ISAIAH 8:20 "TO THE LAW AND TO THE TESTIMONY: IF THEY SPEAK NOT ACCORDING TO THIS WORD, IT IS BECAUSE THERE IS NO LIGHT IN THEM." Applications and Testimonies TO Share with your friends of SABBATH SCHOOL ANNEX: Commentaries and/or Summaries of the Sabbath School lesson. All the different versions. Go to www.ssnet.org and CLICK ON ADULT SS AND SCROLL DOWN FOR VERSIONS IN OTHER LANGUAGES. VERSES from www.biblegateway.com AND www.biblia.com. BE BLESSED!!!
The Sabbath School Lesson
REV. 14: 12"THIS CALLS FOR PATIENT ENDURANCEON THE PART OF THE PEOPLE OF GOD WHO KEEP HIS COMMANDS AND REMAIN FAITHFUL TOJESUS."Click on the links for the SABBATH SCHOOL LESSON OF THE ONGOING WEEK AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS MESSAGE TO THE RIGHT. And Read THE INTRODUCTION, THE SUBTITLES AND THE CONCLUSION first, then if you just want to have a general idea of the text, read the beginning and the end of each paragraph. ALWAYS KEEP IN MIND AND RELATE TO THE SPECIFIC SUBJECT YOU ARE STUDYING, REMEMBER THE BIG TITLE AND THE SUBTITLES. Always be aware of the context. WHAT IS THE QUESTION AT STAKE? This is what's important...BE BLESSED!!!
"But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified" (1 Corinthians 9:27, NKJV).
Though listed last by Paul in Galatians 5:22, 23, "self-control" (sometimes translated "temperance") is surely not the least of the fruit of the Spirit. It could easily have been first, because it plays a major role in the maturing of other spiritual fruit. It might be said that self-control is the glue that holds all the other qualities together.
Like other fruit of the Spirit, self-control is a gift of grace. It has been called "disciplined grace": grace because it is free, disciplined because there is something for us to do.
Self-control may sound negative, but it is an integral part of grace itself. If we don't control ourselves—our feelings, our appetites, our drives—then they control us. Thus, it's either self-control under the grace and power of the Holy Spirit or it's being controlled by someone or something else. We, ultimately, decide.
Synonyms for self-control include self-discipline, strength of mind, and willpower. This fruit of the Spirit extends far beyond simply restraining Christians from doing what's prohibited but includes enabling us to do what's good.
First John 2:15, 16 admonishes us to stay away from three lusts. What are they, and, more important, how would they be manifested in our lives if we aren't careful?
Philippians 4:8 lists what should be the focuses of the Christian life. What are they, and how can doing what Paul says here protect us from the dangers listed in 1 John 2:15, 16?
There are obviously dos and don'ts in the Christian life. There is a constant struggle with self, with the flesh, with the ways of the world. Paul shares this dilemma in Romans 7:15-18, when he talks about the struggle between what he knows he should do and what he's tempted to do. However, in Romans 8:1, he gives us the answer: "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit" (NKJV).
He's talking about walking in the Spirit. A life without the Spirit is incapable on its own of developing the fruit of the Spirit. Though we have the will, Paul speaks for all of us when he says that we don't have the power. The answer to the dilemma of Romans 7 is not when can we overcome but how. And the how is found through faith in Jesus. We give ourselves to Jesus, we claim His righteousness, we are no longer condemned, and we surrender ourselves to Him and choose to walk in the Spirit, choose to follow His will, claiming His promises of victory. The key is holding onto the promises; here's where the power comes from. We cannot do it alone. We have to make the conscious choice to overcome in His name. The struggle is as much vertical (reaching up in faith) as it is horizontal (battling the clamors of the flesh). We need to do both.
MONDAY
Joseph and the Immediate Result of Righteousness
Betrayed by his own family, sold into slavery, Joseph had very good reasons to doubt the love and care (even the existence) of the God that he had been taught about since childhood. That's not, however, what he did.
Read Genesis 39:7-20. In these verses, where do we find the key to why Joseph acted as he did?
How was Joseph "rewarded" for his refusal to yield to temptation? Gen. 39:20. He was falsely accused and thrown into prison. Is that what he gets for being faithful?
This is an important point to remember. Can we expect that our determination to do what is right, no matter the cost, will mean that things will turn out OK for us in the short term? What about folk who have lost their jobs, their spouses, their families, indeed, even their lives because they refused to compromise with sin? We have examples of this in the Bible, and perhaps you know people who have gone through something similar. Or, perhaps, you have gone through it yourself. In the end, suppose Joseph had spent the rest of his life rotting in jail? Had he still done the right thing?
"For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life"(Gal. 6:8, NKJV). What is this text telling us? What is placed in contrast to what? What is at stake? Why, then, is the issue here of paramount importance? How does what Paul writes here help us to understand why, no matter the immediate results, Joseph did right?
TUESDAY
Samson and the Fruits of Failure
In Judges 13-16, the Bible gives us the story of Samson. Read through the texts (as much as time allows), keeping in mind the idea of self-control and temperance. There are plenty of powerful lessons we can learn from Samson's example. How tragic that someone with so many gifts and so much promise could get so easily sidetracked.
"Samson in his peril had the same source of strength as had Joseph. He could choose the right or the wrong as he pleased. But instead of taking hold of the strength of God, he permitted the wild passions of his nature to have full sway. The reasoning powers were perverted, the morals corrupted. God had called Samson to a position of great responsibility, honor, and usefulness; but he must first learn to govern by first learning to obey the laws of God. Joseph was a free moral agent. Good and evil were before him. He could choose the path of purity, holiness, and honor, or the path of immorality and degradation. He chose the right way, and God approved. Samson, under similar temptations, which he had brought upon himself, gave loose rein to passion. The path which he entered upon he found to end in shame, disaster, and death. What a contrast to the history of Joseph!"--Ellen G. White, The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 2, p. 1007.
Read Judges 13:24, 25. Considering what we know about Samson, what important message, and warning, are found in those two texts?
Despite his great promise, Samson allowed his passions and lusts to overcome everything good. Who hasn't struggled with the reality of this conflict? The great controversy isn't just a symbol; it depicts the battle between Christ and Satan that is waged, not simply as some cosmic conflict in the heavens but in every human being, as well. Though Christ paved the way for all people to share in His victory, the battle for our hearts and flesh is being fought, indeed, in our hearts and our flesh. Sure, Christ won it all for us. But we have to choose to claim His victory all the time and, by the choices we make, we are deciding for one side or another in the great controversy.
How are you experiencing the reality of the great controversy in your own heart and flesh? What choices are you making? What do these choices tell you about which side you really are on?
WEDNESDAY
Paul’s Long Race
"Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified"(1 Cor. 9:24-27, NKJV).
Read prayerfully and carefully Paul's words here to the Corinthians. Notice how much in this he talks about himself and his struggles. We should find comfort in seeing that even a faithful Christian like Paul, one of the true giants of faith, had to struggle with self, with sin, with the flesh. We are not alone in our battle. Heaven is going to be filled with people who knew the clamors of the flesh.
Based on the texts above, answer the following questions:
(1) What analogy does Paul use to help us understand the battle with self and sin that we all struggle with? What are the crucial differences, though, between the analogy and the reality he's referring to?
(2) How confident was Paul regarding the race he was in? Where did his confidence come from? Why should we have the same confidence?
(3) Though Paul shows confidence, he's also aware of the possibility of failure. How does he describe it, and what is his solution? How does his answer fit in with the theme this week?
THURSDAY
How to Grow in Self-control
"Thereforee we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us" (Heb. 12:1, NKJV). Paul here again uses the race analogy that we saw earlier. What are some of the "weights" that you find are holding you back?
Read Colossians 3:1-10. These verses give us rules for holy living as new persons in Christ. From these verses we learn several important things we must do to grow self-control in our lives. What do you find listed there, and how can you apply them to your own life and in a way that they will help get victory over the sin that so easily encumbers us?
Every skill has to be practiced. Self-control doesn't come in a day. It comes in hits and misses, in successes and failures, as we try to practice it day after day. "Fight the good fight of faith" (1 Tim. 6:12, NKJV); "Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me" (Phil. 3:12, NKJV).
