Dear Elder Fagal,

I'm thankful for your encouraging note and the references you've given. I especially like the quotation you provided from SDA Bible Commentary. It's the hermeneutical answer I was looking for. The explanation makes sense, although it never occurred to me while I was reading the passage in Hebrews 10. Now I understand that wilfull sin is one of defiance, one that deliberately renounces Christ, refusing salvation, and as a result, rejection of the Holy Spirit. It's like telling God consciously, "I would have none of Christ and I'll do as I please." In other words, "willful sin is tantamount to grieving the Holy Spirit. Presto! Why didn't I think of that. And we know that grieving the Holy Spirit comes in two forms: One is pride, defiance and self-sufficiency in spite of repeated calls by the Holy Ghost. Prime example--the Pharisees. The other is also quite hopeless, that is, ascribing the work of the Holy Spirit to that of Beelzebub.

So then I take it that besetting sins are in a different category than willful sin.

I'm not sure I want to describe them as different "categories" of sin. Sin is sin. What distinguishes these, I think, is our attitude toward them. The "willful sin" is one that the sinner embraces and defends. The "besetting sin" is one that the sinner abhors, at least when in his "right mind." The willful sin goes unrepented and unconfessed. The besetting sin, when it is perceived by the sinner, brings immediate sorrow and repentance, followed by confession.

However, we are not to forget that the wages of either one is death, although one is repentable, the other is not. Besetting sins can be forgiven although the person committing them (such as myself), detests them and feels miserable by them, have a dead-set desire to overcome them that if he can only push a button so that his besetting sins would go away, he would. And although besetting sins are forgivable that's no comfort either. Because if a person dies with an unrepented sin in his record, besetting or otherwise, that alone is enough to bar him from heaven. Right?

I do not see non-repentance in your description of the person with the besetting sin. Nor do I see God as one who keeps people out of heaven on a "technicality." If the heart truly longs after God, doesn't He know it? If one has a dead-set desire to overcome, doesn't God know it? If death occurs to such a person before he has opportunity to express the longing of his soul for fellowship with God and for cleansing from some sin, I am not ready yet to say that God washes His hands of that person for eternity. In no way do I wish to minimize sin or its danger. But I think of a statement from Steps to Christ, pp. 57-58, from the very helpful chapter, "The Test of Discipleship":

A person may not be able to tell the exact time or place, or trace all the chain of circumstances in the process of conversion; but this does not prove him to be unconverted. Christ said to Nicodemus, "The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is everyone that is born of the Spirit." John 3:8. Like the wind, which is invisible, yet the effects of which are plainly seen and felt, is the Spirit of God in its work upon the human heart. That regenerating power, which no human eye can see, begets a new life in the soul; it creates a new being in the image of God. While the work of the Spirit is silent and imperceptible, its effects are manifest. If the heart has been renewed by the Spirit of God, the life will bear witness to the fact. While we cannot do anything to change our hearts or to bring ourselves into harmony with God; while we must not trust at all to ourselves or our good works, our lives will reveal whether the grace of God is dwelling within us. A change will be seen in the character, the habits, the pursuits. The contrast will be clear and decided between what they have been and what they are. The character is revealed, not

by occasional good deeds and occasional misdeeds,

Besides, esetting sins are awful. They tend to pull one down spiritually, and is a doorway for Satan to gain a stronghold in the heart. Besetting sins can lead one to cherishing them and rationalizing them instead of abhoring them.

God's own very words regarding how deadly this matter of besetting sins is appear in Ezekiel 8, 18 and 33. You have it there spelled out in His own words in black and white. What I think it means is that one must be rid of his besetting sins before he dies either by forgiveness of them, or better yet, overcoming them by God's grace, in order for him to enter the kingdom of God.

