Author Topic: The Desire of Ages--51--The Light of Life  (Read 17804 times)

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Richard Myers

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Re: The Desire of Ages--51--The Light of Life
« Reply #20 on: May 23, 2017, 04:01:57 AM »
cp, maybe he is a truly converted Seventh-day Adventist? Why would we doubt this?
Jesus receives His reward when we reflect His character, the fruits of the Spirit......We deny Jesus His reward when we do not.

colporteur

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Re: The Desire of Ages--51--The Light of Life
« Reply #21 on: May 23, 2017, 06:01:11 AM »
cp, maybe he is a truly converted Seventh-day Adventist? Why would we doubt this?

Because La Sierra is not on my perceived listed of higher education and it has a track record. "She" is a black activist.
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Pastor Sean Brizendine

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Re: The Desire of Ages--51--The Light of Life
« Reply #22 on: August 17, 2017, 03:10:49 AM »
I love to focus on Jesus with all the energies of my soul--in prayer, in word, in thought, in deed, and in song--to know that by beholding Him I am truly free to be the man that God created me to be, and to be able to go forth to share with others the freedom that I have experienced in Christ and continue to experience as I abide in Him. We need to know more experientially of the goodness of God that leads us to repentance, of the compassionate tender love of the Savior who implants into our hearts hatred for sin when we see what it cost our Heavenly Father's heart to save us: the birth of Christ into a sinful world from Bethlehem's manger, His sinless yet tempted days in Nazareth and in the desert fasting 40 days at the beginning of His ministry, experiencing the sorrows of humanity to be despised and rejected of men, leading up to His agony in Gethsemane, and death upon Calvary. Even now Jesus ministers for us having conquered death, interceding in heaven as our great High Priest! Behold Him, the soon-coming King of Kings!!!

 In the work of redemption there is no compulsion. No external force is employed. Under the influence of the Spirit of God, man is left free to choose whom he will serve. In the change that takes place when the soul surrenders to Christ, there is the highest sense of freedom. The expulsion of sin is the act of the soul itself. True, we have no power to free ourselves from Satan's control; but when we desire to be set free from sin, and in our great need cry out for a power out of and above ourselves, the powers of the soul are imbued with the divine energy of the Holy Spirit, and they obey the dictates of the will in fulfilling the will of God. {The Desire of Ages, page 466, paragraph 3}
     The only condition upon which the freedom of man is possible is that of becoming one with Christ. "The truth shall make you free;" and Christ is the truth. Sin can triumph only by enfeebling the mind, and destroying the liberty of the soul. Subjection to God is restoration to one's self,--to the true glory and dignity of man. The divine law, to which we are brought into subjection, is "the law of liberty." James 2:12.  {The Desire of Ages, page 466, paragraph 4}
"When we live by faith on the Son of God, the fruits of the Spirit will be seen in our lives; not one will be missing." {The Desire of Ages, 676.4}

Richard Myers

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Re: The Desire of Ages--51--The Light of Life
« Reply #23 on: August 18, 2017, 05:55:59 PM »
Amen Pastor Sean.   This week's Sabbath School lesson addresses this subject, From Slaves to Heirs.

"The only condition upon which the freedom of man is possible is that of becoming one with Christ."
This is where our study begins and ends. We must be reconciled to Christ if we wish to be set free from the bondage of sin.
Jesus receives His reward when we reflect His character, the fruits of the Spirit......We deny Jesus His reward when we do not.

JimB

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Re: The Desire of Ages--51--The Light of Life
« Reply #24 on: November 12, 2017, 06:15:59 AM »
To the Saviour's question, "Dost thou believe on the Son of God?" the blind man replied by asking, "Who is He, Lord, that I might believe on Him?" And Jesus said, "Thou hast both seen Him, and it is He that talketh with thee." The man cast himself at the Saviour's feet in worship. Not only had his natural sight been restored, but the eyes of his understanding had been opened. Christ had been revealed to his soul, and he received Him as the Sent of God.

The above statement reminded me of the following statement. All this chapters circumstances were probably a little more dramatic in nature the principle itself is the same. Jesus revealed Himself to the blind man's soul and he believed and surrendered his life to Him.