Don't constantly put yourself in places where your weaknesses will be tested, where your most-difficult-to-control drives will be out on the firing line of temptation. We must avoid even the appearance of evil (1 Thess. 5:22). "But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts" (Rom. 13:14).
What are some areas of your life where self-control is definitely lacking? Why is it sometimes easier to get "victory" over dessert than to get victory over a spirit of bitterness and resentment? What changes can you make that will help you have more self-control?
FRIDAY
Further Study:
Read Ellen G. White, "Samson," pp. 560-568, inPatriarchs and Prophets.
"The divine promise to Manoah was in due time fulfilled in the birth of a son, to whom the name of Samson was given. As the boy grew up it became evident that he possessed extraordinary physical strength. This was not, however, as Samson and his parents well knew, dependent upon his well-knit sinews, but upon his condition as a Nazarite, of which his unshorn hair was a symbol. Had Samson obeyed the divine commands as faithfully as his parents had done, his would have been a nobler and happier destiny. But association with idolaters corrupted him. The town of Zorah being near the country of the Philistines, Samson came to mingle with them on friendly terms. Thus in his youth intimacies sprang up, the influence of which darkened his whole life. A young woman dwelling in the Philistine town of Timnath engaged Samson's affections, and he determined to make her his wife. To his God-fearing parents, who endeavored to dissuade him from his purpose, his only answer was, "She pleaseth me well." The parents at last yielded to his wishes, and the marriage took place."—Ellen G. White,Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 562.
Discussion Questions:
G. Gordon Liddy was one of the infamous Watergate conspirators. Liddy ended up serving more jail time than anyone else in this scandal, which rocked the United States in the 1970s. One time, when trying to recruit a young woman for criminal activity, Liddy invited her to a restaurant. During the discussion, she asked how she could trust him; that is, suppose he were caught, how could she know that he would not turn her in? In order to prove to her his self-control, Liddy placed his finger over a lit candle at the table, and held it there long enough for his flesh to start burning before he removed it. His point was to show her just how much self-control he had. How does that kind of self-control compare with the fruit of the Spirit we have looked at this week? Can we find something noble and worth emulating in that kind of self-control? Are self-control and discipline always necessarily good?
In what ways might self-control become a means to fanaticism? How could we avoid the danger of making self-control a form of legalism?
Do you know someone who is suffering because of principle; that is, when tempted, they exhibited self-control like Joseph, and are now suffering some difficult consequences? How can you, either as a class or as an individual, help this person through his or her difficult time?
I N S I D E Story
My Brother's Prayer
by U. K. RAO
I live in a village on the eastern coast of India. As a teenager I got involved with a gang and began drinking. The gang was known for its violence and law breaking, but I stayed away from those activities.
My younger brother, Simon, isn't like me. He has a heart for God. Even though our village doesn't tolerate Christians, my younger brother became a Christian. This caused trouble in my family, and my parents sent him away.
One night I was at home drinking when Simon sneaked into the house. He came into my room and began praying. I remember saying, "Brother, pray for me." And he did. As he prayed for me, I felt the desire for alcohol leave my body. "What power is in you that when you pray to your God, I become sober?" I asked him.
"God has told me to pray for you," Simon answered. "His power will help you." He invited me to attend church with him, and I agreed to go. On Saturday morning I heard a voice so real that I turned to see who was talking. The voice said, "Go to the church." I started toward the church when I met some of the gang members and invited them to come with me. They laughed and made fun of Jesus. But I was determined to go.
My brother's prayers were changing me. Whenever I craved alcohol, that voice whispered, "Simon is praying for you; Jesus can deliver you." Soon I was alcohol free, and six months later I was baptized.
My conversion stirred up people in my village. Some wanted to learn about God, but others were furious. Non-Christians don't want Christians near them. They wouldn't let them draw water from the well or even breathe the same air. New believers were fined or forced to leave the village. I was warned not to talk about God or Jesus to other villagers.
Then the lay evangelist who was working with the new believers in our village suddenly died. The field president asked me to prepare to take his place. People who knew my background of drinking and gangs wondered at the change in me. I told them that the living God saved me and took away my desire to drink.
Because they saw the change in my life, some listened and began to worship with us. Now we have 50 people worshiping in a small room each Sabbath. These people want God's power in their lives. And my greatest joy is to lead them to Jesus.
U. K. RAO is a Global Mission pioneer in Orissa State, India.
Memory Text: 1 Corinthians 9:27 NKJV 27 But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.
Galatians 5:22-23 NKJV 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
Sunday
The Paradox of Self-Control
John 2:15-16 NKJV 15 When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers' money and overturned the tables. 16 And He said to those who sold doves, "Take these things away! Do not make My Father's house a house of merchandise!"
Philippians 4:8 NKJV 8 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.
1 John 2:15-16 NKJV 15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--is not of the Father but is of the world.
Romans 7:15-18 NKJV 15 For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. 16 If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. 17 But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. 18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find.
Romans 8:1 NKJV 1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
Read Romans chapter 7
Monday
Joseph and the Immediate Results of Righteousness
Genesis 39:7-20 NKJV 7 And it came to pass after these things that his master's wife cast longing eyes on Joseph, and she said, "Lie with me." 8 But he refused and said to his master's wife, "Look, my master does not know what is with me in the house, and he has committed all that he has to my hand. 9 "There is no one greater in this house than I, nor has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?" 10 So it was, as she spoke to Joseph day by day, that he did not heed her, to lie with her or to be with her. 11 But it happened about this time, when Joseph went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the house was inside, 12 that she caught him by his garment, saying, "Lie with me." But he left his garment in her hand, and fled and ran outside. 13 And so it was, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and fled outside, 14 that she called to the men of her house and spoke to them, saying, "See, he has brought in to us a Hebrew to mock us. He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice. 15 "And it happened, when he heard that I lifted my voice and cried out, that he left his garment with me, and fled and went outside." 16 So she kept his garment with her until his master came home. 17 Then she spoke to him with words like these, saying, "The Hebrew servant whom you brought to us came in to me to mock me; 18 "so it happened, as I lifted my voice and cried out, that he left his garment with me and fled outside." 19 So it was, when his master heard the words which his wife spoke to him, saying, "Your servant did to me after this manner," that his anger was aroused. 20 Then Joseph's master took him and put him into the prison, a place where the king's prisoners were confined. And he was there in the prison.
Genesis 39:20 NKJV 20 Then Joseph's master took him and put him into the prison, a place where the king's prisoners were confined. And he was there in the prison.
Galatians 6:8 NKJV 8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.
Tuesday
Samson and the Fruits of Failure
Read Judges chapters 13-16
Ellen G. White, The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 2, p. 1007
Samson Failed Where Joseph Overcame.--Samson in his peril had the same source of strength as had Joseph. He could choose the right or the wrong as he pleased. But instead of taking hold of the strength of God, he permitted the wild passions of his nature to have full sway. The reasoning powers were perverted, the morals corrupted. God had called Samson to a position of great responsibility, honor, and usefulness; but he must first learn to govern by first learning to obey the laws of God. Joseph was a free moral agent. Good and evil were before him. He could choose the path of purity, holiness, and honor, or the path of immorality and degradation. He chose the right way, and God approved. Samson, under similar temptations, which he had brought upon himself, gave loose rein to passion. The path which he entered upon he found to end in shame, disaster, and death. What a contrast to the history of Joseph! (ST Oct. 13, 1881). {2BC 1007.1}
(Galatians 6:7, 8). Samson's History a Lesson for Youth.--The history of Samson conveys a lesson for those whose characters are yet unformed, who have not yet entered upon the stage of active life. The youth who enter our schools and colleges will find there every class of mind. If they desire sport and folly, if they seek to shun the good and unite with the evil, they have the opportunity. Sin and righteousness are before them, and they are to choose for themselves. But let them remember that "whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap. . . . He that soweth to his flesh, shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting" (ST Oct. 13, 1881). {2BC 1007.2}
4. Precious Hours Squandered.--In the society of this enchantress, the judge of Israel squandered precious hours that should have been sacredly devoted to the welfare of his people. But the blinding passions which make even the strongest weak, had gained control of reason and of conscience (ST Oct. 13, 1881). {2BC 1007.3}
Philistines Knowing Divine Law, Watched Samson.--The Philistines were well acquainted with the divine law, and its condemnation of sensual indulgence. They kept a vigilant watch over all the movements of their enemy, and when he degraded himself by this new attachment, and they saw the bewitching power of the enchantress, they determined, through her, to accomplish his ruin (ST Oct. 13, 1881). {2BC 1007.4}
15-17. Samson Deliberately Walked Into Net of Betrayer.--Samson's infatuation seems almost incredible. At first he was not so wholly enthralled as to reveal the secret; but he had deliberately walked into the net of the betrayer of souls, and its meshes were drawing closer about him at every step (ST Oct. 13, 1881). {2BC 1007.5}
15-20. Samson Lost Sense of Sacredness of His Work.--Samson, that mighty man of valor, was under a solemn vow to be a Nazarite during the period of his life; but becoming infatuated by the charms of a lewd woman, he rashly broke that sacred pledge. Satan worked through his agents to destroy this ruler of Israel, that the mysterious power which he possessed might no longer intimidate the enemies of God's people. It was the influence of this bold woman that separated him from God, her artifices that proved his ruin. The love and service which God claims, Samson gave to this woman. This was idolatry.
