In a world full of distractions, where commitments mean little, it is easy to lose our bearings. God offers us a foundation that withstands every storm and truly transforms us. By Ellen White
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God’s law is the only standard by which our character can truly be measured. Jesus showed us what it means to live in harmony with that law. Through his actions, his words, and his entire being, he became the perfect example for us.
We cannot simply decide for ourselves what is right and wrong. We lack a true understanding of God’s perfect purity. Without his help, we cannot fully appreciate the value of his holy principles. As long as people fail to understand how binding God’s law really is, they give little thought to their own faults and weaknesses. They rest in a false sense of security and remain entirely undisturbed because they measure themselves by the wrong standards.
Just Believe?
Many people today proclaim, “You only need to believe! Everything is fine, as long as there is peace!” Yet this merely appears to soothe people’s consciences instead of turning them away from their misguided course. Their understanding of God’s principles is only superficial. In this condition, some even claim to be doing everything right. But this supposed faultlessness springs from sheer ignorance: they simply have not understood what God’s law truly requires.
The pleasant feeling that grows out of such self-satisfaction is a false peace. As soon as these people are confronted with genuine truth, their calm abruptly disappears. It then becomes clear that their peace did not come from Jesus.
His enemy rebelled against God’s law while still in heaven. Ever since, as a skilled and experienced strategist, he has devised new deceptions to set that law aside. He seeks to render ineffective the only reliable means of revealing our faults: God’s heavenly standard of righteousness.
Most people today drift through life thoughtlessly and irresponsibly, without seriously considering matters of eternal significance. One major reason for this indifference in our society is that even the Christian world has declared God’s law invalid. Many already consider themselves above such things and want nothing to do with binding rules. They deliberately shut out who God is, what his law requires, what true religion means, and how flawed their own character really is.
If the light of the truth embodied in Jesus were to dawn upon them, they would have to cry out in alarm, “I am unclean!” If they were honest with themselves, they would grieve over having broken God’s law. For it is through the law that we come to recognize what sin actually is (Romans 3:20). They would begin to trust in Jesus Christ, whose blood alone cleanses from all guilt. Only then would they experience the peace of Jesus: a deep, steady peace that surpasses all human understanding (Philippians 4:7).
The Wrong Checklist
Many people seem to believe that carefully observing outward religious forms and customs is enough to be saved. But mere formalism cannot give us the deep peace of God. Only Jesus can give us that. He promises, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not be afraid” (John 14:27). Those who carry this peace in their hearts will not be unsettled by the truth, because they are already in harmony with its spirit.
Those who self-righteously claim to be saved are rarely models of godliness. Often, the people who think most highly of their own moral superiority are furthest from God’s standards. This is a dangerous self-deception. They establish their own rules, judge their character by them, and congratulate themselves on their own ideas and achievements. They rely entirely on their feelings instead of grounding their faith in God’s Word.
The result is a distorted religion. Such people speak of God’s love while also claiming that he is not particularly strict and will simply turn a blind eye. In essence, they are repeating the serpent’s old lie in Eden: “Did God really say that you must not eat from any tree in the garden? […] You will certainly not die! For God knows that on the day you eat from it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:1–5).
Then as now, the argument is the same: God’s warnings are merely for show; there is no need to worry; he does not take things that seriously. When it comes to the principles of his law, people retreat into excuses for continuing to disregard the commandments and convince themselves that their conduct has no consequences.
God Has Already Planned the Way Out
But let us consider this soberly: Will God change his holy law to suit our wishes? Will he approve of wrongdoing and simply wave violations through? If God were so changeable, we could neither respect him nor take him seriously. Every transgression of his law has consequences. God safeguards the honor of his law because it is the foundation of his government in heaven and on earth—and it endures forever. The prophet Ezekiel states plainly, “The soul who sins shall die!” (Ezekiel 18:20). Sin simply means breaking God’s law.
At the same time, there is great comfort for everyone who is sorry for their sins: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8).
God will not change or weaken his law to save us. But he does something far greater: he gives us his own Son so that we may have a second chance. That is why Jesus became human—what an extraordinary expression of how much he values us! He experienced the same emotions and temptations as we do, yet remained entirely without sin. Although he knew no sin, he was made sin for us so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. He gave himself for us “to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people of his own possession, eager to do good works” (Titus 2:14).
Deep Cleansing
Instead of deceiving ourselves, let us recognize what our Lord is entitled to expect from all who call themselves his disciples! The truth seeks to cleanse and refine our character. It seeks to sanctify us. Only when we allow it to transform our lives will we bear the title of God’s “people of his own possession.”
We live in an age full of distractions and temptations. If we keep away from harmful influences, others may call us “strange,” “old-fashioned,” or “peculiar.” Yet this is precisely what God intends: he desires people who allow themselves to be visibly transformed and who do good.
Those who claim to believe the truth but behave just like the world in everyday life, conduct business selfishly, and disregard God’s Word harm the community. Such a double life is sheer hypocrisy. Everything we do should be as clear and transparent as sunlight. For wrongdoing does not become honest or right simply because it remains undiscovered.
Temptations surround us on every side. Our only safety lies in truly becoming the special people whom God cleanses from all wrongdoing and redeems for himself. Then we will be ready for his eternal kingdom.
Ellen White, “A Peculiar People,” Review and Herald, November 18, 1890.
Source: hoffnung-heute.info
