A Work of Reform

The Great Controversy, Chapter 26.

"Every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved" (John 3:20).

Hallowed by the Creator's rest and blessing, the Sabbath was kept by Adam in his innocence in Eden. From that day to the present, the knowledge of God's law has been preserved in the earth, and the Sabbath of the fourth commandment has been kept by God's people.
Those who received the light concerning the sanctuary and the unchanging nature of the law of God were filled with joy and wonder as the saw the beauty and harmony of the system of truth that opened to their understanding. But truths that would place them at variance with the world were not welcome to many who claimed to be followers of Christ. Those who did not search the Scriptures for themselves were content to accept conclusions in accordance with their desires. The majority of Miller's followers rejected the truths concerning the sanctuary and the law of God, and many also renounced their faith in the Advent Movement.
The history of ancient Israel is a striking illustration of the past experience of the Adventist body. Had the Israelites kept trusting God, who led them out of Egypt, they would have gone directly into the Promised Land. It was not God's will that Israel should wander forty years in the wilderness. In the same way, it was not God's will that Christ's coming should be so long delayed.

Key Thought: The great obstacle both to the acceptance and to the promulgation of truth is the fact that it involves inconvenience and reproach. This is the only argument against the truth which its advocates have never been able to refute. But this does not deter the true followers of Christ. These do not wait for truth to become popular....
"Whatever may be their profession, it is only those who are world servers at heart that act from policy rather than principle in religious things. We should choose the right because it is right, and leave consequences with God" (The Great Controversy,p. 460).

Today's Lesson: The majority have always chosen the path of least resistance, preferring to please self rather than God.