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This is actually a study I intended to give some weeks ago, but even though I had the basic concept in mind, it wasn’t the right time yet. After our recent New Moon discussion about tests of fellowship, I thought it would be a valuable topic to raise, and it also highlights some concepts raised by Bro. L’s study last week; so the timing here seems providential. This often happens, that I do tend to have ideas for studies in advance, but when it comes do preparing the actual notes, the topics are modified by the current light being shed on the Church, and the current need of its members.
Here is a question: what is the difference between an act of faith, and an act of blasphemy? Notice, I am not asking about the difference between faith and blasphemy; that is obvious, one is a gift of Yahweh, and the other is the rejection of that gift. The acts, though, can look almost, if not entirely, identical. Cain and Abel both made offerings to Yahweh of their labor, but Cain’s was rejected because it was improper in both form and intention. Sometimes, though, the form does not reveal a distinction.
We read, “And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before Yahweh, which He commanded them not. And there went out fire from Yahweh, and devoured them, and they died before Yahweh.” (Lev 10:1, 2)
While the reason is not spelled out directly, the verses that follow do indicate the reason why this happened: “And Yahweh spake unto Aaron, saying, ‘Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die; it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations, and that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean.” (Lev 10:8-10) Because their minds were not clear, because the purity of their example had been spoiled, Aaron’s sons entered holy ground without properly preparing themselves to stand in the presence of the Most High. In a sense, the priests of Yahweh have always stood in a judgment of the living; that may be worth studying in more detail later on. From the beginning, they were told to respect the elements of the tabernacle, to serve before Yahweh in their roles, “But they shall not go in to see when the holy things are covered, lest they die.” (Num 4:20)
In modern times, our rituals are less “dramatic” in appearance, but we have entered into the judgment of the living just as the Levitical priests did, working with holy things beyond our nature to understand, but that hold eternal significance both in the moment and in the ages to come. Those that undertake these acts, even these physical actions that have no direct value in themselves, without processed thoughts, without prepared spirits, will not be able to withstand the brightness of the Father before Whom they stand.
The question is, what is the spirit, what is the mind, of the one who serves the Most High? How do they know that they are called to true service? The world is full of self-sent messengers, and Bible teachers that are driven by the love of money, the love of praise, and zeal for principles that they only think they understand. They have no grasp of the Gospel, and its liberating power over sin. They have no testimony of continuous victory through the indwelling Spirit of the Savior; thus, they offer strange fire before the altar, and because they put no difference between holy and unholy, between saint and sinner, between unleavened and leavened bread, they will be consumed by that which is pure. It has always been this way with our Father who changes not. How could it be otherwise in this final judgment?
The saints of Yahweh are educated in spiritual things. They are not surprised by miracles. They do not fear the Almighty’s judgment. They are not consumed by the fire from Heaven. They are used, and become more and more used, to those things that are Heavenly; they fly up to Yahweh’s throne, with wings made of trust in His promises.
How do they achieve this? How do they fly thus in the midst of Heaven, showing by their testimonies that there is a difference between the holy and the unholy, the saint and the sinner? How do they do the “things” of Christianity, the rituals, the outward acts, in a way that is acceptable to our Father in Heaven? It is because they have processed their thoughts, and refined their spirits. They have become like Christ, and therefore stand where He stands. As it is written, “Unto the pure all things are pure; but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.” (Titus 1:15) Here is the difference between the act of faith and the act of heresy: it is in the purity of the one who acts. Now, does this mean that if a saint transgresses the Law, whether through ignorance or error, he is not guilty? No, it is not that an evil act becomes holy; it is that the only things the “pure” do will be pure, for they will do nothing deliberately that displeases the Father. If, in the process of life, they find that they have erred, they will repent, and maintain their purity. Thus, they are not defiled by the act that transgressed, but learn from it, and grow in grace and knowledge. They do not become holy beings living in holy flesh, but those with holy spirits that overcome the sinful flesh. For those who are unbelieving, however, even the things they do that outwardly look like acts of faith do not sanctify them. The secret sinner may pray, and give to the poor, and do all things the Bible describes as corresponding to a sanctified life, but as Paul wrote, “And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not agape-love, it profiteth me nothing.” (1Cor 13:3)
A ritual without agape is a dead work. An act, ever so holy in its origin and practice, without the spirit of love, and the intention of honoring the covenant with have with our Father and our brethren, is without any virtue, without any merit. On the other hand, for the genuine saint, every action, even the most mundane, is an act of honor to the Father and Son. Going to the store, doing the laundry, preparing a meal… when these are done with a spirit of praise and thanksgiving, when these are done by one who is used to processing his or her thoughts to ensure that faith is the driving motive in the life, these become works that are praised by the angels, and draw forth their natural reward. And this is not a complicated message, this study, but it shows the correspondence, the vital link, between the work we are called to do in our minds and spirits, with the way that this impacts the character, and is revealed in the words and the deeds. This is a principle the 144,000 know well, and apply continually, as they walk in the footsteps of Yahshua. We have been studying the mechanics of how this works, in studies such as that given last week. Here is the result of that labor.
