A Christian marriage

God saw that is was not good for man to be alone. Genesis 2:18. Therefore, He established the marriage institution and enunciated the law of marriage for all the children of Adam to the close of time. God Himself gave Adam one wife as a companion. "He ordained that men and women should be united in holy wedlock, to rear families whose members, crowned with honor, should be recognized as members of the family above" (The Ministry of Healing, p. 356). According to the plan of God in the marriage relationship, every man should consider his wife as his second self, "bone of" his "bones, and flesh of" his "flesh." Genesis 2:18, 23, 24; Mark 10:6-8; Ephesians 5:28, 29; Colossians 3:19.

Although it has been degraded by sin, this divine institution must be restored to its original condition among God's people before the second coming of Jesus. Acts 3:20, 21; Mark 10:5-9.

When marriage is conducted according to the will of God:

a. It guards the moral purity of men and women and ensures the happiness of humanity. Hebrews 13:4; 1 Corinthians 7:2-9; Psalm 128:1-6; Proverbs 5:18; 31:10-31.

b. It provides for people's social needs. Genesis 2:18.

c. It elevates the physical, intellectual, and moral nature of human beings. Proverbs 18:22; 19:14; 1 Peter 3:1, 7.

d. It ensures the survival and multiplication of the human race in a moral and healthy manner. Genesis 1:27, 28.

It has been God's purpose from the very beginning that the marriage vow should bind man and woman to each other by indissoluble ties "for life." Matthew 19:6; Mark 10:11, 12; Luke 16:18. Therefore, divorce is not in harmony with the will of God. Malachi 2:14-16. In case of separation, both are to remain single until the death of one of the spouses or until they are reconciled to each other. Romans 7:1-3; 1 Corinthians 7:10-15, 39. (Matthew 5:32 and 19:9 are explained in separate publications, showing that these two verses do not sanction or advocate divorce and remarriage.)

Christians should be united in marriage only with those of like faith. Marriage with an unbeliever (non-member) is a serious sin and reveals a separation from Christ. Exodus 34:12, 16; Deuteronomy 7:3, 4; Nehemiah 13:23-27; 2 Corinthians 6:14.

"As a child of God, a subject of Christ's kingdom, the purchase of His blood, how can you connect yourself with one who does not acknowledge His claims, who is not controlled by His Spirit? The commands I have quoted are not the word of man, but of God. Though the companion of your choice were in all other respects worthy (which he is not), yet he has not accepted the truth for this time; he is an unbeliever, and you are forbidden of heaven to unite yourself with him. You cannot, without peril to your soul, disregard this divine injunction."-Testimonies, vol. 5, p. 364.

"In the youthful mind, marriage is clothed with romance, and it is difficult to divest it of this feature, with which imagination covers it, and to impress the mind with a sense of the weighty responsibilities involved in the marriage vow. This vow links the destinies of the two individuals with bonds which nought but the hand of death should sever."-Ibid., vol. 4, p. 507.

Although polygamy was tolerated in the Old Testament times contrary to God's original purpose, only monogamous marriages are accepted under the Christian Dispensation. 1 Corinthians 7:2; Ephesians 5:23, 33; Matthew 19:4-6; Malachi 2:15.

"Polygamy was practiced at an early date. It was one of the sins that brought the wrath of God upon the antediluvian world."-Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 338.

The marriage relationship represents the union that exists between Christ and His church. Isaiah 54:4, 5; Jeremiah 3:14; Ephesians 5:24-28; Hosea 2:19, 20.

"God celebrated the first marriage. Thus the institution has for its originator the Creator of the universe. 'Marriage is honorable' (Hebrews 13:4); it was one of the first gifts of God to man, and it is one of the two institutions that, after the Fall, Adam brought with him beyond the gates of Paradise. When the divine principles are recognized and obeyed in this relation, marriage is a blessing; it guards the purity and happiness of the race, it provides for man's social needs, it elevates the physical, the intellectual, and the moral nature."-Ibid., p. 46.

"The family tie is the closest, the most tender and sacred, of any on earth. It was designed to be a blessing to mankind. And it is a blessing wherever the marriage covenant is entered into intelligently, in the fear of God, and with due consideration for its responsibilities."-The Ministry of Healing, pp. 356, 357.

Prerequisites

"Before assuming the responsibilities involved in marriage, young men and young women should have such an experience in practical life as will prepare them for its duties and its burdens. Early marriages are not to be encouraged. A relation so important as marriage and so far-reaching in its results should not be entered upon hastily, without sufficient preparation, and before the mental and physical powers are well developed.

"The parties may not have worldly wealth, but they should have the far greater blessing of health. And in most cases there should not be a great disparity in age. A neglect of this rule may result in seriously impairing the health of the younger. And often the children are robbed of physical and mental strength. They cannot receive from an aged parent the care and companionship which their young lives demand, and they may be deprived by death of the father or the mother at the very time when love and guidance are most needed.

"It is only in Christ that a marriage alliance can be safely formed. Human love should draw its closest bonds from divine love. Only where Christ reigns can there be deep, true, unselfish affection."-Ibid., p. 358.

Sacred Circle

"Though difficulties, perplexities, and discouragements may arise, let neither husband nor wife harbor the thought that their union is a mistake or a disappointment. Determine to be all that it is possible to be to each other. Continue the early attentions. In every way encourage each other in fighting the battles of life. Study to advance the happiness of each other. Let there be mutual love, mutual forbearance. Then marriage, instead of being the end of love, will be as it were the very beginning of love. The warmth of true friendship, the love that binds heart to heart, is a foretaste of the joys of heaven."-Ibid., p. 360.

