LESSON 7 *February 5–11
Sabbath Afternoon
Read for This Week’s Study: Heb. 6:4–6, Matt. 16:24, Rom.
6:6, Heb. 10:26–29, Heb. 6:9–13, Heb. 6:17–20.
Memory Text: “This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both
secure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil,
where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become
High Priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek” (Hebrews
6:19, 20, NKJV).
Hebrews 5:11–6:20 interrupts the theological exposition about
Jesus’ priesthood in our behalf. Paul inserts there a severe
warning about the danger of falling away from Christ.
Apparently, the people were in real danger of going down the slippery
slope of self-pity and faithlessness. The apostle Paul is concerned
that his readers and hearers may have had their spiritual senses dulled
because of the difficult situations they were facing, and thus they had
stopped growing in their understanding and experience of the gospel.
Is not this a potential danger for us all, getting discouraged because
of trials, and thus falling away?
The severe warning culminates, however, in an affectionate
encouragement. Paul expresses faith in his readers and exalts Jesus
as the embodiment of God’s unbreakable promise of salvation to them
(Heb. 6:9–20). This cycle of warning and encouragement is repeated in
Hebrews 10:26–39.
We will study this cycle and focus on the strong words of encouragement
that Jesus provides for us.
* Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, February 12.
EGW Notes — SATURDAY ↓
Sabbath Afternoon, February 5
Lesson 7 - Jesus, the Anchor of the Soul
The loving Jesus is ready to bless abundantly; but we need to obtain an experience in faith, in earnest prayer,
and in rejoicing in the love of God. …
We must study the warnings and corrections He has given His people in past ages. We do not lack light. We
know what works we should avoid and what requirements He has given us to observe; so if we do not seek to
know and do that which is right, it is because wrongdoing suits the carnal heart better than rightdoing.
There will always be faithless ones, who wait to be carried forward by the faith of others. They have not an
experimental knowledge of the truth and consequently have not felt its sanctifying power on their own souls. It
should be the work of every member of the church quietly and diligently to search his own heart and see if his life
and character are in harmony with God’s great standard of
righteousness.—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, pp. 532, 533.
The great adversary of God, and the enemy of man, is watching to find an opportunity to take us when we are
off our guard. Jesus has told us of our danger and warned us against the wily foe. He has repeatedly enjoined
upon us the duty of always watching and praying, lest we enter into temptation. Believe in Jesus, trust in Jesus
with living, constant faith, and rely without doubt upon Jesus to keep and save you. One mighty to save has hold
upon you, and as long as you will submit to be led by Him, to learn of Him, to confide in Him, He will keep you
from falling. And, when God engages to keep you, He is a sure defense.—The Upward Look, p. 19.
When we are burdened, when we are pressed with temptation, when the feelings and desires of the natural
heart are contending for the victory, we should offer up fervent, importunate prayer to our heavenly Father in the
name of Christ, and this will bring Jesus to our help, so that through His all-powerful and efficacious name we
may gain the victory and banish Satan from our side. But we should not flatter ourselves that we are safe while
we make but feeble efforts in our own behalf. …
There is help for us only in God. We should not flatter ourselves that we have any strength in wisdom of our
own, for our strength is weakness, our judgment foolishness. Christ conquered the foe in our behalf because He
pitied our weakness and knew that we would be overcome and would perish if He did not come to our help. He
clothed His divinity with humanity, and thus was qualified to reach man with His human arm while with His
divine arm He grasped the throne of the Infinite. The merits of Christ elevate and ennoble humanity, and through
the name and grace of Christ it is possible for man to overcome the degradation caused by the Fall, and through
the exalted, divine nature of Christ to be linked to the Infinite.—That I May Know Him, p. 269.
SUNDAY February 6
Tasting the Goodness of the Word
Read Hebrews 6:4, 5. What were believers given in Christ while they
were faithful to Him?
* Your notes will not be saved!
To have been “enlightened” means to have experienced conversion
(Heb. 10:32). It refers to those who have turned from the “darkness”
of the power of Satan to the “light” of God (Acts 26:17, 18). It implies
deliverance from sin (Eph. 5:11) and ignorance (1 Thess. 5:4, 5).
The verbal form here suggests that this enlightening is an act of God
achieved through Jesus, “the brightness of His glory” (Heb. 1:3, NKJV).
To “have tasted the heavenly gift” and “have become partakers of the
Holy Spirit” (NKJV) are synonymous expressions. The “gift” of God
may refer to His grace (Rom. 5:15) or to the Holy Spirit, through whom
God imparts that grace (Acts 2:38). Those who have “tasted” the Holy
Spirit (John 7:37–39, 1 Cor. 12:13) have experienced the “grace” of
God, which includes the power to fulfill His will (Gal. 5:22, 23).
To taste “the goodness of the word of God” (Heb. 6:5, ESV) is to
experience personally the truth of the gospel (1 Pet. 2:2, 3). “The
powers of the age to come” refers to the miracles God will perform for
believers in the future: resurrection (John 5:28, 29), transformation of
our bodies, and eternal life. Believers, however, are beginning to “taste”
them in the present. They have experienced a spiritual resurrection
(Col. 2:12, 13), a renewed mind (Rom. 12:2), and eternal life in Christ
(John 5:24).
Paul probably has in mind the wilderness generation, who experienced
the grace of God and His salvation. The wilderness generation
was “enlightened” by the pillar of fire (Neh. 9:12, 19; Ps. 105:39),
enjoyed the heavenly gift of manna (Exod. 16:15), experienced the
Holy Spirit (Neh. 9:20), tasted the “good word of God” (Josh. 21:45),
and “the powers of the age to come” in the “wonders and signs”
performed in their deliverance from Egypt (Acts 7:36). Paul suggests,
however, that just as the wilderness generation apostatized from God,
despite those evidences (Num. 14:1–35), the audience of Hebrews was
in danger of doing the same, despite all the evidences of God’s favor
that they had enjoyed.
What has been your own experience with the things that these
verses in Hebrews have talked about? For instance, how have you
experienced the enlightening that the text refers to?
EGW Notes — SUNDAY ↓
Sunday, February 6
Tasting the Goodness of the Word
Christ came to this world to show that by receiving power from on high, man can live an unsullied life. With
unwearying patience and sympathetic helpfulness He met men in their necessities. By the gentle touch of grace
He banished from the soul unrest and doubt, changing enmity to love, and unbelief to confidence.
He could say to whom He pleased, “Follow Me,” and the one addressed arose and followed Him. The spell of
the world’s enchantment was broken. At the sound of His voice the spirit of greed and ambition fled from the
heart, and men arose, emancipated, to follow the Saviour.—The Ministry of Healing, p. 25.
The word of God is the seed. Every seed has in itself a germinating principle. In it the life of the plant is
enfolded. So there is life in God’s word. Christ says, “The words that I speak unto you, they are Spirit, and they
are life.” John 6:63. “He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life.” John 5:24.
In every command and in every promise of the word of God is the power, the very life of God, by which the
command may be fulfilled and the promise realized. He who by faith receives the word is receiving the very life
and character of God.
Every seed brings forth fruit after its kind. Sow the seed under right conditions, and it will develop its own
life in the plant. Receive into the soul by faith the incorruptible seed of the word, and it will bring forth a
character and a life after the similitude of the character and the life of
God.—Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 38.
Our growth in grace, our joy, our usefulness,—all depend upon our union with Christ. It is by communion
with Him, daily, hourly,—by abiding in Him,—that we are to grow in grace. He is not only the Author, but the
Finisher of our faith. It is Christ first and last and always. He is to be with us, not only at the beginning and the
end of our course, but at every step of the way. …
A life in Christ is a life of restfulness. There may be no ecstasy of feeling, but there should be an abiding,
peaceful trust. Your hope is not in yourself; it is in Christ. Your weakness is united to His strength, your ignorance
to His wisdom, your frailty to His enduring might. So you are not to look to yourself, not to let the mind dwell
upon self, but look to Christ. Let the mind dwell upon His love, upon the beauty, the perfection, of His character.
