Issue: 2020 March

Bible Study Guides – Delivering Our Neighbor

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May 17 – 23, 2020

Key Text

“Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over” (Luke 6:38).

Study Help: The Ministry of Healing, 161–182.

Introduction

“He who owns the world is rich in resources, and will bless everyone who is seeking to bless others.” The Ministry of Healing, 200.

Sunday

FOLLOWING JESUS’ EXAMPLE

  • What was the new commandment Jesus gave to His disciples? John 13:34.

Note: “The Saviour’s example is to be the standard of our service for the tempted and the erring. The same interest and tenderness and long-suffering that He has manifested toward us, we are to manifest toward others. … If Christ dwells in us, we shall reveal His unselfish love toward all with whom we have to do. As we see men and women in need of sympathy and help, we shall not ask, ‘Are they worthy?’ but ‘How can I benefit them?’ ” The Ministry of Healing, 162.

Note: “We need to put ourselves in the place of the tempted ones. Consider the power of heredity, the influence of evil associations and surroundings, the power of wrong habits. Can we wonder that under such influences many become degraded? Can we wonder that they should be slow to respond to efforts for their uplifting?” The Ministry of Healing, 168.

  • How did Jesus teach the value of the soul? Luke 15:4–10. What can we learn from this?

Note: “The lost coin, in the Saviour’s parable, though lying in the dirt and rubbish, was a piece of silver still. Its owner sought it because it was of value. So every soul, however degraded by sin, is in God’s sight accounted precious. …

“The love of Christ, manifested in word and act, will win its way to the soul, when the reiteration of precept or argument would accomplish nothing.

“We need more of Christlike sympathy … for poor, suffering, struggling souls, who are often overtaken in fault, sinning and repenting, tempted and discouraged.” The Ministry of Healing, 163, 164.

Monday

WORKING FOR THE TEMPTED

  • With what urgency should we work for those outside the fold? Luke 14:23.

Note: “Christian motives demand that we work with a steady purpose, an undying interest, an ever-increasing importunity, for the souls whom Satan is seeking to destroy. Nothing is to chill the earnest, yearning energy for the salvation of the lost.” The Ministry of Healing, 164.

  • What attitude should we have toward those struggling with sin? Why? Galatians 6:1; Romans 14:10.

Note: “It was a continual pain to Christ to be brought into contact with enmity, depravity, and impurity; but never did He utter one expression to show that His sensibilities were shocked or His refined tastes offended. Whatever the evil habits, the strong prejudices, or the overbearing passions of human beings, He met them all with pitying tenderness. As we partake of His Spirit, we shall regard all men as brethren, with similar temptations and trials, often falling and struggling to rise again, battling with discouragements and difficulties, craving sympathy and help. Then we shall meet them in such a way as not to discourage or repel them, but to awaken hope in their hearts. …

“With a sense of our own infirmities, we shall have compassion for the infirmities of others. …

“A tender spirit, a gentle, winning deportment, may save the erring and hide a multitude of sins.” The Ministry of Healing, 165, 166.

  • What teaching of Jesus should we ever keep in mind while trying to help the tempted? Matthew 7:12.

Note: “We need to put ourselves in the place of the tempted ones. Consider the power of heredity, the influence of evil associations and surroundings, the power of wrong habits. Can we wonder that under such influences many become degraded? Can we wonder that they should be slow to respond to efforts for their uplifting?” The Ministry of Healing, 168.

Tuesday

HELPING THE INTEMPERATE

  • What should we remember when trying to help those overcome by besetting sins? Galatians 6:9; Jude 23.

Note: “In dealing with the victims of intemperance we must remember that we are not dealing with sane men, but with those who for the time being are under the power of a demon. Be patient and forbearing. Think not of the repulsive, forbidding appearance, but of the precious life that Christ died to redeem. As the drunkard awakens to a sense of his degradation, do all in your power to show that you are his friend. …

“Open the Bible before the tempted, struggling one, and over and over again read to him the promises of God. … Patiently continue your efforts, until with grateful joy the trembling hand grasps the hope of redemption through Christ.

“You must hold fast to those whom you are trying to help, else victory will never be yours. They will be continually tempted to evil. Again and again they will be almost overcome by the craving for strong drink; again and again they may fall; but do not, because of this, cease your efforts.” The Ministry of Healing, 172, 173.