Purity and Happiness

"To avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband." 1 Corinthians 7:2.

"Marriage is a blessing; it guards the purity and happiness of the [human] race."-Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 46.

"Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge." Hebrews 13:4.

Every Christian should carefully consider the guidelines contained in the Bible and in the Testimonies. 1 Corinthians 6:18; 7:1-13, 27, 28, 39; Colossians 3:18, 19.

"Around every family there is a sacred circle that should be kept unbroken. Within this circle no other person has a right to come. Let not the husband or the wife permit another to share the confidences that belong solely to themselves."-The Ministry of Healing, p. 361.

"Avoid the first approach to danger. The soul's interests cannot be trifled with. Your capital is your character. Cherish it as you would a golden treasure. Moral purity, self-respect, a strong power of resistance, must be firmly and constantly cherished. There should not be one departure from reserve; one act of familiarity, one indiscretion, may jeopardize the soul in opening the door to temptation, and the power of resistance becomes weakened."-The Adventist Home, p. 404.

"How careful should the husband and father be to maintain his loyalty to his marriage vows! . . . Here is where many are delinquent. Their heart imaginings are not of the pure, holy character which God requires. . . . To married men I am instructed to say, It is to your wives, the mothers of your children, that your respect and affection are due."-Ibid., pp. 336, 337.

"If [our sisters] occupy this position [of humbleness, modesty, reserve], they will not be burdened with undue attention from gentlemen in the church and out. All will feel that there is a sacred circle of purity around these God-fearing women."-Ibid., p. 334.

"Many parents do not obtain the knowledge that they should in the married life. They are not guarded lest Satan take advantage of them and control their minds and their lives. They do not see that God requires them to control their married lives from any excesses. But very few feel it to be a religious duty to govern their passions. They have united themselves in marriage to the object of their choice, and therefore reason that marriage sanctifies the indulgence of the baser passions. Even men and women professing godliness give loose rein to their lustful passions, and have no thought that God holds them accountable for the expenditure of vital energy, which weakens their hold on life and enervates the entire system."-Testimonies, vol. 2, p. 472.

"Those professing to be Christians . . . should duly consider the result of every privilege of the marriage relation, and sanctified principle should be the basis of every action. In very many cases the parents . . . have abused their marriage privileges, and by indulgence have strengthened their animal passions. It is carrying that which is lawful to excess that makes it a grievous sin."-The Adventist Home, p. 122.

"By accepting Christ as His personal Saviour, man is brought into the same close relation to God, and enjoys His special favor as does His own beloved Son. He is honored and glorified and intimately associated with God, his life being hid with Christ in God. O what love, what wondrous love! This is my teaching of moral purity."-Lift Him Up, p. 297.

"The grace of Christ, and this alone, can make [the marriage] institution what God designed it should be-an agent for the blessing and uplifting of humanity. And thus the families of earth, in their unity and peace and love, may represent the family of heaven."-Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, p. 65.

Sexual Immorality

All immoral sexual practices, such as homosexuality, lesbianism, bestiality, and incest are condemned in the word of God as an abomination. Romans 1:26, 27; 1 Corinthians 6:9, 10; Leviticus 18:6-24; Jude 7.

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Purpose of baptism in the bible

Since there is only one God, one Lord, one Spirit, one faith, one hope, and one body, there can be only one symbol (one type of baptism, by immersion) to represent the beginning of a new life and our identification with these great facets of Christianity and our acceptance into the body of Christ, the church. Matthew 3:13-16; Ephesians 4:3-6.

Baptism is an outward sign pointing to an inward spiritual washing, a cleansing from sin by the blood of Christ already experienced by the believer who has accepted Jesus as his personal Saviour. Apart from this relationship with Christ, baptism, like any other rite, is merely a meaningless outward form. The death and burial of the "old man," as well as the resurrection of the "new man" with Christ, for a new life in Him, are represented by this ordinance. Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 22:16; Romans 6:3-9; Colossians 2:12, 13; 1 Peter 3:21; Ephesians 4:22-24.

Baptism is a covenant with God, by which the candidate declares publicly that he or she has renounced the world and has decided to become a subject of the kingdom of Christ. Ephesians 2:19; Colossians 3:1-3; Hebrews 8:10-12. As the believing and repentant sinners are baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, they show that they accepted the call out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light. Their sins have been forgiven. They have put on Christ, they have placed themselves under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and they are ready to be united with Christ's visible church on earth. Therefore, baptism is the sign of entrance into Christ's spiritual kingdom. Matthew 28:19, 20; Colossians 1:13; 1 Peter 2:9; 3:21; 1 John 1:9; Galatians 3:27; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Acts 2:47.

The Bible does not teach infant baptism. Only those who have reached the age of accountability can be baptized, provided the following conditions have been fulfilled: faith in Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour (Mark 16:16; Romans 10:13, 14; Acts 8:12, 36, 37; 18:8); thorough instruction in the truth (Matthew 28:19, 20; Acts 8:35); repentance (Acts 2:38); and conversion-a good conscience toward God (1 Peter 3:21).

