WEDNESDAY ON THE DAY OF ATONEMENT: “Thus in the ministration of the tabernacle, and of the temple that afterward took its place, the people were taught each day the great truths relative to Christ’s death and ministration, and once each year their minds were carried forward to the closing events of The Great Controversy between Christ and Satan, the final purification of the universe from sin and sinners.”—Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 358. Read Leviticus 16:29-31 and 23:27-32. What did God expect the Israelites to do on Yom Kippur? How do these principles apply to us today, living as we are in what has been called the “antitypical Day of Atonement”? If someone in ancient Israel did not follow these instructions, he was to be cut off and destroyed (Lev. 23:29-30). The Day of Atonement was truly about nothing less than life and death. It demanded the believer’s complete loyalty to God. Imagine that someone had confessed his sins during the first phase of atonement during the year; that is, the daily sacrifices, but then did not take the Day of Atonement seriously. By his disregard of what God had planned to demonstrate on this day, such a person proved himself to be disloyal to God. What this means is that a person who professes faith in God can still lose salvation. As Seventh-day Adventists, we do not believe in once-saved-always-saved, because the Bible does not teach it. We are secure in Christ just as long as we live in faith, and we surrender to Him, claiming His power for victory when tempted and His forgiveness when we fall. Read Matthew 18:23-35. What lesson should we take away from this powerful parable?
Posted on: Fri, 08 Nov 2013 06:59:17 +0000
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