LESSON 11 *December 7–13
The Father, the Son, and the Spirit
Sabbath Afternoon
Read for This Week’s Study: John 14:10, 24; Gen. 3:7–9; John 16:27, 28; John 16:7–11; John 17:1–26.
Memory Text: “ ‘The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you’ ” (John 14:26, NKJV).
The Gospel of John is a mosaic of themes. John calls upon signs (miracles) to show that Jesus is the Messiah promised by the prophets. John uses an array of witnesses to proclaim Jesus as the Christ. He also uses the “I AM” statements to point to His divinity.
All three members of the Godhead are mentioned in John 1 (John 1:1–4, 14, 18, 32–34). For centuries humans have tried fully to understand the nature of the Godhead, but because we can’t, many reject the idea. How foolish, though, to reject something just because we can’t fully understand it or because it doesn’t fit within the narrow limits of human reasoning.
John says that if you want to understand God, you must look at Jesus and what has been revealed in the Word. This approach opens to us a whole new world of relationships—among the Three Members of the Godhead, between the Members of the Godhead and humans, and among humans themselves. This week’s lesson looks at how the Gospel of John presents the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, but now within the context of the farewell discourse (John 13–17).
* Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, December 14.
EGW Notes — SATURDAY ↓
Sabbath Afternoon, December 7
Lesson 11 - The Father, the Son, and the Spirit
The nature of the Holy Spirit is a mystery. Men cannot explain it, because the Lord has not revealed it to them. Men having fanciful views may bring together passages of Scripture and put a human construction on them, but the acceptance of these views will not strengthen the church. Regarding such mysteries, which are too deep for human understanding, silence is golden.
The office of the Holy Spirit is distinctly specified in the words of Christ: “When He is come, He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.” John 16:8. It is the Holy Spirit that convicts of sin. If the sinner responds to the quickening influence of the Spirit, he will be brought to repentance and aroused to the importance of obeying the divine requirements.
To the repentant sinner, hungering and thirsting for righteousness, the Holy Spirit reveals the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world. “He shall receive of Mine, and shall show it unto you,” Christ said. “He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” John 16:14;
14:26.—The Acts of the Apostles, p. 52.
The word of God—the truth—is the channel through which the Lord manifests His Spirit and power. Obedience to the word produces fruit of the required quality—“unfeigned love of the brethren.” This love is heaven-born and leads to high motives and unselfish actions.
When truth becomes an abiding principle in the life, the soul is “born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever.” This new birth is the result of receiving Christ as the Word of God. When by the Holy Spirit divine truths are impressed upon the heart, new conceptions are awakened, and the energies hitherto dormant are aroused to co-operate with
God.—The Acts of the Apostles, pp. 519, 520.
I was carried down to the time when Jesus was to take upon Himself man’s nature, humble Himself as a man, and suffer the temptations of Satan.
His birth was without worldly grandeur. He was born in a stable and cradled in a manger; yet His birth was honored far above that of any of the sons of men. Angels from heaven informed the shepherds of the advent of Jesus, and light and glory from God accompanied their testimony. The heavenly host touched their harps and glorified God. They triumphantly heralded the advent of the Son of God to a fallen world to accomplish the work of redemption, and by His death to bring peace, happiness, and everlasting life to man. God honored the advent of His Son. Angels worshiped Him.
Angels of God hovered over the scene of His baptism; the Holy Spirit descended in the form of a dove and lighted upon Him, and as the people stood greatly amazed, with their eyes fastened upon Him, the Father’s voice was heard from heaven, saying, Thou art My beloved Son; in Thee I am well
pleased.—Early Writings, p. 153.
SUNDAY December 8
The Heavenly Father
The Gospel of John is written from the standpoint of the overall biblical
narrative, beginning with our origins. “In the beginning God created
the heavens and the earth” (Gen. 1:1). Or: In the beginning the Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit created the heavens and the earth. They are the
Source of all that exists. They created the universe, including the beings
who inhabit it. On our planet there was a special creation of life, and
the most special of that creation was humanity. And God’s purpose for
creating humanity was that we should live in loving harmony with Him
and with one another.