"Baptism is a most sacred and important ordinance, and there should be a thorough understanding as to its meaning. It means repentance for sin, and the entrance upon a new life in Christ Jesus. There should be no undue haste to receive the ordinance." -Testimonies, vol. 6, p. 93.

After the approval of the church, the act of baptism is performed by an ordained and authorized worker of the gospel. Mark 3:14.

Baptism (Greek baptisma, to dip or immerse) is by immersion in water, preferably in a running stream or clear lake. Matthew 3:16; Acts 8:38, 39; John 3:23.

"Christ has made baptism the sign of entrance to His spiritual kingdom. He has made this a positive condition with which all must comply who wish to be acknowledged as under the authority of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Before man can find a home in the church, before passing the threshold of God's spiritual kingdom, he is to receive the impress of the divine name, 'The Lord our Righteousness' (Jeremiah 23:6). Baptism is a most solemn renunciation of the world. Those who are baptized in the threefold name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, at the very entrance of their Christian life declare publicly that they have forsaken the service of Satan and have become members of the royal family, children of the heavenly King."-Testimonies, vol. 6, p. 91.

"It is the grace of Christ that gives life to the soul. Apart from Christ, baptism, like any other service, is a worthless form. 'He that believeth not the Son shall not see life (John 3:36)."-The Desire of Ages, p. 181.

Test of Discipleship

"None can depend upon their profession of faith as proof that they have a saving connection with Christ. We are not only to say, 'I believe,' but to practice the truth. It is by conformity to the will of God in our words, our deportment, our character, that we prove our connection with Him."-Testimonies, vol. 6, p. 92.

"It should be understood whether [the candidates for baptism] are simply taking the name of Seventh-day Adventists, or whether they are taking their stand on the Lord's side, to come out from the world and be separate, and touch not the unclean thing. Before baptism there should be a thorough inquiry as to the experience of the candidates. Let this inquiry be made, not in a cold and distant way, but kindly, tenderly, pointing the new converts to the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world. Bring the requirements of the gospel to bear upon the candidates for baptism."-Ibid., vol. 6, pp. 95, 96.

"There is not enough careful, prayerful, painstaking investigation in accepting members into the church. . . . There is one thing that we have no right to do, and that is to judge another man's heart or impugn his motives. But when a person presents himself as a candidate for church membership, we are to examine the fruit of his life, and leave the responsibility of his motive with himself. But great care should be exercised in accepting members into the church; for Satan has his specious devices through which he purposes to crowd false brethren into the church, through whom he can work more successfully to weaken the cause of God."-The Review and Herald, January 10, 1893.

"Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance" (Matthew 3:8).

"John exhorted these [Pharisees and Sadducees] to 'bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance.' That is, Show that you are converted, that your characters are transformed. . . . Neither words nor profession, but fruits-the forsaking of sins, and obedience to the commandments of God-show the reality of genuine repentance and true conversion."-The SDA Bible Commentary [E. G. White Comments], vol. 5, p. 1077.

Rebaptism

Although baptism is generally performed only once, a person should be rebaptized upon repentance if he has broken his covenant with God through apostasy. There is also an example of rebaptism for other reasons than apostasy. When Paul found some disciples in Ephesus, they already believed the truth and were already baptized with a correct baptism and in the right manner. But when they received a clearer knowledge of the truth, they were rebaptized. Acts 19:1-5. Honest souls, coming to the knowledge of present truth, will recognize the need to go through the door to enter Christ's spiritual kingdom.

"Christ has made baptism the sign of entrance to His spiritual kingdom."-Testimonies, vol. 6, p. 91.

"The honest seeker after truth will not plead ignorance of the law as an excuse for transgression. Light was within his reach. God's word is plain, and Christ has bidden him search the Scriptures. He reveres God's law as holy, just, and good, and he repents of his transgression. By faith he pleads the atoning blood of Christ, and grasps the promise of pardon. His former baptism does not satisfy him now. He has seen himself a sinner, condemned by the law of God. He has experienced anew a death to sin, and he desires again to be buried with Christ by baptism, that he may rise to walk in newness of life. Such a course is in harmony with the example of Paul in baptizing the Jewish converts. That incident was recorded by the Holy Spirit as an instructive lesson for the church."-Sketches From the Life of Paul, p. 133.

"If you have lost your Christlikeness, my brethren and sisters, you can never, never come into communion with God again until you are reconverted and rebaptized. You want to repent and to be rebaptized, and to come into the love and communion and harmony of Christ."-Sermons and Talks, vol. 1, p. 366.

"I speak to our leading brethren, to our ministers, and especially to our physicians. Just as long as you allow pride to dwell in your hearts, so long will you lack power in your work. For years a wrong spirit has been cherished, a spirit of pride, a desire for preeminence. In this Satan is served, and God is dishonored. The Lord calls for a decided reformation. And when a soul is truly reconverted, let him be rebaptized. Let him renew his covenant with God, and God will renew His covenant with him."-Manuscript Releases, vol. 7, p. 262.


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The trinity explained

"Thus saith the Lord the King of Israel, and his redeemer the Lord of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God." "Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else" (Isaiah 44:6; 45:22).

The Bible speaks of only one God. Deuteronomy 6:4; 1 Corinthians 8:4. In Hebrew, the term God is often used in the plural form (Elohiym as opposed to the singular Elowahh). According to the Scriptures, the Godhead (Genesis 1:1, 26; Acts 17:29; Colossians 2:9) comprises three Divine Dignitaries-the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit-working together as one. Isaiah 48:16, 17; Matthew 3:16, 17; 28:19; John 14:16, 26; 15:26; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Ephesians 2:18; Jude 20, 21.

