LESSON 4 *January 17–23

Unity Through Humility

Unity Through Humility

Sabbath Afternoon

Read for This Week’s Study: Phil. 2:1–11, Jer. 17:9, Phil. 4:8, 1 Cor. 8:2, Rom. 8:3, Heb. 2:14–18.

Memory Text: “Fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind” (Philippians 2:2, NKJV).

Unity is strength. But knowing what is true is not the same as doing it. We all fail sometimes, despite our best efforts at unity. But that’s not the same as deliberately undermining unity. No wonder, then, that as Paul continues writing to the Philippians, he wants them to be “of one accord, of one mind.”

Paul bases the necessity of unity on the teaching and example of Jesus. It’s a theme that we find throughout the New Testament and especially in the epistles. The origin of disunity in the universe stemmed from the pride and thirst for position and power of a single angel in heaven, a sentiment that spread quickly, even within a perfect environment (see Isa. 14:12–14). It then gained a foothold in Eden through a similar discontent with the rules God had put in place and the desire for rising to a higher sphere than that which God had designed (Gen. 3:1-6).

This week we’ll look at the biblical basis for unity in the church, focusing especially on the amazing condescension of Jesus, the lessons we can gain from beholding Him, and how we can grow to be more like Him.

* Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, January 24.


Sabbath Afternoon, January 17

Lesson 4 - Unity Through Humility

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. There will be seen in their lives the fruit that always appears as the result of obedience to the truth.

Let us make Christ’s prayer the rule of our life, that we may form characters that will reveal to the world the power of the grace of God. Let there be less talk about petty differences, and a more diligent study of what the prayer of Christ means to those who believe on His name. We are to pray for union, and then live in such a way that God can answer our prayers.

Perfect oneness—a union as close as the union existing between the Father and the Son—this is what will give success to the efforts of God’s workers.

Complete union with Christ and with one another is absolutely necessary to the perfection of believers. Christ’s presence by faith in the hearts of believers is their power, their life. It brings union with God. “Thou in me.” Union with God through Christ makes the church perfect.

He who seeks to serve others by self-denial and self-sacrifice will be given the attributes of character that commend themselves to God, and develop wisdom, true patience, forbearance, kindness, compassion. This gives him the chiefest place in the kingdom of God.

Nothing can perfect a perfect unity in the church but the spirit of Christlike forbearance. Satan can sow discord; Christ alone can harmonize the disagreeing elements. . . . When you as individual workers of the church love God supremely and your neighbor as yourself, then there will be no labored efforts to be in unity, there will be oneness in Christ, the ears to report will be closed, and no one will take up a reproach against his neighbor. 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.

SUNDAY January 18

Disunity in Philippi

Read Philippians 2:1–3. What factors seem to have led to disunity within the church? What does Paul suggest as a remedy?

* Your notes will not be saved!

It must have been a tremendous disappointment for Paul to see the church that he established and loved so much racked with rivalry and consumed with contention. He uses very strong language to describe the problems. “Selfish ambition” translates a word (Greek, eritheia), used earlier in Philippians 1:17 (ESV) to refer to Paul’s self-interested rivals in Rome who were bent on promoting themselves rather than advancing the cause of Christ.

“Selfish ambition” is among the works of the flesh (Gal. 5:20, NKJV), and as James indicates, “where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there” (James 3:16, NKJV). The Greek word for “conceit” is used only here in the New Testament, but appears in extrabiblical literature in the sense of arrogance, hollow pride, and having an inflated sense of oneself. Paul uses a closely related word in admonishing the Galatians: “Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another” (Gal. 5:26, NKJV).

Note the remedies Paul lists for these problems:

  1. Consolation in Christ. Paul will proceed to use Christ’s own example as a powerful motivation.
  2. Comfort of love. Jesus reveals divine love and commands us to “love one another as I have loved you” (John 15:12).
  3. Fellowship of the Spirit. The presence of the Holy Spirit creates a close Christian relationship like the one that pervaded the early church (Acts 2:42; compare 2 Cor. 13:14).
  4. Affection (or compassion). We see this divine quality frequently manifested in the life of Christ (see Matt. 9:36, Matt. 20:34, and Mark 1:41) and described in the parables of the good Samaritan (Luke 10:33) and the prodigal son (Luke 15:20).
  5. Mercy. This quality, exemplified by Jesus, is to be seen also in the lives of His followers (Luke 6:36).
  6. Being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. What a picture! It is difficult to imagine how Paul could emphasize the importance of unity more strongly. As Paul will point out, the mind we are to have “was also in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 2:5).


