LESSON 10 *November 26–December 2
Sabbath Afternoon
Read for This Week’s Study: Mark 9:42–48; Mal. 4:1; Jude
7; 1 Tim. 2:5; Acts 2:29, 34, 35; 1 John 5:3–12.
Memory Text: “Test all things; hold fast what is good”
(1 Thessalonians 5:21, NKJV).
Italian poet Dante Alighieri (1265–1321) wrote his famous work, The
Divine Comedy, about a fictional journey of the soul after death. The
soul went either to the inferno (hell) within the earth; or to purgatory,
where the human spirit can purge itself and become worthy of ascending to
heaven; or to Paradise, to the presence of God Himself.
Though only a poem, fiction, Dante’s words ended up having a great
deal of influence on Christian theology, especially Roman Catholic
theology. The basic notion of an immortal soul’s going either to hell, or to
purgatory, or to Paradise is foundational to that church. Many conservative
Protestant denominations also believe in an immortal soul that after death
ascends either to Paradise or descends to hell. Indeed, if the human soul
never dies, then it has to go somewhere after the body dies. In short, a false
understanding of human nature has led to terrible theological errors.
This week we will deal with some of these unbiblical theories, as well as
with the biblical view of what happens after death.
* Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, December 3.
EGW Notes — SATURDAY ↓
Sabbath Afternoon, November 26
Lesson 10 - The Fires of Hell
How shall we search the Scriptures? Shall we drive our stakes of
doctrine one after another, and then try to make all Scripture meet our
established opinions? or shall we take our ideas and views to the
Scriptures, and measure our theories on every side by the Scriptures of
truth? Many who read and even teach the Bible, do not comprehend the
precious truth they are teaching or studying.
Men entertain errors, when the truth is clearly marked out; and if they
would but bring their doctrines to the word of God, and not read the word
of God in the light of their doctrines, to prove their ideas right, they would
not walk in darkness and blindness, or cherish error. Many give the words
of Scripture a meaning that suits their own opinions, and they mislead
themselves and deceive others by their misinterpretations of God’s
word.—Counsels to Writers and Editors, p. 36.
Oh, how deceptive is the human heart! How easy it is to harmonize
with that which is evil! There is nothing more detrimental to the soul’s
interest, its purity, its true and holy conceptions of God, and of sacred and
eternal things, than constantly giving heed to and exalting that which is
not from God. It poisons the heart, and degrades the understanding. Pure
truth can be traced to its divine Source, by its elevating, refining,
sanctifying influence upon the character of the receiver. . . .
“Take heed, therefore, how ye hear” (Luke 8:18), is an admonition of
Christ. We are to hear for the sake of learning the truth, that we may walk
in it. And again: “Take heed what ye hear” (Mark 4:24). Examine closely,
“prove all things” (1 Thessalonians 5:21), “believe not every spirit, but try
the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone
out into the world” (1 John 4:1). This is the counsel of God; shall we heed
it?—Selected Messages, book 2, pp. 78, 79.
Faith in a lie will not have a sanctifying influence upon the life or
character. No error is truth, or can be made truth by repetition, or by faith
in it. Sincerity will never save a soul from the consequences of believing
an error. Without sincerity there is no true religion, but sincerity in a false
religion will never save a man. I may be perfectly sincere in following a
wrong road, but that will not make it the right road, or bring me to the
place I wished to reach. The Lord does not want us to have a blind
credulity, and call that the faith that sanctifies. The truth is the principle
that sanctifies, and therefore it becomes us to know what is truth. We
must compare spiritual things with spiritual. We must prove all things, but
hold fast only that which is good, that which bears the divine credentials,
which lays before us the true motives and principles which should prompt
us to action.—Selected Messages, book 2, p. 56.
SUNDAY November 27
Immortal Worms?
Compare Mark 9:42–48 with Isaiah 66:24. How do you understand
the expression “their worm does not die” (Mark 9:48, NKJV)?
* Your notes will not be saved!
Some interpret the singular noun “worm” (Mark 9:48) as an allusion to
the supposed disembodied soul or spirit of the wicked that, after death, flies
into hell, where it never dies and suffers eternal torment.
But this interpretation does not reflect the biblical notion of unconscious
death; it also ignores the Old Testament background of this passage.
Actually, “the singular ‘the worm’ is used generically for ‘the worms’—it
does not mean a single worm. The reference is to worms which feed upon
decaying bodies.”—Robert G. Bratcher and Eugene A. Nida, A Translator’s
Handbook on the Gospel of Mark (London: United Bible Societies, 1961),
p. 304.
