The Desire of Ages--54--The Good Samaritan

[Beacon]

"Unless there is practical self-sacrifice for the good of others, in the family circle, in the neighborhood, in the church, and wherever we may be, then whatever our profession...

"We are not Christians."

"And whoever fails to manifest this love is breaking the law which he professes to revere. For the spirit we manifest toward our brethren declares what is our spirit toward God. The love of God in the heart is the only spring of love toward our neighbor.

"If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?" Beloved, "if we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and His love is perfected in us." 1 John 4:20, 12.

Perhaps today would be a good day for personal introspection like Paul says in...
2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?

[Pastor Sean Brizendine]

Amen, Sister Dorine, Brother Richard, and Brother Beacon!

With so many errors and poor examples in the world because of sin, what is the true solution?

"The way to dispel darkness is to admit light. The best way to deal with error is to present truth. It is the revelation of God's love that makes manifest the deformity and sin of the heart centered in self." {The Desire of Ages, page 498, paragraph 5}

Selfishness is death. Christ came to break the power of selfishness by manifesting self-sacrificing love, the true character of God, and show us the path of true happiness which is the result of holiness. To break sin's power and pay the penalty for our sins, Jesus died for us at Calvary. Now He is in the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary ministering to blot out even the record of the confessed and forsaken sin of His people, as He is preparing His people to stand in the sight of a holy God without a mediator by living His character in this world consistently. When we live by faith on the Son of God, the Holy Spirit lives in the converted heart that is cleansed by the blood of Jesus and renewed by grace so that all of the fruits of the Spirit will be seen in the life without one missing! The effect of such union and communion with God is that we will gladly obey the law of love and seek and save the souls around us that need Jesus. Let us go forth today to bless others by looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith!

[Dorine]

"All this is but a fulfillment of the principle of the law,--the principle that is illustrated in the story of the good Samaritan, and made manifest in the life of Jesus. His character reveals the true significance of the law, and shows what is meant by loving our neighbor as ourselves. And when the children of God manifest mercy, kindness, and love toward all men, they also are witnessing to the character of the statutes of heaven. They are bearing testimony to the fact that "the law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul." Psalm 19:7. And whoever fails to manifest this love is breaking the law which he professes to revere. For the spirit we manifest toward our brethren declares what is our spirit toward God. The love of God in the heart is the only spring of love toward our neighbor. "If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?" Beloved, "if we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and His love is perfected in us." 1 John 4:20, 12.

This is not something we should work for. It should be who we are. That's what Jesus does in our lives when we give all to Him. He takes us as we are and transforms us into loving, caring, compassionate Christians that are ever ready to see the needs of others and do what we can to give the help they need. Sacrifice is involved but what happiness it brings to see others lives made more pleasant because we did not pass by on the other side.

[Richard Myers]

Amen Sister Dorine!  Good works can save no one. We must be converted, then we will be doers of the Word. It is not something we are to work for, but something we do when we abide in Christ and He in us.

  The lawyer's question to Jesus had been, "What shall I do?" And Jesus, recognizing love to God and man as the sum of righteousness, had said, "This do, and thou shalt live." The Samaritan had obeyed the dictates of a kind and loving heart, and in this had proved himself a doer of the law. Christ bade the lawyer, "Go, and do thou likewise." Doing, and not saying merely, is expected of the children of God. "He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked." 1 John 2:6.   
     The lesson is no less needed in the world today than when it fell from the lips of Jesus. Selfishness and cold formality have well-nigh extinguished the fire of love, and dispelled the graces that should make fragrant the character. Many who profess His name have lost sight of the fact that Christians are to represent Christ. Unless there is practical self-sacrifice for the good of others, in the family circle, in the neighborhood, in the church, and wherever we may be, then whatever our profession, we are not Christians.   
     Christ has linked His interest with that of humanity, and He asks us to become one with Him for the saving of humanity. "Freely ye have received," He says, "freely give." Matthew 10:8. Sin is the greatest of all evils.....

When we have "dispelled the graces that should make fragrant the character," then our character is not fragrant with good works no matter how hard we try. Read Romans seven for Paul's explanation of the evil within that cannot be overcome without a full heart surrender. Then we shall be one with Christ, partakers of His divine nature. " Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust." 2 Peter 1:4.

[Philip T]

Amen Sister Dorine, and Brother Richard; The good works come out of love from a transformed life which is showing forth the Fruit of the Spirit within us.

"This do, and thou shalt live," Jesus said. He presented the law as a divine unity, and in this lesson taught that it is not possible to keep one precept, and break another; for the same principle runs through them all. Man's destiny will be determined by his obedience to the whole law. Supreme love to God and impartial love to man are the principles to be wrought out in the life.  

The law is to become a part of our every day life being implanted within us and then God's transforming power can work within us, as we surrender ourselves to Him. God is love, the law shows us his character, and as we walk the path of Sanctification, the law should shine forth out of us more and more in our lives as a witness to the love of Jesus as our character's change to be more and more like His.

[Pastor Sean Brizendine]

Amen, Sister Dorine, Brother Richard, and Brother Philip!

The light of truth and love from God is essential to transform the life. When Christ is lifted up in life and character, then the way He lived will be wrought out in us, for He abides in us to produce the same fruits of the Spirit without one missing accompanied  glad obedience to the law of God!

"The way to dispel darkness is to admit light. The best way to deal with error is to present truth. It is the revelation of God's love that makes manifest the deformity and sin of the heart centered in self." {The Desire of Ages, page 498, paragraph 5}   

Selfishness is death, and Jesus came to die for us at Calvary to break the power of self so that as we surrender fully to Him, we can live to bless others by having Him abide in us!

[Beacon]

The lesson is no less needed in the world today than when it fell from the lips of Jesus. Selfishness and cold formality have well-nigh extinguished the fire of love, and dispelled the graces that should make fragrant the character. Many who profess His name have lost sight of the fact that...

"Christians are to represent Christ."

"Unless there is practical self-sacrifice for the good of others, in the family circle, in the neighborhood, in the church, and wherever we may be, then whatever our profession, we are not Christians"   
     
Christ has linked His interest with that of humanity, and He asks us to become one with Him for the saving of humanity.

"Freely ye have received," He says, "freely give." Matthew 10:8

Doing, and not saying merely, is expected of the children of God.

"He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked." 1 John 2:6

By God's Grace & Power may we all be embued with Spirit of Love toward our fellow man and be willing to help and supprt as needed.