Bible Study Guides

Bible Study Guides – “Go Ye Therefore and Teach”

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November 20, 1999 – November 26, 1999

Memory Verse

“And He said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” Mark 16:15.

Study Help: Testimonies, vol. 7, 25–28.

Introduction

“The whole body of believers needs to be vitalized by the Holy Spirit of God. We should study, plan, economize, and set in operation every means possible whereby we may reach and bless suffering and ignorant humanity. The light which God has given to us as a people is not given that we may treasure it among ourselves. We are to act
in harmony with the great commission given to every disciple of Christ, to carry to all the world the light of truth.” Review and Herald, August 12, 1909.

“Go Ye and Teach.”

  1. What task has Christ given to His church? Matthew 28:19, 20.

note: “The commission reaches those who shall believe on His word through His disciples. And all who are called of God to stand as ambassadors for Him should take the lessons upon practical godliness given them by Christ in His word and teach them to the people.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 401.

  1. How is the accomplishment of this task linked to the end of the world? Matthew 24:14.

note: “A crisis is right upon us. We must now by the Holy Spirit’s power proclaim the great truths for these last days. It will not be long before everyone will have heard the warning and made his decision. Then shall the end come. It is the very essence of all right faith to do the right thing at the right time. God is the great Master Worker, and by His providence He prepares the way for His work to be accomplished. He provides opportunities, opens up lines of influence and channels of working. If His people are watching the indications of His providence, and stand ready to co-operate with Him, they will see a great work accomplished. Their efforts, rightly directed, will produce a hundredfold greater results than can be accomplished with the same means and facilities in another channel where God is not so manifestly working.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 24.

“How Shall They Hear?”

  1. How does Paul express the need for people to proclaim the Gospel? Romans 10:14.

note: “While the angels hold the four winds, we are to work with all our capabilities. We must bear our message without any delay. We must give evidence to the heavenly universe, and to men in this degenerate age, that our religion is a faith and a power of which Christ is the Author and His word the divine oracle. Human souls are hanging in the balance. They will either be subjects for the kingdom of God or slaves to the despotism of Satan. All are to have the privilege of laying hold of the hope set before them in the gospel, and how can they hear without a preacher? The human family is in need of a moral renovation, a preparation of character, that they may stand in God’s presence. There are souls ready to perish because of the theoretical errors which are prevailing, and which are calculated to counterwork the gospel message. Who will now fully consecrate themselves to become laborers together with God?” Testimonies, vol. 6, 21.

  1. What Bible story illustrates how the willing servant of God can be used to win a soul to Christ? Acts 8:26–39.

note: “This Ethiopian represented a large class who need to be taught by such missionaries as Philip—men who will hear the voice of God and go where He sends them. There are many who are reading the Scriptures who cannot understand their true import. All over the world men and women are looking wistfully to heaven. Prayers and tears and inquiries go up from souls longing for light, for grace, for the Holy Spirit. Many are on the verge of the kingdom, waiting only to be gathered in. An angel guided Philip to the one who was seeking for light and who was ready to receive the gospel, and today angels will guide the footsteps of those workers who will allow the Holy Spirit to sanctify their tongues and refine and ennoble their hearts. The angel sent to Philip could himself have done the work for the Ethiopian, but this is not God’s way of working. It is His plan that men are to work for their fellow men. In the trust given to the first disciples, believers in every age have shared. Everyone who has received the gospel has been given sacred truth to impart to the world.” Acts of the Apostles, 109.

“The Word of Their Testimony”

  1. How have God’s saints of old been able to overcome the assaults of Satan? Revelation 12:11.

note: “Awake, ye sleeping virgins, and trim your lamps. With the Bible in your hands, go to your neighbors with the message of present truth. In the spirit of deep repentance confess your past neglect in the assembly of God’s people, as they meet to worship God. Then the Lord will pardon your transgressions and forgive your sin. If you feel that you have not the ability nor the knowledge that are needed in order to present the truth to others, read your neglected Bible, and seek for an understanding of the truth as it is in Jesus. Many have not developed a Christlike character in the daily life and conversation. They have not lived for the Lord Jesus and for Him alone, daily gaining a fitness to unite with those who have overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony.” Australasian Union Conference Record, March 11, 1907.

  1. How can the word of our testimony strengthen and encourage fellow-believers? Hebrews 10:25; Malachi 3:16–17.

note: “The Lord has shown me that great interest should be taken by Sabbath-keepers to keep up their meetings and make them interesting. There is great necessity of more interest and energy being manifested in this direction. All should have something to say for the Lord, for by so doing they will be blest. A book of remembrance is written of those who do not forsake the assembling of themselves together, but speak often one to another. The remnant are to overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony. Some expect to overcome alone by the blood of the Lamb, without making any special effort of their own. I saw that God has been merciful in giving us the power of speech. He has given us a tongue, and we are accountable to Him for its use. We should glorify God with our mouth, speaking in honor of the truth and of His unbounded mercy, and overcome by the word of our testimony through the blood of the Lamb.” Early Writings, 114.

“Whom Shall I Send?”

  1. What call to God’s people comes from the throne of God? Isaiah 6:8.

note: “When the Lord’s voice calls, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?’ the Divine Spirit puts it into hearts to respond: ‘Here am I; send me.’ Isaiah 6:8. But bear in mind that the live coal from the altar must first touch your lips. Then the words you speak will be wise and holy words. Then you will have wisdom to know what to say and what to leave unsaid. You will not try to reveal your smartness as theologians. You will be careful not to arouse a combative spirit or excite prejudice by introducing controverted points of doctrine. You will find enough to talk about that will not excite opposition, but that will open the heart to desire a deeper knowledge of God’s word.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 325.

  1. What promises did God make to one who felt his inadequacy to speak for God? Jeremiah 1:6–9.

note: “In choosing men and women for His service, God does not ask whether they possess learning or eloquence or worldly wealth. He asks: ‘Do they walk in such humility that I can teach them My way? Can I put My words into their lips? Will they represent Me?’” Testimonies, vol. 7, 144.

“O, if we would only lay hold of these assurances by living faith in the One who has abundance of comfort and encouragement for us all. Then we would praise the Lord in the morning and at noon and at night. We would have a message of mercy to carry to others. The Lord of heaven wants us to have an advanced experience. Will you study these words? Will you accept them? Will you be sanctified by the truths they teach?” General Conference Bulletin, May 18, 1909.

“Let Your Light So Shine”

  1. Besides the word of our testimony, in what other way is the follower of God to witness? Matthew 5:16.

note: “The good works of the children of God are the most effectual preaching that the unbeliever has. He thinks that there must be strong motives that actuate the Christian to deny self, and use his possessions in trying to save his fellow men. It is unlike the spirit of the world. Such fruits testify that the possessors are genuine Christians.” Testimonies, vol. 1, 193, 194.

  1. How does Isaiah describe this work of letting the light shine? Isaiah 58:6–8.

note: “Thus in the night of spiritual darkness God’s glory is to shine forth through His church in lifting up the bowed down and comforting those that mourn. All around us are heard the wails of a world’s sorrow. On every hand are the needy and distressed. It is ours to aid in relieving and softening life’s hardships and misery. Practical work will have far more effect than mere sermonizing. We are to give food to the hungry, clothing to the naked, and shelter to the homeless. And we are called to do more than this. The wants of the soul, only the love of Christ can satisfy. If Christ is abiding in us, our hearts will be full of divine sympathy. The sealed fountains of earnest, Christlike love will be unsealed. God calls not only for our gifts for the needy, but for our cheerful countenance, our hopeful words, our kindly handclasp. When Christ healed the sick, He laid His hands upon them. So should we come in close touch with those whom we seek to benefit.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 417, 418.

“And I Saw Another Angel”

  1. What special message are God’s people called to proclaim in the days just before Christ’s coming? Revelation 14:6–12.

note: “The Lord in His great mercy sent a most precious message to His people through Elders Waggoner and Jones. This message was to bring more prominently before the world the uplifted Savior, the sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. It presented justification through faith in the Surety; it invited the people to receive the righteousness of Christ, which is made manifest in obedience to all the Commandments of God. Many had lost sight of Jesus. They needed to have their eyes directed to His divine person, His merits, and His changeless love for the human family. All power is given into His hands, that He may dispense rich gifts unto men, imparting the priceless gift of His own righteousness to the helpless human agent. This is the message that God commanded to be given to the world. It is the Third Angel’s Message, which is to be proclaimed with a loud voice, and attended with the outpouring of His Spirit in a large measure.” Testimonies to Ministers, 91, 92.

  1. What additional message must also be given to warn God’s people of their danger? Revelation 18:1–4.

note: “There are true Christians in every church who do not know the origin of the Sunday-sabbath, and believe that they are keeping the day which God sanctified and blest. This is true of worshipers even in the Catholic Church; and while this ignorance and integrity remain, God accepts of their sincerity; but when light shall fall upon their pathway, God requires them to come into harmony with His law, and to observe the Sabbath of His appointing. The time has come when the glory of the Lord is to fill the earth, and when the whole earth shall be lightened with His glory. The cry is sounding to the honest in heart to ‘come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be My sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.’ ‘And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, My people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.’” Signs of the Times, November 19, 1894.

Bible Study Guides – “Holy and Without Blemish”

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November 13, 1999 – November 19, 1999

Memory Verse

“And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you: to the end He may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.” 1 Thessalonians 3:12, 13.

Study Help: The Great Controversy, 469–478.

Introduction

“We believe without a doubt that Christ is soon coming. This is not a fable to us; it is a reality. We have no doubt, neither have we had a doubt for years, that the doctrines we hold today are present truth, and that we are nearing the judgment. We are preparing to meet Him who, escorted by a retinue of holy angels, is to appear in the clouds of heaven to give the faithful and the just the finishing touch of immortality. When He comes He is not to cleanse us of our sins, to remove from us the defects in our characters, or to cure us of the infirmities of our tempers and dispositions. If wrought for us at all, this work will all be accomplished before that time. When the Lord comes, those who are holy will be holy still. Those who have preserved their bodies and spirits in holiness, in sanctification and honor, will then receive the finishing touch of immortality. But those who are unjust, unsanctified, and filthy will remain so forever. No work will then be done for them to remove their defects and give them holy characters. The Refiner does not then sit to pursue His refining process and remove their sins and their corruption. This is all to be done in these hours of probation. It is now that this work is to be accomplished for us.” Testimonies, vol. 2, 355.

“To Serve Him in Holiness”

  1. What is God’s desire for all His people? Luke 1:74, 75.

note: “It is our privilege to stand with the light of heaven upon us. It was thus that Enoch walked with God. It was no easier for Enoch to live a righteous life than it is for us at the present time. The world in his time was no more favorable to growth in grace and holiness than it is now. It was by prayer and communion with God that Enoch was enabled to escape the corruption that is in the world through lust. We are living in the perils of the last days, and we must receive our strength from the same source. We must walk with God. A separation from the world is required of us; for we can not remain free from its pollution unless we follow the example of the faithful Enoch.” Review and Herald, January 9, 1900.

