Gods Sabbath

G OD ’ S W ITNESSES

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death could not change their service to God. These sufferers all understood to a greater or lesser extent that this is why they were in the world—to be God’s witnesses—not just to be the re cipients of His salvation. The better their understanding of these principles and the deeper their consecration to this kind of service, the more stable the martyrs were in maintaining an untroubled peace through even the darkest, most try

ing hours. As we have seen, they found that they could rejoice because they knew they were privileged to bear a witness vital to God’s cause and their own salvation, which even the angels could not give. God’s permitting Satan to afflict them was no mystery to them. It was simply a part of that impeccable plan whereby God will eventually terminate the reign of sin. They rejoiced in surrendering their bodies to any suffering God per mitted as necessary to achieve these objectives, and this was why they confounded their persecutors by joyfully singing as they died. The final generation of Christians must learn to walk in the footsteps of the martyrs in order to accomplish their divinely ap pointed mission. Such an awakening among God’s children will elevate their thinking until they sweetly rest in the assurance that “God never leads His children otherwise than they would choose to be led, if they could see the end from the beginning, and discern the glory of the purpose which they are fulfilling as co-workers with Him.” The Desire of Ages , 224.5. The untarnished beauty of perfect Sabbath rest is the wonder ful experience awaiting all who come to understand, accept, and live out, these principles. Perplexities will vanish and they will find a plain path before their feet. They will truly be able to re joice in suffering, knowing that provided it is not the result of their own disobedience, they are accorded the privilege of being God’s witnesses on a level unknown even to the holy angels. When every one of God’s children is totally committed to this quality of service, the end will quickly come!