overcome

Achieving Perfect Flight

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Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

Matthew 5:48

We are all familiar with the statement Christ made in His Sermon on the Mount to be perfect. It is a verse that Adventists accept as an enabling command. In the nominal Christian world, there are some who try to ignore or explain it away, while many others expect that at some point in their life’s journey, perhaps at the second coming or at the resurrection, Jesus will accomplish this act for them with a wave of His miracle-working hand.

Allow me to use a metaphor as a means of clarifying the challenge we face as Bible-believing Christians.

Suppose that instead of telling us to be perfect, God told us to fly. We know that He wouldn’t tell us to do that without also providing the means for us to fulfill the command.

We might be tempted to say, “I can’t fly.” Well, of course we cannot fly by ourselves, but God says, “I have an airplane, I have a pilot, and I have fuel.”

The airplane is the Bible and the hope it so unfailingly supplies; the Pilot is Jesus and the faith we have in Him to fulfill His promises and His enablings; and the fuel is the working of the power of the Holy Spirit and our trust in the working of that power in response to our prayers of faith.

These elements are also exactly what we need to enable us to achieve perfection. Although God provides the means, it is up to us to use them correctly and faithfully. The Bible is our instruction manual telling us how to fly—how to obey and overcome, thereby achieving the perfection that we seek in our sphere and the fulfilled hope that we harbor and yearn for so dearly.

Jesus is our Pilot, our Guide, who has trodden the narrow way before us. His life is clearly laid out as our example. As Adventists, we have been blessed not only with the description of Christ’s character in the sacred canon of God’s word, but we also have The Desire of Ages, an incredibly detailed and uplifting look into His daily life and faultless character. As fuel—the energy we need—we have the Holy Spirit to empower us as we seek to know and do God’s will.

Most importantly, though, we have the privilege of prayer. Inspiration tells us that prayer is (1) “the key in the hand of faith to unlock heaven’s storehouse.” Steps to Christ, 94, and (2) a means—“We cannot bring Christ down, but, through faith, we can lift ourselves up into unity and harmony with the perfect standard of righteousness.” The Review and Herald, October 30, 1888. What a privilege we have of beginning and ending each day’s activity in conversation with our Creator!

So, indeed, we can fly. We can achieve the obedience necessary to be awarded robes and crowns, palm leaves of victory, and golden harps!

Passages found in chapters 27 and 28 in Messages to Young People should provide us great encouragement as we seek to fly a straight course over the Jordan to the promised land.

“We have little idea of the strength that would be ours if we would connect with the source of all strength. We fall into sin again and again, and think it must always be so. We cling to our infirmities as if they were something to be proud of. Christ tells us that we must set our face as a flint if we would overcome. He has borne our sins in His own body on the tree; and through the power He has given us, we may resist the world, the flesh, and the devil. Then let us not talk of our weakness and inefficiency, but of Christ and His strength. When we talk of Satan’s strength, the enemy fastens his power more firmly upon us. When we talk of the power of the Mighty One, the enemy is driven back. As we draw near to God, He draws near to us. …

“Many of us fail to improve our privileges. We make a few feeble efforts to do right, and then go back to our old life of sin. If we ever enter the kingdom of God, we must enter with perfect characters, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing. Satan works with increased activity as we near the close of time. He lays his snares, unperceived by us, that he may take possession of our minds. In every way he tries to eclipse the glory of God from the soul. It rests with us to decide whether he shall control our hearts and minds, or whether we shall have a place in the new earth, a title to Abraham’s farm.” Messages to Young People, 105

“Christ has made every provision for us to be strong. He has given us His Holy Spirit, whose office is to bring to our remembrance all the promises that Christ has made, that we may have peace and a sweet sense of forgiveness. If we will but keep our eyes fixed on the Saviour, and trust in His power, we shall be filled with a sense of security; for the righteousness of Christ will become our righteousness. …

“We dishonor Him by talking of our inefficiency. Instead of looking at ourselves, let us constantly behold Jesus, daily becoming more and more like Him, more and more able to talk of Him, better prepared to avail ourselves of His kindness and helpfulness, and to receive the blessings offered us.

“As we thus live in communion with Him, we grow strong in His strength, a help and a blessing to those around us. If we would only do as the Lord desires us to, our hearts would become as sacred harps, every chord of which would sound forth praise and gratitude to the Redeemer sent by God to take away the sin of the world.” Ibid., 107

“While true faith trusts wholly in Christ for salvation, it will lead to perfect conformity to the law of God. Faith is manifested by works.” The Review and Herald, October 5, 1886

And faith is the element that brings together all of the components we need to be able to fly safely through this sin-filled world to the world beyond the Jordan.

There are several scriptures, when used together as we kneel before the throne of grace in conversation with our Maker that should give us great hope and encouragement as we recognize the love God has shown for us erring mortals by inspiring Paul to write them.

Through the inspiration and guidance these scriptures provide, we are privileged to pray that the Holy Spirit will enable us to bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Jesus Christ so that we may set our minds, our affections, on things above and not on things of the earth, allowing us to be hid with Christ in God, thereby, by faith, quenching the fiery darts of the wicked one (2 Corinthians 10:5; Colossians 3:2, 3; Ephesians 6:16).

Thanks to inspiration, we know that Satan uses the avenues of the soul—our senses—in his efforts to dislodge us from the path of truth and righteousness. However, if, when Satan injects unholy thoughts into our consciousness, either by what we see, hear, or sense in any way, we can remember the promises and the enabling commands that these verses provide. Then by making the conscious effort to direct our thoughts to things above, we are able to thwart the enemy’s efforts and can abide safely under the shelter of the Almighty, taking safe refuge under His wings.

We can indeed achieve perfect flight!

[Emphasis supplied.]

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

Acceptable in the Sight of God

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“For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus.”

1 Timothy 2:5

There are more than two billion people in the world who claim the name of Jesus as their Saviour, calling themselves Christians. Yet Jesus said that few will be found worthy to go to heaven when He comes back. That is a sad thing to think about. Out of two billion professed Christians, a small amount, only a remnant, will truly, completely follow Him.

Jesus warned Jerusalem and the people of that day that sudden destruction was coming to the city and they would need to flee when they saw the signs. To His disciples He said, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing” (Matthew 23:37)!

Jesus knew that very few would be saved from destruction just years later when Jerusalem was destroyed by the Roman armies. But for all His true believers and followers, He gave this warning in Matthew 24:13-16: “… Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (whoever reads, let him understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.”

In 70 AD, the Christians who remembered the warning, fled the city when the opportunity was presented, thus escaping the devastation that occurred in Jerusalem. The temple was totally destroyed, with not one stone left on top of another and only a remnant of people were saved. “And the remnant who have escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward, and bear fruit upward” (Isaiah 37:31).

Throughout the history of the world, we have been given warnings of coming destructions, yet we have not understood. The lack of understanding is because we have not truly studied and asked the Lord to help us know His truth. Jesus is our God and Mediator as it says in 1 Timothy 2:5, and He is also our Teacher. He desires every man, woman, and child to be saved. “For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:3, 4).

The problem God has is convincing His people who claim Him as their Saviour, to “come to the knowledge of the truth.” Jesus has given us an ample amount of evidence of His truth, yet His professed followers do not believe it, and if we do not believe His truth, how can we be saved? Jesus does not want us to be deceived by false teachers or false prophets. He wants us to study for ourselves and find His truth in the word of God. Jesus said to His disciples in John 8:31, 32, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

We must abide or live by the word of God if we are to know and understand the truth. Those who do only a casual reading or none at all, will lose heaven. They will be deceived into believing things that are not true. Peter talks a lot about this in his epistles. He warns us of the deception that was coming even in his time. Now it has been almost 2,000 years later and false teachings are throughout Christendom. Speaking of these teachers, he writes in 2 Peter 2:18, 19: “For when they speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness, the ones who have actually escaped from those who live in error. While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage.”

When we talk about false teachers, we are talking about ministers, pastors, priests, Bible workers, or anyone who states something that is not according to the word of God. And the only way we can know if it is true or not is to study the Bible for ourselves and not rely on the interpretation of others. We should do a thorough study of any subject that we hear people talking about. The truth will only set us free if we are studying the truth for ourselves.

Who will be saved? That is a question that has been asked by each person who desires to go to heaven. Jesus told us through His revelation to John that there was a certain criterion to being saved. It was not instantaneous, but rather a commitment. Jesus said, “ ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God’ ” (Revelation 2:7). “ ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death’ ” (Revelation 2:11). “ ‘He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels’ ” (Revelation 3:5).

These are but three of the seven times Jesus encouraged us to follow His example and overcome. What must we overcome? Sin! We are all condemned under the sentence of death because of our sins. In fact, Paul reminds us that every man has sinned, and the punishment for that sin is death. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 3:23; 6:23).

We are all born with a sinful nature. No one can overcome that sinful nature except through Jesus Christ. In order to overcome sin, we must submit to Christ in all things. We must give up the things of this world. This world and the things in it have been contaminated by Satan, and he is now the owner of the worldly attractions, the big cities, the excitements that all lead to sin.

Jesus has come to take us out of that type of living. He says, “Come to Me, all you who … are heavy laden [with sin] and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). He will help us overcome every temptation that Satan puts forth to make us fall into sin, but we must ask for that help. Jesus will never force us to do anything that we do not want to do.

However, He will not allow anyone into heaven who has not overcome sin in his life. That is why He sends us the Holy Spirit to help protect and mold our character to learn to hate sin and its consequences. Jesus gave us His gift of grace so that we could be free from the condemnation of sin. Once we accept Jesus as our Saviour, we must overcome sin through His power. “But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life” (Romans 6:22).

When we submit our will to the will of Jesus, He frees us from being slaves of sinful acts and gives us the power to resist sin. But be not deceived, if we do not overcome sin, we will be lost. Even though Jesus gave us the gift of His life, which paid for the sins of the world, if we continue in sin, then we have not truly accepted His gracious gift. It would be like saying, “I don’t want it” and throwing it back in His face.

Truth seems to be a fleeting thing these days. Everyone has their own definition of truth. Most “truth” that you see in the newspapers or on television, and especially on the Internet, is “truth with a twist,” spun to promote Satan’s agenda.

