14.) The Blotting Out of Sin II

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From the beginning of time there had always been complete harmony of mind and heart between God and His created beings. Peace, love, and tranquility reigned throughout the universe. Until Lucifer began his journey into darkness, disagreement with God and His principles was unknown. When the temptation first came into Lucifer's heart to question God's goodness, His wisdom, and His law, he repelled it, for no other being had ever been tempted to venture beyond the known into the unknown about the supreme Ruler of the universe. But somehow the questions in his heart arose again and again until he finally began to ponder them continually.

What was the difference between himself and the Son of God? Was there ever a beginning for God's Son as there had been for himself? Why was he excluded from some of the private councils between the three members of the Godhead? Why was there a divine law for perfect beings who had no innate desire to sin? These and other questions so captivated Lucifer's mind that he could no longer control them. Then he began to discreetly share his disaffection with the other angels.

Through the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy we receive light concerning the mystery of iniquity and the strange, unfathomable journey that Lucifer took which plunged heaven and the whole universe into the great controversy between good and evil. Although there is no excuse for sin, our benevolent and wise Creator has chosen to reveal Himself and His principles through the plan of salvation, even though it required the supreme sacrifice of the life of His beloved Son.

Because of the complexity of the nature of sin, it has taken 6000 years to display all the facets of rebellion and its consequences. But the time has finally come to end the battle between good and evil. Everything that can be shown and examined is now open to the universe. All that remains is to produce the final generation of the cleansed remnant -- those who "keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus." Rev. 14:12, KJV.

When Jesus was on earth He exclaimed, "When the Son of man comes, will he find faith on the earth?" Matt. 18:8. He was speaking especially about the last generation who would be alive when He comes to reap the harvest of the earth at the conclusion of His ministry in the heavenly sanctuary and the plan of salvation. By that time everything that needs to be displayed about the mystery of iniquity versus the integrity and perfection of the character and government of God will be in full view before the whole universe. But why does Jesus single out faith as the one characteristic above all others that He is looking for in His people at the end of time? It is because without faith it is impossible to know God or to have a saving relationship with Him, and thus it will be impossible to reach the level of perfection that is necessary for the finished work that must be done before the plan of salvation is completed. Paul speaks of this in Romans 1:1-5:

"Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God... regarding his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Through him and for his name's sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith."

Throughout history God's people have had to have a faith in a God they could not see with their physical eyes, but with whom they could communicate in the inner temple of their minds and souls to the extent that they would rather die than disobey Him.

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for." Heb. 11:1, 2.

However, we who are a part of the final generation must have a faith that exceeds those who have gone before us. Our faith must encompass the work of Jesus in the complete cleansing and blotting out of all sin in our lives and in our memories. This has never happened before to any generation that have lived on the earth. Most Christians today do not believe that this is possible. Because of our daily experiences of failure or of falling short of the mark of perfection, most people have come to the conclusion that we cannot come to this level of perfect obedience to Jesus at all times, in all places, and under all circumstances. No wonder Jesus questioned that upon His return to earth would He find faith among His people! It would require a faith and level of obedience hitherto unknown. This is why Paul states in Hebrews 11:39, 40:

"These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect." Heb. 11:39, 40.

For many, the words "perfect" or "perfection" stirs up feelings of fear, resentment, or disbelief in the possibility of reaching this goal until we go to heaven. Those who believe this feel that Jesus must change our carnal natures before complete holiness of character is possible. Thus for many Christians, righteousness by faith becomes believing that the perfect righteousness of Jesus covers our imperfections until we see Him coming in the clouds of glory and receive the finishing touch of immortality. Therefore in this article I will present an expanded way of seeing the topic of Biblical perfection to include the work of Jesus in the heavenly sanctuary where He is reproducing Himself in the lives of those who allow Him to cleanse them from sinful thoughts, feelings, and behavior, and fill them with the attributes of His perfect character.

Throughout history perfection, or blamelessness, has always been required of God's people. Enoch had such an intimate relationship with God that he was translated. Noah was said to be blameless among the people of his time. God asked Abraham to walk before him and be perfect, or blameless. The Lord Himself asserted that Job was blameless and upright. Zechariah and Elizabeth were said to be "upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord's commandments and regulations blamelessly." Luke 1:6. Jesus, in His inaugural address, set forth this same high standard for His followers: "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." Matt. 5:48.

Throughout the New Testament also this same high standard of character and behavior is enjoined upon the followers of Christ.

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ… For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight." Eph. 1:3, 4.

"Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless." Eph. 5:25-27.

"And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ -- to the glory and praise of God." Phil. 1:9-11.

"Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe." Phil. 2:14, 15.

"May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other… May he strengthen your heart so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus Christ comes with all his holy ones." 1Thes. 3:12, 13.

"God's ideal for His children is higher than the highest human thought can reach. 'Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.' This command is a promise. The plan of redemption contemplates our complete recovery from the power of Satan. Christ always separates the contract soul from sin. He came to destroy the works of the devil, and He has made provision that the Holy Spirit shall be imparted to every repentant soul, to keep him from sinning....

"There is no excuse for sinning. A holy temper, a Christlike life, is accessible to every repenting, believing child of God. The ideal of Christian character is Christlikeness. As the Son of man was perfect in His life, so His followers are to be perfect in their life." DA 311.

Clearly, God has stated through the inspired writings of the Scriptures and the Spirit of Prophecy that perfection, or blamelessness, is the goal for His children in every age of history. Why, then, does this standard often seem so unattainable to us in our daily lives? As Jeremiah stated, "Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots? Neither can you do good who are accustomed to doing evil." Jer. 13:23. And David observed, "To all perfection I see a limit; but your commands are boundless." Ps. 119:96. In other words, God's requirements of perfection seem beyond the ability of human beings to perform, and all our attempts fall short of the goal.

Paul also describes his frustration in his attempts to reach the goal of perfect obedience to the law of God:

"We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do -- this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

"So I find this law at work: when I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God.-- through Jesus Christ our Lord!" Rom. 7:14-25.

Surely every Christian who has ever attempted to live the law of God perfectly in his own life can agree with Paul's experience! In spite of our longing desires and best attempts, we fall short of the goal of perfect Christlikeness. It is at this point that many become discouraged and accept the premise that we will sin until Jesus comes and removes our carnal nature which is bent towards sin, and gives us the perfection of His life as He lived it while on this earth.

