The Two Temples
(A Christian Workbook)
Section 1: Chapter 3 – Shaping The Stone: The Great Controversy
he
expression “The Great Controversy” is a familiar one to Seventh Day Adventists.
In this study, however, we are going to look at it from a somewhat different
aspect. To a member of the Adventist Church, this phrase immediately brings to
mind conflict on a universal scale. Images of angels and demons battling over
human destiny, and the charges leveled by Satan against the character of the
Father and Son may enter the mind.
This
chapter looks at that very same conflict, the warfare between the influence of
Christ and the influence of Satan, but on a very small scale – that of the individual
soul. Even the larger conflict between the powers of light and the powers of
darkness boils down to the choices made by individual men. The center of the
controversy is not man, it is the character of Yah; that is what is on “trial”
before the universe, (Romans 3:4) but it is the collection and quality of
redeemed human souls that represents, in a sense, the “scoreboard.”
Men, by
uniting their wills with the divine influence, prove Satan’s charges false. It
is the originator of sin who first claimed that Yah was a liar, (Genesis 3:4)
and that His law was unjust. In this way he has destroyed kingdoms, deceived
whole nations, and led multitudes away from the life-giving influence of the
Creator. (Isaiah 14:12-17; Revelation 20:3, 8)
By His
sinless life Yahshua “spoiled Principalities and Powers; He made a shew of them
openly, triumphing over them in it.” (Colossians 2:15) As for us, “He that
saith he abideth in Him ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked.” (1
John 2:6)
The
Great Controversy in our individual lives comes down to who we will choose to
be our master – Christ or Satan, the Author of righteousness, or the originator
of sin. If one wishes to be a Temple of Yah as an individual, and a stone in
the Temple of Yah as a collective people, he or she must first be prepared.
When the earthly Temple, which is a pattern of the true and heavenly Temple,
was being built, it was said, “And the house which king Solomon built for Yah
[…] when it was in building, was built of stone made ready before it was
brought thither, so that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron
heard in the house, while it was in building.” (1 Kings 6:2, 7) We lively
stones must be “made ready” before we can be brought to the House to
truly find our place.
Furthermore,
any location at which Yah was to be worshipped could not have been shaped by
human tools, or by human hands. “And there shalt thou build an altar unto
Yahweh thy Almighty One, an altar of stones: thou shalt not lift up any iron
tool upon them. Thou shalt build the altar of Yahweh thy Elohim of whole
stones: and thou shalt offer burnt offerings thereon unto Yahweh thy Elohim.”
(Deuteronomy 27:5, 6) Our efforts, our tools, cannot equip us for service to
Yah. We are wholly unable to render reasonable service to a holy Master (Joshua
24:19), or even to bring ourselves to that point by any possible effort,
yet by Him we can be shaped, and prepared, and made “whole stones.”
The
Great Controversy in our lives is whether or not we are willing to submit to
this shaping process by the right Master. Though we will look at this process
in more detail in the corresponding chapter of Section 2, the decision to begin
this refinement is just that: a decision, a personal choice. As we saw in the
last chapter discussing the nature of man – human beings, by virtue of the
image of Yah placed upon them, are capable of true freedom of will. The ability
of man to choose to seek Yah in spite of his original sinful nature exists
within the confines of Yahweh’s sovereignty and foreknowledge due to the
principle of grace.
Just as
there are two forces at work in the universe as a whole, so there are two
forces that work in the heart of mankind. To those who had fallen into
disobedience to the Gospel of Christ, Paul once wrote: “the flesh lusteth
against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary
the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.”
(Galatians 5:17) Because the Galatians had chosen to walk in the flesh, they
were unable to fulfill the will of Yah. (Galatians 5:7, Romans 8:7, 8) What we
see described there is a warfare, and the two influences that work upon the
character of man are the Flesh and the Spirit.
We know
that “Yah is Spirit,” (John 4:24) and speaks to us through spiritual means. (1
Timothy 4:1) The purpose of this communion is to have us subdue the flesh.
(Romans 8:13, 1 Corinthians 9:27) We also know that Satan seeks to lead men
astray by appealing to the “lust [or desires] of the flesh,” (1 John 2:16) and his
aim is to have us reject the leadings of the Spirit. (Galatians 5:16, Mark
3:29) Putting these two ideas together, then, we see that Yah would have us
control our flesh through the action of the Spirit, and Satan desires that we
overcome the Spirit through the influence of the flesh. These two opposing
principles represent the Great Controversy in man.