  • How can those who are caught up in evil habits have victory? Psalm 119:11; 17:4.

Note: “Bid the tempted one look not to circumstances, to the weakness of self, or to the power of temptation, but to the power of God’s word.” The Ministry of Healing, 181.

“The victims of evil habit must be aroused to the necessity of making an effort for themselves. … All will be in vain unless they themselves are roused to fight the battle in their own behalf. …

“God calls upon them to arouse and in the strength of Christ win back the God-given manhood that has been sacrificed through sinful indulgence.” Ibid., 174.

  • In order to gain victory, what should their focus be? Philippians 4:8; Ecclesiastes 9:10, first part.

 Note: “Occupation of mind and body in useful work is essential as a safeguard against temptation.” The Ministry of Healing, 177.

Wednesday

MINISTRY FOR THE POOR

  • Whom first and foremost among the needy should we help? Galatians 6:10.

Note: “In a special sense, Christ has laid upon His church the duty of caring for the needy among its own members. He suffers His poor to be in the borders of every church. They are always to be among us, and He places upon the members of the church a personal responsibility to care for them.

“As the members of a true family care for one another, ministering to the sick, supporting the weak, teaching the ignorant, training the inexperienced, so is ‘the household of faith’ (Galatians 6:10) to care for its needy and helpless ones. Upon no consideration are these to be passed by.” The Ministry of Healing, 201.

  • What do the poor often lack? Proverbs 13:23.

Note: “By instruction in practical lines we can often help the poor most effectively. As a rule, those who have not been trained to work do not have habits of industry, perseverance, economy, and self-denial. …

“Real charity helps men to help themselves. … True beneficence means more than mere gifts. It means a genuine interest in the welfare of others. … To give thought and time and personal effort costs far more than merely to give money. But it is the truest charity.

“Those who are taught to earn what they receive will more readily learn to make the most of it.” The Ministry of Healing, 194, 195.

  • What promise is there for those who help the poor? Proverbs 28:27.

Note: “None need fear that their liberality would bring them to want. Obedience to God’s commandments would surely result in prosperity.” The Ministry of Healing, 187.

“It is God’s purpose that the rich and the poor shall be closely bound together by the ties of sympathy and helpfulness. Those who have means, talents, and capabilities are to use these gifts in blessing their fellow men.” Ibid., 193.

Thursday

HELPING THE HELPLESS

  • What other Christian work is always a part of true religion? James 1:27; Deuteronomy 10:18. What blessing is attached to this work?

Note: “When all has been done that can be done in helping the poor to help themselves, there still remain the widow and the fatherless, the aged, the helpless, and the sick, that claim sympathy and care. Never should these be neglected. They are committed by God Himself to the mercy, the love, and the tender care of all whom He has made His stewards.” The Ministry of Healing, 201.

“The Lord provides for the widow and the fatherless, not by a miracle in sending manna from heaven, not by sending ravens to bring them food; but by a miracle upon human hearts, expelling selfishness, and unsealing the fountains of Christlike love.” Ibid., 202.

“There is a blessing in the association of the old and the young. The young may bring sunshine into the hearts and lives of the aged. … And the young may be helped by the wisdom and experience of the old.” Ibid., 204.

  • What do we know about the helpless and poor? Mark 14:7; Deuteronomy 15:11. Why does God allow this?

Note: “In placing among them the helpless and the poor, to be dependent upon their care, Christ tests His professed followers. By our love and service for His needy children we prove the genuineness of our love for Him. To neglect them is to declare ourselves false disciples, strangers to Christ and His love.” The Ministry of Healing, 205.

Friday

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1    How can we follow Jesus’ example in working for the erring?

2    What can we learn from how Jesus met depravity and impurity?

3    How can we help those battling with addictions? What should we remember?

4    What class of needy people should we never neglect?

5    Why has God placed the poor among us? How can we best help them?

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

Bible Study Guides – Deliverance from the Education of Egypt

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April 19 – 25, 2020

Key Text

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

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

Introduction

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

Sunday

THE INFERIORITY OF THE WISDOM OF EGYPT

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

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

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

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

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

Monday

MOSES FORSAKES EGYPT

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tuesday

FREEDOM FROM THE EDUCATION OF EGYPT

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wednesday

NEW TRAINING NEEDED

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thursday

FOLLOWING GOD’S PLAN

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

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

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

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

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

Friday

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bible Study Guides – Deliverance from Egypt

