Participants: Pr. Stephen Bohr
Series Code: AOT
Program Code: AOT000029
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00:12 Welcome to Anchors Of Truth from the 3ABN Worship Center
00:17 and the Fresno Central Church. 00:18 Truths That Matter with Stephen Bohr. 00:23 Welcome to Anchors Of Truth. 00:25 We are so happy that we can be with you tonight. 00:27 Last night's message was, The Acid Test. 00:30 And that message went into the Sabbath in a very special way. 00:35 And tonight we are doing the first part, Pastor Stephen Bohr 00:39 will be, of a message entitled, The Wiping Out Of The IOU's. 00:44 This is part one and it is also regarding the Sabbath 00:48 in this series entitled, Truth That Matters. 00:53 We are very excited to have Pastor Stephen Bohr with us 00:57 for this series. 00:58 Anchors Of Truth has been well received by our viewers 01:02 all over the world. 01:04 We have received so many emails and letters telling us 01:08 that these series that we have been presenting, one each month, 01:12 have been extremely encouraging and informative 01:17 in these last days. 01:19 And so we are really happy that we can have this series, 01:23 and especially that Pastor Stephen Bohr, 01:26 the Speaker/Director of Secrets Unsealed 01:30 and also the pastor of the Seventh-day Adventist Church 01:34 in Fresno California, as our speaker. 01:38 Before he speaks tonight, we are going to be privileged 01:42 to listen as Melody Firestone brings us a beautiful song. 01:48 And Melody, we're so happy to have you with us. 01:52 Tell me, what are you going to sing tonight? 01:54 God's Greatest Glory. 02:20 In the beginning of creation 02:29 when the world was formed, 02:37 though God and His splendor this world He had rendered, 02:46 still the best was yet to come. 02:54 God's greatest glory, 03:02 the world's love story, 03:10 written just for me. 03:20 Jesus is God's 03:28 greatest glory. 03:45 From His birth in a manger to His death on Calvary, 03:56 He fulfilled the Father's plan. 04:03 Jesus Christ, love's sacrifice, 04:12 giving hope to every man. 04:21 God's greatest glory, 04:29 the world's love story, 04:36 written just for me. 04:46 Jesus is God's 04:54 greatest glory. 05:03 Jesus is God's 05:11 greatest glory. 05:28 Amen, thank you so much, Melody. 05:31 We appreciate that music and we appreciate you 05:35 as an individual. 05:37 And right now we are going in just a few moments 05:41 to be joining Pastor Stephen Bohr. 05:44 And we are so happy that he is able to join with us 05:47 and to present a series entitled, Truth That Matters. 05:53 This is part of our Anchors Of Truth series. 05:56 We usually do all of these series here in West Frankfort, 06:00 but this summer, we have gone on the road 06:03 in what C.A. Murray refers to as Anchors Away. 06:07 We came to you from Los Angeles California 06:10 with Pastor John Carter. 06:12 Now we are coming to you tonight here in Thompsonville, 06:17 but also, with the miracles of technology, 06:21 from Fresno California with Pastor Stephen Bohr. 06:25 Next month we will be live coming to you from 06:28 Sacramento California for Pastor Doug Batchelor. 06:34 So these are three that are coming to you from California, 06:38 from three ministers who preach the gospel of Jesus Christ 06:43 in a very clear and straightforward manner. 06:47 We appreciate that so very much. 06:50 And tonight as the second part of our series on the Sabbath, 06:55 Wiping Out The IOU's. 06:59 And this is part one of the series on Wiping Out The IOU's. 07:07 But we hope that you are able to find some real deep new truths 07:15 concerning God's day of rest. 07:18 I've know Pastor Stephen Bohr for many many years. 07:21 I have never been disappointed even once in his ability 07:26 to find beautiful truth. 07:28 May God bless him. 07:33 Let's bow our heads. 07:35 Loving Father in heaven, we count it a great privilege 07:39 to be gathered here, to open Your Word, 07:42 to hear Your voice speaking to us, 07:45 through the many counsels that You give in that Word. 07:48 But Father, we need the help of Your Holy Spirit 07:51 because human wisdom cannot even begin to grasp 07:55 the great things from Your Holy Word. 07:58 And so we ask, Lord, that You will enlighten our minds, 08:01 that You will open our hearts, of not only those who are 08:04 gathered here, but those who are watching on television. 08:07 We ask Lord, that You will transform hearts 08:10 and change lives. 08:12 And we thank You for hearing our prayer, 08:14 for we ask it in Jesus' name, amen. 08:20 Since early in its history, the Seventh-day Adventist Church 08:25 has taught consistently that the Sabbath is the seal of God. 08:33 As far as we know, the first individual to discover this 08:37 from a study of Scripture was a sea captain 08:41 by the name of Joseph Bates. 08:44 In 1846, he wrote a small booklet. 08:48 And the name of the booklet is, 08:49 The Seventh Day Sabbath, A Perpetual Sign. 08:54 In that booklet, he presented the Biblical arguments 08:58 that show beyond any doubt, that the Sabbath 09:01 is the seal of the living God. 09:05 Now in the course of time, in a very short period of time, 09:08 in fact, Ellen G. White came to agree with Joseph Bates, 09:13 that the Sabbath is indeed the seal of the living God. 09:17 In fact, unequivocally and repeatedly, Ellen White, 09:22 in her writings, states that the Sabbath is 09:26 the seal of the living God. 09:29 And as we begin our study today, I would like to present several 09:33 of those quotations from the writings of Ellen White 09:36 where she clearly identifies the Sabbath as the seal of God. 09:41 I could read many more statements than the ones 09:43 that I'm bringing here to you. 09:45 Actually, I could probably read 20 minutes of statements 09:49 from the writings of Ellen White where she identifies the 09:52 Sabbath as the seal of God. 09:53 But I've chosen just a few very clear references 09:57 from her writings. 