LESSON 2 *January 7–13
Sabbath Afternoon
Read for This Week’s Study: Matt. 10:22, John 6:29, Deut.
28:1–14, Prov. 3:1–10, Mal. 3:7–11, Matt. 6:25–33.
Memory Text: “ ‘Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey
the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His
commandments which I command you today, that the LORD your God
will set you high above all nations of the earth. And all these blessings
shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of
the LORD your God’ ” (Deuteronomy 28:1, 2, NKJV).
Amazingly enough, God has made contracts (or covenants) with us.
Most are bilateral, meaning that both parties (God and humans)
have a part to perform. An example of a bilateral covenant is “If
you will do this, then I will do that.” Or “I will do this if you will do that.”
A rarer type of covenant is unilateral. “I will do this whether you do
anything or not.” A few of God’s covenants with humanity are unilateral.
For example, “ ‘He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and
sends rain on the just and on the unjust’ ” (Matt. 5:45, NKJV). Following
the Flood, God promised humanity and “every beast of the earth” that there
would never be another flood to cover all the earth (see Gen. 9:9–16),
regardless of our actions. He also promised: “ ‘While the earth remains,
seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, and day and night
shall not cease’ ” (Gen. 8:22, NKJV). The seasons will come and go,
regardless of what we do.
This week we will study some significant bilateral covenants between
God and His children. Let’s pray that, by God’s grace, we will “uphold our
end of the bargain.”
* Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, January 14.
EGW Notes — SATURDAY ↓
Sabbath Afternoon, January 7
Lesson 2 - God’s Covenants With Us
God is always giving; and upon whom are His gifts bestowed? Upon
those who are faultless in character? “He maketh His sun to rise on the
evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.”
Matthew 5:45. Notwithstanding the sinfulness of humanity,
notwithstanding that we so often grieve the heart of Christ and prove
ourselves most undeserving, yet when we ask His forgiveness, He does
not turn us away. His love is freely extended to us, and He bids us: Love
one another as I have loved you. John
13:34.—Testimonies for the Church,
vol. 6, p. 284.
As the multitudes followed Christ through the open fields, He unfolded
to them the beauties of the natural world. He sought to open the eyes of
their understanding, that they might see how the hand of God upholds the
world. In order to call out an appreciation of God’s goodness and
benevolence, He called the attention of His hearers to the gently falling
dew, to the soft showers of rain and the bright sunshine, given alike to
good and evil. He desired men to realize more fully the regard that God
bestows on the human instrumentalities He has
created.—The Desire of Ages, p. 524.
It is the keeping of the commandments of God that honors and glorifies
Him in His chosen. Wherefore every soul to whom God has given
reasoning faculties is under obligation to God to search the Word and
ascertain all that is enjoined upon us as God’s purchased possession. We
should seek to understand all that the Word requires of us. . . . We cannot
show greater honor to our God, whose we are by creation and
redemption, than to give evidence to the beings of heaven, to the worlds
unfallen, and to fallen men, that we diligently hearken unto all His
commandments, which are the laws that govern His kingdom.
We need to study diligently that we may gain a knowledge of the laws
of God. How can we be obedient subjects if we fail to understand the laws
that govern the kingdom of God? Then open your Bibles and search for
everything that will enlighten you in regard to the precepts of God; and
when you discern a Thus saith the Lord, ask not the opinion of men, but
whatever the cost to yourself, obey cheerfully. Then the blessing of God
will rest upon you.—Letter 82, 1895.
The question of deepest interest to each one should be, Am I meeting
the requirements of the law of God? That law is holy, just, and good, and
God would have us daily compare our actions with this, His great
standard of righteousness. Only by a close examination of self in the light
of God’s Word can we discover our deviations from His holy rule of right.
Love is the principle that underlies God’s government in heaven and on
earth, and this love must be interwoven in the life of the Christian. The
love of Christ is not a fitful love; it is deep, and broad, and full. Its
possessor will not say, “I will love only those who love me.” The heart that
is influenced by this holy principle will be carried above everything of a
selfish nature.—That I May Know Him, p. 298.
