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Tempted Like We Are

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“For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.”

Hebrews 4:15

This study will be on a very sacred, very emotional subject. Religion has an emotional aspect that is unavoidable. So we will study this emotional aspect as well as the spiritual and intellectual aspects of religion.

Hebrews 4:15 is a familiar and favorite text for many Christians. It tells us some wonderful things about the nature of our great High Priest in heaven. Mrs. White says that Jesus’ work as our great High Priest in the heavenly sanctuary is just as necessary to our salvation as His death on the cross. Today, the majority of the Christian world knows that Jesus died for our sins, but they do not understand that He is now ministering in heaven, and that without His ministration we would be lost even though He died on the cross.

The Baker Letter

Mrs. White addressed this text in a letter she wrote to Elder W. L. H. Baker and his wife in 1895. In Adventist circles, it is simply referred to as the Baker letter. One sentence from this letter reads: “It is a mystery that is left unexplained to mortals that Christ could be tempted in all points like as we are, and yet be without sin.” Manuscript Releases, Vol. 13, 19

Mrs. White is very clear that how Christ can be tempted like we are and yet be without sin is a mystery, intentionally left unexplained to mortals. There are things in the Bible that we don’t understand all the time. We may understand a small amount of it, but there remains much that we do not understand.

Since it is this statement from the Baker letter that has led me in the past not to preach on Hebrews 4:15, perhaps it is most appropriate that I provide some background regarding Elder Baker. Elder Baker was a mid-westerner and a Seventh-day Adventist minister. He was a missionary, along with his wife, to Australia evangelizing throughout Australia and Tasmania and while there, he became president of a number of conferences in Australia. Later in life, he returned to the U.S. until his death in 1933. However, at the time Mrs. White’s letter was written, the Bakers had become discouraged in their evangelistic work. Mrs. White wrote the Baker letter, in part, to encourage them. God knows every detail about every discouragement that we may be going through, and at just the right time He sends encouragement to His children. But along with the encouragement, He may also send correction.

The Baker letter has become so well-known and equally controversial because it contains plain, explicit, and strong statements regarding the nature of Christ, and these statements completely contradict and destroy the theological position of many conservative Seventh-day Adventist ministers and teachers.

When I first read the Baker letter, the statements on the nature of Christ were no problem for me. I had already read the following in Testimonies, Vol. 2, 201, 202:

“In Christ were united the human and the divine. His mission was to reconcile God and man, to unite the finite with the infinite. This was the only way in which fallen men could be exalted through the merits of the blood of Christ to be partakers of the divine nature. Taking human nature fitted Christ to understand man’s trials and sorrows, and all the temptations wherewith he is beset. … Christ condescended to take man’s nature and was tempted in all points like as we, that He might know how to succor all who should be tempted. …

“Our Saviour identifies Himself with our needs and weaknesses, in that He became a suppliant, a nightly petitioner, seeking from His Father fresh supplies of strength, to come forth invigorated and refreshed, braced for duty and trial. He is our example in all things. He is a brother in our infirmities, but not in possessing like passions. As the sinless One, His nature recoiled from evil. He endured struggles and torture of soul in a world of sin. His humanity made prayer a necessity and privilege. He required all the stronger divine support and comfort which His Father was ready to impart to Him, to Him who had, for the benefit of man, left the joys of heaven and chosen His home in a cold and thankless world.”

However, that is not the case for almost everyone around me. Through the years I have listened and read and watched many times as Seventh-day Adventist ministers and theologians have attempted to explain away the Baker letter. To accept it would destroy their theology regarding the nature of Christ. All manner of methods have been devised to try to explain it away.

One explanation for why Mrs. White wrote the Baker letter was that Elder Baker might have believed in Adoptionism—an early Christian nontrinitarian theological doctrine most popular in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd centuries, which holds that Jesus was adopted as the Son of God at His baptism, His resurrection, or His ascension, denying the eternal pre-existence of Christ—and the letter was Mrs. White’s attempt at correcting this misconception. And that could easily be true. However, if that is all we get from the Baker letter, then we have completely missed other significant points.

My brother Marshall learned of the Baker letter at the Seventh-day Adventist seminary from certain conservative professors. In brief, they taught that we should not use just one private letter to establish doctrine. But that is a most interesting explanation since these very same ministers have used and would use a single private letter written to a prominent Seventh-day Adventist minister if it supported something that they agreed on, accepting the letter without question.

If you accept the Baker letter at face value, you will realize immediately that it completely destroys the positions on the nature of Christ held by a host of conservative Adventist ministers, theologians, and teachers, many of whom are and have been friends of mine for many years.

When I was young, the Baker letter was not available in its entirety. Excerpts could be found back then, but today, the entire letter is printed in Manuscript Releases, Vol. 13, 14–30, prefaced by an explanation about the letter.

Tempted in All Points as We Are, yet Without Sin

Let’s now go back to Hebrews 4:15, the text that no human being can understand, and see if there is any element of the verse that we can understand. “We do not have a High Priest who cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” This Bible text is used by many today as proof that Jesus had all the same natural tendencies and propensities to sin that fallen men have, which is what the Baker letter strongly and repeatedly contradicts.

Inspiration teaches that our tendency to wrong doing is an imperfection of character and that imperfection of character is sin, but Paul says that even though Jesus was tempted just like as we are, He was without sin. So, if we cannot fully understand this text—remember, Mrs. White said, “It is a mystery that is left unexplained to mortals”—is there anything in the text that we can understand?

I believe there is.

“The Elder Brother of our race is by the eternal throne. He looks upon every soul who is turning his face toward Him as the Saviour. He knows by experience what are the weaknesses of humanity, what are our wants, and where lies the strength of our temptations … .” The Desire of Ages, 329. He knows why my temptations are so difficult for me to overcome, and why I feel like I just can’t overcome them. He understands, and that should give all of us confidence in Him because He promised that He would deliver us and make us victors over all sinful temptations.

Jesus knows our wants, He knows by experience the weaknesses of humanity, and He knows and understands just how strong our temptations are. How? Because He was tempted just like we are, though without sin.

The dictionary defines a want as “something that is desired, but not possessed.” Why do I want it? I desire something either because I need it, or because I derive pleasure from it. So a want is something that is desired, whether it be a desire for something needed or a desire for pleasure. So the weaknesses of humanity lie in the desire for life’s necessities and pleasures. David wrote about the wants of man in Psalm 23, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want … .”

Touched with Our Infirmities

What does it mean for Jesus to be touched with our infirmities and feelings?

A little background on how the Baker letter became so well known. For 88 years, it was just a letter among many that Mrs. White wrote during her lifetime, though unavailable in her published works. But in the early 1980s, the letter was released and published.

We as individuals do not always think the same way. Our experiences in life, our culture, even our gender can be filters through which we process, see, and understand things, but in different ways. That doesn’t mean that one person’s mind is inferior to another’s; it is simply that we think differently, but with the ability to arrive at the truth of an issue from different directions.

Christ was tempted in a way that we cannot imagine. For years I’ve wanted to know how He could be tempted as I am.

Touched means that He feels sympathy. It is comforting to know that we have someone in heaven, who has all power, and who is touched with our feelings standing at the throne of God. Jesus is able to sympathize with our problems so we can feel free to come to Him and talk to Him about any problem that befalls us. We need not go through life trying to bear our problems and burdens alone. So Paul says we need to come with confidence to the throne of grace because we will find there the mercy and grace to help in time of need.

How does Jesus know by experience what the weaknesses and wants of humanity are? Manuscript Releases, Vol. 16, 182, states “A man of our flesh, He was compassed with the weakness of humanity. The circumstances of His life were of that character that He was exposed to all the inconveniences that belong to men, not in wealth, not in ease, but in poverty and want and humiliation.” It says He was surrounded by these things. He personally experienced poverty, want, humiliation. “We know that the Lord Jesus was tempted in all points like as we are, and He knows how to succor [help] all who shall be tempted.” Ibid., Vol. 14, 334. We need to understand that when we are tempted, no matter what the temptation is, that Jesus knows how to help us. When we’re tempted and it seems like there is no way out—we’re never going to win—it is time, of all times, that we need to cry out to the Lord for the deliverance He has promised.

