1st Angel's Study Book

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1st ANGEL'S MESSAGE

STUDIES BY BR. JOHN THIEL

Compiled by Sr Raelene Lehmann

Australian Mission Field

International Missionary Society

PO Box 1262

MIDLAND WA 6936

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Contents

INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................3

1 ANGELS PREACHING TO EARTH'S INHABITANTS .......................................................4

2 THE GODHEAD .................................................................................................................. 123 GOD THE FATHER ..............................................................................................................18

4 GOD'S HOLINESS ...............................................................................................................24

5 GOD'S GRACE .....................................................................................................................31

6 GOD THE SON .....................................................................................................................39

7 THE HOLY SPIRIT .............................................................................................................. 44

8 THE FALL OF MAN ............................................................................................................51

9 CHRIST'S ATONEMENT .....................................................................................................58

10 JESUS THE MAN ...............................................................................................................64

11 THE RANSOM ...................................................................................................................69

12 THE OLD AND NEW COVENANT ..................................................................................78

13 MESSIANIC PROPHECIES ..............................................................................................8314 THE SANCTUARY ............................................................................................................86

15 THE MARRIAGE SUPPER ...............................................................................................95

16 THE RESURRECTION .................................................................................................... 102

17 DISCIPLESHIP .................................................................................................................108

18 PRAYER LIFE .................................................................................................................. 113

19 HOW TO STUDY THE WORD OF GOD ........................................................................119

20 THE APPRENTICESHIP OF REPENTANCE ................................................................. 124

21 THE APPRENTICESHIP OF JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH .......................................... 129

22 THE APPRENTICESHIP OF SANCTIFICATION .......................................................... 132

JESUS THE SOURCE OF SANCTIFICATION ............................................................... 134

23 GOD'S PERFECT AND PERMISSIVE WILL .................................................................137

24 VICTORY IN THE CONFLICT BETWEEN THE SPIRIT AND THE FLESH .............. 143

25 144,000:WHO ARE THEY? ............................................................................................. 147

26 THE HOUR OF GOD'S JUDGMENT ..............................................................................154

27 THE BOOKS OF HEAVEN ..............................................................................................163

28 THE CLOSE OF PROBATION ........................................................................................ 168

29 THE GREAT COMMISSION ..........................................................................................173

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INTRODUCTION

This study book has been compiled to use in personal missionary work.

It is based on personal notes taken while attending a series of studies given byBr John Thiel.

The life-changing work of the Holy Spirit is evidenced in my life and the lives

of those who have gathered precious jewels from the Word of Life as a result of

these studies and it is my prayer that those who choose to take up the privilege

of becoming a true disciple of Jesus Christ will also gain the blessing of sharing

this important message with all who have a hunger for the Word of God.

I have had an experience in the first, second, and third angels' messages. Theangels are represented as flying in the midst of heaven, proclaiming to the world

a message of warning, and having a direct bearing upon the people living in the

last days of this earth's history. No one hears the voice of these angels, for they

are a symbol to represent the people of God who are working in harmony with

the universe of heaven. Men and women, enlightened by the Spirit of God and

sanctified through the truth, proclaim the three messages in their order. I have

acted a part in this solemn work. Nearly all my Christian experience is

interwoven with it. There are those now living who have an experience similar

to my own. They have recognized the truth unfolding for this time; they have

kept in step with the great Leader, the Captain of the Lord's host. In the

proclamation of the messages, every specification of prophecy has been

fulfilled. Those who were privileged to act a part in proclaiming these messages

have gained an experience which is of the highest value to them; and now when

we are amid the perils of these last days, when voices will be heard on every

side saying, "Here is Christ," "Here is truth," while the burden of many is to

unsettle the foundation of our faith which has led us from the churches and from

the world to stand as a peculiar people in the world, like John our testimony will

be borne: "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which

we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands havehandled, of the Word of life; . . . that which we have seen and heard declare we

unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us" (1 John 1:1-3). I testify the

things which I have seen, the things which I have heard, the things which my

hands have handled of the Word of life. And this testimony I know to be of the

Father and the Son. We have seen and do testify that the power of the Holy

Ghost has accompanied the presentation of the truth, warning with pen and

voice, and giving the messages in their order. To deny this work would be to

deny the Holy Ghost, and would place us in that company who have departed

from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits. {2SM 387.1 - 388.2}Sr Raelene Lehmann

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1 ANGELS PREACHING TO EAR TH'S INHABITANTS

When Gods mode of communication is practically and intelligently understood,

the angels of Revelation 14 & 18 will become clearly identifiable as visiblemovements of people who have sounded and heeded the messages given for

their time. We now begin our study of the first angels message with the

proclamation of all three angels messages exactly as they are recorded here in

Revelation 14:6 onward.

Revelation 14:6

Here is an angel preaching the everlasting gospel to the inhabitants of earth and

this is again repeated in verse 8 and 9.

Revelation 14:8

A second angel is proclaiming something to earths inhabitants.

Revelation 14:9

The second angel is followed by a third angel.

Revelation 18:1

The earth was lighted with the glory of this angel.

Revelation 18:2

In the above scriptures we have repeated statements of angels proclaiming to

earths inhabitants. Have you ever seen angels flying in the heavens and

preaching to the earth for everybody to hear? It is now our purpose to clarify

how it is that angles proclaim messages to humanity and what that would

actually mean to the sense of human beings. And what kind of an experience

would we make at the hand of the angels as they are recorded here in Revelation

14.

The next three studies that are to follow are to do with the worship of Godand the understanding of God. It is through understanding of the three

persons of the Godhead that we come to know God.

Reading John chapter 17 we discover how important it is to really know God.

John 17:3

One of the conditions to eternal life is that we need to know God.

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1 Timothy 6:16

Romans the above text we are presented with an apparent difficulty God

dwells in a light which no man can approach to and that no man hath seen nor

can see. If human beings are unable to approach or see God, how then may wecome to know him so that we may have eternal life?

Job 11:7-9

Canst thou by searching find out God? from our own human efforts to search

out God the scripture says, what canst thou know?

Isaiah 55:8, 9

Even Gods ways and thoughts are foreign to us and yet we are told in the

scriptures This is life eternal that we might know him. In view of all theseobstacles, it appears that we need someone to come down and communicate

about God to us. The question is, will God come down and tell us about

Himself?

John 1:18

Jesus, Gods only begotten Son is the one who comes to us and declares

something about the Father. No man can do it but the only begotten Son.

John 5:31,32

Jesus doesnt speak of Himself for it is another that bears witness of Him. But

Jesus does bear witness of the Father.

John 16:13

Each Person of the Godhead will not declare anything about Himself He

always waits for the other person of the Godhead to bear witness. So there is the

Son who speaks of the Father, the Holy Spirit which speaks of Jesus and neither

of the three of them speak about themselves. This is the attitude of God.

John 7:18What does the Bible say about those who bear testimony of themselves?

He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory. For this reason God, Jesus

and the Holy Spirit cannot bear testimony of themselves. Coming from the

understanding then that the Father bears witness of the Son, the Son of the

Father, and the Holy Spirit of the Son, who do they speak to in order to

communicate the information to man? Let us return to our question as to where

the angels come into the picture and how they communicate to us.

Revelation 1:1,2Here John is spoken of as bearing record of the word of God and of the

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testimony of Jesus; of all things that he saw, not of himself, but the things that

were shown him. The Revelation of Jesus was sent and signified to John by the

angel and then John bare record of what he was shown by the angel.

Revelation 22:16The angels are commissioned to communicate from God, God is the one who

has sent them. Jesus speaks of the Father, the Holy Spirit speaks of the other

two, but never of Himself and who does He communicate it to? To the angel

who in turn passes it on to John, or in Daniel 8, the angel passes it on to Daniel.

In other words the angels communicate it to men on earth.

