Let Jesus, and not ourselves, be our God

“Know ye that the LORD He is God: it is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His name.

For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting; and His truth endureth to all generations.” (Ps. 100:3-5).

One of the greatest reasons for the investigative judgment and a second, greatest atonement is that it gives us assurance of His acceptance. A second atonement assurance of salvation may seem counter-intuitive because it causes us to afflict our souls by constantly questioning our salvation. To many Evangelicals it would look wrong to fear that we aren’t right with God. If you’ve said the sinner’s prayer, then you’ve gone to the cross and Jesus there settled your salvation forever. More than any other reason to say that salvation isn’t completely settled at the cross is why they call Seventh-day Adventism a cult. But, Paul agreed with us about questioning our stance with God.

“Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?” (2Cor. 13:5).

“If we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.” (1Cor. 11:31,32).

Judging ourselves, examining ourselves to see if we are or are not reprobates is the Bible mandate. It would not be wise to think that such good counsel was only for the Corinthian believers. So there can be condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

“Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:

And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Ps. 139:23.24).

“Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as He is pure.” (1Jn. 3:2,3).

If we bow before the Most High in repentance He confirms in us that we are approved of Him. To not repent is to only assume that we are approved. Is assuming wise? What if we are among those to whom Jesus will say, “I never knew you”? Jesus was Jehovah to Old Testament Israel. Like a lion He was strong against all disobedience, even against the nation to whom He said, “I am married unto you” (Jer. 3:14).

“Behold, [Jehovah’s] hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither His ear heavy, that it cannot hear:

But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you, that He will not hear.

For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness.

None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity.

They hatch cockatrice’ eggs, and weave the spider’s web: he that eateth of their eggs dieth, and that which is crushed breaketh out into a viper.

Their webs shall not become garments, neither shall they cover themselves with their works: their works are works of iniquity, and the act of violence is in their hands.

Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood: their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; wasting and destruction are in their paths.

The way of peace they know not; and there is no judgment in their goings: they have made them crooked paths: whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace.” (Isa. 59:1-8).

Jesus Jehovah, the mighty Cleaver, judged and condemned the sins of His people for their sakes, because He loved them. And the outcome was hearts humbled and complicit to His mission for them, to bring to the world His Father’s glory. “Therefore have I hewed them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of My mouth: and Thy judgments are as the light that goeth forth.” (Hos. 6:5).

“The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream; and he that hath My word, let him speak My word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat? saith the LORD. Is not My word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?” (Jer. 23:28,29).

His adamant stone must break their stony hearts. his truth must endure to all generations. But that is how His judgments could be a light in them to go forth. That is how they were His people, His humble children. By His sifting and shaking He would closing probation on individuals who were determined rebels, and corrupters, and He would bring forth all who surrendered to His will and who fell on the Stone with hearts broken. That seed would continue His lineage of the children of Abraham, and be the new nation to endure to all generations.

“Thus saith the LORD, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; The LORD of hosts is His name: if those ordinances depart from before Me, saith the LORD, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before Me for ever. Thus saith the LORD; If heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done, saith the LORD.” (Jer. 31:35-37).

His readiness to forgive the ten tribes, extended to even the furthest reaches of the earth.

“Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the LORD; and I will not cause Mine anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith the LORD, and I will not keep anger for ever.

Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the LORD thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed My voice, saith the LORD.

Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion:

And I will give you pastors according to Mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.” (Jer. 3:12-15).

Paul projects this sifting and winnowing of rebels onto the Israel of his day.

“… at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.

…[as a nation] Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election [of Israel] hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded

(According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day.

And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them:

Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway.

I say then, Have they [the nation] stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.

Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?

For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office:

If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them.

For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?

… some of the branches be broken off, …

… because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith….

Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in His goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.

And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again.” (Rom. 11:5,7-15,17,20,22,23).

As a nation Israel “was blinded” (vs. 7), “was given … the spirit of slumber” (vs. 8), “stumbled” (vs. 11), “[was diminished]” (vs. 12), was “[cast] away” (vs.15), “were broken off” (vs. 17, 20), “fell” (vs. 22) “abide … still in unbelief” (vs. 23). Upon the nation came God’s just “severity” (vs. 22). But, each individual who would not remain in unbelief “shall be graffed in…again” (vs. 23). Yet, He must hold out the possibility that they could fall again.

Six hundred years before Paul wrote this the Lord God brought His judgments upon Israel, even though long before that He had accepted them and atoned for them and boasted in them.

“Thus saith the LORD, Israel is My son, even My firstborn.” (Ex. 4:22).

“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.

God brought them out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn.

Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel: according to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath God wrought!