As human beings, our minds seem to think that helping us means that the temptation is taken away. Lord, we say, just deliver me from this temptation. Sadly, very often it just doesn’t work that way. Sometimes the Lord says that He will take a temptation away. I have known people who have smoked for many years, many packs of cigarettes per day. They have tried to quit smoking many times, but they just can’t do it. They cry out to the Lord for help, and help is supplied and they are freed from the addiction of cigarettes and no longer have any desire to smoke. It is true that sometimes the Lord takes the temptation away, but more often the Lord does not take it away. It is His will for you and for me not to yield to temptation, calling upon Him for the help needed to resist it.

Let’s take a short look at the three Hebrew worthies. They had this exact experience. They said our God is able to deliver us from you, King Nebuchadnezzar, but if He does not, then let it be known that we will not worship your image. The king was so angry that he had the furnace stoked until it was seven times hotter than it was before, and into the fire Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego were tossed. It was so hot that the soldiers who threw them into the furnace died instantly. Imagine it: their hands and feet are bound, and they are thrown into the flames like bundles of dried grass, but these young men were willing to die rather than to disobey God’s commandment not to worship idols.

It’s one thing to be able to walk around with the Lord. We likely think that He will prevent all the bad things from happening. But then, there you are, standing in front of a fiery furnace stoked seven times hotter than before and God doesn’t keep you from being thrown into the fire. Instead He joins you in the flames.

As we draw closer to the end of the world, it will appear that all of God’s children will be killed while standing firm in their faith. The Bible says it will happen. But if I am to be one of God’s children at the end of time, I must be His child right now—believing in Him, obeying His law, and worshiping no other god or idol. Then God will send the help I need to remain firm in my faith in Him.

We may be weak, hungry, and thirsty. We may experience sorrow and grief, pain and suffering. Jesus, our Creator, is the source of all strength and power. He holds up the universe and all the heavenly bodies it contains. So, friend, you can be sure that He can sustain you. He left all of it behind to become a man so that he could suffer as we suffer, and thereby be able to offer aid. Jesus experienced physical suffering, poverty, and humiliation so that He could understand us.

“In His humanity, He suffered physical weariness and weakness, hunger, thirst, and sadness.” Manuscript Releases, Vol. 14, 334

“By experiencing in Himself the strength of Satan’s temptation, and of human sufferings and infirmities, He would know how to succor [aid] those who should put forth efforts to help themselves.” The Review and Herald, March 18, 1875

In our human nature alone, the power of temptation is too great for us to bear. “Feeling the terrible power of temptation, the drawing of desire that leads to indulgence, many a man cries in despair, ‘I cannot resist evil.’ ” The Ministry of Healing, 174

Sadly, a person with this mindset is fertile territory for a preacher preaching that you don’t need to overcome sin. This type of theology is so popular because that is man’s experience. A man may try a hundred, a thousand times, and still be unable to resist the temptation that his natural, sinful self drives him to desire, until he finally yields.

Desire is a power of the mind. The terrible power of temptation lies in the wants, the desires of man (James 1:13–15). Keep in mind that infirmities are related to either a weakness of the body or a weakness of the mind. There is an intimate relationship between the weaknesses of humanity and the power of temptation. The greater the desire the more powerful is the temptation.

“God requires every soul to be pure and holy. We have hereditary tendencies to wrong. This is a part of self that no one need carry about. It is a weakness of humanity to pet selfishness, because it is a natural trait of character. But unless all selfishness is put away, unless self is crucified, we can never be holy as God is holy.” The Faith I Live By, 140

Paul writes in Romans 6 about crucifying the old man. The crucifixion of the old man is the putting to death of our natural selfishness. Selfishness is a natural trait of character, and we desire, by nature, to hold it close, but the Bible says that we must crucify the old man and be reborn as a new man if we are to be one of God’s children.

A superficial reading of these passages by people who have permitted their minds to become clouded regarding what constitutes sin can lead to the gross error of attributing to the humanity of Christ the same tendencies to wrong that we inherited from Adam. “The sowing of seeds of selfishness in the human heart was the first result of the entrance of sin into the world.” The Workers’ Bulletin, September 9, 1902. On the very day that Adam and Eve sinned, the seeds of selfishness were sown in their hearts, and have been passed down in the hearts of all of Adam’s posterity since. It is crucial that we understand that our natural, sinful humanity is selfish, but the humanity of Christ had not one thread of selfishness.

What is selfishness? “All selfishness is covetousness, and is, therefore, idolatry.” The Review and Herald, May 23, 1907. Idolatry is the breaking of the second commandment and covetousness is the breaking of the tenth commandment. If all selfishness is covetousness and idolatry, then all selfishness is sin and sin is the transgression of the law in whatever form or fashion it is found. “The law requires righteousness—a righteous life, a perfect character; and this man has not to give.” The Desire of Ages, 762

By nature, we are not righteous, and we cannot be made righteous by anything that we do. It is only by the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit and our complete surrender to this transforming power in our hearts that we are able to be made righteous.

How does Jesus know what the weakness of humanity is like?

“For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.” Hebrews 2:18

“For we have not a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.” Hebrews 4:15

“Thank God we have a High Priest who is touched with the feelings of our infirmities, for He was in all points tempted as we are.” Christ Triumphant, 218. In that sentence, the word for means “because.” Jesus was touched with the feeling of our infirmities because He was tempted and suffered in all points like as we are.

What caused Jesus to suffer?

“The human nature of Christ was like unto ours, and suffering was more keenly felt by Him; for His spiritual nature was free from every taint of sin. Therefore, His desire for the removal of suffering was stronger than human beings can experience.” The Signs of the Times, December 9, 1897

“Christ hates sin. From Him evil met with stern rebuke. But while He hates sin, He loves the sinner. Laying aside His riches and glory, He came to this earth to seek for us, sinful, erring, unhappy, that He might lead us to heaven. He humbled Himself, and took upon Him our nature, that He might make us like Himself, pure and upright, free from defilement. He suffered more than any of you will ever be called to suffer. He gave His all for you. What have you given for Him?” Ibid., July 9, 1902

“Christ made His soul an offering for sin. Thus He made it possible for man to hate sin—that which requires such an offering, such a sacrifice, to rescue the sinner from its terrible influence.” Pacific Union Recorder, July 3, 1902

Why did Jesus have to experience suffering to such a degree? All I know is that He had to go through it to save us. Because His spiritual nature hated sin, His desire for the removal of the suffering of His human body and mind was so much stronger than what you or I will ever experience that it made His temptation all the greater.

“Jesus was not insensible to ignominy [deep humiliation and disgrace]. He felt the disgrace of sin as much more keenly than it is possible for man to feel it, as His divine and sinless nature was exalted above the nature of man. We should never entertain the thought that the Majesty of Heaven, so holy and undefiled, was not acutely sensitive to scorn and mockery, abuse and pain.” The Signs of the Times, January 6, 1881

He came to endure temptation as we do so that He would know how we feel. He lived His human life so that we could know that there is no temptation so great that it cannot be rejected when we look to Jesus for help. His life was a perfect combination of divinity and humanity. “He … took upon Him our nature, that He might make us like Himself, pure and upright, free from defilement.” Ibid., July 9, 1902

“He is a brother in our infirmities, ‘in all points tempted like as we are’; but as the sinless one His nature recoiled from evil; He endured struggles and torture of soul in a world of sin.” A Call to Stand Apart, 26

Jesus endured struggles and torture of soul because His sinless nature was acutely sensitive to scorn, mockery, abuse, and pain. He went through all of this because He wanted to save you.

Do you understand how serious God is about saving you? It doesn’t matter what your past is. It doesn’t matter what other people think about you. Do you understand that if you surrender your life to Him, He will save you, not in, but from your sin?

“We say we do believe that Jesus Christ died, but is He your personal Saviour? Here is the faith part of it. … Do you grasp Him by the living hand of faith? Do you reach out your hand to Him and say, as did Peter, ‘Save, Lord, or I perish’? He will save you.” Reflecting Christ, 356

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.

The Rose

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Orange RoseRosaceae is a family of medium-sized, flowering plants. These plants can be woody trees, climbers, or herbaceous plants. Many familiar, edible fruits are a part of this family: pears, apricots, plums, cherries, peaches, raspberries, blackberries and strawberries, to name a few, and almonds, too. Also included are trees and shrubs such as meadowsweets, firethorns, and roses.

The rose family comes from the genus Rosa. There are 100 species of this perennial shrub found mostly in the Northern Hemisphere. Roses come in many colors—white, yellow, pink, crimson, maroon, purple—with a delightful fragrance, depending on the variety of rose and the climate. The flower consists of multiple sets of petals, stems covered in prickly thorns (unless the thorns have been bred out), and oval leaflets that are sharply toothed on the edges.

