Lesson # 4, Lord of Our Desires

[Clive Nevell]

Memory Text:        

"For what the Jaw could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh" (Romans 8:3, NKJV).

Clive

[Clive Nevell]

Key Thought:            

"God created humans with powerful desires for our enjoyment. We, as Christians, need to keep those desires, which we should still enjoy, under divine control." (Sabbath Afternoon)

Clive

[Clive Nevell]

"How can you know if you are walking after the "flesh" or after the "spirit"?" (Sunday's Lesson)

One way to know is how is the person's life going?

"By their fruits ye shall know them"

Clive

[Richard Myers]

"For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:"

Don't know where the "scholars" came up with "jaw", but it changes the meaning from "law". It is very important to understand that the "Law" of God has no power. It is the teaching in Romans as it is throughout the Bible. We cannot obey the law without the Holy Spirit in the heart. The law has no power to save, only to condemn. It is the "Schoolmaster" that leads us to Jesus.

I don't say much about the "new" versions of the Bible, but I don't like them for the most part. They lead us away from the truth. It is sad that those who choose to use them do so. It is also very confusing. It also makes it harder to memorize Scripture.

[Richard Myers]

Amen, Brother Clive. Love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness....Paul's inspired warnings against self-indulgence are sounding along the line down to our time. . . . He presents for our encouragement the freedom enjoyed by the truly sanctified. "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." Romans 8:1. He charges the Galatians to "walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh." Galatians 5:16, 17. He names some of the forms of fleshly lusts:  "Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance..."  After mentioning the fruits of the Spirit he adds, "And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts." Verse 24.

[Sister Marie]

Also, there is no unity when the Pastor reads one version and each of us reads another. I look at all of this as being ways satan uses to take our mind away from what is presently being said in lue of trying to read the text and understand it in our own version. Newer versions often do not lead us to Jesus as well as the King James and the NIV literly leaves things out and makes mention of Christ very blandly...

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With Christian Love,
Sister Marie

[Clive Nevell]

"Many who profess godliness do not inquire into the reason of Christ's long period of fasting and suffering in the wilderness. His anguish was not so much from the pangs of hunger as from His sense of the fearful result of the indulgence of appetite and passion upon the race. He knew that appetite would be man's idol and would lead him to forget God and would stand directly in the way of his salvation."—Ellen G. White, Confrontation, p. 51"

When it comes to appetitie, how many can keep their desires under control?

This is one of many where Satan has had great success with many.

Clive

[Clive Nevell]

I would go as far and say that often we fall way behind the world in the control of  appetite. They may not do it for the right reason but here are many that have very strict rules in their eating habits.

Clive

[M.A. Crawford]

"It is often noted how human beings are born [in sin] and 'shapen in iniquity' (Ps. 51:5). In fact, it almost seems an excuse these days for our continued sinful behavior: 'I can't help it; that's just the way I am.'

"If you are a child of God, however, you should quote 2 Corinthians 5:17. If you are, indeed, born again, then the fact you were once 'born [in sin] and shapen in iniquity' no longer has any bearing. Instead, your desire should be for 'Nothing Less Than Holiness,' singing:

"I want to be like Jesus,
"I want to be like Him.
"Every day He's changing me and
"Making me as I should be.
"O, I want to be more and more like Him.

"Until this is truly our desire, our witness is meaningless...." (Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide, Teacher's Edition, 3rd Quarter [July - September, 2005], Page 49).

M.A.

[Clive Nevell]

Consider the stories of various Bible characters who failed to yield their desires to the will of God. Note the consequences of their actions. Some of these individuals repented of their sin and trusted in God's grace for forgiveness and salvation. Others continued in their sin and will be eternally lost.
 
Bible Character
Cain (Gen. 4:3-15)  
Moses (Exod. 2:11-15)  
David (2 Samuel 11-18)  
Peter (Matt. 26:69-75)  
Judas (Matt. 27:3-5)

Consequences
 

"You may live in the Spirit, walk in the Spirit, and bear the fruits of the Spirit; you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Then you will be living channels of light, having your life hid with Christ in God."—Ellen G. White, Manuscript Releases, vol. 4, p. 49. (FRiday's Lesson)

Clive

[Clive Nevell]

Cain

Consequences

Genesis 4:3-15 (New International Version)

3 In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD. 4 But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 5 but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.
   6 Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it."

   8 Now Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let's go out to the field." [a] And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.

   9 Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?"
     "I don't know," he replied. "Am I my brother's keeper?"

   10 The LORD said, "What have you done? Listen! Your brother's blood cries out to me from the ground. 11 Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. 12 When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth."

   13 Cain said to the LORD, "My punishment is more than I can bear. 14 Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me."

   15 But the LORD said to him, "Not so ; if anyone kills Cain, he will suffer vengeance seven times over." Then the LORD put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him.

Moses

Consequences

Exodus 2:11-15 (New International Version)

Moses Flees to Midian
   11 One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to where his own people were and watched them at their hard labor. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people. 12 Glancing this way and that and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. 13 The next day he went out and saw two Hebrews fighting. He asked the one in the wrong, "Why are you hitting your fellow Hebrew?"