Sunday, January 18

Disunity in Philippi

God can make the humblest followers of Christ more precious than fine gold, even than the golden wedge of Ophir, if they yield themselves to His transforming hand. They should be determined to make the noblest use of every faculty and opportunity. The Word of God should be their study and their guide in deciding what is the highest and best in all cases. The one faultless character, the perfect Pattern set before them in the gospel, should be studied with deepest interest. The one lesson essential to learn is that goodness alone is true greatness. . . .

The weakest follower of Christ has entered into an alliance with Infinite Power. In many cases God can do little with men and women of learning, because they feel no need of leaning upon Him who is the source of all wisdom. . . .

If you trust in your own strength and wisdom, you will surely fail. God calls for complete and entire consecration, and anything short of this He will not accept. The more difficult your position, the more you need Jesus. The love and fear of God kept Joseph pure and untarnished in the king’s court. . . .

It is impossible to stand upon a lofty height without danger. The tempest leaves unharmed the modest flower of the valley, while it wrestles with the lofty tree upon the mountain height. There are many people whom God could have used in poverty—He could have made them useful there, and crowned them with glory hereafter—but prosperity ruined them. They were dragged down to the pit, because they forgot to be humble—forgot that God was their strength—and became independent and self-sufficient.

Joseph bore the test of character in adversity, and the gold was undimmed by prosperity. He showed the same sacred regard for God’s will when he stood next to the throne as when in the prisoner’s cell. Joseph carried his religion everywhere, and this was the secret of his unwavering fidelity. As a representative of Christ, you must have the all-pervading power of godliness. You must be hid in Jesus. You are not safe unless you hold the hand of Christ. You must guard against everything like presumption and cherish that spirit that would rather suffer than sin. No victory you can gain will be so precious as that gained over self. Selfish ambition, desire for supremacy, will die when Christ takes possession of the affections.—Christ Triumphant, p. 94.

MONDAY January 19

The Source of Unity

Think more about Paul’s emphasis on unity in Philippians 2:2, saying essentially the same thing in four different ways. Note also his focus on the mind, thoughts, and feelings. While the religious leaders tended to emphasize outward behavior, Jesus focused on our thoughts and feelings. For instance, the rich young ruler claimed to have always kept the law. Yet, by telling him to sell all he had, give to the poor, and follow Him, Jesus tested his attachment to worldly things. He also said it’s what comes from the heart (or mind) that defiles a person: “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies” (Matt. 15:19, NKJV), and “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matt. 12:34, NKJV).

Read Philippians 2:3, 4. What practical steps does Paul urge to have unity in the church?

Paul’s words provide a picture of humility: lowliness of mind, esteeming others better than ourselves, looking out for the interests of others and not merely our own. Easier said than done, right? But these are principles important to keep in mind in all our interactions. Often in conversation there is the tendency to concentrate on our reply to whatever is being said, rather than focused on listening in order to understand what the other person is saying and trying to see the issue from their point of view. Often strife arises from simple misunderstandings that could be avoided simply by active listening. We may not agree, but listening and seeking to understand the other person’s viewpoint is the first step for fostering healthy communication and trust.

Paul speaks of the unity “[produced by] the Spirit” (Eph. 4:3, AMPC), which creates “the peace that joins us together” (Eph. 4:3, EXB). If there is strife in the church, the Holy Spirit can calm the waters and bring us into unity, creating harmony. In the same chapter, Paul speaks of “the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God” (Eph. 4:13, NKJV). The two are related. Having the same faith, the same understanding of Scripture that springs from knowing Christ and His teachings, is vital for unity to prevail among us.

What kind of death to self would lead us to where we, indeed, esteem others better than ourselves? How can we learn to do that? How different would our relationships be if we all lived like that?


Monday, January 19

The Source of Unity

What attainments are there presented for the Christian’s ­endeavor, but how far short are our practices. Were our practices in harmony with the command of our Lord, the result would be glorious. He says, “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; that they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me” (John 17:20, 21). . . .

