Lessons from The History of
How the True Light on the Covenants Was Established
1888 – 1900
Lesson 8
New Covenant Rest
Introduction
The 1888 message on the covenants and righteousness by faith was the beginning of the Revelation 18:1-4 final warning "loud-cry" message. The central theme of that message and therefore of the 'loud-cry' final warning message is and will be Christ and His Righteousness. And one of the wonderful results of understanding and preaching Christ our Righteousness is, and will be, a Christ-centered, rather than legalistic, presentation of the Sabbath truth. This is what Ellen White called 'presenting the Sabbath more fully.' Another wonderful result of experiencing and preaching Christ and His Righteousness will be the quick finishing of the work.
The message on the covenants and righteousness by faith is the message of deliverance from lukewarmness to the Laodicean Church, the beginning of the latter rain of the Holy Spirit!
The message rejected
One of the saddest facts in ecclesiastical history was that the SDA Church leadership rejected the message and shut it away from the membership and the world!
The most recent Sabbath School Quarterly (January-March 2003) on the covenants clearly shows that the SDA Church leadership continues in the path of rejection of the true light on the covenants.
Here are some Spirit of Prophecy quotations which prove that the message was rejected back there in the 1888 era!
“ The time of test is just upon us, for the loud cry of the third angel has already begun in the revelation of the righteousness of Christ, the sin-pardoning Redeemer. This is the beginning of the light of the angel whose glory shall fill the whole earth.” R.H. Nov. 22, 1892.
“ An unwillingness to yield up preconceived opinions, and to accept this truth, (the law in Galatians) lay at the foundation of a large share of the opposition manifested at Minneapolis against the Lord's message through Brethren {E.J.} Waggoner and {A.T.} Jones. By exciting that opposition Satan succeeded in shutting away from our people, in a great measure, the special power of the Holy Spirit that God longed to impart to them…. The enemy prevented them from obtaining that efficiency which might have been theirs in carrying the truth to the world, as the apostles proclaimed it after the day of Pentecost. The light that is to lighten the whole earth with its glory was resisted, and by the action of our own brethren has been in a great degree kept away from the world.” 1SM. 234, 235.
“ When Brother Waggoner brought out these ideas in Minneapolis, it was the first clear teaching on this subject from any human lips I had heard, excepting the conversations between myself and my husband.” MS 5, 1889.
“ Why do you cherish such bitterness against Elder A.T. Jones and Elder Waggoner? It is for the same reason Cain hated Abel. Cain refused to heed the instruction of God, and because Abel sought God, and followed His will, Cain killed him. God has given Brother Jones and Brother Waggoner a message for the people. You do not believe that God has upheld them, but He has given them precious light, and their message has fed the people of God. When you reject the message borne by these men, you reject Christ, the Giver of the message.” Letter 51-A, 1895.
“ When I purposed to leave Minneapolis, the Angel of the Lord stood by me and said: Not so; God has a work for you to do in this place… It is not you they are despising, but the messengers and the message I sent to my people.” Letter B-2A, 1892.
“ To accuse and criticize those whom God is using is to accuse and criticize the Lord who has sent them… The prejudices and opinions that prevailed at Minneapolis are not dead by any means… The roots have never been eradicated, and they still bear their unholy fruit to poison the judgment, pervert the perceptions, and blind the understanding of those with whom you connect, in regard to the message and the messengers (Jones and Waggoner).” TM. 466, 467.
Absolute principles of new covenant rest
The law of life and rest for the universe is the law of self-sacrificing love, a love in which there is no trace of 'self'. This love is Agapé and its Source is the heart of God.
Agapé love, the love of God, applies righteousness completely to any situation whatever the cost to self. This completeness, with which love covers any situation or problem with righteousness, is represented by the number 7!
In heaven before the development of sin there was perfect rest. The development of self-centeredness in Lucifer's mind produced unrest in heaven.
Lucifer's rebellion in heaven occurred before the creation of our solar system. Therefore when God created our world there were already two governments in the universe; God's government of absolutely selfless love and Satan's government of selfishness.
The Creator in His infinite unselfish love applied wisdom and righteousness to the task of creating our solar system and our planet until a completely righteous earth was produced by the end of creation week.