Unfortunately, Lucifer brought sin into this world. Sin is, among
other things, a disruption of our relationship with God. It misrepresents
who God is. Thus, Jesus took upon Himself our human nature in order
to restore knowledge of God and to bring salvation to humanity.
While here, Jesus submitted His life to the Father, living according
to His guidance. He said, “ ‘I and My Father are one’ ” (John 10:30,
NKJV). “ ‘The Father is in Me, and I in Him’ ” (John 10:38, NKJV).
“ ‘If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me’ ” (John
10:37, NKJV).
What were some of the roles of the Father, as described in the following
passages?
John 3:16, 17; John 6:57
John 5:22, 30
John 6:32; John 14:10, 24
John 6:45
John 15:16, John 16:23
* Your notes will not be saved!
These verses present the Father in close connection with Jesus
Christ, His Son. The Father has intimate contact with our world
and a deep investment in our salvation. What does this truth
teach us about God’s love for us?
EGW Notes — SUNDAY ↓
Sunday, December 8
The Heavenly Father
The Father can not be described by the things of earth. The Father is all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and is invisible to mortal sight. The Son is all the fullness of the Godhead manifested. The word of God declares Him to be “the express image of His person.” “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Here is shown the personality of the Father.
The Comforter that Christ promised to send after He ascended to heaven, is the Spirit in all the fullness of the Godhead, making manifest the power of divine grace to all who receive and believe in Christ as a personal Saviour. There are three living persons of the heavenly trio. In the name of these three powers,—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, those who receive Christ by living faith are baptized, and these powers will cooperate with the obedient subjects of heaven in their efforts to live the new life in
Christ.—Bible Training School, March 1, 1906, par. 1, 2.
Let the soul be drawn out and upward, that God may grant us a breath of the heavenly atmosphere. We may keep so near to God that in every unexpected trial our thoughts will turn to Him as naturally as the flower turns to the sun.
Keep your wants, your joys, your sorrows, your cares, and your fears before God. You cannot burden Him; you cannot weary Him. He who numbers the hairs of your head is not indifferent to the wants of His children. “The Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.” James 5:11. His heart of love is touched by our sorrows and even by our utterances of them. Take to Him everything that perplexes the mind. Nothing is too great for Him to bear, for He holds up worlds, He rules over all the affairs of the universe. Nothing that in any way concerns our peace is too small for Him to notice. There is no chapter in our experience too dark for Him to read; there is no perplexity too difficult for Him to unravel. No calamity can befall the least of His children, no anxiety harass the soul, no joy cheer, no sincere prayer escape the lips, of which our heavenly Father is unobservant, or in which He takes no immediate interest. “He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.” Psalm 147:3. The relations between God and each soul are as distinct and full as though there were not another soul upon the earth to share His watchcare, not another soul for whom He gave His beloved Son.
Jesus said, “Ye shall ask in My name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you: for the Father Himself loveth you.” “I have chosen you: . . . that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in My name, He may give it you.” John 16:26, 27;
15:16.—Steps to Christ, pp. 99, 100.
MONDAY December 9
Jesus and the Father
We were created by the Godhead for a personal relationship with
Them (Gen. 1:26, 27). Yet, because of sin, that relationship was radically
disrupted. We can see the immediate impact of this disruption in
the Garden of Eden story.
Read Genesis 3:7–9. How does this reveal the breach that sin caused, and
what does it mean that it was God seeking them out, not vice versa?
The intention of the Godhead was to offer healing to all humanity for
that breach caused by sin, even if all humanity would not accept what They
offered.
To accomplish the restoration of this relationship, one Member of
the Godhead became human. Thus, the Word became flesh and dwelt
among us, manifesting the glory of God (John 1:14–18). As a result,
humanity has received His fullness and grace. This is what Jesus came
to share, to declare the glory of God so that the relationship broken by
sin might be restored, at least to all who were willing to accept by faith
what has been offered them in Christ Jesus.