He lost all sense of the sacred character and work of God, and sacrificed honor, conscience, and every valuable interest, to base passion (ST July 1, 1903). {2BC 1007.6}
20. Willful Sin Caused Loss of Strength.--Had Samson's head been shaven without fault on his part, his strength would have remained. But his course had shown contempt for the favor and authority of God as much as if he had in disdain himself severed his locks from his head. Therefore God left him to endure the results of his own folly (ST Oct. 13, 1881). {2BC 1007.7}
28. Real Contest Between Jehovah and Dagon.--The contest, instead of being between Samson and the Philistines, was now between Jehovah and Dagon, and (p. 1008) thus the Lord was moved to assert His almighty power and His supreme authority (ST Oct. 13, 1881). {2BC 1007.8}
30. God's Design for Samson Marred by Sin.--God designed that Samson should accomplish a great work for Israel. Hence the utmost care had been taken at the very outset of life to surround him with the most favorable conditions for physical strength, intellectual vigor, and moral purity. Had he not in after years ventured among the ungodly and the licentious, he would not so basely have yielded to temptation (ST Oct. 13, 1881).
Judges 13:24-25 NKJV 24 So the woman bore a son and called his name Samson; and the child grew, and the LORD blessed him. 25 And the Spirit of the LORD began to move upon him at Mahaneh Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol.
Wednesday
Paul’s Long Race
1 Corinthians 9:24-27 NKJV 24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. 25 And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. 26 Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. 27 But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.
Thursday
How to Grow in Self-Control
Hebrews 12:1 NKJV 1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
Colossians 3:1-10 NKJV 1 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. 5 Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, 7 in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them. 8 But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, 10 and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him,
1 Timothy 6:12 NKJV 12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
Philippians 3:12 NKJV 12 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.
1 Thessalonians 5:22 NKJV 22 Abstain from every form of evil.
Romans 13:14 NKJV 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.
Friday
Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, pp. 560-568
Chap. 54 - Samson
Amid the widespread apostasy the faithful worshipers of God continued to plead with Him for the deliverance of Israel. Though there was apparently no response, though year after year the power of the oppressor continued to rest more heavily upon the land, God's providence was preparing help for them. Even in the early years of the Philistine oppression a child was born through whom God designed to humble the power of these mighty foes. {PP 560.1}
On the border of the hill country overlooking the Philistine plain was the little town of Zorah. Here dwelt the family of Manoah, of the tribe of Dan, one of the few households that amid the general defection had remained true to Jehovah. To the childless wife of Manoah "the Angel of Jehovah" appeared with the message that she should have a son, through whom God would begin to deliver Israel. In view of this the Angel gave her instruction concerning her own habits, and also for the treatment of her child: "Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink not wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing." And the same prohibition was to be imposed, from the first, upon the child, with the addition that his hair should not be cut;
for he was to be consecrated to God as a Nazarite from his birth. {PP 560.2}
The woman sought her husband, and, after describing the Angel, she repeated His message. Then, fearful that they should make some mistake in the important work committed to them, the husband prayed, "Let the Man of God which Thou didst send come again unto us, and teach us what we shall do unto the child that shall be born." {PP 560.3}
When the Angel again appeared, Manoah's anxious inquiry was, "How shall we order the child, and how shall we do unto him?" The previous instruction was repeated--"Of all that I (p. 561) said unto the woman let her beware. She may not eat of anything that cometh of the vine, neither let her drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing: all that I commanded her let her observe." {PP 560.4}
God had an important work for the promised child of Manoah to do, and it was to secure for him the qualifications necessary for this work that the habits of both the mother and the child were to be carefully regulated. "Neither let her drink wine or strong drink," was the Angel's instruction for the wife of Manoah, "nor eat any unclean thing. All that I commanded her let her observe." The child will be affected for good or for evil by the habits of the mother. She must herself be controlled by principle and must practice temperance and self-denial, if she would seek the welfare of her child. Unwise advisers will urge upon the mother the necessity of gratifying every wish and impulse, but such teaching is false and mischievous. The mother is by the command of God Himself placed under the most solemn obligation to exercise self-control. {PP 561.1}
And fathers as well as mothers are involved in this responsibility. Both parents transmit their own characteristics, mental and physical, their dispositions and appetites, to their children. As the result of parental intemperance children often lack physical strength and mental and moral power. Liquor drinkers and tobacco users may, and do, transmit their insatiable craving, their inflamed blood and irritable nerves, to their children. The licentious often bequeath their unholy desires, and even loathsome diseases, as a legacy to their offspring. And as the children have less power to resist temptation than had the parents, the tendency is for each generation to fall lower and lower. To a great degree parents are responsible not only for the violent passions and perverted appetites of their children but for the infirmities of the thousands born deaf, blind, diseased, or idiotic. {PP 561.2}
The inquiry of every father and mother should be, "What shall we do unto the child that shall be born unto us?" The effect of prenatal influences has been by many lightly regarded; but the instruction sent from heaven to those Hebrew parents, and twice repeated in the most explicit and solemn manner, shows how this matter is looked upon by our Creator. {PP 561.3}
And it was not enough that the promised child should receive a good legacy from the parents. This must be followed by careful (p. 562) training and the formation of right habits. God directed that the future judge and deliverer of Israel should be trained to strict temperance from infancy. He was to be a Nazarite from his birth, thus being placed under a perpetual prohibition against the use of wine or strong drink. The lessons of temperance, self-denial, and self-control are to be taught to children even from babyhood. {PP 561.4}
The angel's prohibition included "every unclean thing." The distinction between articles of food as clean and unclean was not a merely ceremonial and arbitrary regulation, but was based upon sanitary principles. To the observance of this distinction may be traced, in a great degree, the marvelous vitality which for thousands of years has distinguished the Jewish people. The principles of temperance must be carried further than the mere use of spirituous liquors. The use of stimulating and indigestible food is often equally injurious to health, and in many cases sows the seeds of drunkenness. True temperance teaches us to dispense entirely with everything hurtful and to use judiciously that which is healthful. There are few who realize as they should how much their habits of diet have to do with their health, their character, their usefulness in this world, and their eternal destiny. The appetite should ever be in subjection to the moral and intellectual powers. The body should be servant to the mind, and not the mind to the body. {PP 562.1}
The divine promise to Manoah was in due time fulfilled in the birth of a son, to whom the name of Samson was given. As the boy grew up it became evident that he possessed extraordinary physical strength. This was not, however, as Samson and his parents well knew, dependent upon his well-knit sinews, but upon his condition as a Nazarite, of which his unshorn hair was a symbol. Had Samson obeyed the divine commands as faithfully as his parents had done, his would have been a nobler and happier destiny. But association with idolaters corrupted him. The town of Zorah being near the country of the Philistines, Samson came to mingle with them on friendly terms. Thus in his youth intimacies sprang up, the influence of which darkened his whole life. A young woman dwelling in the Philistine town of Timnath engaged Samson's affections, and he determined to make her his wife. To his God-fearing parents, who endeavored to dissuade him from his purpose, his only answer was, "She pleaseth me well." The parents at last yielded to his wishes, and the marriage took place. (p. 563) {PP 562.2}
Just as he was entering upon manhood, the time when he must execute his divine mission--the time above all others when he should have been true to God--Samson connected himself with the enemies of Israel. He did not ask whether he could better glorify God when united with the object of his choice, or whether he was placing himself in a position where he could not fulfill the purpose to be accomplished by his life. To all who seek first to honor Him, God has promised wisdom; but there is no promise to those who are bent upon self-pleasing. {PP 563.1}
How many are pursuing the same course as did Samson! How often marriages are formed between the godly and the ungodly, because inclination governs in the selection of husband or wife! The parties do not ask counsel of God, nor have His glory in view. Christianity ought to have a controlling influence upon the marriage relation, but it is too often the case that the motives which lead to this union are not in keeping with Christian principles. Satan is constantly seeking to strengthen his power over the people of God by inducing them to enter into alliance with his subjects; and in order to accomplish this he endeavors to arouse unsanctified passions in the heart. But the Lord has in His word plainly instructed His people not to unite themselves with those who have not His love abiding in them. "What concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? and what agreement hath the temple of God with idols?" 2 Corinthians 6:15, 16. {PP 563.2}
