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 “From North and South to the Beautiful Land”. Gabriel gives detail to Daniel, without the symbolism. And once again we are struck by the realization that God sees the future… the details of the future… and the details of your future, too. And God reveals them to us. “And now I have told you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe” (John 14:29). This should give us great comfort. We have a God who knows us intimately… and knows our future, too. Therefore, whatever befalls us, we need have no distress, for our God is totally prepared. In fact, everything that comes to us… well… let’s read EGW about this:
“The Father's presence encircled Christ, and nothing befell Him but that which infinite love permitted for the blessing of the world. Here was His source of comfort, and it is for us. He who is imbued with the Spirit of Christ abides in Christ. The blow that is aimed at him falls upon the Savior, who surrounds him with His presence. Whatever comes to him comes from Christ. He has no need to resist evil, for Christ is his defense. Nothing can touch him except by our Lord's permission, and ‘all things’ that are permitted ‘work together for good to them that love God’ Romans 8:28” (Mount of Blessing pg. 71).
Isn’t that the best quote ever from EGW!! I love this. Let us never forget.
One of the great deceptions introduced by Papal Rome is the idea that God is so Holy He cannot touch sin nor look upon sin. That He needs someone in-between Him and us sinners. That concept spawned the idea of the “Immaculate Conception”. That Jesus’ mother was somehow “special” in order for Christ to be “special”… separate and apart from the humanity He came to save. This deception was started in order to elevate the holiness of our God. To make sure we respected Him. But in reality, all it has done is separate God from us and interject all kinds of humans between us and Him. Saint upon saint to be prayed-to. It has even colored the Protestant perception of Christ. That He did not take upon Himself sinful flesh. He was somehow “exempt”. But this concept cannot be supported by Scripture.
1. His name is “Immanuel… God with us” (Matthew 1:23).
2. Though He was “in the form of God,” He was “made a little lower than the angels,” “made of a woman, made under the law,” “in all things… made like unto His brethren,” “made to be sin for us, who knew no sin” (Philippians 2:5; Hebrews 2:9, 14; Galatians4:4; 2Corinthians 5:21).
3. “As the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same” (Hebrews 2:17)
4. He was “in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15).
5. To deny this reality that He “is come in the flesh” is “that spirit of antichrist”, the essence of Papal Rome’s counterfeit of the gospel (1 John 4:1-3).
We often draw a distinction between faith in Jesus and the faith of Jesus. We are to have the faith of Jesus. What is that faith? The faith of Jesus is that He has come to us where we are. That, infinitely pure and holy as He is, and sinful degraded and lost as we are, by His Holy Spirit He will willingly dwell with us and in us in order to save us, purify us and make us holy. The faith touted by Papal Rome is that we must be pure and holy in order that God shall dwell with us. The faith of Jesus is that God must dwell with us and in us, in order that we shall be holy or pure at all.
I bring all this up because we must have a God, a Savior, which comes this close to us… cares enough to come close enough to touch our sinfulness. But more, to take our sinfulness into Himself… take us and our sinfulness into Himself… so that we die with Him… and then live anew with Him. If we do not have a God that is this close, then we are left to be our own savior. Left to just try our best over and over again. To fight the fight of sin (in which we are no match). Instead, we are to fight the fight of faith… to make the commitment of faith, to increase and establish our faith (Bible Study, prayer and obedience)… to really abide in Him and for Him to abide in us. This is the fight of faith. This is the faith of Jesus. The Father abides in Him and He abides in the Father… just like us… if we will.
With brotherly love,
Jim