In Mark 9:48, Jesus is quoting Isaiah 66:24, which reads, “ ‘And they
will go out and look on the dead bodies of those who rebelled against me;
the worms that eat them will not die, the fire that burns them will not be
quenched, and they will be loathsome to all mankind’ ” (NIV).
This frightening metaphorical scene portrays a battlefield with God’s
enemies dead on the ground and being destroyed. The bodies not consumed
by fire are decomposed by worms, or perhaps first by worms and then by
fire. Either way, there is no reference whatsoever to any alleged soul
escaping the destruction of the body and flying into hell.
But what about the “worms” that never die? The metaphoric language of
Isaiah 66:24 (quoted in Mark 9:48) does not imply that those worms are
immortal. (Immortal worms?) The emphasis is on the fact that the worms
do not leave their destructive task incomplete. In other words, they continue
to devour the bodies of the wicked until these bodies are destroyed. By
contrast, God’s faithful children will joyfully abide in “ ‘the new heavens
and the new earth’ ” and worship God in His very presence (Isa. 66:22, 23,
NIV). With such contrasting destinies in mind, no wonder Jesus stated that it
would be far better for someone to enter the kingdom of God without a
crucial part of his or her body—without a hand, or foot, or even an eye—
than to have a perfect body that will be destroyed by worms and fire (Mark
9:42–48).
In the end, we are either totally saved or totally lost. There is no
middle ground. We can have either eternal life or will face eternal
destruction. What choices do you have to make today? How should
this reality—eternal life or eternal destruction—impact those
choices?
EGW Notes — SUNDAY ↓
Sunday, November 27
Immortal Worms?
With Satan at their head, the multitude move on. Kings and warriors
follow close after Satan, and the multitude follow after in companies. Each
company has its leader, and order is observed as they march over the
broken surface of the earth to the Holy City. Jesus closes the gates of the
city, and this vast army surround it, and place themselves in battle array,
expecting a fierce conflict. . . .
Satan rushes into the midst of his followers and tries to stir up the
multitude to action. But fire from God out of heaven is rained upon them,
and the great men, and mighty men, the noble, the poor and miserable, are
all consumed together. I saw that some were quickly destroyed, while
others suffered longer. They were punished according to the deeds done in
the body. Some were many days consuming, and just as long as there was
a portion of them unconsumed, all the sense of suffering remained. Said
the angel, “The worm of life shall not die; their fire shall not be quenched
as long as there is the least particle for it to prey
upon.”—Early Writings, pp. 293, 294.
“And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and
from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me,
saith the Lord.” “The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall
see it together.” “The Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to
spring forth before all the nations.” “In that day shall the Lord of hosts be
for a crown of glory, and for a diadem of beauty, unto the residue of his
people.”—Maranatha, p. 371.
To every nation and to every individual of today God has assigned a
place in His great plan. Today men and nations are being measured by the
plummet in the hand of Him who makes no mistake. All are by their own
choice deciding their destiny, and God is overruling all for the
accomplishment of His purposes.
The history which the great I AM has marked out in His word, uniting
link after link in the prophetic chain, from eternity in the past to eternity
in the future, tells us where we are today in the procession of the ages,
and what may be expected in the time to come. All that prophecy has
foretold as coming to pass, until the present time, has been traced on the
pages of history, and we may be assured that all which is yet to come will
be fulfilled in its
order.—Education, p. 178.
MONDAY November 28
The Fires of Hell
Read Exodus 32:1–14. What role do we find Moses playing here?
In his booklet for children titled, The Sight of Hell (Dublin: James Duffy,
[1874]), English Roman Catholic priest John Furniss (1809–1865)
illustrates the eternal torment by means of a great solid-iron ball, larger than
the heavens and the earth. “A bird comes once in a hundred millions [sic] of
years and just touches the great iron ball with a feather of its
wing.”—Page 24. Furniss argues that the burning of sinners in hell
continues even after that iron ball is worn away by such occasional feather
touches!
The sad thing is, many Protestants even today believe in something
similar for the lost.
Read Malachi 4:1 and Jude 7. How can these passages help us better
understand the notion of “eternal fire” or the idea, as Jesus expressed
it, that the lost will be in “ ‘everlasting fire’ ” (Matt. 18:8) or in a “ ‘fire
that shall never be quenched’ ”? (Mark 9:43, NKJV).