Christ in His self-denial, Christ in His humiliation, Christ in His purity and holiness, Christ in His matchless love
—this is the subject for the soul’s contemplation. It is by loving Him, copying Him, depending wholly upon Him,
that you are to be transformed into His likeness.—Steps to Christ, pp. 69–71.
MONDAY February 7
Impossible to Restore
Compare Hebrews 6:4–6, Matthew 16:24, Romans 6:6, Galatians
2:20, Galatians 5:24, and Galatians 6:14. What does this comparison
suggest about what it means to crucify Christ?
The original text in Greek emphasizes the word “impossible.” It is
impossible for God to restore those who have “fallen away” because
“they are crucifying once again the Son of God” (Heb. 6:6, ESV). Paul
wants to stress that there is no other way of salvation except through
Christ (Acts 4:12). Salvation by any other means is as impossible as it
is “for God to lie” (Heb. 6:18) or to please God “without faith” (Heb.
11:6).
To crucify again the Son of God is a figurative expression that
seeks to describe something that happens in the personal relationship
between Jesus and the believer.
When the religious leaders crucified Jesus, they did it because Jesus
posed a threat to their supremacy and autonomy. Thus, they hoped
to eliminate Jesus as a person and destroy a powerful and dangerous
enemy. Similarly, the gospel challenges the sovereignty and
selfdetermination of the individual at the most fundamental level. The
essence of Christian life is to take up the cross and deny oneself (Matt.
16:24). This means to crucify “the world” (Gal. 6:14), the “old man”
(Rom. 6:6), and “the flesh with its passions and desires” (Gal. 5:24,
ESV). The purpose of the Christian life is that we undergo a kind of
death. Unless we experience this death to self, we cannot receive the
new life God wants to give us (Rom. 6:1–11).
The struggle between Jesus and self is a struggle to the death (Rom.
8:7, 8; Gal. 5:17). It is a difficult battle that is not won at once. This
passage does not refer to the person who sometimes fails in the battle
against the “old man” and the “flesh.” This sin refers to the person who,
after having experienced genuine salvation and what it implies (Heb.
6:4, 5), decides that Jesus is a threat to the kind of life he or she wants
to have and moves to kill their relationship with Him. That is, as long
as the person does not fully choose to turn away from Christ, there is
still the hope of salvation.
What does it mean to die to “self,” to take up the “cross”? What is
the thing that you find most difficult to hand over to the dominion of Christ?
EGW Notes — MONDAY ↓
Monday, February 7
Impossible to Restore
The proud heart strives to earn salvation; but both our title to heaven and our fitness for it are found in the
righteousness of Christ. The Lord can do nothing toward the recovery of man until, convinced of his own
weakness, and stripped of all self-sufficiency, he yields himself to the control of God. Then he can receive the gift
that God is waiting to bestow. From the soul that feels his need, nothing is withheld. He has unrestricted access to
Him in whom all fullness dwells. “For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is
Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of
the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.” Isaiah 57:15.
—The Desire of Ages, p. 300.
The scenes of the betrayal, rejection, and crucifixion of Christ have been reenacted, and will again be
reenacted on an immense scale. People will be filled with the attributes of Satan. The delusions of the archenemy
of God and man will have great power. Those who have given their affections to any leader but Christ will find
themselves under the control, body, soul, and spirit of an infatuation that is so entrancing that under its power
souls turn away from hearing the truth to believe a lie. They are ensnared and taken, and by their every action,
they cry, “Release unto us Barabbas, but crucify Christ.” …
In the churches which have departed from truth and righteousness, it is being revealed what human nature
will be and do when the love of God is not an abiding principle in the soul. We need not be surprised at anything
that may take place now. We need not marvel at any developments of horror. Those who trample under their
unholy feet the law of God have the same spirit as had the men who insulted and betrayed
Jesus.—Selected Messages, book 3, pp. 415, 416.