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April 12 – 18, 2020

Key Text

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

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

Introduction

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

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

Sunday

FORETOLD BY JOSEPH

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

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

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

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

Monday

GOD’S METHOD OF DELIVERANCE

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

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

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

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

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

Tuesday

A MEMORIAL OF DELIVERANCE

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

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

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

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

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

Wednesday

JESUS, OUR PASSOVER

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thursday

OUR SIGN OF DELIVERANCE TODAY

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

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

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

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

Friday

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bible Study Guides – Deliverance from Sin

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April 5  – 11, 2020

Key Text

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

Study Help: Steps to Christ, 23–35.

Introduction

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

Sunday

THE EFFECTS OF SIN

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

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

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

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

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

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

Monday

IN BONDAGE TO SIN

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tuesday

DELIVERANCE FOR ALL HUMANITY

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wednesday

DELIVERANCE FROM THE GUILT OF SIN

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thursday

DELIVERANCE FROM THE POWER OF SIN

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

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

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

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

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

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

Friday

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

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

2    What brings the soul into captivity to sin?

3    To whom does Jesus give victory over sin?

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

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

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

Bible Study Guides – The Promised Deliverer

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March 29  – April 4, 2020

Key Text

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

Study Help: Patriarchs and Prophets, 63–70.

Introduction

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

Sunday

LIFE IN EDEN

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

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

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

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

Monday

SIN BRINGS CHANGES

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tuesday

GOD STEPS IN

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wednesday

A DELIVERER TO COME

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thursday

A DELAY IN FULFILLMENT?

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

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

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

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

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

Friday

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

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

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

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

4    Why did God give Adam the system of sacrifices?

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

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

Recipe – Fig Balls

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Wonderful Figs

What is so special about figs? They are just plain yummy and they give a lot of good nutrition to the body. In fact, “six figs contain almost 5g of fiber, making them a high-fiber food. Those same six figs give you 82 mg of calcium (plus 34 mg of magnesium). That is more than three times the amount in a glass of orange juice.

“You get a whopping 473 mg of potassium, making figs a high-potassium food. A ton of studies show that people who eat potassium-rich foods like fruits and vegetables have lower rates of heart disease and stroke. And potassium is a key ingredient in keeping blood pressure down. According to the latest studies, people who regularly consume high-potassium foods have lower blood pressure than those who don’t. … One study found that people with high blood pressure who had a daily serving of potassium-rich foods (like figs) decreased their risk of fatal stroke by 40 percent.” The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth, Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S. page 112.

Recipe – Fig Balls

Ingredients

3 cups dried figs, hard stems removed

1 cup walnut halves

1/4 cup flax seed meal

1 Tbsp. water

1 tsp. vanilla powder (or extract)

1/2 tsp. salt

Process

Place all ingredients in a large food processor and pulse until finely chopped, almost the consistency of sand. This may take 3-5 minutes. Remove blade and scoop mixture out using a scoop or your hands. Form mixture into balls by pressing the mixture tightly together with your hands. Refrigerate in an air-tight container for up to 7 days.

Children’s Story – The Faith of a Little Child

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Every one smiled when his father carried him into the car—this little lad of three, who taught me so sweet a lesson in faith. The car was crowded, but there was a corner between the door and window where the child could stand, and there his father put him down.

“You stay still there, Herbie; Papa is going to stand near you. You won’t be afraid?”

The wee man shook his head very decidedly, and catching hold of a brass rail with his chubby fist, stood contentedly watching his father with trustful, happy eyes. At every corner new passengers came on, and crowded between father and child. Herbie was much more comfortable in the sheltered nook where his father had put him than he would have been even in his father’s arms on the crowded, jolting platform. Little by little, the newcomers hid the father from Herbie’s sight. He did not look like a child who was accustomed to being alone, and I watched him closely, ready to comfort if need be. I saw his lips moving, and bent toward him. This is what he said: “I can see my papa’s foot, and I can see my papa’s hand.”

Precious little heart, comforting itself!

The crowd jostled back and forth. I heard another whisper: “I can see my papa’s foot. I—can—see—my—papa’s—foot!”

Then the foot was no longer visible to the patient watcher. Trouble clouded his serious eyes for a minute, followed by a happy smile.

“I can hear my papa talk.”