The wind is heard among the branches of the trees, rustling the leaves and flowers; yet it is invisible, and no man knows whence it comes or whither it goes. So with the work of the Holy Spirit upon the heart. It can no more be explained than can the movements of the wind. A person may not be able to tell the exact time or place, or to trace all the circumstances in the process of conversion; but this does not prove him to be unconverted. By an agency as unseen as the wind, Christ is constantly working upon the heart. Little by little, perhaps unconsciously to the receiver, impressions are made that tend to draw the soul to Christ. These may be received through meditating upon Him, through reading the Scriptures, or through hearing the word from the living preacher. Suddenly, as the Spirit comes with more direct appeal, the soul gladly surrenders itself to Jesus. By many this is called sudden conversion; but it is the result of long wooing by the Spirit of God,--a patient, protracted process.  {DA 172.3}
By communion with God in nature, the mind is uplifted, and the heart finds rest.  {DA 291.1}

Pastor Sean Brizendine

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Re: The Desire of Ages--51--The Light of Life
« Reply #25 on: November 12, 2017, 06:26:06 AM »
Amen, Jim! While it may seem that the blind man in John 9 was "suddenly converted," we know that the Holy Spirit had been working upon his heart to draw him to see his need of Jesus. It is often the case that those who are suffering in this life, and have passed through ordeals in which they have needed the healing power of Jesus, are more open to receive the light of His truth. Unfortunately, the Pharisees who thought that they were spiritually able to see were really in a more blind condition than the man they condemned for accepting Christ. Oh, that we may realize our continual need of Jesus to see and appreciate spiritual light, the light of truth as it is in Jesus.

I was impressed this morning with a statement about suffering and sin, and I believe that if people understand this, it will help them to put credit where credit is due when it comes to seeing people suffer on account of sin:

  "It was generally believed by the Jews that sin is punished in this life. Every affliction was regarded as the penalty of some wrongdoing, either of the sufferer himself or of his parents. It is true that all suffering results from the transgression of God's law, but this truth had become perverted. Satan, the author of sin and all its results, had led men to look upon disease and death as proceeding from God,--as punishment arbitrarily inflicted on account of sin. Hence one upon whom some great affliction or calamity had fallen had the additional burden of being regarded as a great sinner." {The Desire of Ages, page 471, paragraph 1}

God does not arbitrarily inflict us--but our sins do have consequences. We need to realize that Satan is the author or sin and all its results. That is why when my parents died rather young (my dad died at the age of 48 with a rare brain disease when I was 12, and my mom died at the age of 50 with a sarcoma cancer when I was 15), I realized that this was not God's doing, but was the outworking of Satan's attempts to destroy me and my family. "An enemy hath done this" (Matthew 13:28). I am thankful that God drew me closer to Himself after the painful loss of my parents, and that through adoption into His heavenly family by becoming a partaker of the divine nature (whereby all of the fruits of the Spirit come into the life experience without one missing), I am happier now in Christ than I was before. I look forward to the resurrection morning, but I have my hope anchored in Christ, the light of life.
"When we live by faith on the Son of God, the fruits of the Spirit will be seen in our lives; not one will be missing." {The Desire of Ages, 676.4}

Richard Myers

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Re: The Desire of Ages--51--The Light of Life
« Reply #26 on: November 12, 2017, 09:57:58 PM »
Amen, Pastor Sean! God is not arbitrary. He loves us and all things work for our good as we abide in Christ. And before we abide in Him, He is wooing us to Himself. He loves us!!

By an agency as unseen as the wind, Christ is constantly working upon the heart. Little by little, perhaps unconsciously to the receiver, impressions are made that tend to draw the soul to Christ.

Amen, Jim. It is by revealing His love that we are drawn to Him. It is by this highest form of love, grace, that we are saved (fully surrendered to His love). Impressions of His character......

