Luke 21:8

Christian, Be Not Deceived!

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1. WHY GOD GAVE THE SEALING MESSAGE

God is love, and all His words and actions are motivated by love. It could not be otherwise, for His whole Being is love. As the writer has repeatedly pointed out, all last-day prophecies were written because of God’s love for His remnant church. This is why He has given so many details of the final scenes. He has revealed His Father’s care over His precious people. He has sought at every turn to make promises, give sweet assurances, to His people that He will be with them in the coming storm. He has given His word that He knows how severe will be the test. He has forewarned us of the fierceness of the coming conflict, but with those warnings He has given full assurance that He will strengthen His people for the onslaught, and that He will sustain them all along the way to the day of eternal calm, where the surges cease to roll. What more could God say by way of promise to His people!

What more could He do than what He has so graciously said He will do when the storm bursts over His people! The foundation of righteousness by faith is faith in God’s love, in His almighty power which He has placed at the disposal of all who come unto Him through the priestly ministry of Jesus Christ our Lord. Confidence in God, confidence in His love and in His wisdom, this is the foundation of restfulness in Christian experience. This is the mainstay of those who fearlessly face the future, knowing that God will carry them through any and every danger and distress along the way. The Lord’s indictment of His people is stated thus: “Said the angel, ‘Lack of love and faith are the great sins of which God’s people are now guilty” (3 Testimonies, page 475). All last-day prophecies are written to create love for, and faith in, God. Satan, of course, has striven to becloud our understanding of God’s messages of love as revealed in last-day prophecies by causing those prophecies to be misunderstood. Would that all God’s people could say in this regard: “We are not ignorant of his [Satan’s] devices” (2 Corinthians 2:11). A wrong interpretation of the inspired Word is Satan’s way of blinding students of the Word to the real meaning of God’s messages. A wrong interpretation either adds to or takes away from God’s Word, against which we are expressly warned in Revelation 22:18, 19. Prophecy was given to us that we would be led to the Sun of righteousness who would arise with healing in His wings (Malachi 4:2). We are admonished to study prophecy “until the day dawn, and the Day Star arise in our hearts”. But, we are warned: “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but

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holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost” (2 Peter 1:19-21). Without the Holy Spirit to guide us in our study of the sacred Scriptures we could no more hope to interpret the inspired words aright than we, of ourselves, could give forth these words. The Holy Spirit Who inspired the Words must also interpret them. “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Ghost teaches; comparing spiritual things with spiritual” (1 Corinthians 2:12, 13).

“God’s love for His church is infinite. His care over His heritage is unceasing” (9 Testimonies, page 228). This glorious fact is revealed in every last-day prophecy, including the revelation concerning the sealing of His remnant people. This is the sanctifying truth Satan seeks to hide from the church, for the strength of God’s people lies in their faith in the keeping love and the merciful care of Christ the Creator.