1.) The Etiology and Healing of Root Problems
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Since the fall of Adam and Eve, all mankind has been under the law of heredity. This means that our thought life, our spiritual life, our physical bodies, and our inheritance has also been fallen, and therefore defective in various degrees. This truth is recognized throughout the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy. Therefore in this study I will bring out a variety of quotes from various sources to help us better understand how the sin problem has affected us, and how to deal with it according to inspiration and recent scientific studies which support our desperate need for the remedy for sin that has been provided for us through Jesus.
"There is a new science that should cause the Christian world, especially Seventh-Day Adventists, to take notice. Epigenetic research has been around for 16 years, and it has revealed that the phrase in the second commandment in Exodus 20:5 that reads, 'Visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation,' is a fact of science.
"Through his research in epigenetics at Resslers Laboratory at Emory University in Atlanta, a man named Brian Dias discovered that things we experience, choices we make, what we think and the way we think are mysteriously passed on to our children through DNA.
"Dias also discovered that those character traits are passed on to the third and fourth generation. He realized that every choice, every thought process he and his wife made would affect their unborn children; their life choices would affect their posterity long past their existence. Reading carefully what he and others have written one discovers that children's characters are not only molded by what they see their parents and others doing, but also by what is passed down to them through parental epigenetics.
"This research also reveals that the spiritual choices we make--such as going to church, being there on time, faithfulness in Sabbath-keeping and tithing--are somehow passed down to our children and beyond. The question for each of us to answer is: What am I passing on to my posterity?...
"[Ellen] White says of some children, 'They have inherited the defective characters of their parents, and the discipline of the home has been no help in the formation of right character.' CT 192.
"But the good news is that we aren't stuck with our epigenetic inheritance. If we love God enough to trust Him, and trust Him enough to be obedient to Him, we can claim His Bible promises that tell us God is 'able to sanctify us wholly' (1 Thes. 5:23-24); that God is 'able to present us faultless' (Jude 24) before His throne. Truly, God is great and gracious to us."
Pastor Wallace Frost, Columbia Union Visitor, Sept. 2016, p. 13.
With this current information from science, let us consider some quotations from scripture and from the Spirit of Prophecy that tell us that we need to be aware of both the problem and the solution, and cooperate with God in the cleansing of not only the current sins that plague us, but also our inherited sins and tendencies which have been passed on to us and are still operational in our lives.
"Even before the birth of the child, the preparation should begin that will enable it to fight successfully the battle against evil. Especially does responsibility rest upon the mother. She by whose lifeblood the child is nourished and its physical frame built up, imparts to it also mental and spiritual influences that tend to the shaping of mind and character.... The effect of prenatal influences is by many parents looked upon as a matter of little moment; but heaven does not so regard it.... The well-being of the child will be affected by the habits of the mother.... If before the birth of her child she is self-indulgent, if she is selfish, impatient, and exacting, these traits will be reflected in the disposition of the child. Thus many children have received as a birthright almost unconquerable tendencies to evil. But if the mother unswervingly adheres to right principles, if she is temperate and self-denying, if she is kind, gentle, and unselfish, she may give her child these same precious traits of character....
"Let the husband aid his wife by his sympathy and unfailing affection. If he wishes to keep her fresh and gladsome so that she will be as sunshine in the home, let him help her bear her burdens. His kindness and loving courtesy will be to her a precious encouragement, and the happiness he imparts will bring joy and peace to his own heart. The husband and father who is morose, selfish, and overbearing, is not only unhappy himself, but he casts gloom upon all the inmates of his home. He will reap the result in seeing his wife dispirited and sickly and his children marred with his own unlovely temper." MH 371-5.
"The father should bear in mind that the treatment of his wife before the birth of his offspring will materially affect the disposition of the mother during that period, and will have very much to do with the character developed by their child after its birth." 2 SM 428.
"It is inevitable that children should suffer from the consequences of parental wrongdoing, but they are not punished for the parents' guilt, except as they participate in their sins. It is usually the case, however, that children walk in the steps of their parents. By inheritance and example the sons become partakers of the father's sins. Wrong tendencies, perverted appetites, and debased morals, as well as physical disease and degeneracy, are transmitted as a legacy from father to son to the third and fourth generation. This fearful truth should have a solemn power to restrain men from following a course of sin." PP 306.