He whose heart has responded to the divine touch will be seeking for that which will increase his knowledge of God, and will refine and elevate the character. As a flower turns to the sun, that the bright rays may touch it with tints of beauty, so will the soul turn to the Sun of Righteousness, that heaven's light may beautify the character with the graces of the character of Christ. 
Jesus receives His reward when we reflect His character, the fruits of the Spirit......We deny Jesus His reward when we do not.

Richard Myers

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Re: The Desire of Ages--51--The Light of Life
« Reply #27 on: February 07, 2018, 05:21:10 AM »

By an agency as unseen as the wind, Christ is constantly working upon the heart. Little by little, perhaps unconsciously to the receiver, impressions are made that tend to draw the soul to Christ.

Amen, Jim. It is by revealing His love that we are drawn to Him. It is by this highest form of love, grace, that we are saved (fully surrendered to His love).

Speaking of the revelation of love, one of the most powerful revelations I have ever received came from a passage of Scripture that when I first read, I was perplexed. How could God ask a father to sacrifice his son? I did not question God's love or His wisdom, but I did not understand why God would do what appeared to me a cruel thing to do. Knowing God's character, it appeared a contradiction that I knew was not. This passage in the Bible now is one of the most beautiful I have come to understand. It is a revelation of God's great love for you and me.

     Abraham had greatly desired to see the promised Saviour. He offered up the most earnest prayer that before his death he might behold the Messiah. And he saw Christ. A supernatural light was given him, and he acknowledged Christ's divine character. He saw His day, and was glad. He was given a view of the divine sacrifice for sin. Of this sacrifice he had an illustration in his own experience. The command came to him, "Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, . . . and offer him . . . for a burnt offering." Genesis 22:2. Upon the altar of sacrifice he laid the son of promise, the son in whom his hopes were centered. Then as he waited beside the altar with knife upraised to obey God, he heard a voice from heaven saying, "Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou anything unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from Me." Genesis 22:12. This terrible ordeal was imposed upon Abraham that he might see the day of Christ, and realize the great love of God for the world, so great that to raise it from its degradation, He gave His only-begotten Son to a most shameful death.
     Abraham learned of God the greatest lesson ever given to mortal. His prayer that he might see Christ before he should die was answered. He saw Christ; he saw all that mortal can see, and live. By making an entire surrender, he was able to understand the vision of Christ, which had been given him. He was shown that in giving His only-begotten Son to save sinners from eternal ruin, God was making a greater and more wonderful sacrifice than ever man could make.


Not only was Abraham "through his own suffering....enabled to behold the Saviour's mission of sacrifice", so was I able to understand that our heavenly Father suffered greatly as He sacrificed His own innocent Son. What a fearful risk He took in allowing His Son to come a helpless babe to this wicked dark spot in the universe! What love is impressed upon our minds! Many do not read their Bibles seeking to know God, what a shame. As we study it to know God, we are given such wonderful revelations that transform our lives. It is indeed a revelation of our Savior and our heavenly Father!
Jesus receives His reward when we reflect His character, the fruits of the Spirit......We deny Jesus His reward when we do not.

Pastor Sean Brizendine

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Re: The Desire of Ages--51--The Light of Life
« Reply #28 on: February 07, 2018, 07:44:42 AM »
Amen, Richard!

I love how Jesus offers us the help we so need. A simple, but profound thought blessed me today:

"To all who realized their need, Christ came with infinite help." {The Desire of Ages, page 475, paragraph 3}

I need Jesus, how about you? Come to Him as you are, and by beholding Him, you will be changed as you surrender to the beautiful revelation of His character.
"When we live by faith on the Son of God, the fruits of the Spirit will be seen in our lives; not one will be missing." {The Desire of Ages, 676.4}

