LESSON 9 *November 19–25
Sabbath Afternoon
Read for This Week’s Study: Luke 16:19–31, Luke 23:43,
John 20:17, Phil. 1:21–24, 1 Pet. 3:13–20, Rev. 6:9–11.
Memory Text: “ ‘You search the Scriptures for in them you think
you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me’ ” (John 5:39, NKJV).
Peter warns us: “Always be ready to give a defense to everyone who
asks you a reason for the hope that is in you” (1 Pet. 3:15, NKJV).
Paul adds, “Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season.
Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time
will come when they will not endure sound doctrine” (2 Tim. 4:2, 3, NKJV).
This being the case, we should look not only at those passages that easily
can be explained to fit our beliefs but also at passages that are commonly
used to teach something different from what we believe.
As we do, we should follow the inspiring example of Jesus. “Christ
Himself did not suppress one word of truth, but He spoke it always in love.
. . . He was never rude, never needlessly spoke a severe word, never gave
needless pain to a sensitive soul. He did not censure human weakness.”—
Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 353.
This week we will study some intriguing passages that people use to
justify the natural immortality of the soul. These reflections should
strengthen our own convictions and help us to answer kindly those who
question this crucial teaching.
* Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, November 26.
EGW Notes — SATURDAY ↓
Sabbath Afternoon, November 19
Lesson 9 - Contrary Passages?
A correct understanding of “what saith the Scriptures” in regard to the
state of the dead is essential for this time. God’s Word declares that the
dead know not anything, their hatred and love have alike perished. We
must come to the sure word of prophecy for our authority. Unless we are
intelligent in the Scriptures, may we not, when this mighty miracleworking
power of Satan is manifested in our world, be deceived and call it
the workings of God; for the Word of God declares that, if it were possible,
the very elect should be deceived. Unless we are rooted and grounded in
the truth, we shall be swept away by Satan’s delusive snares. We must
cling to our Bibles. If Satan can make you believe that there are things in
the Word of God that are not inspired, he will then be prepared to ensnare
your soul. We shall have no assurance, no certainty, at the very time we
need to know what is
truth.—Advent Review and Sabbath Herald,
December 18, 1888.
Every species of delusion is now being brought in. The plainest truths
of God’s Word are covered with a mass of man-made theories. Deadly
errors are presented as the truth to which all must bow. The simplicity of
true godliness is buried beneath tradition.
The doctrine of the natural immortality of the soul is one error with
which the enemy is deceiving man. This error is well-nigh universal.
This is one of the lies forged in the synagogue of the enemy, one of the
poisonous drafts of Babylon. “All nations have drunk of the wine of the
wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed
fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich
through the abundance of her delicacies. And I heard another voice from
heaven, saying, Come out of her, My people, that ye be not partakers of
her sins, and that ye receive not of her
plagues.”—Evangelism, p. 247.
The question of the non-immortality of the soul also needs to be treated
with great care, lest in introducing the subject there be started a deep and
exciting controversy, which will close the door to further investigation of
the truth.
Great wisdom is required in dealing with human minds, even in giving
a reason of the hope that is within us. . . . What is the hope of which we
are to give a reason?—the hope of eternal life through Jesus Christ. . . .
. . . You dwell too much upon special ideas and doctrines, and the heart
of the unbeliever is not softened. To try to impress him is like striking
upon cold iron. . . .
. . . We are in constant need of wisdom to know when to speak and
when to keep silent. But there is always perfect safety in talking of the
hope of eternal life. And when the heart is all melted and subdued by the
love of Jesus, the inquiry will be, “Lord, what must I do to be
saved?”—Letter 12, 1890.
SUNDAY November 20
The Rich Man and Lazarus
Read Luke 16:19–31. Why is this story not a literal description of the
afterlife?
* Your notes will not be saved!
Some scholars suggest that Luke 16:19–31 should be interpreted
literally, that is, as describing the state of the dead. But this view would lead
to several unbiblical conclusions and would contradict many of the
passages that we have already looked at.