This premise, however, does not meet the demands of the great controversy to produce a finished product of the grace of Christ before probationary time for the people of earth is finished. If Jesus is unable to reproduce His perfect life in the lives of His followers, Satan wins by proving his argument that the laws of God are unfair and unattainable. The very name, "Jesus," is a statement of His blueprint and calling in coming to this earth. When Joseph became concerned about the pregnancy of Mary, Gabriel came from heaven and told him: "What is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." Matt. 1:20, 21. Therefore, before the great controversy closes, Jesus will have produced the perfect product of His life, death, and resurrection while on earth, and then His intercessory work in the heavenly sanctuary, until He has reproduced His own perfection of character in the lives of His followers.

"The latter rain, falling near the close of the season, ripens the grain and prepares it for the sickle. As the dew and the rain are given first to cause the seed to germinate, and then to ripen
the harvest, so the Holy Spirit is given to carry forward, from one stage to another, the process of spiritual growth. The ripening of the grain represents the completion of the work of God's grace in the soul. By the power of the Holy Spirit the moral image of God is to be perfected in the character. We are to be wholly transformed into the likeness of Christ." TM 506.

"As the olive trees empty themselves into the golden pipes, so the heavenly messengers seek to communicate all that they receive from God. The whole heavenly treasure awaits our demand and reception; and as we receive the blessing, we in our turn are to impart it....

"This is the work that the Lord would have every soul prepared to do at this time, when the four angels are holding the four winds, that they shall not blow until the servants of God are sealed in their foreheads. This is no time now for self-pleasing. The lamps of the soul must be trimmed. They must be supplied with the oil of grace. Every precaution must be taken to prevent spiritual declension, lest the great day of the Lord overtake us as a thief in the night… We should daily obtain a deep and living experience in the work of perfecting Christian character. We should daily receive the holy oil, that we may impart to others… But those who do not cultivate the spirit and habit of prayer cannot expect to receive the golden oil of goodness, patience, long-suffering, gentleness, love....

"The dispensation in which we are now living is to be, to those that ask, the dispensation of the Holy Spirit. Ask for His blessing… We are called to proclaim the special truths for this time. For all this the outpouring of the Spirit is essential. We should pray for it. The Lord expects us to ask Him.... We cannot depend upon form or external machinery… It is the time of the latter rain, when the Lord will give largely of His Spirit." TM 510-512.

Notice carefully that we who are living in the time of the end and the outpouring of the latter rain of the Holy Spirit are in a different dispensation than those who have gone before us; therefore new understanding and duties are required of us.

"I saw some who were not standing stiffly for present truth. Their knees were trembling, and their feet sliding, because they were not firmly planted on the truth, and the covering of Almighty God could not be drawn over them while they were thus trembling. Satan was trying his every art to hold them where they were, until the sealing was passed, until the covering was drawn over God's people, and they left without a shelter from the burning wrath of God, in the seven last plagues." EW 44.

"The seal of the living God will be placed upon those only who bear a likeness to Christ in character." 7 BC 970.

What does it mean to be in a different dispensation than those who have gone before us? One dictionary explanation of this considers Biblical history as being divided by God into dispensations or divinely appointed order or ages, such as the patriarchal dispensation, the Mosaic or Jewish dispensation, and the Christian dispensation. I would like to propose that the work and ministry of Jesus in the entire plan of salvation is represented in the three sections of the sanctuary. The court phase represents both the patriarchal and mosaic dispensations when God dealt with His people through the sacrificial system. During the patriarchal period, God dealt directly with chosen spiritual leaders such as Enoch, Noah, and Abraham, to keep the lines of communication open between Himself and the earth. Through Moses and the nation of Israel God revealed a fuller understanding of salvation through the earthly sanctuary services.

But these were only figures of the reality to come. When Jesus came to earth He fulfilled all the meaning of the types and shadows, and established the basis by which the fullness of truth could then be displayed through His ministry in the heavenly sanctuary. The understanding of these truths is vital to our comprehension of what is required of us at this time in history.

Why has it taken so long to resolve the sin problem and restore perfect relationships between God and man? The answer lies in the fact that God must work within the boundaries of man's intelligent understanding and free will choice in order to bring about harmony, agreement, and willing obedience to the laws of God's government. Everything that God does is based upon His love, His wisdom, and His foreknowledge. Forced obedience or coercion is never a part of God's kingdom, for it is the opposite of the principles of love and freedom of choice. Therefore He must allow sin to run its course until the full results of sin are displayed before the universe.

In my studies and personal experience I have come to believe that the three dispensations which divide up the history of mankind reflect the three levels of consciousness that comprise the human mind -- the conscious mind, the subconscious mind, and the unconscious mind.

According to cognitive neuroscientists, we are conscious of only about 5% of our cognitive activity, so most of our decisions, actions, emotions, and behaviors depend upon the 95% of brain activity that goes beyond our conscious awareness.

The subconscious, or unintentional aspect of the mind, represents around 90% of total brain function. It is that part of consciousness that is not currently in focal awareness. The subconscious is the collection of unintentional, habitual thoughts, behaviors, and actions. Therefore the phrase that best describes the subconscious mind is "no choice."

The unconscious mind consists of the processes in the mind that occur automatically and are not available to introspection, and include thought processes, memory, affect, and motivation.

[The above factual information is taken from Google resources.]

I believe that it is purposeful on the part of God to structure the overall redemption process to meet the need for cleansing and obedience in all three levels of the mind before the complete restoration of mankind could be accomplished. Before Adam and Eve sinned their minds were perfect as they came forth from the hand of God created in His image and likeness. But after they sinned their minds were distorted, fearful, and self-protective. Because they had listened to the enemy and disobeyed the command of God, Satan now had access to their minds to insert thoughts and feelings that were in harmony with himself as a result of his own rebellion and sin against God and His law of liberty and life. In mercy God provided a covering by giving them hope of a coming redeemer, and continuing access to Himself through the sacrificial system of offering a lamb as a propitiation for their sins.

I believe that the establishment of the three levels of the mind was provided by God to protect us from the weight and guilt of the continual conscious awareness of our sinfulness, which would crush out our hope and separate us from God. Adam and Eve tried to escape from their guilt and fear by covering themselves with fig leaves and blaming each other and the serpent for their sins. But Jesus took the weight of our sins upon Himself and has borne them in our behalf as the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world [Rev. 13:8]. Only if we accept His sacrifice for us can we find peace and hope and rest from the clamors of a guilty conscience and the accusations of the evil one. And only when all three levels of the mind are cleansed and freed from any vestige of the results of sin will the plan of salvation be finished.