Behold, the people shall rise up as a great lion, and lift up himself as a young lion: he shall not lie down until he eat of the prey, and drink the blood of the slain.” (Num. 23:21-24).

“How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, and thy tabernacles, O Israel!

As the valleys are they spread forth, as gardens by the river’s side, as the trees of lign aloes which the LORD hath planted, and as cedar trees beside the waters.

He shall pour the water out of his buckets, and his seed shall be in many waters, and his king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted.

God brought him forth out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn: he shall eat up the nations his enemies, and shall break their bones, and pierce them through with his arrows.

He couched, he lay down as a lion, and as a great lion: who shall stir him up? Blessed is he that blesseth thee, and cursed is he that curseth thee.” (Num. 24:5-9).

“I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth.

And Edom shall be a possession, Seir also shall be a possession for his enemies; and Israel shall do valiantly.

Out of Jacob shall come he that shall have dominion, and shall destroy him that remaineth of the city.” (Num. 24:17-29).

“Amalek was the first of the nations; but his latter end shall be that he perish for ever.

Strong is thy [the Kenite’s] dwellingplace, and thou puttest thy nest in a rock.

Nevertheless the Kenite shall be wasted, until Asshur shall carry thee away captive.

… Alas, who shall live when God doeth this!

And ships shall come from the coast of Chittim, and shall afflict Asshur, and shall afflict Eber, and he also shall perish for ever.” (Num. 24:20-24).

After all His blessings upon them, they proved unfaithful in the end. It was time to cleanse the temple, purifying every soul who demonstrated loyalty to righteousness and to removing from the book of life all who sided with the scapegoat.

“The LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof.

And to the others He said in mine hearing, Go ye after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity:

Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at My sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house.

And He said unto them, Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain: go ye forth. And they went forth, and slew in the city.

And it came to pass, while they were slaying them, and I was left, that I fell upon my face, and cried, and said, Ah Lord GOD! wilt Thou destroy all the residue of Israel in Thy pouring out of Thy fury upon Jerusalem?

Then said He unto me, The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceeding great, and the land is full of blood, and the city full of perverseness: for they say, The LORD hath forsaken the earth, and the LORD seeth not.

And as for Me also, Mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity, but I will recompense their way upon their head.

And, behold, the man clothed with linen, which had the inkhorn by his side, reported the matter, saying, I have done as Thou hast commanded me.” (Eze. 9:4-11).

“For the LORD will not forsake His people for His great name’s sake: because it hath pleased the LORD to make you His people.

Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the right way:

Only fear the LORD, and serve Him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things He hath done for you.

But if ye shall still do wickedly, ye shall be consumed, both ye and your king.” (1Sam. 12:22-25).

“And the LORD shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the LORD thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them: and thou shalt not go aside from any of the words which I command thee this day, to the right hand, or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them. But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all His commandments and His statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee….” (Deut. 28:13-15).

All of the Lord blessings upon Israel were always supplemented with warnings against disloyalty and disobedience. “And He shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week He shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations He shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.” (Dan. 9:27).

The Day of Atonement was simply an extension of these blessings and desolations from Jehovah upon Israel. He would be pleased to forgive, convert, and heal each Israelite individually. But if the sinner didn’t keep coming back for each sin, repent and thus regain conversion and the faithfulness to Jehovah, His recourse of judgments for him would begin.

Thus, under the regime of condemnation of sin in a future judgment, Jehovah Jesus kept His Israelites’ redemption current, and their faith real, tangible, and true. As strong as was Jehovah’s justice, His mercy was equally everlasting. For the LORD is good. So, every honest heart could accept the fairness of that regime. The honest Israelite could not venture off into vanity, imagining that Jehovah would be happy with him if he should begin to forget Him. The Day of Atonement when Jehovah would judge His people was perfectly fair to the honest hearted Israelites. But to those unbelieving, untrusting hearts, it was unbearable. They balked at the possibility of condemnation and rebuke and correction, and sought to overthrow Moses and David and every other leader Jehovah raised up.

Jesus has not changed His methods. He knows how mischievous is the human heart. He also knows how devious are Satan and his tormenter-tempters. Therefore Jehovah devised the only real safeguard against rebellion. And that fix was the Day of Atonement ceremony and the larger truth and arrangement that every sinner that gives up on all of their rebellion and sin and iniquity can be carte blanche forgiven. They can receive a new heart and new Spirit that leads to a new life. But they must remain faithful with their new life. If they turn away and backslide, which they are always prone to do, then they are no longer in God’s grace. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t still in Jesus’ grace. They are under God’s provision in His Mediator, if they have a relationship with His Mediator. If they retain the warm desire to be friends with Jesus then He will take their case before His Father, crying, “Father, My blood! My blood! They are My friends!”

They must return with admission of their guilt and confession of their sin. They must come with sorrow toward God against whom they have joined Satan to lift up their heel to attack the Law of His throne. They must come with the determination to obey God, the great Judge, and with faith in the Son of God for the sacrifice He made to pay for His gift of forgiveness.

And then they must begin again to examine themselves continually in the light of His hewing Law and prophets to make sure that they remain in the faith and haven’t been slowly creeping toward being cast away and reprobate. In relapse of breaking health laws, every disease is quick to come back with a vengeance. Any backsliding of moral laws results in the same sure return of enslavement to sin. Genuine rebellion is never curable. Is my rebellion genuine? Is it genuine and am I a castaway? Some will betray the Holy One; is it I? Is it better that I, like Judas, wasn’t born? All who have received “the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation” (Ps. 24:5) must not trust in themselves to stay good. He has given His strong, clear description of His truth for a mirror into which they must continually look and continually be slain. They must let Him continually hew and square them by His prophets; they must continually be scourged.

We will often be swept under the distress of the fear of eternal loss, as our High Priest’s waves and billows go over us. We are often baptized in a new vision of past failings and present sinfulness and the possibility of the unpardonable sin, yet in His faithfulness He will pick us back up to walk beside Him again above all the storms of life. As often as we are baptized in guilt and shame, we are again baptized in His acceptance and humility and faith.

“Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” (2Cor. 3:17,18).

“And of His fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.” (John 1:16).

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.” (Rom. 1:16,17).

At each cycle of disobedience, conviction from God, repentance, and restoration His redemption roots, and our love grows, more deeply, “from faith to faith”, “grace for grace”, “from glory to glory”. Thus, in His true religion, we can never save ourselves. It must be Him, and Him alone under the only regime that works for our salvation—the Day of Atonement, with its the second greater atonement upon the end of the lifetime. It is the “everlasting covenant” (Isa. 24:5), and the “everlasting gospel” (Rev. 14:6).

It is He that saves us and not we ourselves.

“For whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the Father chasteneth not?” (Heb. 12:6,7).

But, the world and the Sunday denominations hate to ever be scourged. Their rebellion despises rebuke and correction. They hate to give God the authority to condemn their sin and treat their sinfulness as it deserves. They are estranged from Him because they never allowed for His condemnation the first time. Therefore they remain estranged from Him. He knows them not and they know not His Spirit of peace. And therefore not only do they hate the notion of a second atonement, but they develop a doctrine for their self-preservation. Satan moves them to make their rebellion into a law.

They conceive, “Once saved always saved.” They preach, “Salvation was finished at the cross!” And they brand as a cult the Seventh-day Adventist church because Jesus faithfully gave us His last day prophet, Ellen G. White, who made it clear that our sins can be atoned for, but there is yet a larger atonement, which to fail in means eternal loss. Yet despite their cult branding, the single truth of the investigative judgment is the reason Jesus has a group that fears before Him, a group that He is saving today and that He is keeping saved. “Wisdom is justified of all her children.” (Luke 7:35. By His Spirit they are humbled, and they question their salvation and fear before God as they look at the sky-high standard that He showed them through Ellen White. Why should we be ashamed of the truth from her when it is the only reason we are able to return to God with genuine deep repentance and be strengthened in the path leading to the great tribulation that is looming before us?

So, let us happily go to the Spirit of Prophecy and be hewn and squared. Let us trustingly be cut down to size and chiseled. If your right eye causes you to offend God and others, let Him chisel it out. Your right hand causes you to be offensive, let Jesus chisel it off; your right foot likewise. Let’s go with Jesus down into the pains of death, knowing that God will not leave our souls in hell, but will raise us up tied to Jesus. It’s always better to question our salvation until we hear Him say we are saved than to assume it and try to convince ourselves of it, even though Jesus never bore witness to our spirits. If we seek His face He will tell us we are saved. “For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.” (Rom. 8:15,16).

“For His anger endureth but a moment; in His favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning….

Hear, O LORD, and have mercy upon me: LORD, be Thou my helper.

Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: Thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness. ” (Ps. 30:5,10,11).

Even if the sometime terror of being lost doesn’t feel good, it’s always better to be least in our sight that we might hear the King call us great in His sight. It’s better to go sit in the corner and then hear Jesus invite us, “Come up higher.” It’s always better to be humbled grasshoppers in Israel than to be proud Anakim among the Canaanites or high  Chaldeans in “Babylon the great” (Rev. 18:2).