Jesus, however, can be trusted to give the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. He has only one agenda and that is to save mankind from Satan’s rule. Jesus states His truth clearly and without compromise. The truth of Jesus is not of this world, and His truth has nothing to do with any worldly agenda. His truth is centered on how to live a life that will be accepted in heaven. So how do we become acceptable in God’s sight?

“Our Saviour, during all His sojourn on earth, shared the lot of the poor and lowly. Self-denial and sacrifice characterized His life. All the favors and blessings we enjoy are alone from Him. We are stewards of His grace and of His temporal gifts. The smallest talent and the humblest service may be offered to Jesus as a consecrated gift, and with the fragrance of His own merits He will present it to the Father. If the best we have is presented with a sincere heart, in love to God, from a longing desire to do service to Jesus, the gift is wholly acceptable.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 11, 280.

We must first accept Christ as our Saviour and Mediator and turn away from our sins. We can only do this through love for Him. We love Him because He first loved us, and through that love we submit our will to Him. Next, we must learn what it means to love. Love for God is obeying all that He asks of us. Understanding His truth starts with keeping God’s commandments. Jesus says, “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15).

If we are going to keep the commandments of God, then we must love each other. The apostle John writes, “And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, as He gave us the commandment” (1 John 3:23). Jesus gave the same commandment in John 15:12: “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”

Some believe this means just to love your friends, and possibly some of your church members. But Jesus made it clear we are to love everyone as He loves them. He went around doing good to people who never accepted Him as their Saviour. He fed them with fishes and bread, He told us that if a man requires our cloak, we are also to give him our shirt (Luke 6:29). He said when we feed or clothe the poor, visit those in prison, giving them the words of Life, it is the same as if we were doing it to Him (Matthew 25:34–45). Paul said to live a peaceful life and obey the government and laws of the land. “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves” (Romans 13:1, 2).

Obviously, if the governments of the world require us to break God’s law, then we have to make the choice to follow God rather than man. Peter and John had to make that choice when they were told not to preach in the name of Jesus. They followed Jesus and gave the gospel to the world anyway, even under torture. (Read Acts 4 and 5.) It is notable that they disobeyed to preach the word of God. God says to obey those He has set up over the nations unless to do so breaks one of His ten commandments. His commandments are clear and to the point. He does not ask us to add to them or take away from them to support our own ideas. In fact, He offers a curse on those who do. “Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it” (Deuteronomy 12:32).

If we are to know His truth, we will be seeking to understand what is written in His word. We will not be deceived by idol worship because the Bible plainly says not to worship or even bow down in front of any object (Exodus 20:4, 5). We will know that dead loved ones cannot visit us, and they are not in heaven today, because the Bible clearly says that they are in the grave and have no consciousness (Ecclesiastes 9:5). As we study, we will see that God has a better plan for our lives. He does not torture non-believers in a fiery place to burn forever, but will utterly destroy all who will not follow Him (Malachi 4:1). We will know that the Bible shows that the Sabbath is a special time that God has made to spend with each of us and will keep it even when the new earth is created (Isaiah 66:22, 23).

To be acceptable to God, we have a work to do. Our work will be more precious than gold and silver. We will become transformed into a different type of person. Paul writes, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service” (Romans 12:1). This “living sacrifice” is a daily submission to God for holiness and service to others. Our thoughts should be contemplating Jesus all day long. We should not let the things of this world influence our thoughts, but our thoughts must dwell continually on doing the work of God.

“To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice” (Proverbs 21:3). This is the definition of a full submission to Jesus. Paul sums up what it means to be accepted by God in Ephesians 5:8–10: “… (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.” I pray we are all striving to find out what is acceptable to Jesus and our Father in heaven so that we can spend eternity with Them and the unfallen worlds.

Michael C. Wells is director of Anointing Oil Ministries.

Bible Study Guides – Problems to Overcome Part 2

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July 18 – 24, 2021

Key Text

“He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful” (Matthew 13:22).

 Study Help: Counsels on Stewardship, 133–140.

Introduction

“All money lovers … will one day cry in bitter anguish: ‘Oh, the deceitfulness of riches! I have sold my soul for money.’ ” Testimonies, vol. 3, 544, 545.

Sunday

1 DECEPTION

1.a. How does Satan often pervert the heart and the mouth of people who take business advantages? Jeremiah 6:13; Acts 5:3, 4.

 1.b. How earnestly did King David struggle against deceit? Psalms 52:2, 3; 101:7; 120:2; Proverbs 30:8.

 1.c. As faithful stewards must often be in contact with deceitful people, what prayer should they send up to the throne of grace? Psalm 43:1, last part.

1.d. How does God often permit a deceitful person to be the victim of his or her own tricks? Psalm 7:14–16.

Monday

2 DISHONESTY

2.a. How is a dishonest person described? Proverbs 6:12, 13, 14, 16–19.

2.b. How does the Lord consider those who are dishonest in their financial transactions? Deuteronomy 27:17–19; Proverbs 11:1; 20:23.

Note: “The accounts of every business, the details of every transaction, pass the scrutiny of unseen auditors, agents of Him who never compromises with injustice, never overlooks evil, never palliates wrong. …

“Against every evildoer God’s law utters condemnation. He may disregard that voice, he may seek to drown its warning, but in vain. It follows him. It makes itself heard. It destroys his peace. If unheeded, it pursues him to the grave. It bears witness against him at the judgment. A quenchless fire, it consumes at last soul and body.” Education, 144, 145.

2.c. What will happen to gain that is acquired dishonestly? Proverbs 13:11; 15:27; 21:6.

Note: “This is a question that demands consideration by every parent, every teacher, every student—by every human being, young or old. No scheme of business or plan of life can be sound or complete that embraces only the brief years of this present life and makes no provision for the unending future. Let the youth be taught to take eternity into their reckoning. Let them be taught to choose the principles and seek the possessions that are enduring—to lay up for themselves that ‘treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth;’ to make to themselves friends ‘by means of the mammon of unrighteousness,’ that when it shall fail, these may receive them ‘into the eternal tabernacles’ (Luke 12:33; 16:9 RV).” Education, 145.

Tuesday

3 INJUSTICE

3.a. What is the command regarding partiality? Leviticus 19:15.

Note: “Do not show partiality to one or more, and neglect other of your brethren because they are not congenial to you. Beware lest you deal harshly with those who you think have made mistakes, while others, more guilty and more deserving of reproof, who should be severely rebuked for their unChristlike conduct, are sustained and treated as friends.” The Review and Herald, March 12, 1895.

3.b. What does the faithful steward relate to disadvantaged persons? Psalm 82:2–4.

Note: “God requires that His people should not allow the poor and afflicted to be oppressed. If they break every yoke and release the oppressed, and are unselfish and kindly considerate of the needy, then shall the blessings promised be theirs. If there are those in the church who would cause the blind to stumble, they should be brought to justice; for God has made us guardians of the blind, the afflicted, the widows, and the fatherless. The stumbling block referred to in the word of God does not mean a block of wood placed before the feet of the blind to cause him to stumble, but it means much more than this. It means any course that may be pursued to injure the influence of their blind brother, to work against his interest, or to hinder his prosperity.

“A brother who is blind and poor and diseased, and who is making every exertion to help himself that he may not be dependent, should be encouraged by his brethren in every way possible. But those who profess to be his brethren, who have the use of all their faculties, who are not dependent, but who so far forget their duty to the blind as to perplex and distress and hedge up his way, are doing a work which will require repentance and restoration before God will accept their prayers. And the church of God who have permitted their unfortunate brother to be wronged will be guilty of sin until they do all in their power to have the wrong righted.” Testimonies, vol. 3, 519, 520.

Wednesday

4 POOR COMPANY

4.a. While the Lord is our great Counselor, from whom may we seek counsel on this earth? Proverbs 13:20.

Note: “The only safe course for the youth is to mingle with the pure, the holy, and thus natural tendencies to evil will be held in check. By choosing for their companions such as fear the Lord, they will seldom be found disbelieving God’s word, entertaining doubts and infidelity. The power of a truly consistent example is very great for good.” In Heavenly Places, 172.

4.b. What is the benefit of not counselling with ungodly persons? Proverbs 14:7; 2 Thessalonians 3:6.

Note: “Let the youth choose the influence of, and become associated with, men and women of bad principles and practices, … and they are polluted. Silent and unconscious influences weave their sentiments into their lives, become a part of their very existence, and they walk on the very brink of a precipice and sense no danger. They learn to love the words of the smooth tongued, the honeyed words of the deceiver, and are restless, uneasy, and unhappy unless they are carried to the pinnacle of someone’s flattery. … To walk in the counsel of the ungodly is the first step toward standing in the place of sinners and sitting in the seat of the scornful.” In Heavenly Places, 172.

“It is wrong for Christians to associate with those whose morals are loose. An intimate, daily intercourse which occupies time without contributing in any degree to the strength of the intellect or morals is dangerous. If the moral atmosphere surrounding persons is not pure and sanctified, but is tainted with corruption, those who breathe this atmosphere will find that it operates almost insensibly upon the intellect and heart to poison and to ruin. It is dangerous to be conversant with those whose minds naturally take a low level. Gradually and imperceptibly those who are naturally conscientious and love purity will come to the same level and partake of and sympathize with the imbecility and moral barrenness with which they are so constantly brought in contact.” Testimonies, vol. 3, 125.

Thursday

5 THE FUTILITY OF ACQUIRING RICHES

5.a. How much of our earthly riches do we retain when we die? Psalm 49:16, 17; Ecclesiastes 5:13–15; 1 Timothy 6:7.

5.b. What can we take with us to the great judgment of humanity? Matthew 16:26; Proverbs 11:4.

 Note: “The redeemed will be welcomed to the home that Jesus is preparing for them. There their companions will not be the vile of earth, liars, idolaters, the impure, and unbelieving; but they will associate with those who have overcome Satan and through divine grace have formed perfect characters. Every sinful tendency, every imperfection, that afflicts them here has been removed by the blood of Christ, and the excellence and brightness of His glory, far exceeding the brightness of the sun, is imparted to them. And the moral beauty, the perfection of His character, shines through them, in worth far exceeding this outward splendor. They are without fault before the great white throne, sharing the dignity and the privileges of the angels.

