We have no say in the divine act of salvation. It is not ours to resist. Nothing could stand in the way of Christ and success. We seem to relish turning back the clock but it is to no avail. It was all finished 2,000 years ago. Someone needs to send out a memo.

Daryl, in reality it is a miracle that any of us actually respond to the wooing of the Holy Spirit, that any of us actually accept Jesus as our Personal Saviour, that any of us actually survive the process of conversion, that any of us actually experience rebirth, and that any of us will actually remain faithful unto the end. But thank God for those who do!

Matthew
7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Matthew
20:16 So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.

TM 232
Many who hear the message--by far the greatest number--will not credit the solemn warning. Many will be found disloyal to the commandments of God, which are a test of character. {TM 232.3}

HP 343
The Lord has sent us, by His ambassadors, messages of warning, declaring that the end of all things is at hand. Some will listen to these warnings, but by the vast majority they will be disregarded. {HP 343.5}

SD 238
What a terrible record the human race will have to meet in the last day, since the vast majority of men have refused the priceless offering,--rejected the richest gift that God could bestow upon the world. {SD 238.2}

LDE 23
In the days of Noah the overwhelming majority was opposed to the truth, and enamored with a tissue of falsehoods. The land was filled with violence. War, crime, murder, was the order of the day. Just so will it be before Christ's second coming.--1BC 1090 (1891). {LDE 23.2}

LDE 180
To stand in defense of truth and righteousness when the majority forsake us, to fight the battles of the Lord when champions are few--this will be our test. At this time we must gather warmth from the coldness of others, courage from their cowardice, and loyalty from their treason.--5T 136 (1882). {LDE 180.4}

Okay, Tom, you win. As you read this list of Sabbath sins please bear in mind the following description of a properly prepared, thoroughly educated, truly born again SDA believer. Also, please understand that I realize there are exceptions to rule, that is, there are times when extenuating circumstances allow us to do things that we would not ordinarily do on the Sabbath. For example, we may be required to buy food or gas in emergencies. However, I believe a truly born again SDA believer knows the difference.

6BC 1101
The old nature, born of blood and the will of the flesh, cannot inherit the kingdom of God. The old ways, the hereditary tendencies, the former habits, must be given up; for grace is not inherited. The new birth consists in having new motives, new tastes, new tendencies. Those who are begotten unto a new life by the Holy Spirit, have become partakers of the divine nature, and in all their habits and practices they will give evidence of their relationship to Christ. When men who claim to be Christians retain all their natural defects of character and disposition, in what does their position differ from that of the worldling? They do not appreciate the truth as a sanctifier, a refiner. They have not been born again (RH April 12, 1892). {6BC 1101.1}

TSB 135
This ingrafting in Christ separates us from the world. No longer will we love the society of the vile and contaminated and contaminating. We will be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Then rich clusters of fruit are borne. The graces of the Spirit are borne in love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness. We have new affections, new appetites, new tastes. Old things have passed away, and lo, all things have become new. {TSB 135.2}

A Short List of Sabbath Sins (including some sins that are sins any day of the week)

1. Failing to prepare for it in advance
2. Failing to guard the edges
3. Doing unnecessary chores or work
4. Making unnecessary purchases
5. Surfing the net for worldly things
6. Watching worldly TV
7. Listening to worldly music
8. Discussing unnecessary business
9. Overexerting oneself physically
10. Playing worldly games
11. Eating at a restaurant
12. Being short tempered
13. Foolish jesting
14. Overeating
15. Impure thoughts
16. Lying
17. Cheating
18. Stealing
19. Anger
20. Off colored jokes
21. Selfishness
22. Pride
23. Forgetting Jesus

Thank you for the list. Here are my thoughts.

1. Failing to prepare for it in advance
This should be explained prior to baptism.

2. Failing to guard the edges
ditto
3. Doing unnecessary chores or work
This is something the Holy Spirit could give light on after baptism. That is, what exactly is an "unnecessary chore" or "work"? This is something on which one's judgment is like to develop.
4. Making unnecessary purchases
Same as 3.
5. Surfing the net for worldly things
Same as 1 as worded, but same as 3 if "worldly" is changed to "unnecessary."
6. Watching worldly TV
Same as 1. The judgment of what is "worldly" may develop as one's judgment develops.
7. Listening to worldly music
Same as 6.
8. Discussing unnecessary business
Same as 3.
9. Overexerting oneself physically
Same as 3.
10. Playing worldly games
Same as 1.
11. Eating at a restaurant
If one has to pay, same as 1. Although Jesus' comments about David and shewbread come to mind.
12. Being short tempered
What does this have to do with Sabbath?!
13. Foolish jesting
Same as 12.
14. Overeating
Same as 12.
15. Impure thoughts
Same as 12.
16. Lying
Same as 12.
17. Cheating
Same as 12.
18. Stealing
Same as 12.
19. Anger
Same as 12.
20. Off colored jokes
Same as 12.
21. Selfishness
Same as 12.
22. Pride
Same as 12.
23. Forgetting Jesus
Same as 12.

Sooooooo how can we tell, from a Biblical sense, if we love God????

I think we'd be better off heeding Paul's prayer:

quote:

---

14For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15from whom his whole family[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

20Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Eph. 3)

---

Tom, thank you for the response. However, I very much disagree with you. The Holy Spirit does not sit back and allow someone who in "all their habits and practices" and who have in "all things become new" to break the Sabbath in the ways you allowed above.

Also, the things you questioned having to do with Sabbath keeping have everything to do with it. Sinning on the Sabbath in any way is a violation of the Sabbath. If you break one commandment you break all of them.

You wrote:

quote:

---

Regarding why the Holy Spirit might wait to reveal a particular sin or defect is not mysterious. He waits until we are able to handle it.

---

By your own words, the Holy spirit waits until we are ready to handle His revelations.

I'm also curious as to why you think our judgment as to what constitutes sin will not develop after we are baptized.

Sometimes I wonder which of you guys got to peek into the Holy Spirit's playbook?

You're right Darius. That why I wrote:

quote:

---

Regarding explaining why the Holy Spirit would choose to reveal something at one point of in a person's Christian experience rather than another, I wouldn't begin to presume to speak for Him.

---

(actually I left out the n't in "wouldn't," a big oops!)