Tonight I did one of the hardest jobs for me as a Bible Worker – calling someone to a decision that they have been putting off.
Paul & Sara are a precious young couple I’ve been studying with for several months. Like sponges, they have soaked up everything we have studied. I’ve always been very open with them about my faith, my church, and all my work with the conference. Last month they attended the entire Doug Batchelor “Most Amazing Prophecy” series. And that was when their struggles began with the Sabbath. “It is so clear from Scripture,” they told me, “but keeping Sabbath would require us to make so many changes that just aren’t convenient.” I knew then that are issue was not information—but conviction. I began to pray for wisdom to know when and how to appeal to them to follow truth.
Tonight our topic was the Judgment and all week I’ve been praying about this study. I struggle sometimes with having the boldness to be very straight with someone. I’m so sensitive to how others are feeling, and I know being very pointed can make them terribly uncomfortable. But tonight I knew I had no other choice. I’m personally accountable to God to share His Word unashamedly. And because I love them, I had to help them realize the seriousness of living in known violation of God’s revealed will during the time of the investigative judgment. I couldn’t smooth it over – or make it easy.
I took them to Genesis 3 & 4 where God has to pronounce judgment on sinners, but He won’t until He can do some investigation by asking questions. “Where are you, Adam? Have you eaten of the tree I commanded you that you should not eat?” God knew where Adam was and what he had done. So why ask? You see the investigative judgment is not for the benefit of God – it is for our benefit. Those pointed questions help to reveal to us the condition of our heart and to bring us to conviction. He wants us to know His judgments are not arbitrary but designed to lead us to repentance.
I told Paul and Sara that God is asking hard questions of us now because He loves us and wants to blot our sins out of the books in heaven. His role as a Mediator is soon to end and He desperately wants to plead our case in the heavenly court before then -- placing His blood over every confessed and forsaken sin. But He does not have permission to cover willful transgression. He has no right to plead His blood in behalf of sins we are cherishing.
I shared with them that God’s law is what we are judged by. A look at this law reveals that it is not unreasonable or extreme. It is a clear, specific, simple declaration of God’s will for our lives. This is why He can say, “If you truly love me, you will want to keep my law.” His judgment is based on our obedience because it is the greatest demonstration of our love for Him. God is asking each of us, “Are you violating my law?” How will we answer? What will we say?
Then came the hardest part for me in the study. I told them I had a question I had to ask them that was very difficult for me to do. In fact it was most awkward for me because it was so personal. But I told them I had no other choice. The seriousness of this topic demands that the question be asked. So here goes ….
“With all the studying of the Scriptures you have done on God’s revealed will in His law and Word, is there anything you are doing right now that you know is violating one of His precepts?”
Almost without hesitation they told me their failure to keep the Sabbath. I asked them if God has the right to cover them in the judgment, if they are knowingly violating His law. They told me no. Sara began to cry as she told me that she felt guilty, afraid, and scared because she KNOWS (her emphasis) what God says about this and has been pleading inconvenience as an excuse. Paul said he’s confused – not because of what Scripture says as that is very clear to him – but because to keep the Sabbath would mean leaving a church he loves, going against the mainstream, and having to deal with the reactions of relatives. I told him that obedience is actually easier than we make it because we put so many obstacles between us and it. “If I decide to follow Jesus, I may have to give up this and that and that. And I can’t do all that. I’ll wait till it becomes easier.” It never does. I advised him that instead of worrying about the other things – to focus on what he knows he is to do – to begin to keep God’s Sabbath.
Sara told me she wished the change could come about gradually rather than cold turkey. Oh how I’ve wished that myself before. But God’s Word gives no allowance for that. “Today if you hear His voice, harden not your hearts.” Satan doesn’t mind if we want to do right. He doesn’t even mind if we plan to keep the Sabbath some day – as long as he can make us put it off until tomorrow. Because that is one more day where the blood of Jesus does not cover that willful sin.
I told them that in light of the sacrifice Jesus made to go to Calvary – His anguish in the garden pleading for strength to do God’s will – His surrender and death – all excuses of family, church, society, and convenience pale into insignificance. I wouldn’t want to stand behind one of them when my case comes before Christ. How could I look at the One who died to free me from my sins and plead that it was not convenient to forsake that cherished sin?
But I left them with this good news. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” AMEN!! And then immediately following He promises “we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” Jesus wants to be my Attorney, but I must be willing to confess and forsake of the sins He has convicted me of. Oh there is no one I would rather have plead my case than Jesus!
I urged Paul and Sarah to agonize this week on their knees with their Bible about God’s call to their heart to keep His Sabbath. I told them to not make their decision based on each other as they are each individually accountable to God (Romans 14:12). And that I would ask them next week what decision they have made.
Please join me in earnest prayer for this couple that they will choose to take up their cross and follow Jesus.
