Natural Immortality a Lie

The great original lie which he [Satan] told to Eve in Eden, “Ye shall not surely die,” was the first sermon ever preached on the immortality of the soul. That sermon was crowned with success, and terrible results followed. He has brought minds to receive that sermon as truth, and ministers preach it, sing it, and pray it.54Testimonies for the Church 1:342.

After the Fall, Satan bade his angels make a special effort to inculcate the belief in man’s natural immortality; and having induced the people to receive this error, they were to lead them on to conclude that the sinner would live in eternal misery. Now the prince of darkness, working through his agents, represents God as a revengeful tyrant, declaring that He plunges into hell all those who do not please Him, and causes them ever to feel His wrath….

A large class to whom the doctrine of eternal torment is revolting, are driven to the opposite error. They see that the Scriptures represent God as a being of love and compassion, and they cannot believe that He will consign His creatures to the fires of an eternally burning hell. But holding that the soul is naturally immortal, they see no alternative but to conclude that all mankind will finally be saved. Many regard the threatenings of the Bible as designed merely to frighten men into obedience, and not to be literally fulfilled. Thus the sinner can live in selfish pleasure, disregarding the requirements of God, and yet expect to be finally received into His favor….

God has given to men a declaration of His character, and of His method of dealing with sin…. “All the wicked will he destroy.” Psalm 145:20…. Yet all the manifestations of retributive justice will be perfectly consistent with the character of God as a merciful, long-suffering, benevolent being….

And all who have a just conception of these qualities will love Him because they are drawn toward Him in admiration of His attributes.55The Great Controversy, 534, 537, 541. The Faith I Live By p. 178
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Prayer Requests
—-Please pray for E and children that God will lead and protect them. R
—-The Great Controversy is being passed out in Germany. Please pray for the students who are passing them out and for those who receive them. Michael
—-Please pray for my granddaughter ‘s healing. Abigail
—-I have 2 prayer requests:
• Berneda, a co-worker of my sister Renee, is having kidney problems. She has a horseshoe shaped kidney (she has only one kidney) and kidney stones. She’s in a lot of pain. And, kidney transplant is not an option. This issue may force her to retire.
• Shawna, my niece was rear-ended by another car. She’s having back pain from spinal disks that are injured from the accident. She’s in a lot of pain. Wanda
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Dear Friends,
When I was in my late teens, I worked in a factory that made children’s clothing. The working conditions were not at all good, but it was a job and I was glad to have it. Many people were out of work at that time. We got paid by how many garments we did. My mother worked there too and did much better than I because she was much faster. It was a Monday through Friday job and that left me free to go to church on Sabbath.

One week, however, our boss called a meeting for all employees. Everyone had to work on Saturdays. No one was to be excused. That was not a problem for my mother, but it was a big problem for me. I had recently learned that the Sabbath was still God’s holy day and that He had never changed it. I knew I could not go to work on that day for God, Himself, spoke the fourth commandment along with the other nine then wrote them on tables of stone so that they could not be changed. He said, “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.” Ex 20:8 “If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.” Isa 58:13,14

At that time unemployment rates were quite high and finding a job was not that easy. This thought pressed upon my mind, but I knew God could work things out. After praying, I went to Andy, the boss, and explained to him why I could not work on Sabbath. Andy told me that I was expected to be there anyway. I knew I could not, would not, be there. Praise God! He raised up someone to help me. It was my own mother, who was very much against my religion. But God moved her to help me. She went to Andy about it and God gave her the words Andy needed to hear. She said, “Andy, you of all people, should know why she cannot work on Saturday.” Andy, who was a Jew but did not practice his religion, understood. I did not lose my job. He let me continue working just the five days a week. I was very thankful that God used my mother to help me. She was my “way of escape.” 1 Cor 10:13

Jesus said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” John 14:15 Some have said that Jesus’ commandments consist only of love to God and love to man. Yet, as we look at the Ten Commandments, we see those two great principles explained. The first four commandments deal with our love relationship to our Great Creator and Redeemer. The last six deal with our love relationship with those around us. “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.” 1 John 5:3 Jesus promises the Holy Spirit to those who are obedient (not just outwardly but inwardly). “If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever.” John 14:15, 16 Paul says, “And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.” Acts 5:32 “Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.” Rev 22:14 May we keep His commandments out of a heart of love for Him is my prayer

Rose