Hello All,
(Just a general disclaimer that I must insert here at the beginning. I am but a lay person, like most of you. And these weekly “thoughts” are but my own. Not the definitive word on this or any topic. Just my own conclusions derived from my own study and faith in God. The greatest hope I have for these weekly “thoughts” is to have them be a springboard for further study on your part. Not to be a weekly treatise to be blindly accepted. So, please read them with this intent, this motive in mind).
This week’s lesson from “The Adult Sabbath School Guide” is titled “Unity in Faith”. “This week we look at some essential biblical teachings that make us Adventists and that shape our unity in faith” (Quarterly for Sabbath, November 10). And so this week’s lesson starts. The daily topics are those that we all can generally agree upon. Sunday = “Salvation in Jesus”; Monday = “Second Coming of Christ”; Tuesday = “Jesus’ Ministry in the Heavenly Sanctuary”; Wednesday = “The Sabbath”; Thursday = “Death and Resurrection”. But as the quarterly states in Sunday’s lesson, “though we hold this belief in Christ’s death and resurrection in common with many other Christian bodies, we proclaim it in the context of the ‘everlasting gospel’ (Rev. 14:6), part of the three angels’ messages of Revelation 14: 6-12. As Seventh-day Adventists, we place an emphasis on these messages that no other Christian body does” (quarterly for Sunday). Hmm?? What does this mean?
In Christ’s Object Lessons, EGW tells us what that last message to mankind is. “The last rays of merciful light, the last message of mercy to be given to the world, is a revelation of His character of love” (Christ’s Object Lessons pg. 415). So the gospel message that we Adventists are united upon (so it says in the quarterly) is the gospel message in the context of the 3-angel’s messages. And this message is a revelation of His character of love. Is this how you see the 3-angels’ message? Are we united on this? How is the 3-angels’ message, that most horrific message, a message that reveals the love-filled character of God? A message that we are to reveal in our lives… (continuing the quote from above) “The children of God are to manifest His glory. In their own life and character they are to reveal what the grace of God has done for them” (Christ Object Lessons pg. 415). We are to manifest the 3-angels’ message in our lives??? How does the 3-angel’s message fit??? Just read the third angel’s message and it likely strikes fear into the heart. Words like “wrath”, “fire”, “indignation”, and “torment”. Yikes! This is love? This 3-angels’ message is a message of love?
Most parents love their children. Some parents are bad parents, not really demonstrating that parental-love truly. But some are good parents. And a few a really good parents… those who understand the true-nature of love and demonstrate it in their lives and towards their children. And those really good parents understand that true-love is not always “soft”. Sometimes it needs to be firm… even “hard”. “Tough-love” is usually the last card a really good parent plays. Now the child may not see this “tough love” as love. They may see the parent as being harsh, mean, indignant, angry, or even wrathful (sounds like the 3rd angels’ message). Yet when our child ceases to be afraid of what wrong-doing does to themselves and others, really good parents have no choice but to make them afraid of themselves, the parents. It is the last-ditch effort to keep their child from doing irreparable harm to themselves. And this “tough love” is a greater sacrifice for the parent instead of the child. Because the parent is sacrificing their own reputation as a loving parent and allowing the child to think harsh erroneous things about the parent. The parent is sacrificing themselves for the child. And sacrificing themselves for the child’s salvation from the destruction that sin does to the sinful-child.
“God is love” so John tells us. A God of love, who will make every effort to lead His children in the “right”. He will love His child, persuade His child, and motivate His child. And finally warn His child. And when all other avenues fail, will threaten His child. If the child will not be afraid of wrong-doing (afraid of what wrong-doing does to themselves and others) than the last card God plays is to make the child afraid of Himself, God-the-Father. And this is a supreme act of love from our Father of love. This “tough-love” of the 3rd angels’ message is therefore “a revelation of His character of love” (quoted above). Love that will sacrifice even His own love-filled reputation in order to save even one child who is plunging over the abyss. And this is the love we are to reveal. Love that will sacrifice everything for even one.