It is only the grace of God that will enable any of us to enter that kingdom. We must be born again, born from above, said Jesus, and this is not about overcoming any particular sin but about a reorientation, a transformation, of the life. Christian growth (sanctification), it seems to me, is the process of letting that transformation seep into every fiber of our being until it saturates all. We do that not by looking at our sins and either adoring or loathing them, but by looking away from our sins to Jesus. It is especially important to choose to look to him at the very time we are tempted. (I tried to convey something of this in my previous post to you.) In the wilderness, the Israelites who were dying of the snake venom had only to look at the serpent lifted up on the pole to live. If we will look--really look--intently at Jesus, He saves us now and starts the work of transformation from the security of that saving relationship. "The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms" (Deut 33:27).

But there comes a time when even besetting sins must stop, or else Christ can never leave the Holy of Holies. She said that there are Enochs even in our day, although I don't know if I've ever met one. Christ's very message is overcome, overcome, repeated many times in Revelation. How can one stand without a mediator having still not overcomed his besetting sins? I think besetting sins must be overcome before God can put out a demonstration to the entire world (or worlds including those of the unfallen) of what He can do for man, i.e., to make him a perfect commandment keeper enabled by His grace. As you know, the heart of the Great Controversy is whether the law of God can be kept. If we as God's church cannot fulfill this, that we are all still a mixed bag of wheat and tares, He'll probably let us die off and wait for another generation. Not that we who die would not be saved, we'd still be, so long as we've repented of our besettings sins before we died. God in His mercy would probably lay to rest those who could not overcome their besetting sins but are nevertheless willing, those that could not bear the temptations at the Time of Trouble, for death to them would be God's way of escape that they would not have to go through with it, because of weak knees, so to speak. God would rather have as deal with our besetting sins by overcoming them through His grace instead of getting rid of them through forgiveness of sin. He prefers that we overcome them by sanctification rather than by justification.

I hope that you will see overcoming not as a hurdle between you and the kingdom but as the wonderfully delicious fruit of an ever-deepening relationship with the Savior whose love for you is stronger than Calvary.

With all due respect, the quotations you presented from Steps to Christ are wonderful, but I don't think they have a direct application to the text in question.

I can't argue with that! In my message I think I referred to my perception that these passages' indexing in connection with the Hebrews text may just represent an association of ideas on the part of the indexer. (If I didn't say something like that before, I should have!)

Steps to Christ was written basically as an invitation to those not of our faith ,or as it were, babes in Christ.

I won't deny its application to such people, but I hope you won't deny its application to those of us who have "been in the way a long time."

But I'm not a babe. I've been in the faith since I was a small boy. For me I can take hard quotes such as "Not one of us will ever receive the seal of God while our characters have one spot or stain upon them. It is left with us to remedy the defects in our characters, to cleanse the soul temple of every defilement. Then the latter rain will fall upon us as the early rain fell upon the disciples on the Day of Pentecost." 5T 214.

Of course, I had no way of knowing anything about your experience or maturity. But I thought I recognized a heart longing for the kind of relationship with the Lord that Mrs. White presents in Steps to Christ. And I still don't think I was wrong about that!

I believe that only those who are real overcomers make up the 144,000 symbolic number that follows the Lamb withersoever He goeth without tasting death. The rest of His catch would be awakened from their sleep and make up the enumerable throng with palms in their hand standing in the sea of glass. If I make it there even as a street sweeper, I'll be gratefully happy.

Here's a lovely, very endearing quotation that I believe Providence had a hand in making me discover it. It has a direct bearing on my case. This to me is a treasure worthy to be framed as a reminder:

"Every time you are called upon to meet temptation, it is your duty to obtain a victory through the grace of Christ; and when you endure temptation in the strength of Christ, you are a conqueror. Cease worrying, and begin to count up your blessings and privileges. Your temper will be tried. Your patience will be tested. Prayer alone, and earnest faith, will bring you through these things like a Christian. We are in the school of Christ. We are to be disciplined and trained, until our characters shall become Christlike. We are to grow daily in spiritual loveliness. WE SHALL FAIL OFTEN [my emphasis] in our efforts to copy the divine Pattern. We shall often have to bow down to weep at the feet of Jesus, because of our short-comings and mistakes; but we are not to be discouraged. Pray more fervently. Believe more fully, and TRY AGAIN with more steadfastness to grow into the likeness of your Lord. As we distrust our own power, we shall trust the power of our Redeemer, and we shall praise God who is the health of our countenance. We are to talk of heavenly things. Our conversation must be holy. We must train our minds to dwell upon pure and holy thoughts. When the enemy thrusts into our souls his subtle doubts and temptations, we are to close the door quickly, and dispel the influence of his suggestion, by repeating the Scripture. Jesus met and overpowered Satan with, 'It is written.' Speak forth the promises of God. Talk of the wondrous love that he has manifested toward fallen man. Dwell upon the theme of salvation." RH 08-17-88.