First, we would have to admit that heaven and hell are close enough to
allow a conversation between the dwellers of both places (Luke 16:23–31).
We also would have to suppose that in the afterlife, while the body lies in
the grave, there remains a conscious form of the spiri tual soul with
“ ‘eyes,’ ” a “ ‘finger,’ ” a “ ‘tongue,’ ” and which even feels thirst (Luke
16:23, 24).
If this passage were a description of the human state in death, then
heaven would certainly not be a place of joy and happiness because the
saved could closely follow the endless sufferings of their lost loved ones,
and even dialogue with them (Luke 16:23–31). How could a mother be
happy in heaven while beholding the incessant agonies of her beloved child
in hell? In such a context, it would be virtually impossible for God’s
promise of no more sorrow, crying, and pain to be fulfilled (Rev. 21:4).
Because of such incoherence, many modern biblical scholars regard the
story of the rich man and Lazarus as a parable from which not every detail
can be interpreted literally. George E. Ladd, though a non- Adventist,
certainly sounds like one here when he says that this story was probably “a
parable which made use of current Jewish thinking and is not intended to
teach anything about the state of the dead.”—G. E. Ladd, “Eschatology,” in
The New Bible Dictionary, edited by J. D. Douglas (Grand Rapids, MI:
Eerdmans, 1962), p. 388.
The parable of the rich man and Lazarus presents a sharp contrast
between a well-dressed “ ‘rich man’ ” and “ ‘a certain beggar named
Lazarus, full of sores’ ” (Luke 16:19, 20, NKJV). The account teaches that
(1) status and social recognition in the present are not the criteria for the
future reward, and (2) the eternal destiny of each person is decided in this
life and cannot be reversed in the afterlife (Luke 16:25, 26).
“ ‘But he said to him, “If they do not hear Moses and the prophets,
neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead” ’ ”
(Luke 16:31, NKJV). What message from Jesus’ powerful words
should we take for ourselves regarding the authority of the Bible and
how we respond to it?
EGW Notes — SUNDAY ↓
Sunday, November 20
The Rich Man and Lazarus
In the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, Christ shows that in this
life men decide their eternal destiny. During probationary time the grace
of God is offered to every soul. But if men waste their opportunities in
self-pleasing, they cut themselves off from everlasting life. No afterprobation
will be granted them. By their own choice they have fixed an
impassable gulf between them and their God.
This parable draws a contrast between the rich who have not made God
their dependence, and the poor who have made God their dependence.
Christ shows that the time is coming when the position of the two classes
will be reversed. Those who are poor in this world’s goods, yet who trust
in God and are patient in suffering, will one day be exalted above those
who now hold the highest positions the world can give but who have not
surrendered their life to
God.—Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 260.
In this parable Christ was meeting the people on their own ground. The
doctrine of a conscious state of existence between death and the
resurrection was held by many of those who were listening to Christ’s
words. The Saviour knew of their ideas, and He framed His parable so as
to inculcate important truths through these preconceived opinions. He
held up before His hearers a mirror wherein they might see themselves in
their true relation to God. He used the prevailing opinion to convey the
idea He wished to make prominent to all—that no man is valued for his
possessions; for all he has belongs to him only as lent by the Lord. A
misuse of these gifts will place him below the poorest and most afflicted
man who loves God and trusts in
Him.—Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 263.
The closing scenes of this earth’s history are portrayed in the closing of
the rich man’s history. The rich man claimed to be a son of Abraham, but
he was separated from Abraham by an impassable gulf—a character
wrongly developed. Abraham served God, following His word in faith and
obedience. But the rich man was unmindful of God and of the needs of
suffering humanity. The great gulf fixed between him and Abraham was
the gulf of disobedience. . . .
When the voice of God awakes the dead, he will come from the grave
with the same appetites and passions, the same likes and dislikes, that he
cherished when living. God works no miracle to re-create a man who
would not be re-created when he was granted every opportunity and
provided with every facility. . . .
