Memory Text:
+> “ ‘I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely, for My anger has turned away from him’ ” (Hosea 14:4, NKJV). + +Though Peter had denied Jesus three times, just as Jesus had predicted (Matt. 26:34), these denials were not the end of the story. After the Resurrection, Jesus asked Peter, “ ‘Do you love Me more than these?’ ” And Peter replied, “ ‘Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.’ ” And Jesus said, “ ‘Tend My lambs.’ ” Then, Jesus again asked Peter, “ ‘Do you love Me?’ ” And Peter replied, “ ‘Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.’ ” And Jesus said, “ ‘Shepherd My sheep.’ ” Then, yet again, a third time Jesus asked Peter, “ ‘Do you love Me?’ ” And “Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, ‘Do you love Me?’ ” And Peter replied, “ ‘Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.’ ” And Jesus said, “ ‘Tend My sheep’ ” (John 21:15–17, NASB 1995). Just as Peter had denied Jesus three times, Jesus—by way of the crucial question, “ ‘Do you love Me?’ ”—restored Peter three times. + +However different our circumstances may be from Peter’s, in many ways the principle is the same. That is, the question that Jesus had asked Peter is really the ultimate question that God poses to each of us in our time and place: Do you love Me? + +Everything depends on our answer to that question. + +_*Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, January 4._ + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +Three times after His resurrection, Christ tested Peter. “Simon, son of Jonas,” He said, “lovest thou me more than these?” . . .\ +This heart-searching question was necessary in the case of Peter, and it is necessary in our case. The work of restoration can never be thorough unless the roots of evil are reached. Again and again the shoots have been clipped, while the root of bitterness has been left to spring up and defile many; but the very depth of the hidden evil must be reached, the moral senses must be judged, and judged again, in the light of the divine presence. The daily life will testify whether or not the work is genuine.\ +When, the third time, Christ said to Peter, “Lovest thou me?” the probe reached the soul center. Self-judged, Peter fell upon the Rock, saying, “Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee.”—Ellen G. White Comments, in The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 5, pp. 1151, 1152. + +The heart of God yearns over His earthly children with a love stronger than death. In giving up His Son, He has poured out to us all heaven in one gift. The Saviour’s life and death and intercession, the ministry of angels, the pleading of the Spirit, the Father working above and through all, the unceasing interest of heavenly beings,—all are enlisted in behalf of man’s redemption.\ +Oh, let us contemplate the amazing sacrifice that has been made for us! Let us try to appreciate the labor and energy that Heaven is expending to reclaim the lost, and bring them back to the Father’s house. Motives stronger, and agencies more powerful, could never be brought into operation; the exceeding rewards for right-doing, the enjoyment of heaven, the society of the angels, the communion and love of God and His Son, the elevation and extension of all our powers throughout eternal ages—are these not mighty incentives and encouragements to urge us to give the heart’s loving service to our Creator and Redeemer?—Steps to Christ, p. 21. + +All the paternal love which has come down from generation to generation through the channel of human hearts . . . are but as a tiny rill to the boundless ocean when compared with the infinite, exhaustless love of God. Tongue cannot utter it; pen cannot portray it. You may meditate upon it every day of your life; you may search the Scriptures diligently in order to understand it; you may summon every power and capability that God has given you, in the endeavor to comprehend the love and compassion of the heavenly Father; and yet there is an infinity beyond. You may study that love for ages; yet you can never fully comprehend the length and the breadth, the depth and the height, of the love of God in giving His Son to die for the world. Eternity itself can never fully reveal it.—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, p. 740. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/01/02.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/01/02.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..fc662ddcd9 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/01/02.md @@ -0,0 +1,32 @@ +--- +title: Beyond Reasonable Expectations +date: 29/12/2024 +--- + +God not only asks us, “Do you love Me,” but God Himself loves each person, and does so freely. Indeed, He freely loves you and me and every other person more than we could possibly imagine. And we know this love by the way He has acted in the history of His people. + +`Read Exodus 33:15–22 and consider the context of these verses and the narrative in which they appear. What does this passage, especially verse 19, reveal about God’s will and love?` + +All seemed lost. Not long after God’s amazing deliverance of His people from slavery in Egypt, the people of Israel had rebelled against God and worshiped a golden calf. When Moses came down from the mountain, he saw what they had done, and he threw down the tablets containing the Ten Commandments and shattered them. Though the people had forfeited any right to the covenant privileges and blessings that God had freely bestowed on them, God freely chose to continue with them in covenant relationship anyway—despite their unworthiness for the covenant blessings. + +The words of Exodus 33:19, “ ‘I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion’ ” (NKJV), are often misunderstood to mean that God arbitrarily chooses to be compassionate and gracious to some, but not others. However, in context, God is not stating here that He will arbitrarily be gracious and compassionate to some and not to others. That is not how God works, contrary to some popular theology in which God predestines some to be lost and to face eternal condemnation. + +What, then, is God proclaiming here? Essentially, God is proclaiming that, as the Creator of all, He has the right and authority to grant grace and compassion freely to even the most undeserving of people. And He is doing so in this situation, even after the golden calf rebellion, by granting mercy to His people, Israel, even if they didn’t deserve it. + +This is one of many instances in which God manifests His love and does so beyond any reasonable expectations. Good news for us all, is it not? + +`In what ways has God continued to reveal and manifest His love to you—even beyond any reasonable expectations?` + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +Christ, the Light of the world, veiled the dazzling splendor of His divinity and came to live as a man among men, that they might, without being consumed, become acquainted with their Creator. . . .\ +Christ came to teach human beings what God desires them to know. In the heavens above, in the earth, in the broad waters of the ocean, we see the handiwork of God. All created things testify to His power, His wisdom, His love. Yet not from the stars or the ocean or the cataract can we learn of the personality of God as it was revealed in Christ.\ +God saw that a clearer revelation than nature was needed to portray both His personality and His character. He sent His Son into the world to manifest, so far as could be endured by human sight, the nature and the attributes of the invisible God.—The Ministry of Healing, p. 419. + +[To] hearts that have become purified through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, all is changed. These can know God. Moses was hid in the cleft of the rock when the glory of the Lord was revealed to him; and it is when we are hid in Christ that we behold the love of God. . . .\ +By faith we behold Him here and now. In our daily experience we discern His goodness and compassion in the manifestation of His providence. We recognize Him in the character of His Son. The Holy Spirit takes the truth concerning God and Him whom He hath sent, and opens it to the understanding and to the heart. The pure in heart see God in a new and endearing relation, as their Redeemer; and while they discern the purity and loveliness of His character, they long to reflect His image. They see Him as a Father longing to embrace a repenting son, and their hearts are filled with joy unspeakable and full of glory.—Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, p. 26. + +It was John’s deep love for Christ which led him always to desire to be close by His side. The Saviour loved all the Twelve, but John’s was the most receptive spirit. He was younger than the others, and with more of the child’s confiding trust he opened his heart to Jesus. Thus he came more into sympathy with Christ, and through him the Saviour’s deepest spiritual teaching was communicated to the people. . . .\ +John could talk of the Father’s love as no other of the disciples could. He revealed to his fellow men that which he felt in his own soul, representing in his character the attributes of God. The glory of the Lord was expressed in his face. The beauty of holiness which had transformed him shone with a Christlike radiance from his countenance. In adoration and love he beheld the Saviour until likeness to Christ and fellowship with Him became his one desire, and in his character was reflected the character of his Master.—The Acts of the Apostles, p. 545. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/01/03.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/01/03.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..5d6d665d30 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/01/03.md @@ -0,0 +1,27 @@ +--- +title: Unrequited Love +date: 30/12/2024 +--- + +God’s striking instance of His love for fallen humanity is found in the story of Hosea. God commanded the prophet Hosea, “ ‘Go, take yourself a wife of harlotry and children of harlotry, for the land has committed great harlotry by departing from the Lord’ ” (Hos. 1:2, NKJV). Hosea and his unfaithful wife were to be a living object lesson of God’s love for His people, even despite Israel’s unfaithfulness and spiritual harlotry. That is, it is a story of God’s freely bestowed love on those who do not deserve it. + +Indeed, despite God’s faithfulness and love, the people rebelled against Him, again and again, too. Accordingly, Scripture repeatedly describes God as the unrequited lover of an unfaithful spouse. He had loved His people perfectly and faithfully, but they had scorned Him and served and worshiped other gods, deeply grieving Him and breaking the relationship, seemingly beyond repair. + +`Read Hosea 14:1–4. What do these verses reveal about God’s steadfast love for His people?` + +In the aftermath of repeated rebellion by His people, God declares: “ ‘I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely’ ” (NKJV). The term “freely” in the phrase “ ‘I will love them freely’ ” translated a Hebrew word (nedabah), which connotes that which is offered voluntarily. It is the same term used of the freewill offerings in the sanctuary system. + +Throughout Hosea, and throughout the narratives of Scripture, God shows amazing commitment and compassion to His people. Even though they repeatedly went after other lovers, breaking the covenant relationship, seemingly beyond repair, God of His own free will continued to bestow His love on them. The people did not deserve God’s love; they had rejected and forfeited any rightful claim to it. Yet, God continued to bestow love on them without any compulsion, moral or otherwise. Here and elsewhere, Scripture consistently displays God’s love as free and voluntary. + +`Many people think of God as a distant and harsh ruler and judge. How does the imagery of God’s being scorned and grieved as the unrequited lover of an unfaithful spouse help you see God differently? How does it change the way you view your own relationship with God?` + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +The Lord did not give Israel up without first doing all that could be done to lead them back to their allegiance to Him. Through long, dark years when ruler after ruler stood up in bold defiance of Heaven and led Israel deeper and still deeper into idolatry, God sent message after message to His backslidden people. Through His prophets He gave them every opportunity to stay the tide of apostasy and to return to Him. During the years that were to follow the rending of the kingdom, Elijah and Elisha were to live and labor, and the tender appeals of Hosea and Amos and Obadiah were to be heard in the land. Never was the kingdom of Israel to be left without noble witnesses to the mighty power of God to save from sin.—Prophets and Kings, pp. 107, 108. + +The love of God is a golden chain, binding finite human beings to Himself. This love passes our knowledge. Human science can not explain it. Human wisdom can not fathom it. Parents love their children, but the love of God is larger, broader, deeper, than human love can possibly be. All the paternal love that has come down from generation to generation, through the channel of human hearts, all the springs of tenderness that have opened in the sons of men, are but as a tiny rill to the boundless ocean, when compared with the infinite, exhaustless love of God. Tongue can not utter it; pen can not portray it. You may meditate upon it every day of your life; you may search the Scriptures diligently in an effort to understand it; you may summon every power and capability that God has given you; and yet there is an infinity beyond. You may study that love for ages, and yet you can never fully comprehend the length and breadth and depth and height, of the love of God. . . .\ +The Lord’s children are never absent from His mind.—“The Love of God,” Signs of the Times, July 13, 1904. + +Satan is determined that men shall not see the love of God which led Him to give His only-begotten Son to save a lost race; for it is the goodness of God that leads men to repentance. O how shall we succeed in setting forth before the world the deep, precious love of God? In no other way we can compass it except by exclaiming, “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God” (1 John 3:1). Let us say to sinners, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). By presenting Jesus as the representative of the Father, we shall be able to dispel the shadow that Satan has cast upon our pathway, in order that we shall not see the mercy and inexpressible love of God as manifested in Jesus Christ. Look at the cross of Calvary. It is a standing pledge of the boundless love, the measureless mercy of the heavenly Father.—Selected Messages, book 1, p. 156. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/01/04.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/01/04.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..dace3d4ae6 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/01/04.md @@ -0,0 +1,34 @@ +--- +title: Love Freely Given +date: 31/12/2024 +--- + +God not only continued to bestow His love freely on Israel, despite repeated rebellions, but God also continues to bestow love freely upon us, even while we are sinners. We do not deserve God’s love, and we could never earn it. Conversely, God does not need us. The God of the Bible does not need anything (Acts 17:25). God’s love for you and for me and for all persons is entirely of His own volition. + +`Compare Revelation 4:11 and Psalm 33:6. What do these verses tell us about God’s freedom relative to Creation?` + +God freely created this world. And, because of this, God is worthy of all glory, honor, and power. God did not need to create any world. Before the foundation of the world, God already enjoyed the love relationship that existed within the Godhead. + +`Read John 17:24. What does it tell us about God’s love before the world existed?` + +God did not need creatures as an object of His love. But, in accordance with His character of love, God chose to create the world and enter into a love relationship with creatures. + +Not only did God freely create this world as a bestowal of His generous love, but God also continues freely to love humans, even after humans fell into sin in Eden, and even after we personally sin. + +After the Fall in Eden, Adam and Eve had no right to continue to live and receive God’s love. But God, who upholds “all things by the word of His power” (Heb. 1:3, NKJV), in His great love, mercy, and grace sustained their lives and has made a way to reconcile humanity back to Himself in love. And that reconciliation includes us, as well. + +`What does the fact that God continues to bestow love on this world, despite its fallenness and evil, tell us about His love and character? How should this truth cause us to love Him in return?` + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +God’s created works testify to His love and power. He has called the world into being, with all that it contains. God is a lover of the beautiful; and in the world which He has fitted up for us He has not only given us everything necessary for our comfort, but He has filled the heavens and the earth with beauty. We see His love and care in the rich fields of autumn, and His smile in the glad sunshine. His hand has made the castle-like rocks and the towering mountains. The lofty trees grow at His command; He has spread earth’s green velvet carpet and dotted it with shrubs and flowers. . . .\ +The same creative energy that brought the world into existence is still exerted in upholding the universe and continuing the operations of nature. The hand of God guides the planets in their orderly march through the heavens. It is not because of inherent power that year by year the earth continues her motion round the sun and produces her bounties. The word of God controls the elements. He covers the heavens with clouds and prepares rain for the earth. He makes the valleys fruitful and “grass to grow upon the mountains;” Psalm 147:8.—Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, p. 185. + +Before the foundations of the earth were laid, the Father and the Son had united in a covenant to redeem man if he should be overcome by Satan. They had clasped Their hands in a solemn pledge that Christ should become the surety for the human race. This pledge Christ has fulfilled. When upon the cross He cried out, “It is finished,” He addressed the Father. The compact had been fully carried out. Now He declares: Father, it is finished. I have done Thy will, O My God. I have completed the work of redemption. If Thy justice is satisfied, “I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am” (John 19:30; 17:24).\ +The voice of God is heard proclaiming that justice is satisfied. Satan is vanquished. Christ’s toiling, struggling ones on earth are “accepted in the beloved” (Ephesians 1:6). Before the heavenly angels and the representatives of unfallen worlds, they are declared justified. . . .\ +Songs of triumph mingle with the music from angel harps, till heaven seems to overflow with joy and praise. Love has conquered. The lost is found.—Lift Him Up, p. 103. + +Christ’s death proves God’s great love for man. It is our pledge of salvation. To remove the cross from the Christian would be like blotting the sun from the sky. The cross brings us near to God, reconciling us to Him. With the relenting compassion of a father’s love, Jehovah looks upon the suffering that His Son endured in order to save the race from eternal death, and accepts us in the Beloved. . . .\ +Through the cross we learn that the heavenly Father loves us with a love that is infinite.—The Acts of the Apostles, p. 210. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/01/05.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/01/05.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..7fdc4c8296 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/01/05.md @@ -0,0 +1,32 @@ +--- +title: Many Are Called, but Few Are Chosen +date: 01/01/2025 +--- + +God not only loves people of His own free will, but He also invites them to love Him in return. That God grants them the ability to freely choose whether they will accept or reject His love is apparent in (among other places) Christ’s parable of the wedding banquet. + +`Read Matthew 22:1–14. What is the meaning of this parable?` + +In Christ’s parable of the wedding banquet, a king arranges a marriage for his son and sends out his servants to “ ‘call those who were invited to the wedding,’ ” but “ ‘they were not willing to come’ ” (Matt. 22:2, 3, NKJV). More than once the king sent out his servants to call them, but they ignored his call and, even worse, seized his servants and killed them (Matt. 22:4–6). + +Later, after dealing with those who had murdered some of his servants, the king told his servants, “ ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding’ ” (Matt. 22:8, 9, NKJV). After another episode of a man without a wedding garment being cast out, signifying the need to receive a wedding garment from the king to attend the wedding banquet, Jesus closes the parable with the cryptic but highly meaningful phrase, “ ‘Many are called, but few are chosen’ ” (Matt. 22:14, NKJV). + +What does this mean? Those who are finally “chosen,” the “elect,” are those who have accepted the Lord’s invitation to the wedding. The term translated “call” and “invite” throughout the parable is the Greek term kaleo (to call, invite), and what determines who is finally “elect” (eklektos) is whether one has freely accepted the invitation. + +In fact, God calls (that is, invites) everyone to the wedding feast. However, any one of us can refuse God’s love. Freedom is essential to love. God will never force His love on anyone. Sad to say, we can reject having a love relationship with God. + +The “elect” are those who accept the invitation. For those who love God, God has prepared things more wonderful than anything that we could possibly imagine. Once again, it all comes down to the question of love and the freedom inherent in love. + +`What about your life reveals that you have accepted the wedding invitation and have come appropriately clothed?` + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +Every man is free to choose what power he will have to rule over him. None have fallen so low, none are so vile, but that they can find deliverance in Christ. The demoniac, in place of prayer, could utter only the words of Satan; yet the heart’s unspoken appeal was heard. No cry from a soul in need, though it fail of utterance in words, will be unheeded. Those who will consent to enter into covenant relation with the God of heaven are not left to the power of Satan or to the infirmity of their own nature. They are invited by the Saviour, “Let him take hold of My strength, that he may make peace with Me; and he shall make peace with Me.” Isaiah 27:5.—The Desire of Ages, p. 258. + +The Lord God has provided a banquet for the whole human race. It is represented in the parable as a great supper where there is provided a festival for every soul. All connected with this supper may enjoy the heavenly feast, which is the gospel. This feast is open to all who will receive it. All are invited and urged to come.\ +All who are partakers of the wedding feast, the gospel feast, by this act say that they have accepted Christ as their personal Saviour. They wear His distinguishing dress. They have accepted the truth as it is in Jesus, which is the robe of Christ’s righteousness. Only those do honor to Christ who accept the invitation, “Come, for all things are now ready; come to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” These put on the white linen, the clean, pure character, showing that they no longer live their old citizen life that they lived in their ignorance. Their speech is changed. Their conversation is in altogether another line.—The Upward Look, p. 304. + +We should consider the great sacrifice that was made in our behalf to purchase for us the robe of righteousness woven in the loom of heaven. He has invited us to the wedding feast, and has provided for every one of us the wedding garment. The robe of righteousness has been purchased at infinite cost, and how daring is the insult to Heaven when one presents himself as a candidate for entrance at the wedding feast when wearing his own citizen’s dress of self-righteousness! How greatly he dishonors God, openly showing contempt for the sacrifice made on Calvary!\ +No one will taste of the marriage supper of the Lamb who has not on a wedding garment. But John writes, “. . . He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.” Then, before it is eternally too late, let each one go to the heavenly Merchantman for the white raiment, the eyesalve, the gold tried in the fire, and the oil of heavenly grace.—That I May Know Him, p. 264. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/01/06.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/01/06.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..9cb1dd58f8 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/01/06.md @@ -0,0 +1,29 @@ +--- +title: Crucified for Us +date: 02/01/2025 +--- + +God invites everyone into a love relationship with Him, but only those who freely accept the invitation enjoy the eternal results. As seen in the parable of the wedding banquet, many whom the king called “ ‘were not willing to come’ ” (Matt. 22:3, NKJV). + +Accordingly, shortly before His crucifixion, Christ lamented: “ ‘O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!’ ” (Matt. 23:37, NKJV). Christ wanted to gather them, but they were not willing. The same common Greek verb that means “to will” (thelo) is used both of Christ’s wanting to save them and of their not being willing to be saved (and the same term is in Matthew 22:3 above, as well). + +Yet, Christ went to the cross for these people and for us. Amazing love! While human sin merits death, God Himself (in Christ) paid the price and has made a way to repair the ruptured relationship between heaven and earth. Meanwhile, He continues to bestow His love on us, though He is under no obligation beyond His own free commitment to do so. + +`Read John 10:17, 18. Compare with Galatians 2:20. What’s the message to us here in these texts?` + +In the ultimate display of God’s love—the Cross—we see that Christ gave Himself for us of His own free will. Christ laid down His life of His “own initiative.” No one took His life from Him; He freely offered it, according to the plan of redemption agreed upon in heaven before the foundation of the world. + +“The plan for our redemption was not an afterthought, a plan formulated after the fall of Adam. It was a revelation of ‘the mystery which hath been kept in silence through times eternal.’ Romans 16:25, R. V. It was an unfolding of the principles that from eternal ages have been the foundation of God’s throne. From the beginning, God and Christ knew of the apostasy of Satan, and of the fall of man through the deceptive power of the apostate. God did not ordain that sin should exist, but He foresaw its existence, and made provision to meet the terrible emergency. So great was His love for the world, that He covenanted to give His only-begotten Son, ‘that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ John 3:16.”—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 22. + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +Christ did not come as the Jews expected. He did not come in a manner to glorify them as a nation. . . . Christ’s message was, “The kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.” The Jews refused to receive Christ, because He did not come in accordance with their expectations. The ideas of finite men were held as infallible, because hoary with age.\ +This is the danger to which the church is now exposed. . . . [Many] are not willing to be deprived of the garments of their own self-righteousness. They are not willing to exchange their own righteousness, which is unrighteousness, for the righteousness of Christ, which is pure, unadulterated truth. The Holy Spirit flatters no man, neither does it work according to the devising of any man. Finite, sinful men are not to work the Holy Spirit. When it shall come as a reprover, through any human agent whom God shall choose, it is man’s place to hear and obey its voice.—Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, p. 64. + +Christ died for every son and daughter of Adam; and when the Son of God has expressed such amazing love, making this great sacrifice for the sinner, in order that through faith in Him he need not perish but have everlasting life, how can the subject of this great love be indifferent and stand in sin and disobedience, and not heartily confess Christ without one moment’s delay? How can anyone love to do evil? . . . In doing the will of Him who loves the world, and who gave His only-begotten Son to die for them, they strengthen every faculty of the soul, and increase their own happiness and peace.\ +The Lord has greatly honored men, by giving Jesus Christ to recover them from Satan’s claims. . . . [Jesus has said,] “My grace is sufficient for thee.” Everyone who seeks to do well in his own finite strength, will find his efforts a failure; but those who accept Christ by faith, will find Him a personal Saviour.—Fundamentals of Christian Education, pp. 291, 292. + +[Christ’s] great sacrifice was not made in order to create in the Father’s heart a love for man, not to make Him willing to save. No, no! “God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son.” John 3:16. The Father loves us, not because of the great propitiation, but He provided the propitiation because He loves us. Christ was the medium through which He could pour out His infinite love upon a fallen world. “God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself.” 2 Corinthians 5:19. God suffered with His Son. In the agony of Gethsemane, the death of Calvary, the heart of Infinite Love paid the price of our redemption. . . .\ +None but the Son of God could accomplish our redemption; for only He who was in the bosom of the Father could declare Him. Only He who knew the height and depth of the love of God could make it manifest. Nothing less than the infinite sacrifice made by Christ in behalf of fallen man could express the Father’s love to lost humanity.—Steps to Christ, pp. 13, 14. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/01/07.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/01/07.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..750f90a0ec --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/01/07.md @@ -0,0 +1,31 @@ +--- +title: Further Thought +date: 03/01/2025 +--- + +Read Ellen G. White, “ ‘To Meet the Bridegroom,’ ” pp. 405–421, in Christ’s Object Lessons. + +“It is the darkness of misapprehension of God that is enshrouding the world. Men are losing their knowledge of His character. It has been misunderstood and misinterpreted. At this time a message from God is to be proclaimed, a message illuminating in its influence and saving in its power. His character is to be made known. Into the darkness of the world is to be shed the light of His glory, the light of His goodness, mercy, and truth. + +“This is the work outlined by the prophet Isaiah in the words, ‘O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God! Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand, and His arm shall rule for Him; behold, His reward is with Him, and His work before Him.’ Isa. 40:9, 10. + +“Those who wait for the Bridegroom’s coming are to say to the people, ‘Behold your God.’ The last rays of merciful light, the last message of mercy to be given to the world, is a revelation of His character of love. The children of God are to manifest His glory. In their own life and character they are to reveal what the grace of God has done for them. + +“The light of the Sun of Righteousness is to shine forth in good works—in words of truth and deeds of holiness.”—Ellen G. White, Christ’s Object Lessons, pp. 415, 416. + +**Discussion Questions**: + +`Worse than the thought of there being no God would be the thought that God hated us. How different a world would we exist in if that were the truth?` + +`Why do you think there is so much misunderstanding of God’s character in our world today? Think about and discuss ways that you might help people to see God’s character of love more clearly.` + +`What is the message that is to be proclaimed about God’s character today? How would you explain this message to someone who is not already familiar with the reality of God’s love? What evidence can you point to that shows the reality of His love and His wonderful character?` + +`Talking about God’s love is one thing. Revealing and reflecting that love in our lives is another. What “deeds of holiness” might reveal God’s love to those around us?` + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +The Acts of the Apostles, “A Faithful Under-Shepherd,” pp. 114–118;\ +The Story of Redemption, “Man’s Freedom of Choice,” pp. 37–39. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/01/info.yml b/src/en/ss/2025-01/01/info.yml new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..ce606852c8 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/01/info.yml @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +--- +title: "God Loves Freely" +start_date: "28/12/2024" +end_date: "03/01/2025" \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/01/inside-story.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/01/inside-story.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..3fba93361a --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/01/inside-story.md @@ -0,0 +1,22 @@ +--- +title: Inside Story +date: 03/01/2025 +--- + +#### Opening the Bamboo Curtain + +_By Andrew McChesney_ + +Kneeling before a South Korean student, I asked if he had any prayer requests before I washed his feet during a Communion service at the Moscow International Seventh-day Adventist Church in Russia. + +“Pray for North Korea,” said the student, who was studying at a Moscow university. “The gospel needs to reach the North for Jesus to return.” + +With that prayer request in 2006, I learned about a special burden that Seventh-day Adventists from South Korea carry for their brothers and sisters in the North. Jesus said, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14, NKJV). South Korean Adventists see the North as a final frontier in the church’s mission to proclaim the gospel to the world, and today many are prayerfully seeking ways to open the Bamboo Curtain. + +The Adventist Church’s work started in the North in 1904 and then spread to the South. Today, the church has 285,000 members living among 52 million in the South. But no Adventists are known to be in the North, which has a population of 26 million. Still, a trickle of information indicates that God has a people in the North, said Beom Seok Oh, a director at the Northern Asia-Pacific Division who oversees the church’s outreach to North Korea. During a trip to South Korea, he told me of a North Korean woman who drank a soy-sauce brew every Sabbath morning to get sick with a fever so she would be excused from mandatory Saturday work. When she was jailed, she smuggled a Bible into prison and buried it in the ground, furtively digging it up to read. Later, she managed to slip over the border to South Korea, where she could worship God freely. Church leaders are preparing for when the northern border will open. When it does, they intend to send missionaries into the country. + +In the meantime, South Korean Adventists are caring for North Korean defectors. A deacon and his wife regularly visited a new defector, helping him clean his apartment, prepare meals, and submit government paperwork. After six months, the defector declared belief in God, said Chang-Seop Lee (pictured), pastor of the deacon and his wife’s church. + +Another defector couldn’t sleep as he thought about his wife and children in the North. Pastor Lee prayed with him, and afterward, the defector acknowledged that he believed in God and had read the Bible in the North. The incident reenergized the pastor’s resolve to assist defectors. “I believe that we can expand our reach to the North by starting with the people whom we can meet today,” he said. + +_Pray for North Korea. Thank you for planning a generous Thirteenth Sabbath Offering on March 29 to further the spread of the gospel in the Northern Asia-Pacific Division._ \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/01/teacher-comments.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/01/teacher-comments.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..1e2766a106 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/01/teacher-comments.md @@ -0,0 +1,60 @@ +--- +title: Teacher Comments +date: 03/01/2025 +--- + +#### Part I: Overview + +Key Text: Hosea 14:4 + +Study Focus: John 17:24; Matt. 22:1–14; John 10:17, 18. + +Introduction: God freely loves everyone more than we can possibly imagine. His love is utterly generous and merciful, as He voluntarily chooses to reveal His sacrificial love, even when people are unfaithful. + +Lesson Themes: This week’s lesson emphasizes three main themes: + +1. God’s love is not defined by necessity. His love is central to our understanding of His relationship with humanity. Divine love is an expression of God’s spontaneous and abundant benevolence. His love is not caused or necessitated by any action on our part, nor the result of any human potential. God manifests His love without any expectation of obtaining advantage to Himself. He loves each person and does so freely, as in the case of Hosea, Israel, and us. + +2. The scope of God’s love is not to be calculated. God’s love is not based on causal conditions. He voluntary gave Himself for us, and His constant and unfailing love reveals His mercy more fully. His love surpasses all expectation, as He freely grants grace, mercy, and compassion to even the most undeserving of people. + +3. God’s love can be resisted. God offers to us the fullest revelation of His self-giving love but does not predetermine people’s reaction to it. His love is not dominating or coercive but offers us the freedom to accept or resist it. + +Life Application: God’s love surpasses all human expectation, as He freely grants grace, mercy, and compassion to even the most undeserving of people. How does this notion of God’s love change our attitude toward those within our sphere who have done nothing to deserve compassion from us? + +#### Part II: Commentary + +**1. God’s Love Is Not Defined by Necessity.** + +Freedom is a crucial feature of God’s love. His love is not caused by something else. In the relationship of cause and effect, the effect is the necessary outcome of a cause. However, instead of being defined by the cause-effect logic of necessity, God’s love is remarkably voluntary. This idea is elaborated upon in the experience of Hosea and his unfaithful wife. Through the narrative of their experience, as we shall see, the concepts emerge that God’s love does not imply the necessity for the existence of creation and that God’s love freely gives. + +Hosea and the freedom of God’s love: Hosea 14:4 connects God’s promised healing of Israel’s unfaithfulness with His pledge to love His people freely. This promise reiterates the merciful restoration of God’s apostate people, envisaged in Hosea 2:14–23, and as illustrated in Hosea’s own merciful relationship with his unfaithful wife (Hos. 3:1–5). The comparison with Hosea’s biographical experience suggests that God’s love is utterly generous. “This is a love which will not be earned—what could Israel possibly present to Yahweh as an acceptable payment?” Instead, the Hebrew term nedabash, which emphasizes that God will love Israel freely, conveys the idea of a “ ‘voluntary offering’ or ‘offering made out of generosity.’ ”—Douglas Stuart, “Hosea–Jonah,” Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 1987), vol. 31, p. 215. Hence, God’s love is not caused or necessitated by any action performed by Israel. Rather, it is an expression of His freedom and, therefore, completely voluntary. In fact, the language of divine healing in Hosea 14:4 (see also Hos. 5:13, Hos. 6:1, Hos. 7:1, Hos. 11:3) seems to underline the voluntary nature of God’s love, because Israel is incapable of becoming faithful by means of its own strength. Thus, the voluntary nature of this love implies that those being loved by God are truly undeserving of it. + +God’s love and creation: The notion that love requires a relationship with the other seems to suggest that God needed to make creatures in order to become a loving God. In other words, creation would be necessary for God’s love. However, this idea is not supported by Scripture, which emphasizes the freedom and autonomy of God. He does not need anything from His creatures (Acts 17:25). Furthermore, divine love eternally existed before the creation of the universe, as Jesus underscored when He stated that the Father loved Him “before the foundation of the world” (John 17:24). Thus, the creation of the world was not a necessity for the existence of God’s love. Instead, creation was a divine voluntary activity that resulted from the freedom of His eternal overflowing love. + +God’s love freely gives: Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross was a voluntary love offering. He was not merely a victim of violent execution. As Jesus Himself highlights: “ ‘I lay down My life. . . . No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself’ ” (John 10:17, 18, NKJV). Likewise, Paul explains that Christ “ ‘loved me and gave Himself for me’ ” (Gal. 2:20, NKJV). Therefore, the crucifixion of Jesus was not a necessity, framed by the evil actions of His executioners. Rather, He voluntarily gave Himself as an extraordinary manifestation of the freedom of divine love. + +2. The Scope of God’s Love Is Not to Be Calculated. + +The notion that God’s love does not follow the logic of cause and effect means that it should not be calculated, leading, therefore, to a presumable, reasonable, expectation. Two instances of intercession before God in the Pentateuch exemplify the problem of such a presumption. + +The first instance is Abraham’s intercession (Gen. 18:23–33) in the context of the divine judgment announced against Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. 18:20). Initially, Abraham appeals to God’s justice and asks whether He would actually destroy the city if there were 50 righteous people in it (Gen. 18:24, 25). Arguably, 50 sounded like a reasonable number to Abraham in his invocation of divine justice. However, inasmuch as this number progressively decreases in the persistent continuation of Abraham’s intercession, from 50 to 45 (Gen. 18:28), from 45 to 40 (Gen. 18:29), from 40 to 30 (Gen. 18:30), from 30 to 20 (Gen. 18:31), and from 20 to 10 (Gen. 18:32), he does not appeal to divine justice anymore but rather to God’s mercy (Gen. 18:27, 30, 32). It seems that 50 would be reasonable for justice, but 10 is way beyond a fair expectation. If the beginning of the intercession gives the impression that Abraham was trying to convince God to be just and then merciful, the progression of the intercessory dialogue reveals that such an intention is definitely not the case. Rather, the intercession process actually reveals that God’s loving mercy is higher than could be reasonably expected or presumably calculated. + +The second instance of intercession is Moses’ intervention on behalf of the Israelites at Sinai. To be sure, the initial impression is that he was trying to convince God to be merciful toward them (Exod. 32:11–14, 31–33). But again, this is not the case. The climax of the interaction between Moses and the Lord is the revelation of divine glory, which is a remarkable manifestation of God’s love (Exod. 34:6, 7). Besides the affirmation of the divine freedom to be merciful to those who clearly do not deserve God’s love (Exod. 33:19), the acute asymmetrical comparison between “ ‘keeping mercy for thousands’ ” and “ ‘visiting the iniquity . . . to the third and the fourth generation’ ” (Exod. 34:7, NKJV) suggests that, ultimately, the scope of God’s love cannot be calculated, which particularly highlights the freedom of His love. + +**3. God’s Love Can Be Resisted.** + +The freedom of divine love also means that it does not predetermine humanity’s reaction to this love. Once again, God’s love is essentially voluntary and does not involve a necessary logic of cause and effect. In His lament over Jerusalem, Jesus sadly reveals unfulfilled desires regarding the salvation of its children. He emphasizes “ ‘how often’ ” He “ ‘wanted to gather’ ” His “ ‘children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but [they] were not willing’ ” (Matt. 23:37, NKJV). The Greek verb thelo is used twice in this passage, but in different ways. The first occurrence depicts Christ’s will regarding those whom He wanted to save, whereas the second instance indicates that they did not share the same desire. Therefore, what divine love offers does not determine a loving reaction on the part of those who receive this offering. Unfortunately, because this loving desire is not reciprocated, it cannot actually be fulfilled. + +Another Bible example of resistance to divine love is found in the parable of the wedding banquet, to which many are called, but they reject the invitation (Matt. 22:3). Then the call is extended to others, who indeed come to the wedding (Matt. 22:9, 10). However, even among those who do come, there is someone “ ‘who did not have on a wedding garment’ ” (Matt. 22:11, NKJV). The conclusion of the parable emphasizes that “ ‘many are called, but few are chosen’ ” (Matt. 22:14). In this parable about “ ‘the kingdom of heaven’ ” (Matt. 22:2), the language of being chosen does not convey the idea of a deterministic divine choice (predestination) but is related to the people’s acceptance or rejection of God’s invitation. In other words, “Many are invited; but some refuse to come, and others who do come refuse to submit to the norms of the kingdom and are therefore rejected. Those who remain are called ‘chosen.’ ”—D. A. Carson, “Matthew,” The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Matthew, Mark, Luke (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1984), p. 457. Thus, our ability to choose is another indication of the freedom of God’s love, which is open to truly free reactions of acceptance or resistance. We are invited to freely accept it. + +#### Part III: Life Application + +Based on the aforementioned perspective regarding the freedom of God’s love, discuss the following questions: + +1. How does the understanding that God’s love is not caused by any action on our part draw us closer to His presence? Give at least one practical example. + +2. What aspects of the fascinating notion that God’s love surpasses reasonable expectation, as He freely shows compassion to the most undeserving of people, could be used in dialogues with unbelievers? + +3. In what practical ways can we, unfortunately, resist God’s love? + +4. Considering that God’s love does not employ coercion, what should we learn from this love as we think about the ways in which we, as Christians, may love others more authentically? \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/02/01.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/02/01.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..c2f96ce211 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/02/01.md @@ -0,0 +1,29 @@ +--- +title: Covenantal Love +date: 04/01/2025 +--- + +### Read for This Week’s Study +2 Pet. 3:9, Deut. 7:6–9, Rom. 11:22, 1 John 4:7–20, John 15:12, 1 John 3:16. + +>Memory Text:
+> “Jesus answered and said to him, ‘If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him’ ” (John 14:23, NKJV). + +Many have been taught that the Greek word agape refers to a love that is unique to God, while other terms for love, such as phileo, refer to different kinds of love, more deficient than agape. Some claim, too, that agape refers to unilateral love, a love that only gives but never receives, a love entirely independent of human response. + +However, careful study of divine love throughout Scripture shows that these ideas, though common, are mistaken. First, the Greek term agape refers not only to God’s love but also to human love, even sometimes misdirected human love (2 Tim. 4:10). Second, throughout Scripture, many terms other than agape refer to God’s love. For example, Jesus taught, “ ‘The Father Himself loves [phileo] you, because you have loved [phileo] Me’ ” (John 16:27, NASB). Here, the Greek term phileo is used not only of human love but also of God’s love for humans. Thus, phileo does not refer to a deficient kind of love but to God’s love itself. + +Scripture also teaches that God’s love is not unilateral but deeply relational, in that it makes a profound difference to God whether or not humans reflect His love back to Him and to others. + +_*Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, January 11._ + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +God has a deep and earnest love for every member of the human family; not one is forgotten, not one is left helpless and deceived to be overcome by the enemy. And if those who have enlisted in the army of Christ will put on the whole armor of God, and wear it, they will be proof against all the assaults of the enemy. Those who really desire to be taught of God, and to walk in His way, have the sure promise that if they feel their lack of wisdom and ask of God, He will give liberally, and upbraid not. The apostle says, “Let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.” . . . God is behind every promise, and we cannot dishonor Him more than by questioning and hesitating, by asking and not believing, and then by talking doubt. . . .\ +Believe; believe that God will do just what He has promised. Keep your prayers ascending, and watch, work, and wait. Fight the good fight of faith. Say to your heart, “God has invited me to come. He has heard my prayer. He has pledged His word that he will receive me, and He will fulfil His promise. I can trust God; for He so loved me that He gave His only-begotten Son to die for me. The Son of God is my Redeemer.”—Fundamentals of Christian Education, pp. 299, 300. + +God has given us Jesus, and in Him is the revelation of God. Our Redeemer says: “If a man love Me, he will keep My words: and My Father will love him, and We will come unto him, and make Our abode with him.” “Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father.” If we know God, and Jesus Christ whom He has sent, unspeakable gladness will come to the soul. Oh, how we need the divine presence!—Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, p. 169. + +God’s appointments and grants in our behalf are without limit. The throne of grace is itself the highest attraction, because occupied by One who permits us to call Him Father. But Jehovah did not deem the plan of salvation complete while invested only with His love. He has placed at His altar an Advocate clothed in His nature. As our intercessor, Christ’s office work is to introduce us to God as His sons and daughters. He intercedes in behalf of those who receive Him. With His own blood He has paid their ransom. By virtue of His own merits He gives them power to become members of the royal family, children of the heavenly King. And the Father demonstrates His infinite love for Christ by receiving and welcoming Christ’s friends as His friends. He is satisfied with the atonement made. He is glorified by the incarnation, the life, death, and mediation, of His Son.—Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, p. 14. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/02/02.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/02/02.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..1aba007604 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/02/02.md @@ -0,0 +1,33 @@ +--- +title: The Everlasting Love of God +date: 05/01/2025 +--- + +Scripture is clear: God loves everyone. The most famous verse of Scripture, John 3:16, proclaims this truth: “ ‘For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life’ ” (NKJV). + +`Read Psalm 33:5 and Psalm 145:9. What do these verses teach about how far God’s loving-kindness, compassion, and mercy extend?` + +Some might think that they are unlovable or that God might love everyone else but not them. Yet, the Bible consistently proclaims that every single person is loved by God. There is no one whom He does not love. And because God loves everyone, He also wants everyone to be saved, as well. + +`Read 2 Peter 3:9, 1 Timothy 2:4, and Ezekiel 33:11. What do these texts teach about God’s desire to save everyone?` + +The verse after John 3:16 adds: “ ‘For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved’ ” (John 3:17, NKJV). If it were up to God alone, every human being would accept His love and be saved. Yet, the Lord will not force His love on anyone. People are free to accept or reject it. + +And even though some do reject it, God never stops loving them. In Jeremiah 31:3, He proclaims to His people: “ ‘Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you’ ” (NKJV). Elsewhere, the Bible repeatedly teaches that God’s love endures forever (see, for example, Psalm 136). God’s love never runs out. It is everlasting. This is hard for us to understand because we often find it easy not to love others, don’t we? + +However, if we as individuals could learn to experience the reality of that love—that is, to know for ourselves God’s love—how differently we might live and treat others. + +`If God loves everyone, this means He must love some pretty despicable characters because there are some (a lot, in fact) despicable characters out there. What should God’s love for these people teach us about how we should seek to relate to them, as well?` + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +Heaven’s plan of salvation is broad enough to embrace the whole world. God longs to breathe into prostrate humanity the breath of life. And He will not permit any soul to be disappointed who is sincere in his longing for something higher and nobler than anything the world can offer. Constantly He is sending His angels to those who, while surrounded by circumstances the most discouraging, pray in faith for some power higher than themselves to take possession of them and bring deliverance and peace. In various ways God will reveal Himself to them and will place them in touch with providences that will establish their confidence in the One who has given Himself a ransom for all, “that they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments.” Psalm 78:7. . . .\ +God hath spoken: “I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them.” Isaiah 42:16.—Prophets and Kings, pp. 377, 378. + +Our God has heaven and earth at His command, and He knows just what we need. We can see only a little way before us; “but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.” Hebrews 4:13.\ +Above the distractions of the earth He sits enthroned; all things are open to His divine survey; and from His great and calm eternity He orders that which His providence sees best.\ +Not even a sparrow falls to the ground without the Father’s notice. Satan’s hatred against God leads him to delight in destroying even the dumb creatures. It is only through God’s protecting care that the birds are preserved to gladden us with their songs of joy. But He does not forget even the sparrows. “Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.” Matthew 10:31.—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 8, pp. 272, 273. + +The word of God is to have a sanctifying effect on our association with every member of the human family. The leaven of truth will not produce the spirit of rivalry, the love of ambition, the desire to be first. True, heaven-born love is not selfish and changeable. It is not dependent on human praise. The heart of him who receives the grace of God overflows with love for God and for those for whom Christ died. Self is not struggling for recognition. He does not love others because they love and please him, because they appreciate his merits, but because they are Christ’s purchased possession. If his motives, words, or actions are misunderstood or misrepresented, he takes no offense, but pursues the even tenor of his way. He is kind and thoughtful, humble in his opinion of himself, yet full of hope, always trusting in the mercy and love of God.—Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 101. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/02/03.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/02/03.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..a0931e0d7d --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/02/03.md @@ -0,0 +1,28 @@ +--- +title: Covenantal Love +date: 06/01/2025 +--- + +The Bible often depicts God’s special love relationship with us by using family or kinship metaphors, particularly metaphors of the love between a husband and wife or of a good mother for her child. These metaphors are used particularly to depict the special relationship between God and His covenant people. This is a relationship of covenantal love, which involves not only God’s love for His people but also expectations that people will accept this love and will love Him (and one another) in return. + +`Read Deuteronomy 7:6–9. What do these verses teach about the relationship between God making covenants and God’s loving-kindness?` + +Deuteronomy 7:9 describes a special kind of love that God has with His covenant people, a relationship that is partially dependent on whether or not they remain faithful. God’s love is not conditional, but the covenant relationship with His people is. + +The word translated “lovingkindness” or “mercy” in Deuteronomy 7:9, ḥesed, itself exemplifies the covenantal aspect of divine love (and much more). The word ḥesed is often used to describe the greatness of God’s mercy, goodness, and love. Among other things, ḥesed refers to the loving-kindness, or steadfast love, for another within an existing reciprocal love relationship. It also initiates such a relationship with the expectation that the other party will show this loving-kindness in return. + +God’s ḥesed shows that His loving-kindness is extremely reliable, steadfast, and enduring. Yet, at the same time, the reception of the benefits of ḥesed is conditional, dependent upon the willingness of His people to obey and to maintain their end of the relationship (see 2 Sam. 22:26, 1 Kings 8:23, Ps. 25:10, Ps. 32:10, 2 Chron. 6:14). + +God’s steadfast love is the basis of all love relationships, and we could never match that love. God not only freely gave us existence but also in Christ He freely gave Himself for us. “ ‘Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends’ ” (John 15:13, NKJV). No question, the greatest expression of God’s love was revealed when the Lord “humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross” (Phil. 2:8, NKJV). + +`What are ways that you can constantly keep the reality of God’s love in your thoughts? Why is it important to do that?` + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +The test of a genuine Christian is given in the word of God. Says Jesus, “If ye love Me, keep My commandments.” “He that hath My commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me: and he that loveth Me shall be loved of My Father, and I will love him, and will manifest Myself to him. . . . If a man love Me, he will keep My words: and My Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth Me not keepeth not My sayings: and the word which ye hear is not Mine, but the Father’s which sent Me.”\ +Here are the conditions upon which every soul will be elected to eternal life. Your obedience to God’s commandments will prove your right to an inheritance with the saints in light. God has elected a certain excellence of character; and everyone who, through the grace of Christ, shall reach the standard of His requirement, will have an abundant entrance into the kingdom of glory. All who would reach this standard of character, will have to employ the means that God has provided to this end. If you would inherit the rest that remaineth for the children of God, you must become a co-laborer with God. You are elected to wear the yoke of Christ,—to bear His burden, to lift His cross. You are to be diligent “to make your calling and election sure.” Search the Scriptures, and you will see that not a son or a daughter of Adam is elected to be saved in disobedience to God’s law. The world makes void the law of God; but Christians are chosen to sanctification through obedience to the truth. They are elected to bear the cross, if they would wear the crown.—Fundamentals of Christian Education, p. 125. + +As John beholds the height, the depth, and the breadth of the Father’s love toward our perishing race, he is filled with admiration and reverence. He cannot find suitable language to express this love, but he calls upon the world to behold it: “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God.” What a value this places upon man! Through transgression the sons of men became subjects of Satan. Through the infinite sacrifice of Christ, and faith in His name, the sons of Adam become the sons of God. By assuming human nature, Christ elevates humanity. Fallen men are granted another trial and are placed where, through connection with Christ, they may educate, improve, and elevate themselves, that they may indeed become worthy of the name “sons of God.”\ +Such love is without a parallel. Jesus requires that those who have been bought by the price of His own life shall make the best use of the talents which He has given them. They are to increase in the knowledge of the divine will, and constantly improve in intellect and morals, until they shall attain to a perfection of character but little lower than that of the angels.—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 4, p. 563. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/02/04.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/02/04.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..d82dc6b53c --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/02/04.md @@ -0,0 +1,27 @@ +--- +title: Conditional Relationship +date: 07/01/2025 +--- + +God calls and invites every person into an intimate love relationship with Him (see Matt. 22:1–14). Responding appropriately to this call involves obeying God’s command to love God and to love others (see Matt. 22:37–39). Whether one enjoys the benefits of this relationship with God depends on whether one freely decides to accept or reject His love. + +`Read Hosea 9:15, Jeremiah 16:5, Romans 11:22, and Jude 21. What do these texts teach about whether the benefits of God’s love can be rejected—even forfeited?` + +In these and other texts, enjoying the benefits of a love relationship with God is repeatedly depicted as conditional upon the human response to His love. Yet, we should not make the mistake of thinking that God ever actually stops loving anyone. As we have seen, God’s love is everlasting. And, although Hosea 9:15 includes God saying of His people, “ ‘I will love them no more,’ ” it is important to remember that later in the same book God declares of His people, “ ‘I will love them freely’ ” (Hos. 14:4, NKJV). Hosea 9:15 cannot mean that God entirely ceases to love His people. It must refer, instead, to the conditionality of some particular aspect or benefit of a love relationship with God. And how we respond to His love is crucial for this relationship to continue. + +“ ‘He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him’ ” (John 14:21, NKJV). Likewise, Jesus proclaims to His disciples, “ ‘The Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me and have believed that I came forth from the Father’ ” (John 16:27, NASB). + +These and other texts teach that maintaining the benefits of a saving relationship with God depends upon whether we will accept God’s love (which involves willingness to be vehicles of that love, as well). Again, this does not mean that God’s love ever ceases. Rather, just as we cannot stop the sun from shining but can cut ourselves off from the rays of the sun, we cannot do anything to stop God’s everlasting love, but we can finally reject a relationship with God and, thus, cut ourselves off from what it offers, especially the promise of eternal life. + +`What are ways that people can see and experience the reality of God’s love, whether or not they return it? For example, how does the natural world, even after sin, reveal His love?` + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +Holding up Christ as our only source of strength, presenting His matchless love in having the guilt of the sins of men charged to His account and His own righteousness imputed to man, in no case does away with the law or detracts from its dignity. Rather, it places it where the correct light shines upon and glorifies it. This is done only through the light reflected from the cross of Calvary. The law is complete and full in the great plan of salvation, only as it is presented in the light shining from the crucified and risen Saviour. This can be only spiritually discerned. It kindles in the heart of the beholder ardent faith, hope, and joy that Christ is his righteousness. This joy is only for those who love and keep the words of Jesus, which are the words of God.—Selected Messages, book 3, p. 176. + +It will be the greatest mystery to [the believer] that Jesus should have made so great a sacrifice to redeem him. He will exclaim, with humble mien and quivering lip, “He loved me. He gave himself for me. He became poor that I, through his poverty, might be made rich. The man of sorrows did not spurn me, but poured out his inexhaustible, redeeming love that my heart might be made clean; and he has brought me back into loyalty and obedience to all his commandments. His condescension, his humiliation, his crucifixion, are the crowning miracles in the marvelous exhibition of the plan of salvation. That the just should die for the unjust, the pure for the impure, is beyond all manifestations of human love; and all this he has done to make it possible to impart to me his own righteousness, that I may keep the law I have transgressed. For this I adore him. I will proclaim him to all sinners. I will cry, ‘Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world!’ ”—“The Knowledge of Christ and Self Leads to Humility,” Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, October 16, 1888, par. 11. + +In the beginning, God was revealed in all the works of creation. It was Christ that spread the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth. It was His hand that hung the worlds in space, and fashioned the flowers of the field. “His strength setteth fast the mountains.” “The sea is His, and He made it.” Psalm 65:6; 95:5. It was He that filled the earth with beauty, and the air with song. And upon all things in earth, and air, and sky, He wrote the message of the Father’s love.\ +Now sin has marred God’s perfect work, yet that handwriting remains. Even now all created things declare the glory of His excellence. There is nothing, save the selfish heart of man, that lives unto itself. . . . The flowers breathe fragrance and unfold their beauty in blessing to the world. The sun sheds its light to gladden a thousand worlds.—The Desire of Ages, p. 20. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/02/05.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/02/05.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..1e4634c484 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/02/05.md @@ -0,0 +1,30 @@ +--- +title: Mercy Forfeited +date: 08/01/2025 +--- + +God’s love is everlasting and always unmerited. However, humans can reject it. We have the opportunity to accept or reject that love, but only because God freely loves us with His perfect, everlasting love prior to anything we do (Jer. 31:3). Our love for God is a response to what has already been given to us even before we asked for it. + +`Read 1 John 4:7–20, with specific emphasis on verses 7 and 19. What does this tell us about the priority of God’s love?` + +God’s love always comes first. If God did not first love us, we could not love Him in return. While God created us with the capacity to love and to be loved, God Himself is the ground and Source of all love. We have the choice, however, whether we will accept it and then reflect it in our lives. This truth is exemplified in Christ’s parable of the unforgiving servant (see Matt. 18:23–35). + +In the parable, we can see that there was no way the servant ever could have repaid what he owed the master. According to Matthew 18, the servant owed his master 10,000 talents. One talent amounted to about 6,000 denarii. And one denarius was what an average laborer would be paid for one day of work (compare with Matt. 20:2). So, it would take an average laborer 6,000 days of labor to earn one talent. Suppose, after accounting for days off, that an average laborer might work 300 days per year and, thus, earn 300 denarii in a year. So, it would take an average laborer approximately 20 years to repay one talent, which consisted of 6,000 denarii (6,000/300 = 20). In order to earn 10,000 talents, then, an average laborer would have to work 200,000 years. In short, the servant could never repay this debt. Yet, the master felt compassion for his servant and freely forgave his huge debt. + +However, when this forgiven servant refused to forgive the far smaller debt of 100 denarii of one of his fellow servants and had him thrown in prison over the debt, the master was moved with anger and rescinded his merciful forgiveness. The servant forfeited the love and forgiveness of his master. Although God’s compassion and mercy never run out, one can finally reject, even forfeit, the benefits of God’s compassion and mercy. + +`Think about what you have been forgiven and what it cost you to be forgiven by Jesus. What should this tell you about forgiving others?` + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +In the parable, when the debtor pleaded for delay, with the promise, “Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all,” the sentence was revoked. The whole debt was canceled. And he was soon given an opportunity to follow the example of the master who had forgiven him. Going out, he met a fellow servant who owed him a small sum. He had been forgiven ten thousand talents; the debtor owed him a hundred pence. But he who had been so mercifully treated, dealt with his fellow laborer in an altogether different manner. . . .\ +When [he had pled] with his Lord for mercy, he had no true sense of the greatness of his debt. He did not realize his helplessness. He hoped to deliver himself. “Have patience with me,” he said, “and I will pay thee all.” So there are many who hope by their own works to merit God’s favor. They do not realize their helplessness. They do not accept the grace of God as a free gift, but are trying to build themselves up in self-righteousness. Their own hearts are not broken and humbled on account of sin, and they are exacting and unforgiving toward others. Their own sins against God, compared with their brother’s sins against them, are as ten thousand talents to one hundred pence—nearly one million to one; yet they dare to be unforgiving.—Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 245. + +If the Lord should deal with the human family as men deal with one another, we should have been consumed; but He is long-suffering, of tender pity, forgiving our transgressions and sins. When we seek Him with the whole heart, He will be found of us. . . .\ +But the mercy of Christ in forgiving the iniquities of men teaches us that there must be free forgiveness of wrongs and sins that are committed against us by our fellow men. Christ gave this lesson to His disciples to correct the evils that were being taught and practiced in the precepts and examples of those who were interpreting the Scriptures at that time.” . . .\ +Man can be saved only through the wonderful forbearance of God in the forgiveness of his many sins and transgressions. But those who are blessed by the mercy of God should exercise the same spirit of forbearance and forgiveness toward those who constitute the Lord’s family.—The Upward Look, p. 43. + +[God] has a Father’s heart, and He bears long with His children. In His dealings with the children of Israel He pleaded with them in mercy and love. Patiently He set their sins before them, and in forbearance waited for them to see and acknowledge their wrongs. When they repented and confessed their sins, He forgave them; and though the offense was oft repeated, there were no taunting words spoken, no resentment expressed.\ +Christ plainly stated that though one sin again and again, he is to be forgiven if he repents, even should he sin till seventy times seven.—The Upward Look, p. 298. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/02/06.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/02/06.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..efb90e46f6 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/02/06.md @@ -0,0 +1,31 @@ +--- +title: You Have Freely Received; Freely Give +date: 09/01/2025 +--- + +Just as the servant could never repay his debt to his master, we can never repay God. We could never earn or merit God’s love. “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8, NKJV). What amazing love! As 1 John 3:1 puts it, “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!” (NKJV). + +However, what we can and should do is to reflect God’s love to others as much as we possibly can. If we have received such great compassion and forgiveness, how much more should we bestow compassion and forgiveness on others? Recall that the servant forfeited his master’s compassion and forgiveness because he failed to bestow them on his fellow servant. If we truly love God, we will not fail to reflect His love to others. + +`Read John 15:12, 1 John 3:16, and 1 John 4:7–12. What do these passages teach about the relationship between God’s love, our love for God, and love for others?` + +Just after John 15:12, Jesus told His disciples, “ ‘You are My friends if you do whatever I command you’ ” (John 15:14, NKJV). And what did Jesus command them? Among other things, Jesus commanded them (and us) to love others even as He loved them. Here and elsewhere, the Lord commands us to love God and to love one another. + +In short, we should recognize that we have been forgiven an infinite debt, one that we can never repay, a debt paid only at the cross for us. Therefore, we should love and praise God and live with love and grace toward others. As Luke 7:47 teaches, the one who is forgiven much loves much, but “ ‘to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little’ ” (NKJV). And who among us doesn’t realize just how much he or she has been forgiven? + +If to love God entails that we love others, we should with urgency share the message of God’s love, both in word and in deed. We should help people in their daily lives here and now, and also seek to be a conduit of God’s love and point people to the One who offers them the promise of eternal life in a new heaven and a new earth—an entirely new creation from this world, which is so marred and ravaged by sin and death, the doleful fruits of rejecting God’s love. + +`What specific steps can you take to love God by loving others? What could you do today and in the coming days to show people God’s love and (eventually) invite them to enjoy what it means to have the promise of eternal life?` + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +Those who live in close fellowship with Christ will be promoted by Him to positions of trust. The servant who does the best he can for his Master is admitted to familiar [relationship] with the One whose commands he loves to obey. In the faithful discharge of duty we may become one with Christ, for those who are obeying God’s commands may speak to Him freely. The one who talks most familiarly with his divine leader has the most exalted conception of His greatness and is the most obedient to His commands.\ +“If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. . . . Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth . . . I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.”\ +The character of the one who comes to God in faith will bear witness that the Saviour has entered into his life, directing all, pervading all. Such a one is continually asking, “Is this Thy will and way, O my Saviour?” Constantly he looks to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of his faith. He consults the will of his divine Friend in reference to all his actions, for he knows that in this confidence is his strength. He has made it a habit to lift up the heart to God in every perplexity.—That I May Know Him, p. 296. + +The Lord loves you, and just as long as you will follow in the footsteps of Jesus, you will walk securely. It is essential that every soul that names the name of Christ should make straight paths for his feet. Why? Lest the lame be turned out of the way. It is a terrible, terrible thing to give a soul a wrong example, and to lead him in a crooked course by the way in which you may walk. . . .\ +Jesus is rich in grace. Draw, constantly draw from Him, for you may have rich supplies.—The Upward Look, p. 275. + +Those who identify their interests wholly with Christ will want to serve him, and the more they work the works of Christ in seeking to bless others, the more will Jesus impart his light and his love to them, that they may communicate it to others. Be guarded that you do not try to teach others unless you are a daily learner in the school of Christ yourself. We must repeat his lessons; we must manifest his spirit of kindness, patience, forbearance, and love. You cannot impart to others that which you have not yourself. Keep the light and love of God burning in your hearts, that you may help others; for more zeal, greater devotion, and more steady, earnest faith is needed. You must do much watching and praying, as well as searching of the Scriptures if you learn the precious lessons of faith. You must guard against making feelings a criterion; this of itself is no evidence that you are a child of God, or that you are not. “By their fruits ye shall know them.” It is obedience and faith that unite us with Jesus Christ. You must learn the simple art of taking God at his word. Then you have solid ground beneath your feet.—“The Mirror,” The Youth’s Instructor, August 18, 1886, par. 6. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/02/07.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/02/07.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..02af9d7577 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/02/07.md @@ -0,0 +1,23 @@ +--- +title: Further Thought +date: 10/01/2025 +--- + +Read Ellen G. White, “The Privilege of Prayer,” pp. 93–104, in Steps to Christ. + +“Keep your wants, your joys, your sorrows, your cares, and your fears before God. You cannot burden Him; you cannot weary Him. He who numbers the hairs of your head is not indifferent to the wants of His children. ‘The Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.’ James 5:11. His heart of love is touched by our sorrows and even by our utterances of them. Take to Him everything that perplexes the mind. Nothing is too great for Him to bear, for He holds up worlds, He rules over all the affairs of the universe. Nothing that in any way concerns our peace is too small for Him to notice. There is no chapter in our experience too dark for Him to read; there is no perplexity too difficult for Him to unravel. No calamity can befall the least of His children, no anxiety harass the soul, no joy cheer, no sincere prayer escape the lips, of which our heavenly Father is unobservant, or in which He takes no immediate interest. ‘He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.’ Psalm 147:3. The relations between God and each soul are as distinct and full as though there were not another soul upon the earth to share His watchcare, not another soul for whom He gave His beloved Son.”—Ellen G. White, Steps to Christ, p. 100. + +**Discussion Questions**: + +`Dwell on the sentence above: “The relations between God and each soul are as distinct and full as though there were not another soul upon the earth to share His watchcare, not another soul for whom He gave His beloved Son.” What comfort does this give you, and how should you live, knowing the closeness of God to you and His care for you? How can you learn to live with the reality of that wonderful promise? Imagine if, day by day, you could truly believe it.` + +`In light of this week’s lesson, how do you understand Psalm 103:17, 18? What does it reveal about how God’s love is everlasting and yet how the benefits of a relationship with God are dependent upon whether we will accept His love?` + +`In what ways does knowing this make a difference in your relationship with God? How does it affect the way you think of the sorrows of others?` + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +In Heavenly Places, “In Right Relationship to God,” p. 32;\ +In Heavenly Places, “Not to Condemn But to Save,” p. 16. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/02/info.yml b/src/en/ss/2025-01/02/info.yml new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..a23d5c697b --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/02/info.yml @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +--- +title: "Covenantal Love" +start_date: "04/01/2025" +end_date: "10/01/2025" \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/02/inside-story.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/02/inside-story.