What wonderful hope is seen for us in these texts? John 1:1, 2; John
5:16–18; John 6:69; John 10:10, 30; John 20:28.
“In Christ is life, original, unborrowed, underived.”—Ellen G. White,
The Desire of Ages, p. 530. Yet, as the incarnate Son who had “emptied
himself ” (Phil. 2:7, RSV) of the exercise of His prerogatives, Christ,
speaking of His existence on earth as a man among men, could refer
to His possession of life as a gift from God. “The divinity of Christ is
the believer’s assurance of eternal life.”—The Desire of Ages, p. 530.
God was not recognized by humanity (John 17:25). Thus, He sent
His only Son (John 9:4, John 16:5) in order that He, the Father, might
be known.
In the context of the cosmos, an atheist wrote, “In our obscurity,
in all this vastness, there is no hint that help will come from
elsewhere to save us from ourselves.” What does the Bible teach,
which shows just how wrong this man is?
EGW Notes — MONDAY ↓
Monday, December 9
Jesus and the Father
And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. Genesis 1:26.
The life of Christ is to be revealed in humanity. Man was the crowning act of the creation of God, made in the image of God, and designed to be a counterpart of God; but Satan has labored to obliterate the image of God in man, and to imprint upon him his own image. Man is very dear to God, because he was formed in His own image. This fact should impress us with the importance of teaching by precept and example the sin of defiling, by the indulgence of appetite, or by any other sinful practice, the body which is designed to represent God to the
world.—Lift Him Up, p. 48.
Instead of destroying the world, God sent His Son to save it. Though corruption and defiance might be seen in every part of the alien province, a way for its recovery was provided. At the very crisis, when Satan seemed about to triumph, the Son of God came with the embassage of divine grace. Through every age, through every hour, the love of God had been exercised toward the fallen race. Notwithstanding the perversity of men, the signals of mercy had been continually exhibited. And when the fullness of the time had come, the Deity was glorified by pouring upon the world a flood of healing grace that was never to be obstructed or withdrawn till the plan of salvation should be fulfilled.
Satan was exulting that he had succeeded in debasing the image of God in humanity. Then Jesus came to restore in man the image of his Maker. None but Christ can fashion anew the character that has been ruined by sin. He came to expel the demons that had controlled the will. He came to lift us up from the dust, to reshape the marred character after the pattern of His divine character, and to make it beautiful with His own
glory.—The Desire of Ages, p. 37.
The paralytic found in Christ healing for both the soul and the body. The spiritual healing was followed by physical restoration. This lesson should not be overlooked. There are today thousands suffering from physical disease, who, like the paralytic, are longing for the message, “Thy sins are forgiven.” The burden of sin, with its unrest and unsatisfied desires, is the foundation of their maladies. They can find no relief until they come to the Healer of the soul. The peace which He alone can give, would impart vigor to the mind, and health to the body.
Jesus came to “destroy the works of the devil.” “In Him was life,” and He says, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” He is “a quickening spirit.” 1 John 3:8; John 1:4; 10:10; 1 Corinthians 15:45. And He still has the same life-giving power as when on earth He healed the sick, and spoke forgiveness to the sinner. He “forgiveth all thine iniquities,” He “healeth all thy diseases.” Psalm
103:3.—The Desire of Ages, p. 270.
TUESDAY December 10
Knowing the Son Is Knowing the Father
Throughout the Gospel of John, the apostle describes how Jesus,
the Son, does activities that point to the Father. Jesus explains who the
Father is and shows what His relationship to our world is. This is all in
keeping with John 1:18, which says that He makes the Father known
(Greek exēgeomai: to explain, interpret, exposit). Again and again
Jesus does this. The word Father (patēr) appears 136 times in John and
18 times in 1–3 John, more than one-third of the entire uses in the New
Testament. The farewell discourse is one of the prime locations in the
Gospel where Jesus makes the Father known.