Our faith in the existence of God is based upon the evidence which He Himself has provided. The hand of God is present everywhere-in nature, in the course of history, in our personal experience and, above all, in His Word: the Bible. This can be perceived by all who desire to see the evidence for themselves. Job 11:7; 2 Chronicles 15:2; Jeremiah 29:13; Matthew 5:8; Romans 1:20; 1 Corinthians 2:14, 15.

Some of the attributes of the Godhead:

- eternal: Psalm 90:2; Isaiah 40:28; Romans 1:20.

- immortal: 1 Timothy 1:17; 6:15, 16.

- invisible to sinful man: 1 John 4:12; 1 Timothy 1:17.

- omnipresent (present everywhere): Psalm 139:7-12; Jeremiah 23:24.

- omniscient (all-knowing): 1 Samuel 16:7; Psalm 139:2-4; Hebrews 4:13; 1 John 3:20.

- omnipotent (all-powerful): Job 37:23; 38:1-41; 42:2; Psalm 33:6-9; Matthew 19:26.

- immutable (unchangeable): Psalm 33:11; Malachi 3:6; James 1:17.

- holy: Leviticus 19:2; Joshua 24:19; Psalm 99:9; 1 Peter 1:16.

- righteous: Ezra 9:15; Jeremiah 23:6; Daniel 9:7; Psalm 7:9.

- merciful: Exodus 34:6; Psalm 103:8; Lamentations 3:22; Micah 7:18.

- good: Exodus 33:19; Psalm 34:8; Matthew 19:17; Romans 2:4.

- truth: Deuteronomy 32:4; Psalm 31:5; Isaiah 65:16.

- love: John 3:16; 1 John 4:7-11.

"The revelation of Himself that God has given in His word is for our study. This we may seek to understand. But beyond this we are not to penetrate. The highest intellect may tax itself until it is wearied out in conjectures regarding the nature of God, but the effort will be fruitless. This problem has not been given us to solve. No human mind can comprehend God. None are to indulge in speculation regarding His nature. Here silence is eloquence. The Omniscient One is above discussion."-The Ministry of Healing, p. 429.

"The Father cannot be described by the things of earth. The Father is all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and is invisible to mortal sight. The Son is all the fullness of the Godhead manifested. The Word of God declares Him to be 'the express image of His person' (Hebrews 1:3). 'God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life' (John 3:16). Here is shown the personality of the Father.

"The Comforter that Christ promised to send after He ascended to heaven is the Spirit in all the fullness of the Godhead, making manifest the power of divine grace to all who receive and believe in Christ as a personal Saviour. There are three living persons of the heavenly trio: in the name of these three great powers-the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit-those who receive Christ by living faith are baptized, and these powers will cooperate with the obedient subjects of heaven in their efforts to live the new life in Christ."-Evangelism, pp. 614, 615.

"God is a spirit; yet He is a personal being, for man was made in His image."-Testimonies, vol. 8, p. 263.

"Christ says, My sheep hear My voice, and they follow Me away from the byways of sin. As Christ worked, so you are to work. In tenderness and love seek to lead the erring to the right way. This will call for great patience and forbearance, and for the constant manifestation of the forgiving love of Christ. Daily the Saviour's compassion must be revealed. The example He has left must be followed. He took upon His sinless nature our sinful nature, that He might know how to succor those that are tempted."-Medical Ministry, p. 181.

"Avoid every question in relation to the humanity of Christ which is liable to be misunderstood. Truth lies close to the track of presumption. In treating upon the humanity of Christ, you need to guard strenuously every assertion, lest your words be taken to mean more than they imply, and thus you lose or dim the clear perceptions of His humanity as combined with divinity. His birth was a miracle of God; for, said the angel, 'Behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God'" (Luke 1:31-35). -The SDA Bible Commentary [E. G. White Comments], vol. 5, p. 1128.

A. THE FATHER

The Father is the First Person of the Godhead. Matthew 3:17; 11:25; John 14:28; 15:1, 9; Acts 1:7; 2 Corinthians 1:3; Hebrews 1:1-13; James 1:17.

Through Christ and the Holy Spirit, the Father is the Creator and Sustainer of all. Malachi 2:10; Hebrews 1:1-3; Colossians 1:14-16; John 1:3; Job 26:13; 33:4; Psalm 104:30.

God is the Father of all who accept Christ as their personal Saviour and obey all His commandments. Matthew 5:48; 6:9; John 1:12, 13; 20:17; Romans 8:15-17; 2 Corinthians 6:17, 18; 1 John 3:24.

The most outstanding attribute of the Father-which motivated the plan of salvation-is His love. John 3:16; 1 John 4:8-13, 16. His love is revealed in us if He dwells in us through the Holy Spirit. John 14:16, 23; Romans 8:14; 1 John 4:16.

"Jesus teaches us to call His Father our Father. He is not ashamed to call us brethren. Hebrews 2:11. So ready, so eager, is the Saviour's heart to welcome us as members of the family of God, that in the very first words we are to use in approaching God He places the assurance of our divine relationship, 'Our Father.'"-Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, p. 103.

"The Ancient of Days is God the Father. Says the psalmist: 'Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever Thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, Thou art God' (Psalm 90:2). It is He, the source of all being, and the fountain of all law, that is to preside in the judgment."-The Great Controversy, p. 479.