The word “eternal” (Hebrew ‘olam; Greek aion, aionios) carries
different meanings, depending on the immediate context. For example,
when associated with God (Deut. 33:27, “everlasting”), the word expresses
His eternity. When related to human beings (Exod. 21:6, “forever”), the
word is limited by their life span. When qualifying fire (Matt. 18:8, Matt.
25:41, “everlasting”), it implies that the fire will not go out until it fully
consumes what is being burned. This means that the “eternal fire” will be
eternal in the sense that it will consume the wicked completely and
irreversibly, leaving them “ ‘neither root nor branch’ ” (Mal. 4:1, NKJV).
The theory of an everlasting punishment of the wicked has serious
implications. If the wicked are punished forever, then evil will never be
eradicated. Also, all human life derives from God (Deut. 32:39, Ps. 36:9),
who has “ ‘ “no pleasure in the death of the wicked” ’ ” (Ezek. 33:11,
NKJV). Why then would He continue to grant life to the wicked to suffer in
endless torment? Would it not be much more reasonable for Him just to end
their existence? If the wicked will be punished “according to their works”
(Rev. 20:12, NKJV), why then should a short human life be punished
endlessly?
All Bible references to the “eternal fire” should be seen as allusions to
the postmillennium “lake of fire” of Revelation 20 (see lesson 13). Thus, it
is unbiblical to speak of an already-present, ever-burning hell.
As unfortunate as the fires of hell are, what does the truth about hell
reveal to us about God’s love, especially in contrast to the idea of
eternal torment?
EGW Notes — MONDAY ↓
Monday, November 28
The Fires of Hell
The warfare against God’s law, which was begun in heaven, will be
continued until the end of time. Every man will be tested. Obedience or
disobedience is the question to be decided by the whole world. All will be
called to choose between the law of God and the laws of men. Here the
dividing line will be drawn. There will be but two classes. Every character
will be fully developed; and all will show whether they have chosen the
side of loyalty or that of rebellion.
Then the end will come. God will vindicate His law and deliver His
people. Satan and all who have joined him in rebellion will be cut off. Sin
and sinners will perish, root and branch, (Malachi 4:1),—Satan the root,
and his followers the branches. . . .
This is not an act of arbitrary power on the part of God. The rejecters of
His mercy reap that which they have sown. God is the fountain of life; and
when one chooses the service of sin, he separates from God, and thus cuts
himself off from life. . . . By a life of rebellion, Satan and all who unite with
him place themselves so out of harmony with God that His very presence
is to them a consuming fire. The glory of Him who is love will destroy
them.—The Desire of Ages, pp. 763, 764.
God does not desire the destruction of any. “As I live, saith the Lord
God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked
turn from his way and live. Turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why
will ye die?” Ezekiel 33:11. Throughout the period of probationary time
His Spirit is entreating men to accept the gift of life. It is only those who
reject His pleading that will be left to perish. God has declared that sin
must be destroyed as an evil ruinous to the universe. Those who cling to
sin will perish in its
destruction.—Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 123.
God is full of love and plenteous in mercy; but He will by no means
acquit those who neglect the great salvation He has provided. The longlived
antediluvians were swept from the earth because they made void the
divine law. God will not again bring from the heavens above and the earth
beneath waters as His weapons to use in the destruction of the world; but
when next His vengeance shall be poured out against those who despise
His authority, they will be destroyed by fire concealed in the bowels of the
earth, awakened into intense activity by fires from heaven above. Then
from the purified earth shall arise a song of praise: “Blessing, and honour,
and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto
the Lamb for ever and ever.” Revelation 5:13. “Great and marvellous are
thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of
saints.” And every one who has made the heavenly treasure the first
consideration, . . . will join in the glad triumphant
strain.—Our High Calling, p. 252.
TUESDAY November 29
The Saints in Purgatory
The Roman Catholic Church holds that the dead who do not deserve hell
but who are not yet ready for Paradise can have their sins purged in
purgatory and then ascend from there to Paradise. Their sufferings in
purgatory can be reduced by the prayers and penances of loved ones.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church is explicit about purgatory: “All
who die in God’s grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are
indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo
purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of
heaven.”—Catechism of the Catholic Church (New York: Doubleday,
1995), p. 291. It states, too, that their suffering can be alleviated by the
prayers of their loved ones, as well as by other acts on behalf of the dead.