In order to understand the necessity and importance of cleansing on all three levels of the mind, I will consider each level separately and examine the reasons why Jesus cannot finish the plan of salvation until He has a people who will cooperate with Him in the restoration of the whole mind.

When Adam and Eve were placed in the Garden of Eden they were given only one test to prove their loyalty to God and obedience to His requirements.

"The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. And the Lord God commanded the man, 'You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.'" Gen. 2:15-17.

When Adam and Eve sinned and as a result their robe of light disappeared, what was their immediate reaction? In their remorse and fear they hid from their Creator, Who hitherto had been the source of all their love, joy, and happiness. Covering themselves with fig leaves, they hid among the trees of the garden.

What made the difference in the mental and emotional state of Adam and Eve after they had transgressed the law of God? And why was death the result of their transgression? This quotation from Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 61, answers some of these questions:

"After their sin, Adam and Eve were no longer to dwell in Eden. They earnestly entreated that they might remain in the home of their innocence and joy. They confessed that they had forfeited all right to that happy abode, but pledged themselves for the future to yield strict obedience to God. But they were told that their nature had become depraved by sin; they had lessened their strength to resist evil, and had opened the way for Satan to gain more ready access to them. In their innocence they had yielded to temptation; and now, in a state of conscious guilt, they would have less power to maintain their integrity."

Imagine the sorrow they must have felt as they left their beautiful garden home forever! Their only comfort was in the promise of a coming redeemer who would rescue them and the human race at last from the clutches of the enemy. But Adam and Eve were not the only ones to suffer because of their sins. All of heaven was brought into the conflict, and the plan of salvation, which was formulated before the foundation of the world, was put into effect.

"The fall of man filled all heaven with sorrow. The world that God had made was blighted with the curse of sin, and inhabited by beings doomed to misery and death. There appeared no escape for those who had transgressed the law....

"The Son of God, heaven's glorious Commander, was touched with pity for the fallen race. His heart was moved with infinite compassion as the woes of the lost world rose up before him. But divine love had conceived a plan whereby men might be redeemed. The broken law of God demanded the life of the sinner. In all the universe there was but one who could, in behalf of man, satisfy its claims. Since the divine law is as sacred as God himself, only one equal with God can make atonement for its transgression. None but Christ could redeem fallen man from the curse of the law, and bring him again into harmony with heaven. Christ would take upon himself the guilt and shame of sin, -- sin so offensive to a holy God that it must separate the Father and His Son. Christ would reach to the depths of misery to rescue the ruined race.

"Before the Father he pleaded in the sinner's behalf, while the host of heaven awaited the result with an intensity of interest that words cannot express. Long continued was that mysterious communing, -- 'the counsel of peace' for the fallen sons of men. The plan of salvation had been laid before the creation of the earth; for Christ is 'the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world;' yet it was a struggle even with the King of the universe, to yield up His Son to die for the guilty race. But 'God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.'" PP 63.

Reading this gives us a little glimpse into the enormity of the problem of sin, and the difficulty in its eradication from the universe. Jesus was given to the human race forever to identify Himself with our suffering as a result of sin, not because He wanted to separate Himself from His Father, but because He could not separate His love from us. And the Father has been one with His Son in the saving of this rebellious planet.

To get a glimpse of this wondrous, unfathomable love, we must look not only to the Cross, but also to the struggle of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. It was in Gethsemane that He met the tempter without a mediator, just as Adam had met the tempter in the Garden of Eden. But what a difference in the easy capitulation of Adam in the face of temptation, and the life-and-death struggle made by Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane! With the weight of the sins of centuries upon Him, Jesus met the foe and overcame, even before He went to the cross.

"The Garden of Eden with its disobedience and the Garden of Gethsemane with its obedience are presented before us… The Garden of Eden with its foul blot of disobedience, is to be carefully studied and compared with the Garden of Gethsemane, where the world's Redeemer suffered superhuman agony when the sins of the whole world were rolled upon him." 5 BC 1103.

"In The Garden of Gethsemane Christ suffered in man's stead, and the human nature of the Son of God staggered under the terrible horror of the guilt of sin, until from His pale and quivering lips was forced the agonizing cry, 'O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me:' but if there is no other way by which the salvation of fallen man may be accomplished, then 'not as I will, but as thou wilt.' Human nature would then and there have died under the horror of the sense of sin, had not an angel from heaven strengthened Him to bear the agony." Ibid.

Christ suffered this agony and paid the price for every human being who desires to be a part of His kingdom. But many take this provision lightly, and believe that they will continue in their failures and sins until Jesus removes their carnal nature at His second coming. These Christians fail to realize that Jesus not only purchased salvation for us through forgiveness, but also provided for the complete eradication of sin by the impartation of His perfect righteousness into the inner soul of everyone who will cooperate with His work of cleansing and blotting out all sin in His closing work in the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary.

This truth is referred to by Peter in Acts 3:19-21. [KJV.]

"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; and he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: whom the heavens 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."

"Are we emptying our hearts of all selfishness, and cleansing them, preparatory to receiving the latter rain from heaven? Now is the time when we are to confess and forsake our sins, that they may go beforehand to judgment, and be blotted out." 4 BC 1178.

"The blood of Christ, while it was to release the repentant sinner from the condemnation of the law, was not to cancel the sin; it would stand on record in the sanctuary until the final atonement… Then by virtue of the atoning blood of Christ, the sins of all the truly penitent will be blotted from the books of heaven… no more to be remembered or come into mind." PP 357,8.

"The blood of Christ, pleaded in behalf of penitent believers, secured their pardon and acceptance with the Father, yet their sins still remained upon the books of record. As in the typical service there was a work of atonement at the close of the year, so before Christ's work for the redemption of man is completed, there is a work of atonement for the removal of sin from the sanctuary. This is the service which began when the 2300 days ended." GC 421.

Jesus has now been ministering in the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary for 175 years. He could have come in the lifetime of those who preached the message of His coming in 1844. What is the reason for the delay? Do we need more churches? More money? More missionaries? Or is Jesus waiting for a people who will cooperate with Him in the removal and blotting out of their sins so that He can have a remnant who represent Him fully before the universe?

