THE THREE ANGELS’ MESSAGES

13. GOD’S LITMUS TEST

CREATION: FAITH

GOD’S LITMUST TEST FOR ADAM & EVE IN THE BEGINNING

• Tree: Middle

GOD’S LITMUST TEST FOR HIS END-TIME REMNANT

• Sabbath: Middle

ADAM AND EVE’S LITMUST TEST

GENESIS 2:16, 17And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

GENESIS 3:2, 3And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which [is] in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.

TREE: TEST ADAM & EVE’S FAITH?

ELLEN G. WHITE, CONFRONTATION, p. 12

The forbidden tree was as attractive and lovely as any of the trees in the garden. It was called the tree of knowledge because in partaking of that tree of which God had said, "Thou shalt not eat of it," they would have a knowledge of sin, an experience in disobedience.

PSALMS 24:1The earth [is] the LORD'S, and the fulness

thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.

FAITH: OBEDIENCE WITHOUT DISCUSSION

GENESIS 3:4, 5And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

GENESIS 3:13And the LORD God said unto the woman, What [is] this [that] thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.

What does it mean to beguile someone?

THE PENALTY OF DISOBEDIENCE: DEATH SENTENCE

GENESIS 2:17

But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

FAITH AND AFFIRMATION STATEMENTS

GENESIS 2:1, 2 [ Completion: Heaven & earth]GENESIS 2:4 [These are the generations]

Six days of creation; seventh day God rested.

EXODUS 20:11[FAITH & AFFIRMATION] 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.

Fourth command located in God’s Law? • Middle

PAST AND PRESENT TEST COMPARED

Litmus Test: Beginning

• Loyalty: In/To God

• Position: Middle

• Faith in God:

Eat/don’t Eat

• Disobedience: Death

• Attractive & lovely

• The difference? Fruits were forbidden

Litmus Test: End

• Loyalty: In/To God

• Position: Middle

• Faith in God: Rest/don’t Rest

• Disobedience: Death

• Delightful & pleasurable

• The difference? Sanctified

HIGH STAKES WITH AN ETERNAL PRICE

Who created the days of the week?

Was there a Day which God reserved for himself?

• Who created the trees?

• Was there a Tree which fruits were forbidden to eat?

BIBLE CHARACTERS: LITMUS TEST

2 TIMOTHY 4:7 [Paul] I have fought a good fight, I have finished [my]

course, I have kept the faith...DANIEL 3:18 [Daniel & friends]

But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

JOHN 15:10 [Jesus]If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.

GOD’S SABBATH: GREEN CARD

EXODUS 20:20And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.

EXODUS 31:13Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my Sabbaths ye shall keep: for it [is] a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that [ye] may know that I [am] the LORD that doth sanctify you.

QUESTIONS THAT NEED ANSWERS• Does the devil hate God’s Sabbath?

• Did the devil hate the forbidden tree?

• What does he try to make us do with God’s Sabbath?

• Did the devil succeeded in making Adam & Eve disobey?

• What did ancient Israel do with the Sabbath throughout its history?

• Who led them to trample on God’s Sabbath?

• In Christ time, was the Sabbath borne/seen as a burden?

CONTRAST: PHARISEES & JESUS’ MATTHEW 23

Pharisees’ Works• Moses’ seat• Do as I say…• Works: Fake• Front seat• Rabbi• Long prays• Swore: temple• Stole: Widows/people• Pharisees: Killed Jesus to

save their Jobs• Pharisees: Hell

God’s Works• God’s right hand• Do as he’s done • Works: Real• “JOY” Back seat• Son of God • My God, My God…• Swore: Father• Blessed:

Widows/Multitude• Jesus: Humanity• Jesus: Heaven

THE DEVIL: AGENT IN DISGUISE

DANIEL 7:25And he shall speak [great] words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.

WHICH COMES FIRST? GENUINE OR THE COUNTERFEIT?

• God’s day of worship: Creation & before sin

• Satan’s rival day of worship: At the arrival of sin & after creation

JOHN 17:17 [Truth: EXODUS 20:8-11]

Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

GOD’S LITMUS TEST: ALL MANKIND

Whose authority will you accept?

EXODUS 31:15

Six days may work be done; but in the seventh [is] the sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD: whosoever doeth [any] work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death.

GALATIANS 3:29

And if ye [be] Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

THE STORY: NADAB & ABIHU

LEVITICUS 10:1, 2 And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not. And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.

LEVITICUS 10:9-11Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: [it shall be] a statute for ever throughout your generations: And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean; And that ye may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the LORD hath spoken unto them by the hand of Moses.

WILL THOSE WHO RECEIVE OF GOD’S WRATH BE DRUNK AS WELL?REVELATION 14:8

• Nations drink of the wine of her fornication

REVELATION 14:9, 10

• Those who worship the beast will drink of the wine of God’s wrath

REVELATION 18:3

• Nations have drunk of the wine of her wrath

REVELATION 17:2

• The kings and inhabitants of the earth have drunk the wine of her fornication

WHAT WAS NADAB & ABIHU UNABLE TO DO AS A RESULT OF THEIR DRUNKENESS?

LEVITICUS 10:10And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean...

• They offer: Unholy as if it was HolyLEVITICUS 10:1,2 And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took

either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not. And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.