“And Knowest Not”
A terrible deception has fallen upon the angel of the church of the Laodiceans. He believes that he is “rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing,” and his true condition as revealed by the True Witness is exactly the opposite. “And knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.” Rev. 3:17.
This rebuke applies to the leaders of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Sister White repeatedly spoke to them and wrote in the testimonies that they are in a lukewarm condition and in a great deception. And what makes this condition almost incurable is the fact that they do not know it, because of their spiritual blindness. The lack of knowledge in the spiritual things destroys many.
“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thy hast rejected knowledge, I will reject thee.” Hosea 4:6. This verse applies to the people of God. What about the billions of people who are not part of the people of God? Over one billion Catholics do not know that their leader is the antichrist, and that their church is the beast of Revelation. They do not know that they are in the spiritual Babylon. There are educated, intelligent people: lawyers, doctors, priests with university degrees and yet lacking the most important knowledge.
There are hundreds and millions of Protestants and Evangelicals who do not know that the Sabbath is the day of rest, sanctified by God. They do not know that they are in the image of the beast, and the false prophet of Revelation.
There are millions of Seventh-day Adventists who do not know that the prophesied Reformation has come. Like the Jewish people who are still waiting for the coming of the Messiah, they are still waiting for the Reformation in the future.
There are thousands of members in the ’51 movement who do not know that by rejecting the true Reformation in prophecy, they are rejecting Christ and their salvation.
In the time of Noah, eight souls knew that the ark was their only salvation.
In the wilderness only two adults knew that murmuring against God’s leaders is a great sin.
After the disappointment in 1844, only a small remnant knew that sanctuary truth.
In 1914, only two percent of the European Seventh-day Adventists knew that it is sin to join the army.
Truly people have lost their salvation for the lack of knowledge. The church of God has been like a mustard seed since the beginning. It has grown to a large tree but after each shaking we see that the true children of God are still only a mustard seed, the smallest of all.
Now let us look into the true church of God, our Reform movement. Are there members who do not know that they are not ready for the Lord’s coming? Are there members who do not reflect the image of Jesus fully? Are there foolish virgins, who have no oil in their vessels? They have come a long way in their knowledge. They have come into the very church of God, but unless they learn to know what is yet lacking in them and put it into practice, they will perish with the previously mentioned groups; they will be found wanting.
The Jewish people thought that they were an holy nation, who fasted twice a week, who gave money to the poor and paid tithes of the mint and cumin. Yet Jesus called them the children of the devil, hypocrites.
They did also much missionary work but did Jesus approve it? He said, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.” Matt. 23:15.
When they cried, “Crucify Him, give us Barabbas,” they made a terrible choice because of their lack of knowledge.
It was lack of knowledge and utter blindness when the Seventh-day Adventists disfellowshipped the faithful members in 1914. They do not know that they became an enemy of God when they were fighting against His remnant church. It was lack of knowledge when they rejected the message of Christ’s righteousness in 1888. Today this is our message, but the question is, “how many understand this message for themselves?” In 1889, Sister White wrote that there was not one in hundred who understood it.
Anyone who has understood this message for themselves and fulfilled the conditions for receiving it, have stopped doing sin. Who is still struggling to overcome sin and failing in it, has failed for lack of knowledge.
The most difficult knowledge to learn is to know ourselves. Peter did not know himself when he said, “I will go to prison for you, and I will die for you.” Paul did not know that he was fighting against God when he persecuted the Christians. Judas did not know himself when he decided to betray Jesus.
“To know oneself is great knowledge…. Self knowledge leads to humility, and to trust in God.” Counsels to Parents and Teachers, p. 67.
Without the Holy Spirit we cannot have the true knowledge of ourselves. Humanly alone we tend to over-estimate ourselves.
The next great knowledge is to know God, His character and His love. When we learn to know Jesus, we want to be with Him, copy Him and be His disciple.
We also need to learn to know the evil nature of sin. If Adam and Eve had seen the future of their disobedience they most likely would not have gone near the forbidden tree. If we only would know that every sin we do will bring suffering upon us, we would hate sin so much that we would never want to sin, not even in our thoughts.
We need to learn how happy is the life of the faithful children of God. Sister White writes that a true Christian is surrounded by the atmosphere of heaven. The same happiness that we feel in heaven we can have now in the presence of angels and the Holy Spirit.
Our whole life is a school. Daily we are to learn lessons from God, from his Word, from His book of nature. Pray for the divine wisdom, and become a missionary to teach others who are still ignorant of this great salvation.
May the Lord help us that none of us will perish for the lack of knowledge is my wish and prayer.
AMEN
Timo Martin