  1. How does Jesus describe the ones who will have the privilege of seeing God? Matthew 5:8.

note: “The Bible contains instruction regarding the character God’s children must possess. ‘Blessed are the pure in heart,’ it declares, ‘for they shall see God.’ Matthew 5:8. ‘Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.’ Hebrews 12:14. ‘Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as He is pure.’ 1 John 3:2, 3.” Counsels to Teachers, Parents and Students, 429.

“Blessed are the pure in heart—now; not, Blessed will be the pure in heart. ‘Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.’ Matthew 5:8. Yes, as did Moses, they shall endure the seeing of Him who is invisible. They have the assurance of the richest blessings, both in this life and in the life that is to come.” Counsels to Teachers, Parents and Students, 103.

“Shall We Continue in Sin That Grace May Abound?”

  1. How may we be freed from the guilt of those sins we have committed? 1 John 1:9.

note: “The conditions of obtaining mercy of God are simple and just and reasonable. The Lord does not require us to do some grievous thing in order that we may have the forgiveness of sin. We need not make long and wearisome pilgrimages, or perform painful penances, to commend our souls to the God of heaven or to expiate our transgression; but he that confesseth and forsaketh his sin shall have mercy. The apostle says, ‘Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed.’ James 5:16. Confess your sins to God, who only can forgive them, and your faults to one another. If you have given offence to your friend or neighbor, you are to acknowledge your wrong, and it is his duty freely to forgive you. Then you are to seek the forgiveness of God, because the brother you have wounded is the property of God, and in injuring him you sinned against his Creator and Redeemer.” Steps to Christ, 37.

  1. Is forgiveness all that we need to inherit eternal life? Romans 6:1, 2.

note: “None can endure to be with God if they are not constantly conforming their minds and hearts to His will and developing characters after the divine similitude. None can have forgiveness without living the purity of character exemplified in Christ. No man need expect happiness without the holiness of God. They cannot partake of the feast without the garment of Christ’s righteousness, woven in the loom of heaven. Privileges and opportunities improved will give every soul a fitness to obey the law of His kingdom.” Home Missionary, November 1, 1897. [Emphasis supplied.]

“Let Us Cleanse Ourselves”

  1. What “exceeding great and precious promises” does God give to those who wish to become like Jesus? 1 Corinthians 10:13; Hebrews 2:18; 2 Peter 2:9; Revelation 3:10.

note: “Bid the tempted one look not to circumstances, to the weakness of self, or to the power of temptation, but to the power of God’s word. All its strength is ours. ‘Thy word,’ says the psalmist, ‘have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee.’ ‘By the word of Thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer.’ Psalms 119:11; 17:4. Talk courage to the people; lift them up to God in prayer. Many who have been overcome by temptation are humiliated by their failures, and they feel that it is in vain for them to approach unto God; but this thought is of the enemy’s suggestion. When they have sinned, and feel that they cannot pray, tell them that it is then the time to pray. Ashamed they may be, and deeply humbled; but as they confess their sins, He who is faithful and just will forgive their sins and cleanse them from all unrighteousness. Nothing is apparently more helpless, yet really more invincible, than the soul that feels its nothingness and relies wholly on the merits of the Savior. By prayer, by the study of His word, by faith in His abiding presence, the weakest of human beings may live in contact with the living Christ, and He will hold them by a hand that will never let go.” Ministry of Healing, 181, 182.

  1. In the light of God’s promises, what counsel does Paul give? 2 Corinthians 7:1.

note: “The Christian life is constantly an onward march. Jesus sits as a refiner and purifier of His people; and when His image is perfectly reflected in them, they are perfect and holy, and prepared for translation. A great work is required of the Christian. We are exhorted to cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. Here we see where the great labor rests. There is a constant work for the Christian. Every branch in the parent vine must derive life and strength from that vine, in order to yield fruit.” Testimonies, vol. 1, 340.

  1. Who works in co-operation with the Christian to complete the work of salvation from all sin? Philippians 2:12, 13.

note: “God requires us to bear much fruit. He will not give commands without giving with them power for their performance. He will not do our part of the work, neither does He require that we do His. It is God that worketh in us, but we must work out our own salvation with fear and trembling. ‘Faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.’ Faith must be sustained by works; the doers of the work are justified before God.” Testimonies, vol. 2, 166, 167.

“Man is allotted a part in this great struggle for everlasting life; he must respond to the working of the Holy Spirit. It will require a struggle to break through the powers of darkness, and the Spirit works in him to accomplish this. But man is no passive being, to be saved in indolence. He is called upon to strain every muscle and exercise every faculty in the struggle for immortality; yet it is God that supplies the efficiency. No human being can be saved in indolence.” Testimonies, vol. 8, 65.

“Be Ye Holy; for I am Holy”

  1. To what kind of lives has God called us? 1 Thessalonians 4:7.

note: “We are called to represent to the world the character of God as it was revealed to Moses. In answer to the prayer of Moses, ‘Show me Thy glory,’ the Lord promised, ‘I will make all My goodness pass before thee.’ ‘And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin.’ Exodus 33:18, 19; 34:6, 7. This is the fruit that God desires from His people. In the purity of their characters, in the holiness of their lives, in their mercy and loving-kindness and compassion, they are to demonstrate that the ‘law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul.’ Psalm 19:7.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 221.

  1. What is the measure of the holiness to which God has called us? 1 Peter 1:15, 16.

note: “A character formed according to the divine likeness is the only treasure that we can take from this world to the next. Those who are under the instruction of Christ in this world will take every divine attainment with them to the heavenly mansions. And in heaven we are continually to improve. How important, then, is the development of character in this life. The heavenly intelligences will work with the human agent who seeks with determined faith that perfection of character which will reach out to perfection in action. To everyone engaged in this work Christ says, I am at your right hand to help you. As the will of man co-operates with the will of God, it becomes omnipotent. Whatever is to be done at His command may be accomplished in His strength. All His biddings are enablings.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 332, 333.

“Holy and Without Blemish”

  1. How in practical detail is this holiness described? Titus 1:8; 1 Corinthians 3:16, 17, Romans 12:1, Colossians 1:22, 1 Peter 1:15, Ephesians 5:27.

note: “Holiness is agreement with God.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 743.

“Holiness is constant agreement with God. Shall we not be that which Christ so greatly desires us to be,—Christians in deed and in truth,—that the world may see in our lives a revelation of the saving power of truth?” Southern Watchman, June 11, 1903.

“True holiness is wholeness in the service of God. This is the condition of true Christian living. Christ asks for an unreserved consecration, for undivided service. He demands the heart, the mind, the soul, the strength. Self is not to be cherished. He who lives to himself is not a Christian.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 48, 49. (See also Desire of Ages, 555, 556; Acts of the Apostles, 51.)

  1. How does the Bible describe those who have part in the first resurrection, at the Second Coming of Jesus? Revelation 20:6.

note: “We may not be living when Christ shall come in power and great glory, for all are subject to death at any time, but if we are righteous, in harmony with the law of God, we shall respond to the voice that will call the people of God from their graves, and shall come forth to receive immortality. It is only the blessed and holy who will be ready for the first resurrection; for when Christ comes, He will not change the character.” Signs of the Times, February 9, 1891.

  1. How does the Bible describe those who are alive to see Jesus as He is? 1 John 3:2.

  2. What important counsel does John give to those who hope to meet Jesus? 1 John 3:3–6.

note: “The exhortation of the apostle is, ‘Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.’ It is by engaging in this work, and by exercising living faith in God, that we are to perfect Christian character. The work of cleansing the soul-temple and preparing for Christ’s appearing must be done while we are in this world of temptation. Just as Christ finds us in character when He comes, so we shall remain.” Signs of the Times, September 29, 1887.

Bible Study Guides – “Not of the World”

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November 6, 1999 – November 12, 1999

Memory Verse

“I pray not that Thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that Thou shouldest keep them from the evil.” John 17:15.

Study Help: The Great Controversy, 600–602.

Introduction

“I have been shown the high and responsible position which God’s people should occupy. They are the salt of the earth and the light of the world, and they must walk even as Christ walked. They will come up through great tribulation. The present is a time of warfare and trial. Our Savior says in Revelation 3:21: ‘To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with Me in My throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with My Father in His throne.’ The reward is not given to all who profess to be followers of Christ, but to those who overcome even as He overcame. We must study the life of Christ and learn what it is to confess Him before the world.” Testimonies, vol. 1, 303.

“The Light Shineth in Darkness”

  1. What is the light that is to shine into the world? 2 Corinthians 4:3–5.

note: “In order to gain a proper knowledge of ourselves, it is necessary to look into the mirror, and there discovering our own defects, avail ourselves of the blood of Christ, the fountain opened for sin and uncleanness, in which we may wash our robes of character and remove the stains of sin. But many refuse to see their errors and correct them; they do not want a true knowledge of themselves. If we would reach high attainments in moral and spiritual excellence we must live for it. We are under personal obligation to society to do this, in order continually to exert an influence in favor of God’s law. We should let our light so shine that all may see that the sacred gospel is having an influence upon our hearts and lives, that we walk in obedience to its commandments and violate none of its principles. We are in a great degree accountable to the world for the souls of those around us.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 58–59.

  1. Whom do God’s remnant people have as their example in bringing light to a dark world? John 3:17.

note: “Our Lord Jesus Christ came to this world as the unwearied servant of man’s necessity. He ‘took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses,’ that He might minister to every need of humanity. Matthew 8:17. The burden of disease and wretchedness and sin He came to remove. It was His mission to bring to men complete restoration; He came to give them health and peace and perfection of character.” Ministry of Healing, 17.

  1. What is Christ asking us to do for our Heavenly Father? John 17:18; Matthew 5:16.

note: “I have been shown that the disciples of Christ are His representatives upon the earth; and God designs that they shall be lights in the moral darkness of this world, dotted all over the country, in the towns, villages, and cities, ‘a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men.’ If they obey the teachings of Christ in His Sermon on the Mount, they will be seeking continually for perfection of Christian character, and will be truly the light of the world, channels through which God will communicate His divine will, the truth of heavenly origin, to those who sit in darkness and who have no knowledge of the way of life and salvation.” Testimonies, vol. 2, 631.

  1. Whose life shows that it possible to live as a pure light for God in today’s world? Genesis 5:21–24.

note: “Christ came into the world to save it, to connect fallen man with the infinite God. Christ’s followers are to be channels of light. Maintaining communion with God, they are to transmit to those in darkness and error the choice blessings which they receive of heaven. Enoch did not become polluted with the iniquities existing in his day; why need we in our day? But we may, like our Master, have compassion for suffering humanity, pity for the unfortunate, and a generous consideration for the feelings and necessities of the needy, the troubled, and the despairing.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 113.