09:58 This first of these is found in, Signs Of The Times, 10:01 May 13, 1886. 10:05 And this is what she says. 10:09 The Decalogue is the Ten Commandments. 10:27 Now you'll notice in this statement that she uses 10:29 two words interchangeably. 10:31 The word "seal" and the word "sign". 10:35 The next statement is found in the book, 10:37 Patriarchs And Prophets, page 307. 10:40 This is one of the five books of The Conflict Series. 10:44 And in Patriarchs And Prophets, page 307, once again 10:49 she identifies the fourth commandment, 10:51 the Sabbath commandment, as the seal of God. 10:54 This is what she states. 11:23 So she says that the Sabbath commandment contains 11:26 the seal of God, and there it is affixed to His law. 11:32 The next statement that I would like to read comes from 11:35 Signs Of The Times, November 1, 1899. 11:40 Once again, she's clear that the seal of God is the Sabbath. 11:45 This is what she writes, inspired by God's Holy Spirit. 11:56 And now notice she uses another synonymous word. 12:09 Once again she uses "seal" and "sign" interchangeably. 12:15 The next statement, we'll read a couple of more statements, 12:19 Special Testimony To Battle Creek, 1898. 12:23 On page 6 of this testimony, she states, once again 12:27 interchangeably "sign" and "seal". 12:37 There, she identifies the seal as the observance 12:39 of the seventh-day Sabbath. 12:41 So she says: 12:51 One final statement that I would like to read comes from, 12:54 Manuscript Releases, volume 4, page 425, where she states: 13:14 So time after time after time, in her writings, 13:17 she states that the Sabbath is the seal, or the sign, of God. 13:23 But now we have a problem. 13:26 Ellen White appears to contradict the 13:29 testimony of Scripture. 13:30 And I emphasize the word "appears" because she doesn't 13:33 really contradict Scripture. 13:35 You see, there are three verses in the writings of 13:39 the apostle Paul where he identifies the seal as 13:44 the Holy Spirit, or he relates the seal to the Holy Spirit. 13:47 And so some people within the Seventh-day Adventist Church, 13:51 and many outside the Seventh-day Adventist Church, 13:53 criticize Ellen White. 13:55 And they say, "She said that the Sabbath was the seal of God, 13:58 when Scripture makes it very very clear that the seal 14:02 is the Holy Spirit." 14:04 Now is there really a discrepancy? 14:07 Or upon further scrutiny and more careful consideration, 14:12 is there no contradiction between 14:14 Ellen White and Scripture? 14:16 I believe that there is no contradiction. 14:18 We have to study this thing carefully and not come to 14:23 hasty quick conclusions. 14:25 Allow me to read the three statements from the writings 14:28 of the apostle Paul where he identifies the Holy Spirit 14:32 as the seal, or as the sealer. 14:35 The first is found in Ephesians chapter 1 and verses 13 and 14. 14:45 Here, the apostle Paul inspired by God's Spirit, says, 14:49 "In Him," that is in Jesus, "you also trusted, after you 14:54 heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; 14:58 in whom also, having believed," that is, we believed in Jesus, 15:03 "you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 15:09 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption 15:13 of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory." 15:16 Explicitly, the apostle Paul says, "You were sealed 15:21 with the Holy Spirit of Promise." 15:24 So Ellen White says the seal is the Sabbath, 15:27 the apostle Paul appears to say that the seal 15:29 is the Holy Spirit. 15:31 The second text from the writings of the apostle Paul 15:34 is found in Ephesians chapter 4 and verse 30. 15:37 Ephesians chapter 4 and verse 30. 15:41 Once again, the apostle Paul relates the seal of God 15:45 to the Holy Spirit. 15:46 This is what he states. 15:48 "And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom 15:54 you were sealed for the day of redemption." 15:58 Once again, Holy Spirit and seal used together. 16:03 The third text from the writings of the apostle Paul 16:06 is found in 2 Corinthians chapter 1 and verses 21 and 22. 16:12 2 Corinthians chapter 1 and verses 21 and 22. 16:17 Once again, the apostle Paul relates the seal to the 16:22 work of the Holy Spirit. 16:24 And this is how it reads. 16:25 "Now He who establishes us with you in Christ 16:30 and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us 16:37 and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee." 16:41 Now we have a very important little clue here in this verse; 16:45 where the seal is placed. 16:49 Let's read it again. 16:50 "Now He who establishes us with you in Christ 16:54 and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us 16:59 and given us the Spirit..." Where? 17:02 Oh, this is a critically important detail. 17:05 "...in our hearts as a guarantee." 17:08 So the apostle Paul is speaking about the internal work 17:12 of the Holy Spirit in the human heart. 17:15 That's a very important clue. 17:17 Now how do we resolve this seeming discrepancy, 17:22 or this apparent discrepancy between what Ellen White says 17:27 about the seal of God and what the apostle Paul 17:30 has to say about the seal of God? 17:33 The fact is, that we're going to notice that Ellen White 17:37 and the apostle Paul are emphasizing two different 17:40 sides of the same truth. 