A REPUTATION AT STAKE. Have you ever had someone try to destroy your reputation? This is exactly what the cosmic war is about. The cosmic war is a war between good and evil. It is about honor and reputation. Whose honor and reputation are on the line?
We are concluding our study of the three angels’ messages in Revelation 14; in this context, we focus on the character of the character and reputation of God.
Review our previous videos on this study at SabbathSchoolDaily.com.
You may obtain the study guide on the Three Cosmic Messages at Sabbath.School or ssnet.org.
Let Us Invite God’s Presence:
Holy Father, help us trust you and not believe the lies and accusations that Satan has made against you. In Jesus Name, Amen.
The attempt to tarnish your reputation causes confusion or doubt among those who hear the negative information. As a matter of fact, some people may question your credibility, while others may choose to investigate further before forming an opinion. While we cannot control others’ actions and what others think and say about us, we can control our response and how we handle the situation. The one thing we can do is stay true to our values and maintain our integrity.
Satan has attempted to do the same to God. Satan, a rebellious angel, a created being, accuses God of not being fair. The cosmic war between good and evil is about God’s honor and reputation.
In an attempt to destroy God’s reputation, Satan accuses God of being unfair and unjust. He claims is God commands us to worship Him, but He gives little in return. His point is that God is not worthy of our worship. He argues that God’s law restricts our freedom and limits our joy.
But the following scriptures paint a different picture of God. Notice the words associated with the glory or character of God.
Revelation 4:11
11 “You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created.” (Revelation 4:11)
Revelation 5:12
12 saying with a loud voice: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain To receive power and riches and wisdom, And strength and honor and glory and blessing!” (Revelation 5:12)
Revelation 19:1
1 After these things I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, “Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God! (Revelation 19:1)
Revelation 21:26
26 And they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it. (Revelation 21:26) (Split)
God’s glory, that is, His character, His reputation, is the same as a shining light that fills the whole earth. As in Revelation 18:1
1 After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illuminated with his glory. (Revelation 18:1)
By prayer and the daily study of His word, we enter God’s throne room. We cannot enter His throne and not be illuminated with His glory. And like the angel in Revelation 18:1, we can illuminate the earth with God’s glory.
What more could God have done for us than to give his only son Jesus? Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection from the dead dispel Satan’s lies about God.
Jesus, the one who created us, came to this planet infested with sin to rescue us. It is as if he put his life on the line by going into a pit filled with poisonous snakes to save us.
Proving that Satan is a liar, Jesus responded to His charges on the cross. On the cross, He demonstrated that God is fair and loving.
As God’s end-time people who love and honor God, we reveal His glory to the world. What is His glory? His character. His character is love. He is self-sacrificing. Thus, as people of God, we show God’s glory. We show His loving, unselfish character to a planet filled with selfish people. By us showing his love, the whole earth is filled with God’s glory. When we allow God to work through us the earth is illuminated with the character of God.
For instance, in Exodus 33:18, 19, we find that God revealed his Glory to Moses. This same Glory is shown to the world through God’s end-time people.
18 And he (Moses) said, “Please, show me Your glory.”
19 Then He (God) said, “I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.” (Exodus 33:18-19)
As God has shown his glory to us, we, through the power of His Spirit, are filled with His love. Our lives are therefore changed by God’s saving grace. Hence, the earth will be filled with the glory of God. How do we do this? We do it when we show God’s love in our personal lives and when we show God’s glory to the people around us. It is by showing God’s love that we announce God’s final message to a planet that is filled with hate, sin, and evil.
In short, we will do the work of the three angels flying across the heavens saying in Revelation 14:7, “ ‘Fear God and give glory to Him’ ” (Rev. 14:7, NKJV).
This is our message, too. We must announce this message to everyone on Earth.
Therefore, the glory shown is not due to us; it is instead God who deserves all our honor and glory.
“The message of Christ’s righteousness is to sound from one end of the earth to the other. . . . This is the glory of God which closes the work of the third angel.”—Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, vol. 6, p. 19.
In other words, this is justification by faith. “What is justification by faith? It is the work of God in laying the glory of man in the dust and doing for man that which it is not in his power to do for himself.”—Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, p. 456.
Hence it is through Christ that we are justified and made righteous. Our works do not save us. It is Christ who saves.
Therefore we do not expect to obtain glory for ourselves. Glory instead belongs to God. Find out more about what Christ has done for us and why he deserves all honor and all glory. Part 6: The Lamb, the Slain Lamb
Hebron Seventh-day Adventist Church
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Houston, TX 77088
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