The need for the blotting out of sin was known even by the patriarchs and prophets of the Old Testament. The sanctuary services taught this truth every year on the Day of Atonement. After David's sin with Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah, he pled with God in deep repentance and brokenness of heart:

"Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin… Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place… Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity… Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing Spirit to sustain me. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to you." Ps. 51:1- 13.


Notice that in his prayer, David acknowledges the principal of hereditary tendencies to sin from birth, and also the need for cleansing in the inmost parts of our mind.

Isaiah also speaks of the necessity of cooperating with the process of the blotting out of sin:

"I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remember your sins no more. Review the past for me, let us argue the matter together; state the case for your innocence. Your first father sinned; your spokesmen rebelled against me." Isa. 43:25-27.

"'Come now, let us reason together,' says the Lord. 'Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best from the land; but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.' For the mouth of the Lord Has spoken." Isa. 1:18-20.

Many people feel that the blotting out of sin will take place without our knowledge in the secrecy of Christ's ministry in the heavenly sanctuary at some point in time. But this is not scriptural, for "the Lord does nothing without our cooperation." 2 SM 236. As we see in the texts above, during the blotting out process God expects us to cooperate with Him by talking with Him concerning the sin that He wants to blot out. He also mentions that in His mind and also in the records of our sins in heaven, the generational principal goes back to our first father, Adam. In order for Jesus to blot out our sins, the sin principle itself must be cleansed from our innermost minds and hearts, so it will be clear that those who are taken to heaven will have been inoculated by the blood of Jesus through such a close relationship with Him that the disease of sin will be forever eradicated from the universe.

The question now becomes, how can we cooperate with Jesus in this cleansing process? First in importance, we must become students of God's word. Because our minds are naturally depraved by sin, our thinking must be retrained by the Holy Spirit working through the word. In the creation of the world, God spoke and it was done. But it was through the medium of the Holy Spirit that all things came about.

"The work of God's Spirit must have some connection with the activity that was presently to be initiated, an activity bringing order out of chaos. The Spirit of God was already present, ready to act as soon as the order should be given. The Holy Spirit has always been doing this very work. This divine Agent has ever been present to assist in the work of creation and redemption, to reprove and strengthen wayward souls, to comfort the sorrowing, and to present the believer's prayers in an acceptable form to God." 1 BC 209 (not EGW.)

"By the work of the Holy Spirit the truth is riveted in the mind, and printed in the heart of the diligent, God-fearing student.... Those who make God their counselor reap the most precious harvest as they gather the golden grains of truth from His Word; for the heavenly Instructor is close by their side." 5 BC 1147, 8.

To understand the re-creation process, we must pay careful attention to the pathway of sanctification that is revealed in the sanctuary. The first section of the sanctuary was the court. Through the rituals associated with the slaying of the lamb, mankind was pointed to the propitiation for sin that would be provided through the sacrifice of Jesus. Please note that in this ritual, the sinner was required to be present, to confess his sins over the head of the lamb, and to slit the throat of the sacrificial animal, thus being in conscious awareness that his sin could only be expiated by the death of the Son of God who would take away the sins of the world. From that point on, the priest performed all the ceremonial activities associated with the next two compartments of the sanctuary.

It is important to note that in the sanctuary services each person was responsible for a conscious acknowledgement of his sin, and was required to participate in the process according to the pattern that was revealed to Moses by God. The confession of sin was to be specific in order for the blood of the slain lamb to be applied to the conscious mind, which would help the sinner to resist the temptation when tempted to commit the same sin again. But at this point in the redemption process, the sinner was not required to understand the roots of sin which reside in the deeper levels of the subconscious and unconscious mind. These were expiated through the sacred rituals which were performed in the holy and most holy places of the sanctuary where only the priest could go, carrying the sacred blood of the atonement to receive pardon for the sinner.

But when Jesus, the Lamb of God, came to earth and paid the price for our sins on the cross of Calvary, He carried His own blood into the heavenly sanctuary, where, as our High Priest, He can now take us with Him in the entire process of cleansing from all sin as we move with Him through the holy place experience and finally through the cleansing and blotting out of sin in the second apartment of the sanctuary.

"Now the first covenant had regulations for worship and also an earthly sanctuary… The priests entered regularly into the outer room to carry on their ministry. But only the high priest entered the inner room, and that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance. The Holy Spirit was showing by this that the way into the Most Holy Place had not yet been disclosed as long as the first tabernacle was still standing. This is an illustration for the present time, indicating that the gifts and sacrifices being offered were not able to clear the conscience of the worshiper....

"When Christ came as high priest… he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man-made… He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death [dead works-KJV] so that we may serve the living God!" Heb. 9:1, 6-9; 11-14.

As is implied in this passage of scripture, the works that were acceptable in the ceremonial system are now accounted as dead works if they are not coming from, and inspired by, a personal, intimate walk with Christ in His ministry for us in the heavenly sanctuary. Yet many Christians are satisfied that their salvation is secure because their works, combined with confession of obvious sins, is all that God requires. This is the condition of the Laodiceans, who feel that they are spiritually rich and increased with good works when they are actually destitute and in danger of losing their salvation.

Then are good works not important in our salvation? Certainly good works will be seen in the lives of God's true people. But they will spring from a personal relationship with Jesus day by day, moment by moment.

"Every soul who truly believes the truth will have corresponding works. All will be honest and solemn, and unwearied in their efforts to win souls to Christ. If the truth is first planted deep in their own souls, then they will seek to plant it in the hearts of others. The truth is kept altogether too much in the outer court. Bring it into the inner temple of the soul, enthrone it in the heart, and let it control the life. The word of God should be studied and obeyed, then the heart will find rest and peace and joy, and the aspirations will tend heavenward; but when truth is kept apart from the life in the outer court, the heart is not warmed with the glowing fire of God's goodness." 5T 547.

"It is for you to yield up your will to the will of Christ; and as you do this, God will immediately take possession and work in you to will and to do of His good pleasure. Your whole nature will then be brought under the control of the Spirit of Christ, and even your thoughts will be subject to Him. You cannot control your impulses, your emotions, as you may desire; but you can control the will, and you can make an entire change in your life. By yielding up your will to Christ, your life will be hid with Christ in God and allied to the power which is above all principalities and powers. You will have strength from God that will hold you fast to His strength; and a new light, even the light of living faith, will be possible to you." 5T 514.