Jesus did not pray for that which was not attainable by us, and if this unity is possible, why do not those who are professed followers of Christ strive more earnestly for this condition of grace? When we are one with Christ, we shall be one with His followers. The great want of the soul is Jesus, the hope of glory. Through the Holy Spirit this unity may be attained, and love for the brethren will abound, and men will take knowledge of us that we have been with Jesus and learned of Him. Our life will be a reflection of His holy character. As believers in Him we shall represent His meekness of spirit, His gentleness of demeanor. Individually the church of God must answer the prayer of Christ till we all come into the unity of the Spirit.

What is it that causes dissension and discord? It is the result of walking apart from Christ. At a distance from Him, we lose our love for Him, and grow cold toward His followers. The farther the beams of light recede from their center, the wider separated they become. Each believer is as a beam of light from Christ the Sun of righteousness. The more closely we walk with Christ, the center of all love and light, the greater will be our affection for His light-bearers. When the saints are drawn close to Christ, they must of necessity be drawn close to each other, for the sanctifying grace of Christ will bind their hearts together. You cannot love God and yet fail to love your ­brethren.—Ye Shall Receive Power, p. 87.
 

The door of the heart must be opened to the Holy Spirit, for this is the sanctifier, and the truth is the medium. There must be an acceptance of the truth as it is in Jesus. This is the only genuine sanctification: “Thy word is truth.” Oh, read the prayer of Christ for unity, “Keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one as we are.” The prayer of Christ is not only for those who are now His disciples, but for all those who shall believe on Christ through the words of His disciples, even to the end of the world. . . .

The Lord has had a church from that day, through all the changing scenes of time to the present period. . . . The Bible sets before us a model church. They are to be in unity with each other, and with God. When believers are united in Christ the living vine, the result is that they are one with Christ, full of sympathy and tenderness and love.—Reflecting Christ, p. 199.

TUESDAY January 20

Mind Implant or Mind Surgery?

An increasing number of companies around the world are working on technology that combines the processing power of computers with the human brain. In other words, by connecting minds to computers, scientists hope to impact our thoughts through the computers. Although implant use with the human brain may promise positive results, which include helping to manage epilepsy, depression, and Parkinson’s disease, more sinister uses are not difficult to imagine. Mind control cannot be far away.

In some ways, it’s already here. Our mind is like a computer, only far superior. The constant information flow, to which we are daily exposed, “programs” our mind, conditions our thoughts, and guides our actions. When we immerse ourselves in media, the worldly way people think stamps its impression on our minds, and we begin thinking the same way. It’s as if other people’s minds were implanted or melded into ours.

We are, like Jesus, to be “spiritually minded” (Rom. 8:6). “No one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God,” which Paul contrasts with “the spirit of the world” (1 Cor. 2:11, 12, NKJV). Who is our teacher? And what are we learning?

Read Philippians 2:5. What do you think it means to have the “mind” of Christ?

Ultimately, we can change our mind, but we can’t change our heart; only God can. The Holy Spirit needs to perform heart surgery on us, wielding the “sword of the Spirit” (Eph. 6:17), the “living and powerful” Word of God, “piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Heb. 4:12, NKJV). Only through the Holy Spirit can we really know ourselves because, by nature, our own heart deceives us (Jer. 17:9). The Hebrew word for “deceitful” ('aqov) refers to bumpy ground that trips us up; by extension, it means thoughts that are tortuous, twisted, and crooked. We must be transformed by the “renewing” of our mind in order that we may “prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Rom. 12:2, NKJV).

Why is it so important that we follow what Paul tells us here: “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things” (Phil. 4:8, NKJV)?


Tuesday, January 20

Mind Implant or Mind Surgery?

Even the thoughts must be brought into subjection to the will of God, and the feelings under the control of reason and religion. Our imagination was not given us to be allowed to run riot and have its own way, without any effort at restraint and discipline. If the thoughts are wrong, the feelings will be wrong; and the thoughts and feelings combined make up the moral character.

The power of right thought is more precious than the golden wedge of Ophir. . . . We need to place a high value upon the right control of our thoughts, for such control prepares the mind and soul to labor harmoniously for the Master. It is necessary for our peace and happiness in this life that our thoughts center in Christ. As a man thinketh, so is he. Our improvement in moral purity depends on right thinking and right acting. . . . Evil thoughts destroy the soul. The converting power of God changes the heart, refining and purifying the thoughts. Unless a determined effort is made to keep the thoughts centered on Christ, grace cannot reveal itself in the life. The mind must engage in the spiritual warfare. Every thought must be brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. All the habits must be brought under God’s control.

