Striving to Be Among the 144,000

By John Thiel

Let us strive with all the power that God has given us to be among the hundred and forty-four thousand (RH March 9, 1905). {7BC 970.10}

We are to strive to be diligent.

2 Peter 3:7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. 8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day [is] with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. 14 Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.

Jesus is coming, what is he waiting for?  What is our role? What is it going to culminate in?  We are looking for a new heavens and a new earth, we need to be found diligent.  Strive, be diligent. The 144,000 are going to be found without spot in character.

1 Peter 1:15 Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance. 16 For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.

We are to be holy as God holy, and to get there is diligence.  Strive to be there.  The method of which we are going to get there is the gospel.

The angels said, hold the winds of strife, one of the angels is the first angels message which is the gospel.  The 2^nd angel identifies don’t have anything to do with the world.  3^rd angel says keep the commandments.

We need to be diligent.  The gospel provides a cover for all our sins, the justification process and being without sin.

Colossians 1:19 For it pleased [the Father] that in him should all fulness dwell; 20 And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, [I say], whether [they be] things in earth, or things in heaven. 21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in [your] mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled. 22 In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: 23 If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and [be] not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, [and] which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;

The ultimate purpose of the gospel is to present us unblameable.  We can only reach that if we continue in the faith.  It says, here is the patience of the saints.

Colossians 1:27 To whom God would make known what [is] the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: 28 Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: 29 Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.

We are to be made perfect in Christ.  How?  By Christ being in you the hope of glory.  Although Christ may be in you, what are we to do?  Labour and strive.  According to his working.  Jesus believes in us, we are to do something in partnership with him working with me.

Therein lies the message of this gospel.  That we don’t be orphans and don’t do this on their own.  We need Jesus to help us.  I need to labour according to his work.

From the commencement of sin, a person who wants to come out of that.  Jesus is waiting for us.  When a person comes to repentance, he launches out of a process.  This is what we term as the purification process.

God is leading out a people to stand in perfect unity upon the platform of eternal truth.  This refining process is designed to purge the church from all unrighteousness and the spirit of discord and contention, that they may build up instead of tear down, and concentrate their energies on the great work before them.  God designs that His people should all come into the unity of the faith.  The prayer of Christ just prior to His crucifixion was that His disciples might be one, even as He was one with the Father, that the world might believe that the Father had sent Him.  Many do not realise the sacredness of church relationship and are loath to submit to restraint and discipline.  TV4 page 17.

Malachi 3:3 And he shall sit [as] a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness. 4 Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the LORD, as in the days of old, and as in former years.

In this scripture is portrayed a refining, purifying process, to be carried on in the hearts of men by the Lord of hosts. The process is most trying to the soul, but it is only by this means that the dross can be removed. Of necessity we must endure trials; for through these we are brought close to our heavenly Father, in obedience to His will, that we may render to Him an offering in righteousness. . . .  {4BC 1181.6}

The Master sees wherein we need to be purified for His heavenly kingdom. He will not leave us in the furnace until we are wholly consumed. As a refiner and purifier of silver, He is beholding His children, watching the process of purification, until He shall discern His image reflected in us. Although we often feel affliction’s flame kindling about us, and at times fear that we shall be utterly consumed, yet the loving-kindness of God is just as great toward us at these times as when we are free in spirit and triumphing in Him. The furnace is to purify and refine, but not to consume and destroy. God in His providence would try us, to purify us as the sons of Levi, that we may offer to Him an offering in righteousness (SW Feb. 7, 1905).  {4BC 1182.1}

Our joy of satisfaction can only be found in the love and beauty of Jesus Christ.  It’s a hair line difference between self satisfaction.

The life of Christ’s disciples is to be like his, a series of uninterrupted victories not seen to be such here, but recognised as such in the great hereafter. TV 6 page 307.

In a righteous character, we can never be on a point here on earth, I am good now.  We are going through a furnace of purification.

The Master sees wherein we need to be purified for His heavenly kingdom.  He will not leave us in the furnace until we are wholly consumed.  A sa refiner and purifier of silver. BC V4 page 1182.

