Sabbath: A Step in Faith
Image © Pacific Press
Sabbath Afternoon
Read for This Week’s Study: Philippians 2:5-11; Matthew 4:18-20; Acts 9:3-6, Acts 9:10-20; John 21:15-19; 1 John 3:16-18.
Memory Text: “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men” (Philippians 2:5-7, NKJV).
Leaving the glories of heaven, the worship of the angels, and the fellowship of the Father was an unimaginable sacrifice. Yet, Jesus came to this world of suffering and death in order to reveal the Father’s character of love, to win back the affection of the human race, and to redeem all humankind. “Never can the cost of our redemption be realized until the redeemed shall stand with the Redeemer before the throne of God. Then as the glories of the eternal home burst upon our enraptured senses we shall remember that Jesus left all this for us, that He not only became an exile from the heavenly courts, but for us took the risk of failure and eternal loss. Then we shall cast our crowns at His feet, and raise the song, ‘Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing’. Revelation 5:12”. — Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 131.
The sacrifice that Jesus made for our salvation was incalculable. When we respond to His leading, accept His command, and unite with Him in reaching lost people for His kingdom, it calls for sacrifice. Although our sacrifices can never in any way compare to His, soul-winning ministry is for us, as well, a leap in faith. It leads us out of our comfort zones into uncharted waters. At times our Lord calls us to make sacrifices, but the joys He offers are far greater.
Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, September 26.
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If we think about it, God could have chosen any salvation mechanism he liked. He could have simply commanded from the remoteness of heaven, wherever that is, that anyone who obeyed a set of rules could enter heaven. But he didn't do it that way. God arrived on his created planet, as a human being, and in so doing risked everything including existence itself. This was not a bit of play-acting to impress us, or the rest of the universe. God stepped outside of his comfort zone; the infinite became finite; in an act that we still do not really understand. We talk about it a lot, but lots of words do not necessarily equate to lots of understanding.
If we take on board what God has done for us, we should reflect on how we should relate to the rest of the world. Are we so concerned about being pure and uncontaminated that we cut ourselves off from the very world we are to go to and preach the Gospel?
Think about what that means for us.
When we think about the sacrifice that He made for us, we have to be grateful. As repentant sinners, we are called to make sacrifice. There is no greater sacrifice than Jesus giving His life to an ungrateful world. How often do we complain when we have to do something for God in His vineyard? Maybe so and so doesn’t like me or appreciate my work at the church.
For those of us who are living in an industrialized country, we are not willing to make sacrifice in order to spread the gospel. We have to juggle between work, family and our personal lives. Some of us think that church only takes place on sabbath morning. We have to make church a part of our lives and take it with us wherever we go. Covid-19 has taught us that our ministry is outside the 4 walls where we sit every sabbath.
How do we expect to make friends for Jesus when we aren’t willing to make sacrifice? Do you remember Jesus first encounter with Peter (Luke 5)? He spent the whole night fishing without catching a fish. Then, Jesus asked him to use his boat to preach. What would you do if you were in his place? When we have bills to pay and we don’t have money or a job, the last thing in our mind is preaching the gospel. Peter made sacrifices for Jesus his life was changed forever abundantly. Let us ask God to give us His Spirit so we can make sacrifice for Him. Happy sabbath and stay blessed.
How many steps did Jesus take during His public ministry? The distance between Galilee and Jerusalem is 126 kilometers. Most of His time was spent around either the Sea of Galilee or around Jerusalem or walking between them.
What did Jesus mean when He said to the disciples "Follow Me"? I believe, physically, He was saying I am going to be walking all over this land and talking to people, come walk with Me for a while and then I will send you out 2 by 2 to go and visit towns before I do to give them advance notice that I will be visiting them. Don't pack a bag or take any money, we are going to rely on the hospitality of the villagers, for food, shelter and donations. There were more than the 12 who walked with Jesus, where did the 72 come from, there were also women, imagine the logistics!
We need to understand that stepping out in faith has physical consequences. The disciples left their jobs to walk with Jesus from town to town, announcing the "Kingdom of Heaven is at hand".
What physical consequences are there in following Jesus for me?
Maurice commented: "We talk about it a lot, but lots of words do not necessarily equate to lots of understanding." I hope that my comments do contribute to a 'better' understanding of "A Step in Faith'.