B. THE SON

Christ, the Second Person of the Godhead (1 Timothy 3:16; Titus 2:13; Hebrews 1:8), is the eternal, self-existent Son of God, the "express image" (Hebrews 1:3; John 14:7-10) of the Father. Together with the Father, He is the beginner (Revelation 3:14, Gr. Arche-originator), of all things. John 1:1-3; Colossians 1:15-17; Hebrews 1:2; Romans 9:5 (cf. John 17:3; 1 John 5:20); Isaiah 9:6; John 6:33.

The eternal preexistence of Christ is clearly taught in the Bible. Micah 5:2; Proverbs 8:22-30; John 1:1, 2, 14; 17:5, 24. A comparison between Isaiah 40:3-5 and Matthew 3:3proves that Christ is part of the Godhead. See also Exodus 3:14 and John 8:58.

As Christ is also God, one with the Father and equal with Him, He is also to be worshipped. This would not be the case if He were a created being or one who came into existence after the Father (Revelation 19:10). John 10:30; 20:28; Matthew 14:33; Luke 4:8; Philippians 2:9-11; Hebrews 1:6; Luke 24:52.

Without giving up His divinity, Christ accepted humanity and became a man at His incarnation, when He was born of the virgin Mary. Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23; Luke 1:35. At His birth in Bethlehem, He did not take the nature of Adam before the fall, but the seed of Abraham and of David. John 1:14; Romans 8:3; Hebrews 2:14, 16, 17; Philippians 2:7, 8; Romans 1:3, 4; 2 Timothy 2:8.

Christ came into the world "to seek and to save that which was lost" (Luke 19:10); to live and die for our justification and sanctification (Romans 5:9, 10; 1 John 1:9; John 17:19); to take away our sins (Matthew 1:21; John 1:29; 1 Timothy 1:15; 1 John 3:5); to redeem us from the penalty of the law (Galatians 3:13; 4:4, 5); to condemn sin in the flesh, enabling us, by the Holy Spirit, to fulfill the righteousness of the law (Romans 8:3, 4); to give us an example of obedience (John 15:10; 1 Peter 2:21-24; 1 John 2:5, 6; Hebrews 5:8, 9); and to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8).

As a man, Christ was tempted in all points like ourselves; yet He knew no sin. Mark 1:13; Luke 4:1, 2, 13; Hebrews 2:18; 4:15; John 14:30; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:22.

The vicarious death of Christ on the cross provides the sacrificial part (the blood offering) of the atonement for the sins of the human race. Only those who accept this provision will be saved. Isaiah 53:1-12; John 3:14-17; 2 Corinthians 5:19; Hebrews 9:22; 1 Peter 1:18, 19; 1 John 1:7. The intercessory part of the atonement is provided by Christ's mediation in the sanctuary above (Romans 5:8-11; 8:34; Hebrews 8:12).

Dual Nature

"The Godhead was not made human, and the human was not deified by the blending together of the two natures. Christ did not possess the same sinful, corrupt, fallen disloyalty we possess, for then He could not be a perfect offering."-Selected Messages, bk. 3, p. 131.

"[Christ] has a twofold nature, at once human and divine. He is both God and man."-SDA Bible Commentary [E. G. White Comments], vol. 6, p. 1074.

"The two natures were mysteriously blended in one person-the man Christ Jesus."-Ibid., vol. 5, p. 1113.

"By His humanity, Christ touched humanity; by His divinity, He lays hold upon the throne of God. As the Son of man, He gave us an example of obedience; as the Son of God, He gives us power to obey."-The Desire of Ages, p. 24.

Divine Nature

"Christ was God essentially, and in the highest sense. He was with God from all eternity, God over all, blessed for evermore."-Selected Messages, bk. 1, p. 247.

"In speaking of His preexistence, Christ carries the mind back through dateless ages. He assures us that there never was a time when He was not in close fellowship with the eternal God." -Evangelism, p. 615.

"From the days of eternity the Lord Jesus Christ was one with the Father."-The Desire of Ages, p. 19.

"Silence fell upon the vast assembly [of Pharisees and rulers and people]. The name of God, given to Moses to express the idea of the eternal presence, had been claimed as His own by this Galilean Rabbi. He had announced Himself to be the self-existent One, He who had been promised to Israel, 'whose goings forth have been from of old, from the days of eternity' (Micah 5:2, margin)."-Ibid., pp. 469, 470.

"When the voice of the mighty angel was heard at Christ's tomb, saying, Thy Father calls Thee, the Saviour came forth from the grave by the life that was in Himself. Now was proved the truth of His words, 'I lay down My life, that I might take it again. . . . I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again.' Now was fulfilled the prophecy He had spoken to the priests and rulers, 'Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up' (John 10:17, 18; 2:19).

"Over the rent sepulcher of Joseph Christ had proclaimed in triumph, 'I am the resurrection, and the life.' These words could be spoken only by the Deity. All created beings live by the will and power of God. They are dependent recipients of the life of God. From the highest seraph to the humblest animate being, all are replenished from the Source of life. Only He who is one with God could say, I have power to lay down My life, and I have power to take it again. In His divinity, Christ possessed the power to break the bonds of death."-Ibid., p. 785.

"In Him dwelt all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. When Christ was crucified, it was His human nature that died. Deity did not sink and die; that would have been impossible."-The SDA Bible Commentary [E. G. White Comments], vol. 5, p. 1113.