At his marriage feast Samson was brought into familiar association with those who hated the God of Israel. Whoever voluntarily enters into such relations will feel it necessary to conform, to some degree, to the habits and customs of his companions. The time thus spent is worse than wasted. Thoughts are entertained and words are spoken that tend to break down the strongholds of principle and to weaken the citadel of the soul. {PP 563.3}
The wife, to obtain whom Samson had transgressed the command of God, proved treacherous to her husband before the close of the marriage feast. Incensed at her perfidy, Samson forsook her for the time, and went alone to his home at Zorah. When, afterward relenting, he returned for his bride, he found her the wife of another. His revenge, in the wasting of all the fields and vineyards of the Philistines, provoked them to murder her, although their threats had driven her to the deceit with (p. 564) which the trouble began. Samson had already given evidence of his marvelous strength by slaying, singlehanded, a young lion, and by killing thirty of the men of Ashkelon. Now, moved to anger by the barbarous murder of his wife, he attacked the Philistines and smote them "with a great slaughter." Then, wishing a safe retreat from his enemies, he withdrew to "the rock Etam," in the tribe of Judah. {PP 563.4}
To this place he was pursued by a strong force, and the inhabitants of Judah, in great alarm, basely agreed to deliver him to his enemies. Accordingly three thousand men of Judah went up to him. But even at such odds they would not have dared approach him had they not felt assured that he would not harm his own countrymen. Samson consented to be bound and delivered to the Philistines, but first exacted from the men of Judah a promise not to attack him themselves, and thus compel him to destroy them. He permitted them to bind him with two new ropes, and he was led into the camp of his enemies amid demonstrations of great joy. But while their shouts were waking the echoes of the hills, "the Spirit of Jehovah came mightily upon him." He burst asunder the strong new cords as if they had been flax burned in the fire. Then seizing the first weapon at hand, which, though only the jawbone of an ass, was rendered more effective than sword or spear, he smote the Philistines until they fled in terror, leaving a thousand men dead upon the field. {PP 564.1}
Had the Israelites been ready to unite with Samson and follow up the victory, they might at this time have freed themselves from the power of their oppressors. But they had become dispirited and cowardly. They had neglected the work which God commanded them to perform, in dispossessing the heathen, and had united with them in their degrading practices, tolerating their cruelty, and, so long as it was not directed against themselves, even countenancing their injustice. When themselves brought under the power of the oppressor, they tamely submitted to the degradation which they might have escaped, had they only obeyed God. Even when the Lord raised up a deliverer for them, they would, not infrequently, desert him and unite with their enemies. {PP 564.2}
After his victory the Israelites made Samson judge, and he ruled Israel for twenty years. But one wrong step prepares the (p. 565) way for another. Samson had transgressed the command of God by taking a wife from the Philistines, and again he ventured among them--now his deadly enemies--in the indulgence of unlawful passion. Trusting to his great strength, which had inspired the Philistines with such terror, he went boldly to Gaza, to visit a harlot of that place. The inhabitants of the city learned of his presence, and they were eager for revenge.
Their enemy was shut safely within the walls of the most strongly fortified of all their cities; they felt sure of their prey, and only waited till the morning to complete their triumph. At midnight Samson was aroused. The accusing voice of conscience filled him with remorse, as he remembered that he had broken his vow as a Nazarite. But notwithstanding his sin, God's mercy had not forsaken him. His prodigious strength again served to deliver him. Going to the city gate, he wrenched it from its place and carried it, with its posts and bars, to the top of a hill on the way to Hebron. {PP 564.3}
But even this narrow escape did not stay his evil course. He did not again venture among the Philistines, but he continued to seek those sensuous pleasures that were luring him to ruin. "He loved a woman in the valley of Sorek," not far from his own birthplace. Her name was Delilah, "the consumer." The vale of Sorek was celebrated for its vineyards; these also had a temptation for the wavering Nazarite, who had already indulged in the use of wine, thus breaking another tie that bound him to purity and to God. The Philistines kept a vigilant watch over the movements of their enemy, and when he degraded himself by this new attachment, they determined, through Delilah, to accomplish his ruin. {PP 565.1}
A deputation consisting of one leading man from each of the Philistine provinces was sent to the vale of Sorek. They dared not attempt to seize him while in possession of his great strength, but it was their purpose to learn, if possible, the secret of his power. They therefore bribed Delilah to discover and reveal it. {PP 565.2}
As the betrayer plied Samson with her questions, he deceived her by declaring that the weakness of other men would come upon him if certain processes were tried. When she put the matter to the test, the cheat was discovered. Then she accused him of falsehood, saying, "How canst thou say, I love thee, when thine heart is not with me? Thou hast mocked me these (p. 566)
three times, and hast not told me wherein thy great strength lieth." Three times Samson had the clearest evidence that the Philistines had leagued with his charmer to destroy him; but when her purpose failed, she treated the matter as a jest, and he blindly banished fear. {PP 565.3}
Day by day Delilah urged him, until "his soul was vexed unto death;" yet a subtle power kept him by her side. Overcome at last, Samson made known the secret: "There hath not come a razor upon mine head; for I have been a Nazarite unto God from my mother's womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man." A messenger was immediately dispatched to the lords of the Philistines, urging them to come to her without delay. While the warrior slept, the heavy masses of his hair were severed from his head. Then, as she had done three times before, she called, "The Philistines be upon thee, Samson!" Suddenly awaking, he thought to exert his strength as before and destroy them; but his powerless arms refused to do his bidding, and he knew that "Jehovah was departed from him." When he had been shaven, Delilah began to annoy him and cause him pain, thus making a trial of his strength; for the Philistines dared not approach him till fully convinced that his power was gone. Then they seized him and, having put out both his eyes, they took him to Gaza. Here he was bound with fetters in their prison house and confined to hard labor. {PP 566.1}
What a change to him who had been the judge and champion of Israel!--now weak, blind, imprisoned, degraded to the most menial service! Little by little he had violated the conditions of his sacred calling. God had borne long with him;
but when he had so yielded himself to the power of sin as to betray his secret, the Lord departed from him. There was no virtue in his long hair merely, but it was a token of his loyalty to God; and when the symbol was sacrificed in the indulgence of passion, the blessings of which it was a token were also forfeited. {PP 566.2}
In suffering and humiliation, a sport for the Philistines, Samson learned more of his own weakness than he had ever known before; and his afflictions led him to repentance. As his hair grew, his power gradually returned; but his enemies, regarding him as a fettered and helpless prisoner, felt no apprehensions. {PP 566.3}
The Philistines ascribed their victory to their gods; and, (p. 567) exulting, they defied the God of Israel. A feast was appointed in honor of Dagon, the fish god, "the protector of the sea." From town and country throughout the Philistine plain the people and their lords assembled. Throngs of worshipers filled the vast temple and crowded the galleries about the roof. It was a scene of festivity and rejoicing. There was the pomp of the sacrificial service, followed by music and feasting. Then, as the crowning trophy of Dagon's power, Samson was brought in. Shouts of exultation greeted his appearance. People and rulers mocked his misery and adored the god who had overthrown "the destroyer of their country." After a time, as if weary, Samson asked permission to rest against the two central pillars which supported the temple roof. Then he silently uttered the prayer, "O Lord God, remember me, I pray Thee, and strengthen me, I pray Thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines." With these words he encircled the pillars with his mighty arms; and crying, "Let me die with the Philistines!" he bowed himself, and the roof fell, destroying at one crash all that vast multitude. "So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life." {PP 566.4}
The idol and its worshipers, priest and peasant, warrior and noble, were buried together beneath the ruins of Dagon's temple. And among them was the giant form of him whom God had chosen to be the deliverer of His people. Tidings of the terrible overthrow were carried to the land of Israel, and Samson's kinsmen came down from their hills, and, unopposed, rescued the body of the fallen hero. And they "brought him up, and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol, in the burying place of Manoah his father." {PP 567.1}
God's promise that through Samson He would "begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines" was fulfilled; but how dark and terrible the record of that life which might have been a praise to God and a glory to the nation! Had Samson been true to his divine calling, the purpose of God could have been accomplished in his honor and exaltation. But he yielded to temptation and proved untrue to his trust, and his mission was fulfilled in defeat, bondage, and death. {PP 567.2}
Physically, Samson was the strongest man upon the earth; but in self-control, integrity, and firmness, he was one of the weakest of men. Many mistake strong passions for a strong character, (p. 568) but the truth is that he who is mastered by his passions is a weak man. The real greatness of the man is measured by the power of the feelings that he controls, not by those that control him. {PP 567.3}
God's providential care had been over Samson, that he might be prepared to accomplish the work which he was called to do. At the very outset of life he was surrounded with favorable conditions for physical strength, intellectual vigor, and moral purity.