17:44 Ellen White is emphasizing the external visible, 17:49 whereas the apostle Paul is emphasizing the internal 17:53 invisible work of the Holy Spirit. 17:56 In other words, they're not contradicting one another. 17:59 They are complementing one another. 18:02 They actually are two sides of one coin. 18:06 Ellen White is emphasizing the external evidence 18:10 of the internal work of the Holy Spirit. 18:12 And the apostle Paul is emphasizing the internal 18:16 work of the Holy Spirit in the human heart. 18:19 There is no contradiction. 18:22 Now I'd like to use a biblical example. 18:24 Actually, we're going to use three biblical examples 18:27 to illustrate this relationship between the internal 18:31 and the external, so that we understand it 18:33 a little bit better. 18:35 And the first example that we're going to use is the 18:38 example of circumcision. 18:41 Now circumcision, of course, was an external act 18:46 that God commanded Israel to perform. 18:51 Let's read Leviticus chapter 12 and verse 3. 18:55 Leviticus chapter 12 and verse 3. 18:57 You'll notice that the external act, the physical act of 19:00 circumcision was commanded by God. 19:04 It says there, "And on the eighth day 19:08 the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised." 19:14 It doesn't say that it's optional. 19:16 God is saying that his flesh shall be circumcised. 19:21 Is that on order? 19:22 It most certainly is an order. 19:24 Is it speaking about the external act of circumcision? 19:28 It most certainly is the physical act. 19:31 Now, how important was the external act of circumcision? 19:36 Genesis chapter 17 and verse 14 tells us 19:40 how important circumcision was, the external act itself. 19:44 It says there in Genesis chapter 17 and verse 14, 19:48 "And the uncircumcised male child, who is not circumcised 19:55 in the flesh of his foreskin..." 19:56 Is this a physical act, yes or no? 19:58 Absolutely. 19:59 "..in the flesh of his foreskin, that person shall be..." What? 20:04 "...shall be cut off from his people; he has 20:08 broken My covenant." 20:10 Was the external act a matter of life and death? 20:13 Absolutely. 20:15 God says, "If you're not circumcised physically and 20:18 externally, you will be cut off from My people 20:21 and you have broken My covenant." 20:23 This was such a serious thing, folks, that one time 20:27 Moses was coming back from Midian to Egypt. 20:31 And on the way, the Bible says that the Lord met him. 20:34 Now Ellen White clarifies that God sent an angel to meet him. 20:39 And the Lord, it says in Exodus, threatened to kill Moses. 20:46 And the reason why He threatened to kill Moses 20:48 was to emphasize and underline the extreme importance of a 20:52 ceremony that Moses had neglected to perform on his son. 20:57 Moses had not circumcised his son because his wife 21:01 did not want his son to be circumcised. 21:03 But Moses went back home and he told his wife what had happened, 21:07 and she herself circumcised her son when she heard 21:10 what a serious matter this was. 21:13 Now if you want to read this story, by the way, 21:16 it's found in Exodus chapter 4 and verses 24 through 26. 21:22 So the external act of circumcision was 21:25 the sign of the covenant. 21:27 It was a very important thing. 21:29 But there was a deeper meaning to circumcision. 21:33 There was something internal that needed to exist 21:37 in order for the external act to have value. 21:41 And in order to understand this, we must analyze 21:44 the experience of Abraham. 21:47 Go with me to Genesis chapter 15 and verse 6. 21:51 Genesis chapter 15 and verse 6. 21:54 Here, God comes to Abraham in a dream and tells 22:00 Abraham that He is going to have a son in his old age. 22:04 This will be the son of the promise from whom 22:06 the Seed will come, from whom the Messiah will come. 22:11 In fact, we know that Abraham understood this. 22:14 Because the Lord Jesus, in John chapter 8 and verse 56, 22:18 speaking to the Jews said, "Your father Abraham 22:23 rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad." 22:28 Did Abraham understand that through him, 22:32 the Messiah was going to come? 22:33 Absolutely. 22:34 Now did Abraham believe what God told him? 22:37 Absolutely. 22:39 Genesis 15 verse 6 says, "And he believed in the Lord, 22:44 and He accounted it to him for..." What? 22:48 "...He accounted it to him for righteousness." 22:52 How did Abraham become righteous? 22:54 He became righteous by an internal act of... What? 22:58 ...of faith. 22:59 He believed God. 23:01 And by the way, belief is something that takes 23:03 place in the heart. 23:04 The New Testament speaks about believing in the heart. 23:07 In other words, Abraham believed the Lord in his heart. 23:11 And that was an internal act of Abraham. 23:14 And the Bible says that at the moment that he believed, 23:17 it was reckoned to him as righteousness. 23:20 In other words, God took the righteousness that the 23:23 Messiah would develop, and He placed it to Abraham's account. 23:29 And Abraham was looked upon as if he had never sinned. 23:36 Now by the way, this act of circumcision took place 23:39 when Abraham was 84 years old. 23:42 Very interesting. 23:44 84 years old. 23:46 Not the act of circumcision, but actually the believing in God 23:50 and being accounted to righteousness. 23:52 Now, we come to circumcision in Genesis chapter 17 and verse 24. 23:57 Now Abraham is 99 years old. 24:01 How many years had passed since he believed the Lord 24:04 and it was reckoned to him as righteousness? 24:07 Fifteen years have gone by. 24:09 Abraham had not been circumcised. 24:11 He believed in the Lord and it was accounted to him 24:13 as righteousness. 