Author Topic: SDA Sabbath School Lesson 1--2nd Quarter 2018--The Cosmic Controversy  (Read 7600 times)

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Glen

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Re: SDA Sabbath School Lesson 1--2nd Quarter 2018--The Cosmic Controversy
« Reply #20 on: April 07, 2018, 09:03:07 AM »
The last group living on this Earth who are Christians will go through a time of trouble such as never was and not sin.....in fallen flesh! ...what knowledge will they have that Adam did not have? And, is there anything else besides knowledge that all mature Christians have living in fallen flesh that Adam did not have?

...what knowledge will the last group living on this Earth who are Christians[,who] will go through a time of trouble such as never was and not sin.....in fallen flesh...have[,] that Adam did not have?

a true sense of the sacrifice made by Christ in leaving His home in heaven to come to this world that He might by His own life show man how to resist temptation
a very real sense of God's abiding, indwelling presence

They will have the perfected character of Christ, honed to maturity in righteousness by the persisting humility of an indwelling Saviour; as like-minded with Him,  the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits. [Daniel 11:32]; Their constant conscious awareness and theme: God [is]with us [Matthew 1:23]! ...the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him. [John 8:29]

By the daily submission of their heart or mind to Him, they have, though His personal, abiding presence, obtain[ed] the victory over every besetment, over pride, selfishness, love of the world, and over every wrong word and action. [Last Day Events, Page 192] Becoming one with Christ, sin cannot triumph because they are free in Christ, experiencing true liberty of the soul. Subjection to God is restoration to one's self—to the true glory and dignity of man.  [see From Heaven With Love p. 315.2] They are able to confess Christ because He lives in and through them as His life has become their LIFE [John 14:6; Colossians 3:4].

As our first parents lost Eden through the indulgence of appetite, our only hope of regaining Eden is through the firm denial of appetite and passion. Abstemiousness in diet, and control of all the passions, will preserve the intellect and give mental and moral vigor, enabling men to bring all their propensities under the control of the higher powers, and to discern between right and wrong, the sacred and the common. All who have a true sense of the sacrifice made by Christ in leaving His home in heaven to come to this world that He might by His own life show man how to resist temptation, will cheerfully deny self and choose to be partakers with Christ of His sufferings.
[Counsels on Diet and Foods p. 163]

Christ's followers are to be more than a light in the midst of men. They are the light of the world. Jesus says to all who have named His name, You have given yourselves to Me, and I have given you to the world as My representatives. As the Father had sent Him into the world, so, He declares, “have I also sent them into the world.” John 17:18. As Christ is the channel for the revelation of the Father, so we are to be the channel for the revelation of Christ. While our Saviour is the great source of illumination, forget not, O Christian, that He is revealed through humanity. God's blessings are bestowed through human instrumentality. Christ Himself came to the world as the Son of man. Humanity, united to the divine nature, must touch humanity. The church of Christ, every individual disciple of the Master, is heaven's appointed channel for the revelation of God to men. Angels of glory wait to communicate through you heaven's light and power to souls that are ready to perish. Shall the human agent fail of accomplishing his appointed work? Oh, then to that degree is the world robbed of the promised influence of the Holy Spirit! [Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing p. 40]


Religion must be made the great business of life. Everything else should be held subordinate to this. All our powers of soul, body, and spirit, must be engaged in the Christian warfare. We must look to Christ for strength and grace, and we shall gain the victory as surely as Jesus died for us....

We must come nearer to the cross of Christ. Penitence at the foot of the cross is the first lesson of peace we have to learn. The love of Jesus—who can comprehend it? Infinitely more tender and self-denying than a mother's love! If we would know the value of a human soul, we must look in living faith upon the cross, and thus begin the study which shall be the science and the song of the redeemed through all eternity. The value of our time and our talents can be estimated only by the greatness of the ransom paid for our redemption. What ingratitude do we manifest toward God when we rob Him of His own by withholding from Him our affections and our service! Is it too much to give ourselves to Him who has sacrificed all for us? [Messages to Young People 115]


...Jesus...will live through (YOU), giving (YOU) the inspiration of His sanctifying Spirit, imparting to (YOUR) soul a vital transfusion of Himself. Sabbath-School Worker 02-01-96.03  ...as the blood

Richard Myers

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Re: SDA Sabbath School Lesson 1--2nd Quarter 2018--The Cosmic Controversy
« Reply #21 on: April 07, 2018, 07:12:35 PM »
Amen, Glen. There is a great difference between the character of Adam living in holy flesh and mature Christians who live in fallen flesh. The only temptation set before Adam was to not eat of the forbidden fruit. Today, we have many temptations and we live in fallen flesh.

"They will have the perfected character of Christ, honed to maturity in righteousness by the persisting humility of an indwelling Saviour; as like-minded with Him..."

Yes, the grace of Christ when taken into the heart brings power to obey all that is revealed.  Continual obedience produces strong character. Coupled with a knowledge of God and of sin, the last group of Christians will be able to resist all sin even while living in fallen flesh. Why? Because they know their continual need of an abiding Christ in order to do any good thing. They cling to Christ so they will not deny Him His reward for His suffering. What is that reward? It is seeing Himself reflected in their character.   
Jesus receives His reward when we reflect His character, the fruits of the Spirit......We deny Jesus His reward when we do not.