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..d370eb7be3 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/02/inside-story.md @@ -0,0 +1,24 @@ +--- +title: Inside Story +date: 10/01/2025 +--- + +#### Sibú of the Bible + +_By Andrew McChesney_ + +Melvin wasn’t sure whether man was created from dust or corn. In the Bible, he read that “the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being” (Genesis 2:7, NKJV). But the Cabécar, the largest indigenous group in Costa Rica with a population of about 17,000, taught him that Sibú, which means “God” in their native language, created man from corn. + +Growing up, Melvin always had thought that the Sibú of tradition and the Sibú of the Bible were the same deity. But as he studied the Bible with a Seventh-day Adventist, he realized that Sibú’s characteristics in the Bible were very different from those of tradition. He decided to accept the Sibú of the Bible, and he was baptized with his parents and two siblings. + +A year later, his mother suffered a stroke at the age of 40 and died. + +Melvin, who was 22, believed that death was an unconscious sleep. But Cabécar tradition taught that his mother remained alive and risked being lost in darkness forever unless her family partook in four days of rituals that guided her to the next world. As part of traditional funeral rituals, they needed to slaughter two pigs and three chickens and feed them to mourners. Refusing to do so would be considered very selfish. Cabécar tradition condemned selfish people as an abomination. Despite tremendous pressure from grandparents and other relatives to conform to tradition, Melvin and his family decided to follow the Bible. An Adventist pastor helped them find a place outside of Cabécar territory to bury their mother. + +It was then that Melvin decided to become a pastor. He had sensed God calling him to gospel ministry since his baptism, but he had resisted. After his mother died, he resolved to dedicate the rest of his life to sharing the Sibú of the Bible. He wanted to lead his people away from the Sibú who created man from corn to the Sibú who formed man from dust. He wanted them to rejoice in the knowledge that animal sacrifices were not required to gain eternal life in the next world because the Sibú of the Bible gave His own life as a sacrifice to save all. + +Today, Melvin Madriz is a 24-year-old pastoral student at Central America Adventist University in Costa Rica. Upon graduating, he will be the Adventist Church’s first Cabécar pastor. Only about 30 Cabécar people are currently Adventists. + +“I believe in Sibú, but only the Sibú of the Bible, not the Sibú of tradition,” Melvin said. + +_Pray for the God of the Bible to be proclaimed to the Cabécar and all indigenous people worldwide. Thank you for your mission offerings that help share the gospel with unreached and underreached people groups._ \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/02/teacher-comments.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/02/teacher-comments.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..813cff9405 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/02/teacher-comments.md @@ -0,0 +1,58 @@ +--- +title: Teacher Comments +date: 10/01/2025 +--- + +#### Part I: Overview + +Key Text: John 14:23 + +Study Focus: Deut. 7:9, Ps. 145:9, Ezek. 33:11, Matt. 18:23–35, 2 Pet. 3:9, Jude 21. + +Introduction: God’s love is profoundly relational. A loving and intimate relationship with God cannot exist without human reciprocity in response to His loving benevolence. + +Lesson Themes: This week’s lesson focuses on three key ideas: + +1. The love of God is unconditional. God loves everyone and wishes to establish a mutually binding relationship. The manifestation of His love is not dependent on human action or restricted to a certain type of people. He sees value in each person and considers him or her an object of His benevolent blessings. + +2. The love of God intends to initiate a conditional relationship. God’s loving benevolence is universal and unconditional, but He desires to have a specific and intimate relationship with human beings, which implies conditionality. That is, He expects a response to the love that they receive from Him, a spontaneous corresponding love in the form of obedience and loyalty. + +3. The love of God was intended to be reflected in human relationships. God universally seeks a relationship of reciprocal love; the continuation of an intimate relationship implies an appropriate human response. The human side of the covenant-maintaining love involves keeping God’s commandments and loving one another, which are human activities, empowered by God’s love. + +Life Application: God desires to have a loving relationship with human beings, but this relationship requires a genuine response and obedience on our part. Ask your students to silently reflect upon what is endangering their covenant-love relationship with God (and with others). + +#### Part II: Commentary + +**1. The Love of God Is Unconditional.** + +Psalm 145:8, 9 highlights the remarkable and all-encompassing reality of God’s love: “The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and great in mercy. The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works” (NKJV). The idea of love in this passage is spelled out in terms of graciousness, compassion, patience, mercy, and goodness. This list echoes the revelation of God’s glory and character to Moses in Exodus 34:6. In Psalm 145:8, the Hebrew term khesed, which also appears in Exodus 34:6, is rendered by the NKJV as “mercy” and translated as “love” in several other versions: “lovingkindness” (NASB1995), “steadfast love” (ESV, NRSV), “loyal love” (NET), and “rich in love” (NIV). The term khesed conveys the notions of loyalty, faithfulness, goodness, and graciousness (Ludwig Koehler et al., The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament [Leiden: Brill, 1994–2000], pp. 336, 337) and belongs to the semantic domain of (loyal/faithful) love (James Swanson, Dictionary of Biblical Languages With Semantic Domains: Hebrew [Old Testament] [Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997]). + +The all-encompassing reality of God’s love is more precisely emphasized in Psalm 145:9, which underscores that “the Lord is good to all.” The universal scope of divine goodness stated in this verse implicitly indicates that the love of God is unconditional; that is, it does not depend on human actions or reactions. In Psalm 145, universal language is used in verse 12 to describe “the sons of men,” who are supposed to hear about God’s wonderful deeds. Moreover, Psalm 145:15 depicts “the eyes of all” looking at the Lord with expectation and receiving from Him “their food in due season” (NKJV). Then Psalm 145:16 adds, “You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing” (NKJV). Finally, the psalm concludes with a general invitation, according to which “all flesh shall bless His holy name forever and ever” (Ps. 145:21, NKJV). This universal language highlights the all-encompassing reality of God’s love and its unconditional nature, as all creatures are the objects of His benevolent blessings. + +This picture of God’s unconditional love is consistent with the idea that the Lord has “no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live” (Ezek. 33:11, NKJV). The same conception is affirmed in 2 Peter 3:9, which points out that God is “not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (NKJV). As 1 Timothy 2:4 indicates, the Lord “desires all men to be saved” (NKJV). + +**2. The Love of God Intends to Initiate a Conditional Relationship.** + +While Psalm 145 emphasizes the all-encompassing and unconditional reality of God’s love, the psalm also distinguishes between faithful (Ps. 145:10, 11) and wicked (Ps. 145:20) people. Furthermore, the chapter highlights a more specific and conditional relationship of God with those who seek and serve Him. “The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He also will hear their cry and save them” (Ps. 145:18, 19, NKJV; emphasis supplied). Interestingly, according to Psalm 145:20, the key distinction between faithful and wicked ones is that the former group loves the Lord: “ ‘The Lord preserves all who love Him, but all the wicked He will destroy’ ” (NKJV). This distinction suggests that whereas God’s loving benevolence is universal and unconditional, He desires to have a loving relationship with human beings individually, and this relationship implies conditionality; that is, it cannot be established without a loving human response to the love of God. To be sure, God’s benevolent love is unconditional and all-encompassing. But a loving relationship with Him is conditional, inasmuch as a loving relationship cannot really exist if human beings do not respond with love to the love they have received from God. In other words, a genuine loving relationship implies some level of reciprocity. + +This idea of a measure of reciprocity in a genuine loving relationship is crucial for the understanding of God’s covenantal relationship with His people. First of all, this covenant is based on God’s unconditional love. As Deuteronomy 7:6–8 points out regarding Israel: “The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth. The Lord did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples; but because the Lord loves you” (NKJV). However, even though God’s love is not based on what Israel is or does, the covenantal relationship between God and Israel requires some level of loving reciprocity as a response to God’s love. God certainly keeps His covenant with faithfulness and mercy. The people’s adequate response is to love God and keep His commandments. As Deuteronomy 7:9 emphasizes, God is “ ‘faithful’ ” and “ ‘keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments’ ” (NKJV). + +**3. The Love of God Was Intended to Be Reflected in Human Relationships.** + +If the relationship with our loving God (not the love of God itself, which is everlasting [Jer. 31:3]) is conditional, it can be forfeited, considering the human part of the relationship. For instance, because of the evil and wickedness of Israel, Hosea 9:15 underlines that their loving relationship with God does not exist anymore. A similar idea appears in Jeremiah 16:5. Romans 11:22 underscores the notion that the continuation of the loving relationship with God depends on human beings, who are supposed to “continue in His goodness” (NKJV). It is from this overall perspective that Jude 21 appeals to believers to “keep yourselves in the love of God.” A loving relationship with God involves, on the part of humans, keeping His commandments (John 14:21) and loving one another (1 John 4:7). These things are not merely human actions but are actually human activities empowered by the love of God, who has loved us first (1 John 4:19; compare with 1 John 4:7). + +The parable of the unforgiving servant in Matthew 18:23–35 indicates that God’s loving relationship with us can be forfeited if His love, first offered to us, is not reflected in our relationship with others. The parable compares the master’s merciful act of forgiveness toward his servant with the astonishing lack of mercy and forgiveness, on a much lesser scale, of this same servant toward a fellow servant. In light of the discrepancy of this comparison, Jesus teaches that God’s loving forgiveness, which comes first, depends on our forgiving attitude toward others. In other words, the loving relationship with God is conditionally supposed to be reflected in human relationships (see John 15:12, 1 John 3:16, John 4:7–12). Otherwise, our loving relationship with God will be forfeited. This unfortunate possibility should not be taken as a cold conditionality on God’s part but as a serious lack of understanding, on the part of humans, as to the depth of God’s loving mercy. As Luke 7:47 points out, the sense of how much we have been forgiven by God is observed in our expressions of love. Hence, if we do not express love to others, we have not really understood, nor sufficiently appreciated, the depth of God’s love toward us. + +#### Part III: Life Application + +God unconditionally loves everyone. As we accept and respond to His love, in the sense of allowing a loving relationship with Him, we also feel, as a practical effect of our loving relationship with God, the desire to establish a loving relationship with others. Therefore, God not only bestows His love on His creatures but also lets them freely respond (either positively or negatively) to His love and is willing to enable each person to express love to Him and to others. Based on this idea, discuss the following questions: + +1. How can we unconditionally show our love and respect for every human being, regardless of social position, individual characteristics, or personal achievements? + +2. Think of a story that exemplifies the distinction between unconditional love and a conditional loving relationship. How does this example illustrate the notions of unconditionality and conditionality in our explanation of God’s love and of His loving relationship with us? + +3. Our loving relationship with God leads us to desire and take pleasure in doing good to others, which is contrasted with being indifferent to other people’s needs. How does our relationship with God change the way we behave and act with people from our family, work, and neighborhood? + +4. How can you still show unconditional love to someone who does not want to enter into a respectful, loving relationship with you? Do you think that a continuous attitude of unconditional love has the potential to influence this person to change his or her mind? Explain. + +5. What could we do to bond with and to show unconditional love, respect, and support for teenagers in our church? How can we develop positive intergenerational connections for a more loving relationship with younger people? \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/03/01.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/03/01.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..8aa6e5dc15 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/03/01.md @@ -0,0 +1,33 @@ +--- +title: To Be Pleasing to God +date: 11/01/2025 +--- + +### Read for This Week’s Study +Luke 15:11–32, Zeph. 3:17, Eph. 5:25–28, Isa. 43:4, Rom. 8:1, Rom. 5:8, Mark 9:17–29. + +>Memory Text:
+> “The Lord your God in your midst, the Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing” (Zephaniah 3:17, NKJV). + +Imagine the following scenario: a five-year-old child comes to his father with a poorly wrapped gift on Father’s Day. Excitedly, he hands the gift to his father. + +Imagine that the father says, “Son, I do not care about your gift. After all, there is nothing you could give me that would please me. Anything you could give me, I could get for myself, and anything you give to me was either bought with my money or made from materials that I paid for. So, keep your gift. I do not need it or want it. But I love you, anyway.” + +Ouch! + +What do you think of this father’s reaction? Such words as _heartless_, _cold_, and _unfeeling_ come to mind. Is this the way God responds to us? Can we actually be pleasing to God? Hard as it is to imagine, even we as fallen beings, corrupted by sin, and prone to evil—yes, we can be pleasing to God! In other words, God does not look upon us, or the gifts that we bring Him, with the attitude of that father. On the contrary, we can be pleasing to God, but only through Christ. + +_*Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, January 18._ + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +It is the glory of the gospel that it is founded upon the principle of restoring in the fallen race the divine image by a constant manifestation of benevolence. This work began in the heavenly courts. There God decided to give human beings unmistakable evidence of the love with which He regarded them. He “so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16.\ +The Godhead was stirred with pity for the race, and the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit gave Themselves to the working out of the plan of redemption. In order fully to carry out this plan, it was decided that Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, should give Himself an offering for sin. What line can measure the depth of this love? God would make it impossible for man to say that He could have done more. With Christ He gave all the resources of heaven, that nothing might be wanting in the plan for man’s uplifting. Here is love—the contemplation of which should fill the soul with inexpressible gratitude! Oh, what love, what matchless love!—Counsels on Health, p. 222. + +In order to strengthen our confidence in God, Christ teaches us to address Him by a new name, a name entwined with the dearest associations of the human heart. He gives us the privilege of calling the infinite God our Father. This name, spoken to Him and of Him, is a sign of our love and trust toward Him, and a pledge of His regard and relationship to us. Spoken when asking His favor or blessing, it is as music in His ears. . . .\ +God regards us as His children. He has redeemed us out of the careless world and has chosen us to become members of the royal family, sons and daughters of the heavenly King. He invites us to trust in Him with a trust deeper and stronger than that of a child in his earthly father. Parents love their children, but the love of God is larger, broader, deeper, than human love can possibly be. It is immeasurable.—Christ’s Object Lessons, pp. 141, 142. + +Be ambitious, for the Master’s glory, to cultivate every grace of character. In every phase of your character building you are to please God. This you may do; for Enoch pleased Him though living in a degenerate age. And there are Enochs in this our day.\ +Stand like Daniel, that faithful statesman, a man whom no temptation could corrupt. Do not disappoint Him who so loved you that He gave His own life to cancel your sins. He says, “Without Me ye can do nothing.” John 15:5. Remember this. If you have made mistakes, you certainly gain a victory if you see these mistakes and regard them as beacons of warning. Thus you turn defeat into victory, disappointing the enemy and honoring your Redeemer.—Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 332. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/03/02.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/03/02.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..61147cf815 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/03/02.md @@ -0,0 +1,30 @@ +--- +title: More Valuable Than You Can Imagine +date: 12/01/2025 +--- + +As we saw in an earlier lesson, there is no one—even the worst sinner or worst evildoer—whom God does not love. And because God values people more than we could possibly imagine, He is displeased by sin because He loves us and knows what sin does to us, as well. + +`Read Luke 15:11–32. What does the parable of the prodigal son reveal about God’s compassion and love? What warning does it provide for those who, like the other son, remained home?` + +In this story that Jesus tells, the man’s son requested his inheritance early, effectively rejecting his father and his father’s household. The prodigal son then goes on to squander his inheritance and is reduced to poverty and hunger, envying pigs that eat from a trough. Realizing that the servants in his father’s house have more than enough food, he decides to return home in hopes of becoming a servant. + +What follows is powerful. Some fathers would turn such a son away upon his return. “You took your inheritance and cut yourself off from my house. You no longer have a home here.” That would be a logical, even reasonable, attitude, would it not? In the eyes of some human parents, the son had gone too far to be accepted back home, especially as a son. + +But, in the parable, the father (representing God Himself) does not respond in any of these ways. Rather, “ ‘when [the prodigal son] was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him’ ” (Luke 15:20, NKJV). Even though it was considered less than dignified in such times for the master of the house to run out to meet someone, the father in his great compassion ran out to meet his son and, more astonishingly, restored him to his household, even throwing a celebration in his behalf, signifying the great compassion of God for each wayward person and the delight He takes in even a single person returning home. What a picture of God! + +`Interesting is the reaction of the other son. Why was this reaction such a human reaction, based at least in part on fairness, and so understandable, as well? What, however, does his part of the story teach us about how human concepts of fairness don’t capture the depth of the gospel or of God’s love for us?` + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +Arise and go to your Father. He will meet you a great way off. If you take even one step toward Him in repentance, He will hasten to enfold you in His arms of infinite love. His ear is open to the cry of the contrite soul. The very first reaching out of the heart after God is known to Him. . . . Even before the prayer is uttered or the yearning of the heart made known, grace from Christ goes forth to meet the grace that is working upon the human soul.\ +Your heavenly Father will take from you the garments defiled by sin. . . . Even so God will clothe you with “the garments of salvation,” and cover you with “the robe of righteousness.” Isaiah 61:10. . . .\ +He will bring you into His banqueting house, and His banner over you shall be love. (Song of Solomon 2:4.) “If thou wilt walk in My ways,” He declares, “I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by”—even among the holy angels that surround His throne. (Zechariah 3:7.).—Christ’s Object Lessons, pp. 206, 207. + +The man who attempts to keep the commandments of God from a sense of obligation merely—because he is required to do so—will never enter into the joy of obedience. He does not obey. When the requirements of God are accounted a burden because they cut across human inclination, we may know that the life is not a Christian life. True obedience is the outworking of a principle within. It springs from the love of righteousness, the love of the law of God. The essence of all righteousness is loyalty to our Redeemer. This will lead us to do right because it is right—because right doing is pleasing to God.—Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 97. + +When the father comes out to remonstrate with [his eldest son], the pride and malignity of his nature are revealed. He dwells upon his own life in his father’s house as a round of unrequited service. . . . When he should have found an abiding joy in his father’s presence, his mind has rested upon the profit to accrue from his circumspect life. His words show that it is for this he has foregone the pleasures of sin. . . .\ +Yet the father deals tenderly with him. “Son,” he says, “thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.” Through all these years of your brother’s outcast life, have you not had the privilege of companionship with me? . . .\ +Was the elder brother brought to see his own mean, ungrateful spirit? Did he come to see that though his brother had done wickedly, he was his brother still? Did the elder brother repent of his jealousy and hardheartedness? Concerning this, Christ was silent. For the parable was still enacting, and it rested with His hearers to determine what the outcome should be.—Christ’s Object Lessons, pp. 207–209. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/03/03.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/03/03.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..95180e0f9b --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/03/03.md @@ -0,0 +1,30 @@ +--- +title: Rejoicing With Gladness +date: 13/01/2025 +--- + +Hard as it is for us to imagine, God considers each person of incalculable value, which is why He rejoices over the salvation of even one soul. + +`Read Zephaniah 3:17. How does this verse shed light on the parable of the prodigal son?` + +Zephaniah 3:17 emphatically displays the delight of God over His redeemed people. Just about every word for joy and delight in the Hebrew language is packed into this single verse, descriptive of God’s delight over His redeemed people. It’s almost as if no one of the terms by itself is sufficient to describe the magnitude of God’s delight on that day. + +Notice, too, where God is according to this verse—in the “midst” of His people. The reconciliation that arises from the relationship of love comes with the immediate presence of God. Just like the father—when he sees the son afar off, he comes running—here God is in the midst of His people. + +In Isaiah 62:4, similar imagery is couched with a marriage analogy. According to Isaiah 62:4 (NKJV), God’s people will “be called Hephzibah,” which means “My delight is in her,” and the land will be called “Beulah,” which means “married.” Why? Because, the text says, “The Lord delights in you, and your land shall be married.” The very pinnacle of God’s joy is reserved for the day of restoration, when He will receive His people and rejoice over us, even as the father rejoiced over his prodigal son. + +`Read Ephesians 5:25–28. What does this say about the kind of love we are also called to display?` + +This passage exhorts husbands to love their wives “just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,” and to love their wives “as their own bodies” (Eph. 5:25, 28, NKJV). These texts not only highlight the kind of unselfish and sacrificial love a husband is to have for his wife but also show that Christ Himself loves His people (the church) as part of Himself. + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +“As the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee.” Isaiah 62:5. “He will save, He will rejoice over thee with joy; He will rest in His love; He will joy over thee with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17. And heaven and earth shall unite in the Father’s song of rejoicing: “For this My son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.”—Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 207. + +In both the Old and the New Testament, the marriage relation is employed to represent the tender and sacred union that exists between Christ and His people. To the mind of Jesus the gladness of the wedding festivities pointed forward to the rejoicing of that day when He shall bring home His bride to the Father’s house, and the redeemed with the Redeemer shall sit down to the marriage supper of the Lamb. He says, “As the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee.” “Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; . . . but thou shalt be called My Delight; . . . for the Lord delighteth in thee.” “He will rejoice over thee with joy; He will rest in His love, He will joy over thee with singing.” Isaiah 62:5, 4, margin; Zephaniah 3:17.\ +When the vision of heavenly things was granted to John the apostle, he wrote: “I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to Him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready.” “Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb.” Revelation 19:6, 7, 9.—The Desire of Ages, p. 151. + +It should be our aim to bring all the pleasantness possible into our lives, and to do all the kindness possible to those around us. Kind words are never lost. Jesus records them as if spoken to Himself. Sow the seeds of kindness, of love, and of tenderness, and they will blossom and bear fruit.\ +“Christ also hath loved us,” writes Paul, “and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.” This is the oblation of a life-gift in our behalf, that we may be all that He desires us to be—representatives of Him, expressing the fragrance of His character, His own pure thoughts, His divine attributes as manifested in His sanctified human life, in order that others may behold Him in His human form, and, comprehending God’s wonderful design, be led to desire to be like Christ—pure, undefiled, wholly acceptable to God, without spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing.—Ellen G. White Comments, in The Seventh-day Bible Commentary, vol. 6, p. 1118. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/03/04.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/03/04.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..0b82c0e3c9 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/03/04.md @@ -0,0 +1,28 @@ +--- +title: Pleasing God? +date: 14/01/2025 +--- + +How could it be that the God of the universe takes delight in mere humans, fleeting blobs of protoplasm on one tiny planet amid what is probably an infinite universe? How could it be possible that humans could matter so much to the Supreme Being, who is all-powerful and who needs nothing? These questions can be parsed into two aspects. First, how could God Himself be delighted? Second, how could humans bring Him delight, particularly given our sinfulness? The first aspect of these questions is the topic for today and the second for tomorrow. + +`Read Isaiah 43:4; Psalm 149:4; and Proverbs 15:8, 9. What do they tell us about God taking delight in His people?` + +As we partially saw yesterday, God can be pleased by humans because God loves people in a way that takes account of their best interests, as would anyone who loved and cared for others. + +Conversely, God is displeased by His people when they do evil. Indeed, Proverbs 15:8, 9 teaches that, while the “sacrifice” and the “way” of the wicked are each an “abomination to the Lord,” the “prayer of the upright is His delight” and “He loves [the one] who follows righteousness” (NKJV). This passage shows not only that is God displeased by evil but also that He delights in goodness. It also puts divine delight and love in direct relationship with one another, showing the deep connection between God’s love and His delight, which appears throughout Scripture. + +According to Psalm 146:8, “The Lord loves the righteous” (NKJV). Second Corinthians 9:7 adds, “God loves a cheerful giver” (NKJV). Notice, first, what these texts do not say. They do not say that God loves only the righteous or that God loves only the cheerful giver. God loves everyone. Yet, for these texts to convey anything at all, they must mean that God loves the “righteous” and the “cheerful giver” in some special sense. What we have seen in Proverbs 15:8, 9 provides the clue: God loves these and others in the sense of being pleased with them. + +`Think about how closely tied heaven and earth must be that God, the Creator of the universe, can be so intimately involved, even emotionally, with us. What hope should this amazing idea give you, especially if you are going through a hard time?` + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +We must not only pray in Christ’s name, but by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. This explains what is meant when it is said that the Spirit “maketh intercession for us, with groanings which cannot be uttered.” Romans 8:26. Such prayer God delights to answer. When with earnestness and intensity we breathe a prayer in the name of Christ, there is in that very intensity a pledge from God that He is about to answer our prayer “exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.” Ephesians 3:20.\ +Christ has said, “What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.” Mark 11:24. “Whatsoever ye shall ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” John 14:13. And the beloved John, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, speaks with great plainness and assurance: “If we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us: and if we know that He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him.” 1 John 5:14, 15. Then press your petition to the Father in the name of Jesus. God will honor that name.—Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 147. + +What is needed in this, our time of danger, is fervent prayer, mingled with earnest faith, a reliance upon God when Satan casts his shadow over God’s people. Let everyone bear in mind that God delights to listen to the supplications of His people; for the prevailing iniquity calls for more earnest prayer, and God has promised that He will avenge His own elect, who cry day and night unto Him, though He bear long with them. . . .\ +I am so thankful at this time that we can have our minds taken off from the difficulties that surround us, and the oppression that is to come upon the people of God, and can look up to the heaven of light and power. If we place ourselves on the side of God, of Christ and the heavenly intelligences, the broad shield of Omnipotence is over us, the mighty God of Israel is our helper, and we need not fear. Those who touch the people of God, touch the apple of His eye.—Selected Messages, book 2, pp. 372, 373. + +Jesus is the great light which lights up every man that comes into the world. All heaven is interested in the conflict that is going on in this world between truth and error, light and darkness. The great Source of all light is constantly shining, and those who will catch His rays, and will reflect them upon others, will be light-bearers in this darkened world. We are not pleasing God when we permit our minds to dwell upon our imperfections, mourning constantly over our condition, with our eyes directed continually upon our mistakes and errors. Come to Jesus; He is the light of the world. Take hold of His strength by faith and make peace with Him. Shall you talk of your weakness?—No; no: for that pleases the enemy. Dwell upon the great help that has been provided for you in Jesus, your Redeemer.—“Are You Light-bearers?” Australasian Union Conference Record, May 6, 1907. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/03/05.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/03/05.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..5b110f1f61 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/03/05.md @@ -0,0 +1,28 @@ +--- +title: Living Stones +date: 15/01/2025 +--- + +How is it that we, as fallen, sinful beings, can be pleasing to a holy God? + +`Read Romans 8:1 and Romans 5:8. What do these texts teach about our standing before God?` + +God bestows grace on people prior to any human response. Before anything we say or do, God reaches out to us and gives us the opportunity to accept or reject His love. As Romans 5:8 puts it, “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (NKJV; compare with Jer. 31:3). And we can be reconciled to God and even pleasing in His sight, by faith through the work of our Redeemer. + +`Read 1 Peter 2:4–6 and compare it with Hebrews 11:6. What does this tell us about how we can be pleasing to God?` + +Without God’s intervention, fallen people are incapable of bringing anything valuable to God. Yet God, in His grace and mercy, has made a way, through the work of Christ. Specifically, “through Jesus Christ” we may “offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God” (1 Pet. 2:5, NKJV). Although “without faith it is impossible to please Him” (Heb. 11:6, NKJV), by the mediating work of Christ, God will “make” believers “complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen” (Heb. 13:21, NKJV). Those who respond to God by faith are accounted righteous in His sight through the mediation of Christ, whose righteousness alone is acceptable. And those who respond to God’s loving overtures are accounted worthy through Christ’s mediation (Luke 20:35), and He transforms them into His likeness (1 Cor. 15:51–57, 1 John 3:2). God’s redeeming work is not only for us but in us, as well. + +`Why is the idea of Christ mediating for you in heaven so encouraging?` + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +There is no encouragement given for unbelief. The Lord manifests His grace and His power over and over again, and this should teach us that it is always profitable under all circumstances to cherish faith, to talk faith, to act faith. We are not to have our hearts and hands weakened by allowing the suggestions of suspicious minds to plant in our hearts the seeds of doubt and distrust [Hebrews 3:12 quoted].\ +The Lord works in cooperation with the will and action of the human agent. It is the privilege and duty of every man to take God at His word, to believe in Jesus as his personal Saviour, and to respond eagerly, immediately, to the gracious propositions which He makes. He is to study to believe and obey the divine instruction in the Scriptures. He is to base his faith not on feeling but upon the evidence and the Word of God.—Ellen G. White Comments, in The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, p. 924. + +Everything that God could do, He has done to manifest His great love and mercy. . . . He “so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Then rest in the assurance of the love of God. Not because we first loved Him did God love us; but “while we were yet sinners,” Christ died for us, making full and abundant provision for our redemption. Although by our disobedience we have merited God’s displeasure and condemnation, yet He has not forsaken us, leaving us to grapple with the power of the enemy in our own finite strength. Heavenly angels fight our battles for us, and cooperating with them, we may be victorious over the powers of evil. As we draw nigh to Him by faith, He draws nigh to us, adopting us into His family, and making us His sons and daughters.—Sons and Daughters of God, p. 53. + +[Christ] knew from the beginning, of the apostasy of Satan and of the fall of Adam through the deceptive power of the apostate. The plan of salvation was designed to redeem the fallen race, to give them another trial. Christ was appointed to the office of Mediator from the creation of God, set up from everlasting to be our substitute and surety. Before the world was made, it was arranged that the divinity of Christ should be enshrouded in humanity. “A body,” said Christ, “hast thou prepared me” (Hebrews 10:5). . . .\ +To bring humanity into Christ, to bring the fallen race into oneness with divinity, is the work of redemption. Christ took human nature that men might be one with Him as He is one with the Father, that God may love man as He loves His only-begotten Son, that men may be partakers of the divine nature, and be complete in Him.—Selected Messages, book 1, p. 250. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/03/06.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/03/06.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..7914d3c6f6 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/03/06.md @@ -0,0 +1,31 @@ +--- +title: A Worthy Goal +date: 16/01/2025 +--- + +Under the umbrella of God’s mercy and mediation, God takes pleasure in even the smallest positive response to His love. Through the One who alone is worthy of love and is Himself perfectly righteous, each one of us can be counted righteous and counted among God’s beloved who will live with Him in perfect love for eternity. This is the great hope of the redemption, which involves Christ’s work for us in heaven. + +But, you might wonder, can this include even me? What if I am not good enough? What if I am afraid that I do not have enough faith? + +`Read Mark 9:17–29. How does God respond to the man in the story? How much faith is enough faith?` + +The disciples could not cast out the demon; all hope seemed lost. But Jesus came and told the father, “ ‘If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes’ ” (Mark 9:23, NKJV). And the father tearfully replied,“ ‘Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!’ ” (Mark 9:24, NKJV). + +Notice, Jesus did not say to the man, “Come back to me when you have more faith.” Instead his cry, “ ‘Help my unbelief,’ ” was enough. + +Without faith, it is impossible to please God (Heb. 11:6), and yet Jesus accepts even the smallest faith. And by faith (through the mediation of Christ), we can be pleasing to Him. Through faith and because of Christ’s work on our behalf, we can respond in ways that please God, similar to the way that a human father is pleased when a child brings him a gift that is otherwise worthless. + +Thus, we should follow Paul’s counsel to make it our goal to “be well pleasing to” God (2 Cor. 5:9, 10, NKJV; compare with Col. 1:10, 1 Thess. 4:1, Heb. 11:5). And we should ask God to transform our interests to include the best interests of those whom we love, and to expand our love so that it reaches out to others. “Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality” (Rom. 12:10–13, NKJV). + +`If God accepts us through Christ, how much more should we accept others? What light does the command to love your neighbor as yourself (Lev. 19:18, Matt. 22:39) and the golden rule to treat people the way you want to be treated shed on this idea?` + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +The word that was spoken to Jesus at the Jordan, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased,” embraces humanity. God spoke to Jesus as our representative. With all our sins and weaknesses, we are not cast aside as worthless. “He hath made us accepted in the Beloved.” Ephesians 1:6. The glory that rested upon Christ is a pledge of the love of God for us. It tells us of the power of prayer,—how the human voice may reach the ear of God, and our petitions find acceptance in the courts of heaven. By sin, earth was cut off from heaven, and alienated from its communion; but Jesus has connected it again with the sphere of glory. His love has encircled man, and reached the highest heaven. The light which fell from the open portals upon the head of our Saviour will fall upon us as we pray for help to resist temptation. The voice which spoke to Jesus says to every believing soul, This is My beloved child, in whom I am well pleased.—The Desire of Ages, p. 113. + +“If Thou canst do anything, have compassion on us, and help us.” How many a sin-burdened soul has echoed that prayer. And to all, the pitying Saviour’s answer is, “If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.” It is faith that connects us with heaven, and brings us strength for coping with the powers of darkness. In Christ, God has provided means for subduing every sinful trait, and resisting every temptation, however strong. But many feel that they lack faith, and therefore they remain away from Christ. Let these souls, in their helpless unworthiness, cast themselves upon the mercy of their compassionate Saviour. Look not to self, but to Christ. He who healed the sick and cast out demons when He walked among men is the same mighty Redeemer today. Faith comes by the word of God. Then grasp His promise, “Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out.” John 6:37. Cast yourself at His feet with the cry, “Lord, I believe; help Thou mine unbelief.” You can never perish while you do this—never.—The Desire of Ages, pp. 428, 429. + +In your association with others, put yourself in their place. Enter into their feelings, their difficulties, their disappointments, their joys, and their sorrows. Identify yourself with them, and then do to them as, were you to exchange places with them, you would wish them to deal with you. This is the true rule of honesty. . . . It is a principle of heaven, and will be developed in all who are fitted for its holy companionship.\ +The golden rule is the principle of true courtesy, and its truest illustration is seen in the life and character of Jesus. Oh, what rays of softness and beauty shone forth in the daily life of our Saviour! What sweetness flowed from His very presence! The same spirit will be revealed in His children. Those with whom Christ dwells will be surrounded with a divine atmosphere. . . . Their faces will reflect light from His, brightening the path for stumbling and weary feet.—Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, pp. 134, 135. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/03/07.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/03/07.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..40e9b86c54 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/03/07.md @@ -0,0 +1,27 @@ +--- +title: Further Thought +date: 17/01/2025 +--- + +Read Ellen G. White, “ ‘Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled,’ ” pp. 662–680, in The Desire of Ages. + +“The Lord is disappointed when His people place a low estimate upon themselves. He desires His chosen heritage to value themselves according to the price He has placed upon them. God wanted them, else He would not have sent His Son on such an expensive errand to redeem them. He has a use for them, and He is well pleased when they make the very highest demands upon Him, that they may glorify His name. They may expect large things if they have faith in His promises. + +“But to pray in Christ’s name means much. It means that we are to accept His character, manifest His spirit, and work His works. The Saviour’s promise is given on condition. ‘If ye love Me,’ He says, ‘keep My commandments.’ He saves men, not in sin, but from sin; and those who love Him will show their love by obedience. + +“All true obedience comes from the heart. It was heart work with Christ. And if we consent, He will so identify Himself with our thoughts and aims, so blend our hearts and minds into conformity to His will, that when obeying Him we shall be but carrying out our own impulses. The will, refined and sanctified, will find its highest delight in doing His service. When we know God as it is our privilege to know Him, our life will be a life of continual obedience. Through an appreciation of the character of Christ, through communion with God, sin will become hateful to us.”—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 668. + +**Discussion Questions**: + +`What might it mean to “unselfishly receive”? What do you think the relationship of giving and receiving will be like in heaven and in the new earth?` + +`Coming from a distant part of the cosmos—farther perhaps than the James Webb Space Telescope’s most squinting eyes can reach—heavenly messengers referred to the prophet Daniel as chamudot, “beloved, desirable, precious.” And they did so three times. In Daniel 9:23, Gabriel says ki chamudot attah, “for you are greatly beloved.” In Daniel 10:11, a heavenly being (perhaps Gabriel again) calls him ish chamudot, a “man greatly beloved,” a phrase repeated to Daniel later _(Dan. 10:19)_. Think about what it says about God and how close He is to us. What hope can you draw for yourself from this amazing truth?` + +`How do the examples of the heroes of faith discussed in Hebrews 11 relate to the content of this week’s lesson? Specifically, what do such examples reveal about how one can be “pleasing to God” by faith? What can you learn and apply to your day-to-day life from such examples of faith and faithfulness?` + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +The Desire of Ages, “Who Are My Brethren?” pp. 321–327;\ +My Life Today, “Partakers Through God’s Promises,” p. 274. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/03/info.yml b/src/en/ss/2025-01/03/info.yml new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..aab88d5855 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/03/info.yml @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +--- +title: "To Be Pleasing to God" +start_date: "11/01/2025" +end_date: "17/01/2025" \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/03/inside-story.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/03/inside-story.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..500025384e --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/03/inside-story.md @@ -0,0 +1,24 @@ +--- +title: Inside Story +date: 17/01/2025 +--- + +#### The Thankful Deacon + +_By Andrew McChesney_ + +Jong-Moon Yoon is known as the thankful deacon. The first words out of his mouth no matter the circumstances are “thank you.” When someone asks for help, he says, “Thank you.” When he faces a conflict, he says, “Thank you.” When hardships and even losses beset him, he says, “Thank you.” + +The deacon at a Seventh-day Adventist church in South Korea has taken to heart the words of the apostle Paul, who said in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, “In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (NKJV). People have noticed. + +Jong-Moon is the longtime owner of a café on a beach in Jeongdongjin, one of the most popular places to watch sunrises in South Korea, especially on New Year’s Day. Among his customers was Nanum. As a teenager, she occasionally dropped by the café to enjoy the sunrise over a simple breakfast of tea and a toasted sandwich with a fried egg, lettuce, and cheese. As she grew older, she got married and had a daughter, Azsa. The two became regular breakfast customers, and the mother was amazed at Jong-Moon’s thankfulness. When she placed an order, he said, “Thank you.” When she paid for breakfast, he said, “Thank you.” When she thanked him for the meal, he said, “Thank you.” + +During one visit, she struck up a conversation and learned that he goes to church on Saturdays. She had never heard about people worshiping on Saturdays. “Can I come to church with you next Saturday?” she asked. + +The next Sabbath, she and her five-year-old daughter accompanied Jong-Moon to his church, located about a 30-minute drive from his café. Church members warmly welcomed the mother and daughter, and they eagerly asked how they had learned about the church. She said she had come because of the thankful deacon. + +After the church service, Nanum told Jong-Moon that she wanted to come again. “If this is a church that you attend, I will follow you,” she said. + +Even though Nanum never heard the name of Jesus at the café, she saw Jesus through Jong-Moon’s thankful spirit. The gospel is not only spoken but also conveyed through a person’s life. Through Jong-Moon’s example, the young mother and her daughter started attending church regularly. Now, she is praying that her husband will join them on Sabbath mornings. + +_Part of this quarter’s Thirteenth Sabbath Offering will help spread the gospel in South Korea. Thank you for planning a generous offering on March 29._ \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/03/teacher-comments.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/03/teacher-comments.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..362aa1379a --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/03/teacher-comments.md @@ -0,0 +1,64 @@ +--- +title: Teacher Comments +date: 17/01/2025 +--- + +#### Part I: Overview + +Key Text: Zephaniah 3:17 + +Study Focus: Zeph. 3:17, Luke 15:4–32. + +Introduction: Our loving God rejoices, and is pleased, to have a loving relationship with His creatures. + +Lesson Themes: This week’s lesson highlights three basic points: + +1. God’s pleasure with His creatures shows how valued we are in His eyes. In God’s eyes, every single person is precious and of incalculable value and worth. For this reason, He delights and takes pleasure in His sons and daughters when they repent and seek Him. The parables in Luke 15 highlight God’s joy and celebration over the salvation of a lost person. His pleasure in our salvation shows how valuable we are in God’s sight. + +2. God’s pleasure is the reason for human joy and praise. God wants to fill our hearts with overflowing joy, and He takes pleasure in human joy and praise. He invites His people to experience pleasure in Him as they praise Him with joy through prayers and songs. Also, praises to God help us envision, in anticipation, His future pleasure and joy with His people. + +3. Because of our indignity, we need Christ in order to please God. We are invited to please God, offering Him spiritual sacrifices by the praise of our lips in thanksgiving and by the practice of doing good and sharing. Yet, we can only do these things through the mediation of Christ. Our faith is pleasing to God only by means of Christ’s work on our behalf. + +Life Application: God’s pleasure with His creatures shows how valued we are in His eyes and how much He treasures His creation. How may we value the worth of each person? + +#### Part II: Commentary + +**1. God’s Pleasure With His Creatures Shows How Valued We Are in His Eyes.** + +The parable of the prodigal son remarkably illustrates how valuable we are in God’s estimation. In fact, all of the three combined parables of Luke 15, which are told to the grumbling Pharisees and scribes (Luke 15:2), underscore the incredible value of (lost) human beings in the eyes of God. It is noteworthy that the Pharisees and scribes do not see any worth in the people (“sinners”) who are being warmly received by Jesus (Luke 15:2). Ellen G. White points out that “the Pharisees had only scorn and condemnation for them; but Christ greeted them as children of God, estranged indeed from the Father’s house, but not forgotten by the Father’s heart.”—Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 186. + +With the three parables, Jesus reproaches the Pharisees’ dismissive mentality, emphasizing the divine pleasure of retrieving and receiving one who was lost. In other words, the expressions of joy and pleasure in each parable indicate how valuable is the one who was lost. In the parable of the lost sheep, the shepherd eagerly goes after the lost one “ ‘until he finds it’ ” (Luke 15:4, NKJV). He comes back with “ ‘it on his shoulders, rejoicing’ ” (Luke 15:5, NKJV). The more we realize how joyful the shepherd is, the more we perceive how valuable in his eyes is the sheep that was lost. Indeed, the joy and pleasure of the shepherd overflows as he invites neighbors and friends to rejoice with him (Luke 15:6). + +The same pattern appears in the other two parables. In the parable of the lost coin, the woman carefully searches for the coin “ ‘until she finds it’ ” (Luke 15:8, NKJV). Then, with overwhelming pleasure, she invites neighbors and friends to rejoice with her (Luke 15:9). With regard to the parable of the lost son, which is the climax of the three parables, the prodigal son is not only lost, but we are told that he stubbornly took progressive steps toward that condition, as he, initially, did not discern the true implications of his rash and foolish decisions. Eventually, when he comes to his senses, the prodigal son feels that his dignity and value before his father have been lost as a result of his own sin: “ ‘I am no longer worthy to be called your son’ ” (Luke 15:19, NKJV). + +However, the actions of the father are different from the son’s reasonable expectation. Rather, the father “ ‘ran and fell on his neck and kissed him’ ” (Luke 15:20, NKJV). Shockingly, these are not the only expressions of goodwill and pleasure on the part of the father. Without paying attention to the son’s request to be accepted as a servant, the father highlights the dignity of his son by asking the servants to bring “ ‘the best robe,’ ” “ ‘a ring,’ ” and “ ‘sandals’ ” for him (Luke 15:22, NKJV). But that is not enough. The affirmation of the value of the son by means of distinguishing clothes is intensified with the remarkable celebration that the father promotes: “ ‘Bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry’ ” (Luke 15:23, NKJV). In short, the father not only receives the son but is pleased with his return. + +So far, we find in the parable of the prodigal son the same overall pattern identified in the parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin; namely, the lost is found and there is celebration over these tidings. However, the parable of the prodigal son goes a step further, as the celebration is strongly questioned by the older son (Luke 15:28–30). This point is relevant because it illustrates the attitude of the Pharisees in the beginning of the chapter (see Luke 15:2). Both the older son in the parable and the Pharisees highly criticize the reception of sinners and table fellowship/celebration with them. This criticism reveals how they underestimate the value of the people being warmly received. By contrast, the parable teaches how God values his sons and daughters and celebrates when they repent and seek Him. For this reason, the parable ends with the father responding to the criticism of the older son with the following statement: “ ‘It was right that we should make merry and be glad’ ” (Luke 15:32, NKJV). + +The Greek word for the translated expression “it was right” is the verb dei, which literally means “it is necessary, one must, one has to” or underscores that something “should happen because of being fitting” (Frederick W. Danker et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature [Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000], p. 214). Some Bible versions translate it as “it was fitting” (ESV, RSV) or “we had” (NASB, NRSV, NIV) in Luke 15:32. The underlying concept in this language of necessity is the precious value of the one who was lost but now is found. It is from this perspective that the father underlines that we must celebrate. There is no other thing to do in light of the value of the one who is found. Similar to the sentiment in the two previous parables, the father does not want to celebrate alone. The servants seem to be involved (Luke 15:22–27), and the father emphatically appeals to the older son to participate, as well. The prodigal son is not only the “ ‘son of yours,’ ” to use the language of the older brother (Luke 15:30, NKJV), but, as the father appeals, “ ‘your brother’ ” (Luke 15:32, NKJV). + +Therefore, the parables told by Jesus in Luke 15 teach that God’s pleasure with the salvation of His sons and daughters shows how valued we are in His eyes. He wants us not only to feel valued with His loving pleasure, but we should also celebrate with Him (and therefore wholeheartedly value) the salvation of our fellow brothers and sisters. + +**2. God’s Pleasure Is the Reason for Human Joy and Praise.** + +Zephaniah 3:17 and Psalm 149:4 are somewhat similar in their emphasis on God’s pleasure. Psalm 149 is an invitation to praise God joyfully: “Let Israel rejoice in their Maker; let the children of Zion be joyful in their King” (Ps. 149:2, NKJV). The reason for this invitation is presented in Psalm 149:4: “For the Lord takes pleasure in His people” (NKJV). Therefore, the psalm affirms pleasure in a two-way relationship. God is pleased with the people, and, on this basis, the people are invited to experience pleasure in the Lord as they praise Him with joy. + +Likewise, Zephaniah 3:14 exhorts God’s people to joyfully praise the Lord. “Sing, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart” (NKJV). This exhortation is followed by the emphasis in Zephaniah 3:17 that the powerful and saving God is in the midst of His people and that “ ‘He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing’ ” (NKJV). In Psalm 149, God’s pleasure is the reason for human praise and joy; in Zephaniah 3, the praises to Him are supposed to envision God’s future pleasure and joy with His people. + +**3. Because of Our Indignity, We Need Christ in Order to Please God.** + +Among the different ways in which we are invited to please God in Scripture (see, for instance, Heb. 11:5, 6; 2 Cor. 5:9; Col. 1:10; 1 Thess. 4:1), Hebrews 13:15 urges us to continually offer spiritual sacrifices to God, which include the praise of our lips in thanksgiving to Him and the practice of doing good and sharing. The next verse concludes, “with such sacrifices God is well pleased” (Heb. 13:16, NKJV). It is noteworthy that the first words of Hebrews 13:15 indicate that we are not supposed to offer these sacrifices by ourselves. Rather, we need to offer the spiritual sacrifices to God “through Jesus” (NIV). In other words, we are not able to please God with our own praises and good works. It is only through Christ that our praises and works may be offered as spiritual sacrifices that truly please God. + +#### Part III: Life Application + +Human beings are endowed with extraordinary value. You are valuable because you are created in God’s image. It is amazing to think that God values humans more than we could possibly imagine. With this perspective in mind, discuss the questions below: + +1. How may our respect and love for the people whom we encounter in everyday life show them how valuable they are in God’s eyes? + +2. In what ways may professed religious people unfortunately despise the dignity and value of others? + +3. Those who love God will want to know how to please Him. But how, in actuality, may we please God? To what extent does the way we value other people relate to God’s delight over the salvation of His people? + +4. What can you do to value every person to the point of taking pleasure in his or her salvation and of proclaiming God’s goodness and steadfast love? + +5. Give one practical example of how the mediation of Christ enables us to please God with our actions. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/04/01.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/04/01.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..0c90996471 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/04/01.md @@ -0,0 +1,31 @@ +--- +title: God Is Passionate and Compassionate +date: 18/01/2025 +--- + +### Read for This Week’s Study +Ps. 103:13, Isa. 49:15, Hos. 11:1–9, Matt. 23:37, 2 Cor. 11:2, 1 Cor. 13:4–8. + +>Memory Text:
+> “ ‘Can a woman forget her nursing child, and not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, yet I will not forget you’ ” (Isa. 49:15, NKJV). + +Emotions are often viewed as undesirable and to be avoided. For some people, emotions are intrinsically irrational, and thus, the good man or woman would not be described as “emotional.” In some ancient Greek philosophy, the idea of the “rational” man, who is (mostly) either impervious to passions or who rules over his emotions by way of unemotional reason, is prized as the ideal. + +Unbridled emotions can be problematic, yes. However, God created people with the capacity for emotions, and God Himself is displayed throughout Scripture as experiencing profound emotions. If God can experience deep emotions, as the Bible consistently portrays, then emotions cannot be intrinsically bad or irrational—for the God of the Bible is perfectly good and possesses perfect wisdom. + +In fact, there are beautiful truths to be garnered from the realization that God’s love for us is a deeply emotional love, but always with the caveat that though God’s love (emotional or otherwise) is perfect, it should not be thought of as identical to emotions as humans experience them. + +_*Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, January 25._ + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +Christ’s love is deep and earnest, flowing like an irrepressible stream to all who will accept it. There is no selfishness in His love. If this heaven-born love is an abiding principle in the heart, it will make itself known, not only to those we hold most dear in sacred relationship, but to all with whom we come in contact. It will lead us to bestow little acts of attention, to make concessions, to perform deeds of kindness, to speak tender, true, encouraging words. It will lead us to sympathize with those whose hearts hunger for sympathy.—Sons and Daughters of God, p. 101. + +God does not deal with us as finite men deal with one another. His thoughts are thoughts of mercy, love, and tenderest compassion. . . .\ +Satan is ready to steal away the blessed assurances of God. He desires to take every glimmer of hope and every ray of light from the soul; but you must not permit him to do this. Do not give ear to the tempter. . . . The parable [of the prodigal son] tells you how the wanderer will be received: “When he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.” Luke 15:18–20.\ +But even this parable, tender and touching as it is, comes short of expressing the infinite compassion of the heavenly Father. The Lord declares by His prophet, “I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn thee.” Jeremiah 31:3. While the sinner is yet far from the Father’s house, wasting his substance in a strange country, the Father’s heart is yearning over him; and every longing awakened in the soul to return to God is but the tender pleading of His Spirit, wooing, entreating, drawing the wanderer to his Father’s heart of love.—Steps to Christ, pp. 53, 54. + +Our heavenly Father . . . hates sin, but He loves the sinner, and He gave Himself in the person of Christ, that all who would might be saved and have eternal blessedness in the kingdom of glory. What stronger or more tender language could have been employed than He has chosen in which to express His love toward us? He declares, “Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.” Isaiah 49:15. . . .\ +As you read the promises, remember they are the expression of unutterable love and pity. The great heart of Infinite Love is drawn toward the sinner with boundless compassion. “We have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.” Ephesians 1:7. Yes, only believe that God is your helper. He wants to restore His moral image in man. As you draw near to Him with confession and repentance, He will draw near to you with mercy and forgiveness.—Steps to Christ, pp. 54, 55. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/04/02.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/04/02.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..3efa8af407 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/04/02.md @@ -0,0 +1,29 @@ +--- +title: More Than a Mother’s Love +date: 19/01/2025 +--- + +Perhaps the greatest love common to human experience is the love of a parent for a child. The Bible often uses the imagery of the parent-child relationship to depict God’s amazing compassion for people, emphasizing that God’s compassion is exponentially greater than even the deepest and most beautiful human expression of the same emotion. + +`Read Psalm 103:13, Isaiah 49:15, and Jeremiah 31:20. What do these depictions convey about the nature and depth of God’s compassion?` + +According to these texts, God relates to us as His beloved children, loving us as a good father and mother love their children. Yet, as Isaiah 49:15 explains, even a human mother might “forget her nursing child” or “not have compassion on the son of her womb” (NKJV), but God never forgets His children, and His compassion never fails (Lam. 3:22). + +Notably, the Hebrew term raḥam, used for compassion here and in many other texts describing God’s abundant compassionate love, is believed to be derived from the Hebrew term for womb (raḥam). And thus, as scholars have noted, God’s compassion is a “womb-like mother-love.” Indeed, it is exponentially greater than any human compassion, even that of a mother for her newborn. + +According to Jeremiah 31:20 (NKJV), God views His covenant people as His “dear son” and “pleasant child,” despite the fact that they often rebelled against Him and grieved Him. Even so, God declares, “My heart yearns for him” and “I will surely have mercy on him.” The term translated “mercy” here is the term used above for divine compassion (raḥam). Further, the phrase “My heart yearns” can be translated literally as “My innards roar.” This description is the deeply visceral language of divine emotion, signifying the profound depth of God’s compassionate love for His people. Even despite their infidelity, God continues to bestow His abundant compassion and mercy on His people and does so beyond all reasonable expectations. + +`For some of us, recognizing that God’s compassion for us is akin to that of a loving father or mother is deeply comforting. However, some people might struggle because their parent or parents were not loving. What other ways could God’s compassion be revealed to them?` + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +You have probably heard of the sad story of the mother who, with her husband and child, attempted to cross the Green Mountains in midwinter. Their progress was arrested by night and a storm. The husband went for help and lost his way in the darkness and the drifted snow, and was long in returning. The mother felt the chill of death coming upon her, and she bared her bosom to the freezing blast and the falling snow, that she might give all that remained of her own life to save that of her child. When the morning came, the living babe was found wrapped in the mother’s shawl . . . wondering why she did not awaken from her sleep.\ +Here is seen love stronger than death, that binds the mother’s heart to her child. And yet God says that the mother will sooner forget her child than that He will forget a soul that trusts in Him. That the Lord loves us is enough to call forth deepest gratitude, every hour of our lives. God’s love is speaking to you. . . . Only trust the love of Jesus, and you will realize the deepest joy.—Letter 12, August 9, 1873, to Edson and Emma White. + +Christ’s love for His children is as strong as it is tender. It is a love stronger than death, for He died for us. It is a love more true than that of a mother for her children. The mother’s love may change, but Christ’s love is changeless. “I am persuaded,” Paul says, “that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38, 39).\ +In every trial we have strong consolation. Is not our Saviour touched with the feeling of our infirmities? Has He not been tempted in all points like as we are? And has He not invited us to take every trial and perplexity to Him? Then let us not make ourselves miserable over tomorrow’s burdens. . . . He who gives strength for today will give strength for tomorrow.—In Heavenly Places, p. 269. + +In the gracious blessings which our heavenly Father has bestowed upon us, we may discern innumerable evidences of a love that is infinite, and a tender pity surpassing a mother’s yearning sympathy for her wayward child. When we study the divine character in the light of the cross, we see mercy, tenderness, and forgiveness blended with equity and justice. In the language of John we exclaim, “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God.”\ +We see in the midst of the throne One bearing in hands, and feet, and side the marks of suffering endured to reconcile man to God, and God to man. Matchless mercy reveals to us a Father, infinite, dwelling in light unapproachable, yet receiving us to Himself through the merits of His Son.—Reflecting Christ, p. 284. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/04/03.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/04/03.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..a830afdbdb --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/04/03.md @@ -0,0 +1,32 @@ +--- +title: Gut-Wrenching Love +date: 20/01/2025 +--- + +The incalculable depths of God’s compassionate love for humanity are manifested in Hosea. God had commanded the prophet Hosea, “ ‘Go, take yourself a wife of harlotry and children of harlotry, for the land has committed great harlotry by departing from the Lord’ ” (Hos. 1:2, NKJV). Hosea 11 later depicts God’s relationship with His people, but with the metaphor of a loving father for his child. + +`Read Hosea 11:1–9. How does the imagery in these verses bring to life the way God loves and cares for His people?` + +God’s love for His people is likened to the tender affection of a parent for a child. Scripture uses the imagery of teaching a young child to walk; taking one’s beloved child in one’s arms; healing and providing sustenance; and otherwise tenderly caring for His people. Scripture also states that God “carried” His people just “ ‘as a man carries his son’ ” (Deut. 1:31, NKJV). In “His love and in His mercy He redeemed them” and “lifted them and carried them all the days of old” (Isa. 63:9, NASB). + +In contrast to God’s unwavering faithfulness, His people were repeatedly unfaithful, ultimately pushing God away and bringing judgment upon themselves and deeply grieving Him. God is compassionate, but never to the exclusion of justice. (As we will see in a later lesson, love and justice go together.) + +Have you ever been so upset about something that your stomach churns? That is the kind of imagery used for the depth of God’s emotions over His people. The imagery of one’s heart turning over and compassions being kindled is idiomatic language of deep emotions, used of both God and humans. + +This imagery, of compassions being kindled (kamar), is used in the case of the two women who came before Solomon, each one claiming the same baby as her own. When Solomon ordered the infant cut in two (with no intention to harm the child), this imagery described the emotional reaction of the real mother (1 Kings 3:26; compare with Gen. 43:30). + +`Anyone who has ever been a parent knows what the lesson is talking about. No other earthly love begins to compare. How does this help us understand the reality of God’s love for us, and what comfort can, and should, we draw from this understanding?` + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +The Saviour manifested divine compassion toward the Syrophenician woman. His heart was touched as He saw her grief. He longed to give her an immediate assurance that her prayer was heard; but He desired to teach His disciples a lesson, and for a time He seemed to neglect the cry of her tortured heart. . . .\ +It was Christ Himself who put into that mother’s heart the persistence which would not be repulsed. It was Christ who gave the pleading widow courage and determination before the judge. It was Christ who, centuries before, in the mysterious conflict by the Jabbok, had inspired Jacob with the same persevering faith. And the confidence which He Himself had implanted, He did not fail to reward.—Christ’s Object Lessons, pp. 175, 176. + +It is Satan’s work to fill men’s hearts with doubt. He leads them to look upon God as a stern judge. He tempts them to sin, and then to regard themselves as too vile to approach their heavenly Father or to excite His pity. The Lord understands all this. Jesus assures His disciples of God’s sympathy for them in their needs and weaknesses. Not a sigh is breathed, not a pain felt, not a grief pierces the soul, but the throb vibrates to the Father’s heart. . . .\ +God is bending from His throne to hear the cry of the oppressed. To every sincere prayer He answers, “Here am I.” He uplifts the distressed and downtrodden. In all our afflictions He is afflicted. In every temptation and every trial the angel of His presence is near to deliver.—The Desire of Ages, p. 356. + +In losing sight of the true character of Jehovah, the Israelites were without excuse. Often had God revealed Himself to them as one “full of compassion, and gracious, long-suffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.” Psalm 86:15. “When Israel was a child,” He testified, “then I loved him, and called My son out of Egypt.” Hosea 11:1.\ +Tenderly had the Lord dealt with Israel in their deliverance from Egyptian bondage and in their journey to the Promised Land. “In all their affliction He was afflicted, and the angel of His presence saved them: in His love and in His pity He redeemed them; and He bare them, and carried them all the days of old. Isaiah 63:9. . . .\ +It was upon his knowledge of the long-sufferance of Jehovah and of His infinite love and mercy, that Moses based his wonderful plea for the life of Israel when, on the borders of the Promised Land, they refused to advance in obedience to the command of God. At the height of their rebellion the Lord had declared, “I will smite them with the pestilence, and disinherit them;” . . . But the prophet pleaded the marvelous providences and promises of God in behalf of the chosen nation. And then, as the strongest of all pleas, he urged the love of God for fallen man.—Prophets and Kings, pp. 311, 312. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/04/04.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/04/04.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..41aa4457a6 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/04/04.md @@ -0,0 +1,29 @@ +--- +title: The Compassion of Jesus +date: 21/01/2025 +--- + +In the New Testament, the same kind of imagery as in the Old is used to depict God’s compassion. Paul refers to the Father as the “Father of mercies and God of all comfort” (2 Cor. 1:3, NKJV). Further, Paul explains in Ephesians 2:4 that God is “rich in mercy” and redeems humans “because of His great love with which He loved us” (NKJV). + +In various parables, Christ Himself repeatedly uses terms of visceral, gut-wrenching emotion to depict the Father’s compassion (Matt. 18:27, Luke 10:33, Luke 15:20). And the same language that depicts divine compassion in the Old Testament and New Testament also is used in the Gospels to depict Jesus’ compassionate responses to those in distress. + +`Read Matthew 9:36, Matthew 14:14, Mark 1:41, Mark 6:34, and Luke 7:13. See also Matthew 23:37. How do these verses shed light on the way Christ was moved by the plight of people?` + +Again and again in the Gospels, Christ was said to be moved to compassion by people in distress or in need. And He not only felt compassion, He addressed the people’s needs, as well. + +And yes, Jesus also lamented over His people. One might imagine the tears in Christ’s eyes as He looks out over the city—“ ‘How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!’ ” (Matt. 23:37, NKJV). Here, we see that the lament of Christ matches closely with that depicted of God throughout the Old Testament. In fact, many biblical scholars note that the imagery of a bird taking care of her young is imagery only used of divinity in the ancient Near East. Here, many see an allusion to the imagery in Deuteronomy 32:11, of God as a bird hovering over, protecting, and taking care of its young. + +`There is no greater example of God’s great compassionate love for us than Jesus Himself—who gave Himself for us in the ultimate demonstration of love. Yet, Christ is not only the perfect image of God. He is also the perfect model of humanity. How can we model our lives after the life of Christ, focusing on the felt needs of others, and, thus, not merely preaching God’s love but showing it in tangible ways?` + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +When Christ saw the multitudes that gathered about Him, “He was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.” Christ saw the sickness, the sorrow, the want and degradation of the multitudes that thronged His steps. To Him were presented the needs and woes of humanity throughout the world. Among the high and the low, the most honored and the most degraded, He beheld souls who were longing for the very blessings He had come to bring, souls who needed only a knowledge of His grace to become subjects of His kingdom. “Then saith He unto His disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few; pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He will send forth laborers into His harvest.” Matthew 9:36-38.\ +Today the same needs exist. The world is in need of workers who will labor as Christ did for the suffering and the sinful. There is indeed a multitude to be reached. The world is full of sickness, suffering, distress, and sin. It is full of those who need to be ministered unto—the weak, the helpless, the ignorant, the degraded.—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 6, p. 254. + +Whatever your anxieties and trials, spread out your case before the Lord. Your spirit will be braced for endurance. The way will be open for you to disentangle yourself from embarrassment and difficulty. The weaker and more helpless you know yourself to be, the stronger will you become in His strength. The heavier your burdens, the more blessed the rest in casting them upon your Burden Bearer.\ +Circumstances may separate friends; the restless waters of the wide sea may roll between us and them. But no circumstances, no distance, can separate us from the Saviour. Wherever we may be, He is at our right hand, to support, maintain, uphold, and cheer. Greater than the love of a mother for her child is Christ’s love for His redeemed. It is our privilege to rest in His love, to say, “I will trust Him; for He gave His life for me.”\ +Human love may change, but Christ’s love knows no change. When we cry to Him for help, His hand is stretched out to save.—The Ministry of Healing, p. 72. + +“The Lord’s portion is His people; Jacob is the lot of His inheritance. He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; He led him about, He instructed him, He kept him as the apple of His eye. As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings: so the Lord alone did lead him, and there was no strange god with him.” Deuteronomy 32:9-12. Thus He brought the Israelites unto Himself, that they might dwell as under the shadow of the Most High. Miraculously preserved from the perils of the wilderness wandering, they were finally established in the Land of Promise as a favored nation.—Prophets and Kings, p. 17. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/04/05.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/04/05.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..9f279b6cbb --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/04/05.md @@ -0,0 +1,30 @@ +--- +title: A Jealous God? +date: 22/01/2025 +--- + +The God of the Bible is the “compassionate God.” In Hebrew, God is called el raḥum (Deut. 4:31). The term “el” means “God,” and raḥum is a different form of the root for compassion (raḥum). Yet, God is called not only the compassionate God but also the jealous God, el qana’. As Deuteronomy 4:24 puts it, “ ‘The Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God [el qana’].’ ” (See Deut. 4:24, Deut. 6:15, Josh. 24:19, Nah. 1:2.) + +`First Corinthians 13:4 declares that “love is not jealous” (RSV). How could it be, then, that God is a “jealous God”? Read 2 Corinthians 11:2 and consider the way God’s people were unfaithful to Him throughout the narratives of the Bible (see, for example, Ps. 78:58). What light do these passages shed on understanding divine “jealousy”?` + +The “jealousy” of God is often misunderstood. If you refer to someone as a jealous husband or wife, you likely do not mean it as a compliment. The term jealousy often has negative connotations in many languages. However, in the Bible, divine jealousy has no negative connotations. It is the righteous passion of a loving husband for an exclusive relationship with his wife. + +While there is a kind of jealousy that is against love (1 Cor. 13:4), according to 2 Corinthians 11:2, there is a good and righteous “jealousy.” Paul refers to it as “godly jealousy” (2 Cor. 11:2). God’s jealousy is only and always the righteous kind and may better be spoken of as God’s passionate love for His people. + +God’s passion (qana’) for His people stems from His profound love for them. God desires an exclusive relationship with His people; He alone is to be their God. Yet, God is often depicted as a scorned lover, whose love is unrequited (see Hosea 1–3, Jer. 2:2, Jer. 3:1–12). Thus, God’s “jealousy” or “passion” is never unprovoked but always responsive to the infidelity and evil people. God’s jealousy (or “passionate love”) lacks the negative connotations of human jealousy. It is never envious but always the proper righteous passion for an exclusive relationship with His people and for their good. + +`How can we learn to reflect that same kind of good “jealousy” toward others that God displays toward us?` + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +Our God is a jealous God; He is not to be trifled with. . . .\ +We can never by searching find out God. He does not lay open His plans to prying, inquisitive minds. We must not attempt to lift with presumptuous hand the curtain behind which He veils His majesty. The apostle exclaims, “How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!” It is a proof of His mercy that there is the hiding of His power, that He is enshrouded in the awful clouds of mystery and obscurity; for to lift the curtain that conceals the Divine Presence is death. No mortal mind can penetrate the secrecy in which the Mighty One dwells and works. We can comprehend no more of His dealings with us and the motives that actuate Him than He sees fit to reveal. He orders everything in righteousness, and we are not to be dissatisfied and distrustful, but to bow in reverent submission. He will reveal to us as much of His purposes as it is for our good to know; and beyond that we must trust the hand that is omnipotent, the heart that is full of love.—Lift Him Up, p. 361. + +In His dealings with the human race, God bears long with the impenitent. He uses His appointed agencies to call men to allegiance, and offers them His full pardon if they will repent. But because God is long-suffering, men presume on His mercy. . . . The patience and long-suffering of God, which should soften and subdue the soul, has an altogether different influence upon the careless and sinful. It leads them to cast off restraint, and strengthens them in resistance. . . .\ +Very few realize the sinfulness of sin; they flatter themselves that God is too good to punish the offender. But the cases of Miriam, Aaron, David, and many others show that it is not a safe thing to sin against God in deed, in word, or even in thought. God is a being of infinite love and compassion, but He also declares Himself to be a “consuming fire, even a jealous God.”—Ellen G. White Comments, in The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 3, p. 1166. + +Marriage, a union for life, is a symbol of the union between Christ and His church. The spirit that Christ manifests toward the church is the spirit that husband and wife are to manifest toward each other.\ +Neither husband nor wife is to make a plea for rulership. The Lord has laid down the principle that is to guide in this matter. The husband is to cherish his wife as Christ cherishes the church. And the wife is to respect and love her husband. Both are to cultivate the spirit of kindness, being determined never to grieve or injure the other. . . .\ +Let not your married life be one of contention. If you do you will both be unhappy. Be kind in speech and gentle in action, giving up your own wishes. . . . Bring into your united life the fragrance of Christlikeness.—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 7, pp. 46, 47. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/04/06.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/04/06.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..43a9163483 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/04/06.md @@ -0,0 +1,31 @@ +--- +title: Compassion and Passionate +date: 23/01/2025 +--- + +The God of the Bible is compassionate and passionate, and these divine emotions are supremely exemplified in Jesus Christ. God is sympathetic (compare with Isa. 63:9, Heb. 4:15), deeply affected by the sorrows of His people (Judg. 10:16, Luke 19:41), and willing to hear, answer, and comfort (Isa. 49:10, 15; Matt. 9:36; Matt. 14:14). + +`Read 1 Corinthians 13:4–8. In what ways does this passage call us to reflect God’s compassionate and amazing love in our relationships with others?` + +We long to be in relationship with persons who exemplify the kind of love described in 1 Corinthians 13:4–8. But how often do we seek to become this kind of person toward others? We cannot make ourselves long-suffering and kind; we cannot make ourselves not be envious, conceited, rude, or self-seeking. We cannot muster a love in ourselves that “bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things,” and “never fails” (1 Cor. 13:7, 8, NKJV). Such love can be exemplified in our lives only as the fruit of the Holy Spirit. And praise God that the Holy Spirit pours the love of God into the hearts of those who, by faith, are in Christ Jesus (Rom. 5:5). + +By the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit, in what practical ways might we respond to, and reflect, God’s profoundly emotional, but always perfectly righteous and rational, love? First, the only appropriate response is to worship the God who is love. Second, we should respond to God’s love by actively showing compassion and benevolent love to others. We should not simply be comforted in our Christian faith but should be motivated to comfort others. Finally, we should recognize that we cannot change our hearts, but that only God can. + +So, let us ask God to give us a new heart for Him and for others—a pure and purifying love that elevates what is good and removes the chaff from within. + +Let our prayer be: “may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, . . . so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints” (1 Thess. 3:12, 13, NKJV). + +`Why is a death to self and to the selfishness and corruption of our natural hearts the only way to reveal this kind of love? What are the choices that we can make in order to be able to die this death to self?` + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +Love is not simply an impulse, a transitory emotion, dependent upon circumstances; it is a living principle, a permanent power. The soul is fed by the streams of pure love that flow from the heart of Christ, as a well-spring that never fails. O, how is the heart quickened, how are its motives ennobled, its affections deepened, by this communion! Under the education and discipline of the Holy Spirit, the children of God love one another, truly, sincerely, unaffectedly,—“without partiality, and without hypocrisy.” And this because the heart is in love with Jesus. Our affection for one another springs from our common relation to God. We are one family, we love one another as He loved us. . . .\ +To love as Christ loved means to manifest unselfishness at all times and in all places, by kind words and pleasant looks. Genuine love is a precious attribute of heavenly origin, which increases its fragrance in proportion as it is dispensed to others.—Sons and Daughters of God, p. 101. + +The Saviour overcame to show man how he may overcome. All the temptations of Satan, Christ met with the word of God. By trusting in God’s promises, He received power to obey God’s commandments, and the tempter could gain no advantage. To every temptation His answer was, “It is written.” So God has given us His word wherewith to resist evil. Exceeding great and precious promises are ours, that by these we “might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” 2 Peter 1:4.\ +Bid the tempted one look not to circumstances, to the weakness of self, or to the power of temptation, but to the power of God’s word. All its strength is ours. “Thy word,” says the psalmist, “have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee.” “By the word of Thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer.” Psalm 119:11; 17:4.—Temperance, p. 107. + +There can be no growth or fruitfulness in the life that is centered in self. If you have accepted Christ as a personal Saviour, you are to forget yourself, and try to help others. Talk of the love of Christ, tell of His goodness. Do every duty that presents itself. Carry the burden of souls upon your heart, and by every means in your power seek to save the lost. As you receive the Spirit of Christ—the Spirit of unselfish love and labor for others—you will grow and bring forth fruit. The graces of the Spirit will ripen in your character. Your faith will increase, your convictions deepen, your love be made perfect. More and more you will reflect the likeness of Christ in all that is pure, noble, and lovely.\ +“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.” Galatians 5:22, 23. This fruit can never perish, but will produce after its kind a harvest unto eternal life.—Christ’s Object Lessons, pp. 67, 68. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/04/07.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/04/07.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..4bbe511cee --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/04/07.md @@ -0,0 +1,23 @@ +--- +title: Further Thought +date: 24/01/2025 +--- + +Read Ellen G. White, “The Beatitudes,” pp. 6–44, in Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing. + +“All who have a sense of their deep soul poverty, who feel that they have nothing good in themselves, may find righteousness and strength by looking unto Jesus. He says, ‘Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy-laden.’ Matthew 11:28. He bids you exchange your poverty for the riches of His grace. We are not worthy of God's love, but Christ, our surety, is worthy, and is abundantly able to save all who shall come unto Him. Whatever may have been your past experience, however discouraging your present circumstances, if you will come to Jesus just as you are, weak, helpless, and despairing, our compassionate Saviour will meet you a great way off, and will throw about you His arms of love and His robe of righteousness. He presents us to the Father clothed in the white raiment of His own character. He pleads before God in our behalf, saying: I have taken the sinner’s place. Look not upon this wayward child, but look on Me. Does Satan plead loudly against our souls, accusing of sin, and claiming us as his prey, the blood of Christ pleads with greater power.”—Ellen G. White, Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, pp. 8, 9. + +**Discussion Questions**: + +`Look at what inspiration above said about how, thanks to Jesus, we are presented to the Father. “He presents us to the Father clothed in the white raiment of His own character.” No matter how discouraged we might get at times over our faults and shortcomings, or how often we don’t reflect to others the kind of love that God pours out on us, why must we always come back to the wonderful news that we are accepted by the Father because Jesus “presents us to the Father clothed in the white raiment of His own character”?` + +`Imagine how the mother must have felt in the case of the two women who came before Solomon claiming the same baby was their child. Consider again the language of emotion described in 1 Kings 3:26. How does this shed light on the same kind of language that is used to describe God’s emotions for His people, in Hosea 11:8?` + +`Throughout the Gospels, we have seen that Jesus often was moved by the needs of people. And what did He do? He acted in a way that addressed the people’s needs. What are practical ways that you as an individual, or even perhaps as a class, can meet the needs of those who need comforting?` + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +The Upward Look, “Look,” p. 180;\ +Messages to Young People, “Not Feeling but a Changed Life,” pp. 72, 73. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/04/info.yml b/src/en/ss/2025-01/04/info.yml new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..204ebece52 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/04/info.yml @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +--- +title: "God Is Passionate and Compassionate" +start_date: "18/01/2025" +end_date: "24/01/2025" \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/04/inside-story.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/04/inside-story.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..6afed3c5df --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/04/inside-story.md @@ -0,0 +1,26 @@ +--- +title: Inside Story +date: 24/01/2025 +--- + +#### Attacked by Drunken Men + +_By Andrew McChesney_ + +A drunken man accosted the 21-year-old missionary woman on a public bus and tried to hug and kiss her. As she struggled against his advances, the other passengers looked the other way until an elderly woman yelled something to the bus driver. The bus stopped, then under the guidance of the elderly woman, several passengers threw the man off. She came over to the sobbing missionary, patted her arm, and said something that the missionary couldn’t understand. + +This was the nightmare that Joanne (Park) Kim seemed to face nearly every week in Mongolia. It was the early 1990s, and she was a single American woman serving as one of the first Seventh-day Adventist missionaries in impoverished, post-Communist Mongolia. + +On another occasion, a drunken neighbor mistook Joanne’s apartment for his own. He kicked down her flimsy wooden door with his steel-toe boots and started to beat her. Joanne grabbed a broom and, screaming, fought back. It was a losing battle until Joanne used the broom to bang on the ceiling and her fellow missionaries, a married American couple, heard from their apartment above, and rushed down to rescue her. + +The last straw for Joanne came when she and a fellow missionary were waiting at a bus stop on the outskirts of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia’s capital. A mother had invited them to her child’s first haircut, which called for a big celebration in Mongolia. Joanne was instructed to wait at the bus stop because she would never be able to find the _ger_ home on the unmarked streets, so she and the other missionary sat on the curb and waited for the mother to arrive. + +Then four drunken men sat beside them and tried to hug and kiss Joanne. + +Joanne and the other missionary moved away, but the men followed. Everyone at the crowded bus stop looked away. The men dragged the women to a deserted alley. Joanne screamed and kicked and fought back, but she was no match for the four men. Then the men threw the women onto the ground. Joanne thought it was the end. + +Suddenly, the men’s faces turned pale. They turned and ran away. + +Joanne looked around to see who had come to save them. No one was there. At that moment, Joanne knew that the men must have seen an angel. + +_This mission story offers an inside look at American missionary Joanne (Park) Kim, who helped start the Seventh-day Adventist work in post-Communist Mongolia and continues to serve as a missionary there. You also can participate in the mission work through this quarter’s Thirteenth Sabbath Offering, part of which will help open a recreation center where children can grow spiritually, mentally, socially, and physically in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Read more about Joanne next week._ \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/04/teacher-comments.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/04/teacher-comments.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..dbe67ec7f9 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/04/teacher-comments.md @@ -0,0 +1,62 @@ +--- +title: Teacher Comments +date: 24/01/2025 +--- + +#### Part I: Overview + +Key Text: Isaiah 49:15 + +Study Focus: Ps. 103:13; Isa. 49:15; Hos. 11:1–4, 8, 9; Matt. 9:36; 1 Cor. 13:4. + +Introduction: God is moved physically and emotionally with profound compassion for His people. + +Lesson Themes: This week’s lesson highlights three basic points. + +1. Our passionate and compassionate God is vividly presented in Scripture with parenting imagery. God’s love has strong emotional and affective aspects, similar to parental love. The metaphor of divine love as maternal love conveys the notion of God’s remembering and having compassion over His people. Maternal imagery is, to some degree, the best illustration of God’s compassion, loving care, and attention to the needs of His people. Scripture also illustrates God’s compassion using the image of a loving and compassionate father. + +2. Our passionate and compassionate God is strikingly portrayed in Scripture with visceral language. In many Bible passages, visceral language is used to express God’s affection, as He is moved physically and emotionally with profound compassion for people. The Hebrew word for compassion depicts a womb-like maternal love, emphasizing a mother’s compassion toward her child. Similarly, God shows tender affection and compassion for His people. + +3. Our passionate and compassionate God is jealous in a good and righteous way. God seeks an intimate and exclusive covenantal relationship with us and requires faithfulness from His people. In this sense, God is described in Scripture as zealous and jealous. Instead of the negative connotation of being capricious, this language conveys the idea that God acts in our best interests to protect us from self-harm and broken promises. + +Life Application: In His passionate and compassionate love, God invites us to be like Him. In our compassion toward others, we need to be considerate of the people around us and be purposeful as a church about actively caring for others. + +#### Part II: Commentary + +**1. Our Passionate and Compassionate God Is Vividly Presented, With Parenting Imagery, in Scripture.** + +One of the most vivid pictures of God in Scripture is delineated by the parenting language of mother and father, who are ideally special figures of love and compassion in human relationships. + +In the dialogue between God and Zion in Isaiah 49:14–23, which is located in the larger message for the consolation of Israel, in Isaiah 49:14–26, Zion initially complains, “ ‘The Lord has forsaken me; my Lord has forgotten me’ ” (Isa. 49:14, ESV). In His answer, the Lord highlights that He always remembers His people; this affirmation is poetically shaped by the image of a mother. “ ‘Can a woman forget her nursing child, and not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, yet I will not forget you’ ” (Isa. 49:15, NKJV). The image of a mother is connected here with the ideas of remembering and having compassion. By contrast, the idea of forgetting, in this context, describes a lack of compassion. + +The overall assumption is that the mother never forgets her nursing child. At least, this level of devotion is what everyone expects from her. Therefore, the image of a mother is probably the best example to illustrate God’s compassion and attention to the needs of His people. Still, not all mothers fulfill this high expectation. While many people may describe their mothers as the most caring and compassionate human beings in the world, others unfortunately might not have good memories of their mothers. Even though Isaiah 49:15 seems to set the mother imagery as the pinnacle of human awareness and compassion, this passage also may account for the negative experiences wrought by a forgetful and merciless mother. + +Thus, while such experiences are considered atypical, at the same time, the comparison in this passage acknowledges that some mothers may deviate from that norm and still forget. Unfortunately, this experience is a sad reality in the lives of some people. However, even if this experience lamentably happens, God will never forget His people, as He will always be compassionate toward them. In short, the comparison in this passage of God with a mother provides a beautiful picture of a passionate and compassionate God, both to those who have a caring mother (God is somehow like them) and to those who have, or had, a detrimental experience with an unloving mother (God is definitely different than they are). + +Likewise, the scriptural description of God’s compassion employs the comparative language of a father. Psalm 103 praises the Lord for His mercies. “The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. He will not always strive with us, nor will He keep His anger forever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities” (Ps. 103:8–10, NKJV). Following this description, the psalm compares God with a father: “As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him” (Ps. 103:13, NIV). + +**2. Our Passionate and Compassionate God Is Strikingly Portrayed, With Visceral Language, in Scripture.** + +Compassion in the Bible is portrayed with visceral language. This language makes the descriptions of compassion in Scripture, especially the references to divine compassion, emotionally and physically expressive. For instance, “the Hebrew word for compassion,” which is raḥamim, “is etymologically related to reḥem (womb)” (Shmuel Himelstein, “Compassion,” The Oxford Dictionary of the Jewish Religion, 2nd ed., ed. Adele Berlin [Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011]). This idea reinforces the comparison of God’s compassion with the compassion of a mother toward the child that came from her womb. To be sure, this strong bodily language should not be taken literally for God. But such a powerful portrayal is probably the ultimate image we can employ in order to truly express, in the limitations of human concepts and language, the profoundness of God’s loving compassion. + +In Hosea 11, the Lord expresses His deep love for Israel. He states that “ ‘when Israel was a child, I loved him’ ” (Hosea 11:1, NKJV) and that “ ‘I taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by their arms’ ” (Hosea 11:3, NKJV). However, the Lord points out that His “ ‘people are bent on backsliding from Me’ ” (Hosea 11:7, NKJV). Still, He declares His love by saying, “ ‘How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel?’ ” (Hosea 11:8, NKJV). Using visceral language to depict His compassion, more precisely “a change of heart” (NET; see also NIV, Tanakh), the Lord tells His people, “ ‘My heart churns [verb hp̲k̲] within Me; My sympathy is stirred’ ” (Hosea 11:8, NKJV). + +The Hebrew verb hp̲k̲ also appears in connection with the heart, now to depict human distress, in Lamentations. Once again, bodily visceral language is used: “ ‘Look, O Lord, for I am in distress; my stomach churns; my heart is wrung [verb hp̲k̲] within me’ ” (Lam. 1:20, ESV). Therefore, visceral language, referring to a human heart in Lamentations, and to the divine heart in Hosea, emotionally describes the depths of God’s passion and compassion for His people. + +Similarly, the Greek verb splanchnizomai is used in the New Testament, particularly in the Synoptic Gospels, to depict Jesus having compassion on the people (see Matt. 9:36, Matt. 14:14, Matt. 15:32, Matt. 20:34, Mark 1:41, Mark 6:34, Mark 8:2, Luke 7:13; see also this language in Matt. 18:27, Mark 9:22, Luke 10:33, Luke 15:20). It is noteworthy that the related noun splanchon, which conveys the idea of affection or compassion in many New Testament passages (see Luke 1:78, Phil. 1:8, Phil. 2:1, Col. 3:12), literally refers to “the inward parts of a body,” especially “the viscera . . . entrails” (Frederick W. Danker et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature [Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000], p. 938). As Craig Bloomberg emphasizes in his remarks on Matthew 9:36, Jesus’ “emotions reflect a deep, gut-level ‘compassion’ (a reasonable, idiomatic English equivalent for a term [from Greek splanchnos] that could refer to bowels and kidneys)” (Matthew: The New American Commentary [Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1992], vol. 22, p. 166). Hence, the New Testament emotionally depicts Jesus’ compassion by employing the visceral language of internal body parts being moved. To put a finer point on it, He is being physically and emotionally moved with profound loving compassion for the people. This is compatible with the Old Testament description of God’s deep compassion for His people. + +**3. Our Passionate and Compassionate God Is Jealous in a Good and Righteous Way.** + +As part of the Old Testament picture of our passionate and compassionate God, the Lord is described as jealous/zealous (see Exod. 20:5; Exod. 34:14; Deut. 4:24; Deut. 5:9; Deut. 6:15; Deut. 32:16, 21; Josh. 24:19; 1 Kings 14:22; Ps. 78:58; Ezek. 39:25; Nah. 1:2; Joel 2:18; Zech. 1:14; Zech. 8:2). This description appears in the second commandment, which builds upon the first one (“ ‘You shall have no other gods before Me’ ” [Exod. 20:3, NKJV]) and prohibits making any “ ‘carved image’ ” (Exod. 20:4, NKJV). The commandment adds, “ ‘you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God’ ” (Exod. 20:5, NKJV). As in a marriage relationship, God requires exclusivity and faithfulness from His people. Taking into account this covenant relationship, when God’s people break His commandment by making idols and worshiping/serving them, the people move God, or provoke Him, to jealousy and wrath, according to the biblical language (Deut. 32:16, 21; Josh. 24:19; 1 Kings 14:22, 23; Ps. 78:58; Nah. 1:2, 14). As a holy God (Josh. 24:19, Ezek. 39:25) who is zealous for the relationship with His people (Joel 2:18, Zech. 1:14, Zech. 8:2), His jealous reaction is actually a holy response to the unfaithfulness and idolatry of His people. + +This Old Testament picture of God’s jealousy is obviously different from Paul’s warning against jealousy among church members in the New Testament (see 1 Cor. 13:4, 2 Cor. 12:20, Gal. 5:20). Paul speaks positively of “godly jealousy,” emphasizing, in 2 Corinthians 11:2, that he is jealous for the church. This distinction between a negative jealousy to be avoided and God’s positive jealousy may be discerned in the Greek language, but via the two possible definitions of jealousy in the New Testament: (1) “be positively and intensely interested” (zeal); and (2) “to have intense negative feelings over another’s achievements” (envy) (Danker et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, p. 427). + +#### Part III: Life Application + +God actively shows compassion and passionate love for His people and invites us to do the same. Taking this idea into account, discuss the following questions: + +1. As we compare God’s compassion with that of a caring mother, how do remembering and forgetting play a role in the practice, or the lack, of compassion? Give examples. + +2. In what ways can you be jealous, in a positive manner, in your relationships in the church, as God is jealous in His relationships with His people? + +3. How can we be purposeful as a church about caring for others and about incorporating the cause of others into our own spiritual goals? \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/05/01.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/05/01.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..28fe070ca4 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/05/01.md @@ -0,0 +1,31 @@ +--- +title: The Wrath of Divine Love +date: 25/01/2025 +--- + +### Read for This Week’s Study +Psalm 78; Jonah 4:1–4; Matt. 10:8; Matt. 21:12, 13; Jer. 51:24, 25; Rom. 12:17–21. + +>Memory Text:
+> “But He, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and did not destroy them. Yes, many a time He turned His anger away, and did not stir up all His wrath” (Psalm 78:38, NKJV). + +Though God’s compassion is often celebrated, many find the idea of His wrath disturbing. If God is love, they think He should never express wrath. That notion, however, is false. His wrath arises directly from His love. + +Some claim that the Old Testament God is a God of wrath and that the New Testament God is a God of love. But there is only one God, and He is revealed as the same in both Testaments. The God who is love does become angry at evil—but precisely because He is love. Jesus Himself expressed profound anger against evil, and the New Testament teaches numerous times about the righteous and appropriate wrath of God. + +God’s anger is always His righteous and loving response against evil and injustice. Divine wrath is righteous indignation motivated by perfect goodness and love, and it seeks the flourishing of all creation. God’s wrath is simply the appropriate response of love to evil and injustice. Accordingly, evil provokes God to passion in favor of the victims of evil and against its perpetrators. Divine wrath, then, is another expression of divine love. + +_*Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, February 1._ + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +Christ’s indignation was directed against the hypocrisy, the gross sins, by which men were destroying their own souls, deceiving the people and dishonoring God. In the specious deceptive reasoning of the priests and rulers He discerned the working of satanic agencies. Keen and searching had been His denunciation of sin; but He spoke no words of retaliation. He had a holy wrath against the prince of darkness; but He manifested no irritated temper. So the Christian who lives in harmony with God, possessing the sweet attributes of love and mercy, will feel a righteous indignation against sin; but he will not be roused by passion to revile those who revile him. Even in meeting those who are moved by a power from beneath to maintain falsehood, in Christ he will still preserve calmness and self-possession.—Lift Him Up, p. 337. + +The forbearance of God has been very great—so great that when we consider the continuous insult to His holy commandments, we marvel. The Omnipotent One has been exerting a restraining power over His own attributes. But He will certainly arise to punish the wicked, who so boldly defy the just claims of the Decalogue.\ +God allows men a period of probation; but there is a point beyond which divine patience is exhausted, and the judgments of God are sure to follow. The Lord bears long with men, and with cities, mercifully giving warnings to save them from divine wrath; but a time will come when pleadings for mercy will no longer be heard, and the rebellious element that continues to reject the light of truth will be blotted out, in mercy to themselves and to those who would otherwise be influenced by their example.—Prophets and Kings, p. 276. + +Let us study more diligently the Word of God. The Bible is so plain and clear that all who will may understand. Let us thank the Lord for His precious Word, and for the messages of His Spirit that give so much light. I am instructed that the more we study the Old and New Testaments, the more we shall have impressed on our mind the fact that each sustains a very close relation to the other, and the more evidence we shall receive of their divine inspiration. We shall see clearly that they have but one Author. The study of these precious volumes will teach us how to form characters that will reveal the attributes of Christ.—Selected Messages, book 3, p. 359. + +The Old Testament . . . was not written merely for the ancients; it was for all ages and for all people. Jesus would have the teachers of His doctrine diligently search the Old Testament for that light which establishes His identity as the Messiah foretold in prophecy, and reveals the nature of His mission to the world. The Old and the New Testament are inseparable, for both are the teachings of Christ.—Ellen G. White Comments, in The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentaries, vol. 5, p. 1094. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/05/02.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/05/02.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..9a139b8b6c --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/05/02.md @@ -0,0 +1,42 @@ +--- +title: Grieved by Evil +date: 26/01/2025 +--- + +The God of the Bible loves justice and hates evil. Sin and evil, therefore, provoke Him to passion, a passion expressed on behalf of those oppressed and abused, and even in cases in which one’s evil affects primarily oneself. God hates evil because evil always hurts His creatures, even if self-inflicted. In the biblical narratives, God is repeatedly provoked to anger by what biblical scholars refer to as the cycle of rebellion. This cycle goes as follows: + +The people rebel against God and do evil, sometimes even horrendous atrocities, such as child sacrifice and other abominations in His sight. + +God withdraws according to the people’s decisions. + +The people are oppressed by foreign nations. + +The people cry to God for deliverance. + +God graciously delivers the people. + +The people rebel against God again, often more egregiously than before. + +In the face of this cycle of egregious evil and infidelity, however, God repeatedly meets human unfaithfulness, but with unending faithfulness, long-suffering forbearance, amazing grace, and deep compassion. + +`Read Psalm 78. What does this passage convey about God’s response to His people’s repeated rebellions?` + +According to the Bible, love and justice are intertwined. Divine anger is the proper response of love against evil because evil always hurts someone whom God loves. There is no instance in Scripture where God is arbitrarily or unfairly wrathful or angry. + +And while God’s people repeatedly forsook and betrayed Him, over the centuries God continued patiently to bestow compassion beyond all reasonable expectations (Neh. 9:7–33), thus demonstrating the unfathomable depth of His long-suffering compassion and merciful love. Indeed, according to Psalm 78:38, God, “being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity and did not destroy them. Yes, many a time He turned His anger away, and did not stir up all His wrath” (NKJV). + +`Surely, you have been angry over the evil done to others. How does this emotion help you better understand, then, God’s wrath toward evil?` + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +“For all this they [the children of Israel] sinned still, and believed not for His wondrous works. . . . When He slew them, then they sought Him: and they returned and inquired early after God. And they remembered that God was their Rock, and the high God their Redeemer.” Psalm 78:32-35. Yet they did not turn to God with a sincere purpose. Though when afflicted by their enemies they sought help from Him who alone could deliver, yet “their heart was not right with Him, neither were they steadfast in His covenant. But He, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yea, many a time turned He His anger away. . . . For He remembered that they were but flesh; a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again.” Verses 37-39.—Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 410. + +Christ was approaching the end of His mission, and He knew that when that time should come, Jerusalem’s day of probation would have ended. But He was reluctant to pronounce the words of doom. For three years He had come, seeking fruit and finding none. During these years one object was ever upon His soul—to present before His thankless, disobedient people the solemn warnings and gracious invitations of heaven. . . .\ +He carried them on His heart. He did all that He could do to save them. But at the end of His work in this world He was forced to say in an agony of tears, “Ye would not come unto Me that ye might have life.”\ +The cloud of divine wrath was gathering over Jerusalem. Christ saw the city beleaguered. He saw it lost. In a voice full of tears he exclaimed, “If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.”—This Day With God, p. 109. + +God has sent messages from His Word to the souls who are living careless lives, and who are unashamed of their wrong course of action. I heard the words spoken: “Why sayest thou . . . My way is hid from the Lord and my judgment is passed over from my God? Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary?” (Isaiah 40:27, 28). . . .\ +God is constantly appealing to the human heart, bidding it recognize His love and mercy, and accept His righteousness in the place of the principles of evil. Thus He has pleaded with mankind in all ages. In Noah’s day Christ spoke to men through a human agency and preached to those who were in bondage to sin. He came to Israel enshrouded in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night. He it was who educated that vast multitude in their wilderness wandering.\ +There are many who do not weigh these things sufficiently. The instruction given to Israel should be understood today by every soul living.—This Day With God, p. 278. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/05/03.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/05/03.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..e6a5d950a9 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/05/03.md @@ -0,0 +1,32 @@ +--- +title: God Is Slow to Anger +date: 27/01/2025 +--- + +God becomes angry at evil because God is love. God is so compassionate and gracious that one biblical prophet even chastised God for being too merciful! + +`Consider the story of Jonah and reflect on Jonah’s reaction to God’s compassionate forgiveness of the Ninevites, in Jonah 4:1–4. What does this tell us about Jonah, and about God? (See also Matt. 10:8.)` + +Jonah’s reaction to God’s mercy is telling in two primary ways. First, it displays Jonah’s own hardheartedness. He hated the Assyrians so much for what they had done to Israel that he did not want God to show them any mercy. + +What a lesson for us! We must be careful to guard against this same attitude, however understandable it may be. Of all people, those who have received the grace of God should recognize unmerited grace and thus be willing to extend grace to others. + +Secondly, Jonah’s reaction reinforces how central God’s compassion and grace are to His character. So familiar was Jonah with God’s mercy that—precisely because God is “gracious and merciful” and “slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness” (Jon. 4:2, NKJV)—Jonah knew that the Lord would relent from bringing judgment against Nineveh. God deals justly and mercifully with all peoples and nations. + +The Hebrew phrase translated “slow to anger” or “longsuffering” could be literally translated “long of nose.” In Hebrew idiom, anger was metaphorically associated with the nose, and the length of nose metaphorically images how long it takes for one to become angry. + +References to God as “long of nose,” then, convey that God is slow to anger and long-suffering. While it does not take long for humans to become angry, God is exceedingly long-suffering and patient, and bestows grace freely and abundantly, yet without justifying sin or turning a blind eye to injustice. Instead, God Himself makes atonement for sin and evil via the cross so that He can be both just and the justifier of those who believe in Him (Rom. 3:25, 26). + +`Have you ever failed to show mercy or grace to someone who has wronged you? How can you best remember what God has done for you so that you become more gracious to others in response to the abundant grace God has shown you? And how do we show mercy and grace without giving license to sin or enabling abuse or oppression?` + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +When Jonah learned of God’s purpose to spare the city that, notwithstanding its wickedness, had been led to repent in sackcloth and ashes, he should have been the first to rejoice because of God’s amazing grace; but instead he allowed his mind to dwell upon the possibility of his being regarded as a false prophet. Jealous of his reputation, he lost sight of the infinitely greater value of the souls in that wretched city. The compassion shown by God toward the repentant Ninevites “displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry.” “Was not this my saying,” he inquired of the Lord, “when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that Thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest Thee of the evil.” Jonah 4:1, 2. . . .\ +Losing sight of the interests of others, and feeling as if he would rather die than live to see the city spared, in his dissatisfaction he exclaimed, “Now, O Lord, take, I beseech Thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.”—Prophets and Kings, p. 271. + +The lesson [taught to Jonah] is for God’s messengers today, when the cities of the nations are as verily in need of a knowledge of the attributes and purposes of the true God as were the Ninevites of old. Christ’s ambassadors are to point men to the nobler world, which has largely been lost sight of. According to the teaching of the Holy Scriptures, the only city that will endure is the city whose builder and maker is God. With the eye of faith man may behold the threshold of heaven, flushed with God’s living glory. Through His ministering servants the Lord Jesus is calling upon men to strive with sanctified ambition to secure the immortal inheritance. He urges them to lay up treasure beside the throne of God.—Prophets and Kings, p. 274. + +Divine love makes its most touching appeals to the heart when it calls upon us to manifest the same tender compassion that Christ manifested. That man only who has unselfish love for his brother has true love for God. The true Christian will not willingly permit the soul in peril and need to go unwarned, uncared for. He will not hold himself aloof from the erring, leaving them to plunge farther into unhappiness and discouragement or to fall on Satan’s battleground.\ +Those who have never experienced the tender, winning love of Christ cannot lead others to the fountain of life. His love in the heart is a constraining power, which leads men to reveal Him in the conversation, in the tender, pitiful spirit, in the uplifting of the lives of those with whom they associate. Christian workers who succeed in their efforts must know Christ; and in order to know Him, they must know His love. In heaven their fitness as workers is measured by their ability to love as Christ loved and to work as He worked.—The Acts of the Apostles, p. 550. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/05/04.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/05/04.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..6474ac7941 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/05/04.md @@ -0,0 +1,31 @@ +--- +title: Righteous Indignation +date: 28/01/2025 +--- + +While there are many inappropriate forms of anger, the Bible also teaches that there is “righteous indignation.” + +Imagine a mother watching her three-year-old daughter playing at the playground and then, suddenly, a man attacks her daughter. Should she not be angry? Of course, she should. Anger is the proper response of love in such a circumstance. This example helps us understand God’s “righteous indignation.” + +`Read Matthew 21:12, 13 and John 2:14, 15. What does Jesus’ reaction to the way the temple was being used tell us about God’s getting angry at evil?` + +In these instances, Jesus displays the “godly zeal” of righteous indignation against those who were treating God’s temple as common and who had turned it into a “den of robbers” in order to take advantage of widows, orphans, and the poor (Matt. 21:13; compare with John 2:16). The temple and services, which were supposed to typify God’s gracious forgiveness and His cleansing of sinners, were instead being used to cheat and oppress some of the most vulnerable. Should Jesus not have been angry at this abomination? + +Mark 10:13, 14 and Mark 3:4, 5 offer more examples of His righteous indignation. When people brought little children to Jesus and “the disciples rebuked those who brought them,” Jesus “was greatly displeased”—literally “indignant.” He said to them, “ ‘Let the little children come to Me’ ” (Mark 10:13, 14, NKJV). + +Elsewhere, when the Pharisees waited to accuse Jesus of breaking the Sabbath by healing on it, Jesus asked them, “ ‘Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?’ ” (Mark 3:4, NKJV). He “looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts” and then proceeded to heal the man (Mark 3:5, NKJV). Christ’s anger is associated here with grief at their hardness; it is the righteous anger of love, just as the anger attributed to God in the Old Testament is the righteous anger of love. How could love not be upset by evil, especially when evil hurts the objects of that love? + +`How can we be careful not to seek to justify selfish anger as “righteous indignation”? Why is that so easy to do, and how can we protect ourselves from that subtle but real trap?` + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +[Jesus] slowly descended the [temple] steps, and, raising the whip, which in his hand seemed changed to a kingly scepter, bade the bargaining company to quit the sacred limits of the temple, and take hence their merchandise. With a lofty zeal, and a severity he had never before manifested, he overthrew the tables of the money-changers, and the coin fell, ringing sharply upon the marble floor. The most hardened and defiant did not presume to question his authority, but, with prompt obedience, the dignitaries of the temple, the speculating priests, the cattle traders and brokers, rushed from his presence. . . .\ +A panic of fear swept over the multitude who felt the over-shadowing of Christ’s divinity. Cries of terror escaped from hundreds of blanched lips as the crowd rushed headlong from the place. Jesus smote them not with the whip of cords, but, to their guilty eyes, that simple instrument seemed like gleaming, angry swords, circling in every direction, and threatening to cut them down. . . . If the presence of the Lord sanctified the mount, his presence made equally sacred the temple reared to his honor.—The Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 2, p. 118. + +How easily could that vast throng have resisted the authority of one man; but the power of His divinity overwhelmed them with confusion and a sense of their guilt. They had no strength to resist the divine authority of the Saviour of the world. The desecrators of God’s holy place were driven from its portals by the Majesty of Heaven.\ +After the temple was cleansed, the demeanor of Jesus changed; the terrible majesty of his countenance gave place to an expression of tenderest sympathy. He looked after the flying crowd with eyes full of sorrow and compassion. There were some who remained, held by the irresistible attraction of his presence. They were unterrified by his awful dignity, their hearts were drawn toward him with love and hope. These people were not the great and powerful, who expected to impress him with a sense of their grandeur; they were the poor, the sick, and the afflicted.—The Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 2, p. 119. + +It is true there is an indignation that is justifiable, even in the followers of Christ. When they see that God is dishonored, and His service brought into disrepute, when they see the innocent oppressed, a righteous indignation stirs the soul. Such anger, born of sensitive morals, is not a sin. But those who at any supposed provocation feel at liberty to indulge anger or resentment are opening the heart to Satan. Bitterness and animosity must be banished from the soul if we would be in harmony with heaven. . . .\ +Many are zealous in religious services, while between them and their brethren are unhappy differences which they might reconcile. God requires them to do all in their power to restore harmony. Until they do this, He cannot accept their services. The Christian’s duty in this matter is clearly pointed out.—The Desire of Ages, p. 310. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/05/05.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/05/05.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..be5be38cb5 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/05/05.md @@ -0,0 +1,31 @@ +--- +title: God Does Not Afflict Willingly +date: 29/01/2025 +--- + +Throughout the Bible, God repeatedly displays His passion in favor of the downtrodden and the oppressed and His corresponding righteous indignation against the victimizers and oppressors. If there were no evil, God would not be angry. His anger is only and always against that which harms His creation. + +According to Lamentations 3:32, 33, God does not afflict willingly (literally, God does not afflict “from His heart”). He does not want to bring judgment against evildoers, but love finally requires justice. + +This truth is exemplified in how long God continued to forgive His people and repeatedly grant them opportunities to repent and be reconciled to Him. Again and again, through the prophets, God called out to His people, but they refused to listen (see Jer. 35:14–17, Ps. 81:11–14). + +`Read Ezra 5:12 and compare it with Jeremiah 51:24, 25, 44. What does this explain about the judgment that came upon Jerusalem via the Babylonians? (See also 2 Chron. 36:16.)` + +According to Ezra 5, after the people persistently and unrepentantly provoked God to anger, He eventually withdrew and “gave” the people “ ‘into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon’ ” (Ezra 5:12, NKJV). But God did so only after there was “no remedy” (2 Chron. 36:16), and God later judged Babylon for the excessive devastation it inflicted upon Judah (Jer. 51:24, 25, 44; compare with Zech. 1:15). + +Many other judgments that Scripture describes as brought about by God are explained as instances in which God “gives” the people over to their enemies (Judg. 2:13, 14; Ps. 106:41, 42), in accordance with the people’s decisions to forsake the Lord and serve the “gods” of the nations (Judg. 10:6–16, Deut. 29:24–26). God’s anger against evil, which will finally culminate in the eradication of all evil once and for all, stems from His love for all and from His desire for the final good of the universe, which itself has a stake in the whole question of sin and rebellion and evil. + +`How does the fact that God does not want to bring judgment against anyone affect your understanding of divine anger and wrath? If God is slow to anger, should we not be more patient and long-suffering with those around us? How can we do so while also protecting and caring for the victims of wrongdoing?` + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +Divine pity marked the countenance of the Son of God as He cast one lingering look upon the Temple and then upon His hearers. In a voice choked by deep anguish of heart and bitter tears He exclaimed, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often I would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!” This is the separation struggle. In the lamentation of Christ the very heart of God is pouring itself forth.—Lift Him Up, p. 337. + +Our heavenly Father doth not willingly afflict and grieve the children of men.\ +This world is the scene of our trials, our griefs, our sorrows. We are here to bear the test of God. The fire of the furnace is to kindle till our dross is consumed and we come forth as gold purified in the furnace of affliction. Light will come out of this darkness. . . . “The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:21). Let this be the language of [the] heart. The cloud of mercy is hovering over [our heads] even in the darkest hour. God’s benefits to us are as numerous as the drops of rain falling from the clouds upon the parched earth to water and refresh it. The mercy of God is over you. . . .\ +Could your eyes be opened, you would see your heavenly Father bending over you in love; and could you hear His voice it would be in tones of compassion to you who are prostrate with suffering and affliction. Stand fast in His strength; there is rest for you.—In Heavenly Places, p. 272. + +Within a few short years the king of Babylon was to be used as the instrument of God’s wrath upon impenitent Judah. Again and again Jerusalem was to be invested and entered by the besieging armies of Nebuchadnezzar. Company after company—at first a few only, but later on thousands and tens of thousands—were to be taken captive to the land of Shinar, there to dwell in enforced exile. Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, Zedekiah—all these Jewish kings were in turn to become vassals of the Babylonian ruler, and all in turn were to rebel. Severer and yet more severe chastisements were to be inflicted upon the rebellious nation, until at last the entire land was to become a desolation, Jerusalem was to be laid waste and burned with fire, the temple that Solomon had built was to be destroyed, and the kingdom of Judah was to fall, never again to occupy its former position among the nations of earth.\ +Those times of change, so fraught with peril to the Israelitish nation, were marked with many messages from Heaven through Jeremiah. Thus the Lord gave the children of Judah ample opportunity of freeing themselves from entangling alliances with Egypt, and of avoiding controversy with the rulers of Babylon. As the threatened danger came closer, he taught the people by means of a series of acted parables, hoping thus to arouse them to a sense of their obligation to God, and also to encourage them to maintain friendly relations with the Babylonian government.—Prophets and Kings, pp. 422, 423. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/05/06.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/05/06.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..429b189795 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/05/06.md @@ -0,0 +1,28 @@ +--- +title: Show Compassion +date: 30/01/2025 +--- + +While divine wrath is a “terrible” thing, it is by no means immoral or unloving. On the contrary, in the Old and New Testaments, God expresses wrath against evil because of His love. Divine wrath is terrible because of the insidious nature of evil in contrast to the pure goodness and splendor of God. + +In this regard, love is essential to God; wrath is not. Where there is no evil or injustice, there is no wrath. In the end, God’s most loving action of eradicating evil from the universe also effectively will eliminate anger and wrath. And that is because never again will there be any injustice or evil. Forevermore, there will be only the eternity of bliss and justice in a perfect love relationship. There will never again be divine wrath because never again will there be the need for it. What a wonderful thought! + +`Some worry that divine anger might unintentionally be taken as giving license to human vengeance. Read Deuteronomy 32:35, Proverbs 20:22, Proverbs 24:29, Romans 12:17–21, and Hebrews 10:30. How do these texts guard against human vengeance?` + +According to Scripture, God has the right to bring judgment; and when He does, He always does so with perfect justice. Both the Old and New Testaments explicitly reserve vengeance for God. As Paul writes in Romans 12:19 (NASB), “Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord” (quoting from Deuteronomy 32:35). + +While God eventually brings judgment against injustice and evil, Christ has made a way for all who believe in Him. Indeed, it is “Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come” (1 Thess. 1:10, NKJV; compare with Rom. 5:8, 9). And this is according to God’s plan: “For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thess. 5:9, NKJV). Divine wrath is not nullified, but those who have faith in Jesus will be delivered from such wrath because of Christ. + +`In what way has Christ’s atonement upheld justice while also delivering us from wrath? Recognizing that provision had been made for you, despite your shortcomings, how much more gracious should you be to others?` + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +Could Satan in the least particular have tempted Christ to sin, he would have bruised the Saviour’s head. As it was, he could only touch His heel. Had the head of Christ been touched, the hope of the human race would have perished. Divine wrath would have come upon Christ as it came upon Adam. Christ and the church would have been without hope.\ +We should have no misgivings in regard to the perfect sinlessness of the human nature of Christ. Our faith must be an intelligent faith, looking unto Jesus in perfect confidence, in full and entire faith in the atoning Sacrifice. This is essential that the soul may not be enshrouded in darkness. This holy Substitute is able to save to the uttermost; for He presented to the wondering universe perfect and complete humility in His human character, and perfect obedience to all the requirements of God. Divine power is placed upon man, that he may become a partaker of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. This is why repenting, believing man can be made the righteousness of God in Christ.—Selected Messages, book 1, p. 256. + +There are scarcely two whose experiences are alike in every particular. The trials of one may not be the trials of another; and our hearts should ever be open to kindly sympathy, and aglow with the divine love that Jesus manifested for all his brethren. Christ sometimes reproved with severity, and in some cases it may be necessary for us to do so; but we should consider that while Christ knew the exact condition of the ones he rebuked,—just the amount of reproof they could bear, and what was necessary to correct their course of wrong,—he also knew just how to pity the erring, comfort the unfortunate and encourage the weak. He knew just how to inspire hope and courage; for he was acquainted with the exact motives and the peculiar trials of every mind. He reproved with pity, and loved those he rebuked with a divine love.\ +Jesus could make no mistake; but human judgment is erring, and may be wrong. Men may misjudge motives; they may be deceived by appearances, and when they think they are doing right to reprove wrong, they may go too far, censure too severely, and wound where they wished to heal; or they may exercise sympathy unwisely, and, in their ignorance, counteract reproof that is merited and timely.\ +The Lord would have us submissive to his will, and sanctified to his service. Selfishness must be put away, with every other defect in our characters. There must be a daily death to self. Paul had this experience. He said, “I die daily.” Every day he had a new conversion; every day he took an advance step toward Heaven. We, too, must gain daily victories in the divine life, if we would enjoy the favor of God.\ +Our God is gracious, of tender pity, and plenteous in mercy. He knows our weaknesses and needs, and he will help our infirmities if we will only trust in him.—“Love the Fulfilling of the Law,” Signs of the Times, March 3, 1887. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/05/07.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/05/07.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..a0b88e536d --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/05/07.md @@ -0,0 +1,29 @@ +--- +title: Further Thought +date: 31/01/2025 +--- + +Read Ellen G. White, “Idolatry at Sinai,” pp. 315–330, in Patriarchs and Prophets. + +In the context of the sin of the golden calf, Ellen G. White wrote: “The Israelites had been guilty of treason, and that against a King who had loaded them with benefits and whose authority they had voluntarily pledged themselves to obey. That the divine government might be maintained justice must be visited upon the traitors. Yet even here God’s mercy was displayed. While He maintained His law, He granted freedom of choice and opportunity for repentance to all. Only those were cut off who persisted in rebellion. + +“It was necessary that this sin should be punished, as a testimony to surrounding nations of God’s displeasure against idolatry. By executing justice upon the guilty, Moses, as God’s instrument, must leave on record a solemn and public protest against their crime. As the Israelites should hereafter condemn the idolatry of the neighboring tribes, their enemies would throw back upon them the charge that the people who claimed Jehovah as their God had made a calf and worshiped it in Horeb. Then though compelled to acknowledge the disgraceful truth, Israel could point to the terrible fate of the transgressors, as evidence that their sin had not been sanctioned or excused. + +“Love no less than justice demanded that for this sin judgment should be inflicted. . . . It was the mercy of God that thousands should suffer, to prevent the necessity of visiting judgments upon millions. In order to save the many, He must punish the few.”—Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, pp. 324, 325. + +**Discussion Questions**: + +`Why do you think so many people struggle with the concept of divine wrath? What helps you to understand it?` + +`What problems always arise when people seek vengeance that never arise when God seeks it?` + +`How was God’s judgment against Israel after the golden calf rebellion also an instance of divine mercy? What other examples in Scripture show that even God’s judgment is an act of love?` + +`Even though we understand that God righteously becomes indignant against evil and brings judgment with perfect justice, how important is it for us to refrain from condemning others? Discuss this particularly in light of 1 Corinthians 4:5.` + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +The Great Controversy, “The Destruction of Jerusalem,” pp. 21, 22;\ +In Heavenly Places, “Sweetness in Affliction,” p. 273. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/05/info.yml b/src/en/ss/2025-01/05/info.yml new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..fab4f5035d --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/05/info.yml @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +--- +title: "The Wrath of Divine Love" +start_date: "25/01/2025" +end_date: "31/01/2025" \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/05/inside-story.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/05/inside-story.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..b58dd04e73 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/05/inside-story.md @@ -0,0 +1,24 @@ +--- +title: Inside Story +date: 31/01/2025 +--- + +#### “Do You Want Satan to Win?” + +_By Andrew McChesney_ + +American missionary Joanne (Park) Kim locked herself in her apartment after being attacked by four drunken strangers in Mongolia. She was hurt, scared, and crying. She wanted to return home to the United States. + +After two days, another missionary came to see her. She thought that he had come to comfort her, but instead he scolded her. “Seriously, Joanne, did you come all the way over here to witness to your closet?” he said. “Do you want Satan to win?” + +It was just what Joanne needed to hear. If the missionary had comforted her, she would probably have wallowed in her misery, given up, and gone home. But now she reflected on why she had come to Mongolia. Initially, she had planned to go to Uzbekistan, so she had started learning Russian, including the Cyrillic alphabet. When the plan had fallen through, she had ended up in Mongolia, where the Cyrillic alphabet was the same, but she couldn’t understand a word. For the first couple of months, she had tried unsuccessfully to learn Mongolian. Without the language, she was struggling to witness. Without the language, she couldn’t ask for help or speak up for herself when she was attacked by drunken strangers nearly every week. Complicating matters, people kept assuming that she was Mongolian and spoke Mongolian because of her Korean ethnicity. + +Joanne still wanted to share the love of Jesus in Mongolia, but she didn’t feel that she had any love left to share after multiple drunken attacks. + +“Lord,” she prayed, “if You are serious about me staying here, please give me a way out of this mess. You need to protect me, or give me a way to handle these situations, or get rid of these drunken men.” + +She decided to stay in Mongolia and wait on God. + +The drunken attacks didn’t stop. But God gave Joanne a tool to defend herself. Within just three months, she learned to speak Mongolian fluently. It was a miracle. Joanne was able to give Bible studies in Mongolian, and she could speak up for herself and ask for help when she was attacked. But she couldn’t love like Jesus. The pain from the attacks ran very deep. + +_This mission story offers an inside look at American missionary Joanne (Park) Kim, who helped start the Seventh-day Adventist work in post-Communist Mongolia and continues to serve as a missionary there. You also can participate in the mission work through this quarter’s Thirteenth Sabbath Offering, part of which will help open a recreation center where children can grow spiritually, mentally, socially, and physically in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Read more about Joanne next week._ \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/05/teacher-comments.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/05/teacher-comments.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..2cebe2ba5d --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/05/teacher-comments.md @@ -0,0 +1,62 @@ +--- +title: Teacher Comments +date: 31/01/2025 +--- + +#### Part I: Overview + +Key Text: Psalm 78:38 + +Study Focus: Psalm 78; Matt. 21:12, 13; John 2:14, 15. + +Introduction: God’s wrath is an expression of His love, which will punish evil and sin. + +Lesson Themes: This week’s lesson highlights two basic points: + +1. God’s wrath is His holy and patient response to sin. God’s wrath is not based on an arbitrary, uncontrollable, or vengeful initiative. Rather, it is always a loving, firm response against evil and injustice. His anger is a response to continuous and rebellious sin, which harms His creation. Divine wrath is another expression of His love, either to punish evil people for their sins or to deliver His people from their grasp. In Scripture, God’s wrath is best understood in the context of its narrative, as in Psalm 78. Despite all the signs and wonders performed by God, His people forgot Him, becoming stubborn and rebellious and having unrepentant hearts. + +2. God’s wrath is a loving and righteous indignation. In Scripture we find a vivid description of God’s wrath as a loving and righteous indignation against the oppression and suffering of His people. God actively intervenes to punish evil, given His righteous indignation, which is motivated by perfect goodness and love. His wrath is the proper response of love against evil, inasmuch as evil hurts His beloved creatures. + +Life Application: Taking into account God’s responsible response to injustice and evil, how should we work to actively eliminate injustice or alleviate the suffering of others? + +#### Part II: Commentary + +**1. God’s Wrath Is His Holy and Patient Response to Sin.** + +The Bible’s teaching about God’s wrath is best understood in the context of the narrative wherein it is mentioned. Psalm 78, which is the second-longest psalm in the Psalter—next to Psalm 119—highlights specific events in the history of Israel, particularly the Exodus and the wilderness wanderings. In this poetic narrative, Asaph encourages God’s people to be faithful to the Lord, in contrast to rebellious past generations. + +Different from many psalms, Psalm 78 is not addressed to God in the form of song/prayer but rather to the people in the form of song/instruction (see the note on Psalm 78 by Adele Berlin and Marc Zvi Brettler, The Jewish Study Bible, 2nd ed. [Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2014], p. 1353). Most likely, the psalmist intended to help the people remember God’s powerful and loving acts as they sang this poetic narrative, thus ensuring they did not forget as did the wilderness generation (see the note on Psalm 78 by C. John Collins, ESV Study Bible [Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2008], p. 1033). + +The Hebrew verb for forgetting (škḥ) is used twice in the psalm. In Psalm 78:7, the emphasis on not forgetting the works of the Lord is associated with setting one’s “hope in God” and keeping “His commandments” (NKJV). Conversely, to forget God’s works means to be “stubborn and rebellious” and reveals the deeper problem of not setting the “heart aright”; that is, it shows a spirit that is “not faithful to God” (Ps. 78:8, NKJV). Despite all the wonders and blessings in the wilderness, the people rebelliously “sinned even more” (Ps. 78:17, NKJV), “tested God in their heart” (Ps. 78:18, NKJV), and “spoke against God” (Ps. 78:19, NKJV). It is in response to this sin that we hear the reference to God’s wrath in Psalm 78:21, “Therefore, the Lord heard this and was furious; so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel” (NKJV). The reason for God’s wrath is summarized in the following verse: “Because they did not believe in God, and did not trust in His salvation” (Ps. 78:22, NKJV), despite all the signs and wonders performed by the Lord before their eyes. + +Likewise, the next reference to the wrath of God, in Psalm 78:31, states that “in spite of this they still sinned, and did not believe in His wondrous works” (Ps. 78:32, NKJV). To be sure, the psalm even points out that when God struck them, they began to seek Him again and to remember that God is their salvation (Ps. 78:34, 35). + +However, this reaction was not sincere. As a matter of fact, “they flattered Him with their mouth, and they lied to Him with their tongue; for their heart was not steadfast with Him, nor were they faithful in His covenant” (Ps. 78:36, 37, NKJV). It is precisely in this context that we find the most beautiful and loving description of God’s wrath in the psalm: “But He, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and did not destroy them. Yes, many a time He turned His anger away, and did not stir up all His wrath” (Ps. 78:38, NKJV). + +Asaph also reminded God’s people that the wrath of God delivered them from the oppression in Egypt, as His judgments came against the Egyptians (Ps. 78:49, 50). But after this wonderful deliverance, the Israelites “tested and provoked the Most High God, and did not keep His testimonies” (Ps. 78:56, NKJV). Among the divine commandments, special emphasis is given to the sin of idolatry: “they provoked Him to anger with their high places, and moved Him to jealousy with their carved images” (Ps. 78:58, NKJV). It is noteworthy that the wrath of God is described, in this context, in terms of forsaking: “So that He forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh” (Ps. 78:60, NKJV) and “gave His people over to the sword” (Ps. 78:62, NKJV). + +The poetic narrative of Psalm 78 indicates that God’s wrath is not an arbitrary initiative nor an uncontrollable reaction. Rather, His wrath is His firm response to continuous and rebellious sin. + +**2. God’s Wrath Is a Loving and Righteous Indignation.** + +The Gospels’ narratives about Jesus cleansing the temple (Matt. 21:12, 13; Mark 11:15–17; Luke 19:45–48; John 2:14, 15) provide a valuable example of how divine wrath should be understood as a righteous and responsible indignation, as opposed to a capricious and impulsive attitude on God’s part. In chapter 16 (“In His Temple”) of The Desire of Ages, Ellen G. White offers insightful remarks for our reflection on God’s wrath. Many times in this chapter, she argues that it is not only the man Jesus who performed the cleansing of the temple. In her words, “the cleansing of the temple was a manifestation of more than human power.”—The Desire of Ages, p. 164. Also, as the people look “upon Christ, they behold divinity flash through the garb of humanity.”—Pages 158, 162. + +Ellen G. White explains that the dealers in the temple area “demanded exorbitant prices for the animals sold, and they shared their profits with the priests and rulers, who thus enriched themselves at the expense of the people.”—Page 155. Thus, instead of truly serving as God’s representatives before the people by correcting “the abuses of the temple court,” the priests and rulers were “studying their own profit.”—Pages 156, 157. As she points out, “They should have given to the people an example of integrity and compassion,” being attentive to the “needs of the worshipers” and “ready to assist those who were not able to buy the required sacrifices.”—Page 157. However, they let greed harden their hearts. + +Ellen G. White describes the people in the temple as “those who were suffering, those who were in want and distress. The blind, the lame, the deaf, were there. Some were brought on beds. Many came who were too poor to purchase the humblest offering for the Lord, too poor even to buy food with which to satisfy their own hunger.”—The Desire of Ages, p. 157. But the priests did not have “sympathy or compassion” for, or on, them. “Their suffering awakened no pity in the hearts of the priests.”—Page 157. + +In contrast to the priests, Jesus comes to the temple and sees “the unfair transactions” and “the distress of the poor.” Then, Ellen G. White uses the language of indignation to emphasize Jesus’ reaction. “As He beholds the scene, indignation, authority, and power are expressed in His countenance.”—Page 157. It is in this context of indignation that Ellen G. White highlights that Christ’s divinity flashed through His humanity. As “those engaged in . . . unholy traffic” looked at Him, they felt as though they stood “before the tribunal of God to answer for their deeds.”—Pages 157, 158. She qualifies Jesus’ overthrowing of “the tables of the money-changers” as “a zeal and severity that He has never before manifested.”—Page 158. + +It is noteworthy that this wrath cannot be properly understood without the emphasis on “Christ’s sympathy for the poor,” which “had been aroused” by the temple traffic (Page 162). “With tears in His eyes, He said to the trembling ones around Him: Fear not; I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify Me.”—Page 163. + +This biblical narrative, beautifully explored by Ellen G. White, christologically shows how God’s wrath is a loving and righteous indignation against the oppression and suffering of His people. Eventually, this divine indignation sets in motion a powerful deliverance of the people, as a result of the judgment of the oppressors. + +#### Part III: Life Application + +In the article “Reflections on the Wrath of God,” Marvin Moore ponders the divine response to injustice. Moore mentions a story, which may be briefly adapted as follows: One day, a mother went into the backyard to get something and found her teenager being sexually assaulted by her uncle. Should the mother go to her room and only pray for this situation, or should she intervene to stop both sin and sinner? (See Journal of the Adventist Theological Society 15, no. 2 [2004]: pp. 118–127, especially pp. 121, 122, https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/jats/vol15/iss2/8). With this story in mind, ask your students to discuss the questions and exercises below: + +1. How must God act when He sees all the abuse and injustice committed against His people? Can God feel intense wrath? + +2. Is God’s wrath an expression of His love? Explain. Should He intervene to put down sin and sinner? Why, or why not? + +`Notes` \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/06/01.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/06/01.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..59604aabc4 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/06/01.md @@ -0,0 +1,34 @@ +--- +title: God’s Love of Justice +date: 01/02/2025 +--- + +### Read for This Week’s Study +Ps. 33:5, Ps. 85:10, Deut. 32:4, James 1:17, Titus 1:2, Exod. 32:14, Matt. 5:43–48. + +>Memory Text:
+> “ ‘But let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight’ says the Lord” (Jer. 9:24, NKJV). + +In the ancient Near East, the “gods” of the nations were not only fickle, immoral, and unpredictable, but they also commanded atrocities, such as child sacrifice. And even then, the pagan masses could not count on their favor, and so they dared not cross their tribal “deities.” + +According to Deuteronomy 32:17, behind such “gods” were demons (see also 1 Cor. 10:20, 21). And their forms of worship were ripe for exploitation, leaving the people in great spiritual and moral darkness. + +The God of the Bible could not be more different from these demonic forces. Yahweh is perfectly good and His character changeless. And it is only because of God’s constant goodness that we can have any hope, now and for eternity. + +In stark contrast to the false gods of the ancient world, and even to the modern “gods” of today, as well, Yahweh is deeply concerned about evil, suffering, injustice, and oppression—all of which He constantly and unequivocally condemns. And, most important, He will one day eradicate them all, as well. + +_*Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, February 8._ + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +With untold love our God has loved us, and our love awakens toward Him as we comprehend something of the length and breadth and depth and height of this love that passeth knowledge. By the revelation of the attractive loveliness of Christ, by the knowledge of His love expressed to us while we were yet sinners, the stubborn heart is melted and subdued, and the sinner is transformed and becomes a child of heaven. God does not employ compulsory measures; love is the agent which He uses to expel sin from the heart. . . .\ +God is love. Like rays of light from the sun, love and light and joy flow out from Him to all His creatures. It is His nature to give. His very life is the outflow of unselfish love.—Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, pp. 76, 77. + +Our God is a God of mercy. With long-sufferance and tender compassion He deals with the transgressors of His law. And yet, in this our day, when men and women have so many opportunities for becoming familiar with the divine law as revealed in Holy Writ, the great Ruler of the universe cannot behold with any satisfaction the wicked cities, where reign violence and crime. The end of God’s forbearance with those who persist in disobedience is approaching rapidly.—Prophets and Kings, p. 275. + +Under Ahab’s rule Israel wandered far from the living God. The dark shadow of apostasy covered the whole land. Images of Baalim and Ashtoreth were everywhere. Idolatrous temples were multiplied. The air was polluted with the smoke of sacrifices offered to false gods. Hill and vale resounded with the drunken cries of a heathen priesthood who sacrificed to the sun, moon, and stars.\ +The people were taught that these idol gods were deities, ruling by their mystic power the elements of earth, fire, and water. The running brooks, the streams of living water, the gentle dew, the showers of rain which caused the fields to bring forth abundantly—all were ascribed to the favor of Baal and Ashtoreth, instead of to the Giver of every good and perfect gift. The people forgot that the living God controlled the sun, the clouds of heaven, and all the powers of nature.—From Splendor to Shadow, p. 60. + +God’s method of dealing with sin is not in harmony with the views cherished by a large class who occupy a prominent position among the professed followers of Christ. Many of these men cherish sin, and laud the benevolence and long-suffering of God, and dwell upon the loving character of Jesus,—all mercy, all tenderness,—while they pass over the threatenings of God’s wrath against sin and sinners, and our Saviour’s scathing denunciations of hypocrisy and self-deception. It is those who have not a keen sense of the exceeding sinfulness of sin that are ready to question the justice of God in punishing with such severity the sins of the Amalekites, Canaanites, and Midianites. Those who love sin are unable to comprehend God’s dealings with his subjects.—“God’s Judgment Upon the Midianites,” Signs of the Times, January 6, 1881, par. 7. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/06/02.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/06/02.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..6f8b17f396 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/06/02.md @@ -0,0 +1,30 @@ +--- +title: Love and Justice +date: 02/02/2025 +--- + +Throughout Scripture, love and justice go together. True love requires justice, and true justice can be governed by and meted out only in love. We are not used to thinking of these two concepts together, but that is only because both love and justice have been greatly perverted by humanity. + +`Read Psalm 33:5, Isaiah 61:8, Jeremiah 9:24, Psalm 85:10, and Psalm 89:14. How do these texts shed light on God’s concern for justice?` + +These texts explicitly declare that God loves justice (Ps. 33:5, Isa. 61:8). In Scripture, the ideas of love and justice are inextricably linked. God’s love and God’s righteousness go together, and He is deeply concerned that righteousness and justice be done in this world. + +For good reason, then, the prophets consistently decry all kinds of injustice, including unjust laws, false scales, and injustice and oppression of the poor and the widows or anyone vulnerable. Though people perpetrate many evils and injustices, God is the one constantly “ ‘exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth’ ” (Jer. 9:24, NKJV). Accordingly, throughout Scripture, those faithful to God greatly anticipate divine judgment as a very good thing because it brings punishment against evildoers and oppressors, and it brings justice and deliverance for the victims of injustice and oppression. + +In fact, righteousness and justice are the foundation of God’s government. God’s moral government of love is just and righteous, quite different from the corrupt governments of this world, which often perpetuate injustice for personal gain and personal power. In God, “mercy and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed” (Ps. 85:10, NKJV). + +And God makes it clear what He expects of us. “He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8, NKJV). If there is anything that we should reflect of God’s character, love—and the justice and mercy that stems from it—would be central. + +`What are examples, even now, of perverted human justice? How, then, can we not cry out for God’s perfect justice to come one day?` + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +[The Lord] stays His judgments that He may plead with the impenitent. He who exercises “loving-kindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth” yearns over His erring children; in every way possible He seeks to teach them the way of life everlasting. Jeremiah 9:24. He had brought the Israelites out of bondage that they might serve Him, the only true and living God. Though they had wandered long in idolatry and had slighted His warnings, yet He now declares His willingness to defer chastisement and grant yet another opportunity for repentance. He makes plain the fact that only by the most thorough heart reformation could the impending doom be averted. In vain would be the trust they might place in the temple and its services. Rites and ceremonies could not atone for sin. Notwithstanding their claim to be the chosen people of God, reformation of heart and of the life practice alone could save them from the inevitable result of continued transgression.—Prophets and Kings, pp. 413, 414. + +God’s love has been expressed in His justice no less than in His mercy. Justice is the foundation of His throne, and the fruit of His love. It had been Satan’s purpose to divorce mercy from truth and justice. He sought to prove that the righteousness of God’s law is an enemy to peace. But Christ shows that in God’s plan they are indissolubly joined together; the one cannot exist without the other. “Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.” Psalm 85:10.\ +By His life and His death, Christ proved that God’s justice did not destroy His mercy, but that sin could be forgiven, and that the law is righteous, and can be perfectly obeyed. Satan’s charges were refuted. God had given man unmistakable evidence of His love.—The Desire of Ages, p. 762. + +Every man, woman, and child is God’s property, and has been bought with a price, even with the infinite price of the precious blood of the Son of God. God will not tolerate injustice from man to his fellow-men. He will not pass over oppression and wrong. Men in office cannot permit the practice of injustice and yet be clear from the judgment of God. For the sake of their own souls, and for the sake of the souls of others, men in positions of trust should seek to do good to their fellow-men, representing the character of the great Lawgiver. “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them; for this is the law and the prophets.” . . .\ +Every work is to be brought into judgment, and every secret thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil, and every man will be rewarded according as his work has been. Those who practice injustice and oppression set at naught the authority of God, and declare by their actions that they have no regard for the word of Christ, who has purchased redemption at an infinite cost.—“Rule in the Fear of God,” Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, October 1, 1895. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/06/03.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/06/03.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..02f3ee7185 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/06/03.md @@ -0,0 +1,33 @@ +--- +title: God Is Entirely Good and Righteous +date: 03/02/2025 +--- + +God does not simply claim to love justice and call people to love and do justice, but God Himself perfectly and unwaveringly exemplifies these traits. Scripture teaches that God is entirely holy, faithful, righteous, and loving. God only and always does what is loving, righteous, and just. He never does any wrong. + +`Read Deuteronomy 32:4 and Psalm 92:15. What do these passages teach about the faithfulness and righteousness of God?` + +These and many other passages declare that God is just and loving—“there is no unrighteousness in Him” (Ps. 92:15; compare with Ps. 25:8, Ps. 129:4). God “will do no unrighteousness. Every morning He brings His justice to light; He never fails, but the unjust knows no shame” (Zeph. 3:5, NKJV). Notice the direct contrast of God’s character over and against that of those who love injustice. + +God knows what is best for everyone, wants what is best for everyone, and continually works to bring about the best outcome for all involved. + +`Read Psalm 9:7, 8 and Psalm 145:9–17. What do these verses teach about God?` + +The God of the Bible is “a just judge” (Ps. 7:11, NKJV), and no evil dwells with Him (Ps. 5:4). As 1 John 1:5 teaches, “God is light and in Him is no darkness at all” (NKJV). Indeed, God is not only perfectly good, but according to James 1:13 (NKJV), “God cannot be tempted by evil” (compare with Hab. 1:13). + +In all this, God’s goodness and glory are inextricably connected. While many idolize power, God is all-powerful, but He exercises His power only in ways that are just and loving. It is no coincidence that when Moses asked God, “ ‘Show me Your glory,’ ” God responded by saying, “ ‘I will make all My goodness pass before you’ ” (Exod. 33:18, 19, NKJV). + +`Why does such a good God allow for so much of the evil that is in this world? Discuss your answer in class.` + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +The shortness of time is urged as an incentive for us to seek righteousness and to make Christ our friend. This is not the great motive. It savors of selfishness. Is it necessary that the terrors of the day of God be held before us to compel us through fear to right action? This ought not to be. Jesus is attractive. He is full of love, mercy, and compassion. He proposes to be our friend, to walk with us through all the rough pathways of life. He says to you, I am the Lord thy God; walk with Me, and I will fill thy path with light. Jesus, the Majesty of heaven, proposes to elevate to companionship with Himself those who come to Him with their burdens, their weaknesses, and their cares. He will make them His dear children, and finally give them an inheritance of more value than the empires of kings, a crown of glory richer than has ever decked the brow of the most exalted earthly monarch.\ +It is our privilege to have a calm, close, happy walk with Jesus every day we live.—That I May Know Him, p. 320. + +How shall we know for ourselves God’s goodness and His love? The psalmist tells us—not, hear and know, read and know, or believe and know; but—“Taste and see that the Lord is good.” Instead of relying upon the word of another, taste for yourself.\ +Experience is knowledge derived from experiment. Experimental religion is what is needed now. “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” Some—yes, a large number—have a theoretical knowledge of religious truth, but have never felt the renewing power of divine grace upon their own hearts. . . . [T]hey neglect the most precious opportunities to make their peace with God. . . .\ +They have never tasted and learned by experience that the Lord is good.—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, p. 221. + +For the joy that was set before Him, Christ endured the cross. He died on the cross as a sacrifice for the world, and through this sacrifice comes the greatest blessing that God could bestow—the gift of the Holy Spirit. This blessing is for all who will receive Christ. The fallen world is the battlefield for the greatest conflict the heavenly universe and earthly powers have ever witnessed. It was appointed as the theater on which would be fought out the grand struggle between good and evil, between heaven and hell. Every human being acts a part in this conflict. No one can stand on neutral ground. Men must either accept or reject the world’s Redeemer. All are witnesses, either for or against Christ. Christ calls upon those who stand under His banner to engage in the conflict with Him as faithful soldiers, that they may inherit the crown of life. They have been adopted as sons and daughters of God.—Lift Him Up, p. 253. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/06/04.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/06/04.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..ebd4a32aa2 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/06/04.md @@ -0,0 +1,31 @@ +--- +title: God’s Changeless Character +date: 04/02/2025 +--- + +`Read Malachi 3:6 and James 1:17. What do these passages teach about God’s character?` + +In Malachi 3:6, God declares, “ ‘I am the Lord, I do not change’ ” (NKJV). While some read this part of the verse and take it to mean that God does not change in any way whatsoever, the rest of the verse and its immediate context shows that the changelessness of God affirmed here is God’s moral changelessness. The rest of the verse indicates that God may change relationally, for God says: “ ‘Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.’ ” And in the very next verse, God proclaims to His people, “ ‘Return to Me, and I will return to you’ ” (Mal. 3:7, NKJV). + +So, God does enter into back-and-forth relationships with His creation, but through all such back-and-forth relationships, and through everything else, God’s character is constant. This is likewise affirmed in James 1:17, which proclaims that all good and perfect gifts come from God, with whom there is no variation. God is not the source of evil. + +Here and elsewhere, Scripture repeatedly teaches that God’s character is unchangeable. In other words, the Bible consistently teaches that God is morally changeless. Yet, God can and does enter into real relationship with creatures, to whom God responds, but always with love and justice. + +`Read 2 Timothy 2:13; Titus 1:2; and Hebrews 6:17, 18. What do these texts teach about God?` + +God cannot deny Himself; God never lies; and God’s promises are unbreakable. We can be confident that the God of the Bible is the same God who (in Christ) willingly gave Himself for us on the cross. He is a God who can be trusted, without reservation, and we can have confidence and hope for the future because, as Hebrews 13:8 puts it, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (NKJV). + +`How can you learn to trust in the goodness of God even when things have gone really badly in your life? What does the image of God on the cross do to help you learn to trust in His goodness?` + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +Satan declared that mercy destroyed justice, that the death of Christ abrogated the Father’s law. Had it been possible for the law to be changed or abrogated, then Christ need not have died. But to abrogate the law would be to immortalize transgression, and place the world under Satan’s control. It was because the law was changeless, because man could be saved only through obedience to its precepts, that Jesus was lifted up on the cross. Yet the very means by which Christ established the law Satan represented as destroying it. Here will come the last conflict of the great controversy between Christ and Satan.—The Desire of Ages, p. 762. + +God always has been. He is the great I AM. The psalmist declares, “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.” Psalm 90:2. He is the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity. “I am the Lord, I change not,” He declares. With Him there is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. He is “the same yesterday, and to day and for ever.” Hebrews 13:8. He is infinite and omnipresent. No words of ours can describe His greatness and majesty.\ +Above the distractions of the earth He sits enthroned; all things are open to His divine survey; and from His great and calm eternity He orders that which His providence sees best.\ +God does not propose to be called to account for His ways and works. It is for His glory to conceal His purposes now; but by and by they will be revealed in their true importance. But He has not concealed His great love, which lies at the foundation of all His dealings with His children.—The Faith I Live By, p. 42. + +The Lord desires us to make mention of His goodness and tell of His power. He is honored by the expression of praise and thanksgiving. He says, “Whoso offereth praise glorifieth Me.” Psalm 50:23. The people of Israel, as they journeyed through the wilderness, praised God in sacred song. The commandments and promises of the Lord were set to music, and all along the journey these were sung by the pilgrim travelers. And in Canaan as they met at their sacred feasts God’s wonderful works were to be recounted, and grateful thanksgiving was to be offered to His name. God desired that the whole life of His people should be a life of praise. Thus His way was to be made “known upon earth,” His “saving health among all nations.” Psalm 67:2.\ +So it should be now. The people of the world are worshiping false gods. They are to be turned from their false worship, not by hearing denunciation of their idols, but by beholding something better. God’s goodness is to be made known. “Ye are My witnesses, saith the Lord, that I am God.” Isaiah 43:12.—Christ’s Object Lessons, pp. 298, 299. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/06/05.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/06/05.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..3156a8058c --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/06/05.md @@ -0,0 +1,31 @@ +--- +title: A Repenting God? +date: 05/02/2025 +--- + +Can God “repent”? If so, what would that mean? We have seen that God’s character never changes. However, some biblical texts speak of God as “repenting” or “relenting.” At least for humans, repentance involves recognition that one has done something wrong. How, then, can some biblical passages depict God as “repenting”? + +`Read Exodus 32:14 and compare it with Jeremiah 18:4–10. What do you make of these descriptions of God’s “relenting”?` + +In these and many other passages, God is depicted as relenting of judgment in response to some repentance or intercession by people. God promises that, if the people will turn from their wickedness, He will turn from the judgment He planned. God’s turning from bringing judgment in response to human repentance is a common theme throughout Scripture. + +`Read Numbers 23:19 and 1 Samuel 15:29. What do these texts teach with regard to whether or not God “relents” or “repents”?` + +These passages explicitly declare that God “ ‘is not a man, that He should relent’ ” (1 Sam. 15:29, NKJV) and “ ‘God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?’ ” (Num. 23:19, NKJV). Read in light of the other passages, these texts cannot be taken to mean that God does not “relent” at all, but instead they convey the truth that He does not “relent” or “repent” in the ways that humans do. Rather, God always keeps His promises, and while He will change course in response to human repentance, He does so always in accordance with His goodness and His Word. God relents from judgment in response to repentance, precisely because His character is good, righteous, loving, and merciful. + +`What is the significance of the biblical depictions of divine “relenting”? What does this convey about the constancy of God’s character alongside the fact that God enters into genuine give-and-take relationships that actually make a difference to Him?` + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +“Let Me alone, . . . that I may consume them,” were the words of God. If God had purposed to destroy Israel, who could plead for them? How few but would have left the sinners to their fate! . . .\ +But Moses discerned ground for hope where there appeared only discouragement and wrath. The words of God, “Let Me alone,” he understood not to forbid but to encourage intercession, implying that nothing but the prayers of Moses could save Israel, but that if thus entreated, God would spare His people. He “besought the Lord his God, and said, Lord, why doth Thy wrath wax hot against Thy people, which Thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand?”\ +God had signified that He disowned His people. . . .\ +. . . All [the surrounding nations] were watching to see what the God of Israel would do for His people. Should they now be destroyed, their enemies would triumph, and God would be dishonored. . . .\ +. . . The Lord listened to [Moses’s] pleadings, and granted his unselfish prayer.—Patriarchs and Prophets, pp. 318, 319. + +God requires that we confess our sins, and humble our hearts before Him; but at the same time we should have confidence in Him as a tender Father, who will not forsake those who put their trust in Him. . . .\ +God does not give us up because of our sins. We may make mistakes, and grieve His Spirit; but when we repent, and come to Him with contrite hearts, He will not turn us away. There are hindrances to be removed. Wrong feelings have been cherished, and there have been pride, self-sufficiency, impatience, and murmurings. All these separate us from God. Sins must be confessed; there must be a deeper work of grace in the heart. Those who feel weak and discouraged may become strong men of God, and do noble work for the Master. But they must work from a high standpoint; they must be influenced by no selfish motives.—Selected Messages, book 1, p. 350. + +God has always given men warning of coming judgments. Those who had faith in His message for their time, and who acted out their faith, in obedience to His commandments, escaped the judgments that fell upon the disobedient and unbelieving. The word came to Noah, “Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before Me.” Noah obeyed and was saved. The message came to Lot, “Up, get you out of this place; for the Lord will destroy this city.” Genesis 7:1; 19:14. Lot placed himself under the guardianship of the heavenly messengers, and was saved. So Christ’s disciples were given warning of the destruction of Jerusalem. Those who watched for the sign of the coming ruin, and fled from the city, escaped the destruction. So now we are given warning of Christ’s second coming and of the destruction to fall upon the world. Those who heed the warning will be saved.—The Desire of Ages, p. 634. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/06/06.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/06/06.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..3f65a0405d --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/06/06.md @@ -0,0 +1,27 @@ +--- +title: Hold Fast to Love and Justice +date: 06/02/2025 +--- + +Scripture consistently teaches that “ ‘the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments’ ” (Deut. 7:9, NKJV). His character of goodness and love was supremely demonstrated by Jesus at the cross (see Rom. 3:25, 26; Rom. 5:8). According to Psalm 100:5, “The Lord is good; [H]is steadfast love endures forever, and [H]is faithfulness to all generations” (ESV; compare with Ps. 89:2). Thus, God can be trusted; He gives only good gifts to His children (James 1:17; compare with Luke 11:11–13). In fact, He bestows good things even on those who position themselves as His enemies. + +`Read Matthew 5:43–48. What does this teach about God’s amazing love? How should we act toward others in light of this teaching of Jesus?` + +Matthew 5 describes God’s love as perfect love. Imperfect love is the love that loves only those who love you. But God loves even those who hate Him, even those who position themselves as His enemies. His love is complete and, therefore, perfect. + +Though God’s love and mercy far exceed any reasonable expectations, it never overrides or contravenes justice. On the contrary, it brings justice and mercy together (Ps. 85:10). Likewise, the Bible exhorts us: “ ‘Observe mercy and justice, and wait on your God continually’ ” (Hos. 12:6, NKJV). As another version puts it, “Hold fast to love and justice” (Hos. 12:6, ESV; compare with Luke 11:42). + +In the end, God Himself will bring about perfect justice. Romans 2:5 teaches that His “righteous judgment will be revealed” (ESV). Finally, the redeemed will sing: “ ‘Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints! Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. For all nations shall come and worship before You, for Your judgments have been manifested’ ” (Rev. 15:3, 4, NKJV; compare with Rev. 19:1, 2). + +`Isaiah 25:1 proclaims, “O Lord, You are my God. I will exalt You, I will praise Your name, for You have done wonderful things; Your counsels of old are faithfulness and truth” (NKJV). How can we learn to praise God, even in bad times? In what ways can your life itself be an offering of praise to God in a way that furthers justice in your sphere of influence?` + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +Christ presented to men that which was entirely contrary to the representations of the enemy in regard to the character of God, and sought to impress upon men the love of the Father, who “so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16. He urged upon men the necessity of prayer, repentance, confession, and the abandonment of sin. He taught them honesty, forbearance, mercy, and compassion, enjoining upon them to love not only those who loved them, but those who hated them and treated them despitefully. In all this He was revealing to them the character of the Father, who is long-suffering, merciful, and gracious, slow to anger, and full of goodness and truth.—Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, p. 29. + +There is a day just about to burst upon us when God’s mysteries will be seen, and all His ways vindicated; when justice, mercy, and love will be the attributes of His throne. When the earthly warfare is accomplished, and the saints are all gathered home, our first theme will be the song of Moses, the servant of God. The second theme will be the song of the Lamb, the song of grace and redemption. This song will be louder, loftier, and in sublimer strains, echoing and re-echoing through the heavenly courts. Thus the song of God’s providence is sung, connecting the varying dispensations; for all is now seen without a veil between the legal, the prophetical, and the gospel. The church history upon the earth and the church redeemed in heaven all center around the cross of Calvary. This is the theme, this is the song,—Christ all and in all,—in anthems of praise resounding through heaven from thousands and ten thousand times ten thousand and an innumerable company of the redeemed host. All unite in this song of Moses and of the Lamb. It is a new song, for it was never before sung in heaven.—Testimonies for Ministers and Gospel Workers, p. 433. + +I recommend to you Jesus, my blessed Saviour. I adore Him; I magnify Him. Oh, that I had an immortal tongue, that I could praise Him as I desire! that I could stand before the assembled universe and speak in praise of His matchless charms!\ +And while I adore and magnify Him, I want you to magnify Him with me. Praise the Lord even when you fall into darkness. Praise Him even in temptation. “Rejoice in the Lord alway,” says the apostle; “and again I say, Rejoice.” Will that bring gloom and darkness into your families? No, indeed; it will bring a sunbeam. You will thus gather rays of eternal light from the throne of glory and scatter them around you. Let me exhort you to engage in this work, scatter this light and life around you, not only in your own path, but in the paths of those with whom you associate. Let it be your object to make those around you better, to elevate them, to point them to heaven and glory, and lead them to seek, above all earthly things, the eternal substance, the immortal inheritance, the riches which are imperishable.—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 2, p. 593. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/06/07.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/06/07.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..4bb7c683db --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/06/07.md @@ -0,0 +1,25 @@ +--- +title: Further Thought +date: 07/02/2025 +--- + +Read Ellen G. White, “God’s Love for Man,” pp. 9–15, in Steps to Christ. + +“The word of God reveals His character. He Himself has declared His infinite love and pity. When Moses prayed, ‘Show me Thy glory,’ the Lord answered, ‘I will make all My goodness pass before thee.’ Exodus 33:18, 19. This is His glory. The Lord passed before Moses, and proclaimed, ‘The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin.’ Exodus 34:6, 7. He is ‘slow to anger, and of great kindness,’ ‘because He delighteth in mercy.’ Jonah 4:2; Micah 7:18. + +“God has bound our hearts to Him by unnumbered tokens in heaven and in earth. Through the things of nature, and the deepest and tenderest earthly ties that human hearts can know, He has sought to reveal Himself to us. Yet these but imperfectly represent His love. Though all these evidences have been given, the enemy of good blinded the minds of men, so that they looked upon God with fear; they thought of Him as severe and unforgiving. Satan led men to conceive of God as a being whose chief attribute is stern justice,—one who is a severe judge, a harsh, exacting creditor. He pictured the Creator as a being who is watching with jealous eye to discern the errors and mistakes of men, that He may visit judgments upon them. It was to remove this dark shadow, by revealing to the world the infinite love of God, that Jesus came to live among men.”—Ellen G. White, Steps to Christ, pp. 10, 11. + +**Discussion Questions**: + +`Why is it so important to recognize that God’s glory is bound up with His goodness? How does this correct a theology of glory that emphasizes sheer power without emphasizing the love and character of God?` + +`Have you ever questioned God’s goodness? Do you know anyone who has questioned God’s goodness because of the way those who claim to follow God sometimes act, or simply because of all the evil in the world? How did you work through that question for yourself, and how might you be able to help someone struggling with the question of God’s goodness? See next week’s lesson.` + +`In class, flesh out the answer to Monday’s question. How does the reality of the great controversy help us understand all the evil that exists now?` + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +That I May Know Him, “The Day of Final Settlement,” p. 359;\ +The Upward Look, “God Does Not Change,” p. 318. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/06/info.yml b/src/en/ss/2025-01/06/info.yml new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..468f1b8106 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/06/info.yml @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +--- +title: "God’s Love of Justice" +start_date: "01/02/2025" +end_date: "07/02/2025" \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/06/inside-story.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/06/inside-story.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..6603c55b2e --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/06/inside-story.md @@ -0,0 +1,28 @@ +--- +title: Inside Story +date: 07/02/2025 +--- + +#### “You Can’t Pass By” + +_By Andrew McChesney_ + +American missionary Joanne (Park) Kim was walking to her rented apartment in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. It was the dead of winter, and the midafternoon temperature was about minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 40 Celsius). + +Then Joanne saw an intoxicated man lying on the sidewalk. She had been attacked by a number of drunken men over the past year in Mongolia, and she didn’t want to stop. What if he also attacked her? She started to walk past him, but then she stopped. A small voice seemed to say, “You can’t pass by.” + +Joanne struggled with the idea of helping him. “Lord,” she said, “he weighs nearly twice as much as I do. How can I help him?” + +She looked around. The street was empty. No other people were in sight. + +Joanne looked at the stranger again. “If I walk by, he will die,” she thought. “His body will freeze in just a couple of hours.” + +She saw apartment buildings all around. Each building had a small room on the first floor for a guard, so the entryway was fairly warm. The nearest building was about 1,000 feet (300 meters) away. “OK, Lord,” Joanne said. “I’ll get this guy over there.” Putting her arms under his, she prayed for strength and pulled. Somehow, she dragged him to the building. Placing him in the entryway, she stepped back and looked at him. A new feeling filled her heart. She felt compassion and pity. + +This encounter marked a turning point in Joanne’s mission work. No longer did she harbor any ill feelings toward the attackers. Instead, compassion and pity washed over her. At last, she could love like Jesus. + +Joanne went on to help plant the first Adventist church in Ulaanbaatar as a pioneer missionary with a supporting mission organization from 1992 to 1998. She returned in 2017, and she now serves as education and development director for the Adventist Church in Mongolia. + +Even now, drunken strangers still attack her from time to time, but her love for God and His people is unshakable. “Satan does not give up,” she said. “He knew he could wear me down. But God gifted me with the Mongolian language and a change of heart. God loves even the drunk men who were attacking me all the time, so I need to love them and help them as best I can.” + +_You also can participate in the mission work in Mongolia through this quarter’s Thirteenth Sabbath Offering, part of which will help open a recreation center where children can grow spiritually, mentally, socially, and physically in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia._ \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/06/teacher-comments.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/06/teacher-comments.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..8e24aa62aa --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/06/teacher-comments.md @@ -0,0 +1,66 @@ +--- +title: Teacher Comments +date: 07/02/2025 +--- + +#### Part I: Overview + +Key Text: Jeremiah 9:24 + +Study Focus: Ps. 33:5, Jer. 18:7–10, Mal. 3:6, James 1:17. + +Introduction: Throughout Scripture, God’s love and justice are intrinsic to His character. These attributes reveal His deep concern for justice and righteousness. + +Lesson Themes: + +1. Love and justice belong together. Although we are not used to thinking about love and justice together, throughout Scripture, true love requires justice, and true justice is driven by love. Conversely, a pretense of love without justice is lenience toward evil; and justice without love consists of cold legalism. Therefore, genuine love and justice describe God’s perfect character. He loves justice and intends to see justice practiced in the world. + +2. Loving justice requires constancy. Justice is the foundation of God’s government. His actions are grounded on the constancy of the divine moral character, not on random decisions and unjust deeds. God’s justice emanates from His regularity, as He never lies, and His promises are unbreakable. While Scripture affirms God’s moral immutability, it also indicates that His actions may relationally change in response to human decisions. + +3. Loving justice takes repentance into account. We find statements in Scripture about God not relenting, meaning that He does not lie. Also, passages of the Old Testament indicate that God repents, in the sense of His not bringing the expected judgment announced by Him due to human wrongdoing. God’s relenting does not mean that He lied about His judgment but that He relationally changes His actions toward people if they repent and decide to live a life of fellowship with Him. + +Life Application: Considering that God may change relationally toward His people when they choose to accept or reject Him, how can we reflect God’s loving justice as we react to injustice and wrongdoing in the world? + +#### Part II: Commentary + +**1. Love and Justice Belong Together.** + +Many people think that love and justice are mutually exclusive. According to this perspective, one cannot be just and loving at the same time. In this view, love is lenient and precludes, or at least blurs, the due application of justice. Conversely, it is argued that justice has to be objective and dispassionate. Thus, it necessarily excludes any form of mercy and love. + +However, this view is not the only (nor the best) way of thinking about the distinction of love and justice. In fact, love and justice do not form a dichotomy in the Bible but are, rather, coherently combined in the description of God’s perfect character. In the biblical wholistic account of love and justice, one cannot be properly thought of without the other. A pretense of love without justice is actually unfairness/partisanship, whereas the idea of justice without love is really cold legalism. In fact, the Bible goes even a step further in the description of God’s character. God does not merely combine love and justice; He actually loves justice (Ps. 33:5, Isa. 61:8). + +The Hebrew term for justice, in Psalm 33:5 and Isaiah 61:8, is mišpāṭ, which conveys the idea of correct government. According to Robert Culver, while modern conceptions of democratic government separate legislative, judicial, and executive functions, mišpāṭ is not “restricted to judicial processes only” but actually refers to “all functions of government.” From this perspective, if there is no separation of functions, government in biblical times centered primarily on the figure of the ruler rather than on law codes. Also, the ruler/judge had executive and “judicial powers.” In other words, the ruler/judge not only made judicial decisions but also executed or caused them to be executed. As an example, when David appealed to God as judge in his contention with Saul, David was not only thinking in terms of a juridical decision but also assumed a judicial execution of deliverance and vindication: “let the Lord be judge, and judge between you and me, and see and plead my case, and deliver me out of your hand” (1 Sam. 24:15, NKJV).—Robert D. Culver, “2443 שָׁפַט,” in Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, ed. R. Laird Harris, Gleason L. Archer Jr., and Bruce K. Waltke (Chicago: Moody Press, 1980), p. 948. + +If we take this broad understanding of justice into account, to say that God loves justice seems to imply at least two important points for our study of God. First, God’s justice is not merely related to law codes, but it fundamentally concerns His heart and character. Second, He loves not only the deliberation of justice but also its execution. + +**2. Loving Justice Requires Constancy.** + +If justice refers to sound government with good judgment and execution, as pointed out above, it must exclude the possibility of random or capricious decisions on the part of the ruler. From this perspective, justice requires constancy and regularity. There are two main passages in Scripture, one in the Old Testament and the other in the New Testament, that are normally used to affirm God’s immutability. While the concept of immutability is heavily loaded with philosophical assumptions in discussions about the doctrine of God in diverse traditions of Christian theology, it is safe to say that Malachi 3:6 and James 1:17 underscore the constancy of God’s moral character. To put a finer point upon it, He is morally immutable or changeless. + +Malachi 3 is shaped by the idea of God’s justice. The chapter is introduced by the question of divine justice, in Malachi 2:17, namely, “ ‘Where is the God of justice?’ ” In other words, what is going to happen to “everyone who does evil” (Mal. 2:17, NKJV)? In response to this fundamental question, Malachi 3 highlights the coming of divine judgment. “ ‘Who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears?’ ” (Mal. 3:2, NKJV). The judgment has in view particularly the rebellious history of God’s people, but this serious message is actually intended as a call to repentance. Therefore, the tone of God’s future judgment is ultimately a hopeful one. + +In this context of judgment and hope, the Lord emphasizes that He does not change, and this fact is, indeed, the reason why His people are not destroyed (Mal. 3:6). The idea of God’s changelessness is rendered in the New English Translation Bible as “ ‘I, the Lord, do not go back on my promises,’ ” which captures the notion of God’s moral covenantal immutability, suggested by the context of the passage. At the same time, the emphasis of Malachi 3:7 (“ ‘Return to Me, and I will return to you’ ” [NKJV]) highlights a relational and positive change of attitude on God’s part, which is what He desires to do, depending on the people’s repentance. + +In James 1:17, the idea of divine constancy and moral immutability is also underscored. The context of James 1 indicates that temptations are not prompted by God, as He consistently and constantly gives us good and perfect gifts from above. Thus, instead of a capricious combination of temptations and gifts, He consistently offers us only gifts. As “the Father of lights,” He shows “no variation or shadow of turning” (James 1:17, NKJV). The connection between God as the Creator of light and His constancy also appears in Psalm 136:7–9, which is part of the iterative emphasis of the psalm: “For His mercy endures forever” (NKJV). In these verses, the psalmist underscores the creative power and constancy of God: “to Him who made great lights, for His mercy endures forever—the sun to rule by day, for His mercy endures forever; the moon and stars to rule by night, for His mercy endures forever” (Ps. 136:7–9, NKJV). + +**3. Loving Justice Takes Repentance Into Account.** + +The Old Testament seems to have paradoxical statements about the repenting and relenting nature of God. On the one hand, we have passages—such as Numbers 23:19 (“God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?” [NKJV]) and 1 Samuel 15:29 (“ ‘The Strength of Israel will not lie nor relent. For He is not a man, that He should relent’ ” [NKJV])—that affirm God’s constancy. To put it more pointedly, the Lord does not relent. The main point of these statements is that God does not lie, which is consistent with the New Testament teaching about God in Titus 1:2 and Hebrews 6:18. + +On the other hand, Old Testament passages narrate God’s relenting or repenting in the sense of His not bringing the judgment He announced against those who did evil. One of the most well-known examples is the divine mercy shown to Nineveh in the book of Jonah (Jon. 3:10), where Jonah himself, in the beginning of chapter 4, disagrees with God’s repenting. Jonah’s explanation of why he does not want to announce the coming divine judgment against Nineveh reinforces God’s mercy: “ ‘Lord, was not this what I said when I was still in my country? Therefore I fled previously to Tarshish; for I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm’ ” (Jon. 4:1, 2, NKJV). + +Jonah 4:2 contains at least three important reasons why this “relenting” on God’s part should not come as a surprise. First, Jonah himself indicates that he suspected, from the beginning, that such an outcome would happen. This anticipation of God’s mercy is the real reason Jonah fled to Tarshish. Second, his statement about God here echoes Exodus 32:14 and Exodus 34:6, 7, where Israel itself was the object of God’s repentance. Hence, well before the divine relenting regarding Nineveh, God did the same with Israel in the past. Third, this type of relenting does not mean that God lied about His announced judgments, for He explains in Jeremiah 18:7–10 that “ ‘the instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, to pull down, and to destroy it, if that nation against whom I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I thought to bring upon it. And the instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it, if it does evil in My sight so that it does not obey My voice, then I will relent concerning the good with which I said I would benefit it’ ” (NKJV). Therefore, God relationally changes His attitude toward the people if they relationally change their attitude toward Him. + +#### Part III: Life Application + +Scripture affirms God’s moral immutability, but He may change relationally toward His people when they choose to accept or reject Him. With this idea in mind, discuss the following questions: + +1. How can we reflect God’s justice as we react to injustice and wrongdoing in the world? + +2. God repents and changes His judgment depending on the people’s attitude toward Him. Is God’s justice full of revenge and retribution, or does it envisage some form of restoration? Explain. How is God’s repentance related to restoration? + +3. God is willing to relent and restore His relationship with His people. From this perspective, how can we cultivate justice and love to restore broken relationships? + +4. Have there been times when you tried to confront injustice and it backfired or went poorly? If so, how did you respond? How can you continue to pursue justice and help the most vulnerable? + +5. Have you ever been treated unjustly? If so, what was the outcome of your situation? How does your experience influence the way you treat others? \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/07/01.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/07/01.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..247c6ec034 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/07/01.md @@ -0,0 +1,34 @@ +--- +title: The Problem of Evil +date: 08/02/2025 +--- + +### Read for This Week’s Study +Job 30:26; Matt. 27:46; Job 38:1–12; Psalm 73; Gen. 2:16, 17; Rev. 21:3, 4. + +>Memory Text:
+> “ ‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away’ ” (Revelation 21:4, NKJV). + +Perhaps the greatest problem facing Christianity is the problem of evil—how to reconcile the fact that God is perfectly good and loving, with the fact of evil in this world. In brief terms, if God is all-good and all-powerful, why is there evil, and so much of it, too? + +This is not merely an academic problem but something that deeply troubles many people and that keeps some from coming to know and love God. + +“To many minds the origin of sin and the reason for its existence are a source of great perplexity. They see the work of evil, with its terrible results of woe and desolation, and they question how all this can exist under the sovereignty of One who is infinite in wisdom, in power, and in love. Here is a mystery of which they find no explanation.”—Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, p. 492. + +Many atheists identify the problem of evil as the reason that they are atheists. But as we will see in this week and in coming weeks, the God of the Bible is entirely good, and we can trust Him—even despite the evil that so infects our fallen world. + +_*Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, February 15._ + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +God is love. The evil that is in the world comes not from His hands, but from our great adversary, whose work it has ever been to deprave man, and enfeeble and pervert his faculties. But God has not left us in the ruin wrought by the fall. . . . We are His—His purchased possession. The human family cost God and His Son Jesus Christ an infinite price.\ +The world’s Redeemer, the only-begotten Son of God, by His perfect obedience to the law, by His life and character, redeemed that which was lost in the fall, and made it possible for man to obey that holy law of righteousness which Adam transgressed. Christ did not exchange His divinity for humanity, but combined humanity with divinity; and in humanity He lived the law in behalf of the human family. The sins of everyone who will receive Christ were set to His account, and He has fully satisfied the justice of God.—Fundamentals of Christian Education, p. 429. + +God did not create evil, He only made the good, which was like Himself. But Satan would not be content to know the will of God and do it. His curiosity was on the stretch to know that which God had not designed he should know. Evil, sin, and death were not created by God; they are the result of disobedience, which originated in Satan. But the knowledge of evil now in the world was brought in through the cunning of Satan. These are very hard and expensive lessons; but men will learn them, and many will never be convinced that it is bliss to be ignorant of a certain kind of knowledge, which arises from unsatisfied desires and unholy aims.\ +The sons and daughters of Adam are fully as inquisitive and presumptuous as was Eve in seeking forbidden knowledge. They gain an experience, a knowledge, which God never designed they should have, and the result will be, as it was to our first parents, the loss of their Eden home. When will human beings learn that which is demonstrated so thoroughly before them?—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, p. 503. + +“God is love.” 1 John 4:16. His nature, His law, is love. It ever has been; it ever will be. “The high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity,” whose “ways are everlasting,” changeth not. With Him “is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” Isaiah 57:15; Habakkuk 3:6; James 1:17.\ +Every manifestation of creative power is an expression of infinite love. The sovereignty of God involves fullness of blessing to all created beings. . . .\ +The history of the great conflict between good and evil, from the time it first began in heaven to the final overthrow of rebellion and the total eradication of sin, is also a demonstration of God’s unchanging love.—Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 33. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/07/02.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/07/02.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..ab5c3f41d5 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/07/02.md @@ -0,0 +1,33 @@ +--- +title: “How Long, O Lord?” +date: 09/02/2025 +--- + +The problem of evil is voiced not only in contemporary contexts but also in Scripture itself. + +`Read Job 30:26, Jeremiah 12:1, Jeremiah 13:22, Malachi 2:17, and Psalm 10:1. How do these texts bring the problem of evil to the forefront of human experience?` + +These texts raise many questions that are still with us today. Why does it seem as though the wicked prosper and those who do evil benefit from their evil, perhaps not always but still often enough? Why do the righteous suffer so much? Where is God when evil occurs? Why does God sometimes appear to be far from us, even hidden? + +Whatever we say about these questions and the problem of evil more generally, we should be sure not to trivialize evil. We should not try to resolve the problem by downplaying the kind, or amount, of evil in the world. Evil is very bad—and God hates it even more than we do. Thus, we might join in the cry that rings throughout Scripture in response to the many evils and injustices in the world: “How long, O Lord?” + +`Read Matthew 27:46. How do you understand these words of Jesus? What do they convey about how evil touched God in the most striking of ways?` + +On the cross, Jesus Himself voiced the question: “ ‘My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?’ ” (Matt. 27:46, NKJV). Here especially we see that God Himself is touched by evil, an amazing truth powerfully highlighted in the suffering and death of Christ on the cross, where all the evil of the world fell upon Him. + +But even here there is hope. What Christ did on the cross defeated the source of evil, Satan, and will eventually undo evil entirely. Jesus quoted those words from Psalm 22:1, and the rest of the psalm ends in triumph. + +`On the cross, Jesus looked forward to a hope that, at the time, He could not see. How can we draw comfort from His experience when we, too, cannot see hope before us?` + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise.” 2 Peter 3:9. He does not forget or neglect His children; but He permits the wicked to reveal their true character, that none who desire to do His will may be deceived concerning them. . . . [T]he righteous are placed in the furnace of affliction, that they themselves may be purified; that their example may convince others of the reality of faith and godliness; and also that their consistent course may condemn the ungodly and unbelieving.\ +God permits the wicked to prosper and to reveal their enmity against Him, that when they shall have filled up the measure of their iniquity all may see His justice and mercy in their utter destruction. The day of His vengeance hastens, when all who have transgressed His law and oppressed His people will meet the just recompense of their deeds; when every act of cruelty or injustice toward God’s faithful ones will be punished as though done to Christ Himself.—The Great Controversy, p. 48. + +In the work of reform to be carried forward today, there is need of men who, like Ezra and Nehemiah, will not palliate or excuse sin, nor shrink from vindicating the honor of God. Those upon whom rests the burden of this work will not hold their peace when wrong is done, neither will they cover evil with a cloak of false charity. They will remember that God is no respecter of persons, and that severity to a few may prove mercy to many. They will remember also that in the one who rebukes evil the spirit of Christ should ever be revealed.—Prophets and Kings, p. 675. + +[Christ] is nailed to the cross, and hangs suspended between the heavens and the earth. The glorious Redeemer of a lost world was suffering the penalty of man’s transgression of the Father’s law. He was about to ransom His people with His own blood.\ +Oh, was there ever suffering and sorrow like that endured by the dying Saviour! It was the sense of His Father’s displeasure which made His cup so bitter. It was not bodily suffering which so quickly ended the life of Christ upon the cross. It was the crushing weight of the sins of the world, and a sense of His Father’s wrath. The fierce temptation that His own Father had forever left Him caused that piercing cry from the cross: “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”\ +In His dying agony, as He yields up His precious life, He has by faith alone to trust in Him whom it has ever been His joy to obey. . . . Denied even bright hope and confidence in the triumph which will be His in the future, He cries with a loud voice: “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit” (Luke 23:46). He is acquainted with the character of His Father, with His justice, His mercy, and His great love, and in submission He drops into His hands.—God’s Amazing Grace, p. 170. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/07/03.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/07/03.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..3ceb019762 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/07/03.md @@ -0,0 +1,31 @@ +--- +title: “There Are Many Things We Do Not Know” +date: 10/02/2025 +--- + +The end of history will come with the triumph of love over evil. But, in the meantime, many troubling questions remain. How can we think and talk about the problem of evil in a way that might be helpful? + +`Read Job 38:1–12. How does God’s answer to Job shed light on the problem of evil? How much do we know and not know about what might be going on behind the scenes?` + +In the narrative, Job had suffered much and had voiced many questions himself about why so much evil and suffering had befallen him. He requested an audience with God in order to seek answers to his questions, not knowing that far more was going on behind the scenes, in the heavenly court (see Job 1, 2). + +God’s response to Job is striking. Specifically, “the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said: ‘Who is this who darkens counsel by words without knowledge?’ ” (Job 38:1, 2, NKJV). One translation puts it this way: “Why do you talk so much when you know so little?” (Job 38:2, CEV). And, God adds in Job 38:4, “ ‘Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding’ ” (NKJV). + +`Read Job 42:3. How does Job’s response illuminate what we should recognize about our own position?` + +By His responses to Job, God made it clear to Job that there are many things that Job did not know and did not understand. Like Job, we, too, should humbly recognize that there are many things going on in the world, and behind the scenes, that we know nothing about. The fact that we may not know the answers to our questions does not mean there are no good answers or that one day everything will not be resolved. Until then, we need to trust in the goodness of God, which has been revealed to us in so many ways. + +`Think about how little we know about anything. Why, then, should we learn to live with unanswered questions about the most difficult of subjects: evil and suffering?` + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +Divine inspiration asks many questions which the most profound scholar cannot answer. These questions were not asked, supposing that we could answer them, but to call our attention to the deep mysteries of God, and to make men know that their wisdom is limited; that in the common things of daily life there are mysteries past the comprehension of finite minds; that the judgment and purposes of God are past finding out, His wisdom unsearchable. If He reveals Himself to man, it is by shrouding Himself in the thick cloud of mystery.\ +God’s purpose is to conceal more of Himself than He makes known to man. Could men fully understand the ways and works of God, they would not then believe Him to be the infinite One. He is not to be comprehended by man in His wisdom, and reasons, and purposes. “His ways are past finding out” [Romans 11:33]. His love can never be explained upon natural principles. If this could be done, we would not feel that we could trust Him with the interests of our souls. Skeptics refuse to believe, because with their finite minds they cannot comprehend the infinite power by which God reveals Himself to men.—Ellen G. White Comments, in The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 3, p. 1141. + +What lessons of humility and faith may we not learn as we trace the dealings of God with His creatures. The Lord can do but little for the children of men, because they are so full of pride and vain glory. They exalt self, magnifying their own strength, learning, and wisdom. It is necessary for God to disappoint their hopes and frustrate their plans, that they may learn to trust in Him alone. All our powers are from God; we can do nothing independent of the strength which He has given us. Where is the man or woman or child that God does not sustain? Where is the desolate place which God does not fill? Where is the want that any but God can supply?\ +He would have us make Him our protector and our guide in all the duties and affairs of life.—Ellen G. White Comments, in The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 3, 1141. + +“The Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind” (Job 38:1), and revealed to His servant the might of His power. When Job caught a glimpse of his Creator, he abhorred himself and repented in dust and ashes. Then the Lord was able to bless him abundantly and to make his last years the best of his life.\ +Hope and courage are essential to perfect service for God. These are the fruit of faith. Despondency is sinful and unreasonable. God is able and willing “more abundantly” (Hebrews 6:17) to bestow upon His servants the strength they need for test and trial. The plans of the enemies of His work may seem to be well laid and firmly established, but God can overthrow the strongest of these. And this He does in His own time and way, when He sees that the faith of His servants has been sufficiently tested.—Prophets and Kings, p. 164. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/07/04.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/07/04.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..1ff1a09933 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/07/04.md @@ -0,0 +1,32 @@ +--- +title: The Skeptical Theist +date: 11/02/2025 +--- + +God proclaims in Isaiah 55:8, 9, “ ‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,’ says the Lord. ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts’ ” (NKJV). + +God’s thoughts are far higher than ours. We cannot even imagine the complexities of God’s plan for history. Given this, why should we expect to be in a position to know just what God’s reasons are for what He does or does not do in various situations? + +One way of approaching the problem of evil, based on recognizing how little we know, is called “skeptical theism.” The skeptical theist is one who believes God has good reasons for acting as He does, but given our limited knowledge, we should not expect to be in a position to know just what those reasons are. The skeptical theist is skeptical regarding the human capacity to be aware of or to understand fully God’s reasons relative to the evil in this world. Just because one cannot see, for instance, germs floating in the air all around us does not mean there are no germs floating in the air all around us. The fact that one does not know what God’s reasons are certainly does not mean that God has no good reasons. + +`Read Psalm 73. How does the psalmist approach the evil and injustice around him? What does he see that puts his understanding in a different perspective?` + +The psalmist was deeply troubled by the evil in the world. He looked around him and saw the wicked prospering. Everything seemed unjust and unfair. He had no answers to give. He wondered whether it was even worth believing in and serving God. Until, that is, he looked into the sanctuary. + +The sanctuary provides part of the key to the problem of evil—namely, recognizing there is a righteous Judge who will bring justice and judgment in His own time. + +`How can the Adventist understanding of the judgment and the sanctuary doctrine shed light on the problem of evil? Is it helpful to you to know that, while we have many questions now, the details of history and God’s righteous judgments will be revealed in the end?` + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +We do not understand the greatness and majesty of God nor remember the immeasurable distance between the Creator and the creatures formed by His hand. He who sitteth in the heavens, swaying the scepter of the universe, does not judge according to our finite standard, nor reckon according to our computation. We are in error if we think that that which is great to us must be great to God, and that which is small to us must be small to Him. He would be no more exalted than ourselves if He possessed only the same faculties. . . .\ +God speaks through His prophet: “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon. For My thoughts, are not your thoughts neither are your ways, My ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” We need clear discernment, that we may measure sin by the Lord’s standard and not by our own. Let us take for our rule, not human opinions, but the divine word.—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, p. 337. + +The psalmist David in his experience had many changes of mind. At times, as he obtained views of God’s will and ways, he was highly exalted. Then as he caught sight of the reverse of God’s mercy and changeless love, everything seemed to be shrouded in a cloud of darkness. But through the darkness he obtained a view of the attributes of God, which gave him confidence and strengthened his faith. But when he meditated upon the difficulties and danger of life, they looked so forbidding that he thought himself abandoned by God because of his sins. . . .\ +But as he wept and prayed, he obtained a clearer view of the character and attributes of God.—Ellen G. White Comments, in The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 3, p. 1149. + +As David considered His pledges and promises to [the children of Israel], knowing they were for all who need them as much as for Israel, he appropriated them to himself, saying, “I will remember the works of the Lord: surely I will remember thy wonders of old. I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doing.”\ +His faith laid hold of God, and he was strengthened and encouraged; although he recognized God’s ways as mysterious, yet he knew they were merciful and good; for this was His character as revealed to Moses. . . .\ +As David appropriated these promises and privileges to himself he decided that he would no longer be hasty in judgment, becoming discouraged, and casting himself down in helpless despair. His soul took courage as he contemplated the general character of God as displayed in His teaching, His forbearance, His surpassing greatness and mercy, and he saw that the works and wonders of God are to have no confined application.—Ellen G. White Comments, in The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 3, p. 1149. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/07/05.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/07/05.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..9139765979 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/07/05.md @@ -0,0 +1,29 @@ +--- +title: The Freewill Defense +date: 12/02/2025 +--- + +However much we don’t understand of God’s ways and thoughts, Scripture does reveal some things that help to address the problem of evil. One avenue for addressing the logical problem of evil is known as the freewill defense. + +The freewill defense is the view that evil is the result of the misuse of creaturely free will. God, then, is not to blame for evil, because evil is the result of creatures misusing the free will that God has given us for good reasons. Why, however, would God give such free will? In this regard, C. S. Lewis once wrote that “free will, though it makes evil possible, is also the only thing that makes possible any love or goodness or joy worth having. A world of automata—of creatures that worked like machines—would hardly be worth creating. The happiness which God designs for His higher creatures is the happiness of being freely, voluntarily united to Him and to each other. . . . And for that they must be free.”—Mere Christianity (New York: MacMillan, 1960), p. 52. + +`Read Genesis 2:16, 17. How do these verses display the moral freedom granted to Adam and Eve?` + +Why command them unless they had free will to begin with? Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, and since then our planet has been filled with evil. In Genesis 4, the next chapter after the Fall narrative, the terrible consequences of sin are seen in the murder of Abel by his brother. The narrative of the Fall shows how the misuse of Adam and Eve’s free will brought sin and evil into the history of our planet. + +All through Scripture, we see the reality of free moral will. (See Deut. 7:12, 13; Josh. 24:14, 15; Ps. 81:11–14; and Isa. 66:4.) Every day of our lives, to one degree or another, we ourselves exercise the free will given to us by our Creator. Without free will, we would not be recognizably human. We would be more like a machine, or even a mindless robot. + +`Sony Corporation has created a robot dog called Aibo. It will not get sick, not get fleas, not bite, not need shots, and not shed fur. Would you trade your flesh-and-blood dog for an Aibo? If not, how might your choice help you better understand why God created us as He did, with free will—despite the risks?` + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +The reins of self-government were placed in [Adam’s] hands. Judgment, reason, and conscience were to bear sway. “And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”\ +Adam and Eve were permitted to partake of every tree in the garden save one. There was a single prohibition. The forbidden tree was as attractive and lovely as any of the trees in the garden. It was called the tree of knowledge because in partaking of that tree of which God had said, “Thou shalt not eat of it,” they would have a knowledge of sin, an experience in disobedience.—Confrontation, p. 12. + +God might have created man without the power to transgress His law; He might have withheld the hand of Adam from touching the forbidden fruit; but in that case man would have been, not a free moral agent, but a mere automaton. Without freedom of choice, his obedience would not have been voluntary, but forced. There could have been no development of character. It would have been unworthy of man as an intelligent being, and would have sustained Satan’s charge of God’s arbitrary rule.\ +[God] endowed [Adam] with high intellectual powers, and presented before him the strongest possible inducements to be true to his allegiance. Obedience, perfect and perpetual, was the condition of eternal happiness. On this condition he was to have access to the tree of life.\ +So long as they remained loyal to the divine law, their capacity to know, to enjoy, and to love would continually increase. They would be constantly gaining new treasures of knowledge, discovering fresh springs of happiness, and obtaining clearer and yet clearer conceptions of the immeasurable, unfailing love of God.—Conflict and Courage, p. 13. + +Every soul has a heaven to win, and a hell to shun. And the angelic agencies are all ready to come to the help of the tried and tempted soul. He, the Son of the infinite God, endured the test and trial in our behalf. The cross of Calvary stands vividly before every soul. When the cases of all are judged, and they [the lost] are delivered to suffer for their contempt for God and their disregard of His honor in their disobedience, not one will have an excuse, not one will need to have perished. It was left to their own choice who should be their prince, Christ or Satan. All the help Christ received, every man may receive in the great trial. The cross stands as a pledge that not one need be lost, that abundant help is provided for every soul. We can conquer the satanic agencies, or we can join ourselves with the powers that seek to counterwork the work of God in our world.—Selected Messages, book 1, p. 96. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/07/06.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/07/06.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..80fd5e449e --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/07/06.md @@ -0,0 +1,30 @@ +--- +title: Love and Evil? +date: 13/02/2025 +--- + +God has granted creatures free will because it is necessary for love; misuse of this free will is the cause of evil. Again, many questions remain. God allows evil (for a time), while passionately despising it, because to exclude its possibility would exclude love, and to destroy it prematurely would damage the trust necessary for love. + +“The earth was dark through misapprehension of God. That the gloomy shadows might be lightened, that the world might be brought back to God, Satan’s deceptive power was to be broken. This could not be done by force. The exercise of force is contrary to the principles of God’s government; He desires only the service of love; and love cannot be commanded; it cannot be won by force or authority. Only by love is love awakened. To know God is to love Him; His character must be manifested in contrast to the character of Satan.”—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 22. + +Without free will, there could be no love, and if God is love, then it seems clear that it is not really an option for God to negate love or the freedom needed for love to exist. One could suppose, too, that if we knew the end from the beginning, as God does, we would not want Him to get rid of our freedom. After all, who would want to live in a loveless universe? + +`Read Romans 8:18 and Revelation 21:3, 4. How can these texts give us confidence to trust in God’s goodness, despite all the evil in our world?` + +Even when we cannot see through the darkness, God can see the end from the beginning. He can see, too, the eternal bliss promised to all who place their faith in Jesus. According to Romans 8:18, “the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (NKJV). Do we have the faith and trust to believe this amazing promise? + +Also, so sacred, so foundational, was love, and the freedom inherent in love, that rather than deny it to us, Jesus knew it would send Him to the cross, where He would suffer greatly. Yet, He granted this freedom to us anyway, knowing what it would cost Him. Why is this such a crucial thought to keep before us always? + +`How does keeping in mind the fact that God grants us free will help protect us from thinking that everything that happens is God’s will?` + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +In all ages God’s appointed witnesses have exposed themselves to reproach and persecution for the truth’s sake. Joseph was maligned and persecuted because he preserved his virtue and integrity. David, the chosen messenger of God, was hunted like a beast of prey by his enemies. Daniel was cast into a den of lions because he was true to his allegiance to heaven. Job was deprived of his worldly possessions, and so afflicted in body that he was abhorred by his relatives, and friends; yet he maintained his integrity. . . . Paul was imprisoned, beaten with rods, stoned, and finally put to death because he was a faithful messenger for God to the Gentiles. . . .\ +These examples of human steadfastness bear witness to the faithfulness of God’s promises—of His abiding presence and sustaining grace. They testify to the power of faith to withstand the powers of the world. It is the work of faith to rest in God in the darkest hour, to feel, however sorely tried and tempest-tossed, that our Father is at the helm. The eye of faith alone can look beyond the things of time to estimate aright the worth of the eternal riches.—The Acts of the Apostles, p. 575. + +If you are called to go through the fiery furnace for His sake, Jesus will be by your side even as He was with the faithful three in Babylon. Those who love their Redeemer will rejoice at every opportunity of sharing with Him humiliation and reproach. The love they bear their Lord makes suffering for His sake sweet.\ +In all ages Satan has persecuted the people of God. He has tortured them and put them to death, but in dying they became conquerors. They revealed in their steadfast faith a mightier One than Satan. Satan could torture and kill the body, but he could not touch the life that was hid with Christ in God. . . . They could look beyond the gloom to the glory, saying, “I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” Romans 8:18.—Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, p. 30. + +Will man take hold of divine power, and with determination and perseverance resist Satan, as Christ has given him example in His conflict with the foe in the wilderness of temptation? God cannot save man against his will from the power of Satan’s artifices. Man must work with his human power, aided by the divine power of Christ, to resist and to conquer at any cost to himself. In short, man must overcome as Christ overcame. And then, through the victory that it is his privilege to gain by the all-powerful name of Jesus, he may become an heir of God and joint heir with Jesus Christ. This could not be the case if Christ alone did all the overcoming. Man must do his part; he must be victor on his own account, through the strength and grace that Christ gives him. Man must be a co-worker with Christ in the labor of overcoming, and then he will be partaker with Christ of His glory.—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 4, p. 32. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/07/07.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/07/07.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..100e3f47fc --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/07/07.md @@ -0,0 +1,23 @@ +--- +title: Further Thought +date: 14/02/2025 +--- + +Read Ellen G. White, “Why Was Sin Permitted?” pp. 33–43, in Patriarchs and Prophets. + +“Even when he was cast out of heaven, Infinite Wisdom did not destroy Satan. Since only the service of love can be acceptable to God, the allegiance of His creatures must rest upon a conviction of His justice and benevolence. The inhabitants of heaven and of the worlds, being unprepared to comprehend the nature or consequences of sin, could not then have seen the justice of God in the destruction of Satan. Had he been immediately blotted out of existence, some would have served God from fear rather than from love. The influence of the deceiver would not have been fully destroyed, nor would the spirit of rebellion have been utterly eradicated. For the good of the entire universe through ceaseless ages, he must more fully develop his principles, that his charges against the divine government might be seen in their true light by all created beings, and that the justice and mercy of God and the immutability of His law might be forever placed beyond all question. + +“Satan’s rebellion was to be a lesson to the universe through all coming ages—a perpetual testimony to the nature of sin and its terrible results. The working out of Satan’s rule, its effects upon both men and angels, would show what must be the fruit of setting aside the divine authority. It would testify that with the existence of God’s government is bound up the well-being of all the creatures He has made. Thus the history of this terrible experiment of rebellion was to be a perpetual safeguard to all holy beings, to prevent them from being deceived as to the nature of transgression, to save them from committing sin, and suffering its penalty.”—Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, pp. 42, 43. + +**Discussion Questions**: + +`“Theodicy” is a term for the justification of God in the face of evil. But it is not the justification for evil itself. Imagine someone in heaven saying, “Oh, yes, Jesus, now I understand why my family was tortured and murdered before my eyes. Yes, it all makes great sense now. Thank You, Jesus!” That’s absurd. How can we come to understand that it is God, not evil, that is ultimately vindicated in the great controversy? (See lesson 9.)` + +`Have you ever felt somewhat like Job? Have you ever been tempted to think that there could not possibly be a good explanation for the suffering you or your loved ones have experienced? How does Job’s final realization that he “uttered what” he “did not understand” (Job 42:3, NKJV) shed light on the position we are in relative to our own questions?` + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +Steps to Christ, “God’s Love for Man,” pp. 9–15;\ +Reflecting Christ, “God Teaches Self-Distrust Through Trials,” p. 358. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/07/info.yml b/src/en/ss/2025-01/07/info.yml new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..e1f7f6bd30 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/07/info.yml @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +--- +title: "The Problem of Evil" +start_date: "08/02/2025" +end_date: "14/02/2025" \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/07/inside-story.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/07/inside-story.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..06debe909f --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/07/inside-story.md @@ -0,0 +1,36 @@ +--- +title: Inside Story +date: 14/02/2025 +--- + +#### A Voice in the Dark + +_By Andrew McChesney_ + +Grace Babcock woke up suddenly in the middle of the night to the sound of an angry voice. “You don’t know,” the voice said. “You don’t understand.” + +Grace wasn’t scared. If anything, she was annoyed about being woken up in her one-bedroom apartment at the Holbrook Indian School, where she worked as a teacher. She listened. + +“God is using you like a puppet,” the voice said. “There is stuff that you don’t know. You are following God blindly, and God is tyrannical.” + +Grace had been struggling to trust God. The recent death of a Holbrook student in a bus accident had hit her hard. She had many questions for God, but she hadn’t really wanted to talk to Him about them. + +Now the voice was accusing God, and she didn’t like that, either. + +“Go away,” she said. “I don’t want to talk to you.” + +The voice fell silent. + +But the accusations against God hung heavily in the room. Grace didn’t want to talk to God, but she thought that it was only fair that He be given an opportunity to respond. She asked God about each specific accusation that she had heard. Silence. She fell asleep. + +The next day, Grace went to a nature spot where she often liked to think. Sitting on a brown rock, she brought up the accusations again to God. Silence. As night fell, she went home. + +The next day, she returned to the nature spot. Again, silence. But as she walked home, she sensed a voice say, “You don’t need to know the answers to these questions that you are asking. You need to have faith and trust.” + +“That’s true,” she said. “I don’t need to know the answers. But I do need to know that You are good. Right now, I don’t know that You are good.” + +At home, Grace opened the Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide and began to read. As she read, she sensed a voice say, “Look up.” + +Looking up, she saw a picture from a coloring book on her refrigerator. The picture had been given to her by a fifth-grade student, and it depicted Jesus’ cross and the words of John 3:16. “You did that for us, Jesus,” Grace said. “Since You did that, You are good. You really are good. I can trust You, even though I don’t have answers to all my questions.” + +_This mission story offers an inside look at a previous Thirteenth Sabbath project. Grace Babcock teaches elementary students at the US-based Holbrook Seventh-day Adventist Indian School, which received the Thirteenth Sabbath Offering in 2021. Thank you for supporting the spread of the gospel with this quarter’s Thirteenth Sabbath Offering on March 29._ \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/07/teacher-comments.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/07/teacher-comments.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..2b14c46029 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/07/teacher-comments.md @@ -0,0 +1,64 @@ +--- +title: Teacher Comments +date: 14/02/2025 +--- + +#### Part I: Overview + +Key Text: Revelation 21:4 + +Study Focus: Job 38, Job 42:3, Rom. 8:18. + +Introduction: While we struggle to understand the presence of evil in this world, we must recognize our limitations and approach, with hope, the eventual solution. + +Lesson Themes: This week’s lesson emphasizes three main ideas: + +1. The Bible contains open questions about the problem of evil. In moments of suffering, it is hard to reconcile God’s love and immense goodness in the presence of evil. In Scripture, we identify characters raising how long questions in reference to suffering, and these questions reveal their expectation of divine action. Similarly, in our own suffering and affliction, we hope that God will triumph over evil. + +2. Our explanations about the problem of evil are limited. The problem of evil and suffering presents a challenge to humanity. Job raises several questions to God in the midst of his feeling powerless to solve the problem of evil. Yet, instead of providing answers, God asks more questions. In turn, Job recognizes his limitations to properly understand the reality of evil. + +3. We are encouraged to approach the problem of evil with hope. We should learn to live with unanswered questions about the problem of evil. Sin is an intruder, and no reason can be given to fully explain its presence in our world. God’s love helps us approach the problem with hope. + +Life Application: As we deal with the difficult problem of evil and suffering, we need to recognize how limited we are in understanding the many things that happen to, and around, us just as Job was limited in his understanding. How, though, may we be encouraged to approach the problem of evil with hope? + +#### Part II: Commentary + +**1. The Bible Contains Open Questions About the Problem of Evil.** + +There are several instances in Scripture in which the question how long is raised to God in reference to evil actions and suffering in the world and, more personally, in the life of the one who interrogates God. This question appears often in Psalm 13:1, 2, as the psalmist is concerned with constant sorrow and the exaltation of his enemies. “ ‘How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? How long will my enemy be exalted over me?’ ” (NKJV). + +Likewise, the psalmist, in Psalm 94:3, is disturbed with what appears to be the unfair triumph of the wicked. “Lord, how long will the wicked, how long will the wicked triumph?” (NKJV). In addition, the introduction of Habakkuk 1:2–4 strongly questions God, using the how long expression. Habakkuk asks, “O Lord, how long shall I cry, and You will not hear? Even cry out to You, ‘Violence!’ and You will not save. Why do You show me iniquity, and cause me to see trouble? For plundering and violence are before me; there is strife, and contention arises. Therefore the law is powerless, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; therefore perverse judgment proceeds” (NKJV). + +Paradoxically, while the prophet Jeremiah is sure of God’s righteousness, he wonders about the divine judgments. “Righteous are You, O Lord, when I plead with You; yet let me talk with You about Your judgments. Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why are those happy who deal so treacherously?” (Jer. 12:1, NKJV). In addition, he uses the expression how long to ask God, “How long will the land mourn, and the herbs of every field wither? The beasts and birds are consumed, for the wickedness of those who dwell there” (Jer. 12:4, NKJV). + +In the book of Revelation, the opening of the fifth seal reveals the figurative image of the people “who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held” (Rev. 6:9, NKJV). More specifically, they are “under the altar” and loudly cry to God using the question how long—“ ‘How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?’ ” (Rev. 6:10, NKJV). + +Overall, these how long questions imply perplexity in face of the problem of evil and convey a deep longing for divine justice. Whereas Psalm 10:1, 2 does not employ the expression how long, the same perplexity and the strong expectation of divine action is present in the question articulated to God in this passage. “Why do You stand afar off, O Lord? Why do You hide in times of trouble? The wicked in his pride persecutes the poor; let them be caught in the plots which they have devised” (Ps. 10:1, 2, NKJV). + +**2. Our Explanations About the Problem of Evil Are Limited.** + +Perhaps the most disturbing book in Scripture about the problem of evil is Job. Job 30:26, 27, 31 seem to provide a basic summary of how Job feels in the situation of deep sorrow. “But when I looked for good, evil came to me; and when I waited for light, then came darkness. My heart is in turmoil and cannot rest; days of affliction confront me” (Job 30:26, 27, NKJV). Furthermore, he employs the metaphorical language of musical instruments to describe his negative feelings. “My harp is turned to mourning, and my flute to the voice of those who weep” (Job 30:31, NKJV). + +While one would expect that the appearance of God at the end of the book would finally offer the explanations needed for the conclusion of the narrative, we are left with more questions. Instead of giving answers, God asks Job several questions (see Job 38, 39). Essentially, the Lord asks him about the mysteries of Creation in order to contrast how small Job is as a creature in comparison with the greatness of the Creator. As Job realizes this stark contrast and humbly recognizes his limited understanding about life and the created world, he sees himself as the “ ‘one who hides counsel without knowledge,’ ” for, as he emphasizes, “I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know” (Job 42:3, NKJV). + +Therefore, as we deal with difficult questions about evil and suffering, we need to recognize how limited we are to properly understand and fully explain many things that happen with, and around, us. Paradoxically, we must live with many unanswered questions and, at the same time, do our best, as limited human beings, to understand and explain things according to what God has revealed to us. One of the ways to understand partially, at least, and explain the reasons for the reality of evil and suffering is to explore the idea of free will. Free will is a precious gift from God to His intelligent creatures, but this gift was unfortunately misused in the perfect world created by God. + +As Ellen G. White points out, “Adam was a free moral agent. But he abused his freedom. He allowed himself to be overcome by appetite. By disobedience he lost his innocence. By his own free will he became a sinner, separating himself from the favor of God.”—Manuscript 132, 1902. Elsewhere, she argues that “infinite wisdom places before man the distinction between right and wrong, between sin and holiness; but God’s government is a government of free will, and there is no act of rebellion or obedience which is not a free will act.”—Manuscript 79, 1896. + +Hence, misused free will turns the perfect world created by God into a world of evil, sin, suffering, and death. While the idea of misused free will does not explain everything about the problem of evil and suffering, it is an important part of the limited understanding and explanation that we are able to articulate about this problem, at least according to what has been revealed to us by God. + +**3. We Are Encouraged to Approach the Problem of Evil With Hope.** + +It is important to highlight that the Bible contains open questions about the problem of evil. Our explanations about the problem of evil are limited because these points indicate that evil is not to be justified. Ellen G. White offers a concise exposition of this argument by saying, “It is impossible to explain the origin of sin so as to give a reason for its existence. Yet enough may be understood concerning both the origin and the final disposition of sin to make fully manifest the justice and benevolence of God in all His dealings with evil. Nothing is more plainly taught in Scripture than that God was in no wise responsible for the entrance of sin; that there was no arbitrary withdrawal of divine grace, no deficiency in the divine government, that gave occasion for the uprising of rebellion. Sin is an intruder, for whose presence no reason can be given. It is mysterious, unaccountable; to excuse it is to defend it. Could excuse for it be found, or cause be shown for its existence, it would cease to be sin. Our only definition of sin is that given in the word of God; it is ‘the transgression of the law;’ it is the outworking of a principle at war with the great law of love which is the foundation of the divine government.”—The Great Controversy, pp. 492, 493. Thus, our focus on the discussion of the problem of evil must be the loving character of God and not on evil itself. On the basis of His loving character, we are able to approach, with hope, the difficult problem of evil, not in order to justify evil but to focus on something bigger, namely, the glorious hope (Rom. 8:18) of the God who “will wipe away every tear from [our] eyes” (Rev. 21:4, NKJV). + +#### Part III: Life Application + +Discuss the following questions with your class: + +1. Have you ever been in a situation of deep sorrow and suffering in which you felt God was not hearing you when you cried out? If so, how can the experience of Job help you trust God, despite the apparent triumph of evil? + +2. In difficult times, how can you move from approaching the problem of evil to suffering with hope? + +3. How can you dialogue about the problem of evil in a way that might be helpful to the younger generation in the church? + +4. What advice and explanation would you give to someone who is facing extremely difficult circumstances? \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/08/01.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/08/01.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..b8f60eb2cd --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/08/01.md @@ -0,0 +1,30 @@ +--- +title: Free Will, Love, and Divine Providence +date: 15/02/2025 +--- + +### Read for This Week’s Study +Luke 13:34; Jer. 32:17–20; Heb. 1:3; Deut. 6:4, 5; Eph. 1:9–11; John 16:33. + +>Memory Text:
+> “ ‘These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world’ ” (John 16:33, NKJV). + +_P__ rovidence_ is the term used to describe God’s action in the world. How we think about God’s providence makes a huge difference in how we relate to God, how we relate to others, and how we think about the problem of evil. + +Christians hold various understandings of divine providence. Some believe that God exercises His power in a way that determines all events to happen just as they do. He even chooses who will be saved and who will be lost! In this view, people are not free to choose other than what God decrees. In fact, people who believe this way argue that even human desires are determined by God. + +In contrast, strong biblical evidence shows that God does not determine everything that happens. Instead, He grants humans free will, even to the point where they (and angels) can choose to act directly against His will. The history of the Fall, of sin, and of evil is a dramatic and tragic expression of the results of abusing this free will. The plan of salvation was instituted in order to remedy the tragedy caused by the misuse of free will. + +_*Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, February 22._ + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +The dealings of God with His people should be often repeated. How frequently were the waymarks set up by the Lord in His dealings with ancient Israel! Lest they should forget the history of the past, He commanded Moses to frame these events into song, that parents might teach them to their children. They were to gather up memorials and to lay them up in sight. Special pains were taken to preserve them, that when the children should inquire concerning these things, the whole story might be repeated. Thus the providential dealings and the marked goodness and mercy of God in His care and deliverance of His people were kept in mind. We are exhorted to call to “remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions.” Hebrews 10:32. For His people in this generation the Lord has wrought as a wonder-working God. The past history of the cause of God needs to be often brought before the people, young and old. We need often to recount God’s goodness and to praise Him for His wonderful works.—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 6, p. 364. + +There are three ways in which the Lord reveals His will to us, to guide us, and to fit us to guide others. How may we know His voice from that of a stranger? How shall we distinguish it from the voice of a false shepherd? God reveals His will to us in His word, the Holy Scriptures. His voice is also revealed in His providential workings; and it will be recognized if we do not separate our souls from Him by walking in our own ways, doing according to our own wills, and following the promptings of an unsanctified heart, until the senses have become so confused that eternal things are not discerned, and the voice of Satan is so disguised that it is accepted as the voice of God. . . .\ +Another way in which God’s voice is heard is through the appeals of His Holy Spirit, making impressions upon the heart, which will be wrought out in the character.—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, p. 512. + +Daily annoyances beset the path of young and old. Those who would live patient, loving, cheerful lives must pray. Only by receiving constant help from God can we gain the victory over self.\ +Each morning consecrate yourselves and your children to God for that day. Make no calculation for months or years; these are not yours. One brief day is given you. As if it were your last on earth, work during its hours for the Master. Lay all your plans before God, to be carried out or given up, as His providence shall indicate. Accept His plans instead of your own, even though their acceptance requires the abandonment of cherished projects. Thus the life will be molded more and more after the divine example; “and the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:7.—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 7, p. 44. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/08/02.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/08/02.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..dd1f495c77 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/08/02.md @@ -0,0 +1,32 @@ +--- +title: Our Sovereign God +date: 16/02/2025 +--- + +“God is sovereign,” the youth pastor taught his middle school group. “That means He controls everything that happens.” One puzzled middle schooler replied, “So God was in control when my dog died? Why would God kill my dog?” + +Trying to answer this question, the youth pastor replied: “That’s a tough one. But sometimes God lets us go through hard times so that we’re prepared for even more difficult things in the future. I remember how hard it was when my dog died. But going through that helped me deal with an even more difficult time later when my grandma died. Does that make sense?” + +After a long pause, the middle schooler replied, “So God killed my dog to prepare me for when He’s going to kill my grandma?”—Marc Cortez, quoted in John C. Peckham, Divine Attributes: Knowing the Covenantal God of Scripture (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2021), p. 141. + +People sometimes assume that everything that occurs happens just as God wants it to. Whatever happens in the world is precisely as God wanted to have happen. After all, God is almighty. How, then, could anything occur that God does not want to occur? Hence, no matter what happens, no matter how bad, it was God’s will. That, at least, is what this theology teaches. + +`Read Psalm 81:11–14; Isaiah 30:15, 18; Isaiah 66:4; and Luke 13:34. What do these texts say about the question of whether God’s will is always being done?` + +While many people believe that God must always get what He wants, the Bible tells a quite different story. Again and again, Scripture depicts God as experiencing unfulfilled desires. That is, what happens often runs counter to what God states that He actually prefers to happen. In many instances, God explicitly declares that what is happening is the opposite of what He wants. He willed one outcome for His people, but they chose another instead. God Himself laments: “ ‘My people would not heed My voice. . . . Oh, that My people would listen to Me, that Israel would walk in My ways! I would soon subdue their enemies’ ” (Ps. 81:11, 13, 14, NKJV). + +`Think through the implications of any theology that attributes everything that happens to God’s direct will. What kind of deep problems, especially in the context of evil, would such a theology create?` + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +In the face of the most positive commands of God, [many] men and women will follow their own inclinations and then dare to pray over the matter, to prevail upon God to consent to allow them to go contrary to His expressed will. The Lord is not pleased with such prayers. Satan comes to the side of such persons, as he did to Eve in Eden. . . . The religious world is covered with a pall of moral darkness. Superstition and bigotry control the minds of men and women, and blind their judgment so that they do not discern their duty to their fellow men and their duty to yield unquestioned obedience to the will of God. . . .\ +But God will not be trifled with. He will permit such persons to follow the desires of their own hearts. Psalm 81:11, 12: “But My people would not hearken to My voice.” “So I gave them up unto their own hearts’ lust: and they walked in their own counsels.”—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 3, pp. 72, 73. + +When you make failures, when you are betrayed into sin, do not feel that you cannot pray, that you are not worthy to come before the Lord. . . . With outstretched arms He waits to welcome the prodigal. Go to Him, and tell Him about your mistakes and failures. Ask Him to strengthen you for fresh endeavor. He will never disappoint you, never abuse your confidence. . . .\ +“In quietness and in confidence shall be your strength.” Christ knows the strength of your temptations and the strength of your power to resist. His hand is always stretched out in pitying tenderness to every suffering child. To the tempted, discouraged one He says, Child for whom I suffered and died, cannot you trust me? “As thy days, so shall thy strength be” (Deuteronomy 33:25).—Lift Him Up, p. 299. + +Oh, how greatly Christ is dishonored by those who, professing to be Christians, disgrace the name they bear by failing to make their lives correspond to their profession, by failing to treat one another with the love and respect that God expects them to reveal in kind words and courteous acts!\ +The powers from beneath are stirred with deep intensity. War and bloodshed are the result. The moral atmosphere is poisoned with cruel, horrible doings. The spirit of strife is spreading; it abounds in every place. . . .\ +One who sees beneath the surface, who reads the hearts of all men, says of those who have had great light: . . . “Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations. I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer; when I spake, they did not hear: but they did evil before Mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not.” “God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie,” because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved,” “but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” Isaiah 66:3, 4; 2 Thessalonians 2:11, 10, 12.—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 8, pp. 248, 249. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/08/03.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/08/03.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..a68c8d3b9c --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/08/03.md @@ -0,0 +1,30 @@ +--- +title: Pantokrator +date: 17/02/2025 +--- + +Throughout Scripture, God’s amazing power is made manifest. The Bible includes countless narratives of His exercising His power and working miracles. And yet, despite this, many things happen that God does not want to happen. + +`Read Revelation 11:17, Jeremiah 32:17–20, Luke 1:37, and Matthew 19:26. Consider also Hebrews 1:3. What do these passages teach about God’s power?` + +These texts and others teach that God is all-powerful and that He sustains the world by His power. Indeed, Revelation repeatedly refers to God as the “Lord God Almighty” (for example, Rev. 11:17; compare with 2 Cor. 6:18, Rev. 1:8, Rev. 16:14, Rev. 19:15, Rev. 21:22) and the word translated “Almighty” (pantokrator) literally means “all-powerful.” The fact that God is all-powerful is not only affirmed in words but also manifest in the many amazing instances in which God uses His power to deliver His people or otherwise miraculously intervenes in the world. + +However, to say God is “all-powerful” does not mean that God can do anything whatsoever. Scripture teaches that there are some things God cannot do; for example, 2 Timothy 2:13 declares, God “cannot deny Himself” (NKJV). + +Accordingly, most Christians agree that God is all-powerful (omnipotent), meaning that God has the power to do anything that does not involve a contradiction—that is, anything that is logically possible and consistent with God’s nature. That some things are not possible for God because they would involve a contradiction is apparent in Christ’s prayer in Gethsemane. While Christ affirmed that “with God all things are possible” (Matt. 19:26), He also prayed to the Father as the crucifixion neared, “ ‘O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will’ ” (Matt. 26:39, NKJV). + +Of course, the Father possessed the sheer power to deliver Christ from suffering on the cross, but He could not do this while also saving sinners. It had to be one or the other, not both. + +`Scripture also teaches that God wants to save everyone (for example, 1 Tim. 2:4–6, Titus 2:11, 2 Pet. 3:9, Ezek. 33:11), but not everyone will be saved. What does this fact teach about the reality of free will and the limits of God’s power with beings granted free will?` + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +With Christ [God] gave all heaven, that the moral image of God might be restored in man. . . . His gift could not be greater; for it embraces infinity. His grace in all its vastness is provided for all. There is no excuse for any to retain selfishness. In the hearts of all who receive him, Christ will be formed, the hope of glory. The Saviour says to everyone for whom he has died, You must receive the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of adoption. You must become so united with God that you will impart the grace you have received. Thus you become a living channel, by which God can communicate his light to the world.\ +God can not approve our work while it has in it one thread of selfishness. It was apparently a small transgression that closed the gates of paradise against Adam and Eve. But ever since then sin has been increasing in volume and prevalence, and it is still increasing. But notwithstanding this, the divine benevolence has not been cut off. God’s love and care still flow earthward.—“Christ Our Example,” The General Conference Bulletin, October 1, 1890. + +The Lord does not save sinners by abrogating his law, the foundation of his government in heaven and earth. God is a judge, the guardian of justice. The transgression of his law in a single instance, in the smallest particular, is sin. God cannot dispense with his law, he cannot do away with its smallest item, in order to pardon sin. The justice, the moral excellence, of the law must be maintained and vindicated before the heavenly universe. And that holy law could not be maintained at any smaller price than the death of the Son of God.—“Christ’s Attitude Toward the Law,” Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, November 15, 1898. + +The Lord sees that prayer is often mixed with earthliness. Men pray for that which will gratify their selfish desires, and the Lord does not fulfill their requests in the way which they expect. He takes them through tests and trials, He brings them through humiliations, until they see more clearly what their necessities are. . . . When we come to God we must be submissive and contrite of heart, subordinating everything to His sacred will.\ +In the Garden of Gethsemane, Christ prayed to His Father, saying, “O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me” (Matthew 26:39). The cup which He prayed should be removed from Him, that looked so bitter to His soul, was the cup of separation from God in consequence of the sin of the world. . . . The spirit of submission that Christ manifested in offering up His prayer before God is the spirit that is acceptable to God. Let the soul feel its need, its helplessness, its nothingness; let all its energies be called forth in an earnest desire for help, and help will come.—In Heavenly Places, p. 89. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/08/04.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/08/04.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..671b5db442 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/08/04.md @@ -0,0 +1,29 @@ +--- +title: To Love God +date: 18/02/2025 +--- + +That God is all-powerful does not mean that He can do the logically impossible. Accordingly, God cannot causally determine that someone freely love Him. If freely doing something means to do something without being determined to do it, then by definition it is impossible to make someone freely do something. In short, as we have seen, and must re-emphasize—God cannot force anyone to love Him, for the moment it’s forced, it is no longer love. + +`Read Matthew 22:37 and Deuteronomy 6:4, 5. What do these verses teach about the reality of free will?` + +The greatest commandment, to love God, provides evidence that God does, indeed, want everyone to love Him. However, not everyone does love God. Why, then, does God simply not make everyone love Him? Again, that is because love, to be love, must be freely given. + +`Read Hebrews 6:17, 18 and Titus 1:2. What do these texts teach about God?` + +According to Numbers 23:19, “ ‘God is not man, that [H]e should lie’ ” (ESV). God never lies (Titus 1:2); God always keeps His word and never breaks a promise (Heb. 6:17, 18). Accordingly, if God has promised or committed Himself to something, His future action is morally limited by that promise. + +This means that, insofar as God, in most cases, grants creatures the freedom to choose otherwise than what God prefers; it is not up to God what humans choose. If God has committed Himself to granting creatures free will, humans possess the ability to exercise their freedom in ways that go against God’s ideal desires. Tragically, many people do exercise their freedom in this way, and accordingly, there are many things that occur that God wishes did not, but that are not, strictly speaking, up to God. + +`What have you done that you knew God didn’t want you to do? What does this teach about the reality—and possible frightful consequences—of free will?` + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +The Lord will not compel men to deal justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with their God; He sets before the human agent good and evil, and makes plain what will be the sure result of following one course or the other. Christ invites us, saying, “Follow Me.” But we are never forced to walk in His footsteps. If we do walk in His footsteps, it is the result of deliberate choice. As we see the life and character of Christ, strong desire is awakened to be like Him in character; and we follow on to know the Lord, and to know His goings forth are prepared as the morning. We then begin to realize that “the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.”—Counsels on Stewardship, p. 138. + +God gives sufficient light and evidence to enable man to distinguish truth from error. But He does not force man to receive truth. He leaves him free to choose the good or to choose the evil. If man resists evidence that is sufficient to guide his judgment in the right direction, and chooses evil once, he will do this more readily the second time. The third time he will still more eagerly withdraw himself from God and choose to stand on the side of Satan. And in this course he will continue until he is confirmed in evil, and believes the lie he has cherished as truth. His resistance has produced its harvest. . . .\ +The choice we make in this life will be our choice through all eternity. We shall receive either eternal life or eternal death. There is no middle ground, no second probation. We are called upon to overcome in this life as Christ overcame. Heaven has provided us with abundant opportunities and privileges, so that we may overcome as Christ overcame, and sit down with Him on His throne.—Ellen G. White Comments, in The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 6, p. 1112. + +[God’s] word is pledged. The mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed, but His kindness shall not depart from His people, neither shall the covenant of His peace be removed. His voice is heard, “I have loved thee with an everlasting love” (Jeremiah 31:3). “With everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee” (Isaiah 54:8). How amazing is this love, that God condescends to remove all cause for doubt and questioning from human fears and weakness and takes hold of the trembling hand reached up to Him in faith; and He helps us to trust Him by multiplied assurances and securities. . . . He has confirmed His promise with an oath: “Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath.” What more could our Lord do to strengthen our faith in His promises?—That I May Know Him, p. 262. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/08/05.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/08/05.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..30aaaf9586 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/08/05.md @@ -0,0 +1,32 @@ +--- +title: God’s Ideal and Remedial Wills +date: 19/02/2025 +--- + +`Read Ephesians 1:9–11. What is this text saying about predestination? Are some people predestined to be saved and others to be lost?` + +The Greek term translated “predestination” here and elsewhere in Scripture (prohorizo) does not itself teach that God causally determines history. Rather, the Greek term simply means “to decide beforehand.” + +Of course, one can decide something beforehand unilaterally, or one can decide something beforehand in a way that takes into account the free decisions of others. Scripture teaches that God does the latter. + +Here and elsewhere (for example, Rom. 8:29, 30), the term translated “predestined” refers to what God plans for the future after taking into account what God foreknows about the free decisions of creatures. Thus, God can providentially guide history to His desired good ends for all, even while respecting the kind of creaturely freedom that is required for a genuine love relationship. + +Ephesians 1:11 proclaims that God “works all things according to the counsel of His will” (NKJV). Does this mean that God determines everything to happen just as He desires? Read in isolation, Ephesians 1:9–11 might seem to affirm this view. However, this interpretation would contradict the many texts we saw earlier that show that people sometimes reject “the will of God” (Luke 7:30, NKJV; compare with Luke 13:34, Ps. 81:11–14). If the Bible does not contradict itself, how can these passages be understood in a way that is consistent with one another? + +This passage makes perfect sense if one simply recognizes a distinction between what we might call God’s “ideal will” and God’s “remedial will.” God’s “ideal will” is what God actually prefers to occur and which would occur if everyone always did exactly what God desires. God’s “remedial will,” on the other hand, is God’s will that has already taken into account every other factor, including the free decisions of creatures, which sometimes depart from what God prefers. Ephesians 1:11 appears to be referring to God’s “remedial will.” + +`So powerful is God’s foreknowledge of the future that, even knowing all the choices, including the bad choices, that people will make, He can still work “all things together for good” (Rom. 8:28, CEB). What comfort can you draw from this truth?` + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +[In] England just before the time of Wesley . . . many affirmed that Christ had abolished the moral law and that Christians are therefore under no obligation to observe it; that a believer is freed from the “bondage of good works.” . . .\ +Others, also holding that “the elect cannot fall from grace nor forfeit the divine favor,” arrived at the still more hideous conclusion that “the wicked actions they commit are not really sinful, nor to be considered as instances of their violation of the divine law, and that, consequently, they have no occasion either to confess their sins or to break them off by repentance.”—McClintock and Strong, Cyclopedia, art. “Antinomians.” Therefore, they declared that even one of the vilest of sins, “considered universally an enormous violation of the divine law, is not a sin in the sight of God,” if committed by one of the elect. . . .\ +These monstrous doctrines are . . . inspired by the same master spirit—by him who, even among the sinless inhabitants of heaven, began his work of seeking to break down the righteous restraints of the law of God.—The Great Controversy, pp. 260, 261. + +The parable of the unfaithful husbandmen shows plainly that the Jews carried out their ambitious desires till the love and fear of God departed from them.\ +No one is to understand from this scripture that God arbitrarily blinded the eyes and hardened the hearts of the Jews. It was Christ’s work to soften hard hearts. But if men resisted the work of Christ, the sure result would be that their hearts would become hardened.\ +Christ quoted a prophecy which more than a thousand years before had predicted what God’s foreknowledge had seen would be. The prophecies do not shape the characters of the men who fulfill them. Men act out their own free will, either in accordance with a character placed under the molding of God or a character placed under the harsh rule of Satan.—“Walk in the Light,” Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, November 13, 1900. + +In the experience of the apostle John under persecution, there is a lesson of wonderful strength and comfort for the Christian. God does not prevent the plottings of wicked men, but He causes their devices to work for good to those who in trial and conflict maintain their faith and loyalty. Often the gospel laborer carries on his work amid storms of persecution, bitter opposition, and unjust reproach. At such times let him remember that the experience to be gained in the furnace of trial and affliction is worth all the pain it costs. Thus God brings His children near to Him, that He may show them their weakness and His strength. He teaches them to lean on Him. Thus He prepares them to meet emergencies, to fill positions of trust, and to accomplish the great purpose for which their powers were given them.—The Acts of the Apostles, p. 574. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/08/06.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/08/06.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..0c3ec8a808 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/08/06.md @@ -0,0 +1,31 @@ +--- +title: Christ Has Overcome the World +date: 20/02/2025 +--- + +If everything occurred according to God’s ideal will, there would never have been evil but only the perfect bliss of love and harmony. Eventually, the universe will be restored to this perfect, ideal will of God. In the meantime, God is working out His will in a way that takes into account the free decisions of His creatures. + +Imagine a baking competition in which all participants are required to use some particular set of ingredients, but they can add any other ingredients they want in order to bake any kind of cake they want, as well. In the end, whatever cake a baker ends up making will be determined, at least partially, by some ingredients that the baker did not choose. + +Similarly (in this limited respect), because God has committed Himself to respecting creaturely freedom of the kind necessary for love, many of the “ingredients” that make up world history are not chosen by God but are actually the opposite of what God desires. + +In this view, divine providence is not simply one-dimensional, as if God unilaterally controls everything that happens. Rather, this requires (at least) a two-dimensional view of God’s providence. Some things in this world are caused by God, but other occurrences are the result of the free decisions of creatures (as are all evils). Many things happen that God does not want to happen. + +`Read John 16:33. What hope, even amid tribulations, does this text offer us?` + +Particularly in times of suffering or trial, people’s faith may waver because they hold the mistaken belief that God will or should spare them from suffering and trials in this life. But Jesus tells us a very different story, warning His followers they will experience trials and tribulations in this world, but there is hope, for Christ has overcome the world (John 16:33). + +The fact that we encounter suffering and trials does not mean that this is what God ideally wants for us. We must always keep in mind the big picture: the great controversy. However, we can be confident that, while evil itself is not necessary for good, God can bring good even out of evil events. And, if we trust God, God can use even our sufferings to draw us closer to Him and to motivate us to be compassionate and to care for others. + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +Christ knew that the enemy would come to every human being, to take advantage of hereditary weakness, and by his false insinuations to ensnare all whose trust is not in God. And by passing over the ground which man must travel, our Lord has prepared the way for us to overcome. It is not His will that we should be placed at a disadvantage in the conflict with Satan. He would not have us intimidated and discouraged by the assaults of the serpent. “Be of good cheer,” He says; “I have overcome the world.” John 16:33. . . .\ +By what means did He overcome in the conflict with Satan? By the word of God. Only by the word could He resist temptation. “It is written,” He said. And unto us are given “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. Every promise in God’s word is ours. . . . When assailed by temptation, look not to circumstances or to the weakness of self, but to the power of the word. All its strength is yours.—The Desire of Ages, pp. 122, 123. + +“These things have I spoken unto you,” the Saviour said, “that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full” (John 15:11). The work of overcoming is not a joyless work; no, indeed. It means communication with Heaven. You can go to God in prayer; you can ask, and receive; you can believe, hanging your helpless soul on Christ. It means that humanity can work the will and ways of God. Humanity and divinity are combined for this very purpose. . . .\ +He suffers the deep waters of affliction to go over our souls, in order that we may know Him and Jesus Christ whom He has sent, in order that we may have deep heart longings to be cleansed from defilement, and may come forth from the trial purer, holier, happier. Often we enter the furnace of affliction with our souls darkened with selfishness; but if patient under the crucial test, we shall come forth reflecting the divine character. When His purpose in the affliction is accomplished “he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday” (Psalm 37:6).—In Heavenly Places, p. 279. + +The power of Christ is to be the comfort, the hope, the crown of rejoicing, of every one that follows Jesus in his conflict, in his struggles in life. He who truly follows the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world, can shout as he advances, “This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith” (1 John 5:4).\ +What kind of faith is it that overcomes the world? It is that faith which makes Christ your own personal Saviour—that faith which, recognizing your helplessness, your utter inability to save yourself, takes hold of the helper who is mighty to save, as your only hope. It is faith that will not be discouraged, that hears the voice of Christ saying, “Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world, and my divine strength is yours.” . . . “Lo, I am with you alway.”—That I May Know Him, p. 166. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/08/07.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/08/07.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..f1951931f0 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/08/07.md @@ -0,0 +1,25 @@ +--- +title: Further Thought +date: 21/02/2025 +--- + +Read Ellen G. White, “ ‘God With Us,’ ” pp. 19–26, in The Desire of Ages. + +“The plan for our redemption was not an afterthought, a plan formulated after the fall of Adam. It was a revelation of ‘the mystery which hath been kept in silence through times eternal.’ Rom. 16:25, R. V. It was an unfolding of the principles that from eternal ages have been the foundation of God’s throne. From the beginning, God and Christ knew of the apostasy of Satan, and of the fall of man through the deceptive power of the apostate. God did not ordain that sin should exist, but He foresaw its existence, and made provision to meet the terrible emergency. So great was His love for the world, that He covenanted to give His only-begotten Son, ‘that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ John 3:16.”—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 22. + +**Discussion Questions**: + +`If God does not always get what He wants, how does this fact impact the way you think about what occurs in this world? What are the practical implications of understanding that God has unfulfilled desires?` + +`If we go back to the cake analogy in Thursday’s study, we can understand why, even though “God and Christ knew of the apostasy of Satan,” they went ahead and created us anyway. Love had to be in the mix, and love meant freedom. Rather than not create us as beings able to love, God created us so that we could love, but He did so knowing that, ultimately, it would lead Jesus to the cross. What should it tell us about how sacred, how fundamental, love was to God’s government that Christ would suffer on the cross rather than deny us the freedom inherent in love?` + +`Often we lament the evil and suffering in this world, but how often do you take time to ponder that God Himself laments and is grieved by suffering and evil? What difference does it make to your understanding of evil and suffering when you recognize that God Himself suffers because of evil?` + +`How does this truth—that many things happen in this world that God does not will—help you deal with your own suffering, especially when it doesn’t make sense and seems to lead to no good at all?` + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +Testimonies for the Church, “Religion in the Daily Life,” vol. 4, pp. 360–371;\ +Steps to Christ, “Rejoicing in the Lord,” pp. 115–126. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/08/info.yml b/src/en/ss/2025-01/08/info.yml new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..f685ca6166 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/08/info.yml @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +--- +title: "Free Will, Love, and Divine Providence" +start_date: "15/02/2025" +end_date: "21/02/2025" \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/08/inside-story.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/08/inside-story.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..e0225fa577 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/08/inside-story.md @@ -0,0 +1,34 @@ +--- +title: Inside Story +date: 21/02/2025 +--- + +#### From Rumba to Church + +_By Andrew McChesney_ + +As a boy, Nelson was too young to go to rumba in Colombia. But he sensed something was wrong when his parents took him to church on December 31 and then left him at home so they could celebrate New Year’s Eve at rumba, a traditional party with music, dancing, and drinking. + +In Nelson’s culture, Christians went to church to consecrate themselves to God before New Year’s Eve and then went to rumba to ring in the New Year. Although he was young, Nelson sensed that church was a holy place and that rumba, which was usually held in bars and nightclubs, was not holy. He wondered, “Why does my family go to church to get sanctified and then go to rumba to get unsanctified?” + +Nelson asked his mother, “Why do you go to church and then to rumba?” + +She didn’t answer. + +As a young man, Nelson stopped going to church and began to play _vallenato_ folk music at rumba. He was an excellent accordion player, and he made strides toward fulfilling a dream to become rich and famous. + +Then he met his future wife, Laura, a former Seventh-day Adventist. + +“Did you know that the dead are not in heaven?” she asked. + +Nelson didn’t like Laura’s ideas, but he liked her. So, they stayed together. + +After some time, Laura returned to the Adventist Church, and she invited Nelson to meet her parents. At their first meeting, her father surprised Nelson when they sat down to eat. “Let’s pray for the food,” he said. Nelson had never prayed before meals. + +Nelson and Laura's father became friends. Before long, Nelson started to pray at meals. He also began to go to church with Laura. He didn’t enjoy it at first because it seemed strange to go to church on Saturdays. But then he read the fourth commandment in Exodus 20:8–10 and realized that God commanded people to keep the seventh day holy. He wanted to be holy. + +Today, Nelson Silva, 30, is an Adventist musician who no longer plays the accordion at rumba. Instead, he plays in restaurants and at birthday parties. He tells listeners about God’s mercy and prays for them. He and a group of church musicians also play on public buses. + +“Music made me shine in the world, but now I want to shine for Christ,” he said. + +_Pray for the gospel to be proclaimed to all cultures and people groups around the world. Thank you for your mission offerings that help share the gospel with unreached and underreached people groups. Watch a YouTube video of Nelson playing the accordion at bit.ly/Nelson-Silva._ \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/08/teacher-comments.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/08/teacher-comments.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..055795d15e --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/08/teacher-comments.md @@ -0,0 +1,64 @@ +--- +title: Teacher Comments +date: 21/02/2025 +--- + +#### Part I: Overview + +Key Text: John 16:33 + +Study Focus: Ps. 81:11–14, Luke 7:30, Luke 13:34, Titus 1:2, Heb. 6:18. + +Introduction: While God is omnipotent and sovereign, He does not determine everything that happens. Moreover, there are things that God will not do, and cannot do, from the standpoint of the nature of His moral character. Yet, divine providence can indeed transform a terrible situation into a blessing. + +Lesson Themes: This week’s lesson emphasizes three main ideas: + +1. God’s sovereignty does not exclude unfulfilled desires. God does not determine everything that happens. Even though He is all-powerful, God commits Himself morally to human free will. Consequently, not everything that happens is in accordance with His desires, considering the decisions of morally free creatures. God is sovereign in the sense that He accomplishes His providential purpose (ideal will) and takes into account the free decisions of His creatures, which can be contrary to what He prefers (remedial will). + +2. God’s omnipotence does not mean that His providential actions have no limits. There are things that God will not do, and cannot do, from the standpoint of His moral character. This notion is significant for our understanding of divine providence in the world. God’s providential actions are consistent with His love and are not determined or forced. But His providential actions do not overrule free human choice. Thus, God’s omnipotence does not rule out the free will of His creatures. + +3. Divine providence includes ideal and remedial actions. God’s providential actions are not defined only in terms of ideal will, based exactly on what God desires, but involve remedial actions. Remedial actions depart from what God prefers for His creatures. Even so, God may transform a situation that is against His moral will into something that is aligned with His moral/ideal desire. + +Life Application: Is everything that happens in our life the result of God’s will? Why, or why not? What have you learned about divine providence from the story of Joseph? + +#### Part II: Commentary + +**1. God’s Sovereignty Does Not Exclude Unfulfilled Desires.** + +One of the key questions debated in Four Views on Divine Providence is whether God always gets “what He wants.” To put it more pointedly, this question poses the challenge of how to “reconcile human beings’ moral responsibility with God’s sovereignty over their acts.”—Dennis W. Jowers, ed., Four Views on Divine Providence (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011), p. 10. If the answer to the question is positive (yes, God always gets what He wants), then no one is able to do something different from what God desires, and consequently, everything that happens in the world is in accordance with His desires, including the occurrences of evil. But this picture is contrary to God’s loving benevolence and to the moral freedom of His creatures, as observed in Scripture (see John Peckham, “Providence and God’s Unfulfilled Desires,” Philosophia Cristi 15, no. 2 [2013]: p. 234). + +There are several places in Scripture where we find people, even God’s people, acting differently from what God desires. In Psalm 81:11–14, a psalm in which God appeals to Israel’s repentance, the Lord complains that His people do “not heed” His “ ‘voice, and Israel would have none of Me. So I gave them over to their own stubborn heart, to walk in their own counsels. Oh, that My people would listen to Me, that Israel would walk in My ways! I would soon subdue their enemies, and turn My hand against their adversaries’ ” (NKJV). Likewise, in Isaiah 66:4, the Lord sadly underlines that when He “ ‘called, no one answered, when I spoke they did not hear; but they did evil before My eyes, and chose that in which I do not delight’ ” (NKJV). + +In Ezekiel 18:23, God emphasizes that He does not have any pleasure in the death of the wicked. Rather, His desire is that the wicked may repent and live. In the Gospels, we are told that “the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the will of God for themselves” (Luke 7:30, NKJV). Similarly, Jesus laments over Jerusalem for living in rebellion against His desires. “ ‘How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing!’ ” (Luke 13:34, NKJV). + +This biblical picture indicates that God’s sovereignty in the world does not exclude the existence of unfulfilled divine desires, considering the decisions of His morally free creatures. At the same time, God is still sovereign, and as Job underscores, “ ‘no purpose of Yours can be thwarted’ ” (Job 42:2, NASB1995). Peckham suggests that “God does not always get what he wants (his ideal will) yet God will certainly accomplish his all-encompassing and omnibenevolent providential purpose (his effective will).”—Philosophia Christi, vol. 15, no. 2, p. 236. More specifically, “God voluntarily opened himself up to the temporary discontent brought about by evil. God is nevertheless content in the overarching sense that his purpose will ultimately be fulfilled and bring maximal contentment to the entire universe in eternally harmonious love relationship.”—Page 235. + +**2. God’s Omnipotence Does Not Mean That His Providential Actions Have No Limits.** + +As the Almighty God, the Lord can do anything. Nothing is impossible for Him (Gen. 18:14, Mark 14:36, Luke 18:27). So, from the standpoint of power and freedom, God can do anything. However, from the standpoint of the nature of His moral character and His free decisions regarding the existence and reality of the created world, there are things that God will not do and, in this sense, cannot do. It is from this perspective that Scripture affirms that God cannot do certain things. For instance, He “cannot lie” (Titus 1:2; see also Heb. 6:18), He “cannot be tempted by evil” (James 1:13, NKJV), and “He cannot deny Himself” (2 Tim. 2:13, NKJV). + +This concept of God’s moral character is important for our understanding of divine providence, that is, of God’s actions in the world. While He has the power and the freedom to do anything in His providence, His providential actions are delimited by the moral nature of His character and decisions. Ellen G. White highlights that “God never forces the will or the conscience” of His creatures (The Great Controversy, p. 591). In Steps to Christ, she mentions that “Christ is ready to set us free from sin, but He does not force the will; and if by persistent transgression the will itself is wholly bent on evil, and we do not desire to be set free, if we will not accept His grace, what more can He do? We have destroyed ourselves by our determined rejection of His love.”—Page 34. + +This principle means that, because of His loving character, God’s omnipotence does not rule out the free will of His creatures. His providential actions do not force the conscience, which explains why He lovingly appeals to our minds to choose life, not death (Deut. 30:15–20), and to not harden our hearts to His voice (Heb. 3:7, 8). Even though He desires the salvation of all (Ezek. 33:11, 1 Tim. 2:4–6, Titus 2:11, 2 Pet. 3:9), the Bible does not teach that everyone will be saved (see, for example, Matt. 25:31–46; John 5:28, 29). + +God’s providential activity is consistent with His love. By definition, a loving relationship cannot be determined or forced, but necessarily implies free choice. As the source of love (1 John 4:7, 8), God does not force or determine our love, but He expresses His deep love for us with the desire to instill His love in us (John 3:16, 1 John 4:19). According to 1 John 4:19, “we love Him because He first loved us” (NKJV). A genuine love for God is founded in a personal conviction about His loving and just character. As Ellen G. White beautifully puts it: “Only the service of love can be acceptable to God, the allegiance of His creatures must rest upon a conviction of His justice and benevolence.”—Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 42. + +**3. Divine Providence Includes Ideal and Remedial Actions.** + +Taking into account that God’s sovereignty does not exclude unfulfilled desires and that His omnipotence does not mean that His providential actions force the decisions of His creatures, divine providence should not be defined only in terms of ideal actions, which derive from God’s ideal will or desire. Considering that many situations are caused by the decisions of creatures that are incompatible with the moral will of God, several providential actions are more precisely understood as remedial actions, in the sense that God transforms a situation that is against His moral will into something that is aligned with His moral/ideal desire. + +The notion of remedial providential action is particularly observed in the history of Joseph. He interprets the ambiguity of his painful, yet astonishing, life journey as paradoxically influenced by both human evil intentions and divine loving providence. The former does not preclude the latter. The latter does not justify the former. In Genesis 50:20, Joseph says to his brothers, “You meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive” (NKJV). In short, God’s providence transforms a miserable situation, resulting from the unjustifiable evil intentions and actions of human beings, into a blessing that we could never foresee. + +Ellen G. White uses the language of overruling to describe God’s remedial providence: “It was envy that moved the brothers of Joseph to sell him as a slave; they hoped to prevent him from becoming greater than themselves. And when he was carried to Egypt, they flattered themselves that they were to be no more troubled with his dreams, that they had removed all possibility of their fulfillment. But their own course was overruled by God to bring about the very event that they designed to hinder.”—Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 239; emphasis supplied. + +#### Part III: Life Application + +Even though we do not always follow God’s desires for our lives, He can transform any terrible situation into a blessing. Based on this point, discuss with your students the following questions: + +1. What needs to be changed in our lives so that we can be dependent upon God’s will in our spiritual journey? How can we seek to make sure our free choices do not clash with God’s will? + +2. Our spiritual failure does not affect God’s love for us. How does this wonderful truth motivate us in preaching the gospel? + +3. How can we explain to small children, in appropriate ways, that not everything that happens is God’s direct will? + +`Notes` \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/09/01.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/09/01.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..38e3a9ec3c --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/09/01.md @@ -0,0 +1,33 @@ +--- +title: The Cosmic Conflict +date: 22/02/2025 +--- + +### Read for This Week’s Study +Matt. 13:24–27; Gen. 1:31; Ezek. 28:12–19; Isa. 14:12–15; Matt. 4:1–11; John 8:44, 45. + +>Memory Text:
+> “ ‘And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel’ ” (Genesis 3:15, NKJV). + +Central to biblical theology is the great controversy between Christ and Satan. Although the idea of a cosmic conflict between God and celestial creatures who have fallen and rebelled against God is a prominent motif of Scripture (Matt. 13:24–30, 37–39; Rev. 12:7–10) and also is prevalent in much of Christian tradition, many Christians have rejected or neglected the whole idea. + +From a biblical perspective, however, the theme of a cosmic conflict, in which the kingdom of God is opposed by the devil and his angels, is not one that we can neglect without missing a great deal of what the biblical narratives are about. The Gospels alone are filled with references to the devil and demons who oppose God. + +To begin with this week, we will address how the two following questions might be answered according to some crucial biblical passages: + +1. Where does Scripture teach that there is a cosmic conflict between God and Satan? + +2. According to Scripture, what is the nature of the conflict? + +_*Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, March 1._ + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +It is impossible to explain the origin of sin so as to give a reason for its existence. Yet enough may be understood concerning both the origin and the final disposition of sin to make fully manifest the justice and benevolence of God in all His dealings with evil. Nothing is more plainly taught in Scripture than that God was in no wise responsible for the entrance of sin; that there was no arbitrary withdrawal of divine grace, no deficiency in the divine government, that gave occasion for the uprising of rebellion.\ +Sin is an intruder, for whose presence no reason can be given. It is mysterious, unaccountable; to excuse it is to defend it. Could excuse for it be found, or cause be shown for its existence, it would cease to be sin. Our only definition of sin is that given in the word of God; it is “the transgression of the law;” it is the outworking of a principle at war with the great law of love which is the foundation of the divine government.—The Great Controversy, p. 492. + +Lucifer was envious and jealous of Jesus Christ. Yet when all the angels bowed to Jesus to acknowledge His supremacy and high authority and rightful rule, he bowed with them; but his heart was filled with envy and hatred. Christ had been taken into the special counsel of God in regard to His plans, while Lucifer was unacquainted with them. He did not understand, neither was he permitted to know, the purposes of God. But Christ was acknowledged sovereign of heaven, His power and authority to be the same as that of God Himself. Lucifer thought that he was himself a favorite in heaven among the angels. He had been highly exalted, but this did not call forth from him gratitude and praise to his Creator. He aspired to the height of God Himself. He gloried in his loftiness. . . . Were not his garments light and beautiful? Why should Christ thus be honored before himself?—The Story of Redemption, p. 14. + +Even when it was decided that he could no longer remain in heaven, Infinite Wisdom did not destroy Satan. Since the service of love can alone be acceptable to God, the allegiance of His creatures must rest upon a conviction of His justice and benevolence. The inhabitants of heaven and of other worlds, being unprepared to comprehend the nature or consequences of sin, could not then have seen the justice and mercy of God in the destruction of Satan. Had he been immediately blotted from existence, they would have served God from fear rather than from love. The influence of the deceiver would not have been fully destroyed, nor would the spirit of rebellion have been utterly eradicated. Evil must be permitted to come to maturity. For the good of the entire universe through ceaseless ages Satan must more fully develop his principles, that his charges against the divine government might be seen in their true light by all created beings, that the justice and mercy of God and the immutability of His law might forever be placed beyond all question.—The Great Controversy, p. 498. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/09/02.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/09/02.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..19f53fb074 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/09/02.md @@ -0,0 +1,28 @@ +--- +title: An Enemy Has Done This +date: 23/02/2025 +--- + +`Read Matthew 13:24–27. How does the parable help us understand evil in our world?` + +Jesus tells the story of a landowner who sows only good seeds in his field. However, tares spring up among the wheat. Upon seeing this, the servants of the owner ask him, “ ‘ “Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?” ’ ” (Matt. 13:27, NKJV). This is similar to the question often asked today concerning the problem of evil: If God created the world entirely good, why is there evil in it? + +`Read Matthew 13:28–30 in light of Christ’s explanation in Matthew 13:37–40. How does this also shed light on the nature of the cosmic conflict?` + +The master replies to his servant’s question: “ ‘ “An enemy has done this” ’ ” (Matt. 13:28, NKJV). Jesus later identifies the one “ ‘who sows the good seed’ ” as “ ‘the Son of Man,’ ” who is Jesus Himself (Matt. 13:37, NKJV), and explains that “the field is the world” (Matt. 13:38), and the “ ‘enemy who sowed’ ” the tares is “ ‘the devil’ ” (Matt. 13:39, NKJV), explicitly depicting a cosmic conflict between Christ and Satan. Why is there evil in the world? Evil is the result of the enemy (the devil) who opposes the master. “ ‘An enemy has done this’ ” (Matt. 13:28, NKJV). + +This answer, however, provokes the follow-up question, “ ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’ ” In other words, why not uproot the evil immediately? “ ‘ “No, ” ’ ” the master replies, “ ‘ “lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest” ’ ” (Matt. 13:29, 30, NKJV; compare with Mark 4:29). According to the parable, God will finally put an end to evil, but uprooting it prematurely would result in irreversible collateral damage that harms the good. + +`What are some of the dangers in seeking to uproot the tares from the wheat now? At the same time, why does this not mean simply ignoring the evil that we encounter?` + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +The teaching of this parable [the wheat and tares] is illustrated in God’s own dealing with men and angels. Satan is a deceiver. When he sinned in heaven, even the loyal angels did not fully discern his character. This was why God did not at once destroy him. Had He done so, the holy angels would not have perceived the justice and love of God. A doubt of God’s goodness would have been as evil seed that would yield the bitter fruit of sin and woe. Therefore the author of evil was spared, fully to develop his character.\ +Through long ages God has borne the anguish of beholding the work of evil. He has given the infinite Gift of Calvary, rather than let any be deceived by the misrepresentations of the wicked one, for the tares could not be plucked up without danger of uprooting the precious grain. And shall we not be as forbearing toward our fellow men as the Lord of heaven is toward Satan?—The Upward Look, p. 77. + +Christ . . . has not committed to us the work of judging character and motive. He knows our nature too well to entrust this work to us. Should we try to uproot from the church those whom we suppose to be spurious Christians, we should be sure to make mistakes. Often we regard as hopeless subjects the very ones whom Christ is drawing to Himself. Were we to deal with these souls according to our imperfect judgment, it would perhaps extinguish their last hope. Many who think themselves Christians will at last be found wanting. Many will be in heaven who their neighbors supposed would never enter there. Man judges from appearance, but God judges the heart. The tares and the wheat are to grow together until the harvest; and the harvest is the end of probationary time.\ +There is in the Saviour’s words another lesson, a lesson of wonderful forbearance and tender love. As the tares have their roots closely intertwined with those of the good grain, so false brethren in the church may be closely linked with true disciples. The real character of these pretended believers is not fully manifested. Were they to be separated from the church, others might be caused to stumble, who but for this would have remained steadfast.—Christ’s Object Lessons, pp. 71, 72. + +We are to beware of indulging a spirit of bigotry and intolerance. We are not to stand aside from others in a spirit that seems to say, “Come not near to me, for I am holier than thou.” We are not to shut ourselves away from our fellow human beings, but are to seek to impart to them the precious truth that has blessed our own hearts. . . . [However, we] should be firmly rooted in the conviction that whatever in any sense turns aside from truth and justice in our association and partnership with men, cannot benefit us and greatly dishonors God.—In Heavenly Places, p. 310. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/09/03.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/09/03.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..e8c215c290 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/09/03.md @@ -0,0 +1,33 @@ +--- +title: The Origin of the Controversy on Earth +date: 24/02/2025 +--- + +Parallel to the question in the parable—about why there is bad seed in the field if the owner planted only good seed—is another question: if God created the world entirely good, how did evil arise here? + +`Read Genesis 1:31. What do God’s words reveal about the state of creation when God finished creating, and why is this answer important?` + +According to Genesis 1:31, when God finished creating the world, it was “very good.” In Genesis 1, there is no hint of evil in God’s creation of this planet. How, then, did evil come into the human experience? + +`Read Genesis 3:1–7. What does this tell us about how evil got here on earth? What light does this shed on the nature of the cosmic conflict? (See also Rev. 12:7–9.)` + +In this narrative, we see lies about God’s character raised by the serpent, identified as the devil himself (that “serpent of old” _[NKJV]_) in Revelation 12:7–9. The serpent first uses a question to cast doubt on God’s command, nearly reversing what God had commanded in his question. Then, the serpent directly challenges what God had said, saying to Eve, “ ‘You will not surely die’ ” (Gen. 3:4, NKJV). + +Someone, either the serpent or God, lied to Eve, who now has a choice to make about whether she will believe what God told her or what the serpent did. + +Here and elsewhere in Scripture, the nature of this conflict is primarily over what and whom to believe, which is itself integrally related to love. And that is because your beliefs about someone, the kind of person that he or she is, and whether he or she can be trusted, deeply impact whether you will love and trust that person and, in this case, listen to what that person tells you. + +`Read Genesis 3:15. God’s statement to the serpent that the Seed of the woman, referring to the Messiah, would crush the serpent’s head is often identified as the first gospel (protoevangelium) in Scripture. How does this both reinforce the reality of the conflict and yet provide hope for us in the midst of it?` + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +Before the entrance of evil there was peace and joy throughout the universe. All was in perfect harmony with the Creator’s will. Love for God was supreme, love for one another impartial. Christ the Word, the Only Begotten of God, was one with the eternal Father,—one in nature, in character, and in purpose,—the only being in all the universe that could enter into all the counsels and purposes of God. By Christ the Father wrought in the creation of all heavenly beings. “By Him were all things created, that are in heaven, . . . whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers” (Colossians 1:16); and to Christ, equally with the Father, all heaven gave allegiance.—The Great Controversy, p. 493. + +To many minds the origin of sin and the reason for its existence are a source of great perplexity. They see the work of evil, with its terrible results of woe and desolation, and they question how all this can exist under the sovereignty of One who is infinite in wisdom, in power, and in love. Here is a mystery of which they find no explanation. And in their uncertainty and doubt they are blinded to truths plainly revealed in God’s word and essential to salvation. There are those who, in their inquiries concerning the existence of sin, endeavor to search into that which God has never revealed; hence they find no solution of their difficulties; and such as are actuated by a disposition to doubt and cavil seize upon this as an excuse for rejecting the words of Holy Writ.—The Great Controversy, p. 492. + +The instant man accepted the temptations of Satan, and did the very things God had said he should not do, Christ, the Son of God, stood between the living and the dead, saying, “Let the punishment fall on Me. I will stand in man’s place. He shall have another chance.”\ +What love! What amazing condescension! The King of glory proposed to humble Himself to fallen humanity! He would place His feet in Adam’s steps. He would take man’s fallen nature, and engage to cope with the strong foe who triumphed over Adam. He would overcome Satan, and in thus doing He would open the way for the redemption from the disgrace of Adam’s failure and fall, of all those who would believe on Him.—Ellen G. White Comments, in The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 1, p. 1085. + +Jesus came into the world to illustrate the character of God in His own life, and He swept back the misrepresentations that Satan had originated, and revealed the glory of God. It was only by living among men that He could reveal the mercy, compassion, and love of His heavenly Father; for it was only by actions of benevolence that He could set forth the grace of God. The unbelief of men was deep seated, and yet they could not resist the testimony of His God-like example, and His deeds of love and truth.—Sons and Daughters of God, p. 139. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/09/04.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/09/04.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..b013652c44 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/09/04.md @@ -0,0 +1,29 @@ +--- +title: The Origin of the Controversy in Heaven +date: 25/02/2025 +--- + +Genesis 1–3 alone shows that evil existed before the fall of Adam and Eve. Even if evil was not a concrete reality in Eden, conceptually, “evil” has already appeared, in the name of “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” (Gen. 2:9, 17). Then the serpent accuses God of lying when, in fact, he, the serpent, is the one lying. The existence of the serpent (Rev. 12:9), along with his lying, shows the reality of evil there. Thus, even in Eden before the Fall, the presence of evil is manifest. + +`Read Ezekiel 28:12–19 in light of Exodus 25:19, 20. What is the nature of this being’s fall?` + +According to this passage, the origin of evil and the cosmic conflict began in heaven. + +Before he fell, the being who became known as Satan was a covering cherub. Beyond being identified as this cherub, he was “ ‘the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty’ ” and was “ ‘in Eden, the garden of God’ ” (Ezek. 28:12, 13, NKJV). Neither of these things could be said of the human king of Tyre (or any other human). Hence, we know that we have been given here a glimpse into the fall of Lucifer. + +`Read Isaiah 14:12–15. What additional light does this shed on the origin of the great controversy?` + +According to Isaiah 14, Lucifer decided to exalt himself and make himself like God. This verse complements what we saw in Ezekiel 28, that his “heart was lifted up” because of his “beauty” (Ezek. 28:17), which should have brought him to glorify the God who made him beautiful. Instead, he became proud. Worse, in this pride, he set out to take God’s place and to slander Him. The Hebrew term for “trading” in Ezekiel 28:16 also means “slander,” an indication of how Satan will operate against God and against us, as well. + +`How do we understand the fact that Lucifer, who fell, was originally “perfect . . . from the day” he was created “till iniquity was found” in him (Ezek. 28:15)? How could a perfect being fall unless being “perfect” included true moral freedom?` + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +Sin originated with him who, next to Christ, had been most honored of God and who stood highest in power and glory among the inhabitants of heaven. Before his fall, Lucifer was first of the covering cherubs, holy and undefiled. “Thus saith the Lord God; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering. . . . Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.” Ezekiel 28:12-15.—The Great Controversy, p. 493. + +Lucifer might have remained in favor with God, beloved and honored by all the angelic host, exercising his noble powers to bless others and to glorify his Maker. But, says the prophet, “Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness.” Verse 17. Little by little, Lucifer came to indulge a desire for self-exaltation. “Thou hast set thine heart as the heart of God.” “Thou hast said, . . . I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation. . . . I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High.” Verse 6; Isaiah 14:13, 14. Instead of seeking to make God supreme in the affections and allegiance of His creatures, it was Lucifer’s endeavor to win their service and homage to himself. And coveting the honor which the infinite Father had bestowed upon His Son, this prince of angels aspired to power which it was the prerogative of Christ alone to wield.—The Great Controversy, p. 494. + +What is meant by a failure to obey it is seen in the history of Satan, who for his disobedience was cast out of heaven. The greatest talents and the highest gifts that could be bestowed on a created being were given to Lucifer, the covering cherub. Before his fall he was a glorious being, occupying a position next to Christ, but he sought to be equal with God, and brought upon himself irretrievable ruin.\ +With this lesson before us, let us hide ourselves in Christ. He is the source of all wisdom, all intelligence, all power. Behold in the cross of Christ the only guarantee for our salvation. Behold the Saviour giving His life for us, that we might be Christians. Those who strive to live the life of a Christian are battling against the devil’s lie. Can we doubt the result of this conflict? God lives, God reigns, and daily He is working His miracles.—This Day With God, p. 287. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/09/05.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/09/05.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..074348fa19 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/09/05.md @@ -0,0 +1,34 @@ +--- +title: If You Worship Me +date: 26/02/2025 +--- + +Satan’s quest to usurp God’s throne is also revealed in the temptation narratives found in Matthew 4 and Luke 4. In the striking encounter between Jesus and the tempter, much is revealed about the nature of the conflict. Here we see the reality of the great controversy between Christ and Satan, but played out in stark and graphic terms. + +`Read Matthew 4:1–11. How is the reality of the great controversy between Christ and Satan revealed here?` + +The Spirit had “led” Jesus into the wilderness for the express purpose that Jesus was “to be tempted by the devil” (Matt. 4:1, NKJV). And before facing this encounter, Jesus fasted for forty days. So when the devil came, he tempted Jesus to turn stones into bread, playing on Jesus’ extreme hunger. But Jesus countered this temptation with Scripture, and Satan’s ploy failed. + +Then, in an attempt to get Jesus to act presumptuously, the devil tempted Jesus to throw Himself down from the pinnacle of the temple. Satan twisted Scripture to suggest that if Jesus were truly the Son of God, angels would protect Him. But with Scripture read rightly, Jesus again counters the temptation. + +The third temptation clearly reveals just what the devil is trying to accomplish. He wants Jesus to worship him. Satan attempts to usurp the worship that is due to God alone. + +And to do so, he shows Jesus “all the kingdoms of the world and their glory” and then claims: “ ‘All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me’ ” (Matt. 4:8, 9, NKJV). Indeed, in Luke 4:6, a text that parallels Matthew, the devil claims: “ ‘All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish’ ” (Luke 4:6, NKJV). + +Once again, Jesus counters the temptation with Scripture, and again Satan fails. + +In all three cases, Jesus used Scripture to defend against the enemy’s attacks. + +`Ephesians 6:12 reminds us that “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (NKJV). Though we shouldn’t live in fear, why must we always remember the reality of the struggle going on around us?` + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +“And the devil, taking Him up into an high mountain, showed unto Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said unto Him, All this power will I give Thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. If Thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be Thine. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind Me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve.”\ +Satan presented before Jesus the kingdoms of the world in the most attractive light. If Jesus would there worship him, he offered to relinquish his claims to the possessions of earth. If the plan of salvation should be carried out, and Jesus should die to redeem man, Satan knew that his own power must be limited and finally taken away, and that he would be destroyed. Therefore it was his studied plan to prevent, if possible, the completion of the great work which had been commenced by the Son of God. If the plan of man’s redemption should fail, Satan would retain the kingdom which he then claimed. And if he should succeed, he flattered himself that he would reign in opposition to the God of heaven.\ +But Jesus met the tempter with the rebuke, “Get thee behind Me, Satan.” He was to bow only to His Father.—Early Writings, p. 157. + +Satan claimed the kingdom of earth as his and insinuated to Jesus that all His sufferings might be saved: that He need not die to obtain the kingdoms of this world; if He would worship him He might have all the possessions of earth and the glory of reigning over them. But Jesus was steadfast. He knew that the time was to come when He would by His own life redeem the kingdom from Satan, and that, after a season, all in heaven and earth would submit to Him. He chose His life of suffering and His dreadful death, as the way appointed by His Father that He might become a lawful heir to the kingdoms of earth and have them given into His hands as an everlasting possession. Satan also will be given into His hands to be destroyed by death, nevermore to annoy Jesus or the saints in glory.—Early Writings, p. 157. + +Christ did not tell His disciples that their work would be easy. He showed them the vast confederacy of evil arrayed against them. They would have to fight “against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” Ephesians 6:12. But they would not be left to fight alone. He assured them that He would be with them; and that if they would go forth in faith, they should move under the shield of Omnipotence. He bade them be brave and strong; for One mightier than angels would be in their ranks—the General of the armies of heaven.—The Acts of the Apostles, p. 29. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/09/06.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/09/06.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..c242a55b4b --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/09/06.md @@ -0,0 +1,27 @@ +--- +title: The Nature of the Cosmic Conflict +date: 27/02/2025 +--- + +We have seen some passages that teach a cosmic conflict between God and Satan. But how is such a conflict even possible? How could anyone oppose the omnipotent God? If the cosmic conflict were over sheer power, it would have been over before it started. It must be of a different kind. Indeed, Scripture reveals that the conflict is a dispute over God’s character—a conflict over slanderous allegations raised by the devil against God, that (among other things) He is not fully good and loving. Such claims cannot be defeated by power or brute force but by comparing the two competing characters. + +“In His dealing with sin, God could employ only righteousness and truth. Satan could use what God could not—flattery and deceit. He had sought to falsify the word of God and had misrepresented His plan of government before the angels, claiming that God was not just in laying laws and rules upon the inhabitants of heaven; that in requiring submission and obedience from His creatures, He was seeking merely the exaltation of Himself. Therefore it must be demonstrated before the inhabitants of heaven, as well as of all the worlds, that God’s government was just, His law perfect. Satan had made it appear that he himself was seeking to promote the good of the universe. The true character of the usurper, and his real object, must be understood by all. He must have time to manifest himself by his wicked works.”—Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, p. 498. + +`Read John 8:44, 45 in light of Revelation 12:7–9. What do these passages reveal about the character of the devil and his strategy?` + +The devil’s plan from the beginning has been to try to make creatures believe that God was not really just and loving and that His law was oppressive and hurtful to them. No wonder Jesus refers to the devil as “a liar and the father of” lies (John 8:44, NKJV). In contrast, Jesus came to “ ‘testify to the truth’ ” (John 18:37, NASB) and directly counter the lies and slander of Satan, defeating and, ultimately, destroying the devil and his power (1 John 3:8, Heb. 2:14). + +Revelation 12:9, 10 identifies Satan (1) as the “serpent of old” (NKJV), (2) as the one who in the heavenly court accuses God’s people, and (3) as the dragon ruler who deceives the world. The Greek word translated “devil” just means “slanderer,” showing once again that the nature of the conflict is over beliefs, including beliefs about God’s character. + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +The law of love being the foundation of the government of God, the happiness of all created beings depended upon their perfect accord with its great principles of righteousness. God desires from all His creatures the service of love—homage that springs from an intelligent appreciation of His character. He takes no pleasure in a forced allegiance, and to all He grants freedom of will, that they may render Him voluntary service.—The Great Controversy, p. 493. + +The principalities and powers of darkness were assembled around the cross, casting the hellish shadow of unbelief into the hearts of men. When the Lord created these beings to stand before His throne, they were beautiful and glorious. Their loveliness and holiness were in accordance with their exalted station. They were enriched with the wisdom of God, and girded with the panoply of heaven. They were Jehovah’s ministers. But who could recognize in the fallen angels the glorious seraphim that once ministered in the heavenly courts?\ +Satanic agencies confederated with evil men in leading the people to believe Christ the chief of sinners, and to make Him the object of detestation. Those who mocked Christ as He hung upon the cross were imbued with the spirit of the first great rebel. He filled them with vile and loathsome speeches. He inspired their taunts. But by all this he gained nothing. . . .\ +Christ bowed His head and died, but He held fast His faith and His submission to God. “And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.” Revelation 12:10.—The Desire of Ages, pp. 760, 761. + +God has given His law for the regulation of the conduct of nations, of families, and of individuals. There is not one worker of wickedness, though his sin is the least and the most secret, that escapes the denunciation of that law. The whole work of the father of lies is recorded in the statute books of heaven; and those who lend themselves to the service of Satan, to present to men his lies by precept and practice, will receive according to their deeds. Every offense against God, however minute, is set down in the reckoning. And when the sword of justice is taken in hand, it will do the work that was done to the Divine Sufferer. Justice will strike; for God’s hatred of sin is intense and overwhelming.