24:15 But now if you read this text, Genesis 17 verse 24, 24:20 the Lord tells Abraham to get circumcised. 24:25 Now the apostle Paul reminisces about this experience 24:28 and explains the meaning of it. 24:30 We need to understand that Abraham was saved 24:33 when He believed God. 24:34 It was reckoned to him as righteousness. 24:37 But he was not circumcised until 15 years later. 24:40 In fact, we're going to notice that circumcision was the sign 24:43 or the visible announcement that he had believed the Lord, 24:47 and the Lord had given him His righteousness. 24:50 Now the apostle Paul explains the experience of Abraham, 24:55 the theological meaning of it. 24:57 Go with me to Romans chapter 4 and verses 11 and 12. 25:02 Romans chapter 4 and verses 11 and 12. 25:06 Here, the apostle Paul is speaking about this 25:09 experience of Abraham believing in God and then later on 25:13 being circumcised. 25:14 This is what he says, inspired by God's Spirit. 25:18 "And he received the sign of circumcision..." 25:21 What was circumcision? 25:23 It was a sign. 25:25 "He received the sign of circumcision, a seal," 25:28 interchangeably, "a seal of the righteousness of the faith 25:33 which he had while still..." What? 25:35 "...uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all those 25:40 who believe, though they are uncircumcised, 25:43 that righteousness might be imputed to them also," 25:46 verse 12, "and the father of circumcision to those who 25:51 not only are of the circumcision, 25:53 but who also walk in the steps of the faith which our father 25:57 Abraham had while still uncircumcised." 26:01 Are you understanding the apostle Paul's argument? 26:03 He's saying that Abraham was saved when he was 84 years old, 26:07 when he believed God and it was accounted to him 26:09 for righteousness. 26:10 But the circumcision was given as a... What? 26:14 ...as the sign or the visible seal of the experience 26:19 of salvation that had come to the heart of Abraham. 26:24 And so you have the internal experience 26:27 and you have the external rite of circumcision 26:30 as an announcement, a visible manifestation, 26:33 of that experience. 26:36 Now the Bible tells us that circumcision was much more 26:39 than just taking the foreskin from the human body. 26:43 I want you to notice the deeper dimension of circumcision. 26:47 It wasn't only an external act. 26:48 The external act only had meaning if you had the 26:51 internal experience. 26:53 Let's read several texts. 26:54 Deuteronomy chapter 30 and verse 6. 27:01 Here, Moses is speaking to the children of Israel. 27:05 And he says, inspired by God's Spirit, the following, 27:09 "And the Lord your God will circumcise..." What? 27:13 Ah, is that an internal experience? 27:15 Absolutely. 27:17 "The Lord your God will circumcise your heart 27:20 and the heart of your descendants..." 27:22 What does that mean, "circumcise your heart"? 27:24 He explains. "...to..." What? 27:26 "...to love the Lord your God with all your heart 27:30 and with all your soul, that you may live." 27:33 Was there something internal about circumcision? 27:36 Absolutely. 27:38 The external act of circumcision without the internal experience 27:42 was valueless. 27:44 Notice Deuteronomy chapter 10 and verse 16. 27:49 The same idea of circumcision being an internal experience, 27:53 and the outward circumcision just as 27:56 the visible manifestation. 27:58 Notice what we find in Deuteronomy 10 verse 16. 28:02 "Therefore circumcise the foreskin of your heart, 28:07 and be stiff-necked no longer." 28:10 Being stiff-necked means; bullheaded, full of yourself. 28:15 In other words, what is meant by, "circumcise the 28:19 foreskin of your heart?" 28:20 It means that your selfishness is... What? 28:22 ...broken in your heart. 28:25 Now the apostle Paul also reminisces about his own 28:28 personal experience with the Lord, how before he was a 28:32 Christian, he boasted about, you know, being from the tribe of 28:35 Benjamin, circumcised the eighth day, and so on. 28:39 He says, "All of that, I discovered, was valueless 28:42 without Jesus Christ." 28:43 Notice what he had to say about circumcision 28:45 in Philippians 3 verse 3. 28:47 In Philippians 3, he tells the story of his conversion; 28:51 how he thought before and how he thought afterwards. 28:54 Philippians 3 verse 3. 28:56 The apostle Paul says, "For we are the circumcision, 28:59 who..." What? "...who worship God..." 29:02 Who worship God how? 29:04 "...in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no 29:08 confidence in the flesh." 29:10 In other words, we don't have confidence in circumcision 29:12 as a saving act. 29:14 He says, "We are the circumcision, who worship 29:17 God in the Spirit and rejoice in Christ Jesus, 29:20 and have no confidence in the flesh." 29:22 Is circumcision deeper than just the physical act? 29:25 Absolutely. 29:27 Let's notice one more text. 29:28 Romans chapter 2 verses 28 and 29, 29:31 where the apostle Paul once again is speaking about the 29:34 internal meaning of circumcision. 29:37 He says there in Romans 2 verses 28 and 29, 29:41 "For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly..." 29:48 What identified a Jew? 29:50 Circumcision. 29:52 The apostle Paul is saying, "For he is not a Jew 29:54 who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision 29:58 that which is..." What? 29:59 "...outward in the flesh." 30:01 By the way, was it important to be circumcised in the flesh? 30:05 Did we notice that? 30:06 The apostle Paul is not saying, "Oh you know that command 30:10 that God gave, that wasn't important." 30:11 No, no. He's saying that there has to be something deeper. 