"The spirit of Jesus slept in the tomb with His body, and did not wing its way to heaven, there to maintain a separate existence, and to look down upon the mourning disciples embalming the body from which it had taken flight. All that comprised the life and intelligence of Jesus remained with His body in the sepulcher; and when He came forth it was as a whole being; He did not have to summon His spirit from heaven. He had power to lay down His life and to take it up again."-Ibid., pp. 1150, 1151.

"The divinity of Christ is the believer's assurance of eternal life."-The Desire of Ages, p. 530.

Human Nature

"It would have been an almost infinite humiliation for the Son of God to take man's nature, even when Adam stood in his innocence in Eden. But Jesus accepted humanity when the race had been weakened by four thousand years of sin. Like every child of Adam He accepted the results of the working of the great law of heredity."-Ibid., p. 49.

"At an infinite cost, and by a process mysterious to angels as well as to men, Christ assumed humanity. Hiding His divinity, laying aside His glory, He was born a babe in Bethlehem."-The Youth's Instructor, July 20, 1899.

"When Jesus took human nature, and became in fashion as a man, He possessed all the human organism. His necessities were the necessities of a man. He had bodily wants to be supplied, bodily weariness to be relieved. By prayer to the Father He was braced for duty and for trial."-The SDA Bible Commentary [E. G. White Comments], vol. 5, p. 1130.

"He is a brother in our infirmities, but not in possessing like passions. As the sinless One, His nature recoiled from evil."-Testimonies, vol. 2, p. 202.

"The humanity of the Son of God is everything to us. It is the golden chain that binds our souls to Christ, and through Christ to God. This is to be our study. Christ was a real man; He gave proof of His humility in becoming a man. Yet He was God in the flesh. When we approach this subject, we would do well to heed the words spoken by Christ to Moses at the burning bush, 'Put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground' (Exodus 3:5)."-Selected Messages, bk. 1, p. 244.

Tempted in All Points

"Clad in the vestments of humanity, the Son of God came down to the level of those He wished to save. In Him was no guile or sinfulness; He was ever pure and undefiled; yet He took upon Him our sinful nature. Clothing His divinity with humanity, that He might associate with fallen humanity, He sought to regain for man that which, by disobedience, Adam had lost for himself and for the world."-The Review and Herald, December 15, 1896.

"Christ's heart was pierced by a far sharper pain than that caused by the nails driven into His hands and feet. He was bearing the sins of the whole world, enduring our punishment-the wrath of God against transgression. His trial involved the fierce temptation of thinking that he was forsaken by God. His soul was tortured by the pressure of great darkness, lest He should swerve from His uprightness during the terrible ordeal. Unless there is a possibility of yielding, temptation is no temptation. Temptation is resisted when man is powerfully influenced to do a wrong action; and, knowing that he can do it, resists, by faith, with a firm hold upon divine power. This was the ordeal through which Christ passed. He could not have been tempted in all points as man is tempted, had there been no possibility of His failing. He was a free agent, placed on probation, as was Adam, and as is every man. In His closing hours, while hanging on the cross, He experienced to the fullest extent what man must experience when striving against sin. He realized how bad a man may become by yielding to sin. He realized the terrible consequence of the transgression of God's law; for the iniquity of the whole world was upon Him."-The Youth's Instructor, July 20, 1899.

"When His ministry commenced, after His baptism, He endured an agonizing fast of nearly six weeks. It was not merely the gnawing pangs of hunger which made His sufferings inexpressibly severe, but it was the guilt of the sins of the world which pressed so heavily upon Him. He who knew no sin was made sin for us. With this terrible weight of guilt upon Him because of our sins He withstood the fearful test upon appetite, and upon love of the world and of honor, and pride of display which leads to presumption."-Testimonies, vol. 3, p. 372.

Yet Without Sin

"Christ was the only one who walked the earth upon whom there rested no taint of sin."-Selected Messages, bk. 3, p. 134.

"Be careful, exceedingly careful as to how you dwell upon the human nature of Christ. Do not set Him before the people as a man with the propensities of sin. He is the second Adam. The first Adam was created a pure, sinless being, without a taint of sin upon him; he was in the image of God. He could fall, and he did fall through transgressing. Because of sin his posterity was born with inherent propensities of disobedience. But Jesus Christ was the only begotten Son of God. He took upon Himself human nature, and was tempted in all points as human nature is tempted. He could have sinned; He could have fallen, but not for one moment was there in Him an evil propensity."-The SDA Bible Commentary [E. G. White Comments], vol. 5, p. 1128.

"The prince of darkness found nothing in Him; not a single thought or feeling responded to temptation."-Testimonies, vol. 5, p. 422.

"[Christ] was to take His position at the head of humanity by taking the nature but not the sinfulness of man."-The SDA Bible Commentary [E. G. White Comments], vol. 7, p. 925.

"We should have no misgivings in regard to the perfect sinlessness of the human nature of Christ."-Ibid., vol. 5, p. 1131.

"He was unsullied with corruption, a stranger to sin; yet He prayed, and that often with strong crying and tears. He prayed for His disciples and for Himself, thus identifying Himself with our needs, our weaknesses, and our failings, which are so common with humanity. He was a mighty petitioner, not possessing the passions of our human, fallen natures, but compassed with like infirmities, tempted in all points even as we are. Jesus endured agony which required help and support from His Father."-Testimonies, vol. 2, pp. 508, 509.

