The Kingdom, The Spirit, And The Sanctuary

Both before and after Christ’s sacrificial death He sought to impress His disciples with the importance of their work to witness for Him. To qualify them for the task He would pour out the gift of the Holy Spirit. His parting words “commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father...For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence” (Acts 1:4, 5). 

But the disciples still had their minds on a kingdom to be established in Jerusalem. “They asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?” (verse 6). 

Long had the Jewish people looked for the Deliverer, Messiah the Prince. At the hour appointed in Daniel’s prophecy, “Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, e time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand” (Mark 1:14, 15). Multitudes thrilled with the bright prospect, although the announcement of the kingdom impressed them more than did the preparatory experience. But Christ linked the two. When He said, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand,” He also exhorted, “repent ye, and believe the gospel.” He knew that the kingdom could never be restored to Israel until the plowshare of repentance went deep into human hearts. 

During Jesus’ three years of public ministry and His training of the Twelve, He laboured earnestly to lead His disciples to appreciate the need of righteousness in the personal life. He wanted them to understand that this could not be accomplished without the sacrifice of the cross as an atonement for sin. He longed that they should enter into His purpose “to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and bring in everlasting righteousness” (Daniel 9:24). 

Because of their failure to comprehend His plans, Calvary greatly disappointed the disciples. After His resurrection Jesus opened to them the Scriptures. “Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations” (Luke 24:46, 47). But as we have seen in Acts 1, their hearts were still set on an earthly kingdom. Doubtless they thought, “Yes, Lord, we were mistaken at Passover. It is clear that You had to die. But now that You have made the sacrifice, isn’t it time to set up the kingdom?” Just as they had not understood the necessity for the cross, so now they failed to understand the need for Christ to enter upon His mediatorial work in the temple above and pour out the gift of the Spirit.

 

Could it be that we, too, are in danger of fixing our minds on times and seasons, wondering when the kingdom will be set up, and failing to sense our need of the Spirit? Might Jesus say to us as He did to the apostles, “It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me...unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:7, 8). Only when sin has been eradicated can the kingdom in all its glorious fullness be established. The Master taught us to pray, “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). The plan of salvation, which contemplates restoring man to harmony with God’s will, includes Christ’s sacrifice on the cross and His priestly ministry in both apartments of the heavenly sanctuary. In connection with the judgment scene in the most holy place, Daniel saw “one like the Son of man” come “to the Ancient of days...And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom” (Daniel 7:13, 14). This “kingdom...will be given Him at the close of His work as a mediator” (GC 480). The kingdom waits for the blotting out of sin in the sanctuary above and in the church below. Until Jesus can accomplish this, the announcement of the kingdom must always focus on the call to repentance, for “repentance includes sorrow for sin and a turning away from it” (SC 23). 

For this reason Christ sought to impress the hearts of His disciples with the importance of their mission to preach in His name “repentance and remission of sins” among all nations (Luke 24:47). But He knew that mere preaching would be ineffectual. Infinite power was waiting— waiting for the intercession of the church on earth—and for an event in heaven of supreme importance. “Christ’s ascension to heaven was the signal that His followers were to receive the promised blessing. For this they were to wait before they entered upon their work. When Christ passed within the heavenly gates, He was enthroned amidst the adoration of the angels. As soon as this ceremony was completed, the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples in rich currents, and Christ was indeed glorified, even with the glory which He has with the Father from all eternity. e pentecostal outpouring was Heaven’s communication that the Redeemer’s inauguration was accomplished. According to His promise He had sent the Holy Spirit from heaven to His followers as a token that He had, as priest and king, received all authority in heaven and on earth, and was the Anointed One over His people” (AA 38, 39).