“In view of the glorious inheritance that may be his, ‘what shall a man give in exchange for his soul’ (Matthew 16:26)? He may be poor, yet he possesses in himself a wealth and dignity that the world could never bestow. The soul redeemed and cleansed from sin, with all its noble powers dedicated to the service of God, is of surpassing worth; and there is joy in heaven in the presence of God and the holy angels over one soul redeemed, a joy that is expressed in songs of holy triumph.” Steps to Christ, 126.

Friday

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1    What are the results of a deceptive communication?

2    How does dishonesty affect the one who deceives?

3    How do faithful stewards treat others in their financial dealings?

4    Who is the faithful steward’s financial counselor?

5    What should remind us of the temporal nature of material wealth?

Copyright 2011, Reformation Herald Publishing Association, 5240 Hollins Road, Roanoke, Virginia 24019-5048, U.S.A.

Bible Study Guides – Problems to Overcome Part I

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July 11 – 17, 2021

Key Text

“For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work” (James 3:16).

Study Help: Testimonies, vol. 5, 242–248.

Introduction

“Whether we recognize it or not, we are stewards, supplied from God with talents and facilities, and placed in the world to do a work appointed by Him.” Education, 137.

Sunday

1 ENVY AND KINDRED SINS

1.a. What was the origin of pride, envy, and ambition for position—and their bitter results. Isaiah 14:12–15.

 Note: “It was pride and ambition that prompted Lucifer to complain of the government of God, and to seek the overthrow of the order which had been established in heaven. Since his fall it has been his object to infuse the same spirit of envy and discontent, the same ambition for position and honor, into the minds of men.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 403.

1.b. Describe a carnal mind—a candidate for the second death? 1 Corinthians 3:3; Romans 8:6, 7; James 3:14–16.

Note: “If you open your heart to envy and evil surmising, the Holy Spirit cannot abide with you. Seek for the fullness that is in Christ.” Testimonies, vol. 8, 191.

1.c. How does envy affect your personality and well-being? Job 5:2; Proverbs 14:30; 27:4.

Note: “The envious man diffuses poison wherever he goes, alienating friends and stirring up hatred and rebellion against God and man. He seeks to be thought best and greatest, not by putting forth heroic, self-denying efforts to reach the goal of excellence himself, but by standing where he is and diminishing the merit due to the efforts of others.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 56.

Monday

2 COVETOUSNESS

2.a. What do we learn about covetousness from the experience of Achan? Joshua 7:20–26.

Note: “The deadly sin that led to Achan’s ruin had its root in covetousness, of all sins one of the most common and the most lightly regarded. While other offenses meet with detection and punishment, how rarely does the violation of the tenth commandment so much as call forth censure. The enormity of this sin, and its terrible results, are the lessons of Achan’s history.

“Covetousness is an evil of gradual development. Achan had cherished greed of gain until it became a habit, binding him in fetters well-nigh impossible to break. While fostering this evil, he would have been filled with horror at the thought of bringing disaster upon Israel; but his perceptions were deadened by sin, and when temptation came, he fell an easy prey.

“Are not similar sins still committed, in the face of warnings as solemn and explicit? We are as directly forbidden to indulge covetousness as was Achan to appropriate the spoils of Jericho. God has declared it to be idolatry. We are warned, ‘Ye cannot serve God and mammon’ (Matthew 6:24). ‘Take heed, and beware of covetousness’ (Luke 12:15). ‘Let it not be once named among you’ (Ephesians 5:3). We have before us the fearful doom of Achan, of Judas, of Ananias and Sapphira. Back of all these we have that of Lucifer, the ‘son of the morning,’ who, coveting a higher state, forfeited forever the brightness and bliss of heaven. And yet, notwithstanding all these warnings, covetousness abounds.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 496, 497.

2.b. What should be our relationship with those who are controlled by the spirit of covetousness? Ephesians 5:5; 1 Corinthians 5:11.

2.c. What other sinners besides covetous persons will be kept out of the kingdom of God? 1 Corinthians 6:10.

Tuesday

3 GREED

3.a. As envy and covetousness take root in the heart, what follows? Job 5:2.

Note: “The Scriptures describe the condition of the world just before Christ’s second coming. James the apostle pictures the greed and oppression that will prevail. He says, ‘Go to now, ye rich men, … ye have heaped treasure together for the last days. Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabbaoth. Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton. Ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter. Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you’ (James 5:1–6). This is a picture of what exists today. By every species of oppression and extortion, men are piling up colossal fortunes, while the cries of starving humanity are coming up before God.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 170.

3.b. What often happens when wealth is selfishly retained by their greedy owners? Ecclesiastes 5:13, 14.

3.c. How do wicked people reveal what is in their heart and mind? Psalm 10:3.

Note: “Men in their blindness boast of wonderful progress and enlightenment; but to the eye of Omniscience are revealed the inward guilt and depravity. The heavenly watchers see the earth filled with violence and crime. Wealth is obtained by every species of robbery, not robbery of men only, but of God. Men are using His means to gratify their selfishness. Everything they can grasp is made to minister to their greed. Avarice and sensuality prevail. Men cherish the attributes of the first great deceiver. They have accepted him as God, and have become imbued with his spirit.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 14, 15.

Wednesday

4 PRIDE

4.a. The concept of pride is highly valued in this world. How does Scripture describe pride? Proverbs 16:5, 18.

4.b. What will the Lord do to the proud? Proverbs 15:25; Luke 18:14. Describe what the servant of the Lord was shown regarding the outcome of the proud.

Note: “I saw that God hates pride, and that all the proud, and all that do wickedly shall be stubble, and the day that cometh shall burn them up.” Testimonies, vol. 1, 132.

4.c. Rather than pride, what is seen in the life of the faithful steward? James 4:6.

Note: “All who study the life of Christ and practice His teaching will become like Christ. Their influence will be like His. They will reveal soundness of character. They are established in the faith, and will not be overcome by the devil because of vanity and pride. They seek to walk the humble path of obedience, doing the will of God. Their character exerts an influence that tells for the advancement of the cause of God and the healthful purity of His work. …

“In these thoroughly converted souls the world has a witness to the sanctifying power of truth upon the human character. Through them Christ makes known to the world His character and will. In the lives of God’s children is revealed the blessedness of serving the Lord, and the opposite is seen in those who do not keep His commandments. The line of demarcation is distinct. All who obey God’s commandments are kept by His mighty power amid the corrupting influence of the transgressors of His law. From the lowliest subject to the highest in positions of trust, they are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.” Evangelism, 315, 316.

Thursday

5 THE LOVE OF MONEY

5.a. What will the love of money bring you? 1 Timothy 6:10; Ecclesiastes 5:10.

Note: “The Bible condemns no man for being rich, if he has acquired his riches honestly. Not money, but the love of money, is the root of all evil. It is God who gives men power to get wealth; and in the hands of him who acts as God’s steward, using his means unselfishly, wealth is a blessing, both to its possessor and to the world. But many, absorbed in their interest in worldly treasures, become insensible to the claims of God and the needs of their fellow men. They regard their wealth as a means of glorifying themselves. They add house to house, and land to land; they fill their homes with luxuries, while all about them are human beings in misery and crime, in disease and death. Those who thus give their lives to self-serving are developing in themselves, not the attributes of God, but the attributes of the wicked one.” The Ministry of Healing, 212, 213.

5.b. What is the top priority in the life of every faithful steward? 1 Corinthians 2:2; Matthew 6:33; Luke 9:25.

Note: “When the sinner reaches the cross, and looks up to the One who died to save him, he may rejoice with fullness of joy; for his sins are pardoned. Kneeling at the cross, he has reached the highest place to which man can attain.” The Review and Herald, April 29, 1902.

Friday

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1    How will envy impact your stewardship?

2    What kind of association should you have with persons who do not follow the principles of faithful stewardship?

3    What is the result of living a greedy life?

4    What is the basis of your financial decisions?

5    Explain the danger of becoming preoccupied with material goods.

Copyright 2011, Reformation Herald Publishing Association, 5240 Hollins Road, Roanoke, Virginia 24019-5048, U.S.A.

Question – Can I Overcome? How?

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Question: Can I Overcome? How?

Answer:

“Why do we not cling to Jesus, and draw from Him by faith the strength and perfection of His character … ? We are to look to Jesus, and climb up step by step in the work of overcoming … . Man is nothing without Christ. But if Christ lives in us, we shall work the works of God.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 17, 337.

“God has not left us to battle with evil in our own finite strength. Whatever may be our inherited or cultivated tendencies to wrong, we can overcome through the power that He is ready to impart.” Counsels on Health, 440.

“For every soul struggling to rise from a life of sin to a life of purity, … The only remedy for vice is the grace and power of Christ.” Ibid.

“Christ knew that man could not overcome without His help. … He came to bring man moral power, and He would not have man to understand that he has nothing to do, for every one has a work to do for himself, and through the merits of Jesus we can overcome sin and the devil.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 3, 108.

“Every man is free to choose what power he will have to rule over him. None have fallen so low, none are so vile, but that they can find deliverance in Christ. … Those who will consent to enter into covenant relation with the God of heaven are not left to the power of Satan or to the infirmity of their own nature.” The Desire of Ages, 258, 259.

“Now the question for us to decide is, Shall we have connection with Christ and the Father? Shall we accept the help needed?” Manuscript Releases, vol. 3, 109.

“The tempted one needs to understand the true force of the will. This is the governing power in the nature of man—the power of decision, of choice. Everything depends on the right action of the will. … Many will go down to ruin while hoping and desiring to overcome their evil propensities. They do not yield the will to God. They do not choose to serve Him.” The Ministry of Healing, 176.

“Through the right exercise of the will, an entire change may be made in your life. By yielding up your will to Christ, you ally yourself with the power that is above all principalities and powers. You will have strength from above to hold you steadfast, and thus through constant surrender to God you will be enabled to live the new life, even the life of faith.” Steps to Christ, 48.