To learn of Christ means to receive His grace, which is His character.
But those who do not appreciate and utilize the precious opportunities
and sacred influences granted them on earth, are not fitted to take part in
the pure devotion of
heaven.—Christ’s Object Lessons, pp. 269–271.
MONDAY November 21
“ ‘Today . . . With Me in Paradise’ ”
One of the Bible passages most widely used to try to prove the
immortality of the soul is Luke 23:43—“He replied, ‘Truly I tell you, today
you will be with me in Paradise’ ” (NRSV). Almost all Bible versions (with
few exceptions) translate this text in a similar way, giving the impression
that on the very day Christ died, Christ and the thief would be together in
Paradise. This should not surprise us because those translations were made
by biblical scholars who believe in the dogma of the natural immortality of
the soul. But is this the best translation of the text?
Compare Luke 23:43 with John 20:17 and John 14:1–3. How
should the promise to the repentant thief on the cross be understood in
light of Jesus’ words to Mary Magdalene and His promise to His
disciples?
The assumption that Christ and the thief went on that same day to
Paradise (or heaven) contradicts Jesus’ words to Mary Magdalene after His
resurrection, which affirm that He had not yet gone to the presence of His
Father in heaven (John 20:17). This error, that both Jesus and the repentant
thief went to heaven that day, also contradicts Jesus’ promise to His
disciples that they would be taken to heaven only at His second coming
(John 14:1–3).
The issue in Luke 23:43 is whether the adverb “today” (Greek sēmeron)
should be linked to the verb that follows it (“to be”) or to the verb that
precedes it (“to tell”). Wilson Paroschi recognizes that “from the
grammatical standpoint,” it is virtually impossible to determine the correct
alternative. “Luke, however, has a definite tendency of using this adverb
with the preceding verb. This happens in 14 of the 20 occurrences of
sēmeron in Luke and Acts.”—“The Significance of a Comma: An Analysis
of Luke 23:43,” Ministry, June 2013, p. 7.
So, the most natural reading of Luke 23:43 would be “Truly I tell you
today, you will be with Me in Paradise.” In this case, the idiomatic
expression “I tell you today” emphasizes the relevance and solemnity of the
statement “you will be with Me in Paradise.” In short, Jesus was promising
him, right then and there, that he would be saved.
Read the story of the repentant thief (Luke 23:39–43), who, despite his
sin, despite the fact that he had nothing to offer God, was promised
eternal life by Christ. How does this story powerfully reveal the great
truth of salvation by faith alone? In what ways are we just like that
thief? In what ways do we differ?
EGW Notes — MONDAY ↓
Monday, November 21
“ ‘Today . . . With Me in Paradise’ ”
As He hangs upon the cross, there floats up to Him still the sound of
jeers and curses. With longing heart He has listened for some expression
of faith from His disciples. He has heard only the mournful words, “We
trusted that it had been He which should have redeemed Israel.” How
grateful then to the Saviour was the utterance of faith and love from the
dying thief! While the leading Jews deny Him, and even the disciples
doubt His divinity, the poor thief, upon the brink of eternity, calls Jesus
Lord. Many were ready to call Him Lord when He wrought miracles, and
after He had risen from the grave; but none acknowledged Him as He
hung dying upon the cross save the penitent thief who was saved at the
eleventh hour. . . .
I say unto thee today, Thou shalt be with Me in Paradise. Christ did not
promise that the thief should be with Him in Paradise that day. He
Himself did not go that day to Paradise. He slept in the tomb, and on the
morning of the resurrection He said, “I am not yet ascended to My Father.”
John 20:17. But on the day of the crucifixion, the day of apparent defeat
and darkness, the promise was given. “Today” while dying upon the cross
as a malefactor, Christ assures the poor sinner, Thou shalt be with Me in
Paradise.—The Desire of Ages, pp. 750, 751.
Jesus said to Mary, “Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my
Father.” When He closed His eyes in death upon the cross, the soul of
Christ did not go at once to heaven, as many believe, or how could His
words be true—“I am not yet ascended to my Father”? The spirit of Jesus
slept in the tomb with His body, and did not wing its way to heaven, there
to maintain a separate existence, and to look down upon the mourning
disciples embalming the body from which it had taken flight. All that
comprised the life and intelligence of Jesus remained with His body in the
sepulcher; and when He came forth it was as a whole being; He did not
have to summon His spirit from heaven. He had power to lay down His
life and to take it up again.—Ellen G. White Comments,
in The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 5, p. 1150.
The pitying Saviour stands right by your side to help you. He would
send every angel out of glory while you are struggling to overcome sin, so
that Satan cannot have the victory over you. Christ . . . took man’s human
nature upon Him that He might come right down to man in the
temptation wherewith man is beset. The pitiful Redeemer knows just how
to help us in every one of our
strivings.—In Heavenly Places, p. 263.
TUESDAY November 22
“To Depart and Be With Christ”
Read Philippians 1:21–24 and 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18. When did
Paul expect to be “with Christ” (Phil. 1:23) and “with the Lord”
(1 Thess. 4:17)?
Paul was driven with the passion to live “in Christ” now (2 Cor. 5:17)
and “with Christ” after His second coming (see 1 Thess. 4:17). For the
apostle, not even death could break the assurance of belonging to his Savior
and Lord. As he said in the epistle to the Romans, “neither death nor life”
can “separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord”
(Rom. 8:38, 39, NKJV). “For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die,
we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s”
(Rom. 14:8, NKJV).
With this certainty in mind, Paul spoke of the believers who already had
died as “those who sleep in Jesus” (1 Thess. 4:14, NKJV) and who will be
raised at Christ’s second coming to receive eternal life (1 Cor. 15:16–18,
1 Thess. 4:13–18).
When Paul mentioned his “desire to depart and be with Christ” (Phil.
1:23, NKJV), did he imply that after death his soul would depart to live
consciously with Christ? Not at all. In this text, “Paul verbalizes his desire
to leave this present troubled existence and be with Christ, without
reference to any lapse of time that may occur between the two events. This
verse does not teach that Paul expected to go to heaven at death. He was
very clear that he would not receive his reward until the Second Coming
(2 Tim. 4:8).”—Andrews Study Bible, p. 1555, note on Philippians 1:23.
In short, Paul “is saying that the next thing he would know after
departing (death) would be Christ coming in the clouds of heaven to raise
the dead, when he would ‘be with the Lord’ (1 Thess. 4:17). It also should
be noted that the Bible writers at times refer to two events together that may
be separated by a long period of time.”—Andrews Study Bible, p. 1555,
note on Philippians 1:23.
But why would Paul prefer to die than to live? Because then he could
finally rest from all his troubles, without needing any longer to suffer pain
in his body (1 Cor. 9:27, NRSV). And he would do so with the full certainty
that he would receive “the crown of righteousness” at the Second Coming
(2 Tim. 4:6–8, NKJV). Though Paul certainly didn’t want to die, he knew
what would follow when he did.
Particularly in hard times, who hasn’t thought about how nice it
would be to close your eyes in death and, the next thing you know,
“be with Christ”? How does this thought help us understand what
Paul was saying in Philippians?
EGW Notes — TUESDAY ↓
Tuesday, November 22
“To Depart and Be With Christ”
When the apostle Paul, through the revelation of Christ, was converted
from a persecutor to a Christian, he declared that he was as one born out
of due time. Henceforward Christ was all and in all to him. “For to me to
live is Christ,” he declared. This is the most perfect interpretation in a few
words, in all the Scriptures, of what it means to be a Christian. This is the
whole truth of the gospel. Paul understood what many seem unable to
comprehend. How intensely in earnest he was! His words show that his
mind was centered in Christ, that his whole life was bound up with his
Lord. Christ was the author, the support, and the source of his life.—Ellen
G. White Comments,
in The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 7, p. 903.
