Sabbath: How God Rescues Us
Image © Pacific Press
Sabbath Afternoon
Read for This Week’s Study: Ephesians 2:1-10; Ephesians 5:14; Romans 5:17; Ephesians 5:6; 2 Timothy 1:7.
Memory Text: “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ” (Ephesians 2:4-5, ESV).
On October 14, 1987, eighteen-month-old Jessica McClure was playing in her aunt’s backyard when she fell twenty-two feet into an abandoned well. Her plight attracted media from around the world to Midland, Texas. A global audience watched “Baby Jessica” sleeping, crying, singing, and calling out for her mother. They watched as emergency workers piped fresh air down the well.
Finally, fifty-eight hours after Jessica’s fall, the worldwide audience watched as Jessica was released from the eight-inch well casing that had trapped her for more than two days. Photographer Scott Shaw’s Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph captured the moment: a rescue cable bisects the worried faces of Jessica’s rescuers looking down at the bandaged bundle at the heart of the drama, Baby Jessica.
There’s nothing quite as gripping as a good rescue story, and Paul, in Ephesians 2:1-10, gives us an up-close-and-personal view of the grandest, most sweeping rescue mission of all time — God’s efforts to redeem humankind. The drama of the story is heightened by knowing that we are not mere spectators of someone else’s rescue but witnesses of our own.
Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, July 22.
(18)
Here is the "Ashton Version" of Ephesians 2:1-10. It is not inspired but is my working copy of "the plan". That means it works for me.
What's your working plan?
Maurice: The Bible (and our lesson) teaches that we too shall live, because of Christ's resurrection power and love. The saga ends with His victorious return to make heaven our eternal home, if we have accepted and trusted His power to keep us clothed in His righteousness.
It is easy for me to be enamoured of "the surpassing greatness," of God's power, referenced in Ephesians 1:19. Oh the wonder that this resurrection power lies within us, through the Holy Spirit's connection with Him: He who has demonstrated infinite love that conquered death and the grave ...!
Through the Holy Spirit's insight - a by-product of growth in understanding of God's all-encompassing inspirational power - I can only love Him more. "The exceeding greatness of His power," prompts the daily renewal of a surrendered, winning life. 1Thess 1:2
Through Christ, may our magnificent and merciful, faithful and forgiving, all-powerful Creator God be magnified, in all our generations!
Eph. 2:8-9 - ”For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”
2 Tim.1:7 - ”For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”
As I study the Scriptures, I am able to understand better and better what it means: “made us alive together with [in] Christ.” Yes, we are ‘witnesses of our own rescue’, and beyond this, we are also the witnesses to the love of the Rescuers, our heavenly Father and His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. To them belong all Glory, Honor and Praise.
Not only are we brought back to life, but even more so, brought back to a new life through joining the heavenly family of God’s children; forever grateful and humbled by the all-out effort of their rescue. The rescued, in the spirit of 2 Tim.1:7, is given to show their love and gratitude in his/her new lease on life.
How does Christ rescue us?
1. Christ allows us to be born again, becoming alive in Him.
2. When we awake, He gives us light, we let it shine into our hearts, then let His light shine out to others.
3. We recieve the abundance of grace and accept the gift of righteousness.
4. We let Christ keep us from deception of those who would water down the truth, empty words if you prefer, even trying to excuse our sins.
5. We take God's gift of power to help us stay steadfast in His love, and to help our minds stay on a in Christ path.
I would say this week we will find that if we allow God to give us the mind set David talks about in Psalms 62:5-8, then we are rescued by Christ, in Christ, and through Christ. Is not that how Paul could write from prison while in chains, Ephesians 3:20-21. Paul had the bond to God that Job did. Though they had trials and tribulations, they hung on to His love, and power to protect them from doubt, deception, discouragement, lack of trust, and short memories of His faithfulness.
Through literature, I have come across many beautiful and some sad rescue stories...
Story 1
This one is usually used during stewardship seminars. A story is told about a very stingy man. He was very ungenerous and would never share anything with anyone. One day he fell into a deep pit whilst walking. People tried to rescue him and they failed. The rescuers would say, 'give me your hand' and because he was stingy, he refused. One person who knew
him better said, 'take my hand'. And surely he extended his hand and was rescued...
Jesus offers to rescue us from the pit of sin. What do we give Him in return? Our sin polluted hearts. It's so sad that we are selfish and stingy, even with our tainted hearts.
Oh how I wish that we could surrender our hearts to God...