Sure enough, the father was talking to someone. But the conversation was not long. The blue eyes were growing shadowy again.

“Herbie,” I whispered, “I can see your papa. I am taller than you. I can see your papa’s face, dear.”

For a brief space my face was subjected to a searching glance. Then the content came back to the boy’s face. He watched me, and I watched that other face, nodding assurance to my little friend. In a few moments the passengers began to leave the car, and the father sat down, and took his child on his knee.

“Were you afraid, Herbie?”

“No, I knew you were there all the whole time!”

Oh, for the faith of a little child, that whatever comes, the heart may say, “I was not afraid; for I knew that, all the time, Thou wert there!”—Selected.

The Youth’s Instructor, September 21, 1899.

Nature – Circadian Rhythms of the Animal Kingdom

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Human circadian rhythms tend to be closely tied to the rise and fall of the sun each day, occurring in fairly regular 24-hour cycles. But by no means is this how all organisms’ internal clocks operate. Science News recently compiled seven of the strangest circadian rhythms. These work to keep different organisms in tune with their (sometimes-extreme) environments.

Lunar Clock

Some species operate not by the rise and fall of the sun but by the rise and fall of the moon. This includes a marine worm called Platynereis dumerilii. The moon controls when the worms spawn in a type of lunar clock that appears to be separate from the animal’s circadian clock.

Tidal Clock

Certain marine species, such as the speckled sea louse, use tidal rhythms to help them decide when to burrow into the sand (so they’re not swept out to sea) and when it’s safe to come out to forage.

Prolonged Clocks

Not all species operate on a 24-hour cycle. Some, like the Somalian cave fish, have a longer cycle; theirs is about 47 hours. This might be because of slower changes that occur in the dark caves where the fish live, or it could be that their clocks are slowing down and “breaking” simply because they’re not providing a survival advantage.

It’s been shown, for instance, that the eyeless Mexican cavefish save about 27 percent more energy due to the lack of circadian rhythm.

No Clocks

Aside from species living in dark caves or the deep sea, Arctic reindeer may also have lost their circadian clock. This may help the animals forage, sleep, and survive during periods of constant light or darkness.

Even with no circadian rhythm, however, the animals are still in tune with seasonal cycles of mating and migration due to melatonin, a light-sensitive hormone.

Short Clocks

Some animals actually have short (less than 24 hour) clocks, which are known as ultradian rhythms. This includes voles, which feed and follow cycles of activity that last just two or three hours.

Social Clocks

Honeybees are able to adjust their clocks depending on their job in the hive. While forager bees have regular circadian shifts, nurse bees stop following a circadian rhythm so they can care for larvae around the clock.

Snoozed Clocks

Some species, such as migrating birds and newborn killer whales and their moms, don’t sleep for weeks on end. It’s thought that they hit the “snooze” button on their internal clocks during this time, then return to their regular circadian rhythm as their circumstances change, such as when a migratory bird reaches its destination or a newborn killer whale grows up a bit.

Emerging research suggests many animals have altered or absence of circadian rhythms with no apparent ill effects.

7 Circadian Rhythms of the Animal Kingdom, Healthy Pets, Dr. Karen Becker, November 3, 2015.

“All the creatures of the woods and hills are a part of His [God’s] great household. He opens His hand and satisfies ‘the desire of every living thing’ (Psalm 145:16).” Child Guidance, 58.

Question – What is the “yoke of bondage”?

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“Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage” (Galatians 5:1).

“There are many whose hearts are aching under a load of care because they seek to reach the world’s standard. They have chosen its service, accepted its perplexities, adopted its customs. Thus their character is marred and their life made a weariness. The continual worry is wearing out the life forces. Our Lord desires them to lay aside this yoke of bondage. He invites them to accept His yoke; He says, ‘My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.’ Worry is blind and cannot discern the future; but Jesus sees the end from the beginning. In every difficulty He has His way prepared to bring relief. ‘No good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly’ (Matthew 11:30; Psalm 84:11).” Help in Daily Living, 21.

“Esau had no love for devotion, no inclination to a religious life. The requirements that accompanied the spiritual birthright were an unwelcome and even hateful restraint to him. The law of God, which was the condition of the divine covenant with Abraham, was regarded by Esau as a yoke of bondage. Bent on self-indulgence, he desired nothing so much as liberty to do as he pleased. To him power and riches, feasting and reveling, were happiness. He gloried in the unrestrained freedom of his wild, roving life.” Conflict and Courage, 61.