There is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the
righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all
them also that love his appearing. 2 Timothy 4:8.
Paul kept ever in view the crown of life which was to be given to him,
and not to him only, but also to all those who love Christ’s appearing. But
it was victory through Jesus Christ that made the crown of life so
desirable to him. Jesus would not have us ambitious to obtain reward, but
ambitious to do God’s will because it is His will, irrespective of the reward
we are to receive.—Lift Him Up, p. 343.
All along the path that leads to death there are pains and penalties,
there are sorrows and disappointments, there are warnings from God’s
messengers not to go on, and God will make it hard for the heedless and
the headstrong to destroy themselves. All the way up the steep path
leading to eternal life are wellsprings of joy to refresh the weary. The true,
strong joy of the soul begins when Christ is formed within, the hope of
glory. If you now choose the path where God leads, and go forward where
the voice of duty calls, the difficulties which Satan has magnified before
you will disappear.
No path is safe, save that which grows clearer and firmer the farther it
is pursued. The foot may sometimes slip upon the safest path. In order to
walk without fear, you must know that your hand is firmly held by the
hand of Christ. . . .
. . . Look at Paul; listen to his words sounding along the line to our
time: “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept
the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness,
which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that day: and not to
me only, but unto all them also that love His appearing” (2 Timothy 4:7, 8).
Here is the battle shout of victory from Paul. What will be
yours?—Selected Messages, book 2, p. 169.
WEDNESDAY November 23
Preaching to the Spirits in Prison
Read 1 Peter 3:13–20. How did Christ preach “to the spirits in prison
. . . in the days of Noah”? (See also Gen. 4:10.)
Commentators who believe in the natural immortality of the soul usually
point out that Christ preached “to the spirits in prison” (1 Pet. 3:19, NKJV)
while He was still resting in the tomb. For them, His disincarnated spirit
went into hell and preached to the disembodied spirits of the antediluvians.
Yet, this fanciful notion is biblically unacceptable because there is no
second opportunity of salvation for the dead (Heb. 9:27, 28). So, why
would Jesus preach to those who had no more chance of salvation?
Meanwhile, and most important, this theory contradicts the biblical
teaching that the dead remain unconscious in the grave until the final
resurrection (Job 14:10–12; Ps. 146:4; Eccles. 9:5, 10; 1 Cor. 15:16–18;
1 Thess. 4:13–15).
Also, if this verse were really saying that Jesus, while bodily in the
tomb, went down to hell and preached to the wicked antediluvians, why did
only they hear His message? Were no other lost people burning in hell with
them? Why did only the antediluvians hear Him preach?
It also is senseless to suggest that Christ preached to the fallen angels
who had been disobedient in Noah’s day. While the “spirits in prison” are
described as having been disobedient “formerly” (1 Pet. 3:19, 20, NKJV),
the Bible speaks of the evil angels as still disobedient today (Eph. 6:12,
1 Pet. 5:8). Furthermore, the fallen angels are “kept in darkness, bound with
everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day” (Jude 6, NIV), without
any opportunity of salvation.
We should notice that in 1 Peter 3 the “spirits in prison” of verse 19 are
identified in verse 20 as the “disobedient” antediluvians in the “days of
Noah.” The term spirit (Greek pneuma) is used in this text, and elsewhere
in the New Testament (1 Cor. 16:18, Gal. 6:18), in reference to living
people who can hear and accept the invitation of salvation. The expression
“in prison” obviously refers not to a literal prison, but to the prison of sin in
which the unregenerate human nature is found (Rom. 6:1–23, Rom. 7:7–
25).