Amen!

If there's any lesson I've learned in all this, it is that I should never give up, no matter what, but to keep trying, and to always keep looking up and "have faith in God." Mark 11:22. Then those who endure to the end will be saved.

I thank you, Elder Fagal, for engaging me. God bless you and the EGW Estate.

Good to hear from you. I will be remembering you in prayer. I hope you will do likewise for me. God bless.

--------
William Fagal, Director
Ellen G. White Estate Branch Office
Andrews University
Berrien Springs, MI 49104-1400 USA
Phone: 616 471-3209
FAX: 616 471-6166
E-mail: [email protected]

-PC- ST -PT- The Signs of the Times -DT- 03-10-90 -SDATE- 18900310 -AT- Look and Live Look and Live . - By Mrs. E. G. White. - -PR- 01 -TEXT- "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up; that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." When the children of Israel were passing through the wilderness toward Canaan, they brought upon themselves the judgments of God by murmuring and complaining. They were bitten by fiery, poisonous serpents of the wilderness, and were smitten with death. A messenger came through the camp, with the news that a remedy had been provided. By the direction of Christ a brazen serpent had been lifted up, and those who would but look upon it would be healed. When this messenger was announced, some of the sick and dying did not accept it. Here and there throughout the camp were heard the words, "It is impossible for me to be healed, because I am in such a dreadful condition. Those who are not in so bad a state as I am, may, perhaps, look and live." Others thought they had a remedy of their own that could cure the poisonous bite of the serpent; but only those who accepted the message and looked to the brazen serpent were healed. This serpent represented Christ. He says, "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up." Man is poisoned by sin; but a remedy has been provided for the fallen race in the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world. Every hope that we have of salvation out of Christ is a vain hope. We cannot dishonor our Saviour more than by doubting that he will save us. Whatever may have been our life of transgression, however deep may be the stain of our sin, there is One who is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him. Jesus is the remedy for sin. We may have intellect, but human intelligence can devise no way of salvation; we may have earthly possessions, but that will not provide a ransom for the sin of our soul. Salvation is the gift of God through Christ, and the promise is, "Whosoever believeth on him shall not perish, but have eternal life." It is not enough to have a nominal faith. We must have faith that will appropriate the life-giving power to our souls. We suffer great loss because we do not exercise simple, living faith in Christ. We should be able to say, "He is my Saviour; he died for me; I look to him as my complete Saviour and live." We are to look to Christ day by day. We are to regard him as our example in all things. This is faith. The true believer in Christ is represented by a branch connected with a living vine. The sap and nourishment of the vine extends through every vein and fiber of the branch, and thus the branch becomes knit with the life of the vine, and bears precious fruit. Every soul that abides in Christ will do the works of Christ. Those who love God will keep his commandments; for Christ has said, "I have kept my Father's commandments." Jesus made an infinite sacrifice in leaving his majesty, to come to a fallen world, that he might lift up sinful man; and everyone that is connected with Christ, as the branch is united with the vine, will manifest the spirit of his Redeemer. We honor our Lord and Master when we place implicit confidence in him. If we distrust the message that he has sent us, we shall be in a position similar to that of the Israelites who were bitten by the fiery serpents, but who would not look and live. If we accept the message of love that has come to us in invitations, exhortation, and reproof, it will prove life and healing to our souls. We should not be satisfied with anything less than a close connection with Christ. Freedom and salvation are offered to us, and we should grasp the precious promises of God by living faith. But if we only partially believe, if we do not show in our experience the power of living faith that works by love and purifies the soul, we shall fail to meet the expectation of our Lord and Master. Jesus says, "Without me, ye can do nothing," but if he abides in us and we in him, we can do all things through the power of his might. We should trust him as a child trusts his earthly parents. We should feel such love toward him that we cannot betray his confidence in us, or distrust him under any circumstances. We should have a knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus. We should be like the afflicted woman who pressed her way through the throng to touch the hem of Christ's garment. She gave no casual touch; it was the touch of faith; for virtue went out from Christ and healed her. Although the throng were pressing and crowding about