Though
man finds himself thus in the middle of these two great forces, he cannot
remain on the fence for any real length of time. Those who are not wholly in
Christ are wholly on the side of Satan, (Luke 11:23) and this is the natural
condition of mankind. Yet, as we saw in the last chapter, the grace that has
been given to humanity, that undeserved gift, allows him to come to the “middle
ground,” and to exist there long enough to choose his master. Our Holy Father
“covers” Himself and does not destroy iniquity immediately, to provide us this
space to repent. If man chooses Yah and Eternal Life, his previous life is
destroyed and he is remade in the image of Christ – his originally intended
estate. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things
are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17)
“Yahshua answered and said unto [Nicodemus], ‘Verily, verily, I say unto thee,
Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of Yah.’” (John 3:3)
If
the individual chooses to be led by the desires of the flesh, he remains a
slave to Satan. “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own
lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and
sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. “ (James 1:14, 15) The desire
of the flesh, by itself, is a temptation to reject the Spirit. At that point, the
mere desire is not sin. Christ Himself was “in all points tempted like as
we are, yet [was] without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15) At times His human flesh
strained under the will of the Father, and He was led therefore to pray, “O my
Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I
will, but as thou wilt.” (Matthew 26:39) There are many in the world today
living under a feeling of condemnation, and cannot trust in the victory over
sin, because they misunderstand the natures of temptation and sin.
Having
come in “the likeness of sinful flesh,” (Romans 8:3) the Messiah was subject to
the same trials that have always tormented the sons of Adam. But, as the rest
of Romans 8:3 and into verse 4 points out, He subjected Himself to the Spirit
of His Father, and thus “condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteousness of
the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the
Spirit.” (verses 3, 4) The victory over all the world that was guaranteed by
that humble submission will be the topic of reverence and study for ceaseless
ages.
As He
did, so we are called to do; “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall
not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” (Galatians 5:16) The way we begin to walk
in the Spirit is outlined in the Gospel of Yahshua.
We know
that the natural man cannot serve Yah, “for all have sinned and come short of
the glory of Yah.” (Romans 3:23) The law came before the Gospel in Scripture
and in human history for a simple reason – without a knowledge of sin, and the
extreme sinfulness of man, no one will recognize the need for the cross. “What
shall we say then? Is the law sin? Yah forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by
the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, ‘Thou shalt not
covet.’” (Romans 7:7) Now, obeying the law cannot make us righteous. The law is
not given to make anyone just before Yah, but simply to point out what
righteousness is. “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be
justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. Because the law
worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.” (Romans 3:20,
4:15)
If we
acknowledge that the law is just and true, and that Yah’s way is best, we find
ourselves convicted before the universe of transgression, and we see that
according to the same authority who first made the law, the penalty for
transgression is just as absolute. The wages of sin is death. (Romans 6:23) The
Great Controversy in a man reaches its climax at the moment he acknowledges the
justice of Yah’s will. What he does then places him on one side of the
controversy or the other.
For
those who will live, they ask out of the anguish of the knowledge of guilt,
“What must I do to be saved?” And to the joy of the hopeful, they find that a
Sacrifice was provided as the ransom for helpless humanity. (Mark 10:5) In the
Exodus from Egypt, a lamb was slain by each family who wished to escape the
judgment of Yah upon the firstborn sons of the land. The blood of the lamb was
placed on the doorposts, and the angel sent to execute this judgment passed by
whatsoever house was so marked. In the last days this symbol is fulfilled in
its true, spiritual form. The blood of “the Lamb of Yah, which taketh away the
sin of the world” (John 1:29) is placed on the foreheads of the faithful as a
mark of acceptance, (Ezekiel 9:4, Revelation 7:1-3) and the mercy of Yah
extends to these elect few who have accepted the truth about the controversy.
We
become Temples of Yah by being filled with His presence, His Spirit. In order
to do this, we must first acknowledge that we have no power in ourselves to be
just before Yah. If we will, at that point, accept the Messiah’s sacrifice on
our behalf, we must put ourselves in His place (who was crucified for us) and
allow Him to put Himself in our place; in doing so He will enter into
us, and live His pure life through us (Revelation 3:20), fulfilling the justice
and mercy of Yah and preserving us through His judgments into eternal life.
Like Paul, we then say, “I – through the law – am dead to the law, that I might
live unto Yah. I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but
Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the
faith of the Son of Yah, who loved me, and gave Himself for me.” (Galatians
2:19, 20)
We do
not seek to perform the works of the law in order to be righteous in Yah’s
eyes. In fact, we see that by that law we are “dead.” It is only when Christ
lives in us that He becomes our life, and then we cannot fail to obey, for
understanding that sin is the transgression of the law (1 John 3:4) Paul wrote,
“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? Yah
forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?” (Romans
6:1, 2) The basis of every Law of Yah is love; love for the Almighty and love
for our fellow man. (Matthew 22:37-40) The Ten Commandments are certainly no
exception; the first four deal with our love and commitment to our Heavenly
Father, and the last six with our love and commitment to our neighbor. If we
are born again, the Decalogue becomes the mode of our life – no longer is it
written on tablets of stone, but on the tables of our hearts. (Psalm 40:8, 2
Corinthians 3:3)
This,
to follow the pattern of the previous chapter, is the “Conversion of man.” A
converted man becomes the Temple of Yah on the earth. No specific pope, or
bishop, or cardinal, or minister, or reverend, pastor, or prophet, is the
“vicar of Christ,” but every sincere believer in the meek and humble Son of Man
may claim this title.
