By John Thiel, First Angel’s Message, study 27, mp3

We are in an apprenticeship with Christ which is the process of having our characters changed into the image of Jesus.

Ephesians 4:21 If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; 24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

As we’ve studied the gospel we have heard of him and we have been taught by him and the consequential activity is addressed that we go ahead and make the change. Put off the old man with the deceitful lusts as the new man is to be created.

Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

The gospel of Jesus is the creation of God. He takes the sinner and through the activity of the gospel He works on the sinner and recreates him. Its Gods work.

Isaiah 43:6 [Even] every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.

We are to be created in Christ Jesus for his glory. As the everlasting gospel is preached by the first angel it announces, give God the glory. As we have become so enlightened and affected with these studies of the gospel and its impact and our participation of the apprenticeship, there is a clear direction, I must do my part.

Colossians 1:29 Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.

God is creating in me, He is working in me, I’m his workmanship. What am I to do? I am to labour. Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. I labour, I strive.

2 Peter 1:10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:

Here is the call of my participation. The people who don’t participate are not giving God the glory. Give him the glory in the time of the hour of judgment.

To give glory to God is to reveal His character in our own, and thus make Him known. And in whatever way we make known the Father or the Son, we glorify God (MS 16, 1890). {7BC 979.4}

To give glory to God means to reveal his character in our own as in that way we make him known. Whatever way we make known the father or the son we glorify God. Lucifer has maligned the character of God. It is encumbering to us to release God. We can give God the glory. It is our privilege to glorify him now in this hour of the judgement as Lucifer has put such a terrible twist on Gods character.

In the opening of the great controversy, Satan had declared that the law of God could not be obeyed, that justice was inconsistent with mercy, and that, should the law be broken, it would be impossible for the sinner to be pardoned. Every sin must meet its punishment, urged Satan; and if God should remit the punishment of sin, He would not be a God of truth and justice. When men broke the law of God, and defied His will, Satan exulted. It was proved, He declared, that the law could not be obeyed; man could not be forgiven. Because he, after his rebellion, had been banished from heaven, Satan claimed that the human race must be forever shut out from God’s favor. God could not be just, He urged, and yet show mercy to the sinner. {DA 761.4}

But even as a sinner, man was in a different position from that of Satan. Lucifer in heaven had sinned in the light of God’s glory. To him as to no other created being was given a revelation of God’s love. Understanding the character of God, knowing His goodness, Satan chose to follow his own selfish, independent will. This choice was final. There was no more that God could do to save him. But man was deceived; his mind was darkened by Satan’s sophistry. The height and depth of the love of God He did not know. For him there was hope in a knowledge of God’s love. By beholding His character He might be drawn back to God. {DA 761.5}

It is this misalignment of Gods character that is our privilege to correct. That God is just and yet can justify the sinner. It is our privilege to give God the glory. What was Gods glory when Moses asked him to show it? The very thing that Lucifer said He wasn’t we are to demonstrate.

Exodus 34:6 And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, 7 Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear [the guilty]; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth [generation].

Lucifer said He can’t be a just God if he’s going to forgive people. But his character is of such a nature that He can forgive iniquity, transgression, and sin. Iniquity = lawlessness, transgression = breaking of the law, sin = all that and more. God can forgive and yet be just? This is our work to demonstrate. The judgement must reveal this. God’s glory is under scrutiny. It’s how He deals with the sin and with sinners is what must be demonstrated to be contrary to what Lucifer said.

Psalm 51:3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin [is] ever before me. 4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done [this] evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, [and] be clear when thou judgest.

When God judges, speaks and draws his conclusions, King David says I’m confessing my sin so that when you are judged, you will be clear as you will judge. That is the issue involved here. In this judgement of the first angel’s message God is going to be clear by the way He deals with our sins. To do this work, God actually has records. God has the record of all of our activities. He has kept the records. He is a very thorough lawyer.

Daniel 7:9 I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment [was] white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne [was like] the fiery flame, [and] his wheels [as] burning fire. 10 A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.

