Acquainted With God
By Art Dmytriyev
Yancey County
It has been Satan’s studied plan to cause men to forget God so that he might secure them to himself. Therefore, he has sought to misrepresent the character of God, to lead men to cherish a false conception of Him. The Creator has been presented to their minds as clothed with the attributes of the prince of evil himself, — as arbitrary, severe, and unforgiving, — that He might be feared, shunned, and even hated by men. Satan has striven to so confuse the minds of those whom he has deceived that they would put God out of their thoughts. He would then obliterate the divine image in man, and impress upon the soul his own likeness; he would imbue men with his own spirit, and make them captives according to his will.
At times, Satan’s contest for the control of the human family has appeared to be crowned with success. During the ages preceding the first advent of Christ, the world seemed to be almost wholly under the sway of the prince of darkness. Even the covenant people, whom God had chosen to preserve in the world the knowledge of Himself, had so far departed from Him that they had lost all true conception of His character. Christ came to reveal God to the world as a God of love, a God of mercy, tenderness, and compassion. With His human arm, He encircled the human race, while with His divine arm, He grasped the throne of the Infinite.
Christ is saddened by the sight of men so absorbed in worldly cares and business perplexities that they have no time to become acquainted with God. To them heaven is a strange place; for they have lost it out of their reckoning. Not familiar with heavenly things, they tire of hearing about them. They dislike having their minds disturbed regarding their need for salvation. But the Lord desires to disturb their minds, so that they may become acquainted with Him, in time to accept his offer of salvation. Soon, very soon, whether they desire it or not, they will all know Him. The angel of mercy is now folding her wings, almost ready to depart.
To eclipse the beauty and loveliness of the Prince of Light, Satan seeks to engross the minds of men with exciting games and other worldly pleasures. He endeavors so to occupy the attention with trivialities that no time will be taken to think of Jesus. Even after the most solemn presentation of the Word of God, the enemy will, if possible, destroy the impressions made by the Holy Spirit. In the books of heaven are accurately recorded the sneers and the trivial remarks of sinners who pay no heed to the call of mercy made, as Christ is presented to them by his ministering servants. As the artist takes on the polished glass a true picture of the human face, the angels of God daily place upon the books of heaven an exact representation of the character of every human being.
Dear reader, are you of the number who slight the instruction and warnings of the Word of God? Do you despise the great salvation proffered to you? The Lord is coming. If he were to come today, would you be ready to meet him? Have you made your peace with him? Do you desire to be sent away from God’s presence to share in the humiliation and punishment of Satan and his angels? If during your lifetime you rob God of the service that He has purchased with His own blood, if you spend your time in idle talk and foolish amusement, you will lose heaven. Can you afford to barter away for worldly pleasure the gift of eternal life?
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Pastor Art Dmytriyev is originally from Siberia. He has traveled the world in Evangelism and pastoral ministry. He serves as a pastor in North Carolina, holds a Master of Divinity degree, and is currently a Doctor of Ministry candidate. More information at: https://burnsvillenc.adventistchurch.org/pastors-blog
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