“The Church also commends almsgiving, indulgences, and works of
penance undertaken on behalf of the dead.”—Catechism of the Catholic
Church, p. 291.
Read Ecclesiastes 9:10, Ezekiel 18:20–22, and Hebrews 9:27. How do
these passages refute the theory of purgatory?
The dogma of purgatory combines the pagan notion of a burning hell
with the pagan practice of praying for the dead. This dogma is unacceptable
for those who believe in the biblical teachings (1) that the dead remain
resting unconsciously in their graves (Eccles. 9:10); (2) that the
righteousness of one fallen human being cannot be transferred to another
fallen human being (Ezek. 18:20–22); (3) that our only Mediator is Jesus
Christ (1 Tim. 2:5); and (4) that death is followed by the final judgment,
without any second chance to repent from the pitfalls of this life (Heb.
9:27).
An even more serious implication is how the antibiblical theory of
purgatory distorts God’s own character. Indeed, “Satan’s work since his fall
is to misinterpret our heavenly Father. He suggested the dogma of the
immortality of the soul. . . . The idea of an eternally burning hell was the
production of Satan; purgatory is his invention. These teachings falsify the
character of God, that He shall be regarded as severe, revengeful, arbitrary,
and not exercising forgiveness.”—Ellen G. White, Manuscript 51, 1890.
Instead of the dead asleep, awaiting Christ’s return, this view says they’re in
purgatory, suffering there until someone manages to get them out.
What do such errors as purgatory or eternal torment teach us about
the importance of doctrine? Why is what we believe of importance,
and not just in whom we believe?
EGW Notes — TUESDAY ↓
Tuesday, November 29
The Saints in Purgatory
The advancing centuries witnessed a constant increase of error in the
doctrines put forth from Rome. Even before the establishment of the
Papacy, the teachings of heathen philosophers had received attention and
exerted an influence in the church. Many who professed conversion still
clung to the tenets of their pagan philosophy, and not only continued its
study themselves but urged it upon others as a means of extending their
influence among the heathen. Thus were serious errors introduced into the
Christian faith. Prominent among these was the belief in man’s natural
immortality and his consciousness in death. This doctrine laid the
foundation upon which Rome established the invocation of saints and the
adoration of the virgin Mary. From this sprung also the heresy of eternal
torment for the finally impenitent, which was early incorporated into the
papal faith.
Then the way was prepared for the introduction of still another
invention of paganism, which Rome named purgatory, and employed to
terrify the credulous and superstitious multitudes. By this heresy is
affirmed the existence of a place of torment, in which the souls of such as
have not merited eternal damnation are to suffer punishment for their
sins, and from which, when freed from impurity, they are admitted to
heaven.—The Story of Redemption, pp. 332, 333.
God is approached through Jesus Christ, the Mediator, the only way
through which He forgives sins. God cannot forgive sins at the expense of
His justice, His holiness, and His truth. But He does forgive sins and that
fully. There are no sins He will not forgive in and through the Lord Jesus
Christ. This is the sinner’s only hope, and if he rests here in sincere faith,
he is sure of pardon and that full and free. There is only one channel and
that is accessible to all, and through that channel a rich and abundant
forgiveness awaits the penitent, contrite soul and the darkest sins are
forgiven. . . .
The incense that is offered now by men, the masses that are said for the
deliverance of souls from purgatory, are not of the least avail with God.
All the altars and sacrifices, the traditions and inventions whereby men
hope to earn salvation are fallacies. No sacrifices are to be offered without;
for the great High Priest is performing His work in the holy place. No
prince or monarch dare venture within the holy enclosure.—Ellen G.
White Comments,
in The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 7, pp. 912, 913.
There is no excuse for anyone in taking the position that there is no
more truth to be revealed, and that all our expositions of Scripture are
without an error. The fact that certain doctrines have been held as truth
for many years by our people, is not a proof that our ideas are infallible.
Age will not make error into truth, and truth can afford to be fair. No true
doctrine will lose anything by close
investigation.—Counsels to Writers and Editors, p. 35.
WEDNESDAY November 30
A Paradise With Disembodied Souls
Though Protestants don’t accept purgatory, many nevertheless believe
that the souls of the righteous dead are already enjoying Paradise in the very
presence of God. Some argue that those “souls” are just disembodied
spirits; others believe they are disembodied spirits but covered by a spiritual
body of glory.