In order to understand the full work of Christ for the salvation of mankind, we must study the sanctuary in every age of history. While the earthly sanctuary was in operation, people were considered to be blameless as long as they were living in willing obedience to the laws and regulations of the sanctuary services. Their submission to God's requirements kept them in harmony with God, and opened their hearts to a saving relationship with Him. Zacharias and Elizabeth were said to be "upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord's commandments and regulations blamelessly." Luke 1:6. Thus they were prepared to be chosen as the parents of John the Baptist, who was "filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth." Vs. 15.

But there was more to be understood about the plan of salvation before the complete restoration of mankind could be accomplished. When Jesus came, He opened up a deeper understanding of the nature of sin.

"You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment… You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart… You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.... Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." Matt. 5:22, 27, 43- 45, 48.

Obviously, Jesus was setting a higher standard of righteousness, holiness, and perfection than had previously been understood, which includes the conscious thoughts and feelings. It was this revelation that so disturbed the religious leaders of the day that they purposed in their heart to kill Him, for they could not bear the thought that the righteousness which they believed they possessed was not the righteousness that God required.

Unfortunately, many are making this same mistake today. When Jesus moved into His ministry in the most holy place in 1844 to begin the work of judgment, the majority of Christians did not move with Him in their understanding and comprehension of the significance of what Jesus would be doing, or the necessity of cooperating with Him in order to benefit by this work in their personal lives. Even today most Christians believe that they will continue sinning until the carnal nature is removed at the second coming of Jesus.

But what comprises the carnal nature? Is it not the collection of sinful thoughts, feelings and behaviors which have been stored in our brains throughout our lifetimes, as well as those inherited from the generations that have gone before us? These stored memories are the source of our present thoughts, feelings and reactions. The word "carnal" simply means those things that come from our natural, unregenerate hearts. Until we are born again of the Spirit, our thoughts and feelings spring from the fallen nature of man. When we are born again, a new nature is given to us by God. But this does not erase the memories of what we have experienced before we were converted. These memories continue to influence us, and are the source of the war that is waged between good and evil in our daily lives, and gives Satan access to tempt us to respond from the habit patterns and impulses of the past. Science tells us that although we can learn to cope successfully with the influence of these past memories, they can never be erased from our minds, and will continue to have a certain amount of influence upon us.

Certainly it is true that without a miracle from God, the damage that has been done to us through inheritance and cultivation will continue to bear fruit in our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. But there is hope for us in the work that Jesus is currently performing in the Most Holy Place, for He has pledged Himself to completely restore the final generation to a level of perfection unknown in times past. In order to understand the cleansing of the mind that is possible through Jesus, I will now briefly outline the mental processes of the brain that daily influence our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

The frontal lobe, which is right behind our forehead, is the region of our brain that is responsible for some very important things such as moral reasoning, critical and creative thinking, planning for the future, decision-making, impulse control, and the will. Essentially, the frontal lobe houses our very character. A healthy frontal lobe is essential in order to respond appropriately to the experiences that we go through in daily life. The more emotionally healthy we are, the more we can process each experience of life through the frontal lobe and rational thinking. But the brain also has a fast track which bypasses the frontal lobe and goes directly to other parts of the brain which cause us to react from habit patterns which have been formed from experiences in our past. One area on the fast path is the amygdala, which is the emotional center of our brain. The amygdala can hijack our frontal lobe, or rational part of our brain, because it is trying to help us to "fight, fly or freeze". A stimulus in our environment, whether it is a person, a situation, or an event, can trigger us, and very quickly we find ourselves on that fast path. If we practice staying on this fast path, we may be reinforcing deep neural pathways of emotional turmoil and upsetting behavioral responses.

When God created humanity, He gave us this wonderful brain which was like unto His own, with unlimited ability to think and to do, and to explore God's creation and His universe, and forever grow in knowledge and wisdom by communion and fellowship with Him. But He also gave us freedom of will and the power of choice. Because the highest angel in heaven and a third of the angels had defected in the very presence of God, freedom of choice demanded that a way would be provided by which the claims of the enemy against God's government could be accepted or rejected. Thus the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was placed in every garden home of the created beings throughout the universe.

When Adam and Eve sinned and chose to listen to the lies of the evil one, they opened the door for Satan to have access to themselves and their posterity until the conflict between good and evil would be finished in the last generation. And this is where we are now standing. We must make the final choice for good or for evil, for the full results of choosing evil have been displayed before the watching universe. And God will show in this final generation that with the same creative power by which He made the universe, He can now restore the mind of man back to his original holiness and perfection of character. But this holiness of mind and character will not be produced by a miraculous act of God apart from our conscious cooperation, as many choose to believe. It will come as a result of an intelligent decision and choice in every area of our lives where we are presently in disagreement with God. This process takes place when the judgment of the dead has been accomplished, and the judgment of the living begins. Ellen White describes the experience of the living when this transition takes place:

"Those who would share the benefits of the Savior's mediation should permit nothing to interfere with their duty to perfect holiness in the fear of God… The subject of the sanctuary and the investigative judgment should be clearly understood by the people of God. All need a knowledge for themselves of the position and work of their great High Priest. Otherwise it will be impossible for them to exercise the faith which is essential at this time, or to occupy the position which God designs them to fill....

"We are now living in the great day of atonement. In the typical service, while the high priest was making the atonement for Israel, all were required to afflict their souls by repentance of sin and humiliation before the Lord, lest they be cut off from among the people. In like manner, all who would have their names retained in the book of life should now, in the few remaining days of their probation, afflict their souls before God by sorrow for sin and true repentance. There must be deep, faithful searching of heart… Though all nations are to pass in judgment before God, yet He will examine the case of each individual with as close and searching scrutiny as if there were not another being upon the earth. Everyone must be tested and found without spot or wrinkle or any such thing....

"The judgment is now passing in the sanctuary above. For many years this work has been in progress. Soon -- none know how soon -- it will pass to the cases of the living. In the awful presence of God our lives are to come up in review. At this time above all others it behooves every soul to heed the Savior's admonition, 'Watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.'...

"'Watch ye therefore:… lest coming suddenly He find you sleeping.' Perilous is the condition of those who, growing weary of their watch, turn to the attractions of the world. While the man of business is absorbed in the pursuit of gain, while the pleasure-lover is seeking indulgence, while the daughter of fashion is arranging her adornments, -- it may be in that hour that the Judge of all the earth will pronounce the sentence, 'Thou art weighed in the balances and art found wanting.'" GC 488-91.