Endowment of the Holy Spirit

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“Christ, the Great Teacher, had an infinite variety of subjects from which to choose, but the one upon which He dwelt most largely was the endowment of the Holy Spirit.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 156. [Emphasis supplied.] While we cannot prove it, it seems from this sentence that the endowment of the Holy Spirit was Christ’s favorite subject, and we know that He dwelt on the subject more than any other. Continuing in Selected Messages, Ellen White says, “What great things He predicted for the church because of this endowment.” Ibid.

When the Holy Spirit is given to the church which then exhibits the characteristics of the Holy Spirit, wonderful things will happen in the church. At a personal level, every person who receives the Holy Spirit will be saved. No exceptions. But without the Holy Spirit, the church will not experience the wonderful things that come with the presence of the Holy Spirit and not one person will be saved.

Consider these questions: Do Seventh-day Adventists have the truth? Yes, it’s just a fact; we do. So, if I know the truth, will I be in heaven? Is the truth all I need? The devil knows the truth. Will he be in heaven? No. Why? The devil doesn’t have the Holy Spirit. He is possessed of a different spirit. So, if just having the truth isn’t enough, what is it that will make it possible to be in heaven? The apostle Paul talks about this in 1 Corinthians 9:24–27. He said, “I keep my body under subjection, lest, having preached to others, I myself might be rejected” (verse 27, literal translation). If the apostle Paul could be rejected, unsaved, could it happen to us? Yes, because one must have the Holy Spirit to be in the kingdom of heaven.

For as long as I can remember, there has been a tremendous amount of theological debate and controversy within Adventism regarding who is saved and how, and who is not and why. Some say you cannot be saved unless you profess faith in Christ; others state that there will be heathens who never knew the name of Christ who will be in heaven and they support it from The Desire of Ages. But there will be millions of people who profess faith in Christ, who talk the talk, but who have not received the Holy Spirit and they will go down into the lake of fire. And there will be people who have never heard the name of Christ who will be saved, because they will accept the leading of the Holy Spirit as He reveals the truth to them in other ways.

A Seventh-day Adventist physician went to a heathen country as a missionary with his family. Before he had an opportunity to unpack, he was called to an emergency medical situation. He hired a heathen man, explaining that he had to be away for an emergency and his wife would be left with the unpacking. He wanted the man to help her unpack, so he made all the arrangements with the man, paid him and set off. It was after nightfall before the missionary returned home. When he arrived home, the man was standing outside the gate waiting for him. He said, “I was not able to help your wife unpack; she did not want my help, so here is your money back.”

The physician was astonished; he could not comprehend a heathen man not just taking the money. So he asked him, “How can this be?” The heathen man said, “I studied, I looked at the sun, I looked at nature, I realized there was a Great Spirit that made this and so I gave my life to the Great Spirit. And the Great Spirit came into my heart, into my mind, and made me all white and clean inside.” He said, “I don’t chew betel nut like other men do; I don’t sleep around with women like other men do, and I don’t lie and I don’t steal.” He didn’t know who Jesus was by name, but he received the Holy Spirit.

Jesus tells us in Matthew 25:31–46 that He will separate everyone into two groups—sheep and goats. The sheep are the people who have received the Holy Spirit. The goats are the people who have not received the Holy Spirit. It’s just that simple. One group will have eternal life, the other group will have eternal death.

I am not condemning anyone; I want to tell you the best news ever. Now is the time, right now, that you can receive the Holy Spirit. It does not matter what you have done, what your past has been; all that matters is have you, will you, receive the Holy Spirit? The offer of eternal life is the gospel message to be given to everyone, even to the most sinful people in the world. Let’s look at some examples from the Bible.

“There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, ‘Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs [miracles] that You do unless God is with him.’ Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God’ ” (John 3:1–3). As a leader of God’s chosen people, Jesus told Nicodemus that he would have to be converted or he would not be in heaven.

Nicodemus did not like hearing that. He was a member of the Sanhedrin, a Pharisee, a ruler of the Jews. And Jesus tells him he won’t be going to heaven unless he’s born again. Nicodemus’ response was, “ ‘How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born’ ” (verse 4)? Nicodemus was irritated. He probably wondered if Jesus knew who he was. The problem for Nicodemus was he knew what was written in the Torah and he believed his life was in harmony with the law, but at that moment, he had not received the Holy Spirit and until he did, he could not understand what Jesus was trying to tell him.

Luke 18:10, 11 KJV tells us, “Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican [tax collector]. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank Thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.’ ” Among the Jews, if you were a tax collector, you were considered the lowest of the low because you were cooperating with the Romans. (The Romans were not a righteous people. A secular historian described Rome as, “the sewer of the nations.”) If a woman was a prostitute, they felt that she was the lowest of the low. So when Jesus said, “The prostitutes and the tax collectors are going to go into the kingdom of heaven before you” (Matthew 21:31), the Jewish leaders were ready to kill Him.

Were prostitutes sinners? Were tax collectors sinners? Yes. Is God going to take any sinners into the kingdom of heaven? No. Then how could Jesus say that the prostitutes and the tax collectors would be in the kingdom of heaven before the religious leaders? Matthew 21:31, 32, first part, explains: “Jesus said to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; but tax collectors and harlots believed him.’ ” When John the Baptist came and showed them their sins, the tax collectors and the harlots repented. They realized they were sinners, but they didn’t want to be that way anymore. They wanted to be changed, but were helpless to help themselves. They knew they were in bondage and wanted to be free.

So Jesus said, “I’ve come to set at liberty the people that are in bondage” (Galatians 5:1). This irritated the Jews, especially the Pharisees. They said to Jesus, “We are Abraham’s descendants [seed], and we have never been in bondage to anyone” (John 8:33). They were, when they made this statement, in bondage to the Romans, so that was not true. But Jesus pointed out to them that He wasn’t talking about physical bondage. In verse 32 He said, “ ‘And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.’ ” Notice that the Jews said they were already free and didn’t need to be made free. Jesus answered them, “ ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin’ ” (verse 34). Sin brings a person into bondage; a bondage from which they cannot free themselves.

There are millions of people in the world that have decided that they will be good people, but they found out that they can’t be good people. From the outside, many appear to be good people, but these “good people” know that on the inside they are not righteous. The Bible says in Jeremiah 17:9, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?”

The fact is that no human being can know their own heart. The Bible says, “Who can know it?” and the answer is, nobody. Moses was one of the wisest men that ever lived and he said to the Lord, “Please don’t let me know my own wretchedness” (Numbers 11:15). You and I do not know what evil we are capable of doing. If you do not receive the Holy Spirit, you cannot know where the devil might lead you. The heart is deceitful above all things. The Hebrew word translated desperately wicked is something that is incurable. You cannot make it better. It is impossible. That is why Jesus says we must be born again. The Holy Spirit has to create a new heart in you because the one you have is no good. Paul said that the old man has to die (Romans 6). And you must be born again.

Paul wrote to the Christians that in the flesh you are dead, but in the Spirit you are alive (see Romans, Colossians, Galatians). He used this language because man’s natural way of thinking and feeling has to die and he must receive from the Holy Spirit a new mind, a new heart, a new spirit. If that doesn’t happen, a man will be lost.

In the parable of the Pharisee and the Publican, “ ‘The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, “God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess” ’ ” (Luke 18:11, 12). This prayer was a speech to God of all the good things that he did daily.

However, the tax collector knew that he was wicked. “ ‘The tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, “God, be merciful to me a sinner!” I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted’ ” (verses 13, 14). Do you want to be saved? The Lord can save you. Here is how:

First, we have to recognize our sinful condition and that we need to be saved from our sins. God does not save people in sin; He saves people from sin (Matthew 1:21). The Bible exposes “the lie” that is still believed by the majority of the Christian world today, the idea that a person can continue to sin and everything will be fine as long as he confesses those sins. That is not Bible religion, but the lie of the antichrist. As long as a person is living in sin, they are not born of the Holy Spirit. Once born of the Holy Spirit, a man will repent and turn away from sinning.

Zacchaeus was a tax collector and a very rich man. But when he heard John the Baptist preach, he repented and told Jesus, “ ‘Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold’ ” (Luke 19:8). As soon as the Holy Spirit comes into a person’s life, he stops sinning. A man is changed inside and doesn’t live the way he used to live.  Everything is changed and sin becomes a thing of the past.

Around 1907, a group of Adventists planned a six-month series of evangelistic meetings. They rented a big auditorium and on the first night the people came and the evangelist began his sermon. He covered how to become a Christian, how to be born again and how to be converted. But he didn’t stop there. He also covered the state of the dead, the Sabbath, the Mark of the Beast; in fact, he covered everything in one night. At the close of the meeting, he made a call for people to make a decision that night and a whole group of people came forward. His workers questioned him as to why he had preached everything in one sermon, but he didn’t know why; he had been impressed to do it. A terrible earthquake occurred later that night and some of the people who had come forward died in the earthquake; but they had been saved that night from their sins.

I read a book written by a lady involved in the New Age Movement. She didn’t know the Lord, knew nothing of the Bible or Christianity. She had met a man and they were living together. An acquaintance persuaded them to come to a Christian meeting. The speaker was an evangelist.

The couple decided to attend the meeting. It wasn’t a Seventh-day Adventist meeting, but this evangelist understood about a one-night evangelistic series. This was like Jesus’ discussion with Nicodemus and Paul’s talk with Felix. The couple decided to become Christians that night when the altar call was made. The evangelist hadn’t had the time to explain to them everything about the Christian religion, but he explained how they could give their lives to Jesus and choose to follow Him. He told them that Jesus loved them so much that he died on the cross for them, that He would forgive their sins and that they could have eternal life.

Everyone who came forward on the altar call received a Bible. This lady had never read the Bible. Later that night before she went to sleep, she decided to read a little bit in this new book. She opened the Bible to one of the Gospels where Jesus was talking about the sin of adultery. She slammed the book shut and thought, “I can’t read this book!” A few days later her curiosity got the better of her and she opened the Bible again at random. There it was again, talking about the sin of adultery and fornication. Once again, she slammed it shut. Every few days she would wonder what else was in the Bible, but anywhere she opened to, it condemned her.