Whatever the supposed metaphysical state of the living dead, these
theories undermine the biblical doctrine of the final resurrection and
judgment of the dead. Why is there a resurrection and a judgment (Rev.
20:12–14) if the souls of the righteous are already enjoying Paradise?
Read Acts 2:29, 34, 35 and 1 Corinthians 15:16–18. How do these
passages shed light on the state of the dead and those awaiting
resurrection?
The Bible teaches that all human beings who are already in heaven were
either translated alive, as in the case of Enoch (Gen. 5:24) and Elijah
(2 Kings 2:9–11), or resurrected from the dead, as Moses (Jude 9) and those
raised with Christ (Matt. 27:51–53).
As we have already seen, the allusion to the souls “under the altar”
crying to God for vengeance (Rev. 6:9–11) is just a metaphor for justice and
does not prove the theory of the natural immortality of the soul. Otherwise,
these folks hardly sound as if they’re enjoying their eternal reward. In
reality, the grave is a place of rest for the dead, who are unconsciously
awaiting the final resurrection, when their conscious existence will be
restored. The dead, even the righteous dead, are not disembodied souls
drifting around heaven, waiting patiently to be reunited with their bodies at
the final resurrection.
Also, what could Paul possibly be talking about in 1 Corinthians 15:18
when he says that if there were no resurrection of the dead, then “those who
have fallen asleep in Christ have perished” (NKJV)? How could they have
perished if they are already in the bliss of heaven and have been there for
however long since they died? A central and key doctrine of the New
Testament, the resurrection of the dead when Christ returns, is made null
and void by the false teaching that the righteous dead soar off to their
eternal reward right after they die. Nevertheless, we hear it all the time,
especially at funerals.
What are ways in which you could help people understand that the
idea that the dead are asleep in the ground is really “good news,” in
the sense that they truly are at rest and know no pain and suffering?
EGW Notes — WEDNESDAY ↓
Wednesday, November 30
A Paradise With Disembodied Souls
Upon the fundamental error of natural immortality rests the doctrine of
consciousness in death—a doctrine, like eternal torment, opposed to the
teachings of the Scriptures, to the dictates of reason, and to our feelings of
humanity. According to the popular belief, the redeemed in heaven are
acquainted with all that takes place on the earth and especially with the
lives of the friends whom they have left behind. But how could it be a
source of happiness to the dead to know the troubles of the living, to
witness the sins committed by their own loved ones, and to see them
enduring all the sorrows, disappointments, and anguish of life? How much
of heaven’s bliss would be enjoyed by those who were hovering over their
friends on earth? And how utterly revolting is the belief that as soon as
the breath leaves the body the soul of the impenitent is consigned to the
flames of hell! To what depths of anguish must those be plunged who see
their friends passing to the grave unprepared, to enter upon an eternity of
woe and sin! Many have been driven to insanity by this harrowing
thought.
What say the Scriptures concerning these things? David declares that
man is not conscious in death. “His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his
earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.” Psalm 146:4. Solomon bears
the same testimony: “The living know that they shall die: but the dead
know not anything.” “Their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now
perished; neither have they any more a portion forever in anything that is
done under the sun.” “There is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor
wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.” Ecclesiastes 9:5, 6,
10.—The Great Controversy, p. 545.
“For David speaketh concerning Him, I foresaw the Lord always before
my face, for He is on my right hand, that I should not be moved: therefore
did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh
shall rest in hope: because Thou wilt not leave My soul in hell, neither wilt
Thou suffer Thine Holy One to see corruption.”
Peter here shows that David could not have spoken in reference to
himself, but definitely of Jesus Christ. . . . David, as king of Israel, and also
as a prophet, had been specially honored by God. In prophetic vision he
was shown the future life and ministry of Christ. He saw His rejection,
His trial, crucifixion, burial, resurrection, and ascension.
David testified that the soul of Christ was not to be left in hell (the
grave), nor was His flesh to see corruption. Peter shows the fulfillment of
this prophecy in Jesus of Nazareth. God had actually raised Him up from
the tomb before His body saw corruption. He was now the exalted One in
the heaven of
heavens.—The Story of Redemption, pp. 244, 245.
THURSDAY December 1
The Biblical View
Read 1 John 5:3–12. Why does the apostle John limit “eternal life”
only to those who are in Christ?
