Paradoxically, it is only by dying that we may truly live. When baptized, we (ideally) died to our old nature and rose again to a new life. It would have been wonderful if the old man of sin had permanently died when we were buried under baptismal waters. Sooner or later, however, all of us … Continue reading –>
Along with studying the Bible, prayer is indispensable in order for us to abide in Christ and grow spiritually. Even Jesus Himself needed prayer to be united with the Father. He left us an example of a life of prayer. Prayer marked the crucial moments of His life. He prayed when He was baptized. He … Continue reading –>
A flourishing spiritual life is possible only by constantly depending on Christ. Jesus used the illustration of the vine to teach us how to accomplish this. I am the vine, you are the branches, said Jesus (John 15:5, NKJV). In the Old Testament, Israel was depicted as a vine that the Lord had planted (Isa. … Continue reading –>
Being born again is possible only through the work of the Holy Spirit. Jesus made use of the fact that the Greek word pneuma means both Spirit and wind in order to illustrate the process of conversion (John 3:8). The wind blows; none of us can start it, direct it, nor stop it. Its great … Continue reading –>
A zealous Christian confronted a politician and asked her, Have you been born again? Angry at what she deemed a personal question, the politician replied, It worked the first time, thank you. Maybe it did, but considering our fallen nature, our first birth isn’t enough, at least not for eternal life. For that, we must … Continue reading –>
Read for This Week’s Study: John 3:1-15; 2 Cor. 5:17; John 15:4-10; Matt. 6:9-13; Luke 9:23-24. Memory Text: Jesus answered and said to him, Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God (John 3:3, NKJV). Nicodemus felt drawn to Christ but dared not visit Him … Continue reading –>
Zho and his wife, Lai, are a young couple who serve as Global Mission pioneers in China. God sent them to serve in a city that had no Adventist believers. The couple rented a house that would work as a house church and began meeting their new neighbors. One day Lai met an old man … Continue reading –>
Further Study: Ellen G. White, Repentance, p. 23-32, in Steps to Christ. We can no more repent without the Spirit of Christ to awaken the conscience than we can be pardoned without Christ. — Ellen G. White, Steps to Christ, p. 26. As we behold the Lamb of God upon the cross of Calvary, the … Continue reading –>
When in faith we recognize our need, repent, confess our sins, and claim Christ’s righteousness for ourselves, we become His disciples. During His ministry, Jesus called different people, such as Peter and James and John, to be His disciples, a call that implied leaving everything in order to follow Him (Matt. 4:20, 22; Mark 10:28; … Continue reading –>
Jesus sat before the people and uttered what must have been to them shocking words: Unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 5:20, NKJV). Few were more scrupulous in the observance of the letter of the law than were the … Continue reading –>