Dorine

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Re: The Desire of Ages--51--The Light of Life
« Reply #29 on: February 07, 2018, 09:25:08 AM »
Quote
Abraham had greatly desired to see the promised Saviour. He offered up the most earnest prayer that before his death he might behold the Messiah. And he saw Christ. A supernatural light was given him, and he acknowledged Christ's divine character. He saw His day, and was glad. He was given a view of the divine sacrifice for sin. Of this sacrifice he had an illustration in his own experience. The command came to him, "Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, . . . and offer him . . . for a burnt offering." Genesis 22:2. Upon the altar of sacrifice he laid the son of promise, the son in whom his hopes were centered. Then as he waited beside the altar with knife upraised to obey God, he heard a voice from heaven saying, "Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou anything unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from Me." Genesis 22:12. This terrible ordeal was imposed upon Abraham that he might see the day of Christ, and realize the great love of God for the world, so great that to raise it from its degradation, He gave His only-begotten Son to a most shameful death.
   Abraham learned of God the greatest lesson ever given to mortal. His prayer that he might see Christ before he should die was answered. He saw Christ; he saw all that mortal can see, and live. By making an entire surrender, he was able to understand the vision of Christ, which had been given him. He was shown that in giving His only-begotten Son to save sinners from eternal ruin, God was making a greater and more wonderful sacrifice than ever man could make.
I've read this several times today because it fills me with such wonderment as I contemplate God's love for His erring children. Thank you Richard for sharing this quote.

I love how God reveals to us the deep things of His character when we spend the time to get to know Him. We can read our bible, listen to sermons and the truth spoken by others and still be blind. But when the Holy Spirit speaks to our hearts and reveals to us our true condition we have a choice. We can be hardened like the Jewish nation and reject the convictions from the Holy Spirit or we can open our minds to receive them and be set free from the bondage of sin.

"To all who realized their need, Christ came with infinite help. But the Pharisees would confess no need; they refused to come to Christ, and hence they were left in blindness, a blindness for which they were themselves guilty. Jesus said, "Your sin remaineth."

I'm so thankful that God does not tip toe around my sensitive nature and lead me into thinking I'm better than I am.
But this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press  toward the mark. Phil. 3:13,14

JimB

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Re: The Desire of Ages--51--The Light of Life
« Reply #30 on: February 07, 2018, 11:05:55 AM »
Richard, most interesting. I'm not sure why until today now that you've pointed it out I had missed these many times of reading through the DA.

This terrible ordeal was imposed upon Abraham that he might see the day of Christ, and realize the great love of God for the world, so great that to raise it from its degradation, He gave His only-begotten Son to a most shameful death.

I want to understand this a bit better. She said it was imposed on Abraham so that he might see the day of Christ. But this leads me to a couple of questions/thoughts. Was this an exercise in character building. Maybe similar to the 144,000 and the time of Jacob's trouble? Or maybe this was a matter of perspective so that he was better able to understand. Or maybe it doesn't really matter and I'm better off simply taking it as it reads.

By communion with God in nature, the mind is uplifted, and the heart finds rest.  {DA 291.1}

Pastor Sean Brizendine

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Re: The Desire of Ages--51--The Light of Life
« Reply #31 on: May 05, 2018, 03:37:34 AM »
The love of Christ is powerful to me this morning! He keeps revealing fresh revelations of His loveliness of character! Our Heavenly Father loves us with a love that is infinite! The proof? He would be willing to give His only begotten Son to be born our Brother as a babe in Bethlehem! What a risk He took! He consented to not only send Him to our world, but to die the most agonizing death. Who suffered more? Look at the experience of Abraham, and the love of our Father shines forth so powerfully--Jesus suffered intensely, but the Father suffered His wrath to fall upon His Son so we could be reconciled to Him by beholding this infinite sacrifice, and by beholding to have our hearts and minds changed, so we can be converted, have the imputed and imparted righteousness of Christ, and become partakers of the divine nature!! What an infinite love story! You and I get to be a part of God's love story! What a privilege! What a joy it is to behold Jesus! The word "behold" the Holy Spirit flashed to me with deeper meaning today. We need to "be" in Christ and then "hold" Him moment by moment in our hearts by the infilling of the Holy Spirit, whose divine presence is ever manifest in His gracious character--all of the fruits of the Spirit without one missing!

Look and live!