"Every sin, every discord, every defiling lust that transgression had brought, was torture to His spirit."-The Desire of Ages, p. 111.

We Can Overcome in the Same Way

"Many who fall under temptation excuse themselves with the plea that Christ's divinity helped Him overcome, and that man has not this power in his favor. But this is a mistake. Christ has brought divine power within the reach of all. The Son of God came to the earth because He saw that moral power in man is weak. He came to bring finite man in close connection with God. It is by combining divine power with His human strength that man becomes an overcomer."-The Youth's Instructor, December 28, 1899.

"Jesus revealed no qualities, and exercised no powers, that men may not have through faith in Him. His perfect humanity is that which all His followers may possess, if they will be in subjection to God as He was."-The Desire of Ages, p. 664.

"When we are tempted to question whether Christ resisted temptation as a man, we must search the Scriptures for the truth. As the substitute and surety of the human race, Christ was placed in the same position toward the Father as is the sinner. Christ had the privilege of depending on the Father for strength, and so have we."-The Youth's Instructor, December 28, 1899.

"God has adopted human nature in the person of His Son, and has carried the same into the highest heaven. . . . In Christ the family of earth and the family of heaven are bound together."-The Desire of Ages, pp. 25, 26.

Christ's Intercession

After He had died on the cross for our sins (1 Corinthians 15:3), Christ resurrected on the third day (Luke 24:19-24, 46; 1 Corinthians 15:4); and, forty days later, He ascended to heaven (Acts 1:3, 11) to make intercession for us and complete the work of atonement (Hebrews 9:24; 7:25; Romans 8:34; 1 Timothy 2:5; John 14:6; Acts 4:12). Through the merits of His blood (Hebrews 9:11-14; Revelation 7:14), the cleansing of the sanctuary and the blotting out of sins (Acts 3:19), the final phase of the atonement commenced in 1844 (Daniel 8:14; Hebrews 8:1-4; 9:23), when the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary was opened (Revelation 11:19).

"The intercession of Christ in man's behalf in the sanctuary above is as essential to the plan of salvation as was His death upon the cross."-The Great Controversy, p. 489.

"The divine Intercessor presents the plea that all who have overcome through faith in His blood be forgiven their transgressions, that they be restored to their Eden home, and crowned as joint heirs with Himself to 'the first dominion' (Micah 4:8)."-Ibid., p. 484.

"By His spotless life, His obedience, His death on the cross of Calvary, Christ interceded for the lost race. And now not as a mere petitioner does the Captain of our salvation intercede for us, but as a conqueror claiming His victory."-The SDA Bible Commentary [E. G. White Comments], vol. 7, pp. 930, 931.

C. THE HOLY SPIRIT

The Holy Spirit, the representative of Christ and the Father, is the Third Person of the Godhead. He is, besides Christ, the greatest of all gifts of God to humanity; and through Him, Christ promise to be with His followers. John 14:16-18, 23; Matthew 28:19, 20; 1 John 3:24; 4:12, 13; Ephesians 3:16, 17; Romans 8:9-11.

A comparison between Isaiah 6:8-10 and Acts 28:25-27 shows that the Holy Spirit is a distinct part of the Godhead. Isaiah 48:16. While Christ is our Mediator before the Father (1 Timothy 2:5), the Holy Spirit makes intercession for us by working upon our heart. Romans 8:26 (cf. verse 34).

The first work of the Holy Spirit is to convict us of sin and to lead us to Christ. John 16:8. By accepting Jesus as our personal Saviour, we yield to the influence and control of the Holy Spirit, who testifies of Christ and brings repentance, conversion (new birth or regeneration), and sanctification. He continues to lead us into all truth (obedience), and we become partakers of the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4), having the mind of Christ. John 15:26; 16:8; 3:5-8; Titus 3:5; 1 Corinthians 6:11; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Romans 8:1, 2, 9, 14, 16; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; Galatians 5:16, 25; John 16:13; 1 Corinthians 2:10-16.

Before a person can receive the gifts of the Spirit, he or she must bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit in his or her life (Galatians 5:22-25; 1 Corinthians 12:7-11).

The gift of the Holy Spirit is the earnest (pledge) of our resurrection. The presence of God's Spirit with us is the beginning of eternal life. Romans 8:9-11 (cf. John 11:25, 26; 1 John 4:13; Ephesians 1:13, 14).

Personality

The Holy Spirit is often referred to as a power proceeding from the Father and the Son-a power working in and through human beings. Micah 3:8; Luke 1:35; 4:14; 24:49; Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 2:4.

At the same time, however, the Bible also refers to the Holy Spirit as a distinct personality. Examples:

1. The Father is eternal, the Son is eternal, and the Holy Spirit is eternal. Isaiah 40:3 (Hebrew, cf. Matthew 3:3); Isaiah 6:8-11 (Hebrew, cf. Acts 28:25-27; Hebrews 9:14; Exodus 17:7.

2. He is a Comforter (John 14:26; 16:7).

3. He hears, speaks, guides us, and reveals future events to us (John 16:13; Luke 2:26).

4. He warns us of future trials and afflictions (Acts 20:23; 21:11).

5. He teaches us all things and brings the words of Christ to our remembrance (John 14:26).

6. He comes to us with prohibitions and commands (Acts 16:6; 13:2).

7. He gives messages to the people of God through the prophets (2 Peter 1:21).

8. He has a mind (Romans 8:27), a will (1 Corinthians 12:7-11), and a capacity for love (Romans 15:30). He is susceptible to being insulted and grieved (Ephesians 4:30), tempted (Acts 5:9), and lied to (Acts 5:3).

