“A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.” Ezekiel 36:26 (KJV)

ABSTRACT

Through the refining work of grace, Christ remade a fiery Son of Thunder into the beloved disciple—and reshapes every surrendered heart into His own image

The greatest miracle of redemption is not the parting of seas but the transformation of a sinful human heart into the dwelling place of God. Scripture grounds this work in the promise of Ezekiel 36:26, “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh,” a promise Ellen G. White traces to its only source, for “there must be a power working from within, a new life from above, before men can be changed from sin to holiness. That power is Christ. His grace alone can quicken the lifeless faculties of the soul, and attract it to God, to holiness” (Steps to Christ, p. 18, 1892). This is no mere reformation of conduct but a recreation of the inner man, the new creature of 2 Corinthians 5:17, in whom “old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” Yet the creative act waits upon the consent of the soul, for the inspired pen counsels that “what you need to understand is the true force of the will. This is the governing power in the nature of man, the power of decision, or of choice. Everything depends on the right action of the will. The power of choice God has given to men; it is theirs to exercise” (Steps to Christ, p. 47, 1892), and Romans 12:2 therefore calls us to be “transformed by the renewing of your mind.” When that surrender is made the result is certain, for through inspired counsel we are told that “through the right exercise of the will, an entire change may be made in your life. By yielding up your will to Christ, you ally yourself with the power that is above all principalities and powers. You will have strength from above to hold you steadfast, and thus through constant surrender to God you will be enabled to live the new life, even the life of faith” (Steps to Christ, p. 48, 1892). Such a heart is governed by a new principle, for Steps to Christ affirms that “in the heart renewed by divine grace, love is the principle of action. It modifies the character, governs the impulses, controls the passions, subdues enmity, and ennobles the affections” (p. 59, 1892), exactly as 2 Corinthians 3:18 declares that beholding the Lord we are “changed into the same image from glory to glory.” This nearness to Christ deepens rather than lessens our sense of need, for the messenger of the Lord observes that “the closer you come to Jesus, the more faulty you will appear in your own eyes; for your vision will be clearer, and your imperfections will be seen in broad and distinct contrast to His perfect nature” (Steps to Christ, p. 64, 1892), so we pray with the psalmist in Psalm 51:10, “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” The lives of the apostles prove this is no theory, for inspiration testifies that “such transformation of character as is seen in the life of John is ever the result of communion with Christ” (The Acts of the Apostles, p. 558, 1911), and Philippians 1:6 assures us that “he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.”

Can Thunder Be Tamed Into Love?

Divine grace does not choose its vessels for their natural beauty, for the men whom heaven raised into pillars of the church were first marked by serious defects. The Apostle John, now revered as the embodiment of love, was such a man, for Sr. White writes that “John did not naturally possess the loveliness of character that his later experience revealed. By nature he had serious defects. He was not only proud, self-assertive, and ambitious for honor, but impetuous, and resentful under injury” (The Acts of the Apostles, p. 539, 1911), and the Saviour Himself fixed the fitting name upon him in Mark 3:17, where “he surnamed them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder.” That title was no exaggeration, for the prophetic messenger adds that “evil temper, the desire for revenge, the spirit of criticism, were all in the beloved disciple. But beneath all this the divine Teacher discerned the ardent, sincere, loving heart” (The Acts of the Apostles, p. 539, 1911), as appeared when the disciples, rebuffed in Samaria, demanded in Luke 9:54, “Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?” Such zeal sought to consume men rather than to win them, betraying the natural heart that Jeremiah 17:9 calls “deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked,” the heart of which Paul confessed in Romans 7:18, “in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing.” Christ’s method, however, was the opposite of John’s fire, for through inspired counsel we are told that “it is no part of Christ’s mission to compel men to receive Him. It is Satan, and men actuated by his spirit, who seek to compel the conscience” (The Acts of the Apostles, p. 541, 1911). Where the disciple would have destroyed, the Master labored to redeem, for the same volume declares that “Christ is ever showing mercy, ever seeking to win by the revealing of His love” (The Acts of the Apostles, p. 541, 1911). The cure of John’s temper began with correction patiently received, for inspiration records that “in the life of the disciple John true sanctification is exemplified. During the years of his close association with Christ, he was often warned and cautioned by the Saviour; and these reproofs he accepted” (The Acts of the Apostles, p. 557, 1911), as he learned the counsel of James 1:19 to be “swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.” Day by day the contrast did its work, for the inspired pen notes that “day by day, in contrast with his own violent spirit, he beheld the tenderness and forbearance of Jesus, and heard His lessons of humility and patience” (The Acts of the Apostles, p. 557, 1911), and so grace prepared in the Son of Thunder the victory of Proverbs 16:32, that “he that ruleth his spirit” is greater “than he that taketh a city.”