Heaven will be cheap enough, if we obtain it through suffering. We must deny self all along the way, die to
self daily, let Jesus alone appear, and keep His glory continually in view. I saw that those who of late have
embraced the truth would have to know what it is to suffer for Christ’s sake, that they would have trials to pass
through that would be keen and cutting, in order that they may be purified and fitted through suffering to receive
the seal of the living God. …
As I saw what we must be in order to inherit glory, and then saw how much Jesus had suffered to obtain for
us so rich an inheritance, I prayed that we might be baptized into Christ’s sufferings, that we might not shrink at
trials. … Said the angel, “Deny self; ye must step fast.” Some of us have had time to get the truth and to advance
step by step, and every step we have taken has given us strength to take the next. But now time is almost finished,
and what we have been years learning, they will have to learn in a few months.—Early Writings, p. 67.
TUESDAY February 8
No Sacrifice for Sins Left
The warning of Hebrews 6:4–6 is very similar to the warning found
in Hebrews 10:26–29. Paul explains that the rejection of Jesus’ sacrifice
will leave the readers without any means for the forgiveness of
sin because there is no other means for that forgiveness besides Jesus
(Heb. 10:1–14).
Read Hebrews 10:26–29. In what three ways does the author describe
the sin for which there is no forgiveness?
The author does not say that there is no atonement for any sin committed
after receiving the knowledge of truth. God has appointed Jesus
as our Advocate (1 John 2:1). Through Him we have forgiveness of
sins (1 John 1:9). The sin for which there is no sacrifice or atonement
is described as trampling underfoot the Son of God, profaning the blood
of the Covenant, and outraging the Holy Spirit (Heb. 10:29). Let’s
review the meaning of these expressions.
The expression “trampled the Son of God underfoot” (Heb. 10:29,
NKJV) describes the rejection of Jesus’ rule. The title “Son of God”
reminded the audience that God has installed Jesus at His right hand and
promised to make His enemies “a footstool” for His feet (Heb. 1:13; see
also Heb. 1:5–12, 14, ESV). The trampling of Jesus underfoot implies
that the apostate has treated Jesus as an enemy. In the context of the argument
of the epistle (Heb. 1:13), it could be implied that, as far as the life
of the apostate is concerned, Jesus has been taken off the throne (which
is occupied now by the apostate himself) and set as the footstool instead.
This is what Lucifer wanted to do in heaven (Isa. 14:12–14) and what the
“lawless one” would attempt to do in the future (2 Thess. 2:3, 4, NRSV).
The expression “has profaned the blood of the covenant” refers to the
rejection of Jesus’ sacrifice (Heb. 9:15–22). It implies that the blood of
Jesus is devoid of cleansing power.
The expression “insulted the Spirit of grace” is very powerful. The
Greek term enybrisas (“insult, outrage”) involves the manifestation of
hubris, which refers to “insolence” or “arrogance.” This term stands
in stark contrast to the description of the Holy Spirit as “the Spirit of
grace.” It implies that the apostate has responded to God’s offer of grace
with an insult.
The apostate is in an untenable position. He rejects Jesus, His sacrifice,
and the Holy Spirit.
EGW Notes — TUESDAY ↓
Tuesday, February 8
No Sacrifice for Sins Left
Some souls who claim to be believers have slighted, and turned from, the Word of God. They have neglected
the Bible, the wonderful Guidebook, the true Tester of all ideas, and claim that they have the Spirit to teach them,
that this renders searching the Scriptures unnecessary. All such are heeding the sophistry of Satan. …
The Lord loves you, and His guardian angels are round about you. If you are doers of the Word you will obey
the instructions of Jesus Christ. … In our own strength we are perfect weakness, but, when we put our whole trust
in Jesus Christ, we are kept by His power, for He is fully able to keep every soul that puts his trust in Him. The
peril to which every soul is exposed is very great.—The Upward Look, p. 19.
Many today stand where Peter stood, when in self-confidence he declared that he would not deny his Lord.
And because of their self-sufficiency, they fall an easy prey to Satan’s devices. Those who realize their weakness
trust in a power higher than self. And, while they look to God, Satan has no power against them. But those who
trust in self are easily defeated. Let us remember that, if we do not heed the cautions that God gives us, a fall is
before us. Christ will not save from wounds the one who places himself unbidden on the enemy’s ground. He lets
the self-sufficient one, who acts as if he knew more than his Lord, go on in his supposed strength. Then comes
suffering and a crippled life, or perhaps defeat and death.