And friend, if you are struggling with conviction to follow God’s revealed will for you, I urge you to take a long look at Calvary and ask yourself:
Paul & Sara are a precious young couple I’ve been studying with for several months. Like sponges, they have soaked up everything we have studied. I’ve always been very open with them about my faith, my church, and all my work with the conference. Last month they attended the entire Doug Batchelor “Most Amazing Prophecy” series. And that was when their struggles began with the Sabbath. “It is so clear from Scripture,” they told me, “but keeping Sabbath would require us to make so many changes that just aren’t convenient.” I knew then that are issue was not information—but conviction. I began to pray for wisdom to know when and how to appeal to them to follow truth.
Tonight our topic was the Judgment and all week I’ve been praying about this study. I struggle sometimes with having the boldness to be very straight with someone. I’m so sensitive to how others are feeling, and I know being very pointed can make them terribly uncomfortable. But tonight I knew I had no other choice. I’m personally accountable to God to share His Word unashamedly. And because I love them, I had to help them realize the seriousness of living in known violation of God’s revealed will during the time of the investigative judgment. I couldn’t smooth it over – or make it easy.
I took them to Genesis 3 & 4 where God has to pronounce judgment on sinners, but He won’t until He can do some investigation by asking questions. “Where are you, Adam? Have you eaten of the tree I commanded you that you should not eat?” God knew where Adam was and what he had done. So why ask? You see the investigative judgment is not for the benefit of God – it is for our benefit. Those pointed questions help to reveal to us the condition of our heart and to bring us to conviction. He wants us to know His judgments are not arbitrary but designed to lead us to repentance.
I told Paul and Sara that God is asking hard questions of us now because He loves us and wants to blot our sins out of the books in heaven. His role as a Mediator is soon to end and He desperately wants to plead our case in the heavenly court before then -- placing His blood over every confessed and forsaken sin. But He does not have permission to cover willful transgression. He has no right to plead His blood in behalf of sins we are cherishing.
I shared with them that God’s law is what we are judged by. A look at this law reveals that it is not unreasonable or extreme. It is a clear, specific, simple declaration of God’s will for our lives. This is why He can say, “If you truly love me, you will want to keep my law.” His judgment is based on our obedience because it is the greatest demonstration of our love for Him. God is asking each of us, “Are you violating my law?” How will we answer? What will we say?
Then came the hardest part for me in the study. I told them I had a question I had to ask them that was very difficult for me to do. In fact it was most awkward for me because it was so personal. But I told them I had no other choice. The seriousness of this topic demands that the question be asked. So here goes ….
“With all the studying of the Scriptures you have done on God’s revealed will in His law and Word, is there anything you are doing right now that you know is violating one of His precepts?”
Almost without hesitation they told me their failure to keep the Sabbath. I asked them if God has the right to cover them in the judgment, if they are knowingly violating His law. They told me no. Sara began to cry as she told me that she felt guilty, afraid, and scared because she KNOWS (her emphasis) what God says about this and has been pleading inconvenience as an excuse. Paul said he’s confused – not because of what Scripture says as that is very clear to him – but because to keep the Sabbath would mean leaving a church he loves, going against the mainstream, and having to deal with the reactions of relatives. I told him that obedience is actually easier than we make it because we put so many obstacles between us and it. “If I decide to follow Jesus, I may have to give up this and that and that. And I can’t do all that. I’ll wait till it becomes easier.” It never does. I advised him that instead of worrying about the other things – to focus on what he knows he is to do – to begin to keep God’s Sabbath.
Sara told me she wished the change could come about gradually rather than cold turkey. Oh how I’ve wished that myself before. But God’s Word gives no allowance for that. “Today if you hear His voice, harden not your hearts.” Satan doesn’t mind if we want to do right. He doesn’t even mind if we plan to keep the Sabbath some day – as long as he can make us put it off until tomorrow. Because that is one more day where the blood of Jesus does not cover that willful sin.
I told them that in light of the sacrifice Jesus made to go to Calvary – His anguish in the garden pleading for strength to do God’s will – His surrender and death – all excuses of family, church, society, and convenience pale into insignificance. I wouldn’t want to stand behind one of them when my case comes before Christ. How could I look at the One who died to free me from my sins and plead that it was not convenient to forsake that cherished sin?
But I left them with this good news. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” AMEN!! And then immediately following He promises “we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” Jesus wants to be my Attorney, but I must be willing to confess and forsake of the sins He has convicted me of. Oh there is no one I would rather have plead my case than Jesus!
I urged Paul and Sarah to agonize this week on their knees with their Bible about God’s call to their heart to keep His Sabbath. I told them to not make their decision based on each other as they are each individually accountable to God (Romans 14:12). And that I would ask them next week what decision they have made.
Please join me in earnest prayer for this couple that they will choose to take up their cross and follow Jesus.
And friend, if you are struggling with conviction to follow God’s revealed will for you, I urge you to take a long look at Calvary and ask yourself:
If Christ Himself were standing here
Face full of glory, and eyes full of tears
And He held out His arms and His nail-printed hands
Is there any way you could say no to this Man?
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