The Church to -Arise and Repent
“Let the church arise, and repent of her backslidings before God. Let the watchmen awake, and give the trumpet a certain sound. It is a definite warning that we have to proclaim. God commands His servants, “Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins” (Isa. 58:1).” {1Selected Messages pg. 126.1}.
“The church must arouse to action. The Spirit of God can never come in until she prepares the way. There should be earnest searching of heart. There should be united, persevering prayer, and through faith a claiming of the promises of God. There should be, not a clothing of the body with sackcloth, as in ancient times, but a deep humiliation of soul. We have not the first reason for self‑congratulation and self‑exaltation. We should humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God. He will appear to comfort and bless the true seekers.” {1Selected Messages pg. 126.2}.
“God brings against ministers and people the heavy charge of spiritual feebleness…. God calls for a spiritual revival and a spiritual reformation. Unless this takes place, those who are lukewarm will continue to grow more abhorrent to the Lord, until He will refuse to acknowledge them as His children.” {1Selected Messages pg. 127.3}.
“A revival and a reformation must take place, under the ministration of the Holy Spirit. Revival and reformation are two different things. Revival signifies a renewal of spiritual life, a quickening of the powers of mind and heart, a resurrection from spiritual death. Reformation signifies a reorganization, a change in ideas and theories, habits and practices. Reformation will not bring forth the good fruit of righteousness unless it is connected with the revival of the Spirit. Revival and reformation are to do their appointed work, and in doing this work they must blend.‑‑The Review and Herald, Feb. 25, 1902.” {1Selected Messages pg. 128.1}
A JUDGMENT-BOUND CHURCH
We are aware of the fact that the SDA church evolves as the result of the Judgment message. (Rev. 8:6-9).
The first angel’s message proclaim that we are to fear God and give glory to Him for the hour of His judgment is come. We have shifted focus and have now become as the nominal churches highlighting the basics such as John 3:16, repentance, baptism, etc. etc. Although the first angel’s message applied to the opening of the “Judgment of the Dead” in Heaven since 1844, it moreso highlight the “Judgment of the Living,”because the dead cannot fear God and give glory to Him. God is speaking to this generation that is now living.
For years we have been focusing on the Judgment of the dead not realizing that this awful judgment will soon pass to the living. It is this phase of the judgment that we are highlighting at this time. Let us be reminded again of Malachi 3:4.
“And he shall sit [as] a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness. Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the LORD, as in the days of old, and as in former years.” Malachi 3:3, 4.
Can the dead offer an offering unto the Lord? No! “For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.” Eccles. 9:5. They cannot praise God, therefore, when Malachi says that after purifying the sons of Levi they will offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness; then the primary application of this chapter is concerning the Judgment of the living and not the dead. Isaiah gives the answer.
What is the main purpose why the Lord is seeking to purify His church at this time?
“Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean. Shake thyself from the dust; arise, [and] sit down, O Jerusalem: loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion.” Isaiah 52:1, 2.
“For Zion’s sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp [that] burneth.
“And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the LORD shall name. Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God.
“Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at [thy] side. Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee. Therefore thy gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night; that [men] may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles, and [that] their kings [may be] brought. For the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish; yea, [those] nations shall be utterly wasted.” Isaiah 60:1-5, 11, 12.
The Lord plans to purify His church and then be glorified through It, and as a result draw the heathen to Him in large numbers – The Great Multitude of Rev. 7:9.
“For the time [is come] that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if [it] first [begin] at us, what shall the end [be] of them that obey not the gospel of God?” 1 Peter 4:17.
“He encouraged the believers to look forward to the time when Christ, who “loved the church, and gave Himself for it,” would “present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing” –a church “holy and without blemish.” Ephe.5:25,27.“ {Acts of the Apostles, pg. 470}.
“Page after page might be written in regard to these things. Whole conferences are becoming leavened with the same perverted principles. “For the rich men thereof are full of violence, and the inhabitants thereof have spoken lies, and their tongue is deceitful in their mouth.” The Lord will work to purify His church. I tell you in truth, the Lord is about to turn and overturn in the institutions called by His name.” {Testimonies to Ministers pg. 372.4}.
“Just how soon this refining process will begin I cannot say, but it will not be long deferred. He whose fan is in His hand will cleanse His temple of its moral defilement. He will thoroughly purge His floor. God has a controversy with all who practice the least injustice; for in so doing they reject the authority of God and imperil their interest in the atonement, the redemption which Christ has undertaken for every son and daughter of Adam. Will it pay to take a course abhorrent to God? Will it pay to put upon your censers strange fire to offer before God, and say it makes no difference?” {Testimonies to Ministers 372, 373}.
Before the Lord brings this wicked world to an end, He plans to make a magnificent demonstration of His glory and character to the nations. This He plans to do through His purified, sanctified, holy church.
“The great issue so near at hand will weed out those whom God has not appointed and He will have a pure, true, sanctified ministry prepared for the latter rain. . . .
“A new life is proceeding from satanic agencies to work with a power we have not hitherto realized. And shall not a new power from above take possession of God’s people?‑‑Letter 55, 1886.” {3Selected Messages pg. 385}.