The man she was living with was having his own experiences, but they each were reacting quite differently to their individual experiences. One day they talked and she told the man that her conscience was bothering her day and night and that she couldn’t continue with their relationship as it was. The man asked what she thought they should do. Her conclusion was that they either would have to marry or split up and after some consideration, it was decided that they would split up. She wrote in her book that was a turning point in her life.

In John 3:4 after Nicodemus asked Jesus, “ ‘How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?’ ” Jesus said, “ ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God’ ” (verse 5). You are born of water when you are baptized.

1 Corinthians 12:13 tells us, “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.” Notice, Paul says, “By one Spirit [that is, the Holy Spirit] we have all been baptized into one body.” Baptism by water is a symbol of being baptized by the Holy Spirit. If you are baptized by the Holy Spirit, you will be in the kingdom of heaven.

Paul in Acts 19 and Peter in Acts 2 both speak about the baptism of the Holy Spirit. In Acts 19:2–7, we find the account of the two men who had been baptized “into John’s baptism,” but had never heard of the Holy Spirit. He told them that “John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus” (verse 4). When the men heard this, they were baptized in the name of Jesus and when Paul “laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them” (verse 6).

In Acts 2:38, Peter was speaking to people guilty of crucifying Jesus Christ. They were pricked in their hearts and didn’t know what to do. Peter said to them, “Repent [that is, sorrow enough for your sins to quit] and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

Without the Holy Spirit, you are lost, and you will remain lost until you do receive the Holy Spirit. Jesus called this the new birth. When the Holy Spirit comes into a person’s life, that person will be born again and the spiritual image of Jesus Christ will be formed within. But before the birth can take place Paul says, “My little children, for whom I labor in birth again [labor pains] until Christ is formed in you” (Galatians 4:19). I labor with people that have been involved in every kind of sin that you can imagine. I preach the gospel to them because the gospel can save them, if they are willing to receive the Holy Spirit.

Are you tired of the person you have become on the inside? Do you want to be changed? Have you realized that you are helpless and hopeless in your present state? Are you willing to be born again? If you will receive the Holy Spirit in your life, you will be changed.

You cannot change yourself, but it doesn’t matter how dark your past is or what you’ve done. All you need to do is turn to Jesus, surrender your life to Him and say, “Lord, I want to have a new heart, a new mind. I want to be born again. I want to receive the Holy Spirit.” There is no other way. If you choose to surrender your life to Christ, He will hear and a miraculous work will be done in your life.

Dear Lord, send Your Holy Spirit to each of us. Show us the things that must be changed in our lives. Help us to surrender all of ourselves to You. Give us new hearts and minds and restore in us Your image.

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

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

Bible Study – Battle for the Control of the Mind

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June 6–12, 2021

Key Text

“They cried to God in the battle, and He was intreated of them; because they put their trust in Him” (1 Chronicles 5:20, last part).

Study Help: Patriarchs and Prophets, 683–689; The Story of Redemption, 32–41.

Introduction

“The perils of the last days are upon us. Satan takes the control of every mind that is not decidedly under the control of the Spirit of God.” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 79. [Emphasis author’s.]

Sunday

1 ANCIENT AND MODERN DAY SPIRITUALISM

1.a. How did Satan beguile men in the past and how is he preparing to gain complete control over human minds today? Exodus 7:11, 22; Acts 8:9–11; Revelation 13:4, 13, 14; 16:13, 14.

Note: “It was the hand of God, and no human influence or power possessed by Moses and Aaron, that wrought the miracles which they showed before Pharaoh. Those signs and wonders were designed to convince Pharaoh that the great ‘I AM’ had sent Moses, and that it was the duty of the king to let Israel go, that they might serve the living God. The magicians also showed signs and wonders; for they wrought not by their own skill alone, but by the power of their god, Satan, who assisted them in counterfeiting the work of Jehovah.

“The magicians did not really cause their rods to become serpents; but by magic, aided by the great deceiver, they were able to produce this appearance. It was beyond the power of Satan to change the rods to living serpents.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 264.

1.b.      How did Ellen White explain the term “empty deceit” of Colossians 2:8?

Note: “Thousands, I was shown, have been spoiled through the philosophy of phrenology and animal magnetism, and have been driven into infidelity. If the mind commences to run in this channel, it is almost sure to lose its balance and be controlled by a demon. ‘Vain deceit’ fills the minds of poor mortals. They think there is such power in themselves to accomplish great works that they realize no necessity of a higher power. … He [Jesus] did not direct the minds of poor mortals to themselves, to a power which they possessed. He was ever directing their minds to God, the Creator of the universe, as the source of their strength and wisdom.” Testimonies, vol. 1, 297.

Monday

2 MEDIA, MOVIES, AND ADVERTISING

2.a. What is the result of watching other people sin whether through media or in real life? 1 Corinthians 15:33; Psalms 101:3, 4.

2.b. How is the ninth commandment broken in all dramatical productions? Exodus 20:16; Zechariah 8:16.

Note: “Vicious habits and sinful propensities are strengthened and confirmed by these entertainments. Low songs, lewd gestures, expressions, and attitudes, deprave the imagination and debase the morals. Every youth who habitually attends such exhibitions will be corrupted in principle. There is no influence in our land more powerful to poison the imagination, to destroy religious impressions, and to blunt the relish for the tranquil pleasures and sober realities of life than theatrical amusements. The love for these scenes increases with every indulgence, as the desire for intoxicating drink strengthens with its use. The only safe course is to shun the theater, the circus, and every other questionable place of amusement.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 653.

Tuesday

3 THE EFFECTS OF VISUAL IMAGES

3.a.       What moral responsibility do we have for what we look at? Luke 11:34.

Note: “We must pray more and exercise faith continually. I feel the necessity of drawing nearer and closer to Jesus. I see I must labor to the point to keep my mind ascending to God continually if I would maintain the victory over Satan’s temptations.” The Upward Look, 127.

3.b.      What are the three things in worldly entertainment (tv, movies, video) that the Christian is advised to leave alone? 1 John 2:16, 17.

Note: “You know our bodies are made up of the food assimilated. Now, it is the same with our minds.” Mind, Character, and Personality, vol. 2, 491.

“The mind is controlled either by Satan or by Jesus.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 495.

“None are in greater danger from the influence of evil spirits than those who, notwithstanding the direct and ample testimony of the Scriptures, deny the existence and agency of the devil and his angels. So long as we are ignorant of their wiles, they have almost inconceivable advantage; many give heed to their suggestions while they suppose themselves to be following the dictates of their own wisdom. This is why, as we approach the close of time, when Satan is to work with greatest power to deceive and destroy, he spreads everywhere the belief that he does not exist. It is his policy to conceal himself and his manner of working.

“There is nothing that the great deceiver fears so much as that we shall become acquainted with his devices.” The Great Controversy, 516.

“We carefully secure our houses with bolts and locks to protect our property and our lives from evil men; but we seldom think of the evil angels who are constantly seeking access to us, and against whose attacks we have, in our own strength, no method of defense. If permitted, they can distract our minds, disorder and torment our bodies, destroy our possessions and our lives.” Ibid., 517.

Wednesday

THE POLLUTION OF HUMAN THOUGHTS

4.a. What kind of worldly conduct is the Christian to avoid? Ephesians 4:17–23.

Note: “It is one of Satan’s devices to combine with falsehood just enough truth to give it plausibility.” The Great Controversy, 587.

“The tempter assured Eve that as soon as she ate of the fruit she would receive a new and superior knowledge that would make her equal with God. He called her attention to himself. He ate freely of the tree and found it not only perfectly harmless but delicious and exhilarating … . He further told them that they could not die. Had they not eaten of the tree of life which perpetuates immortality? He said that God was deceiving them to keep them from a higher state of felicity and more exalted happiness.” The Story of Redemption, 34, 35.

4.b.      What works of the flesh are portrayed on television and other worldly entertainment? Galatians 5:19–21.

Note: “It was when the Israelites were in a condition of outward ease and security that they were led into sin. … It is thus that Satan still seeks to compass the ruin of the soul. A long preparatory process, unknown to the world, goes on in the heart before the Christian commits open sin. The mind does not come down at once from purity and holiness to depravity, corruption, and crime. It takes time to degrade those formed in the image of God to the brutal or the satanic. By beholding we become changed. By the indulgence of impure thoughts man can so educate his mind that sin which he once loathed will become pleasant to him.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 459.

“Do not for a moment acknowledge Satan’s temptations as being in harmony with your own mind. Turn from them as you would from the adversary himself.” Our High Calling, 85.

Thursday

5 RETURNING TO GOD’S ORIGINAL PLAN

5.a. What does friendship with the world do to our relationship with Jesus Christ? 1 John 2:15–19; James 4:4. What separation is required? 2 Corinthians 6:14–18.

5.b.      What kind of location did God prepare as the home of our first parents? Genesis 1:28–31; 2:8, 15.

Note: “The home of our first parents was to be a pattern for other homes as their children should go forth to occupy the earth. That home, beautified by the hand of God Himself, was not a gorgeous palace. Men, in their pride, delight in magnificent and costly edifices and glory in the works of their own hands; but God placed Adam in a garden. This was his dwelling. The blue heavens were its dome; the earth, with its delicate flowers and carpet of living green, was its floor; and the leafy branches of the goodly trees were its canopy.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 49.

Friday

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1    Describe Satan’s techniques to gain control over human minds.

2    How does the media, movies and videos, advertising, etc., exercise a powerful influence over the thoughts and actions of men?

3    How do visual images affect the thoughts?

4    Discuss Satan’s use of mingling truth and error to suit his purposes.

Copyright 1995 Reformation Herald Publishing Association, 5240 Hollins Road, Roanoke, Virginia 24019-5048, U.S.A.

Bible Study Guides – Overcoming Character Flaws

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May 23 – 29, 2021

Key Text

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

Study Help: Mind, Character, and Personality, vol. 2, 516–530; The Ministry of Healing, 483–496.

Introduction

“Let no man present the idea that man has little or nothing to do in the great work of overcoming; for God does nothing for man without his cooperation.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 381.

Sunday

1 ANGER

1.a. Explain the cause and effect of harsh, impatient speech. Romans 6:16; Proverbs 15:1, last part; 28, last part.