In the warfare, the enemy takes advantage of the weakest points in the defence of those he is attacking. Here
he makes his fiercest assaults. The Christian should have no weak points in his defence. He should be barricaded
by the support that the Scriptures give to the one who is doing God’s will. The tempted soul will bear away the
victory, if he follows the example of Him who met the tempter with the word, “It is written.” He can stand
securely in the protection of a “Thus saith the Lord.”—This Day With God, p. 259.
Sanctification is a daily work. Let none deceive themselves with the belief that God will pardon and bless
them while they are trampling upon one of His requirements. The willful commission of a known sin silences the
witnessing voice of the Spirit, and separates the soul from God. Whatever may be the ecstasies of religious feeling,
Jesus cannot abide in the heart that disregards the divine law. God will honor those only who honor Him. …
… “No man can serve two masters.” If we serve sin, we cannot serve Christ. The Christian will feel the
promptings of sin, for the flesh lusteth against the Spirit; but the Spirit striveth against the flesh, keeping up a
constant warfare. Here is where Christ’s help is needed. Human weakness becomes united to divine strength, and
faith exclaims, “Thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus
Christ!”—Messages to Young People, p. 114.
WEDNESDAY February 9
Better Things
After the strong and sincere warning of Hebrews 6:4–8, Paul
expresses confidence that the readers have neither fallen away from
the Son, nor will they in the future. He believes that his audience will
receive the warning and produce the appropriate fruits. They are like
the “earth,” which is cultivated by God and produces the fruits He
expects. These people will receive the blessing from God (Heb. 6:7),
which is “salvation” (Heb. 6:9).
Read Hebrews 6:9–12. List the good things that the audience has done
and continues to do, and explain what they mean.
Believers show their love toward God’s “name,” that is, toward God
Himself, by their service to the saints. These were not isolated actions
in the past, but sustained actions that have extended into the present.
Exceptional acts do not reveal the true character of a person. The
weightiest evidence of love toward God is not “religious” acts per say,
but acts of love toward fellow human beings, especially those who
are disadvantaged (Matt. 10:42, Matt. 25:31–46). Thus, Paul exhorts
believers not to “forget” to do good (Heb. 13:2, 16).
Look at Hebrews 6:12. It warns against becoming “dull” or “sluggish”
(ESV), which characterizes those who fail to mature and who are
in danger of falling away (Heb. 5:11, Heb. 6:12). Hope is not kept alive
by intellectual exercises of faith, but by faith expressed in acts of love
(Rom. 13:8–10).
Paul wants the readers to imitate those who through faith and
patience inherit the promises. He already has presented the wilderness
generation as a negative example of those who, through lack of faith
and perseverance, failed to inherit what was promised. He then presents
Abraham (Heb. 6:13–15) as an example of one who through “faith
and patience” inherited the promises. The list of positive exemplars
is lengthened with the people of faith in Hebrews 11, and it climaxes
with Jesus in Hebrews 12 as the greatest example of faith and patience
(Heb. 12:1–4). In Revelation 14:12, faith, patience, and commandment
keeping are characteristics of the saints in the last days.
Sometimes we have to give words of warning to those people
whom we love. What can we learn from the apostle regarding
warning and encouraging others?
EGW Notes — WEDNESDAY ↓
Wednesday, February 9
Better Things
In [his] letter to the Corinthians Paul endeavored to show them Christ’s power to keep them from evil. He
knew that if they would comply with the conditions laid down, they would be strong in the strength of the
Mighty One. As a means of helping them to break away from the thralldom of sin and to perfect holiness in the
fear of the Lord, Paul urged upon them the claims of Him to whom they had dedicated their lives at the time of
their conversion. “Ye are Christ’s,” he declared. “Ye are not your own. … Ye are bought with a price: therefore
glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are
God’s.”—The Acts of the Apostles, p. 306.
