The scariest words in all existence

Bible verse and the Spirit of Prophecy insight

Matthew 7:21-23

21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Only by knowing God here can we prepare to meet Him at His coming…. But many of those who profess to believe in Christ do not know God. They have only a surface religion. They do not love God; they do not study His character; therefore they do not know how to trust, how to look and live. They do not know what restful love is, or what it means to walk by faith…. They fail of understanding that it is their duty to receive, in order that they may enrich others. Mar 76.2

Ellen G. White – Maranatha p.76.2

Present day application

Some say that the words “depart from me, I never knew you” are the scariest words one could ever hear. I would also add they are the saddest. Jesus Christ makes it clear that some of His professed followers do not actually know Him. It is one thing to know someone as we might know someone nowadays, but a rather distinct thing to know someone in a biblical sense. The book of Genesis tells us that “Adam knew Eve and she conceived”. The translators of the King James Bible wanted it to be clear that ‘knowing’ someone meant much more than just being familiar with the person. It meant being one with them. We find a confirmation of this in one of the last prayers of our Lord, where He asks the Father for His followers to be one the way He and the Father are one.

OK, but how does one actually become ‘one’ with Jesus? Certainly not by going through any rituals or by keeping the traditions of men, nor worshipping Him with his lips while disregarding His commandments. Ellen G. White says we must study His character. This requires two things: to read what the Bible has to say about Him, and to apply it to our life. And it is not just the Gospels I am talking about, we can find Jesus all over the Bible. Through the Holy Spirit working in our lives, we can get to know Jesus intimately. Followers of Christ can expect strange things to happen to them, but it will be through those trials that they will get to know Him better.

Once you know Him, you will act like Him without even trying hard. His character will (literally) become your ‘second nature’. As a result, you will become an ambassador of the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. The more you know Him, the more you will hate the world and, sadly, the world will hate you as it hated Him. We ought to try walking in His shoes, imitate Him, rejoice in the things he would have rejoiced, be sad in moments when he would have been sad, act the way he would have acted. He is not that distant from us. During His time on earth, He has experienced the same temptations as we do. By choosing to follow His footsteps in this life, we gain the right to be by His side in the life to come. What a way to spend eternity–with the ruler of the universe as your best friend!     

Truth in the Wilderness

Bible verse and the Spirit of Prophecy insight

Isaiah 40:30

The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness,
Prepare ye the way of the Lord,
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

The faith which for many centuries was held and taught by the Waldensian Christians was in marked contrast to the false doctrines put forth from Rome. Their religious belief was founded upon the written word of God, the true system of Christianity. But those humble peasants, in their obscure retreats, shut away from the world, and bound to daily toil among their flocks and their vineyards, had not themselves arrived at the truth in opposition to the dogmas and heresies of the apostate church. Theirs was not a faith newly received. Their religious belief was their inheritance from their fathers. They contended for the faith of the apostolic church,—”the faith which was once delivered to the saints.” “The church in the wilderness,” and not the proud hierarchy enthroned in the world’s great capital, was the true church of Christ, the guardian of the treasures of truth which God has committed to his people to be given to the world.

Ellen G. White – The Great Controversy, 1988 p.64.1

Present day application

Anyone who knows and proclaims the truth will eventually get into trouble. It has always been so. Even in the Old Testament times the true prophets were persecuted and had to go into hiding. Followers of the truth as preached by Jesus Christ will be hated by the world. What has also never changed is that the keepers of the truth preferred to live in the wilderness (remote places), while those who persecuted them had their roots planted deep in prominent cities of the world. Have you ever wondered why?

Living close to nature provides a better opportunity to learn more about the One who created it. Simple life away from temptations and pollution facilitates the rejuvenation of the body and spirit. The keepers of the truth favoured such. The Lord himself, after going through cities towns and villages, would often spend time alone in prayer in the gardens and mountains. This served as a pattern to follow to the Waldenses. They lived simple lives in the mountains but would go down to the valleys to evangelise those who lived in villages, towns and cities.

Nowadays, one might lose their job if they stick to what they believe. We can see that happening all over the world, even in so-called free and democratic countries. A time is coming, or perhaps is already here, when God’s people will have to set up small communities in remote places where they can grow their own food and be as independent as possible. There is often no other option but to forsake one’s beliefs and eat from Jezebel’s table. The spirit of Elijah will manifest itself once more to straighten the path for the coming King.

Image by LUMO project at FreeBibleimages.org