Daniel 8:15,16

We know that the angel Gabriel communicated the vision to Daniel just as the

angel revealed the visions of Revelation to John. John and Daniel were humanbeings who received the illumination from the angels and here I would also

draw our attention to Hebrews chapter 1, that it is actually the angels' work to

minister and communicate the knowledge of God to man.

Hebrews 1:7,13,14

Very clearly the Bible expresses to us that angels are the ministers to human

beings so that if we are to come to know God and have eternal life, this

knowledge must be communicated to man by the angels.

Desire of Ages p21.1

The angels of glory find their joy in giving,--giving love and tireless

watchcare to souls that are fallen and unholy. Heavenly beings woo the

hearts of men; they bring to this dark world light from the courts above; by

gentle and patient ministry they move upon the human spirit, to bring the

lost into a fellowship with Christ which is even closer than they themselves

can know. {DA 21.1}

This is a profound statement a declaration of Gods amazing way of

communicating to us as human beings the angels are sent to be ministering

spirits unto us and they are the ones that are wooing the hearts of men by bringing into this dark world light from the courts above. By their gentle,

patient ministry to us they will provide for us a relationship with Christ which is

even closer than the angel themselves can know. It is amazing to consider the

attitude of these heavenly ministers. In our appreciation of the three angels

messages we discover that the angels communicate to man the particular

messages of God. In Amos 3:7 we discover that the human race is then

illuminated by the men whom the angles have communicated with.

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Amos 3:7

All the writers of the Bible were moved upon by the Spirit of Prophesy. They

were prophets who communicated to man what God had revealed to them. How

may we come to know God then? How can we come to know salvation?

Romans 10:14,17

The word of God is chronicled at the hand of the prophets who receive it from

angels. The writings are then taken up by the preachers who communicate it to

the human populous. The ministry of men in this respect is the same as that of

angels. Men are messengers of Gods word.

Who are the three angels of Revelation 14 flying through the heavens and

declaring messages to the earths inhabitants? They are in fact movements ofpeople who have received the messages sent from God.

Revelation 1:10-13

John was told to write down the things that he had seen and then to send these

messages to the 7 churches.

Revelation 1:16,20

John was to write to the seven churches and each of the seven churches had an

angel (minister) that he was writing to remember what the word angel means

angelos messenger

Revelation 2:1

John proceeds to write the message he had been given to the angel of the church

of Ephesus and then next to the angel of the church of Smyrna and then to the

angel of the church of Pergamos and so on.

Who are these angels of the churches that John is writing to? (Remember

angelos means messenger.)

Mal 2:7The priests and the ministry are the messengers of the Lord of hosts. John

writes down what he has received at the hands of the angel and sends these

messages to priests (ministers) of the seven churches.

To read further about this chain of communication

Zechariah 4:1-4

In Revelation 1:12 we read that Jesus was moving amongst the seven golden

candlesticks representing the seven churches.

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In Zechariah 4:3 we read about two olive trees which are the oil that keep the

seven candlesticks alight.

In the following scriptures, the angel reveals the meaning of the vision to the

prophet Zechariah.

Zechariah 4:5, 11-14

Here it is here is the explanation. The two olive trees represent the two holy

ones that stand by the Lord of the whole earth. Weve just been reading how

God does not speak of Himself, it is Jesus that speaks of Him, it is the Holy

Spirit that speaks of Jesus. And who do they speak to? The two cherubim that

stand at either side of the throne of God. The two cherubim standing in Gods

holy presence hear and communicate the messages (the oil) sent from God

down the communication channel.

In Revelation 11:3, 4 we find a direct reference to Zechariah and the two olive

trees.

The two olives trees (cherubim) communicating the oil (word) from God = the

Old and the New Testament.

This is fully explained in GC 267

Concerning the two witnesses the prophet declares further: "These are the two

olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth."

"Thy word," said the psalmist, "is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my

path." Revelation 11:4; Psalm 119:105. The two witnesses represent the

Scriptures of the Old and the New Testament. Both are important

testimonies to the origin and perpetuity of the law of God. Both are

witnesses also to the plan of salvation. The types, sacrifices, and prophecies

of the Old Testament point forward to a Saviour to come. The Gospels and

Epistles of the New Testament tell of a Saviour who has come in the exact

manner foretold by type and prophecy. {GC 267.1}

So as we couple all these statements together we notice that the two olive trees

are the two anointed ones that stand in the presence of the Lord. The two olive

trees communicate the oil (Holy Spirit) to the prophets who then wrote what

they saw in the Old and New Testaments. The preachers then pick up the

writings of the prophets and proclaim it to the people. Here is revealed Gods

communicating link to humanity.

One more statement in TM 510

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Romans the two olive trees, the golden oil was emptied through golden

pipes into the bowl of the candlestick and thence into the golden lamp that

gave light to the sanctuary. So from the holy ones that stand in God's

presenceHis Spirit is imparted to human instrumentalities that are consecrated to

His service. The mission of the two anointed ones is to communicate light

and power to God's people. It is to receive blessing for us that they stand in

God's presence. As the olive trees empty themselves into the golden pipes,

so the heavenly messengers seek to communicate all that they receive from

God. The whole heavenly treasure awaits our demand and reception; and

as we receive the blessing, we in our turn are to impart it. Thus it is that the

holy lamps are fed, and the church becomes a light bearer in the world.

{TM 510.1}

This is the work that the Lord would have every soul prepared to do at this time.

Here is the beautiful summary of everything we have just been highlighting

that comes from Zechariah 4:1-4

6T 456

One part of the ministry of heavenly angels is to visit our world and oversee

the work of the Lord in the hands of His stewards. In every time of

necessity they minister to those who as co-workers with God are striving to

carry forward His work in the earth. These heavenly intelligences are

represented as desiring to look into the plan of redemption, and they rejoice

whenever any part of God's work prospers. {6T 456.1}

Angels are interested in the spiritual welfare of all who are seeking to restore

God's moral image in man; and the earthly family are to connect with the

heavenly family in binding up the wounds and bruises that sin has made. Isnt

that wonderful, the heavenly family binding up with the earthly family to do the

work upon other human beings?

Angelic agencies, though invisible, are co-operating with visible humanagencies, forming a relief association with men. Can we see, to answer to our

quest, as to who are the angels that are proclaiming? They are the invisible

angels who work through visible human angels forming a relief association.

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The very angels who, when Satan was seeking the supremacy, fought the

battle in the heavenly courts and triumphed on the side of God, the very

angels who shouted for joy over the creation of our world and its sinless

inhabitants, the angels who witnessed the fall of man and his expulsion

from his Eden home - these very heavenly messengers are most intenselyinterested to work in union with the fallen, redeemed race for the salvation

of human beings perishing in their sins. {6T 456.2}

Human agencies are the hands of heavenly instrumentalities, for heavenly

angels employ human hands in practical ministry.

What is the experience of human beings on earth who receive the three angels

messages? They are human agencies but they are in touch with heavenly

agencies and the two work together for the benefit of man.

Human agencies as hand helpers are to work out the knowledge and use

the facilities of heavenly beings.

And what do the heavenly beings do? They communicate to us the knowledge

of God which they see first hand up in the heavenly courts.

By uniting with these powers that are omnipotent, we are benefited by

their higher education and experience. Thus as we become partakers of the

divine nature, and separate selfishness from our lives, special talents for

helping one another are granted us. This is heaven's way of administering

saving power. {6T 456.3}What is heavens way of administering saving power? Angels receiving the

firsthand information communicate it to the human agencies and the human

agencies through the word that has been written pass it on to the preachers, pass

it on to the church and the church is the light of the world as we have been

reading. So the three angels which we are about to study over the series of

studies ahead of us can be identified as a group of visible ministries and visible

human beings

2SM 387 Reflects this conclusionThe angels are represented as flying in the midst of heaven, proclaiming to

the world a message of warning, and having a direct bearing upon the

people living in the last days of this earth's history. No one hears the voice

of these angels, for they are a symbol to represent the people of God who

are working in harmony with the universe of heaven. Men and women,

enlightened by the Spirit of God and sanctified through the truth, proclaim

the three messages in their order. {2SM 387.1}

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When we study the three angels messages we are actually studying what has

been proclaimed to the human race and who these particular messengers are

human messengers.