Every moment is freighted with eternal consequences. We are to stand as minute men, ready for service at a
moment’s notice. The opportunity that is now ours to speak to some needy soul the word of life may never offer
again. God may say to that one, “This night thy soul shall be required of thee,” and through our neglect he may
not be ready. (Luke 12:20.) In the great judgment day, how shall we render our account to God?
Life is too solemn to be absorbed in temporal and earthly matters, in a treadmill of care and anxiety for the
things that are but an atom in comparison with the things of eternal interest. Yet God has called us to serve Him
in the temporal affairs of life. Diligence in this work is as much a part of true religion as is devotion. The Bible
gives no indorsement to idleness. It is the greatest curse that afflicts our world. Every man and woman who is
truly converted will be a diligent worker.—Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 343.
Cultivate a disposition to esteem others better than yourself. Be less self-sufficient, less confident; cherish
patience, forbearance, and brotherly love. Be ready to help the erring, and have pity and tender sympathy toward
those who are weak. You need not leave your business in order to glorify the Lord; but you may, from day to day,
in every deed and word, while pursuing your usual avocations, honor Him whom you serve, thereby influencing
for the right those with whom you are brought in contact.
Be courteous, tenderhearted, forgiving toward others. Let self sink in the love of Jesus, that you may honor
your Redeemer and do the work that He has appointed for you to do. How little you know of the heart trials of
poor souls who have been bound in the chains of darkness and who lack resolution and moral power. Strive to
understand the weakness of others. Help the needy, crucify self, and let Jesus take possession of your soul, in
order that you may carry out the principles of truth in your daily life. Then will you be, as never before, a blessing
to the church and to all those with whom you come in
contact.—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 4, pp. 133, 134.
THURSDAY February 10
Jesus, the Anchor of the Soul
Paul culminates his warning against apostasy and encouragement
toward love and faith with a beautiful, soaring exposition of assurance
in Christ.
Read Hebrews 6:17–20. How did God guarantee His promises to us?
God guaranteed His promises for us in several ways. First, God
guaranteed His promise with an oath (Heb. 6:17). According to Scripture,
God’s oaths to Abraham and David became the ultimate basis of confidence
in God’s permanent favor toward Israel. When Moses sought to
secure God’s forgiveness for Israel after the apostasy with the golden
calf, he referred to God’s oath to Abraham (see Exod. 32:11–14, Gen.
22:16–18). The implied strength of his plea was that God’s oath was
irrevocable (Rom. 9:4; Rom. 11:28, 29).
Similarly, when the psalmist interceded before God for Israel, he
claimed God’s oath to David. God had said: “ ‘I will not violate my
covenant or alter the word that went forth from my lips. Once for all I
have sworn by my holiness; I will not lie to David. His offspring shall
endure forever, his throne as long as the sun before me. Like the moon
it shall be established forever, a faithful witness in the skies’ ” (Ps.
89:34–37, ESV). According to the New Testament, both oaths were
fulfilled in Jesus, the seed of Abraham, who ascended and was seated
on the throne of David (Gal. 3:13–16; Luke 1:31–33, 54, 55).
Second, God has guaranteed His promises to us by the act of seating
Jesus at His right hand. Jesus’ ascension has the purpose of
corroborating the promise made to the believers because Jesus ascended as
a “forerunner on our behalf ” (Heb. 6:20, ESV). Thus, the Ascension
reveals to us the certainty of God’s salvation for us. God led Jesus to
glory through the suffering of “death for everyone,” so that He might
bring “many children to glory” (Heb. 2:9, 10, NRSV). Jesus’ presence
before the Father is the “anchor of the soul” (Heb. 6:19), which has
been fastened to the throne of God. The honor of God’s rule has been
waged on the fulfillment of His promise to us through Jesus. What
more assurance do we need?
What do you feel when you think about the fact that God has
made an oath to you? Why should that thought alone help give
you assurance of salvation, even when you feel unworthy?
EGW Notes — THURSDAY ↓
Thursday, February 10
Jesus, the Anchor of the Soul
On Mount Moriah, God again renewed His covenant, confirming with a solemn oath the blessing to Abraham
and to his seed through all coming generations: “By myself have I sworn, saith Jehovah, for because thou hast
done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, that in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying
I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the seashore; and thy seed shall
possess the gate of his enemies; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast
obeyed My voice.”
