Friday: Further Study: One Lawgiver and Judge
Further Study: Read about the value of time in Ellen G. White, Talents,
Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 342-346, and share the points that impressed you with your Sabbath School class.
-Ellen G. White Comments, The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 7, p. 936, 937.
Let no one among you glory any longer against the truth by declaring that this spirit [of discerning the evil motives of others] is a necessary consequence of dealing faithfully with wrongdoers and of standing in defense of the truth. Such wisdom has many admirers, but it is very deceptive and harmful. It does not come from above, but is the fruit of an unregenerated heart. Its originator is Satan himself. Let no accuser of others credit himself with discernment; for in so doing he clothes the attributes of Satan with the garments of righteousness.
He who is guilty of wrong is the first to suspect wrong. By condemning another he is trying to conceal or excuse the evil of his own heart. It was through sin that men gained the knowledge of evil; no sooner had the first pair sinned than they began to accuse each other; and this is what human nature will inevitably do when uncontrolled by the grace of Christ.
-Ellen G. White, Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, p. 126.
Discussion Questions:
- Look at the last Ellen G. White statement above. How can we protect ourselves from doing the same thing: judging and accusing others so that we try and feel better about ourselves and our own shortcomings?
- Dwell on the fact of just how fast life goes by. What should that tell us about what our priorities should be? Though we’re told by the Special Theory of Relativity that time itself varies depending upon how fast we are moving in a frame of reference, one thing is certain: no matter how fast, or slow, time goes by, once a moment is gone, it is gone forever. How should this sobering thought impact what we do with our time?
- How do we deal with those whose sins need to be dealt with, and yet not fall into the trap that James has warned us about?
(11)
[Please supply full name]
Wonderful grace of our loving Lord, grace that will not only pardon and cleanse but will also control our human nature. My prayer today is for the grace of Christ.