Jesus was the Father’s representative on earth, and He came to live
out, in human flesh, the Father’s will. In fact, Jesus said that in all things
He sought to do the Father’s will, and not His own (John 5:30). This
may seem at first a startling statement, but it shows how totally surrendered
Jesus, as a human being, was to the Father.
Jesus said, too, that He had been sent by the Father to finish His
work—the salvation of humanity—and that the Father Himself bore
witness to His work (John 5:36–38).
Jesus proclaimed that the Father sent Him to serve as the only one
through whom humanity may come to the Father (John 6:40, 44). The
Father wants people to have the eternal life found in Jesus, who promises
to raise them up in the resurrection.
What do the following texts teach us about the relationship between
Jesus and the Father? John 7:16; John 8:38; John 14:10, 23; John
15:1, 9, 10; John 16:27, 28; John 17:3.
Jesus’ claims about His relationship to the Father are astonishing. He
asserts that all of His teachings are the teachings of the Father; that all
He says He had personally heard from the Father; that belief in Him is
the same as belief in the Father; that both His very words and His works
are all of the Father; and that He and the Father are united in loving and
working for the salvation of humanity. What a powerful testimony to
the closeness of Jesus to His Father in heaven!
How would your life be changed if your thoughts and actions were
fully an expression of God’s will for your life? That is, how can we
better live out what we know from Jesus is God’s will for our lives?
EGW Notes — TUESDAY ↓
Tuesday, December 10
Knowing the Son Is Knowing the Father
God bids us fill the mind with great thoughts, pure thoughts. He desires us to meditate upon His love and mercy, to study His wonderful work in the great plan of redemption. Then clearer and still clearer will be our perception of truth, higher, holier, our desire for purity of heart and clearness of thought. The soul dwelling in the pure atmosphere of holy thought will be transformed by communion with God through the study of Scriptures. . . .
Those who, having heard the word, keep it, will bring forth fruit in obedience. The word of God, received into the soul, will be manifest in good works. Its results will be seen in a Christlike character and life. Christ said of Himself, “I delight to do Thy will, O My God; yea, Thy law is within My heart.” Psalm 40:8. “I seek not Mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent Me.” John 5:30. And the Scripture says, “He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked.” 1 John
2:6.—Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 60.
The acceptance of Christ gives value to the human being. His sacrifice carries life and light to all who take Christ as their personal Saviour. The love of God through Jesus Christ is shed abroad in the heart of every member of His body, carrying with it the vitality of the law of God the Father. . . .
God loves those who are redeemed through Christ, even as He loves His Son. What a thought! Can God love the sinner as He loves His own Son?—Yes; Christ has said it, and He means just what He says. He will honor all our drafts if we will grasp His promise by living faith, and put our trust in Him. Look to Him, and live. All who obey God are embraced in the prayer which Christ offered to His Father, “I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them” (John 17:26). Wonderful truth, too difficult for humanity to
comprehend!—Selected Messages, book 1, pp. 299, 300.
To redeem man, Christ became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. The humanity of the Son of God is everything to us. It is the golden linked chain which binds our souls to Christ and through Christ to God. This is to be our study. Christ was a real man, and He gave proof of His humility in becoming a man. And He was God in the flesh. . . .
Christ’s position with His Father is one of equality. This enabled Him to become a sin-offering for transgressors. He was fully sufficient to magnify the law and make it honorable.—Ellen G. White Comments, in
The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, pp. 904, 905.
WEDNESDAY December 11
The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is not as prominent in the Gospel of John as the
Father and the Son are. Yet, His role is crucial to the success of Jesus’
mission.
Read John 1:10–13. What does this text teach us about the importance
of the Holy Spirit for conversion?
In the first chapter of John, we can see just how central the role of
the Holy Spirit is. John tells us that as many as received the Word (that
is, as many as believed in Him) became children of God, those “who
were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of
man, but of God” (John 1:13, NKJV). This comes only from the work
of the Holy Spirit.
What do the following passages tell of the activities of the Holy Spirit?
