Tuesday: To Inherit Eternal Life
Daily Lesson for Tuesday 14th of November 2023
Read Luke 10:27-28. What was the lawyer’s answer to his own question?
The lawyer had asked the question, and he himself gave the answer: “ ‘ “Love the Lord your God with all your heart . . .” and “Love your neighbor as yourself” ’ ”(Luke 10:27, NIV).
What was the response of Jesus? He said, “ ‘You have answered rightly’ ” (Luke 10:28, NKJV). Jesus went on to challenge him to do something about it, by saying, “ ‘Do this and you will live’ ” (Luke 10:28, NKJV).
For most believers, giving the right answers about doctrine and faith is not that difficult. The challenge, instead, comes in doing what they know is right and following what they believe. A lot of people who, though knowing enough to be saved, will be lost because they didn’t obey what they knew. That’s how serious this issue is. Just knowing about loving God and your neighbor isn’t enough. You have to do it!
Read James 2:17-22. How do these verses parallel what Jesus said to the lawyer?
If we love God, we will read His Word, we will pray, we will keep His commandments, and we will be obedient to His voice “with all our heart.” If I say I love others, but I don’t care about others in church, or if I ignore the needs of others when I can help, what good is my faith? Christianity is not just a set of distinct beliefs; it is a way of life.
“If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,’ but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?” (James 2:15-16, NKJV).
How much do you care about the welfare of others? How much do you follow the words of Paul: “Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others” (Philippians 2:4, NKJV)? By God’s grace, how can you learn to care more for others?
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Eternal life is something we often hear about in Christian circles. We talk about "the blessed hope", "the new earth" and a whole lot of other things that we do not fully understand about what happens after our earthly life is finished. Among the messages that come out of the Good Samaritan parable is the message that no matter what "eternal life" is in the future, it begins now in a very practical sense, not by knowing but by sharing.
The lawyer identified with the priest and Levite. He was knowledgeable, knew the right people, and furthermore, he was an expert. The Samaritan was one of the others; wrong religion, not the type to make a good Jew. And in the context of this conversation about eternal life, the lawyer was told to follow the example of the Samaritan. It is a bit like telling a Seventh-day Adventist to follow the example of a Roman Catholic.
If we are to make our message about eternal life relevant now, we have to show that it has a practical application now by helping others. That is when the Gospel makes sense.
"A lot of people who, though knowing enough to be saved, will be lost because they didn’t obey what they knew."
I do believe 10,000 youth in Peru know who their neighbor is. They were training in September to share wherever God calls, in their local city, in their country, or abroad. May God bless. We will keep them in our prayers. It is their goal to always keep sharing the gospel, always working together. A great inspiration to us.
I do believe that they have eternal life on their minds, as they have became involved in Beyond the Mountain. No, they have not trained to earn their salvation. Rather they are taught, that working for our Master is a reflection of their love for Him.
The question : „By God‘s grace, how can you learn to care more for others“?
I think it‘s just a matter of cooperation with God in all our walk in faith. We aren’t doing a job for God - as being on His payroll, but are working together with Him.
M. Davis wrote in one of her books „What shall I do To Inherit Eternal Life“ :
„To make God‘s grace our own, we must act our part. The Lord does not propose to perform for us either the willing or the doing. His grace is given to work in us and to do, but never as a substitute for our effort. Our souls are aroused to cooperate.“
„ Man can accomplish nothing without God, and God has arranged His plans so as to accomplish nothing in the restoration of the human race without the cooperation of the human with the divine“.
She continues to explain, which I find quite powerful:
„The part man is required to sustain is immeasurably small, yet in the plan of God it is just that part that is needed to make the work a success.“
As Adventist we know scripture and doctrine so well. Many times in church or even these forums you can tell that many us are well versed. And we have the lingo down packed, but that’s all. This lesson today reminded me that true love is needed! God is love and our actions have to demonstrate that. We need Gods word and love.
Knowledge is essential, but it may not mean much without being materialized into action. Being around Christ Himself will take us to learn empathy for others. And this is what we all owe to do if we are called Christians.
