If you would be asked to give up your faith, or be sentenced to death, which one would you choose? To give up Sabbath and your obedience to God, or to die for your faith? Millions of Christians have faced this question. In the Middle Ages, over 50 million martyrs chose to die rather than to deny their faith.
In our own church, young men chose to die rather than join the army and to give up their faith, in the two World Wars.
To be a reformer means to sacrifice, to obey God, to give help, and to love. Reformers know the meaning of true love. They love sinners, evil people, even their enemies. They even try to save the criminals.
Is heaven and eternal life worth all this effort?
Is your love to God so strong that you would rather die than to disobey Him even in one point? If your answer is “yes”, that you would rather die, then the next question comes—would you also be willing to give up your idols? This includes your bad habits, your worldly friends, vain television shows, and unhealthy foods, and many other idols.
In reality, God wants us to give up only things that are harmful to us, things that would keep us out of heaven, and which would endanger our spiritual and physical health. God wants us to be saved into eternal life, and for this He has set up mediums to secure our salvation. If we neglect these mediums, then God has to remove our names from the Book of Life.
The church family is a great medium for our salvation. “We sustain a loss when we neglect the privilege of associating together to strengthen and encourage one another in the service of God. The truths of His word lose their vividness and importance in our minds. Our hearts cease to be enlightened and aroused by the sanctifying influence, and we decline in spirituality. In our intercourse as Christians we lose much by lack of sympathy with one another. He who shuts himself up to himself is not filling the position that God designed he should. We are all children of one Father, dependent upon one another for happiness. The claims of God and of humanity are upon us. It is the proper cultivation of the social elements of our nature that brings us into sympathy with our brethren and affords us happiness in our efforts to bless others.” –Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 541
“It is a serious mistake to neglect the public worship of God. The privileges of divine service should not be lightly regarded.” –The Ministry of Healing, p. 511
Another important medium is Bible study. We read, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” Psalm 119:105
“None but those who have fortified their mind with the truth of the Bible will stand through the last great conflict.” –The Great Controversy, p. 593. We need to read the word of God, daily.
Also, God has given us the Spirit of Prophecy writings. Sister White wrote more than 100,000 pages of messages given to her by God.
“The testimonies of the Spirit of God are given to direct men to His Word, which has been neglected. Now if their messages are not heeded, the Holy Spirit is shut away from the soul. What further means has God in reserve to reach the erring ones, and show them their true condition?” –Selected Messages, book 1, p. 46
We may say that we believe the testimonies of Sister White, but if we do not read them and put them into practice, it is equal to rejecting them, and the Holy Spirit will leave us.
In order to live to be able to overcome every sin, we need to pray without ceasing. “No man is safe for a day or an hour without prayer.” –The Great Controversy, p. 530
Jesus spent the whole night in prayer. “And it came to pass in those days, that He went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.” Luke 6:12. If Jesus needed to pray all night, then we need to do the same.
Another requirement for our salvation is health reform. “The light God has given on health reform is for our salvation and the salvation of the world.” –Counsels on Health, p. 446
“It was in love that our heavenly Father sent the light of health reform to guard against the evils that result from unrestrained indulgence of appetite.” –Child Guidance, p. 461
“The controlling power of appetite will prove the ruin of thousands, when, if they had conquered on this point, they would have had moral power to gain the victory over every other temptation of Satan. But those who are slaves to appetite will fail in perfecting Christian character.” –Testimonies for the Church, vol. 3, p. 491
Also we must not neglect missionary work. By saving others we save ourselves. We are to love our neighbour as ourselves. Because of this love we cannot let them perish. We sing in our gospel hymn, “Work for the night is coming, when man works no more.”
Salvation is not a side issue in our lives; it is the main purpose of our lives.
Paul writes, “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:14
David had only one thing that he wanted in his life, “One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in His temple.” Psalm 27:4
Peter writes, “For even hereunto were we called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow His steps. 1 Peter 2:21
Can our sacrifice be any less than the sacrifice of Jesus?
“When once the gaze is fixed upon Him, the life finds its center. The enthusiasm, the generous devotion, the passionate ardor of the youth, find here their true object. Duty becomes a delight and sacrifice a pleasure. To honor Christ, to become like Him, to work for Him, is the life’s highest ambition and its greatest joy.” –Education, p. 297
If you are choosing to be saved, whatever it may cost, then you will drink the bitter cup, which Jesus drank also; then you are willing to go to prison or even to a martyr’s death. Then you are willing to pray without ceasing, and read the Bible every day, and do the work of saving souls. Then you will make it to heaven and sing the song of victory with others who also paid the same price. Heaven is worth it. The reward given to you pays a thousand times over for all your sacrifices and self-denials you have made.
Yet, all our sacrifices are not enough to pay for our entrance to heaven. It is the sacrifice of Jesus that opens the door to heaven for us. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23
If we love God and obey His commandments, we will receive the gift of eternal life. Amen.
Timo Martin