John 3:5–8, John 6:63, John 14:26, John 15:26, John 16:7–11.
“In describing to His disciples the office work of the Holy Spirit,
Jesus sought to inspire them with the joy and hope that inspired His
own heart. He rejoiced because of the abundant help He had provided
for His church. The Holy Spirit was the highest of all gifts that He
could solicit from His Father for the exaltation of His people. The
Spirit was to be given as a regenerating agent, and without this the
sacrifice of Christ would have been of no avail. The power of evil had
been strengthening for centuries, and the submission of men to this
satanic captivity was amazing. Sin could be resisted and overcome
only through the mighty agency of the Third Person of the Godhead,
who would come with no modified energy, but in the fullness of divine
power.”—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 671.
What a blessing, then, to receive the Holy Spirit, who certifies that
God is true (John 3:33). It is the Spirit that convicts of sin, of righteousness,
and of judgment (John 16:8–11). Hence, the key for us to know
what is right, what is true, and what is good is our submission of our
reason and life experiences to the Word of God through the convicting
and convincing power of the Holy Spirit.
EGW Notes — WEDNESDAY ↓
Wednesday, December 11
The Holy Spirit
The Spirit is given as a regenerating agency, to make effectual the salvation wrought by the death of our Redeemer. The Spirit is constantly seeking to draw the attention of men to the great offering that was made on the cross of Calvary, to unfold to the world the love of God, and to open to the convicted soul the precious things of the Scriptures.
Having brought conviction of sin, and presented before the mind the standard of righteousness, the Holy Spirit withdraws the affections from the things of this earth and fills the soul with a desire for holiness. “He will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13), the Saviour declared. If men are willing to be molded, there will be brought about a sanctification of the whole being. The Spirit will take the things of God and stamp them on the soul. By His power the way of life will be made so plain that none need err
therein.—The Acts of the Apostles, p. 52.
The Holy Spirit recognizes and guides us into all truth. God has given His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. Christ is the sinner’s Saviour. Christ’s death has redeemed the sinner. This is our only hope. If we make a full surrender of self, and practice the virtues of Christ, we shall gain the prize of eternal life.
“He that believeth in the Son, hath the Father also.” He who has continual faith in the Father and the Son has the Spirit also. The Holy Spirit is his comforter, and he never departs from the
truth.—Bible Training School, March 1, 1906, par. 5, 6.
As a witness for Christ, John entered into no controversy, no wearisome contention. He declared what he knew, what he had seen and heard. He had been intimately associated with Christ, had listened to His teachings, had witnessed His mighty miracles. Few could see the beauties of Christ’s character as John saw them. For him the darkness had passed away; on him the true light was shining. His testimony in regard to the Saviour’s life and death was clear and forcible. Out of the abundance of a heart overflowing with love for the Saviour he spoke; and no power could stay his words.
“That which was from the beginning,” he declared, “which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; . . . that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.”
So may every true believer be able, through his own experience, to “set to his seal that God is true.” John 3:33. He can bear witness to that which he has seen and heard and felt of the power of
Christ.—The Acts of the Apostles, pp. 555, 556.
THURSDAY December 12
The Prayer of Jesus
John 17 is sometimes called the high priestly prayer of Jesus. It concludes
the farewell discourse. Jesus came to this earth so that humanity
might be restored, ultimately, to its original personal relationship with
God. He faithfully performed the signs that God gave Him to do. In
words and acts, He communicated God to the people.
Jesus would soon be leaving this earth. He desired to share once
again His love for His disciples. He wanted them to understand the
close relationship between Himself, the Father, and the Holy Spirit.
And He wanted to bring them into the same personal relationship with
God the Father and the Spirit that He Himself had.
Read John 17:1–26. What words or phrases in this chapter express the
desire of Jesus for a close relationship of love between Himself, the
Father, and His disciples?
Many read John 17 to mean that the only thing that matters is unity
and love. No question, God’s purpose is to restore us to a personal
relationship with Him and with all people. But a more careful reading
suggests a much more vital connection between love and truth.