Note: “What harm is wrought in the family circle by the utterance of impatient words; for the impatient utterance of one leads another to retort in the same spirit and manner. Then come words of retaliation, words of self-justification, and it is by such words that a heavy, galling yoke is manufactured for your neck; for all these bitter words will come back in a baleful harvest to your soul.” The Review and Herald, May 19, 1891.

“Among the members of many families there is practiced the habit of saying loose, careless things; and the habit of tantalizing, of speaking harsh words, becomes stronger and stronger as it is indulged, and thus many objectionable words are spoken that are after Satan’s order and not after the order of God. … Burning words of passion should never be spoken, for in the sight of God and holy angels they are a species of swearing.” The Adventist Home, 439.

 1.b.      Under what circumstances is anger justifiable? Exodus 32:19, 20; Luke 19:45, 46. In contrast, what should we bear in mind when tempted to retaliate against our enemies in our own defense? Proverbs 15:1, first part; Ecclesiastes 7:9.

Note: “It is true there is an indignation that is justifiable, even in the followers of Christ. When they see that God is dishonored, and His service brought into disrepute, when they see the innocent oppressed, a righteous indignation stirs the soul. Such anger, born of sensitive morals, is not a sin. But those who at any supposed provocation feel at liberty to indulge anger or resentment are opening the heart to Satan. Bitterness and animosity must be banished from the soul if we would be in harmony with heaven.” The Desire of Ages, 310.

“Far better would it be for us to suffer under false accusation than to inflict upon ourselves the torture of retaliation upon our enemies. The spirit of hatred and revenge originated with Satan, and can bring only evil to him who cherishes it. Lowliness of heart, that meekness which is the fruit of abiding in Christ, is the true secret of blessing.” Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, 17.

Monday

2 RESISTING ANGRY FEELINGS

2.a. How has the sin of angry resentment continually been affecting the life and countenance of Satan? Isaiah 14:12–20. What warning can we derive from this? Hebrews 12:15.

Note: “I was shown Satan as he once was, a happy, exalted angel. Then I was shown him as he now is. He still bears a kingly form. His features are still noble, for he is an angel fallen. But the expression of his countenance is full of anxiety, care, unhappiness, malice, hate, mischief, deceit, and every evil. … I saw that he had so long bent himself to evil that every good quality was debased, and every evil trait was developed.” Early Writings, 152.

2.b. How can we effectively resist angry feelings? Ephesians 4:31; Proverbs 19:11; Ecclesiastes 11:10.

Note: “There is only one remedy—positive self-control under all circumstances. The effort to get into a favorable place, where self will not be annoyed, may succeed for a time; but Satan knows where to find these poor souls, and will assail them in their weak points again and again. They will be continually troubled so long as they think so much of self. … But there is hope for them. Let this life, so stormy with conflicts and worries, be brought into connection with Christ, and then self will no longer clamor for the supremacy. … They should humble themselves, saying frankly, ‘I have done wrong. Will you forgive me? For God has said we must not let the sun go down upon our wrath.’ This is the only safe path toward overcoming. Many … nurse their wrath, and are filled with revengeful, hateful feelings. … Resist these wrong feelings, and you will experience a great change in your association with your fellowmen.” Sons and Daughters of God, 142.

Tuesday

3 HATRED

3.a. In what various ways can the sixth commandment be violated? Exodus 20:13; 1 John 3:15.

Note: “All acts of injustice that tend to shorten life; the spirit of hatred and revenge, or the indulgence of any passion that leads to injurious acts toward others, or causes us even to wish them harm (for ‘whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer’ (1 John 3:15) … are, to a greater or less degree, violations of the sixth commandment.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 308.

3.b. Why did the world hate Christ? John 7:7; 3:19. What can be learned from this?

Note: “Christ took humanity and bore the hatred of the world that He might show men and women that they could live without sin, that their words, their actions, their spirit, might be sanctified to God. We can be perfect Christians if we will manifest this power in our lives. When the light of heaven rests upon us continually, we shall represent Christ. It was the righteousness revealed in His life that distinguished Christ from the world and called forth its hatred.” Mind, Character, and Personality, vol. 2, 527, 528.

“Christ declared that those who manifest the same attributes would be likewise hated. As we near the end of time this hatred for the followers of Christ will be more and more manifest.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 527.

Wednesday

4 FAITH IS NOT PRESUMPTION

 4.a. Describe the results of faith and how it may be cultivated. 1 John 5:4; 1 Corinthians 15:57; Romans 10:17. What counsel is given to those struggling with their faith?

Note: “The word of the Lord, spoken through His servants, is received by many with questionings and fears. And many will defer their obedience to the warning and reproofs given, waiting till every shadow of uncertainty is removed from their minds. The unbelief that demands perfect knowledge will never yield to the evidence that God is pleased to give. He requires of His people faith that rests upon the weight of evidence, not upon perfect knowledge. Those followers of Christ who accept the light that God sends them must obey the voice of God speaking to them when there are many other voices crying out against it.” Testimonies, vol. 3, 258.

 4.b. Contrast genuine faith with presumption. Hebrews 11:1; Ephesians 2:8; Matthew 4:5–7.

Note: “Faith is in no sense allied to presumption. Only he who has true faith is secure against presumption. For presumption is Satan’s counterfeit of faith. Faith claims God’s promises, and brings forth fruit in obedience. Presumption also claims the promises, but uses them as Satan did, to excuse transgression. Faith would have led our first parents to trust the love of God, and to obey His commands. Presumption led them to transgress His law, believing that His great love would save them from the consequence of their sin. It is not faith that claims the favor of Heaven without complying with the conditions on which mercy is to be granted. Genuine faith has its foundation in the promises and provisions of the Scriptures.” The Desire of Ages, 126.

Thursday

5 CHARACTER FORMATION

5.a. How is “a noble, all-round character” formed? 1 Peter 2:2.

Note: “Christ has given us no assurance that to attain perfection of character is an easy matter. A noble, all-round character is not inherited. It does not come to us by accident. A noble character is earned by individual effort through the merits and grace of Christ. God gives the talents, the powers of the mind; we form the character. It is formed by hard, stern battles with self. Conflict after conflict must be waged against hereditary tendencies. We shall have to criticize ourselves closely, and allow not one unfavorable trait to remain uncorrected.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 331.

“All these successive steps are not to be kept before the mind’s eye, and counted as you start; but fixing the eye upon Jesus, with an eye single to the glory of God, you will make advancement.” My Life Today, 95.

5.b.      To whom should we carry all of our doubts and trials? Psalm 62:8.

Note: “We are not to talk our doubts and trials, because they grow bigger every time we talk them. Every time we talk them, Satan has gained the victory; but when we say, ‘I will commit the keeping of my soul unto Him, as unto a faithful witness,’ then we testify that we have given ourselves to Jesus Christ without any reservation, and then God gives us light and we rejoice in Him.” Mind, Character, and Personality, vol. 2, 578, 579.

Friday

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1    Although anger is normally felt by the carnal heart to be perfectly justifiable, when only is it really valid in the sight of God?

2    What are the effects of anger and how can it be avoided?

3    Name some ways in which the sixth commandment is often violated.

4    How can we discern between faith and presumption?

5    What are some essentials in building a Christlike character?

Copyright 1995 Reformation Herald Publishing Association, 5240 Hollins Road, Roanoke, Virginia 24019-5048, U.S.A.

The Simplicity of the Gospel

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When Jesus was on earth, He tried to help the people find salvation by using parables and stories that they could relate to their own lives. However, their minds had been dulled by the molding of the church leaders of their day which made it hard for them to comprehend the meaning of these lessons. Each lesson was a key to open their minds to the wonders of the Kingdom of Heaven. They had been inundated with “holy” traditions of the church and had lost sight of the true significance of the Law of God.

As Jesus went about doing miracles and wonders in the sight of the people, He slowly tried to point them back in the right direction that would lead to salvation. “I am the gate; whoever enters through Me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture,” Jesus said to them (John 10:9 NIV). He was trying to help them understand that the burnt sacrifices, the weekly tithe, the good works, the attendance of church on the Sabbath, would not bring them salvation, but in Him was the fullness of the Godhead and only through Him could they be saved.

“We do not earn salvation by our obedience; for salvation is the free gift of God, to be received by faith. But obedience is the fruit of faith. ‘Ye know that He was manifested to take away our sins; and in Him is no sin. Whosoever abideth in Him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen Him, neither known Him’ (1 John 3:5, 6). Here is the true test. If we abide in Christ, if the love of God dwells in us, our feelings, our thoughts, our purposes, our actions, will be in harmony with the will of God as expressed in the precepts of His holy law. ‘Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as He is righteous’ (1 John 3:7). Righteousness is defined by the standard of God’s holy law, as expressed in the ten precepts given on Sinai.” Steps to Christ, 61.

Jesus, of course, encouraged good works; He set down conditions that require our tithe, but He always and continually pointed back to Himself as the way, the truth and the life for a fulfilling and sanctified life. “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me’ ” (John 14:6 NIV). Jesus is the embodiment of righteousness, so if we are to be righteous, it stands to reason we need Him embodied in us. How do we obtain this holy character? That is probably the most commonly asked question among Christians that genuinely want to be like Jesus.

The answer is simple, but in practice it takes a struggle. The gospel of Christ is simply this: confess your sins and make restitution where applicable, repent of your sins by turning from them and commit them no more, and then follow the Lord in all that He says. After all, He gave us the free gift of salvation through His glorious sacrifice, He paid the price for our lives, He did all He could do to make the way as easy as possible for us to have salvation. Our part is to give all of ourselves back to Him.

The struggle is quite real, and many become discouraged, but Jesus is right there next to us, waiting for us to reach out to Him for help. Many are tempted by sin and trials, and Paul said if we are not in a struggle, then we may be lacking. “Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12). We all have fallen short of godliness and this is the reason we need our Saviour each day to guide us. We must help one another in this fight, for we wrestle with powers unseen. The prophet tells us to uplift one another when we see a brother or sister struggling with sin. The gospel may be simple but the fight for our soul is ongoing.