“An Holy Nation”

  1. What characteristics will be seen in our lives if we are truly to reflect God to those around us? 1 Peter 1:13–16.

note: “In order to manifest the character of God, in order that we may not deceive ourselves, the church, and the world by a counterfeit Christianity, we must become personally acquainted with God. If we have fellowship with God, we are His ministers, though we may never preach to a congregation. We are workers together with
God in presenting the perfection of His character in humanity.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 13.

  1. What will be the sign of true holiness and loyalty to our Savior and Creator? Exodus 20:8; Psalm 29:2; Revelation 14:7.

note: “Not all who profess to keep the Sabbath will be sealed. There are many even among those who teach the truth to others who will not receive the seal of God in their foreheads. They had the light of truth, they knew their Master’s will, they understood every point of our faith, but they had not corresponding works. These who were so familiar with prophecy and the treasures of divine wisdom should have acted their faith. They should have commanded their households after them, that by a well-ordered family they might present to the world the influence of the truth upon the human heart.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 213, 214.

“A Royal Priesthood”

  1. A priest is the one who stands between God and man. What is the “royal priesthood” to declare about God to the world? 1 Peter 2:9, 10.

note: “God declares, ‘I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last.’ He is the benefactor of the universe. His tender mercies are over all His works. ‘The eyes of all wait upon Thee; and Thou givest them their meat in due season. Thou openest Thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing.’ It is God’s desire that man shall proclaim the benevolence of His character. In word and deed His people are to reveal His mercy, calling attention to His compassionate designs. The world is to see in the believers who make it their first aim to fulfil the will of Christ, a true representation of Christianity.” Review and Herald, November 26, 1901.

  1. What are the sacrifices to be offered by today’s “royal priesthood”? Romans 12:1, 2.

note: “In the ancient Jewish service it was required that every sacrifice should be without blemish. In the text we are told to present our bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is our reasonable service. We are God’s workmanship. The psalmist, meditating upon the marvelous work of God in the human frame, exclaimed, ‘I am fearfully and wonderfully made.’ Psalms 139:14. There are many who are educated in the sciences, and are familiar with the theory of the truth, who do not understand the laws that govern their own being. God has given us faculties and talents; and it is our duty, as His sons and daughters, to make the best use of them. If we weaken these powers of mind or body by wrong habits or indulgence of perverted appetite, it will be impossible for us to honor God as we should.” Christian Temperance and Bible Hygiene, 15.

“A Chosen Generation”

  1. What special work for the world is assigned to the last generation of God’s people? Revelation 14:6.

note: “We are nearing the close of this earth’s history. We have before us a great work, the closing work of giving the last warning message to a sinful world. There are men who will be taken from the plough, from the vineyard, from various other branches of work, and sent forth by the Lord to give this message to the world. The world is out of joint. As we look at the picture, the outlook seems discouraging. But Christ greets with hopeful assurance the very men and women who cause us discouragement. In them He sees qualifications that will enable them to take a place in His vineyard. If they will constantly be learners, through His providence He will make them men and women fitted to do a work that is not beyond their capabilities; through the impartation of the Holy Spirit He will give them power of utterance. Many of the barren, unworked fields must be entered by beginners. The brightness of the Savior’s view of the world will inspire confidence in many workers, who, if they begin in humility, and put their hearts into the work, will be found to be the right men for the time and place…He corrects our erring piety, giving the burden of the work for the poor and needy in the rough places of the earth to men and women who have hearts that can feel for the ignorant and for those that are out of the way. The Lord teaches these workers how to meet those whom He wishes them to help. They will be encouraged as they see doors opening for them to enter places where they can do medical missionary work. Having little self-confidence, they give God all the glory. Their hands may be rough and unskilled, but their hearts are susceptible to pity; they are filled with an earnest desire to do something to relieve the woe so abundant; and Christ is present to help them.” Testimonies, vol. 7, 270, 271.

  1. How will these workers find protection from the final, angry onslaught of the evil one? Ephesians 6:10–18.

note: “The Great General is not only leading a few generals; but the Captain of the Lord’s host is leading the armies of both heaven and earth to battle; and they are marching on to the glorious victory. Every soldier is to put on the whole armor of God, and fight courageously, realizing that he is battling in full view of the invisible universe. If they will obey orders, the Lord’s army will find themselves influenced by the Holy Spirit to work the works of God. The battlefield is glorified with the light shining from the cross of Calvary.” Australasian Union Conference Record, April 1, 1898.

“I Pray for Them”

  1. How are we included in Jesus’ prayer for His disciples? John 17:11, 20, 21.

note: “Yes, that prayer of Christ embraces even us. We should be comforted by the thought that we have a great intercessor in the heavens, presenting our petitions before God. ‘If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.’ In the hour of greatest need, when discouragement would overwhelm the soul, it is then that the watchful eye of Jesus sees that we need His help. The hour of man’s necessity is the hour of God’s opportunity. When all human support fails, then Jesus comes to our aid, and His presence scatters the darkness and lifts the cloud of gloom.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 530.

  1. As we realize our weakness and frailty, what invitation and promises come to us from the Most Holy Place? Hebrews 4:14–16.

note: “Let us begin to work for those who have not had the light. ‘All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth,’ the Savior declares, ‘and, lo, I am with you alway.’ Matthew 28:18, 20. What we need is a living faith, faith to proclaim over the rent sepulchre of Joseph that we have a living Savior, one who will go before us and who will work with us. God will do the work if we will furnish Him the instruments. There needs to be among us a great deal more of prayer and much less of unbelief. We need to lift up the standard higher and still higher before the people. We need to remember that Christ is always at our right hand as we proclaim liberty to the captives and deal the bread of life to hungry souls. When we keep before our minds the urgency and importance of our work, the salvation of God will be revealed in a remarkable manner.” Testimonies, vol. 9, 107.

Bible Study Guides – “Many Members Yet But One Body”

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October 30, 1999 – November 5, 1999

Memory Verse

“But now are they many members, yet but one body.” 1 Corinthians 12:20.

Study Help: Testimonies, vol. 4, 16–20.

Introduction

“The religion of Christ does not require us to lose our identity of character, but merely to adapt ourselves, in some measure, to the feelings and ways of others. Many people may be brought together in a unity of religious faith whose opinions, habits, and tastes in temporal matters are not in harmony; but if they have the love of Christ glowing in their bosoms, and are looking forward to the same heaven as their eternal home, they may have the sweetest and most intelligent communion together, and a unity the most wonderful. There are scarcely two whose experience is alike in every particular. The trials of one may not be the trials of another, and our hearts should ever be open to kindly sympathy and all aglow with the love that Jesus had for all His brethren.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 65, 66.

“How Good and How Pleasant It Is”

  1. How does David describe the blessings of unity among God’s people? Psalm 133:1–3.

note: “The apostles differed widely in habits and disposition. There were the publican, Levi-Matthew, and the fiery zealot Simon, the uncompromising hater of the authority of Rome; the generous, impulsive Peter, and the mean-spirited Judas; Thomas, true-hearted, yet timid and fearful, Philip, slow of heart, and inclined to doubt, and the ambitious, outspoken sons of Zebedee, with their brethren. These were brought together, with their different faults, all with inherited and cultivated tendencies to evil; but in and through Christ they were to dwell in the family of God, learning to become one in faith, in doctrine, in spirit. They would have their tests, their grievances, their differences of opinion; but while Christ was abiding in the heart, there could be no dissension. His love would lead to love for one another; the lessons of the Master would lead to the harmonizing of all differences, bringing the disciples into unity, till they would be of one mind and one judgement. Christ is the great center, and they would approach one another just in proportion as they approached the center.” The Desire of Ages, 296.

  1. What counsel did Paul give to the believers in Philippi? Philippians 2:1–5.

note: “Brethren and sisters, we have no time to dwell on little differences. For Christ’s sake, go to your knees in prayer! Go to God, and ask Him to give you a clean heart. Ask Him to help you to stand where He wants you to be. Labor in harmony with one another, even though you are not alike. Do you not know that of the leaves on a tree there are no two exactly alike? From this God would teach us that among His servants there is to be unity in diversity.” General Conference Bulletin, March 30, 1903.

“The Unity of the Spirit”

  1. What earnest plea did Paul make to the believers in Ephesus? Ephesians 4:1–3.

note: “I spoke upon the necessity of laboring for unity and cultivating Christian courtesy, ‘endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.’ The effect of truth upon the heart is to cleanse it from every defilement. It will not increase self-love, but will lead the receiver to humble his heart, and to ascribe nothing to self, but all to God. He ceases to esteem himself more highly than his brethren. His former sensitiveness to reproach, neglect, or contempt disappears, and he is not so easily irritated; he becomes gentle and condescending, and exemplifies the simplicity of Christ who was meek and lowly of heart. His own nation and personal friends are no longer the boundary lines of his love. He loves Jesus with all his heart, and all who are trying to be the children of God he loves as himself. There is an entire change in his life.” Review and Herald, November 3, 1885.

  1. What specific examples of the oneness of God’s people did Paul mention? Ephesians 4:4–6.

note: “There is but one body, and one Spirit, one Lord, one faith. As members of the body of Christ all believers are animated by the same spirit and the same hope. Divisions in the church dishonor the religion of Christ before the world and give occasion to the enemies of truth to justify their course. Paul’s instructions were not written alone for the church in his day. God designed that they should be sent down to us. What are we doing to preserve unity in the bonds of peace?” Testimonies, vol. 5, 239. (See also The Great Controversy, 379.)

“Unity in the Bond of Peace”

  1. What sound counsel did Paul give to those whose views were causing division? Romans 14:19.

note: “In union there is strength; in disunion there is weakness. God’s chosen ones are to reveal to the world their union one with another. It is not possible for a few to walk to heaven alone because they can agree with no others. God’s people are to be a unit. If some entertain ideas so peculiar that others cannot accept them, they should compare notes in a teachable spirit, and all should be willing to learn. They should make the most strenuous efforts to be one, to come into the unity of the faith in the bonds of peace.” Review and Herald,
April 27, 1897.

  1. What characteristics are we to cultivate in order to achieve unity in the bond of peace? Colossians 3:12–15.

note: “The apostle exhorts his brethren to manifest in their lives the power of the truth which he had presented to them. By meekness and gentleness, forbearance and love, they were to exemplify the character of Christ and the blessings of His salvation. There is but one body, one Spirit, one Lord, one faith. As members of the body of Christ, all members are to be animated by the same spirit and the same hope. Harmony and union existing among men of varied dispositions is the strongest witness that can be borne that God has sent His Son into the world to save sinners. It is our privilege to bear this witness. Our characters must be molded in harmony with His character, our wills must be surrendered to His will.” Review and Herald, November 12, 1908.

“The Unity of the Faith”

  1. What was one of the purposes for members being given the different spiritual gifts in the church? Ephesians 4:11–13.

note: “Honest souls will see the straight chain of present truth. They will see its harmonious connections, link after link uniting into a great whole, and will lay hold upon it. The present truth is not difficult to be understood, and the people whom God is leading will be united upon this broad, firm platform. He will not use individuals of different faith, opinions, and views, to scatter and divide. Heaven and holy angels are working to unite, to bring into the unity of the faith, into the one body. Satan opposes this, and is determined to scatter, and divide, and bring in different sentiments, that the prayer of Christ may not be answered: ‘Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on Me through their word; that they all may be one; as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be one in Us: that the world may believe that Thou hast sent Me.’ John 17:20, 21. Jesus designed that the faith of His people should be one.” Testimonies, vol. 1, 327.

  1. Though God’s people have different gifts, what are we to do so that diversity does not become division? 1 Corinthians 1:10.

note: “Christ is leading out a people, and bringing them into the unity of the faith, that they may be one, as He is one with the Father. Differences of opinion must be yielded, that all may come into union with the body, that they may have one mind and one judgment. 1 Corinthians 1:10: ‘Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.’ Romans 15:5, 6: ‘Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be like-minded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: that ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.’ Philippians 2:2: ‘Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.’” Testimonies, vol. 1, 324.

“We, Being Many, Are One”

  1. How does Paul describe the diversity that exists among God’s people? Romans 12:4, 6–8.

note: “Study this scripture carefully. God has not given to every one the same line of work. It is His plan that there shall be unity in diversity. When His plan is studied and followed, there will be far less friction in the working of the cause.” Pacific Union Recorder, December 29, 1904.

  1. What picture did Paul use to demonstrate the importance of each individual member to the whole church? 1 Corinthians 12:12–21.

note: “The Lord desires His church to respect every gift that He has bestowed on the different members. Let us beware of allowing our minds to become fixed on ourselves, thinking that no one can be serving the Lord unless he is working on the same lines as those on which we are working. Never is a worker to say, ‘I do not want to work with such a one, because he does not see things as I do. I wish to work with some one who will agree with all I say, and follow out all my ideas.’ The one the worker thus refuses to connect with may have truths to present that have not yet been presented. Because of the worker’s refusal to accept the help provided by the Lord, the work is made one-sided. The work is hurt unless there are brought into it all the gifts that God has bestowed. Many times the progress of the work has been hindered because the laborers thought their gifts all that were necessary for its advancement. The Lord has not done for His people what He would have done if so many of the workers had not limited the development of the work by refusing to co-operate with laborers who should have been given standing room and encouragement. In self-sufficiency, men have ignored and pushed aside those to whom God has given a special work.” Pacific Union Recorder, December 29, 1904.

“By This Shall All Men Know…”

  1. What counsel does Paul give to Christians concerning those who bring division among God’s people? Romans 16:17.

note: “Let the suspicious ones, who think and speak evil of their brethren, remember that they are doing the devil’s drudgery. Let each member of the church work with earnest determination, and with prayer for help, to cure the diseased member, the tongue. Let every one feel that it is his duty and privilege to pass over little differences and mistakes without comment. Do not magnify the small mistakes made by some one, but think of the good that is in him. Each time these mistakes are thought of and talked about, they grow larger. A mountain is made out of a molehill. Ill-feeling and a lack of confidence is the result.” Australasian Union Conference Record, April 15, 1903.

  1. What did Christ say was convincing evidence that we are His disciples? John 13:35.

note: “The more closely we resemble our Savior in character, the greater will be our love toward those for whom He died. Christians who manifest a spirit of unselfish love for one another are bearing a testimony for Christ which unbelievers can neither gainsay nor resist. It is impossible to estimate the power of such an example. Nothing will so successfully defeat the devices of Satan and his emissaries, nothing will so build up the Redeemer’s kingdom, as will the love of Christ manifested by the members of the church. Peace and prosperity can be enjoyed only as meekness and love are in active exercise.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 168.

Bible Study Guides – “Known and Read of All Men”

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November 28, 1999 – December 4, 1999

Memory Verse

“Ye are the light of the world.” Matthew 5:14.

Study Help: Ministry of Healing, 349–355.

Introduction

“It is no small matter for a family to stand as representatives of Jesus, keeping God’s law in an unbelieving community. We are required to be living epistles known and read of all men. This position involves fearful responsibilities.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 106.

“The effort to make the home what it should be—a symbol of the home in heaven—prepares us for work in a larger sphere. The education received by showing a tender regard for each other, enables us to know how to reach hearts that need to be taught the principles of true religion.…The truth lived at home makes itself felt in disinterested labor abroad. He who lives Christianity in the home will be a bright and shining light everywhere.” Signs of the Times, September 1, 1898.

“Ye Shall be My Sons and Daughters”

  1. How does God use the family to teach us about our relationship with Him? Ephesians 5:21–31; Matthew 6:9; 2 Corinthians 6:17, 18.

note: “He who gave Eve to Adam as a helpmeet, performed His first miracle at a marriage festival. In the festal hall where friends and kindred rejoiced together, Christ began His public ministry. Thus He sanctioned marriage, recognizing it as an institution that He Himself had established. He ordained that men and women should be united in holy wedlock, to rear families whose members, crowned with honor, should be recognized as members of the family above. Christ honored the marriage relation by making it also a symbol of the union between Him and His redeemed ones. He Himself is the Bridegroom; the bride is the church.…Christ ‘loved the church, and gave Himself for it; that He might sanctify and cleanse it;…that it should be holy and without blemish.’ ‘So ought men to love their wives.’ Ephesians 5:25–28.” Ministry of Healing, 356.

  1. What does Paul teach about the fathers and children? Ephesians 6:1–4.

note: “The children look to the father for support and guidance; he needs to have a right conception of life and of the influences and associations that surround his family; above all he should be controlled by the love and fear of God and by the teaching of His word, that he may guide the feet of his children in the right way.…The father should do his part toward making home happy.” Ministry of Healing, 390, 392.

“The restoration and uplifting of humanity begins in the home. The work of parents underlies every other. Society is composed of families, and is what the heads of families make it. Out of the heart are ‘the issues of life’ (Proverbs 4:23); and the heart of the community, of the church, and of the nation is the household. The well-being of society, the success of the church, the prosperity of the nation, depend upon home influences.” Ministry of Healing, 349.

  1. What part did his mother and grandmother play in Timothy’s spiritual development? 2 Timothy 1:5.

note: “Especially does responsibility rest upon the mother. She, by whose lifeblood the child is nourished and its physical frame built up, imparts to it also mental and spiritual influences that tend to the shaping of mind and character. It was Jochebed, the Hebrew mother, who, strong in faith, was ‘not afraid of the king’s commandment’ (Hebrews 11:23), of whom was born Moses, the deliverer of Israel. It was Hannah, the woman of prayer and self-sacrifice and heavenly inspiration, who gave birth to Samuel, the heaven-instructed child, the incorruptible judge, the founder of Israel’s sacred schools. It was Elizabeth, the kinswoman and kindred spirit of Mary of Nazareth, who was the mother of the Saviour’s herald.” Ministry of Healing, 372.

  1. How should the divine pattern for our relationships show in our earthly families? Ephesians 4:32; Ephesians 5:1, 2.

note: “‘Hereby perceive we the love of God, because He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?’ Christ Himself became poor for our sake, that we, through His poverty, might come into possession of eternal riches. He has adopted the poor and the suffering as His own peculiar treasure, and has left them to the care of His church. His disciples are to be stewards of His gifts, and to use His bounties in relieving suffering humanity. They are to feed and clothe and shelter those who have need. Parents are to present to their children the example of being God’s almoners, in order that they in turn may become missionaries, may be tender-hearted, pitiful, kind, patient laborers together with God. They are to work as co-partners with Christ to restore, to heal, to save those who are perishing.” Review and Herald, October 15, 1895.

“Ye Are the Light of the World”

  1. What is God’s purpose for the Christian home? Matthew 5:16.

note: “A well-ordered Christian household is a powerful argument in favor of the reality of the Christian religion—an argument that the infidel cannot gainsay. All can see that there is an influence
at work in the family that affects the children, and that the God of Abraham is with them. If the homes of professed Christians
had a right religious mold, they would exert a mighty influence for good. They would indeed be the ‘light of the world.’” Patriarchs and Prophets, 144.

  1. Which young people in the Bible show the missionary power of a godly upbringing? 2 Kings 5:1–5; Daniel 1:1–8.

note: “Missionaries for the Master are best prepared for work abroad in the Christian household, where God is feared, where God is loved, where God is worshipped, where faithfulness has become second nature, where haphazard, careless inattention to duty is not permitted, where quiet communion with God is looked upon as essential to the performance of daily duties.” The Adventist Home, 35.

  1. God had important work for Moses, Samuel and John the Baptist. What does the Bible say about the families in which they were brought up? Exodus 2:1–10; 1 Samuel 1; Luke 1:5, 6.

note: “God designs that the families of earth shall be a symbol of the family in heaven. Christian homes, established and conducted in accordance with God’s plan, are among His most effective agencies for the formation of Christian character and for the advancement of His work. If parents desire to see a different state of things in their families, let them consecrate themselves wholly to God and co-operate with Him in the work whereby a transformation may take place in their households. When our own homes are what they should be, our children will not be allowed to grow up in idleness and indifference to the claims of God in behalf of the needy all about them. As the Lord’s heritage, they will be qualified to take up the work where they are. A light will shine from such homes which will reveal itself in behalf of the ignorant, leading them to the source of all knowledge. An influence will be exerted that will be a power for God and for His truth.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 430.

“Sing Unto God, Sing Praises Unto His Name”

  1. How does God care for those who do not have an earthly family? Psalm 68:5 first part; Psalm 27:10; Matthew 19:29.

note: “If we surrender our lives to His service, we can never be placed in a position for which God has not made provision. Whatever may be our situation, we have a Guide to direct our way; whatever our perplexities, we have a sure Counselor; whatever our sorrow, bereavement, or loneliness, we have a sympathizing Friend. If in our ignorance we make missteps, Christ does not leave us. His voice, clear and distinct, is heard saying, ‘I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.’ John 14:6. ‘He shall deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor also, and him that hath no helper.’ Psalm 72: 12.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 173.

“Christians may have the joy of communion with Christ; they may have the light of His love, the perpetual comfort of His presence. Every step in life may bring us closer to Jesus, may give us a deeper experience of His love, and may bring us one step nearer to the blessed home of peace. Then let us not cast away our confidence, but have firm assurance, firmer than ever before. ‘Hitherto hath the Lord helped us,’ and He will help us to the end. 1 Samuel 7: 12. Let us look to the monumental pillars, reminders of what the Lord has done to comfort us and to save us from the hand of the destroyer. Let us keep fresh in our memory all the tender mercies that God has shown us—the tears He has wiped away, the pains He has soothed, the anxieties removed, the fears dispelled, the wants supplied, the blessings bestowed—thus strengthening ourselves for all that is before us through the remainder of our pilgrimage.” Steps to Christ, 125.

  1. Does God understand the hearts of those who are alone? Psalm 68:6 first part; Psalm 68:5 second part; Isaiah 54:5.

note: “Our work in this world is to live for others’ good, to bless others, to be hospitable; and frequently it may be only at some inconvenience that we can entertain those who really need our care and the benefit of our society and our homes.” Testimonies, vol. 2, 645.

“These acts of courtesy God thought of sufficient importance to record in His word; and more than a thousand years later they were referred to by an inspired apostle: ‘Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.’ Hebrews 13:2. The privilege granted Abraham and Lot is not denied to us. By showing hospitality to God’s children we, too, may receive His angels into our dwellings. Even in our day, angels in human form enter the homes of men and are entertained by them. And Christians who live in the light of God’s countenance are always accompanied by unseen angels, and these holy beings leave behind them a blessing in our homes.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 342.

  1. What counsel did Paul give to those who, like himself, were alone? Philippians 4:11; 1 Corinthians 7:32–35.

note: “Every saint who comes to God with a true heart, and sends his honest petitions to Him in faith, will have his prayers answered. Your faith must not let go of the promises of God, if you do not see or feel the immediate answer to your prayers. Be not afraid to trust God. Rely upon His sure promise: ‘Ask, and ye shall receive.’ God is too wise to err, and too good to withhold any good thing from His saints that walk uprightly. Man is erring, and although his petitions are sent up from an honest heart, he does not always ask for the things that are good for himself, or that will glorify God. When this is so, our wise and good Father hears our prayers, and will answer, sometimes immediately; but He gives us the things that are for our best good and His own glory. God gives us blessings; if we could look into His plan, we would clearly see that He knows what is best for us and that our prayers are answered. Nothing hurtful is given, but the blessing we need, in the place of something we asked for that would not be good for us, but to our hurt.” Testimonies, vol. 1, 120, 121.

“In Thee Shall All Families of the Earth be Blessed”

  1. Through whose line are all families of the earth to be blessed? Genesis 12:1–4.

note: “God made the promise to Abraham, ‘In thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.’ To Abraham was unfolded God’s purpose for the redemption of the race. The Sun of righteousness shone
upon him, and his darkness was scattered.” Youth’s Instructor, September 13, 1900.

  1. What is that blessing, and through whom does it come to us and our families? Acts 3:25, 26.

note: “The gospel is a wonderful simplifier of life’s problems. Its instruction, heeded, would make plain many a perplexity and save us from many an error. It teaches us to estimate things at their true value and to give the most effort to the things of greatest worth—the things that will endure.…Let them remember that the home on earth is to be a symbol of and a preparation for the home in heaven. Life is a training school, from which parents and children are to be graduated to the higher school in the mansions of God.” Ministry of Healing, 363.

“The gospel is the sanctifying influence in our world. Its influence upon hearts will bring harmony.” Testimonies, vol. 8, 77.

Bible Study Guides – Deliverance from the Education of Egypt

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April 19 – 25, 2020

Key Text

“Learn not the way of the heathen” (Jeremiah 10:2).

Study Help: Education, 45–50; The Adventist Home, 181–190.

Introduction

“I beg of parents to place their children where they will not be bewitched by a false education. Their only safety is in learning of Christ. He is the great central Light of the world. All other lights, all other wisdom, are foolishness.” The Review and Herald, August 17, 1897.

Sunday

THE INFERIORITY OF THE WISDOM OF EGYPT

  • How did Solomon’s wisdom compare to that of Egypt? 1 Kings 4:30.

 Note: “There is an education which is essentially worldly. Its aim is success in the world, the gratification of selfish ambition. To secure this education many students spend time and money in crowding their minds with unnecessary knowledge. The world accounts them learned; but God is not in their thoughts.” Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, 64.

  • According to Solomon, what is the basis of true wisdom? Proverbs 9:10; 8:13; 15:33.

Note: “The great work of life is character building, and a knowledge of God is the foundation of all true education.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 596.

“The experimental knowledge of true godliness, found in daily consecration and service, ensures the highest culture of body, mind, and soul. This consecration of all our powers to God prevents self-exaltation. The impartation of divine power honors our sincere striving after wisdom that will enable us to use our highest faculties in a way that will honor God and bless our fellow men.” Testimonies, vol. 8, 63.

Monday

MOSES FORSAKES EGYPT

  • How extensive was Moses’ training, considering Egypt was the most highly civilized nation of his time? Acts 7:22.

Note: “In the schools of Egypt, Moses received the highest civil and military training. Of great personal attractions, noble in form and stature, of cultivated mind and princely bearing, and renowned as a military leader, he became the nation’s pride. The king of Egypt was also a member of the priesthood; and Moses, though refusing to participate in the heathen worship, was initiated into all the mysteries of the Egyptian religion.” Education, 62.

  • When confronted with the choice between worldly honors and serving God, what did Moses choose? Why? Hebrews 11:24–27.

  •  What was necessary in order for Moses to unlearn the negative aspects of his Egyptian education? Exodus 3:1, first part.

 Note: “In the wilds of Midian, Moses spent forty years as a keeper of sheep. Apparently cut off forever from his life’s mission, he was receiving the discipline essential for its fulfillment. Wisdom to govern an ignorant and undisciplined multitude must be gained through self-mastery. The influences that had surrounded him in Egypt, the affection of his foster mother, his own position as the grandson of the king, the luxury and vice that allured in ten thousand forms, the refinement, the subtlety, and the mysticism of a false religion, had made an impression on his mind and character. In the stern simplicity of the wilderness all this disappeared.” Education, 62, 63.

“Many have, as had Moses, very much to unlearn in order to learn the very lessons that they need to learn. He had need to be self-trained by severest mental and moral discipline, and God wrought with him before he could be fitted to train others in mind and heart.” This Day With God, 321.

“It was not the education received in Egypt that enabled Moses to triumph over his enemies, but an ever-abiding, unflinching faith, which did not fail under the most trying circumstances.” The Signs of the Times, July 12, 1905.

Tuesday

FREEDOM FROM THE EDUCATION OF EGYPT

  • What counsel should we listen to when educating our children? Jeremiah 10:2; Proverbs 19:27.

Note: “In turning from God’s word to feed on the writings of uninspired men, the mind becomes dwarfed and cheapened. It is not brought in contact with deep, broad principles of eternal truth. The understanding adapts itself to the comprehension of the things with which it is familiar, and in this devotion to finite things it is weakened, its power is contracted, and after a time it becomes unable to expand.

“All this is false education. The work of every teacher should be to fasten the mind of the youth upon the grand truths of the word of Inspiration. This is the education essential for this life and for the life to come.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 41, 42.

  • What is God’s purpose for us, just as it was for ancient Israel? Deuteronomy 14:2. What do we, like Israel, desire instead? 1 Samuel 8:5.

Note: “The discipline and training that God appointed for Israel would cause them, in all their ways of life, to differ from the people of other nations. This peculiarity, which should have been regarded as a special privilege and blessing, was to them unwelcome. The simplicity and self-restraint essential to the highest development they sought to exchange for the pomp and self-indulgence of heathen peoples. To be ‘like all the nations’ (1 Samuel 8:5) was their ambition. God’s plan of education was set aside, His authority disowned.” Education, 49, 50.

  • What danger should we guard against? John 12:43. Can Christ dwell in a divided heart? Matthew 6:24.

Note: “It is not His [God’s] design that those whose services He has purchased, shall be trained to serve mammon, trained to receive human praise, human glorification, or to be subservient to the world.” Fundamentals of Christian Education, 470.

“We cannot be half the Lord’s and half the world’s. We are not God’s children unless we are such entirely.” Steps to Christ, 44.

Wednesday

NEW TRAINING NEEDED

  • Why do we need to be re-educated by God? Judges 17:6; Isaiah 53:6. Why did the parents among the Israelites need re-education after they left Egypt? How are we any different to them today?

Note: “When brought out of Egypt there were among the Israelites few prepared to be workers together with Him in the training of their children. The parents themselves needed instruction and discipline. Victims of lifelong slavery, they were ignorant, untrained, degraded. They had little knowledge of God and little faith in Him. They were confused by false teaching and corrupted by their long contact with heathenism.” Education, 34.

“Parents will have need of patience and moral strength, in order that in the fear of God they may unlearn the customs of the world.” The Review and Herald, November 13, 1894.

  • What happened to those Israelites who did not accept the training God wanted them to have? 1 Corinthians 10:5, 6. To which sins were they more prone due to their education in Egypt?

Note: “The Lord did not forsake His people in their wanderings through the wilderness, but many of them forsook the Lord. The education they had had in Egypt made them subject to temptation, to idolatry, and to licentiousness, and because they disregarded the commandments of the Lord, nearly all the adults who left Egypt were overthrown in the wilderness; but their children were permitted to enter Canaan.” The Review and Herald, December 17, 1895.

  • What are we to keep in mind as we seek to educate our children and youth? 1 John 2:15–17; Romans 12:2.

Note: “The great lesson to be given to the youth is that, as worshipers of God, they are to cherish Bible principles, and hold the world as subordinate. God would have all instructed as to how they can work the works of Christ, and enter in through the gates into the heavenly city. We are not to let the world convert us; we are to strive most earnestly to convert the world.” The Review and Herald, August 17, 1897.

Thursday

FOLLOWING GOD’S PLAN

  • How was God’s original plan for education shown in the life of Abraham? What was the intended result of this education? Genesis 18:19.

Note: “In the divine plan of education as adapted to man’s condition after the fall, Christ stands as the representative of the Father, the connecting link between God and man; He is the great teacher of mankind. And He ordained that men and women should be His representatives. The family was the school, and the parents were the teachers.

“The education centering in the family was that which prevailed in the days of the patriarchs. For the schools thus established, God provided the conditions most favorable for the development of character. … The men who held fast God’s principles of life dwelt among the fields and hills. They were tillers of the soil and keepers of flocks and herds.” The Adventist Home, 181.

    • Why is communion with God an essential part of education? Job 22:21.

Note: “When the mind of man is brought into communion with the mind of God, the finite with the Infinite, the effect on body and mind and soul is beyond estimate. In such communion is found the highest education. It is God’s own method of development.” The Acts of the Apostles, 126.

Friday

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1    Instead of gratifying selfish ambition, what does true education lead us to do?

2    How can we forsake Egypt today? Why do we need to do this?

3    In what ways are we imitating the world in the way we educate our children?

4    Why do many parents today need to be trained in God’s methods of education? What do they need to unlearn?

5    Where were the first schools, and how can we return to God’s plan for education today?

Copyright 2019, Reformation Herald Publishing Association, 5240 Hollins Road, Roanoke, Virginia 24019-5048, U.S.A.

Bible Study Guides – Deliverance from Egypt

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April 12 – 18, 2020

Key Text

“By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible” (Hebrews 11:27).

Study Help: Patriarchs and Prophets, 247–251, 273–280.

Introduction

“The Hebrews expected to be delivered from their bondage without any particular trial of their faith, or suffering on their part. They were many of them ready to leave Egypt, but not all. The habits of some had become so much like the Egyptians that they preferred to remain with them.” Spiritual Gifts, vol. 3, 197.

“The task of Moses would have been much easier had not many of the Hebrews become corrupted, and were unwilling to leave Egypt.” Ibid., 202.

Sunday

FORETOLD BY JOSEPH

  • When Joseph died, what did he prophesy regarding his brethren? What oath did he require them to make? Genesis 50:25, 26.

Note: “The last two kings who had occupied the throne of Egypt had been tyrannical and had cruelly entreated the Hebrews. The elders of Israel had endeavored to encourage the sinking faith of the Israelites, by referring to the promise made to Abraham, and the prophetic words of Joseph just before he died, foretelling their deliverance from Egypt.” The Story of Redemption, 113.

  • How was this prophecy fulfilled? Exodus 13:18, 19.

Note: “In their departure from Egypt the Israelites bore with them a precious legacy, in the bones of Joseph, which had so long awaited the fulfillment of God’s promise, and which, during the dark years of bondage, had been a reminder of Israel’s deliverance.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 282.

Monday

GOD’S METHOD OF DELIVERANCE

  • What happened when Moses tried to deliver the Israelites from Egypt in his own strength? Exodus 2:11–15. Why did God allow this?

Note: “In slaying the Egyptian, Moses had fallen into the same error so often committed by his fathers, of taking into their own hands the work that God had promised to do. It was not God’s will to deliver His people by warfare, as Moses thought, but by His own mighty power, that the glory might be ascribed to Him alone. Yet even this rash act was overruled by God to accomplish His purposes. Moses was not prepared for his great work. He had yet to learn the same lesson of faith that Abraham and Jacob had been taught—not to rely upon human strength or wisdom, but upon the power of God for the fulfillment of His promises.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 247.

  • When Moses returned to Egypt with Aaron, they first gathered the elders of Israel to make known to them God’s plan to deliver Israel from Egypt. What was the reaction of the elders? Exodus 4:29–31.

  • After having their burdens increased and seeing no signs of deliverance, what now was the attitude of the children of Israel? Exodus 5:19–21; 6:9. Why did God delay in their deliverance?

Note: “The Hebrews had expected to obtain their freedom without any special trial of their faith or any real suffering or hardship. But they were not yet prepared for deliverance. They had little faith in God, and were unwilling patiently to endure their afflictions until He should see fit to work for them. Many were content to remain in bondage rather than meet the difficulties attending removal to a strange land; and the habits of some had become so much like those of the Egyptians that they preferred to dwell in Egypt. Therefore the Lord did not deliver them by the first manifestation of His power before Pharaoh. He overruled events more fully to develop the tyrannical spirit of the Egyptian king and also to reveal Himself to His people. Beholding His justice, His power, and His love, they would choose to leave Egypt and give themselves to His service.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 260.

Tuesday

A MEMORIAL OF DELIVERANCE

  • What was the meaning behind the Passover service? Exodus 12:21–27.

Note: “The observance of the Passover began with the birth of the Hebrew nation. On the last night of their bondage in Egypt, when there appeared no token of deliverance, God commanded them to prepare for an immediate release. He had warned Pharaoh of the final judgment on the Egyptians, and He directed the Hebrews to gather their families within their own dwellings. Having sprinkled the doorposts with the blood of the slain lamb, they were to eat the lamb, roasted, with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. ‘And thus shall ye eat it,’ He said, ‘with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the Lord’s passover’ (Exodus 12:11). At midnight all the first-born of the Egyptians were slain. Then the king sent to Israel the message, ‘Rise up, and get you forth from among my people; … and go, serve the Lord, as ye have said’ (Exodus 12:31). The Hebrews went out from Egypt an independent nation. The Lord had commanded that the Passover should be yearly kept. ‘It shall come to pass,’ He said, ‘when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service? that ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of the Lord’s passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when He smote the Egyptians’ (verses 26, 27). Thus from generation to generation the story of this wonderful deliverance was to be repeated.” The Desire of Ages, 76, 77.

  • What was the Passover to remind them of? Exodus 13:3, 9, 10.

Note: “In delivering them from Egypt, God sought to reveal to them His power and His mercy, that they might be led to love and trust Him. He brought them down to the Red Sea—where, pursued by the Egyptians, escape seemed impossible—that they might realize their utter helplessness, their need of divine aid; and then He wrought deliverance for them. Thus they were filled with love and gratitude to God and with confidence in His power to help them. He had bound them to Himself as their deliverer from temporal bondage.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 371.

“It was the design of God that these exhibitions of power should strengthen the faith of His people, and that their posterity should steadfastly worship Him alone who had wrought such merciful wonders in their behalf.” The Story of Redemption, 115.

Wednesday

JESUS, OUR PASSOVER

  • What intrigued Jesus when visiting the temple at the age of 12? Luke 2:41, 42, 46, 47. What did He then realize?

Note: “For the first time the child Jesus looked upon the temple. He saw the white-robed priests performing their solemn ministry. He beheld the bleeding victim upon the altar of sacrifice. With the worshipers He bowed in prayer, while the cloud of incense ascended before God. He witnessed the impressive rites of the paschal service. Day by day He saw their meaning more clearly. Every act seemed to be bound up with His own life. New impulses were awakening within Him. Silent and absorbed, He seemed to be studying out a great problem. The mystery of His mission was opening to the Saviour.” The Desire of Ages, 78.

  • How is the sacrifice of Jesus linked to the Passover? 1 Corinthians 5:7; Isaiah 53:7; John 1:29.

 Note: “The Passover pointed backward to the deliverance of the children of Israel, and was also typical, pointing forward to Christ, the Lamb of God, slain for the redemption of fallen man. The blood sprinkled upon the door-posts prefigured the atoning blood of Christ, and also the continual dependence of sinful man upon the merits of that blood for safety from the power of Satan, and for final redemption. … The Passover had been observed to commemorate the deliverance of the children of Israel from Egypt. It had been both commemorative and typical. The type had reached the antitype when Christ, the Lamb of God without blemish, died upon the cross.” The Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 1, 201.

“On the fourteenth day of the month, at even, the Passover was celebrated, its solemn, impressive ceremonies commemorating the deliverance from bondage in Egypt, and pointing forward to the sacrifice that should deliver from the bondage of sin. When the Saviour yielded up His life on Calvary, the significance of the Passover ceased, and the ordinance of the Lord’s Supper was instituted as a memorial of the same event of which the Passover had been a type.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 539.

“Moses was a type of Christ, who was to come to break the reign of sin over the human family, and to deliver those who were captives to its power.” The Signs of the Times, November 6, 1884.

Thursday

OUR SIGN OF DELIVERANCE TODAY

  • Of what was the Sabbath a reminder to the children of Israel? Deuteronomy 5:15.

  • How is the Sabbath also a sign of deliverance from sin? Exodus 31:13; Ezekiel 20:12.

Note: “As the Sabbath was the sign that distinguished Israel when they came out of Egypt to enter the earthly Canaan, so it is the sign that now distinguishes God’s people as they come out from the world to enter the heavenly rest. The Sabbath is a sign of a relationship existing between God and His people, a sign that they honor His law. It distinguishes between His loyal subjects and transgressors. …

“The Sabbath given to the world as the sign of God as the Creator is also the sign of Him as the Sanctifier. The power that created all things is the power that re-creates the soul in His own likeness. To those who keep holy the Sabbath day it is the sign of sanctification. True sanctification is harmony with God, oneness with Him in character. It is received through obedience to those principles that are the transcript of His character. And the Sabbath is the sign of obedience. He who from the heart obeys the fourth commandment will obey the whole law. He is sanctified through obedience.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 349, 350.

Friday

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1    What hope did Joseph give the Israelites of their future deliverance from Egypt?

2    How did Moses show a lack of faith in God’s plan to deliver Israel? How can we do the same?

3    Why was the service commemorating the deliverance from Egypt named the Passover?

4    Of what future event was the Passover a type? What deliverance would be gained?

5    From what is the Sabbath a sign of deliverance? How?

Copyright 2019, Reformation Herald Publishing Association, 5240 Hollins Road, Roanoke, Virginia 24019-5048, U.S.A.

Bible Study Guides – Deliverance from Sin

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April 5  – 11, 2020

Key Text

“But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57).

Study Help: Steps to Christ, 23–35.

Introduction

“That word which reveals the guilt of sin has a power upon the human heart to make man right and keep him so.” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 80, 81.

Sunday

THE EFFECTS OF SIN

  • What is sin, and what is a direct result of sin? 1 John 3:4; James 1:15.

 Note: “There would have been no discord in heaven or in the earth if sin had never entered. Disobedience to God’s law has brought all the misery that has existed among His creatures.” The Sanctified Life, 76.

“To all the inhabitants of the world who make void the law of Jehovah, and continue to live in transgression, death must surely come.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 6, 1116.

  • What great principle is lacking when we sin? 1 John 4:7, 8.

 Note: “There is need of repentance because of the lack of love to God. He has not been loved with the whole heart, with the whole soul, with the undivided affections; and the second commandment has not been obeyed, ‘Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself’ (Matthew 22:39).” The Present Truth, January 26, 1893.

“God considers more with how much love we work, than the amount we do. Love is a heavenly attribute. The natural heart cannot originate it. This heavenly plant only flourishes where Christ reigns supreme. … Love does good and nothing but good. Those who have love bear fruit unto holiness, and in the end everlasting life.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, 952.

Monday

IN BONDAGE TO SIN

  • What power does sin have over mankind? Proverbs 5:22; Romans 7:14–23.

Note: “Even one wrong trait of character, one sinful desire, persistently cherished, will eventually neutralize all the power of the gospel. Every sinful indulgence strengthens the soul’s aversion to God.” Steps to Christ, 34.

  • From what bondage does Christ seek to deliver us, and into what liberty are we called? Romans 8:21; 2Peter 2:19. How does Christ do this? John 8:31, 32.

Note: “He [Satan] leads men captive, binding them to do his will; in order to fulfill his purpose, he holds them in the veriest slavery. To break this bondage, the Lord, in man’s behalf, has given to the world his only-begotten and well-beloved Son. Through the power of Christ, the captives of Satan may all be set free.” The Signs of the Times, January 5, 1891.

“Truth never brings the soul into bondage. It is turning from truth to error that brings the soul into captivity. The one who is bound up in close relationship with Christ is freed from the slavery of sin.” Ibid., August 22, 1900.

  • What appeal do the scriptures make to us all? Hebrews 3:7, 8; Joshua 24:15.

Note: “In the great controversy between good and evil, each one of us has to choose on which side he will stand, and our life and character will make manifest who is our master. If we refuse to be obedient to the law of God, we shall make terms with Satan, and Christ will be unloved, and unhonored in our heart and life.” The Signs of the Times, January 5, 1891.

“Christ is ready to set us free from sin, but He does not force the will; and if by persistent transgression the will itself is wholly bent on evil, and we do not desire to be set free, if we will not accept His grace, what more can He do? We have destroyed ourselves by our determined rejection of His love.” Steps to Christ, 34. [Emphasis author’s.]

Tuesday

DELIVERANCE FOR ALL HUMANITY

  • How do you know that God desires to deliver everyone from sin? 1 Timothy 2:3, 4; John 1:12.

 Note: “He [Christ] came not to save men in sin, but from sin. And all who feel their need of a Saviour, and come to Him believing in His power, will gain the victory over sin. ‘As many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God’ (John 1:12).” The Signs of the Times, February 24, 1898.

  • How did God provide for the deliverance of the whole human race? 1 John 4:14; John 3:16. When did He provide this deliverance? Hebrews 2:14, 15; Romans 5:8.

 Note: “In the Saviour’s expiring cry, ‘It is finished’ (John 19:30), the death knell of Satan was rung. The great controversy which had been so long in progress was then decided, and the final eradication of evil was made certain. The Son of God passed through the portals of the tomb, that ‘through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil’ (Hebrews 2:14).” The Great Controversy, 503.

“Not that sin might become righteousness, and transgression of the law a virtue, did Christ die. He died that sin might be made to appear exceeding sinful, the hateful thing that it is. By his death he became the possessor of the keys of hell and of death. Satan could no longer reign without a rival, and be reverenced as a god. Temples had been erected to him, and human sacrifices offered on his altars. But the emancipation papers of the race have been signed by the blood of the Son of God. A way has been opened for the message of hope and mercy to be carried to the ends of the earth.” The Youth’s Instructor, June 28, 1900.

  • In view of the deliverance provided by God, what message are we to represent to the world? 2 Corinthians 5:18–21.

 Note: “As God made Christ His messenger to the world, Christ has made all who claim Him as their Redeemer, to represent Christ in mercy, forgiveness, and pardon, to the world.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 16, 193.

Wednesday

DELIVERANCE FROM THE GUILT OF SIN

  • Where only can we look to escape the guilt of sin? John 1:29.

Note: “Christ lifts the guilt of sin from the sinner, standing Himself under the condemnation of the Lawgiver. He came to this world to live the law in humanity, that Satan’s charge that man can not keep the law might be demonstrated as false.” The Signs of the Times, April 7, 1898.

  • Who bore the guilt of our sin in our place, and how? Isaiah 53:4–6, 12.

Note: “[We] can be delivered from the guilt of sin, from the condemnation of the law, from the penalty of transgression, only by virtue of the suffering, death, and resurrection of Christ.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 389.

“The guilt of every sin pressed its weight upon the divine soul of the world’s Redeemer. The evil thoughts, the evil words, the evil deeds of every son and daughter of Adam, called for retribution upon Himself; for He had become man’s substitute. Though the guilt of sin was not His, His spirit was torn and bruised by the transgressions of men, and He who knew no sin became sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.” God’s Amazing Grace, 172.

“It was the guilt of sin, bringing the Father’s wrath upon him as man’s substitute, that broke the heart of the Son of God.” The Present Truth, February 4, 1886.

  • How complete is God’s cleansing of the soul from sin? 1 John 1:9; Psalm 103:12.

 Note: “While we may see and should sense the guilt of sin, we are to appreciate the mercy of God through the atonement. The Lord has promised that because of the propitiatory sacrifice He will, if we repent, certainly forgive our iniquities. Now, while Christ is pleading in our behalf, while the Father accepts the merits of the atoning Sacrifice, let us ask and we shall receive. Let all confess their sins and let them go beforehand to judgment that they may be forgiven for Christ’s sake, and that pardon may be written against their names.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 3, 197, 198.

Thursday

DELIVERANCE FROM THE POWER OF SIN

  • What abundant provision has been made to deliver us from the power of sin? Romans 5:20, last part; Jude 24, 25.

 Note: “God has an abundance of grace and power awaiting our demand. But the reason we do not feel our great need of it is because we look to ourselves and not to Jesus. We do not exalt Jesus and rely wholly upon His merits. …

“Abundant grace has been provided that the believing soul may be kept free from sin; for all heaven, with its limitless resources, has been placed at our command. … In ourselves we are sinners; but in Christ we are righteous. … Christ works against the power of sin, and where sin abounded, grace much more abounds.” God’s Amazing Grace, 181.

  • What can we learn from the attitude of the publican praying in the temple? Luke 18:13, 14. What can God do for those who have this attitude? Galatians 2:16, 17.

Note: “The poor publican … regarded himself as a very wicked man, and others looked upon him in the same light; but he felt his need, and with his burden of guilt and shame he came before God, asking for His mercy. His heart was open for the Spirit of God to do its gracious work and set him free from the power of sin. The Pharisee’s boastful, self-righteous prayer showed that his heart was closed against the influence of the Holy Spirit. … He had no sense of his own defilement. … He felt no need, and he received nothing.” Steps to Christ, 30, 31.

“The publican who went up to the temple to pray is a good example of a sincere, devoted worshiper.” My Life Today, 19.

Friday

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1    How do we know that where there is sin, love is absent?

2    What brings the soul into captivity to sin?

3    To whom does Jesus give victory over sin?

4    How did Jesus deliver us from the guilt of sin?

5    How can the Spirit of God free us from the power of sin?

Copyright 2019, Reformation Herald Publishing Association, 5240 Hollins Road, Roanoke, Virginia 24019-5048, U.S.A.

Bible Study Guides – The Promised Deliverer

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March 29  – April 4, 2020

Key Text

“And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel” (Genesis 3:15).

Study Help: Patriarchs and Prophets, 63–70.

Introduction

“In the prophecy concerning the breaking of Satan’s power, they [Adam and Eve] discerned a promise of deliverance from the ruin wrought through transgression. Though they must suffer from the power of their adversary because they had fallen under his seductive influence and had chosen to disobey the plain command of Jehovah, yet they need not yield to utter despair.” Prophets and Kings, 681, 682.

Sunday

LIFE IN EDEN

  • What was the condition of man before the Fall? Genesis 1:27.

Note: “Before the entrance of sin not a cloud rested upon the minds of our first parents to obscure their perception of the character of God. They were perfectly conformed to the will of God. For a covering a beautiful light, the light of God, surrounded them. This clear and perfect light illuminated everything which they approached.” Testimonies, vol. 8, 255.

  • How did nature reveal God to man? Genesis 1:31; Romans 1:20.

Note: “In the Garden of Eden the existence of God was demonstrated, His attributes were revealed, in the objects of nature that surrounded them [Adam and Eve]. Everything upon which their eyes rested spoke to them. The invisible things of God, ‘even His everlasting power and divinity,’ were clearly seen, being understood by the things that were made.” Testimonies, vol. 8, 255.

Monday

SIN BRINGS CHANGES

  • What effect did sin have upon the natural world? Genesis 3:17–19. How did this affect man’s understanding of God’s character?

Note: “Transgression brought a blight upon the earth and intervened between nature and nature’s God. Had Adam and Eve never disobeyed their Creator, had they remained in the path of perfect rectitude, they would have continued to learn of God through His works. But when they listened to the tempter and sinned against God, the light of the garments of heavenly innocence departed from them. Deprived of the heavenly light, they could no longer discern the character of God in the works of His hand.

“And through man’s disobedience a change was wrought in nature itself. Marred by the curse of sin, nature can bear but an imperfect testimony regarding the Creator. It cannot reveal His character in its perfection.” Testimonies, vol. 8, 255, 256.

  • What change took place in man’s nature? Jeremiah 17:9; 1 Corinthians 2:14.

 Note: “Their [Adam and Eve’s] nature had become depraved by sin; they had lessened their strength to resist evil and had opened the way for Satan to gain more ready access to them. In their innocence they had yielded to temptation; and now, in a state of conscious guilt, they would have less power to maintain their integrity.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 61.

“There is in human nature, when separated from the Source of truth, a continual opposition to God’s will and ways. The physical, mental, and moral being are all under the control of rash impulses. The affections are depraved, and every faculty intrusted to man for wise improvement is demoralized. The man is dead in trespasses and sins. Inclination moves, passion holds the control, and his appetites are under the sway of a power of which he is not aware. He talks of liberty, of freedom of action, while he is in most abject slavery. He is not his own. He is not allowed to see the beauty of the truth; for the carnal mind is enmity against God, and not subject to His law. He views truth as falsehood, and falsehood as truth. The mind controlled by Satan is weak in moral power.” The Review and Herald, February 17, 1891.

Tuesday

GOD STEPS IN

  • What provision of God ensured final deliverance to the guilty pair? Genesis 3:15.

Note: “To man the first intimation of redemption was communicated in the sentence pronounced upon Satan in the garden. The Lord declared, [Genesis 3:15, quoted]. This sentence, uttered in the hearing of our first parents, was to them a promise. While it foretold war between man and Satan, it declared that the power of the great adversary would finally be broken. Adam and Eve stood as criminals before the righteous Judge, awaiting the sentence which transgression had incurred; but before they heard of the life of toil and sorrow which must be their portion, or of the decree that they must return to dust, they listened to words that could not fail to give them hope. Though they must suffer from the power of their mighty foe, they could look forward to final victory.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 65, 66.

“The Son of God was offering to atone with His own lifeblood for their transgression. To them was to be granted a period of probation, during which, through faith in the power of Christ to save, they might become once more the children of God.” Prophets and Kings, 682.

“Never was the enmity developed to such a marked degree as when Christ became an inhabitant of this earth. Never before had there been a being upon the earth who hated sin with so perfect a hatred as did Christ. He had seen its deceiving, infatuating power upon the holy angels, and all His powers were enlisted against it.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 254.

  • What condition of the natural man after the Fall made the promise of enmity necessary? Psalm 10:4; Romans 3:11. Instead of enmity against Satan, who is the natural mind at war with? Romans 8:7.

Note: “When man transgressed the divine law, his nature became evil, and he was in harmony, and not at variance, with Satan. There exists naturally no enmity between sinful man and the originator of sin. Both became evil through apostasy. … Had not God specially interposed, Satan and man would have entered into an alliance against Heaven; and instead of cherishing enmity against Satan, the whole human family would have been united in opposition to God.” The Great Controversy, 505.

Wednesday

A DELIVERER TO COME

  • What amazing sacrifice did Jesus make to rescue fallen man? Philippians 2:5–8.