What Turned Wrath Into Tenderness?

The defects of nature, however serious, are never the final word, for the grace of Christ remakes what it finds unlovely. John surrendered the temper that had defined him, and inspiration records the result, that “he yielded his resentful, ambitious temper to the molding power of Christ, and divine love wrought in him a transformation of character” (The Acts of the Apostles, p. 557, 1911), the very change 2 Corinthians 3:18 describes as being “changed into the same image from glory to glory.” The transformation reached the depths of the man, for the prophetic messenger testifies that “John could talk of the Father’s love as no other of the disciples could. He revealed to his fellow men that which he felt in his own soul, representing in his character the attributes of God” (The Acts of the Apostles, p. 545, 1911), so that he could say with Paul in Galatians 2:20, “I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me.” The change even shone in his countenance, for The Acts of the Apostles declares that “the glory of the Lord was expressed in his face. The beauty of holiness which had transformed him shone with a Christlike radiance from his countenance. In adoration and love he beheld the Saviour until likeness to Christ and fellowship with Him became his one desire, and in his character was reflected the character of his Master” (p. 545, 1911), revealing the new creature of 2 Corinthians 5:17. This is the new man of Colossians 3:10, “renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him,” the holy nature of Ephesians 4:24, “created in righteousness and true holiness.” Such transformed lives become teachers of others, for the inspired pen observes that John “taught that the Christian must be pure in heart and life. Never should he be satisfied with an empty profession. As God is holy in His sphere, so fallen man, through faith in Christ, is to be holy in his sphere” (The Acts of the Apostles, p. 559, 1911). The principle behind it all is love, for through inspired counsel we are told that “true sanctification comes through the working out of the principle of love,” so that “the life of him in whose heart Christ abides, will reveal practical godliness” and “the character will be purified, elevated, ennobled, and glorified” (The Acts of the Apostles, p. 560, 1911), and the transformed soul says only, with 1 Corinthians 15:10, “by the grace of God I am what I am.” Yet this love is learned at the cross, for the messenger of the Lord affirms that “those who would gain the blessing of sanctification must first learn the meaning of self-sacrifice. The cross of Christ is the central pillar on which hangs the ‘far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory’” (The Acts of the Apostles, p. 560, 1911), and there the wrath of the Son of Thunder was melted into the tenderness of the beloved disciple.

What Does Christ Ask of Us Daily?

Sanctification is not a single moment of rapture but a daily discipline of bringing the whole life into harmony with the divine pattern. John embraced that discipline, for inspiration records that “the lessons of Christ, setting forth meekness and humility and love as essential to growth in grace and a fitness for His work, were of the highest value to John. He treasured every lesson and constantly sought to bring his life into harmony with the divine pattern” (The Acts of the Apostles, p. 544, 1911), and chief among those lessons was the new commandment of John 13:34, “That ye love one another; as I have loved you.” His very ambitions were reordered, for the prophetic messenger adds that “John had begun to discern the glory of Christ—not the worldly pomp and power for which he had been taught to hope, but ‘the glory as of the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth’” (The Acts of the Apostles, p. 544, 1911). This change was the fruit of love received rather than effort alone, for the same volume explains that “John desired to become like Jesus, and under the transforming influence of the love of Christ he did become meek and lowly. Self was hid in Jesus” (p. 544, 1911), the very self-surrender Christ sought when He prayed in John 17:17, “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” Such sanctification is a daily offering, the living sacrifice of Romans 12:1, “holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service,” made possible because, as Philippians 2:13 declares, “it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” Yet the work is gradual and lifelong, for through inspired counsel we are told that “sanctification is not the work of a moment, an hour, a day, but of a lifetime. It is not gained by a happy flight of feeling, but is the result of constantly dying to sin, and constantly living for Christ” (The Acts of the Apostles, p. 560, 1911). It demands perseverance, for the inspired pen warns that “it is only by long, persevering effort, sore discipline, and stern conflict, that we shall overcome” (The Acts of the Apostles, p. 561, 1911), as the believer answers daily the call of Luke 9:23 to “deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” There is no resting place short of the goal, for The Acts of the Apostles declares that “sanctification is the result of lifelong obedience” (p. 561, 1911), and the believer presses on toward the holiness of Hebrews 12:14, “without which no man shall see the Lord.”