"Abraham had greatly desired to see the promised Saviour. He offered up the most earnest prayer that before his death he might behold the Messiah. And he saw Christ. A supernatural light was given him, and he acknowledged Christ's divine character. He saw His day, and was glad. He was given a view of the divine sacrifice for sin. Of this sacrifice he had an illustration in his own experience. The command came to him, 'Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, . . . and offer him . . . for a burnt offering.' Genesis 22:2. Upon the altar of sacrifice he laid the son of promise, the son in whom his hopes were centered. Then as he waited beside the altar with knife upraised to obey God, he heard a voice from heaven saying, 'Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou anything unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from Me.' Genesis 22:12. This terrible ordeal was imposed upon Abraham that he might see the day of Christ, and realize the great love of God for the world, so great that to raise it from its degradation, He gave His only-begotten Son to a most shameful death." {The Desire of Ages, page 468, paragraph 4} 

I love Jesus with my whole heart because beholding His love is changing me moment by moment. Will you join me in this experience? There is nothing better in earth of heaven than to love God wholeheartedly and then to go forth to diffuse this love to those around us!!!!
"When we live by faith on the Son of God, the fruits of the Spirit will be seen in our lives; not one will be missing." {The Desire of Ages, 676.4}

Dorine

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Re: The Desire of Ages--51--The Light of Life
« Reply #32 on: May 05, 2018, 07:47:26 AM »
  "In the work of redemption there is no compulsion. No external force is employed. Under the influence of the Spirit of God, man is left free to choose whom he will serve. In the change that takes place when the soul surrenders to Christ, there is the highest sense of freedom. The expulsion of sin is the act of the soul itself. True, we have no power to free ourselves from Satan's control; but when we desire to be set free from sin, and in our great need cry out for a power out of and above ourselves, the powers of the soul are imbued with the divine energy of the Holy Spirit, and they obey the dictates of the will in fulfilling the will of God. 
     The only condition upon which the freedom of man is possible is that of becoming one with Christ. "The truth shall make you free;" and Christ is the truth. Sin can triumph only by enfeebling the mind, and destroying the liberty of the soul. Subjection to God is restoration to one's self,--to the true glory and dignity of man. The divine law, to which we are brought into subjection, is "the law of liberty." James 2:12."

What a marvelous chapter to be reading this Sabbath morning. My heart is free, light and happy as I contemplate all that Jesus has done for me. What a God we serve. I am truly grateful for God's plan of redemption. No force, no guilt trips, no condemnation; just a surrendered and willing heart on my part to love and obey Him. He does the rest. Because it is so simple and convicting Satan has to do all in his power to distract, confuse, intimidate, and force. But he is not going to win as long as we keep our eyes on Jesus and give Him our all.
But this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press  toward the mark. Phil. 3:13,14

Richard Myers

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Re: The Desire of Ages--51--The Light of Life
« Reply #33 on: May 05, 2018, 08:23:36 AM »
Amen, Sister Dorine! We are set free from the law of sin and death when we behold the grace of God. I too copied the same paragraphs to share.

    Every soul that refuses to give himself to God is under the control of another power. He is not his own. He may talk of freedom, but he is in the most abject slavery. He is not allowed to see the beauty of truth, for his mind is under the control of Satan. While he flatters himself that he is following the dictates of his own judgment, he obeys the will of the prince of darkness. Christ came to break the shackles of sin-slavery from the soul. "If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed." "The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus" sets us "free from the law of sin and death." Romans 8:2.
     In the work of redemption there is no compulsion. No external force is employed. Under the influence of the Spirit of God, man is left free to choose whom he will serve. In the change that takes place when the soul surrenders to Christ, there is the highest sense of freedom. The expulsion of sin is the act of the soul itself. True, we have no power to free ourselves from Satan's control; but when we desire to be set free from sin, and in our great need cry out for a power out of and above ourselves, the powers of the soul are imbued with the divine energy of the Holy Spirit, and they obey the dictates of the will in fulfilling the will of God.
     The only condition upon which the freedom of man is possible is that of becoming one with Christ. "The truth shall make you free;" and Christ is the truth. Sin can triumph only by enfeebling the mind, and destroying the liberty of the soul. Subjection to God is restoration to one's self,--to the true glory and dignity of man. The divine law, to which we are brought into subjection, is "the law of liberty." James 2:12. 


