Friday: Further Thought – Controversies
Daily Lesson for Friday 19th of July 2024
Read Ellen G. White, “Levi-Matthew,” Pages 272–280; “The Sabbath,” Pages 281–289, in The Desire of Ages.
Image © Stan Myers from GoodSalt.com
“When questioned, ‘Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath days?’ Jesus answered, ‘What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the Sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out? How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the Sabbath days.’ Matthew 12:10-12.
“The spies dared not answer Christ in the presence of the multitude, for fear of involving themselves in difficulty. They knew that He had spoken the truth. Rather than violate their traditions, they would leave a man to suffer, while they would relieve a brute because of the loss to the owner if it were neglected. Thus greater care was shown for a dumb animal than for man, who is made in the image of God. This illustrates the working of all false religions. They originate in man’s desire to exalt himself above God, but they result in degrading man below the brute. Every religion that wars against the sovereignty of God defrauds man of the glory which was his at the creation, and which is to be restored to him in Christ. Every false religion teaches its adherents to be careless of human needs, sufferings, and rights. The gospel places a high value upon humanity as the purchase of the blood of Christ, and it teaches a tender regard for the wants and woes of man. The Lord says, ‘I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir.’ Isaiah 13:12.”—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, Pages 286, 287.
Discussion Questions
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We can be quite selfish about our Christianity at times. We put a lot of effort into defining when Sabbath begins and ends (I have evidence of that in the pile of conference papers siting on one of my shelves). We can argue at length about who should be ordained. We have a long-running argument over the nature of Christ. We have a detailed argument about prophecies and their fulfilment. We can become so bound up in defending our doctrines and positions that we forget the central themes Christianity; "To love God and one another."
Jesus' argument with the Jewish religious leaders was that they were so bound up with their religion that they had replaced the love bit with religious rigour. They had built a castle of belief which they defended vociferously. They had a detailed checksheet to determine whether you were a Jew in good and regular standing. But, they had replaced love and compassion with compliance and uniformity.
If Jesus lived among Seventh-day Adventists today, would he find compliance and uniformity? Or, would he find compassion and understanding?
Paul has this advice for us:
As Christians, we have been blessed with forgiveness, salvation, and a personal relationship with our Savior. This life-changing experience is something that should never be taken for granted.
However, it is equally important to understand that our blessings are not meant to be hoarded or kept to ourselves. Instead, we are called to pay it forward and bless others with the love and kindness that we have received. This act of selfless giving not only impacts the lives of those in need but also serves as a reflection of our gratitude towards God.
In 2 Corinthians 9:7, we are reminded that “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” This verse emphasizes the importance of giving with a joyful and willing heart, rather than out of obligation or duty. When we give selflessly, we emulate the character of Christ and becwwwome vessels of His love in the world.
4. The unpardonable sin.
We must remind ourselves that unfavorable acts against people is not the unpardonable sin. The Lord is merciful and just. He will pardon all our transgressions and sins immediately. He says, "I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." [Mark 2:17.] Also we must freely forgive any harm given against us, encouraging them of the love and foregivness that is so abundant from Christ.
I do believe persistent rejections of Christ, and rejecting the Holy Spirit's pleadings for us to surrender to Christ is the unpardonable sin. Every step in the rejection of Christ is a step toward the rejection of salvation, and toward the sin against the Holy Spirit.
Having said that, Christ arms are wide open to encircle us who turn to Christ, no matter how hardened by previous persistant rejection, or failure of repentence. The Saviour is waiting to enter our hearts, why don't we let Him come in? There's nothing in this world to keep you apart. What is our answer to Him? I surrender all. All to Jesus my blessed Saviour, I surrender all.
Today we got this delay in a flight. There was nothing we could do. An international cybernetic bug blanked computers everywhere. Is this happening to the world right now? Are we waiting for the "final trip" while the bug of sin still infects our world? Sometimes, the best to do is to wait patiently. Wait on the Lord; He will come to rescue us forever!
To me this was a reminder of how fragile our modern lifestyle is and how easily the world can be thrown into chaos. This was a bug in Microsoft software - one error in one program of one company. And it grounded planes, made hospital record systems unusable and paralyzed banks.
We have been told that, in this controversy between Christ and Satan, as played out on this planet, "the last movements will be rapid ones." What once seemed improbable and only a matter of faith has, in the last several years, been demonstrated to us as being highly likely and ready to happen any moment.
I've also been intrigued by the revelation that God has individuals in our legislative assemblies and governmental offices who speak for Him and that often the course of events is influenced by such individuals. In the United States, legislative sessions and senate sessions are often broadcast live, and I have been interested to see how certain individuals stand for truth and righteousness. Is God using them to "hold back the winds of strife"?
When we see individuals in government speak truth in the midst of lies and deception, let us pray that the Holy Spirit will guide them and keep them safe! When the final conflict makes issues crystal clear, such people will stand with the rest of God's people in anticipation of Christ's imminent return. Maranatha!