   14 The man said, "Who made you ruler and judge over us? Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian?" Then Moses was afraid and thought, "What I did must have become known."

   15 When Pharaoh heard of this, he tried to kill Moses, but Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in Midian, where he sat down by a well.

David

Consequences

2 Samuel 11-18 (New International Version)

11 Uriah said to David, "The ark and Israel and Judah are staying in tents, and my master Joab and my lord's men are camped in the open fields. How could I go to my house to eat and drink and lie with my wife? As surely as you live, I will not do such a thing!"

   12 Then David said to him, "Stay here one more day, and tomorrow I will send you back." So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the next. 13 At David's invitation, he ate and drank with him, and David made him drunk. But in the evening Uriah went out to sleep on his mat among his master's servants; he did not go home.

   14 In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah. 15 In it he wrote, "Put Uriah in the front line where the fighting is fiercest. Then withdraw from him so he will be struck down and die."

   16 So while Joab had the city under siege, he put Uriah at a place where he knew the strongest defenders were. 17 When the men of the city came out and fought against Joab, some of the men in David's army fell; moreover, Uriah the Hittite died.

   18 Joab sent David a full account of the battle.

Peter

Consequences

Matthew 26:69-75 (New International Version)

Peter Disowns Jesus
   69Now Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, and a servant girl came to him. "You also were with Jesus of Galilee," she said.

   70But he denied it before them all. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said.

   71Then he went out to the gateway, where another girl saw him and said to the people there, "This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth."

   72He denied it again, with an oath: "I don't know the man!"

   73After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter and said, "Surely you are one of them, for your accent gives you away."

   74Then he began to call down curses on himself and he swore to them, "I don't know the man!"

  Immediately a rooster crowed. 75Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: "Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times." And he went outside and wept bitterly.

Judas

Consequences

Matthew 27:3-5 (New International Version)

   3When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty silver coins to the chief priests and the elders. 4"I have sinned," he said, "for I have betrayed innocent blood."
     "What is that to us?" they replied. "That's your responsibility."

   5So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.

Just taking some time to look at Judas. Just how different things could have been if he had of had different desires.

Clive

[This message has been edited by Clive Nevell (edited 07-22-2005).]

[Eleanore Holmes]

What a blessing it is to be back posting  in TRO.  Being away from daily Sabbath School lessons can be dangerous for me.  My daily studies brings me so much closer to our loving Saviour, BUT, when away,  Satan's power can  destroy us if we do not have that hour or two of study each day.  I sure have missed TRO.

TODAY:  FILLED WITH HIS FULLNESS  Eph. 3:17

"That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God."  AMEN!

It is the privilege and duty of every child of God to obtain day by day a living experience in the things of Christ. Through a connection with Christ, we are to go forth in his Spirit, with his mind, as agents to cooperate with the divine, to bear to the world the message of the love of God to man. We are to proclaim that Christ is our advocate.  

AMEN!  SEEK THE LORD MOST EARNESTLY.  Eternal life at the right hand of God is worth a lifelong, persevering, untiring effort. Look to the cross of Calvary and be no longer half-hearted.

[Richard Myers]

The lesson guide asks as good question: "In our struggle to keep our desires under control, why is understanding the good news of Christ's substitutionary death so important, especially after we make a mistake and yield to our sinful desires?"

If we answer this question in the manner that many are teaching today we are in great danger of losing salvation. But, on the other hand if we do not really understand the subject we are in danger of losing the  blessing and peace that comes from the assurance of past sins forgiven.

What is the issue? The "evangelical"  gospel teaches that you may sin while retaining eternal life, that Christ is your substitute while you sin. This is the great deception brought into the Christian church today. Usually it comes under the doctrine "the assurance of salvation."

The truth is that when we sin it is because we are not found abiding in Christ. We have lost the power to overcome because we have wandered aways from Jesus. He is not first in our hearts. Now, the truth regarding our "Sacrifice" becomes very important. Look at the life of Moses when he struck the Rock. At such an exalted position it was very painful to Moses to realize what shame he had brought upon God. His guilt was in proportion to his high calling. Why did he sin? He took his eyes off of Christ. While not retaining justification, eternal life, his repentance was quick and deep. He was very sorry that he had injured Christ and His cause. His sin was so serious that he had to die because of it. He was forgiven as soon as he repented. It is in his sin that he knew of "Christ's substitutionary death". He understood it correctly and no matter how great his sin, he knew that Christ had died for him while in his sin. This is why his repentance was quick and deep. He rightly understood the plan of salvation the great sacrifice of God.

Sadly too many today neglect to study this matter and lose the blessing and ultimately salvation. To be in a "Laodicean" condition is to be in a lost condition. The solution is given to rectify the problem. Will guilty man heed the call? Or will he continue to follow the blind guide? The stakes are high.

The correct answer to today's question is vitally important to us and to our families. May the Spirit of God open our blind eyes that we may see the love of God and be healed.