Friday: Further Thought – Love Is the Fulfillment of the Law
Daily Lesson for Friday 28th of March 2025
Read Ellen G. White, “The Least of These My Brethren,” Pages 637–641, in The Desire of Ages.
Image © Stan Myers from GoodSalt.com
“Those who minister to others will be ministered unto by the Chief Shepherd. They themselves will drink of the living water, and will be satisfied. They will not be longing for exciting amusements, or for some change in their lives. The great topic of interest will be, how to save the souls that are ready to perish. Social intercourse will be profitable. The love of the Redeemer will draw hearts together in unity.
“When we realize that we are workers together with God, His promises will not be spoken with indifference. They will burn in our hearts, and kindle upon our lips. To Moses, when called to minister to an ignorant, undisciplined, and rebellious people, God gave the promise, ‘My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.’ And He said, ‘Certainly I will be with thee.’ Exodus 33:14; Exodus 3:12. This promise is to all who labor in Christ’s stead for His afflicted and suffering ones.”—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 641.
Discussion Questions
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Re discussion question #4; I remember when most churches had a Dorcas Society. Not so many now. Leadership makes the difference. Some churches are busy, others just "do church" a couple of hours a week.
Individually we can do much. I pray almost daily for God to show me a need. It may be giving literature, or giving a warm hug and prayer. Phone calls and text messaging affords large opportunities to help. My wife and I have found an exciting ministry that way, and it's producing heartfelt responses. Sometimes the Lord will ask us to do something that requires a stretch of faith.
I worked in a Seventh-day Adventist boarding academy for many years. I enjoyed it. Both my kids were born while we were working there. But, in the end, I asked for a transfer to a day school because I felt that I was spending too much time looking after the infrastructure rather than teaching students. I wanted to get back to the real task.
Sometimes I feel the same way about church. This is a reflection from an old man after teaching in the Seventh-day Adventist system for 40 years. In a sense, I have been working to maintain the system. I don't regret that as I think we have some important values to share and discuss in our own environment. But now that I am retired I have had to think outside of the church experience.
The horizon shifted. One thing is I have had a lot more time to spend with secularly-minded folk (when I'm not writing comments on Sabbath School Net). I cannot talk to them about the themes that we discuss within Church circles and I cannot pose as having a better bigger life experience than them. I just spent a wonderful morning with 4 birdwatchers yesterday. We shared the excitement of seeing species we had not seen before. We watched as a flock of Godwits flew in to fuel up for the long flight to Alaska. We bonded in our common interest and shared our concerns about the maintenance of the environment. This is my environment now - a long way from the cerebral discussions of doctrinal refinement within the walls of my church existence. There is not an iota of a possibility that these folk will become tithe-paying Seventh-day Adventists but they are my friends and I have to think how the lessons from this quarter apply to me.
I have mentioned my circumstances because we often come to the end of a quarter of study with some notion that we have achieved a better understanding, or maybe we have won a couple of arguments or made a series of interesting comments.
The Godhead did not sit in Heaven wherever that is, and discuss and argue the case for salvation. Rather God entered the arena, at a risk that we do not even imagine, to save us. He ate with sinners, made friends with fishermen and tax collectors, played games with kids, and ultimately died so he could continue the relationship with us. Now it's our turn to break out of our walls and join the people we consider "others" because that is what "spreading the Gospel" is about.
Maurice you made the comment above, " There is not an iota of a possibility that these folk will become tithe-paying Seventh-day Adventists". Fifty years ago you probably would have said the same about me. In fact I would venture to guess you wouldn't even want to associate with me. But for some mysterious reason the Holy Spirit got a hold of the obnoxious guy and ...... I presently have a list of 14 "impossible non-church people" that I pray for each day. Even though it doesn't seem to make a bit of difference, I continue. Maybe it's just for my benefit, so that I'm more caring???
Good day, Mr. Maurice. I was caught off guard to see you state that there was not "an iota of a possibility" that one of your bird watching folk would someday become an ALL commandments keeping follower of Christ. Could you expound a little further?