the Saviour, he recognized the touch of faith. He turned and asked, "Who touched me?" His disciples looked up in wonder and replied: "Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me; for I perceive that virtue has gone out of me. And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before him, she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him, and how she was healed immediately. And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace." Neither learning, oratory, nor wealth can bring men into favor with God; but simple, trusting faith will bring his blessing. We are to take God at his word. The experience that comes through living faith is the experience that God wants every one of us to have. We should reach out the hand of faith, and grasp the arm of infinite power. The simplest prayer that is put up in faith is acceptable to heaven. The humblest soul that looks up to Christ in faith is connected with the God of the universe. We may walk in the light as Christ is in the light. We are to look into the great mirror of God's law and see if our characters are condemned therein. If condemnation is resting upon us, we need not despair, for he has provided a way whereby we may not perish, but have pardon and life. The promise is given that "if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." I am glad every day I live that this precious promise has been recorded for us. We may be filled with rejoicing that we have a living Saviour who is mighty to save to the uttermost all who come unto God by him. Jesus desires you to ask much that you may receive much, and we need him with us at every step as we advance. When we see that there are defects in our characters, we must be zealous and repent and reform; for if we regard iniquity in our hearts, the Scripture declares that God will not hear us. Christ has given us an invitation full of mercy. He says, "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord; though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." There is nothing worse than a scarlet sin except the sin that can have no forgiveness in this life or in the life to come. When I see my Saviour so full of mercy toward us, it seems to me that every heart ought to be melted into tenderness and gratitude toward God. Sin should be hated because it grieves our very best Friend; we should desire to know the truth even though it require a sacrifice, and no one who has stood in defense of truth has done so without sacrifice. Those who have living faith in Christ will pass through difficulties as did Paul. They will say with him: "Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal." Paul measured the difficulties of the present with the glory of the eternal. And the glory to come so far overbalanced the suffering of the present, that he said it was not worthy to be compared with it. We must keep our eyes fixed upon the mark of the prize of the high calling in Christ Jesus, and as we do this, we shall receive comfort, and peace, and joy ( Concluded next week .) The Christian is not to live for this present life. We are to look to Jesus, who through an ignominious death made a way for our escape. We must every one of us lay hold of the hope that is set before us in the gospel, if we would have everlasting life. You should ask yourself, "How much am I willing to sacrifice for the truth's sake?" Before you answer this question, I would direct you to the life and sacrifice of Jesus for you. As you see him whom your sins have pierced, lifted upon the cross of Calvary, you will in contrition of soul lay all at his feet. When we remember how much our salvation has cost, we may be sure that eternal life is worth everything. The enemy is determined that we shall not come into possession of this precious boon. We are traveling through an enemy's land, and we must keep on the whole armor of righteousness, that we may fight the good fight of faith, and lay hold on eternal life. Satan will come in many ways to tempt the soul away from Christ. He will first tell you that you are good enough of yourself; that you do not need a work of reformation wrought for you. He will suggest to you that you have made but few mistakes in your life, and that these will be overbalanced by the good you have done. If you have lived such a life as he would make you believe you have, it would be like a chain with unsound links in it, wholly worthless. One sin unrepented of is enough to close the gates of heaven against you. It was because man could not be saved with one stain of sin upon him, that Jesus came to die on Calvary's cross. Your only hope is to look to Christ and live. He came to save to the uttermost all who came unto him; and he is fully able to do all that he has undertaken to do for you. He will lift us up from the degradation into which we have fallen because of sin. We should exercise living faith in Christ. When our hopes of life seem to be slipping away, Jesus is ready to put his everlasting arms beneath us, and to draw us to his heart, and to comfort, encourage, and bless us. As soon as you surrender wholly to Christ, he will accept you. Christ has said that it was his will that your joy should be