Peace, Peace, When There is No Peace

“Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Rom. 1:7. When we are reconciled to God we are automatically reconciled to His law. We are justified through a renewed trust in Him. We are just through a new trust in His law, a trust born from the grace we see in God in His treatment of rebel sinners. “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Rom. 5:1. In this peace comes a whole new world. We look at life completely differently. Trouble is not troublesome anymore. The landscape of our past is transformed. Our grievances toward this person or that are easily forgiven and forgotten. The hate or pain by erring mortals in the past are overshadowed by a gracious love and kindness in God’s treatment of us. In His forgiveness and peace our forgiveness comes easy—a joy! And we have full confidence that any future mistreatment toward us we can just as easily forgive. “Not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope: and hope maketh not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” Rom. 5:3-5. Through the love of God our new work is uplifting fallen humanity. So many never have tasted of grace, and our new determination is to give them that opportunity. We can see the look in their face when grace dawns upon their darkened minds. The world’s multitudes, even in the church, have never tasted and seen that the Lord is good.

Even in our temporal occupations, our new priority is to give grace. The effects of grace will only be good and bring a new rush of activity and enjoyment among the coworkers, with people happy to come to work because they have found a true friend there, one who wants not only their happiness but the happiness of the supervisor and the president of the company. Our new goal is to send a message of grace to the owner via a renewed attitude among the employees. In their happiness, surging productivity and creativity bring new health to the company, with its resultant wealth. No new privileges or awards are necessary; all we want is to see them accept the ticket out of this world to paradise, the grace of God acknowledged and received.

And our life outside of work is no different. That one goal in life, that new and effective tool in our hand, we use in our homes, in the neighborhood, in the church, among our extended relations, and with friends, acquaintances, and strangers. God has finally succeeded in turning our course, like redirecting the mighty Mississippi River. And all of this through the blessed peace of heaven.

If we don’t have this powerful peace and all these new determinations, do we really have God’s pardon? Do we have the eternal life that starts today? (Jn. 6:54;1Jn. 3:15;1Jn. 5:12) Are we truly justified, as some might imagine themselves to be, without the big change in the life? I raise this question because an idea being noised about is that all we need is justification and that the results listed in the epistle to the Romans, i.e. the peace, glory in tribulation, forgiveness, service, are not required. Some profess to be justified before God through their Lord Jesus, but the peace is missing. They can’t forgive, they don’t show grace; their work is to demolish, not to edify and strengthen. Because of their good sounding language, they seem to be on the right track. But the very accusations they call against others may be said of them, “Destruction and misery are in all their ways: and the way of peace have they not known: there is no fear of God before their eyes.” Rom. 3:16-18.

This is particularly disturbing in that the love of divisiveness which has caused the break up of other denominations, now some use to threaten the unity of the Seventh-day Adventist denomination, the last movement on earth to prepare the world for the coming storm which is already gathering momentum. The purpose of the Advent movement is to garner souls for Christ before His soon coming, but many have become divisive. Satan has always loved the work of division. Divide and conquer is his preferred method. Scatter the power of the mighty and holy people is his intention. Are the Adventists those holy and mighty people? God sees it that way. We are the last church; we have the testimony of Jesus. We may be as corrupt as the Jews became, yet Jesus said, “Salvation is of the Jews.” Jn. 4:22. “Behold, I have received commandment to bless: and He hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it. He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath He seen perverseness in Israel: the Lord his God is with him and the shout of a King is among them.” Num. 23:20,21. God always has a preferred group on Earth. They have special privileges and also a heavy duty and responsibility for which they will be held accountable. Who are we to argue with God? Through His messenger we have this stunning word, “The church, enfeebled and defective, needing to be reproved, warned, and counseled, is the only object upon earth upon which Christ bestows His supreme regard.” TM p.49. The work of tearing down the church is as much a losing battle as it was for Balak and Balaam. We have the Law; we have the testimonies; we have the oracles of God. “God is with us.” “Salvation is of the [SDA church].” “To the Law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.” Is. 8:10; Jn. 4:22; Is. 8:20.