In 5T 455-456 we find this further repeated.

God has called His church in this day, as He called ancient Israel, to stand

as a light in the earth. By the mighty cleaver of truth, the messages of the

first, second, and third angels, He has separated them from the churches

and from the world to bring them into a sacred nearness to Himself. He has

made them the depositaries of His law and has committed to them the great

truths of prophecy for this time. Like the holy oracles committed to ancient

Israel, these are a sacred trust to be communicated to the world. The three

angels of Revelation 14 represent the people who accept the light of God'smessages and go forth as His agents to sound the warning throughout the

length and breadth of the earth.

The three angels of Revelation 14 are the people who accept the message and go

forth as Gods agents to sound the warning throughout the length and breadth of

the earth. So when we come to the fourth angel of Revelation 18 we have

exactly the same principle that was applied to the first, second and third angel.

RH 18 Aug 1885 [par14]

You must remember that this angel represents the people that have this

message to give to the world. Are you among that people?

The Revelation 18 angel is another movement of people that proclaim the

message of the fourth angel. This quote is in reference to the final message to be

conveyed by Gods agents on earth.

As we progress with the studies on the three angels messages of Revelation 14,

it will become increasingly clear that these messages have been communicated

to us through human agencies. Close examination of Bible texts and writings ofE.G. White will unfold to us the ministers actually responsible for proclaiming

these messages since 1844.

Now that we have identified Gods method of communicating to humanity, it is

with reverence that we proceed to study His written word to learn the deep

things of God. One of the deep things that God would delight in us

understanding is the beautiful union of the Godhead which will be our next

point of study. Until this time may our minds be enlarged by what we have

learned.

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2 THE GODHEAD

In our second study of the First Angels Message entitled The Godhead, we

unfold through the scriptures what it really means to Fear God and give Him

the glory. One of the deep things that God delights in us understanding about

Himself is that He is three and yet He is one (see 1 John 5:7.) Through this

understanding we realise that where one of the Godhead dwells, the other two

persons are perfectly represented. The Holy Trio are three separate beings whoare so close to one another and share such an intimate interwoven love

relationship that even when they are apart, they are the perfect manifestation of

one another. Christ during his time on this earth was the perfect representation

of God the Father and the Holy Spirit. So too must we understand that when we

enter into a relationship with Christ, we become partakers in this great love

relationship that the Godhead share. The scriptures reveal that one day those

who become one with Christ will share in His inheritance and become joint

heirs with Him. If we are to be joint heirs with Christ, and to be bestowed with

the gifts that the Father has bestowed upon Him, we will be brothers and sisters

with Christ and sons and daughters of God.Revelation 14:6-7

The scripture says that we are to worship God. But who is God and what is the

truth about Him?

In John 4:22-24, Jesus reveals there is a requirement to the worship God. While

speaking to the woman at the well about the Samaritans Jesus says...

God is a spirit, a person with a personality, and the scripture says that TRUE

WORSHIPPERS will worship Him in SPIRIT and in TRUTH.

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John 17:3

This is life eternal to know God. To worship God in spirit and in truth is part

of salvation.

Jeremiah 9:23, 24For God to delight in us, we need to glorify Him from the position that we know

and understand Him. It is our task then to humbly seek and know Him so we

can fear Him and give Him the glory.

Job 11:7-8

While the stipulation is laid out before us that we are to know God, for this is

life eternal, we are to worship Him in spirit and in truth and we are to glorify

Him in the sense that we know and understand Him, is this really possible?

In the previous study it was revealed that God has a means of communicatingHimself to us so that we might come to know and understand Him. In Zechariah

4:1-4 we recalled that the two cherubim (olive trees) standing in the presence of

God communicated the oil (the Holy Spirit), through the golden pipes to lighten

up the candlesticks (the seven churches). If we understand this principle

correctly, the Old and New Testament are the knowledge of God recorded by

human agents. (See also Revelation 11:3-4)

1 Corinthians 2:4-5

It is not what man has searched out that we are about to understand, but what is

under the demonstration of the Spirit and of power, not the wisdom of men, but

in the power of God.

1 Corinthians 2:9-13

God communicates the inward thoughts and feelings and the deep things about

Himself through the Holy Spirit. That we may come to know and understand

him, not according to mans wisdom, but by what the Holy Ghost teaches.

Is the Godhead, the three persons of the heavenly trio, a deep thing of God thatneeds to be revealed by the Holy Spirit?

Deuteronomy 6:4

The Lord our God is one Lord.

Isaiah 44:6

There is only one God.

Isaiah 45:5Again it is repeated - there is only one God.

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Genesis 1:1-3

Here is the one who created the heaven and the earth: The Spirit of God moved

upon the waters; while God (in heaven) spoke light into being.

Genesis 26,27

God says let US, plural, make man in OUR, plural, image after OUR,

plural, likeness. God made man in Hisown image.

1st John 5:7

To clarify that God is One and yet three separate persons we further read.

John 1:1-3The Word was with God and the Word was God. They are two separate

entities and yet one was the other. Creation took place because the Word that

was spoken was with God and was God.

Job 33:4.

This text explains that it was the Spirit of God that made man and the breath of

the Almighty gave him life. The Spirit of God moved upon the waters, God

spoke, and the Spirit of God moved. Creation therefore was the activity of threeindividuals recorded to us as these Three are One.

The Tower of Babel

Genesis 11:5-7

Let US (plural), go down and there confound their language.

The Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah

Genesis 18:16

Abraham was visited by two angels and the Lord to discuss the destruction of

Sodom and Gomorrah and a few other things.

Genesis 18:17.

(The Lord is speaking to the two angels here)

Genesis 18:20-22.

Two of the men (The two angels that rescued Lot from Gomorrah) went on their

way, but the Lord remained with Abraham for a little longer.

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Genesis 18: 33

The story then continues about how the two angels visited Lot in the city of

Sodom and told him about the destruction that was going to take place.

.

Genesis 19:24.

The Lord who was one with God, was again in this representation, a plural

entity. There was the Lord out of heaven, and there was the Lord on earth. And

the Lord on earth rained fire from the Lord out of heaven.

Isaiah 48:12-13

In Genesis we read that in the beginning was the Word and the Word was withGod, and all things were made by Him

Who is speaking here in Isaiah My hand hath laid the foundations of the

earth? - It is the Word.

Isaiah 48:16

The Word was sent by the Lord God, and His Spirit, the other two persons of the

Godhead who created the world.

In placing together the meanings from the different scriptures it becomesabundantly clear that we worship one God, one Lord, meaning Three Persons.

They are three separate individuals that can be separated in place, one or more

may dwell in heaven while the other is on earth. And there is so much unity

between these three Persons that they can move and speak as though they were

one. In Summary the plurality and singularity of God may be explored in these

scriptures

Isaiah 44:6 I am the first and I am the last, beside me there is no God (Singular)

Isaiah 48:12 I am he; I am the first, I also am the last (Singular)

1John 5:7 There are three that bear record in heaven (Plural)

Genesis 1:1-3 Story of creation let US make man (Plural)

Gen11:5-7 Let US come down and confuse the language of the people in

Babel (Plural)

To know God is eternal life. So how does the knowledge of the Godhead, the

three Persons of the Godhead, become so relevant and essential to our

salvation?

John 16:27,28

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The Father loved the disciples because they believed that Jesus (the Word) came

out from God to this earth. They believed that although there was one God, this

one God was three Persons, and that one of them was sent from the Father into

the world. The disciples believed Jesus when He told them I leave the worldand go to the Father.

In Jeremiah we read that God delights in the fact that we know and understand

Him. The fact that the disciples knew and understood that Jesus was God,

pleased the Father so much that He loved them. To know God and to receive

His blessing we too must understand and believe that Jesus was God, and one of

the three persons of the Godhead. For this is eternal life to know God.

John 14:16-20, 23

When Jesus departed, He promised to send us another comforter, the Holy

Spirit, who would teach us to worship God in spirit and in truth.

John 14:17

It was impossible for the disciples to search out God from their own

understanding, but Jesus promised they would know God because He would

dwell with them and be in them.

John 14:18

Jesus will come to us through this comforter, the Holy Spirit. He goes back to

His Father, yet through the Comforter He promises that He will come to us.

John 14:19-20

This is the Atonement Christs AT-ONE-MENT with us. A very essential

element to our salvation.

Through the Holy Spirit, who reveals the deep things of God to us, we come toknow that Jesus dwells with us in the plurality of the Godhead. When Jesus

ascended back to heaven, He sent the Holy Spirit down to us as another

Comforter. The Holy Spirit IS the representation of the Father and the Son here

on earth for wherever one is, there are the other two perfectly represented.

John 14:23

God being AT-ONE with us is revealed in these words We will come unto himand in verse 20 I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you. That Jesus

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partook with us of our human nature makes us human beings in Jesus. Jesus

Christ is with the Father, therefore we also are with the Father, and we are in the

Father through Jesus Christ, and Jesus is in us, and the Holy Spirit dwells in us,

so we may become a saved entity. Here is the knowledge of the Godhead for our

salvation.

John 17:20-21

Here is the expression of singularity in plurality. They are one even though they

are three that we may be one with God even though we are many. We may be

one of the Godhead.

John17:23-26

The knowledge of the Godhead is important to our salvation. The First Angels

Message declares: Fear God and give him the glory. In Jeremiah 9:23-24 we

read that to Fear God and give him the glory is to know and understand Him.

Let the world know by our unity in Jesus that through the indwelling of the

Holy Spirit we know and understand that three can be one just as many can be

one. It is the manifestation of this oneness in plurality that is one of the deep

things that God has chosen to reveal about Himself to us.

May God assist us in the comprehension of this important element of the First

Angels Message, to Fear God and Give Him the Glory in the manner in which

He has prescribed. Let us contemplate it and make this the meditation of our

minds so that we will be part of the unity that Jesus has spoken of.

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3 GOD THE FATHER

We now study the facility that God Himself became in His part of the combined

trio effort to reach and save humanity. Before the earth was created God wasstill God, the only potentate, The Great I AM and The Ancient of Days, but

when humanity fell into sin, in his great love and mercy toward us he took on

the role of a Father. Jesus (the son) shared a very close and intimate relationship

with the Father whilst on this earth and we too may participate in just as close a

relationship if we heed Gods council in 2 Corinthians 6:17,18. to come out

from among them, be ye separate, and touch not the unclean thing.

What does it mean to worship God in Spirit and in truth?

Revelation 14:7

To worship God in spirit and in truth is to know Him as He really is, the

Godhead or the three persons of the heavenly trio. The understanding of the

Godhead is important to our salvation because when the Holy Spirit comes into

our life, He brings the other two members of the Godhead with Him and this is

a reality that we all may experience.

John 17:20-21

Here is revealed the spiritual impact of the Godhead dwelling in us, the unity

that the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit have is extended to those who

believe on Christ. That by believing on Christ, the Holy Spirit may be sent to

them and through the Holy Spirit both He, the Father and the Holy Spirit in

them will bring about this precious oneness. This is the source by which many

people may be thoroughly united in one - through the Godhead.

John 17:22-26

The Godhead reality is the method by which they may be made perfect in one

and it is the method by which the love of the Father can actually be in us

because the Holy Spirit is in us.

Spirit of Prophecy in 6BC 1075.3

Those who are baptized in the threefold name of the Father, the Son, and

the Holy Ghost, at the very entrance of their Christian life declare publicly

that they have accepted the invitation, "Come out from among them, and

be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I willreceive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and

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daughters, saith the Lord Almighty."

The Godhead is brought out as the hub to the step that is taken in baptism, to be

baptized in the threefold name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost at the

entrance of the Christian life. Upon baptism God declares I will receive youand will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters saith the

Lord almighty.

2 Corinthians 7:1

Because of this threefold union in us and the possibility of the Father being our

Father, we have these precious promises to be made perfect and holy in the fear

of God

Colossians 3:1

6BC 1075.3 - Par 8

When we have accepted Christ, and in the name of the Father, and of the

Son, and of the Holy Spirit have pledged ourselves to serve God, the Father,

Christ, and the Holy Spirit--the three dignitaries and powers of heaven--

pledge themselves that every facility shall be given to us if we carry out our

baptismal vows to "come out from among them, and be . . . separate, . . .

and touch not the unclean thing." When we are true to our vows, He says,

"I will receive you" (MS 85, 1901). {6BC 1075.8}Jesus promises that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit will come and make their

abode with you and that WE will be made perfect in one, and that the love of

the Father will be bestowed upon us. This is a reality for those who become

baptised in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. The three

dignitaries and powers of heaven pledge themselves that every facility shall be

given to us IF we carry out our baptismal vows to come out from among them

and touch not the unclean thing. (there is a condition here)

2 Corinthians 6:17,18.

When we make a baptismal vow in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy

Spirit, that we will come out from among the world, God promises to receive us

and be a Father to us. His role as a Father then is to train us and raise us up in

his ways. We are a family, and he, the first person of the Godhead is the facility

of a Father for such children.

Ephesians 3:14, 15

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The Father of our Lord Jesus Christ has taken the position of Father over the

whole family in heaven, of which we too may become members if we accept

Gods invitation in 2 Corinthians 6:17,18 to come our from the world..

God created all living beings in the universe with the human family last of all. It

isnt revealed how far in the past the beginnings of life took place in theuniverse, but we do know that the human family was the youngest in the

heavenly line of created beings, and as the youngest member of this developing

heavenly family, the Father appears very ancient and longstanding to us.

Daniel 7:9, 10

The Ancient of Days, is surrounded by thousands upon thousands of created

beings and God is the Father of them all. In his role as the Father he is described

as the most ancient.

Daniel 7:13, 14

Psalms 90:1, 2

The Father, the ancient of days to humanity is the patriarch of the whole human

family.

How is God a Father to us and what is his work towards us?

Psalms 103:13, 14

As the facility of Father toward us, we his sons and daughters are treated with

pity and compassion. He knows that we are but dust, that our human

constitution is weak and frail. Thus he pities us standing before Him in our

sense of sinful weakness.

The other paternal care in this Fatherly facility is

Hebrews 12:9, 10

As a Father whose children need chastening care, God pities us and corrects us.

When God chastens us, we are wise to be in subjection to this. For earthly

parents corrected us for their own pleasure, but God does it for our profit that

we might be partakers of his holiness. This is our comfort that the Father is not

going to fail in his work in training us, his sons and daughters, to develop a

condition of his holiness.

Yet another dimension of the Fatherly facility is expressed in

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James 1:17

Our Father is benevolent. He delights to give gifts to his children so that every

good and perfect gift comes from him. He does not alter in the slightest, there is

not even a shadow of turning with Him. We may have perfect confidence thatGod will bestow on us the gifts he has promised, and find comfort in the fact

that he does not falter. In the work of saving, or making holy, his manner is that

of a Father. He pities and corrects us as his children, and bestows every good

and perfect gift unto us.

Now let us examine Gods character through his name, that the facility of Father

he offers us may become more meaningful.

Exodus 3:13-15

I AM makes a very important impression upon the mind of Moses and all

those to whom this message comes.

I AM THAT I AM is present tense. Gods name reveals that the past, present

and future are all a present picture part of Him. IAM in the past, I AM in the

present, I AM in the future.

The facility of the Godhead is always present and this is something for us to

appreciate that we are His sons and daughters and therefore past, present and

future may also dawn upon our mind as one grand present consciousness.