The rose industry is divided into three main areas: fragrance, fresh flower/florist, and garden.

The Fragrance Industry

The Damask rose (R. Damascena) and several other species are specifically grown for the creation of attar of roses which is used in the production of perfumes. The industry is concentrated in the Mediterranean basin where the climate is the most ideal.

Different colors of roses have been assigned to communicate the feelings of the giver for or to the receiver of a bouquet of roses:

Red – love and desire

White – purity and innocence

Yellow – friendship and care

Peach – sympathy and genuineness

Pink – admiration and joy

Black – death

Red roses are most often given to express romantic love toward a girlfriend, fiancé, or wife. Giving three red roses conveys “I love you” to that special someone.

The Florist Industry

More than one billion stems per year are produced from more than 30,000 acres of greenhouses worldwide. The industry started in Europe and the U.S. in the late 19th century. However, the industry was later moved to Columbia, Ecuador, Kenya, and Ethiopia because of their climates. China and India are also major producing areas.

The Garden Industry

The garden industry has been popular since the Middle Ages, although the roses then were grown for their medicinal properties.

Most rose species are native to Asia, with a smaller number found in North America, Europe, and Northwest Africa. They hybridize readily resulting in the many different types of garden roses. Hybridization began in the 18th century in Western Europe. Today, there are more than 11,000 varieties of hybrid roses, and more are bred every year. An estimated 35 million units are sold annually in the U.S. alone.

Did You Know? The majority of the most popular, modern hybrids are protected by U.S. plant patents and cannot be propagated without prior consent from the breeders.

The roses most commonly sold in the U.S. are:

  • Hybrid Tea Roses – the classic, long-stemmed varieties
  • Grandiflora Roses – similar to the Hybrid Tea Roses, but with multiple blooms per stem
  • Floribunda Roses – compact and multi-flowered
  • Miniature Roses – often grown in containers as gifts
  • Climbing Roses
  • Landscape or Shrub Roses – the main component of today’s North American rose industry

Sources: Britannica.com/plant/rose-plant; Wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosaceae; ngb.org/year-of-the-rose; proflowers.com/blog/rose-color-meanings

The rose is a beautiful, intricately-designed flower whose fragrance is sweet and often intoxicating. But there is a rose that surpasses even this beautiful flower. Mrs. White calls Him the Rose of Sharon.

“We need Jesus, the Rose of Sharon, to beautify the character and make our lives fragrant with good works, so that we shall be a savor of Christ unto God.” The Review and Herald, August 14, 1894

That Frog in Your Throat

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“I just can’t seem to get rid of this frog in my throat.” Probably just about everyone, everywhere can admit to having said this or some variety of it at some point in time. For some, this frogginess follows along with a cold or the flu or seasonal allergies. Others may experience it regularly as a result of reflux, a side effect of medication or an autoimmune disorder, hypothyroidism, diabetes, aging, intubation, tracheal stenosis, trauma, post-nasal drip, or cancers/tumor/radiation therapy.

Reflux is a common cause. Acidic and nonacidic matter backwashes from the stomach and hits the bottom part of the throat. This causes irritation to the voice box. Reflux is provoked by triggers like spicy foods, alcohol, caffeine, carbonated drinks, and smoking. As a defense against reflux, the throat lines itself with a mucus coating. However, the more backwash, the more mucus, and this results in excessive throat clearing, persistent cough, or that frog-in-the-throat feeling.

Other symptoms that often follow this mucus build-up are difficulty swallowing, noisy breathing, or even neurological warning signs such as weakness, numbness, slurred speech, or facial paralysis.

The best defense against reflux and the other potential causes of that a froggy throat is to avoid the dietary and lifestyle habits that trigger it. But keep in mind that that frog can also be a warning sign of enlarged tonsils, dehydration, environmental irritants, excessive talking, shouting, or singing in a way that strains the vocal chords.

Keep your voice healthy—the rest of your body, too—by staying hydrated, taking time to rest your voice during times when you must use it a lot, don’t smoke and don’t breathe in other irritants as much as possible. Use a humidifier and avoid medication that causes dryness unless needed. Eliminate caffeine and alcohol from your diet. Avoid eating or drinking within three hours of lying down, lose weight, reduce stress, and remove spicy, fatty and acidic foods, and instead follow a more Mediterranean-like diet, excluding meat.

Most cases resolve themselves over time, but if this frogginess persists for more than four weeks, or if it is not a result of allergies or a virus or diet, it is recommended that a physician be consulted as soon as possible. Chronic throat clearing, regardless of the cause, can damage your vocal chords over time.

Here are some home remedies that might help:

  • Sip water
  • Suck on sugar-free lozenges
  • Swallow twice
  • Yawn
  • Cough

Sources: nbcnews.com/healthmain/ahem-what-frog-throat-anyway; bing.com/copilot/what+causes+the+frog+in+my+throat; wexnermedical.osu.edu/blog/is-that-frog-in-your-throat-a-sign-of-a-serious-illness; healthline.com/health/clearing-throat

If You Can Believe

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“Then one of the crowd answered and said, ‘Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit. And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not.’

“He answered him and said, ‘O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him [the child] to Me.’ Then they brought him to Him. And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth.

“So He asked his father, ‘How long has this been happening to him?’ And he said, ‘From childhood. And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.’

“Jesus said to him, ‘If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.’ Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, ‘Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!’ ” Mark 9:17–24

“Every human being can come to Christ. ‘Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us.’ Titus 3:5. Do you feel that because you are a sinner you cannot hope to receive blessing from God? Remember that Christ came into the world to save sinners. We have nothing to recommend us to God; the plea that we may urge now and ever is our utterly helpless condition, which makes His redeeming power a necessity. Renouncing all self-dependence, we may look to the cross of Calvary and say:

‘In my hand no price I bring;

‘Simply to Thy cross I cling.’

“ ‘If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.’ Mark 9:23. It is faith that connects us with heaven and brings us strength for coping with the powers of darkness. In Christ, God has provided means for subduing every evil trait and resisting every temptation, however strong. But many feel that they lack faith, and therefore they remain away from Christ. Let these souls, in their helpless unworthiness, cast themselves upon the mercy of their compassionate Saviour. Look not to self, but to Christ. He who healed the sick and cast out demons when He walked among men is still the same mighty Redeemer. Then grasp His promises as leaves from the tree of life: ‘Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out.’ John 6:37. As you come to Him, believe that He accepts you, because He has promised. You can never perish while you do this—never.” The Ministry of Healing, 65, 66

Lord, we cling to you. Help our unbelief.

Mother – Queen of the Household

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The king upon his throne has no higher work than has the mother. The mother is queen of her household. She has in her power the molding of her children’s characters, that they may be fitted for the higher, immortal life. An angel could not ask for a higher mission; for in doing this work she is doing service for God. Let her only realize the high character of her task, and it will inspire her with courage. Let her realize the worth of her work and put on the whole armor of God, that she may resist the temptation to conform to the world’s standard. Her work is for time and for eternity. …

There are opportunities of inestimable worth, interests infinitely precious, committed to every mother. The humble round of duties which women have come to regard as a wearisome task should be looked upon as a grand and noble work. It is the mother’s privilege to bless the world by her influence, and in doing this she will bring joy to her own heart. She may make straight paths for the feet of her children through sunshine and shadow to the glorious heights above. But it is only when she seeks, in her own life, to follow the teachings of Christ that the mother can hope to form the character of her children after the divine pattern. …

There is a God above, and the light and glory from His throne rests upon the faithful mother as she tries to educate her children to resist the influence of evil. No other work can equal hers in importance. She has not, like the artist, to paint a form of beauty upon canvas; nor, like the sculptor, to chisel it from marble. She has not, like the author, to embody a noble thought in words of power; nor, like the musician, to express a beautiful sentiment in melody. It is hers, with the help of God, to develop in a human soul the likeness of the divine.

The mother who appreciates this will regard her opportunities as priceless. Earnestly will she seek, in her own character and by her methods of training, to present before her children the highest ideal. Earnestly, patiently, courageously, she will endeavor to improve her own abilities, that she may use aright the highest powers of the mind in the training of her children. Earnestly will she inquire at every step, “What hath God spoken?” Diligently she will study His word. She will keep her eyes fixed upon Christ, that her own daily experience, in the lowly round of care and duty, may be a true reflection of the one true Life. …

Let every mother feel that her moments are priceless; her work will be tested in the solemn day of accounts. Then it will be found that many of the failures and crimes of men and women have resulted from the ignorance and neglect of those whose duty it was to guide their childish feet in the right way. Then it will be found that many who have blessed the world with the light of genius and truth and holiness owe the principles that were the mainspring of their influence and success to a praying, Christian mother.