Christ is waiting with longing desire for the manifestation of Himself in His church.  When the character of Christ shall be perfectly reproduced in the His people, then He will come to claim them as His own.  COL 69

These people that are living right in the last days, he is purging them in the judgment hour message.

The purifying process is the process that we must submit ourselves to.  God is waiting, the angels are holding back the winds of strife.

We want to hasten the coming of Jesus.  We need to strive to this end.  We need to study and be in harmony with it.  The onus is on us.  What has God done that we would not have to fail?  We have no reason to be frightened.  God has done everything in bringing Jesus Christ to us.

Romans 8:32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

As long as we come to him with all our heart.  He will not fail us.  Christ in you the hope of glory. We are to continue in this whole thing.  What he has done for us, we must cooperate.

The work of gaining salvation is one of co-partnership, a joint operation.  This is necessary for the formation of right principles in the character.  Man is to make earnest efforts to overcome that which hinders him from attaining to perfection.  But he is wholly dependent upon God for success.  Human effort of it itself is not sufficient.  Without the aid of divine power it avails nothing.  God works and man works.  Resistance of temptation must come from man, who must draw his power from God.  On the one side there is infinite wisdom, Acts of the Apostles page 482

God wishes us to have the mastery over ourselves.  But He cannot help us without our consent and cooperation.  The divine Spirit works through the powers and faculties given to man.  Of ourselves, we are not able to bring the purposes and desires and inclinations in harmony with the will God; but if we are willing to be made willing, the saviour will accomplish this for us.

2 Corinthians 10:5 Casting down imagination, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.

I must put my earnest effort into it.  If you get a thought, its not a sin, its what you do with that thought.  Govern your thoughts.

It is your duty to control your thoughts, you will have to war against the vain imagination.  You can think there is no sin in permitting your thoughts to run as they naturally would without restraint.  But this is not so.  You are responsible to God for the indulgence of vain thoughts; for from vain imagination’s arises the committal of sins, the actual doing of those things upon which the mind has dwelt.  Govern your thoughts, and it will then be much easier to govern your actions.  TV2 page 82

You will have to become a faithful sentinel over your eyes, ears, and all your senses if you would control your mind and prevent vain and corrupt thoughts from staining your soul. {2T 561.1}

He who would build up a strong, symmetrical character, he who would be a well balanced Christian, must give all and do all for Christ; for the redeemer will not accept divided service.  Daily he must learn the meaning of self surrender.  Thus he may reach the standard of Christian excellence.  Day by Day God works with him, perfecting the character that is to stand in the time of final test.  And day by day the believer is working out before men and angels a sublime experiment, showing what the gospel can do for fallen human beings. Acts of the Apostles page 483:1

The condition that will finally stand the test, Revelation 7 They wash their robes and make them white in the blood of the lamb.

Hanging upon the cross, Christ was the gospel, now we have a message, behold the lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world.  Will not our church members keep their eyes fixed on a crucified and risen Saviour, in whom their hopes of eternal life are centred?  This is our message, our argument, our doctrine, our warning to the impenitent, our encouragement for the sorrowing, the hope for every believer.  If we can awaken an interest in men’s minds hat will cause them to fix their eyes on Christ, we may step aside, and ask them only to continue to fix their eyes upon the Lamb of God.  They thus receive their lesson.  Whosoever will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.  He whose eyes are fixed on Jesus will leave all .  He will die to selfishness.  He will believe in all the Word of God, which is so gloriously and wonderfully exalted in Christ. BC Vol 6 1113

No one will enter the kingdom of God unless his passions are subdued, unless his will is brought into the captivity to the will of Christ.  If we would live in its atmosphere, if we would behold the glory of Christ, we must be pure in heart, perfect in character, we must not be taken up with pleasure and amusement.  But fitted up with the glorious mansions Christ has gone to prepare for us.  Christ will crown us with glory, honour and immortality. RH APRIL 28 1891.

Amen.