The Son of God left the glories of heaven and indwelled the man-child Jesus. God the Father had prepared a child, Jesus, born of flesh. When indwelled by the Spirit of the Son of God He accepted the Father and became His spiritual Son in the flesh - the Savior of mankind - Jesus the Christ; He became the spiritually discerned 'Gospel message' and the Messenger.
God declared: Matt.3:13-17 - We read that the Father was well pleased when Jesus the man submitted to the Spirit of the Son of God(The Father's Holy Spirit); with this act of submission He became the Christ, obedient to so live the will of the Father's redemptive work. Jesus became the embodiment for the Holy Spirit, the Son of God - Emanuel - God with us.
Jesus directs us to love our Heavenly Father as He has loved Him and gave all to Him to be used as His vessel for the redemption of mankind. This was Jesus, the man who became the Son of God, who laid down His life of 'self' for the glory which was set before Him; who trusted in the promise of the Father that He will raise Him up again on the third day; that all who believe will be 'healed' and raised up in the last day. By Faith, He took up His cross and lived the Father's will indwelled by His Holy Spirit! John6:35-40.
Jesus asks us to have faith as He has shown us when He trusted the Father; to take up 'our' cross and lay down our life of 'self' as He as laid down His life; when He departed, He sent us the same Spirit that dwelled in Him and strengthened His soul so with to withstand the temptations of the flesh; to live the Image of the Father by His Spirit.
Each believer carries the cross unique to himself, but we all walk by faith in the Faith of Jesus (His Gospel message) - laying down our old nature, dying to 'self' daily. He showed us by example what His Faith looks like - to love God with all our heart, mind and being, and so to be prepared to love as we have been loved; to lay down 'Self' and pick up our 'cross' to walk by the guiding Light of God's Holy Spirit; the same Light which guided Jesus as He walks by Faith after the Father's Will and became our Christ and Savior.
This, our faith, is not a benefit/cost analysis about how best to navigate through this life, get the 'most' out of it plus have eternal life - the 'icing on the cake' - ; it is not possible 'to keep the cake and eat it too'! It is a daily sacrifice to lay down the old nature; we must give it up if we want the new nature to be established.
KJV 2Cor.5:15-21 - (17) "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is(LET HIM BE) a new creature." (21)"For he hath made him(the Son of God sent from Heaven) to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him(by/through His Holy Spirit)."
By faith, we gave the Holy Spirit 'green light' as we desire the NEW NATURE to be established in us - we want to be made new, to live in the Image of God like Jesus the Christ did as He, by Faith, ministered the Love of the Father to a lost world; the Son of God in whom the Father was well pleased!
"It is a daily sacrifice to lay down the old nature; we must give it up if we want the new nature to be established."
What you say is in agreement with Romans 8:6-8. These two natures are incompatible with each other. Each of us will embrace and be embraced by one or the other.
Satan will do everything within his power to entice us to desire to retain and indulge our sin-based nature. The Holy Spirit will do everything within His power to draw us to desire and co-operate with the renewing of our nature. Each moment of each day we get to choose which nature we will habitually cultivate via what we focus on, think about and spend our time and effort doing. Our choices and our behaviour/s mutually reinforce each other.
The nature of sin is lawlessness (1 John 3:4). And lawlessness is only capable of producing chaos. And chaos in turn is only capable of producing destruction.
Consequently, due to the inherent nature of sin, under a sin-infected reality (which humanity has lived under since Genesis 3 and will continue to do so until Revelation 21) there are no 'pain-free' options.
For this reason, sacrificing is inescapable. Everyone will sacrifice. The only thing that differs is what they sacrifice. Sacrifice self-seeking and gain abundant life. Sacrifice self-giving and gain self-destruction (Mark 8:34-36).
As I see it, this great controversy boils down to two character types; selflessness or selfishness. Throughout scripture we can see the accuser and the accused. The methods used by the accuser are lies and deception, and his goal is to “ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High” Isaiah 14:14. The accused came to show us the truth about Gods character, and said “No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily.” John 10:18
In light of Jesus sacrifice, I feel like I have given up nothing, and I may never be in the position to lay down my life for another. Even by obeying Gods law, I am not sacrificing, because by doing so, my life is enriched.