SUNDAY January 8
The Salvation Covenant
The death of Christ on Calvary made salvation possible for every person
who has ever lived or who will ever live. Unlike the promise of the seasons,
salvation is not unilateral—it is not given to everyone, regardless of what
they do. The belief that everyone will be saved is called “universalism.”
Instead, Jesus clearly taught that, though He died for all humanity, many
people travel the broad way to destruction and eternal death (Matt. 7:13,
14).
What do the following texts have to say about how people receive the
gift of salvation in Jesus?
1 John 5:13
Matt. 10:22
John 6:29
2 Pet. 1:10, 11
* Your notes will not be saved!
Paul understood the bilateral nature of the salvation covenant. Knowing
that he was soon to be executed, and in spite of the fact that many of his
companions had forsaken him, Paul confidently told his dear friend
Timothy that he had upheld his end of the bargain. “For I am now ready to
be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. 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 Tim. 4:6–8).
Paul says, “I am ready [because] I have fought a good fight, I have
finished my course, I have kept the faith.” Paul, though, was always very
clear that salvation is by faith alone, not by the deeds of the law, and so here
he is not somehow looking at his works or achievements as earning him
merit with God. The “crown of righteousness” awaiting him is the
righteousness of Jesus, which Paul, by faith, has claimed for himself and
has held on to until the end of his life.
Though salvation is an unmerited gift, what’s the difference between
those who accept the gift and those who don’t? What does accepting
this gift require that we do?
EGW Notes — SUNDAY ↓
Sunday, January 8
The Salvation Covenant
Do not therefore conclude that the upward path is the hard and the
downward road the easy way. All along the road that leads to death there
are pains and penalties, there are sorrows and disappointments, there are
warnings not to go on. God’s love has made it hard for the heedless and
headstrong to destroy themselves. It is true that Satan’s path is made to
appear attractive, but it is all a deception. . . .
The [narrow] road may be rough and the ascent steep; there may be
pitfalls upon the right hand and upon the left; we may have to endure toil
in our journey; when weary, when longing for rest, we may have to toil
on; when faint, we may have to fight; when discouraged, we must still
hope; but with Christ as our guide we shall not fail of reaching the desired
haven at last. Christ Himself has trodden the rough way before us and has
smoothed the path for our
feet.—Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing,
pp. 139, 140.
Patient continuance in welldoing will lead you through this world of
sorrow and strife to glory and honor and eternal life. Have God within
and God overhead and you have nothing to fear. The Bible is a light to
those who are in darkness. In the prospect of a blissful immortality held
out to those who endure unto the end, you will find an elevating power, a
strength which you need to resist evil. Be steadfast in the hour of trial, and
you will gain at last a crown which will never fade away.
You need guidance from above. Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and He will never betray your trust. If you will ask help of God you need
not ask in vain. In order to encourage us to have confidence and trust He
comes near us by His holy Word and Spirit, and seeks in a thousand ways
to win our confidence. But in nothing does He take more delight than in
receiving the weak who come to Him for strength. If we will find heart
and voice to pray, He will be sure to find an ear to hear and an arm to
save.—This Day With God, p. 194.
“Give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do
these things, ye shall never fall: for so an entrance shall be ministered
unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and
Saviour Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:10, 11).
Here are your life-insurance papers. This is not an insurance policy the
value of which someone else will receive after your death; it is a policy
that assures you a life measuring with the life of God—even eternal life. O
what an assurance! what a hope! Let us ever reveal to the world that we
are seeking for a better country, even a heavenly. Heaven has been made
for us, and we want a part in it. We cannot afford to allow anything to
separate us from God and heaven. In this life we must be partakers of the
divine nature. Brethren and sisters, you have only one life to live. O let it
be a life of virtue, a life hid with Christ in
God!—In Heavenly Places, p. 29.
MONDAY January 9
To Hearken Diligently
The book of Deuteronomy is the printed version of Moses’ farewell
messages to the second generation of Israelites following the 40 years of
wandering in the wilderness. These messages were given on the plains of
Moab just east of Jericho. Deuteronomy has been appropriately called “The
Book of Remembrance.”