The Adventist Home, 231–239

Story – Ask in Faith, Nothing Wavering

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“Welcome” was the simple message read by friend or stranger when he climbed the stone steps that led to the trim cottage on Evans Lane. Everyone who knew those who lived within was aware that it wasn’t just an empty word used to grace the doormat, for many a tired, hungry wayfarer had found the hospitality of this friendly home awaiting them.

It was the bright smile of Myra Davis that most adorned the place. But the mere adornment was not its intent, for she found real joy in sharing her happiness with others. Perhaps the constant care her mother required in her illness had intensified her willingness to brighten life’s drabness in ways that only Myra could.

She it was who washed and starched the fluffy yellow curtains at the kitchen window and baked the flaky apple pies that filled the house with their aroma, which drifted down the lane each Friday morning.

She too had trimmed the shrubbery that lined the walk and trained the scarlet rambler to bend its beauty over the porch near Mother’s window.

Poor Mother, Myra thought, and she sighed as she bent to cut the grass choking the pansies. Her mother’s heart condition had been critically worse of late, but she was extremely patient when her bad spells came. If only she didn’t suffer so! Myra prayed constantly that the Lord would spare Mother pain and not take her suddenly when Myra wasn’t near to bring the relief that Dr. Thomas had provided. With good care Mother would live for years, he had told them; it was only these sudden attacks that were dangerous.

She glanced through the open window to where Mother lay, her ashen face turned toward the light. Her lips were moving, “Myra,” she was whispering, “hurry!”

Dropping the grass shears, Myra ran quickly up the steps, through the kitchen and into the adjoining room. Despite the fact that her mother’s calls had been frequent of late, she felt alarmed as she saw how unusually pale she looked now.

Without hesitation Myra began the routine to which she had become accustomed. She wheeled the oxygen tank from the closet to the bedside, and she carefully adjusted the valve after hurriedly placing the tent over the pale, gasping patient.

In a few moments she sighed in relief, for her mother’s white face had flushed slightly and she was breathing normally. Within an hour Mother had fallen asleep. The tent was removed and the tank returned to the closet.

Later, at sundown, Myra sat by the open window watching the twilight steal across the valley and listening to the woodland concert in the nearby grove of evergreens. A nightingale’s lusty notes all but drowned out the call of a whippoorwill and a brown thrush. From the distance, a great horned owl called gloomily. When the moon rose behind the hill she was still sitting there, watching its silvery beams until they found the brook below the house.

Myra’s reverie was broken by a sudden choking sound. Turning, she switched on the light. Mother was breathing with difficulty again. Quickly, Myra prepared to administer the oxygen again. Turning the handle, she waited for the familiar sound. The silence was ominous. There was no more oxygen!

Myra was terrified. What could she do? The tank had scarcely been used since it had been delivered. Surely it couldn’t have been emptied already.

She tried again. Could it be possible that by mistake the hospital had sent out a tank that was almost empty? The sufferer’s eyes sought hers.

“Just a minute, Mother,” Myra said quietly and then she turned and fled from the bedside.

“Oh heavenly Father,” Myra prayed from the corner of her room, “please help me to know what to do. Send help, Lord, for I cannot leave Mother while she is this way.”

“Mother,” she began, scarcely knowing just what she would say, and surprising herself when she finished the sentence, “you must try to manage without the oxygen for a few minutes. Try to breathe as normally as you can for a while to see if you can strengthen your respiratory system. Will you try?”

Her mother’s eyes closed, and she attempted to nod in reply.

At that moment there was a knock on the door. When Myra opened it, she found their nearest neighbor, Mrs. Parker, standing there. She was attempting to apologize for her late call when the girl all but swept her off her feet in welcome.

“Oh, Mrs. Parker, I am so glad you came. I’ve been praying that someone would! Surely you are the answer to that prayer,” and she dabbed the corner of her eye with the hem of her apron while she told the older woman what had happened.

Mrs. Parker suggested she call the police emergency squad at once, because the hospital ambulance was usually out on call. The telephone operator supplied the number, and the police promised to send immediate aid.

Myra returned to her mother’s room and knelt by the bed. The gasps were coming more quickly now. The suffering eyes looked imploringly into her own.

“Now,” the woman choked, looking at the gauge.

Calmly, Myra placed the tent in its proper position and turned on the valve. There was no sound.

“Father, all things are in Thy hands,” she prayed silently as she bowed by her mother’s side.

Suddenly a radiant glow seemed to fill the room. Was there a heavenly hand upon her shoulder? A voice whispered, “When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee.”

The girl was trembling. Surely she was in the very presence of a divine being. She had done all that she could; now heaven had sent aid that no human being could give. All fear vanished, and she raised her head in grateful adoration.

The light was gone, but her mother lay resting quietly. The oxygen was flowing freely into the tent!

It was nearly half an hour later when the new supply of oxygen was brought from the local hospital and replaced the empty tank that had so miraculously provided life for Mrs. Davis.

Myra stood at the window watching Mrs. Parker disappear down the moonlit lane until she was lost in the shadows of the night.

“Surely,” she said softly, “God does work in mysterious ways His wonders to perform!”

My Favorite Prayer Stories, Joe L. Wheeler, ©2015, 160–163

Disinterested Benevolence

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There is a phrase one encounters in reading the Spirit of Prophecy that might fall somewhat curiously on the ears when first encountered. Continued reading and study will help you to gain a fairly good understanding of the concept expressed in the phrase, and the more one comes to understand it, the more you may realize that you don’t practice it as much as you should.

It was one of several concepts presented in the Spirit of Prophecy that, although perhaps understood in a shallow way by the world, has a depth of meaning that the inspired writings of Ellen G. White make unmistakably clear.

One such concept is “presumption.” You could probably ask a dozen strangers to explain presumption for you and not one would state that it is Satan’s counterfeit of faith. Yet that aspect of the word is explored and explained in great detail in inspired writings.

The phrase that might initially provoke a bit of puzzlement is “disinterested benevolence.” If you are a long-term Seventh-day Adventist, the phrase is undoubtedly familiar to you and probably well understood. However, when initially encountered, its full meaning might be a bit of an enigma. It isn’t too hard to understand either “disinterested” or “benevolence,” but, putting the two together might cause a bit of puzzlement.

However, its relative frequent appearance in the Spirit of Prophecy and the significance placed on it in inspired writings, should provoke deep study to ferret out its broader meaning and help determine why such emphasis is placed on it in divine counsel.

Let’s start our study by reading a few quotes that contain the phrase.

Speaking of Christ, it reads, “His life was without selfish interest, but ever marked with disinterested benevolence.” Early Writings, 268

If Christ is to be our example in all things, it seems self-evident that disinterested benevolence is a character trait that all of His followers need to possess. And this passage also makes it clear that disinterested benevolence is the opposite of selfish interest, and thus we begin to understand the phrase: selfish interest on one hand … disinterested benevolence on the other.

“I saw that it is in the providence of God that widows and orphans, the blind, the deaf, the lame, and persons afflicted in a variety of ways, have been placed in close Christian relationship to His church; it is to prove His people and develop their true character.” Testimonies, Vol. 3, 511

This is why the poor will always be with us—to prove God’s people and develop their true character.

“Angels of God are watching to see how we treat these persons who need our sympathy, love, and disinterested benevolence. This is God’s test of our character. If we have the true religion of the Bible we shall feel that a debt of love, kindness, and interest is due to Christ in behalf of His brethren; and we can do no less than to show our gratitude for His immeasurable love to us while we were sinners unworthy of His grace, by having a deep interest and unselfish love for those who are our brethren and who are less fortunate than ourselves.” Ibid.

This passage places disinterested benevolence on an equal standing with sympathy and love, thereby indicating how important it is as an aspect of Christian character. It should also give us a little more depth to our understanding by revealing that it involves a “deep interest and unselfish love” for those who are less fortunate than ourselves.

In continuing to search for the phrase in inspired writings, it is interesting to note that, although the exact phrase occurs only once in The Desire of Ages, the concept is a recurring theme and is described as a character trait that served as one of the reasons for Christ’s rejection by the established church in His day.