“As soon as the seeker for truth opens the Bible to read the utterances of God with reverence, possessing an earnest desire to know ‘what saith the Lord,’ light and grace will be given him, and he will see wondrous things out of God’s law. He will not regard the law of Jehovah as a yoke of bondage, but as the gracious commands of One who is all-wise and full of compassion. He will make haste to fulfill His requirements.”  Counsels on Sabbath School Work, 34, 35.

“Never will evil again be manifest. Says the word of God: ‘Affliction shall not rise up the second time’ (Nahum 1:9). The law of God, which Satan has reproached as the yoke of bondage, will be honored as the law of liberty. A tested and proved creation will never again be turned from allegiance to Him whose character has been fully manifested before them as fathomless love and infinite wisdom.” The Great Controversy, 504.

“ ‘But,’ one says, ‘I thought the commandments were a yoke of bondage.’ It is those only who break the law that find it a yoke of bondage. To those who keep the law it is life and joy and peace and happiness.” Ellen G. White 1888 Materials, 130.

Health – Living in Circadian Rhythm

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We are designed to have 24-hour rhythms to our physiology and metabolism. Our bodies have an internal clock that we refer to as our circadian rhythm. This internal clock is influenced primarily by light exposure during the day and darkness during the night. Ideally, sunlight at sunrise “sets the clock” while darkness after sunset “winds the clock down.” We have a wake cycle, activated by light exposure, during the day and a sleep cycle, activated by darkness, at night. Many organs show daily changes in their function based on circadian influences. Genetic expression, which genes are turned on and which genes are turned off, is also directly influenced by circadian rhythms. In fact, thousands of genes change their expression according to circadian rhythms throughout the day and night.

Sunlight synchronizes all cells and organs in the body and influences cell energy production. During the day, we need to be awake, energetic and active. In contrast, sunset and darkness initiates a sleep and repair cycle via the release of melatonin, so we rest and recover to allow repair processes to occur throughout our cells and organs.

This is how we are designed and there is no escaping it. We are meant to be awake and active from sunrise to sunset and to be recuperating and resting after sunset. In essence, we have a built-in schedule each day; there is a time to eat, a time to sleep, a time to digest, a time to repair, basically a prime time for everything. When we live in accordance with our internal rhythms we optimize health. … Of course, with our modern lifestyle and 24/7 workload, light exposure, computers, television, travel and constant access to food, it is unfortunately way too easy to disrupt our internal clocks. Too often we are eating when we should be fasting, awake when we should be sleeping, exposed to light when we should be releasing melatonin and winding down for the night. Our modern world with all the breakthroughs, benefits, and conveniences, can be damaging to our health in myriad ways.

Circadian rhythm disruption accelerates the aging process while circadian rhythm synchronization slows the aging process.

Our mission is to slow the deterioration in our health that occurs with aging so we can extend our healthspan – the number of years that we live in a healthy state – rather than struggling with disease and degenerative conditions.

The key is to feed, train, and rest our body as originally designed.

Our anti-aging lifestyle, focusing on sleep, nutrition, movement and stress levels, can modulate the aging process. We strive to have a lifestyle that is congruent with our internal clocks to allow us to extend our healthspan.

Everything we do with our lifestyle is meant to restore harmony in our bodies so we can ignite our internal antiaging mechanisms, while simultaneously combating accelerated aging forces. Optimizing our anti-aging mechanisms, such as stem cell activation, genetic expression, DNA repair … requires that we restore this internal harmony with our circadian rhythms.

Our bodies are constantly adjusting to maintain homeostasis. Homeostasis is a healthy state preserved by incessant refinements of biochemical and physiologic pathways in response to external and internal stimuli.

Homeostasis is our body’s ability to listen and immediately respond to what we do, think, eat, as well as how we act and react. As examples, if we perceive stress, real or imagined, our stress response is switched on. If we relax or sleep, then our stress response is turned off and the relaxation response is activated. If we move or exercise, the body reacts positively and builds. If we are excessively sedentary, the body responds detrimentally and breaks down. When homeostasis is disrupted we have suboptimal function and accelerated aging.

Circadian desynchronization results in chronic stress, leading to accelerated aging, muscle and bone loss, increased fat storage, cognitive impairment and immune dysfunction.