In this book, Moses reviews God’s faithful dealings with Israel. He
recounts the travels from Mount Sinai to Kadesh Barnea on the edge of the
Promised Land, as well as the rebellion and the 40 years of wilderness
wandering. He restated the Ten Commandments, the requirements of the
tithe and the central storehouse. But the primary focus of Deuteronomy is
the counsel to obey God and receive His blessings. Moses portrays God as
One who has the ability, and the desire, to care for His people.
Read Deuteronomy 28:1–14. What great blessings are promised the
people? But what must they do to receive them?
Moses was very eager for the people to understand that God had
wonderful, even miraculous, blessings in mind for them. His words, “If
thou shalt hearken diligently,” let them know that their eternal destiny was
at stake here. What a powerful manifestation of the reality of free choice.
They were God’s chosen nation, recipients of great blessings and great
promises, but those blessings and promises were not unconditional. They
needed to be accepted, received, and acted upon.
And nothing God had asked of them was too hard for them to do either.
“ ‘For this commandment which I command you today is not too
mysterious for you, nor is it far off. It is not in heaven, that you should say,
“Who will ascend into heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it
and do it?” Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, “Who will go over
the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?” But the
word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do
it’ ” (Deut. 30:11–14, NKJV).
Of course, besides the blessings, there were the warnings of the curses,
what would come upon them if they were to disobey (Deut. 28:15–68); that
is, what consequences their sin and rebellion would bring.
What does it mean for us, today, to “hearken diligently” to what God
tells us to do?
EGW Notes — MONDAY ↓
Monday, January 9
To Hearken Diligently
The book of Deuteronomy should be carefully studied by those living
on the earth today. It contains a record of the instruction given to Moses
to give to the children of Israel. In it the law is repeated.
The law of God was often to be repeated to Israel. That it precepts
might not be forgotten, it was to be kept before the people, and was ever
to be exalted and honored. Parents were to read the law to their children,
teaching it to them line upon line, precept upon precept. And on public
occasions the law was to be read in the hearing of all the people.
Upon obedience to this law depended the prosperity of Israel. If they
were obedient, it would bring them life; if disobedient, death. . . .
Had Israel obeyed the directions given them by Moses, not one of those
who started on the journey from Egypt would in the wilderness have
fallen a prey to disease or death. They were under a safe Guide. Christ had
pledged Himself to lead them safely to the promised land if they would
follow His guidance.—Ellen G. White Comments,
in The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 1,
pp. 1117, 1118.
The faith that is unto salvation is not a casual faith, it is not the mere
consent of the intellect, it is belief rooted in the heart, that embraces
Christ as a personal Saviour, assured that He can save unto the uttermost
all that come unto God by Him. To believe that He will save others, but
will not save you is not genuine faith; but when the soul lays hold upon
Christ as the only hope of salvation, then genuine faith is manifested. This
faith leads its possessor to place all the affections of the soul upon Christ;
his understanding is under the control of the Holy Spirit, and his character
is molded after the divine likeness. His faith is not a dead faith, but a faith
that works by love, and leads him to behold the beauty of Christ, and to
become assimilated to the divine character. [Deuteronomy 30:11-14
quoted.] “And the Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart
of thy seed, to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy
soul, that thou mayest live” (Deuteronomy
30:6).—Selected Messages, book 1, p. 391.
He who has the love of God shed abroad in his heart, will reflect the
purity and love which exist in Jehovah, and which Christ represented in
our world. He who has the love of God in his heart has no enmity against
the law of God, but renders willing obedience to all His commandments,
and this constitutes Christianity. He who has supreme love to God will
reveal love to his fellow-men, who belong to God both by creation and
redemption. Love is the fulfilling of the law; and it is the duty of every
child of God to render obedience to His commandments.
The law of God, which is perfect holiness, is the only true standard of
character. Love is expressed in obedience, and perfect love casteth out all
fear.—Sons and Daughters of God, p. 51.
TUESDAY January 10
Honor the Lord
The book of Proverbs is not so much about right and wrong as it is about
wisdom and foolishness. As one reads through the book, one will see the
benefits of wisdom and the pitfalls of foolishness.
Read Proverbs 3:1–10. What wonderful promises are given here?
Also, what does “firstfruits of all your increase” mean?