Who Steers the Ship Through Storms?

The same grace that transforms the heart also governs the providences of life, overruling human folly and the fury of nature to fulfill the divine purpose. God Himself appoints the trials that test His people, for inspiration declares that “in the upbuilding of His work the Lord does not always make everything plain before His servants. He sometimes tries the confidence of His people by bringing about circumstances which compel them to move forward in faith” (The Acts of the Apostles, p. 357, 1911). These trials are not abandonment but preparation, for the prophetic messenger adds that “often He brings them into strait and trying places, and bids them advance when their feet seem to be touching the waters of Jordan. It is at such times, when the prayers of His servants ascend to Him in earnest faith, that God opens the way before them and brings them out into a large place” (The Acts of the Apostles, p. 357, 1911), exactly as Isaiah 43:2 promises, “when thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee.” Paul’s voyage toward Rome was such a strait place, for the inspired pen records that “the apostle Paul was now called upon to endure the trying experiences that would fall to his lot as a prisoner in chains during the long and tedious voyage to Italy” (The Acts of the Apostles, p. 439, 1911). The disaster began with the rejection of godly counsel, for The Acts of the Apostles relates that the question of sailing was “finally referred by the centurion to Paul, who had won the respect of both sailors and soldiers,” and “the apostle unhesitatingly advised remaining where they were” (p. 441, 1911). Yet earthly judgment prevailed over the warning of the man of God, for the same volume notes that “the master and the owner of the ship, and the majority of passengers and crew, were unwilling to accept this counsel,” and “the centurion decided to follow the judgment of the majority” (The Acts of the Apostles, p. 441, 1911), so that soon, as Acts 27:20 records, “all hope that we should be saved was then taken away.” Yet one passenger remained unshaken, for inspiration testifies that “he grasped by faith the arm of Infinite Power, and his heart was stayed upon God. He had no fears for himself; he knew that God would preserve him to witness at Rome for the truth of Christ” (The Acts of the Apostles, p. 442, 1911), resting upon the pledge of Isaiah 41:13, “Fear not; I will help thee.” Such peace is no denial of the storm but trust in the Commander of the waves, the confidence of Romans 8:28 that “all things work together for good to them that love God,” and of Psalm 46:1 that God is “a very present help in trouble,” so that the believer may say with Paul in Acts 27:25, “Be of good cheer: for I believe God.”

Can a Prison Become Heaven’s Gate?