Many have read these passages and come to the conclusion that we will never know when Christ comes to our name in judgment. But observe carefully the context in which our name could come up without our knowledge. It is those who are not watching and who are absorbed in the things of this world who will not know when their names come up in the judgment. But those who are watching and are following Jesus in His work in the heavenly sanctuary will be among the wise virgins who trim their lamps and have the oil that is necessary to go into the wedding.

What is the difference in the experience of those who have gone before us and lived during the time when Jesus was ministering in the holy place of the sanctuary? Paul speaks of this in 1Corinthians 4:1-5:

"So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things of God. Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God."

In this passage "Paul refers to the time appointed by God for judgment." 6 BC 682 [not EGW]. Through the understanding provided by the Holy Spirit, Paul is referring to the end of the 2300- day prophecy in Daniel, when Jesus moved from the holy place to the most holy place in 1844 -- the "appointed time" when He would begin the final judgment of His people.

"Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain saint which spake, How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot? And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed… And he said, Behold, I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of the indignation: for at the time appointed the end shall be." Dan. 8:13, 14, 19. KJV.

Notice that Paul says that although he himself was not aware of anything in his life that was against his conscience, he accurately predicted that in the time of the pre-advent judgment, God would bring to light what is hidden in darkness and expose the deeper levels and motives of men's hearts. Ellen White also corroborates this interpretation of Paul's prediction of the coming judgment:

"'A book of remembrance' is written before God, in which are recorded the good deeds of them that fear the Lord and that thought upon His name.' (Mal.3:16.) Their words of faith, their acts of love, are registered in heaven....

"There is a record also of the sins of men. 'For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.' (Eccl. 12:14.)… The secret purposes and motives appear in the unerring register; for God 'will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts.'" (1 Cor. 4:5). GC 481.

The secret purposes and motives are secret even to ourselves, for they reside in the deeper levels of the mind, and unless they are revealed to us by God, we will continue to act from these as long as we live. We may believe that we understand why we think and behave the way we do, but there are deeper levels coming from our inheritance and our childhood experiences that are locked into our unconscious mind, and cannot be retrieved unless they are miraculously revealed to us by God. But we must be spiritually awake and cooperating with Him in order for this to take place, for "the Lord does nothing without our cooperation." 2 SM 236.

"Christ says of the overcomer, 'I will not blot out his name out of the book of life.' The names of all who have once given themselves to God are written in the book of life, and their characters are now passing in review before Him. Angels of God are weighing moral worth. They are watching the development of character in those now living, to see if their names can be retained in the book of life. A probation is granted us in which to wash our robes and make them white in the blood of the Lamb. Who is doing this work? Who is separating from himself sin and selfishness?" 7 BC 960.

How can we cooperate with this work that Jesus is doing right now to prepare His people for the close of probation and the time of trouble? In order to understand this more fully, we must go back to the Old Testament sanctuary services which were required for the Day of Atonement:

"And this shall be a statute forever unto you: that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether it be one of your own country or a stranger that sojourneth among you: for on that day shall the priest make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, that ye may be clean from all your sins before the Lord. It shall be a Sabbath of rest unto you, and ye shall afflict your souls, by a statute forever." Lev. 16:29-31. KJV.

"Also on the 10th day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: and it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord… For whatsoever soul it shall be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people… It shall be unto you a Sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls: in the ninth day of the month at even, from even to even, shall ye celebrate your Sabbath." Lev. 23:27,29, 32. KJV.

Notice that afflicting one's soul during the Day of Atonement is an absolute necessity if a person wants to be among God's remnant people who wish to be victorious during the time of the judgment of the living. The word "afflict" in Hebrew means:

Abase self, chasten self, deal hardly with, humble self, submit self. Strong's Conc.

"While Christ is cleansing the sanctuary, the worshippers on earth should carefully review their life, and compare their character with the standard of righteousness." Ev. 224.

"Without the transforming process which can come alone through divine power, the original propensities to sin are left in the heart in all their strength, to forge new chains, to impose a slavery that can never be broken by human power." Ev. 192.

Why does Ellen White use the word "heart" when referring to our original propensities to sin? Some of the meanings of the word "heart" in Hebrew are:

The inner person; the seat of thought and emotion; conscience, understanding; inmost being. NIV Conc.

Where do these inner feelings and drives come from, and why are they so difficult to bring under the control of reason? To understand this, we need to take a closer look at the amygdala and its functioning.

"The amygdala acts as our 'emotional hard drive.' It holds all the emotions we have ever experienced and the intensity of those emotions, but it doesn't include specific information about the events that triggered each emotion.... The amygdala doesn't decipher fear, anger, or joy.... To the amygdala, fear is fear, anger is anger, joy is joy, and these emotional experiences are all equally weighted. There is no chronology of emotions in the amygdala.

"The amygdala provides our initial whoosh of emotion. This unfiltered emotional response is based on the amygdala's databank of past emotional experiences. Research has shown that it is the amygdala that produces the 'fight or flight' response that we share when facing a dangerous or threatening situation. Our amygdala holds all of the emotions we have ever experienced and can pull them up at any any time." Healy, Eileen D.; EQ and Your Child. San Carlos, CA: Familypedia Publishing, 2005.

In these few words a foundation is laid for the rest of our study on the cleansing of the subconscious and unconscious mind. If you recall, I stated earlier in this article that the amygdala is on the "fast track" in our brain. In other words, a stimulus can cause the brain to bypass the frontal lobe where our reason and critical thinking is housed and produce a "fight or flight" reaction without consulting our better judgment. Have you ever wondered why you reacted in a certain way to a difficult situation and only later could ponder calmly about what you should have said or done? This is because the memories which are stored in your amygdala were immediately alerted, and a message was sent to your brain to prepare you to protect yourself in whatever ways you are accustomed to doing.

Then is there no hope for us to be delivered from this condition until Jesus comes and changes our nature? God forbid! The plan of salvation includes the cleansing and blotting out of these memories and sinful pathways, and implanting in us the very nature and perfection of the character of Christ. It is at this point that many Christians stop in their spiritual growth, for they do not realize that there is one last step in the plan of salvation which must be accomplished before His coming. In order for us to benefit by what Jesus is doing in His final work of blotting out sin, we must be in close communion with Him at all times, hear His voice, and obey willingly and gladly whatever He tells us to do. Without this constant intimate relationship with Jesus, it will be impossible for us to break the habit patterns of a lifetime of faulty thinking, feeling and behavior.