“There is many a brave soul sorely pressed by temptation, almost ready to faint in the conflict with self and with the powers of evil. Do not discourage such a one in his hard struggle. Cheer him with brave, hopeful words that shall urge him on his way. Thus the light of Christ may shine from you. ‘None of us liveth to himself’ (Romans 14:7). By our unconscious influence others may be encouraged and strengthened, or they may be discouraged, and repelled from Christ and the truth.” Steps to Christ, 120.

So, how do we have success in the Christian walk? It is through the love of God that all things are possible. The books of John are the books of love, for he talks about how to have that success in Christ. Love conquers all as it is applied to our lives. It can overcome temptation, strife, anger, family issues, faultfinding, evil surmising, and most of all pride and selfishness. These are all enemies of love. Love that flows from the heart is tender, self-sacrificing, humble, and kind, it gives off a scent of a sweet-smelling fragrance. The one who loves is the one who is close to Christ. “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another” (John 13:34).

Love is the simplicity of the gospel because it encompasses all that Jesus taught. In love, we keep His commandments simply because He said to. There are no questions about it. We know that He loves us and all that He requires of us will only bring happiness and peace. By embracing the love of Jesus, we can become holy. He willingly sends the Holy Spirit to us as soon as we ask for it, for He will not withhold that for which we ask. If we will submit to His will, He marries His Spirit with our will to make it one.

“ ‘God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son’ (John 3:16). He gave Him not only to live among men, to bear their sins, and die their sacrifice. He gave Him to the fallen race. Christ was to identify Himself with the interests and needs of humanity. He who was one with God has linked Himself with the children of men by ties that are never to be broken. Jesus is ‘not ashamed to call them brethren’ (Hebrews 2:11); He is our Sacrifice, our Advocate, our Brother, bearing our human form before the Father’s throne, and through eternal ages one with the race He has redeemed—the Son of man. And all this that man might be uplifted from the ruin and degradation of sin that he might reflect the love of God and share the joy of holiness.” Steps to Christ, 14.

As we follow the love of Jesus to its finality, the Lord will use it to sanctify us. This is not a work that we can perform; it must be achieved through the working of the Holy Spirit. Only He can create the changes needed in each life. No one person is the same as another; therefore, a special work must be done in each one. “Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God” (1 John 3:9). The way we can see this change being wrought in us is through love. “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God” (1 John 4:7).

“What is the work of the Holy Spirit? Jesus told His disciples: ‘When He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth’ (John 16:13). And the psalmist says: ‘Thy law is the truth’ (Psalm 119:142). By the Word and the Spirit of God are opened to men the great principles of righteousness embodied in His law. And since the law of God is ‘holy, and just, and good’ (Romans 7:12), a transcript of the divine perfection, it follows that a character formed by obedience to that law will be holy. Christ is a perfect example of such a character. He says: ‘I have kept My Father’s commandments.’ ‘I do always those things that please Him’ (John 15:10; 8:29). The followers of Christ are to become like Him—by the grace of God to form characters in harmony with the principles of His holy law. This is Bible sanctification.” Maranatha, 231.

The law of truth is the law of love in Christ Jesus. In it He has set before us the path to holiness and happiness. Jesus said He knows His sheep and His sheep know Him. They know Him because of the great love they have for Him. Not because they loved Him first, but because He first loved them and showed them true love. “We love Him because He first loved us” and if we love Him, He says, “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (1 John 4:19; John 14:15). His commandments are not burdensome because we love Him. If you love your wife or husband or mother or father, would you not try to please them, and do as they ask? How much more so for the One who gave all for us that we may not perish, but have everlasting life with Him.

Jesus illustrated this simple gospel of love in the parable of the good Samaritan. Here was a man beaten and robbed and left to die on the side of the road. The priest and Levite who saw the man beaten and bruised walked past on the other side of the road. They did not want to get involved. They had pressing business in town that would further their own self-interest much more than to help this poor man. These were the professed leaders of God’s church that showed disdain for those who were of a lower class than they. Yet a Samaritan man stopped to help this man. The Samaritan was of a class of people that the Jews considered to be lower than themselves and would have nothing to do with them. Yet the Samaritan saw the pain and suffering of this injured man who was near death and offered him the hand of love. He didn’t know if this man was rich or poor, Jew or Greek, a godly person or an atheist. All he knew was that he needed help. So, he lifted him up and took him to shelter and paid for his care that he might be made well again. The prophet of God remarks about this love shown by the one who was inspired by the love of God, for love only comes from the God of Heaven.

“All this is but a fulfillment of the principle of the law—the principle that is illustrated in the story of the good Samaritan, and made manifest in the life of Jesus. His character reveals the true significance of the law, and shows what is meant by loving our neighbor as ourselves. And when the children of God manifest mercy, kindness, and love toward all men, they also are witnessing to the character of the statutes of heaven. They are bearing testimony to the fact that ‘the law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul’ (Psalm 19:7). And whoever fails to manifest this love is breaking the law which he professes to revere. For the spirit we manifest toward our brethren declares what is our spirit toward God. The love of God in the heart is the only spring of love toward our neighbor. ‘If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?’ Beloved, ‘if we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and His love is perfected in us’ (1 John 4:20, 12).” The Desire of Ages, 505.

Oh, what perfect love to love one another as Christ loved us. It is the simplicity of the gospel of Jesus. Love motivates us to confess our sins, and Jesus has promised to cleanse us. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). Love is the inspiration that turns us to repentance. “For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation” (2 Corinthians 7:10). Love is the catalyst that drives us to follow all that Jesus has said and to “Live by every word of God” (Luke 4:4). “He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” “And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing” (1 John 4:8; 1 Corinthians 13:3). But through our love for God and one another, we can be confident that Jesus is living through us. “Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us” (Romans 5:5).

Looking forward, we can see that time is short and if we are to live in Christ, we must prepare for the future. We must pray more fervently, we must struggle harder, we must send up more supplications for the Holy Spirit to be poured out on us that we may fulfill the plan that God has for each of our lives. Most of all, we must ask the God of Heaven to fill us with His love that we may have a change of heart.

The beginning of a life in Christ demands love and not strife. It requires sacrifice and not slothfulness, and that love will produce the perfect character that will fit us for Heaven. Let us come boldly before the throne of God with hearts filled with love for perishing souls. Let us work tenderly, recognizing that we are no better than the worst person in this world. If we love God, we will love them, too, and try to reach those within our sphere of influence.

Remember, on the cross of Calvary Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do” (Luke 23:34). We were once one of those people mired in sin without hope until Someone who loved us lifted us up. Let us give the gift of love that was given to us back to others.

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

Michael C. Wells lives in Wichita, Kansas, and is director of Anointing Oil Ministries.

Are You Ready?

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As a frequent traveler, I have missed my flight or ride on occasion and have also watched it happen to others. Once, I had a long time to fill as my flight was delayed almost two hours. While waiting, I observed a plane that was ready to leave. The ticket agent announced the last call for the flight several times. Finally the door was closed, and the plane pulled away from the jetway. A short time later, two young ladies came running from the other end of the concourse to the counter and asked if they could board, but the ticket agent said, “I’m sorry, it’s too late.” I thought of all the times that I had missed my plane. It is frustrating when you intend to be somewhere and something happens that you are delayed. You may be almost there, but do not quite make it. Pray that the Lord helps you that no matter what happens, you will not be too late for what is really important.

The Bible says that at the end of time many people will not be ready for the Lord’s return. It will be a terrible experience to realize they need to be ready now or risk not being ready at all. They will be almost saved, but totally lost. What good will it do for you or me to say on that day, “I was almost saved?” Do you think that will bring you any comfort on the day of judgment?

When I come to the end of my life in this world, whether by death or translation, I want to be ready, don’t you? The Scripture records the dying testimony of a man who, coming to the end of his life, was ready. A short time before his death, the apostle Paul wrote a letter to Timothy. He knew that very soon he would be martyred and sacrifice his life for the cause of the gospel, but he wasn’t sad because he was ready. He said, “For I am now ready to be offered” (2 Timothy 4:6, first part, KJV). Notice that Paul didn’t say, “I’m almost ready.” He was able to say, “I am ready.” How could he be so sure?

Acts 9:3, 4 says that Paul was on the Damascus road when, “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?’ And he said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ Then the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.’ … ‘Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do’ ” (verses 5, 6). Some manuscripts also add the words, “It is hard for you to kick against the pricks,” plus the words, “Lord, what do You wish for me to do?” The Lord told him to go to Damascus and wait until Ananias came.

In Acts 9:17, it says, “Ananias … entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, ‘Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Ghost.’ ” Paul not only received his sight, but he received spiritual eyesight and he was filled with the Holy Spirit. “Immediately … he received his sight; and he arose and was baptized” and “Immediately he preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God” (verses 18, 20). Paul continually preached this same story about Jesus.

The Damascus Road experience was a turning point in Paul’s life. He was converted. The word in the New Testament that is translated conversion means to turn around. Paul’s life was completely turned in the opposite direction from where he had been headed before. He had set out to persecute Christians, but left Damascus preaching Jesus.

When Jesus said to him, “Why are you persecuting Me?” Paul saw himself in a new light and realized that by persecuting these men and women, he had hurt the heart of Jesus. He realized what a terrible, wretched person he was. And unless we realize how terrible and wretched we are, there is not much of a chance that we are going to be converted. There will be no change in our heart or our life as long as we think we’re pretty good. Do you know that if you or I hurt even one of the Lord’s children, including little children, we have hurt Jesus Himself and in the day of judgment we will have to give an account? In persecuting the Christians, Paul was persecuting Jesus. We need to talk and act toward other people in the same way we would with Jesus.

The Pharisees and Sadducees had a high opinion of themselves, but not too many of them were converted. One of the first steps to being converted is to realize that in the heart and spirit dwells no good thing, as Paul says in Romans 7:18. When he saw that he was a wretched sinner who had been hurting Jesus by persecuting His followers, then he realized his own need of Jesus.

The Bible says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked” (Jeremiah 17:9). Are you going to cling to your preconceived ideas about yourself or are you going to believe what the Bible says? As a Bible-believing Christian, I have to believe when the Bible says that there is no good thing in me, it is the truth. I have no righteousness except that which I receive from Someone outside of myself.