The banishment of John to Patmos reveals how the malice of men becomes, in the hand of God, the very instrument of revelation. The exile was meant to silence him, for inspiration records that “by the emperor’s decree John was banished to the Isle of Patmos,” and “here, his enemies thought, his influence would no longer be felt, and he must finally die of hardship and distress” (The Acts of the Apostles, p. 570, 1911), the very banishment John names in Revelation 1:9, “I John… was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.” Heaven, however, turned the prison into a sanctuary, for the prophetic messenger declares that “Patmos, a barren, rocky island in the Aegean Sea, had been chosen by the Roman government as a place of banishment for criminals; but to the servant of God this gloomy abode became the gate of heaven. Here, shut away from the busy scenes of life, and from the active labors of former years, he had the companionship of God and Christ and the heavenly angels, and from them he received instruction for the church for all future time” (The Acts of the Apostles, pp. 570, 571, 1911). What enemies designed for silence God designed for proclamation, for the same volume affirms that “when his voice could no longer testify to the One whom he loved and served, the messages given him on that barren coast were to go forth as a lamp that burneth, declaring the sure purpose of the Lord concerning every nation on the earth” (The Acts of the Apostles, p. 570, 1911), exactly as Joseph confessed in Genesis 50:20, “ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good.” In that solitude the apostle found not despair but peace, for The Acts of the Apostles records that “among the cliffs and rocks of Patmos, John held communion with his Maker. He reviewed his past life, and at thought of the blessings he had received, peace filled his heart” (p. 571, 1911), entering the stillness of Psalm 46:10, “Be still, and know that I am God.” The barren rock became a place of prayer, for inspiration notes that “from the exiled apostle on rocky Patmos there went up the most ardent longing of soul after God, the most fervent prayers” (The Acts of the Apostles, p. 572, 1911), as the lonely servant lifted his eyes with the psalmist in Psalm 121:1, “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.” Nor was age any barrier to usefulness, for through inspired counsel we are told that “the history of John affords a striking illustration of the way in which God can use aged workers,” for though many thought him “past service,” yet “the Lord saw fit to use him still” (The Acts of the Apostles, p. 573, 1911), renewing his strength as Isaiah 40:31 promises to “they that wait upon the LORD.” It was in that exile, then, that the vision came, for Revelation 1:10 testifies, “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,” and so a place of restriction became, for John and for every faithful soul, the gate of heaven.

Who Guards the Witness of Truth?

The preservation of John amid the cruelty of his enemies proves that the servant of God is immortal until his appointed work is finished. Banishment could not silence a witness heaven still required, for inspiration records that “though banished from the scenes of his former labor, he did not cease to bear witness to the truth. Even in Patmos he made friends and converts” (The Acts of the Apostles, p. 573, 1911), and from that exile he could still invite the church in Revelation 1:3, “Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy.” Indeed his most fruitful years came last, for the prophetic messenger adds that “it was after John had grown old in the service of his Lord that he received more communications from heaven than he had received during all the former years of his life” (The Acts of the Apostles, p. 573, 1911). Behind the visible cruelty an unseen hand was at work, for the inspired pen testifies that “the Lord’s hand was moving unseen in the darkness. In the providence of God, John was placed where Christ could give him a wonderful revelation of Himself and of divine truth for the enlightenment of the churches” (The Acts of the Apostles, p. 581, 1911), fulfilling the promise of Isaiah 42:16, “I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not.” The malice of emperors could not overturn the purpose of God, for The Acts of the Apostles declares that “in exiling John, the enemies of truth had hoped to silence forever the voice of God’s faithful witness; but on Patmos the disciple received a message, the influence of which was to continue to strengthen the church till the end of time” (p. 581, 1911); the same God who, as Daniel 6:22 records, “hath shut the lions’ mouths,” preserved His servant on the island. The very effort to destroy the truth served only to display it, for the same volume affirms that “those who banished John became instruments in the hands of God to carry out Heaven’s purpose; and the very effort to extinguish the light placed the truth in bold relief” (The Acts of the Apostles, p. 581, 1911), as He who walked the furnace, of whom Daniel 3:25 says “the form of the fourth is like the Son of God,” walked with John in exile. God’s servants are ever held in His own hand, for through inspired counsel we are told that “they are but instruments in His hands, and all the good they accomplish is done through His power. Through them His light is to shine forth. The Saviour is to be their efficiency” (The Acts of the Apostles, p. 586, 1911), watched over so closely that, as Matthew 10:30 assures, “the very hairs of your head are all numbered.” Therefore the faithful witness need not fear the rage of the enemy, but may say with the psalmist in Psalm 27:1, “The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?”—for no decree of man can extinguish a light that God Himself has kindled.

Have You Seen the Risen Christ?

