of Olives going toward Jerusalem must be publicly proclaimed as the return of Israel’s “glory”. The news must go out. Christ’s ultimate self-sacrifice must not be hidden. It must be there for everyone to “see”.

The drama now to be played out will be whether the Godhead will remain intact. Will the “test” of God-forsakenness which must be met by Jesus “glorify” the agape of the Father; or, will Jesus’ faith succumb to defeat in self-preservation from the ultimate fear of death? If this test of the Godhead cannot be successfully met, then the “peace” of heaven will be shattered, and there will be no peace on earth.

All “peace” on earth flows from the headwaters of all “peace” and harmony within the Godhead. The cross is about to demonstrate that to the earth and the onlookers of the universe.

The believing heart welcomes the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. There is therefore a worldwide fellowship of those people who are “of a contrite and humble spirit,” and God works night and day to “revive the heart of the contrite ones.” Wherever they are, their influence radiates peace; they are a new “City of Peace” world-wide.

They are that special group we see in Revelation 7. “Another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God” places God’s seal on these people who welcome His special ministry. They surrender their sinful hearts to “let this mind be in [them] which was also in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 2:5). And the very fact that they welcome this “sealing work” makes it possible for “four” special angels to “hold the four winds of the earth” from wreaking havoc “on the earth,” to restrain ethnic hatreds (Rev. 7:1-3). God’s people have an important role to play in world affairs! In them “shall all families of the earth be blessed” (Gen. 12:3). May we awake to our calling!

In Spirit and in Truth

Lesson #11: In Spirit and in Truth

Go to any cathedral in America or Europe and you will see idolatry on display—for example, St. Patrick’s (New York City), Notre Dame (Paris), or St. Paul’s (London). Or go to any Protestant church with their crosses prominently displayed and their stained-glass windows objectifying sacred truths and personages of the Bible, and you will see a subtle form of idolatry. This is no different from the ancient Jews whose worship consisted of outward forms and ceremonies—a substitute for the genuine. The worship heralded by the 1888 message is the True Gospel, which rids man of his idols and restores true worship.

To “worship God in spirit and in truth” is for every idol to be cast out of the heart (paganism). It is paganism to consider worshipping God at holy places, shrines, or where there are holy people, or teachers. There are no “holy” places or holy “teachers.”

Paganism is the idol of “self-love” enshrined in every natural-born sinner’s heart. The gospel of Jesus’ cross, “the truth of the gospel,” casts out eros, self-love [self-esteem]; and through the Holy Spirit imports agape which is solid truth. So, to worship God in spirit and in truth is the transformation of the human heart by the Holy Spirit who brings with Him all the truth.

This can only occur when God’s people exercise “the faith of Jesus” which has been given to every man. God’s people have been called to the cross to humble themselves in corporate repentance. Corporate repentance involves recognition of the hidden idolatry of self-love (self-esteem) within each human heart, which results in the outward manifestation of every darling sin and cherished idol. It is this very truth of corporate repentance, which so many resist. This resistance works backward to show resistance to the message of the cross—and unknowingly many of God’s people now resist the message that was designed to draw them to the cross! The message of the cross draws us by Christ’s love to repentance and forgiveness of sin.

The cross defines true worship. True worship does not include the efforts of man at all. This dynamic of the 1888 message draws the line clearly as to who saves us and who does the work. It also shows how truth makes some offended and ashamed. Ellet J. Waggoner, one of the two messengers sent by God in 1888 (Ellen White said they had “heavenly credentials”), wrote: “The offense of the cross is that the cross is a confession of human frailty and sin and of inability to do any good thing. To take the cross of Christ means to depend solely on Him for everything, and this is the abasement of all human pride [self-esteem/self-love]. Men love to fancy themselves independent. But let the cross be preached, let it be made known that in man dwells no good thing and that all must be received as a gift, and straightway somebody is offended” (The Glad Tidings, p. 113).

Yet many professed Christians go on as if the cycle of day, month, and year were to continue unending. They have no sense of urgency or regard to the Day of Atonement that is upon us. A common fable that is held among them teaches that man must continue to sin while in this flesh—he can’t help it, and so forgiveness is great because he sins over and over again. This is not in Spirit and in truth. This is a fable and a commandment taught by man.

Waggoner clarified this simply: “Let no professed Christian take counsel of his own imperfections and say that it impossible for a Christian to live a sinless life. It is impossible for a true Christian, one who has full faith, to live any other kind of life. ‘How can we who died to sin still live in it?’ (Rom. 6:2) ‘Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for His seed remains in Him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God’ (1 John 3:9). Therefore ‘abide in Him.’” (The Glad Tidings, p. 42).

“That which is destroyed is the body of sin, and it is destroyed only by this personal presence of the life of Christ. … It is destroyed for everybody, for Christ in His own flesh has abolished ‘the enmity,’ the sinner’s carnal mind. Our sins, our weaknesses, were upon Him. … We have only to accept the victory, which Christ has won. The victory over all sin is already a reality” (ibid., p. 43).

To the woman at the well (John 4:22) Jesus said, “salvation is of the Jews” and Jesus knows what true worship is. He said, “we know what we worship” (vs. 22). Then He made it plain: “The true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeks such to worship Him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:23, 24).

The 1888 good news of God’s promise to Abraham in the everlasting covenant alerts us to the truth “that the blessing of Abraham” is “through Jesus Christ”—“the promise of the Spirit through faith” (Gal. 3:14). “The promise of the Spirit” is righteousness (agape-love) by faith. “The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit” (Rom. 5:5). “I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them” (Heb. 10:16).

These are of that special group we see in Revelation 7. “Another angel ascending from the east,” places God’s seal on these people who welcome His special ministry. They have surrendered their sinful hearts to “let this mind be in [them] which was also in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 2:5). God’s people have an important role to play for in them “shall all families of the earth be blessed” (Gen. 12:3). May we let go of our resistance!

In the cross we are taught the truth. “There is explosive power in truth. Jesus said that when we know it, we shall be free” (D. K. Short, The Mystery of 1888, back cover).
—Daniel H. Peters

In Spirit and in Truth by Pastor Paul Penno