The result of the complete righteousness applied completely to our planet was the peace and rest of the perfect harmony (at-one-ment) between God and His creation. And God celebrated that prefall restfulness by blessing, sanctifying and resting on the seventh day after six days of creating.
The creation Sabbath therefore celebrated the completeness with which Agapé love applied righteousness and wisdom to produce a perfect world under God's government of glory.
The creation Sabbath was therefore a seventh-day Sabbath or rest. The number 7 meaning perfect completeness!
The entrance of sin by Adam's disobedience meant that the principle of self-centeredness in Satan's government took control of the world and the original prefall creation restfulness was lost.
Sin originated in self-seeking. Lucifer, the covering Cherub, desired to be First, in heaven. The eternal Son of God came to earth to demonstrate that the principle that has first place in the universe is not the principle of seeking to be first but the principle of self renouncing, self-crucifying love, a love which seeks not even its own rights but goes to the lowest position in order to elevate others to the highest place.
“ Love is patient; love is kind and envies no one. Love is never boastful, conceited, nor rude; never selfish, not quick to take offence. Love keeps no score of wrongs; does not gloat over other men’s sins, but delights in the truth. There is nothing love cannot face; there is no limit to its faith, its hope, and its endurance. Love will never come to an end.” 1 Cor. 13:4-8. NEB.
From all eternity past the Godhead foresaw the reality of Calvary's cross because the cross was but a revelation of the principles that from eternal ages have been the foundation of God's throne.
In creation love gave selflessly of righteousness to produce a perfect planet earth.
In redemption love gave all including the very life of God in order to redeem the lost creation.
Therefore, the original creation rest which was lost through Adma's disobedience has been restored through Christ's faith, obedience and sacrifice. Redemption has restored the original creation rest!
“ Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
“ Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.
“ For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:
“ That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 5:12, 18-21.
Since Jesus is our righteousness He is our Rest. The One who created our world and rested on that first seventh day is the One who became incarnate and died to redeem Adam's lost race.
The Son of God is the Creator who rested in Genesis 2:1-3. The Son of God is the Redeemer who is the new covenant Seed and Rest.
“ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
“ He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.” John 1:1-3, 10.
“ Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matt. 11:28-30.
Jesus is therefore the Lord of Rest, the Lord of the Sabbath.
“ And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath: Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.” Mark 2:27, 28.
Selfishness is the root cause of unrest. The cross of Christ crucifies self-centeredness and therefore gives rest.
“ But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.” Gal. 6:14.
“ Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin.
“ Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
“ For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Rom. 6:6-11.
The believer enters into rest by entering into Christ by faith. And the new covenant rest is celebrated on the same seventh day as the original creation rest.
‘ Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.
“ For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.
“ There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
“ For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works.” Hebrews 4:1, 3, 9, 10, 4.
“ Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.” 1 Rom. 4:4, 5.
" Learn of Me," says Jesus; "for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest." We are to enter the school of Christ, to learn from Him meekness and lowliness. Redemption is that process by which the soul is trained for heaven. This training means a knowledge of Christ. It means emancipation from ideas, habits, and practices that have been gained in the school of the prince of darkness. The soul must be delivered from all that is opposed to loyalty to God.
“ In the heart of Christ, where reigned perfect harmony with God, there was perfect peace. He was never elated by applause, nor dejected by censure or disappointment. Amid the greatest opposition and the most cruel treatment, He was still of good courage. But many who profess to be His followers have an anxious, troubled heart, because they are afraid to trust themselves with God. They do not make a complete surrender to Him; for they shrink from the consequences that such a surrender may involve. Unless they do make this surrender, they cannot find peace.
“ It is the love of self that brings unrest. When we are born from above, the same mind will be in us that was in Jesus, the mind that led Him to humble Himself that we might be saved. Then we shall not be seeking the highest place. We shall desire to sit at the feet of Jesus, and learn of Him. We shall understand that the value of our work does not consist in making a show and noise in the world, and in being active and zealous in our own strength. The value of our work is in proportion to the impartation of the Holy Spirit. Trust in God brings holier qualities of mind, so that in patience we may possess our souls.” D.A. 330.
“ As Jesus rested by faith in the Father's care, so we are to rest in the care of our Saviour. If the disciples had trusted in Him, they would have been kept in peace. Their fear in the time of danger revealed their unbelief. In their efforts to save themselves, they forgot Jesus; and it was only when, in despair of self-dependence, they turned to Him that He could give them help.