The vision granted on Patmos lifts the suffering church from the cross of Calvary to the throne of the glorified Redeemer. John had once watched his Master marred and dying, yet now beheld Him crowned, for inspiration records that “he had seen Him hanging on the cross of Calvary, the object of cruel mockery and abuse. Now John is once more permitted to behold his Lord. But how changed is His appearance! He is no longer a Man of Sorrows, despised and humiliated by men. He is clothed in a garment of heavenly brightness” (The Acts of the Apostles, p. 582, 1911), the figure of Revelation 1:13, “one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot.” The whole island was transfigured by His presence, for the prophetic messenger continues that “His voice is like the music of many waters. His countenance shines as the sun. In His hand are seven stars, and out of His mouth issues a sharp two-edged sword, an emblem of the power of His word. Patmos is made resplendent with the glory of the risen Lord” (The Acts of the Apostles, p. 582, 1911). Before such glory the apostle fell as dead, yet was lifted up, for the same volume notes that “John was strengthened to live in the presence of his glorified Lord” (The Acts of the Apostles, p. 582, 1911), hearing the words of Revelation 1:17, “Fear not; I am the first and the last,” and the triumph of Revelation 1:18, “I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore.” This vision was given not for John alone but for the whole church, for The Acts of the Apostles declares that “this revelation was given for the guidance and comfort of the church throughout the Christian dispensation” (p. 582, 1911), revealing the unchanging Christ of Hebrews 13:8, “the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” He who was once despised is now the exalted Head of Colossians 1:18, “that in all things he might have the preeminence,” the Lord of Philippians 2:9, whom “God also hath highly exalted… and given him a name which is above every name.” To behold this Christ is itself transforming, and so through inspired counsel we are urged that “it would be well for us to spend a thoughtful hour each day in contemplation of the life of Christ. We should take it point by point, and let the imagination grasp each scene, especially the closing ones” (The Desire of Ages, p. 83, 1898). Such contemplation steadies the soul, for the inspired pen promises that “as we thus dwell upon His great sacrifice for us, our confidence in Him will be more constant, our love will be quickened, and we shall be more deeply imbued with His spirit” (The Desire of Ages, p. 83, 1898), and the church that fixes its gaze upon the living, reigning Christ exchanges all fear of the future for confidence in Him who holds the keys of death.

Can Love Reach the Hardest Heart?

The love of God is not drawn out by loveliness in its object; it is itself the cause that creates the loveliness. John’s tenderness was no precondition of Christ’s favor, for inspiration states plainly that “the depth and fervor of John’s affection for his Master was not the cause of Christ’s love for him, but the effect of that love” (The Acts of the Apostles, p. 544, 1911), the wonder John names in 1 John 3:1, “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God.” This love can spring from no human source, for the inspired pen affirms that “love is of God. The unconsecrated heart cannot originate or produce it. It is found only in the heart where Jesus reigns” (Steps to Christ, p. 59, 1892), and 1 John 4:19 confesses, “We love him, because he first loved us.” It is the love of Romans 5:8, “God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us,” the everlasting love of Jeremiah 31:3, “I have loved thee with an everlasting love.” Such love is the controlling power of a holy life, for Steps to Christ declares that “love to God, zeal for His glory, was the controlling power in our Saviour’s life. Love beautified and ennobled all His actions” (p. 59, 1892). The nearer a soul draws to Christ, the more deeply it drinks of that self-giving love, for the prophetic messenger writes that “the one who stands nearest to Christ will be he who has drunk most deeply of His spirit of self-sacrificing love… love that moves the disciple, as it moved our Lord, to give all, to live and labor and sacrifice even unto death, for the saving of humanity” (The Acts of the Apostles, p. 543, 1911), the love of 1 John 4:10, “not that we loved God, but that he loved us.” Yet this love never compels, for through inspired counsel we are told that Christ “can admit no rival in the soul, nor accept of partial service; but He desires only voluntary service, the willing surrender of the heart under the constraint of love” (The Acts of the Apostles, p. 541, 1911); where that surrender is made, He fulfills Ezekiel 36:26, giving “a new heart” for the “stony heart.” No heart, then, is too hard for such love to reach, for the same volume promises that “this love, cherished in the soul, sweetens the life and sheds a refining influence on all around” (Steps to Christ, p. 59, 1892), and the Son of Thunder himself stands as proof that grace can melt the most resistant nature.

Does Christ Still Walk Among Us?