 

Under the Spirit’s mighty influence, the apostles’ preaching brought such conviction that thousands cried out, “What shall we do?” The answer came clear, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:38). The apostle directed the minds of the new converts to the temple above where the Crucified One, exalted as Priest and King, poured in nite blessings upon His church. “The Holy Spirit which descended on the day of Pentecost carried the minds of the disciples from the earthly sanctuary to the heavenly, where Jesus had entered by His own blood, to shed upon His disciples the bene ts of His atonement” (EW 260).

 

The church on the earth was one with the church in heaven, linked by the marvellous gift of the Spirit which Jesus’ intercession in the holy place made possible. Under divine leadership “the gospel...was preached to every creature...under heaven” in one generation (Colossians 1:23). Now let us look again at Daniel’s great prophecy. As in AD 27 to 31 the disciples expected the inauguration of the kingdom because of their understanding of Daniel’s prediction that Messiah the Prince would come, so at the end of the 2300 days the Adventists believed that Christ would set up His kingdom on October 22, 1844. After their disappointment they learned that there still remained an essential part of Christ’s ministry in the temple above and in His church below. He must complete His mission “to put away sin” (Hebrews 9:26). As Jesus led the minds of His disappointed disciples from the earthly sanctuary to the heavenly, so in 1844 He directed the attention of His people to the most holy place and the work He had entered upon within the second veil. He intended it to be a short one. If all His people had entered in with Him, He could have accomplished it quickly.

 

Turning to Acts 3:19, let us focus on the work that must be done here on earth before Jesus can finish His work in the heavenly sanctuary. Notice also the promise of the great outpouring of the Spirit in connection with the blotting out of sins in the most holy place: “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; and he shall send Jesus” (Acts 3:19, 20). Before Jesus can come, the blotting out of sins must be completed. And in order for this to be done, a deep work of repentance must take place. “Repent ye therefore, and be converted.” Repent? Yes. is was John the Baptist’s message. is was Jesus’ message in Galilee at the beginning of His ministry. is was Peter’s message at Pentecost as Christ began His work in the holy place. And still the message comes, Repent. We must be sorry for sin—sorry enough to quit it. Whenever my repentance is so shallow that I go back the next day or the next week and do the same thing over again, I need a deeper repentance. Jesus can never blot out my sins from the records in heaven until they are blotted out of my life and practice here below. 

Now what will happen when we enter this experience of deep, lasting repentance? Christ sends from the most holy place the same Holy Spirit He sent from the holy place on the day of Pentecost. As the outpouring of the early rain on the day of Pentecost signalled that Christ had entered upon His priestly work, so the outpouring of the latter rain from the most holy place will show that Christ is closing His mediatorial ministry. 

“The great work of the gospel is not to close with less manifestation of the power of God than marked its opening. The prophecies which were fulfilled in the outpouring of the former rain at the opening of the gospel are again to be fulfilled in the latter rain at its close. Here are ‘the times of refreshing’ to which the apostle Peter looked forward when he said: ‘Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; and He shall send Jesus’”(GC 611).

 

Yes, right here at the time of the loud cry; here during Jesus’ closing work in the most holy place—here are the times of refreshing. And what holds all this back? Just one thing. Christ can’t blot out sins in heaven as long as we keep doing them here on earth. The law enshrined in the ark above must be enshrined in the hearts of His people. 

Those who “with strong faith and agonising cries” plead for victory, obtain it. They “exalt the standard and pour forth the straight truth” (EW 269, 270). Some in the church cannot endure the straight testimony. They continue in their lukewarm condition and finally are shaken out. But as the latter rain falls upon those who are heart to heart with Jesus a multitude join God’s people to take the places of those who apostatise. 

Thank God for the trumpet call coming at this time from the leaders of God’s church. They know, and you and I know, that there can be no latter-rain power in its fullness until we enter a deeper experience of repentance and revival and reformation. Where shall it begin? It must begin in the church here below. Closer yet, it must begin in your heart and mine. “Are we awake to the work that is going on in the heavenly sanctuary, or are we waiting for some compelling power to come upon the church before we shall arouse? Are we hoping to see the whole church revived? at time will never come...We must enter upon the work individually. We must pray more, and talk less” (1SM 122). 