“Jesus had now given three years of public labor to the world. His example of self-denial and disinterested benevolence was before them. His life of purity, of suffering and devotion, was known to all. Yet this short period of three years was as long as the world could endure the presence of its Redeemer.” Op. Cit., 541. He was simply too good for the world to tolerate!

We see in this passage, however, that disinterested benevolence involves self-denial. That is confirmed in another passage in inspired writings. Written to an Elder Hull in 1863, he initially acknowledged that it was just counsel, but he later protested against it and eventually left the faith.

“God’s people will be sifted, even as corn is sifted in a sieve, until all the chaff is separated from the pure kernels of grain. We are to look to Christ for an example and imitate the humble pattern. You do not feel reconciled to the discipline you need and do not exercise and practice that self-denial which Christ requires of those who are truly heirs of salvation. Those who are engaged in the work of saving souls are coworkers with Christ. His was a work of disinterested benevolence, of constant self-sacrifice. Those who have had so great a sacrifice made for them that they might become partakers of His heavenly grace should in their turn sacrifice and deny self to aid in the great work of bringing others to the knowledge of the truth. Self-interest should be laid aside; selfish desires and self-comfort should not now stand in the way of God’s work in saving souls.” Testimonies, Vol. 1, 431

Self-interest, selfish desires, and self-comfort—avoiding these character traits is directly contrary to the human heart, which is naturally motivated by selfish, self-serving interests. To state it differently, these three traits are common to the natural heart—and are so from birth!

In addressing this aspect of human nature, Inspiration states this:

“There exists in the hearts of many an element of selfishness which clings to them like the leprosy. They have so long consulted their own wishes, their own pleasure and convenience, that they do not feel that others have claims upon them. Their thoughts, plans, and efforts are for themselves. They live for self, and do not cultivate disinterested benevolence, which if exercised, would increase and strengthen until it would be their delight to live for others’ good. This selfishness must be seen and overcome, for it is a grievous sin in the sight of God. They need to exercise a more special interest for humanity; and in thus doing, they would bring their souls into closer connection with Christ, and would be imbued with His Spirit, so that they would cleave to Him with so firm a tenacity that nothing could separate them from His love.” In Heavenly Places, 232

The prime example of disinterested benevolence in Scripture is the classic story of the Good Samaritan. In an in-depth analysis of this event, there is a two-part series in The Signs of the Times, July 16 and 23, 1894, in which Mrs. White explores the many lessons to be learned from this story.

“After Christ had shown up the cruelty and selfishness manifested by the representatives of the nation [the priest and the Levite who had passed by on the other side], he brought forward the Samaritan, who was despised, hated, and cursed by the Jews, and set him before them as one who possessed attributes of character far superior to those possessed by those who claimed exalted righteousness. The Samaritan manifested the pity and love that the priest and Levite gave no evidence of possessing. He gave a demonstration that he had a heart that could feel for suffering humanity, that he had nobility of soul to show mercy to one whom he knew not, that his love was of the right quality, flowing out in disinterested benevolence, and making him treat the wounded stranger as he would desire to be treated were he placed in similar circumstances.”

And then she adds, “Everyone who claims to be a child of God should note every detail of this lesson.” Ibid., July 23, 1894

If there is ever a time when our interests should be outwardly directed and when every detail of this lesson should be understood and practiced, it is now as we see ever more clearly, that the Lord’s coming is drawing nearer each day. We must commit to utilizing every opportunity to practice a bit of disinterested benevolence and to spread abroad the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

John R. Pearson is the office manager and a board member of Steps to Life. He may be contacted by email at johnpearson@stepstolife.org

The Education That We Need

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Today, universal education in highly-developed countries is taken for granted. However, this has not always been the case everywhere. Over the centuries, access to education has evolved, and the influence of Christianity on this matter has been significant and continues to be. Let’s begin with the fact that according to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, every child has the right to education. However, for many, education remains a privilege. In 2021 alone, 244 million children and adolescents aged 6 to 18 worldwide still did not attend school.1 If you cannot read, write, and count, you are condemned to extreme poverty. Your life then becomes a cycle of endless misery in every dimension of human existence. We can only imagine how radically the lives of these children would change if they acquired the basic skills of reading, writing, and arithmetic. Universal and free access to elementary education has the power to transform the most impoverished societies. There is no doubt that education helps eliminate poverty by giving people a chance for a better life. Why?

The Importance of Education

By developing critical and logical thinking skills, education helps us make sound decisions and enhances our communication skills through learning to read, write, speak, and listen. Education undoubtedly contributes to personal development, enabling us to acquire the knowledge, skills, and competencies necessary to achieve our goals. Through education, we better understand the laws governing the world, which in turn allows us to learn how to change and improve it. A goal of education is to assist individuals in coping with life and making a contribution to society. School is not only a place where we acquire knowledge but also where we form our first friendships, learn social norms, cooperation, empathy, and respect for others. It is where we learn to solve problems, communicate effectively, and work in teams. Thanks to education, we learn to be responsible citizens and actively participate in social life. If we understand education in such a broad sense as upbringing, which encompasses both shaping a person’s character and imparting knowledge, then we cannot overstate the role of education in shaping a civil society.

A More Just World

Educational access is unquestionably one of the most critical factors in creating more aware and socially just human communities. The universality of education for the weakest and poorest, who are at the bottom of any given society, certainly influences the improvement of the entire society. Therefore, it’s not surprising that education today is primarily associated and linked with financial security, success, and stability. A better-educated society contributes to national economic growth. Hence, we can say that the level of social development depends on the educational level of society.

Education according to the Greeks

For the Greeks, man was at the center of their thinking about the world. Therefore, the Greeks understood human education as the improvement of the individual. In upbringing, it was important to shape a person’s character so that he could fulfill his public role as best as possible. The good of the individual and the good of the community appeared to the Greeks as inseparable.2 Today, in secular systems of universal education in countries broadly defined as the West, education is primarily focused on knowledge transmission. The emphasis has shifted towards the universality of teaching, while upbringing has been delegated to religion and the family. The question remains whether education based solely on the transmission of knowledge is sufficient for the individual and society.

Disrupted Balance

Today, most educational systems in Western civilization are secular. God has been pushed outside the scope of education. Ellen White accurately writes about the need to maintain balance in education: “The laws obeyed by the earth reveal the fact that it is under the masterly power of an infinite God. The same principles run through the spiritual and the natural world. Divorce God and His wisdom from the acquisition of knowledge, and you have a lame, one-sided education, dead to all the saving qualities which give power to man, so that he is incapable of acquiring immortality through faith in Christ.”3 The pioneers of Adventism understood this principle well; therefore, Adventists began developing education based on biblical values, where individuals were to develop their full potential for the benefit of society and the church, while simultaneously cultivating their relationship with God. Today, Adventism can boast “the second-largest parochial school system in the world, with more than 7,500 schools in nearly 150 countries serving 1.5 million students. Local schools operate under the umbrella of Adventist education, so even the smallest schools are part of a worldwide network of dedicated educators and Bible-based curriculum.”4

The Beginnings of Education in the Western World

Christian education emerged in the early Middle Ages, following the fall of the Roman Empire. During the medieval era, the Roman Catholic Church became a total institution, aiming to subordinate all spheres of human life to itself. This naturally extended to education. Education was monopolized by the Catholic clergy, starting from the lowest-level schools and extending to universities. Medieval schools were cosmopolitan in the sense that Latin was the universally used language, and there was a lack of attachment to matters related to a particular country or region. Catholic clergy were primarily associated with the papacy rather than with the country in which they worked. Hence, all schools in Europe had very similar programs, limited to the teaching of Latin, the Catholic religion, occasionally grammar, rhetoric, and dialectics [the art of investigating or discussing the truth of opinions].5

The Innovativeness of Reformation Education

The reformers and scholars of that era accurately sensed that the relationship between humanity and divinity, as well as among fellow humans, can only undergo positive change through education. The logical conclusion may be that no change on a social, political, or institutional level may be achieved unless preceded by a similar change in intellectual and spiritual education.6 The reformers recognized the relationship between solidifying the principles of the Reformation and the reform of education. Schools were not to be primarily used to propagate new religious ideas, but above all, they should reflect Reformation theology, which was to manifest itself in a new pedagogy.7 Undoubtedly innovative was Martin Luther’s approach, who advocated for compulsory elementary education for boys and girls from all social classes.8 According to him, everyone should be able to read the Bible, which is the sole standard of Christian doctrine and practice. It was not only important to possess the skill of reading biblical texts but also to study and interpret them.