“ ‘This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God’ ”
(John 17:3, NKJV), not God, whoever we think He is. “ ‘I have made
your name known to those whom you gave me, . . . and they have kept
your word . . . and know in truth that I came from you’ ” (John 17:6,
8, NRSV). “ ‘Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth’ ” (John
17:17, NKJV).
Christ came to reveal the Father. This revelation was important
because of the many misconceptions about God. The Gospel of John
shows how seriously Jesus took this mission. He rightly represented
God’s Word and actions. If truth did not matter, why go to such lengths?
Jesus lived a life of great difficulty ultimately to be rejected by
the religious authorities. He suffered indifference from the people
and even, at times, from His own disciples. One of His disciples
betrayed Him, and another denied Him three times. He went through
an unremitting trial and died on a cross at the hands of the very ones
He came to save.
How can you better reflect the love of God, such as exists between
Jesus and the Father, in your own life?
EGW Notes — THURSDAY ↓
Thursday, December 12
The Prayer of Jesus
I urge our people to cease their criticism and evil-speaking, and go to God in earnest prayer, asking Him to help them to help the erring. Let them link up with one another and with Christ. Let them study the seventeenth of John, and learn how to pray and how to live the prayer of Christ. He is the Comforter. He will abide in their hearts, making their joy full. His words will be to them as the bread of life, and in the strength thus gained they will be enabled to develop characters that will be an honor to God. Perfect Christian fellowship will exist among them. . . .
When you as individual workers of the church love God supremely and your neighbor as yourself . . . there will be oneness in Christ. . . . The members of the church will cherish love and unity and be as one great family. Then we shall bear the credentials to the world that will testify that God has sent His Son into the world. Christ has said, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to
another.”—Reflecting Christ, p. 200.
We must open our hearts to the power and influence of the Holy Spirit. . . . We want to become so sensitive to holy influences, that the lightest whisper of Jesus will move our souls, till he is in us, and we in Him, living by the faith of the Son of God. . . .
Then we shall delight to do the will of God, and Christ can own us before the Father and before the holy angels as those who abide in Him, and he will not be ashamed to call us brethren.
But we shall not boast of our holiness. As we have clearer views of Christ’s spotlessness and infinite purity, we shall feel as did Daniel, when he beheld the glory of the Lord, and said, “My comeliness was turned in me into corruption.” . . .
But if we constantly seek to follow Jesus, the blessed hope is ours of standing before the throne of God without spot or wrinkle, or any such thing; complete in Christ, robed in his righteousness and
perfection.—Selected Messages, book 3, p. 355.
The church is to reflect light into the moral darkness of the world, as the stars reflect light into the darkness of the night. These who have a form of godliness, but deny the power thereof, do not reflect light into the world, and will not have power to reach the hearts of the unsaved. . . . But if Christ is formed within, the hope of glory, his saving grace will be manifested in sympathy and love for perishing souls.
Every soul truly converted to God will be a light in the world. Bright, clear rays from the Sun of Righteousness will shine forth through human agents who use their intrusted ability to do good; for they will cooperate with heavenly agencies, and labor with Christ for the conversion of souls. They will diffuse the light which Christ sheds upon them. The Sun of Righteousness shining in their hearts will shine forth, enlightening and blessing
others.—Signs of the Times, September 11, 1893, par. 1, 2.
FRIDAY December 13
Further Thought: Read Ellen G. White, “ ‘Let Not Your Heart Be
Troubled,’ ” pp. 662–680, in The Desire of Ages; “Additional Note on
[John] Chapter 1,” The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 5, pp. 911–919.
In assessing who Jesus is, His opponents judged by human standards
“ ‘according to the flesh’ ” (John 8:15, NKJV). This is probably even
worse than judging “by mere appearances” (John 7:24, NIV). Here
they resorted to the criteria of the flesh, of fallen humanity in a fallen
world, without the compelling control of the Spirit (see John 3:3–7).