Hi William, To be fair, what I actually said was, " There is not an iota of a possibility that these folk will become tithe-paying Seventh-day Adventists". And that is just a bit different to your interpretation of what I said. 😀 If you read the context, what I was trying to get across was that I remain friends with these people in spite of their lack of interest in Christianity. That is how the Holy Spirit works, in and though us. That is my prayer.
Maurice, as a teacher, you quote Christ giving "homework" to His disciples.
We agree that we cannot effectively "teach" the gospel without demonstrating its effectiveness in our own lives. But how effectively can we teach the Good News Christ came to teach without using words?
How much teaching of math, science or computer technology did you do without words?
Since you may be on the road by the time this is published, I would like all of us to consider how much of Christ's commission we can fulfill without actually talking about Him - without actually introducing people to Him?
If Jesus had lived His life without speaking about His Father or His Kingdom, or identifying Himself as the Son of God, would He have had any more influence on this planet than His peasant neighbor who lived a good, though imperfect, life? Would He have had to die? Could He have lived to a ripe old age and died a natural death, and we'd be none the wiser about the Father?
Is it necessary to actually talk about the Good News in order to share it?
I am still at home packing for the trip so I will risk responding here. If Carmel wakes up and finds me at the computer ...
When I went to China a few years ago I travelled with a group of Australian Seventh-day Adventists. We did everything together; ate our meals; visited sites and had worshp together. On the last day of the trip I took worship. I pointed out to my friends that we had been in China for two weeks and the only Chinese we knew was "Nee How!" (Good Day!) If I wanted to buy a banana, I could only point and show the vendow a fist full of cash. We had essentially lived within an Australian bubble for two weeks and had very little interaction with the real Chinese people.
I made the point that we were all going back home to Australia where we had a commission to share the Gospel. I shared that the communication of the Gospel was as difficult for us in Australia as communicating with the Chinese in Shanghai and Bejing. The issue is that we think we can communicate because we all speak Australian English, but we kid ourselves we are really communicating. Christianity is a foreign language to the secular mind. Further, they are not even interested in learning the language.
If we are going to reach the natives, we have to learn their language.
Take a look at some of our conversations on this forum. How much of what we talk about would make any sense to a person who does not read the Bible, or go to church? We are going to be talking to one another about symbolism in the Bible over the next three months. How much of that conversation will make sense to folk who simply ignore Christianity. Talking to ourselves in not spreading the Gospel. We are living in an Adventist bubble in a secular world.
Here is some homework. How about writing our comments for this quarter in a language that an unchurched person would understand?
Thanks for the reply, Maurice! May you have a great trip!
You have outlined the difficulty of communicating with secular people. Now, do you have any suggestions at all regarding how to communicate the Good News to them? After all, that's what Christ commissioned us to do.
It should go without saying that others are welcome to make suggestions - especially since Maurice may actually be on the road by now. 😉
Still packing!
My answer is to make good friends with them. Sooner or later they may have a burden that is best shared. being there for them is one of the best witnesses we have. That is when we can share the love of Jesus and we can do it in a way that is empathetic. It is the "lead by service" approach.
Thanks, Maurice. Making friends is the necessary beginning to sharing the Good News about God and "Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you." (Matt 28:19,20)
I believe there's a parallel between teaching science or IT and teaching what Jesus commanded. How much science would your students have learned if you befriended your students but did not talk to them about science?
We agree that to teach most effectively, we need a relationship with our students. The same is true for teaching all things that Jesus commanded. However, if we go no further than forming a friendship, we let our friends down by not sharing with them what they need to know to be prepared for life on this planet or for life in eternity. Our friends need to know the Good News of God's character and His purpose for their lives.
Paul asked "How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?" Romans 10:14
You seem to have a number of atheist friends, so it would be most helpful if you could suggest ways our readers can engage their agnostic and atheist friends in a conversation on eternal matters. Maybe you can reflect on this during your vacation and share when you get back. 😊
The quarter has come to a close. We have all the knowledge to know that we have a loving God, more then we could ever surmise as human beings. And justice out of love.
Now what are we going to do about it.
We turn to Christ and surrender our lives to the one who died for us and ask the question to others, are you ready for Jesus to come?
Chorus
Are you ready for Jesus to come?
Are you faithful in all that you do?
Do you fight a good fight?
Do you stand for the right?