30:14 So he says, "For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, 30:17 nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; 30:21 but he is a Jew who is one..." What? 30:24 "...inwardly." 30:25 See, there you have the outward and the inward. 30:27 "...he is a Jew who is one inwardly; 30:30 and circumcision is that of the..." What? 30:33 "...of the heart..." 30:34 And then he says, "...in the..." What? 30:35 "...in the Spirit, not in the letter; 30:38 whose praise is not from men but from God." 30:43 Does circumcision have an external dimension, 30:45 physical dimension, visible? 30:47 Absolutely. 30:48 Does it also have an invisible internal dimension? 30:51 Circumcision? 30:52 Absolutely. 30:53 One thing does not annul the other. 30:55 They are two sides of one coin. 30:58 Now let me make something very clear about circumcision. 31:02 Circumcision was clearly established 31:05 as a Jewish institution. 31:09 It was established after the entrance of sin. 31:14 Furthermore, the Bible makes it clear, and that's going to be 31:17 our next point, that baptism replaced circumcision. 31:22 The New Testament, the apostle Paul makes that clear 31:24 that circumcision was replaced by baptism. 31:29 Furthermore, the Jerusalem council made it explicit 31:34 that people no longer needed to be circumcised, 31:38 that circumcision was done away with. 31:41 Reviewing once again, this is very important. 31:44 Circumcision was clearly established 31:46 as a Jewish institution. 31:47 It was established after sin. 31:50 It was replaced by baptism, according to the clear testimony 31:54 of the New Testament. 31:55 And the Jerusalem council in Acts 15 makes it very clear 32:00 that circumcision no longer needs to be observed. 32:05 Not so with the Sabbath. 32:08 Now I need to clarify that the reason I'm using circumcision 32:12 is not to draw a precise parallel between 32:16 circumcision and the Sabbath. 32:17 I'm using circumcision just to show that there are rites 32:21 and ceremonies that God gave that have an internal dimension 32:25 and have an external dimension. 32:27 I'm only using this as an example so that we can 32:30 then understand how the Sabbath has an internal meaning and 32:34 has an external meaning. 32:35 Now the Sabbath is different than circumcision, however, 32:39 in the sense that the Sabbath was created before sin. 32:46 The Bible makes that clear. 32:48 The Sabbath was made for all people. 32:51 The Sabbath was made for man. 32:54 And there is no evidence in the New Testament whatsoever 32:58 that Sunday or something else replaced the Sabbath 33:01 and that we no longer have to keep the Sabbath. 33:04 In other words, the Sabbath is in a different category 33:07 than circumcision. 33:08 The only reason I'm using circumcision, 33:10 and I will use baptism and some other rites as well, 33:13 is so that we can see that there's no conflict between 33:17 the internal and the external, but they actually 33:20 complement one another. 33:22 Now I mentioned that according to Scripture, 33:25 baptism takes the place of circumcision. 33:29 Now let's examine that concept in Colossians chapter 2 33:32 and verses 11 and 12. 33:40 Here, the apostle Paul explicitly states 33:43 that circumcision has been replaced by baptism. 33:46 This is what he says. 33:48 "In Him," that is in Jesus, "you were also circumcised 33:53 with the circumcision made..." How? 33:57 Ah, this is not physical circumcision. 33:59 "...with the circumcision made without hands..." 34:03 Now what does that mean? 34:04 "...by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh..." 34:07 So what does the foreskin represent? 34:09 It represents the sins of the what? 34:12 "...of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ..." 34:15 Now what is the circumcision of Christ that removes the 34:18 foreskin, spiritually speaking? 34:20 Notice verse 12. 34:21 "...buried with Him in..." What? 34:24 "...in baptism..." 34:26 So what replaces circumcision? 34:27 Baptism. 34:29 "...buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised 34:33 with Him through faith in the working of God, 34:35 who raised Him from the dead." 34:38 So baptism replaces circumcision by the clear testimony 34:44 of the New Testament. 34:45 Not so with the seventh day Sabbath. 34:48 Now let's talk a little bit about baptism, 34:52 which is a ceremony that now the Christian church celebrates 34:55 instead of circumcision, which was done away with. 35:00 Is there an internal and an external dimension 35:05 to the rite or to the ceremony of baptism? 35:08 Most certainly, yes. 35:10 Go with me to Mark chapter 16 and we'll read verses 15 and 16. 35:17 And we're going to read it carefully because this passage 35:21 has the internal as well as the external. 35:24 Notice Mark chapter 16 and verses 15 and 16. 35:30 This is the great commission that Jesus gives 35:32 to His disciples. 35:33 "And He said to them, 'Go into all the world 35:36 and preach the gospel to every creature.'" 35:39 Now listen carefully. 35:41 "He who believes..." 35:44 Is that an internal act? 35:46 The New Testament says you believe with your heart. 35:48 Abraham believed God and it was accounted 35:52 to him as righteousness. 35:53 So it says, "He who believes, it's not necessary 35:56 for them to be baptized." 35:58 Is that what He says? 35:59 No. 36:01 It's not either or, but both and. 36:04 He says, "He who believes," that's the internal, 36:07 "and is baptized will be..." What? "...saved." 36:11 Do you need to be externally baptized in order to be saved? 36:15 Now that's not talking about the exceptions 36:16 like the thief on the cross. 36:17 God takes those things into account. 36:20 You know, some people use that. 36:21 They says, "Well what about the thief on the cross." 