full. Why should you not have fullness of joy, when through Christ you have the prospect of eternal life at his coming? Why should we not every day show forth the praises of Him who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light? "He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? He wants us to grow better in his love every day. As we follow on to know the Lord, we shall know that his goings forth are prepared as the morning. The sun rises in dimness; but as it begins to climb the heavens, its rays become more and more bright. Thus it is with the Christian in his life. He catches the bright beams of light from Christ, and by trusting in him he becomes better acquainted with his Saviour. It is a difficult matter for human nature to have perfect confidence in divine power, but the Lord will strengthen our faith, and we may have a precious experience in the knowledge of Jesus. We do not have the simplicity we should have in coming to our heavenly Father. We are sinners, but Christ has died for us, and it is our privilege to place ourselves upon the platform of his promises. If we have the love of Jesus in our hearts, we shall express it in our actions toward others. We shall proclaim to those who are out of Christ the beauty of faith and religion. It is not our place to inquire whether we shall have trials if we walk in the path of obedience; we are to search for the truth as for hidden treasures, and to accept it whatever may be its cost. Christ prayed that his disciples might be sanctified through the truth. It is not error but the truth of God that sanctifies the soul. When we follow in the humble path of obedience, we leave a bright track heavenward for others to walk in. It is our privilege to have a deeper experience in the things of God. Will you review your past life, will you see where your defects and mistakes have been, and when you see that they are many, will you remember that Jesus lives to make intercession for you, and not sink down in discouragement? Jesus pleads his blood before the Father, and says, "I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions as a thick cloud." Let this be the language of your heart: "Hope thou in God; for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God." Do not even for a moment distrust your Saviour's power to save you. Fall in your helplessness at the foot of the cross; to-day believe the promise of God. Jesus loves us with a love that is infinite. Oh, what love, what matchless love, he has shown for the children of men! Jesus does not desire you to wait to make yourself better; he desires you to take him to-day as your Saviour. This very day say: "He is mine, and I am his. I will give my soul into his keeping, and he will keep that which I have committed to his trust against that day. Through faith he will give me victory over the temptations of the enemy. I shall see of his salvation. I shall triumph in God." Do you not think that such language as this will drive back the enemy from the tempted soul? Satan tries to interpose himself between us and Christ, but we must drive him back by talking faith, and by exalting the power of Jesus to save us. Shall we not take steps in advance without delay? Shall we not show that we are not afraid to trust our Saviour in the darkness as well as in the light? I have been tested on this point. One loved one after another has been torn from me by death, and it has seemed as though it would crush me; but in these hours Jesus has seemed to say to me: "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you; not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." The peace that Jesus gives is not the peace of the world. In my sorest trials, when I could not understand why they had come upon me, the only course I could take was to believe that Jesus doeth all things well. After the death of him who had stood by my side for thirty-six years, I was in great distress, in such anguish that it seemed that I would die; but I had to fight the fight of faith. While Satan suggested temptations, and sought to make me distrust God, I would continually say, "He knows what is best for me, and I will trust him." We should not think that Jesus has forsaken us when clouds and darkness come upon our souls. He is a pitying, loving Redeemer. He does not willingly afflict or grieve the children of men. He is not willing that any of us should perish, but that all should have eternal life; but he wants us to follow him as the sheep follow the shepherd; and by and by he will lead us to living waters, and wipe away all tears from our eyes. Jesus loves you, and when trials come upon your soul, as they surely will, you must be often found with God in prayer. The enemy may tell you that God will not hear you; but you must rest in his promise that he will hear the prayer of the contrite soul. Keep your petitions continually ascending to Jesus, and believe that he hears you, and he will hear you and deliver you from every trial and temptation. The apostle says: "That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ; whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory; receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls."