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New Bottles

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“We want to understand the time in which we live. We do not half understand it. We do not half take it in. My heart trembles in me when I think of what a foe we have to meet and how poorly we are prepared to meet him. The trials of the children of Israel, and their attitude just before the first coming of Christ, have been presented before me again and again to illustrate the position of the people of God in their experience before the Second Coming of Christ—how the enemy sought every occasion to take control of the minds of the Jews, and today he is seeking to blind the minds of God’s servants.” Selected Messages, vol. 1, 406.

As we analyze this statement, it becomes apparent that we could learn a great deal by studying the experiences of the Jews at the time of the First Advent. This is a type of what we are going to go through just before the Second Advent. There was a very powerful group of leaders among the Jewish people of that time. They were wealthy, highly educated and their counsel was accepted as the voice of God. These men claimed to be the thought leaders of the people of God and they had control of their church organization. They did not believe all of the inspired writings, but they claimed that they believed the most important parts. In other words, they had no confidence in the Spirit of Prophecy. Ellen White said that they were skeptics, materialists. But, despite all this, they were in control of the professed church, in Jesus’ day.

They did not believe the historic message that God had given to the children of Israel. These Sadducees were even guilty of removing some of the primary landmarks that God had given to His people, some of the peculiar truths, which had made them different from the world. Educated in Greek schools, such as the one in Alexandria, Egypt, they adopted many worldly philosophies. Today, we would call them “liberal Adventists.” (And yes, they were “Adventists,” because they were looking forward to the First Advent of Christ. They were even Seventh-day Adventists because they kept the Sabbath.) Under the control of Satan’s delusive power, they had left the historic doctrines that God had given to His people, and the majority of the people went along with them. If you had been a self-supporting worker, such as John the Baptist, you might have thought that this group was one of the most dangerous developments among God’s people. They held a lot of influence among the leadership in Jerusalem, and they even had connections with the Romans.

Many people, today, think that those who have removed the doctrines concerning the sanctuary, the investigative judgment, the necessity of overcoming sin, the divine authority of the Spirit of Prophecy and other landmark Adventist doctrines are the greatest danger to the truth. Of course, we would never deny that we need to spend time attacking and trying to correct these falsehoods. Jesus publicly condemned the sophistries of the Sadducees in His day. However, there was another influence even more dangerous which Jesus put much more effort into counteracting. This group was so insidious that even Jesus’ own disciples were strongly influenced by it. These men were called Pharisees.

When we try to focus our energies attacking the errors of Sadduceism (liberalism), I say to myself, are we missing the point? That is dangerous and we should be opposed to it, but that is not the biggest danger.

 

What is Pharisaism?

 

What is Pharisaism and how do we avoid being influenced by it? Ellen White described Pharisaism as the spirit of human nature, manifested in all ages among the human family. Jesus said concerning the Pharisees: “The Scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat: Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not.” Matthew 23:2, 3.

Pharisaism is the spirit of self-exaltation, seeking to be in control of others and of the work. In a speech, in 1901, Ellen White declared that God’s work is to advance without asking permission or support from those who have taken to themselves a kingly power (Pharisaism). (See General Conference Bulletin, April 3, 1901.)

“For years a degree of Pharisaism has been springing up amongst us . . . A spirit which desires to rule . . . but very little of the spirit which leads men to sit at the feet of Jesus and learn of Him . . Human inventions and human plans are eclipsing sacred things, and excluding divine instruction. . . They rule without a vestige of the authority of God . . . and others are becoming leavened by this wrong influence.” 1888 Materials, 1558, 1559. Jesus told His disciples, in Matthew 16, to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees. We hear much today about properly constituted church authority, but the Pharisees did not have any divine authority for what they were doing.

The essence of Pharisaism, as described in Hosea 10, is professed service to God when a person is actually working for himself. It results in a critical, unforgiving spirit that is devoid of love. Those who exhibit this spirit show a resistance to the truth and are involved in evil surmising. Where does evil surmising come from? Ellen White says, “Surmisings are a repast from the enemy, a banquet of his own preparing.” Review and Herald, October 17, 1899.

She warns that there is far more Pharisaism among our people than they suppose. “It is a spirit of wanting to be first . . . A spirit of criticism toward others . . . Envy, jealousy, suspicion, faultfinding, and false witnessing . . . A spirit of retaliation is secretly at work: yet those who are thus creating disaffection and disunion . . . all the while claim to be firm believers in the truth. Such do not practice the spirit of the truth. The leaven of their evil surmisings permeates the company where it exists.” Review and Herald, December 18, 1888. Simply speaking, Pharisaism leads people to make a profession of that which is true, while their lives are not in harmony with their profession.

When Jesus came to this earth, a war was waged between His humble, self-sacrificing spirit and the spirit of Pharisaism—the predominate spirit in the church among the professed people of God at that time.

 

New Wine Must Have New Bottles

 

Jesus said, “No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and the tear is made worse. Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins, or else the wineskins break, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But they put new wine into new wine skins, and both are preserved.” Matthew 9:16, 17.

You cannot put new wine into old wineskins. You cannot unite the teachings of Christ with Pharisaism. Many people have tried it, but always to their own destruction. Ellen White says, “The principles of Christ’s teaching [could not] be united with the forms of Pharisaism. Christ was not to close up the breach that had been made by the teachings of John. He would make more distinct the separation between the old and the new . . . The effort to unite the teachings of Jesus with the established religion would be vain. The vital truth of God, like fermenting wine, would burst the old, decaying bottles of the Pharisaical tradition.” The Desire of Ages, 278, 279.

When Jesus came, what He taught could not be united with the insidious and deceptive forms of Pharisaism. This group, which outwardly professed the truth, had made a god out of their church organization. The words of Christ, Ellen White says, were an arraignment of the whole system of Pharisaism. He declared, that by placing their requirements above the divine principles, the rabbis were putting themselves above God.

Remember, that the experience of the children of Israel at Christ’s first coming illustrated the position of God’s people just before the Second Coming. Can the forms of Pharisaism be united with the truth anymore today than they could two thousand years ago? No, never! What is the only hope for us, then?

“Only in Christ Jesus will the church near the period of Christ’s coming be able to stand. She is required of her Redeemer to advance in piety, and to have increased zeal, understanding better as she nears the end that her own high calling is of God in Christ Jesus.” 1888 Materials, 333.

I often hear people say today, “It is all right. Just let the tares grow. The tares and the wheat have to grow together until the harvest. This apostasy will just have to continue until Jesus comes.” How does God’s prophet answer this? She said that as we (the church) approach the end, we are required of our Redeemer to advance in piety and to have increased zeal. We must have a better understanding of our high calling in Christ Jesus.

However, the devil has a far different plan. He intends to leaven the camp with so many tares and so much Pharisaism that the wheat will be choked out. And the success that he is having is almost unbelievable. Parents come to us from all over the country, telling us sad stories of what has happened to their children. They say, “My children are all out in the world. They grew up in an Adventist home, they went to an Adventist church, they went to an Adventist school, and now they are gone.”

 

A Reformation and a Coming Out

 

Ellen White wrote, “Pharisaism (is) . . . leavening the camp . . . Seventh-day Adventist Churches were affected; . . . but the Lord had given me a message, and with pen and voice I would work until this leaven was expelled and a new leaven was introduced, which was the grace of Christ.

“I was confirmed in all I had stated in Minneapolis, that a reformation must go through the churches.” 1888 Materials, 356, 357. God is telling us that we cannot go to heaven the way we are. There must be a reformation in our lives and in our churches. Inspiration says, “Reforms must be made, for spiritual weakness and blindness were upon the people who had been blessed with great light . . . As reformers they had come out of the denominational churches, but they now act a part similar to that which the churches acted. We hoped that there would not be the necessity of another coming out.” Ibid.

That last sentence has direct bearing on the home church movement that is springing up all over the world. Some of us that should be leaders in Adventism are so blind. The Lord is taking the work into His own hands. I see people without education, training or knowledge, starting churches all over the world. God is at work. If you and I do not do our part to save our children and the people around us, the Lord will use someone else, and we might lose our souls.

Continuing from 1888 Materials, 356, 357: “While we will endeavor to keep the unity of the spirit in the bonds of peace, we will not with pen or voice cease to protest against bigotry.”

Bigotry is Pharisaical control—human control over the church. Human beings are never to control the church of God. Read that in The Desire of Ages, 414, 415. She says, “Many will close their ears to the message God sends them and open their ears to deception and delusion . . . Our brethren separate themselves from God, by reason of the homage they give to human beings.” 1888 Materials, 357, 358.

“There was much talk, but very little of the mind of Christ . . . The enemy often employed them in his service . . . Under the influence of the great deceiver they would take a position to oppose the most sacred things of God.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 16, 219.

“There must be no rings of men to unite together in unholy fellowship to strengthen each other in ways and ideas that are opposed to the spirit of God . . . Unless they were changed in spirit and confessed their mistakes, they would go into greater deceptions.” 1888 Materials, 359, 360.

“As long as you maintain this spirit of Pharisaism, God’s Spirit will not, cannot work with you.” Ibid., 410.

 

Pharisaism and Christ’s Teaching Do Not Mix

 

We must realize that preaching and teaching and all religious service is utterly vain, worthless, and helpless unless the Spirit of God is working. As long as the leadership maintains the spirit of Pharisaism, God’s Spirit will not work with them, because they do not feel their utter dependence upon Him. When they humble their hearts before God, they will see the danger of Pharisaism in every church. That includes home churches. As the disciples lived and worked with Jesus, and listened to His teaching, they began to understand what really counted in religion. It is important to have a faith that works by love in the heart and purifies the mind and soul.

The more they understood that principle, the more they knew that there was no place for union with the old religion of the Pharisees. The disciples found that an effort to unite the teachings of Jesus with the established religion would have been a mistake.

As Ellen White says, “The new doctrines, like fermenting wine would have burst the old decaying bottles of the Pharisaical tradition.” Signs of the Times, September 19, 1892. To the Pharisees, the teaching of Jesus was new in almost every respect. It was unrecognized, unacknowledged as truth. They professed to have great respect for the religion of Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham and Moses. Nevertheless, when Christ taught the original truths that had been committed to the fathers, His teaching was new to the Pharisees.

That is the exact condition we are in today. Historic Adventists are not teaching something new, although we meet that accusation frequently. The reason people think it is new is because the doctrines they hold have been perverted. We are teaching the original truths that were given to Adventism, just like Jesus was teaching the original truths that were given to the fathers. They were new to the Pharisees, but they were actually the old, original theories.

In this type of situation, the devil comes with a very skillful, sly temptation. The leaders in Adventism were tricked by this in Minneapolis, in 1888. The people were confused about what the truth was. When a message was presented to them, which they thought was new (it was really just the good old truth), they rejected it. Their minds were so distorted that they said, “We must cling to the old-theories (their distorted beliefs).” The result was that they had no part in the message that God was sending to His people, right then.

Today, just as at the First Advent, Christ is looking for new bottles. Bottles which are not warped and perverted by long-held traditions and fallacies. Ellen White wrote about this in Manuscript Releases, vol. 12, 333: “Now, those who have had years in this same experience, know not God nor Jesus Christ whom He has sent, and should such go forth as representatives of Jesus Christ? These men will never give the right mold to other minds; they have not grown up to the full stature of men and women in Christ. They simply have the name of Christians but are not fitted for the work of God, and never will be until they are born again, and learn the A.B.C. in true religion of Jesus Christ. There is a little hope in one direction. Take the young men and women, and place them where they will come as little in contact with our churches as possible, that the low grade of piety which is current in this day shall not leaven their ideas of what it means to be a Christian.”

God is finding new bottles today. I am amazed as I travel and visit God’s people. God is taking people who have been drug addicts, and those who have been involved in all kinds of crime, and He is showing them the gospel, and they are accepting it. Among this class, who have a willing heart and are not self-sufficient, God is finding new bottles to carry on His work.

Ellen White gives us the promise that if we were willing to become new bottles, the Lord will fill us with wine. Do you want to be a new bottle? Do you want to say, “Lord, I want to be converted? I do not want to have a Pharisaical heart anymore. Take the desire for kingly power out of my heart. I am willing to do whatever You say. I am willing to take my place among the brethren.” If this is your sincere prayer, the Lord will answer you.

 

Bible Study Guides-Justification by Faith – God’s Plan to Save Us

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October 14 – 20, 2018

Key Text

“And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission” (Hebrews 9:22).

Study Help: Patriarchs and Prophets, 63–79.

Introduction

“Through Christ, restoration as well as reconciliation is provided for man. The gulf that was made by sin has been spanned by the cross of Calvary.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 363.

Sunday

THE PLAN OF REDEMPTION REVEALED

  • What promise of redemption did God give to Adam and Eve? Genesis 3:15; Galatians 3:16.

Note: “Adam and his companion were assured that notwithstanding their great sin, they were not to be abandoned to the control of Satan. The Son of God had offered to atone, with His own life, for their transgression. A period of probation would be granted them, and through repentance and faith in Christ they might again become the children of God.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 66.

  • What converting grace does the promise of redemption include, and why is it necessary? Galatians 3:14; John 3:5.

Note: “It is the grace that Christ implants in the soul which creates in man enmity against Satan. Without this converting grace and renewing power, man would continue the captive of Satan, a servant ever ready to do his bidding. But the new principle in the soul creates conflict where hitherto had been peace. The power which Christ imparts enables man to resist the tyrant and usurper. Whoever is seen to abhor sin instead of loving it, whoever resists and conquers those passions that have held sway within, displays the operation of a principle wholly from above.” The Great Controversy, 506.

Monday

ONLY ONE APPROVED PLAN

  • What is the essential element in the plan of redemption, and what does it signify? Hebrews 9:22; Leviticus 17:11.

Note: “Christ was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. To many it has been a mystery why so many sacrificial offerings were required in the old dispensation, why so many bleeding victims were led to the altar. But the great truth that was to be kept before men, and imprinted upon mind and heart, was this, ‘Without shedding of blood is no remission’ (Hebrews 9:22). In every bleeding sacrifice was typified ‘the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world’ (John 1:29).” Our High Calling, 47.

  • What shows that Cain did not wholeheartedly accept the divine plan? Genesis 4:3–5.

Note: “They [Cain and Abel] knew that in these [sacrificial] offerings they were to express faith in the Saviour whom the offerings typified, and at the same time to acknowledge their total dependence on Him for pardon; and they knew that by thus conforming to the divine plan for their redemption, they were giving proof of their obedience to the will of God. Without the shedding of blood there could be no remission of sin; and they were to show their faith in the blood of Christ as the promised atonement by offering the firstlings of the flock in sacrifice. Besides this, the first fruits of the earth were to be presented before the Lord as a thank offering.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 71.

  • What did God tell Cain about the divine plan, and what did Cain’s response reveal about himself? Genesis 4:6–8.

Note: “He [Cain] thought that his own plans were best, and that the Lord would come to his terms. Cain in his offering did not acknowledge his dependence upon Christ. He thought that his father Adam had been treated harshly in being expelled from Eden. The idea of keeping that sin ever before the mind, and offering the blood of the slain lamb as a confession of entire dependence upon a power outside of himself, was torture to the high spirit of Cain.” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 77, 78.

Tuesday

SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS FRUSTRATES GOD’S PLAN

  • What parable of Jesus illustrates the error of trusting in yourself for righteousness? Luke 18:9–14.

Note: “The Pharisee goes up to the temple to worship, not because he feels that he is a sinner in need of pardon, but because he thinks himself righteous and hopes to win commendation. His worship he regards as an act of merit that will recommend him to God.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 150.

  • How does this attitude frustrate God’s grace, and why? Galatians 2:21.

Note: “The Pharisee and the publican represent two great classes into which those who come to worship God are divided. Their first two representatives are found in the first two children that were born into the world. Cain thought himself righteous, and he came to God with a thank offering only. He made no confession of sin, and acknowledged no need of mercy. But Abel came with the blood that pointed to the Lamb of God. He came as a sinner, confessing himself lost; his only hope was the unmerited love of God. …The sense of need, the recognition of our poverty and sin, is the very first condition of acceptance with God.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 152.

  • How is this general attitude displayed in nearly every false religion? Romans 10:2, 3.

Note: “The class of worshipers who follow the example of Cain includes by far the greater portion of the world; for nearly every false religion has been based on the same principle—that man can depend upon his own efforts for salvation. It is claimed by some that the human race is in need, not of redemption, but of development—that it can refine, elevate, and regenerate itself. As Cain thought to secure the divine favor by an offering that lacked the blood of a sacrifice, so do these expect to exalt humanity to the divine standard, independent of the atonement. The history of Cain shows what must be the results. It shows what man will become apart from Christ. Humanity has no power to regenerate itself. It does not tend upward, toward the divine, but downward, toward the satanic.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 73.

Wednesday

THE DIVINE ORIGIN OF THE PLAN

  • What shows that the plan of redemption originated with God and not with man? 1 John 4:19.
  • In what simple terms does the apostle Paul describe the gift of redemption? Ephesians 2:8.

Note: “The Lord saw our fallen condition; He saw our need of grace, and because He loved our souls, He has given us grace and peace. Grace means favor to one who is undeserving, to one who is lost. The fact that we are sinners, instead of shutting us away from the mercy and love of God, makes the exercise of His love to us a positive necessity in order that we may be saved.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 347.

  • What do the coats of skins provided by God to our first parents teach us about the promise of redemption? Genesis 3:21; Isaiah 61:10.

Note: “It is God’s glory to encircle sinful, repentant human beings in the arms of His love, to bind up their wounds, to cleanse them from sin, and to clothe them with the garments of salvation.” Prophets and Kings, 668.

“No fig-leaf garment, no worldly citizen dress, can be worn by those who sit down with Christ and angels at the marriage supper of the Lamb.

“Only the covering which Christ Himself has provided can make us meet to appear in God’s presence. This covering, the robe of His own righteousness, Christ will put upon every repenting, believing soul.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 311.

“Desponding soul, take courage, even though you have done wickedly. Do not think that perhaps God will pardon your transgressions and permit you to come into His presence. God has made the first advance. While you were in rebellion against Him, He went forth to seek you. With the tender heart of the shepherd He left the ninety and nine and went out into the wilderness to find that which was lost. The soul, bruised and wounded and ready to perish, He encircles in His arms of love and joyfully bears it to the fold of safety.” Ibid., 188, 189. [Emphasis author’s.]

Thursday

THE EXTENT OF GOD’S LOVE

  • How far does the reconciliation promised by God through Christ extend? John 3:16; 2 Corinthians 5:19.

Note: “Only as we contemplate the great plan of redemption can we have a just appreciation of the character of God. The work of creation was a manifestation of His love; but the gift of God to save the guilty and ruined race, alone reveals the infinite depths of divine tenderness and compassion. ‘God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life’ (John 3:16). While the law of God is maintained, and its justice vindicated, the sinner can be pardoned. The dearest gift that heaven itself had to bestow has been poured out that God ‘might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus’ (Romans 3:26). By that gift men are uplifted from the ruin and degradation of sin to become children of God. Says Paul: ‘Ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father’ (Romans 8:15).” Testimonies, vol. 5, 739. [Emphasis author’s.]

  • How did Jesus impressively illustrate the love and concern of God for every single person? Matthew 18:11–14.

Note: “Jesus knows us individually, and is touched with the feeling of our infirmities. He knows us all by name. He knows the very house in which we live, the name of each occupant. He has at times given directions to His servants to go to a certain street in a certain city, to such a house, to find one of His sheep.

“Every soul is as fully known to Jesus as if he were the only one for whom the Saviour died. The distress of every one touches His heart.” The Desire of Ages, 479, 480.

Friday

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1     What would have happened if there was no promise of redemption?

2    How was the plan of redemption illustrated in the offering of sacrifices?

3    How does self-righteousness frustrate the plan of redemption?

4    How does God make the first advance in restoring us to His favor?

5    How intimately does God know each of us?

Bible Study Guides-Justification by Faith – The Sin Problem

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October 7 – 13, 2018

Key Text

“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

Study Help:  Patriarchs and Prophets, 48–62.

Introduction

“The human family have all transgressed the law of God, and as transgressors of the law, man is hopelessly ruined; for he is the enemy of God, without strength to do any good thing.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 321.

Sunday

GOD’S PURPOSE FOR HUMANITY

  • In whose image were Adam and Eve created, and for what purpose? Genesis 1:26, 27, 31; Isaiah 43:7.

Note: “When Adam came from the Creator’s hand, he bore, in his physical, mental, and spiritual nature, a likeness to his Maker. ‘God created man in His own image’ (Genesis 1:27), and it was His purpose that the longer man lived the more fully he should reveal this image—the more fully reflect the glory of the Creator. All his faculties were capable of development; their capacity and vigor were continually to increase.” Education, 15.

  • Though our first parents wore no artificial garments, what enshrouded them as a symbol of their purity? Psalm 104:1, 2. Compare Exodus 34:29.

Note: “The sinless pair wore no artificial garments; they were clothed with a covering of light and glory, such as the angels wear.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 45.

“The white robe of innocence was worn by our first parents when they were placed by God in holy Eden. They lived in perfect conformity to the will of God. All the strength of their affections was given to their heavenly Father. A beautiful soft light, the light of God, enshrouded the holy pair. This robe of light was a symbol of their spiritual garments of heavenly innocence. Had they remained true to God it would ever have continued to enshroud them.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 310, 311.

Monday

A TEST OF LOVE

  • In what sense were our first parents free to fulfill their divine purpose? Deuteronomy 30:19.

Note: “Our first parents, though created innocent and holy, were not placed beyond the possibility of wrongdoing. God made them free moral agents, capable of appreciating the wisdom and benevolence of His character and the justice of His requirements, and with full liberty to yield or to withhold obedience. …

“God might have created man without the power to transgress His law; He might have withheld the hand of Adam from touching the forbidden fruit; but in that case man would have been, not a free moral agent, but a mere automaton. Without freedom of choice, his obedience would not have been voluntary, but forced. There could have been no development of character.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 48, 49.

  • What test of loyalty was given to our first parents? Genesis 2:16, 17.

Note: “When Adam and Eve were placed in the beautiful garden they had everything for their happiness which they could desire. But God chose, in His all-wise arrangements, to test their loyalty before they could be rendered eternally secure. They were to have His favor, and He was to converse with them and they with Him. Yet He did not place evil out of their reach. Satan was permitted to tempt them. If they endured the trial they were to be in perpetual favor with God and the heavenly angels.” The Story of Redemption, 24.

  • Describe how our first parents became disloyal to God. 2 Corinthians 11:3; Genesis 3:1–6.

Note: “Satan represented to the holy pair that they would be gainers by breaking the law of God. Do we not today hear similar reasoning? Many talk of the narrowness of those who obey God’s commandments, while they themselves claim to have broader ideas and to enjoy greater liberty. What is this but an echo of the voice from Eden, ‘In the day ye eat thereof’—transgress the divine requirement—‘ye shall be as gods’ (Genesis 3:5)?” Patriarchs and Prophets, 55.

Tuesday

SIN AND ITS CONSEQUENCES

  • How is sin defined in the Bible? 1 John 3:4.

Note: “Our only definition of sin is that given in the word of God; it is ‘the transgression of the law;’ it is the outworking of a principle at war with the great law of love which is the foundation of the divine government.” The Great Controversy, 493.

  • What tragic consequence came upon humanity because of their sin? Genesis 3:19, 23; Romans 5:12.

Note: “It was not the will of God that the sinless pair should know aught of evil. He had freely given them the good, and had withheld the evil. But, contrary to His command, they had eaten of the forbidden tree, and now they would continue to eat of it—they would have the knowledge of evil—all the days of their life. From that time the race would be afflicted by Satan’s temptations. Instead of the happy labor heretofore appointed them, anxiety and toil were to be their lot. They would be subject to disappointment, grief, and pain, and finally to death.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 59.

  • What additional consequence did the Fall have on the nature of every human being? Romans 3:12; 7:14, 18; 8:7.

Note: “After their sin Adam and Eve … were told that their 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.

“The result of the eating of the tree of knowledge of good and evil is manifest in every man’s experience. There is in his nature a bent to evil, a force which, unaided, he cannot resist.” Education, 29.

“Of himself he is incapable of sensing sin, incapable of appreciating and appropriating the divine nature. Were it brought within his reach there is nothing in it that his natural heart would desire it.” Selected Messages, vol. 1, 340.

Wednesday

4          FIG-LEAF GARMENTS

  • After realizing their loss of innocence, and the light given to symbolize it, what did Adam and Eve do to try and cover their nakedness? Was their covering acceptable? Genesis 3:7, 8 (compare Revelation 3:17).

Note: “When sin entered, they [our first parents] severed their connection with God, and the light that had encircled them departed. Naked and ashamed, they tried to supply the place of the heavenly garments by sewing together fig leaves for a covering.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 311.

  • In what spiritual sense have sinners been making fig-leaf garments for themselves ever since the Fall? Romans 10:3.

Note: “This is what the transgressors of God’s law have done ever since the day of Adam and Eve’s disobedience. They have sewed together fig leaves to cover the nakedness caused by transgression. They have worn the garments of their own devising, by works of their own they have tried to cover their sins, and make themselves acceptable with God.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 311.

  • What deception leads us to think that we can make ourselves acceptable to God? Jeremiah 17:9; Isaiah 64:6.

Note: “Many are deceived concerning the condition of their hearts. They do not realize that the natural heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked. They wrap themselves about with their own righteousness, and are satisfied in reaching their own human standard of character; but how fatally they fail when they do not reach the divine standard, and of themselves they cannot meet the requirements of God. …

“The human family have all transgressed the law of God, and as transgressors of the law, man is hopelessly ruined; for he is the enemy of God, without strength to do any good thing. ‘The carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be’ (Romans 8:7).” Selected Messages, Book 1, 320, 321.

Thursday

THE WHOLE WORLD GUILTY BEFORE GOD

  • How has all humanity failed to fulfill God’s original purpose? Romans 3:23.
  • As the standard of righteousness, what purpose does the law of God serve? Romans 3:19, 20; Galatians 3:24.

Note: “The law stands firm, and justice sternly points the sinner to its holy precepts. It is not the province of the law to save the sinner, but to condemn, not to pardon, but to convict. It can not be changed to meet man in his fallen condition. Then how is God’s justice to be satisfied and His favor obtained? Not by works; ‘for by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in His sight.’ In his own strength the sinner can not meet the demands of God.” The Signs of the Times, July 31, 1901.

  • What question has been asked by sinners ever since the Fall, and what is the only answer? Job 9:2; 25:4–6; John 1:29.

Note: “In every congregation there are souls who are unsatisfied. Every Sabbath they should hear something that will help them in the way of salvation and teach them how to become better Christians. The important thing for them to know is, How can a sinner be justified before God? Let the way of salvation be presented before them in simplicity. Lift up Jesus as the sinner’s only hope.” The Review and Herald, October 7, 1909.

Friday

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1     For what purpose did God create human beings?

2    Why was it important to allow humanity freedom of choice to serve God?

3    What sinful condition are we all subject to apart from God?

4    How can I be guilty of making fig-leaf garments for myself?

5    In whom only can I find hope for my sinful condition?

Bible Study Guides-Justification by Faith – Luther: The Man for His Time

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September 30 – October 6, 2018

Key Text

“Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith” (Habakkuk 2:4).

Study Help:  The Great Controversy, 120–144; 197–205.

Introduction

“Zealous, ardent, and devoted, knowing no fear but the fear of God, and acknowledging no foundation for religious faith but the Holy Scriptures, Luther was the man for his time; through him God accomplished a great work for the reformation of the church and the enlightenment of the world.” The Great Controversy, 120.

Sunday

 LUTHER FINDS THE LIGHT

  • What parable illustrates the experience of Martin Luther when he found the Bible for the first time? Matthew 13:44–46.

Note: “While one day examining the books in the library of the university, Luther discovered a Latin Bible. … He had heard portions of the Gospels and Epistles, which were read to the people at public worship, and he supposed that these were the entire Bible. Now, for the first time, he looked upon the whole of God’s word. With mingled awe and wonder he turned the sacred pages; with quickened pulse and throbbing heart he read for himself the words of life.” The Great Controversy, 122.

  • As Luther studied the Word more deeply, what effect did this have upon him? Psalm 119:130; Jeremiah 15:16.

Note: “He who tastes of the love of Christ will continually long for more; but he seeks for nothing else. The riches, honors, and pleasures of the world do not attract him. The constant cry of his heart is, More of Thee.” The Desire of Ages, 187.

Monday

LIGHT PIERCES THE DARKNESS

  • As Luther studied his Bible further, what conviction did he feel concerning his own life? Isaiah 6:5.

Note: “Angels of heaven were by his [Luther’s] side, and rays of light from the throne of God revealed the treasures of truth to his understanding. He had ever feared to offend God, but now the deep conviction of his condition as a sinner took hold upon him as never before.

“An earnest desire to be free from sin and to find peace with God led him at last to enter a cloister and devote himself to a monastic life.” The Great Controversy, 122, 123.

  • As Luther sought to find pardon and peace through painful acts of penance, what was God trying to teach him? 1 Timothy 1:15.

Note: “The pious Staupitz opened the word of God to Luther’s mind and bade him look away from himself, cease the contemplation of infinite punishment for the violation of God’s law, and look to Jesus, his sin-pardoning Saviour. ‘Instead of torturing yourself on account of your sins, throw yourself into the Redeemer’s arms. Trust in Him, in the righteousness of His life, in the atonement of His death. … Listen to the Son of God. He became man to give you the assurance of divine favor.’ ‘Love Him who first loved you’ (D’Aubigné, b. 2, ch. 4).” The Great Controversy, 123, 124.

  • As he was climbing Pilate’s staircase on his knees, what central Bible truth became clear to Luther? Romans 1:17.

Note: “By a recent decretal an indulgence had been promised by the pope to all who should ascend upon their knees ‘Pilate’s staircase,’ said to have been descended by our Saviour on leaving the Roman judgment hall and to have been miraculously conveyed from Jerusalem to Rome. Luther was one day devoutly climbing these steps, when suddenly a voice like thunder seemed to say to him: ‘The just shall live by faith’ (Romans 1:17). He sprang to his feet and hastened from the place in shame and horror. That text never lost its power upon his soul. From that time he saw more clearly than ever before the fallacy of trusting to human works for salvation, and the necessity of constant faith in the merits of Christ.” The Great Controversy, 125.

Tuesday

SAVED BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH

  • When in 1517 Luther published his ninety-five theses against the power of indulgences, how did he teach that our works cannot atone for sin? Galatians 2:16; Acts 20:21.

Note: “Luther … set before the people the offensive character of sin, and taught them that it is impossible for man, by his own works, to lessen its guilt or evade its punishment. Nothing but repentance toward God and faith in Christ can save the sinner. The grace of Christ cannot be purchased; it is a free gift. He counseled the people not to buy indulgences, but to look in faith to a crucified Redeemer. He related his own painful experience in vainly seeking by humiliation and penance to secure salvation, and assured his hearers that it was by looking away from himself and believing in Christ that he found peace and joy.” The Great Controversy, 129.

  • How alone are we saved from sin, and by whom? Romans 1:16; Ephesians 2:8–10.

Note: “By these [Luther’s] theses it was shown that the power to grant the pardon of sin, and to remit its penalty, had never been committed to the pope or to any other man. … It was also clearly shown that the gospel of Christ is the most valuable treasure of the church, and that the grace of God, therein revealed, is freely bestowed upon all who seek it by repentance and faith.” The Great Controversy, 130.

  • From whom do we obtain a saving faith in Jesus, and how may we increase it? Romans 10:9; Luke 17:5.

Note: “Faith that enables us to receive God’s gifts is itself a gift, of which some measure is imparted to every human being. It grows as exercised in appropriating the word of God. In order to strengthen faith, we must often bring it in contact with the word.” Education, 253, 254.

“Now, brethren, you have educated yourselves so much in doubts and questionings that you have to educate your souls in the line of faith. You have to talk faith, you have to live faith, you have to act faith, that you may have an increase of faith.” Faith and Works, 78.

Wednesday

THE SCRIPTURES: THE FOUNDATION OF OUR FAITH

  • What attitude held by Luther towards the authority of Scripture became the vital principle of the Reformation? Colossians 2:8; Isaiah 8:20.

Note: “He [Luther] firmly declared that Christians should receive no other doctrines than those which rest on the authority of the Sacred Scriptures. These words struck at the very foundation of papal supremacy. They contained the vital principle of the Reformation.” The Great Controversy, 126.

  • In an effort to counter the effect of Luther’s teachings, in 1529 the German Emperor prepared a Decree that would end religious freedom and restore the authority of the Roman Catholic Church. What two principles contained in the Protest of the Princes of Germany against this decree constitute the essence of Protestantism? Acts 4:18–20; 5:28, 29; Matthew 15:8, 9.

Note: “ ‘The principles contained in this celebrated Protest … constitute the very essence of Protestantism. Now this Protest opposes two abuses of man in matters of faith: the first is the intrusion of the civil magistrate, and the second the arbitrary authority of the church. Instead of these abuses, Protestantism sets the power of conscience above the magistrate, and the authority of the word of God above the visible church. In the first place, it rejects the civil power in divine things, and says with the prophets and apostles, ‘We must obey God rather than man.’ In presence of the crown of Charles the Fifth, it uplifts the crown of Jesus Christ. But it goes farther: it lays down the principle that all human teaching should be subordinate to the oracles of God’ (D’Aubigné, b. 13, ch. 6). The protesters had moreover affirmed their right to utter freely their convictions of truth. They would not only believe and obey, but teach what the word of God presents, and they denied the right of priest or magistrate to interfere. The Protest of Spires was a solemn witness against religious intolerance, and an assertion of the right of all men to worship God according to the dictates of their own consciences. …

“Satan’s manner of working against God and His word has not changed; he is still as much opposed to the Scriptures being made the guide of life as in the sixteenth century. In our time there is a wide departure from their doctrines and precepts, and there is need of a return to the great Protestant principle—the Bible, and the Bible only, as the rule of faith and duty.” [Emphasis author’s.] The Great Controversy, 203–205.

Thursday

THE WORD BRINGS LIFE TO THE SOUL

  • What does the word of God do for those who hear or read it? Psalm 119:103, 104.
  •  How did Luther’s teaching of the word of God affect those he taught? Romans 10:17; Hebrews 4:12.

Note: “The word of God, by which Luther tested every doctrine and every claim, was like a two-edged sword, cutting its way to the hearts of the people. Everywhere there was awakening a desire for spiritual progress. Everywhere was such a hungering and thirsting after righteousness as had not been known for ages. The eyes of the people, so long directed to human rites and earthly mediators, were now turning in penitence and faith to Christ and Him crucified.” The Great Controversy, 133.

  • What will happen as we study and obey the word of God? John 17:17.

Note: “The Scriptures are the great agency in the transformation of character. … If studied and obeyed, the word of God works in the heart, subduing every unholy attribute. The Holy Spirit comes to convict of sin, and the faith that springs up in the heart works by love to Christ, conforming us in body, soul, and spirit to His own image. Then God can use us to do His will. The power given us works from within outwardly, leading us to communicate to others the truth that has been communicated to us.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 100.

Friday

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1     What was Luther’s reaction to finding a Bible for the first time?

2    What fallacy became clear to Luther as he climbed Pilate’s staircase?

3    In what way alone can a sinner be saved?

4    How can we continue to uphold the essence of Protestantism today?

5    What role do the Scriptures have in transforming character?

Recipe – Nutty Carob Candies

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Nutty Carob Candies

Ingredients

  • ½ – ⅔ cup coconut oil
  • ¾ cup dates, pitted (8-10)
  • ¼ cup honey
  • 3 Tbsp. carob powder
  • Pinch of salt
  • ¾ cup chopped walnuts

Process

Set nuts aside and place all other ingredients into food processor and mix until fully combined. Then add nuts and mix. Spoon into 8 x 8” dish or pan, flatten out and put into refrigerator to set for a few hours. Cut into bite sized squares and enjoy!

Food – Carob

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Carob, a healthy alternative to chocolate or cocoa powder, is also known as St. John’s bread. It grows on Fabaceae trees in pods much like peas and is considered a legume. Many cultures regularly use carob like other nuts and seeds. Carob powder is a healthy alternative to cocoa powder.

“Carob powder contains virtually no fat. If you’re on a low-fat diet, carob powder is a good option. Just keep in mind that it is higher in sugar and carbs than cocoa powder. Just 2 tablespoons of carob powder have 6 grams of sugar, about 1.5 teaspoons. Since most baking recipes call for up to 1 cup of carob powder, the sugar grams can add up fast. Still, if you substitute carob powder for chocolate chips, you’ll save on fat and calories.

“According to the Mayo Clinic, the average American gets 3,400 mg of sodium daily. This is much more than the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of 2,300 mg. The American Heart Association recommends even less, just 1,500 mg daily. Carob powder contains no sodium.

“Calcium is a mineral. It’s important for bone health. It also helps your heart, nerves, and muscles function well. Two tablespoons of carob powder have 42 mg of calcium, or 4 percent of the RDA.

“Carob powder is gluten-free. Carob powder contains no caffeine. Try these ways to add carob powder to your diet:

  • add carob powder to smoothies
  • sprinkle carob powder on yogurt or ice cream
  • add carob powder to your favorite bread dough or pancake batter
  • make a hot carob drink instead of hot chocolate

“Carob powder is Fido-friendly. It doesn’t contain high levels of theobromine, a compound that is toxic to dogs and cats in large quantities. Many dog treats are made with carob powder. There’s no need to panic if your dog or cat gets into your stash.” www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/carob-powder

 

Nutty Carob Candies

Ingredients

½ – ⅔ cup coconut oil

¾ cup dates, pitted (8-10)

¼ cup honey

3 Tbsp. carob powder

Pinch of salt

¾ cup chopped walnuts

Process

Set nuts aside and place all other ingredients into food processor and mix until fully combined. Then add nuts and mix. Spoon into 8 x 8” dish or pan, flatten out and put into refrigerator to set for a few hours. Cut into bite sized squares and enjoy!

Children’s Story – When God Controlled a Railway Train

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Many years ago an engineer brought his train to a stop at a little village in Massachusetts where the passengers had only five minutes to get off the train and stretch their legs a bit before the train pulled out again.

“The conductor tells me that the train to Bedford leaves the junction ahead fifteen minutes before we get there,” said a sad-looking lady on the platform to the engineer. “That is the last train tonight to Bedford, and I’m trying to get home with a very sick child. I have no money for a hotel. I simply must reach that train on time and get home tonight.”

“It can’t be done,” replied the engineer.

“Would it be possible for you to hurry a little?” asked the anxious, tearful mother.

“No, Ma’am. I have a schedule, and the rules say I must follow it exactly.”

The woman turned away sorrowfully. But a moment later, she was back. “Are you a Christian?” she asked the engineer.

He looked puzzled. “Yes, I am,” he answered. “Why do you ask?”

“Will you pray with me that the Lord may in some way delay that train at the junction?”

“Well … Yes, I’ll pray with you, but I don’t have much faith that the train will be delayed long enough for you to make your connection.”

Just then the conductor called out, “All aboard!”

The poor woman hurried to get back into the train and take care of her sick child. The engineer quickly climbed to his spot in the engine, and soon the train was puffing its way down the track, climbing the grade. In her seat on the train, the woman prayed for God to help her to reach the Bedford train in time. Up in his seat at the throttle, the engineer also prayed. “Lord,” he said, “delay that Bedford train only ten minutes, and I’ll make up the extra five minutes!”

“Somehow,” the engineer later recalled, “everything seemed to go according to some plan. After I prayed, I couldn’t help increasing my speed just a little! We hardly paused at the first stop. People got on and off more quickly than I’ve ever seen before. In half a minute, the conductor was waving his lantern, and we were off once more. I began to have more faith that we would reach the junction before that other train left.

“Once over the summit of the mountain, it was easy to give the engine a little more steam, and then a little more. I prayed, and the train seemed to shoot down the rails like an arrow. I sensed something was pushing us forward, and I couldn’t hold her back! We came rushing into the junction six minutes ahead of schedule. And there stood the Bedford train! Its conductor was still standing on the platform, his lantern resting at his side.”

Now, these trains never connected with each other. They weren’t intended to; the schedule didn’t allow for it. No message had been sent ahead to hold the Bedford train. There was no reason it should not have left the station several minutes earlier. Yet, there it stood—waiting.

The conductor of the Bedford train approached the engineer of the train that had just pulled into the junction. “Well,” he inquired, “will you tell me what we’re waiting for? Somehow I felt that I needed to wait until you arrived at the station tonight. But I don’t know why.”

“I can tell you,” replied the engineer. “I have a woman on board my train who has a sick child and who must get home tonight. She has been praying—and I have been praying—that somehow your train would still be here when we arrived. And here you are!”

Storytime, Character-building Stories for Children, Pacific Press Publishing Association, 6, 7.

Life Sketches Series – Joy from Suffering

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The entrance of the gospel for the first time into Europe occurred when the apostles Paul and Silas entered into a ship at Troas to go to Philippi. This was accompanied by great suffering. It was in regard of his own experience that the apostle Paul wrote about the purpose of suffering.

“It happened, as we (Paul and Silas) went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling. This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, ‘These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.’ And this she did for many days. But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, ‘I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.’ And he came out that very hour. But when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities” (Acts 16:16–19).

The girl’s masters had been using her to earn money and feared that if people accepted the preaching of the apostles their source of income would cease; so they made many false charges against them: “They brought them to the magistrates, and said, ‘These men, being Jews, exceedingly trouble our city; and they teach customs which are not lawful for us, being Romans, to receive or observe.’ Then the multitude rose up together against them; and the magistrates tore off their clothes and commanded them to be beaten with rods. And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely. Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks” (verses 20–24).

One of the most dangerous situations that any human being can get into is to be the victim of mob action. For Paul and Silas there had been no trial, no justice, no opportunity to have council or to defend themselves in a court. Their clothes were stripped off them, they were beaten until bruised and bloody before being taken into prison where their feet were put in the stocks. There they were chained to prevent them from escaping.

By night, with their feet in stocks unable to move and in great pain and with no refreshment, the Bible says, “At midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed. And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself. But Paul called with a loud voice, saying, ‘Do yourself no harm, for we are all here’  ” (verses 25–28). Through the influence of the apostle Paul, when all the chains were loosed and the doors were opened, the prisoners did not flee. “Then he (the jailer) called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. And He brought them out and said, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved’ ” (verses 29, 30)?

This jailor had been impressed by the conduct of his new prisoners. They acted differently from any prisoners he had ever held before. He realized that God had delivered them from prison, but they had not run away having regard for the jailer’s life. He realized that he owed his life to Paul and Silas and a desire rose in his heart to know their God. He had heard something about what they were teaching, about the gospel, and now he wanted to know about the God that they served. Who was this God they prayed and sang to? He wanted to know what he must do to be saved. The most important question that any human being can ask is that same question, “What must I do to be saved?”

Immediately the answer came. “So they said, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household’ ” (verse 31). It was not complicated, just believe!

The Greek word translated believe means much more than just a mental assent of believing that something is true in your mind. It means to believe something enough that you make a commitment to that belief. John 2:24 says, “Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men.”

That word commit is the same word that is translated believe, or to have faith. To believe means to make a commitment. To whom was the jailer to commit? He was to make a commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ. Such a phrase was very significant, for people in those days knew exactly what a lord was. Today, we who live in free countries are ignorant of the position of a lord because we are all free. But in the Roman Empire where approximately 2/3 of the people were slaves and only about 1/3 were free, they knew exactly what a lord was. A lord was somebody who had total authority or sovereignty over your life. If you want to be saved you must believe in Jesus as your Lord. “Believe in the Lord.” If He is the Lord of your life you will follow Him and you will do what He says.

Believe on the Lord Jesus, the most wonderful name in the English language that comes from the Hebrew word which means Saviour, Deliverer. Believe on Him as your Saviour, as the Lord of your life and if you do, you will be saved. It is not complicated. Anyone, at any time of their life, can choose to make that decision. But friends, it is not by just giving a mental assent that the gospel is true, or that Christianity is true, not at all. It is by making a commitment to follow Jesus in holy living. Sadly, that is what keeps people from following Christ.

John says, “He who says he abides in Him must walk as He walked” (1 John 2:6, literal translation). The Philippian jailor accepted the call. He believed in Him as his Lord and Saviour from sin. He had seen evidence of what the gospel could do in the lives of Paul and Silas. He wanted the same thing, he wanted the same Lord and Master. Acts chapter 16:32–34 says, “Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized. Now when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them; and he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household.”

God brought beauty out of ashes; a wonderful thing happened because of the way Paul and Silas reacted to their suffering. One of the reasons that God allows suffering among His children is so that other people can see what the religion of Christ does in a person’s life. It changes the way they react, even to bad situations. The apostle Paul and Silas sang songs in the prison after they had been beaten and tortured, with their feet in the stocks, chained and in agony. As a result of their reaction to their suffering, others saw that they were different from the other criminals in the prison. Though they were looked upon as criminals, they did not manifest criminal behavior. Their demeanor as they sang and prayed had such an effect on the jailor that his whole household became Christians.

God may allow His children to suffer, that through their suffering others may find salvation, creating friendships that will last throughout eternity.

With all that had happened overnight, the magistrates had second thoughts about the night’s events. They had found out what had happened to the girl who had been possessed of an evil spirit and been freed, and wondered if they had done the right thing. They decided that they should let Paul and Silas go free. The Bible says, “The magistrates sent the officers, saying, ‘Let those men go.’ So the keeper of the prison reported these words to Paul, saying, ‘The magistrates have sent to let you go. Now therefore depart, and go in peace.’ But Paul said to them, ‘They have beaten us openly, uncondemned Romans, and have thrown us into prison. And now do they put us out secretly’ ” (verses 35–37)?

Paul and Silas did not want to be looked at as criminals by slinking away. While they insisted on their innocence and that they had been treated illegally, being Roman citizens, the magistrates were afraid they would be relieved of their jobs if an appeal were made to the Roman emperor.

“ … the magistrates … were afraid when they heard that they were Romans. Then they came and pleaded with them and brought them out, and asked them to depart from the city” (verses 38, 39). Before they left the city, the Bible says, “They went out of the prison and entered the house of Lydia; and when they had seen the brethren, they encouraged them and departed” (verse 40).

After they left the city the whole story spread throughout that region. As a result, a large number of people became Christians and the church in Philippi was organized. Later, when Paul was in prison again, he wrote to the church. You can read his letter to the Philippian church in the New Testament.

Paul understood that many would suffer persecution for Christ’s sake. He said, “To you it has been given on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in His name, but also to suffer for His sake, having the same conflict which you saw in me and now hear is in me” (Philippians 1:29, 30, literal translation).

There is a reason that we go through suffering in this world. Peter described it this way: “This is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully. For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: ‘Who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth’; who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed” (1 Peter 2:19–24).

Later, the apostle Peter, who was told by Jesus Himself, that at the end of his life he would be crucified (John 21), wrote to the Christians: “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people’s matters. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter. For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? … Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator” (1 Peter 4:12–17, 19).

Some people have wondered how they could endure the suffering that they find themselves in. The Bible is full of many wonderful and precious promises to those who suffer for righteousness’ sake. Here are two. “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it” (1 Corinthians 10:12, 13).

Paul tells of the thorn in his flesh, referring to the bodily trouble he suffered that he wanted to be relieved of. He wrote, “He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:9, 10).

These Bible promises are not just for the apostle Paul; they are promises for every person who is suffering.

(Unless appearing in quoted references or otherwise identified, Bible texts are from the New King James Version.)

Pastor John J. Grosboll is Director of Steps to Life and pastors the Prairie Meadows Church in Wichita, Kansas. He may be contacted by email at: historic@stepstolife.org, or by telephone at: 316-788-5559.

Health Nugget – Nitrate

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The Nutrient You Need but Probably Don’t Know About

Nutrition and biochemistry form two sides of the same coin: our diet provides the raw materials for complex biochemicals that form the structure of the body and the myriad substances that enable it to function.

One particular biochemical is nitric oxide, not to be confused with nitrous oxide, or so-called laughing gas. Back in 1992, the journal Science declared nitric oxide to be the “molecule of the year.” Six years later, three scientists earned the Nobel Prize for their research on nitric oxide.

The story, like almost everything that occurs in nutritional biochemistry, follows a series of steps. Cells “talk” with each other, and nitric oxide functions as a key cell-communication molecule. It signals endothelial cells lining blood vessels to dilate, or relax. Because of this property, nitric oxide plays a key role in maintaining normal blood pressure.

Nitric oxide’s nutritional precursors are the amino acid L-arginine, and the body can make some L-arginine from L-citrulline. But an excellent and often overlooked source is dietary nitrate. The body converts nitrate to nitrite, which is then converted to nitric oxide.

Many fruits and vegetables are good sources of nitrate, and there are significant amounts of nitrate in celery, lettuce, arugula, and spinach. But the hands-down richest source is beetroot and, in particular, beetroot juice and concentrate. (The juice is extracted from the red beetroots you cook with or use in salads, not the sugar beets used for making sucrose.)

How to “Beet” Hypertension

The studies on the benefits of beetroot juice and blood pressure show remarkably consistent benefits. Amrita Ahluwalia, PhD., of Queen Mary University, London, and her colleagues asked 68 people with hypertension to drink either one cup (150 ml) of nitrate-rich beetroot juice or nitrate-free beetroot juice daily. The drinks were switched so everyone in the study eventually consumed both types of juice for two weeks.

The researchers measured the subjects’ blood pressure using three different techniques. All three techniques found a reduction in blood pressure among people drinking the beetroot juice with naturally occurring nitrate.

A separate study by the same researchers involved giving 69 patients a cup of either nitrate-rich beetroot juice or beetroot juice without nitrate daily for six weeks. All of the subjects had elevated cholesterol levels. Using ultrasound, researchers determined that the nitrate-rich beetroot juice led to a 24 percent improvement in blood vessel flexibility and tone, technically known as endothelial function. The subjects also had a slight decrease in blood clotting, another sign of improved cardiovascular health, and an improvement in aortic pulse wave velocity, both signs of improved cardiovascular risk. These factors worsened in the placebo group.

Reducing Glaucoma Risk

Harvard medical researchers recently reported that eating nitrate-rich vegetables can lower the risk of primary open-angle glaucoma, the most common form of the disease.

Jae H. Kang, ScD, and her colleagues analyzed health data that had been collected every two years, starting in the mid-1980s and continuing through 2012, and that included 63,893 female nurses and 41,094 male physicians as study subjects. She reported that people with the highest daily intake of nitrate—approximately 240 mg, mostly from leafy green vegetables—had a 21 percent lower risk of open-angle glaucoma and a 44 percent lower risk of glaucoma with the early stages of vision loss.

Boosting Athletic Performance

Finally, Michael J. Berry, Ph.D. of Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and his colleagues tested the effects of beetroot juice on 15 people diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The juice substantially increased blood levels of nitrate and nitrite.

Studies conducted in Europe show that concentrated beetroot improves exercise performance and increases tolerance to high-intensity exercise. The studies involved “recreationally fit” athletes and elite athletes training under controlled conditions, such as cycling or running on a treadmill in an exercise laboratory.

The dietary nitrate in beetroot works in a couple of different ways. First, it enables blood vessels to flex (instead of remaining stiff) under pressure. Second, the nitrate enables athletes to use less oxygen while exercising at the same intensity. This makes “exercise seem easier, and it should be possible to continue it for longer,” says Andrew M. Jones, Ph.D., a professor and exercise physiologist at the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom.

These studies have found that blood nitrate levels peak two to three hours after consuming beetroot, and that levels remain elevated for six to nine hours. That means the key is to drink beetroot juice three hours before exercising, and to have it daily to maintain higher blood levels of nitrate, according to Jones. The juice also led to significant reductions in post-exercise and resting blood pressure.

How to Use Beetroot Juice

Most blood pressure studies have used 180 g (6.35 oz.) of beetroot juice daily, although more might be helpful to some people. (Beet juice can cause nausea and vomiting, so this amount should be spread over the course of the day in 2–3 doses.) A beneficial effect on blood pressure should be apparent within 10 days.

Please note that the juice may turn your urine pink, but this is a superficial, not harmful, side effect.

The Nutrition Reporter, Jack Challem, August 31, 2016.

God has freely given us life giving, nutrient abundant vegetables, fruits, juices for building, repairing, rejuvenating, and healing of blood and cells. Consuming a diet rich in nutrition can prevent and even reverse disease conditions. Let each eat and drink that which will offer radiant, energetic and truly optimal health.

Question & Answer – What Constitutes Character?

by

… the thoughts and feelings combined make up the moral character.

Mind, Character, and Personality, vol. 2, 660

 A:

“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. …

“Mental ability and genius are not character, for these are often possessed by those who have the very opposite of a good character. Reputation is not character. True character is a quality of the soul, revealing itself in the conduct.

“A good character is a capital of more value than gold or silver. It is unaffected by panics or failures, and in that day when earthly possessions shall be swept away, it will bring rich returns. Integrity, firmness, and perseverance are qualities that all should seek earnestly to cultivate; for they clothe the possessor with a power which is irresistible—a power which makes him strong to do good, strong to resist evil, strong to bear adversity.

“Strength of character consists of two things—power of will and power of self-control. Many youth mistake strong, uncontrolled passion for strength of character; but the truth is that he who is mastered by his passions is a weak man. The real greatness and nobility of the man is measured by his powers to subdue his feelings, not by the power of his feelings to subdue him. The strongest man is he who, while sensitive to abuse, will yet restrain passion and forgive his enemies.

“If it were considered as important that the young possess a beautiful character and amiable disposition as it is that they imitate the fashions of the world in dress and deportment, we would see hundreds where there is one today coming upon the stage of active life prepared to exert an ennobling influence upon society.” Maranatha, 223.