Of course, some deeds, some specific acts, are ordained and intended as testimonies for particular reasons. The 7th day Sabbath continues to be a blessed day, even though for the saint, every day is a holy experience. There is value in the Biblical practices we have been given. The feast days continue to have symbolic meaning, and while most feast-keeping groups will observe them because they feel obligated, or because they are seeking a particular blessing through obedience, when a Creation Seventh Day Adventist observes a holy day, it is to demonstrate love for the Father above all things, and love for our neighbor as ourselves. They are not tests of fellowship, but they are blessings we desire to receive. We are sanctified to sanctify others, and here is another “testimony of Yahshua,” another thing that He said that we also say: “And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.” (John 17:19) Remember, the true “testimony of Yahshua,” is not merely the testimony that “I believe in Yahshua,” although that IS very much a proper application, but it is also believing what He believed, and saying what He said, in the context of our proper relationship to the Father.
The New Moons, likewise, regardless of the manner in which they are and will be observed by the Church, are an important and eternal testimony of our humility before our Creator and our Savior. A New Moon day, though, in the hands of the impious, the legalistic, and the fanatical, will destroy individuals and congregations. When combined with foot-washing, communion and the agape feast, it is perhaps the most powerful ritual in the Bible, although it is little known to the world, the papacy, or its various daughters. And Yahweh has not given it to the Conference Adventists. The New Moon, in the history of the CSDA Church, has saved souls, brought forth repentant tears, and disarmed demons that have sought to drive wedges between Church members and families. All this was done because, beyond the rituals of it, the symbolic meaning has been understood, and has been manifest into the world by love. When the two great commandments are observed, that we love Yahweh, and our fellows as ourselves, this gives life to what would otherwise be dead works, and brings forth sanctification. Again, a simple idea, but the difference between life and death, when it comes to the works we observe based on Bible teachings and the traditions we have inherited from our ancestors in the faith.
We read, “At that time Yahshua went on the Sabbath day through the corn; and His disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat. But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto Him, ‘Behold, Thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the Sabbath day.’ But He said unto them, ‘Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him, how he entered into the House of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests? Or have ye not read in the Law, how that on the Sabbath days the priests in the Temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless? But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the Temple. But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.’” (Mat 12:1-7)
There is a balance here that Yahshua is demonstrating. Certainly actions have outward value; this is precisely why the Christian is to lead a spotless life, and why Paul says, “A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach,” (1Tim 3:2), etc. While the verse specifies bishops, or elders, we would extend this to anyone today, who seeks to draw others near to the cross and the gates of Heaven. So yes, our behavior matters; our words and actions become a part of our living testimony. At the same time, we are not to focus on what others think; Yahshua didn’t avoid going through the field of corn and eating for fear of offending the Pharisees. The Enemy will often ensure that our words and actions are misunderstood anyway. The focus instead is on doing the Father’s will, as Yahshua and His disciples did here, surely knowing that their actions would stir up the legalistic disapproval of the Pharisees.
Adventists in general are quite familiar with this, of course, with our observance of the 7th day being interpreted by other groups as legalistic, cultish, and a dead form. The sad truth is that for most, that assessment is actually correct. It certainly was for me when I was in the mainstream Church. But when the Sabbath, like any other work, is performed because of, and through, agape-love, then it becomes the thing it was always intended to be. When the Sabbath, like any other work, is understood by a mind whose thoughts have been, are being, and will eternally be, processed through the light of the Holy Spirit, then our testimony is given power, then the symbol is held before the world as a source of light. I have related before to the Church some experiences I have had with missionaries from other faiths. I have described a visit by a pair of Jehovah’s Witnesses, to whom I explained why I kept the Sabbath, even though most Churches teach that it was “nailed to the cross.” They said to me that even though they had spoken to many Seventh-day Adventists, none of them had ever described it the way that I did. There is a reason for that; even though my Sabbath-keeping might look, outwardly, like that of any other Adventist, my thoughts about it are different, and so my experience of it will necessarily be different as well.