In order to better understand God's progressive requirements for the three levels of the sanctuary, I will briefly review these in their order. In the court era of the plan of salvation, the baseline was behavioral obedience. Righteousness consisted of obedience to His eternal law, and compliance with the rules and regulations that He had revealed to them which were necessary in order to have a relationship with Him. When Jesus ascended back into heaven and began His ministry in the holy place of the heavenly sanctuary, the requirements for holiness now included the law as it applied to the inner life of the conscious thoughts and feelings. But when He entered into the most holy place in 1844, He began a work of judgment which also includes the hidden springs of emotion from which all our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors flow. It is understandable, then, that most people today believe that the judgment of the living is a secret process, for He is judging the secrets of men's hearts. But I have good news for you! Jesus is a revealer of secrets, and He is able to reveal to each one of us all that He sees in the books of heaven that lie open before Him.

Would you like to know how to cooperate with Jesus in this process of cleansing your inner life? Many of God's people are now moving into this experience with Jesus and are walking with Him as He reveals to them the areas in their life that do not reflect the principles of righteousness that He requires in order to have a place in His heavenly kingdom.

The ideal of Christian character is holiness. The word "holiness" means "agreement with God" 5T 743. And "without holiness no one will see the Lord." Heb. 12:14. Do you know that the coming of Jesus has been delayed because God's people have not cooperated with Him in this process? God has waited long for a people who will turn away from the things of this earth and focus upon Jesus as He walks with us through this cleansing process.

"The bottles of God's wrath cannot be poured out to destroy the wicked and their works until all the people of God have been judged, and the cases of the living as well as the dead are decided." TM 446.

"I saw that the four angels would hold the four winds until Jesus' work was done in the sanctuary, and then would come the seven last plagues." EW 36.

Would you like to be among those who help to hasten the coming of Jesus? Many years ago, Ellen White had a dream which illustrates the process that is necessary to have entrance into the heavenly temple.

"I dreamed of seeing a temple, to which many persons were flocking. Only those who took refuge in that temple would be safe when time should close. All who remained outside would be forever lost. The multitudes without who were going about their various ways, derided and ridiculed those who were entering the temple, and told them that this plan of safety was a cunning deception, that in fact there was no danger whatever to avoid....

"Fearing to be ridiculed, I thought best to wait until the multitude dispersed, or until I could enter unobserved by them. But the numbers increased instead of diminishing, and fearful of being too late, I hastily left my home and pressed through the crowd… On entering the building, I saw that the vast temple was supported by one immense pillar, and to this was tied a lamb all mangled and bleeding. We who were present seemed to know that this lamb had been torn and bruised on our account. All who entered the temple must come before it and confess their sins....

"I seemed compelled to move forward, and was slowly making my way around the pillar in order to face the lamb, when a trumpet sounded, the temple shook, shouts of triumph rose from the assembled saints, an awful brightness illuminated the building, then all was intense darkness." 1T 27, 28.

This impressive dream illustrates the experience of those who will be alive when Jesus comes. Those who understand the importance of the message of the sanctuary will come to Jesus and confess all their sins in the most holy place experience of the cleansing and blotting out of all the sins of God's people. But how can we know the roots of the sins that lie deep in the unconscious mind? The answer is found in the counsel of Jesus, the true witness to the Laodiceans:

"I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich, and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes so you can see." Rev. 3:18.

Laodicea is the church in judgment, or in the judgment hour of earth's history. There are three important points to consider in the council Jesus gives to the Laodiceans. Number one is gold tried in the fire. When all is going well in our lives, we may not know that deep within us are defects of character which are not like the character of Jesus. So God allows us to go through trials that bring up the hidden dross that is stored deep in the recesses of our past experiences and memories. For example, if there has been any kind of abuse, our thoughts, feelings, and reactions to that abuse are lodged in the database of our minds, and will continue to affect us for the rest of our lives if they are not cleansed and healed. Therefore, Jesus counsels us to buy of Him gold tried in the fire. Jesus has the perfect character that we need, and He wants to give it to us; but He will not do this if we are not cooperating with Him at every step of the way.

"What is it to be a Christian? It is to be Christlike; it is to do the works of Christ. Some fail on one point, some on another. Some are naturally impatient. Satan understands their weakness and manages to overcome them again and again. But let none be discouraged by this. Whenever little annoyances and trials arrive, ask God in silent prayer to give you strength and grace to bear them patiently. There is a power in silence; do not speak a word until you have sent up your petition to the God of heaven. If you will always do this, you will soon overcome your hasty temper, and you will have a little heaven here to go to heaven in." IHP 30.

"Every character is to be weighed in the balances of the sanctuary; if the moral character and spiritual advancement do not correspond with the opportunities and blessings, "wanting" is written against the name. The Light of the world is our leader, and the path has been growing brighter and brighter as we have advanced in the footsteps of Jesus. O that we may keep close to our Leader!... Those who humbly study the character of Jesus will reflect His image more and more." IHP 130.

But even with the refining we receive through trials and temptations, we still may sometimes fall short of the goal of the perfection of character that Jesus refers to in His counsel to the Laodiceans. Therefore Jesus also advises us to purchase "white raiment" from Him. This is also referred to in Revelation 19:7, 8, as the perfected character of the bride of Christ at the end of time.

"Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear. Fine linen stands for the righteousness [KJV] of the saints."

In order to fully understand the level of righteousness and holiness that Jesus is offering to provide for us which is symbolized in this text as the beautiful white garments of a bride, we need to understand what the word "character" means, and the significance of this in the cleansing and perfecting of our lives, and the blotting out of our sins in the records of heaven.

"The thoughts and feelings combined make up the moral character." 5 T 310.

"Angels of God daily place upon the books of heaven an exact representation of the character of every human being." 7 BC 987.

Notice carefully that it is not just our outward acts which are written upon the books of heaven, but also all of our thoughts and feelings are recorded there, and in the Day of Judgment they will rise to acquit or condemn us. Jesus said:

"Out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned." Matt. 12:34-37.

In other words, God's judgments of us will be made on the basis of the motives behind our feelings, thoughts, words, and deeds.

"Every act is judged by the motives that prompt it." COL 316.

"The Lord searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts." 1 Chron. 28:9.