During
the time of the nation of Israel, what is it that made the Temple of Yah
different from the temples of the pagan gods?
Simply
this: It had no idol contained within. The Tabernacle had a mercy seat
and Cherubim guarding the place of the manifestation of Yahweh’s presence, but
there was nothing in the Temple that directly represented Yah Himself. It was
the Almighty’s very Presence within the temple that made it a holy place, not a
graven image that represented Him. (1 Kings 8:11) For a man to be a temple of
Yah according to the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 3:16), he also must be filled
with the true Presence of Yah, and not an idol or image representing Him. Many
claim to be Christian; many claim to be servants of the Living God – but by
their fruits you may know them. Many worship an image, a picture of Yah in
their minds that does not correspond to the gracious Elohim represented in the
Bible.
Do they
love Yah above every other thing or person in their lives? Do they acknowledge
the holiness and justice of His Law? Do they obey and teach His ways,
considering them to be blessings, and not burdensome? These things were given
by the Scriptures that we may test the spirits of those who would be teachers
of the Gospel, and disciples of the Son. (Mark 12:30; 1 Timothy 1:8; Matthew
5:19; 1 John 5: 2, 3)
Those
who would be filled with the presence of Elohim must know who He is. (John
17:3) After we know the Father and Son, and after we acknowledge in ourselves
our need (for only those who hunger and thirst for this righteousness will be
filled – Matthew 5:6) we are given the instruction: “Then Peter said unto them,
‘Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Yahshua the Messiah
for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.’”
(Acts 2:38)
When we
have the Spirit we are able to overcome the sins of the flesh. (Romans 8:1,
Galatians 5:16) When Yahshua lives in us by His Spirit, we cannot be defeated
by trial or temptation. We thenceforth have the power of Yah Himself to overcome
unhealthy appetites, unchristian tendencies, and every temptation that would
lead us off the path of righteousness. We are dead to self, and alive only
through Christ Yahshua who knew no sin. We will have chosen our Master by the
grace of Yah.
Now, baptism
is the outward symbol of this inner change. Of both the change and the symbol,
Paul writes: “Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Yahshua the
Messiah were baptized into His death? Therefore we are buried with Him, by
baptism into death, that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the
glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we
have been planted together in the likeness of His death, we shall be also in
the likeness of His resurrection; knowing this, that our old man is crucified
with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should
not serve sin; for he that is dead is freed from sin.
“Now if
we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that
Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more – death hath no more dominion
over Him. For in that He died, He died unto sin once; but in that He liveth, He
liveth unto Yah. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin,
but alive unto Yah through Yahshua the Messiah, our Lord.
“Let
not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the
lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness
unto sin; but yield yourselves unto Yah, as those that are alive from the dead,
and your members as instruments of righteousness unto Yah. For sin shall not
have dominion over you; for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
“What then?
Shall we sin because we are not under the law, but under grace? Yah forbid.
Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye
are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto
righteousness? But Yah be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye
have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being
then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.” (Romans
6:3-18)
This is
how the Great Controversy in our lives ends. We have seen the desolation of our
sin. We have realized that we only have a choice between two masters – Christ
(unto righteousness) or Satan (unto death). We have seen our great need, our
utter helplessness before the courts of Heaven. We have accepted the Sacrifice
of the Messiah on our behalf. We have repented of the sins that made us guilty
– turning away from them forever more. And finally, as Peter explains in Acts
2:28, we have received the gift of the Holy Spirit, which makes us a Temple of
Yah on the earth. In this condition, we are free from all known sin and walk in
the newness of life. We are spiritually resurrected, and continue putting away
all those sins of which we were once ignorant as we learn of them, maintaining
our holiness in Yahshua. (1 John 3:3) “The Temple of Yah is holy, which
Temple ye are.” (1 Corinthians 3:17) About that there can be no controversy.