The Saviour is longing His Spirit to show, 

As mighty in power as in days long ago. 

But hearts must be opened and emptied of sin; 

Revival is needed within. 

Lord, send a revival, And let it begin with me. 

Fill me, I pray; take all self away 

That others Thy beauty may see. 

Cleanse me now, blessed Saviour, 

O Lord, hear my heartfelt plea. 

Send a revival from heaven, 

And let it begin with me. 

—Eulene Owens Borton. 

R&R WDF

Names of Christ - Everlasting Father

For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given:
and the government shall be upon His shoulder:
and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God,
The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

Conditions To Our Asking - 4

So it is with every other one of God's requirements. All His gifts are promised on condition of obedience. God has a heaven full of blessings for those who will co-operate with Him. All who obey Him may with confidence claim the fulfillment of His promises.

 
But we must show a firm, undeviating trust in God. Often He delays to answer us in order to try our faith or test the genuineness of our desire. Having asked according to His word, we should believe His promise and press our petitions with a determination that will not be denied.
God does not say, Ask once, and you shall receive. He bids us ask. Unwearyingly persist in prayer. The persistent asking brings the petitioner into a more earnest attitude, and gives him an increased desire to receive the things for which he asks.  COL 145

The State of the Dead

God, in His Word, has placed His stamp [of condemnation] upon the heresies of spiritualism as He placed His mark upon Cain. The godly need not be deceived if they are students of the Scriptures and obedient to follow the plain path marked out for them in the Word of God. Con 90

Which in His times He shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; Whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to Whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen. 1 Timothy 6:15,16

But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, Who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. 2 Timothy 1:10

But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; Who will render to every man according to his deeds: To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: For there is no respect of persons with God. Romans 2:5-11

Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:51-57

And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. Genesis 2:7 (Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die. Ezekiel 18:4) 

Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it. Ecclesiastes 12:7

In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. Genesis 12:7

For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun... Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest. Ecclesiastes 9:5,6,10

I am counted with them that go down into the pit: I am as a man that hath no strength: Free among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, whom thou rememberest no more: and they are cut off from thy hand. Psalms 88:4,5

Thou sendest forth Thy spirit (breath), they are created: 

Thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust. Ps 104:30,29

Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help. His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish. Psalms 146:3,4

So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep...His sons come to honour, and he knoweth it not; and they are brought low, but he perceiveth it not of them. Job 14:12,21

For in death there is no remembrance of Thee: in the grave who shall give Thee thanks? 

Psalms 6:5

These things said He: and after that He saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep. Then said His disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that He had spoken of taking of rest in sleep. Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead. John 11:11-14

After dying on Friday and resting in the grave over the Sabbath, on Sunday morning Jesus said to Mary Magdalene - Jesus saith unto her, Touch (detain) Me not; for I am not yet ascended to My Father: but go to My brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto My Father, and your Father; and to My God, and your God. John 20:17

Light = Light bulb + electricity.

Living soul = body + breath of life from God.

Dead soul = body – breath that was given by God returned to Him.

See also GC Ch 34

The Divine Shepherd - Part 1

John 10:11,14,15

Again Jesus found access to the minds of His hearers by the pathway of their familiar associations…in a beautiful pastoral picture He represents His relation to those that believe on Him. No picture was more familiar to His hearers than this, and Christ's words linked it forever with Himself. Never could the disciples look on the shepherds tending their flocks without recalling the Saviour's lesson. They would see Christ in each faithful shepherd. They would see themselves in each helpless and dependent flock.

This figure the prophet Isaiah had applied to the Messiah's mission, in the comforting words, “O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God! ... He shall feed His flock like a shepherd: He shall gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom.” Isaiah 40:9-11. David had sung, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” Psalm 23:1. And the Holy Spirit through Ezekiel had declared: “I will set up one Shepherd over them, and He shall feed them.” “I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick.” “And I will make with them a covenant of peace.” “And they shall no more be a prey to the heathen; ... but they shall dwell safely, and none shall make them afraid.” Ezekiel 34:23, 16, 25, 28.

