Through all our trials we have a never-failing Helper. He does not leave us alone to struggle with temptation, to battle with evil, and be finally crushed with burdens and sorrow. Though now He is hidden from mortal sight, the ear of faith can hear His voice saying, Fear not; I am with you.<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The Desire of Ages<\/u>, p. 483<\/p>\n But there is another factor that enters the picture that can make all the difference in our destiny – our attitude.<\/p>\n For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Hebrews 10:26-28<\/p>\n He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Proverbs 28:13<\/p>\n Notice the phrases in these verses “if we sin wilfully<\/u>,” “He that despised Moses’ law<\/u>,” “He that covereth his sins<\/u>.” These are describing an attitude of carelessness or rebellion that is an impassable barrier to God’s mercy and forgiveness. If we want to sin, if we have no respect for God’s ways, if we intentionally try to hide what we have done or don’t admit it, He cannot forgive us, He cannot save us. The problem is not so much in the quantity of the evil involved in the act as it is in the quality of the motive and attitude that accompanies it. Even the most heinous of sins can be forgiven if there is an attitude of genuine repentance, a hunger for righteousness, and a willingness to forsake them. Nero, Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Bloody Mary, etc. could all have been forgiven and saved if they had turned to God with an attitude of genuine repentance; but, the friendliest, nicest, most pious-appearing Christian will be unforgiven and lost if he sins willfully, despises God’s law, and tries to hide what he does.<\/p>\n When the thief on the cross asked Jesus to remember him, Jesus didn’t expect him to first enumerate everything he had done wrong and confess each item before he could be forgiven. The man obviously had a repentant spirit and Jesus gave him that wonderful assurance, “You will be with me in paradise.”<\/p>\n God is not searching for people who merely want to be saved. Everybody wants that; nobody wants to die or be destroyed. God reaches out to those who truly hunger for righteousness, those who know they have a sin problem and want help getting rid of it.<\/p>\n Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Matthew 5:6<\/p>\n The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Psalm 51:17<\/p>\n When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Mark 2:17<\/p>\n I would like to suggest that when you are facing the final moments before you enter eternity, God will not be so concerned about the list of what you have done wrong in your life, looking carefully to see if every one of the individual acts in your history – your sins – have been confessed.<\/p>\n All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men:<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Matthew 12:31a<\/p>\n He will be more concerned about the sin you didn’t want to confess, that you have been cherishing; the addiction you know should have been given up but that you enjoyed and wanted to keep; the fault that has been brought to you attention but you held on to it; the sin that you thought didn’t matter very much; whatever it is that you did not want to forsake.<\/p>\n . . . but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.<\/em> Matthew 12:31b<\/p>\n He will be looking for those things that are out of harmony with the great eternal principles of His Kingdom. He wants to bring those character flaws to your attention now so you will let Him cleanse them out of your system, out of your nature. The issue may be great or small or anywhere in between, but if you don’t let Him get it out of your life and clean up your character, He cannot forgive it. He wants to forgive anything and everything that you want to let go, but you need to cooperate with Him in that clean-up process. Then you can be free of fear about the future.<\/p>\n Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Psalm 139:23, 24<\/p>\n For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a01 Corinthians 11:31<\/p>\n The Lord is willing to show us our faults as fast as we are willing to put them away and overcome them.<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Review and Herald, May 11, 1876<\/p>\n If you cannot give all for heaven, you cannot have it. Will you give up every idol? If there is one thing that you cannot give up, that is your idol. That will shut you out of Heaven.<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Review and Herald, July 25, 1854<\/p>\n He who determines to enter the spiritual kingdom will find that all the powers and passions of an unregenerate nature, backed by the forces of the kingdom of darkness, are arrayed against him. Selfishness and pride will make a stand against anything that would show them to be sinful. We can not, of ourselves, conquer the evil desires and habits that struggle for the mastery. We can not overcome the mighty foe who holds us in his thrall. God alone can give us the victory. He desires us to have the mastery over ourselves, our own will and ways. But He can not work in us without our consent and co-operation. The divine Spirit works through the faculties and powers given to man. Our energies are required to co-operate with God.<\/em>\u00a0 Signs of the Times, May 18, 1904<\/p>\n Day by day and year by year we shall conquer self, and grow into a noble heroism. This is our allotted task; but it cannot be accomplished without help from Jesus, resolute decision, unwavering purpose, continual watchfulness, and unceasing prayer. Each one has a personal battle to fight. Not even God can make our characters noble or our lives useful, unless we become co-workers with Him. Those who decline the struggle lose the strength and joy of victory.<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The Ministry of Healing<\/u>, p. 487<\/p>\n If you cooperate with Him in this process of purifying and cleansing your character now, you will have nothing to be afraid of then. Any fear that the saints feel in those final moments should not be over what they have done outwardly but concern over what they are inwardly. The question will not so much be, “What have I done?” but “What kind of person am I? Has all sin been purged out of my system? Is my character of the quality that God can trust for eternity?”<\/p>\n May God help us to see ourselves the way He sees us and let Him clean out the SIN<\/strong> now. Then the SINS<\/strong>will disappear. Take out the tree with its roots, and the leaves will cease to be a problem.<\/p>\n If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.<\/em>\u00a0 1 John 1:6-9<\/p>\n He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Revelation 21:7<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Have you ever been driving along the highway, relaxed, your cruise control set, thinking about your destination,\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0. . . and suddenly you realize that the car parked along the road ahead has a set of lights on the roof and in big, bold letters on the door – HIGHWAY PATROL. You immediately feel a little … <\/p>\n