1 Timothy 6:14-16.

Our heavenly Father, the great I AM, is also the only potentate, king and ruler of

the universe.

When a ruler is a potentate his word is supreme and cant be contradicted. God

is the great potentate of the universe but He is also the same pitying, correcting,

benevolent, gift giving Father who created us and brought us into existence.

Isaiah 40:28,29

Another dimension of the facility of help that is offered to us in the Godhead is

Gods own unwearying energy.

When as his sons and daughters we are faint and have no might, he gives of his

own never ending power to sustain us.

Do we ever have to give over to these overwhelming senses of our weakness

and faintheartedness with God as our Father? When our mind is preoccupied by

these realities what chance have we of withering or fainting?

In summary of what we have studied, God is our pitying, correcting,

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benevolent Father whose name is The Great I AM. He is the only potentate,

our creator and with His own inexhaustible energy supply he promises to

sustain us IF we stay true to our baptismal vows to be separate and

touch not the unclean thing.

Romans 8:15-17 [19]

Through the conviction of the Holy Spirit we are no longer at all in danger of

becoming fearful or in bondage with such a pitying God, even though we may

faint or fail, he will strengthen us again. he is our Father working closely with

us in our own restoration program.

The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God and

joint heirs with Christ, this is our privilege. God has offered to be a Father to us

in Christ Jesus that we may join the Godhead.The Apostle Paul wrote that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to

be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. This promise is

attained if we take hold of this work of the heavenly trio, the three dignitaries of

the Godhead who have pledged every facility to help us on our way.

1John3:1-2

The inheritance of heaven is that we shall be just like him. We will be pure just

as he is pure.

1 John 3:3

He fainteth not, therefore he will continue to communicate energy and power to

those who are sinful and weak that they may take hold of this hope and

overcome. He will give strength to those who feel faint and are ready to give up.

With this new courage and new hope we can move on in the path of purification

to be pure as he is pure. In the knowledge of getting to know God as our

Heavenly Father lies our true salvation because he offers this facility as our

Father to save us.

Matthew 5:43-48

Loving our enemies can be wearying and tiring, but God fainteth not and he is

our Father. So love your enemies, dont worry about the wearying experience -

bless them that curse you, pray for them which despitefully use you, and

persecute you.

The Lord is at work to chasten us for our profit that we might be partakers of hisrighteousness, of his perfection.

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Let us exercise our faith upon these precious facilities offered to us in the

worship of God, that when we become faint and weary in our battles, we may

be sustained by the hope that is in us.

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4 GOD'S HOLINESS

In the Fourth Study of the First Angels Message entitled Gods Holiness, we

explore through the scriptures what it really means to fear God and give him theglory for the hour of his judgement has come. The hour of his judgement

incorporates both God judging us as well as God being judged. For if it is the

righteousness of God that works in us to transform the character and create a

people zealous of good works, it is then Gods righteousness within us and the

resultant activity of that righteousness that will be subject to the judgment.

So how does God take a sinful human being and train him up in his ways of

righteousness? In our previous study we learned that God has become the

facility of a benevolent, pitying, loving, strengthening Father to us IF we

promise to be separate from the world and touch not the unclean thing. Butthere is one other very important facility that God has afforded to us in his love

for us as his children. In his role as a Father he needs to chastise and correct us

so that we will be transformed into his glory. If we shrink from this correction

we may never be changed from our current state but as we look to the one we

long to emulate and receive his chastisement in obedience, with meekness and

humility, the delicate, operative, spiritual surgery of transforming the character

may begin.

Hebrews 12:5-10

The facility of the first person of the Godhead is that of a Father who chastises

and corrects us so that we may be transformed into His very own image.

Psalms 141:5

Gods chastisement will be as an excellent oil if we intelligently apply it to our

lives, so that we may be changed into His own likeness. When we understand

that Gods corrective work is at hand to perfect the character, his chastisement

will be seen in a restorative light.

2 Corinthians 3:18

As God chastises us we immediately have a vision of the one whom we are to

emulate, that we may become changed by this correction into his own glory.

1 John 3:1-3

By having this hope in us that we shall be like him for we shall see Him as He

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is, we will be happy to make progress in purifying ourselves with His Fatherly

help.

And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is

pure.

He chastises us for our benefit that we might be partakers of his holiness and

purify ourselves even as he is pure.

1 Peter 1:13-16

A child who is obedient to his Father will be benefited by his Fathers

punishment when he has violated his Fathers will. To become holy as he is holy

and thereby in the First Angels Message to pass the judgment, we need to have avery clear vision of His holiness so that we are able to reflect it.

Exodus 33:18,19

When Moses asked for the glory of God to be revealed, it was his goodness, his

holiness and his wonderful character that was revealed. Gods work of

chastisement is to enable us to be partakers of his goodness and holiness.

Exodus 34:6-7

The glory in the judgement is going to be examined as to whether it really is

what it is made out to be in the Bible.

Gods holiness, his magnificent character, his majesty and his power are all

comprehended in this concept of his glory.

Matthew 18:1-3

The question was posed, who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? Isnt

that God the Father?Jesus answered this question by placing a little child in the midst of them: and

saying except you be converted and become as little children. Why did he

answer in this way?

Matthew 19:14

The greatness of the greatest in the kingdom of heaven is demonstrated by a

little child. All of heaven is made up of the basics. The basic building blocks of

the greatness of heaven is the manifestation of the innocence and meekness ofchildlikeness.

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Isaiah 57:15

God occupies the highest position in the universe, and in that highest position he

reveals what sort of a nature he has as he sits together with others in thatposition.

So with whom does God dwell in a high and lofty place? With those who are of

a humble and contrite spirit.

Gods beautiful childlike character is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Therefore we too will be heirs of Gods holiness if we posses his meek and

childlike character.

Consider his plan of salvation. He works with a company of people who have

been proud, striving for glory, honour and greatness and then he points out tothem that the only way his greatness can be attained is through an entire change

of spirit.

Psalms 33:6-11

God is the only potentate, the one whose word holds the powerful properties of

the earth in control.

Isaiah 2:19-21

There will be no hiding place anywhere because Gods fierceness will shake

them out and there will be nothing which man finds strength and comfort in that

will help him at this time.

Nahum 1:8-9

This is interesting Gods fierceness and his child-like innocence and meekness

are both characteristics of God. Although he is so fiercesome and is so great, his

personality, his character does not lose the child-like gentleness and meekness

and innocence.

Psalms 9:16

When God exercises his fiercesome glory, his manifestation of punishment, it

will be in a manner which shows that His gentleness and childlikeness are still

in operation.

Psalms 7:11-16

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Gods beautiful character is not going to be obliterated when he exercises his

fiercesome punishment because the very instrument of his punishment is the

harsh and violent activity of the wicked.

God does not punish with a violent character but simply says oops Im sorry,you have just hurt yourself by your own violence and I have simply used your

violence and your nasty personality to come back upon your head.

God in his awful majesty possesses vast extremities of character. He is childlike,

meek, untouched with any harshness or violence and yet he can be identified

with the punishment of the wicked.

Job 42:5, 6 (Here Job expresses what happened to him when he saw Gods

glory.)

It is the discovery of Gods vast personality and his holiness that invokes theexperience Job has made here. The heart melts, you abhor yourself and repent in

dust and ashes. This was the experience of Elijah when surrounded by the

extremes of an earthquake, a powerful windstorm and a great fire. He put his

garment about him and hid his face because of the extremes of the violence that

surrounded Gods presence. Amidst this experience Elijah heard Gods still,

small, meek voice and become overwhelmed. Moses was in the same position

when he saw the burning bush. he became humble and took off his shoes. There

was a deep sense of Gods holiness because the marvel of the presentation of

God in his awesomeness was revealed also with the ingredient of his gentleness.This response is also expressed by the angels.

