Hello All,
(Just a general disclaimer that I must insert here at the beginning. I am but a lay person, like most of you. And these weekly “thoughts” are but my own. Not the definitive word on this or any topic. Just my own conclusions derived from my own study and faith in God. The greatest hope I have for these weekly “thoughts” is to have them be a springboard for further study on your part. Not to be a weekly treatise to be blindly accepted. So, please read them with this intent, this motive in mind).
This week’s lesson from “The Adult Sabbath School Guide” is titled “Living by the Word of God”. A good way to close this quarter’s lesson. For in the end, if our faith does not change us, then it is totally worthless. Worse than worthless. For it can make us proud and hard and bring us to a Pharisaical condition whereby we will stop loving other brothers and sisters. And turn our back on love, the very attribute of God.
So many of us first came to value Adventism because we found in it precious truths about so many things. And knowing the truth is so important in a world of deception, lies, equivocating and self-delusion. The “Word” has set us straight on so many things! EGW has a marvelous statement about this process:
"In the Bible the will of God is revealed. The truths of the Word of God are the utterances of the Most High. He who makes these truths a part of his life becomes in every sense a new creature. He is not given new mental powers, but the darkness that through ignorance and sin has clouded the understanding, is removed. The words, "A new heart also will I give you," mean, "A new mind will I give you." A change of heart is always attended by a clear conviction of Christian duty, an understanding of truth. He who gives the Scriptures close, prayerful attention will gain clear comprehension and sound judgment, as if in turning to God he had reached a higher plane of intelligence" (Review and Herald, December 18, 1913).
This higher plane of intelligence and understanding is heady stuff! And because it is so heady, it can lead us to be spiritually proud. So EGW also warns us about this, too:
"The Pharisees were of this class. They came forth from their religious services, not humbled with a sense of their own weakness, not grateful for the great privileges that God had given them. They came forth filled with spiritual pride, and their theme was, 'Myself, my feelings, my knowledge, my ways'. Their own attainments became the standard by which they judged others. Putting on the robes of self-dignity, they mounted the judgment seat to criticize and condemn” (Mount of Blessing pg. 123).
And so this quarter’s lesson must lead us to live a “living Word” life as revealed in the “written Word”. A life of love and truth. A life of love and truth toward all. Especially to our fellow sinners.
As sinners, each of us seeks to be “special”. This knowledge acquisition of such Biblical truths which is truly a “higher plane of intelligence” can initially lead us to feel superior to others who know not. It’s one of the sentiments that has led to the secret societies, each with knowledge that is “special” and hidden from the uninitiated. Such is the attraction of these societies. Such is the heart of sinful man. A motive of specialness that appeals to the desire to be separate and elevated above our fellow-humans. But this is not the specialness that the “written Word” reveals. And is truly not what “living by the Word of God” means at all.
The “Word” reveals to us God. Reveals to us a life of service and self-sacrifice. In the life of Christ we see the attributes of the God of the Bible lived-out. And as we draw closer and still closer to the “living Word” through study and application of the “written Word”, self becomes less and less. Others become more and more. Our love for them multiplies. As we truly relate to the “living Word”, not just to acquire knowledge or to become special in a superior way, we start to have the true knowledge of love, and the specialness of loving others more than self. We become closer to others, not separate. We long to draw closer and still closer to our brothers and sisters so that love can flow freely between us. True knowledge of the “Word” will lead us to love others more and more, and self less and less. The specialness of God is found in union with Him and with those He died to save.
So let us be those agents of God’s blessing to the world. In seeking to bless, we in-turn are blessed. This is why we are given a work in the plan of redemption. Shared blessing. How good can it be!
With brotherly love,
Jim