Friday: Further Thought – Light Shines in the Darkness
Daily Lesson for Friday 19th of April 2024
“The same spirit of hatred and opposition to the truth has inspired the enemies of God in every age, and the same vigilance and fidelity have been required in His servants. The words of Christ to the first disciples are applicable to His followers to the close of time: ‘What I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.’ Mark 13:37.”—Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, pp. 56, 57.
Image © Stan Myers from GoodSalt.com
In many parts of the world, especially where people have free access to the Bible, Satan has employed other means to weaken its influence. One very effective way has been through various scientific endeavors or even biblical scholarship, which sometimes takes positions that, if accepted, would undermine trust in the Word of God. For example, though the book of Daniel dates itself to more than 500 years before Christ, many Bible scholars date it, instead, to the middle of the second century b.c. They argue that it had to be written at this time; otherwise the prophet would have been accurately telling the future, and that can’t happen. Therefore, they argue, Daniel was not written when it says it was but, rather, hundreds of years later. Unfortunately, this lie about the Bible is one of many that modern scholarship seeks to foist upon us. And more unfortunately, many people accept this error because, after all, Bible scholars are teaching it. No wonder Paul warns us, “Test all things; hold fast what is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21, NKJV).
Discussion Questions
- Refer to the quote in Tuesday’s study and then consider the following: How is Satan using similar methods today to subtly undermine the authority of the Scriptures?
- What are our greatest safeguards against misinterpreting God’s Word?
- Satan’s major attempt in the great controversy between good and evil is to malign God’s character and present Him as an authoritarian, unloving tyrant. How does the evil one attempt to do this, and what is God’s response to his lies?
- The apostle Peter affirms that “no prophecy is of private interpretation” (2 Peter 1:20). How can we be sure we do not distort the meaning of Scripture to achieve our own ends? Why might this be easier to do than we realize? How can we safeguard ourselves against it?
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A humble and open mind to the Holy Spirit's voice is how I should read the Word. Distinguishing God's voice from my thoughts is a vital talent I should cultivate. I can recognize and follow His voice by developing a close relationship with my Creator.
One example is when people pick and choose parts of scripture to fit their own beliefs or what society accepts, rather than understanding the true meaning. This can weaken the authority of scripture by putting personal opinions above divine guidance. We must remember that the
Holy Scriptures stand as the ultimate, authoritative, and infallible revelation of His will.
Two thoughts: “According to the Center for the Study of Global Christianity, there are more than 45,000 Christian denominations worldwide, and over 200 in the United States.” Based on this statement there is a lot of private interpretation going on. The other thought is that in addition to Satan’s misrepresentation as to the character of God, he misrepresents human character as not sinners in need of a saviour.
Could it be that the greatest danger of the Christian faith lays not so much in ‘not knowing enough of the Truth of God’, but rather in not ‘loving the Truth of God enough’? I found that all Scripture passages included in this week's lesson have the power to generate the greatest of joy and love for God and one’s fellow man.
This heartfelt response does not come from the mind, it comes from the redeemed heart of the living soul. Yes, the mind can be lead astray, but it is the still vulnerable heart which it guards - the heart that has not yet committed to loving God exclusively. It is this heart which the adversary tempts with his lies.
We are saved by Grace through faith – Eph.2:1-10. I believe that unless we truly reject the utter wickedness of sin, we cannot love God with all our heart, and therefore will not be able to truly love our follow man. It is the believer's responsibility to guard his heart and mind. We cannot point the finger at the adversary to who’s efforts of deception we have succumbed.
‘Only the Light of Christ’s Love, Grace, and Truth can shine through the darkness of our mind to touch the heart of the living soul!’ Jesus admonishes all to set a ‘watch’ over the heart and mind to protect ourself from the wiles of the evil one – Mark 13:37.
Discussion questions
1. Refer to the quote in Tuesday's lesson and then ponder the following: How does Satan use the same method to subtly undermine the authority of the Scriptures?
Satan uses the same technique to subtly undermine the authority of the Scriptures by making small changes to the scriptures to distort them and make them mean something different from what God intended.
2. What are our main defenses against misinterpreting God's Word?
The main defense against misinterpreting the Word of God is to read and understand the Scriptures in their entire context, not to choose only the part that suits us. It is also important to have the Holy Spirit as our guide to understand the Scriptures well.
3. Satan's main attempt in the great struggle between good and evil is to taint God's character and reveal him as an oppressive, loveless dictator. How does the wicked one try to do this and what is God's answer to his lies?
The evil one tries to tarnish God's character by portraying him as a loveless oppressor by spreading lies and using deceitful methods. God's answer to this lie is to reveal the wicked and show the truth of his love and justice.
4. The Apostle Peter confirms that "no prophecy is to be interpreted according to someone's will" (2 Pet. 1:20). How can we be sure that we are not distorting the meaning of Scripture to serve our own purposes? Why can this be easier to do than we realize, and thus we need to guard against this behavior? How can we protect ourselves against it?
We can ensure that we do not distort the meaning of the Scriptures by reading and understanding the Scriptures in all their context, seeking the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and cooperating with others in learning the Word of God. It is also important to be careful with our desires and strive to find the truth instead of seeking to confirm our own views.
Happy Sabbath to all of us!May we take time each day to study the word so that we don't fall to Satan's receptions.
This is from C.H. Spurgeon, “Christ and His Co-Workers” (sermon, Metropolitan Tabernacle, London, June 10, 1886):
“ Suppose a number of persons were to take it into their heads that they had to defend a lion, full-grown king of beasts! There he is in the cage, and here come all the soldiers of the army to fight for him. Well, I should suggest to them . . . they should kindly stand back, and open the door, and let the lion out! I believe that would be the best way of defending him, for he would take care of himself; and the best ‘apology’ for the gospel is to let the gospel out”
This challenges me. Why do I feel the need to defend the Bible to my unbeliever friend, rather than just opening it for and with her, reading aloud and letting the Holy Spirit speak directly?
Mind is where the great controversy takes place, it is a place of fighting between JESUS and the devil. If we put JESUS (the main center of the gospel) in our mind, when the devil come to the fighting area he will find not us, but JESUS. Do you think in the sight of JESUS, the devil will win?! No, he will not, he never win and he will never ever win.
So what I want to say is this, "Put JESUS in your mind" because when you put him in your mind, you let him fight your battle.
HAPPY SABBATH FAMILY...
Amen , Sister Lynn!
Isaiah 26:3… You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.