The biblical doctrine of conditional immortality of the human being—in
contrast to the nonbiblical theory of the natural immortality of the soul—is
made explicit in 1 John 5:11, 12. To grasp the meaning of this significant
passage, we have to remember that only the Godhead “has immortality”
(1 Tim. 6:15, 16, NKJV) and is the only Source of life (Ps. 36:9, Col. 1:15–
17, Heb. 1:2).
When sin entered the world through the fall of Adam and Eve (Genesis
3), they and all their descendants (including us) came under the curse of
physical death and lost the gift of eternal life. But our loving God
implemented the plan of salvation for human beings to regain eternal life,
the life that was to have been theirs from the start. As Paul wrote: “Just as
He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be
holy and without blame before Him in love” (Eph. 1:4, NKJV; emphasis
supplied).
The apostle Paul explains that “just as through one man [Adam] sin
entered the world, and death through sin,” so through “the one Man, Jesus
Christ,” the gracious gift of eternal life became available to all human
beings (Rom. 5:12–21, NKJV). Paul here is making an unambiguous
reference to a literal Adam who brought sin and death into this world. One
cannot make sense of anything in the Bible without a literal Adam who,
through transgression, brought sin and death into our world.
Thus, the apostle John adds, “God gave us eternal life, and this life is in
his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of
God does not have life” (1 John 5:11, 12, NRSV).
The whole picture becomes clearer in light of Jesus’ statements:
“ ‘Everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal
life, and I will raise them up at the last day’ ” (John 6:40, NIV), and “ ‘I am
the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they
die, will live’ ” (John 11:25, NRSV).
This means that eternal life is a gift of God through Christ, which is
secured in the present but fully enjoyed only after the final resurrection of
the righteous. The conclusion is very simple: if everlasting life is granted
only to those who are in Christ, then those who are not in Him do not have
everlasting life (1 John 5:11, 12). By contrast, the theory of the natural
immortality of the soul grants everlasting life—whether in Paradise or in
hell—to all human beings, even to those who are not in Christ. However
popular this teaching, it is not biblical.
EGW Notes — THURSDAY ↓
Thursday, December 1
The Biblical View
Jesus has loved men, and has made every provision that the bloodbought
soul shall have a new birth, a new life derived from His own life.
. . . “He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God
hath not life.” Those who believe in Christ derive their motive power and
the texture of their characters from Him in whom they
believe.—Sons and Daughters of God, p. 299.
Jesus declared, “I am the resurrection, and the life.” In Christ is life,
original, unborrowed, underived. . . . The divinity of Christ is the believer’s
assurance of eternal life. “He that believeth in me,” said Jesus, “though he
were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me
shall never die.” John 11:25, 26.
To the believer, death is but a small matter. Christ speaks of it as if it
were of little moment. “If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death,”
“he shall never taste of death.” John 8:51, 52. To the Christian, death is but
a sleep, a moment of silence and darkness. The life is hid with Christ in
God, and “when Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also
appear with him in glory.” Colossians
3:4.—The Faith I Live By, p. 187.
No one less holy than the Only Begotten of the Father, could have
offered a sacrifice that would be efficacious to cleanse all—even the most
sinful and degraded—who accept the Saviour as their atonement and
become obedient to Heaven’s law. Nothing less could have reinstated man
in God’s favor.
Christ gave His life to make it possible for man to be restored to the
image of God. It is the power of His grace that draws men together in
obedience to the truth. . . .
To the heart that has become purified, all is changed. . . . The Spirit of
God produces a new life in the soul, bringing the thoughts and desires into
obedience to the will of Christ; and the inward man is renewed in the
image of God. Weak and erring men and women show to the world that
the redeeming power of grace can cause the faulty character to develop
into symmetry and abundant
fruitfulness.—God’s Amazing Grace, p. 103.
FRIDAY December 2
Further Thought: Read Ellen G. White, “The First Great
Deception,” pp. 531–550; “Can Our Dead Speak to Us?” pp. 551–562, in
The Great Controversy.
“Upon the fundamental error of natural immortality rests the doctrine of
consciousness in death—a doctrine, like eternal torment, opposed to the
teachings of the Scriptures, to the dictates of reason, and to our feelings of
humanity. According to the popular belief, the redeemed in heaven are
acquainted with all that takes place on the earth and especially with the
lives of the friends whom they have left behind. But how could it be a
source of happiness to the dead to know the troubles of the living, to
witness the sins committed by their own loved ones, and to see them
enduring all the sorrows, disappointments, and anguish of life? How much
of heaven’s bliss would be enjoyed by those who were hovering over their
friends on earth? And how utterly revolting is the belief that as soon as the
breath leaves the body the soul of the impenitent is consigned to the flames
of hell! To what depths of anguish must those be plunged who see their
friends passing to the grave unprepared, to enter upon an eternity of woe
and sin!”—Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, p. 545.