Christ applied these prophecies to Himself, and He showed the contrast between His own character and that of the leaders in Israel. The Pharisees had just driven one from the fold, because he dared to bear witness to the power of Christ. They had cut off a soul whom the True Shepherd was drawing to Himself. In this they had shown themselves ignorant of the work committed to them, and unworthy of their trust as shepherds of the flock. Jesus now set before them the contrast between them and the Good Shepherd, and He pointed to Himself as the real keeper of the Lord's flock. Before doing this, however, He speaks of Himself under another figure.

He said, “He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.” The Pharisees did not discern that these words were spoken against them. When they reasoned in their hearts as to the meaning, Jesus told them plainly, “I am the door: by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”

Christ is the door to the fold of God. Through this door all His children, from the earliest times, have found entrance. In Jesus, as shown in types, as shadowed in symbols, as manifested in the revelation of the prophets, as unveiled in the lessons given to His disciples, and in the miracles wrought for the sons of men, they have beheld “the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29), and through Him they are brought within the fold of His grace. Many have come presenting other objects for the faith of the world; ceremonies and systems have been devised by which men hope to receive justification and peace with God, and thus find entrance to His fold. But the only door is Christ, and all who have interposed something to take the place of Christ, all who have tried to enter the fold in some other way, are thieves and robbers.

The Pharisees had not entered by the door. They had climbed into the fold by another way than Christ, and they were not fulfilling the work of the true shepherd. The priests and rulers, the scribes and Pharisees, destroyed the living pastures, and defiled the wellsprings of the water of life. Faithfully do the words of inspiration describe those false shepherds: “The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away; ... but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them.” Ezekiel 34:4.

In all ages, philosophers and teachers have been presenting to the world theories by which to satisfy the soul's need. Every heathen nation has had its great teachers and religious systems offering some other means of redemption than Christ, turning the eyes of men away from the Father's face, and filling their hearts with fear of Him who has given them only blessing…It is the gospel of the grace of God alone that can uplift the soul. The contemplation of the love of God manifested in His Son will stir the heart and arouse the powers of the soul as nothing else can. Christ came that He might re-create the image of God in man; and whoever turns men away from Christ is turning them away from the source of true development; he is defrauding them of the hope and purpose and glory of life. He is a thief and a robber.

“He that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.” Christ is both the door and the shepherd. He enters in by Himself. It is through His own sacrifice that He becomes the shepherd of the sheep…

As an earthly shepherd knows his sheep, so does the divine Shepherd know His flock that are scattered throughout the world…Jesus knows us individually, and is touched with the feeling of our infirmities. He knows us all by name. He knows the very house in which we live, the name of each occupant. He has at times given directions to His servants to go to a certain street in a certain city, to such a house, to find one of His sheep. DA 476-479

The Message Given by the Lord

“Out of the cities; out of the cities!”

—this is the message the Lord has been giving me. 

The earthquakes will come; the floods will come; and we are not to establish ourselves in the wicked cities, where the enemy is served in every way, and where God is so often forgotten. The Lord desires that we shall have clear spiritual eyesight. We must be quick to discern the peril that would attend the establishment of institutions in these wicked cities. We must make wise plans to warn the cities, and at the same time live where we can shield our children and ourselves from the contaminating and demoralizing influences so prevalent in these places. CL 31

Now!

It has been often said in various ways that time does not appear to be of any concern whatsoever to God. Peter informs us that “1000 years is one day” to God in all of eternity.

Looking back through history it seems very clear that, in His great mercy, time has been used consistently to assess individuals, families, churches, nations, the entire world and ultimately the whole universe.