New Teaching Methods

The reformers, aware that Reformation theology must have consequences for education, initiated a great breakthrough in education, including methods, curricula, and above all, the universality of education for all members of society. Medieval education and Catholic schools had entirely different goals from the new Protestant schools because they had a completely different model of human beings. Protestant schools differed fundamentally in three main spheres where they introduced innovative, humanistic solutions. These were the following:

School organization, school curricula, and teaching methods. In the 16th century, national consciousness and a sense of national sovereignty began to form, and this was evident in schools, in their organization and curricula.

It was also evident in the emphasis on the universality of teaching and, of course, in the use of national languages ​​rather than Latin in teaching.

Children of both townspeople and peasants largely attended these schools.9

Reformation education recognizes the child

Martin Luther criticized the traditional schools where singing and prayer prevailed, and education amounted to reading and memorizing certain content. Luther advocated for explanation to become the fundamental teaching category in Christian schools. Debates and scientific discussions, for which students had to prepare in advance, were most often organized. The incredibly innovative approach of Protestant schools is manifested in the belief of Protestant educators in the child’s intellect, starting from the youngest child who begins to learn in school. The teacher was supposed to help develop the child’s abilities, guide, and assist, but often, reaching conclusions was left to the students themselves.10 Another great reformer and educator, known as the father of modern pedagogy, Jan Amos Comenius, wrote the first book specifically for children—Orbis Sensualium Pictus (Picture of the Sensual World)—in which he used pictures to explain the names of phenomena, objects, and ideas. Comenius’ views were on a large scale realized only at the beginning of the 19th century. In the spirit of the Reformation, a new ideal of a debating society is created, in which the subjectivity and responsibility of the individual, including the child, are taken seriously.11 It is impossible to resist the thought that the subjective approach to the child is also a return to the words of Jesus: “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them, for of such is the kingdom of God.” Mark 10:14. The leap from medieval schools run by the Catholic Church was therefore immense.

The Counter-Reformation

The Catholic Church, aware of the advancements of the Reformation, established the Jesuit order in the 16th century, with the aim of combating the Protestant Reformation. Since then, nothing has changed. Just as the Reformation did not end and continues still, so too does the Counter Reformation persist. The Jesuit order pledged absolute obedience to the papacy, serving as the papal police and intelligence service. The pope entrusted them [the Jesuits] to Catholic kings and princes as confessors and advisors, which allowed them to engage in extensive intrigue. The order, in every country, inherently sided with forces whose victory could ensure triumph over the Reformation. In Protestant states, the order called for resistance to authority, while in Catholic ones (where part of the population was Protestant), it advocated for absolutism. Understanding the importance of education in shaping the minds of young people and future generations, the Jesuits sought to take over education at all levels.12

Education in the Hands of the Jesuits

In Poland, where the Reformation was dynamically developing, education was destroyed by the Jesuits through political intrigues, incitement to unrest, and social disturbances. When the Jesuits achieved their goal—limiting the rights and freedoms of Protestants—they dominated the entire educational system, through which they exerted enormous influence on the development of the nation and the state. The Jesuits acted in the same way in other countries. Future political elites of all Catholic countries were educated in Jesuit schools, ensuring the indoctrination of future kings and popes. Since the Counter Reformation, little has changed. The order still operates in secrecy and through intrigue. Not without reason, this order has been expelled from many countries throughout its history. In addition to overt Jesuits, there are individuals indoctrinated by them working at numerous universities or belonging to their schools. It must be acknowledged that the Jesuits possess one of the largest education systems in the world. It may be shocking to see the number of politicians or political advisors who were educated at Jesuit universities, such as Georgetown University. As a result, the order still has a huge influence on political elites and the shaping of state policies.13

The Legacy of the Reformation in Education

Great Britain exported Protestantism to its colonies worldwide, deeply shaping their educational systems as well. Here, too, Protestants introduced mass education, including formal education for women. As early as 1647, in Massachusetts, a law was enacted mandating the establishment of schools in every major settlement. Children were required to learn to read in English so they could read the Bible daily. In this way, education became compulsory and widespread for girls as well by the mid-17th century, which was rare in Europe at that time.14 The educational reforms and the advancement of science prepared the United States to assume the role of a global power at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. It’s worth noting that Protestant missionaries in the British colonies were the first to provide education beyond the basic level. As a result of these reforms, enrollment rates in schools were significantly higher than in Catholic colonies. According to an international study conducted by a researcher from the University of Bath (UK), the enduring historical legacy of Protestantism still has a significant, positive impact on enrollment rates in secondary schools worldwide.15

The Prussian education model yesterday and today

The compulsory system of universal education in Europe emerged in the 19th century in Prussia. The Prussian system aimed to produce obedient and compliant citizens. Typical of the Prussian education model is the division into lessons for specific fields of knowledge, the ringing of bells, and examinations. Indeed, Prussia addressed the issue of illiteracy. At that time, it was an extremely innovative system. However, many of the principles of the Prussian education system still function in modern schools, even though more than 200 years have passed. Goals and opportunities have changed. Today, just a few clicks give us access to encyclopedic knowledge. There have also been new studies on how our brains work. We now know that a strict division into subjects may not be necessary, and the passive transmission of knowledge may prove ineffective, while using exams as a motivation for learning may result in forgetting the material shortly after the test. Our brains prefer novelty and utility. The Prussian model does not take this into account. Today’s school should develop skills in effective communication, cooperation, critical thinking, and creativity.16

Problems and Challenges

Contemporary education faces numerous problems for which there are no easy answers. Schools often prove ineffective for various categories of students, leading to an increasing gap between children from affluent families, who achieve better academic results, and other children, especially those from impoverished families and minority groups. Today’s education system also perpetuates social divisions, shifting the blame for lack of success onto the individual, often the child, rather than the existing social order. Furthermore, modern education promotes a race to accumulate more and more diplomas, just to be able to function in a rapidly-changing society. One can often get the impression that the current education system is an industry that churns out cogs well-suited to the existing socio-economic system. Another issue is the excessive transmission of knowledge, which is rather ineffective and wastes students’ time: historical dates of battles, the structure of a tardigrade, or the vastness of chemical reactions of elements. Today’s schools rarely teach practical vocational skills, and fail to foster critical thinking and creativity. Secular education offers no chance for the development of one’s own spirituality, sensitivity to beauty, understanding of differences, and the ability to advocate for a particular worldview.

Towards Better Education

In the current rapidly-changing world, which is becoming increasingly complex, we need to continually reform education. What worked in the 16th or 19th centuries cannot automatically be expected to work in the 21st century. We need engaged and holistic education that takes into account the latest knowledge about how the brain works while also addressing the needs of every individual inscribed by God in the human heart. The foundation of such education should always be the Bible, whether we’re talking about Adventist education or secular education. Whether one is educated in a public school or at a university, let the Bible be the basis of all education, even if it is not included in the curriculum. Ellen White eloquently writes: “God opens the understanding of men in a marked manner if His words are brought into the practical life of the student, and the Bible is recognized as the precious, wonderful book that it is. Nothing is to come between this book and the student as more essential; for it is that wisdom which, brought into the practical life, makes men wise through time and through eternity. God is revealed in nature; God is revealed in His word. The Bible is the most wonderful of all histories, for it is the production of God, not of the finite mind. It carries us back through the centuries to the beginning of all things, presenting the history of times and scenes which would otherwise never have been known. It reveals the glory of God in the working of His providence to save a fallen world. It presents in the simplest language the mighty power of the gospel, which, received, would cut the chains that bind men to Satan’s chariot.”17

Endnotes:

1  https://world-education-blog.org/2022/09/01/new-measurement-shows-that-244-million-children-and-youth-are-out-of-school/, accessibility: 13.03.2024

2  J.Filek, Rola edukacji w kształtowaniu społeczeństwa obywatelskiego, Prakseologia 145/2005, p. 44

3  E. G. White, Fundamentals of Christian Education, p. 375

4  https://adventisteducation.org/who, accessibility: 14.03.2024

5  https://forumewangelickie.eu/index.php/swiecka-codziennosc/184-nowatorstwo-szkol-protestanckich-w-okresie-reformacji-xvi-xvii-w, accessibility: 17.03.2024

6  M. Androne, The Influence of the Protestant Reformation on Education, Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences 137/2014, p. 81