“ How often the disciples' experience is ours! When the tempests of temptation gather, and the fierce lightnings flash, and the waves sweep over us, we battle with the storm alone, forgetting that there is One who can help us. We trust to our own strength till our hope is lost, and we are ready to perish. Then we remember Jesus, and if we call upon Him to save us, we shall not cry in vain. Though He sorrowfully reproves our unbelief and self-confidence, He never fails to give us the help we need. Whether on the land or on the sea, if we have the Saviour in our hearts, there is no need of fear. Living faith in the Redeemer will smooth the sea of life, and will deliver us from danger in the way that He knows to be best.
“ There is another spiritual lesson in this miracle of the stilling of the tempest. Every man's experience testifies to the truth of the words of Scripture, "The wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest.. . . There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked." Isa. 57:20, 21. Sin has destroyed our peace. While self is unsubdued, we can find no rest. The masterful passions of the heart no human power can control. We are as helpless here as were the disciples to quiet the raging storm. But He who spoke peace to the billows of Galilee has spoken the word of peace for every soul. However fierce the tempest, those who turn to Jesus with the cry, "Lord, save us," will find deliverance. His grace, that reconciles the soul to God, quiets the strife of human passion, and in His love the heart is at rest. "He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. Then are they glad because they be quiet; so He bringeth them unto their desired haven." Ps. 107:29, 30. "Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." "The work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance forever." Rom. 5:1; Isa. 32:17. D.A. 336-337.
The significance of the seventh-day sabbath
The Seventh-day Sabbath is therefore the official flag or seal of God's government because it represents the completeness of the righteousness of God's absolutely unselfish love, first in creation, then in redemption.
The Son of God rested at the end of a completely perfect creative work. And the Son of God also rested at the end of a completely perfect redemptive work.
In both cases He rested on the Seventh day. The number seven (7) denotes completeness. Whenever God does a work He completes it in righteousness by His love through the principle of the cross.
Only those who know and experience the power of the Cross of Christ, the principle of self-sacrificing love, can have genuine rest. The Satanic and worldly principle of self-promotion, self-exaltation, self-centeredness and self-saving produces unrest.
“ And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.” Luke 9:23, 24.
The daily application of the principle of the cross gives victory over and rest from sin and this rest is celebrated every seventh-day!
In the new covenant God does the work and gives the rest. The believer works out what God works in and the end-result is spiritual rest.
In creation God spoke our earth into existence by His word and then each day for six days He worked to bring it to complete perfection. He then celebrated the completion of His work by the seventh day Sabbath rest.
In the redemption of the individual sinner, God's word in Christ Jesus begets a new creature, then day by day God continues the work of sanctification during which deep seated defects are cleansed out and the attributes of God's character of love are built into the character producing rest. This rest is celebrated every seventh-day.
Appeal
“Ishmael, who was born after the flesh, the child of the bondwoman, must always bear the servile taint. The child of a slave is not free-born. Ishmael is not, cannot be, what Isaac is – the child of the free woman. Now mark: I do not say that Ishmael ever desired to be like Isaac; I do not say that he felt himself to be loser by differing from Isaac; but, indeed, he was so. The man who is labouring for self-salvation by his own doings, feelings, and self-denials, may be proudly ignorant of his servile state; he may even boast that he was born free, and was never in bondage to any; and yet he spends his whole life in servitude. He never knows what liberty means, what content means, what delight in God means. He wonders when men talk about “full assurance of faith.” He judges that they must be presumptuous. He has scarcely time to breathe between the cracks of the whip. He has done so much, but he must do so much more; he has suffered so much, but he must suffer so much more. He has never come into “the rest which remaineth for the people of God;” for he is born of the bondwoman, and his spirit is ever in bondage. On the other hand, he that is born of the free woman, and understands that salvation is of the grace of God from first to last, and that where God has given his grace he does not take it back, for “the gifts and calling of God are without repentance” –such a man accepting the finished work of Christ, and knowing his acceptance in the Beloved, rests in the Lord, and rejoices exceedingly. His life and his spirit are filled with joy and peace, for he was born free, and he is free, yea, free indeed.” Spurgeon.
Final of the series
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