Christ’s preaching to the impenitent antediluvians was accomplished
through Noah, who was divinely instructed by God (Heb. 11:7) and became
a “preacher of righteousness” to his contemporaries (2 Pet. 2:5). Peter’s
verses were written in the context of what it means to be faithful; they are
not a commentary on the state of the dead.
EGW Notes — WEDNESDAY ↓
Wednesday, November 23
Preaching to the Spirits in Prison
God granted [the antediluvians] one hundred and twenty years of
probation, and during that time preached to them through Methuselah,
Noah, and many others of His servants. Had they listened to the
testimony of these faithful witnesses, had they repente d and returned to
their loyalty, God would not have destroyed them. . . .
“For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might
destroy the works of the devil.” Christ was engaged in this warfare in
Noah’s day. It was His voice that spoke to the inhabitants of the old world
in messages of warning, reproof, and invitation. He gave the people a
probation of one hundred and twenty years, in which they might have
repented. But they chose the deceptions of Satan, and perished in the
waters of the Flood.—Ellen G. White Comments,
in The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 1, p. 1088.
Sins that have not been repented of and forsaken will not be pardoned
and blotted out of the books of record, but will stand to witness against
the sinner in the day of God. He may have committed his evil deeds in the
light of day or in the darkness of night; but they were open and manifest
before Him with whom we have to do. Angels of God witnessed each sin
and registered it in the unerring records. Sin may be concealed, denied,
covered up from father, mother, wife, children, and associates; no one but
the guilty actors may cherish the least suspicion of the wrong; but it is laid
bare before the intelligences of heaven. The darkness of the darkest night,
the secrecy of all deceptive arts, is not sufficient to veil one thought from
the knowledge of the Eternal. God has an exact record of every unjust
account and every unfair dealing. He is not deceived by appearances of
piety. He makes no mistakes in His estimation of character. Men may be
deceived by those who are corrupt in heart, but God pierces all disguises
and reads the inner life. . . .
As the features of the countenance are reproduced with unerring
accuracy on the polished plate of the artist, so the character is faithfully
delineated in the books above. Yet how little solicitude is felt concerning
that record which is to meet the gaze of heavenly beings. Could the veil
which separates the visible from the invisible world be swept back, and
the children of men behold an angel recording every word and deed,
which they must meet again in the judgment, how many words that are
daily uttered would remain unspoken, how many deeds would remain
undone.—The Great Controversy, pp. 486, 487.
THURSDAY November 24
The Souls Under the Altar
Read Revelation 6:9–11. How can the “souls” of the dead martyrs cry
“under the altar”?
The opening of the fifth Apocalyptic seal reveals an unusual scene. The
souls of the martyrs were seen metaphorically “under the altar” crying to
God for vengeance (Rev. 6:9–11). Some commentators are inclined to
identify this “altar” as the altar of incense mentioned under the seventh seal
(Rev. 8:1–6). But the reference to “blood” (instead of “incense”) in
Revelation 6:9–11 leads us to see here an allusion to the altar of burnt
offering, where the blood of the sacrifices was poured (Lev. 4:18, 30, 34).
As the blood of those sacrifices was sprinkled around the altar, so the blood
of the martyrs was symbolically poured at God’s altar when, by remaining
faithful to the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus (Rev. 6:9; see also
Rev. 12:17, Rev. 14:12), they lost their lives.
The “souls” under the altar also are symbolic. By taking them literally,
one would have to conclude that the martyrs are not fully happy in heaven,
for they are still crying out for vengeance. This hardly sounds as if they are
enjoying the reward of salvation. The desire for vengeance can make your
life miserable. But your death, as well?
Also, it’s important to remember that John was not given a view of
heaven as it actually is. “There are no white, red, black, or pale horses there
with warlike riders. Jesus does not appear there in the form of a lamb with a
bleeding knife wound. The four beasts do not represent actual winged
creatures of the animal characteristics noted. . . . Likewise, there are no
‘souls’ lying at the base of an altar in heaven. The whole scene was a
pictorial and symbolic representation.”—The SDA Bible Commentary, vol.