Isaiah 6:1-5

Isaiah is humbled by Gods holiness also. And the angels are in awe of God as

they express three times holy, holy, holy is the Lord. The manifestation of Gods

meekness and gentleness and quietness and yet of his power and fiercesomeness

fills a person with the kind of reverence that is due unto him. The admonition of

the scripture is that we should hold God in reverence, but it is not until we seeGod in his holiness that we can actually respond to becoming as holy as he is.

Psalms 89:7

This is a declaration of what we should be in Gods presence but while God

may help us to come to that condition, he does not just tell us thats how we

have to be. He surrounds us with his holiness so that like the angels, Job, Elijah

and Isaiah, we become overwhelmed and hold Him in reverence. God is greatly

feared in the assembly of the saints when they behold his holiness.

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Eccelsiastes 5:1-2

As we come into the presence of God and are affected by His holiness, this

same holiness that causes the angels to cover their faces and their feet in front of

him, we too will respond to this counsel not to be rash with our mouths or hastyin our hearts to utter anything before God.

Leviticus 10:10

The priests who are officiating in the work of the house of God are especially

admonished in Leviticus 10 that because of his holiness all commonness and all

earthliness is to be left aside.

The priests were not permitted to partake of alcohol or intermingle with

anything that was not pure and holy as God is holy. This was because theirmental capacities had to be unimpaired in the presence of the Lord. The

priesthood that failed to do this was seriously rebuked in Ezekiel 22:26

Ezekiel 22:26

Gods particular counsel to those who are upon earth, especially the leaders and

the preachers of Gods Word is that they not mingle anything profane with

Gods holy realities. If they do this, God will be profaned in the eyes of the

people. Our estimation of him will be lowered. In contemplating Gods holiness

we are now corrected where we have in our ignorance and blindness of Gods

holiness failed.

EW 122 (Under the heading of irreverence.)

I saw that God's holy name should be used with reverence and awe. The

words God Almighty are coupled together and used by some in prayer in a

careless, thoughtless manner, which is displeasing to Him. Such have no

realizing sense of God or the truth, or they would not speak so irreverently

of the great and dreadful God, who is soon to judge them in the last day.

Said the angel, "Couple them not together; for fearful is His name." Thosewho realize the greatness and majesty of God, will take His name on their

lips with holy awe. He dwelleth in light unapproachable; no man can see

Him and live. I saw that these things will have to be understood and

corrected before the church can prosper. {EW 122.1}

How is the process of correction to take place?

The church wants to prosper and here lies the beginning of the prospering to

see Gods holiness, his meekness, his childlikeness, his loving patience andmercy and yet his awesome power and potentate control over the universe and

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his fiercesome activity at the time of the destruction of the wicked. These things

will all cause man to shake at that time, but it is now time to permit Gods

holiness to be imprinted upon us through his chastisement so that we will

become holy and dwell in a high and lofty place with him. He wants to dwell

with those of a meek and lowly spirit, holy as he is holy, set apart andsanctified. This instruction is not just for the ministry but to all those who

follow the counsel of the Lord and are baptised in the name of the Father, and of

the Son and of the Holy Ghost.

EW111 (1882 Supplement)

I fear that we do not believe and realize these things as we should.

Referring to the coming of the Lord in His powerful glory.

EW 111.1

Those who believe the important truths that we profess, should act out

their faith. There is too much seeking after amusements and things to take

the attention in this world; the mind is left to run too much upon dress, and

the tongue is engaged too often in light and trifling conversation, which

gives the lie to our profession, for our conversation is not in heaven, whence

we look for the Saviour.

In heaven there is awesome joy and love to God and there is no light, trifling

atmosphere because God is so high and so holy.

{EW 111.2}

Angels are watching over and guarding us; we often grieve these angels by

indulging in trifling conversation, jesting, and joking, and also by sinking

down into a careless, stupid state. Although we may now and then make an

effort for the victory and obtain it, yet if we do not keep it, but sink down

into the same careless, indifferent state, unable to endure temptations and

resist the enemy, we do not endure the trial of our faith that is more

precious than gold. We are not suffering for Christ's sake, and glorying intribulation.

We are called upon to let the holy character that God is labouring to bring about

in us take root to such an extent that we will cease from making a lie of our

profession by light, trifling conversation, jesting and joking and also by sinking

down into a careless and stupid state. Therefore let us not sink down to the same

careless indifferent state again and again but move up instead to the lofty

condition of heavens nature and holiness. Only as we see Gods holiness and

experience his correction may we appreciate the condition of holiness that wemust attain to.

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1 Peter 2:1

This is our privilege as newborn babes to desire the sincere milk of the word so

that we will grow into the same meek, humble, contrite and holy spirit as ourFather. Then we may dwell with him on his throne in a high and lofty place and

behold the beautiful manner in which he deals with those who are rebellious

against him, and behold his wonderful power in controlling the weights and

enormities of the things of nature upon the earth and in the universe. This is our

privilege if we will learn it here on earth now to give God the glory, and by

beholding his glory to be changed into the same image from glory to glory into

that holy, respectful, joyful, yet not careless and trivialising way of life.

May God help us to submit to his correction until we will manifest that holiness

which we have just contemplated.

Before we move on to the second person of the Godhead, we look at one more

characteristic of Gods goodness and holiness and that is Gods grace. This will

be our next study as we seek to understand and to worship God in spirit and in

truth and receive the benefit of this facility of the Father to bring about the

holiness and the character that we are to have under the direction of the First

Angels Message. May we continue to keep our minds influenced by the

manifestation of the Heavenly Father, his personality and his holiness.

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5 GOD'S GRACE

In the continuation of the study of Gods holiness, we now examine Gods

grace, the grace that lies at the very heart of the Godhead and of the Father.Gods grace is the activity and favour that He extends towards us so that we

might become inheritors of His holiness and joint heirs with Jesus.

Gods grace is a very important meditation as we come to realise that the grace

for a soul who was dead in sin was the death of Jesus Christ and that the grace

for a soul who has become alive to his sinfulness is the life of Christ. The life of

Jesus is the grace by which God changes a helpless sinner into the workmanship

of God. While we were yet sinners God ordained that Jesus had died for us. It is

by the life of Christ that the sinner becomes saved and reconciled to God. Thestudy of Gods grace laces through the entire study of the Three Angels

Messages that God in his grace toward us sent Jesus, the second person of the

Godhead that we might begin to comprehend through His life the power and

grace that may be exercised in the sinner.

Let us refer to the statement in 6BC 1075 in reference to the Godhead.

(MS 85, 1901). {6BC 1075.8}





baptismal vows to "come out from among them, and be . . . separate, . . .

and touch not the unclean thing." When we are true to our vows, He says,

"I will receive you"

When we are true to our vows, He says, I will receive you. So the Godhead - the

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, these three dignitaries of heaven, pledge

themselves so that every facility shall be given to us.

In this study we will be looking at the beautiful facility of Gods grace that is to

be bestowed upon us.

Here is another beautiful statement.

HP 176

Keep yourselves where the three great powers of heaven--the Father, the

Son, and the Holy Spirit--can be your efficiency. These powers work with

the one who gives himself unreservedly to God. The strength of heaven is atthe command of God's believing ones. The man who makes God his trust is

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barricaded by an impregnable wall. {HP 176.5}

The Father, the one who pities and cares for us and in whom we can be

comforted and protected places an impregnable wall around those who make

him their trust. As heirs of God we are privileged to be partakers of his holiness.

So let us now enlarge and explore this grace in the heart of the Godhead.

Exodus 34:6

So one of the ingredients of God's glory is his goodness, mercy and grace. God

is full of grace, full of mercy toward the sinner, an expression of unmerited

favour. So it is a grace of God to adopt us as his heirs and for him to be our

Father.

His grace is also expressed as something vast and multiple as we read in

1 Peter 4:10

What does the word manifold mean? A manifold is a pipe that comes out of an

engine with several outlets attached to it. This is the adjective word used to

describe Gods grace, manifold - more than one. Gods grace is manifold in that

there are many kinds of manifestations of his grace, and we are to be the

stewards of His grace. And so we ask the question once more as we study into

Gods grace, is this still the first angels message? How does Gods grace tie in

with the First Angels Message of Revelation 14? What was the everlasting

gospel that was preached to all the earths inhabitants at that time.