With delicate precision our circadian rhythm impacts our metabolism, physiology, energy level, hormone levels, mood and pace of aging.

So how do we live in balance with our circadian rhythm?

We must balance our:

  • Sleep and wake cycles.
  • Eating and fasting intervals.
  • Stress and relaxation.
  • Exercise and recovery periods.

Sleep

Quality sleep is imperative for physiologic stress reduction as well as brain and body repair. Cells repair, memories consolidate, and hormones balance while we sleep. Sleep deprivation, all too common with our hectic schedules, leads to rapid aging, cognitive decline, weight gain and muscle loss.

It is crucial to maintain a consistent sleep/wake cycle to optimize restorative sleep. Go to bed every night at around the same time, keeping the same schedule on weekends. Strive for 7–9 hours of continuous sleep at night. Turn down bright lights. Too much light at night may make one unable to fall asleep at bedtime. Protect against blue light emitting screens and phones in the evening by wearing blue light blocking glasses or utilizing blue light screen protection on your phones and computers. Blue light exposure decreases melatonin release disrupting sleep. Turn off devices at least two to three hours before retiring. Sleep in a cool, dark, quiet environment. We build collagen, repair DNA, release restorative hormones, and activate stem cells during high quality sleep.

Intermittent fasting/Time restricted eating

The body has established schedules to perform functions such as digestion and nutrient absorption at certain times of the day. If daily routines and schedules do not match the body’s schedules, an imbalance may occur which can lead to fatigue, weight gain, stress, and even illness. To have proper nutrition, 50% depends on the correct choice of food and the other 50% depends on when and how it is consumed. Eating at the wrong times interrupts the circadian rhythm, which alters the ability to have a healthy metabolism and a powerful autoimmune response. Breakfast should be the biggest meal of the day with the smallest meal being consumed at dinner.

Restrict your eating window each day to 6 to 12 hour intervals with intermittent fasting. Our digestive tract, digestive processes, and metabolism are affected by circadian rhythms, so close the kitchen at night! Eating late at night strains organs involved in digestion forcing them to work when they are supposed to be repairing. Simply not eating a late dinner, for example, can help with weight loss and digestive issues such as heartburn and irritable bowel symptoms.

Relaxation

Elicit the relaxation response with deep breathing techniques, walking, relaxing music, or whatever your preference. Chronic stress, with the resulting continuous release of destructive stress hormones, overwhelms homeostasis, impairs digestion, increases blood sugar levels and fat storage, while simultaneously breaking down muscle and bone. When we activate the relaxation response we decrease cortisol, lower inflammation, slow telomere loss, and halt this erosive impact of chronic stress on our health and pace of aging: Relax, to reset your health.

Diet

Focus your diet on real food sources such as nuts, seeds, berries and vegetables. Avoid pastas, cakes, cookies, sweet breads, candy, corn syrup, soda, juices, processed oils and refined carbohydrates. Processed foods accelerate aging. Real foods slow aging: Eat clean for health!

Love/Gratitude

Break the cycle of chronic stress by being present, mindful and by living your life with love and gratitude. We all have much to be thankful for. Enjoy your family, friends and pets each day. Share cherished memories with your loved ones: Be present!

Exercise

HIIT, High-intensity interval training, alternating short bursts of activity with quick recovery periods, is a remarkable antiaging modality via several mechanisms, including stimulating HGH (growth hormone) release, increasing BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor), our brain fertilizer, and activating stem cells. HIIT is a time efficient exercise technique that optimizes brain and body health while avoiding the excessive stress of prolonged exercise sessions: Exercise to optimize.

Since fasting acts as an exercise mimic, we can accrue additional antiaging benefits when we exercise while fasting: To really optimize, go fast while fasting!

Keep your schedule on track as much as possible. This can make a crucial difference in how your internal clock functions and how you feel.

Dr. Frank Comstock, M.D., ABAARM, FACEP.

Excerpts from www.lifestylespectrum.com/blog/living-in-circadian-rhythm

“The mind does not wear out nor break down so often on account of diligent employment and hard study as on account of eating improper food at improper times, and of careless inattention to the laws of health. Irregular hours for eating and sleeping sap the brain forces.” Mind Character, and Personality, vol. 2, 388.

“There should be regular hours for rising, for family worship, for meals, and for work. And it is a religious duty … to maintain this by precept … by a firm example.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 8, 327.