God asks us to put Him first in the management of our possessions as an
acknowledgment of His ownership of all things and as a demonstration of
our faith in Him to provide for us. But even more than this, He says that if
we will put Him first, then He will bless what’s left. For us to do this—that
is, to put Him first—is an act of faith, an act of trust, a manifestation of
trusting in the Lord with all your heart and, indeed, not leaning on your own
understanding (which is especially important, because so often things
happen that we cannot understand and cannot make sense of).
Nothing, though, should spur us on more in trusting God and His love
than does the Cross. When you realize what each one of us has been given
in Jesus, not just as our Creator (John 1:1–4) and our Sustainer (Heb. 1:3),
but also as our Redeemer (Rev. 5:9), returning to God the firstfruits of
whatever we have is, indeed, the least we could do.
“Not only does the Lord claim the tithe as His own, but He tells us how
it should be reserved for Him. He says, ‘Honor the Lord with thy substance,
and with the first fruits of all thine increase.’ This does not teach that we are
to spend our means on ourselves, and bring to the Lord the remnant, even
though it should be otherwise an honest tithe. Let God’s portion be first set
apart.”—Ellen G. White, Counsels on Stewardship, p. 81.
God says that if we put Him first, our “barns will be filled with plenty”
(Prov. 3:10, NKJV). Yet, this is not going to happen by miracle; that is, you
are not going to wake up one day and find your barns and vats suddenly
full.
Instead, the Bible is filled with principles about good stewardship,
careful planning, and financial responsibility, of which faithfulness to what
God calls us to do is our first and foremost responsibility.
How, though, do we learn to trust God and in His promises during
hard financial times when, even while we are seeking to be faithful,
the barns and vats are not full?
EGW Notes — TUESDAY ↓
Tuesday, January 10
Honor the Lord
Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine
increase: so shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall
burst out with new wine. Proverbs 3:9, 10.
This scripture teaches that God, as the giver of all our benefits, has a
claim upon them all; that His claim should be our first consideration; and
that a special blessing will attend all who honor this claim. . . .
All we possess is the Lord’s, and we are accountable to Him for the use
we make of it. In the use of every penny, it will be seen whether we love
God supremely and our neighbor as ourselves. Money has great value,
because it can do great good. In the hands of God’s children it is food for
the hungry, drink for the thirsty, and clothing for the
naked.—The Faith I Live By, p. 160.
Some give of their abundance, yet feel no lack. They do not practice
self-denial for the cause of Christ. They give liberally and heartily, but
they still have all that heart can wish. God regards it. The action and
motive are strictly marked by Him, and they will not lose their reward.
But those who have less means must not excuse themselves because they
cannot do as much as some others. Do what you can. Deny yourself of
some article you can do without, and sacrifice for the cause of God. Like
the poor widow, cast in your two mites. You will actually give more than
all those who give of their abundance; and you will know how sweet it is
to deny self, to give to the needy, to sacrifice for the truth, and to lay up
treasure in heaven. . . .
Give what you can now, and as you cooperate with Christ, your hand
will open to impart still more. And God will refill your hand, that the
treasure of truth may be taken to many souls. He will give to you that you
may give to others.—Our High Calling, p. 199.
Our Saviour refers us to the fowls of the air, which sow not, neither
reap, nor gather into barns, yet their heavenly Father feedeth them. Then
He says: “Are ye not much better than they? . . . And why take ye thought
for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not,
neither do they spin: and yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his
glory was not arrayed like one of these.” . . . “Wherefore, if God so clothe
the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven,
shall He not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?” Can you not trust
in your heavenly Father? Can you not rest upon His gracious promise?
“Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these
things shall be added unto you.” Precious promise! Can we not rely upon
it? Can we not have implicit trust, knowing that He is faithful who hath
promised? . . . Let your trembling faith again grasp the promises of God.
Bear your whole weight upon them with unwavering faith; for they will
not, they cannot,
fail.—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 2, p. 296.
WEDNESDAY January 11
The Tithe Contract
There is a close spiritual connection between the practice of tithing and
our relationship to God. The Israelites prospered when they obeyed God
and were faithful in tithing. In contrast, they fell on hard times when they
didn’t. They seemed to follow a cycle of obedience and prosperity, and then
disobedience and problems. It was during one of these periods of
unfaithfulness that God, through the prophet Malachi, proposed a bilateral
contract with His people.