7  B. Milerski, Pedagogiczne dziedzictwo protestantyzmu, Gdański rocznik ewangelicki, vol. VI/2012, p. 189

8  https://phys.org/news/2018-09-protestantism.html, accessibility: 17.03.2024

9  https://forumewangelickie.eu/index.php/swiecka-codziennosc/184-nowatorstwo-szkol-protestanckich-w-okresie-reformacji-xvi-xvii-w, accessibility: 17.03.2024

10            Ibiden, accessibility: 17.03.2024

11            B. Milerski, Pedagogiczne dziedzictwo protestantyzmu, Gdański rocznik ewangelicki, vol. VI/2012, pp. 189, 192

12            J. Dunkel, Apokalipsa, Orion plus 2001, p. 61

13            https://biblia-odchwaszczona.webnode.page/news/po-owocach-ich-poznacie-ewangelia-mateusza-7-20/,  accessibility: 17.03.2024

14            R. Rybkowski, Polityka Pomocnik Historyczny, 10/2013, p. 111

15            https://brill.com/view/journals/coso/17/5/article-p641_6.xml, accessibility: 18.03.2024

16            https://strefaedukacji.pl/szkola-dawniej-i-dzis-kiedy-narodzil-sie-pruski-system-edukacji-i-dlaczego-wciaz-ksztalcimy-w-nim-dzieci/ar/c5-16817225,  accessibility: 18.03.2024

17            E.G. White, Fundamentals of Christian Education, p. 376

Marcin Watras lives in Katowice, Poland. He is interested in the philosophy of religion and trends in society. He works for the European Union.

Crucified with Christ

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“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

Galatians 2:20

Saul of Tarsus was a Jew, a Pharisee, and a zealous persecutor of the Christian church. “Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.” Acts 9:1, 2. When a Christian met someone walking on the road, he would ask, “Are you of the way?” This was how Christians identified each other. If the answer was in the affirmative, then each of them knew they had found a Christian brother.

On his journey to Damascus, Saul carried with him letters granting him the authority to round up Christian Jews, arrest them, and bring them back to Jerusalem where they would be tried in the Jewish court. But something miraculous and unimaginable happened to Saul on that journey.

“As he journeyed, he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’ ” Verses 3, 4

Friend, did God know Saul? Yes, He did. In fact, God knows your name, where you live, what you do, and where you are headed. He can, at any time He chooses, address any member of the human family by their first and last name.

Saul is stricken by this bright light. He hears this voice and falls on the ground shaking and says, “ ‘Lord, what do you want me to do?’ Then the Lord said to him, ‘Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.’ ” Verse 6. That is a very brief description of what happened that day on the Damascus Road. If you read the full account in Acts 26, you will see that Jesus gave Saul detailed instructions that he should bear witness to what he had seen, experienced, and all that Jesus would, in time, show him. This is when Saul was crucified with Christ and became Paul. You see, you cannot truly witness for Christ until you have been crucified with Him.

According to the Bible, a human being has three parts.

“Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Thessalonians 5:23

Notice, a human being has a spirit, a soul, and a body. So when Paul said, “I am crucified with Christ,” was he saying that he was crucified on a tree as Christ was? No.

The Bible refers to the soul as being the mind or a person’s intellectual capability, his or her ability to analyze, to reason, to remember, and to think. Was Paul’s mind, his mental nature, crucified? No. In fact, we find that his mind was stimulated by the experience. Inspiration tells us that, though he was blind, he reviewed all the prophecies about the Messiah in his mind.

So, if Paul was crucified with Christ and it was not in his body or soul, it must then be that Paul was crucified with Christ in his spirit. Man’s spirit has to do with his feelings and emotions. The Bible often calls man’s spirit his heart.

“Out of the heart proceed the issues of life.” Proverbs 4:23

“A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” Luke 6:45

“But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.” Matthew 15:18, 19

Saul’s heart was filled with hatred and murder toward the Christians. But when the light from heaven encompassed Saul on the Damascus Road, it was like a sword piercing through his spirit. His spirit was shattered, completely broken; it was crucified.

Man’s natural heart is hard like a stone and his natural nature is selfish, and, therefore, sinful. It wants to do things its own way, to think and feel the way it wants. But God wants to do something miraculous in our lives. “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” Ezekiel 36:26

All the while Saul was hating, hunting down, and putting Christians in jail, Jesus was preparing a new heart for him. He planned to remove his stony heart and replace it with one that would have a new spirit, a heart crucified and restored, so that it would seek to do the will of God.

When my old man—my natural self—is crucified with Christ, the Lord will remove my heart of stone and give me a new heart of flesh and put a new spirit in me. But here is the problem. The devil comes and tempts you and me, and sometimes, our crucified old nature is allowed to take charge of our lives again. Then we are back to the person we were before—bitter speech, selfish words, self-exaltation, jealousy, anxiety, strife, dissension in the church, and so much more. Whenever there is dissension or division in the church or in a group of Christian people or a Christian family, someone has let the old man come down from the cross; they are not crucified anymore.

But here Paul says, “I am … .” He didn’t say he was, or that he would be. He says, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me.” (KJV). I must ask myself that if I were to say, right now, that I am crucified with Christ, would my recording angel be able to write down that I have told the truth or that I told a lie?

Today, even among God’s people, too often, the old man comes down off the cross and we start acting like we are unconverted. This is what happened to the Corinthian church. “Brethren, I could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal.” 1 Corinthians 3:1. “You are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?” Verse 3

Paul says more, “the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20, last part, KJV). Love has to do with the spiritual nature of man. Jesus loved me. He loves me now, and everything that He did on this earth, the life He lived and the sacrifice He made were all done because of His love for me.

The Bible says that Christ was fully human, with a physical nature, a mental nature, and a spiritual nature. Kneeling in the garden of Gethsemane, He looked down the stream of time and saw the entirety of mankind. That day in the garden, He knew each of us by name. But He didn’t just know us, He loved us. Friends, we do not have the spiritual capability to understand what Jesus did on Calvary, nor the depth of His love.

“Only by love is love awakened. To know God is to love Him; His character must be manifested in contrast to the character of Satan. This work only one Being in all the universe could do. Only He who knew the height and depth of the love of God could make it known. Upon the world’s dark night the Sun of Righteousness must rise, ‘with healing in His wings.’ Malachi 4:2

“The plan for our redemption was not an afterthought, a plan formulated after the fall of Adam. It was a revelation of ‘the mystery which hath been kept in silence through times eternal.’ Romans 16:25, R. V. It was an unfolding of the principles that from eternal ages have been the foundation of God’s throne. … God did not ordain that sin should exist, but He foresaw its existence, and made provision to meet the terrible emergency. So great was His love for the world, that He covenanted to give His only-begotten Son, ‘that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ John 3:16.” The Desire of Ages, 22

While Jesus hung on the cross, some of those standing by as witnesses to His crucifixion said, “You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross. … And we will believe You.” Matthew 27:40, 42, last part. Jesus could have done that. He could have decided that His 33 years of life in this world was enough—and too much. He could have chosen to go back to heaven. His life, and, particularly, His death was a voluntary act. The decision to execute the plan of salvation was made before the beginning of the world. He did not have to go to the cross, but if He had not, I would be lost, and so would you.

So, to be crucified with Christ, I must make a voluntary choice to have this miraculous work done in my life, just as Jesus voluntarily chose to come to this earth as a man, to live and die, so that mankind could be saved. God did not force Jesus, and He will never force you or me.

You cannot force anyone to love you, and God knew that only by the greatest, most powerful display of love that had ever been seen in the history of the universe, would mankind be awakened from its stupor of selfishness and sin. In the incarnation of Jesus Christ and His sacrifice on the cross, God’s incomprehensible love was displayed to the entire universe.

Peter wrote, “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory.” 1 Peter 1:6–8

In one generation, the story of the incarnation, the crucifixion, especially the resurrection and the ascension of Jesus Christ to heaven, and His promise that He would return again went to the entire inhabited world. And people listened.

John, the beloved, said, “We love Him because He first loved us.” 1 John 4:19. As I look at the life of Jesus, I find that the defilement of sin that is in me is not in Him. Sin does not come at me just from the outside, but is a part of me on the inside; you might say, it’s in my DNA. And you then might say, as Paul did, “Lord, what do you want me to do?”