But under the influence of wicked associates he let go that hold upon God which is man's only safeguard, and he was swept away by the tide of evil. Those who in the way of duty are brought into trial may be sure that God will preserve them; but if men willfully place themselves under the power of temptation, they will fall, sooner or later. {PP 568.1}
The very ones whom God purposes to use as His instruments for a special work, Satan employs his utmost power to lead astray. He attacks us at our weak points, working through defects in the character to gain control of the whole man; and he knows that if these defects are cherished, he will succeed. But none need be overcome. Man is not left alone to conquer the power of evil by his own feeble efforts. Help is at hand and will be given to every soul who really desires it. Angels of God, that ascend and descend the ladder which Jacob saw in vision, will help every soul who will, to climb even to the highest heaven. {PP 568.2}
Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 562
The angel's prohibition included "every unclean thing." The distinction between articles of food as clean and unclean was not a merely ceremonial and arbitrary regulation, but was based upon sanitary principles. To the observance of this distinction may be traced, in a great degree, the marvelous vitality which for thousands of years has distinguished the Jewish people. The principles of temperance must be carried further than the mere use of spirituous liquors. The use of stimulating and indigestible food is often equally injurious to health, and in many cases sows the seeds of drunkenness. True temperance teaches us to dispense entirely with everything hurtful and to use judiciously that which is healthful. There are few who realize as they should how much their habits of diet have to do with their health, their character, their usefulness in this world, and their eternal destiny. The appetite should ever be in subjection to the moral and intellectual powers. The body should be servant to the mind, and not the mind to the body. {PP 562.1}
The divine promise to Manoah was in due time fulfilled in the birth of a son, to whom the name of Samson was given. As the boy grew up it became evident that he possessed extraordinary physical strength. This was not, however, as Samson and his parents well knew, dependent upon his well-knit sinews, but upon his condition as a Nazarite, of which his unshorn hair was a symbol. Had Samson obeyed the divine commands as faithfully as his parents had done, his would have been a nobler and happier destiny. But association with idolaters corrupted him. The town of Zorah being near the country of the Philistines, Samson came to mingle with them on friendly terms. Thus in his youth intimacies sprang up, the influence of which darkened his whole life. A young woman dwelling in the Philistine town of Timnath engaged Samson's affections, and he determined to make her his wife. To his God-fearing parents, who endeavored to dissuade him from his purpose, his only answer was, "She pleaseth me well." The parents at last yielded to his wishes, and the marriage took place. (p. 563) {PP 562.2}
Jerry Giardina of Pecos, Texas, assisted by his wife, Cheryl, prepares a series of helps to accompany the Sabbath School lesson. He includes all related scripture and most EGW quotations. Jerry has chosen the "New King James Version" of the scriptures this quarter. It is used with permission.
In the life of the disciple John true sanctification is exemplified. During the years of his close association with Christ, he was often warned and cautioned by the Saviour; and these reproofs he accepted. As the character of the Divine One was manifested to him, John saw his own deficiencies, and was humbled by the revelation. Day by day, in contrast with his own violent spirit, he beheld the tenderness and forbearance of Jesus, and heard His lessons of humility and patience. Day by day his heart was drawn out to Christ, until he lost sight of self in love for his Master. The power and tenderness, the majesty and meekness, the strength and patience, that he saw in the daily life of the Son of God, filled his soul with admiration. He yielded his resentful, ambitious temper to the molding power of Christ, and divine love wrought in him a transformation of character.
In striking contrast to the sanctification worked out in the life of John is the experience of his fellow disciple,
Page 558
Judas. Like his associate, Judas professed to be a disciple of Christ, but he possessed only a form of godliness. He was not insensible to the beauty of the character of Christ; and often, as he listened to the Saviour's words, conviction came to him, but he would not humble his heart or confess his sins. By resisting the divine influence he dishonored the Master whom he professed to love. John warred earnestly against his faults; but Judas violated his conscience and yielded to temptation, fastening upon himself more securely his habits of evil. The practice of the truths that Christ taught was at variance with his desires and purposes, and he could not bring himself to yield his ideas in order to receive wisdom from heaven. Instead of walking in the light, he chose to walk in darkness. Evil desires, covetousness, revengeful passions, dark and sullen thoughts, were cherished until Satan gained full control of him.
John and Judas are representatives of those who profess to be Christ's followers. Both these disciples had the same opportunities to study and follow the divine Pattern. Both were closely associated with Jesus and were privileged to listen to His teaching. Each possessed serious defects of character; and each had access to the divine grace that transforms character. But while one in humility was learning of Jesus, the other revealed that he was not a doer of the word, but a hearer only. One, daily dying to self and overcoming sin, was sanctified through the truth; the other, resisting the transforming power of grace and indulging selfish desires, was brought into bondage to Satan.
Page 559
Such transformation of character as is seen in the life of John is ever the result of communion with Christ. There may be marked defects in the character of an individual, yet when he becomes a true disciple of Christ, the power of divine grace transforms and sanctifies him. Beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, he is changed from glory to glory, until he is like Him whom he adores.
John was a teacher of holiness, and in his letters to the church he laid down unerring rules for the conduct of Christians. "Every man that hath this hope in him," he wrote, "purifieth himself, even as He is pure." "He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked." 1 John 3:3; 2:6. He taught that the Christian must be pure in heart and life. Never should he be satisfied with an empty profession. As God is holy in His sphere, so fallen man, through faith in Christ, is to be holy in his sphere.
"This is the will of God," the apostle Paul wrote, "even your sanctification." 1 Thessalonians 4:3. The sanctification of the church is God's object in all His dealings with His people. He has chosen them from eternity, that they might be holy. He gave His Son to die for them, that they might be sanctified through obedience to the truth, divested of all the littleness of self. From them Her requires a personal work, a personal surrender. God can be honored by those who profess to believe in Him, only as they are conformed to His image and controlled by His Spirit. Then, as witnesses for the Saviour, they may make known what divine grace has done for them.
Page 560
True sanctification comes through the working out of the principle of love. "God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him." 1 John 4:16. The life of him in whose heart Christ abides, will reveal practical godliness. The character will be purified, elevated, ennobled, and glorified. Pure doctrine will blend with works of righteousness; heavenly precepts will mingle with holy practices.