Read Malachi 3:7–11. What are the promises and the obligations
found in these verses?
God promised the people that if they would return to Him, He would
return to them. When they asked what He meant by returning to Him, He
explicitly said, “Stop robbing Me of tithe and offerings.” Their robbery was
the reason they were being cursed. Here is God’s solution to the problem of
the curse: “ ‘Bring all the tithes [the whole tithe] into the storehouse’ ”
(Mal. 3:10, NKJV). And if you do this, then “ ‘I will . . . open for you the
windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be
room enough to receive it’ ” (NKJV). If we don’t have room enough to
receive it, we have a surplus with which we can help others and help to
advance the cause of God.
“He who gave His only-begotten Son to die for you, has made a covenant
with you. He gives you His blessings, and in return He requires you to
bring Him your tithes and offerings. No one will ever dare to say that there
was no way in which he could understand in regard to this matter. God’s
plan regarding tithes and offerings is definitely stated in the third chapter of
Malachi. God calls upon His human agents to be true to the contract He has
made with them.”—Ellen G. White, Counsels on Stewardship, p. 75.
One of the positive cycles of obedience is recorded during the reign of
good King Hezekiah of Judah. There was a genuine revival in Judah, and
the people started faithfully returning their tithes and offerings to the temple
storehouse. So much came in that it was piled in heaps at the temple.
Second Chronicles 31:5 tells what happened when the people “brought in
abundance the firstfruits of grain and wine, oil and honey, and of all the
produce of the field; and they brought in abundantly the tithe of everything”
(NKJV).
What does your tithing (or lack thereof) say about your own
spirituality and relationship to God?
EGW Notes — WEDNESDAY ↓
Wednesday, January 11
The Tithe Contract
He whose heart is aglow with the love of Christ will regard it as not
only a duty, but a pleasure, to aid in the advancement of the highest,
holiest work committed to man—the work of presenting to the world the
riches of goodness, mercy, and truth.
It is the spirit of covetousness which leads men to keep for gratification
of self means that rightfully belong to God, and this spirit is as abhorrent
to Him now as when through His prophet He sternly rebuked His people,
saying, “Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed Me. But ye say, Wherein
have we robbed Thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse:
for ye have robbed Me, even this whole nation.” Malachi 3:8, 9.
The spirit of liberality is the spirit of
heaven.—The Acts of the Apostles, pp. 338, 339.
The Lord bestows His gifts abundantly upon us. He “so loved the world,
that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him
should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Every blessing we have comes
through Jesus Christ. Then shall we not arouse, and do our duty toward
God, upon whom we are dependent for life and health, for His blessing
upon our crops and fields, our cattle, our herds, and our vineyards? We are
assured if we give to the Lord’s treasury, we shall receive of Him again;
but if we withhold of our means, He will withhold His blessing from us,
and send a curse upon the unfaithful.
God has said, “Prove Me now herewith, . . . if I will not open you the
windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be
room enough to receive it.” What a wonderful presentation in promised
blessings is He giving us! Who can venture to rob God in tithes and
offerings with such a promise as this! “And I will rebuke the devourer for
your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither
shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of
hosts. And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome
land, saith the Lord of
hosts.”— Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers,
pp. 307, 308.
God’s plan in the tithing system is beautiful in its simplicity and
equality. All may take hold of it in faith and courage, for it is divine in its
origin. In it are combined simplicity and utility, and it does not require
depth of learning to understand and execute it. All may feel that they can
act a part in carrying forward the precious work of salvation. Every man,
woman, and youth may become a treasurer for the Lord and may be an
agent to meet the demands upon the treasury. Says the apostle: “Let every
one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him.”
Great objects are accomplished by this system. If one and all would
accept it, each would be made a vigilant and faithful treasurer for God,
and there would be no want of means with which to carry forward the
great work of sounding the last message of warning to the
world.—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 3, pp. 388, 389.