7, p. 778.
George E. Ladd, a non-Adventist, wrote (again sounding like an
Adventist): “In the present instance [Rev. 6:9–11], the altar is clearly the
altar of sacrifice where sacrificial blood was poured. The fact that John saw
the souls of the martyrs under the altar has nothing to do with the state of
the dead or their situation in the intermediate state; it is merely a vivid way
of picturing the fact that they had been martyred in the name of their
God.”—A Commentary on the Revelation of John (Grand Rapids, MI:
Eerdmans, 1972), p. 103.
Who (especially of those who have been victims of injustice) hasn’t
cried out for justice, which has not yet come? Why must we, by faith,
trust that ultimately the justice so lacking in this world will
nevertheless come? What comfort can you draw from this wonderful
promise?
EGW Notes — THURSDAY ↓
Thursday, November 24
The Souls Under the Altar
When the fifth seal was opened, John the Revelator in vision saw
beneath the altar the company that were slain for the Word of God and
the testimony of Jesus Christ. After this came the scenes described in the
eighteenth of Revelation, when those who are faithful and true are called
out from Babylon [Revelation 18:1-5 quoted]. —Ellen G. White Comments,
in The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 7, p. 968.
God has always wrought for His people in their greatest ex tremity,
when there seemed the least hope that ruin could be averted. The designs
of wicked men, the enemies of the church, are subject to His power and
overruling providence. He can move upon the hearts of statesmen; the
wrath of the turbulent and disaffected, the haters of God, His truth, and
His people can be turned aside, even as the rivers of water are turned, if
He orders it thus. Prayer moves the arm of Omnipotence. He who
marshals the stars in order in the heavens, whose word controls the waves
of the great deep, the same infinite Creator will work in behalf of His
people if they call upon Him in faith. He will restrain the forces of
darkness until the warning is given to the world and all who will heed it
are prepared for the
conflict.—Testimonies for the Church,
vol. 5, p. 452.
The whole system of religious principles and doctrines, which should
form the foundation and framework of social life, seems to be a tottering
mass, ready to fall to ruin. The vilest of criminals, when thrown into
prison for their offenses, are often made the recipients of gifts and
attentions as if they had attained an enviable distinction. Great publicity is
given to their character and crimes. The press publishes the revolting
details of vice, thus initiating others into the practice of fraud, robbery,
and murder; and Satan exults in the success of his hellish schemes. . . .
Courts of justice are corrupt. Rulers are actuated by desire for gain and
love of sensual pleasure. Intemperance has beclouded the faculties of
many so that Satan has almost complete control of them. Jurists are
perverted, bribed, deluded. Drunkenness and revelry, passion, envy,
dishonesty of every sort, are represented among those who administer the
laws. “Justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity
cannot enter.” Isaiah
59:14.—The Great Controversy, pp. 585, 586.
There are limits even to the forbearance of God. The boundary of His
long-suffering may be reached, and then He will surely punish. And when
He does take up the case of the presumptuous sinner, He will not cease till
He has made a full end.—Ellen G. White Comments,
in The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 3, p. 1166.
FRIDAY November 25
Further Thought: Read Ellen G. White, “ ‘A Great Gulf
Fixed,’ ” pp. 260–271, in Christ’s Object Lessons; “Calvary,” pp. 749–
752, in The Desire of Ages; and “Teachers as Examples of Christian
Integrity,” p. 504, in Fundamentals of Christian Education.
“In the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, Christ shows that in this life
men decide their eternal destiny. During probationary time the grace of God
is offered to every soul. But if men waste their opportunities in selfpleasing,
they cut themselves off from everlasting life. No afterprobation
will be granted them. By their own choice they have fixed an impassable
gulf between them and their God.”—Ellen G. White, Christ’s Object
Lessons, p. 260.