The risen Christ does not abandon His church when its light burns dim, but walks in its very midst with untiring vigilance. The vision of the seven golden candlesticks reveals a present Saviour, for inspiration declares that “Christ is spoken of as walking in the midst of the golden candlesticks. Thus is symbolized His relation to the churches. He is in constant communication with His people. He knows their true state” (The Acts of the Apostles, p. 586, 1911), the Christ of Revelation 2:1 “who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks.” His ministry above does not remove Him from His people below, for the prophetic messenger adds that “although He is high priest and mediator in the sanctuary above, yet He is represented as walking up and down in the midst of His churches on the earth. With untiring wakefulness and unremitting vigilance, He watches to see whether the light of any of His sentinels is burning dim or going out” (The Acts of the Apostles, p. 586, 1911), fulfilling His pledge in John 14:18, “I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.” The church survives only by His sustaining care, for the same volume affirms that “if the candlesticks were left to mere human care, the flickering flame would languish and die; but He is the true watchman in the Lord’s house, the true warden of the temple courts. His continued care and sustaining grace are the source of life and light” (The Acts of the Apostles, p. 586, 1911), exactly as He promised in Matthew 28:20, “lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” Yet this same watchful love speaks plainly when the church grows cold, for The Acts of the Apostles records that “at the time when John was given this revelation, many had lost their first love of gospel truth. But in His mercy God did not leave the church to continue in a backslidden state” (p. 587, 1911), addressing Ephesus in Revelation 2:4, “thou hast left thy first love.” Such a church needs correction, and inspiration notes that “the church was defective and in need of stern reproof and chastisement, and John was inspired to record messages of warning and reproof and entreaty to those who, losing sight of the fundamental principles of the gospel, should imperil their hope of salvation” (The Acts of the Apostles, p. 587, 1911). Yet every reproof is the language of mercy, for through inspired counsel we are told that “always the words of rebuke that God finds it necessary to send are spoken in tender love and with the promise of peace to every penitent believer” (The Acts of the Apostles, p. 587, 1911), exactly as Revelation 3:19 declares, “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten.” Therefore the trembling believer may rest, for the Christ who walks among the candlesticks is the strong hold of Nahum 1:7, “good, a strong hold in the day of trouble,” and every correction He sends is the act of a Watchman who intends only to restore.

What Do We Owe the God of Heaven?

The first responsibility of the believer toward God is the daily and entire surrender of the natural self to the transforming Spirit. This surrender is not optional, for inspiration sets two disciples side by side, observing that “John and Judas are representatives of those who profess to be Christ’s followers. Both these disciples had the same opportunities to study and follow the divine Pattern” (The Acts of the Apostles, p. 558, 1911), and both were called to the living sacrifice of Romans 12:1, “holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” The difference lay not in privilege but in response, for the prophetic messenger adds that “while one in humility was learning of Jesus, the other revealed that he was not a doer of the word, but a hearer only” (The Acts of the Apostles, p. 558, 1911), the very warning of James 1:22, “Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only.” One surrendered daily and one resisted, for the same volume declares that “one, daily dying to self and overcoming sin, was sanctified through the truth; the other, resisting the transforming power of grace and indulging selfish desires, was brought into bondage to Satan” (The Acts of the Apostles, p. 558, 1911), so each soul must, as Philippians 2:12 commands, “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” True surrender produces self-distrust, not self-confidence, for through inspired counsel we are told that “none of the apostles and prophets ever claimed to be without sin… they have put no confidence in the flesh, have claimed no righteousness of their own, but have trusted wholly in the righteousness of Christ” (The Acts of the Apostles, p. 561, 1911), and so Paul testified in 1 Corinthians 9:27, “I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection.” Nearness to Christ deepens this sense of need, for The Acts of the Apostles affirms that “the nearer we come to Jesus, and the more clearly we discern the purity of His character, the more clearly shall we see the exceeding sinfulness of sin, and the less shall we feel like exalting ourselves” (p. 561, 1911). Such a soul welcomes God’s searching gaze, for the inspired pen describes “a continual, earnest, heartbreaking confession of sin and humbling of the heart before Him” (The Acts of the Apostles, p. 561, 1911), and prays with the psalmist in Psalm 139:23, 24, “Search me, O God, and know my heart… and see if there be any wicked way in me.” We owe God, therefore, not a mere profession but a heart laid open and surrendered, the honest self-examination of 2 Corinthians 13:5, “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith”—for what He requires is the daily, inward reality of a life that is wholly His.

