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Further Study: Growing in Christ — 5 Comments

  1. This has come at a very important time where we the SDA Christians are mistaking the word of God by comparing it with unbiblical ideas, let us learn to compare bible with bible alone. The great Controversy is real, we better choose to be on God's side to gain favor in the eyes of God and receive everlasting life at the end.

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    • Indeed, we must learn to prayerfully study the Bible texts. Our Lord will always have His Holy Spirit guide us.

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  2. In simple language, to win over one's enemy, he must understand his nemesis' behavior. Then he should be equipped with God's protection and grace otherwise victory won't happen. And as Ellen G. White's puts it, "lowliness of the heart is the key that brings victory to the followers God." Would we need to say more?"

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  3. This looks to be an interesting and helpful series on growing in Christ, but I have a question. How does the focus, this first week, on the Great Controversy theme, help us to understand Christ so we can "grow" in Him? I'm sure a lot of non-SDAs that follow this thread are wondering this. Also, I know a few "nonconformist" SDAs that would like a clear answer to this as well. There was a very good, I thought, article in this week's series that put the emphasis on "belief" (in Christ) as the essential element, as opposed to legalism. Now, there is a thought. Is Christ to be considered primarily an "antagonist" in a universal conflict where FORCE is the ultimate arbiter? Did not Christ illustrate the universal TRUTH that selfless action for others is the core of RIGHT-ACTION in the universe? Right action, in the Biblical sense, is to care for the rights and value of others above self and selfishness. This is a totally different paradigm from Great Controversy. Both views are valuable, but SDAs, as a rule, devolve to a Great Controversy view, which has the enormous potential to be misinterpreted. Good luck, but the sooner we can get to the sufficiency of Christ, the better it will be for all considered. Just a thought.

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    • You can see some of the most important issues at the very beginning of the Great Controversy. Lucifer wants to 'ascend' even higher because he believes he has the right to do so, while Jesus chooses to 'descend' because we needed him to do so. Here we see the basic character of the leaders of the two sides. The way of God is to give yourself for the good of others, the way of Lucifer is to focus on what you can gain for yourself because you 'deserve' it, or it is unfair for someone else to have what you don't have. The Great Controversy not only gives us the knowledge of what happened, but more importantly it shows us the real issue: what is God like? For all Satan's lies about God, there remains the fact that while he seeks to destroy us with his lies, God gave his life to save us. If we don't understand that, then we will find it hard to grow in Christ. Lucifer, the pinnacle of creation, lost everything because he wanted to be God. Then he deceived Eve. Made in the image of God, she lost it in her quest to be 'like God'. She tried to gain what she had been freely given as a gift, and so lost the gift. In Christ, the gift of being made in the image of God, and having a right relationship with God, is freely given again. Perhaps one thing the Great Controversy should teach us is not to attempt to gain by our own efforts those things that God gives us as a free gift.

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