“The Kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one of great price, went and sold all he had, and bought” (Matthew 13:45,46).
All we have to do is raise our head to know that we live in a world of darkness, pain and sorrow. And we ask “Why, Lord are we still here?” Jesus looks down at us, with compassion in His eyes and says, “You were not willing to accept Me, and were not willing to sell all and buy the pearl of great price.” “But Lord, we have been faithful in going to church, and in paying our tithes, and offerings.” Again, in sadness, Jesus shakes His head and says, “You were not willing to sell all and follow Me.”
This is a sad story, but it’s not a new one. Let’s look to the story of the 12 spies. The Hebrew host was camped, not far from the borders of the Promised Land, of which God had told them, they would possess if faithful to Him. The Lord instructed Moses to choose 12 men, a ruler from each of the tribes. Moses then directed them to, “Go, see the country” and to bring a report back of what they saw. See if the inhabitants were weak or strong, and how fertile the land was, and bring back some of the fruit it produced.
The spies returned to camp after a long 40 days. The people celebrated and a sound of rejoicing rose at their return. And the people were astounded at the fruit of the land. Just one cluster of grapes had to be carried between two men, an ample evidence of God’s promise coming true.
The spies began with wondrous tales of the land flowing with milk and honey. Again the people sent up a shout of rejoicing, for they would soon be home. But this was not to be, for a dark shadow came into play. While 12 spies were confirming the beautiful land, 10 of the spies began to focus upon the difficulties and extreme dangers that lay before the Israelites. They spoke of the fortified cities and a people who were strong and mighty—it would be absolutely impossible to conquer them. The 10 spies cast even more doubt, telling of giants who also lived in the land.
The other two spies however, were doing their best to change the mood, by telling the people,
“All things are possible with God, have faith, be of good courage. He has brought us this far and will not fail us. We can conquer the land and its inhabitants, for God has promised it” (paraphrased).
However, the people gave into despair, their hope and courage gave into cowardness. The hearts of the people, that God had lead with His own hand, became discouraged, darkened by Satan. The unbelief of the 10 spies had cast a gloomy shadow over the congregation.
Great Controversy, page 356, 357:
“In their unbelief they limited the power of God and distrusted the hand that hitherto safely guided them”, and repeated old mistakes. When men yield their hearts to disbelief they place themselves under the control of Satan, and none can tell to what lengths he will lead them.”
The people of God were to wander in the wilderness for 40 more years in judgment for their unbelief.
The history of God’s people becoming discouraged is throughout the Bible even into the New Testament, where unfortunately this story was repeated in the ministry of Christ. The Jewish leaders rejected Him because Jesus didn’t come in the manner they expected. He threatened their very place of power among the people, that they were to be leading in study and anticipation of the Lord’s advent. But once again the hearts of the people were clouded over with unbelief, and the majority gave into Satan’s control, because of the gloomy shadow cast by the leaders. The light the Jewish people had, was given to the Gentiles.
If this historical evidence doesn’t move you, let’s get closer to home, if you will— the message of Righteousness by Faith that was preached in 1888. God moved upon two men with power from on high, to share a message to a church that thought they had all the light there was to be given. And much like the 10 spies of Israel’s leaders and the Jewish leaders, the leaders back then told a story of overwhelming discouragement. And the people allowed the same spirit that discouraged the Israelites to develop in their hearts. Once again, Satan took control of the minds of the people, to lead them into darkness.
So, what was God trying to do for His people at that time? If they had accepted the message of Righteousness by Faith, we would have crossed over into the Promised Land. God never intended for us to be in the wilderness this long. “Oh I know that story” you may say, so why do I retell a story we have heard before? I believe that we, as God’s people, His peculiar people, have repeated this story, in our recent history, in rejecting the message that was given back then. It appears we may have not learned the lesson which God has been trying to teach us. So what is the lesson we are to learn? I believe it is the message of Righteousness by Faith.
What is this message? What do these words Justification, and Sanctification mean? I am no scholar or theologian by any means, and I struggled to understand this message, even put it aside for a while. But God in His mysterious ways was working on an answer to me at the right time, and answered my prayer in the most simplistic way and yet so profound. The image of the cross came to my mind.
His Righteousness Covering
Righteousness by Faith = Covered By His Righteousness and made Just in the eyes of God
JUSTIFICATION SANTICTIFICATION
Approved in a legally authoritative sense His shed blood
Believes are made justified by the Lord, having That removes our sins
Been cleared of all charges and punishment To make Holy and set apart
Related to our sins To be purified by HIS reformation
What does all of this mean?
We cannot save ourselves; we cannot do enough good, or go to church enough. Or even pay enough tithes to get ourselves into heaven. We are not good enough, why then did Christ have to die on the cross to save us? We, (you and I) are the heritage of the Lord, because the Righteousness of Christ is our robe. There is no other way to enter the Promised Land.
That brings us to a question we must ask and answer. Do we follow our Leaders? Or, do we, you and I, follow Christ, the true Leader, and buy the Pearl of great price.
Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: No man cometh unto the Father, but by Me” (John; 14:6).
****
Laura Thomas lives in a small town in the far Northwestern corner of Montana. She has two horses, one Caucasian Sheppard, four grandchildren and three great granddaughters. In her own words, “God has blessed me with a large garden to be self-sustaining. And I enjoy putting pen to paper and writing stories.”