THURSDAY January 12
Seek Ye First
It was said of Jesus that “the common people heard him gladly” (Mark
12:37). Most of the people in the large crowds who followed and listened to
Jesus were members of this class, the common people. They were the ones
who were fed on the mountainside and who heard the Sermon on the
Mount. Jesus said to them, basically, I know you are concerned about
providing for your families. You worry about the food and drink that you
will need daily and the clothing that you need for warmth and protection.
But here is what I propose . . .
Read Matthew 6:25–33. What was promised here, and what were the
people to do in order to receive those promises?
Many of the promises of God have elements of a bilateral cove nant.
That is, in order to receive the blessing, we need to do our part, as well.
Read Isaiah 26:3. What are we asked to do in order to have the peace
of God?
Read 1 John 1:9. What will Jesus do if we confess our sins?
Read 2 Chronicles 7:14. What are the “ifs” and “thens” of God’s
proposal here?
All these verses and many others deal with the important fact that
although God is sovereign, although God is our Creator and Sustainer, and
although salvation is a gift of grace and unmerited on our part, we still have
a part to play in the great controversy drama here on earth. Using the sacred
gift of free will, free choice, we must choose to follow the prompting of the
Holy Spirit and obey what God calls us to do. Though God offers us
blessings and life, we can choose cursing and death instead. No wonder
God says, “ ‘Therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may
live’ ” (Deut. 30:19, NKJV).
EGW Notes — THURSDAY ↓
Thursday, January 12
Seek Ye First
Those who take Christ at His word, and surrender their souls to His
keeping, their lives to His ordering, will find peace and quietude. Nothing
of the world can make them sad when Jesus makes them glad by His
presence. In perfect acquiescence there is perfect rest. The Lord says,
“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee:
because he trusteth in Thee.” Isaiah 26:3. Our lives may seem a tangle; but
as we commit ourselves to the wise Master Worker, He will bring out the
pattern of life and character that will be to His own glory. And that
character which expresses the glory—character—of Christ will be received
into the Paradise of God. A renovated race shall walk with Him in white,
for they are
worthy.—The Desire of Ages, p. 331.
The examples in God’s word of genuine repentance and humiliation
reveal a spirit of confession in which there is no excuse for sin or attempt
at self-justification. Paul did not seek to shield himself; he paints his sin in
its darkest hue, not attempting to lessen his guilt. He says, “Many of the
saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief
priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them.
And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to
blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them
even unto strange cities.” Acts 26:10, 11. He does not hesitate to declare
that “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am
chief.” 1 Timothy 1:15.
The humble and broken heart, subdued by genuine repentance, will
appreciate something of the love of God and the cost of Calvary; and as a
son confesses to a loving father, so will the truly penitent bring all his sins
before God. And it is written, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and
just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1
John 1:9.—Steps to Christ, p. 41.
For stricken Israel there was but one remedy—a turning away from the
sins that had brought upon them the chastening hand of the Almighty,
and a turning to the Lord with full purpose of heart. To them had been
given the assurance, “If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I
command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My
people; if My people, which are called by My name, shall humble
themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways;
then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their
land.” 2 Chronicles 7:13, 14. It was to bring to pass this blessed result that
God continued to withhold from them the dew and the rain until a
decided reformation should take
place.—Prophets and Kings, p. 128.
Every soul has a heaven to win, and a hell to shun. And the angelic
agencies are all ready to come to the help of the tried and tempted soul.
He, the Son of the infinite God, endured the test and trial in our behalf.
The cross of Calvary stands vividly before every soul. When the cases of
all are judged, and they [the lost] are delivered to suffer for their contempt
for God and their disregard of His honor in their disobedience, not one
will have an excuse, not one will need to have perished. It was left to their
own choice who should be their prince, Christ or Satan. All the help
Christ received, every man may receive in the great trial. The cross stands
as a pledge that not one need be lost, that abundant help is provided for
every soul.—Selected Messages, book 1, p. 96.
FRIDAY January 13
Further Thought: “Whenever God’s people, in any period of the
world, have cheerfully and willingly carried out His plan in systematic
benevolence [tithing] and in gifts and offerings, they have realized the
standing promise that prosperity should attend all their labors just in
proportion as they obeyed His requirements. When they acknowledged the
claims of God and complied with His requirements, honoring Him with
their substance, their barns were filled with plenty. But when they robbed
God in tithes and in offerings they were made to realize that they were not
only robbing Him but themselves, for He limited His blessings to them just
in proportion as they limited their offerings to Him."—Ellen G. White,
Testimonies for the Church, vol. 3, p. 395.