Those who would gain the blessing of sanctification must first learn the meaning of self-sacrifice. The cross of Christ is the central pillar on which hangs the "far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." "If any man will come after Me," Christ says, "let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me." 2 Corinthians 4:17; Matthew 16:24. It is the fragrance of our love for our fellow men that reveals our love for God. It is patience in service that brings rest to the soul. It is through humble, diligent, faithful toil that the welfare of Israel is promoted. God upholds and strengthens the one who is willing to follow in Christ's way.
Sanctification is not the work of a moment, an hour, a day, but of a lifetime. It is not gained by a happy flight of feeling, but is the result of constantly dying to sin, and constantly living for Christ. Wrongs cannot be righted nor reformations wrought in the character by feeble, intermittent efforts. It is only by long, persevering effort, sore discipline, and stern conflict, that we shall overcome. We know not one day how strong will be our conflict the next. So long as Satan reigns, we shall have self to subdue, besetting sins to overcome; so long as life shall last, there will be no
Page 561
stopping place, no point which we can reach and say, I have fully attained. Sanctification is the result of lifelong obedience.
None of the apostles and prophets ever claimed to be without sin. Men who have lived the nearest to God, men who would sacrifice life itself rather than knowingly commit a wrong act, men whom God has honored with divine light and power, have confessed the sinfulness of their nature. They have put no confidence in the flesh, have claimed no righteousness of their own, but have trusted wholly in the righteousness of Christ.
So will it be with all who behold Christ. The nearer we come to Jesus, and the more clearly we discern the purity of His character, the more clearly shall we see the exceeding sinfulness of sin, and the less shall we feel like exalting ourselves. There will be a continual reaching out of the soul after God, a continual, earnest, heartbreaking confession of sin and humbling of the heart before Him. At every advance step in our Christian experience our repentance will deepen. We shall know that our sufficiency is in Christ alone and shall make the apostle's confession our own: "I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing." "God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world." Romans 7:18; Galatians 6:14.
Let the recording angels write the history of the holy struggles and conflicts of the people of God; let them record their prayers and tears; but let not God be dishonored by the declaration from human lips, "I am sinless; I am
Page 562
holy." Sanctified lips will never give utterance to such presumptuous words.
The apostle Paul had been caught up to the third heaven and had seen and heard things that could not be uttered, and yet his unassuming statement is: "Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after." Philippians 3:12. Let the angels of heaven write of Paul's victories in fighting the good fight of faith. Let heaven rejoice in his steadfast tread heavenward, and that, keeping the prize in view, he counts every other consideration dross. Angels rejoice to tell his triumphs, but Paul makes no boast of his attainments. The attitude of Paul is the attitude that every follower of Christ should take as he urges his way onward in the strife for the immortal crown.
Let those who feel inclined to make a high profession of holiness look into the mirror of God's law. As they see its far-reaching claims, and understand its work as a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart, they will not boast of sinlessness. "If we," says John, not separating himself from his brethren, "say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." "If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us." "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:8, 10, 9.
There are those who profess holiness, who declare that they are wholly the Lord's, who claim a right to the promises of God, while refusing to render obedience to His
Page 563
commandments. These transgressors of the law claim everything that is promised to the children of God; but this is presumption on their part, for John tells us that true love for God will be revealed in obedience to all His commandments. It is not enough to believe the theory of truth, to make a profession of faith in Christ, to believe that Jesus is no impostor, and that the religion of the Bible is no cunningly devised fable. "He that saith, I know Him, and keepeth not His commandments," John wrote, "is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth His word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in Him." "He that keepeth His commandments dwelleth in Him, and He in him." 1 John 2:4, 5; 3:24.
John did not teach that salvation was to be earned by obedience; but that obedience was the fruit of faith and love. "Ye know that He was manifested to take away our sins," he said, "and in Him is no sin. Whosoever abideth in Him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen Him, neither known Him." 1 John 3:5, 6. If we abide in Christ, if the love of God dwells in the heart, our feelings, our thoughts, our actions, will be in harmony with the will of God. The sanctified heart is in harmony with the precepts of God's law.
There are many who, though striving to obey God's commandments, have little peace or joy. This lack in their experience is the result of a failure to exercise faith. They walk as it were in a salt land, a parched wilderness. They claim little, when they might claim much; for there is no
Page 564
limit to the promises of God. Such ones do not correctly represent the sanctification that comes through obedience to the truth. The Lord would have all His sons and daughters happy, peaceful, and obedient. Through the exercise of faith the believer comes into possession of these blessings. Through faith, every deficiency of character may be supplied, every defilement cleansed, every fault corrected, every excellence developed.
Prayer is heaven's ordained means of success in the conflict with sin and the development of Christian character. The divine influences that come in answer to the prayer of faith will accomplish in the soul of the suppliant all for which he pleads. For the pardon of sin, for the Holy Spirit, for a Christlike temper, for wisdom and strength to do His work, for any gift He has promised, we may ask; and the promise is, "Ye shall receive."
It was in the mount with God that Moses beheld the pattern of that wonderful building that was to be the abiding place of His glory. It is in the mount with God--in the secret place of communion--that we are to contemplate His glorious ideal for humanity. In all ages, through the medium of communion with heaven, God has worked out His purpose for His children, by unfolding gradually to their minds the doctrines of grace. His manner of imparting truth is illustrated in the words, "His going forth is prepared as the morning." Hosea 6:3. He who places himself where God can enlighten him, advances, as it were, from the partial obscurity of dawn to the full radiance of noonday.
Page 565
True sanctification means perfect love, perfect obedience, perfect conformity to the will of God. We are to be sanctified to God through obedience to the truth. Our conscience must be purged from dead works to serve the living God. We are not yet perfect; but it is our privilege to cut away from the entanglements of self and sin, and advance to perfection. Great possibilities, high and holy attainments, are placed within the reach of all.
The reason many in this age of the world make no greater advancement in the divine life is because they interpret the will of God to be just what they will to do. While following their own desires, they flatter themselves that they are conforming to God's will. These have no conflicts with self. There are others who for a time are successful in the struggle against their selfish desire for pleasure and ease. They are sincere and earnest, but grow weary of protracted effort, of daily death, of ceaseless turmoil. Indolence seems inviting, death to self repulsive; and they close their drowsy eyes and fall under the power of temptation instead of resisting it.
The directions laid down in the word of God leave no room for compromise with evil. The Son of God was manifested that He might draw all men unto Himself. He came not to lull the world to sleep, but to point out the narrow path in which all must travel who reach at last the gates of the City of God. His children must follow where He has led the way; at whatever sacrifice of ease or selfish indulgence, at whatever cost of labor or suffering, they must maintain a constant battle with self.
Page 566
The greatest praise that men can bring to God is to become consecrated channels through whom He can work. Time is rapidly passing into eternity. Let us not keep back from God that which is His own. Let us not refuse Him that which, though it cannot be given with merit, cannot be denied without ruin. He asks for a whole heart; give it to Him; it is His, both by creation and by redemption. He asks for your intellect; give it to Him; it is His. He asks for your money; give it to Him; it is His. "Ye are not your own, for ye are bought with a price." 1 Corinthians 6: 19, 20. God requires the homage of a sanctified soul, which has prepared itself, by the exercise of the faith that works by love, to serve Him. He holds up before us the highest ideal, even perfection. He asks us to be absolutely and completely for Him in this world as He is for us in the presence of God.
"This is the will of God" concerning you, "even your sanctification." 1 Thessalonians 4:3. Is it your will also? Your sins may be as mountains before you; but if you humble your heart and confess your sins, trusting in the merits of a crucified and risen Saviour, He will forgive and will cleanse you from all unrighteousness. God demands of you entire conformity to His law. This law is the echo of His voice saying to you, Holier, yes, holier still. Desire the fullness of the grace of Christ. Let your heart be filled with an intense longing for His righteousness, the work of which God's word declares is peace, and its effect quietness and assurance forever.
Page 567
As your soul yearns after God, you will find more and still more of the unsearchable riches of His grace. As you contemplate these riches you will come into possession of them and will reveal the merits of the Saviour's sacrifice, the protection of His righteousness, the fullness of His wisdom, and His power to present you before the Father "without spot, and blameless." 2 Peter 3:14.
Here's Pastor Doug Batchelor from www.amazingfacts.com CLICK ON THE LINK THAT FOLLOWS FOR A VIDEO OF THE SABBATH SCHOOL LESSON PRESENTED BY DR DEREK MORRIS OF THE LAKE FOREST CHURCH
“ ‘Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth’ ” (Matt. 5:5, NKJV).