Focusing on the last part of the verse in Acts 20:24

Acts 20:24

The everlasting gospel preached by the First Angel, is the gospel of Gods

grace, the very message of salvation. The word grace is the integral part of the

very gospel as we read here in Ephesians 4:10

Ephesians 2:4-10

This passage introduces to us that the gospel of Jesus Christ is really the

exercise of God's grace. God looked down upon us when we were dead in our

sins and in his wonderful mercy and great love brought Jesus down into our

very death and then raised us together with Christ. God wants to actually

display this grace before our mind, that he might show the exceeding riches of

his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. We are theworkmanship of God, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, not by any

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quality inherent in us but by the unmerited favour of our Father who works

within us so that we will have the quality of his works bought about by his

grace.

This is beautifully expressed;

Romans 4:2-4[5]

The Apostle Paul reveals clearly that the merit of our works is not to be

commended to God. It is purely the merit of Gods grace that works within us,

that we may trust him like Abraham did.

God bestows his mercy, favour and grace upon us when there is nothing but

sinfulness, that by believing on him we may inherit his righteousness.

Let us now examine the operation and the exhibition of this kind of grace more

carefully in Ephesians

Ephesians 2:7

As we look at God's grace through Christ Jesus we are looking at an active

component of God's holiness. This holiness comes into operation inside a

person who is incapable of doing the works required of him.

We read this beautiful summary concept in.

2 Corinthians 9:8

God is able to make all grace abound towards you. As he actively involves his

grace in you through Jesus Christ, you will be given a sufficiency in all things to

fulfil the works required of you. Grace is an active component of Gods

character, Gods holiness that comes into operation in and on behalf of a person

which is incapable of doing the work required of him. As we turn to 2Corinthians 12:9, 10 this is further enlarged.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Our sufficiency comes from God inside a vessel of humanity that is totally

weak, helpless and hopeless. And yet a person who is weak but believes and

trusts like Abraham did has the facility of Gods sufficiency.

The entire series of the Three Angels Messages have the component of Gods

grace in them. from the works of righteousness that are called forth in the FirstAngels Message the hour of Gods judgement is come, there is going to be a

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judgement to investigate whether the works God gave us sufficiency to perform

are actually there. This is not to intimidate us, we are simply to take by faith that

we are Gods workmanship and that the sufficiency that he has provided for us

by his grace will be manifested in the judgement.

How do the Three Angels Messages all make reference to Gods grace? To

answer this question let us explore the Object, Exercise and Final Product of

Gods grace.

What is the OBJECT of Gods grace?

Romans 5:12

The object of Gods grace is a people who by one man, Adam and Eve, weremade to be sinners.

Romans 5:19 Examines this point further

For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners

Education 29

The result of the eating of the tree of knowledge of good and evil is manifest

in every man's experience. There is in his nature a bent to evil, a force

which, unaided, he cannot resist. To withstand this force, to attain that

ideal which in his inmost soul he accepts as alone worthy, he can find help

in but one power. That power is Christ. [Ed. 29.1]

This is the contemplation that by one mans sin, many were made sinners. By

one mans eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, there became

manifest in every mans experiences, in his nature, a bent to evil, a force which

unaided he could not resist.

We all have a bent to evil and this is the object of Gods grace. We cannot

succeed in doing the good that God wants us to do without His help.

This is further expressed in

Jeremiah 13:23

Just as the Ethiopian cant change his skin or the leopard change his spots, the

condition that has been made through one mans sin is impossible to alter.

Humanity is accustomed to evil.

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This was what the apostle Paul was sharing in his experience in

Romans 7:18-24

The Apostle Paul, broken and contrite is crying out here, I cant help myself, I

just keep on doing the opposite to what my genuine heart desires. Oh wretched

man that I am who shall deliver me? A human cry like this is the object of Gods

grace. He cannot help but come to the assistance of such a helpless being.

Psalms 51:17 expresses this further

God's grace cannot despise a sinner who keeps on failing and sinning but feels

so terrible that he keeps on doing it that he cries oh wretched man, I cant helpmyself, who will help me? Grace stands up to this call and will not disdain or

despise such a person.

Another component of Gods grace is his response to his erstwhile (former)

child

1 Peter 5:5

A humble contrite spirit is the object of Gods grace. God resists the proud but

gives grace to the humble. This is the object of Gods grace, a broken, contrite

spirit in need of his help.

What EXERCISE does God now employ towards such a person or what is the

exercise of Gods grace?

Romans 5:6

God had already pre-empted the assistance available before we even came to

our senses how weak we really were.

Romans 5:7-10

Here we see God had already been prepared to respond to a broken and contrite

heart. He had already laid out before that soul upon coming to the sense of his

condition, a wonderful love sacrifice.

And now that we have come to our senses, much more, being now justified by

his blood, believing as Abraham did, we will certainly be saved from wrath

through him. For when we were yet enemies with God we were reconciledthrough the death of his son but by his life we shall be saved.

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This is something profound to study. God has given us the life of Jesus and it is

by his life that we become saved. The life of Jesus was as much a part of Gods

grace toward us as his death. The grace for a soul who was dead in sin was the

death of Jesus Christ. The grace for a soul who has become alive to his

sinfulness is the life of Christ. The life of Jesus is the grace by which Godchanges a helpless sinner into the works of God.

We now reflect back on;

Ephesians 2: 10

When we are saved by his life, we become his workmanship. He works within

us - created in Christ Jesus unto good works so that a sinner in Christ Jesus can

become saved by his life.

How is the sinner in Christ helped by Gods grace?

Hebrews 5:7-9

Notice what this is saying, we are saved by his life. What was his life like?

Who in the days of his flesh he offered up prayers and supplications with strong

crying and tears unto Him who was able to save him from death, and he was

heard because he feared. He learned obedience by the things which he suffered.

Here is the sinner in Christ, learning, and being made perfect.

Jesus is our example, the eternal author of salvation. He yielded Himself to the

workmanship of God working inside of him to perfect Him, so that anyone who

is in Christ would learn of that authorship and thus be saved by his life.

Let us also read

2 Corinthians 13:4.

See how we are saved by the life of Christ? It was the power of God by whomJesus lived. We also are weak with Him but we shall live with him by the power

of God. In Ephesians it says that we will sit together in heavenly places through

his wonderful combination with us. To sit together in heavenly places we are

weak with him but we shall live with him by the power of God. This is worthy

to explore more as we see the exercise of that grace in Jesus Christ. And it is to

such a believer who actually learns and understands these scriptures we have

just been reading, that the words of Galatians 2:16 apply

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Galatians 2:16

Here we see this beautiful declaration that we can only be saved by the faith of

Jesus Christ. We are not justified by the works of the law or any motivation ofour own to keep the law it is the faith of Jesus.

Galatians 2:20

The faith of Jesus involved offering up prayers and supplications with strong

crying and tears to the Father. So it will be with the believer who combines

himself in a living relationship with Jesus. God in his grace toward us sent

Jesus, the second person of the Godhead that we might begin to comprehend

through His life, the power and grace that may be exercised in the sinner. This isthe EXERCISE of the believer, to avidly engage in this activity of grace.

Looking now at the end PRODUCT of Gods grace

Romans 2:6-7

Those avidly engaging in that faith of Jesus Christ will do the deeds that will

cause God to render to them eternal life and those deeds will be the action of

Gods grace through Jesus Christ. This is the wonderful PRODUCT that results

from Gods grace the product of eternal life. By Gods grace we become

affected to exercise ourselves in works of righteousness so that God may grant

us eternal life. This is beautifully expressed in Titus 2:11-14

Titus 2:11-14

Jesus gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity hence grace

is the active demonstration of Jesus Christs living experience in us. And this is

the blessed hope that we are striving for eternal life.