"Then the Lord came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the Lord. And he passed in front of Moses proclaiming, 'The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sins of the fathers to the third and fourth generation." Ex. 34:5-7.
"So you will not be able to stand before your enemies.... Those of you who are left will waste away in the lands of their enemies because of their sins; also because of their fathers' sins they will waste away. But if they will confess their sins and the sins of their fathers.... then when their uncircumcised hearts are humbled and they pay for their sin, I will remember my covenant with Jacob and my covenant with Isaac and my covenant with Abraham, and I will remember the land." Lev.26:37-42.
"Train a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not turn from it." Prov.22:6.
"Children are the lawful prey of the enemy because they are not subjects of grace. They have not experienced the cleansing power of the blood of Jesus. The evil angels have access to these children, and some parents are careless and suffer them to work with little restraint. Parents have a great work to do in this matter by correcting and subduing their children and bringing them to God and claiming His blessing upon them. By faithful and untiring efforts and the blessing of grace entreated of God upon the children, the power of evil angels will be broken, a sanctifying influence is shed upon the children, and the powers of darkness must give back." CT 118.
"Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me." Ps. 51:5.
"Yet you brought me out of the womb; you made me trust in you even at my mother's breast. From birth I was cast upon you; from my mother's womb you have been my God." Ps. 22:9, 10.
Note: Psalms 22 is a Psalm used by Jesus about Himself when He was hanging upon the cross.
"Even from birth the wicked go astray; from the womb they are wayward and speak lies. Their venom is like the venom of a snake, like that of a cobra that has stopped its ears, that will not heed the tune of the charmer, however skillful the enchanter may be." Ps. 58:3-5.
"The offspring of the wicked will never be mentioned again. Prepare a place to slaughter his sons for the sins of their forefathers." Isa. 14:20, 21.
Note: Does this mean that God will punish people for the sins of their forefathers even if they have not participated in their sins? No, God is merciful and just, and it is only when we participate and continue in the sins of the forefathers that we will be punished for their sins.
"Yet you ask, 'Why does the son not share the guilt of his father?' Since the son has done what is just and right and has been careful to keep all my decrees, he will surely live. The soul who sins is the one who will die. The son will not share the guilt of the father, nor will the father share the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous man will be credited to him, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against him. But if a wicked man turns away from all the sins he has committed and keeps all my decrees and does what is just and right he will surely live; he will not die.... If a wicked man turns away from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he will save his life. Because he considers all the offences he has committed and turns away from them, he will surely live; he will not die." Eze. 18:19-21; 27, 28.
"Many have to battle against strong hereditary tendencies to evil. Unnatural cravings, sensual impulses, were their inheritance from birth. These must be carefully guarded against. Within and without, good and evil are striving for the mastery. Those who have never passed through such experiences cannot know the almost overmastering power of appetite or the fierceness of the conflict between habits of self-indulgence and the determination to be temperate in all things. Over and over again the battle must be fought. Many who are drawn to Christ will not have moral courage to continue to battle against appetite and passion. But the worker must not be discouraged by this.... Remember that you do not work alone. Ministering angels unite in service with every truehearted son and daughter of God." MH 173, 4.
So you see, God has provided for every eventuality in the human life. Because of His gracious mercy there is not a soul that is beyond saving if they will cooperate with with God in the restoration of their souls that is possible through Jesus. But the sad reality is that comparatively few will take advantage of God's provisions for their restoration and salvation. Today most Christians believe and teach that that even born again Christians will sin until Jesus comes. But is this in harmony with scripture? Sadly, many will be lost while hoping and believing that they would be saved. So let us consider the way of salvation that has been provided so graciously for us:
"To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy - to the only God our Saviour be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen." Jude 24.
"The remnant of Israel will do no wrong; they will speak no lies, nor will deceit be found in their mouths." Zeph. 3:13.
"But in the Lord all the descendants of Israel will be found righteous and will exult." Isa. 45:25.
"Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads.... These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they kept themselves pure. They follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They were purchased from among men and offered as first fruits to God and the Lamb. No lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless." Rev. 14:1; 4, 5.
"'In those days, at that time,' declares the Lord, 'search will be made for Israel's guilt, but there will be none, and for the sins of Judah, but none will be found, for I will forgive the remnant I spare.'" Jer. 50:20.