36:23 And I tell them, "You're not a thief and 36:25 you're not on the cross." 36:28 It's that simple. Don't use that as an excuse. 36:30 Those are exceptions to the rule. 36:32 People on their death bed who can't be baptized. 36:35 God knows and He takes into account their heart 36:37 because they're not able to do it. 36:39 But God expects that if we can do it, we should do it. 36:42 And so it says, "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; 36:46 but he who does not believe will be condemned." 36:50 So is there an external aspect to baptism? 36:52 Yes. 36:53 Is there an external rite of baptism? 36:56 Do they annul one another? 36:58 Absolutely not. 36:59 The other text that I want us to notice about baptism 37:02 is found in 1 Peter chapter 3 and verses 21 and 22. 37:07 Once again, the two dimensions are presented in this passage 37:11 written by the apostle Peter under the inspiration 37:14 of the Holy Spirit. 37:20 Here the apostle Peter says, "There is also an antitype 37:25 which now saves us..." 37:28 So there's something that saves us, he says. 37:30 What is that? 37:32 "...baptism." 37:33 You say, "What? Baptism saves us?" 37:36 But there's more to the story. 37:37 It's just not only the external act. 37:40 Let's continue reading. 37:41 "...baptism, not the removal of the filth of the flesh..." 37:46 That would be external, right? 37:48 but the answer of a..." What? 37:51 "...of a good conscience..." 37:53 Is that internal? 37:54 "...the answer of a good conscience toward God, 37:57 through the resurrection of Jesus Christ." 38:00 So does baptism have an internal dimension? 38:03 Yes it does. 38:04 Does it also have an external dimension? 38:07 Absolutely. 38:09 Now I'd like to read you some statements from the writings 38:11 of Ellen White on the meaning of baptism. 38:13 She caught this nuance of internal and external; 38:17 the important of believing Christ in the heart 38:21 and then being baptized as an evidence of that, 38:24 as a public proclamation of that fact. 38:27 Ellen White, in the devotional book, God's Amazing Grace, 38:30 page 143, had this to say. 38:44 And she's speaking about the words that the Father spoke 38:46 to Jesus, "This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." 39:01 What happens at baptism? 39:03 God places His what? Signature. 39:05 So does God place that as a great big tattoo 39:07 on your forehead? 39:08 Absolutely not. 39:09 Where is the signature? 39:11 The signature is in your heart. 39:13 She says once again: 39:40 Ah, "who truly enter..." 39:42 Are there some who do not truly enter? 39:44 Absolutely. 39:46 She says, they are present; the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 40:04 See, you receive Christ into the soul temple first. 40:07 And then you announce it how? 40:09 By baptism. 40:10 She continues saying: 40:21 Now here's another statement. 40:22 Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, Volume 6, page 1075. 40:27 It's also an Ellen White statement. 40:29 Listen to what she says. 41:01 Now listen carefully. 41:03 "They have been baptized but they were buried alive." 41:09 Does that baptism mean anything, the external act? 41:13 Absolutely not. 41:16 Just like circumcision as an external act was worthless 41:19 unless it had the corresponding experience in the human heart. 41:24 She continues saying: 41:35 You say, "You can come out of the water 41:39 but the rite is meaningless unless you have truly died 41:42 and resurrected with Jesus Christ, spiritually. 41:46 Desire Of Ages, page 181. 41:48 This is a powerful statement. 41:50 Desire Of Ages, page 181. 41:52 Ellen White has this to say about baptism. 41:56 "It is the grace of Christ that gives life to the soul." 42:01 Where is that happening? 42:03 Inside. 42:04 "It is the grace of Christ that gives life to the soul." 42:08 Now listen carefully to what she said. 42:09 Some people think that Ellen White was a legalist. 42:11 Ellen White was not a legalist. 42:13 Ellen White has things in proper balance. 42:16 She said, yes the external is important. 42:18 For example, the way we worship God is very important. 42:21 Because God has rules of worship. 42:24 But unless the heart is right with God, all of the correct 42:27 methodology of worship is worthless. 42:30 Are you understanding me? 42:31 Now listen to what she says. 42:47 So let me ask you, what's more important, 42:50 the internal experience of forming a relationship 42:54 with Christ, or being baptized? 42:59 See, it's not either or. It's both and. 43:04 One is the visible manifestation of the internal invisible 43:09 work of the Holy Spirit. 43:12 And so it's not; oh no, if you have the internal, 43:14 you don't need the external. No. 43:16 Or if you have the external, you don't need the internal. 43:18 You need the internal which leads to the external. 43:22 Now allow me to give you one final example 43:24 before we bring this to a close. 43:25 Today we're only setting the stage for our 43:28 next study together. 43:29 Today we're not going to discuss the Sabbath directly. 43:32 We started with Ellen White statements, but we're not 43:35 dealing with the internal and external aspects of the Sabbath. 43:39 Tomorrow we'll deal with that extensively. 43:43 But we're setting the stage for that. 43:45 We're laying the foundation so that we can understand 43:48 how Paul says that the Holy Spirit is the seal 43:51 and Ellen White says that the Sabbath is the seal. 43:53 There is no contradiction. 43:55 They complement one another. 43:57 Go with me to Deuteronomy chapter 6 44:00 and verses 6 through 8. 44:02 This will be our final example. 