Every day we read the gospel. We see the plan of salvation stated so clearly. The love of Jesus is always presented, as is the power of grace to change a sinner.

And today, we see clearly laid out the love of our Father. It is the most beautiful truth I have ever seen.

The love of Christ is powerful to me this morning! He keeps revealing fresh revelations of His loveliness of character! Our Heavenly Father loves us with a love that is infinite! The proof? He would be willing to give His only begotten Son to be born our Brother as a babe in Bethlehem! What a risk He took! He consented to not only send Him to our world, but to die the most agonizing death. Who suffered more? Look at the experience of Abraham, and the love of our Father shines forth so powerfully--Jesus suffered intensely, but the Father suffered His wrath to fall upon His Son so we could be reconciled to Him by beholding this infinite sacrifice, and by beholding to have our hearts and minds changed, so we can be converted, have the imputed and imparted righteousness of Christ, and become partakers of the divine nature!! What an infinite love story! You and I get to be a part of God's love story! What a privilege! What a joy it is to behold Jesus! The word "behold" the Holy Spirit flashed to me with deeper meaning today. We need to "be" in Christ and then "hold" Him moment by moment in our hearts by the infilling of the Holy Spirit, whose divine presence is ever manifest in His gracious character--all of the fruits of the Spirit without one missing!

Look and live!

"Abraham had greatly desired to see the promised Saviour. He offered up the most earnest prayer that before his death he might behold the Messiah. And he saw Christ. A supernatural light was given him, and he acknowledged Christ's divine character. He saw His day, and was glad. He was given a view of the divine sacrifice for sin. Of this sacrifice he had an illustration in his own experience. The command came to him, 'Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, . . . and offer him . . . for a burnt offering.' Genesis 22:2. Upon the altar of sacrifice he laid the son of promise, the son in whom his hopes were centered. Then as he waited beside the altar with knife upraised to obey God, he heard a voice from heaven saying, 'Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou anything unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from Me.' Genesis 22:12. This terrible ordeal was imposed upon Abraham that he might see the day of Christ, and realize the great love of God for the world, so great that to raise it from its degradation, He gave His only-begotten Son to a most shameful death." {The Desire of Ages, page 468, paragraph 4} 

I love Jesus with my whole heart because beholding His love is changing me moment by moment. Will you join me in this experience? There is nothing better in earth of heaven than to love God wholeheartedly and then to go forth to diffuse this love to those around us!!!!

Amen!!!
Jesus receives His reward when we reflect His character, the fruits of the Spirit......We deny Jesus His reward when we do not.

JimB

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Re: The Desire of Ages--51--The Light of Life
« Reply #34 on: July 31, 2018, 04:04:22 AM »
To all who realized their need, Christ came with infinite help. But the Pharisees would confess no need; they refused to come to Christ, and hence they were left in blindness,--a blindness for which they were themselves guilty. Jesus said, "Your sin remaineth." 

Two great truths. If you'll admit your helplessness and admit your need of Christ He comes to  you with infinite help! Wow... He is a friend of sinners in deed. However, if we like the Pharisees or the Laodicean do not see our need for Christ then we are truly miserable, poor, blind, and naked and cannot receive help. Lord help our unbelief is my prayers!
By communion with God in nature, the mind is uplifted, and the heart finds rest.  {DA 291.1}

Richard Myers

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Re: The Desire of Ages--51--The Light of Life
« Reply #35 on: July 31, 2018, 07:00:27 AM »
Amen Jim! If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we do not confess our sin, then we are in captivity to the law of sin and death (Romans 7).

       Every soul that refuses to give himself to God is under the control of another power. He is not his own. He may talk of freedom, but he is in the most abject slavery. He is not allowed to see the beauty of truth, for his mind is under the control of Satan. While he flatters himself that he is following the dictates of his own judgment, he obeys the will of the prince of darkness. Christ came to break the shackles of sin-slavery from the soul. "If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed." "The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus" sets us "free from the law of sin and death." Romans 8:2.
   