Quotations:
The choice for man boils down to the decision between Christ and Satan:
“But the infinite sacrifice of God in giving Jesus, His beloved Son, to become
a sacrifice for sin, enables Him to say, without violating one principle of His
government: “Yield yourself up to Me; give Me that will; take it from the
control of Satan, and I will take possession of it; then I can work in you to
will and to do of My good pleasure.” When He gives you the mind of Christ, your
will becomes as His will, and your character is transformed to be like Christ’s
character.” [Mind, Character, and Personality Volume 2, page 686]
“[Yah’s]
servants today would do well to ask themselves, ‘What kind of will am I
individually cultivating? Have I been gratifying my own desires, confirming
myself in selfishness and obstinacy?’ If we are doing this, we are in great
peril, for Satan will always rule the will that is not under the control of the
Spirit of God. When we place our will in unison with the will of God, the holy
obedience that was exemplified in the life of Christ will be seen in our
lives.” [Mind, Character, and Personality Volume 2, page 692]
“Souls
are now in the valley of decision, and Satan sees that for him the time for
determined action has arrived. God alone must be your trust; nothing less than
a divine agency will be able to counter-work the power of Satan.” [The
General Conference Bulletin, April 1, 1895]
The
indulgence of fleshly appetites*
destroys the influence of the Spirit:
“The inhabitants of the Noachian world were destroyed, because they were
corrupted through the indulgence of perverted appetite.” [S.D.A. Bible Commentary
Vol. 1, page 1090]
“As our
first parents lost Eden through the indulgence of appetite, our only hope of
regaining Eden is through the firm denial of appetite.” [The Faith I Live By,
page 230]
“Adam
and Eve fell through intemperate appetite. Christ came and withstood the
fiercest temptation of Satan and, in behalf of the race, overcame appetite,
showing that man may overcome. As Adam fell through appetite and lost blissful
Eden, the children of Adam may, through Christ, overcome appetite and through
temperance in all things regain Eden.” [Testimonies for the Church Volume
Three, page 161]
*Note:
This is not speaking of food as such (although for some people it may apply),
but desire for earthly things in greater measure than heavenly things.
The influence
of the Spirit subdues the fleshly appetites in men:
“We are to love God with all our heart, might, mind, soul, and strength, and
our neighbor as ourselves. This love will elevate the taste, subdue the
appetite, and control the passions. Love, joy, peace, long-suffering,
gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance, these are the fruits of the
Spirit. ‘They that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections
and lusts.’ They are endowed with the heavenly endowment, even with the ornament
of a meek and quiet spirit which is of great value in the sight of God. God
requires us to reach the highest standard.” [The Signs of the Times,
November 30, 1888]
“He who
alone was able to bring order and beauty out of the chaos and confusion of nature’s
darkness--is able to subdue the rebellious heart of man and bring his life into
conformity to the divine will. His Spirit can quell man’s rebellious temper.” [In
Heavenly Places, page 31]
“Those
who are really under the influence of the Holy Spirit will reveal its power by
a practical application of the eternal principles of truth. They will reveal
that the holy oil is emptied from the two olive branches into the chambers of
the soul temple. [see Zechariah 4:1-6] Their words will be imbued with the power
of the Holy Spirit to soften and subdue the heart. It will be manifest that the
words spoken are spirit and life.” [This Day with God, page 359]
True
conversion ends the controversy in individual souls:
“Christ is to receive supreme love from the beings He has created. And He
requires also that man shall cherish a sacred regard for his fellow beings.
Every soul saved will be saved through love, which begins with God. True
conversion is a change from selfishness to sanctified affection for God and for
one another.” [Selected Messages Book 1, page 115]
“When
true conversion takes place, there is a transformation of character.
Christlikeness is seen. Pride no longer rules the heart.” [Manuscript
Releases Volume Eighteen, page 142]
“If we
are true to our vow, there is opened to us a door of communication with
heaven--a door that no human hand or satanic agency can close.” [The Faith I
Live By, page 146]
Questions:
1) Do I acknowledge that my actions on this earth represent either the
influence of Christ or the influence of Satan?
2) Do I
appreciate the intimate connection between the body, spirit and entire soul?
3) Do I
understand that the true battle to decide the War has already ended, and that
my role now is merely to stand firm under the banner of the Victor?
4) Do I
understand that my full confidence in the Savior is vital? That unbroken trust
leads to unbroken victory?
5) Do I
give thanks for the gift of grace that allowed me the freedom to choose between
life or death?
6) In
what ways has the Spirit of Yah allowed me to overcome sinful tendencies in my
life? (i.e. “What is your testimony?”)
7) How
often do I rejoice that I have been set free from transgressions?
8) Do I
seek to know Yahweh as He truly is, or have I become content with my current
concept of His glory?
9) Does
my decision to make Christ the Master of my life lead me to a burning desire
for union with His principles, His character and His people?
10) Are
we walking in the newness of life now, or are we awaiting the resurrection (or
translation) of our bodies before we lay claim to eternal life?
11) Do
we give thanks when we see the fruit of the Spirit revealed in ourselves and
our brethren?
12)
Have I settled the great controversy in my individual life firmly and
decidedly, walking in the promises of Yah?
Exercise:
After contemplating and, if possible, discussing with others the above
questions, find a verse or passage of the Bible that gives a promise or an
answer for each.