Discussion Questions:
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1. Those who have talked to other Christians about the state of the
dead and the nature of hell have, most likely, discovered just how
adamant and firm people are in their belief, not only in the idea that
the saved immediately go to heaven but also that the lost are in the
eternal torment of hell. Why do you think that is? It’s one thing,
understandable somewhat, for them to want to believe that their
deceased loved ones are “with the Lord” (though, as we have seen,
there’s still the question of how upsetting it would be for them to see
the mess of things down here). But why is there such a strong
attachment to the horrific idea that the lost are being eternally
tormented in hell? What does this fact teach us about just how
powerful tradition can be? Discuss this in class.
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2. Most Christian denominations are proclaiming the unbiblical
theory of the natural immortality of the soul with all its correlated
theories. What else should we do as a church (in addition to what we
are already doing) to proclaim to the world the biblical view of death
and the afterlife?
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3. Though Dante’s poem The Divine Comedy was mere fiction, it
became very influential in helping cement in people’s minds false
teachings about what happens to the “soul” after death. What lessons
can we learn from how easily Christian theology can be influenced by
outside teachings? What other non-Christian ideas influence
Christian thought even today, and how can we protect ourselves from
them?
EGW Notes — FRIDAY ↓
Friday, December 2
For Further Reading
This Day With God, “Securing Our Inheritance,” p. 152;
The Great Controversy, “Can Our Dead Speak to Us?” pp. 51–562.
INSIDE STORY
“Modesty! Modesty! Modesty!”
By OCRHAIN MATENGU
People came in a seemingly constant procession to look pityingly on
two-year-old Akurious in the hospital in Katima Mulilo, Namibia. The boy
had been ill for months, and the people wept as they saw his terrible pain.
“The hospital is failing us,” one told Akurious’s parents. “You should
consult with the witch doctor.” “God will understand,” said another. “Just
do it.”
After the last visitor left, Father turned to Mother. “What should we do?”
he said. “Maybe the people are right. Jesus will understand.”
Mother couldn’t bear to see her only child in pain. She agreed.
The witch doctor declared that witches had cast an evil spell on the boy
and that he would recover with traditional medicine. The parents bought the
witch doctor’s medicine and gave some to the boy daily. But the more
medicine they gave, the worse he got. Father began to pray earnestly. “Lord
Jesus, I know I’ve made a mistake,” he said. “I departed from Your saving
grace. Speak to me, Lord, for the sake of my child. You healed lepers and
made the blind to see and the lame to walk. Do that for my child, too.”
A short time later, Father had a dream. As he slept, he heard a voice call
him by his name, Modesty. “Modesty! Modesty! Modesty!” the voice said.
“This is My child. Why have you tainted him with evil spirits? I don’t want
you to be involved with any witch doctors if you want him to live.”
Shaken, Father got up and threw away the traditional medicine. He
remembered hearing a Seventh-day Adventist physician give health
presentations at camp meeting, and he took the boy to him. The physician
diagnosed Akurious with pneumonia and tuberculosis and sent him to a
hospital where he could treat him. Father continued to pray, and Mother
joined him. They placed their full trust in Jesus. Akurious (pictured) now is
22.
Akurious’s parents, Modesty and Rebecca Kakula, went on to have four
children. But with the birth of each child, they refused to take part in the
traditional ceremony that townspeople hold for newborns. Instead, they
took their babies to the Seventh-day Adventist Church to be dedicated to
Jesus.
Dear reader, pray for people who sincerely accept Jesus but struggle to forsake traditions fully.
These people end up with two levels of religion: a theoretical religion based on the Bible and a
practical religion grounded in culture. They embrace Bible teachings but, when faced with real-life
challenges, revert to tradition. Seventh-day Adventist missionaries seek to contextualize the gospel to
facilitate personal Christian growth among these people and to help them realize that traditional
practices don’t work. Thank you for your mission offerings that help spread a contextualized gospel
around the world.
Provided by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission, which uses Sabbath School
mission offerings to spread the gospel worldwide. Read new stories daily at
AdventistMission.org.