The books were opened. There are myriads of witnesses and angels and the books (plural) are opened. Remember God needs to be cleared by the way He deals with sinners. God has kept records and He spends time to examine with all the witnesses with him the dealings of everyone’s lives. Thousands of angels are watching the examination of the books. Notice what they exclaim.

Revelation 5:11 And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; 12 Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. 13 And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, [be] unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.

This is what the angels are doing. They are recognising that He is worthy. They give glory to God because He has spent time with them examining the books. Satan’s attack on the government of God is totally clear. They burst out and worship because God is so just. What are the books and what do they reveal because the angels are so exuberant?

THE BOOK OF RECORDS

Psalm 87:3 Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God. Selah. 4 I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon to them that know me: behold Philistia, and Tyre, with Ethiopia; this [man] was born there.  And of Zion it shall be said, This and that man was born in her: and the highest himself shall establish her. 6 The LORD shall count, when He writeth up the people, [that] this [man] was born there. Selah.

God shall count when He writeth up the people. There is a writing of where the people are born in heaven. There are people born out and in the church – Zion and Babylon. God has a birth register. Birth registers of people that were born outside of the church and those that are born in the church. Who is recorded in the church?

John 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and [of] the Spirit, He cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

To enter there you must be born there. To be registered in the birth book of Zion, we need to be born again. Otherwise we are just born in Babylon, Ethiopia, Australia etc. That is the birth register of those born there.

John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, [even] to them that believe on his name: 13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

There were people born of the flesh and they are in verse four. Egypt was a place of birth of sin. They were born according to the flesh. Those born in the city of Zion are born of God.

Luke 10:20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.

God shall count in the register of the heavenly Zion those whose names are born there. That is one of the books, born into Zion.

THE BOOK OF LIFE

Revelation 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is [the book] of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

Very clearly there a registry of people who have not been born of the flesh but of God. It is the registry of the book of life. There are other books including a book of registration of birth.

THE BOOK OF REMEMBERANCE

Malachi 3:16 Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard [it], and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name.

There is a book of registration of birth and also a book of remembrance. Everything that people are doing in communing, speaking and doing together in their love for God is chronicled.

Psalms 56:8 Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: [are they] not in thy book?

God has a book of remembrance. A book that tells of our wanderings, our tears and sufferings together with Jesus. There is also a book according to our works. It says they will be judged according to their works.

THE BOOK OF WORKS

2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things [done] in [his] body, according to that He hath done, whether [it be] good or bad.

There is a book of the things which we have done in the book of works. We are going to be judged according to our works. That book of works is written for the purpose so that we can be judged according to our works. God has chronicled everything, nothing is left out.

Romans 2:6 Who will render to every man according to his deeds: 7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: 8 But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, 9 Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; 10 But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:

God is going to judge every man according to their works. Its all in front of the angels and they see how He is going to deal with all those records. We are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works. God has a book of works, the good and the bad. That book is going to be examined. The evil deeds are recorded there.

Isaiah 65:6 Behold, [it is] written before me: I will not keep silence, but will recompense, even recompense into their bosom, 7 Your iniquities, and the iniquities of your fathers together, saith the LORD, which have burned incense upon the mountains, and blasphemed me upon the hills: therefore will I measure their former work into their bosom.

It is written before me all the things they have been doing.

Deuteronomy 32:32 For their vine [is] of the vine of Sodom, and of the fields of Gomorrah: their grapes [are] grapes of gall, their clusters [are] bitter: 33 Their wine [is] the poison of dragons, and the cruel venom of asps. 34 [Is] not this laid up in store with me, [and] sealed up among my treasures?

God is in his heavenly sanctuary with all the records including all the evil records.

Hosea 7:2 And they consider not in their hearts [that] I remember all their wickedness: now their own doings have beset them about; they are before my face.

When God opens the books its there right in front of his face.

Matthew 12:36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.

Its all recorded, every word, every act.

1 Corinthians 4:5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.

Its all going to be opened up. The books are open in the judgement. As the judgement commenced under the first angels message in the heavenly sanctuary as per Daniel 8:14, ever since that time of 1844 we have seen the sanctuary and all that God does.

Daniel 8:14 And He said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.

Those records of all the works of man have to be cleansed as its all a dirty picture.