"All a man's ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the Lord." Prov. 16:2.

"Every act of our lives, whether excellent or praiseworthy, or deserving of censure, is judged by the searcher of hearts according to the motives which prompted it." GW 275.

Do you see the dilemma this places upon the true Christian who wants to be saved, wants to please the Lord, and yet sometimes falls to the temptations of the evil one? With Paul we can say, "What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?" Rom. 7:23, 24. The good news is that Jesus is willing and able to do this for us. But it is not, as some think, simply covering our record of sin by His righteousness and leaving us in the same condition. His plan of salvation includes the rooting out of even the seeds of sin completely from our hearts.

"Jesus called the crowd to him and said, 'Listen and understand. What goes into a man's mouth does not make him unclean, but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him unclean.... Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots… The things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man unclean. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what make a man unclean.'" Matt. 15:10-20.

The people who listened to Jesus' that day did not really understand the depth of what He was saying. But we who live in this time of the final judgment which Jesus is conducting in heaven must understand and cooperate with Him in the work that He is doing in the most holy place to prepare a people to stand in the time of trouble.

"Go your way Daniel, because the words are closed up and sealed until the time of the end. Many will be purified, made spotless, and refined, but the wicked will continue to be wicked. None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand." Dan. 12:9, 10.

Notice that the angel who was speaking to Daniel used the word, "refined", which is the same concept used by Jesus in His counsel to the Laodiceans. Although none of us enjoy going through the fiery trials that are necessary to purify us as gold, they are the means by which Jesus brings up the hidden things in our hearts so that we may see our defects of character, repent, and be cleansed.

"As fire purifies gold, so Christ purifies His people by temptation and trial." Ms 115, 1902.

"The work of restoration can never be thorough unless the roots of evil are reached. Again and again the shoots have been clipped, while the root of bitterness has been left to spring up and defile many; but the very depth of the hidden evil must be reached, the moral senses must be judged, and judged again, in the light of the divine presence. The daily life will testify whether the work is genuine." 5 BC 1152.

"The tops have been cut down, but the roots have never been eradicated, and they still bear their unholy fruit to poison the judgment, pervert the perceptions, and blind the understanding.... When by thorough confession you destroy the root of bitterness, you will see light in God's light. Without this thorough work you will never clear your souls." LS 326.

My journey in this special cleansing -- which I learned to be the judgment of the living -- began in 1974. Under a series of severe trials, I discovered that I had a well of anger within me that I had not recognized before. After much prayer, the Lord revealed to me that this anger came from my childhood experiences with my father, and the resentment that I had built up as a result. After deep repentance and confession of my sin, both to God and to my father, the Lord removed these memories from my mind, and I can no longer bring them to remembrance.

God then directed me to a greater understanding of the sanctuary as an experience. For 10 years I studied these concepts of the sanctuary, and in 1984 the Lord called me into public ministry around the world, teaching the things that I had learned. Since that time, many others have come to a recognition that God is calling them to a deeper level of repentance, which allows God to reveal to them the secrets of their hearts, thus giving Jesus the right to cleanse their sins both from their minds and from the books of heaven. He then imprints His own holy and righteous

character into the hearts and minds of those who are willing to go through this experience. When this process of cleansing has been fully accomplished in God's people, He will place His seal of approval upon the frontal lobes of the mind, which represents the fact that we have come into full agreement with God in every aspect of our lives.

"The science of holiness... acknowledges no standard but the perfection of God's mind, His will." OHC 108.

"Those who hold fast their faith unto the end will come forth from the furnace of trial seven times purified Remember that there is One watching every movement to see when the last particle of dross is taken away from your character." UL 292.

"If the eye is fixed on Christ, the work of the Spirit ceases not until the soul is conformed to His image." DA 302.

"It may take time to attain to perfect submission to God's will, but we can never stop short of it and be fitted for heaven." 3T 538.

The last point that I want to bring out in this article is the third part of Jesus' counsel to the Laodiceans. He told them that they needed eyesalve so that they could see. Because of our blindness to our sins, we must seek the Lord for the gift of the Holy Spirit in order to see our true condition. Otherwise we will be left in our present state until it is too late to receive the precious oil that is poured out during the latter rain. Remember the case of the wise and foolish virgins. They waited too long to awaken and prepare for the coming of the bridegroom. Without the oil of the Holy Spirit it is impossible for us to see the changes that must be made in our characters.

"We cannot attain perfection of character if we do not hear the voice of God and obey His counsel." SD 90.

"The class represented by the foolish virgins... have not… permitted their old nature to be broken up… They have been content with a superficial work. They do not know God. They have not studied His character; they have not held communion with Him; therefore they do not know how to trust, how to look and live. Their service to God degenerates into a form." COL 411.

"If they cherish hereditary and cultivated traits of character, while professing to be His disciples, they are represented by the foolish virgins." 4 BC 1179.

In my experience in the cleansing process, I have found, to my joy, that when the roots of sin have been confessed, forsaken, and blotted out of my mind and of the books of heaven, I can now hear God's still, small voice speaking to me before I say or do something that is not in harmony with the character and will of Jesus. Then I can choose to submit to His voice and follow His leading instead of hearing the temptations of the evil one and the voice of impulse coming from my uncleansed amygdala. When the roots of evil are gone, the overwhelming temptation

to sin is then replaced by the sweet voice of Jesus speaking through His Holy Spirit to our hearts. Then we can say with Isaiah:

"Lord, you establish peace for us; all that we have accomplished you have done for us. O Lord, our God, other Lords besides you have ruled over us, but your name alone do we honor. They are now dead, they live no more; those departed spirits do not rise. You punished them and brought them to ruin; you wiped out all memory of them." Isa. 26:12-14.

Isn't it time to seek the Lord until He is found by us? If we could see the shortness of the time that we have left, we would make haste to enter the temple and confess our sins before the slain lamb. Do not be among the slothful servants or the scoffers who ridicule those who believe in the imminent return of Jesus. In that mental condition you will not hear the still, small voice calling you to repentance and cleansing before it is too late. Be willing to do whatever it takes to prepare yourself for God's kingdom and to receive the crown of life which is given to the overcomers. Soon Jesus will finish His work in the most holy place; then He will throw down the censer and the seven last plagues will begin. On which side will you be when Jesus pronounces the final verdict of His ministry?

"He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be." Rev. 22:11, 12, KJV.

By Carol Zarska