9. He searches all things, even "the secrets which lie hidden in the mind of God" (1 Corinthians 2:10, 11).

10. He glorifies Christ as Christ glorified the Father (John 16:14; 17:1).

11. He makes intercession for us (Romans 8:26).

12. He refers to Himself as an individual, using the personal pronouns "I" and "Me" (Acts 13:2).

"We need to realize that the Holy Spirit, who is as much a person as God is a person, is walking through these grounds. (From a talk to the students at the Avondale School.)"-Evangelism, p. 616.

"[The Holy Spirit] personifies Christ, yet is a distinct personality."-Manuscript Releases, vol. 20, p. 324.

"The Holy Spirit is a free, working, independent agency."-The Review and Herald, May 5, 1896.

The Holy Spirit shares the omniscience and omnipotence of the Godhead.

"[Christ] knew that truth, armed with the omnipotence of the Holy Spirit, would conquer in the battle with evil."-The Acts of the Apostles, p. 21.

"The Spirit was to be given as a regenerating agent, and without this the sacrifice of Christ would have been of no avail. The power of evil had been strengthening for centuries, and the submission of men to this satanic captivity was amazing. Sin could be resisted and overcome only through the mighty agency of Third Person of the Godhead, who would come with no modified energy, but in the fullness of divine power. It is the Spirit that makes effectual what has been wrought out by the world's Redeemer. It is by the Spirit that the heart is made pure."-The Desire of Ages, p. 671.

"Our sanctification is the work of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit."-The SDA Bible Commentary [E. G. White Comments], vol. 7, p. 908.

"The Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, powers infinite and omniscient, receive those who truly enter into covenant relation with God. They are present at every baptism, to receive the candidates who have renounced the world and have received Christ into the soul temple. These candidates have entered into the family of God, and their names are inscribed in the Lamb's book of life."-Ibid., vol. 6, p. 1075.

"The Holy Spirit indites all genuine prayer. I have learned to know that in all my intercessions the Spirit intercedes for me and for all saints; but His intercessions are according to the will of God, never contrary to His will. 'The Spirit also helpeth our infirmities;' and the Spirit, being God, knoweth the mind of God; therefore in every prayer of ours for the sick, or for other needs, the will of God is to be regarded. 'For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God' (1 Corinthians 2:11). If we are taught of God, we shall pray in conformity to His revealed will, and in submission to His will which we know not. We are to make supplication according to the will of God, relying on the precious Word, and believing that Christ not only gave Himself for but to His disciples. The record declares, 'He breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost' (John 20:22)."-The Signs of the Times, October 3, 1892.

The Nature of the Holy Spirit

Here we enter upon a subject where we have-like Moses in the wilderness-to take off our shoes. The Lord tells us by His servant: "It is not essential for us to be able to define just what the Holy Spirit is. Christ tells us that the Spirit is the Comforter, 'the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father.' It is plainly declared regarding the Holy Spirit that, in His work of guiding men into all truth, 'He shall not speak of Himself' (John 15:26; 16:13).

"The nature of the Holy Spirit is a mystery. Men cannot explain it, because the Lord has not revealed it to them. Men having fanciful views may bring together passages of Scripture and put a human construction on them, but the acceptance of these views will not strengthen the church. Regarding such mysteries, which are too deep for human understanding, silence is golden."-The Acts of the Apostles, pp. 51, 52.

Often the Holy Spirit is referred to as a power proceeding from the Father and the Son-a power working in and through human beings (Micah 3:8; Luke 1:35; 4:14; 24:49; Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 2:4).

The nature of the Holy Spirit remains to us a mystery. We should take heed to the explanation in Deuteronomy 29:29: "The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law."

Function

"By the Spirit the Saviour would be accessible to all. In this sense He would be nearer to them than if He had not ascended on high."-The Desire of Ages, p. 669.

"Christ, our Mediator, and the Holy Spirit are constantly interceding in man's behalf, but the Spirit pleads not for us as does Christ who presents His blood, shed from the foundation of the world; the Spirit works upon our hearts, drawing out prayers and penitence, praise and thanksgiving."-The SDA Bible Commentary [E. G. White Comments], vol. 6, p. 1077.

"Whenever one renounces sin, which is the transgression of the law, his life will be brought into conformity to the law, into perfect obedience. This is the work of the Holy Spirit."-Testimonies, vol. 6, p. 92.

"If men are willing to be molded, there will be brought about a sanctification of the whole being. The Spirit will take the things of God and stamp them on the soul. By His power the way of life will be made so plain that none need err therein."-The Acts of the Apostles, p. 53.

Power in Resurrection

"Christ became one flesh with us, in order that we might become one spirit with Him. It is by virtue of this union that we are to come forth from the grave-not merely as a manifestation of the power of Christ, but because, through faith, His life has become ours. Those who see Christ in His true character, and receive Him into the heart, have everlasting life. It is through the Spirit that Christ dwells in us; and the Spirit of God, received into the heart by faith, is the beginning of the life eternal."-The Desire of Ages, p. 388. Read Romans 8:11.


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