Colossians 1:26-28

1 John 5:11,12

Eternal life is ours if we will be in Christ and exercise the activity of the faith of

Jesus Christ. Then we will have eternal life because we have Jesus in us and this

is the hope of glory. In Colossians 3:1-4 it says that we shall appear with him in

glory - for if we have been with him in weakness and with him in life, we will

then have the full product of that beautiful life in eternity.

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Colossians 3:1-4

When we set our affections on things above and become dead so that our life is

hid with Christ in God, we shall appear with him in glory. This is the beau fitful

comprehension of the activity of grace for us. We have Bible text by Bible textthat maps out to our minds eye the beautiful active component of Gods grace.

It is all in the gift of Jesus Christ. It is what God the Father has given to us, his

children, in Jesus Christ. And this will be the subject or our next Bible study, the

second person of the Godhead, who has been sent by the Father to enact his

description of the object of Gods grace, the exercise of Gods grace and the

result of Gods grace for the benefit of man. This will be a valuable study in

assisting us in our own actions of learning about - how to become holy as God

is holy.

In summary let us now contemplate the precious benefits of what we have been

reading in the book heavenly places p 195.

Heavenly Places p 195

All heaven is interested in men and women whom God has valued so much

as to give His beloved Son to die to redeem them. No other creature that

God has made is capable of such improvement, such refinement, such

nobility as man. Then when men become blunted by their own debasing

passions, sunken in vice, what a specimen for God to look upon! Man

cannot conceive what he may be and what he may become. Through the

grace of Christ he is capable of constant mental progress. Let the light of

truth shine into his mind and the love of God be shed abroad in his heart

and he may, through the grace Christ has died to impart to him, be a man

of power--a child of earth but an heir of immortality. {HP 195.5}

Man is capable of constant mental progress as the truth shines into his mind.

Gods love will be shed abroad in his heart so that he may, through the grace

Christ has died to impart to him, become a man of power. As we meditate upon

the light of truth that shines into our mind, the powerful activity that is available

to us through God's grace will become a precious reality to us.May God bless us in our comprehension of this subject that it may be a

launching pad into greater dimensions of appreciation.

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6 GOD THE SON

Having appreciated that the First Person of the Godhead became the facility of a

Father to us in His effort to reach and save humanity, we now look at the facilitythat the Second Person of the Godhead provided for us when He took on the

role of The Son. The Word of God lay aside all His glory and divinity and made

Himself of no reputation to become begotten as a babe in Bethlehem. This is

Gods grace and mercy toward us and the wonderful facility that the Word of

God pledged Himself for humanity. Later in this study we come to realise that it

was at an infinite cost and painful process that The Word of God became

restricted to a seed in a womans womb, to grow up experiencing childhood,

adolescence and manhood in the embodiment of sinful flesh. During His life

here on earth Jesus the Son was tempted in every respect that we are temptedbut He overcame that He might be our example, the author and finisher of our

salvation. Through obedience He demonstrated his unwavering love to God,

even to the death of the cross. Through His sufferings He became perfected not

only to be our sin bearer but to demonstrate that sin in sinful human flesh can be

overcome through our continual combined effort with the Godhead and the

facilities they have promised to us IF we will come our from among them, be ye

separate, and touch not the unclean thing.

The life and death of Jesus Christ IS the preaching of the everlasting gospel and

Gods abounding grace toward us.

Revelation 14:6

What is the focal point of the everlasting gospel?

Mark 1:1

Ephesians 3:14-15

Not only is God the Father of the whole family in heaven and earth. But here inverse 14, God is also identified as the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Let us now explore the origin of Jesus, the Second Person of the Godhead.

1 John 5:7

The Second Person of the Godhead is called the Word.

John 1:1-3

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The Word is God, and was with God from the beginning, and all things were

made by Him.

Revelation 19:13

John 1:14

The Word, the Second Person of the Godhead, who was always there, was made

flesh and was termed as the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace and

truth.

In Isaiah 9:6 we find a prophecy of the only begotten that was to be born and to

become fleshIsaiah 9:6

Unto us a child is born who was God, and yet He became a Son.

He himself was also called the Everlasting Father, but the First Person of the

Godhead took on the role of the Father, so when this second Person came into

the role of the human benefits that were provided for us, He was given, not as a

Father, but as a son.

Hebrews 1:5

The Son was begotten of the Father. But at what point did this occur?

Rev1: 8-13 (Revealed to John in prophecy that the Second Person of the

Godhead is always there)

Who was speaking here? In verse eight it says the Alpha and Omega, the

Beginning and the End, the Lord which was, which is to come, the Almighty.

This is again repeated in verse 11 by the one standing amidst the seven golden

candlesticks, who is likened unto the Son of Man.John the revelator recognized that it was Jesus who had declared Himself to be

the Almighty, the Beginning and the End, the Alpha and the Omega, who was

and who is to come.

John 8:58 (Jesus is quizzed here by the Pharisees as to who He is)

The Pharisees were going to stone Jesus because he had claimed to be I AM

but he hid himself from them, and went out from the midst of them.

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Micah 5:2 The prophecy of where the Messiah is to be born

Jesus, the one to be born in Bethlehem, is from of old, from everlasting.

Although Jesus was begotten this does not mean that this is the point where He

began. The relationship of the Word and the Father existed for all eternity.

Hebrews 1:8-10 (First Person of the Godhead is communing with the

Second Person of the Godhead)

In this conversation between the two Persons of the Godhead -- the Father

declares to the Son Thy throne O God is forever and ever. He addresses the

Son as God whose throne is forever and ever.

Zechariah 13:6, 7

The First Person of the Godhead refers to the Second Person of the Godhead as

- My Fellow.

He who was the fellow of the Godhead was delivered to this earth by way of

birth to be our shepherd, to be slain.

Isaiah 48:16

The Second Person of the Godhead has always existed but there came a point

where he was sent to earth and had to be begotten.

Psalms 2:7 (Another account of the First Person talking to the Second

Person of the Godhead.)

The Second Person of the Godhead was sent to this earth by the decree of birth,

and the word begotten has been used here in reference to somebody who

already exists. The First Person of the Godhead states to the Second Person of

the GodheadI will make a decree that there is going to be a point in time in

which I will declare You to be begotten unto Me. While in the beginning TheWord, the Second Person of the Godhead was just as the Everlasting Father, by

decree He took on the role of the son.

Philippians 2:5-7

This is the remarkable expression of the fact that Jesus already existed as God.

He was in the form of God and He was equal with God but He made Himself of

no reputation and took upon Himself the role of a human being.

from the scriptures we understand that there was never a time when the Word

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didnt exist, but there came a time when the Word confined Himself to a human

birth and was thereby begotten as a son. The purpose of course was for the

Three Persons of the Godhead to provide a facility to reach those in need of

spiritual salvation.

6BC 1075





baptismal vows to "come out from among them, and be . . . separate, . . ."

That was why Jesus was to be begotten, so that He could become a Son and

provide for the human family a facility to help them. The Second Person of the

Godhead pledged Himself the facility of a son, just as the First Person of theGodhead pledged himself the facility of a Father.

Hebrews 2:9-18.

Jesus was made a little lower than the angels FOR the Suffering of Death. It was

by the grace of God that He was made a human being to taste death for every

man. And he did this to bring many sons unto glory and to provide a facility

whereby many people could become sons of God. He became perfect through

His sufferings to be our captain and example so that He that sanctifieth and they

who are sanctified may become one, sons.Jesus became in all things like unto us, He grew as a seed inside of a womans

womb. As He grew from childhood into a man He became our merciful and

faithful high priest making intercession for us. Through His life example we are

taught how to approach the Father and be reconciled through Christ Jesus for

our own sins.18 For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour

them that are tempted.

His human lifespan was a painful process for the end that He could help all

others who suffer.

The Upward Look p90.

Christ, at an infinite cost, by a painful process, mysterious t

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