The Bible is very clear that we are saved through faith alone, a gift of
God’s grace. Our obedience to God’s commands is a response to God’s
grace; it doesn’t earn it (after all, if it were earned, it wouldn’t be grace: see
Romans 4:1–4).
Indeed, when we look at God’s bilateral covenant with us, we can see
both our blessings and our responsibilities. By our responses to what God
offers to us, we establish our relationship with Him and, to a great degree,
determine our own destiny. Obedience—the service and allegiance of love
—is the true sign of discipleship. Instead of releasing us from obedience, it
is faith, and faith only, that makes us partakers of the grace of Christ, which
enables us to render the obedience that God asks from us.
Discussion Questions:
-
1. It has been said that if every Adventist were faithful in returning
tithe, our church would have more than enough money to do all that
it needs to do for spreading the message. What are you doing, in
terms of tithes and offerings, to help the church do what it has been
called to do?
-
2. Dwell more on the idea of how important our choices and our
works are in our relationship with God. How do we keep the
questions of works and obedience, including tithe paying and good
stewardship, before us but without falling into the trap of legalism?
-
3. In class, talk about the question at the end of Tuesday’s study
regarding when hard times come even when we have been faithful.
How do we understand this if it happens, and how do we keep from
being discouraged when it does?
EGW Notes — FRIDAY ↓
Friday, January 13
For Further Reading
Counsels on Stewardship, “For Every Dispensation,” p. 67;
Counsels on Stewardship, “Continual Recipients to Give Continually,” p. 18.
INSIDE STORY
Making a Deal With God
By ANDREW MCCHESNEY
Dmitry Bagal, a student from Russia, ran out of money several months
after enrolling in the master’s in theology program at Friedensau Adventist
University in Germany. His options seemed limited. He could work on
campus or in a nearby retirement home, but the income would only partially
cover his tuition. As a foreigner, he could not take out a state loan like the
German students. But he could apply for a scholarship, which was smaller
than the loan but did not require repayment.
As Dmitry prayed over the dilemma, he felt impressed to make a deal
with God. “Lord,” he prayed, “if You bless me with this scholarship, I
promise to set aside a second tithe to support mission work.”
Dmitry applied for the scholarship and, to his joy, it was approved. He
began setting aside a second 10 percent of his gross income for mission
work. As the semesters rolled by, he was approved for the scholarship again
and again, and he kept giving a second tithe to mission work. Despite the
second tithe, he still somehow always had enough money to cover tuition
and other expenses. He even was able to set money aside for an emergency.
Then Dmitry’s five-year-old laptop began to act up as he worked on his
master’s thesis. Twice he had to buy spare parts to self-repair it. One day, he
found that he could no longer close the laptop’s screen. The hinges refused
to budge. A new laptop was needed if he hoped to finish his thesis, and he
was glad to have the small emergency fund.
But as he prayed about the situation, he remembered a friend, also from
the former Soviet Union, who was serving with his family of five as
missionaries in the South American jungle. High humidity had ruined his
friend’s tablet, and a robust device was desperately needed to continue his
work. Dmitry couldn’t understand why he was thinking about his friend in
South America when he was the one in need of a laptop to graduate. But he
bought a waterproof, dustproof laptop and mailed it to his friend.
Shortly after sending the package, an online advertisement popped up on
Dmitry’s laptop screen that offered the very hinges that he needed for the
laptop. He ordered the hinges and, after installing them, the screen opened
and closed like new. Amazingly, the laptop still works today, eight years
later.
DMITRY has no doubt that God blesses those who put mission first. “The Lord has prolonged the life
of the laptop,” DMITRY says “Truly it is written in the Bible, ‘Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the
LORD, and he will reward them for what they have done’ [Proverbs 19:17, NIV].”
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.
† Disclaimer: Contents of these lessons are not intended to be financial advice but is general commentary based on biblical principles. The reader is encouraged to seek competent professional advice which will suit their particular personal situation.