We need a constant sense of the ennobling power of pure thoughts and the damaging influence of evil thoughts. Let us place our thoughts upon holy things. Let them be pure and true, for the only security for any soul is right thinking. We are to use every means that God has placed within our reach for the government and cultivation of our thoughts. We are to bring our minds into harmony with His mind. His truth will sanctify us, body and soul and spirit, and we shall be enabled to rise above temptation.

The control of the thoughts, in cooperation with the Holy Spirit, will give control of the words. This is true wisdom, and will ensure quietness of mind, contentment, and peace. There will be joy in the contemplation of the riches of the grace of God.—In Heavenly Places, p. 164.
 

The beginning of yielding to temptation is in the sin of permitting the mind to waver, to be inconsistent in your trust in God. The wicked one is ever watching for a chance to misrepresent God, and to attract the mind to that which is forbidden. If he can, he will fasten the mind upon the things of the world. He will endeavor to excite the emotions, to arouse the passions, to fasten the affections on that which is not for your good; but it is for you to hold every emotion and passion under control, in calm subjection to reason and conscience. Then Satan loses his power to control the mind. The work to which Christ calls us is to the work of progressive conquest over spiritual evil in our characters. Natural tendencies are to be overcome. . . . Appetite and passion must be conquered, and the will must be placed wholly on the side of Christ.—Our High Calling, p. 87.

WEDNESDAY January 21

The Mind of Christ

Muhammad Ali once said, “I am the greatest.” In August 1963, six months before winning the world heavyweight boxing championship, he even released a record album titled “I Am the Greatest.” Ali, no doubt, was a great athlete, but he was not an example to follow if one wants the mind of Christ.

In contrast, Jesus was perfectly sinless. Though He was tempted “in all points . . . as we are” (Heb. 4:15), He never sinned, not even by a thought. Nevertheless, Hebrews 5:8 indicates, “though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered” (NKJV). Jesus’ submission to the Father’s will was always perfect. There was never a moment He refused to submit, though no doubt many times it was not easy.

Read Philippians 2:5–8, which some consider the most powerful and beautiful texts in Scripture. What is Paul saying to us here? What are the implications of these words? Most important, how do we apply to our own lives the principle expressed here?

Jesus, who is equal with God, who is God, not only took upon Himself human flesh but became a “bondservant” (doulou, a servant, a slave) and then offered Himself as a sacrifice for our sins! In another place, Paul says that He became “a curse for us” (Gal. 3:13). God, our Creator, died on the cross in order to be our Redeemer as well, and that required Him to become a curse for us.

How do we begin to wrap our minds around what this is saying? Even more so, how do we do what the texts tell us to do, and that is to have the same kind of willingness to humble oneself and to sacrifice oneself for the good of others?

In another place, Jesus said: “But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Matt. 23:11, 12, NKJV). This, in many ways, reflects what Paul was telling us, in Philippians 2:5–8, to do as well.

In more powerfully graphic terms, Paul was saying here what he said earlier about not doing anything “through selfish ambition or conceit” (Phil. 2:3, NKJV).

How should we respond to what Christ has done for us, as depicted in Philippines 2:5–8? What response could possibly be “adequate” or worthy of what Christ has done for us, perhaps other than to fall on our knees and worship? Why is it so wrong to think that our works can add to what Christ has already done for us?


Wednesday, January 21

The Mind of Christ

The Word of God is the grand instrument which convicts the unconverted, convincing them of their need of the sin-pardoning Saviour.

The plan of salvation combines the holy influences of past and present light. These influences are bound together by the golden chain of loving obedience. Receiving Christ by faith and bowing in submission to God’s will constitutes men and women sons and daughters of God. By the power which the Saviour alone can give they are made members of the royal family, heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ. . . .

To love God with all the heart, to be a partaker with Christ in His humiliation and suffering, means more than many understand. The atonement of Christ is the great central truth around which cluster all the truths that pertain to the great work of redemption. The mind of man is to blend with the mind of Christ. This union sanctifies the understanding, giving the thoughts clearness and force. . . .

The world is our field of missionary toil, and we are to go forth to our labor surrounded with the atmosphere of Gethsemane and Calvary.—Lift Him Up, p. 229.
 

