“And yet if I judge, my judgment is true: for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent Me. And He that sent Me is with Me: the Father hath not left Me alone; for I do always those things that please Him. As He spake these words, many believed on Him. Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on Him, If ye continue in My word, then are ye My disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:16, 29–32
So many people are really afraid of being alone in this life. Jesus acknowledged the problem Himself, as we see from the opening text. Every child, and every youth must learn to stand singly and alone for the truth’s sake, if they would win precious victories over self, sin and Satan. Without this ability to be alone, and depend upon God, we are bound to fail. Satan keeps thousands enslaved by peer pressure.
The fear of standing out, of being different, rules thousands and millions of young people—and even a lot of older people, as well. No one wants to be rejected. I remember being a young person, and how I so desperately wanted to fit in and be respected for who and what I was. My family moved a lot when I was young so I experienced being the new child, at school regularly. Unfortunately, I did not have any kind of truth to guide, help and comfort me—only my parents telling me, “Be a good boy, Jerry.” I did not want to be alone, I did not want to have the disapproval of my peers. God created us as social creatures, and we desire to have the approval of people, quite naturally. So it can be a problem when it comes to serving God, because quite often people choose the approval of man, over the approval of God.
“For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe. These things command and teach. Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.” 1 Timothy 4:10–13
Jesus was quite young when He had to suffer misrepresentation and abuse for His stand for truth. “Jesus was misunderstood by His brothers because He was not like them. His standard was not their standard. In looking to men they had turned away from God, and they had not His power in their lives. The forms of religion which they observed could not transform the character. They paid ‘tithe of mint and anise and cummin,’ but omitted ‘the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith.’ Matthew 23:23. The example of Jesus was to them a continual irritation. He hated but one thing in the world, and that was sin. He could not witness a wrong act without pain which it was impossible to disguise. Between the formalists, whose sanctity of appearance concealed the love of sin, and a character in which zeal for God’s glory was always paramount, the contrast was unmistakable. Because the life of Jesus condemned evil, He was opposed, both at home and abroad. His unselfishness and integrity were commented on with a sneer. His forbearance and kindness were termed cowardice.” –The Desire of Ages, p. 88. Ask yourself, has your character been maligned, as well, for your stand on truth?
“Of the bitterness that falls to the lot of humanity, there was no part which Christ did not taste. There were those who tried to cast contempt upon Him because of His birth, and even in His childhood He had to meet their scornful looks and evil whisperings. If He had responded by an impatient word or look, if He had conceded to His brothers by even one wrong act, He would have failed of being a perfect example. Thus He would have failed of carrying out the plan for our redemption. Had He even admitted that there could be an excuse for sin, Satan would have triumphed, and the world would have been lost. This is why the tempter worked to make His life as trying as possible, that He might be led to sin.
“But to every temptation He had one answer, ‘It is written.’ He rarely rebuked any wrongdoing of His brothers, but He had a word from God to speak to them. Often He was accused of cowardice for refusing to unite with them in some forbidden act; but His answer was, It is written, ‘The fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.’ Job 28:28
“There were some who sought His society, feeling at peace in His presence; but many avoided Him, because they were rebuked by His stainless life. Young companions urged Him to do as they did. He was bright and cheerful; they enjoyed His presence, and welcomed His ready suggestions; but they were impatient at His scruples, and pronounced Him narrow and strait-laced. Jesus answered, It is written, ‘Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to Thy word.’ ‘Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee.’ Psalm 119:9, 11.” –Ibid., p. 88–89
His lot was not easy in life—but then, learning to like your own company is a whole lot better than not being happy in your own company.
This fear of being alone probably rises to a crescendo for the typical young person in their teens or early twenties—why? Bcause there is a biological urge to mate and also there are social needs. We have man’s inherent selfishness and this is seen when many youth are mostly focused on themselves, rather than God. The more they study their own emotions, their own desires, the more they think that they have to be with someone else, or they will not, they cannot, be happy. But, please remem.ber: Was Jesus ever married?
The more we study our own emotions, the more we entangle ourselves in perplexity.
It is true, the Bible is full of promises about how the Lord will take the solitary and put them into families, but the primary family He wants to put us in, is His own family—the church (Psalm 68:6).
“Love is a sentiment so sacred that but few know what it is. It is a term used, but not understood. The warm glow of impulse, the fascination of one young person for another is not love; it does not deserve the name. True love has an intellectual basis, a deep, thorough knowledge of the object loved. But this catching up with objects and bestowing on them the thoughts and affections, is without reason, without judgment, and is excessive, temporary, and sensual.
“Remember that impulsive love is perfectly blind. It will as soon be placed on unworthy objects as worthy. Command such love to stand still and cool. Give place to genuine thought and deep, earnest reflection. Is this object of your affection, in the scale of intelligence and moral excellence, in deportment and cultivated manners, such that you will feel a pride in presenting her to your father’s family, to acknowledge her in all society as the object of your choice, one whose society, conversational powers, and manners will interest and satisfy your most grand expectations? Will Nellie fill this bill? I answer decidedly, No, she will not.
“Let time teach you discretion, and what the genuine claims of love are, before it is allowed to step one inch further. Ruin, fearful ruin, is before you in this life and the next, if you pursue the course you have been following. Look to the family history. Two families are to be brought into close and sacred connection. Perfection in all these relations is not, of course, to be expected, but you would make a most cruel move to marry a girl whose ancestry and relatives would degrade and mortify you, or tempt you to slight and ignore them.