44:04 Deuteronomy chapter 6 and verses 6 through 8. 44:08 Are you aware of the fact that God told the Israelites 44:14 to make little boxes of leather and to write Bible verses from 44:21 the five books of Moses on those little pieces of parchment, 44:25 and to place the little strips of parchment 44:29 into the little leather box. 44:32 And God told the Israelites to take those and to bind them 44:37 upon their foreheads and upon their hand. 44:42 Imagine, imagine these Jews walking down the street 44:47 with this little leather box with little pieces of parchment 44:53 written with verses from the writings of Moses. 44:56 They're walking down, and they wore it actually on their 44:58 left hand, you know, and they have on their left hand here 45:01 bound, this little box, this little leather box, that they 45:05 made small, by the way, with passages from the 45:09 writings of Moses. 45:11 Did God command them to do that? 45:13 Yes He did. 45:16 But that was suppose to be an external act 45:20 that had internal meaning. 45:23 In fact, let's notice that in Deuteronomy chapter 6 45:26 and verses 6 through 8. 45:27 By the way, as you're looking for that. 45:29 Did God tell the Israelites to wear on the bottom of their 45:33 garments tassels of blue? 45:36 Do you think that was literal? 45:38 Do you think that literally God was saying, 45:39 you need to wear tassels of blue on your garments? 45:42 God was speaking literally. 45:45 But did that have some spiritual meaning behind it? 45:49 Of course. 45:50 Blue is a representation of God's holy law. 45:55 And so as they walked, you know, it was visible 45:58 to all of the nations as they walked. 46:01 And the nations would ask, "What does that mean?" 46:03 "Oh, that means that we keep the law of the Lord." 46:10 Incidentally, that's where we get the expression 46:12 "true blue" from. 46:14 Have you ever heard the expression, "true blue"? 46:17 Because God's commandments are the truth. 46:19 But they came to the conclusion that there was some merit 46:23 in walking around in a robe with tassels of blue. 46:26 They totally lost the meaning, the internal spiritual 46:29 meaning of it. 46:30 By the way, did they do the same thing with the Sabbath? 46:32 I'll get ahead of myself a little bit. 46:34 You better believe they did. 46:36 Now let's read this passage. 46:38 "And these words which I command you today..." 46:41 Listen to the condition now. 46:43 "...shall be in your heart." 46:48 Where do the words go first? 46:51 In the heart. 46:52 Is that the internal or the external? 46:54 The internal. 46:56 "And these words which I command you today 46:58 shall be in your heart." 47:02 That's before they're placed on the forehead or on the hand, 47:05 by the way. 47:06 First of all, where? 47:08 On the heart. 47:10 Verse 7, "You shall teach them..." 47:13 After they've been placed on the heart. Right? 47:15 That's the condition. 47:17 "You shall teach them diligently to your children, 47:20 and shall talk of them..." 47:23 After they're written where? 47:25 After they're written in the heart. 47:26 "...you shall talk of them when you sit in your house, 47:29 when you walk by the way, when you lie down, 47:33 and when you rise up." 47:36 And now notice what he says. 47:38 He's already spoken about the internal, right? 47:40 And you're suppose to teach these things and you're 47:43 suppose to talk about these things to other people. 47:46 Because you had an experience with the Lord where? 47:50 In your heart. 47:52 And now notice the external manifestation of this. 47:56 Verse 8, "You shall bind them as a sign..." 48:00 Isn't that interesting, that word "sign". 48:03 "You shall bind them as a sign..." 48:06 A sign of what? 48:09 According to the context, this is a sign of what? 48:13 A sign that they, what? 48:15 That they have written the words of the Lord where? 48:18 On their hearts. 48:19 In other words, it's a visible sign of their internal 48:22 experience with the Lord. 48:24 And so it says, "You shall bind them as a sign 48:29 on your hand..." 48:32 What do you use your hand for? 48:35 For work. 48:36 You do with your hands. Right? 48:39 In other words, it has to do with our conduct, 48:41 with our behavior, because we do with our hands. 48:45 Are you understanding what this is saying? 48:48 Okay so it says, "You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, 48:54 and they shall be as..." What? 48:57 "...as frontlets between your eyes." 49:03 Was God speaking literally? 49:06 Of course He was speaking literally. 49:08 But why did they need these little boxes with Scriptures 49:11 in them on their foreheads when they had the 49:15 internal experience? 49:19 What was more important, the internal experience 49:21 or the little box? 49:23 Both, as long as the little box was a manifestation of 49:27 the internal experience. 49:28 Are you with me? 49:29 And so as they walked, very peculiarly by the way. 49:33 They're walking down the street and they have this 49:36 little box on their forehead, 49:38 and they have this little box attached to their left hand. 49:42 And people say, "That's kind of strange. 49:46 What does that mean?" 49:48 "Ah, let me explain to you." 49:50 A good missionary purpose. 49:53 "Let me explain to you what it means. 49:55 It means that I am obedient to all the commands of the Lord 50:02 and I love the Lord with all my heart. 50:04 And I want His Word to be in my mind. 50:07 And I want His Word to influence my actions." 50:12 Are you with me? 50:14 Was the external important? 50:16 Yes, as long as you had what? 50:19 As long as you had the internal. 50:22 And then it says in verse 9, "You shall write them on the 50:25 doorposts of your house and on your gates." 