What Do They Think Of? Francia Bissereth, Hyattsville, Maryland, U.S.A.
Sabbath Introduction
Luke 6:43−45
One Sabbath after church, a group of Seventh-day adventists on their way home encountered a police check on a street in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. When the adventists came close to the policemen, one of the officers said that there was no need to check this group because they were wearing decent clothes and had Bibles in their hands. With gratitude, the adventists continued on their way.
It wasn’t until a bit later that I realized I was wearing scrubs.
As I was leaving work one afternoon, a woman opened a passenger door of a car at a red traffic light. She was not feeling well and was beginning to vomit. Since I was close, I ran to help her. as I drew nearer, I heard people say that the she was pregnant and had not eaten well during the day. I was surprised to see how the other people in the car were so grateful for my little bit of help. It wasn’t until a bit later that I realized I was wearing scrubs.
Those few seconds under the red light, thinking of it, anyone stopping to help might have been inclined to seek praise and recognition. However, the only praise necessary was the look that the passenger who needed help gave me.
What does the world think when it sees you? How do people classify you? Do they classify you as one who bears Christian fruit or as a barren tree? Performing a simple act of service that you know will reap little or no praise helps the world see in a person the fruit of meekness and will differentiate you from almost everyone else. as Jesus said, “ ‘each tree is recognized by its own fruit’ ” (luke 6:44, NIV). What fruit do you bear today?
This week’s lesson will help us better understand the fruit of meekness and how we can cultivate it.
Understanding Meekness
Kendall Turcios, Houston, Texas, U.S.A.
Sunday Logos
Gen. 50:15–20; Matt. 5:5; 11:29; Rom. 12:3; Gal. 6:1;
Phil. 2:1–3
Power Kept Under Control (Matt. 5:5; 11:29)
When most people hear the word meek, they have a mental picture of a wet noodle. a friend of mine jokes by saying, “The meek shall inherit the earth . . . if that’s OK with everybody else.” However, when we look at the Greek word for meek—praus—we see a truly different meaning. The first meaning describes a balance between emotional extremes. In other words, meekness would mean a balance between too much anger and not enough anger. When the Bible tells us, “In your anger do not sin” (eph. 4:26, NIV), it is saying that there is a righteous and justifiable form of anger. as Christians we may appropriately feel angry at injustice in the world, but we would be off the mark to react in a hotheaded manner at being personally slighted. The first meaning of meekness marks this balance between emotional extremes.
Jesus not only advocates for meekness, He personifies it.
The second and more profound meaning of meekness describes the dynamic of a horse or an ox relenting to and accepting a necessary degree of control from its master. It is here that we find a powerful animal that could well crush its owner but instead allows itself to be led, trained, and directed by the will of its master. The Bible, in stating meekness as an indicator of the Spirit-filled life, thus shows that a Christian has power but submits that power to God’s will.
Humanity’s Aversion to Meekness (1 Cor. 2:14)
Sinful nature rears its ugly head in the form of self-will. Carnal nature will not allow itself to be tamed or subjugated by anyone or anything. In the Garden of eden, eve, in listening to the serpent’s voice, doubted God and exercised her own will against His will. In so doing, she went against the spirit of meek- ness. She did not remain submitted to God. Most people would agree that as humans, we have a hard time with submission. The origin of sin shows us that God granted the gift of meekness in order for humanity to remain in His will.
Jesus Says, “Be Like Me”(Matt. 11:29)
Jesus, our perfect example, came into the world to show us the way of sal- vation. His life is one of total surrender and trust in His heavenly Father. The Bible tells of how He often prayed through the night to obtain the strength to fulfill His mission. Thus, He invites us to consider His yoke. In His time, a yoke was not something you picked up at the Jerusalem Wal-Mart where all yokes hung together on a rack. Instead, a yoke was a custom-made tool that a carpenter would make to accommodate the animals that would use it to haul a heavy load. The yoke itself was not a burden but rather a tool that made the burden easier to carry. So, in essence, Jesus is saying, “as long as you’re carrying that burden, let Me give you a yoke to help you out. and by the way, My yoke is easy.” Jesus also put it in the following way, “ ‘In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world’ ” (John 16:33, NIV).
Jesus not only advocates for meekness, He personifies it. In His quest to save humanity, His life exemplified meek surrender—the only way we can possibly enter into a right relationship with God and experience true joy and unending happiness. Jesus easily could have used His power to overwhelm His enemies. However, He kept that power under the controlling will of God. It is a decep- tion to think that we can truly be happy outside the will of God. True happiness can be found only in surrender.
“In his sinless state, man held joyful communion with [God]. . . . after his sin, he could no longer find joy in holiness. . . . Such is still the condition of the unrenewed heart. . . . Could he be permitted to enter heaven, it would have no joy for him. The spirit of unselfish love that reigns there . . . would touch no answering chord in his soul. His thoughts, his interests, his motives, would be alien to those that actuate the sinless dwellers there.”*
Jesus exemplified this surrender and invites us to follow Him in meekness.
The Promise of the Meek(Gen. 1:28; Ps. 37:11; Matt. 5:5; Gal. 5:22, 23)
If you’ve ever wondered why the meek are the inheritors of the earth, you are not alone. looking at Genesis, our first parents were commanded by God to fill the earth and take care of it. Sin changed all of that. However, we also find in the Old Testament an appeal to humanity to resubmit their will to God based on the following promise: “But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace” (Ps. 37:11, NIV). Jesus’ life on earth showed us what true meekness is. In Galatians, the promise of the meek inheriting the earth is renewed so that now through the Spirit we can receive this fruit.
REACT
1. What is preventing you from living out meekness?
2. What are the implications for meek Christians that they shall inherit the
earth? Does this promise have an immediate impact, or is it only for the future?
explain your answer. ____________
*Steps to Christ, pp. 17, 18.
Meekness: “Unmistakable Evidence”
Lauren Halstrom, Saginaw, Michigan, U.S.A.
Monday Testimony
John 3:1–21; 15:1–6
“The abiding presence of meekness is an unmistakable evidence that we are branches of the True Vine, and are bearing much fruit. It is an evidence that we are by faith beholding the King in his beauty and becoming changed into his likeness. Where meekness exists, the natural tendencies are under the control of the Holy Spirit. Meekness is not a species of cowardice. It is the spirit which Christ manifested when suffering injury, when enduring insult and abuse. To be meek is not to surrender our rights; but it is the preservation of self-control under provocation to give way to anger or to the spirit of retaliation. Meekness will not allow passion to take the lines.
“Meekness is not a species of cowardice.”
“When Christ was accused by the priests and Pharisees, he preserved his self-control, but he took his position decidedly that their charges were untrue. He said to them: ‘Which of you convinceth me of sin?’ ‘If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil; but if well, why smitest thou me?’ He knew that his position was right. When Paul and Silas were beaten and thrust into prison without trial or sentence, they did not surrender their right to be treated as honest citizens. When there was a great earthquake, and the foundations of the prison were shaken, and the doors were opened, and every man’s bands were loosed, and the magistrates sent word to the prisoners that they might depart in peace, Paul entered a protest, and said: ‘They have beaten us openly uncon- demned, being romans, and have cast us into prison; and now do they thrust us out privily? Nay verily; but let them come themselves and fetch us out. . . . and they came and besought them, and brought them out, and desired them to depart out of the city.’ Through the action of Paul and Silas the name of God was magnified and the authorities were humbled. It was necessary that the honor of God should be vindicated at this time.”*
REACT
Most likely, you are currently facing a situation that requires the type of meek- ness Christ exhibited while on this earth. How might you react in a meek man- ner, so that God’s honor will be vindicated and you will not be surrendering your
rights, yet all the while maintaining self-control with the help of the Holy Spirit? ____________
*ellen G. White, Signs of the Times, august 22, 1895.
Meekness or Weakness
Samuel Pegus, Adelphi, Maryland, U.S.A.