But Satan’s work (Dan. 12:7;8:24) of scattering and destroying God’s people today is no different from his work in all ages. This was his work in the courts of heaven. And what did he use for a wedge then? Peace—but a peace of a widely different character than God’s peace. Lucifer “waxed great, even to the host of heaven; and [he] cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon them. Yea, he magnified himself even to the Prince of the host, and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of His sanctuary was cast down. And an host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground and it practiced, and prospered.” “And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many.” Dan. 8:10-12,25.

What Satan is doing today is only a continuation of his tactics in his original revolution against the laws and requirements of God. But he works best under cover. “He shall cause craft to proper in his hand.” Deception is his forte, an art perfected by success over eons of time. He has been described as being “wiser than Daniel; there is no secret that they can hide from thee.” Ez. 28:3. He deceived almost half of the angelic forces, all whom “excel in strength” physically, mentally, and spiritually. What are we? How can we withstand his cunning without the constant and direct help of Christ, without doing His work, imitating His purity and excellence?

So Satan works, undermining the outpost of God government on Earth, the territory of his daring venture. For the last 150 years, the civil laws of God have demonstrated to the devil the peace and order He plans to set up; and the oracles of His testimony in His people declare the kingdom of righteousness that will reign. Both prophesy Satan’s approaching demise. But that only makes him redouble his effort to rise above God. “Woe unto the earth and sea! For the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.” Rev. 12:12.

This warning was given following the revival of the Early Rain in the apostolic church. The devil did come down and in great wrath. Silently, determinedly, during centuries beginning while the apostles yet lived, he stole away the kingdom of God from Christ and His people. As described in the ancient language of Daniel’s vision, “He shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries. And with the arms of a flood shall they be overflown from before him, and shall be broken; yea, also the Prince of the covenant. And after the league made with him he shall work deceitfully: for he shall come up, and shall become strong with a small people. He shall enter peaceably even upon the fattest places of the province; and he shall do that which is fathers have not done, nor his fathers’ fathers; he shall scatter among them the prey, and spoil, and riches: yea, and he shall forecast his devices against the strongholds, even for a time.” Dan. 11:21-24. Out of a humble and faithful minority grew a monolithic monster, the “holy” Roman church. Through its borrowed superstitious mantras, its charades and parades, Christianity was conquered. Through its confessional booths the civil kingdoms were weakened. “Penances were so contrived as to lead to a repetition of the offence.” Wylie, Book 6, Chap. 4. Always insinuating civil unrest through the confession system, the kingdoms were always fighting among each other, thus allowing the Pope to keep the upper hand of power. Today, in the countries of Catholic influence, the same history is repeated and the church retains her self-acclaimed temporal power over the nations of the world. By attacking the government covertly, she dominated them while they trusted her whole-heartedly as a teacher sent from God.

But as we near the end, that woeful prophecy of the devil’s wrath will become increasingly applicable. What do we see happening among the reformed Protestants in America? A resurgence of criticism and attack, the spirit of Rome— the spirit of Lucifer—the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience. Now we see Protestants working to threaten and openly assail their own U.S. government, they being grieved by the separation of church and state. The same work of overthrow is also seen in the sphere of religion as denominations break apart under the spirit of bitterness and intolerance.

This very attitude has been prophesied for the very last day. “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.” Among the characteristics of the final wicked society is listed: “without natural affection,” “false accusers,” “fierce.” Yet they all profess religion, “having a form of godliness.” 2Tim. 3:1-5.

The following appears to help the church but really demonstrates the venom of the enemy:

“As I said yesterday, having love for the church doesn’t mean I, or anyone else, should hold back if some fellow Adventist needs to be held accountable. Being a supportive Adventist sometimes means I have to kick a friend in the ass so he or she takes a few steps forward.”

Is this what we really want to be part of? Is this the language of our Savior? The rest of the context of the above statement revealed much cynicism. It’s none other than the work of the accuser of the brethren. It doesn’t bear the stamp of Jesus. The Lord is not in it.

Let’s draw away from the precipice. Let’s not choose to become God’s enemy by siding with His enemy. He used and recognized no other force in His work than the force of love. Love is easily entreated; love is not puffed up. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by them that make peace.