Abraham’s great act of faith stands like a pillar of light, illuminating the pathway of God’s servants in all
succeeding ages. Abraham did not seek to excuse himself from doing the will of God. During that three days’
journey he had sufficient time to reason, and to doubt God, if he was disposed to doubt. He might have reasoned
that the slaying of his son would cause him to be looked upon as a murderer, a second Cain; that it would cause
his teaching to be rejected and despised; and thus destroy his power to do good to his fellow men. He might have
pleaded that age should excuse him from obedience. But the patriarch did not take refuge in any of these excuses.
Abraham was human; his passions and attachments were like ours; but he did not stop to question how the
promise could be fulfilled if Isaac should be slain. He did not stay to reason with his aching heart. He knew that
God is just and righteous in all His requirements, and he obeyed the command to the very lette r.
—Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 153.
To the omnipotence of the King of Kings, our covenant-keeping God unites the gentleness and care of a
tender shepherd. Nothing can stand in His way. His power is absolute, and it is the pledge of the sure fulfillment
of His promises to His people. He can remove all obstructions to the advancement of His work. He has means for
the removal of every difficulty, that those who serve Him and respect the means He employs may be delivered.
His goodness and love are infinite, and His covenant is unalterable.
The plans of the enemies of His work may seem to be firm and well established, but He can overthrow the
strongest of these plans, and in His own time and way He will do this, when He sees that our faith has been
sufficiently tested and that we are drawing near to Him and making Him our counselor.
In the darkest days, when appearances seem so forbidding, fear not. Have faith in God. He is working out His
will, doing all things well in behalf of His people. The strength of those who love and serve Him will be renewed
day by day. His understanding will be placed at their service, that they may not err in the carrying out of His
purposes.—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 8, pp. 10, 11.
FRIDAY February 11
Further Thought: Read Ellen G. White, “John the Beloved,” pp.
539–545, in The Acts of the Apostles; “Judas,” pp. 716–722, in The Desire
of Ages.
“The warfare against self is the greatest battle that was ever fought.
The yielding of self, surrendering all to the will of God, requires a
struggle; but the soul must submit to God before it can be renewed in
holiness.”—Ellen G. White, Steps to Christ, p. 43.
“John desired to become like Jesus, and under the transforming influence
of the love of Christ he did become meek and lowly. Self was hid
in Jesus. Above all his companions, John yielded himself to the power
of that wondrous life. . . .
“It was John’s deep love for Christ which led him always to desire
to be close by His side. The Saviour loved all the Twelve, but John’s
was the most receptive spirit. He was younger than the others, and with
more of the child’s confiding trust he opened his heart to Jesus. Thus
he came more into sympathy with Christ, and through him the Saviour’s
deepest spiritual teaching was communicated to the people. . . .
“The beauty of holiness which had transformed him shone with a
Christlike radiance from his countenance. In adoration and love he
beheld the Saviour until likeness to Christ and fellowship with Him
became his one desire, and in his character was reflected the character
of his Master.”—Ellen G. White, The Acts of the Apostles, pp. 544, 545.
Discussion Questions:
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1. The lives of John, the beloved disciple, and Judas Iscariot provide
an important contrast. When Jesus saw John and his brother,
He called them Boanerges, sons of thunder. John had grave
defects. Judas also had defects, but they were not more dramatic
or serious than John’s. Why did John come to be transformed into
the image of Jesus while Judas committed the sin against the Holy
Spirit? What was the difference?
-
2. Jesus invites believers to take up their crosses and follow Him.
What is the difference between taking the cross and submitting to
abuse from others?
-
3. Why does God require a total surrender of our lives to Him?
What is the relationship between free will and salvation?
EGW Notes — FRIDAY ↓
Friday, February 11
For Further Reading
The Desire of Ages, “Judas,” pp. 716–722;
That I May Know Him, “Life Not to Be Trifled With,” p. 93.