They saw His “flesh,” as it were, but never contemplated the possibility
that He could be the Word made flesh (John 1:14). To regard Christ
by such limited criteria is to weigh Him from a worldly point of view
(2 Cor. 5:16).
“The Comforter is called ‘the Spirit of truth.’ His work is to define
and maintain the truth. He first dwells in the heart as the Spirit of
truth, and thus He becomes the Comforter. There is comfort and peace
in the truth, but no real peace or comfort can be found in falsehood.
It is through false theories and traditions that Satan gains his power
over the mind. By directing men to false standards, he misshapes the
character. Through the Scriptures the Holy Spirit speaks to the mind,
and impresses truth upon the heart. Thus He exposes error, and expels
it from the soul. It is by the Spirit of truth, working through the word of
God, that Christ subdues His chosen people to Himself.”—The Desire
of Ages, p. 671.
Discussion Questions:
-
Eternal life is to know God (John 17:3). What does it mean to
know God, as opposed to merely knowing certain facts about Him,
that is, that He is mighty or loving or a God of justice? If someone
were to ask you, “Do you know God?” what would you say? How
does Jesus fit in with your answer?
-
In practical, everyday terms, what is implied by Jesus’ words
“Thy word is truth” (John 17:17)?
-
Jesus prayed, “ ‘I do not pray that You should take them out
of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one’ ”
(John 17:15, NKJV). How do our own choices impact how well this
prayer can be answered in our own lives?
EGW Notes — FRIDAY ↓
Friday, December 13
For Further Reading
My Life Today, “Abundant Life in Christ,” p. 295;
Sons and Daughters of God, “Oneness with Christ,” p. 295.
INSIDE STORY
A Dream in Dallas
By Andrew McChesney
Samuel declared that he had no interest in Bible studies. “But you marked
that you were interested on a Bible-study interest card,” said the caller, a
Bible worker from the Dallas First Seventh-day Adventist Church in the
U.S. state of Texas. He and other Bible workers were following up on cards
distributed by the church. “Well, I’m not interested,” Samuel said.
The caller placed the Bible-study interest card aside.
A week later, another Bible worker called Samuel.
“I’m not interested,” Samuel said.
The next week, the Bible worker called again.
“How much will the Bible studies cost?” Samuel asked.
“Nothing.”
At the first Bible study, Samuel said he and his wife had been looking
for a church. Their son had invited them to his church, but they had been
offended by a sermon about the pope and the seventh-day Sabbath. “I’ll
never set foot inside a Seventh-day Adventist church again,” Samuel said.
The Bible worker prayed silently and continued the Bible study.
After several weeks, the Bible worker invited Samuel to evangelistic
meetings at the Dallas First Seventh-day Adventist Church. He wondered
what Samuel would say. Samuel agreed to go.
At the first meeting, Samuel looked around the church with great interest.
The building had a unique architecture, with a rounded sanctuary, a rounded
ceiling, and pews curved around the platform. Samuel sought out the Bible
worker. “I need to talk to you,” he said. The Bible worker was helping to
prepare for the meeting, and he asked Samuel if he could wait. Samuel
agreed and sat down. He listened attentively to the evangelist’s sermon about
Daniel 2. Afterward, he found the Bible worker and blurted out, “I want to
be baptized!” The Bible worker was shocked and exclaimed, “What?”
Samuel said he had had a dream 18 years earlier. “In the dream, Jesus led
me to a church and said, ‘This is My church,’ ” he said. “When I walked into
the church this evening, I recognized it immediately. Finally, I’ve found the
church from my dream. I want to be baptized.”
The Bible worker took Samuel to the evangelist, who was equally surprised
to hear about the dream. What made the story even
more remarkable was that the church had burned down
and a new building had been constructed 13 years earlier.
Samuel had seen the new church in his dream five
years before it was constructed.
“Everything is possible when we cooperate with
God in His mission,” said the evangelist, Slavik
Ostapenko, now pastor of the Spokane Slavic Seventhday
Adventist Church in Washington State.
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.