50:31 Are you understanding the relationship between the 50:32 internal and the external? 50:34 Both are important. 50:37 Now notice Deuteronomy chapter 11 and verse 18 50:40 where you have the same idea expressed all over again. 50:44 Deuteronomy chapter 11 and verse 18. 50:48 God says to Israel, listen carefully to what it says. 50:51 I mean, this is so clear. 50:54 Next time, we're going to talk about the Sabbath. 50:57 Did the Pharisees keep the Sabbath? 50:59 How did they ever keep the Sabbath? 51:01 And everybody hated them. 51:05 Because their observance of the Sabbath did not 51:07 come from the heart. 51:09 It was a legal requirement, but it didn't come from the heart. 51:13 Is Sabbath observance of any value if we don't have a 51:18 relationship with the Lord in the heart, 51:19 if the Holy Spirit has not done His work in our hearts? 51:22 Absolutely not. 51:24 Now notice what it says there. 51:25 "Therefore you shall lay up these words of Mine..." Where? 51:30 "...in your heart..." 51:32 And then it amplifies it. 51:33 It says, "...in your..." What? 51:35 "...in your soul..." 51:36 Where is that? 51:38 Outside or inside? 51:40 Inside. In your soul. 51:42 And now notice what he says. 51:44 "...and bind them as a sign on your hand, 51:49 and they shall be as..." What? 51:51 "...as frontlets between your eyes." 51:55 By the way, these are called phylacteries. 51:59 Have you ever heard of phylacteries? 52:01 That word is used only once in the Bible. 52:04 In Matthew chapter 23 and verse 5, 52:06 where Jesus rebukes the scribes and the Pharisees 52:12 for their phylacteries. 52:14 In fact, let's read that text. 52:16 Matthew chapter 23 and verse 5. 52:19 Matthew chapter 23 and verse 5. 52:23 Jesus is speaking about the external religion of 52:26 the Pharisees without the internal work of the Holy Spirit 52:30 in their hearts. 52:31 In other words, they are legalists. 52:34 Everything they do is to be seen by men, 52:38 to impress men. 52:40 But they have no relationship with God. 52:42 Therefore, the external is worthless. 52:46 Notice what it says there. 52:48 Here Jesus is speaking. 52:50 "But all their works they do..." Why? 52:56 "...to be seen by men." 52:59 Is that the right motivation? 53:01 When you do things to be seen by men, is your heart right? 53:05 No, because you're trying to bring glory to whom? 53:08 You're trying to bring glory to yourself. 53:09 Are there people who keep the Sabbath who think that, 53:13 within the Seventh-day Adventist Church? 53:14 That's one of the reasons why people in other churches 53:16 don't want anything to do with the Sabbath 53:18 because of the way that we keep it. 53:21 It becomes a yoke of bondage. 53:24 It doesn't come from the heart. 53:26 And people come to hate the Sabbath. 53:28 If we kept the Sabbath the way the Bible says we're suppose to 53:31 keep the Sabbath, people would love it. 53:33 If we had that relationship with Jesus. 53:35 And next time, we're going to amplify this from the gospels. 53:38 Because Jesus had to fight against this all the time. 53:42 He had conflict after conflict after conflict with the 53:46 Pharisees over the Sabbath. 53:47 Most of His conflicts had to do with the Sabbath. 53:51 And some Christians say that Jesus broke the Sabbath. 53:53 No He didn't break the Sabbath. 53:55 He broke the Pharisees Sabbath, 53:58 but He did not break His own Sabbath that He 54:00 made at the beginning. 54:01 That would make Him a law breaker. 54:02 That would make Him a sinner and He would need a redeemer. 54:07 Now notice, "But all their works they do to be seen by men. 54:12 "They make their phylacteries.." 54:15 The little boxes with Scripture stuck to their foreheads 54:21 and stuck or attached to their left arm. 54:25 "They make their phylacteries," notice, "broad..." 54:31 Can you hear how they're trying to impress? 54:33 "They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the 54:39 borders of their garments." 54:41 That's talking probably about the tassels at the 54:44 bottom of their garments, you know. 54:45 And then they walk ceremoniously down the street, you know, 54:49 with these little boxes and the border of their 54:51 garments in blue. 54:52 And everybody looks and says, "Wow." 54:57 All a facade. 55:00 Because it's only the external without the internal work 55:04 of the Holy Spirit. 55:07 When you go further in Matthew chapter 23, 55:10 which we're going to do next time, 55:12 you'll find that Jesus even called the Pharisees, 55:14 "whited sepulchers". 55:18 He says, "Outside, you look beautiful." 55:20 You know, I've seen some amazing grave stones. 55:25 Like the one of C.W. Post in Battle Creek, Michigan. 55:28 The cereal man. 55:29 Whoa, a mausoleum. 55:33 But what's inside there? 55:37 Bones. 55:40 And of course, he's already decomposed. 55:42 So what happens if you took away the facade? 55:46 All you have inside is rot? 55:48 So Jesus says, "You are like whited sepulchers because 55:51 outside you look righteous before men, 55:54 but inside you are full of iniquity." 56:00 And so what's more important? 56:02 The inside or the outside? 56:06 Don't say the inside, 56:09 only the inside. 56:12 If you have the inside, you have the outside. 56:15 Isn't that right? 56:17 You know, if you asked a Christian today, 56:19 "Do you really think that you should be baptized in water?" 56:22 "Oh yes of course, of course." 56:23 "Oh really? 56:24 Isn't it enough just to love Jesus in your heart?" 56:27 "Oh no no, you've got to go through the external rite." 56:30 But when it comes to the Sabbath; 56:31 no, you don't have to do the external rite. 56:33 Just love Jesus. |
Revised 2014-12-17