When we know, and love, and do, the Father’s will, no work, no act, no ritual, can be a dead form. They become a living witness. We are freed, in fact, from the obligation to observe them the way that others believe we should. Yahshua often surprised the Pharisees and experts in the Law by acting in ways that were contrary to long-standing traditions. He never violated any principle or actual teaching of the Scriptures, which are surprisingly light on details in many cases, but He very much contradicted the expectations of His critics.
And the beauty is, even though no Church, or tradition, or expectation, will dictate the way we individually understand and worship Yahweh in many cases, for many kinds of “works,” there is no danger that this will lead to lawlessness. The constant claim of the papacy, and others that have followed in its wake, has been that we need to control the actions and thoughts of the believers, otherwise they will get things wrong. “We will give the Mass in Latin,” they said for a long time, “and keep the Bible in a language that only we know, because the sacred things are too high, too holy, to be read and understood by the common man.” This is the root of oppression, and the reason why to this day there are so many layers between the traditional Catholic and Yahweh: Jesus, Mary, the various saints… they become barriers, hoops to jump through, rather than examples to follow.
We come to the point now where there are a people truly being led by the Holy Spirit, and preparing for translation, for the Heavenly realm. We must consider ourselves, and our fellow believers, in this light, and not how the world, or traditional Christianity, would see us. We cannot even consider ourselves in terms of what we would do, or how we would act, if we had been given less light. This is a danger that will come upon some as a temptation, and it will slow down or stop their sanctification. We are receiving more light now, and it may come upon us quickly… let none draw back from the plough. This is a deep subject, and worthy of some “chewing” as meat. The kinds of changes that will happen to the saints, and their thoughts, at the very end would result in chaos for the unconverted. When they see how free they were intended to be… any who are not converted, like Lucifer, will begin to worship their own freedom, their own beauty, and the very light intended to finish the sanctification process will be to them a curse. Any work, any act, when done incorrectly, is a curse; this is why we have our brethren, our Church, so that we ensure that we are walking along the narrow path, none above another.
Let me give you an example of the subtlety of the temptations that can arise as we near Heaven. I have recently begun to read two chapters of the Bible every day when I wake up. I don’t know if I will always do this, exactly two chapters, the first thing… but for the moment it seems proper, and Yah has been speaking to me through this “act” in very clear and beautiful ways. Now, the temptation comes: “Don’t get used to a routine, or it might become a dead form. Don’t do anything that seems arbitrary or artificial. Don’t you know all that already?” There is balance in all things. This reading of the chapters has become, to me, a daily practice, which is all a “ritual” is, just an action repeated over time – it isn’t a scary word when used properly. And yet, while it is a ritual, it is not a dead form. I agreed to the inspiration to do this as a way of honoring Yahweh for myself, according to my understanding, and knowing that it is a worthy activity. It has already given me ideas for studies to write and to share with the Church.
I do not require it of others, and it is not a “sin” if something unexpected occurs that disrupts the routine. I would simply resume it after the disturbance, perhaps “patching” it by reading an extra two chapters if I feel inclined to do so… but it is a thing between Yahweh and me as an individual, and it is up to both of us. If He inspires a change in the agreement, I will change. If I desire the routine to be different, I take it to prayer and see if it is reasonable. This, I believe, is how the traditions of the Church are to be handled, not as instruments of control, not as routines that degenerate into rote actions, but as living testimonies to one’s self, and to the world.
The discussion of rituals and traditions may make some Christians uncomfortable. Their caution is understandable, because we all know how this can go terribly wrong. The papacy has taken these concepts, and the whims of individuals that they suppose to be holy, and has made them into laws for everyone else to follow. That is the essence of legalism… When you attempt to please Yahweh by doing something that convicts someone other than yourself, to whom you have given the authority to dictate what the Law for your faith should be, you have become a legalist. And again, when this is understood by those who are genuinely converted, who are genuinely led by the Spirit, there is no danger of what the papacy feared. There is no danger of disunity, of breaking apart, of sects arising in conflict. Using the threat of of these dangers as a way of controlling the conscience reveals only that desire for control.