Upon Paul’s return to Jerusalem, he went to the temple to tell the Jews what happened to him on the Damascus road and to make confession to the people regarding the terrible things he had done. He was found in the temple by an angry crowd who ran to seize him and kill him. This effort was halted by the Roman commander of the garrison in Jerusalem and he took Paul from the crowd and arrested him. But Paul sought another chance to tell his fellow Jews what Jesus had done for him and on the steps of the garrison barracks, chained and on the way to prison, Paul asked if he could address the people.

He told them of the Damascus experience, how in his blindness he was finally able to see himself as he truly was. He was able to understand the Scriptures he had memorized as a Jewish scholar and that righteousness comes from the Lord. He now saw that in persecuting God’s people he had been hurting Jesus. He wanted them to know what Jesus had done to change his life and that He could do the same for them. Paul had repented and now wanted to confess to his countrymen; and he had many confessions to make. He was responsible for the imprisonment or death of many Christians and his participation in the stoning of Stephen. Imagine how difficult it was for Paul to confess to these Jewish Christians that he was the one responsible for the death of their wife or husband, their pastor, deacon or elder.

But the people would not listen to Paul and Jesus had said to him, “ ‘Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, for they will not receive your testimony concerning Me’ ” (Acts 22:18). Paul thought that if he confessed and told them about Jesus, they would turn around just as he had. But the Lord knew differently and sent him far away to the Gentiles (verse 21).

Later in Acts 26:12–19, we find the account of Paul before Agrippa. He shared his conversion experience with Agrippa and concluded by saying, “Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision” (verse 19). Paul had made a decision in his life and was determined to follow it through.

Realizing his true condition and need of a Saviour, he repented and surrendered. He said, “Lord, what do You want me to do” (Acts 9:6)? There is no such thing as salvation without confession. Sins that are unconfessed are unforgiven. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). But remember, the first word of the text is “If.” Sins that are unconfessed are written in the books of heaven against our name and if not confessed, they remain, and we will meet them at the end of the millennium. Paul confessed his sins and consecrated himself to Christ as a servant. He dedicated his life and everything that he had to Jesus. From then on, he had confidence in salvation. Because of these decisions, Paul was able later to say, I’m ready.

Paul says in Romans 1:15: “So, as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome.” From the Damascus road and every day after, whatever God wanted him to do, he said, Lord, “I am ready. I’m Yours.”

Paul came to the end of his life with the wonderful experience of having no regrets; of knowing he had made the right decisions; that the time for his departure was at hand and he was ready. He recounts very briefly the experience of his life when he said, “I have fought the good fight” (2 Timothy 4:7).

Paul had a good deal to say about this fight in his epistles. He mentioned the fight to gain absolute control over his body. He said, “I discipline my body and bring it into subjection [absolute slavery], lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified [that is, rejected]” (1 Corinthians 9:27). The fight involves bringing the body, appetite and passions into strict subjection to the higher powers of the mind. Paul also wrote, “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand” (Ephesians 6:11–13).

In this fight, one of two things will happen to everyone in the world. There’s no truce. When the devil comes as a roaring lion, we will either conquer him in the strength of the Lord or be conquered. “In every soul two powers are struggling earnestly for the victory. Unbelief marshals its forces, led by Satan, to cut us off from the Source of our strength. Faith marshals its forces, led by Christ, the author and finisher of our faith. Hour by hour, in the sight of the heavenly universe, the conflict goes forward. This is a hand-to-hand fight, and the great question is, Which shall obtain the mastery? This question each must decide for himself. In this warfare all must take a part, fighting on one side or the other. From the conflict there is no release.” Sons and Daughters of God, 328. There is a war going on, and there is only one winner.

Ellen White wrote to encourage a young man who was not winning the war to fight and to win the war. When you are in battle and you lose ground, if you’re going to win, you have to recover that ground again. And this young man had lost some ground. She wrote, “Pure religion has to do with the will. …

“Your promises are like ropes of sand, and you regard in the same unreal light the words and works of those in whom you should trust.

“You will be in constant peril until you understand the true force of the will. You may believe and promise all things, but your promises or your faith are of no value until you put your will on the side of faith and action. If you fight the fight of faith with all your will power, you will conquer.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 513.

Are you fighting with everything you’ve got? God has promised to help, but He doesn’t promise to help us unless we try with everything we have, with all our will power. “Your feelings, your impressions, your emotions, are not to be trusted, for they are not reliable. …

“But you need not despair. … It is for you to yield up your will to the will of Jesus Christ; and as you do this, God will immediately take possession and work in you to will and to do of His good pleasure. Your whole nature will then be brought under the control of the Spirit of Christ, and even your thoughts will be subject to Him. You cannot control your impulses, your emotions, as you may desire; but you can control the will, and you can make an entire change in your life.” Ibid., 513, 514.

There is no victory without a fight. You choose.

“Will you not say, ‘I will give my will to Jesus, and I will do it now,’ and from this moment be wholly on the Lord’s side? Disregard custom and the strong clamoring of appetite and passion. Give Satan no chance to say: ‘You are a wretched hypocrite.’ Close the door so that Satan will not thus accuse and dishearten you. Say, ‘I will believe, I do believe that God is my helper,’ and you will find that you are triumphant in God.” Ibid., 514.

Have you said, Lord, I choose to yield my will to You and fight the fight of faith with everything I have? I will give my will to Jesus and I will do it now. “By steadfastly keeping the will on the Lord’s side, every emotion will be brought into captivity to the will of Jesus. …

“Talk faith. Keep on God’s side of the line.” Ibid. If you do this, God will be your helper.

Someone may say, I am so weak that I cannot resist. What should we do if we feel this way? “Many a man cries in despair, ‘I cannot resist evil.’ Tell him that he can, that he must resist. He may have been overcome again and again, but it need not be always thus. He is weak in moral power, controlled by the habits of a life of sin. …

“Those who put their trust in Christ are not to be enslaved by any hereditary or cultivated habit or tendency.” Temperance, 112. Imagine friends, though my past life with its habits of sin has had an effect on my character, God says there is deliverance in Jesus.

“The tempted one needs to understand the true force of the will. This is the governing power in the nature of man—the power of decision, of choice. Everything depends on the right action of the will. Desires for goodness and purity are right, so far as they go; but if we stop here, they avail nothing. Many will go down to ruin while hoping and desiring to overcome their evil propensities. They do not yield the will to God. They do not choose to serve Him.” Ibid.

We must fight if we want to have victory.

“You may believe and promise all things, but your promises and your faith are of no account until you put your will on the right side. If you will fight the fight of faith with your will power, there is no doubt that you will conquer.” Ibid., 113.

“The very feeblest prayer that we can offer, Jesus will hear. He pities the weakness of every soul. Help for everyone has been laid upon Him who is mighty to save.” Ibid., 114.

When Paul says, “I have fought the good fight” he is talking about the struggle for our will. If we yield our will to God and choose to follow and obey Him and exert all the effort we have, He has promised to help us to gain the victory. He has promised you victory.

Then Paul makes this exciting statement: “I have finished the race” (2 Timothy 4:7). Many times in his writings, Paul likens the Christian life to running a race. He says, I have finished my race, I have finished the path marked out for me to run. The people who receive the prize are not those who begin the race but those who finish it. We must be running the race every day if we want to finish the course, for none of us knows how many more days we have left to run.

Paul says, “Therefore, also we having such a great cloud of witnesses set around us, let us lay aside every weight [hindrance], and the easily entangling sin” (Hebrews 12:1, literal translation). This weight is the easily entangling, or besetting, sins Paul speaks of. We all have besetting sins. What constitutes a besetting sin for one is not the same as for another, but be assured, we all have them. Paul says to take those sins which are easy for you to be entangled with and lay them aside; get them out of the way so that you can run the race.

Have you ever tried to run a race with weights on your legs? It’s all right for a practice run, but you never want to do that in a real race. Have you laid aside that besetting sin, keeping your eye on the mark and saying, I’m going to reach the prize of the high calling in Christ Jesus; I’m going to reach the end of the course? If you don’t, you will not be able to say, I have finished the course.

“When tempted to murmur, censure, and indulge in fretfulness, wounding those around you, and in so doing wounding your own soul, oh! let the deep, earnest, anxious inquiry come from your soul, Shall I stand without fault before the throne of God? Only the faultless will be there. None will be translated to heaven while their hearts are filled with the rubbish of earth. Every defect in the moral character must first be remedied, every stain removed by the cleansing blood of Christ, and all the unlovely, unlovable traits of character overcome.” Maranatha, 58.

It is easy for us to look around and say, “Well, so and so is worse than I am.” Will it give you satisfaction at the end of your life to say, I didn’t finish the course, but they didn’t either? We must have compassion for those who realize they are not ready, but are waiting for a better opportunity, like Felix (Acts 24:25). They need to know that the very best opportunity is today. “Now [today] is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2). We must have compassion for those who have lost their faith and are doing nothing to rid their lives of besetting sin, nor surrendering their will to God. Those who no longer fight nor run the race, who are going nowhere, or are sidetracked by spending more time with faithless things than with the word of God that would build up their faith, are allowing the devil to have the victory in their lives. The world offers an abundance of distractions that can weaken one’s faith in the word of God.

It is a fact that there will be Seventh-day Adventists who will go to heaven alone because those in their very own family are not fighting the fight of faith nor running the race. Jesus said in Matthew 10, “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me” (verse 37).

Each of us has to decide if we will run the race or wait for family or friend. The best way to encourage others to run the race is to run it yourself. Do not wait. Exhibit an influence that will encourage others to cast aside their sins and run too.

When you come to the end, will you, like Paul, have kept the faith? Who is going to receive the crown of righteousness? Paul says, “Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day” (2 Timothy 4:8 KJV). The crown is laid up for the one who is ready, for the one who fights the good fight. It is laid up for the one who finishes the course and has kept the faith.

This world is full of people who are hoping and desiring to be saved, but they’ll be lost if they do not choose today to get ready. They are waiting for a better opportunity which never comes. The only way to be ready when you come to the end of life’s road is to decide to be ready today.

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

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