How glorious are the possibilities set before the fallen race! Through His Son, God has revealed the excellency to which man is capable of attaining. Through the merits of Christ man is lifted from his depraved state, purified, and made more precious than the golden wedge of Ophir. It is possible for him to become a companion of the angels in glory, and to reflect the image of Jesus Christ. . . . Yet how seldom he realizes to what heights he could attain if he would allow God to direct his every step!

God permits every human being to exercise his individuality. He desires no one to submerge his mind in the mind of a fellow mortal. Those who desire to be transformed in mind and character are not to look to men, but to the divine Example. God gives the invitation, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.” By conversion and transformation men are to receive the mind of Christ. Every one is to stand before God with an individual faith, an individual experience, knowing for himself that Christ is formed within, the hope of glory. . . .

As our example we have One who is all and in all, the Chiefest among ten thousand, One whose excellency is beyond comparison. He graciously adapted His life for universal imitation. United in Christ were wealth and poverty; majesty and abasement; unlimited power, and meekness and lowliness, which in every soul who receives Him will be reflected. . . .

O that we might more fully appreciate the honor Christ confers upon us! By wearing His yoke and learning of Him, we become like Him in aspiration, in meekness and lowliness, in fragrance of character, and unite with Him in ascribing praise and honor and glory to God as supreme. Those who live up to their high privileges in this life will receive an eternal reward in the life to come. If faithful we shall join the heavenly musicians in singing with sweet accord songs of praise to God and to the Lamb.—That I May Know Him, p. 134.

THURSDAY January 22

The Mystery of Godliness

A popular verse in the Bible is 1 Corinthians 8:2: “If anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know” (NKJV). There is no subject about which we know everything. We can always learn something more about anything. How much more true is that of eternal realities connected with the Godhead and the Incarnation? Paul frequently refers to Christ’s amazing condescension in becoming a human being. It’s a subject that even eternity will be inadequate to exhaust.

Read Romans 8:3, Hebrews 2:14–18, and Hebrews 4:15. What characterized Jesus’ condescension and His taking of human nature?

How was it possible for the eternal Son of God, through the operation of the Holy Spirit (see Luke 1:35), to become a divine-human being in Mary’s womb? It boggles the mind how the infinite and eternal could suddenly become a finite human being subject to death. That is the heart of what Paul calls “the mystery of godliness” (1 Tim. 3:16). In the beautiful hymn of Philippians 2, Paul here elaborates on this condescension more fully in some respects than anywhere else in Scripture.

How can, and should, focusing on what Jesus did for us at the cross—seeing the Cross as our example of surrender and humility— make us more humble, as well as more submissive to God?


Thursday, January 22

The Mystery of Godliness

Before this wonderful, priceless gift was bestowed, the whole heavenly universe was mightily stirred in an effort to understand God’s unfathomable love, stirred to awaken in human hearts a gratitude proportionate to the value of the gift. Shall we for whom Christ has given His life, halt between two opinions? Shall we give God only a mite of the powers of our nature? Shall we return only a part of the capabilities and powers lent us by God? Can we do this while we know that He who was Commander of all heaven. . . , realizing the helplessness of the human race, came to this earth in human nature to make it possible for us to unite our humanity to His divinity?

He became poor that we might come into possession of the heavenly treasure, a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. To rescue the fallen race, He descended from one humiliation to another, until He, the divine-human suffering Christ, was uplifted on the cross, to draw all men unto Him. The Son of God could not have shown greater condescension than He did; He could not have stooped lower.

This is the mystery of godliness, the mystery which has inspired heavenly agencies so to minister through fallen humanity that in the world an interest will be aroused in the plan of salvation. This is the mystery that has stirred all heaven to unite with man in carrying out God’s great plan for the salvation of a ruined world, that men and women may be led, by the signs in the heavens and in the earth, to prepare for the second coming of our Lord. . . .

As the Head of the church Christ is authoritatively calling upon every person who claims to believe on Him to follow His example of self-denial and self-sacrifice. . . . They are called upon to rally without delay under the blood-stained banner of Christ Jesus. Withholding nothing, they are to make an entire offering for the attainment of eternal, measureless results—the salvation of souls.—That I May Know Him, p. 81.
 

Christ’s divinity is to be steadfastly maintained. When the Saviour asked His disciples the question, “Whom say ye that I am?” Peter answered, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:15, 16). Said Christ, “Upon this rock,” not on Peter, but on the Son of God, “I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (verse 18).

Great is the mystery of godliness. There are mysteries in the life of Christ that are to be believed, even though they cannot be explained.—The Upward Look, p. 58.