"It is a solemn thing to die, but a far more solemn thing to live. Every thought and word and deed of our lives will meet us again. What we make of ourselves in probationary time, that we must remain throughout all eternity. Death brings dissolution to the body, but makes no change in the character. The coming of Christ does not change our characters; it only fixes them forever beyond all change." 5T 466.
"Then he told me, 'Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, because the time is near. Let him who does wrong continue to do wrong; let him who is vile continue to be vile; let him who does right continue to do right; and let him who is holy continue to be holy. Behold I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done.... Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city.'" Rev. 22:10-14.
"Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life." Rev. 21:27.
"All of God's people should come nearer to Him and wash their robes of character in the blood of the Lamb." 3T 324.
"I saw a covering that God was drawing over His people to protect them in the time of trouble; and every soul that was decided on the truth and was pure in heart was to be covered with the covering of the Almighty." EW 43.
What must we do to have our robes of character cleansed before probation closes? It is important to understand the meaning of the word "character." It is not referring just to our behavior. Character signifies our inner thought life. It is here that sin begins which results in outward behavior. And it is here that the cleansing of our lives must take place.
"If man is to become immortal, his mind must be in harmony with God's mind." Test. on Sexual Behavior, p. 116.
"Holiness is agreement with God." 5T 743.
"God's law reaches the feelings and motives, as well as the outward acts." 5 BC 1085.
"The thoughts and feelings combined make up the moral character." 5 T 310.
"Few realize that it is their duty to exercise control over their thoughts and imaginations." OHC 111.
"In the resurrection every man will have his own character [thoughts and feelings]." 6 BC 1093.
"Through defects in the character [thoughts and feelings] Satan works to gain control of the whole mind." GC 489.
"Angels of God daily place upon the books of heaven an exact representation of the character [thoughts and feelings] of every human being." 7 BC 987.
"But before that time [the second coming] everything that is imperfect will have been seen and put away. All envy and jealousy and evil surmising and every selfish plan will have been banished from the life." 3 SM 427.
"Those who hold fast to 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 [thoughts and feelings]." 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.
"Christ... was to bear the penalty of the transgression of the law of God, not to give men liberty to continue in sin, but to take away their inclination to sin, that they might not desire to transgress." Youth Instructor 4/6/99.
"There is not an impulse of our nature, not a faculty of the mind or an inclination of the heart, but needs to be, moment by moment, under the control of the Spirit of God." MYP 62.
"The Holy Spirit seeks to abide in each soul. If it is welcomed as an honored guest, those who receive it will be made complete in Christ. The good work begun will be finished; the holy thoughts, heavenly affections, and Christ-like actions will take the place of impure thoughts, perverse sentiments, and rebellious acts." CH 561.
"Satan and his evil angels are watching at every avenue leading to the human heart, seeking to force souls to accept evil suggestions.... Unless we depend upon a power outside of and above ourselves, the enemy will succeed in accomplishing our ruin. But in looking to Jesus, by studying His life and character, by honestly endeavoring to be like Him, our minds will be balanced in the right direction, that we may overcome selfishness, and choose a course of righteousness." SD 159.
"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.
So you see, the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy make it very clear that perfection of character -- thoughts and feelings -- is imperative for those who wish to live to see Jesus come. Christians throughout all the ages were required to know Jesus and to have a personal relationship with Him, striving to be like Him by the power of the Holy Spirit, in order to receive and retain salvation. But not everything was known to them about the plan of salvation and our rescue completely from the lies of the enemy, until Jesus entered the most holy place to perfect and prepare a people for His coming. We are those people, and we cannot base the experience that is required of us upon those who have lived in past history. The work of salvation is now to be finished in the last generation. Are we willing to be among those who go all the way with Jesus? In order to do so we must be like Enoch, who was translated without seeing death. Ellen White says of him:
"We can have what Enoch had. We can have Christ as our constant companion. Enoch walked with God, and when assailed by the tempter, he could talk with God about it. He had no 'It is written', as we have, but he had a knowledge of his heavenly companion. He made God his counselor, and was closely bound up with Jesus. And Enoch was honored in this course. He was translated to heaven without seeing death. And those who will be translated at the close of time will be those who commune with God on earth. Those who make manifest that their life is hid with Christ in God will ever be representing Him in all their life practices. Selfishness will be cut out by the roots." 1 BC 1087.
"Refer every thought and action to Him, inquiring: 'Is this the way of the Lord?' If [we] did [we] would walk with God as did Enoch." 6 T 393.