Note: “As soon as there was sin, there was a Saviour. Christ knew that He would have to suffer, yet He became man’s substitute. As soon as Adam sinned, the Son of God presented Himself as surety for the human race, with just as much power to avert the doom pronounced upon the guilty as when He died upon the cross of Calvary.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 1, 1084.

“The instant man accepted the temptations of Satan, and did the very things God had said he should not do, Christ, the Son of God, stood between the living and the dead, saying, ‘Let the punishment fall on Me. I will stand in man’s place. He shall have another chance.’ ” Ibid., 1085.

  • How did God seek to impress upon the minds of mankind the consequences of sin and the provision of a Saviour? Hebrews 9:13, 14; Romans 6:23.

Note: “To Adam, the offering of the first sacrifice was a most painful ceremony. His hand must be raised to take life, which only God could give. It was the first time he had ever witnessed death, and he knew that had he been obedient to God, there would have been no death of man or beast. As he slew the innocent victim, he trembled at the thought that his sin must shed the blood of the spotless Lamb of God. This scene gave him a deeper and more vivid sense of the greatness of his transgression, which nothing but the death of God’s dear Son could expiate. And he marveled at the infinite goodness that would give such a ransom to save the guilty. A star of hope illumined the dark and terrible future and relieved it of its utter desolation.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 68.

“The system of sacrifices was to teach man humility, in view of his fallen condition, and lead him to repentance and to trust in God alone, through the promised Redeemer, for pardon for past transgression of His law.” The Story of Redemption, 145, 146.

  • Name some of those who prophesied of the Saviour to come. Jude 14, 15; Genesis 49:8–10; Numbers 24:17.

Thursday

A DELAY IN FULFILLMENT?

  • What could have been the thought of many regarding the promised Deliverer? Ezekiel 12:22.

Note: “The Saviour’s coming was foretold in Eden. When Adam and Eve first heard the promise, they looked for its speedy fulfillment. They joyfully welcomed their first-born son, hoping that he might be the Deliverer. But the fulfillment of the promise tarried. Those who first received it died without the sight. From the days of Enoch the promise was repeated through patriarchs and prophets, keeping alive the hope of His appearing, and yet He came not.” The Desire of Ages, 31.

  • What was God’s response? Galatians 4:4. Was there really a delay in the fulfillment of God’s purpose?

Note: “But like the stars in the vast circuit of their appointed path, God’s purposes know no haste and no delay. … On ‘the self-same day’ appointed in the divine promise, ‘it came to pass, that all the hosts of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt’ (Exodus 12:41). So in heaven’s council the hour for the coming of Christ had been determined. When the great clock of time pointed to that hour, Jesus was born in Bethlehem.

“ ‘When the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son’ (Galatians 4:4). Providence had directed the movements of nations, and the tide of human impulse and influence, until the world was ripe for the coming of the Deliverer.” The Desire of Ages, 32.

Friday

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1    Before the Fall, how was man able to understand God’s character?

2    How did human nature change as a result of sin?

3    Why did God give man enmity? Where would we be without it?

4    Why did God give Adam the system of sacrifices?

5    Was the coming of the Deliverer delayed? Why or why not?

Copyright 2019, Reformation Herald Publishing Association, 5240 Hollins Road, Roanoke, Virginia 24019-5048, U.S.A.

Bible Study Guides – “Peace With God Through Our Lord Jesus Christ”

by

January 22, 2000 – January 28, 2000

Memory Verse

“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:” Romans 5:1.

Study Help: Steps to Christ, 23–35.

Introduction

“Justification is a full, complete pardon of sin. The moment a sinner accepts Christ by faith, that moment he is pardoned. The righteousness of Christ is imputed to him, and he is no more to doubt God’s forgiving grace. There is nothing in faith that makes it our savior. Faith cannot remove our guilt. Christ is the power of God unto salvation to all them that believe. The justification comes through the merits of Jesus Christ. He has paid the price for the sinner’s redemption. Yet it is only through faith in His blood that Jesus can justify the believer. The sinner can not depend upon his own good works as a means of justification. He must come to the point where he will renounce all his sin, and embrace one degree of light after another, as it shines upon his pathway. He simply grasps by faith the free and ample provision made in the blood of Christ. He believes the promises of God which through Christ are made unto him sanctification and righteousness and redemption.” Signs of the Times, May 19, 1898.

“The Goodness of God”

1 Who made the first move in the salvation of man? Romans 5:8.

note: See In Heavenly Places, 13.

2 Where does the impulse to repent come from? Romans 2:4.

note: “With untold love our God has loved us, and our love awakens toward Him as we comprehend something of the length and breadth and depth and height of this love that passeth knowledge. By the revelation of the attractive loveliness of Christ, by the knowledge of His love expressed to us while we were yet sinners, the stubborn heart is melted and subdued, and the sinner is transformed and becomes a child of heaven. God does not employ compulsory measures; love is the agent which He uses to expel sin from the heart. By it He changes pride into humility, and enmity and unbelief into love and faith.” Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, 76.

“He is Faithful”

3 What precious promise is made to those who confess their sins? 1 John 1:9.

note: See Desire of Ages, 266.

4 If we have sinned against others, what must we also do as well as confessing to God? James 5:16.

note: “If you have given offense to your friend or neighbor, you are to acknowledge your wrong, and it is his duty freely to forgive you. Then you are to seek the forgiveness of God, because the brother you have wounded is the property of God, and in injuring him you have sinned against his Creator. True confession is always of a specific character, and acknowledges particular sins. They may be of such a nature as to be brought before God only; they may be wrongs that should be confessed to individuals who have suffered injury through them; or they may be of a public character, and should then be as publicly confessed. But all confession should be definite and to the point, acknowledging the very sins of which you are guilty.” The Faith I Live By, 128. (See also The Faith I Live By, 34; The Upward Look, 176.)

“He That Covereth His Sins”

5 What example did David set in confessing his sins? Psalm 32:5.

note: “How anxious are you to remove the record of the past, to have your wrong-doings blotted out? What depths of iniquity are open to God’s sight, that are hidden from all mortal view! Every secret thing shall be brought into judgement, whether it be good or evil. Past sins, unrepented of and unforgiven, will be brought up then, only to condemn us, and appoint our portion with the lost. But the promises of God are full of encouragement for us. ‘If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.’” Review and Herald, January 13, 1891.

6 What contrast is made between those who confess their sins and those who try to hide them? Proverbs 28:13.

note: “If those who hide and excuse their faults could see how Satan exults over them, how he taunts Christ and holy angels with their course, they would make haste to confess their sins and to put them away. Through defects in the character, Satan works to gain control of the whole mind, and he knows that if these defects are cherished, he will succeed. Therefore he is constantly seeking to deceive the followers of Christ with his fatal sophistry that it is impossible for them to overcome. But Jesus pleads in their behalf His wounded hands, His bruised body; and He declares to all who would follow Him, ‘My grace is sufficient for thee.’ 2 Corinthians 12:9. Let none, then, regard their defects as incurable. God will give faith and grace to overcome them.” The Faith I Live By, 203.

“If I Have Taken Any Thing”

7 What promise is given to those who make restitution for their wrongs? Ezekiel 33:15.

note: “If we have injured others through any unjust business transaction, if we have overreached in trade, or defrauded any man, even though it be within the pale of the law, we should confess our wrong, and make restitution as far as lies in our power. It is right for us to restore not only that which we have taken, but all that it would have accumulated if put to a right and wise use during the time it has been in our possession.” Desire of Ages, 556.

8 What example of true repentance is given by Zacchaeus? Luke 19:1–10.

note: “No sooner did Zacchaeus yield to the influence of the Holy Spirit than he cast aside every practice contrary to integrity. No repentance is genuine that does not work reformation. The righteousness of Christ is not a cloak to cover unconfessed and unforsaken sin. Every converted soul will, like Zacchaeus, signalize the entrance of Christ into his heart by an abandonment of the unrighteous practices that have marked his life. Like the chief publican, he will give proof of his sincerity by making restitution. If we have injured others through any unjust business transaction, we should confess our wrong, and make restitution as far as lies in our power. It is right for us to restore not only that which we have taken, but all that it would have accumulated if put to a right and wise use during the time it has been in our possession.” Conflict and Courage, 302.

“Let the Wicked Forsake His Way”

9. In order to return to the Lord and receive His pardon, what decision must the sinner make? Isaiah 55:7.

note: “There are some who do not readily respond to the invitation to forsake their own way, and come into harmony with God’s way. They prefer to follow a way of their own choosing. Those who wish to do so, have the privilege of continuing to walk in their own unconsecrated way, but the end of that way is sorrow and destruction.” North Pacific Union Gleaner, March 23, 1910. (See also Steps to Christ, 47.)

10 Must we reform ourselves before we can return to God? Isaiah 44:22; Jeremiah 31:3.

note: “Do not listen to the enemy’s suggestion to stay away from Christ until you have made yourself better; until you are good enough to come to God. If you wait until then, you will never come. When Satan points to your filthy garments, repeat the promise of Jesus, ‘Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out.’ John 6:37. Tell the enemy that the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses from all sin. Make the prayer of David your own, ‘Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.’ Psalm 51:7. Arise and go to your Father. He will meet you a great way off. If you take even one step toward Him in repentance, He will hasten to enfold you in His arms of infinite love. His ear is open to the cry of the contrite soul. The very first reaching out of the heart after God is known to Him. Never a prayer is offered, however faltering, never a tear is shed, however secret, never a sincere desire after God is cherished, however feeble, but the Spirit of God goes forth to meet it. Even before the prayer is uttered or the yearning of the heart made known, grace from Christ goes forth to meet the grace that
is working upon the human soul.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 206. (See also Review and Herald, April 10, 1900.)

“He Will Abundantly Pardon”

11 What precious promises of pardon does the Lord make? Micah 7:18–19.

note: “Behold Christ. Dwell upon His love and mercy. This will fill the soul with abhorrence for all that is sinful, and will inspire it with an intense desire for the righteousness of Christ. The more clearly we see the Savior, the more clearly shall we discern our defects of character. Confess your sins to Christ, and with true contrition of soul co-operate with Him by putting these sins away. Believe that they are pardoned. The promise is positive, ‘If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.’ Be assured that the Word of God will not fail. He who has promised is faithful. It is as much your duty to believe that God will fulfil His word, and forgive you, as it is to confess your sins.” Review and Herald, May 21, 1908.

12 What gracious invitation does the Lord make? Ezekiel 18:23, 31–32; Ezekiel 33:10–11.

note: “God does not desire the destruction of any.…Throughout the period of probationary time His Spirit is entreating men to accept the gift of life. It is only those who reject His pleading that will be left to perish. God has declared that sin must be destroyed as an evil ruinous to the universe. Those who cling to sin will perish in its destruction.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 123. (See also Prophets and Kings, 325.)