Do others see Jesus in you?
Are you ready to stand in your place?
Are you ready to look in His face?
Can you look up and
say, "This is My Lord!"
Are you ready for Jesus to come?
1 Peter 1:5.
http://youtu.be/-wsbZfU3rNU?si=DypGAVVNF9GzrS43
What a beautiful lesson study we have had this quarter. I believe all those who have studied the lessons have been drawn closer to God and their fellow man.
This week's study revealed the essence of the law and how we ought to function as children of God preparing for eternity. Our presence and declaration as God's children on Earth are to practice and prepare for eternal living. Earth is our training ground: if we can't practice love for God and our fellow man here, we will never make it to Heaven and the New Earth. Maranatha!
God knows every heart. I need to surrender all to Him. He knows best, and He is capable of the impossible.
I have a question. We believe we have true doctrine. It would seem that the purpose of true doctrine is to make us the most like Jesus in love. How is it that the contemporary person most known for love, mother Teresa, represents the false doctrine of the beast of revelation 13?
Where do we get the idea that a person who shows love and compassion represents the false doctrine of the Beast? Let's be very clear that there are many Catholics who are fine Christians who love God and show compassion to their fellow man. They are not the beast; they do not represent the beast. I have worked beside Catholics who have taught me a lot about love and compassion in our modern world. They are the "Samaritans" in my Adventist world!
I would say, if the beast is not the false teachings of catholic doctrine, then what is it? It is also referred to as the wine of Babylon. I am fairly sure mother Teresa professed to be catholic and therefore followed the teachings of the Catholic Church.
So what you are saying is only a Seven Day Adventist can show the love of God?
Or maybe he's saying that, with the great privileges we have, our lives should be more like the life of Jesus - enough so that people will notice?
As a matter of fact, I understand that's exactly what will happen at the end of time (and we're not far away). God will have a people who will reflect the character of Jesus so closely that people will notice. Will we be among them?
If having "the truth" doesn't make us better people what good is it? Perhaps "the truth" has to have us. Unless it does, then we are Seventh-day Legalists, or Seventh-day Pharisees. We aren't saved by our intelligence or by doctrine. We are saved by grace through faith. We need to have a relationship with Jesus, that will be the attracting thing that draws people to Christ.
I hear you, Michael.
If we profess to have "the true doctrine" of the Bible, our lives should be more like that of Jesus than those who do not have the same privilege of understanding the "true doctrine." After all, Jesus said that a tree is known by its fruits. Matthew 12:33-37 Thus good teachings should result in good people, right?
So your question is, how is it the Mother Teresa is best known as being most "like Jesus" because of her self-denying life and compassion?
It's worth thinking about.
(I also understand that those of other faiths and of no faith at all can be led by the Spirit, living up to all the "light" they have. The suggested reading for today demonstrates this: Ellen G. White, “The Least of These My Brethren,” Pages 637–641, in The Desire of Ages.)It is a really thought-provoking reading.
I rarely post on blogs, but Inge Anderson's statement intrigued me: 'Thus, good teachings should result in good people, right?'
I don't believe that's always the case. Judas listened to Jesus for three years, yet he didn't change. In fact, Lucifer, in a perfect environment and under the best tutelage, became Satan, the adversary. I believe it's a matter of personal choice, as Jesus pointed out in John 3:19-21:
'This is how the judgment works: the light has come into the world, but people loved the darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil. Those who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, lest their deeds should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be seen that what has been done has been done in God.'
It's quite clear here that Jesus is stating that people choose, based on the light they're given, whether to step out of the darkness.
The reason I asked this question is to point out what I believe is a disconnect between our mind and our spirit. And this I think is due to our sinful condition. We have people in intellectual error apparently with God’s Spirit. And we have people with intellectual truth, lacking in God‘s Spirit. I believe it is God‘s plan for our spirit and intellectual understanding to be united so that they perfectly reflect each other and both to the glory of God.
(Revelation 7:2.) Seal Is a Settling Into Truth—Just as soon as the people of God are sealed in their foreheads—it is not any seal or mark that can be seen, but a settling into the truth, both intellectually and spiritually, so they cannot be moved. 4BC 1161.5-4BC 1161.6