Tuesday Evidence Matt. 5:5
Meekness does not stand for weakness. If it did, it would be impossible for a weak individual to inherit the earth. at a glance, biblical people who were meek seemed to be submissive and to have cowered at authority. Looks, however, can be deceiving. Meekness is rooted in loyalty to God alone and in obedience to Him as our Judge and King.1 Christians suffer trials and tribulations for their obedience. People who are meek will have worries, but they will communicate with God and find comfort and strength within His Word. Bible reading and prayer will guide them. Such individuals are able to inherit the earth.
God’s strength is perfect, and He will strengthen us if we let Him.
One definition of meek means “yielded.” It carries the idea of strength under control. “When a horse is domesticated, it is trained so a rider can sit upon its back or so that it can pull a plow. The proper term for this process is that the animal has been ‘meeked’ or broken. It yields to the rider or the yoke. The animal now exhibits strength under control.”2 abraham was meek. If he had relied on his own strength, he would not have considered the idea of sacrificing his son, nor would he have left his home to go to an unknown place. Job may have had questions and doubts when in tribulation, but with meekness, he was able to say, “ ‘Blessed be the name of the lord’ ” (Job 1:21, NKJV). If Job had relied on his strength alone, he would have cursed God and died right there (Job 2:9). Meekness led John the Baptist to say, “ ‘He must increase, and I must decrease’ ” (John 3:30, NKJV). Isn’t that what meekness is all about? God’s strength is perfect, and He will strengthen us if we let Him.
Peter addressed Christians with this reminder: you “are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His [God’s] own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Pet. 2:9, NKJV). People such as Abraham and Peter knew they were royalty. They could rejoice in their privileged status. Before, they had been in darkness, but once they yielded in meekness to God’s will they came into God’s light. They had a desire for the kingdom that was promised to them.
So, my friend, be ye meeked.
____________
1. God’s Word to Women, “What Is Meekness?” http://www.godswordtowomen.org/lesson 52.htm (accessed December 4, 2008)
2. “What Is Meekness?” http://healtheland.wordpress.com/2007/11/15/what-is-meekness (accessed December 4, 2008)
A Vowel Makes All the Difference
Gladys S. Kelley, Laurel, Maryland, U.S.A.
Wednesday How-to
Phil. 2:3−5; 1 Pet. 3:4
There is a Spanish saying that goes like this: “Manso pero no menso” (Meek but not a fool). In Spanish, one vowel makes all the difference between the two words manso and menso. yet in practice, there is an abyss between them. For many Christians, Jesus’ gift to be “meek and lowly in heart” (Matt. 11:29) is one of the hardest gifts to accept and exemplify. Perhaps the reason is not un- willingness but one’s comprehension of what meekness encompasses.
God’s Spirit living in us tips the balance and makes all the difference.
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines meekness as “deficient in spirit and courage: submissive” and “not . . . strong.” These definitions are negative. They make it seem that meek people are silent doormats for strong and competent people to walk on. and if we are all honest, none of us would consciously vol- unteer for a position as doormat.
Nevertheless, in 1 Peter 3, Jesus says that meekness is of great value to God. Therefore, it is imperative that we obtain it. Through Jesus’ example, we can learn that meekness is revealed not only in the things we do, but in how we do them. Our attitude determines whether we are meek or we are fools. Being meek encompasses having the ability to respond harshly yet choosing not to. This can be accomplished only by following Jesus’ example of meekness. Here are ways we can do so:
Submitting totally to God (John 5:30). Though Jesus was an equal Member of the Godhead, He surrendered completely to the Father and to the Holy Spirit. When we face a difficult situation, our relationship with God plays a key role in how we respond.
Putting others before self (Phil. 2:5–7). Jesus offered all He was for our sake. When we see others going through a challenging situation and have the resources to help them, then we must do so, even if doing so puts us in an uncomfortable position.
Walking humbly with God (Mic. 6:8). When we follow the requirements listed in Micah 6:8, we allow ourselves to become agents of change in other people’s lives.
God wants us to be patient and humble yet always ready to fight the good fight of faith. Based on the world’s standards, we might appear to be fools. yet God’s Spirit living in us tips the balance and makes all the difference.
True Peace Is Found in Our Humility
Andrew Gregory Stoner, Frederick, Maryland, U.S.A.
Thursday Opinion
Matt. 11:29, 30
We often hesitate to take the advice of others. and if we were to do so, we’d first want to know about their experience, background, beliefs, and so on. Because, after all, do they know what they’re talking about? Have they gone through what you’re going through? Will they really understand you?
We do not find true peace by acquiring possessions, money, or personal power.
It’s difficult for us to simply believe and follow, to drop all of our life experience and think that someone else could lead us through a crisis or hardship. In addition to that, imagine if the person giving the advice also said, “Do what I say, and carry my burden.” That’s a lot to ask, isn’t it? It requires you to humble yourself and truly believe that the one giving the advice is completely trustworthy, faithful, and, most important, has your best interest at heart.
Jesus Christ—our Savior, Teacher, Friend, and lord—tells us in Matthew 11:29, “ ‘Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls’ ” (NKJV). In verse 30, Jesus goes on to tell us that His burden is light. I imagine that Jesus adds this because He knows our hearts. He knows that our first reaction will be, “Take your yoke? No way! I have enough upon my shoulders as it is!”
Jesus knows our “load” and that it is nothing compared to His “load” as Creator and Caretaker. He also knows that when we accept His yoke, our burden becomes lighter. From Him we can learn how to find rest for our souls by being gentle and humble, rather than self-righteous and critical of others.
We do not find true peace by acquiring possessions, money, or personal power. There is proof of that in the life of the average Hollywood celebrity. The world can take material things away from us as quickly as it gives such things to us. Our covetous nature is self-destructive and leads only to more pain and problems. But Jesus leads by example and shows us that only by humbling ourselves can we inherit the kingdom of God.
Jesus is our example for living. The peace He gives to us is a gift. We cannot earn it with good deeds or a hefty bank account. All we can do is humble ourselves, praise Him, and grow the fruit of meekness modeled by our lord and Savior, King, and Friend. Only then, do we find peace that is everlasting and life that is eternal.
Meekness—A Strong Word
Sergio Torres, Miami, Florida, U.S.A.
Friday Exploration
Phil. 2:5–8
CONCLUDE
To be meek is to be many things. It is to be gentle and kind. To be meek is not having to win an argument. To be meek is to be less defensive. It is to think of others first and to be of service to those around you. To be meek is to give up on having to be right. To be meek is to know and to act on the truth that all people are valuable. To be meek is to be Christlike. No wonder meekness is a strong word.
CONSIDER
• Praying “blessed are the meek” for an entire week and reflecting on how being meek can change your life for the better.
• attendingachurchofadifferentculturefromyoursforamonthandmak- ing friends there with at least three people.
• Not blowing your car horn for a week. Journal what changes you see in yourself in relationship to other drivers and your own driving habits.
• Spending time weekly for two months with a group of people or with an individual who has special needs. Do this through a service organization that needs help. What did you learn about meekness and how it can change your life as a result of your experience? Ideally this experience will become a regular feature of your life.
• Giving up your views and the need to be right in a family discussion. • Practicing the discipline of silence for ten minutes daily for a week. What
do you hear God telling you during those times? • Finding ways to defend the rights of the needy and poor in your com-
munity.
CONNECT
Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, pp. 13–18; Welfare Ministry, pp. 81–86.
G. Gordon Liddy was one of the infamous Watergate conspirators. Liddy ended up serving more jail time than anyone else in this scandal, which rocked the United States in the 1970s. One time, when trying to recruit a young woman for criminal activity, Liddy invited her to a restaurant. During the discussion, she asked how she could trust him; that is, suppose he were caught, how could she know that he would not turn her in? In order to prove to her his self-control, Liddy placed his finger over a lit candle at the table, and held it there long enough for his flesh to start burning before he removed it. His point was to show her just how much self-control he had. How does that kind of self-control compare with the fruit of the Spirit we have looked at this week? Can we find something noble and worth emulating in that kind of self-control? Are self-control and discipline always necessarily good? 
In what ways might self-control become a means to fanaticism? How could we avoid the danger of making self-control a form of legalism? 
Do you know someone who is suffering because of principle; that is, when tempted, they exhibited self-control like Joseph, and are now suffering some difficult consequences? How can you, either as a class or as an individual, help this person through his or her difficult time? 