Will You Stand When Others Fall?

Our responsibility to God includes an unshaken fidelity to His Word and a willingness to witness for truth at any cost. Paul, facing execution, thought first of faithfulness, for inspiration records that “his soul filled with loving solicitude for his son in the gospel and for the church under his care, Paul sought to impress Timothy with the importance of fidelity to his sacred trust” (The Acts of the Apostles, p. 499, 1911), able at the last to say in 2 Timothy 4:7, “I have kept the faith.” The believer is appointed a channel of truth to others, for the prophetic messenger explains that the grace of Christ “enables him to be a faithful witness of the things that he has heard,” so that “he commits this knowledge to faithful men, who in their turn teach others” (The Acts of the Apostles, p. 501, 1911), fulfilling the commission of Acts 1:8, “ye shall be witnesses unto me.” The strength of such witness lies in the life behind it, for the same volume testifies that “Paul carried with him the atmosphere of heaven. All who associated with him felt the influence of his union with Christ” (The Acts of the Apostles, p. 510, 1911), making him in truth the light of Matthew 5:14, “Ye are the light of the world.” A consistent life gives the message its power, for The Acts of the Apostles declares that “the fact that his own life exemplified the truth he proclaimed, gave convincing power to his preaching. Here lies the power of truth” (p. 510, 1911), so that men, beholding, glorified God as Matthew 5:16 directs, seeing “your good works.” Such a witness outweighs every argument, for inspiration affirms that “the unstudied, unconscious influence of a holy life is the most convincing sermon that can be given in favor of Christianity. Argument, even when unanswerable, may provoke only opposition; but a godly example has a power that it is impossible wholly to resist” (The Acts of the Apostles, pp. 510, 511, 1911). This fidelity is selfless even unto death, for the inspired pen notes that even at the end “the apostle lost sight of his own approaching sufferings in his solicitude for those whom he was about to leave to cope with prejudice, hatred, and persecution” (The Acts of the Apostles, p. 511, 1911), shining, as Philippians 2:15 says, “as lights in the world.” The commission given to John on Patmos rests on us as well, the charge of Revelation 1:19 to “write the things which thou hast seen,” and to bear that testimony faithfully, standing for the truth though every other voice should fall silent.

Who Is the Neighbor at Your Door?

Our responsibility to our neighbor flows directly from our love to God, for the two loves cannot be separated. True religion is proved not by profession but by love in action, for inspiration teaches that “in the story of the good Samaritan, Christ illustrates the nature of true religion. He shows that it consists not in systems, creeds, or rites, but in the performance of loving deeds, in bringing the greatest good to others, in genuine goodness” (The Desire of Ages, p. 497, 1898), the very test John names in 1 John 4:11, “Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.” These two loves form one undivided law, for the prophetic messenger declares that “supreme love to God and impartial love to man are the principles to be wrought out in the life” (The Desire of Ages, p. 498, 1898), and Galatians 5:14 confirms that “all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” Neither love can stand without the other, for the same volume affirms that Christ “presented the law as a divine unity, and in this lesson taught that it is not possible to keep one precept, and break another; for the same principle runs through them all” (The Desire of Ages, p. 498, 1898), exactly as 1 John 4:20 warns, “he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?” This love crosses every human barrier, for through inspired counsel we are told that “our neighbor does not mean merely one of the church or faith to which we belong. It has no reference to race, color, or class distinction. Our neighbor is every person who needs our help. Our neighbor is every soul who is wounded and bruised by the adversary” (The Desire of Ages, p. 503, 1898), the royal law of James 2:8. All humanity stands within one family, for Christ’s Object Lessons declares that “all men are of one family by creation, and all are one through redemption” (p. 384, 1900), and so the commandment of 1 John 4:21 binds us, “that he who loveth God love his brother also.” Union with Christ binds us to one another, for the inspired pen affirms that “connected with Christ, we are connected with our fellow men by the golden links of the chain of love” (Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 384, 1900), so that we are bound by Galatians 6:2 to “bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.” Love for our neighbor, then, is no optional sentiment but the very evidence of the new birth, the proof that the love of God has truly been received into the heart.