We are called to be spiritually mature; adults in the faith. We must be guided by principle. Even conscience is not always safe but, like emotion, may be a useful indicator of whether or not one is on the right path. This is where it touches on the development of character, and the topics raised by last week’s study as presented by Bro. L. The commandments of Yahweh give us the guideline, the guard rails. The Faith of Yahshua gives us the compass needle. What would Yahshua do, say, and believe, in my situation? As we come to reveal His character more clearly, both to ourselves and to the world, that needle points more steadily “north” without wavering or uncertainty, but it always guides us true with regard to the development of our character for our present condition and needs. It allows us to process feelings and emotions, and arrive at the conclusion Christ would obtain, were He raised, and taught, and lived, as we had up to that point. As long as we are in the faith, examining ourselves, not rebelling against the Spirit as it guides us, we shall not fail nor be discouraged, we shall not fall away, we shall not fall out of unity. We overcome all obstacles placed in our path, and every snare of the Enemy becomes a stepping-stone to immortality through the perfection of the Christ-like character.
Rituals, repeated actions like communions, New Moons, and so on, have two purposes. The first is to be an outward testimony to the world. That is their most obvious use. But rituals are also given to the saints to help them with thought processing.
Rituals help thought processing. Sanctifying things, done in routines, help with clarity of purpose, and prayer (annual, monthly, and daily, on a constant basis) allows faith to grow. Yes, legalism is a danger, but we do not throw out the physical aspects of our faith for fear of it, or we would only rest on Sabbath if we were physically tired, we would only eat communion if we were physically hungry, and we would only go to Church (if we lived close enough to each other) when we felt like dressing up and going out. There are spiritual advantages to doing these things, even beyond the physical aspects.
We know that we are “safe” to be considered mature, to not be motivated by immediate penalties or rewards, because we have come to know and understand how to process thoughts. Last week’s study may have seemed like new information to some, but it is the CSDA message in truth, and from “of old.” It is good to repeat, and refresh what Yahweh has given to us. Those who have known it can refine their understanding, those who have not seen it yet can learn it for the first time, and those who have known it for many years, but have forgotten some aspects of it, can remember. That is not a separate topic from this one of rituals and symbols, because rituals are given to us to help with this process, and thought processing is what allows signs and symbols from Yahweh to work, to be meaningful, and to be interpreted correctly.
Some questions, like how we know the voice of Yahweh, while they appear simple, have led to some of the more complex studies I have given, and ultimately, the reason is because we are all individuals, with our own personal experience of Yahweh. He will not speak to us in a way that we are not capable of recognizing and understanding, and it all boils down to that. Yahweh is not a book for us to figure out, or a painting to interpret. He is not a principle without personality, but a real Being, who is actively seeking a people who will understand Him and reflect His principles. Thus, He does what is best, and most understandable, for each soul. He will speak to us through His Spirit, using our thoughts, our circumstances, and our consciences, all of which are exercised by sanctifying routines. The complication is the enemy, who will affect our senses; thus, Yahweh will also speak to us through our senses, and these are the “ritual” elements of religion, the things to see, and hear, and touch, and smell, and taste. All the senses are involved in sanctification, some to a far greater degree than others, certainly, but as the Scripture says, “the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Yahshua the Messiah.” (1Th 5:23)
Salvation is “holistic,” because we are all saved, not only in the spirit, as the Gnostics teach, but entirely. We go to Heaven in the body, and live forever in the body, therefore rituals remind us that this is “real,” that salvation is of the entire being, even as our minds and spirits are made holy, made noble, being shaped by the acts of faith that we learn from our Father.
Let us be grateful for the light we have received, and understand fully that which Paul tells us, “And let the peace of Yahweh rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Yahshua, giving thanks to Yahweh and the Father by Him.” (Col 3:15-17)
David.
An Enduring Witness
“No matter how high the profession, he whose heart is not filled with love for God and his fellow men is not a true disciple of Christ. Though he should possess great faith and have power even to work miracles, yet without love his faith would be worthless. He might display great liberality; but should he, from some other motive than genuine love, bestow all his goods to feed the poor, the act would not commend him to the favor of God. In his zeal he might even meet a martyr’s death, yet if not actuated by love, he would be regarded by God as a deluded enthusiast or an ambitious hypocrite.” [Acts of The Apostles, p. 318]
“Since the whole ritual economy was symbolical of Christ, it had no value apart from Him. When the Jews sealed their rejection of Christ by delivering Him to death, they rejected all that gave significance to the temple and its services. Its sacredness had departed. It was doomed to destruction. From that day sacrificial offerings and the service connected with them were meaningless.” [The Desire of Ages, p. 165]
“The work of transformation from unholiness to holiness is a continuous one. Day by day God labors for man’s sanctification, and man is to co-operate with Him, putting forth persevering efforts in the cultivation of right habits.” [Acts of The Apostles, p. 532]