\ +The truth as it is in Jesus will teach most important lessons. It will show that the love of God is broad and deep; that it is infinite; and that in awarding the penalty to the disobedient, those who have made void God’s law, it will be uncompromising. This is the love and justice of God combined. It reaches to the very depth of human woe and degradation, to lift up the fallen and oppressed who lay hold of the truth by repentance and faith in Jesus.—Lift Him Up, p. 158. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/09/07.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/09/07.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..fb7aaf57e3 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/09/07.md @@ -0,0 +1,25 @@ +--- +title: Further Thought +date: 28/02/2025 +--- + +Read Ellen G. White, “The Origin of Evil,” pp. 492–504, in The Great Controversy. + +“Nothing is more plainly taught in Scripture than that God was in no wise responsible for the entrance of sin; that there was no arbitrary withdrawal of divine grace, no deficiency in the divine government, that gave occasion for the uprising of rebellion. Sin is an intruder, for whose presence no reason can be given. It is mysterious, unaccountable; to excuse it is to defend it. . . . Had he [Satan] been immediately blotted from existence, they [the inhabitants of heaven and of other worlds] would have served God from fear rather than from love. The influence of the deceiver would not have been fully destroyed, nor would the spirit of rebellion have been utterly eradicated. Evil must be permitted to come to maturity. For the good of the entire universe through ceaseless ages Satan must more fully develop his principles, that his charges against the divine government might be seen in their true light by all created beings, that the justice and mercy of God and the immutability of His law might forever be placed beyond all question.”—Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, pp. 492, 493, 499. + +**Discussion Questions**: + +`Many people wonder how a sinless creature like Lucifer could sin for the first time. Why is sin so “mysterious” and “unaccountable”? How can we explain this first sin without excusing it or justifying it? That is, why would explaining its origin be the same as justifying it?` + +`Why did God not simply blot Satan out of existence right away? Why must evil “be permitted to come to maturity”? How is this “for the good of the entire universe through ceaseless ages”?` + +`Why is it so important to understand that the conflict between God and Satan is not one of sheer power but a conflict of a different kind? How does a conflict over character make sense in ways that a conflict over sheer power could not?` + +`How does understanding the nature of the conflict pull back the curtain, so to speak, on ways in which your own life might be a microcosm of the cosmic conflict? In what ways are you even now experiencing the reality of this conflict? How should you respond in ways that show whose side you truly are on?` + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, “Religion and Scientific Education,” pp. 503, 504;\ +God’s Amazing Grace, “The Battlefield,” p. 36. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/09/info.yml b/src/en/ss/2025-01/09/info.yml new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..bbd0d9424f --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/09/info.yml @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +--- +title: "The Cosmic Conflict" +start_date: "22/02/2025" +end_date: "28/02/2025" \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/09/inside-story.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/09/inside-story.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..2591553b8a --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/09/inside-story.md @@ -0,0 +1,42 @@ +--- +title: Inside Story +date: 28/02/2025 +--- + +#### The Persistent Caller: Part 1 + +_By Andrew McChesney_ + +The Zoom call just wouldn’t go through. + +“It’s not working!” Matrona exclaimed. + +Over her phone, Colette could hear Matrona typing and retyping the Zoom password on a facility computer. + +It was a call that they had attempted many times that week. Matrona was among many Alaska Native children living in facilities and foster homes in Alaska, and she was eager to get acquainted with Colette. + +She tried the password again. “It’s not working!” she cried. + +“It’s OK,” Colette said. + +“It’s not OK! I want to try again,” Matrona said. + +When it still didn’t work, Colette suggested they talk on the phone instead. + +Colette Reahl, a Seventh-day Adventist pediatrician in Anchorage, was eager to get acquainted with Matrona, too. An Alaska Native girl, Matrona was eligible for adoption at a facility in Fairbanks, located 360 miles away. + +Matrona reluctantly agreed to talk by phone. The first question she asked was, “What are your house rules?” + +“That is something we can talk about more when you get to the house,” Colette said. “But respect is pretty big in my house.” + +Matrona quizzed Colette for the next 30 minutes. At the end of the conversation, she said, “You know, my foster mom is going to adopt me, right?” + +Colette, a Florida native who had lived with her husband in Alaska for eight years, had not known that. She thought, _Matrona is so interesting, and she has such a huge personality. This is going to be an adventure!_ + +From her side, Matrona knew that Colette was looking to adopt, but she didn’t want to get hurt. So, she made it difficult for Colette to get close. + +Colette asked how often she could call, and Matrona proposed once a week on Tuesdays. But when Colette called, Matrona wasn’t available or didn’t answer. They changed the time to Thursdays and then to Saturdays. + +Colette sensed that Matrona was annoyed, but she couldn’t understand why. She decided to keep calling every week whether Matrona wanted to talk or not. As she kept calling with unconditional love, Matrona’s heart began to thaw. + +_This mission story offers an inside look at a previous Thirteenth Sabbath project. Pediatrician Colette Reahl is also coleader of Bethel (Alaska) Seventh-day Adventist Church, which received part of a 2024 Thirteenth Sabbath Offering. Thank you for helping spread the gospel with this quarter’s Thirteenth Sabbath Offering on March 29. Read more about Colette and Matrona next week._ \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/09/teacher-comments.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/09/teacher-comments.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..478fe576f5 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/09/teacher-comments.md @@ -0,0 +1,62 @@ +--- +title: Teacher Comments +date: 28/02/2025 +--- + +#### Part I: Overview + +Key Text: Genesis 3:15 + +Study Focus: Gen. 3:1–4, Isa. 14:12–15, Ezek. 28:12–19, Matt. 13:24–30, John 8:44, Rev. 12:7–9. + +Introduction: The cosmic conflict impacts every human being on a daily basis and the universe at large. Satan attempts to usurp the worship that is due God, but he will be defeated in the end. + +Lesson Themes: This week’s lesson underlines three main notions: + +1. The cosmic conflict is not a dualistic battle of omnipotent powers. The cosmic conflict centers on the moral perfection of God’s character. The conflict does not involve two equally independent powers fighting over an endless war, as Lucifer was originally created by God and decided to question his Creator’s character. + +2. The cosmic conflict involves God’s people. The whole universe feels the effects of the cosmic conflict. In heaven, Christ was the primary target of Lucifer’s rebellion. In the wilderness, Satan questioned Jesus’ Sonship. Yet, Jesus was victorious, and He is empowered to make us sons and daughters of God. + +3. The resolution of the cosmic conflict could not be premature. There will come a day when God finally will put an end to evil. Meanwhile, evil is permitted to come to maturity so that the false charges made against God’s divine government might be seen in their true light by all created beings. + +Life Application: How should the fact that we are facing the effects of the cosmic conflict on a daily basis make us even more aware and willing to depend on God at all times? + +#### Part II: Commentary + +**1. The Cosmic Conflict Is Not a Dualistic Battle of Omnipotent Powers.** + +There are distinct versions of the cosmic conflict in different religious and/or philosophical circles. An influential non-Christian version is dualism. As C. S. Lewis points out, dualism is “the belief that there are two equal and independent powers at the back of everything, one of them good and the other bad, and that this universe is the battlefield in which they fight out an endless war.” To say that these powers are equally independent means that “they both existed from all eternity.”—Mere Christianity (New York: Macmillan, 1960), pp. 33, 34. This dualistic engagement is not the type of cosmic conflict emphasized in the Bible. From a biblical perspective, the one who is now called Satan “was created by God, and was good when he was created, and went wrong.” Similar to dualism, the Christian view is that our “universe is at war.” But unlike dualism, “it does not think this is a war between independent powers. It thinks it is a civil war, a rebellion, and that we are living in a part of the universe occupied by the rebel.”—Mere Christianity, p. 36. + +Therefore, instead of a cosmic conflict fought between two independent omnipotent powers, what we have is a rebellion of the creature against the Creator. According to what we learn about the role of the deceiving serpent in Genesis 3, the conflict centers on the perception of God’s character as reflected in His law. In other words, is God trustworthy? Can we believe His words? Obviously, these two questions are crucial for a loving relationship. It is basically impossible to develop a genuine and deep love relationship with someone we do not trust. + +The rebellion of Lucifer against God, which marks the beginning of the cosmic conflict, starts in heaven and is observed in Isaiah 14:12–15 and Ezekiel 28:12–19, especially as we compare these chapters with Genesis 3 and Revelation 12. Whereas the passages in Isaiah and Ezekiel refer directly to the kings of Babylon and Tyre, respectively, “in each passage there is a movement from the local, historical realm of earthly kings to the heavenly supernatural realm describing Lucifer/Satan and the rise of the Great Controversy.”—Richard Davidson, “Cosmic Narrative for the Coming Millennium,” Journal of the Adventist Theological Society 11, nos. 1, 2 (2000): p. 107. Essentially, Lucifer/Satan wants to make himself exalted like God. More precisely, he wishes to possess/usurp God’s dignified status and power, but not His loving character, given that Lucifer/Satan attempts to exalt himself by means of trading/slander (Ezek. 28:16) and lies (Gen. 3:4, John 8:44). + +**2. The Cosmic Conflict Involves God’s People.** + +Whereas the cosmic conflict began with the rebellion of Lucifer against God in heaven, it eventually involved somehow the universe as a whole. More specifically, it involved angels (Rev. 12:7–9) and human beings (Genesis 3). Because Eve fell into the devil’s temptation and Adam intentionally followed her, our world became the stage of the cosmic conflict. In a sinful world, human life became characterized by the cosmic conflict. In other words, human creatures face the existence and the effects of the cosmic conflict every day. Obviously, this scenario is also true for the history of God’s people throughout Scripture. + +If the divine Christ already was the primary target of Lucifer’s rebellion in heaven (Rev. 12:7; see also Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, chapter 1 [“Why Was Sin Permitted?”]), His earthly condition as our Redeemer and the new representative of God’s people, the second Adam (Rom. 5:14; 1 Cor. 15:22, 45), put the incarnate Christ as the primary target of Satan’s intensified attacks in the wilderness. + +Luke’s account of the temptation of Christ is preceded by the divine affirmation of His Sonship (“ ‘You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased’ ” [Luke 3:22, NKJV]) in the narrative of His baptism, which is followed by a genealogical list, starting with Jesus as the “son of Joseph” (Luke 3:23), and progressively moving backward (Luke 3:23–38) to Adam, “the son of God” (Luke 3:38). With this background of Sonship language in mind, the attentive hearer/reader of the Gospel sees Satan beginning his temptations in the wilderness by questioning whether Jesus is, in fact, “the Son of God” (Luke 4:3), which is clearly and precisely what the divine voice told Jesus a few verses earlier. If we take Adam as an important reference in the genealogy that immediately precedes the narrative of the temptation, there is a stark similarity with the temptation of the serpent in Eden, where Eve also questioned, at least in her mind, (see Gen. 3:1, 4) a clear statement from God to her husband and her about the deadly results of eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, as indicated a few verses before (see Gen. 2:17). + +In any case, the good news of the narrative of the temptation in the Gospels is that we have a different history of humanity in Jesus, the new Adam. While Adam fell in the temptation in Eden, Jesus was victorious in the temptation in the wilderness. His victory opened up a new horizon for the sons and daughters of God in the cosmic conflict, inasmuch as Christ is the new Adam, that is, the new head of the human family. + +In Matthew’s Gospel, the narrative of the temptation appears right after the account of Jesus’ baptism. Instead of Luke’s universal reference to Adam, Matthew seems to have in mind the people of Israel. The genealogy focuses on such figures as Abraham and David (Matt. 1:1–17), and the decree for the death of children in the context of the history of Jesus (Matt. 2:13–16) echoes the history of Moses. The comparison with the people of Israel becomes more emphatic when we notice that all the answers Jesus gave to the devil in the wilderness are scripturally taken from the experience of Israel in the desert (Deut. 8:3, Deut. 6:16, Deut. 6:13). In short, where Israel failed, Jesus was victorious, which opens up a new horizon for the people of God in the cosmic conflict, as Christ representatively takes the place of a new Israel. + +**3. The Resolution of the Cosmic Conflict Could Not Be Premature.** + +The parable of the wheat and the tares in Matthew 13:24–30 indicates the presence of a cosmic conflict in Jesus’ teaching about the kingdom of heaven. The enemy is able to sow weeds to grow with the wheat (the good seed). This sowing is not only an evil action but also a deceiving one, as any corrective attempt to immediately uproot the weeds in order to fix this problematic situation may endanger the wheat (Matt. 13:29). For this reason, the necessary distinction and separation between them must wait until the harvest or the final judgment (Matt. 13:30). + +It is noteworthy that Ellen G. White’s account of God’s reaction to Lucifer/Satan in the initial stages of the cosmic conflict in heaven follows the same biblical principle underlined in the parable of the wheat and the tares. As she explains why God did not immediately destroy Satan, Ellen G. White points out that “the influence of the deceiver would not have been fully destroyed, nor would the spirit of rebellion have been utterly eradicated. Evil must be permitted to come to maturity. For the good of the entire universe through ceaseless ages Satan must more fully develop his principles, that his charges against the divine government might be seen in their true light by all created beings, that the justice and mercy of God and the immutability of His law might forever be placed beyond all question.”—The Great Controversy, p. 499. + +#### Part III: Life Application + +Discuss the following questions with your students: + +1. How could you best explain the nature of the cosmic conflict to a nonbeliever, taking into consideration that we all face the effects of this conflict in the world? + +2. As we reflect upon the way God deals with the false allegations raised by the devil, we are moved by His loving and trustworthy character. How does building relationships of trust with one another in the church show God’s loving character? + +3. Loving and trusting someone depends on the moral character of the person in question. In your own life, what virtues do you need to cultivate, by God’s grace, in order to reflect God’s character? + +4. When people become distant and stop being intimate with God, oftentimes something changes in their view of God’s character. In order to avoid this danger, in what ways can we be more intentional about experiencing God’s presence and exalting/expressing His attributes and loving character to others? \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/10/01.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/10/01.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..eaa3622071 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/10/01.md @@ -0,0 +1,33 @@ +--- +title: Rules of Engagement +date: 01/03/2025 +--- + +### Read for This Week’s Study +Dan. 10:1–14, Rev. 13:1–8, Job 1:1–12, Job 2:1–7, John 12:31, John 14:30, Mark 6:5, Mark 9:29. + +>Memory Text:
+> “He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8, NKJV). + +A powerful narrative that reveals the nature of the cosmic conflict can be found in 1 Kings 18:19–40, Elijah on Mount Carmel, where the Lord exposes the so-called “gods of the nations.” Yet, there is more behind the scenes about these “gods” than that they are mere figments of pagan imagination. Behind the “gods” that the nations surrounding Israel thought they were worshiping was, actually, something else. + +“ ‘They sacrificed to demons, not to God, to gods they did not know, to new gods, new arrivals that your fathers did not fear’ ” (Deut. 32:17, NKJV). Paul adds, “The things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons” (1 Cor. 10:20, NKJV). + +Behind the false “gods” of the nations, then, were actually demons in disguise. This means, then, that all of the texts of Scripture dealing with idolatry and the foreign gods are “cosmic conflict” texts. + +With this background, the cosmic conflict theme is better understood. And this truth has massive implications for understanding more about the nature of this conflict and how it sheds light on the problem of evil. + +_*Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, March 8._ + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +Outwardly bold and defiant, but with terror in their guilty hearts, the false priests prepare their altar, laying on the wood and the victim; and then they begin their incantations. Their shrill cries echo and re-echo through the forests and the surrounding heights, as they call on the name of their god, saying, “O Baal, hear us.” The priests gather about their altar, and with leaping and writhing and screaming, with tearing of hair and cutting of flesh, they beseech their god to help them. . . .\ +Gladly would Satan have come to the help of those whom he had deceived, and who were devoted to his service. Gladly would he have sent the lightning to kindle their sacrifice. But Jehovah has set Satan’s bounds, restrained his power, and not all the enemy’s devices can convey one spark to Baal’s altar.—Prophets and Kings, pp. 149, 150. + +Modern spiritualism and the forms of ancient witchcraft and idol worship—all having communion with the dead as their vital principle—are founded upon that first lie by which Satan beguiled Eve in Eden: “Ye shall not surely die: for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, . . . ye shall be as gods.” Genesis 3:4, 5. Alike based upon falsehood and perpetuating the same, they are alike from the father of lies. . . .\ +The “familiar spirits” [are] not the spirits of the dead, but evil angels, the messengers of Satan. Ancient idolatry, which, as we have seen, comprises both worship of the dead and pretended communion with them, is declared by the Bible to have been demon worship. The apostle Paul, in warning his brethren against participating, in any manner, in the idolatry of their heathen neighbors, says, “The things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God, and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils.” 1 Corinthians 10:20. . . . In their supposed worship of dead men they were in reality worshiping demons.—Patriarchs and Prophets, pp. 685, 686. + +Satan, the chief of the fallen angels, once had an exalted position in heaven. He was next in honor to Christ. The knowledge which he, as well as the angels who fell with him, had of the character of God, of His goodness, His mercy, wisdom, and excellent glory, made their guilt unpardonable. . . .\ +The principles of Satan’s working in heaven are the same principles by which he works through human agents in this world. It is through these corrupting principles that every earthly empire and the churches have been increasingly corrupted. It is by the working out of these principles that Satan deceives and corrupts the whole world from the beginning to the ending. He is continuing this same policy-working, originally begun in the heavenly universe. He is energizing the whole world with his violence with which he corrupted the world in the days of Noah.—Ellen G. White Comments, in The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 4, p. 1163. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/10/02.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/10/02.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..72f18140f1 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/10/02.md @@ -0,0 +1,29 @@ +--- +title: An Angel Delayed +date: 02/03/2025 +--- + +As we have seen, the false “gods” of the nations were demons in disguise. And elsewhere we see evidence that demonic celestial rulers are sometimes behind earthly rulers. Even angelic agents sent by God can be opposed by the forces of the enemy. + +`Read Daniel 10:1–14, with special attention to verses 12, 13. What do these verses teach that is relevant to the cosmic conflict? What do you make of the angel sent by God being “withstood” for twenty-one days?` + +How could it be that an angel sent by God could be “withstood” for three weeks? Being all-powerful, God possessed the power to respond to Daniel immediately—that is, had He chosen to. If He exercised His power to do so, He could make an angel appear to Daniel right away. Yet, the angel sent by God was “withstood” by the “prince of the kingdom of Persia” for three entire weeks. What is going on here? + +“For three weeks Gabriel wrestled with the powers of darkness, seeking to counteract the influences at work on the mind of Cyrus. . . . All that heaven could do in behalf of the people of God was done. The victory was finally gained; the forces of the enemy were held in check all the days of Cyrus, and all the days of his son Cambyses.”—Ellen G. White, Prophets and Kings, p. 572. + +In order for such a conflict to transpire, God must not be exercising all of His power. The enemy must be afforded some genuine freedom and power that is not removed capriciously but is restricted by some parameters known to both parties (the details of which are not revealed to us). It seems there must be parameters in the cosmic conflict that even God’s angels are operating within, which in the coming lessons will be referred to as the “rules of engagement.” + +In a certain sense, understanding these limits might not be hard if we grasp the idea, already talked about, that God works only by love, and that love, not coercion, is the foundation of His government. This idea, that God works only through the principles emanating from love, can help us better understand the great controversy. + +`How have you experienced the limits of working only through the principles of love and not coercion? What lessons did you learn about the limits of power?` + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +We have before us in the Word of God instances of heavenly agencies working on the minds of kings and rulers, while at the same time satanic agencies were also at work on their minds. No human eloquence, in strongly set forth human opinions, can change the working of satanic agencies. Satan seeks continually to block the way, so that the truth shall be bound about by human devising; and those who have light and knowledge are in the greatest danger unless they constantly consecrate themselves to God, humiliating self, and realizing the peril of the times.\ +Heavenly beings are appointed to answer the prayers of those who are working unselfishly for the interests of the cause of God. The very highest angels in the heavenly courts are appointed to work out the prayers which ascend to God for the advancement of the cause of God. Each angel has his particular post of duty, which he is not permitted to leave for any other place. If he should leave, the powers of darkness would gain an advantage.—Lift Him Up, p. 370. + +As a people we do not understand as we should the great conflict going on between invisible agencies, the controversy between loyal and disloyal angels. Evil angels are constantly at work, planning their line of attack, controlling as commanders, kings, and rulers, the disloyal human forces. . . . Do not indulge in fanciful speculations. The Written Word is our only safety. We must pray as did Daniel, that we may be guarded by heavenly intelligences. As ministering spirits angels are sent forth to minister to those who shall be heirs of salvation. Pray, my brethren, pray as you have never prayed before. We are not prepared for the Lord’s coming. We need to make thorough work for eternity.—Ellen G. White Comments, in The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 4, p. 1173. + +It was by the display of supernatural power, in making the serpent his medium, that Satan caused the fall of Adam and Eve in Eden. Before the close of time he will work still greater wonders. So far as his power extends, he will perform actual miracles. Says the Scripture: “He . . . deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do,” not merely those which he pretends to do. Something more than mere impostures is brought to view in this scripture. But there is a limit beyond which Satan cannot go, and here he calls deception to his aid and counterfeits the work which he has not power actually to perform. In the last days he will appear in such a manner as to make men believe him to be Christ come the second time into the world. He will indeed transform himself into an angel of light. But . . . it will deceive none but those who, like Pharaoh, are seeking to resist the truth.—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, p. 698. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/10/03.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/10/03.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..c7b6576316 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/10/03.md @@ -0,0 +1,34 @@ +--- +title: The Dragon of Revelation +date: 03/03/2025 +--- + +The overarching perspective of celestial rulers in the cosmic conflict is encapsulated in the book of Revelation, where the devil is depicted as “the great dragon” who opposes God and “deceives the whole world” (Rev. 12:9, NKJV). + +`Read Revelation 13:1–8. What does this reveal about the extent of the dragon’s jurisdiction?` + +The dragon (Satan) not only wars against God (Rev. 12:7–9) and His servants (for example, Rev. 12:1–6), but he is depicted as the ruler behind the earthly kingdoms who persecute God’s people throughout the ages. + +The dragon “gave . . . his power, his throne, and great authority” to the beast from the sea (Rev. 13:2, NKJV; compare with Rev. 13:5; Rev. 17:13, 14). This beast from the sea is “given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months” (Rev. 13:5, NKJV). + +So, Satan (the dragon) gives power and ruling authority to a beast (an earthly religious-political power). This power is exercised in order to usurp the worship due to God. The beast blasphemes God’s name; it also wars against, and even overcomes, God’s holy ones (saints), at least for a period of time. This worldwide authority and jurisdiction is given to him by the dragon, the usurping ruler of this world. + +Yet, there are clear limits on Satan and his agencies, as well, including temporal limits. “ ‘Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time’ ” (Rev. 12:12, NKJV). + +Satan “knows that his time is short” (Rev. 12:12, ESV), and the events described in Revelation proceed along prophetic time lines, which show specific limits (see Rev. 12:14, Rev. 13:5) to the reign of these evil forces. + +Indeed, God finally triumphs. “ ‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away’ ” (Rev. 21:4, NKJV). + +`However hard for us to see it now, in the end good will eternally triumph over evil. Why is it so important that we never forget this wonderful promise?` + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +Under the symbols of a great red dragon, a leopardlike beast, and a beast with lamblike horns, the earthly governments which would especially engage in trampling upon God’s law and persecuting His people, were presented to John. The war is carried on till the close of time. The people of God, symbolized by a holy woman and her children, were represented as greatly in the minority. In the last days only a remnant still existed. Of these John speaks as they “which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” . . .\ +Satan and his army of confederates have been the avowed enemies of God in our world, continually warring against the cause of truth and righteousness. Satan has continued to present to men, as he presented to the angels, his false representations of Christ and of God, and he has won the world to his side. Even the professedly Christian churches have taken sides with the great apostate.—Ellen G. White Comments, in The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, pp. 972, 973. + +We are in constant danger of becoming self-sufficient, relying upon our own wisdom, and not making God our strength. Nothing disturbs Satan so much as our not being ignorant of his devices. If we feel our dangers, we shall feel the need of prayer as did Nehemiah, and, like him, we shall obtain that sure defense that will give us security in peril. If we are careless and indifferent, we shall surely be overcome by Satan’s devices. We must be vigilant. While, like Nehemiah, we resort to prayer, taking all our perplexities and burdens to God, we should not feel that we have nothing to do. We are to watch as well as pray. We should watch the work of our adversaries, lest they gain advantage in deceiving souls. We should, in the wisdom of Christ, make efforts to defeat their purposes, while, at the same time, we do not suffer them to call us from our great work. Truth is stronger than error. Righteousness will prevail over wrong.—Ellen G. White Comments, in The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 3, p. 1138. + +With pity and compassion, with tender yearning, the Lord is looking upon His tempted and tried people. For a time the oppressors will be permitted to triumph over those who know God’s holy commandments. All are given the same opportunity that was granted to the first great rebel to demonstrate the spirit that moves them to action. It is God’s purpose that everyone shall be tested and proved, to see whether he will be loyal or disloyal to the laws which govern the kingdom of heaven. To the last God permits Satan to reveal his character as a liar, an accuser, and a murderer. Thus the final triumph of his people is made more marked, more glorious, more full and complete.\ +The people of God should be wide awake, not trusting in their own wisdom, but wholly in the wisdom of their Leader. They should set aside days for fasting and prayer.—Selected Messages, book 3, p. 414. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/10/04.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/10/04.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..e37e70f91e --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/10/04.md @@ -0,0 +1,37 @@ +--- +title: The Case of Job +date: 04/03/2025 +--- + +In the book of Job, we are given some fascinating insights into the reality of the great controversy. + +`Read Job 1:1–12 and Job 2:1–7. What principles of the great controversy do we see unveiled here?` + +Many significant details can be gleaned from these verses. First, there appears to be some kind of heavenly council scene, not merely a dialogue between God and Satan; other celestial beings are involved. + +Second, there is some existing dispute, signaled by the fact that God asks whether Satan has considered Job. Considered Job for what? The question makes sense in the context of a larger, ongoing dispute. + +Third, while God declares Job blameless, upright, and God-fearing, Satan claims that Job appears to fear God only because God protects him. This amounts to slander against both Job’s character and God’s (compare with Rev. 12:10, Zechariah 3). + +Fourth, Satan alleges that God’s protection of Job (the hedge) is unfair and makes it impossible for Satan to prove his allegations. This indicates some existing limits on Satan (rules of engagement), and that Satan has apparently tried to harm Job. + +God responds to Satan’s accusation before the heavenly council by allowing Satan to put his theory to the test, but only within limits. He first grants Satan power over “all that he has,” but prohibits personal harm to Job (Job 1:12, NKJV). Later, after Satan claims that Job cares only about himself, God allows Satan to afflict Job personally, but Satan must spare his life (Job 2:3–6). + +Satan brings numerous calamities against Job’s household, yet in each case Job continues to bless His name (Job 1:20–22; Job 2:9, 10), falsifying Satan’s charges. + +We learn many things here, such as that there are rules of engagement in the cosmic conflict. There are parameters in the heavenly court within which the allegations raised against God can be settled, but without God violating the sacred principles inherent in love, the foundation of God’s government and how He rules the universe and the intelligent beings in it. + +These heavenly scenes in the book of Job offer us fascinating insights into the reality of the great controversy, and how it is played out here on earth. + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +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. . . .\ +God had given a lesson designed to prevent this. The history of Job had shown that suffering is inflicted by Satan, and is overruled by God for purposes of mercy.—The Desire of Ages, p. 471. + +A guardian angel is appointed to every follower of Christ. These heavenly watchers shield the righteous from the power of the wicked one. This Satan himself recognized when he said: “Doth Job fear God for nought? Hast not Thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side?” Job 1:9, 10. The agency by which God protects His people is presented in the words of the psalmist: “The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him, and delivereth them.” Psalm 34:7. . . . The angels appointed to minister to the children of God have at all times access to His presence.\ +Thus God’s people, exposed to the deceptive power and unsleeping malice of the prince of darkness, and in conflict with all the forces of evil, are assured of the unceasing guardianship of heavenly angels. Nor is such assurance given without need. If God has granted to His children promise of grace and protection, it is because there are mighty agencies of evil to be met—agencies numerous, determined, and untiring, of whose malignity and power none can safely be ignorant or unheeding.—The Great Controversy, pp. 512, 513. + +The enemy cannot overcome the humble learner of Christ, the one who walks prayerfully before the Lord. Christ interposes Himself as a shelter, a retreat, from the assaults of the wicked one. The promise is given, “When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him.”\ +Satan was permitted to tempt the too-confident Peter, as he had been permitted to tempt Job; but when that work was done he had to retire. Had Satan been suffered to have his way, there would have been no hope. . . . He would have made complete shipwreck of faith. But the enemy dare not go one hairbreadth beyond his appointed sphere. There is no power in the whole satanic force that can disable the soul that trusts, in simple confidence, in the wisdom that comes from God.—My Life Today, p. 316. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/10/05.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/10/05.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..69a86f4882 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/10/05.md @@ -0,0 +1,27 @@ +--- +title: The (Temporary) Ruler of This World +date: 05/03/2025 +--- + +We have seen in previous lessons that, within the cosmic conflict, Satan and his cohorts are temporarily granted significant jurisdiction in this world, limited according to some kind of rules of engagement. + +These rules of engagement limit not only the actions of the enemy—the devil and his cohorts—but they also limit God’s action to eliminate or mitigate the evil that (temporarily) falls within the jurisdiction of the enemy. Because the Lord will never break His promises, to the extent He has agreed to the rules of engagement—thus affording some limited and temporary rulership to the devil—God has morally limited His future course of action (without lessening His raw power). + +`Read John 12:31, John 14:30, John 16:11, 2 Corinthians 4:4, and Luke 4:6. What do these texts teach about the rulership of the enemy in this world?` + +The New Testament sets forth a clash of kingdoms, the kingdoms of light and darkness, with the darkness coming from Satan and his rebellion. Part of Christ’s mission was to defeat the kingdom of Satan: “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8, NKJV). + +Nevertheless, there are “rules” that limit what God can do while remaining true to the principles behind His government. These limits include at least (1) the granting of free will to creatures and (2) the covenantal rules of engagement, which we are not privy to, at least now. Such impediments and limitations on divine action have significant implications for God’s moral ability to reduce and/or immediately eliminate evil in this world. Thus, we see continued evil and suffering, which can indeed cause many people to question either God’s existence or His goodness. However, once the background of the great controversy is understood, and the limits God has placed on how He will deal with evil, we can to some degree better understand why things are as they are—at least until the final triumph of God over evil. + +`How does the fact that Jesus calls Satan the “ruler” of this world help, at least somewhat, our understanding of the evil that exists in the world now? How comforting to know that it is, indeed, only a temporal rule!` + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +When Christ came to this world, He found that Satan had everything as he wanted it. The adversary of God and man thought that he was indeed the prince of the earth, but Jesus laid hold of the world to take it out of the power of Satan. He came to redeem it from the curse of sin and the penalty of transgression, that the transgressor might be forgiven. He planted the cross between earth and heaven, and between divinity and humanity; and as the Father beheld the cross, He was satisfied. . . . [In the cross] “mercy and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.”—Ellen G. White Comments, in The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 5, p. 1137. + +When Jesus was led into the wilderness to be tempted, He was led by the Spirit of God. He did not invite temptation. He went to the wilderness to be alone, to contemplate His mission and work. By fasting and prayer He was to brace Himself for the bloodstained path He must travel. But Satan knew that the Saviour had gone into the wilderness, and he thought this the best time to approach Him.\ +Mighty issues for the world were at stake in the conflict between the Prince of light and the leader of the kingdom of darkness. After tempting man to sin, Satan claimed the earth as his, and styled himself the prince of this world. Having conformed to his own nature the father and mother of our race, he thought to establish here his empire. He declared that men had chosen him as their sovereign. Through his control of men, he held dominion over the world. Christ had come to disprove Satan’s claim. As the Son of man, Christ would stand loyal to God. Thus it would be shown that Satan had not gained complete control of the human race, and that his claim to the world was false. All who desired deliverance from his power would be set free. The dominion that Adam had lost through sin would be recovered.—The Desire of Ages, p. 114. + +[Jesus] gave Satan no advantage. When the last steps of Christ’s humiliation were to be taken, when the deepest sorrow was closing about His soul, He said to His disciples, “The prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in Me.” “The prince of this world is judged.” Now shall he be cast out. John 14:30; 16:11; 12:31. With prophetic eye Christ traced the scenes to take place in His last great conflict. He knew that when He should exclaim, “It is finished,” all heaven would triumph. His ear caught the distant music and the shouts of victory in the heavenly courts. He knew that the knell of Satan’s empire would then be sounded, and the name of Christ would be heralded from world to world throughout the universe.—The Desire of Ages, pp. 678, 679. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/10/06.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/10/06.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..903d5b23a6 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/10/06.md @@ -0,0 +1,32 @@ +--- +title: Limits and Rules +date: 06/03/2025 +--- + +The cosmic conflict is primarily a dispute over God’s character, caused by the devil’s slanderous allegations against God’s goodness, justice, and government. It is a kind of cosmic covenant lawsuit. + +Such a conflict cannot be settled by sheer power but, instead, requires demonstration. + +If serious allegations are brought against a person in power, the best (and maybe only) way to defeat the allegations would be to allow for a free, fair, and open investigation. If the allegations threaten the entire government (of love), they cannot simply be swept under the rug. + +What does all this mean for understanding the cosmic conflict and relating to the problem of evil? If God makes a promise, would He ever break it? Of course not. Insofar as God agrees to rules of engagement, His future action would be (morally) limited. As such, evil will fall within the temporary domain of the kingdom of darkness. + +`Read Mark 6:5 and Mark 9:29. What do these texts display about how even divine action might be integrally related to such factors as faith and prayer?` + +In both these narratives, some limits or rules of engagement seem to be in place, dynamically related to such things as faith and prayer. Elsewhere we see abundant evidence that prayer makes a difference in this world, opening up avenues for divine action that otherwise might not be (morally) available. However, we should not make the mistake of thinking that faith and prayer are the only factors. There are likely many other factors of which we might be unaware. + +This fits with what we’ve seen previously about rules of engagement. As we said, there are ceratin rules of engagement in the great controversy that limit what God can morally do, at least for now. + +`Read Romans 8:18 and Revelation 21:3, 4. How do these texts give you confidence that even though there are many things we do not know, we can trust that God knows what is best, wants what is best, and will bring an end to evil and usher in an eternity of bliss?` + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +In the divine arrangement God does nothing without the cooperation of man. He compels no man’s will. That must be given to the Lord completely, else the Lord is not able to accomplish His divine work that He would do through the human agency. Jesus declared that in a certain place He could not do many mighty works among the people because of their unbelief. He wanted to do for them in that place just what He knew that they needed to have done, but He could not because unbelief barred the way. The potter cannot mold and fashion unto honor that which has never been placed in his hands. The Christian life is one of daily surrender, submission, and continual overcoming, gaining fresh victories every day. This is the growing up into Christ, fashioning the life into the divine Model.—That I May Know Him, p. 55. + +Some poor souls who have been fascinated with the eloquent words of the teachers of spiritualism, and have yielded to its influence, afterward find out its deadly character, and would renounce and flee from it, but cannot. Satan holds them by his power, and is not willing to let them go free. He knows that they are surely his while he has them under his special control, but that if they once free themselves from his power, he can never bring them again to believe in spiritualism, and to place themselves so directly under his control.\ +The only way for such poor souls to overcome Satan, is to discern between pure Bible truth and fables. As they acknowledge the claims of truth, they place themselves where they can be helped. They should entreat those who have had a religious experience, and who have faith in the promises of God, to plead with the mighty Deliverer in their behalf. It will be a close conflict. Satan will reinforce his evil angels who have controlled these persons; but if the saints of God with deep humility fast and pray, their prayers will prevail. Jesus will commission holy angels to resist Satan, and he will be driven back and his power broken from off the afflicted ones.—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 1, p. 343. + +There are toils and conflicts and self-denials for us all. Not one will escape them. We must tread the path where Jesus leads the way. It may be in tears, in trials, in bereavements, in sorrow for sins, or in seeking for the mastery over depraved desires, unbalanced characters, and unholy tempers. It requires earnest effort to present ourselves a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God. It takes the entire being. There is no chamber of the mind where Satan can hold sway and carry out his devices. Self must be crucified. Consecration, submission, and sacrifices must be made that will seem like taking the very lifeblood from the heart.\ +Will it make you sad to be buffeted, despised, derided, maligned of the world? It ought not, for Jesus told us just how it would be. “If the world hate you,” He says, “ye know that it hated me before it hated you” (John 15:18). The apostle Paul, the great hero of faith, testifies: “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18).—That I May Know Him, p. 280. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/10/07.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/10/07.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..93a0f9f0fe --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/10/07.md @@ -0,0 +1,23 @@ +--- +title: Further Thought +date: 07/03/2025 +--- + +Read Ellen G. White, “The Power of Satan,” pp. 341–347, in Testimonies for the Church, vol. 1. + +“Fallen man is Satan’s lawful captive. The mission of Christ was to rescue him from the power of his great adversary. Man is naturally inclined to follow Satan’s suggestions, and he cannot successfully resist so terrible a foe unless Christ, the mighty Conqueror, dwells in him, guiding his desires, and giving him strength. God alone can limit the power of Satan. He is going to and fro in the earth, and walking up and down in it. He is not off his watch for a single moment, through fear of losing an opportunity to destroy souls. It is important that God’s people understand this, that they may escape his snares. Satan is preparing his deceptions, that in his last campaign against the people of God they may not understand that it is he. 2 Corinthians 11:14: ‘And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.’ While some deceived souls are advocating that he does not exist, he is taking them captive, and is working through them to a great extent. Satan knows better than God’s people the power that they can have over him when their strength is in Christ. When they humbly entreat the mighty Conqueror for help, the weakest believer in the truth, relying firmly upon Christ, can successfully repulse Satan and all his host. He is too cunning to come openly, boldly, with his temptations; for then the drowsy energies of the Christian would arouse, and he would rely upon the strong and mighty Deliverer. But he comes in unperceived, and works in disguise through the children of disobedience who profess godliness.”—Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, vol. 1, p. 341. + +**Discussion Questions**: + +`What does it mean to be “Satan’s lawful captive”? Does that mean the devil can do whatever he wants with people? If not, why not? How does this relate to what we might call the “rules of engagement” in the cosmic conflict?` + +`Why would God grant Satan any jurisdiction in the cosmic conflict, even if only temporarily? What does this tell us about how God seeks to answer Satan’s accusations?` + +`How do you respond to those, even Christians, who deny the existence of Satan as a real, personal being? Though we cannot prove Satan’s existence, what evidence can you marshal that might help someone who is so greatly deceived?` + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +In Heavenly Places, “Heaven’s Honor Roll,” p. 271;\ +God’s Amazing Grace, “Incomparable Temptations,” p. 162. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/10/info.yml b/src/en/ss/2025-01/10/info.yml new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..adc34b0214 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/10/info.yml @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +--- +title: "Rules of Engagement" +start_date: "01/03/2025" +end_date: "07/03/2025" \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/10/inside-story.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/10/inside-story.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..2ad01342f9 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/10/inside-story.md @@ -0,0 +1,30 @@ +--- +title: Inside Story +date: 07/03/2025 +--- + +#### The Persistent Visitor: Part 2 + +_By Andrew McChesney_ + +To the Seventh-day Adventist pediatrician, the 13-year-old Alaska Native girl resembled a giant. + +Four months after their first phone call, pediatrician Colette Reahl made the seven-hour drive from Anchorage to Fairbanks, Alaska, to meet Matrona for the first time at the facility where she lived with 19 other girls and boys. Matrona stood at 5 foot, 7 inches (174 cm). In comparison, Colette was a diminutive 5 foot, 3 inches (162 cm). + +When Colette saw the girl, she thought, _She looks like a giant to me. This should be interesting._ + +Matrona, who was sitting on the floor in a meeting room, was very shy and didn’t want to talk at first. + +Colette sat down on a couch near her. A few awkward minutes passed, and then she remembered that she had brought a gift, an encyclopedia about animals, for Matrona. Colette opened the book and silently began to leaf through the pages. Matrona’s curiosity was raised, and she slowly inched her way over to Colette. Before long, Matrona was sitting beside Colette and looking at the pictures with her. + +It was a pleasant first visit, and it lasted three hours. + +The two met again the next month, and Colette gave Matrona a Bible. She suggested reading the Bible together over the phone. But when she called, Matrona made herself unavailable to talk. + +Then Matrona moved to a facility in Anchorage. She was lonely and missed her friends in Fairbanks. She began to call Colette every day, trying to persuade her to adopt her. + +Colette, meanwhile, started the process of changing jobs. Her work as a pediatrician in Anchorage was ending, and she was preparing to move to Bethel, the largest community in western Alaska, with a population of 6,000. She would work at a hospital there. + +“Ewww,” Matrona said when she learned about the move. To her, Bethel was a small village, and she thought it would be boring. + +_This mission story offers an inside look at a previous Thirteenth Sabbath project. Pediatrician Colette Reahl is also coleader of Bethel (Alaska) Seventh-day Adventist Church, which received part of a 2024 Thirteenth Sabbath Offering. Thank you for helping spread the gospel with this quarter’s Thirteenth Sabbath Offering on March 29. Read more about Colette and Matrona next week._ \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/10/teacher-comments.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/10/teacher-comments.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..307bc44aaa --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/10/teacher-comments.md @@ -0,0 +1,62 @@ +--- +title: Teacher Comments +date: 07/03/2025 +--- + +#### Part I: Overview + +Key Text: 1 John 3:8 + +Study Focus: Job 1:1–12, Job 2:1–7, Daniel 10, Luke 4:6, John 12:31. + +Introduction: Satan is limited by God in his rulership. He is an illegitimate ruler, especially from the standpoint of his character. + +Lesson Themes: This week’s lesson underlines three main notions: + +1. Satan is an illegitimate and temporary “ruler.” God granted Satan limited and temporary rulership after sin entered this world, but this rulership is not a legitimate authority. Although God has limited His own activity to eliminate evil in this world, Jesus has overcome the devil. Christ’s victory over temptation in the wilderness and the defeat of Satan on the cross indicate that Satan’s rulership is illegitimate and temporary. + +2. Satan slanders and makes captives under his “rulership.” Despite the fact that Satan is an illegitimate and temporary ruler, human beings can become lawful captives of his rulership. Our human will is inclined to follow Satan’s suggestions, unless Christ dwells in us, guiding our desires and lives. + +3. Satan is limited in his “rulership.” Satan has room and time to “rule,” but he is limited by God in this “rulership.” In the unfolding of human history, transcendent powers of goodness oppose evil, and the prayers of believers are an effective resource against them. + +Life Application: Satan is limited in his temporary rulership. On the basis of Jesus’ victory, we are not under the bondage of the fear of death. But we still need to be vigilant and depend on the power of God. How can your prayer life help you to successfully resist Satan’s illegitimate rulership? + +#### Part II: Commentary + +**1. Satan Is an Illegitimate and Temporary “Ruler.”** + +In the synoptic Gospels, the focus of the antagonism between Satan and Jesus is the temptation in the wilderness (Matt. 4:1–11; Mark 1:12, 13; Luke 4:1–13). Among the three synoptics, Luke gives additional details in the third temptation about Satan’s alleged authority. Showing to Jesus “all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time” (Luke 4:5, NKJV), the devil offered to Him “ ‘all this authority . . . and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish’ ” (Luke 4:6, NKJV). + +It is debatable whether Satan really had the authority he claimed to have and, if so, how he had acquired it. To be sure, after sin entered the world, “God grants Satan considerable freedom to exercise his baneful influence throughout the world.”—Sydney H. T. Page, Powers of Evil: A Biblical Study of Satan and Demons (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1995), p. 98. However, this freedom is different from saying that Satan has legitimate authority in the world. In fact, by rejecting Satan’s offering, Jesus does not recognize the legitimacy of such authority. + +In the Gospel of John, the antagonism between Satan and Jesus is particularly highlighted in the references to “the ruler [prince] of this world” (John 12:31, NKJV; John 14:30, NKJV; John 16:11, NKJV). In John 12:31–33, Jesus emphasizes the judgment of the world and the casting out of its ruler/prince, with particular reference to His death. In John 14:30, Jesus points out in the context of His farewell discourse to the disciples that “ ‘the ruler [prince] of this world is coming’ ” (NKJV). Jesus, underscoring the antagonism of this statement, adds, “And he has nothing in Me” (NKJV). The statement probably has in view the coming of Judas Iscariot, who is the agent by which “the devil himself precipitates Jesus’ death.” However, the Cross is not the triumph of the devil, but surprisingly his overthrow (see D. A. Carson, The Gospel According to John, The Pillar New Testament Commentary [Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1991], p. 508). Then, as Jesus teaches the disciples regarding the promised Parakletos, the Holy Spirit, He emphasizes again, now in John 16:11, that “ ‘the ruler [prince] of this world is judged’ ” (NKJV), which seems to echo the casting out of the devil in John 12:31. + +Therefore, whereas the synoptics underline the victory of Christ over Satan in the temptation in the wilderness at the beginning of His public ministry, the Gospel of John stresses the defeat of Satan, the ruler/prince of this world, at the cross (see also Powers of Evil: A Biblical Study of Satan and Demons, p. 129); that is, at the end of Jesus’ earthly ministry. In both cases, we learn that Satan is an illegitimate and temporary ruler of a sinful world, a world that is paradoxically loved by God but also judged for rejecting Jesus (John 1:10, 29; John 3:16, 17, 19; John 9:39; John 12:31, 47; John 14:17; John 15:18, 19; John 16:8; John 17:9, 14, 16, 21). As Robert Recker indicates, Satan “is a deposed prince, or one in process of deposition.”—“Satan: In Power or Dethroned?” Calvin Theological Journal 6, no. 2 (1971), p. 147. + +**2. Satan Slanders and Makes Captives Under His “Rulership.”** + +Despite being illegitimate as a ruler, because of sin human beings became lawful captives of Satan’s rulership. Ellen G. White underlines that “fallen man is Satan’s lawful captive. . . . Man is naturally inclined to follow Satan’s suggestions, and he cannot successfully resist so terrible a foe unless Christ, the mighty Conqueror, dwells in him, guiding his desires, and giving him strength.”—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 1, p. 341. It is not God who “has made Satan ‘the prince of this world,’ but . . . human beings have made him such through their sin.”—Powers of Evil: A Biblical Study of Satan and Demons, p. 129. + +Even though Satan is, from the perspective of human sin, a lawful ruler of corrupted human beings, he is still an illegitimate ruler from the standpoint of his character and actions. Jesus emphatically describes him as a liar and a murderer. In His words, Satan “ ‘was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it’ ” (John 8:44, NKJV). Basically, lies/slander and mortal captivity are the essence of his “rulership,” which needs to be overthrown by Jesus. + +The Gospel of John seems to underscore that “the ruler [prince] of this world” is defeated and cast out by Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, His resurrection, and ascension to the Father (John 12:31–33, John 16:11). However, Jesus’ intercessory prayer on behalf of His disciples, in John 17, assumes that the influence of Satan over humanity does not end with the cross. “To the contrary, John indicates that the opposition incited by Satan against Jesus will also be directed against the followers of Jesus.”—Powers of Evil: A Biblical Study of Satan and Demons, p. 130. In John 17:15, Jesus prays that the Father keep “ ‘them from the evil one,’ ” because they are in the world but do not belong to it (John 17:15, 16, NKJV). In 1 John 5:19, the distinction is made between believers of God and unbelievers (those of the world), contrasting the people of God with those who are under the power of the devil: “We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one” (NKJV). + +Hebrews 2:14, 15 spells out the power that the devil has over sinful human beings, subjecting them to bondage, in terms of “the power of death.” This passage also teaches that Jesus destroys this power by means of His death. Thus, on the basis of Jesus’ victory, we are not under the bondage of the fear of death. But we still need to be vigilant and depend on the power of God. The history of salvation is not over yet, and “the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Pet. 5:8, NKJV). Furthermore, before his final destruction (Rev. 20:10), Satan continues to accuse believers before God (Rev. 12:10), and the history of Job suggests that slander (Job 1:9–11, Job 2:5) is part of the devil’s strategy of accusation. + +**3. Satan Is Limited in His “Rulership.”** + +Sinful human beings have made Satan a ruler, and his slanderous accusations are taken into consideration instead of being simply dismissed by God. God allows this to happen in order that these accusations may be clearly proved wrong. For this reason, Satan has room and time to “rule,” but, as the history of Job also indicates (“ ‘do not lay a hand on his person’ ” [Job 1:12, NKJV]; “ ‘spare his life’ ” [Job 2:6, NKJV]), he is limited by God in this “rulership.” + +Moreover, we learn, in Daniel 10, about the limits of the evil power. According to this chapter, “the unfolding of human history is not determined solely by the decisions made by human beings, for there is an unseen dimension of reality that must also be taken into account. In particular, there are malevolent forces in the universe that exercise a baneful influence in the sociopolitical realm, especially where God’s people are concerned. Nevertheless, the power of these evil agencies is limited, for transcendent powers of goodness oppose them, and the faithful prayers of believers are also effective against them. However antagonistic the forces of evil may be towards the will of God, they cannot prevent it from being accomplished.”—Powers of Evil: A Biblical Study of Satan and Demons, p. 64. + +Ellen G. White affirms the existence of a similar cosmic conflict regarding the life of every person, and she also highlights the importance of prayer in this context. In the chapter “The Power of Satan” in Testimonies for the Church, vol. 1, she underscores that “God alone can limit the power of Satan” (Page 341) and that she “saw evil angels contending for souls, and angels of God resisting them. The conflict was severe” (Page 345). However, she adds, “It is not the work of good angels to control the minds of men against their will. If they yield to the enemy, and make no effort to resist him, then the angels of God can do but little more than hold in check the host of Satan, that they shall not destroy, until further light be given to those in peril, to move them to arouse and look to heaven for help” (Page 345). In this context, she stresses that “the great Commander in heaven and earth has limited Satan’s power” while, at the same time, she highlights the importance of prayer, because “our Savior listens to the earnest prayer of faith, and sends a reinforcement of those angels that excel in strength to deliver him” (Page 346). + +#### Part III: Life Application + +Job’s book provides fascinating insights into the reality of the great controversy. Job had decided to fear God in spite of the circumstances. Taking this perspective into account, discuss the following questions: + +1. How can God’s protection over us inspire us to fear, desire, and love Him even more? In what ways might His protection possibly challenge some of us in, or be a hindrance to, our response to Him? + +2. Satan has limitations imposed upon his rulership, which become evident in the heavenly council scene in Job. What do the existing limits on Satan’s power tell us about God’s power and actions? + +3. In the chapter “The Power of Satan” (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 1, p. 345), Ellen G. White highlights the importance of prayer in order for God to send angels to deliver us. Thus, how important is your prayer life in opening up avenues for divine action? \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/11/01.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/11/01.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..81e9ee3f3d --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/11/01.md @@ -0,0 +1,29 @@ +--- +title: What More Could I Have Done? +date: 08/03/2025 +--- + +### Read for This Week’s Study +John 18:37, Rom. 3:23–26, Rom. 5:8, Isa. 5:1–4, Matt. 21:33–39, Isa. 53:4, Rom. 3:1–4. + +>Memory Text:
+> “Pilate therefore said to Him, ‘Are You a king then?’ Jesus answered, ‘You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice’ ” (John 18:37, NKJV). + +Some years ago, an insightful children’s story was printed in Guide magazine. The story focuses on a boy named Denis, an orphan living as a foster child with a family in medieval times. Denis passionately hates the king of his land because, when his parents were sick, the king’s soldiers carried him away, and he never saw them again. Only later did he learn that the king separated them in order to spare the living all the horrors of the Black Plague. The truth about the king sets Denis free from the hatred that he had harbored almost his entire life. The king had always, and in every case, acted out of love for his people. + +Many people today view God somewhat like Denis viewed the king. The evil they have witnessed or experienced brings them to hate or dismiss God. Where is God when there is suffering? If God is good, why is there so much evil? The cosmic conflict sheds light on this crucial issue, but many questions remain. Yet, when all our attempts at answers fail to satisfy, we can look to Jesus on the cross and see in Him that God can be trusted, even with all the questions that remain unanswered for now. + +_*Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, March 15._ + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +Jesus would contrast His manner of work with that of His accusers. This midnight seizure by a mob, this cruel mockery and abuse before He was even accused or condemned, was their manner, not His. His work was open to all. He had nothing in His doctrines that He concealed. Thus He rebuked their position, and unveiled the hypocrisy of the Sadducees.\ +Truth never languished on His lips, never suffered in His hands for want of perfect obedience to its requirements. “To this end was I born,” Christ declared, “and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth.” And the mighty principles of truth fell from His lips with the freshness of a new revelation. The truth was spoken by Him with an earnestness proportionate to its infinite importance and to the momentous results depending on its success.—Ellen G. White Comments, in The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 5, p. 1148. + +Upon Christ as our substitute and surety was laid the iniquity of us all. He was counted a transgressor, that He might redeem us from the condemnation of the law. The guilt of every descendant of Adam was pressing upon His heart. The wrath of God against sin, the terrible manifestation of His displeasure because of iniquity, filled the soul of His Son with consternation. All His life Christ had been publishing to a fallen world the good news of the Father’s mercy and pardoning love. Salvation for the chief of sinners was His theme. But now with the terrible weight of guilt He bears, He cannot see the Father’s reconciling face. The withdrawal of the divine countenance from the Saviour in this hour of supreme anguish pierced His heart with a sorrow that can never be fully understood by man. So great was this agony that His physical pain was hardly felt.—The Desire of Ages, p. 753. + +We are safe only in following where Christ leads the way. The path will grow clearer, brighter and brighter, unto the perfect day.\ +Man’s business is to work in cooperation with God. Alone, his feet will slip, in apparently the safest path. We cannot walk one step safely in mere human wisdom. If we would walk without fear, we must know that the hand of Jesus Christ holds our own firmly. And we can only know this by searching the Word of the living God.\ +God desires that men shall feel their dependence upon Him and trust to that Hand that can save to the uttermost, that Heart that throbs in response to the appeals of suffering humanity. We must not trust in man or make flesh our arm. Our trust must be placed in a Hand that is warm with life and a Heart that throbs with love for the helpless.—In Heavenly Places, p. 258. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/11/02.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/11/02.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..83548a07f1 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/11/02.md @@ -0,0 +1,39 @@ +--- +title: Christ the Victor +date: 09/03/2025 +--- + +Although there is an enemy at work whom Christ Himself refers to as the (usurping) “ruler of this world,” the true king of the universe is Jesus Christ. Jesus wins the victory for us, and in Him we can have victory, even in the midst of hardship and suffering. Indeed, the work of Christ counters the enemy at every turn. + +We have seen that Scripture describes the devil as: + +1. The deceiver of the whole world from the beginning (Rev. 12:9, Matt. 4:3, John 8:44, 2 Cor. 11:3, 1 John 3:8); + +2. The slanderer and accuser of God and His people in heaven (Rev. 12:10; Rev. 13:6; Job 1, 2; Zech. 3:1, 2; Jude 9); and + +3. The usurping ruler of this world (John 12:31, John 14:30, John 16:11, Acts 26:18, 2 Cor. 4:4, Eph. 2:2, 1 John 5:19). + +`Read John 18:37. What does this tell us about Christ’s work to counter the deceptions of the enemy? What does it mean that Jesus is King?` + +Though Scripture teaches that Satan is the arch-deceiver, slanderer, accuser, and usurping ruler of this world, it also teaches that Jesus is the victor over Satan in every way: + +1. Jesus came “ ‘into the world, to testify to the truth’ ” (John 18:37, NASB); + +2. Through the cross, Jesus supremely demonstrated God’s perfect righteousness and love (Rom. 3:25, 26; Rom. 5:8), thereby disproving the devil’s slanderous allegations (Rev. 12:10, 11); and + +3. Jesus will finally destroy the kingdom of the devil, who “ ‘knows that his time is short’ ” (Rev. 12:12, ESV; compare with Rom. 16:20), and Christ “ ‘will reign forever and ever’ ” (Rev. 11:15, NLT). + +In the end, no matter what Satan does, he is already a defeated foe, and the key for us is to claim Christ’s victory for ourselves every day, moment by moment, and also to claim the promises that the Cross has offered us. + +`In the great controversy, we know which side wins. How do our day-by-day choices impact which side we ultimately end up on? How can we make sure that we are on the winning side even right now?` + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +[Satan] tempts men to distrust God’s love and to doubt His wisdom. He is constantly seeking to excite a spirit of irreverent curiosity, a restless, inquisitive desire to penetrate the secrets of divine wisdom and power. In their efforts to search out what God has been pleased to withhold, multitudes overlook the truths which He has revealed, and which are essential to salvation. Satan tempts men to disobedience by leading them to believe they are entering a wonderful field of knowledge. But this is all a deception. Elated with their ideas of progression, they are, by trampling on God’s requirements, setting their feet in the path that leads to degradation and death.—Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 54. + +[Christ] loved the poor sinner and took upon Himself the form of a servant, that He might suffer and die in man’s behalf. Jesus might have remained at His Father’s right hand, wearing His kingly crown and royal robes. But He chose to exchange all the riches, honor, and glory of heaven for the poverty of humanity, and His station of high command for the horrors of Gethsemane and the humiliation and agony of Calvary. He became a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, that by His baptism of suffering and blood He might purify and redeem a guilty world. . . .\ +Christ suffered without the gates of Jerusalem, for Calvary was outside the city walls. This was to show that Christ did not die for the Hebrews alone, but for all mankind. He proclaims to a fallen world that He has come to be their Redeemer and urges them to accept the salvation He offers them. . . . “And having an high priest over the house of God; let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.”—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 4, p. 121. + +The government of God is not, as Satan would make it appear, founded upon a blind submission, an unreasoning control. It appeals to the intellect and the conscience. “Come now, and let us reason together” is the Creator’s invitation to the beings He has made. Isaiah 1:18. God does not force the will of His creatures. He cannot accept an homage that is not willingly and intelligently given. A mere forced submission would prevent all real development of mind or character; it would make man a mere automaton. Such is not the purpose of the Creator. He desires that man, the crowning work of His creative power, shall reach the highest possible development. He sets before us the height of blessing to which He desires to bring us through His grace. He invites us to give ourselves to Him, that He may work His will in us. It remains for us to choose whether we will be set free from the bondage of sin, to share the glorious liberty of the sons of God.—Steps to Christ, p. 43. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/11/03.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/11/03.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..f5112ba0e4 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/11/03.md @@ -0,0 +1,33 @@ +--- +title: The Just and the Justifier +date: 10/03/2025 +--- + +At every turn, Christ’s work undoes the work of the devil. And, according to 1 John 3:8, Jesus “was revealed for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8, NRSV) and to “destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil” (Heb. 2:14, NRSV). Yet, the total defeat of the enemy’s rulership takes place in two stages. First, through the work of the Cross, Christ disproves Satan’s slanderous allegations. And, later, Satan and his kingdom will be destroyed. + +`Read Romans 3:23–26 and Romans 5:8. What do these passages reveal about the way Christ defeats the allegations of the devil?` + +As we have seen, the enemy claims that God is not fully righteous and loving. However, in Christ, God provides the ultimate manifestation of God’s righteousness and love, and He did so through the Cross. + +After the death of Jesus, “Satan saw that his disguise was torn away. His administration was laid open before the unfallen angels and before the heavenly universe. He had revealed himself as a murderer. By shedding the blood of the Son of God, he had uprooted himself from the sympathies of the heavenly beings.”—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 761. + +`Read Revelation 12:10–12 in light of Genesis 3:15. How does this passage shed light on the cosmic significance of Christ’s victory at the cross?` + +The history of redemption provides abundant evidence for us to be confident that God always works to bring about in the end what is good for all concerned. The God of Scripture always does what is good and preferable, given the avenues available to Him in the great controversy (Deut. 32:4, 1 Sam. 3:18, Ps. 145:17, Dan. 4:37, Hab. 1:13, Rev. 15:3, Gen. 18:25). + +`Why is the demonstration of God’s righteousness and love in the cosmic conflict so important? When you reflect on the Cross and all of God’s works in the plan of redemption, how do God’s works give you confidence in the love of God, even amid trials and sufferings?` + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +The atonement of Christ is not a mere skillful way to have our sins pardoned; it is a divine remedy for the cure of transgression and the restoration of spiritual health. It is the Heaven-ordained means by which the righteousness of Christ may be not only upon us but in our hearts and characters.\ +Christ came to this world to show us what God can do and what we can do in cooperation with God. In human flesh He went into the wilderness to be tempted by the enemy. He knows what it is to hunger and thirst. He knows the weakness and the infirmities of the flesh. He was tempted in all points like as we are tempted.\ +Our ransom has been paid by our Saviour. No one need be enslaved by Satan. Christ stands before us as our divine example, our all-powerful Helper. We have been bought with a price that it is impossible to compute. Who can measure the goodness and mercy of redeeming love.—Ellen G. White Comments, in The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 6, p. 1074. + +The abundant evidence given by God that He desires the salvation of all, will be the condemnation of those who refuse the gift of heaven. At the last great day, when all will be rewarded or punished according to their obedience or disobedience, the cross of Calvary will appear plainly before those standing before the Judge of all the earth to receive sentence for eternity. . . .\ +With deep solicitude Heaven watches the conflict between good and evil. None but the obedient can enter the gates of the city of God. Upon those who choose to continue in transgression the death sentence must at last be pronounced. The earth will be purified from their misdoings, their defiance of God.\ +God’s law is the transcript of His character. . . . The rules of life that the Lord has given will make men pure and happy and holy. Those only who obey these rules can hear from the lips of Christ the words, “Come up higher.”—In Heavenly Places, p. 361. + +Every manifestation of God’s power for His people arouses the enmity of Satan. Every time God works in their behalf, Satan with his angels works with renewed vigor to compass their ruin. . . . He endeavors to affright their souls with the thought that their case is hopeless, that the stain of their defilement can never be washed away. He hopes so to destroy their faith that they will yield fully to his temptations, and turn from their allegiance to God.\ +The Lord’s people cannot of themselves answer the charges of Satan. As they look to themselves they are ready to despair. But they appeal to the divine Advocate. They plead the merits of the Redeemer. God can be “just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.” Romans 3:26. With confidence the Lord’s children cry unto Him to silence the accusations of Satan, and bring to naught his devices. . . . [A]nd with the mighty argument of the cross, Christ silences the bold accuser.—Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 168. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/11/04.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/11/04.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..f633dc134b --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/11/04.md @@ -0,0 +1,26 @@ +--- +title: The Song of My Beloved +date: 11/03/2025 +--- + +In amazing ways, God has manifested His love and righteousness amid the cosmic conflict. Yet, some might ask, Should God have done more than He has done to prevent and/or remove evil? We have seen a cosmic conflict framework that indicates that God has acted in order to respect the free will necessary for the maximal flourishing of love relationships between Him and humanity. Further, He has apparently acted within moral constraints, or rules of engagement, within the context of a cosmic dispute over His character, which can be settled only by the demonstration of His love. + +`Read Isaiah 5:1–4. Who is speaking in these verses? Whom is Isaiah speaking about? Whom do the vineyard and vineyard owner represent? What is the significance of the actions of the vineyard owner on behalf of the vineyard? What is the result?` + +In these verses, Isaiah sings a song of his beloved, a vineyard. The vineyard owner is God Himself, and the vineyard represents God’s people (see, for example, Isa. 1:8, Jer. 2:21). But the implications here can also be expanded relative to God’s broader work in this world. According to these verses, the vineyard owner (God) did everything that reasonably could be expected to ensure the flourishing of His vineyard. The vineyard should have produced good grapes, but it produced only “wild grapes,” which other translations refer to as “worthless.” Indeed, the Hebrew wording here literally could be translated stink-fruit. God’s vineyard brings forth rotten grapes. + +Isaiah 5:3 shifts to God Himself speaking, inviting people to “judge” between Him and His vineyard. And, in Isaiah 5:4, God Himself sets forth the all-important question: “ ‘What more could have been done to My vineyard that I have not done in it? Why then, when I expected it to bring forth good grapes, did it bring forth wild grapes?’ ” (NKJV). What more could He do? How fascinating that He even asks others to judge what He has done. + +`When you look at the cross, where God offered Himself as a sacrifice for all our sin, how do His words—“ ‘What more could have been done to My vineyard that I have not done in it?’ ”—take on an utterly amazing significance?` + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +God in His Son had been seeking fruit, and had found none. Israel was a cumberer of the ground. Its very existence was a curse; for it filled the place in the vineyard that a fruitful tree might fill. It robbed the world of the blessings that God designed to give. The Israelites had misrepresented God among the nations. They were not merely useless, but a decided hindrance. To a great degree their religion was misleading, and wrought ruin instead of salvation.