In our case we have the history of a diminishing lifespan, caused by sin, to ascertain what choice will be made by each person -

Enoch 5404 and still alive…

Methuselah 969

Abraham 185

Moses 120

David/Solomon 70

Then this lifespan was locked in for humanity -

For a thousand years in thy sight

are but as yesterday when it is past,

and as a watch in the night.

Thou carriest them away as with a flood; they are as a sleep:

in the morning they are like grass which groweth up.

In the morning it flourisheth, and groweth up;

in the evening it is cut down, and withereth.

For we are consumed by thine anger,

and by thy wrath are we troubled.

Thou hast set our iniquities before Thee,

our secret sins in the light of Thy countenance.

For all our days are passed away in Thy wrath:

we spend our years as a tale that is told.

The days of our years are threescore years and ten;

and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years,

yet is their strength labour and sorrow;

for it is soon cut off, and we fly away. 

History is replete with continual examples of what humanity and even Christ's denominated people will DO during the delay of a tarrying time, instead of having their characters perfected, being prepared, ready, watching and patiently waiting on Him to unfold events in His time.

He has warned us and it has all been seen before, 

There is no new thing under the sun

Remember -

the Bride will not be asleep!

They shall not be ashamed that wait for Me.

For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. 

We have seen that they have to be doing something and have become involved in diversions and all manner of worldly -

Activities

Inventions

Sins

Abominations

Time setting

Anything but what the LORD requires of them.

But, the LORD keeps an account with each person, church, nation and this world, and when they have reached their allotted time, it will be seen if they have used this time correctly or if they have abused His mercy, and lived for self.

The sure result of this choice is often referred to as a surprise in words like sudden, unexpected, etc, -

Suddenly and unexpectedly as would be a thunder peal from an unclouded sky, the tempest broke. The Lord rained brimstone and fire out of heaven upon the cities and the fruitful plain; its palaces and temples, costly dwellings, gardens and vineyards, and the gay, pleasure-seeking throngs that only the night before had insulted the messengers of heaven—all were consumed. The smoke of the conflagration went up like the smoke of a great furnace. And the fair vale of Siddim became a desolation, a place never to be built up or inhabited—a witness to all generations of the certainty of God's judgments upon transgression. PP 162

The professed people of God have always been waiting for something in particular that God or the prophets had said will happen before a particular event, then when that happens they will all of a sudden get ready for the expected event, but, the LORD Himself kept warning us when on this earth and in so many and varied ways that it is now; it is time that is our test -

But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.  

Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. 

And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

Here is the patience (endurance, constancy) of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

Now is our test - it is today. 

There have only ever been the faithful in each era, though perilously few at times, who have actually believed what the LORD has said and have lived their life accordingly. They, along with those who refused to heed the counsel of God, were given as ensamples for us in these closing scenes of this world’s history. 

What if the mentality we have been given as church members that when we see the signs that we have been waiting to see occur first, before we begin to get ready, is actually a lie and if we continue to live with this mentality then we have lost all hope of being saved forever! What if what was indicated to us was the satanic trap, which Christ repeatedly warned us about? What if our test is now!

It may well seem at times that nothing much is happening and really nothing much has changed; but, be assured the steady march of time toward the decisive hour of the close of our probation is coming to its end and the condition of things in our world are continually creeping toward their ultimate, full exposure of evil. We can all see the impossibility of all of a sudden snapping out of the way of the world to be ready to be with the LORD forever. We can and need to have had Him abiding in our hearts every moment, every day, now.

This is our time and like Enoch, in his era of pure evil, each passing day brought him closer and closer to His LORD, until he was taken up to continue that “walk with God” for eternity. So it will be with those of us who see things clearly, with the gift of the eyesalve, and in the light of history and the Inspired Writings. 

We can see that today, each moment is our test! 

Oath

“Swear not at all.”—Matthew 5:34.