Jesus says that if I am weary and burdened and will come to Him, He will yoke Himself together with me and I will have rest in my soul. This rest doesn’t mean that you won’t have trials or troubles. Sin is still in the world, and we will have to face it every day. But, if I say that I love Jesus, if I allow Him to be a moment-by-moment part of my life, then I will surrender my life to Him and work to remove from it the things that I know are wrong. Then He will walk beside me providing peace and grace even through the most difficult times. Many people today claim that they love God, but God has to correct them, because they continue to hold on to the sinful things of this world that keep them separated from Him. No, He says, they do not love Me because they are not willing to give up all for Me.

Friend, is there any sinful thing in your life that needs to be let go of, removed?

“Christ hates sin. From Him evil met with stern rebuke. But while He hates sin, He loves the sinner. Laying aside His riches and glory, He came to this earth to seek for us, sinful, erring, unhappy, that He might lead us to heaven. He humbled Himself, and took upon Him our nature, that He might make us like Himself, pure and upright, free from defilement. He suffered more than any of you will ever be called to suffer. He gave His all for you. What have you given for Him?” The Signs of the Times, July 9, 1902

Jesus cannot save me unless I am willing to allow Him to take my sin away. My carnal, selfish nature must be crucified. “There is nothing so hard as the crucifixion of the will.” Our High Calling, 107. So, I must ask myself whether I have come to the place in my Christian walk where I can say to the Lord, not my will, but Your will. If I want to be saved, I must be crucified with Christ.

“When the heart yields to the influence of the Spirit of God, the conscience will be quickened, and the sinner will discern something of the depth and sacredness of God’s holy law, the foundation of His government in heaven and on earth. … [The sinner] sees the love of God, the beauty of holiness, the joy of purity; he longs to be cleansed and to be restored to communion with heaven.” Steps to Christ, 24

Being crucified with Christ means the crucifying of our sinful spirit. No one can go to heaven if they have not been crucified with Christ. Crucifying the will means to follow God wherever He leads, to accept His will rather than our own to control our lives.

It is God’s purpose that the life of Christ is to be reproduced in every one of His people, but this does not mean the body or the ability to reason. God wants my heart—the part of me that has made me a sinner. But by His power and grace, my heart can be transformed.

“Not by the decisions of courts or councils or legislative assemblies, not by the patronage of worldly great men, is the kingdom of Christ established, but by the implanting of Christ’s nature in humanity through the work of the Holy Spirit.” The Desire of Ages, 509

“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statues, and you will keep My judgments and do them.” Ezekiel 36:26, 27

Implanting Christ’s nature into humanity by the work of the Holy Spirit, giving them His spiritual nature is the only way the kingdom of Christ can be advanced. “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name; who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” John 1:12, 13. It is this power alone that uplifts mankind. And we, as the human agents for the accomplishment of this work, are to teach and practice the word of God.

“When the apostle Paul began his ministry in Corinth, that populous, wealthy, and wicked city, polluted by the nameless vices of heathenism, he said, ‘I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.’ 1 Corinthians 2:2. Writing afterward to some of those who had been corrupted by the foulest sins, he could say, ‘But ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.’ ‘I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ.’ 1 Corinthians 6:11; 1:4

“Now, as in Christ’s day, the work of God’s kingdom lies not with those who are clamoring for recognition and support by earthly rulers and human laws, but with those who are declaring to the people in His name those spiritual truths that will work in the receivers the experience of Paul: ‘I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me.’ Galatians 2:20. Then they will labor as did Paul for the benefit of men.” The Desire of Ages, 510

Friend, if you are hoping someday to wear the crown of glory and have the gift of eternal life, there must be an unreserved, total surrender of your will to God’s will. He does not accept a half surrender. He wants all of your heart. And when self is crucified, then the Holy Spirit can work a miracle of transformation in your life.

God’s purpose for the incarnation, life, death, and resurrection of Christ was so all who would behold by sight or by faith the marvelous display of His law and love, would yield their will to His will and be given a new heart and a new spirit.

“Christ, the precious Saviour, is to be the Christian’s all in all. Every holy thought, every pure desire, every Godlike purpose, is from Him who is the light, the truth, and the way. Christ is to live in His representatives by the Spirit of truth. …

“Under the mighty impulse of His love He [Jesus] took our place in the universe and invited the Ruler of all things to treat Him as a representative of the human family. He identified Himself with our interests, bared His breast for the stroke of death, took man’s guilt and its penalty, and offered in man’s behalf a complete sacrifice to God. By virtue of this atonement He has power to offer to man perfect righteousness and full salvation. Whosoever shall believe on Him as a personal Saviour shall not perish but have everlasting life.” In Heavenly Places, 65

Jesus never fails. Our only danger is that we will not be crucified with Him.

“Jesus identifies His interest with His chosen and tried people. He represents Himself as personally affected with all that concerns them. …

“His sympathy with His people is without a parallel. He will not simply remain a spectator, indifferent to what His people may suffer, but identifies Himself with their interests and sorrows. If His people are wronged, maligned, treated with contempt, their sufferings are registered in the books of heaven as done unto Him.” Ibid.

Imagine it—a world where all Christians, maybe even all of mankind, could say Christ is living in me. There would be peace, unity, humility, benevolence, selflessness, respect, and love; not the hatred, selfishness, lawlessness of every kind that we see today.

“Everyone that shall see the King in His beauty, must be without spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing. We now have an opportunity to form characters for the future life, and what a rich blessing we shall receive if we obtain the recompense of the reward! There is no comfort in sin. Men are made miserable because they refuse to obey the commandments of God. The whole world lieth in wickedness, but Christ came to remove the woe that comes as a consequence of sin. He came to our world to show us how to live a pure, holy life, and I have purposed in my heart that He shall not have lived and died in vain for me. I want to say with the apostle: ‘I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me; and the life I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me.’ I want to leave a bright track heavenward for all that may be attracted in the way of life.” The Signs of the Times, August 4, 1890

When your will is crucified, then the Holy Spirit will work a miracle inside. We should be praying for that miracle every day.

“There are many who conclude that they are saved simply because they have good impressions; but this is not enough. The entire affection must be renovated. Every individual must learn by experimental knowledge where lies his true strength. No one can leave his first love without a forfeiture of the Christian character. The Church must come up out of the wilderness, leaning upon the arm of her Beloved. When each member of the church can say, ‘I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me; and the life I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me,’ then Christ, the hope of glory, will be revealed in His people.” Ibid., August 18, 1890

God will have a people in the last generation who can say “I am crucified with Christ.” This is the biggest and best offer that mankind will ever receive and it is available to everyone in the world. But it is up to each of us to take advantage of it.

Are you willing to sacrifice everything carnal, fleshly, sinful, and sensuous, so that Jesus can live inside? And when the devil tempts you, will you say “I’m staying right here on the cross. I want to be crucified with Christ so that He can live in me.”

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.

Reproduction

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Reproduction has been part of God’s plan from the beginning (Genesis 1:28; 9:1).

Jesus said to His disciples, “ ‘By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit. … I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain.’ ” John 15:8, 16

Jesus speaks here of the spiritual reproduction of the divine character in other human beings. When I am connected with Christ, then His life will flow through me to those around me, and His character will then be reproduced in others. It is the privilege of every Christian to be a coworker with Jesus in this work. (See John 15.)

“Tell the people of Him who is ‘the Chiefest among ten thousand,’ and the One ‘altogether lovely.’ The Song of Solomon 5:10, 16. Words alone cannot tell it. Let it be reflected in the character and manifested in the life. Christ is sitting for His portrait in every disciple. Everyone God has predestinated to be ‘conformed to the image of His Son.’ Romans 8:29. In everyone, Christ’s long-suffering love, His holiness, meekness, mercy, and truth are to be manifested to the world. …

“The Saviour longs to manifest His grace and stamp His character on the whole world. It is His purchased possession, and He desires to make men free, and pure, and holy. Though Satan works to hinder this purpose, yet through the blood shed for the world there are triumphs to be achieved that will bring glory to God and the Lamb. Christ will not be satisfied till the victory is complete, and ‘He shall see of the travail of His soul, and shall be satisfied.’ Isaiah 53:11. All the nations of the earth shall hear the gospel of His grace. Not all will receive His grace; but ‘a seed shall serve Him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation.’ Psalm 22:30.” The Desire of Ages, 826–828

“Christ is seeking to reproduce Himself in the hearts of men; and He does this through those who believe in Him. The object of the Christian life is fruit bearing—the reproduction of Christ’s character in the believer, that it may be reproduced in others.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 67