Daniel 7:10 A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.

All the books were opened to be dealt with, cleansed and corrected.

Hebrews 9:13 For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: 14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

God is going to cleanse the sanctuary. He is going to erase and purify the terrible records in the books. How is He going to do that? In the examination of Gods people called upon to give him the glory. As they went through the apprenticeship they made lots of mistakes as all their sins are in the records even though they are born again. As the earthly sanctuary was cleansed by the blood of the goat, how much more shall the blood of Christ purify our souls?

Hebrews 9:23 [It was] therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, [which are] the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:

Jesus has gone there and in the time of the judgement. He comes to the ancient of days and He works to cleanse the sanctuary to cleanse all that is written among Gods treasures by his precious blood. God has a record of every mans sins. What can He do through the blood of Jesus?

Proverbs 19:11 The discretion of a man deferreth his anger; and [it is] his glory to pass over a transgression.

He’s recorded it and now he’s going to reveal his glory as He can pass over a transgression.

Isaiah 43:25 I, [even] I, [am] He that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.

As we realise that God has a perfect record of everybody’s sins and a record of a registry of births and remembrance, the thing that troubles everyone is that He has a record of all our sins. He’s got a record of it in all the books but now He applies the blood of Jesus according as every sinner has responded to the blood of Jesus.

Psalms 51:4: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, [and] be clear when thou judgest.

How is God going to be clear when He speaks? By the fact that the people have taken hold of Jesus and confessed. It is his glory to crossover and bypass the sins recorded. The call is to give God the glory. To give him the glory what must I do? What is included in this time of the books opening up everything?

Acts 3:19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; 20 And He shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: 21 Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.

What is the call to give him the glory? Because Jesus Christ has been given to us in the work of the atonement to deal with my past sins, to develop a character like his. The records of his work for me is to be clearly chronicled so that when the book is examined about my sins against every one of those sins has the blood of Jesus applied. What must I do for that to happen? Repent and be converted that your sins may be blotted out. Consider your sins. His examination since 1844 is to deal with people who are born and recorded in the birth register of Zion to deal with their sins so that in the time of the judgement none will be left. This is what He does as He examines the books 1844 onwards.

God’s law reaches the feelings and motives, as well as the outward acts. It reveals the secrets of the heart, flashing light upon things before buried in darkness. God knows every thought, every purpose, every plan, every motive. The books of heaven record the sins that would have been committed had there been opportunity. God will bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing. By His law He measures the character of every man. As the artist transfers to the canvas the features of the face, so the features of each individual character are transferred to the books of heaven. God has a perfect photograph of every man’s character, and this photograph He compares with His law. He reveals to man the defects that mar his life, and calls upon him to repent and turn from sin (ST July 31, 1901). {5BC 1085.4}

That is what He is doing now in the sanctuary in the time of the judgement.

The Lord requires perfection from His redeemed family. He calls for perfection in character-building. Fathers and mothers especially need to understand the best methods of training children, that they may cooperate with God. Men and women, children and youth, are measured in the scales of heaven in accordance with that which they reveal in their home life. A Christian in the home is a Christian everywhere. Religion brought into the home exerts an influence that cannot be measured (MS 34, 1899). {5BC 1085.5}

What is recorded in heaven is my unsavoury character and He asks us to give him the glory by receiving Jesus’ atonement and gathering together him to cleanse every item of my character defects. He’s got the character written there, he’s got the picture. To give him the glory is to give him the faulty character to be removed. We are to do that by responding to the call, here is your character defect, repent and turn from it. He gives us not only the revelation that the books were opened but says I want to clarify everything in your character so that when the books of heaven are opened they will be thoroughly dealt with. Before the thousands of angels so they can see those who have repented and taken hold of the beauty of Christ’s righteousness. As they behold God doing this through Jesus they burst out with praise as there is a people they are watching in the books. God can be justified. As I study this and that I share with others, it reveals to me the things I have to put away. As I wake up to what I’ve done, I realise I must repent and turn away from that so the Lord can clear the slate.

Amen.

Further reading – http://sabbathsermons.com/2009/07/29/the-internet-headquarters-of-the-universe/