Review.BER 9, 1976 ADVENT REVIEW AND SABBATH HERALD • GENERAL CHURCH PAPER OF THE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS cWly Life With a "Legalistic" cWloth er See puke 10. Heart to Heart We come to Him because we love Him. We commune Precious Assurance with Him as with a dear friend. We may leave His pres- ence with the knowledge that our love is reciprocated. Palmdale, California We are His and He is ours! No doubts need mar this re- There have been times when all of us have longed for lationship. undeniable assurance that we are accepted of God and "An unyielding trust, a firm reliance upon Christ, will that we are truly His children. It is natural for us to crave bring peace and assurance to the soul."—The Sanctified such security. Just as our hearts are warmed when those Life, p. 90. God desires us to find this sweet peace and as- whom we love assure us of their love, just so we desire surance in our soul through a firm reliance upon Christ. such assurance from our heavenly Father and His Son, When we first come to Jesus as sinners at conversion Jesus. or when we seek to renew a broken experience with Him, The apostle Paul assures us we may have this blessed we have the assurance there is not a whit of hesitancy on assurance. It is for you, it is for me. "Therefore being the Saviour's part to accept us and to save us! justified by faith, we have peace with God through our "The perishing sinner may say: 'I am a lost sinner; Lord Jesus Christ" (Rom. 5:1). but Christ came to seek and to save that which was lost. We can have real peace because of what Jesus Christ He says, "I came not to call the righteous, but sinners our Lord has done for us. What precious certainty! By to repentance" (Mark 2:17). I am a sinner, and He died His condescension, by His perfect life, by His sacrifice upon Calvary's cross to save me. I need not remain a on Calvary's cross, by His victory over death on the moment longer unsaved. He died and rose again for my resurrection morning, Jesus is our surety. All these justification, and He will save me now. I accept the for- events in the life and the ministry of our Saviour assure giveness He has promised.' "—Selected Messages, book our acceptance in the Beloved. These great realities of 1, p. 392. Precious promise—Jesus does not keep the the Christian faith should banish fear, care, and anxiety, questing, repenting child of God waiting for one moment. and we may enjoy true peace. We should rejoice in this He receives us and pardons us the moment we ask in wonderful thought! faith, believing. While meeting appointments here in this delightful We may know of a certainty that the law no longer con- little desert city in California Robert W. Olson, associate demns us—we are safe in the arms of Jesus when we secretary, Ellen G. White Estate, presented some beauti- come to Him asking for His forgiveness and acceptance. ful statements that I wish to share with you. Note these The imputed righteousness of Christ received by faith precious words, warm from the pen of inspiration. makes it so. "It is not God's will that you should be distrustful, and "Through the imputed righteousness of Christ, the torture your soul with the fear that God will not accept sinner may feel that he is pardoned, and may know that you because you are sinful and unworthy."—The Faith the law no more condemns him, because he is in harmony I Live By, p. 102. with all its precepts. It is his privilege to count himself "But, you say, if I could only know that He is my innocent when he reads and thinks of the retribution that Saviour! Well, what kind of evidence do you want? Do will fall upon the unbelieving and sinful."—Sons and you want a special feeling or emotion to prove that Christ Daughters of God, p. 240. is yours? Is this more reliable than pure faith in God's "There is therefore now no condemnation to them promises? . There is not a friend in the world of which are in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 8:1). whom you would require one-half the assurance that our After reading these precious assurances from the pen of Heavenly Father has given you in His promises."— Paul and of Ellen White how can we be mistrustful? How Review and Herald, July 29, 1890. can we entertain any doubt whatsoever of the Saviour's The disciple John writes: "He that keepeth his com- acceptance of His penitent children? He does not hold us mandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby at arm's length—on probation as it were—to determine we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he whether our response to His invitation is genuine. bath given us." (1 John 3:24). We may know that we are His great arms of love are open wide to every re- living within the will of God because the Holy Spirit pentant child of God. When He says He will receive us, brings this assurance to us when we order our lives after forgive us, and cleanse us, we may be sure He means His divine direction. The Holy Spirit declares it. What a every word of His promise. We are His. He is ours. Praise precious promise! We are to accept it without any reser- the Lord! vations. Ellen White says further: "They that are abiding in Jesus have the assurance that God will hear them, be- cause they love to do His will. They offer no formal, wordy prayer, but come to God in earnest, humble con- fidence. They depart from His presence rejoicing in the assurance of pardoning love and sustaining grace."— Our High Calling, p. 147. President, General Conference 2 (954) R&H, SEPTEMBER 9, 1976 This Week The author of our cover article, Mrs. Van Dolson has taught in issue, reporting on the first meet- please send us your new address, "My Life With a 'Legalistic' elementary schools for almost ten ing of the National Seventh-day allowing about five weeks' time. Mother," is Bobbie Jane Van Dol- years, which experience has given Adventist Church Musicians' Include the approximate time you son, an associate book editor at her background for her specialty Guild (p. 15), which he attended expect to begin receiving mail at the Review and Herald Publishing —children's literature. She has July 30 to August 1 at Berrien your new address. Should any is- Association. Mrs. Van Dolson and written two books, one for chil- Springs, Michigan. sue not arrive, notify the Review her husband went to Japan as mis- dren, Prophets Are People, the If you are moving, please take and Herald Circulation Depart- sionaries in 1951, where Mrs. Van other, Mother, Mother. note of a new policy of the U.S. ment and they will replace any Dotson began, as far as she knows, Mrs. Van Dolson's daughter-in- Postal Service that will affect both missing number immediately. the first of the church's English law Retha and her granddaughter, you and the REVIEW. Undelivered Art and Photo Credits: Cover, Language Schools in that country. Lisa, are our cover models. issues of periodicals cannot be Don Satterlee; p. 4, Review and The school was organized as a This summer Kenneth Logan, forwarded to new addresses any Herald photo; p. 7, Russ Harlan; class to interest people in taking who will be a sophomore music longer. Instead they are returned p. 8, Harold Munson; p. 12, Har- Bible studies. This is still the ob- student at Andrews University to the publishers, who then are old M. Lambert; p. 16, map, Gert jective of the English Language this fall, has been a part of our charged a fee of 25 cents per copy. Busch; all other photos, courtesy Schools. staff. He is a contributor in this Therefore, if you are moving, of the respective authors. Scan news briefs from the religious world COURT LIMITS STATE'S RELIGIOUS INVOLVEMENT of the researchers who has found LUTHERAN, CATHOLIC AUTHORITY FOR SCHOOL INDICATES TELEVISION a strong correlation between STUDENTS ASK FOR COLUMBUS, Ohio—The Ohio VIEWING HABITS heavy TV viewing and lack of re- INTERCOMMUNION Supreme Court has limited the WASHINGTON, D.C.—One ligious involvement. COLLEGEVILLE, Minn.—A authority of the State board of of the few characteristics that plea that Lutheran and Roman ITALIAN WALDENSIANS AND education to set standards for seem to separate relatively light Catholic churches permit inter- religious schools. In reversing the viewers of television from heavy METHODISTS PLAN MERGER communion was made here at a ruling of a district court of ap- viewers—young and old—is their ROME—Italian Waldensians national conference of college stu- peals, the State supreme court religion. Surveys have indicated and Methodists drew closer to dents and campus ministers from said that religious-freedom rights that the more strongly a person is eventual unity as representatives the two communions. The plea are compromised when State involved in religious activities the of the Methodist Church took part said that the two communions standards "are so comprehen- less television he is likely to in the first two days of the annual have sufficient spiritual unity that sive in scope as to eradicate the watch. "Is television a new re- Waldensian Synod here.