How Far Does Your Influence Reach?

True love for our neighbor reaches beyond words into a daily influence whose effects can never be fully measured. No life is lived to itself, for inspiration declares that “the life of Christ was an ever-widening, shoreless influence, an influence that bound Him to God and to the whole human family” (Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 339, 1900), and His word to the lawyer in Luke 10:37, “Go, and do thou likewise,” is spoken to us all. We are bound together in mutual obligation, for the prophetic messenger adds that “no man can be independent of his fellow men; for the well-being of each affects others. It is God’s purpose that each shall feel himself necessary to others’ welfare, and seek to promote their happiness” (Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 339, 1900), entering, as Romans 12:15 bids, into the cares of others to “weep with them that weep.” Every act of kindness sets a wider work in motion, for the same volume affirms that “if by our example we aid others in the development of good principles, we give them power to do good… thus by our unconscious influence thousands may be blessed” (Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 339, 1900), as we live the rule of Matthew 7:12, doing to others “whatsoever ye would that men should do to you.” This influence widens beyond our sight, for through inspired counsel we are told that “throw a pebble into the lake, and a wave is formed, and another and another; and as they increase, the circle widens, until it reaches the very shore. So with our influence” (Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 340, 1900), reaching the fatherless and the widow whom James 1:27 calls us to “visit… in their affliction.” Its results we cannot trace, for the inspired pen warns that “beyond our knowledge or control it tells upon others in blessing or in cursing” (Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 340, 1900), so that even the unknown stranger has a claim upon us, as Hebrews 13:2 counsels, “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers.” Yet the deepest influence is character itself, for Christ’s Object Lessons affirms that “character is power. The silent witness of a true, unselfish, godly life carries an almost irresistible influence” (p. 340, 1900), and every mercy shown to “the least of these” is counted, by Matthew 25:40, as done unto Christ Himself. How far our influence reaches, then, no one can measure; and so we are called to fill it daily with the fragrance of practical, self-forgetful love.

Will Grace Triumph in You Today?

The life of the beloved apostle and the visions of Patmos converge upon a single truth: character is the only currency of the kingdom of heaven. We have watched a Son of Thunder remade into a pillar of love, for inspiration testifies that “he yielded his resentful, ambitious temper to the molding power of Christ, and divine love wrought in him a transformation of character” (The Acts of the Apostles, p. 557, 1911)—the same change wrought in all who keep “looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith,” as Hebrews 12:2 directs. We have seen a barren exile turned to glory, for the prophetic messenger declares that “to the servant of God this gloomy abode became the gate of heaven” (The Acts of the Apostles, pp. 570, 571, 1911), assuring us that no trial is wasted in the life that is, by 1 Corinthians 15:58, “always abounding in the work of the Lord.” This transformation is the work of a lifetime, for the inspired pen reminds us that “sanctification is the result of lifelong obedience” (The Acts of the Apostles, p. 561, 1911); yet what grace begins it will surely finish, for Philippians 1:6 promises that “he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” As we behold Him the likeness deepens, for through inspired counsel we are told that “more and more you will reflect the likeness of Christ in all that is pure, noble, and lovely” (Christ’s Object Lessons, pp. 67, 68, 1900), until the heart answers the blessing of Matthew 5:8, “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.” This is the very condition of His return, for Christ’s Object Lessons declares that “Christ is waiting with longing desire for the manifestation of Himself in His church. When the character of Christ shall be perfectly reproduced in His people, then He will come to claim them as His own” (p. 69, 1900), and then is fulfilled the word of Revelation 22:12, “behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me.” Our mission, then, is to reveal that character to the world, for Sr. White writes that “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. 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’s Object Lessons, pp. 415, 416, 1900), kept to the end by Him who, in Jude 24, “is able to keep you from falling.” Will grace triumph in you today? It triumphed in the Son of Thunder, it triumphed in the storm and on the rock of Patmos, and it will triumph still in every heart that yields itself to the molding power of a love that never fails.

“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.” 2 Corinthians 3:18 (KJV)