"How did Enoch walk with God? He educated his mind and heart to ever feel the presence of God, and when in perplexity his prayers would ascend to God to keep him, to teach him His will. 'What shall I do to honor thee, my God?' was his prayer." ST 12/29/87.
"We may speak with Jesus as we walk by the way, and He says, 'I am at thy right hand.' We may commune with God in our hearts, we may walk in companionship with Jesus Christ." ML 16.
"Keep the eye fixed on Jesus, inquiring at every step, 'Is this the way of the Lord?' The Lord will not leave anyone who does this to become the sport of Satan's temptation." TD 284.
"Through a connection with Him we may gain perfection." COL 330.
"Pressing close to His side and holding communion with Him we become like Him." TD 96.
"When this intimacy of connection and communion is formed, our sins are laid upon Christ. His righteousness is imputed to us." MLT 11.
"Keep the conscience tender that you may hear the faintest whisper of the voice that spake as never man spake." MLT 322.
"The commission of a known sin silences the witnessing voice of the Spirit and separates the soul from God." GC 472.
"The Spirit of God should have perfect control, influencing every action." CD 119.
"We cannot for one moment separate ourselves from Christ with safety." MYP 115.
"The closer we are to God the safer we are, for Satan hates and fears the presence of God." 7 BC 937.
"If man does not open the door of his heart to Christ Jesus and commune with Him, satanic agencies will commune with him." TD 332.
"Without a personal acquaintance with Christ and a continual communion, we are at the mercy of the enemy and shall do his bidding in the end." DA 324.
"Says the prophet: 'Who may abide the day of his coming? And who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fuller's soap: and he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.' [Mal. 3:2, 3.] Those who are living upon the earth when the intercession of Christ shall cease in the sanctuary above, are to stand in the sight of a holy God without a mediator. Their robes must be spotless, their characters must be purified from sin by the blood of sprinkling. Through the grace of God and their own diligent effort, they must be conquerors in the battle with evil. While the investigative judgment is going forward in heaven, while the sins of penitent believers are being removed from the sanctuary, there is to be a special to work of purification, of putting away sin, among God's people upon earth. This work is more clearly presented in the messages of Revelation 14.
"When this work shall have been accomplished, the followers of Christ will be ready for His appearing." GC 425.
Are you ready to participate with Jesus in this special work of purification that is He is doing right now in the closing work of His mediation in the most holy place of the sanctuary in heaven? If so, you will be closely examining your heart and your thoughts and feelings every day, and petitioning Jesus to forgive you of sinful thoughts and feelings and cleanse you and place in you His own pure and holy thoughts and feelings. This is the work that He is doing right now in those who allow Him to work in their hearts.
But soon the door of the most holy place in the heavenly sanctuary will close, and Jesus will go forth to pour out the seven last plagues upon those who have ignored the invitation of the Spirit to be one with Him. Are you willing to put away the things of earth that are so alluring and captivating? These will prove to be your ruin and the loss of your salvation if you cherish the things of this world that have put thoughts and feelings into your mind that are not in harmony with the mind of Christ. Let us allow nothing to separate us from a continual walk with Jesus. Then we can say with Paul:
"But we have the mind of Christ." 1 Cor. 2:16.
[For further study, read Romans, chapter 8.]
"Put your whole being into the Lord's hands soul, body, and spirit, and resolve to be His loving, consecrated agency, moved by His will, controlled by His mind, infused by His Spirit -- then you will see heavenly things clearly." SD 105.
"If you strive in all humility to understand what is the mind of Christ, you will not be left in darkness. Jesus says, 'He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.'" 7 BC 903.
"Wherever a soul reaches out after God, there the Spirit's working is manifest, and God will reveal Himself to that soul." MLT 46.
In the day of final judgment we will have no excuse if we put off the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit which comes to each of us from Jesus, wooing us to give up the sins of the flesh and the thoughts and feelings that come from the world, the flesh, and the devil, and from our inheritance and the practices of our former lives. If we give ourselves completely to Jesus, He will make us over into fit representatives of His character -- His thoughts and feelings about everything that we encounter. What a life of peace and rest this is! It is worth everything to receive this walk and friendship with Jesus! Friend, don't put off this decision even one more day! Give your heart completely to Jesus and experience a life of peace and joy and restfulness in Him that will see you through successfully until He comes. Amen!
Article by Carol Zarska, MAR, Writer