FRIDAY January 23

Further Thought: “All the paternal love which has come down from generation to generation through the channel of human hearts, all the springs of tenderness which have opened in the souls of men, are but as a tiny rill to the boundless ocean when compared with the infinite, exhaustless love of God. Tongue cannot utter it; pen cannot portray it. You may meditate upon it every day of your life; you may search the Scriptures diligently in order to understand it; you may summon every power and capability that God has given you, in the endeavor to comprehend the love and compassion of the heavenly Father; and yet there is an infinity beyond. You may study that love for ages; yet you can never fully comprehend the length and the breadth, the depth and the height, of the love of God in giving His Son to die for the world. Eternity itself can never fully reveal it. Yet as we study the Bible and meditate upon the life of Christ and the plan of redemption, these great themes will open to our understanding more and more.”—Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, p. 740.

“When we are receiving a training, as did Moses in the school of Christ, what shall we learn?—to become puffed up?—to have an exalted opinion of ourselves?—No, indeed. The more we learn in this school, the more we shall advance in meekness and lowliness of mind. We are not to feel that we have learned everything worth knowing. We should put to the best use the talents God has given us, that when we are changed from mortality to immortality, we shall not leave behind that which we have attained, but may take it with us to the other side. Throughout the ceaseless ages of eternity, Christ and His work of redemption will be the theme of our study.”—Ellen G. White, Manuscript 36, 1885.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are ways that you have experienced for yourself the reality of God’s love? In class, talk about the different ways you have come to know and experience His love.

  2. What exactly does it mean that Jesus came “in the likeness of men” (Phil. 2:7)? Compare Romans 8:3. Discuss these passages in light of each other.

  3. What challenges to unity does the church in your area face? Whatever the issues, why would a willingness to be humble, to not do anything through “selfish ambition or conceit” (Phil. 2:3, NKJV), be a great way to at least start working through the issues?


Friday, January 23

For Further Reading

Lift Him Up, “Special Care of the Flock,” July 23, p. 218.

This Day With God, “Eternal Loss,” December 7, p. 350.

INSIDE STORY

Money Never Runs Out

Eleven-year-old Alvan Harold liked hearing coins jingling in his pocket as he walked home from school in Kisumu, Kenya. Then he could stop by a shop and buy some crunchy nuts or a cold ice cream.

One day, the fifth-grade Bible teacher shocked Alvan by talking about his beloved pocket money. “You should not spend all your pocket money on nuts and ice cream,” she said. “Save some to give to God on Sabbath.”

Alvan put money in the offering plate on Sabbath. It was money that his father gave him on Sabbath morning. Teacher spoke about that money, too.

“When you give money from your parents in church, you are only giving for your parents,” she said. “You aren’t giving your own money.” She read Malachi 3:8: “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings” (NKJV).

Alvan thought that Teacher was criticizing him, and he didn’t like that. But then he thought, Maybe she is just a little bit right.

It was Thursday, and Alvan had already spent all his pocket money for that week. He decided to save money for God the next week. But the next week, he again spent all his money.

Two months passed, and Alvan was terribly disappointed with himself. He just couldn’t seem to save money for offering.

One day, he and his 17-year-old brother, Allan, passed an ice-cream shop as they walked home. Alvan had a 20-shilling coin (20 U.S. cents) in his pocket, and he decided to spend it on ice cream.

But his big brother stopped him. “It’s childish to walk around eating ice cream,” he said. “I won’t walk around with someone eating ice cream.” Alvan was annoyed. He wanted ice cream, but he couldn’t argue. So he didn’t buy it.

When Sabbath arrived, he still had the 20 shillings in his pocket. He put the coin in the offering plate along with 20 shillings that his parents had given him that morning. It felt good to give his own money to God. He had given up something he really wanted for the offering money, and realized it wasn’t such a loss.

The next week, Alvan managed to save another 20 shillings, and he gave it as offering. He liked the feeling! He decided to give 20 shillings every Sabbath —and he has to this day. To his surprise, he has never run out of money again. Before, he never had enough money to last the week. But now he always has enough money. In fact, he often has more than 20 shillings left over, and he gives the extra money to Father to put into savings.

Sometimes Alvan is tempted to buy nuts or ice cream, but he reminds himself that he must have 20 shillings for God on Sabbath.

“I remind myself that God’s work is better than what I want,” he said.

Money Never Runs Out

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.