     In the work of redemption there is no compulsion. No external force is employed. Under the influence of the Spirit of God, man is left free to choose whom he will serve. In the change that takes place when the soul surrenders to Christ, there is the highest sense of freedom. The expulsion of sin is the act of the soul itself. True, we have no power to free ourselves from Satan's control; but when we desire to be set free from sin, and in our great need cry out for a power out of and above ourselves, the powers of the soul are imbued with the divine energy of the Holy Spirit, and they obey the dictates of the will in fulfilling the will of God.
     
Jesus receives His reward when we reflect His character, the fruits of the Spirit......We deny Jesus His reward when we do not.

Dorine

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Re: The Desire of Ages--51--The Light of Life
« Reply #36 on: July 31, 2018, 07:52:53 AM »

That's it in a nutshell Jim. So simple a child can understand and experience it.

1John 1:9 is a favorite text of mine Richard. I'm truly thankful for this promise. I claim it everyday.

But this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press  toward the mark. Phil. 3:13,14

Pastor Sean Brizendine

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Re: The Desire of Ages--51--The Light of Life
« Reply #37 on: July 31, 2018, 10:46:05 AM »
Amen, Amen, Amen!! I love how Jesus is unifying His people as we behold the beauty of the truth as it is in Jesus!

     "He whose heart has responded to the divine touch will be seeking for that which will increase his knowledge of God, and will refine and elevate the character. As a flower turns to the sun, that the bright rays may touch it with tints of beauty, so will the soul turn to the Sun of Righteousness, that heaven's light may beautify the character with the graces of the character of Christ." {The Desire of Ages, page 468, paragraph 2} 

Does Christ live in your heart as you continually surrender fully to Him? If so, He will work in you to continually desire more of His beauty and loveliness of character, so all of the fruits of the Spirit without one missing are revealed in your life, which are the spontaneous evidence of His abiding presence in the soul! Such an experience will illuminate the lives of others as they see Jesus at work in you! We have no ground for self-exaltation--for righteousness only can come from Christ whose grace has the power to renew the heart and work in us to will and to do according to His good pleasure! Let His light shine through you!
"When we live by faith on the Son of God, the fruits of the Spirit will be seen in our lives; not one will be missing." {The Desire of Ages, 676.4}

Dorine

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Re: The Desire of Ages--51--The Light of Life
« Reply #38 on: October 26, 2018, 06:43:21 AM »
As a flower turns to the sun, that the bright rays may touch it with tints of beauty, so will the soul turn to the Sun of Righteousness, that heaven's light may beautify the character with the graces of the character of Christ.

Such a beautiful, simple illustration of what God does in the life of anyone that comes to Him in full surrender. Even a child can understand and be drawn to love and obey Jesus.
But this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press  toward the mark. Phil. 3:13,14

Pastor Sean Brizendine

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Re: The Desire of Ages--51--The Light of Life
« Reply #39 on: October 26, 2018, 07:16:57 AM »
Amen, Dorine! In looking constantly to Jesus, there is constant transformation! We become like the One we adore--Jesus, who gave us light to walk in so we may become like Him in mind and character.

I was so blessed to meditate upon the experience of Abraham, especially as I think of the deep, tender yearning love Abraham had for his son Isaac--a type of the love the Father has for the Son. As Abraham raised the knife to slay his son, he experientially entered into the sufferings of the Father who would offer up His Son to save us. While Abraham's hand was stayed from the offering, no interposition was found for Jesus, who had to die our sacrifice in order to save us. Such love is infinite and unparalleled, and we are called upon to behold it so the Father's love may flow through us in Christ by the Holy Spirit shed abroad in our hearts!

"Abraham learned of God the greatest lesson ever given to mortal. His prayer that he might see Christ before he should die was answered. He saw Christ; he saw all that mortal can see, and live. By making an entire surrender, he was able to understand the vision of Christ, which had been given him. He was shown that in giving His only-begotten Son to save sinners from eternal ruin, God was making a greater and more wonderful sacrifice than ever man could make." {The Desire of Ages, page 469, paragraph 1}
"When we live by faith on the Son of God, the fruits of the Spirit will be seen in our lives; not one will be missing." {The Desire of Ages, 676.4}