The reason for this command is given: We are not to swear “by the heaven, for it is the throne of God; nor by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, for thou canst not make one hair white or black.” R.V. MB 66.1

All things come of God. We have nothing that we have not received; and, more than this, we have nothing that has not been purchased for us by the blood of Christ. Everything we possess comes to us stamped with the cross, bought with the blood that is precious above all estimate, because it is the life of God. Hence there is nothing that we have a right to pledge, as if it were our own, for the fulfillment of our word. 

The Jews understood the third commandment as prohibiting the profane use of the name of God; but they thought themselves at liberty to employ other oaths. Oath taking was common among them. Through Moses they had been forbidden to swear falsely, but they had many devices for freeing themselves from the obligation imposed by an oath. They did not fear to indulge in what was really profanity, nor did they shrink from perjury so long as it was veiled by some technical evasion of the law. 

Jesus condemned their practices, declaring that their custom in oath taking was a transgression of the commandment of God. Our Saviour did not, however, forbid the use of the judicial oath, in which God is solemnly called to witness that what is said is truth and nothing but the truth. Jesus Himself, at His trial before the Sanhedrin, did not refuse to testify under oath. The high priest said unto Him, “I adjure Thee by the living God, that Thou tell us whether Thou be the Christ, the Son of God.” Jesus answered, “Thou hast said.” Matthew 26:63, 64. Had Christ in the Sermon on the Mount condemned the judicial oath, He would at His trial have reproved the high priest and thus, for the benefit of His followers, have enforced His own teaching. 

There are very many who do not fear to deceive their fellow men, but they have been taught, and have been impressed by the Spirit of God, that it is a fearful thing to lie to their Maker. When put under oath they are made to feel that they are not testifying merely before men, but before God; that if they bear false witness, it is to Him who reads the heart and who knows the exact truth. The knowledge of the fearful judgments that have followed this sin has a restraining influence upon them. 

But if there is anyone who can consistently testify under oath, it is the Christian. He lives constantly as in the presence of God, knowing that every thought is open to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do; and when required to do so in a lawful manner, it is right for him to appeal to God as a witness that what he says is the truth, and nothing but the truth. 

Jesus proceeded to lay down a principle that would make oath taking needless. He teaches that the exact truth should be the law of speech. “Let your speech be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: and whatsoever is more than these is of the evil one.” 

These words condemn all those meaningless phrases and expletives that border on profanity. They condemn the deceptive compliments, the evasion of truth, the flattering phrases, the exaggerations, the misrepresentations in trade, that are current in society and in the business world. They teach that no one who tries to appear what he is not, or whose words do not convey the real sentiment of his heart, can be called truthful. 

If these words of Christ were heeded, they would check the utterance of evil surmising and unkind criticism; for in commenting upon the actions and motives of another, who can be certain of speaking the exact truth? How often pride, passion, personal resentment, color the impression given! A glance, a word, even an intonation of the voice, may be vital with falsehood. Even facts may be so stated as to convey a false impression. And “whatsoever is more than” truth, “is of the evil one.” 

Everything that Christians do should be as transparent as the sunlight. Truth is of God; deception, in every one of its myriad forms, is of Satan; and whoever in any way departs from the straight line of truth is betraying himself into the power of the wicked one. Yet it is not a light or an easy thing to speak the exact truth. We cannot speak the truth unless we know the truth; and how often preconceived opinions, mental bias, imperfect knowledge, errors of judgment, prevent a right understanding of matters with which we have to do! We cannot speak the truth unless our minds are continually guided by Him who is truth. 

Through the apostle Paul, Christ bids us, “Let your speech be alway with grace.” “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.” Colossians 4:6; Ephesians 4:29. In the light of these scriptures the words of Christ upon the mount are seen to condemn jesting, trifling, and unchaste conversation. They require that our words should be not only truthful, but pure. 

Those who have learned of Christ will “have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness.” Ephesians 5:11. In speech, as in life, they will be simple, straightforward, and true; for they are preparing for the fellowship of those holy ones in whose mouth “was found no guile.” Revelation 14:5. MB 66-69