I am reminded that people have inbuilt the tools and knowledge to obey God and be saved. An evangelist in the 1800s came to Africa and said Africans will never accept the gospel. Today, Africa has millions and millions of believers... Because the covenant isn't in the pulpit, it's in the heart.
By that, as we further God's mission, we ought to know, they already know. A reminder is needed. If we are sharing the unknown, we begin at the known. God has already laid the foundation, He provides the bricks and the roof, and the skills... All we have to do is show up
Yes, Khanyisani - "All we have to do is show up" - bringing our faith to live in/with us anywhere we go. Indeed - "the Covenant isn't in the pulpit, it's in the heart' which shares its love for its Creator! 🙂
Wow : "...we ought to know, they already know. A reminder is needed."
Yoh !
Child of God Khanyisani ! 🤗
What happens when we ‘love the Lord our God with all our heart and love our neighbor as we love ourselves?’ Recognizing and understanding our utter helplessness to live without/outside our Creator’s design for us will emerge which leads to humble compassion rising in our heart to see our fellow man as we formerly were – robed of dignity, naked, and destitute. and in need of proper covering and care.
We have come to Jesus believing that He will cloth us with His Robe of Righteousness – Isaiah 61; v.10: ” I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a rob of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.”.
We are a new creature, and everything which is 'good' is the Lord’s. Are we to be stingy with His blessings, are we to take ‘ownership’ of His blessings as if they were ‘ours’ to give, or are we to freely and joyfully pour out the abundance of His Glory and Grace to all? 2 Cor.4:6-7.
We have Faith that our heavenly Father’s LOVE will sustain us. We need not to be anxious or fearful to loose the Love He has for us. His Love is active in us, and when we love Him with all our heart and being we trust and are confident in the power of His Love for us. He increases His empowering Love as we pour out and share His good blessings with others – Matt.25:29.
Through Faith and Grace our heavenly Father transformed us into His vessel of Light for sharing His abundant Love with others. Eph.2:5-7; Rom.8:10; 2 Cor. 4:6-7; Gal.1:15-16; Gal.2:20; Gal.4:19; Eph.3:17; Col.1:27; 2 Thess.1:10.
To inherit eternal life !
What is eternal life ?
Eternal life is both a divine quality (qualities of the divine nature, 2 Peter 1 :3-11) and eternal duration through the Holy Spirit.
Christ in Christians (Christ in you the hope of glory) is a new nature in our motivations ((heart and minds) to grow and conform to the fullness in Christ .
1 Corinthians 3:1-3: "And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?"
Growing from a spiritual birth (eternal life) takes time.
A young fruit tree can grow to feed others.
Psalm 1:
2but whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on his law day and night.
3That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers.
Revelation 22:
2down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.
If the tree is barren it can't feed others and is useless. So this life is will not be eternal.
Mark 11:
12 The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. 13 Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. 14 Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it.
We need to be fed by the holy Spirit through Christ Jesus daily, and be a tree of nourishment to others. Otherwise, we lose our gift of eternal life in us.
Etenal life, the quality of divine life (2 Peter 1:3-11)
Keep on trucking
Shalom 🙏
I'm not convinced that Jesus was making a statement about how we are saved here anymore than he was making a statement about how we're saved when He said similar things to the rich young ruler. I feel He was approaching both these men on their terms. Both men thought they needed to do something to be saved but in both cases Jesus gives more information to show how far off they were. Loving like a Samaritan was far beyond what the lawyer felt was reasonable and the rich young ruler couldn't bear to part with his possessions. Jesus was asking both to do things that in human strength (ie. the righteousness of the Pharisees and teachers of the law in Matthew 5:20) is impossible. Jesus always called people to a higher standard, a standard not possible without a relationship with Him.
So... I am convinced that people will not be lost because they didn't obey what they knew, except for knowing you should believe in Jesus and not doing it. True obedience is only possible through a complete heart change. It's not about trying harder to be compassionate. I've seen people doing good deeds and helping the needy while being downright nasty in other respects. I can't judge, but I suspect they are trying to earn their salvation by being compassionate. But there's no love, so it counts for nothing. But Jesus can give us a heart change which allows compassion for everyone to flow out.