“It is safe to make haste slowly in these matters. Give yourself sufficient time for observation on every point, and then do not trust to your own judgment, but let the mother who loves you, and your father, and confidential friends, make critical observation of the one you feel inclined to favor. Trust not to your own judgment, and marry no one whom you feel will not be an honor to your father and mother, [but] one who has intelligence and moral worth. The girl who gives over her affections to a man, and invites his attention by her advances, hanging around where she will be noticed of him unless he shall appear rude, is not the girl you want to associate with. Her conversation is cheap and frequently without depth.” –Testimonies on Sexual Behaviour, Adultery, and Divorce, p. 21–22
This kind of love, they must let cool, and learn to be happy with themselves, with the love of God flowing constantly to them. Then they can be truly spiritual and truly happy.
In many theological circles, Muslim, Jewish, and others—people try to tell us that God is alone, but the evidence, right from the beginning, says otherwise:
“And God said, Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them.” Genesis 1: 26–27. “The LORD possessed me in the beginning of His way, before His works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was.” “Then I was by Him, as one brought up with Him: and I was daily His delight, rejoicing always before Him.” Proverbs 8: 22–23, 30.“But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall He come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.” Micah 5:2
It seems that many people in the world feel that God has to be alone, and they are afraid of Him sharing His glory with another. But, apparently God is so unselfish that He has no problem with the other members of the Godhead sharing His glory.
In Adventist history many of the pioneers taught that God was initially alone, and Jesus came later, with the Holy Spirit just being the power, or active force of God.
Uriah Smith, E.J. Waggoner and many others held to this opinion at first. Ellen G. White though, said, from the very beginning of her writings, that God was echad, or plural in His oneness.
For example, Ellen G. White often referred to John 14:16 and the Comforter bringing the presence of Jesus to the believer. She continued this theme as she presented the Holy Spirit as the Third Person of the Godhead. She wrote, “Although our Lord ascended from earth to heaven, the Holy Spirit was appointed as His representative among men.” –Manuscript Releases, vol. 14, p. 23. She then quoted John 14:15–18 and continued, “Cumbered with humanity, Christ could not be in every place personally; therefore it was altogether for their advantage that He should leave them, go to His Father, and send the Holy Spirit to be His successor on earth.” –Ibid., p. 23. Ellen G. White was in agreement with the teaching of the Holy Spirit being a Person and also representing Jesus. One characteristic of the Biblical Godhead is that they represent or point to Each Other.
1) The Holy Spirit represented Jesus.
2) Jesus, throughout His life on earth, represented the Father. “Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father?” John 14:9
3) The Father pointed to and exalted the Son. “And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Matthew 3:17. “While He yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye Him.” Mathew 17:5. See also Mark 1:11; 9:7; Luke 3:22; 9:35.
In 1891, Ellen G. White wrote in response to a man who believed that the Holy Spirit was really the angel Gabriel and that the 144,000 will be Jews that acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah. After giving important principles of biblical interpretation, she directly addressed his positions. “Your ideas of the two subjects you mention do not harmonize with the light which God has given me. The nature of the Holy Spirit is a mystery not clearly revealed, and you will never be able to explain it to others because the Lord has not revealed it to you.” She then quoted John 14:16 and continued, “This refers to the omnipresence of the Spirit of Christ, called the Comforter.” –Manuscript Releases, vol. 14, p. 179. Ellen G. White then confessed the limits of her own understanding: “There are many mysteries which I do not seek to understand or to explain; they are too high for me, and too high for you. On some of these points, silence is golden.” –Ibid, p. 179. In the absence of special insight on the nature and personality of the Holy Spirit, Ellen G. White stayed close to Scripture and, unlike the other Adventist writers previously cited, left the personality of the Holy Spirit undefined.
Perhaps you have seen, as I have, R.A. Underwood, a Seventh-day Adventist pioneer’s statement on the Holy Spirit being a person—which makes perfect sense to me—and how he came to this, over time. “The Holy Spirit is Christ’s personal representative in the field; and He is charged with the work of meeting Satan, and defeating this personal enemy of God and his government. It seems strange to me, now, that I ever believed that the Holy Spirit was only an influence, in view of the work He does.”
An active force cannot actually dwell with us and be in us, like a person can. Of all the people on this Earth—true Christians should be the most happy. Why do I say that? Because, if we have the approval of our Heavenly Father and the Holy Spirit to personally dwell with us, why do we ever have to feel lonely? What and who do we have to fear?
We have been promised the best and most powerful of all gifts—the personal representative of God—His Spirit, to be with us. “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.’ ‘God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ Here is shown the personality of the Father.” –Evangelism, p. 614
“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 co-operate with the obedient subjects of heaven in their efforts to live the new life in Christ. ” –Evangelism, p. 614–615
In conclusion: We are never alone, as long as we have God’s Spirit with us—we do not have to fear being alone, as long as He is with us. The problem of being alone is not really a problem, as long as we allow the Holy Spirit to be our comforter, stay and support. We do not have to be lonely, as we go forward by faith.
May God help His people to always walk so close to Him, seeking for His approval and allow Him to walk with us, that we will continue walking, and walk into heaven. I am very thankful for the truth that guides us through all the dark maze of this life. Amen.
Jerry Eaton