“When those early Christians were exiled to mountains and deserts,
when left in dungeons to die with hunger, cold, and torture, when martyrdom
seemed the only way out of their distress, they rejoiced that they were
counted worthy to suffer for Christ, who was crucified for them. Their
worthy example will be a comfort and encouragement to the people of God
who will be brought into the time of trouble such as never was.”—Ellen G.
White, Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, p. 213.
Discussion Questions:
-
1. How can the overall biblical view of human nature help us better
understand some of the passages we studied during this week?
-
2. Reflect on the contrast between the unnegotiable religion of the
Christian martyrs and the flexible religion of our post modern
generation. In other words, what are things worth dying for?
However, if one has a view that all truths are merely relative, or
cultural, then why die for any of them? At the same time, what can
we learn from those who were willing to die for causes that we believe
are false?
-
3. Dwell more on the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. When
Jesus had been raised from the dead, many believed on Him. Yet,
many, having the same evidence, didn’t believe. What does this teach
us about how hardened human hearts can be to truth? What can we
do to protect ourselves from a similar kind of hardness?
-
4. Jesus talked about the time when the dead will live: “ ‘those who
have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done
evil, to the resurrection of condemnation’ ” (John 5:29, NKJV). These
two events are a thousand years apart, even though they sound as if
they are happening at the same time. How might this help us
understand what Paul is saying in Philippians 1:23?
EGW Notes — FRIDAY ↓
Friday, November 25
For Further Reading
Lift Him Up, “In the Father’s Arms,” p. 103;
Fundamentals of Christian Education, “Teachers as Examples of
Christian Integrity,” p. 504.
INSIDE STORY
“No. 1: God First!”
By OCRHAIN MATENGU
Modesty Kakula, a businessman in Namibia, has an unusual way of
sharing Jesus. Slogans painted on his three cars declare, “No. 1: God First.”
Modesty’s novel approach to mission outreach began when his first
employer offered to sell him a car for 50,000 Namibian dollars (US$4,000)
in the town of Katima Mulilo. Modesty, two years out of high school and
newly married, worked hard and managed to pay off all but 5,000 Namibian
dollars ($400) in four months. Then his employer changed his mind and
priced the car at 60,000 Namibian dollars. “Why are you changing the price
just now when I’m about to finish paying for it?” Modesty asked.
A few months later, when Modesty had paid off all but 5,000 Namibian
dollars, his employer increased the price to 70,000 Namibian dollars.
Modesty tried to pay off the car again and, to his surprise, his employer then
accused him of not making any payments. The case ended up in court, and
the judge ruled in favor of Modesty. But the employer furiously told the
court, “He will only get the car over my dead body.” Modesty’s wife,
Rebecca, whispered to her husband and then asked to address the court.
Weeping, she said, “Let him keep the car. God will make a way for us.” The
employer returned 22,000 Namibian dollars to Modesty and fired him.
At home, Modesty, with no job or income, tearfully poured out his heart
to God. As he prayed, he accidentally knocked his Bible to the floor.
Picking up the open Bible, Modesty’s eyes fell on Romans 8:28, which
says, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who
love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (NKJV).
“Wow!” Modesty exclaimed as peace and assurance filled his heart.
The next morning, the phone rang while Modesty was still in bed. An
unfamiliar male voice offered to sell him a car for 23,000 Namibian dollars.
Modesty rushed to the man’s house. Sure enough, a car was available for
sale. At Modesty’s pleadings, the man lowered the price to 22,500
Namibian dollars, and Modesty borrowed money from his parents to pay
the balance.
To testify to everyone about God’s goodness, Modesty immediately
painted the slogan “No. 1: God First” above the rear window. Today,
Modesty is an elder and business owner with three cars, each of which have
the slogan above the rear window. Wherever his cars go, people point and
say, “God first!”
This mission story illustrates Mission Objective No. 2 of the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s “I Will
Go” strategic plan: “To strengthen and diversify Adventist outreach in large cities.” Read more:
IWillGo2020.org.
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.