\ +In the parable the dresser of the vineyard does not question the sentence that the tree, if it remained fruitless, should be cut down; but he knows and shares the owner’s interest in that barren tree. Nothing could give him greater joy than to see its growth and fruitfulness. He responds to the desire of the owner, saying, “Let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it and dung it; and if it bear fruit, well.”\ +The gardener does not refuse to minister to so unpromising a plant. He stands ready to give it still greater care. He will make its surroundings most favorable, and will lavish upon it every attention.—Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 215. + +On the hills of Palestine our heavenly Father had planted this goodly Vine, and He Himself was the husbandman. Many were attracted by the beauty of this Vine, and declared its heavenly origin. But to the leaders in Israel it appeared as a root out of a dry ground. They took the plant, and bruised it, and trampled it under their unholy feet. Their thought was to destroy it forever. But the heavenly Husbandman never lost sight of His plant. After men thought they had killed it, He took it, and replanted it on the other side of the wall. The vine stock was to be no longer visible. It was hidden from the rude assaults of men. But the branches of the Vine hung over the wall. They were to represent the Vine. Through them grafts might still be united to the Vine. From them fruit has been obtained. There has been a harvest which the passers-by have plucked.—The Desire of Ages, p. 675. + +Could God give us any greater proof of His love than in thus giving His Son to pass through this scene of suffering? And as the gift of God to man was a free gift, His love infinite, so His claims upon our confidence, our obedience, our whole heart, and the wealth of our affections are correspondingly infinite. He requires all that it is possible for man to give. The submission on our part must be proportionate to the gift of God; it must be complete and wanting in nothing. We are all debtors to God. He has claims upon us that we cannot meet without giving ourselves a full and willing sacrifice. He claims prompt and willing obedience, and nothing short of this will He accept.—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 3, p. 369. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/11/05.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/11/05.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..fdb762fbc2 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/11/05.md @@ -0,0 +1,28 @@ +--- +title: Christ’s Parable of the Vineyard +date: 12/03/2025 +--- + +In the parable of the vineyard owner, in Matthew 21, Jesus picks up where Isaiah 5 left off, shedding additional light on the character and actions of the vineyard owner on behalf of His vineyard. + +`Read Matthew 21:33–39 with particularly the question of Isaiah 5:4 in mind. What more could He do than what He has done?` + +The first part of Christ’s parable quotes directly from the song of Isaiah 5 about the vineyard owner and His vineyard. Then, Jesus adds, the vineyard owner “ ‘leased’ ” His vineyard “ ‘to vinedressers and went into a far country’ ” (Matt. 21:33, NKJV). Yet, when the vineyard owner twice sent His servants (the prophets) to collect the produce, those renting His vineyard beat and killed His servants (Matt. 21:34–36). Finally, He sent His Son (Jesus), saying, “ ‘They will respect my son’ ” (Matt. 21:37, NKJV). But they murdered His Son, too, saying, “ ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’ So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him” (Matt. 21:38, 39, NKJV). + +What more could He do? The Father loved us so much that He gave His beloved Son (John 3:16). If the cosmic conflict is of the kind suggested here, it could not be settled prematurely by exercise of divine power but required first a public demonstration of God’s character. This demonstration has been set forth ultimately in the work of Christ (Rom. 3:25, 26; Rom. 5:8). What more could we ask than that God (in Christ) give Himself to die for us so that He might justify us without in any way compromising His justice and perfect love? + +The cross event demonstrates that God has done everything that could be done to mitigate and eliminate evil, but without destroying the context for the flourishing of genuine love. If there had been any preferable avenue available to God, would He not have chosen it? While people suffer greatly in this cosmic conflict, God Himself suffers most of all. When we look at the Cross, we can, indeed, see what suffering and pain sin has brought to God Himself. Yet, so sacred was the freedom inherent in love that Christ was willing to endure this in our behalf. + +`Read Isaiah 53:4. Whose “griefs” and “sorrows” did Christ bear on the cross? What should this tell us about all that God has done for us and what salvation has cost Him?` + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +This parable [of the vineyard] is of great importance to all who are entrusted with responsibilities in the Lord’s service. God selected a people to be educated by Christ. He brought them into the wilderness to be trained for His service, and there gave them the highest code of morality—His holy law. To them was committed God’s lesson book, the Old Testament Scriptures. Enshrouded in the pillar of cloud Christ led them in their wilderness wandering. By His own power He transplanted the wild vine from Egypt to His vineyard. Well might God ask, “What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done?” (Isaiah 5:4).\ +The history of the children of Israel is written for our admonition and instruction upon whom the ends of the world are come. Those who would stand firm in the faith in these last days, and finally gain an entrance into the heavenly Canaan, must listen to the words of warning spoken by Jesus Christ to the Israelites. These lessons were given to the church in the wilderness to be studied and heeded by God’s people throughout their generations forever. The experience of the people of God in the wilderness will be the experience of His people in this age. Truth is a safeguard in all time to those who will hold fast the faith once delivered to the saints.—The Upward Look, p. 232. + +The Jewish people might have repented, if they would, but they were clothed with the garments of their own self-righteousness. They claimed to be the descendants of Abraham, and looked upon every promise made to Israel as theirs. But the Israel of God are those who are converted, not those who are the lineal descendants of Abraham.—The Upward Look, p. 80. + +With amazement the angels beheld the infinite love of Jesus, who, suffering the most intense agony of mind and body, thought only of others, and encouraged the penitent soul to believe. In His humiliation He as a prophet had addressed the daughters of Jerusalem; as priest and advocate He had pleaded with the Father to forgive His murderers; as a loving Saviour He had forgiven the sins of the penitent thief. . . .\ +And now the Lord of glory was dying, a ransom for the race. In yielding up His precious life, Christ was not upheld by triumphant joy. All was oppressive gloom. It was not the dread of death that weighed upon Him. It was not the pain and ignominy of the cross that caused His inexpressible agony. Christ was the prince of sufferers; but His suffering was from a sense of the malignity of sin, a knowledge that through familiarity with evil, man had become blinded to its enormity. Christ saw how deep is the hold of sin upon the human heart, how few would be willing to break from its power. He knew that without help from God, humanity must perish, and He saw multitudes perishing within reach of abundant help.—The Desire of Ages, p. 752. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/11/06.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/11/06.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..be080c901c --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/11/06.md @@ -0,0 +1,32 @@ +--- +title: The Vindication of God’s Name +date: 13/03/2025 +--- + +Ultimately, God’s name is vindicated in every way. Through the work of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in the plan of redemption, the perfect righteousness and love of God is manifested beyond any reasonable doubt (see Rom. 3:25, 26; Rom. 5:8). + +`Read Romans 3:1–4 in light of Isaiah 5:3, 4. What does this teach about God Himself being vindicated in the cosmic conflict? What more could He do than what He has done?` + +In Romans 3 and Isaiah 5, we see that God (in some limited sense) invites mere creatures to judge His character, even though we have no right or standing to do so. In the end, when all the “books” are opened, we will see the evidence that God is perfectly just and righteous. God will vindicate Himself before all intelligent creation. + +`Read Revelation 15:3 and Revelation 19:1–6. What do these passages teach about the vindication of God’s name in the end? What more could He do than what He has done?` + +Throughout Scripture, God shows concern for His name. Why? You cannot have a deep love relationship with someone whose character you detest or do not trust. If someone told your spouse or spouse-to-be horrible lies about your character, you would do what you could to counter any such claims, for if such claims are believed, they would fracture your love relationship. + +In the end, God is vindicated at the cross and through the entire plan of redemption. In the pre-Advent judgment, God is vindicated before the onlooking universe. + +Then, in the post-Advent judgment, during which the redeemed will even “judge angels” (1 Cor. 6:2, 3), God is vindicated, as the redeemed have been given the opportunity to review the records and see for themselves why God has acted as He has, and that all of God’s judgments have always and only been perfectly righteous and loving. Who among us doesn’t have a lot of questions that need answering? Before it’s all done, we will have those questions answered (see 1 Cor. 4:5). + +Finally, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord (Phil. 2:10, 11). This is all part of the vindication of the character of God. + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +Fallen man, because of his guilt, could no longer come directly before God with his supplications; for his transgression of the divine law had placed an impassable barrier between the holy God and the transgressor. But a plan was devised that the sentence of death should rest upon a Substitute. In the plan of redemption there must be the shedding of blood, for death must come in consequence of man’s sin. The beasts for sacrificial offerings were to prefigure Christ. In the slain victim, man was to see the fulfillment for the time being of God’s word, “Thou shalt surely die.” And the flowing of the blood from the victim would also signify an atonement. There was no virtue in the blood of animals; but the shedding of the blood of beasts was to point forward to a Redeemer who would one day come to the world and die for the sins of men. And thus Christ would fully vindicate His Father’s law.—Confrontation, p. 21. + +What sustained the Son of God during His life of toil and sacrifice? He saw the results of the travail of His soul and was satisfied. Looking into eternity, He beheld the happiness of those who through His humiliation had received pardon and everlasting life. His ear caught the shout of the redeemed. He heard the ransomed ones singing the song of Moses and the Lamb.\ +We may have a vision of the future, the blessedness of heaven. In the Bible are revealed visions of the future glory, scenes pictured by the hand of God, and these are dear to His church. By faith we may stand on the threshold of the eternal city, and hear the gracious welcome given to those who in this life co-operate with Christ, regarding it as an honor to suffer for His sake. As the words are spoken, “Come, ye blessed of My Father,” they cast their crowns at the feet of the Redeemer, exclaiming, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing. . . . Honor, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.” Matthew 25:34; Revelation 5:12, 13.—The Acts of the Apostles, p. 601. + +Ever before Him, Christ saw the result of His mission. His earthly life, so full of toil and self-sacrifice, was cheered by the thought that He would not have all this travail for nought. By giving His life for the life of men, He would restore in humanity the image of God. He would lift us up from the dust, reshape the character after the pattern of His own character, and make it beautiful with His own glory. . . .\ +Although the baptism of blood must first be received, although the sins of the world were to weigh upon His innocent soul, although the shadow of an unspeakable woe was upon Him; yet for the joy that was set before Him He chose to endure the cross and despised the shame.—The Ministry of Healing, p. 504. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/11/07.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/11/07.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..a012ba45e0 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/11/07.md @@ -0,0 +1,27 @@ +--- +title: Further Thought +date: 14/03/2025 +--- + +Read Ellen G. White, “The Reward of Earnest Effort,” pp. 285–288, in Testimonies for the Church, vol. 9. + +“All that has perplexed us in the providences of God will in the world to come be made plain. The things hard to be understood will then find explanation. The mysteries of grace will unfold before us. Where our finite minds discovered only confusion and broken promises, we shall see the most perfect and beautiful harmony. We shall know that infinite love ordered the experiences that seemed most trying. As we realize the tender care of Him who makes all things work together for our good, we shall rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.”—Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, vol. 9, p. 286. + +**Discussion Questions**: + +`Have you been perplexed in trying to understand the providences of God? How does it comfort you to know that all such things will be made plain in the end?` + +`Ponder what Christ gave up in order to become human and to die for this world. Further reflect on what this tells us about God’s love and whether God can be trusted. What more could He do?` + +`What is so important about God’s “name”? What implications does this have for those of us who call ourselves Christian? In what ways have Christians sometimes brought disrepute on the name of Christ, and what can we do in our local communities to show people what following Christ looks like in practice?` + +`In the end, even our best “answers” relative to the problem of evil are incomplete for now. What can we do in practice to draw close to those who are suffering and be agents of relieving suffering in this world as we await the final, eschatological solution to the problem of evil that only God can bring?` + +`Dwell more on Isaiah 53:4, on the fact that Christ bore our “griefs” and “sorrows.” What happened corporately at the Cross that helps us understand the plan of salvation and what it cost God to save us?` + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +The Acts of the Apostles, “God’s Purposes for His Church,” pp. 14–16;\ +Lift Him Up, “What More Could I Have Done?” p. 216. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/11/info.yml b/src/en/ss/2025-01/11/info.yml new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..e55810128b --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/11/info.yml @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +--- +title: "What More Could I Have Done?" +start_date: "08/03/2025" +end_date: "14/03/2025" \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/11/inside-story.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/11/inside-story.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..4e42974e47 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/11/inside-story.md @@ -0,0 +1,36 @@ +--- +title: Inside Story +date: 14/03/2025 +--- + +#### The Persistent Mother: Part 3 + +_By Andrew McChesney_ + +Pediatrician Colette Reahl hoped to bring the 13-year-old Alaska Native girl home before the Sabbath hours. She had told Matrona that she was a Seventh-day Adventist, but it seemed like a good idea to get settled at home in Anchorage before spending their first Sabbath together. + +Alaskan adoption authorities, however, had other ideas. They told Colette that she could take the girl on Sabbath. + +The day before the big move, Colette called Matrona at her facility in Anchorage. “I usually go to church on Sabbath,” she said. “Would you like to go with me?” + +“No,” Matrona said. + +When Matrona arrived the next morning, she announced that she wanted to watch television. + +“On Sabbaths in my house, we watch Christian-themed shows or nature videos,” Colette replied. + +Matrona was surprised. She asked if she could watch an animated television show about wild animals instead. + +Colette and Matrona got to spend two months of quality time together in Anchorage before moving to Bethel, where Colette had a new job at a hospital. During that time, they developed routines and built their relationship. They had morning and evening worship, and Matrona grew spiritually. + +Today, Matrona is 15, and she loves living in Bethel, where she goes to homeschool, takes piano lessons, has many friends, and is actively involved in the life of Bethel Seventh-day Adventist Church. + +“God just orchestrated everything,” said Colette, who, in addition to working as a pediatrician, serves as a Bible worker and coleader of the church. + +“The sassy Matrona whom I first met on the phone is very different from the Matrona now,” she said. “She is a leader for the kids at church and in the community. I see God working in her life and maturing her faith.” + +Matrona expressed gratitude for Colette’s persistent phone calls and now her persistent love as a mother. “If she hadn’t tried and tried to get through to me, I wouldn’t know who God is,” she said. + +She said God used Colette to change her life. “How she found me was no coincidence,” she said. “I feel that God led her to me and God led me to her. God has brought me to a good place and given me peace.” + +_This mission story offers an inside look at Bethel (Alaska) Seventh-day Adventist Church, which received part of a 2024 Thirteenth Sabbath Offering. Thank you for helping spread the gospel with this quarter’s Thirteenth Sabbath Offering on March 29._ \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/11/teacher-comments.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/11/teacher-comments.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..d8aa965500 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/11/teacher-comments.md @@ -0,0 +1,62 @@ +--- +title: Teacher Comments +date: 14/03/2025 +--- + +#### Part I: Overview + +Key Text: John 18:37 + +Study Focus: Isa. 5:1–4; Matt. 21:33–41; Rom. 3:25, 26; Rom. 5:8; Rev. 15:3; Rev. 19:2. + +Introduction: We are invited to acknowledge and proclaim God’s justice and His loving intentions toward His people. + +Lesson Themes: This week’s lesson emphasizes three main points: + +1. We need to acknowledge God’s justice. We are invited to acknowledge that God is just. In the parable of the vineyard, the justice of God is figuratively affirmed and acknowledged by the audience. Jesus tells the parable in such a way that the audience would acknowledge the legitimacy of the landowner’s actions in contrast to the vinedressers. + +2. We need to acknowledge God’s loving intentions. In Matthew 21:33–41, the audience acknowledges that the landowner had done everything he could before bringing judgment. Also, in Isaiah 5, God Himself points out that He had done everything that He could for His people. The question “ ‘What more could have been done to My vineyard that I have not done in it?’ ” is an appeal to the recognition of God’s loving intentions and actions on behalf of His people (Isa. 5:4, NKJV). + +3. We need to proclaim God’s justice and loving intentions. The Bible invites us not only to recognize God’s justice and His loving actions but also to proclaim that God is perfectly just and righteous. In Revelation 15:3, the saints sing and proclaim: “ ‘Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints!’ ” (NKJV). + +Life Application: How can we acknowledge and proclaim God’s justice and loving intentions in our daily life and in our conversations about God? + +#### Part II: Commentary + +**1. We Need to Acknowledge God’s Justice.** + +According to Scripture, we, as feeble and limited creatures, are not in a position to judge God’s ways (see God’s speech at the end of the book of Job, Job 38–42; see also Rom. 9:20). At the same time, we are invited to acknowledge that God is just. Romans 3:26 indicates that the blood of Christ is a demonstration (the Greek term is endeixis) of God’s righteousness, because He patiently had not taken into consideration “the sins that were previously committed” (Rom. 3:25, NKJV). Therefore, the blood of Christ shows that God is not only forgiving (justifier) but also just. It is noteworthy that the Greek noun endeixis, which is translated as “demonstration” (NASB)—as in “it was to show” (ESV), “it was to prove” (NRSV)—conveys the meaning of “someth [something] that compels acceptance of someth. mentally or emotionally, demonstration, proof.”—Frederick W. Danker, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), p. 332. + +Hence, the use of this noun in Romans 3:26 underscores that God is not only just, but that He intends to demonstrate, to show, to prove to us that He is just. Thomas Schreiner argues that, in this passage, we find God’s “desire to demonstrate his righteousness.” He adds, “By demonstrating his saving and judging righteousness, God has vindicated his name before the world.”—Romans: Baker Exegetical Commentary of the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1998), pp. 198, 199. + +In the parable of the vineyard (Matt. 21:33–41; see also Mark 12:1–12, Luke 20:9–19), the justice of God is figuratively affirmed, and therefore acknowledged, by the audience. In the narrative sequence of the parable, Jesus presents a progression of reasonable decisions taken by the landowner of the vineyard, in response to the unreasonable attitudes of the vinedressers to whom he leased the vineyard. Because the landowner had gone to a far country, it was plausible for him to send servants to receive the fruit of the vineyard, close to vintage time. Absurd was the fact that the vinedressers violently mistreated the servants twice and even killed one of them. Again, it was plausible for the landowner eventually to send his son, assuming that the vinedressers would show him respect. However, in an even more absurd reaction, the vinedressers insanely killed the son, as well, in order to steal his inheritance. + +Jesus tells this parable in such a way that the audience is able to follow, and progressively acknowledge, the legitimacy of the landowner’s actions, in contrast to the madness of the vinedressers. Jesus is even capable of taking the conclusion of the parable straight from the lips of the audience. He asks them, “ ‘Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?’ They said to Him, ‘He will destroy those wicked men miserably, and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons’ ” (Matt. 21:40, 41, NKJV). + +Hence, the audience of the parable is able to conclude that nothing more could be done by the landowner. As they clearly recognize, he did everything he could to deal with the vinedressers in a proper way. Thus, he is deemed just in the eyes of the audience in the expected punishment of the evil vinedressers. Inasmuch as this parable is a figurative teaching about the justice of God, He is not only just, but He is perceived as such. This perception seems to be part of Jesus’ intention, as we observe, from the interactive way in which He concludes the parable. This perception of justice in the eyes of the audience arises from a clear acknowledgment that the landowner had done everything he could to maintain a proper relationship with those acting wickedly, before having to destructively judge them. + +**2. We Need to Acknowledge God’s Loving Intentions.** + +If, in the parable of the vineyard, as told by Jesus in Matthew 21:33–41, the conclusion of the audience implies that they recognize that the landowner had done everything he could before bringing judgment, then in the “song of my Beloved regarding His vineyard,” in Isaiah 5 (NKJV), God Himself affirms that He had done everything He could for His people. While in the parable of the vineyard told by Jesus, the problem was with vinedressers, which is a figurative reference to “the chief priests and Pharisees” (Matt. 21:45). But in the song of Isaiah 5, the problem is with the vineyard itself, which figuratively refers to “the house of Israel” (Isa. 5:7), the “people of Judah” (Isa. 5:3, 7, NASB). + +Like the landowner of the parable, who had done everything he could to maintain a proper relationship with the vinedressers, the Beloved of the song did everything in his power to make the vineyard produce good grapes. More specifically, he selected “a very fruitful hill” (Isa. 5:1), “dug it up and cleared out its stones,” “planted it with the choicest vine,” “built a tower in its midst,” and “made a winepress in it” (Isa. 5:2, NKJV). All these preparatory actions were nurtured by the positive expectation that the vineyard would “bring forth good grapes,” but unfortunately, “it brought forth wild grapes” (Isa. 5:2, NKJV). In concrete terms, God “looked for justice” among His people, but what He saw was oppression. He looked for “righteousness,” but what He heard was “a cry for help” (Isa. 5:7, NKJV). + +While Jesus asks His audience to answer what would be the reasonable action of the landowner after everything he had done in the context of the parable, God invites the people of Judah, in Isaiah, to “judge” between Him and His vineyard (Isa. 5:3, NKJV). This judgment should take into account the following question: “ ‘What more could have been done to My vineyard that I have not done in it?’ ” (Isa. 5:4, NKJV). This rhetorical question should lead to the conclusion that God had done everything He could for His people to produce “good fruits,” so to speak. Therefore, this question is, ultimately, an invitation to acknowledge all the loving intentions, actions, and expectations that God possesses on behalf of His people. + +Furthermore, God not only loves His people, as Romans 5:8 underscores, but He also demonstrates this love to them. What is demonstrated can be more naturally acknowledged or recognized by us. As in Romans 3:26 the language of demonstration (endeixis) is employed to affirm that God is just, on the basis of the blood of Christ, so also does Romans 5:8 use this language in connection with Christ’s death for us, now with the verb synístēmi, to affirm that God loves us. This Greek verb conveys the meaning of providing “evidence of a personal characteristic or claim through action, demonstrate, show, bring out.”—Danker et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, p. 973. Different Bible versions emphasize this idea using similar words: “God shows his love for us” (ESV), “God demonstrates His own love toward us” (NASB), “God proves his love for us” (NRSV). + +**3. We Need to Proclaim God’s Justice and Loving Intentions.** + +The Bible does more than invite us to acknowledge or recognize God’s justice and His loving intentions toward His people. We also are supposed to proclaim what we acknowledge or recognize in God. For instance, we find this type of proclamation sung by the saints in Revelation. In Revelation 15:3 they sing, “ ‘Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints!’ ” (NKJV). Likewise in Revelation 19:2, a great multitude in heaven says in a loud voice, “ ‘True and righteous are His judgments, because He has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication; and He has avenged on her the blood of His servants shed by her’ ” (NKJV). + +#### Part III: Life Application + +Romans 3:26 highlights that God is not only just, but He also intends to demonstrate, to show or prove, that He is just. With this idea in mind, discuss the following questions with your class: + +1. How reassuring is it to know that God does everything to demonstrate His righteousness and justice for His people? How does this make you feel about God? + +2. How does the acknowledgment of God’s justice and His intentions of love toward His people inform our proclamation of His righteousness to others? How can this acknowledgment be highlighted in our preaching of the gospel? + +3. How can we be intentional in demonstrating our love for God, even in times of suffering? + +`Notes` \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/12/01.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/12/01.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..892f6e2045 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/12/01.md @@ -0,0 +1,29 @@ +--- +title: "Love and Justice: The Two Greatest Commandments" +date: 15/03/2025 +--- + +### Read for This Week’s Study +Matt. 22:34–40, Zech. 7:9–12, Psalm 82, Micah 6:8, Matt. 23:23–30, Luke 10:25–37. + +>Memory Text:
+> “If someone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?” (1 John 4:20, NKJV). + +Though we have confidence that God will make all things right in the end, it still matters what we, as Christians, do in the here and now. Though there may be many injustices and evils that God will not now eradicate (because of the parameters of the cosmic conflict), this doesn’t mean that we can’t be used to help alleviate whatever suffering and evil we come across, at least to whatever degree possible. In fact, we are obligated, as Christians, to do just that. + +As we have seen, love and justice go together; they are inseparable. God loves justice. Accordingly, if we love God, we will love justice, as well. + +Likewise, if we love God, we will love one another. Part of loving one another is sharing a concern for the well-being of those around us. When others are afflicted by poverty, oppression, or any kind of injustice, we should be concerned. When others are oppressed, we should not turn a blind eye. Instead, we should ask ourselves what we can do, individually and corporately, to advance God’s love and justice in a way that reflects to our broken world our Lord’s perfect character of righteousness and love. + +_*Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, March 22._ + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +John’s love for his Master was not a mere human friendship, but it was the love of a repentant sinner, who felt that he had been redeemed by the precious blood of Christ. He esteemed it the highest honor to work and suffer in the service of his Lord. His love for Jesus led him to love all for whom Christ died. His religion was of a practical character. He reasoned that love to God would be manifested in love to His children. He was heard again and again to say, “Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another” (1 John 4:11). “We love him, because he first loved us. 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?” (verses 19, 20).\ +The apostle’s life was in harmony with his teachings. The love which glowed in his heart for Christ, led him to put forth the most earnest, untiring labor for his fellow men, especially for his brethren in the Christian church. He was a powerful preacher, fervent, and deeply in earnest, and his words carried with them a weight of conviction.—The Sanctified Life, p. 53. + +If we love God with all the heart, we must love His children also. This love is the spirit of God. It is the heavenly adorning that gives true nobility and dignity to the soul and assimilates our lives to that of the Master. No matter how many good qualities we may have, however honorable and refined we may consider ourselves, if the soul is not baptized with the heavenly grace of love to God and one another, we are deficient in true goodness and unfit for heaven, where all is love and unity.—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 4, p. 223. + +The servants of Christ are not to act out the dictates of the natural heart. They need to have close communion with God, lest, under provocation, self rise up, and they pour forth a torrent of words that are unbefitting, that are not as dew or the still showers that refresh the withering plants. This is what Satan wants them to do; for these are his methods. It is the dragon that is wroth; it is the spirit of Satan that is revealed in anger and accusing. But God’s servants are to be representatives of Him. He desires them to deal only in the currency of heaven, the truth that bears His own image and superscription. The power by which they are to overcome evil is the power of Christ. The glory of Christ is their strength. They are to fix their eyes upon His loveliness. Then they can present the gospel with divine tact and gentleness. And the spirit that is kept gentle under provocation will speak more effectively in favor of the truth than will any argument.—The Desire of Ages, p. 353. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/12/02.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/12/02.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..2e6f8a2f14 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/12/02.md @@ -0,0 +1,30 @@ +--- +title: The Two Greatest Commandments +date: 16/03/2025 +--- + +To reflect on what we might do, individually and corporately, to advance God’s love and justice in our world, it is appropriate to begin by focusing on what God has commanded us. + +`Read Matthew 22:34–40. How did Jesus answer the lawyer’s question?` + +According to Jesus Himself, the “ ‘first and great commandment’ ” is “ ‘ “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” ’ ” And, Jesus adds, “ ‘the second is like it: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” ’ ” These commandments do not stand alone, however. Jesus further instructs: “ ‘On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets’ ” (Matt. 22:37–40, NKJV). Indeed, they are themselves quoted from the Old Testament. + +`Read Matthew 19:16–23. How do Jesus’ answers to the rich young ruler’s questions relate to His answers to the lawyer’s question in Matthew 22?` + +What was going on here? Why did Jesus answer this man as He did? And what should these encounters say to us all, regardless of our position or station in life? + +“Christ made the only terms which could place the ruler where he would perfect a Christian character. His words were words of wisdom, though they appeared severe and exacting. In accepting and obeying them was the ruler's only hope of salvation. His exalted position and his possessions were exerting a subtle influence for evil upon his character. If cherished, they would supplant God in his affections. To keep back little or much from God was to retain that which would lessen his moral strength and efficiency; for if the things of this world are cherished, however uncertain and unworthy they may be, they will become all-absorbing.”—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 520. + +`Though we might not all be called to sell all that we have, as was this rich young ruler, what might you, personally, be clinging to that, if you don’t give up, could lead to your eternal ruin?` + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +The lawyer was not satisfied with the position and works of the Pharisees. He had been studying the Scriptures with a desire to learn their real meaning. He had a vital interest in the matter, and had asked in sincerity, “What shall I do?” In his answer as to the requirements of the law, he passed by all the mass of ceremonial and ritualistic precepts. For these he claimed no value, but presented the two great principles on which hang all the law and the prophets. This answer, being commended by Christ, placed the Saviour on vantage ground with the rabbis. They could not condemn Him for sanctioning that which had been advanced by an expositor of the law.\ +“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 Desire of Ages, pp. 497, 498. + +When this young ruler came to Jesus, his sincerity and earnestness won the Saviour’s heart. He “beholding him loved him.” In this young man He saw one who might do service as a preacher of righteousness. He would have received this talented and noble youth as readily as He received the poor fishermen who followed Him. Had the young man devoted his ability to the work of saving souls, he might have become a diligent and successful laborer for Christ.\ +But first he must accept the conditions of discipleship. He must give himself unreservedly to God. At the Saviour’s call, John, Peter, Matthew, and their companions “left all, rose up, and followed Him.” Luke 5:28. The same consecration was required of the young ruler. And in this Christ did not ask a greater sacrifice than He Himself had made. “He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be rich.” 2 Corinthians 8:9. The young man had only to follow where Christ led the way.—Christ’s Object Lessons, pp. 392, 393. + +Those who love God cannot harbor hatred or envy. When the heavenly principle of eternal love fills the heart, it will flow out to others, not merely because favors are received of them, but because love is the principle of action and modifies the character, governs the impulses, controls the passions, subdues enmity, and elevates and ennobles the affections. This love is not contracted so as merely to include “me and mine,” but is as broad as the world and as high as heaven, and is in harmony with that of the angel workers. This love cherished in the soul sweetens the entire life and sheds a refining influence on all around.—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 4, p. 223. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/12/03.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/12/03.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..39e910b22a --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/12/03.md @@ -0,0 +1,34 @@ +--- +title: The Two Greatest Sins +date: 17/03/2025 +--- + +According to Jesus Himself, the two greatest commandments are love for God and love for one another. And carrying out these commands involves sacrifices that tangibly show love to others, which is what following in the footsteps of Jesus is really about. + +Now, if the two greatest commandments are love for God and love for others, what are the two greatest sins? + +`Read Psalm 135:13–19. What does this reveal about a common sin emphasized throughout Scripture?` + +The Old Testament continually emphasizes the importance of love for God above all (see Deut. 6:5). This is closely related to the great sin of idolatry, which is the opposite of love for God. + +`Read Zechariah 7:9–12. According to the prophet Zechariah in this passage, what does God decry? How does it and the sin of idolatry relate to the two great commandments?` + +It is not just idolatry to which God responds with the anger of love but the mistreatment of His people, whether individually or corporately. God becomes angry at injustice because God is love. + +The two great sins emphasized throughout the Old Testament are failings relative to the two great commandments: to love God and to love one another. The two greatest sins are failings of love. In short, then, you cannot keep the commandments if you do not love God and if you do not love others. + +Indeed, 1 John 4:20, 21 states: “If someone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also” (NKJV). + +`How do you explain why love for God cannot be separated from love for others? How do you understand this unbreakable link?` + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +Many who bear the name of Christians are serving other gods besides the Lord. Our Creator demands our supreme devotion, our first allegiance. Anything which tends to abate our love for God, or to interfere with the service due Him, becomes thereby an idol. With some their lands, their houses, their merchandise, are the idols. Business enterprises are prosecuted with zeal and energy, while the service of God is made a secondary consideration. Family worship is neglected, secret prayer is forgotten. Many claim to deal justly with their fellow men, and seem to feel that in so doing they discharge their whole duty. But it is not enough to keep the last six commandments of the decalogue. We are to love the Lord our God with all the heart. Nothing short of obedience to every precept—nothing less than supreme love to God as well as equal love to our fellow man—can satisfy the claims of the divine law.—Ellen G. White Comments, in The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 2, 1011. + +The enemy well knows that if we do not have love one for another, he can gain his object, and wound and weaken the church, by causing differences among brethren. He can lead them to surmise evil, to speak evil, to accuse, condemn, and hate one another. In this way the cause of God is brought into dishonor, the name of Christ is reproached, and untold harm is done to the souls of men. . . .\ +It is not the opposition of the world that will most endanger us; it is the evil cherished right in our midst that works our most grievous disaster. It is the unconsecrated lives of half-hearted professors that retard the work of the truth, and bring darkness upon the church of God.—This Day With God, p. 165. + +Let it be printed on the mind that mercy and the love of God are to be expressed to the children of God. Search heaven and earth, and there is no truth revealed more powerful than that which is manifested in mercy to the very ones who need your sympathy and aid in breaking the yoke, and setting free the oppressed. Here the truth is lived, the truth is obeyed, the truth is taught as it is in Jesus.\ +There is a great amount of truth professed, but truth practiced in relieving our fellow men is of great influence, reaching unto heaven, and compassing eternity. Every soul in our world is on trial; every man’s experience, the common life history, tells in unmistakable language whether he is a doer of Christ’s words and His works. There is constantly recurring a large array of little things that God alone sees; to act out in these things the principles of truth will bring a precious reward. The great and important things are recognized by nearly all, but the knitting of these things with the supposed smaller things of life and closely connecting them as one, is too rarely done by professed Christians. Religion is too much profession, and too little reality.—This Day With God, p. 224. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/12/04.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/12/04.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..d32e42561f --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/12/04.md @@ -0,0 +1,28 @@ +--- +title: God Loves Justice +date: 18/03/2025 +--- + +Scripture declares that God loves justice and hates evil (for example, Ps. 33:5, Isa. 61:8), and He is deeply concerned about injustice, which evokes righteous indignation on behalf of all those who are the victims of injustice. Throughout the Old and New Testaments, God is consistently passionate in favor of the downtrodden and oppressed while expressing righteous anger against the victimizers and oppressors. + +`Read Psalm 82. How does this psalm express God’s concern for justice in this world? What might it mean for us today?` + +As many commentators understand it, this passage decries both the earthly rulers responsible for the injustice in society and is also a reference to when God judges the celestial rulers (the “gods”) behind corrupt earthly judges and rulers (demonic forces, obviously). Specifically, the rulers are asked, “How long will you judge unjustly, and show partiality to the wicked?” (Ps. 82:2, NKJV). + +Further, they are charged: “Defend the poor and fatherless; do justice to the afflicted and needy. Deliver the poor and needy; free them from the hand of the wicked” (Ps. 82:3, 4, NKJV). Here and elsewhere, the prophets of the Old Testament set forth a clarion call for justice. This is no peripheral concern of Scripture; it is central to the message of the prophets throughout the Old Testament and to what Jesus spoke when here in the flesh. + +It is no secret what God desires and requires of those who would claim to love and obey Him. He specifies very clearly in Micah 6:8 (and in similar passages elsewhere): “He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” (NKJV). + +This sentiment is echoed throughout Scripture. For example, Jesus said: “ ‘By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another’ ” (John 13:35, NKJV; compare with 1 John 4:8–16). + +`What would our families and churches look like if we focused on Micah 6:8 and intentionally put it into practice in both word and deed? In whatever context you are in, how could the application of these principles be made manifest better?` + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +Christ came to give to the world an example of what perfect humanity might be when united with divinity. He presented to the world a new phase of greatness in His exhibition of mercy, compassion, and love. He gave to men a new interpretation of God. As head of humanity, He taught men lessons in the science of divine government, whereby He revealed the righteousness of the reconciliation of mercy and justice. The reconciliation of mercy and justice did not involve any compromise with sin, or ignore any claim of justice; but by giving to each divine attribute its ordained place, mercy could be exercised in the punishment of sinful, impenitent man without destroying its clemency or forfeiting its compassionate character, and justice could be exercised in forgiving the repenting transgressor without violating its integrity.—Selected Messages, book 1, p. 260.\ +Let those who occupy positions of trust rid themselves of the unmerciful spirit which so greatly offends God. Justice and judgment are the habitation of His throne. Let no one suppose that God has given to men the power of ruling their fellow-men. He will accept the service of no man who hurts and discourages Christ’s heritage. Now is the time for every man to examine himself, to prove himself, that he may see whether he is in the faith. Investigate closely the motives which prompt you to action. We are engaged in the work of the Most High. Let us not weave into the web of our work one thread of selfishness.—Manuscript 42, 1901. + +“By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples,” said Jesus, “if ye have love one to another.” When men are bound together, not by force or self-interest, but by love, they show the working of an influence that is above every human influence. Where this oneness exists, it is evidence that the image of God is being restored in humanity, that a new principle of life has been implanted. It shows that there is power in the divine nature to withstand the supernatural agencies of evil, and that the grace of God subdues the selfishness inherent in the natural heart.\ +This love, manifested in the church, will surely stir the wrath of Satan. Christ did not mark out for His disciples an easy path. “If the world hate you,” He said, “ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you.” . . . The gospel is to be carried forward by aggressive warfare, in the midst of opposition, peril, loss, and suffering. But those who do this work are only following in their Master’s steps.—Lift Him Up, p. 298. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/12/05.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/12/05.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..db6717f407 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/12/05.md @@ -0,0 +1,27 @@ +--- +title: Called to Establish Justice +date: 19/03/2025 +--- + +The prophets in Scripture continually highlight God’s call for justice in society. Again and again, Scripture does not shrink back from highlighting issues of injustice and oppression. Indeed, the call for God to bring judgment was itself the call for God to establish justice. + +For example, the prophet Isaiah does not mince words about the injustice in Israel at the time. His words and call for justice should ring loud and clear in our ears today. “ ‘Learn to do good; seek justice, rebuke the oppressor; defend the fatherless, plead for the widow’ ” (Isa. 1:17, NKJV). Further, he proclaims “ ‘woe’ ” against those who “ ‘decree unrighteous decrees’ ” and “ ‘rob the needy of justice’ ” (Isa. 10:1, 2, NKJV), warning: “ ‘What will you do in the day of punishment, and in the desolation which will come from afar? To whom will you flee for help? And where will you leave your glory?’ ” (Isa. 10:3, NKJV). + +Likewise, the prophet Jeremiah proclaims God’s message: “ ‘Woe to him who builds his house by unrighteousness and his chambers by injustice, who uses his neighbor’s service without wages and gives him nothing for his work. . . . Did not your father eat and drink, and do justice and righteousness? then it was well with him. He judged the cause of the poor and needy; then it was well. Was not this knowing Me?’ says the Lord” (Jer. 22:13, 15, 16, NKJV). + +`Read Matthew 23:23–30. What does Jesus teach here about what is most important? What do you think He means when He refers to “weightier matters”?` + +Lest one think that injustice was a concern only of Old Testament prophets, we see clearly here and elsewhere in Jesus’ ministry that this was of utmost concern to Christ Himself. As He puts it: “ ‘Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone’ ” (Matt. 23:23, NKJV). In the parallel passage in Luke, Jesus laments that they “ ‘pass by justice and the love of God’ ” (Luke 11:42, NKJV). + +`If you were to focus on the “weightier matters” today, what would that look like as opposed to whatever “tithe of mint and anise and cumin” we might be focusing on instead?` + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +The true worshipers of God will work the works of Christ. They will be liberal to the needy; they will not turn the poor from his right, nor frame an excuse to avoid helping those who need help; they will love their neighbors as themselves, not hiding themselves from their own flesh, but considering the condition of the poor, the fatherless, and the widow; they will not appropriate to themselves any portion of the just earnings of those who may be under their control. “Thou shalt not oppress a hired servant that is poor and needy, whether he be of thy brethren, or of thy strangers that are in thy land within thy gates: at his day thou shalt give him his hire, neither shall the sun go down upon it; for he is poor, and setteth his heart upon it: lest he cry against thee unto the Lord, and it be sin unto thee.” . . .\ +“And the word of the Lord came unto Zechariah, saying, Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment, and show mercy and compassion every man to his brother: and oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart.”—“The Blessed of the Father,” The Home Missionary, July 1, 1891. + +Read the words of Christ in Matthew 23:23: “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.” These denunciations are given as a warning to all who “outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within” “are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.” . . . What lessons are here; how fearful and decisive! Jesus said, “Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city.” This prophecy was literally fulfilled by the Jews in their treatment of Christ and of the messengers whom God sent to them. Will men in these last days follow the example of those whom Christ condemned?—Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, p. 79. + +Jesus was misunderstood by His brothers because He was not like them. His standard was not their standard. In looking to men they had turned away from God, and they had not His power in their lives. The forms of religion which they observed could not transform the character. They paid “tithe of mint and anise and cummin,” but omitted “the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith.” Matthew 23:23. The example of Jesus was to them a continual irritation. He hated but one thing in the world, and that was sin. He could not witness a wrong act without pain which it was impossible to disguise. Between the formalists, whose sanctity of appearance concealed the love of sin, and a character in which zeal for God’s glory was always paramount, the contrast was unmistakable. Because the life of Jesus condemned evil, He was opposed, both at home and abroad. His unselfishness and integrity were commented on with a sneer. His forbearance and kindness were termed cowardice.—The Desire of Ages, p. 88. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/12/06.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/12/06.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..36a2e23c09 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/12/06.md @@ -0,0 +1,30 @@ +--- +title: Who Is My Neighbor? +date: 20/03/2025 +--- + +In Luke’s account, just after Jesus declares the two greatest commandments of love for God and love for a neighbor, a lawyer, “wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbor?’ ” (Luke 10:29, NKJV). In response to this, Jesus tells the now-familiar, but then shocking, parable of the good Samaritan. + +`Read the parable of the good Samaritan in Luke 10:25–37. What is this passage saying in light of the cry of the prophets for mercy and justice and of the kinds of injustices that different people groups have inflicted on “others” throughout human history?` + +Jesus did not just talk about justice; He came to bring it. He was and will be the fulfillment of the prophetic call and longing for justice (see Luke 4:16–21 in light of Isaiah 61:1, 2). He is the desire of all nations, especially those who recognize their need for deliverance. + +In direct contrast to the enemy, who grasped for power and sought to usurp God’s throne, Jesus lowered Himself and identified with those under sin, injustice, and oppression (without being infected by sin), and He defeated the enemy by giving Himself in love in order to establish justice as the One who is just and the Justifier of all who believe. How can we claim to be concerned about the law that Christ died to uphold if we are not concerned about what Christ calls the weightier matters of the law? + +Psalm 9:8, 9 proclaims, “He shall judge the world in righteousness, and He shall administer judgment for the peoples in uprightness. The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble” (NKJV). Likewise, Psalm 146:7–9 adds, God “executes justice for the oppressed” and “gives food to the hungry. The Lord gives freedom to the prisoners. The Lord opens the eyes of the blind; the Lord raises those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous. The Lord watches over the strangers; He relieves the fatherless and widow; but the way of the wicked He turns upside down” (NKJV). + +How much clearer could the Word of God be in regard to how we should seek to minister to those around us who are in need and are hurting? + +`What can we learn from the life and ministry of Jesus about reaching out to those in need? Even if we can’t perform miracles as He did, for many hurt people, how could our help be deemed “miraculous” enough?` + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +Many, many, have fainted and become discouraged in the great struggle of life, when one word of kindly cheer would have strengthened them to overcome. Never should we pass by one suffering soul without seeking to impart to him of the comfort wherewith we are comforted of God.\ +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.—The Desire of Ages, pp. 504, 505. + +The characteristics most needful to be cherished by God’s commandment-keeping people are patience and long-suffering, peace and love. When love is lacking, irretrievable loss is sustained; for souls are driven away from the truth, even after they have been connected with the cause of God. Our brethren in responsible positions, who have strength of influence, should remember the words of the apostle Paul, spoken by the Holy Spirit: “We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let every one of us please his neighbor for his good to edification. For even Christ pleased not Himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached Thee fell on Me.” Romans 15:1-3.—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 6, p. 398. + +No matter how high the profession, he whose heart is not filled with love for God and his fellow men is not a true disciple of Christ. Though he should possess great faith and have power even to work miracles, yet without love his faith would be worthless. He might display great liberality; but should he, from some other motive than genuine love, bestow all his goods to feed the poor, the act would not commend him to the favor of God. In his zeal he might even meet a martyr’s death, yet if not actuated by love, he would be regarded by God as a deluded enthusiast or an ambitious hypocrite.\ +“Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up.” The purest joy springs from the deepest humiliation. The strongest and noblest characters are built on the foundation of patience, love, and submission to God’s will.—The Acts of the Apostles, pp. 318, 319. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/12/07.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/12/07.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..093813c46b --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/12/07.md @@ -0,0 +1,27 @@ +--- +title: Further Thought +date: 21/03/2025 +--- + +Read Ellen G. White, “The Sabbath,” pp. 281–289, in The Desire of Ages. + +“The spies dared not answer Christ in the presence of the multitude, for fear of involving themselves in difficulty. They knew that He had spoken the truth. Rather than violate their traditions, they would leave a man to suffer, while they would relieve a brute because of the loss to the owner if it were neglected. Thus greater care was shown for a dumb animal than for man, who is made in the image of God. This illustrates the working of all false religions. They originate in man’s desire to exalt himself above God, but they result in degrading man below the brute. Every religion that wars against the sovereignty of God defrauds man of the glory which was his at the Creation, and which is to be restored to him in Christ. Every false religion teaches its adherents to be careless of human needs, sufferings, and rights. The gospel places a high value upon humanity as the purchase of the blood of Christ, and it teaches a tender regard for the wants and woes of man. The Lord says, ‘I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir.’ Isa. 13:12. + +“When Jesus turned upon the Pharisees with the question whether it was lawful on the Sabbath day to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill, He confronted them with their own wicked purposes. They were hunting His life with bitter hatred, while He was saving life and bringing happiness to multitudes. Was it better to slay upon the Sabbath, as they were planning to do, than to heal the afflicted, as He had done? Was it more righteous to have murder in the heart upon God’s holy day than love to all men, which finds expression in deeds of mercy?”—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, pp. 286, 287. + +**Discussion Questions**: + +`Why and how is it true that “Every false religion teaches its adherents to be careless of human needs”? How can we act intentionally so as to avoid such carelessness in our church communities and beyond?` + +`Who is my neighbor? Who is your neighbor? In what practical ways should following Christ make us more like the Samaritan who crossed the boundaries of his day to act out love?` + +`If God loves justice and mercy, how should we act in accordance with what matters most to God? How can we be more focused on what Jesus called “the weightier matters of the law”?` + +`When we think and talk about judgment, how often do we emphasize that a primary way Jesus discusses judgment is in terms of whether, and to what extent, we actively love others, particularly the oppressed and downtrodden? Reflect on this in light of Matthew 25:31–46.` + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +Manuscript 62, “Home Missionary Work,” August 18, 1894;\ +Reflecting Christ, “Perfect Oneness Will Give Success,” p. 200. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/12/info.yml b/src/en/ss/2025-01/12/info.yml new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..e972fef518 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/12/info.yml @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +--- +title: "Love and Justice: The Two Greatest Commandments" +start_date: "15/03/2025" +end_date: "21/03/2025" \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/12/inside-story.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/12/inside-story.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..22076fb46b --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/12/inside-story.md @@ -0,0 +1,32 @@ +--- +title: Inside Story +date: 21/03/2025 +--- + +#### Stuck in the Middle East + +_By Andrew McChesney_ + +Ki-nam’s world came crashing down after she arrived from South Korea to work as a student missionary in the Middle East. She arrived on a short-term tourist visa that needed to be upgraded to a residence visa, allowing her to stay for a full year. Her apartment landlord had agreed to sign the paperwork, giving her proof of residence for the new visa. But suddenly he changed his mind and demanded a large sum of money to sign the document. + +Ki-nam didn’t have the money. The missionary leader overseeing the small group of student missionaries didn’t have the money. The small Seventh-day Adventist community didn’t have the money. The community mainly was comprised of poor refugees who worshiped in a house church. + +Ki-nam’s choices were limited. She couldn’t simply move to another apartment because it was difficult to find landlords willing to rent to foreigners. Staying illegally in the country wasn’t an option, and she didn’t want to bribe an official for the resident visa. + +She prayed, “Lord, if You sent me here, You should solve my problem.” She prayed every day for two months. Her parents in South Korea prayed. The missionary leader put Ki-nam’s name on the house church’s prayer list, and church members prayed. + +Two months passed, and the landlord didn’t sign the document. + +Then the day arrived when Ki-nam had to go for an interview for a new visa. But she didn’t have any documents to support a new visa. + +Shortly before the interview, Ki-nam’s cell phone rang. It was the missionary leader. “There may be a solution,” he said. “Let’s go.” + +He explained that a church member had felt impressed to stop by a real estate agency just a few minutes earlier. The church member knew the agency owner and had asked, “Can you help my friend?” The owner had replied, “Bring her passport, and I’ll give her proof of residence.” + +Ki-nam was stunned. She could only say, “Thank You, God.” + +The owner signed the document, and Ki-nam received the resident visa. + +After that, Ki-nam had no doubt that God would bless her year in the Middle East. And He did. Seven people were baptized through her work. “God called me and used me to save people,” Ki-nam said in an interview with Adventist Mission in Seoul, South Korea. “He was with me every step of the way, helping me. I realized that there are no mistakes in God’s calling, and it was a year of gratitude.” + +_The Seventh-day Adventist Church in South Korea sends missionaries around the world. Thank you for your Thirteenth Sabbath Offering on March 29 that will help South Korean Adventists spread the gospel at home. The student missionary’s name has been changed._ \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/12/teacher-comments.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/12/teacher-comments.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..dd1502e418 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/12/teacher-comments.md @@ -0,0 +1,60 @@ +--- +title: Teacher Comments +date: 21/03/2025 +--- + +#### Part I: Overview + +Key Text: 1 John 4:20 + +Study Focus: Matt. 19:16–22; Matt. 22:35–40; Matt. 25:40, 45; Luke 10:30–37; 1 John 4:20. + +Introduction: If we love God, we will love one another and share a concern for one another’s well-being. + +Lesson Themes: This week’s lesson highlights two main ideas: + +1. The unbreakable link of loving God and loving others (justice). In Scripture, to love a fellow believer involves concrete loving actions by sharing material goods with a brother or sister in need. Loving one another implies a concern for his or her well-being. Christ’s self-sacrificial love for us is the basis for our knowledge and practice of love, in which failing to love others means failing to see the God who is revealed in Jesus Christ. + +2. Failings of love—when love and justice are disconnected. If we love God, we will love others and share a concern for justice focused on people’s well-being. Conversely, a disconnect between loving God and doing justice to others demonstrates a lack of commitment in keeping God’s commandments. This is the case in the history of the rich young ruler, who presumed to obey the commandments but failed to show love to the poor. Another example in the Gospels is the priest and the Levite in the parable of the good Samaritan. They also presumed to follow the rules of purity but failed to express compassion and love. + +Life Application: How are you living up to the notion that loving God involves caring about the needs of others? + +#### Part II: Commentary + +**1. The Unbreakable Link of Loving God and Loving Others (Justice)** + +The connection between loving God and loving others, in 1 John 4:20, provides an important elaboration of John’s pastoral warnings against the failure to love brothers and sisters, as emphasized in previous passages. Karen H. Jobes points out that in 1 John 4:20, “John comes full circle in his discussion of love, especially for fellow believers.”—1, 2, and 3 John, Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2014), p. 206. At least three passages in 1 John deal with this discussion. + +In 1 John 2:9–11, John associates the attitudes of loving and not loving/hating fellow believers with the opposing images of light and darkness. In his words, “He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now. He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes” (1 John 2:9–11, NKJV). + +Likewise, in 1 John 3:10, 11, the distinction is between the children of God and the children of the devil. “In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother. For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another” (1 John 3:10, 11, NKJV). + +Then, in 1 John 3:14–17, we find more details about John’s warnings on this matter, now with the opposition between life and death. “We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death. Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?” (1 John 3:14–17, NKJV). + +Two significant details are observed in this passage. First, to love a fellow believer is spelled out in terms of sharing material goods with a brother or sister who is in need. This concrete loving action is an important form of justice, inasmuch as the furtherance of justice or societal welfare is positively understood as the promotion of the well-being of others, which implies the alleviation of suffering in the world. Suffering is seen here as a tangible form of injustice. Second, the love that stands for justice, in the sense of supplying the needs of others, is Christologically grounded in 1 John 3:16 (“By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren” [NKJV]). That is, Christ’s self-sacrificial love for us is the basis for our knowledge and practice of love. + +Therefore, if we read 1 John 4:20 (“If someone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?” [NKJV]) in light of 1 John 2:9–11, 1 John 3:10, 11, and especially 1 John 3:14–17, it is possible to draw the following conclusions. First, the failure to love fellow believers is particularly expressed in the neglect to supply the material needs of brothers and sisters. According to the theological deduction of 1 John 4:20, this failure is an evidence that the professed believer does not love God. Theological anthropology could be the basis for this deduction, as God created human beings in His own image (Gen. 1:27). + +However, the basis of the deduction of 1 John 4:20 also seems Christological. That is, as already seen in 1 John 3:16, Christ’s self-sacrificial love is both the foundation of our knowledge of love and the stimulating pattern/power for our love toward others. This Christological basis is reaffirmed in 1 John 4:9–11. + +While “no one has seen God at any time” (1 John 4:12, NKJV), His love became visible or “manifested toward us” because He “sent His only begotten Son into the world” (1 John 4:9, NKJV). In fact, the statement that “we love” God “because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19, NKJV) is Christologically explained in the sense that it was not we who loved God first “but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10, NKJV). And “if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another” (1 John 4:11, NKJV). + +The idea that Christ is the visible manifestation of God’s love, who is not visible to us (1 John 4:12), is reinforced by John’s own testimony as an eyewitness of Jesus: “And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world” (1 John 4:14, NKJV; see also John 1:14, 18). Hence, as Jobes summarizes, “a failure to love others means that a person has failed to see the God who is revealed in Jesus Christ and therefore is unable to love God at all.”—1, 2, and 3 John, Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, p. 207. This unbreakable link of loving God and loving others (in the sense of promoting justice, that is, the well-being of others), seen from a Christological standpoint, reminds us of what Jesus affirmed in Matthew 25:40: “ ‘Inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me’ ” (NKJV; see also Matt. 25:45, which employs negative language to express this principle). + +**2. Failings of Love: When Love and Justice Are Disconnected.** + +The connection between loving God and others, particularly in the form of justice (promoting their well-being and alleviating their suffering), provides the necessary articulation in life for all the commandments we find in Scripture. To put it another way, the disconnection between loving God and doing justice to others (loving them) means that there is no real harmony in our lives, as we attempt to keep God’s commandments. An example of this principle is the rich young ruler (Matt. 19:16–22), who presumed to obey the commandments but failed to show love to the poor with his material possessions and then, ultimately, failed to follow Jesus. Another significant example in the Gospels is the priest and the Levite in the parable of the good Samaritan (Luke 10:30–37), as they presumed to follow the rules of purity, related to the temple, but failed to show mercy and love to the man half-dead on the road between Jerusalem and Jericho. + +Jesus emphasizes in a dialogue with a lawyer, as recorded in Matthew 22:35–40, that to love God and one’s neighbors are “two hangers” that hold all the biblical teachings (the law and the prophets). While many translations of Matthew 22:40 render the Greek verb kremánnymi as “depending” (“On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets” [ESV]; see also NASB 1995, NET, RSV), the more literal meaning of hanging is employed in other translations (“ ‘On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets’ ” [NKJV]; see also NRSV). + +#### Part III: Life Application + +In the context of the unbreakable link between loving God and loving others, Christ’s sacrificial love on the cross is the basis for your love to others. From this perspective, discuss with your class the following questions: + +1. In what ways is God’s love, as revealed on the cross, your example of loving others? + +2. What sacrifices do you personally make to love others and to render justice/supply to their needs? + +3. When people are afflicted by poverty, oppression, or any kind of injustice, what can we do as a church to support them? + +`Notes` \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/13/01.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/13/01.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..b5871cbedb --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/13/01.md @@ -0,0 +1,31 @@ +--- +title: Love Is the Fulfillment of the Law +date: 22/03/2025 +--- + +### Read for This Week’s Study +Exod. 20:1–17; Rom. 6:1–3; Rom. 7:7–12; Jer. 31:31–34; Matt. 23:23, 24; James 2:1–9. + +>Memory Text:
+> “Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law” (Romans 13:8, NKJV). + +While they were dealing with a problematic member, someone on the church board said to the pastor, “We can’t make decisions based on compassion.” We can’t? The pastor wondered what this person’s understanding of God and of God’s law must have been. Compassion certainly needs to be central in how we deal with people, especially erring ones. Compassion is part and parcel of love, and as Romans 13:8 tells us, to love one’s neighbor is to fulfill the law. + +If love is indeed the fulfillment of the law, then we should be careful not to think of law in a way that is separate from love or to think of love in a way that is disconnected from law. In Scripture, love and law go together. The divine Lawgiver is love, and accordingly, God’s law is the law of love. It is, as Ellen G. White put it, the transcript of God’s character. (See Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 305.) + +God’s law is not a set of abstract principles but commands and instructions intended for our flourishing. God’s law is, in its totality, an expression of love as God Himself expresses it. + +_*Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, March 29._ + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +In setting aside the law of God, men know not what they are doing. God’s law is the transcript of His character. It embodies the principles of His kingdom. He who refuses to accept these principles is placing himself outside the channel where God’s blessings flow.\ +The glorious possibilities set before Israel could be realized only through obedience to God’s commandments. The same elevation of character, the same fulness of blessing—blessing on mind and soul and body, blessing on house and field, blessing for this life and for the life to come—is possible for us only through obedience.\ +In the spiritual as in the natural world, obedience to the laws of God is the condition of fruit bearing. And when men teach the people to disregard God’s commandments, they are preventing them from bearing fruit to His glory. They are guilty of withholding from the Lord the fruits of His vineyard.—Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 305. + +The great God has a law by which to govern His kingdom, and those who trample upon that law will one day find that they are amenable to its statutes. The remedy for transgression is not to be found in declaring that the law is abolished. To abolish the law would be to dishonor it, and to cast contempt upon the Lawgiver. The only escape for the transgressor of law is found in the Lord Jesus Christ; for through the grace and atonement of the only-begotten Son of God, the sinner may be saved and the law vindicated.—Fundamentals of Christian Education, p. 331. + +The same divine mind that is working upon the things of nature is speaking to the hearts of men and creating an inexpressible craving for something they have not. The things of the world cannot satisfy their longing. The Spirit of God is pleading with them to seek for those things that alone can give peace and rest—the grace of Christ, the joy of holiness. Through influences seen and unseen, our Saviour is constantly at work to attract the minds of men from the unsatisfying pleasures of sin to the infinite blessings that may be theirs in Him. To all these souls, who are vainly seeking to drink from the broken cisterns of this world, the divine message is addressed, “Let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” Revelation 22:17.\ +You who in heart long for something better than this world can give, recognize this longing as the voice of God to your soul. Ask Him to give you repentance, to reveal Christ to you in His infinite love, in His perfect purity. In the Saviour’s life the principles of God’s law—love to God and man—were perfectly exemplified. Benevolence, unselfish love, was the life of His soul. It is as we behold Him, as the light from our Saviour falls upon us, that we see the sinfulness of our own hearts.—Steps to Christ, p. 28. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/13/02.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/13/02.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..507183ddad --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/13/02.md @@ -0,0 +1,31 @@ +--- +title: The Law of Love +date: 23/03/2025 +--- + +God’s law does not consist of abstract principles; instead, God’s law is an expression of relationship. This can be seen explicitly in the Ten Commandments. The basic principles of the Ten Commandments were in place already in the Garden of Eden, the principles of love that were to govern the relationship between God and people and between people themselves. + +When the Ten Commandments proclaimed in Exodus 20 were afterward written in stone, they were given to Israel in the context of the covenant relationship. The commandments were written down after the Lord already had delivered the people from Egypt, and the commandments were based on God’s love and on His promises to the nation (see Exod. 6:7, 8 and Lev. 26:12). One can see in the two divisions of the Ten Commandments that they are aimed at the flourishing of a human relationship with God and of relationships with one another. + +`Read Exodus 20:1–17. How do these verses reveal the two principles, those of love for God and of love for others?` + +The first four commandments deal with people’s relationships with God, and the last six with people’s relationships among themselves. Our relationship both to God and to other people must be regulated by the principles of God’s law. + +These two parts of the law correspond directly to what Jesus identified as the two greatest commandments—“ ‘ “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart” ’ ” (Matt. 22:37, NKJV; compare with Deut. 6:5) and “ ‘ “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” ’ ” (Matt. 22:39, NKJV; compare with Lev. 19:18). + +The first four commandments are the ways in which we are to love God with all of our being, and the last six are ways we are to love one another as ourselves. Jesus makes it explicit that these two great love commandments are integrally related to the law. “ ‘On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets’ ” (Matt. 22:40, NKJV). + +The entirety of God’s law, then, is grounded in God’s love. God’s love and law are inseparable. We often hear people say, We don’t need to keep the law, we just need to love God and to love others. Why does that idea not make sense? + +`How could we express love to God, or love to others, if we are violating any one of the Ten Commandments?` + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +The law of Jehovah dating back to creation, was comprised in the two great principles, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength. This is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.” These two great principles embrace the first four commandments, showing the duty of man to God, and the last six, showing the duty of man to his fellowman. The principles were more explicitly stated to man after the fall, and worded to meet the case of fallen intelligences. This was necessary in consequence of the minds of men being blinded by transgression.—Ellen G. White Comments, in The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 1, p. 1104. + +The lawyer approached Jesus with a direct question, “Which is the first commandment of all?” The answer of Christ is direct and forcible: “The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.” The second is like the first, said Christ; for it flows out of it, “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.” “On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”—The Desire of Ages, p. 607. + +The first four of the Ten Commandments are summed up in the one great precept, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart.” The last six are included in the other, “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” Both these commandments are an expression of the principle of love. The first cannot be kept and the second broken, nor can the second be kept while the first is broken. When God has His rightful place on the throne of the heart, the right place will be given to our neighbor. We shall love him as ourselves. And only as we love God supremely is it possible to love our neighbor impartially.\ +And since all the commandments are summed up in love to God and man, it follows that not one precept can be broken without violating this principle. Thus Christ taught His hearers that the law of God is not so many separate precepts, some of which are of great importance, while others are of small importance and may with impunity be ignored. Our Lord presents the first four and the last six commandments as a divine whole, and teaches that love to God will be shown by obedience to all His commandments.—The Desire of Ages, p. 607. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/13/03.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/13/03.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..e83ce47095 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/13/03.md @@ -0,0 +1,29 @@ +--- +title: The Law Is Holy and Righteous and Good +date: 24/03/2025 +--- + +Love is the foundation of God’s law. When God upholds the law, He upholds love. This is why Jesus died in order to save sinners, so that He could uphold the law while also extending grace to us. Thus, He could be both just and the justifier of those who believe (Rom. 3:25, 26). What an expression of love! Accordingly, the law is not invalidated by the process of redemption; rather, it is further confirmed. + +`Read Romans 6:1–3 and then Romans 7:7–12, with particular emphasis on verse 12. What are these verses telling us about the law, even after Christ died?` + +While some believe that grace and redemption cancel the law, Paul is clear that we are not to continue in sin so that grace increases. Rather, those who are in Christ by faith have been “baptized into His death” and are therefore to count themselves as dead to sin and alive to Christ. + +The law of God is not sin, but (among other things) it makes sin and our sinfulness apparent to us. That is why, yes, “the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good” (Rom. 7:12, NKJV). It reveals, as nothing else does, our great need of salvation, of redemption—the salvation and redemption that come only through Christ. Accordingly, we do not “make void the law through faith” but “on the contrary, we establish the law” (Rom. 3:31, NKJV). + +Christ came not to do away with the law but to fulfill all that was promised in the Law and in the Prophets. Thus, He emphasizes that “ ‘until heaven and earth pass away,’ ” not even “ ‘the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law’ ” (Matt. 5:18, NASB 1995). + +The law of God itself represents God’s holiness—His perfect character of love, righteousness, goodness, and truth (Lev. 19:2; Ps. 19:7, 8; Ps. 119:142, 172). In this regard, it is significant that, according to Exodus 31:18, God wrote the Ten Commandments on the stone tablets Himself. Written in stone, these laws are testimony of the unchanging character of God and of His moral government, which is founded on love—a central theme of the great controversy. + +`How does this link between law and love help us better understand Jesus’ words, “ ‘If you love Me, you will keep My commandments’ ” (John 14:15, NASB)?` + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +In His teachings, Christ showed how far-reaching are the principles of the law spoken from Sinai. He made a living application of that law whose principles remain forever the great standard of righteousness—the standard by which all shall be judged in that great day when the judgment shall sit, and the books shall be opened. He came to fulfill all righteousness, and, as the head of humanity, to show man that he can do the same work, meeting every specification of the requirements of God. Through the measure of His grace furnished to the human agent, not one need miss heaven. . . .\ +When the Spirit of God reveals to man the full meaning of the law, a change takes place in his heart. The faithful portrayal of his true state by the prophet Nathan made David acquainted with his own sins, and aided him in putting them away. He accepted the counsel meekly, and humbled himself before God. “The law of the Lord,” he said, “is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart” [Psalm 19:7, 8].—Selected Messages, book 1, pp. 211, 212. + +Sin did not kill the law, but it did kill the carnal mind in Paul. . . . “Was that then which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful” (Romans 7:13). “Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good” (Romans 7:12). . . .\ +There is no safety nor repose nor justification in transgression of the law. Man cannot hope to stand innocent before God, and at peace with Him through the merits of Christ, while he continues in sin. He must cease to transgress, and become loyal and true. As the sinner looks into the great moral looking glass, he sees his defects of character. He sees himself just as he is, spotted, defiled, and condemned. But he knows that the law cannot in any way remove the guilt or pardon the transgressor. He must go farther than this.\ +The law is but the schoolmaster to bring him to Christ. He must look to his sin-bearing Saviour. And as Christ is revealed to him upon the cross of Calvary, dying beneath the weight of the sins of the whole world, the Holy Spirit shows him the attitude of God to all who repent of their transgressions. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).—Selected Messages, book 1, p. 213. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/13/04.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/13/04.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..370296ec0e --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/13/04.md @@ -0,0 +1,31 @@ +--- +title: Law and Grace +date: 25/03/2025 +--- + +As we have seen, law and grace are not opposed to one another. Instead, they serve different functions in accordance with the love and justice of God. A sharp contrast between law and grace would have puzzled ancient Israelites, who saw God’s giving of the law itself as a great display of God’s grace. While the “gods” of the surrounding nations were fickle and entirely unpredictable, leaving people without a way to know what the “gods” desired and what would please them, the God of the Bible very clearly instructs His people about what pleases Him. And what pleases Him is just what is for the ultimate good of all His people, individually and collectively. + +Yet, the law cannot save us from sin or change human hearts. Because of our innate sinfulness, we need a spiritual heart transplant. + +`Read Jeremiah 31:31–34. What does this teach about God’s promises to give us a new heart? Compare this with Christ’s words to Nicodemus in John 3:1–21 about the new birth. (See also Heb. 8:10.)` + +The Ten Commandments were inscribed by God Himself on the tablets of stone (Exod. 31:18), but the law was also to be written in the hearts of God’s people (Ps. 37:30, 31). Ideally, God’s law of love would not be external to us but internal to our very characters. God alone could inscribe His law on human hearts, and He promised to do so for His covenant people (see Heb. 8:10). + +We cannot save ourselves by law-keeping. Rather, it is by grace we are saved through faith, not of ourselves but as the gift of God (Eph. 2:8). We do not keep the law in order to be saved; we keep the law because we are already saved. We do not keep the law in order to be loved but because we are loved, and thus we desire to love God and others (see John 14:15). + +At the same time, the law shows us our sin (James 1:22–25, Rom. 3:20, Rom. 7:7), shows us our need of a Redeemer (Gal. 3:22–24), guides us in the best ways of life, and reveals God’s character of love. + +`What is your hope in the judgment? Is it your diligent and faithful law-keeping or is it Christ’s righteousness, which covers you? What does your answer tell you about the function of God’s law regarding what it can or cannot do?` + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +The Lord saw our fallen condition; He saw our need of grace, and because He loved our souls, He has given us grace and peace. Grace means favor to one who is undeserving, to one who is lost. The fact that we are sinners, instead of shutting us away from the mercy and love of God, makes the exercise of His love to us a positive necessity in order that we may be saved. Christ says, “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain” (John 15:16).—Selected Messages, book 1, p. 347. + +By His spotless life, His obedience, His death on the cross of Calvary, Christ interceded for the lost race. And now not as a mere petitioner does the Captain of our salvation intercede for us, but as a conqueror claiming His victory. His offering is complete, and as our intercessor He executes His self-appointed work, holding before God the censer containing His own spotless merits and the prayers, confessions, and thanksgiving of His people. . . .\ +Christ is able to save to the uttermost all who come to Him in faith. He will cleanse them from all defilement if they will let Him. But if they cling to their sins, they cannot possibly be saved; for Christ’s righteousness covers no sin unrepented of. God has declared that those who receive Christ as their Redeemer, accepting Him as the One who takes away all sin, will receive pardon for their transgressions.—Ellen G. White Comments, in The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, pp. 930, 931. + +There are two errors against which the children of God—particularly those who have just come to trust in His grace—especially need to guard. The first . . . is that of looking to their own works, trusting to anything they can do, to bring themselves into harmony with God. He who is trying to become holy by his own works in keeping the law, is attempting an impossibility. All that man can do without Christ is polluted with selfishness and sin. It is the grace of Christ alone, through faith, that can make us holy.\ +The opposite and no less dangerous error is that belief in Christ releases men from keeping the law of God; that since by faith alone we become partakers of the grace of Christ, our works have nothing to do with our redemption.\ +But notice here that obedience is not a mere outward compliance, but the service of love. . . . When the principle of love is implanted in the heart, when man is renewed after the image of Him that created him, the new-covenant promise is fulfilled, “I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them.” Hebrews 10:16. And if the law is written in the heart, will it not shape the life? Obedience—the service and allegiance of love—is the true sign of discipleship. . . . Instead of releasing man from obedience, it is faith, and faith only, that makes us partakers of the grace of Christ, which enables us to render obedience.—Steps to Christ, pp. 59, 60. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/13/05.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/13/05.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..22858a9adf --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/13/05.md @@ -0,0 +1,27 @@ +--- +title: Love Is the Fulfillment of the Law +date: 26/03/2025 +--- + +The relationship between love and law cannot be overstated. Indeed, according to Scripture, to love is to fulfill the law. + +In Romans 13:8–10, Paul teaches that “he who loves another has fulfilled the law” (Rom. 13:8, NKJV). After listing many of the last six of the Ten Commandments, Paul declares that these are “all summed up in this saying, namely, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’ ” (Rom. 13:9, NKJV). Indeed, Paul teaches explicitly, “Love is the fulfillment of the law” (Rom. 13:10, NKJV). Again, in Galatians 5:14, Paul explains, “All the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’ ” (Gal. 5:14, NKJV). But what kind of love is that which fulfills the law? What does such love look like? + +`Read Matthew 23:23, 24. What are the “weightier matters of the law”? Read Deuteronomy 5:12–15 and Isaiah 58:13, 14. How do these passages demonstrate the relationship between the law (particularly the Sabbath commandment) and God’s concern for justice and deliverance?` + +Jesus identifies the “weightier matters of the law” as “justice and mercy and faith.” And in relation to one law in particular—the Sabbath—we can see in Scripture that the Sabbath itself is integrally connected with deliverance and justice. + +In Deuteronomy 5, the Sabbath commandment is grounded in relation to God’s deliverance of Israel from slavery. That is, the Sabbath is not only a memorial of creation but also a memorial of deliverance from slavery and oppression. And in the context about turning from one’s own pleasure to call the Sabbath a delight by taking delight in the Lord (Isa. 58:13, 14), the emphasis is on works of love and justice for others—doing good, feeding the hungry, housing the homeless (see Isa. 58:3–10). + +Given all of these teachings (and many others), those who wish to fulfill the law through love should be concerned not only about sins of commission but also about sins of omission. Love as the fulfillment of the law involves not merely keeping the law in the sense of refraining from committing sins but also consists of actively doing good—doing the works of love that faithfully advance justice and mercy. Being faithful to God is more than just not violating the letter of the law. + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +When the law of God is written in the heart it will be exhibited in a pure and holy life. The commandments of God are no dead letter. They are spirit and life, bringing the imaginations and even the thoughts into subjection to the will of Christ. The heart in which they are written will be kept with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. All who love Jesus and keep the commandments will seek to avoid the very appearance of evil; not because they are constrained thus to do, but because they are copying a pure model, and feel averse to everything contrary to the law written in their hearts. They will not feel self-sufficient, but their trust will be in God, who alone is able to keep them from sin and impurity. The atmosphere surrounding them is pure; they will not corrupt their own souls or the souls of others. It is their pleasure to deal justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly before God.—This Day With God, p. 146. + +[The Sabbath] points to [Christ] as both the Creator and the Sanctifier. . . . For, speaking of Israel, He said, “I gave them My Sabbaths, to be a sign between Me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them,”—make them holy. Ezekiel 20:12. Then the Sabbath is a sign of Christ’s power to make us holy. And it is given to all whom Christ makes holy. . . .\ +To all who receive the Sabbath as a sign of Christ’s creative and redeeming power, it will be a delight. Seeing Christ in it, they delight themselves in Him. The Sabbath points them to the works of creation as an evidence of His mighty power in redemption. While it calls to mind the lost peace of Eden, it tells of peace restored through the Saviour. And every object in nature repeats His invitation, “Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28.—The Desire of Ages, pp. 288, 289. + +The sin which is indulged to the greatest extent, and which separates us from God and produces so many contagious spiritual disorders, is selfishness. There can be no returning to the Lord except by self-denial. Of ourselves we can do nothing; but, through God strengthening us, we can live to do good to others, and in this way shun the evil of selfishness. We need not go to heathen lands to manifest our desire to devote all to God in a useful, unselfish life. We should do this in the home circle, in the church, among those with whom we associate and with whom we do business. Right in the common walks of life is where self is to be denied and kept in subordination. . . . We should forget self in the desire to do good to others.—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 2, p. 132. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/13/06.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/13/06.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..baf55ffffa --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/13/06.md @@ -0,0 +1,32 @@ +--- +title: Above All, Love One Another +date: 27/03/2025 +--- + +If love is the fulfillment of the law, then one cannot keep God’s law in the full sense simply by refraining from doing wrong things. The law of love itself (expressed in the fullness of Scripture) not only commands us to refrain from doing evil but the law prompts us to do acts that reveal the love of God to others—not only to other church members but also to the world at large, which is so desperately in need of a true Christian witness. + +`Read James 2:1–9. What crucial messages are we given here?` + +Here, James strongly decries injustice in society, specifically identifying the dishonoring of the poor and oppression by some who are rich. Then, he calls attention to the law of love for one’s neighbor, saying if you fulfill this law, then “you do well” (James 2:8, NKJV). + +As Ellen G. White has expressed it: “Love to man is the earthward manifestation of the love of God. It was to implant this love, to make us children of one family, that the King of glory became one with us. And when His parting words are fulfilled, ‘Love one another, as I have loved you’ (John 15:12); when we love the world as He has loved it, then for us His mission is accomplished. We are fitted for heaven; for we have heaven in our hearts.”—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages p. 641. + +When we love the world, as Christ has loved the world—then we are fitted for heaven. What a powerful expression of what it means to be a follower of Jesus! + +Jesus commands His followers to “ ‘love one another;’ ” even as “ ‘I have loved you’ ” (John 13:34, NKJV). Jesus also proclaims: “ ‘By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another’ ” (John 13:35, NKJV). Love is so central to Christian faith because God is love (1 John 4:8, 16). And those who claim to love God must love one another (compare with 1 John 3:11; 4:20, 21). + +Accordingly, 1 Peter 4:8 exhorts Christians: “And above all things have fervent love for one another, for ‘love will cover a multitude of sins’ ” (NKJV; see also Heb. 10:24 and 1 Thess. 3:12). + +`Dwell more on the idea of loving the world as Christ loved the world. How might this help us better understand the concept of Christian perfection and how we are made fit for eternal life? Bring your answer to class on Sabbath.` + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +Our mission is the same as that which was announced by Christ, at the beginning of His ministry, to be His mission. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,” He said, “because He hath anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He hath sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” Luke 4:18, 19.\ +We are to carry forward the work placed in our hands by the Master. He says: “If thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday: and the Lord shall guide thee continually.” . . . “The poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land.” Isaiah 58:10, 11; Deuteronomy 15:11.—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 8, p. 134. + +We should study to copy the Pattern, that the Spirit that dwelt in Christ may dwell in us. The Saviour was not found among the exalted and honorable of the world. He did not spend His time among those who were seeking their ease and pleasure. He went about doing good. His work was to help those who needed help, to save the lost and perishing, to lift up the bowed down, to break the yoke of oppression from those who were in bondage, to heal the afflicted, and to speak words of sympathy and consolation to the distressed and sorrowing. We are required to copy this pattern. Let us be up and doing, seeking to bless the needy and comfort the distressed. The more we partake of the spirit of Christ, the more we shall see to do for our fellow men. We shall be filled with a love for perishing souls, and shall find our delight in following the footsteps of the Majesty of heaven.—Our High Calling, p. 180. + +Do you in your words, in your spirit, in your actions, resemble Christ? If in word and spirit you represent the character of Christ, then you are Christians; for to be a Christian is to be Christlike. The tongue will testify of the principles that characterize the life; it is the sure test of what power controls the heart. We may judge our own spirit and principles by the words that proceed from our lips. The tongue is always to be under the control of the Holy Spirit. . . .\ +. . . Do you believe on the Son of God as your personal Saviour? Then if you believe with all your heart, God dwells in the soul, and the soul in God. You represent Jesus. . . . Just in proportion as the human agent is a partaker of the divine nature, he will be in sympathy with Christ. Jesus says, “A new commandment I give unto you [That ye tolerate one another? No], That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.”—“What Doth the Lord Require,” Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, May 26, 1896. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/13/07.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/13/07.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..78c182517c --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/13/07.md @@ -0,0 +1,27 @@ +--- +title: Further Thought +date: 28/03/2025 +--- + +Read Ellen G. White, “The Least of These My Brethren,” pp. 637–641, in The Desire of Ages. + +“Those who minister to others will be ministered unto by the Chief Shepherd. They themselves will drink of the living water, and will be satisfied. They will not be longing for exciting amusements, or for some change in their lives. The great topic of interest will be, how to save the souls that are ready to perish. Social intercourse will be profitable. The love of the Redeemer will draw hearts together in unity. + +“When we realize that we are workers together with God, His promises will not be spoken with indifference. They will burn in our hearts, and kindle upon our lips. To Moses, when called to minister to an ignorant, undisciplined, and rebellious people, God gave the promise, ‘My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.’ And He said, ‘Certainly I will be with thee.’ Ex. 33:14; 3:12. This promise is to all who labor in Christ's stead for His afflicted and suffering ones.”—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 641. + +**Discussion Questions**: + +`Read 1 Corinthians 13:4–8. How does 1 Corinthians 13 shed light on the kind of people we ought to be?` + +`What separates the sheep from the goats in Matthew 25:31–46? How can we understand what Jesus says here in a way that does not teach salvation by works?` + +`What does it mean to you that “when we love the world as He has loved it, then for us His mission is accomplished. We are fitted for heaven; for we have heaven in our hearts” (see Thursday’s study)? What does this reveal about the nature of God and the nature of heaven itself? How can we live more like citizens of heaven here in this respect, relative to spreading God’s love in a way that brings light and justice to the oppressed?` + +`What practical steps should be taken in your local church to reflect God’s concern for love and justice in your local community? What are you doing well in your community? What do you need to improve and focus on more? What tangible steps can you take individually and collectively to act on what we have studied about God’s love and justice?` + +--- + +#### Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White + +That I May Know Him, “God’s Law in the Heart,” p. 299;\ +In Heavenly Places, “A Relationship of Interdependence,” p. 287. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/13/info.yml b/src/en/ss/2025-01/13/info.yml new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..d84a90f692 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/13/info.yml @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +--- +title: "Love Is the Fulfillment of the Law" +start_date: "22/03/2025" +end_date: "28/03/2025" \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/13/inside-story.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/13/inside-story.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..6acb7bd4ac --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/13/inside-story.md @@ -0,0 +1,34 @@ +--- +title: Inside Story +date: 28/03/2025 +--- + +#### Bowing to an Image + +_By Andrew McChesney_ + +Maria is familiar with adoration. As an opera singer, she has sung before admiring audiences in the main opera house of her native country as well as in a dozen other countries. She has received several top prizes. + +But nothing prepared her for the adoration that she witnessed in North Korea. The admiration was not for her performance. It took place at a 72-foot (22-meter) bronze statue of North Korea’s founder, Kim Il Sung. + +Maria is a faithful Seventh-day Adventist. For her safety, Adventist Mission is not identifying her by her real name or nationality. She spoke to Adventist Mission in a Zoom interview. + +During the visit to North Korea, Maria and a group of other singers toured the Mansu Hill Grand Monument, a complex of monuments depicting heroes from the country’s revolutionary history, in Pyongyang. The centerpiece of the complex was the towering statue of Kim Il Sung. (A second 72-foot statue, of Kim’s son, Kim Jong Il, was later added to the complex.) + +Crowds of people swarmed around the statue of Kim Il Sung. Maria saw foreign tourists from Italy, France, and other countries. She saw North Koreans. They all bowed before the statue. Then she learned that she also was expected to bow as a sign of respect. + +“You need to bow,” an interpreter told her group. + +Maria’s mind flashed back to the first commandment, which says, “You shall have no other gods before Me” (Exodus 20:3, NKJV). + +Then she noticed a state video operator filming everyone. She didn’t want to get into trouble. + +As she stood there, she remembered Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego refusing to bow to the 90-foot golden image of King Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 3. She thought, _The book of Daniel really is not a legend or a fairy tale. That same scene is acted out in real life every day._ + +She stood straight and tall. + +Some people might dismiss the bowing at Mansu Hill Grand Monument as a cultural experience connected to Kim Il Sung’s cult of personality, but Maria saw it as much more. For her, it was the moment when she was asked to take a public stand for who she adores. + +Several days later, as she prepared to leave North Korea, she gave a copy of Steps to Christ to her interpreter. She prays that the interpreter and all North Koreans learn about Jesus, the Man whom she admires the most. + +_Reaching the people of North Korea with the gospel is an important focus of the Northern Asia-Pacific Division, the recipient of this quarter’s Thirteenth Sabbath Offering. Pray for North Korea, and thank you for planning a generous offering this Sabbath._ \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/13/teacher-comments.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/13/teacher-comments.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..23c788d362 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/13/teacher-comments.md @@ -0,0 +1,58 @@ +--- +title: Teacher Comments +date: 28/03/2025 +--- + +#### Part I: Overview + +Key Text: Romans 13:8 + +Study Focus: Exod. 20:2, Rom. 13:8–10. + +Introduction: The Ten Commandments are an expression of God’s personal and covenantal relationship with His people. + +Lesson Themes: This week’s lesson emphasizes three main points: + +1. God’s law refers to relationships, rather than to abstract principles. God’s law is not a set of abstract principles but an expression of relationship. The description of the Ten Commandments implies covenantal relations between God and His people. God’s dialogue with Moses underscores this relational language, in which God is depicted as an eagle, carrying His people on His wings in deliverance from Egypt. The main idea of this depiction is that the people had been brought to God Himself. + +2. The Ten Commandments describe the correct expression of our love to God and to others. Before the list of “shall nots,” the Ten Commandments start with a personal loving note: “ ‘I am the Lord your God’ ” (Exod. 20:2, NKJV). The list of commandments is a relational loving response to the God of Israel, who saved them. The first four commandments describe the loyal love that people are supposed to show to God. The last six commandments express specific forms of love to others, which ultimately indicate that we love God. + +3. God’s law finds its fulfillment in love. In Romans and Galatians, the idea of the fulfillment of the law is related to serving one another through love. Paul, in Galatians, explains that the law is fulfilled as we love our neighbor. In Romans, to love one another is the fulfillment of the law. The last six of the Ten Commandments spell out what it means to love your neighbor as yourself. + +Life Application: How does your relationship with God change when you understand that the Ten Commandments are not just a set of rules but an expression of love and a response to God’s personal and loving relationship? + +#### Part II: Commentary + +**1. God’s Law Refers to Relationships Rather Than to Abstract Principles.** + +The idea that God’s law consists of cold abstractions or impersonal principles is incompatible with the biblical picture of God giving the Decalogue to the people of Israel at Mount Sinai. It is important to read the description of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20) in light of the covenantal relationship being formed, in Exodus 19. From the time of Israel’s arrival at the wilderness of Sinai (Exod. 19:1), the dialogue of God with Moses at Mount Sinai underscores the notion of a covenantal relationship between God and the people of Israel. More specifically, Moses was told by the Lord that he should say to the children of Israel the following words: “ ‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation’ ” (Exod. 19:4–6, NKJV). + +The relational language of this passage is impressive. The divine deliverance from Egypt is depicted as God bearing or carrying the children of Israel, as an eagle. Interestingly, the emphasis is not merely on the people leaving Egypt or going to the Promised Land. Rather, the main point is that the people had been brought to God Himself. + +In this context, the people of Israel are invited to keep God’s covenant in the personal sense of hearing the voice of God. While many Bible translations correctly render the Hebrew verb šmʿ in terms of obeying the voice of God (see NKJV, ESV, NASB, NRSV, NIV), the verb in Hebrew describes more literally the act of hearing or listening to His voice (see NET, HCSB) (Ludwig Koehler et al., The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament [Leiden: Brill, 1994–2000], p. 1571). If they decide to listen to the voice of God, the children of Israel shall be God’s own “possession” (Exod. 19:5, HCSB) or His “personal property” (see the meaning of the noun sĕgūlâ in Ludwig Koehler et al., The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament, p. 742). This expression also attests to the personal nature of the covenantal relationship that is being formed between God and His people, which is formalized by the exposition of the Ten Commandments in chapter 20. + +**2. The Ten Commandments Describe the Correct Expression of Our Love to God and to Others.** + +It is noteworthy that before the list of “shall nots” in the Decalogue, God introduces the Ten Commandments, in Exodus 20:2, with a personal note (“ ‘I am the Lord your God,’ ” NKJV; emphasis supplied) and emphasizes His loving salvific action on behalf of Israel (deliverance from slavery in Egypt). In other words, the commandments do not start with a cold “shall not” but with a personal loving tone. Moreover, the list of commandments that follow are not to be understood as mere abstract laws but as a relational loving response to the God of Israel, who powerfully and compassionately saved them from Egypt. + +It is in light of the personal loving tone of Exodus 20:2 that the first four commandments clearly delineate how the children of Israel are supposed to express their loving relational response toward their personal God. First, they shall not have other gods before the Lord. Love toward God is spelled out here in terms of exclusive loyalty. Second, this loyal love necessarily implies that they shall not make for themselves a carved image (idol) to worship. True worship, instead of idolatry, is a genuine expression of love toward God. Third, love to God is revealed in a respectful reference to His name. As Kenneth Harris points out, to take the name of God in vain particularly refers to “taking a deceptive oath in God’s name or invoking God’s name to sanction an act in which the person is being dishonest (Lev. 19:12). It also bans using God’s name in magic, or irreverently, or disrespectfully (Lev. 24:10–16).”—ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), p. 176. Fourth, to love God means that the seventh-day Sabbath is kept holy as a necessary reminder of God’s creation. While we are supposed to love God every day, the Sabbath is a special time to express our loving relationship with Him. + +To be sure, the first four commandments spell out more directly what love to God entails, whereas the remaining six commandments elaborate specifically on how to love others. However, from a broader perspective, inasmuch as the identification of the Lord as the Savior God of Israel (Exod. 20:2) constitutes the introduction of the Ten Commandments as a whole, the specific ways in which we are supposed to express love to others in the last six commandments are, by implication, important forms of loving God in an ultimate sense. The fifth commandment, for instance, connects the love toward parents, which highlights the idea of honoring them, with a long life in the land that the Lord is giving to Israel. Therefore, the loving promise of God is directly related to the way in which the children of Israel love/honor their parents. Likewise, to love the other, and ultimately love God by means of this horizontal love, necessarily involves valuing life (not murdering), being sexually pure and cherishing marriage (not committing adultery), respecting what belongs to others (not stealing), standing for the truth about your neighbor (not bearing false witness against him/her), and nurturing desires shaped by a spirit of contentment (not coveting what belongs to your neighbor). + +**3. God’s Law Finds Its Fulfillment in Love.** + +The apostle Paul highlights the idea of the fulfillment of the law in Romans and Galatians. After exhorting the Galatians to serve one another through love, he explains that “all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’ ” (Gal. 5:14, NKJV). Likewise, in Romans 8:4, Paul speaks of “the righteous requirement of the law” being “fulfilled in us” (NKJV) by means of Christ and the Holy Spirit. In Romans 13:8–10, he mentions twice that love fulfills God’s law: “Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not bear false witness,’ ‘You shall not covet,’ and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law” (NKJV; emphasis supplied). + +Moving from the discussion of the Christian duties before civil authorities (Rom. 13:1–7), which includes paying taxes (Rom. 13:6, 7), to the Christian obligation of love, Paul employs the language of financial debt in both discussions. With regard to the Christian obligation of love, “The Christian is to allow no debt to remain outstanding except the one that can never be paid off—‘the debt to love one another.’ The obligation to love has no limit.”—Robert Mounce, The New American Commentary: Romans (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1995), vol. 27, p. 245. Just as financial debt implies an obligation to another person or institution, the law imposes obligations upon us to others. In the context of God’s law—with special reference to the last five commandments, concerning our relationships with our neighbors, which goes beyond our obligation to our own family—the essence of our continuous obligation or debt is love. + +#### Part III: Life Application + +Discuss the following questions in class: + +1. How can you respond to someone who questions the law of God and considers it merely a bunch of rules? + +2. How can your experience of the Sabbath be more meaningful, a reminder that God’s law invites us to a relational loving response? + +3. How can you show God’s love in practical ways to those whom you encounter each and every day, including strangers, friends, and family? + +`Notes` \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/audio.yml b/src/en/ss/2025-01/audio.yml new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..35bc7b2335 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/audio.yml @@ -0,0 +1,211 @@ +--- + audio: + - artist: Adult Bible Study Guides + tracks: + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/audio/en/2025-01/002 SS Lesson 1 INTRO January 2025 PERCY.mp3 + target: en/ss/2025-01/01/01 + title: Introduction + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/audio/en/2025-01/004 SS Lesson 28 December 2024.mp3 + target: en/ss/2025-01/01/01 + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/audio/en/2025-01/005 SS Lesson 29 December 2024.mp3 + target: en/ss/2025-01/01/02 + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/audio/en/2025-01/006 SS Lesson 30 December 2024.mp3 + target: en/ss/2025-01/01/03 + - 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src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/audio/en/2025-01/093 SS Lesson 22 February 2025.wav.mp3 + target: en/ss/2025-01/09/01 + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/audio/en/2025-01/094 SS Lesson 23 February 2025.wav.mp3 + target: en/ss/2025-01/09/02 + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/audio/en/2025-01/095 SS Lesson 24 February 2025.wav.mp3 + target: en/ss/2025-01/09/03 + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/audio/en/2025-01/096 SS Lesson 25 February 2025.wav.mp3 + target: en/ss/2025-01/09/04 + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/audio/en/2025-01/097 SS Lesson 26 February 2025.wav.mp3 + target: en/ss/2025-01/09/05 + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/audio/en/2025-01/099a SS Lesson INSIDE STORY Sybilla.wav.mp3 + target: en/ss/2025-01/09/inside-story + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/audio/en/2025-01/103 SS Lesson 1 March 2025 RV.mp3 + target: en/ss/2025-01/10/01 + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/audio/en/2025-01/104 Lesson 2 March 2025 RV.mp3 + target: en/ss/2025-01/10/02 + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/audio/en/2025-01/105 SS Lesson 3 March 2025 RV.mp3 + target: en/ss/2025-01/10/03 + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/audio/en/2025-01/106 SS Lesson 4 March 2025.mp3 + target: en/ss/2025-01/10/04 + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/audio/en/2025-01/107 SS Lesson 5 March 2025 RV.mp3 + target: en/ss/2025-01/10/05 + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/audio/en/2025-01/108 SS Lesson 6 March 2025 RV.mp3 + target: en/ss/2025-01/10/06 + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/audio/en/2025-01/109 SS Lesson 7 March 2025 RV.mp3 + target: en/ss/2025-01/10/07 + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/audio/en/2025-01/109a SS Lesson INSIDE STORY Sybilla.mp3 + target: en/ss/2025-01/10/inside-story + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/audio/en/2025-01/113 SS Lesson 8 March 2025 RV.mp3 + target: en/ss/2025-01/11/01 + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/audio/en/2025-01/114 SS Lesson 9 March 2025 RV.mp3 + target: en/ss/2025-01/11/02 + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/audio/en/2025-01/115 SS Lesson 10 March 2025 RV.mp3 + target: en/ss/2025-01/11/03 + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/audio/en/2025-01/116 SS Lesson 11 March 2025 RV.mp3 + target: en/ss/2025-01/11/04 + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/audio/en/2025-01/117 SS Lesson 12 March 2025 RV.mp3 + target: en/ss/2025-01/11/05 + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/audio/en/2025-01/118 SS Lesson 13 March 2025 RV.mp3 + target: en/ss/2025-01/11/06 + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/audio/en/2025-01/119 SS Lesson 14 March 2025 RV.mp3 + target: en/ss/2025-01/11/07 + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/audio/en/2025-01/119a SS Lesson INSIDE STORY Sybilla.mp3 + target: en/ss/2025-01/11/inside-story + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/audio/en/2025-01/123 SS Lesson 15 March 2025 RV.mp3 + target: en/ss/2025-01/12/01 + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/audio/en/2025-01/124 SS Lesson 16 March 2025 RV.mp3 + target: en/ss/2025-01/12/02 + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/audio/en/2025-01/125 SS Lesson 17 March 2025 RV.mp3 + target: en/ss/2025-01/12/03 + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/audio/en/2025-01/126 SS Lesson 18 March 2025 RV.mp3 + target: en/ss/2025-01/12/04 + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/audio/en/2025-01/127 SS Lesson 19 March 2025 RV.mp3 + target: en/ss/2025-01/12/05 + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/audio/en/2025-01/128 SS Lesson 20 March 2025 RV.mp3 + target: en/ss/2025-01/12/06 + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/audio/en/2025-01/129 SS Lesson 21 March 2025 RV.mp3 + target: en/ss/2025-01/12/07 + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/audio/en/2025-01/129a SS Lesson INSIDE STORY Sybilla.mp3 + target: en/ss/2025-01/12/inside-story + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/audio/en/2025-01/133 SS Lesson 22 March 2025 RV.mp3 + target: en/ss/2025-01/13/01 + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/audio/en/2025-01/134 SS Lesson 23 March 2025 RV.mp3 + target: en/ss/2025-01/13/02 + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/audio/en/2025-01/135 SS Lesson 24 March 2025 RV.mp3 + target: en/ss/2025-01/13/03 + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/audio/en/2025-01/136 SS Lesson 25 March 2025 RV.mp3 + target: en/ss/2025-01/13/04 + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/audio/en/2025-01/137 SS Lesson 26 March 2025 RV.mp3 + target: en/ss/2025-01/13/05 + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/audio/en/2025-01/138 SS Lesson 27 March 2025 RV.mp3 + target: en/ss/2025-01/13/06 + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/audio/en/2025-01/139 SS Lesson 28 March 2025 RV.mp3 + target: en/ss/2025-01/13/07 + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/audio/en/2025-01/139a SS Lesson INSIDE STORY Sybilla.mp3 + target: en/ss/2025-01/13/inside-story \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/info.yml b/src/en/ss/2025-01/info.yml new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..716b86836c --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/info.yml @@ -0,0 +1,26 @@ +title: The God of Love and Justice +description: "God is love. So says 1\_John 4:8 and 16. The entirety of the Bible testifies to this fact. The Christian faith is centered around God’s character of love. Love is at the core of who God is, at the core of everything that we believe, and should be at the core of everything we do. Accordingly, the way we understand love affects the entirety of our faith and practice. If, for example, one believes that God’s love must be earned or merited, a person might think that God does not love them because they are sinful and unworthy. And, in relation to others, one might expect others to merit love—a recipe for disaster." +human_date: January · February · March 2025 +start_date: 28/12/2024 +end_date: 28/03/2025 +color_primary: '#304465' +color_primary_dark: '#032C48' +splash: true +credits: + - name: Principal Contributor + value: John C. Peckham + - name: Editor + value: Clifford R. Goldstein + - name: Associate Editor + value: Soraya Scheidweiler + - name: Publication Manager + value: Lea Alexander Greve + - name: Editorial Assistant + value: Sharon Thomas-Crews +covers: + landscape: >- + https://sabbath-school-resources-assets.adventech.io/en/ss/2025-01/assets/cover-landscape.png + square: >- + https://sabbath-school-resources-assets.adventech.io/en/ss/2025-01/assets/cover-square.png + portrait: >- + https://sabbath-school-resources-assets.adventech.io/en/ss/2025-01/assets/cover.png diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/introduction.md b/src/en/ss/2025-01/introduction.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..f937221371 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/introduction.md @@ -0,0 +1,29 @@ +### The God of Love and Justice + +God is love. So says 1 John 4:8 and 16. The entirety of the Bible testifies to this fact. The Christian faith is centered around God’s character of love. Love is at the core of who God is, at the core of everything that we believe, and should be at the core of everything we do. Accordingly, the way we understand love affects the entirety of our faith and practice. If, for example, one believes that God’s love must be earned or merited, a person might think that God does not love them because they are sinful and unworthy. And, in relation to others, one might expect others to merit love—a recipe for disaster. + +In this and many other ways, how we understand God’s love has massive implications for our faith and practice. Yet, what is love? If you ask ten people to define love, you might get ten different answers. Even among Christians, there are many myths and misunderstandings about God’s love. + +For example, Christians offer different answers to the following questions: + +Does God’s love only give but never receive? Is divine love purely self-sacrificial, or might God also delight in and be pleased by humans? Is God’s love emotional? Does God really care about humans? Can God’s love be rejected or forfeited? Does God enter into a back-and-forth love relationship with creatures? Is anger incompatible with love? How do love and justice go together? If God is love, why is there evil in this world, and so much of it? Can humans love the way God does? If so, what would that look like? + +The answers to some of these questions might seem obvious but are often disputed God is love. So says 1 John 4:8 and 16. The entirety of the Bible testifies to this fact. The Christian faith is centered around God’s character of love. Love is at the core of who God is, at the core of everything that we believe, and should be at the core of everything we do. Accordingly, the way we understand love affects the entirety of our faith and practice. If, for example, one believes that God’s love must be earned or merited, a person might think that God does not love them because they are sinful and unworthy. And, in relation to others, one might expect others to merit love—a recipe for disaster. + +In this and many other ways, how we understand God’s love has massive implications for our faith and practice. Yet, what is love? If you ask ten people to define love, you might get ten different answers. Even among Christians, there are many myths and misunderstandings about God’s love. + +For example, Christians offer different answers to the following questions: + +_Does God’s love only give but never receive? Is divine love purely self-sacrificial, or might God also delight in and be pleased by humans? Is God’s love emotional? Does God really care about humans? Can God’s love be rejected or forfeited? Does God enter into a back-and-forth love relationship with creatures? Is anger incompatible with love? How do love and justice go together? If God is love, why is there evil in this world, and so much of it? Can humans love the way God does? If so, what would that look like?_ + +The answers to some of these questions might seem obvious but are often disputed in Christian treatments of divine love. And many answers that are sometimes taken to be obvious turn out on closer inspection to be incompatible with what Scripture teaches about God’s love. + +We will not address all these questions at once, but we will take up these and other questions throughout this quarter. And we will see that God’s love is far greater than we might think. God’s love as depicted in Scripture is far superior to the ideas that pass for “love” in much of our world today. In the coming weeks, we will look more closely at some of the most prominent and beautiful aspects of God’s love that are revealed in the Bible. + +And, as we continue on, we will see how divine love and justice are inextricably connected. The God of the Bible loves justice (see, for example, Isa. 61:8). And, as the Bible portrays them, divine love and justice are so interconnected so that you cannot have one without the other. Because God is love, He is deeply concerned about injustice and suffering in this world, and He identifies Himself with the oppressed and the suffering, willingly entering into the pain and grief that evil has wrought in creation—Himself suffering most of all, so much so that God Himself is the greatest victim of evil. + +Throughout the Bible, God is repeatedly grieved and pained by evil and suffering because He loves each person more than we can possibly imagine. One can see the depth of God’s love in the lament of Christ over His people when He said: “ ‘O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!’ ” (Matt. 23:37, NKJV). + +The God of the Bible, who is love, is often portrayed throughout Scripture as brokenhearted and grieved by love rejected and love lost. The entire story of Scripture is about what God has done and is doing to restore love to every corner and crevice of the universe. This and much more is the topic of this quarter’s lessons. + +_John C. Peckham is an associate editor of the Adventist Review. At the time this guide was written, he was a professor of theology and Christian philosophy at the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary at Andrews University._ \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/pdf.yml b/src/en/ss/2025-01/pdf.yml new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..ea1eeb791a --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/pdf.yml @@ -0,0 +1,31 @@ +--- + pdf: + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/pdf/en/2025-01/ABSG-2025-01-EN-Intro.pdf + title: Introduction + target: en/ss/2025-01/01 + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/pdf/en/2025-01/ABSG-2025-01-EN-01.pdf + target: en/ss/2025-01/01 + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/pdf/en/2025-01/ABSG-2025-01-EN-02.pdf + target: en/ss/2025-01/02 + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/pdf/en/2025-01/ABSG-2025-01-EN-03.pdf + target: en/ss/2025-01/03 + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/pdf/en/2025-01/ABSG-2025-01-EN-04.pdf + target: en/ss/2025-01/04 + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/pdf/en/2025-01/ABSG-2025-01-EN-05-upd.pdf + target: en/ss/2025-01/05 + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/pdf/en/2025-01/ABSG-2025-01-EN-06.pdf + target: en/ss/2025-01/06 + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/pdf/en/2025-01/ABSG-2025-01-EN-07.pdf + target: en/ss/2025-01/07 + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/pdf/en/2025-01/ABSG-2025-01-EN-08.pdf + target: en/ss/2025-01/08 + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/pdf/en/2025-01/ABSG-2025-01-EN-09.pdf + target: en/ss/2025-01/09 + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/pdf/en/2025-01/ABSG-2025-01-EN-10.pdf + target: en/ss/2025-01/10 + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/pdf/en/2025-01/ABSG-2025-01-EN-11.pdf + target: en/ss/2025-01/11 + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/pdf/en/2025-01/ABSG-2025-01-EN-12.pdf + target: en/ss/2025-01/12 + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/pdf/en/2025-01/ABSG-2025-01-EN-13.pdf + target: en/ss/2025-01/13 \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/en/ss/2025-01/video.yml b/src/en/ss/2025-01/video.yml new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..8932df8b6a --- /dev/null +++ b/src/en/ss/2025-01/video.yml @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +--- + video: [] \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/es/ss/2024-04/video.yml b/src/es/ss/2024-04/video.yml index 3efb28cb63..f762fea8d0 100644 --- a/src/es/ss/2024-04/video.yml +++ b/src/es/ss/2024-04/video.yml @@ -38,6 +38,9 @@ - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/es/viva/es-2024-04-12.mp4 target: es/ss/2024-04/12 thumbnail: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/es/viva/es-2024-04-12.webp + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/es/viva/es-2024-04-13.mp4 + target: es/ss/2024-04/13 + thumbnail: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/es/viva/es-2024-04-13.webp - artist: Escrito Está clips: - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/es/ee/es-2024-04-01.mp4 @@ -76,6 +79,9 @@ - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/es/ee/es-2024-04-12.mp4 target: es/ss/2024-04/12 thumbnail: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/es/ee/es-2024-04-12.webp + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/es/ee/es-2024-04-13.mp4 + target: es/ss/2024-04/13 + thumbnail: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/es/ee/es-2024-04-13.webp - artist: Pastor Alejandro Bullon clips: - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/es/bul/es-2024-04-01.mp4 @@ -114,3 +120,6 @@ - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/es/bul/es-2024-04-12.mp4 target: es/ss/2024-04/12 thumbnail: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/es/bul/es-2024-04-12.webp + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/es/bul/es-2024-04-13.mp4 + target: es/ss/2024-04/13 + thumbnail: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/es/bul/es-2024-04-13.webp diff --git a/src/fr/ss/2024-04-iad/video.yml b/src/fr/ss/2024-04-iad/video.yml index 928bdc2dd3..c51d58968c 100644 --- a/src/fr/ss/2024-04-iad/video.yml +++ b/src/fr/ss/2024-04-iad/video.yml @@ -38,6 +38,9 @@ - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/fr/em/fr-em-2024-04-12.mp4 target: fr/ss/2024-04-iad/12 thumbnail: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/fr/em/fr-em-2024-04-12.webp + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/fr/em/fr-em-2024-04-13.mp4 + target: fr/ss/2024-04-iad/13 + thumbnail: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/fr/em/fr-em-2024-04-13.webp - artist: An Ti Kozé clips: - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/fr/hope/fr-hope-2024-04-01.mp4 @@ -76,6 +79,9 @@ - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/fr/hope/fr-hope-2024-04-12.mp4 target: fr/ss/2024-04-iad/12 thumbnail: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/fr/hope/fr-hope-2024-04-12.webp + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/fr/hope/fr-hope-2024-04-13.mp4 + target: fr/ss/2024-04-iad/13 + thumbnail: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/fr/hope/fr-hope-2024-04-13.webp - artist: Autrement Dit clips: - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/fr/esj/fr-esj-2024-04-01.mp4 @@ -114,6 +120,9 @@ - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/fr/esj/fr-esj-2024-04-12.mp4 target: fr/ss/2024-04-iad/12 thumbnail: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/fr/esj/fr-esj-2024-04-12.webp + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/fr/esj/fr-esj-2024-04-13.mp4 + target: fr/ss/2024-04-iad/13 + thumbnail: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/fr/esj/fr-esj-2024-04-13.webp - artist: Églises Adventistes du Nord de la France clips: - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/fr/ffn/fr-ffn-2024-04-01.mp4 @@ -152,3 +161,6 @@ - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/fr/ffn/fr-ffn-2024-04-12.mp4 target: fr/ss/2024-04-iad/12 thumbnail: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/fr/ffn/fr-ffn-2024-04-12.webp + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/fr/ffn/fr-ffn-2024-04-13.mp4 + target: fr/ss/2024-04-iad/13 + thumbnail: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/fr/ffn/fr-ffn-2024-04-13.webp diff --git a/src/fr/ss/2024-04/video.yml b/src/fr/ss/2024-04/video.yml index 65ddfd4adf..b3a626ec27 100644 --- a/src/fr/ss/2024-04/video.yml +++ b/src/fr/ss/2024-04/video.yml @@ -38,6 +38,9 @@ - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/fr/ffn/fr-ffn-2024-04-12.mp4 target: fr/ss/2024-04/12 thumbnail: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/fr/ffn/fr-ffn-2024-04-12.webp + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/fr/ffn/fr-ffn-2024-04-13.mp4 + target: fr/ss/2024-04/13 + thumbnail: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/fr/ffn/fr-ffn-2024-04-13.webp - artist: Espoir Médias clips: - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/fr/em/fr-em-2024-04-01.mp4 @@ -76,6 +79,9 @@ - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/fr/em/fr-em-2024-04-12.mp4 target: fr/ss/2024-04/12 thumbnail: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/fr/em/fr-em-2024-04-12.webp + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/fr/em/fr-em-2024-04-13.mp4 + target: fr/ss/2024-04/13 + thumbnail: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/fr/em/fr-em-2024-04-13.webp - artist: An Ti Kozé clips: - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/fr/hope/fr-hope-2024-04-01.mp4 @@ -114,6 +120,9 @@ - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/fr/hope/fr-hope-2024-04-12.mp4 target: fr/ss/2024-04/12 thumbnail: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/fr/hope/fr-hope-2024-04-12.webp + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/fr/hope/fr-hope-2024-04-13.mp4 + target: fr/ss/2024-04/13 + thumbnail: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/fr/hope/fr-hope-2024-04-13.webp - artist: Autrement Dit clips: - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/fr/esj/fr-esj-2024-04-01.mp4 @@ -152,3 +161,6 @@ - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/fr/esj/fr-esj-2024-04-12.mp4 target: fr/ss/2024-04/12 thumbnail: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/fr/esj/fr-esj-2024-04-12.webp + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/fr/esj/fr-esj-2024-04-13.mp4 + target: fr/ss/2024-04/13 + thumbnail: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/fr/esj/fr-esj-2024-04-13.webp diff --git a/src/hr/ss/2024-04/video.yml b/src/hr/ss/2024-04/video.yml index cad79d3d6d..beafe102c7 100644 --- a/src/hr/ss/2024-04/video.yml +++ b/src/hr/ss/2024-04/video.yml @@ -35,3 +35,6 @@ - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/hr/hr-2024-04-12.mp4 target: hr/ss/2024-04/12 thumbnail: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/hr/hr-2024-04-12.webp + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/hr/hr-2024-04-13.mp4 + target: hr/ss/2024-04/13 + thumbnail: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/hr/hr-2024-04-13.webp diff --git a/src/hu/ss/2024-04/video.yml b/src/hu/ss/2024-04/video.yml index 5d29f62f92..8eb479ea61 100644 --- a/src/hu/ss/2024-04/video.yml +++ b/src/hu/ss/2024-04/video.yml @@ -38,3 +38,6 @@ - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/hu/hope/hu-hope-2024-04-12.mp4 target: hu/ss/2024-04/12 thumbnail: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/hu/hope/hu-hope-2024-04-12.webp + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/hu/hope/hu-hope-2024-04-13.mp4 + target: hu/ss/2024-04/13 + thumbnail: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/hu/hope/hu-hope-2024-04-13.webp diff --git a/src/ilo/ss/2024-04/video.yml b/src/ilo/ss/2024-04/video.yml index e4ba000e85..ebcac90bfa 100644 --- a/src/ilo/ss/2024-04/video.yml +++ b/src/ilo/ss/2024-04/video.yml @@ -38,3 +38,6 @@ - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/ilo/ilo-2024-04-12.mp4 target: ilo/ss/2024-04/12 thumbnail: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/ilo/ilo-2024-04-12.webp + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/ilo/ilo-2024-04-13.mp4 + target: ilo/ss/2024-04/13 + thumbnail: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/ilo/ilo-2024-04-13.webp diff --git a/src/in/ss/2024-04/video.yml b/src/in/ss/2024-04/video.yml index 72f2bca6aa..5d5a1ac872 100644 --- a/src/in/ss/2024-04/video.yml +++ b/src/in/ss/2024-04/video.yml @@ -38,6 +38,9 @@ - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/in/hope/in-hope-2024-04-12.mp4 target: in/ss/2024-04/12 thumbnail: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/in/hope/in-hope-2024-04-12.webp + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/in/hope/in-hope-2024-04-13.mp4 + target: in/ss/2024-04/13 + thumbnail: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/in/hope/in-hope-2024-04-13.webp - artist: Amazing Facts Indonesia clips: - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/in/af/in-af-2024-04-01.mp4 @@ -76,3 +79,6 @@ - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/in/af/in-af-2024-04-12.mp4 target: in/ss/2024-04/12 thumbnail: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/in/af/in-af-2024-04-12.webp + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/in/af/in-af-2024-04-13.mp4 + target: in/ss/2024-04/13 + thumbnail: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/in/af/in-af-2024-04-13.webp diff --git a/src/it/ss/2024-04/video.yml b/src/it/ss/2024-04/video.yml index 2634780b0b..98b14577e9 100644 --- a/src/it/ss/2024-04/video.yml +++ b/src/it/ss/2024-04/video.yml @@ -38,3 +38,6 @@ - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/it/it-2024-04-12.mp4 target: it/ss/2024-04/12 thumbnail: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/it/it-2024-04-12.webp + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/it/it-2024-04-13.mp4 + target: it/ss/2024-04/13 + thumbnail: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/it/it-2024-04-13.webp diff --git a/src/ja/ss/2024-04/13/01.md b/src/ja/ss/2024-04/13/01.md index a02d8d29a2..d062a48c6b 100644 --- a/src/ja/ss/2024-04/13/01.md +++ b/src/ja/ss/2024-04/13/01.md @@ -3,4 +3,20 @@ title: 結び― イエスとその言葉を知る date: 21/12/2024 --- -### この日課はまだ完了されていません。もう少し後で戻ってきてください。 \ No newline at end of file +>暗唱聖句
+> あなたたちは聖書の中に永遠の命があると考えて、聖書を研究している。ところが、聖書はわたしについて証しをするものだ。(ヨハネ 5:39、新共同訳) +> あなたがたは、聖書の中に永遠の命があると思って調べているが、この聖書は、わたしについてあかしをするものである。(ヨハネ 5:39、口語訳) + +### 今週の聖句 + +ヨハネ 21 章、ヨハネ 11:9、10、ヨハネ 8:42 - 44、ヨハネ 4:46 - 54、IIテモテ 3:16、ヨハネ 15:1-11 + +ヨハネによる福音書は、マルコによる福音書と同様、ガリラヤでの再会で終わります。この最終課の研究では、その再会を扱いますが、それを、第四福音書を貫いている、私たちがイエスと神の言葉をどのように知るかという主題と結びつけます。 + +イエスと 3 年以上一緒にいて、これから起こることを何度もイエスが告げられていたにもかかわらず、弟子たちは、十字架刑と復活に対する準備ができていませんでした。 + +残念なことに、彼らはイエスの言葉をそのまま信じていなかったのです。 + +今日、私たちも同じことをする危険性があります。神の御言葉を聞いたり、読んだりしても、それに耳を傾けず、それにとどまらず、それに従わないことがありうるのです。つまり、御言葉を私たちの思考と行動を導くべき光として受け入れないのです。残念なことに、知らず知らずのうちに、あまりにも多くのクリスチャンがこのような状態に陥っています。 + +ヨハネによる福音書の最後の研究となる今週、私たちはこの福音書の重要なポイントをいくつか見ていきます。それらのポイントは、私たちがイエスを単に頭で知るのではなく、彼をよりよく知り、彼とその言葉により親しくなるのに役立ちます。 \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/ja/ss/2024-04/13/02.md b/src/ja/ss/2024-04/13/02.md index 077fde4c37..246bf889ad 100644 --- a/src/ja/ss/2024-04/13/02.md +++ b/src/ja/ss/2024-04/13/02.md @@ -1,6 +1,18 @@ --- -title: 日課 +title: ガリラヤでの再会 date: 22/12/2024 --- -### この日課はまだ完了されていません。もう少し後で戻ってきてください。 \ No newline at end of file +`ヨハネ 21:1-19 を読んでください。ここでは、特に神の恵みとそれに対する人間の謙虚さについて、どんな重要な真理が明らかになっていますか。` + +ヨハネ 20 章は、この福音書の目的を記して終わっており、ここで締めくくるのが理にかなっていますが、さらにもう1 章あります。21 章は、何人かの弟子がガリラヤに戻り、ペトロが湖で一晩過ごすことを提案するところから始まっています。まるで昔が戻ってきたかのように、その弟子たちはかつての職業であった漁に戻ります。しかし、その夜は何も獲れませんでした。 + +朝になると、岸辺に立つ、見知らぬ人が、舟の右側に網を打つようにと彼らに告げます。すると、網を引き上げられないほどの魚が獲れました。それは、イエスとの働きが始まったときのようでした(ルカ 5:1 - 11 参照)。ヨハネはすぐにイエスだと気づき、ペトロに伝えると、彼はすぐに海に飛び込み、陸まで泳ぎました。 + +イエスはペトロに三つの質問をなさいましたが、いずれも主に対する愛についての質問でした。十字架刑が執行される前、ペトロはイエスのために命を捨てると主張しましたが(ヨハ 13:37)、その時、イエスは、ペトロが三度にわたって否認することを預言されました(同 13:38)。このガリラヤでの再会で、ペトロは自分自身を基準点にせず、むしろイエスを基準点にしています。「主よ、あなたは何もかもご存じです。わたしがあなたを愛していることを、あなたはよく知っておられます」(ヨハ 21:17)。 + +ある人は、イエスがペトロに質問する際に、(3 回目を除いて)「アガパオー」という(「愛する」という意の)ギリシア語動詞を使っておられるのに対して、ペトロが毎回「フィレオー」という(友人として「愛する」という意の)動詞で答えていることに注目しています。つまりペトロは、より高い次元の愛に至っていないことを暗に伝えているのです。 + +実際、ペトロの返事は、謙虚さに焦点を合わせています。これまで何度も失敗を経験しているので、彼は、「より低い次元の言葉」を謙虚に用い、あえて自分を主張しすぎないようにしたのでしょう。そして、この謙虚さこそがイエスのお認めになったものであり、ペトロを宣教活動に復帰させるうえで極めて重要なものでした。疑いもなく、謙虚さは宣教にとって最も重要な資質の一つです。なぜならその焦点は、自分でなく、イエス・キリストだからです。 + +ペトロの復帰と初代教会の指導者としての役割は、イエスが復活されたことを示す最も強力な証拠の一つです。イエスがペトロを宣教活動に復帰させられなかったなら、彼の目覚ましい働きを説明することは難しいでしょう。 \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/ja/ss/2024-04/13/03.md b/src/ja/ss/2024-04/13/03.md index 53e02a9fb0..bfbbb26369 100644 --- a/src/ja/ss/2024-04/13/03.md +++ b/src/ja/ss/2024-04/13/03.md @@ -1,6 +1,18 @@ --- -title: 日課 +title: イエスから目を離さない date: 23/12/2024 --- -### この日課はまだ完了されていません。もう少し後で戻ってきてください。 \ No newline at end of file +`ヨハネ 21:20-22 を読んでください。ペトロを誤った道に導いたのは、どんな質問でしたか。イエスはどのようにその道を正されましたか。` + +イエスはペトロを宣教の働きに復帰させ、「わたしに従いなさい」(ヨハ 21:19)と言われたばかりでした。おそらく、岸辺で実際にイエスのあとに従っていたのでしょう。ペトロが振り向くと、ヨハネもイエスのあとに従って来るのが見えたので、ペトロはヨハネについてこう尋ねました。「主よ、この人はどうなるのでしょうか」(ヨハ 21:21)。 + +ペトロを宣教の働きに復帰させる際に、イエスは彼の死に方を予告されました(ヨハ 21:18)。ペトロはヨハネの死についても興味を持っていたようです。しかしイエスはペトロの関心を、ほかの弟子に何が起こるかを心配するのではなく、イエスに従うという問題に向けさせられました。 + +`ヨハネ 21:23-25 を読んでください。イエスの言葉は、どのように誤解されましたか。使徒ヨハネは、その誤解をどう解きましたか。` + +弟子たちは、イエスが言われたことの意味を誤解しました。「わたしの来るときまで彼が生きていることを、わたしが望んだとしても、あなたに何の関係があるか。あなたは、わたしに従いなさい」(ヨハ 21:22)。彼らは、ヨハネが死ぬ前にイエスが戻って来られるという意味だと思ったのです。時が過ぎ去り、ヨハネが年を取るにつれて、もし彼が死んで(もちろん、彼は死にましたが)、イエスが戻って来られなかったら、大変なことになるでしょう。ヨハネは、それはイエスのご意志の問題であって、何が起こるかの預言ではないことを示して、この誤解を解いています。 + +ほかの人に焦点を合わせるのではなく、イエスに焦点を当てるという考えは、今週の残りの研究にも強くつながっています。イエス、そしてイエスだけが私たちの救い主です。人々は必ずあなたを失望させ、もしかしたら傷つけることさえあるかもしれません。 + +火曜日から木曜日にかけて扱う真理は、イエスを知り、イエスに従うことを目的として、神の言葉を理解するという主題を取り上げます。イエスは、ほかの人が私たちに与えてくれる助け、助言、導きとは関係なく、私たちの主であり、導き手です。 \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/ja/ss/2024-04/13/04.md b/src/ja/ss/2024-04/13/04.md index 9f742c8729..1a74394d4f 100644 --- a/src/ja/ss/2024-04/13/04.md +++ b/src/ja/ss/2024-04/13/04.md @@ -1,6 +1,18 @@ --- -title: 日課 +title: 光と闇 date: 24/12/2024 --- -### この日課はまだ完了されていません。もう少し後で戻ってきてください。 \ No newline at end of file +`次の聖句を読んでください(ヨハ 1:4-10、3:19-21、5:35、8:12、9:5、11:9、10、12:35)。ここにはどんな大きな対比がありますか。この対比は、真理を理解するうえで、なぜ基礎となるのですか。` + +この世は闇の中にあります。それは光を避け、真の神(天地創造、啓示、あがないの人格神)への道を自力で見つけることができません。 + +「人間は1人で神についての知識に到達することはできない。『それは天よりも高い、あなたは何をなしうるか。それは陰よ府みよりも深い、あなたは何を知り うるか』(ヨブ 11:8)。『子たる身分を授ける霊』のみが、神について『目がまだ見ず、耳がまだ聞かず、人の心に思い浮びもしなかった』深い事柄をわれわれに示すことができるのである(ローマ 8:15、Iコリント 2:9)。『そして、それを神は、御霊によってわたしたちに啓示して下さったのである』(Iコリント 2:10)」(『希望への光』886 ページ、『各時代の希望』第 45 章)。 + +イエス・キリストだけが、父なる「神を示された」(ヨハ 1:18)のです。「示す」に相当するギリシア語の動詞「エクセーゲオマイ」には、「解釈する」「説明する」「解説する」という意味があります。ヨハネは、イエスを天の使者として、神を知るとはどういうことかを説明するお方として紹介しています。イエスを通してのみ、私たちは神を真に知ることができるのです。 + +ヨハネ 8:42-44 を読んでください。イエスは、イスラエルの宗教指導者たちが信仰の基盤としていた誤った土台について、どのように説明しておられますか。 + +真理に立っていない者は、自分の本性から話します。彼らは人間的な視点からしか聖句の意味を「見ない」からです。一方、私たちは、キリストが世の光であることを受け入れ、御言葉の解釈において彼に従わなければなりません。それに反して、悪魔は「自らの本性」(ヨハ 8:44)から語ります。もし注意を怠り、神への信仰と従順に身を委ねていないなら、私たちも同じことをしてしまう危険性があります。自分の欲望、欲求、視点だけに基づいて聖句を読むことは、私たちが思っているよりもずっと簡単にやってしまうことなのです。 + +`あなたを不快にする真理に対して、あなたはどう応じますか。` \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/ja/ss/2024-04/13/05.md b/src/ja/ss/2024-04/13/05.md index 96f40408a9..3ebaa4448d 100644 --- a/src/ja/ss/2024-04/13/05.md +++ b/src/ja/ss/2024-04/13/05.md @@ -1,6 +1,18 @@ --- -title: 日課 +title: 「上」からの神学、「下」からの神学 date: 25/12/2024 --- -### この日課はまだ完了されていません。もう少し後で戻ってきてください。 \ No newline at end of file +`ヨハネ 4:46-54 を読んでください。この役人は、どんな問題をイエスのところに持ち込みましたか。ここでの真の根本的問題は何でしたか。` + +この男は、世の光であるイエスのもとに来ましたが、イエスが自分の子どもをいやしてくださった場合のみ信じようと心に決めていました。この男の神学は、「下からの神学」だったと言えるでしょう。下からの神学は、神と神の言葉に対して規則や基準を定めます。人間の考えが、欠陥があり、限界があり、主観的であるにもかかわらず、神の言葉をどのように解釈するかの最終的権威となるのです。なんと危険な罠わなに陥ることでしょう! + +それとは対照的に、「上からの神学」は、まず神と神の言葉を信じる信仰によって応答します(ヨハ 4:48、6:14、15、IIテモ 3:16)。聖書が信仰によって受け入れられるとき、聖書は聖書自身の解釈者となります。その時代の哲学ではなく、聖書の世界観が聖書を理解し、解釈する指針なのです。人間の見解は、神の言葉に服従し、従わなければならず、その逆であってはなりません。 + +もし私たちがイエスの言葉を信じたいのであれば、聖書の言葉を信じなければなりません(ヨハ 5:46、47)。「わたしの言葉にとどまるならば、あなたたちは本当にわたしの弟子である」(ヨハ 8:31)。もし私たちが神の言葉を疑うなら、それは私たちの内にとどまることができません(同 5:38)。「わたしを拒み、わたしの言葉を受け入れない者に対しては、裁くものがある。わたしの語った言葉が、終わりの日にその者を裁く。なぜなら、わたしは自分勝手に語ったのではなく、わたしをお遣わしになった父が、わたしの言うべきこと、語るべきことをお命じになったからである」(同 12:48、49)。 + +神の言葉を聞くというのは、情報を受動的に受け取る以上のことです。神の御心を行うことでもあるのです。そして、これが御言葉を聞くことへの能動的な反応です。「この方の御心を行おうとする者は、わたしの教えが神から出たものか、わたしが勝手に話しているのか、分かるはずである」(ヨハ 7:17)。 + +そして、このように神の言葉を聞いて行うことが、神に対する愛の表現なのです。「イエスはこう答えて言われた。『わたしを愛する人は、わたしの言葉を守る。わたしの父はその人を愛され、父とわたしとはその人のところに行き、一緒に住む』」(ヨハ 14:23)。 + +`イエスに対する私たちの愛と服従の間には、どんな関係がありますか。愛に基づかない「従順」は、なぜ律法主義に陥る危険性があるのでしょうか。` \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/ja/ss/2024-04/13/06.md b/src/ja/ss/2024-04/13/06.md index 41269f1123..99859ad4a7 100644 --- a/src/ja/ss/2024-04/13/06.md +++ b/src/ja/ss/2024-04/13/06.md @@ -1,6 +1,16 @@ --- -title: 日課 +title: イエスの内にとどまる date: 26/12/2024 --- -### この日課はまだ完了されていません。もう少し後で戻ってきてください。 \ No newline at end of file +`ヨハネ 12:32 を読んでください。この印象的な言葉は、イエス・キリストの権威をどのように説明していますか。` + +今期の研究を通して見てきたように、ヨハネによる福音書は私たちをイエスに引き寄せますが、それは私たちが進んで神を知り、神の御心を行おうとする場合に限られます。この福音書の至るところで、イエスに出会った人々は、光を受け入れて成長するか、光を拒んで盲目になるかのいずれかです。ニコデモ、井戸の女、王の役人、ベトザタの池の男、パンと魚で養われた 5000 人、イエスの兄弟、宗教指導者たち、生まれつきの盲人、マリアとマルタ、ピラトなど、すべての人がイエスと出会い、彼がもたらす真理と光を選択しました。 + +下からの神学は、神の存在と性質を見極め、検証するための人間の議論から始まります。欠陥があり、堕落し、偏見に満ちた人間の視点が、神聖で完全で全知なる視点よりも優先されるのです。人間の知恵が神に取って代わろうとし、偽りの礼拝をこの世に強要しようとするとき、下からの神学は、過去にそうであったように、将来でも、間違いなく人々を誤った方向に導きます(黙 14:1-12 参照)。 + +`ヨハネ 15:1-11 を読んでください。霊的成長と健康の秘訣は何ですか。` + +その秘訣は、イエスとのつながりを保つことです。イエスは、「神の言ことば」「命のパン」「世の光」「羊の門」「良い羊飼い」「復活と命」「道」「真理と命」「まことのぶどうの木」です。 + +三位一体の神とその言葉である聖書は、磁石のようなものです。抵抗しなければ、私たちはそれらに引き寄せられていきます。「神の声は御言葉を通して私たちに語りかけているが、私たちが聞くことになる声はたくさんある。しかしキリストは、『ここにキリストがいる』、また『あそこにいる』と言う人たちに気をつけるべきだとおっしゃった。そうであれば、すべてを聖書に照らすことなく、彼らが真理を持っていないといかに知ることができるだろうか」(『アドベント・レビュー・アンド・サバス・ヘラルド』1888 年 4 月 3 日号、英文)。私たちは自分自身の見解を、神の言葉の中に示されている見解に従わせなければなりません。 \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/ja/ss/2024-04/13/07.md b/src/ja/ss/2024-04/13/07.md index b3de6d4c82..9b64c9f680 100644 --- a/src/ja/ss/2024-04/13/07.md +++ b/src/ja/ss/2024-04/13/07.md @@ -3,4 +3,20 @@ title: さらなる研究 date: 27/12/2024 --- -### この日課はまだ完了されていません。もう少し後で戻ってきてください。 \ No newline at end of file +神の視点は、人間の視点とは大きく異なります。神は、聖霊の力の下、御言葉である聖書を通して、ご自分の視点を私たちに与えくださいます。暗闇の中を歩むか、御言葉に啓示されているイエス・キリストからの光を受け入れるかは、私たちの選択次第です。 + +この選択に不可欠なのは、神の御子であり、人類のあがない主でおられるイエス・キリストに私たちが個人的に降伏することです。聖霊の力によって、父なる神はご自身の愛の深さを―イエスの生涯、死、復活において―私たちに明らかにしてくださいました。そして、私たちはイエスについて知っています。彼の生涯、死、復活が神の御言葉の中に記録されているからです。 + +「神の天使たちは絶えず地から天へ、天から地へかよっている。苦しんでいる者や悩んでいる者たちのためのキリストの奇跡は、天使たちの奉仕を通して神の力によってなされた。あらゆる祝福が神からわれわれのもとに来るのは、キリストを通し、天使たちの奉仕によってである。救い主はご自分に人性をとられることによって、ご自分の利害を堕落したアダムの息子、娘の利害と一致させ、一方また、その神性によって神のみ座につながっておられる。こうしてキリストは、人が神と交わり、神が人と交わられる仲介である」(『希望への光』 735 ページ、『各時代の希望』第 14 章)。 + +**話し合いのための質問** + +`❶ ヨハネによる福音書に含まれるすべての物語の中で、神の愛と品性について最も雄弁に語っているのはどの物語ですか。なぜその物語がとても説得力があると思うのか、安息日学校のクラスで分かち合ってください。` + +`❷ 実際問題として、人はどのように真理を探求すればよいのでしょうか。` + +`❸ 真理の裁定者としての自己を脇に置くことは、通常、なぜ難しいのでしょうか。私たちは完全にそうすることができるのでしょうか。それとも、私たちの人間性は、ある程度、聖書の見方に影響を与えるでしょうか。なぜ私たちはこの事実を認識しなければならないのでしょうか。また、自分の偏見を神の御言葉に従わせるために、謙虚さはどのように役立つでしょうか。` + +`❹ 西洋のキリスト教史は、神の言葉が人間の政治や偏見に支配されるとき、何が起こるのかを示す、恐ろしい実例であふれています。それらの実例には、どのようなものがありますか。また、人間の視点が聖書を「解釈」する際の主要なフィルターとなることがどれほど危険であるかについて、今日、私たちはそれらの実例から、どんな教訓を学ぶことができますか。` + +`❺ ヨハネによる福音書の全体像を、あなた自身の言葉で要約してみてください。現代の私たちにとって、この福音書の中心的なメッセージは何でしょうか。` \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/ml/ss/2024-04/video.yml b/src/ml/ss/2024-04/video.yml index f516513199..8b96f74b71 100644 --- a/src/ml/ss/2024-04/video.yml +++ b/src/ml/ss/2024-04/video.yml @@ -32,3 +32,6 @@ - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/ml/ml-2024-04-12.mp4 target: ml/ss/2024-04/12 thumbnail: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/ml/ml-2024-04-12.webp + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/ml/ml-2024-04-13.mp4 + target: ml/ss/2024-04/13 + thumbnail: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/ml/ml-2024-04-13.webp diff --git a/src/pl/ss/2024-04/video.yml b/src/pl/ss/2024-04/video.yml index e1499847e4..1ee365ba3c 100644 --- a/src/pl/ss/2024-04/video.yml +++ b/src/pl/ss/2024-04/video.yml @@ -38,6 +38,9 @@ - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/pl/sp/pl-sp-2024-04-12.mp4 target: pl/ss/2024-04/12 thumbnail: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/pl/sp/pl-sp-2024-04-12.webp + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/pl/sp/pl-sp-2024-04-13.mp4 + target: pl/ss/2024-04/13 + thumbnail: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/pl/sp/pl-sp-2024-04-13.webp - artist: Hope Channel clips: - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/pl/pl-2024-04-01.mp4 @@ -76,3 +79,6 @@ - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/pl/pl-2024-04-12.mp4 target: pl/ss/2024-04/12 thumbnail: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/pl/pl-2024-04-12.webp + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/pl/pl-2024-04-13.mp4 + target: pl/ss/2024-04/13 + thumbnail: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/pl/pl-2024-04-13.webp diff --git a/src/pt/ss/2024-04-cq/video.yml b/src/pt/ss/2024-04-cq/video.yml index 0cd8f8c4f1..d38a2df2af 100644 --- a/src/pt/ss/2024-04-cq/video.yml +++ b/src/pt/ss/2024-04-cq/video.yml @@ -38,6 +38,9 @@ - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/pt/inv/pt-inv-2024-04-12.mp4 target: pt/ss/2024-04-cq/12 thumbnail: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/pt/inv/pt-inv-2024-04-12.webp + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/pt/inv/pt-inv-2024-04-13.mp4 + target: pt/ss/2024-04-cq/13 + thumbnail: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/pt/inv/pt-inv-2024-04-13.webp - artist: Adventismo Vivo clips: - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/pt/vivo/pt-vivo-inv-2024-04-01.mp4 @@ -73,3 +76,6 @@ - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/pt/vivo/pt-vivo-inv-2024-04-12.mp4 target: pt/ss/2024-04-cq/12 thumbnail: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/pt/vivo/pt-vivo-inv-2024-04-12.webp + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/pt/vivo/pt-vivo-inv-2024-04-13.mp4 + target: pt/ss/2024-04-cq/13 + thumbnail: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/pt/vivo/pt-vivo-inv-2024-04-13.webp diff --git a/src/pt/ss/2024-04-pt/video.yml b/src/pt/ss/2024-04-pt/video.yml index 98cefcf9ab..2487335df0 100644 --- a/src/pt/ss/2024-04-pt/video.yml +++ b/src/pt/ss/2024-04-pt/video.yml @@ -38,3 +38,6 @@ - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/pt/portugal/ba/pt-ba-2024-04-12.mp4 target: pt/ss/2024-04-pt/12 thumbnail: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/pt/portugal/ba/pt-ba-2024-04-12.webp + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/pt/portugal/ba/pt-ba-2024-04-13.mp4 + target: pt/ss/2024-04-pt/13 + thumbnail: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/pt/portugal/ba/pt-ba-2024-04-13.webp diff --git a/src/pt/ss/2024-04/video.yml b/src/pt/ss/2024-04/video.yml index 8bcaa4a243..dcad250753 100644 --- a/src/pt/ss/2024-04/video.yml +++ b/src/pt/ss/2024-04/video.yml @@ -38,6 +38,9 @@ - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/pt/apl/pt-apl-2024-04-12.mp4 target: pt/ss/2024-04/12 thumbnail: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/pt/apl/pt-apl-2024-04-12.webp + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/pt/apl/pt-apl-2024-04-13.mp4 + target: pt/ss/2024-04/13 + thumbnail: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/pt/apl/pt-apl-2024-04-13.webp - artist: Adventismo Vivo clips: - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/pt/vivo/pt-vivo-2024-04-01.mp4 @@ -73,6 +76,9 @@ - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/pt/vivo/pt-vivo-2024-04-12.mp4 target: pt/ss/2024-04/12 thumbnail: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/pt/vivo/pt-vivo-2024-04-12.webp + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/pt/vivo/pt-vivo-2024-04-13.mp4 + target: pt/ss/2024-04/13 + thumbnail: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/pt/vivo/pt-vivo-2024-04-13.webp - artist: Adventistas Lago Sul clips: - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/pt/lago/pt-lago-2024-04-01.mp4 @@ -96,3 +102,6 @@ - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/pt/lago/pt-lago-2024-04-12.mp4 target: pt/ss/2024-04/12 thumbnail: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/pt/lago/pt-lago-2024-04-12.webp + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/pt/lago/pt-lago-2024-04-13.mp4 + target: pt/ss/2024-04/13 + thumbnail: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/pt/lago/pt-lago-2024-04-13.webp diff --git a/src/ro/ss/2024-04/video.yml b/src/ro/ss/2024-04/video.yml index d049077bba..13805a91c4 100644 --- a/src/ro/ss/2024-04/video.yml +++ b/src/ro/ss/2024-04/video.yml @@ -35,3 +35,6 @@ - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/ro/ro-2024-04-12.mp4 target: ro/ss/2024-04/12 thumbnail: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/ro/ro-2024-04-12.webp + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/ro/ro-2024-04-13.mp4 + target: ro/ss/2024-04/13 + thumbnail: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/ro/ro-2024-04-13.webp diff --git a/src/ru/ss/2024-04/video.yml b/src/ru/ss/2024-04/video.yml index e0dc1902ee..32055b79f8 100644 --- a/src/ru/ss/2024-04/video.yml +++ b/src/ru/ss/2024-04/video.yml @@ -38,6 +38,9 @@ - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/ru/zau/ru-zau-2024-04-12.mp4 target: ru/ss/2024-04/12 thumbnail: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/ru/zau/ru-zau-2024-04-12.webp + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/ru/zau/ru-zau-2024-04-13.mp4 + target: ru/ss/2024-04/13 + thumbnail: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/ru/zau/ru-zau-2024-04-13.webp - artist: Александр Болотников clips: - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/ru/bol/ru-bol-2024-04-01.mp4 @@ -76,6 +79,9 @@ - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/ru/bol/ru-bol-2024-04-12.mp4 target: ru/ss/2024-04/12 thumbnail: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/ru/bol/ru-bol-2024-04-12.webp + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/ru/bol/ru-bol-2024-04-13.mp4 + target: ru/ss/2024-04/13 + thumbnail: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/ru/bol/ru-bol-2024-04-13.webp - artist: Изучаем Библию с Виталием Олийником clips: - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/ru/cdp/ru-cdp-2024-04-01.mp4 @@ -114,6 +120,9 @@ - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/ru/cdp/ru-cdp-2024-04-12.mp4 target: ru/ss/2024-04/12 thumbnail: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/ru/cdp/ru-cdp-2024-04-12.webp + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/ru/cdp/ru-cdp-2024-04-13.mp4 + target: ru/ss/2024-04/13 + thumbnail: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/ru/cdp/ru-cdp-2024-04-13.webp - artist: Субботняя школа с Алехандро Буйоном clips: - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/ru/bul/ru-bul-2024-04-01.mp4 diff --git a/src/sk/ss/2024-04/video.yml b/src/sk/ss/2024-04/video.yml index 9de30bd8a1..62394a1d8b 100644 --- a/src/sk/ss/2024-04/video.yml +++ b/src/sk/ss/2024-04/video.yml @@ -38,3 +38,6 @@ - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/cs/cs-2024-04-12.mp4 target: sk/ss/2024-04/12 thumbnail: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/cs/cs-2024-04-12.webp + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/cs/cs-2024-04-13.mp4 + target: sk/ss/2024-04/13 + thumbnail: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/cs/cs-2024-04-13.webp diff --git a/src/ta/ss/2024-04/video.yml b/src/ta/ss/2024-04/video.yml index 412c1355b8..882aa753f2 100644 --- a/src/ta/ss/2024-04/video.yml +++ b/src/ta/ss/2024-04/video.yml @@ -38,3 +38,6 @@ - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/ta/ta-2024-04-12.mp4 target: ta/ss/2024-04/12 thumbnail: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/ta/ta-2024-04-12.webp + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/ta/ta-2024-04-13.mp4 + target: ta/ss/2024-04/13 + thumbnail: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/ta/ta-2024-04-13.webp diff --git a/src/tl/ss/2024-04/video.yml b/src/tl/ss/2024-04/video.yml index 399a34624e..7fdb960b41 100644 --- a/src/tl/ss/2024-04/video.yml +++ b/src/tl/ss/2024-04/video.yml @@ -38,6 +38,9 @@ - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/tl/hope/tl-hope-2024-04-12.mp4 target: tl/ss/2024-04/12 thumbnail: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/tl/hope/tl-hope-2024-04-12.webp + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/tl/hope/tl-hope-2024-04-13.mp4 + target: tl/ss/2024-04/13 + thumbnail: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/tl/hope/tl-hope-2024-04-13.webp - artist: Solid Rock Ministries clips: - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/tl/srm/tl-srm-2024-04-01.mp4 @@ -76,3 +79,6 @@ - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/tl/srm/tl-srm-2024-04-12.mp4 target: tl/ss/2024-04/12 thumbnail: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/tl/srm/tl-srm-2024-04-12.webp + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/tl/srm/tl-srm-2024-04-13.mp4 + target: tl/ss/2024-04/13 + thumbnail: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/tl/srm/tl-srm-2024-04-13.webp diff --git a/src/uk/ss/2024-04/video.yml b/src/uk/ss/2024-04/video.yml index 2fe6d1347f..48be6ea0ac 100644 --- a/src/uk/ss/2024-04/video.yml +++ b/src/uk/ss/2024-04/video.yml @@ -38,3 +38,6 @@ - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/uk/uk-2024-04-12.mp4 target: uk/ss/2024-04/12 thumbnail: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/uk/uk-2024-04-12.webp + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/uk/uk-2024-04-13.mp4 + target: uk/ss/2024-04/13 + thumbnail: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/uk/uk-2024-04-13.webp diff --git a/src/zh/ss/2024-04-hant/video.yml b/src/zh/ss/2024-04-hant/video.yml index 5c2297f676..158254d7f5 100644 --- a/src/zh/ss/2024-04-hant/video.yml +++ b/src/zh/ss/2024-04-hant/video.yml @@ -38,3 +38,6 @@ - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/zh/hopetv/zh-hopetv-2024-04-12.mp4 target: zh/ss/2024-04-hant/12 thumbnail: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/zh/hopetv/zh-hopetv-2024-04-12.webp + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/zh/hopetv/zh-hopetv-2024-04-13.mp4 + target: zh/ss/2024-04-hant/13 + thumbnail: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/zh/hopetv/zh-hopetv-2024-04-13.webp diff --git a/src/zh/ss/2024-04/video.yml b/src/zh/ss/2024-04/video.yml index 9a248c000d..c1ddccc46b 100644 --- a/src/zh/ss/2024-04/video.yml +++ b/src/zh/ss/2024-04/video.yml @@ -38,3 +38,6 @@ - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/zh/hopetv/zh-hopetv-2024-04-12.mp4 target: zh/ss/2024-04/12 thumbnail: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/zh/hopetv/zh-hopetv-2024-04-12.webp + - src: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/zh/hopetv/zh-hopetv-2024-04-13.mp4 + target: zh/ss/2024-04/13 + thumbnail: https://sabbath-school-media-tmp.s3.amazonaws.com/zh/hopetv/zh-hopetv-2024-04-13.webp