WHEN YOU HAVE MADE A MAJOR MISTAKE! There are times in our lives when we face the unsettling realization that we are living in error. It could be in a relationship, in our diet, our finances, and even in our religious practices. What do you do when you come to this realization?

We continue our study of the three angels’ messages in Revelation 14; within this context, we look at the final conflict and how you can recognize Satan’s deceptions and avoid being deceived.

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Let Us Invite God’s Presence:

Holy Father, teach us your ways and give us the heart to turn around when we discover we are going in the wrong direction. In Jesus’ Name Amen

Revelation 17 describes a woman wearing scarlet and purple. She is riding on a red beast. From the previous lesson, we now understand that she symbolizes spiritual Babylon. She has a golden wine cup in her hand. She passes this wine cup around. She gets the world drunk with her “wine” the “wine of Babylon,”  In an article titled  “Let the Trumpet Give a Certain Sound” it becomes clear:

“What is Babyon’s wine? It is her false teachings. Babylon replaces the true Sabbath of the fourth commandment with a false one. Babylon also repeats the lie that Satan first told Eve in the Garden of Eden. What is that lie? It is the lie that our souls or immortal. E.G. White Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, December 6, 1892.

The truth is, we humans are not immortal; we are mortal, subject to death. Only God is immortal. However, those who accept Jesus will be made immortal when Jesus returns to this earth.

These false teachings have deceived millions of people. So, God gives His people a final end-time message to help those who have been deceived to wake up, turn away from these false teachings, and not continue in error.

Notice in Revelation 18:4, 5 what God says to His people who are still a part of Babylon, this religious system that teaches false Bible principles.

4 And I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues.

5 For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. (Revelation 18:4-5)

This call tells us that many of God’s people belong to churches and religious organizations that don’t always teach the Bible truth. The religious leaders in these organizations have failed to understand the truths of the Bible or refuse to acknowledge it.  Nevertheless, as a loving father, God calls His children out of Babylon. So, God says to them: “ ‘Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues’ ” (Revelation 18:4).

What is sin? 1 John 3:4 says:

4 Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.  (1 John 3:4)

And Romans 14:23 says.

23 But he who doubts is condemned if he eats because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin. (Romans 14:23)

So, sin is breaking God’s law. However, the only way anyone can keep the law is through faith in the power of Jesus.

 Therefore, we must allow Jesus to live in our hearts. Then by the power of the Holy Spirit, we can obey Him. We are sinners. We are weak. We make mistakes. But by faith, when we accept Christ, His grace pays for our past sins and empowers us to resist Satan’s temptations to sin. Romans 1:5 tells us that He gives us “grace and apostleship for obedience”

In 1 John 2:1, we are admonished not to sin, but if we sin, we have Jesus as our advocate to plead our case.

My little children, these things I write to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. (1 John 2:1)

So, what do we do with errors and mistakes?  Do we stay in error? No, of course not.

When you discover that you have been doing something in error, it’s important to take appropriate steps to rectify the situation. Here’s a suggested course of action:

Acknowledge the error: Recognize and accept that you have done something incorrectly. It’s natural to feel a sense of disappointment or frustration, but it’s crucial to maintain a calm and objective mindset. (Split)

Assess the impact: Evaluate the consequences of your error. Determine how much it has affected your work, relationships, your relationship with God, and any other relevant areas. Understanding the impact will help you make the decision to change your actions.

Gather information: Take the time to thoroughly understand the correct way of doing things. Research, consult trusted sources, or seek advice from knowledgeable individuals who can provide accurate, truthful, and honest information. Make sure the individuals you consult use the Bible as their foundation. This step is crucial to avoid falling back into the same error. 

Take responsibility: Assume ownership of the error and its consequences. Avoid shifting blame or making excuses. Taking responsibility demonstrates integrity and a willingness to grow from the experience.

Take steps to correct the error: Take measures to rectify the situation. Identify the necessary steps to correct the error and avoid turning back. Pray, and ask God to help you take the steps needed to turn around and stay on course immediately.

Communicate your discovery to others: tell others what you have discovered and your plan to rectify the situation.

Today, God has a message for His people in churches that are in error.  He has a message for His people who are in religious organizations that don’t acknowledge and obey His law, the ten commandments. God asks them to have faith in him and leave these false teachings behind. He calls for them to walk away from error.

Then God calls for those who claim that they are keeping his commandments to stop being selfish and prideful and live by faith in Jesus. Thus, acknowledging that we can’t save ourselves by our own good behavior. Instead, our good behavior is an acknowledgment of our love relationship with Jesus, who said in John 14:15 “If you love me, keep my commandments.” 

Therefore, we must believe in God’s mercy to save us from sin. When our faith is in God, and we obey him because we love him, we can then be powerful examples to others and help lead them out of Babylon.

Hebron Seventh-day Adventist Church

 7902 Wheatly Street

Houston, TX 77088

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