SECOND QUARTER 2020

SABBATH SCHOOL INSIGHT #13

JUNE 27, 2020

“LIVING BY THE WORD OF GOD”

 

This quarter we have been looking at “How to interpret scripture” from many different perspectives, with the intent of enhancing our studying and understanding of the Bible, God’s Word.  This final week we are examining the importance of “Living by the Word of God”.

The lesson notes that “there is no better example and no motivational force more powerful than Jesus Christ” and that “to be willing to live the truth that we have learned means to be willing to submit to that biblical truth”.

While it is indeed true and important that Jesus is our perfect example, I know from my own experience that if I simply tried to copy His performance I would fall short which over time is discouraging.  What’s the problem you might ask?  Ultimately, I believe it gets down to motivation. Why did I want to copy His example? Was it to look good to others? Or because it was the right thing to do? Or because I wanted to get to heaven and not be forever lost?

A little examination suggests that these are all self-centered motives albeit with good intentions but reflecting the selfishness and pride that is inherent in our sinful human nature.

As Romans 3: 10-12 tells us:

“As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one:  There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.”

But there is another motive! When we see Christ as our Saviour and Redeemer and come to see more of His infinite agape love and His sacrifice on the cross for the entire human race, lives and hearts are changed. And more, He was willing to do it just for you or for me!

God has always been after our hearts as well as our minds (Ezekiel 11: 19-20):

“And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new Spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh: That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.”

Those new hearts become ours by faith alone as we comprehend God’s love and sacrifice for us. But that faith that we need, the faith of Jesus, is part of His gift to us, His perfect gift of salvation to all. And we see in Ephesians 3: 17-19:

“That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,

may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height: and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God.”

As we read in Sunday’s lesson, Christ left us a Comforter, the Holy Spirit whose purpose is to point us to Christ—His love and sacrifice and what He actually did for the entire human race through His birth, life, death, and resurrection. The lesson quotes EGW, Selected Messages book 1, p. 411 as follows:

“No one is able to explain the Scriptures without the aid of the Holy Spirit.  But when you take up the Word of God with a humble, teachable heart, the angels of God will be by your side to impress you with evidences of the truth”.

There is another EGW quote which emphasizes how important the Holy Spirit is as we seek to understand God’s word and allow it to change our hearts and lives which I believe has a particularly powerful message for those of us living in these final days of earth’s history.

“The mighty power of the Holy Spirit works an entire transformation in the character of the human agent, making him a new creature in Christ Jesus.  When a man is filled with the Spirit, the more severely he is tested and tried, the more clearly he proves that he is a representative of Christ.  The peace that dwells in the soul is seen on the countenance.  The words and actions express the love of the Saviour.  There is no striving for the highest place.  Self is renounced.  The name of Jesus is written on all that is said and done. RH June 10, 1902

We may talk of the blessings of the Holy Spirit, but unless we prepare ourselves for its reception, of what avail are our works?  Are we striving with all our power to attain to the stature of men and women in Christ?  Are we seeking for His fullness, ever pressing toward the mark set before us – the perfection of His character?  When the Lord’s people reach this mark, they will be sealed in their foreheads.  Filled with the Spirit, they will be complete in Christ, and the recording angel will declare, “it is finished”.”

As we continue our lesson study this week, God’s bearers of His most precious message, Waggoner and Jones, have thoughts to share with us on “living by the Word of God”:

1. EJW PTUK May 3, 1894, p. 275.5:

“The knowledge of Christ is an actual living experience, and the knowledge that the Scriptures are the word of God is not received by tradition-for the Lord needeth not that any man should testify of Him-but is proved every day in the life of every real Christian. Christianity is not an ecclesiastical formula, but a life. The believer finds actual life in the Scriptures, and needs no testimony of men to tell him that he is living by the word…..  The Reformers were met everywhere by the cry, “Tradition! tradition!” It is not a move toward tradition but toward the fountain head of truth, the word of God, that is needed now.”

2. ATJ ARSH March 7, 1899 p. 152:

““The just shall live by faith.” ARSH March 7, 1899, p. 152.1

Who are the just? — They are only those who are of faith; because men are justified only by faith. ARSH March 7, 1899, p. 152.2

For though we all “have sinned, and come short of the glory of God,” yet we are “justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” ARSH March 7, 1899, p. 152.3

For “to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. ARSH March 7, 1899, p. 152.4

“Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Those who are of faith, and those alone, are the just in the earth. ARSH March 7, 1899, p. 152.5

Now faith is entire dependence on the word of God, that that word shall accomplish what that word says. “It shall accomplish that which I please.” Isaiah 55:11. ARSH March 7, 1899, p. 152.6

To be justified by faith, then, is to be justified by entire dependence upon the word of God. The just are those who are of the word of God. This is how men become just. ARSH March 7, 1899, p. 152.7

Men must not only become just by faith, — by dependence upon the word of God,—but being just, we must live by faith. The just man lives in precisely the same way, and by precisely the same thing, that he becomes just. ARSH March 7, 1899, p. 152.8

We become just by faith; faith is entire dependence on the word of God. We, being just, must live by precisely the same thing by which we become just; that is, by entire dependence upon the word of God. ARSH March 7, 1899, p. 152.9

And this is exactly what Jesus said: Man shall live “by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” When Jesus said that, it is perfectly plain that he simply said, in other words, Man shall live by faith. ARSH March 7, 1899, p. 152.10

There is no other way truly to live than by faith, which is simply living by the word of God. Without faith, without the word of God, men only die. ARSH March 7, 1899, p. 152.11

Indeed, without the word of God everything only dies; for in the beginning everything came by the word of God. The word of God is the origin and life of everything; for, “He spake, and it was.” ARSH March 7, 1899, p. 152.12

All things animate and inanimate, —sun, moon, and stars, animals and men, — all are entirely dependent upon the word of God for existence. Only in the case of men, God has bestowed upon them the wondrous gift of choice as to whether they will do so or not. This gift opens the door of faith. And when a man does choose to live by the word of God, which is the only means of life, faith—entire dependence upon the word of God—is the means by which he lays hold on the means of life. ARSH March 7, 1899, p. 152.13

Thus “the just shall live by faith,” and thus “whatsoever is not of faith is sin;” which is simply to say, The just must live by the word of God; and whatsoever is not of the word of God is sin. ARSH March 7, 1899, p. 152.14

“We cannot have a healthy Christian experience, we cannot obey the gospel unto salvation, until the science of faith is better understood; and until more faith is exercised.” ARSH March 7, 1899, p. 152.15

“Hast thou faith?” Have the faith of God. Here are they that keep “the faith of Jesus.” ARSH March 7, 1899, p. 152.16 ATJ

3. Excerpts from article by ATJ “Living by the Word” ARSH Nov. 10, 1896 p.716-717

“NOW the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” ARSH November 10, 1896, page 716.1

The righteousness of God is that which every man is to seek first of all. “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness.” And in the way of righteousness there is life. It is impossible to separate the life of God from the righteousness of God. As certainly as you have the righteousness of God, so certainly you have the life of God. ARSH November 10, 1896, page 716.2

The Lord wants you to say that what he says is so; that it is so “now,” at this moment; and that it is so to you and in you. “A new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you.” When the Lord says a thing, it is true, even though nobody in the world ever believes it. It would be true in Him, but not in them. But He wants it to be true in you as well as in Himself. And when you acknowledge that what He says is true to you “now,” at this moment, then that thing is true in Him and in you. This is believing God. It is believing His Word. This is having His Word abiding in you. And, “If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” ARSH November 10, 1896, page 716.4

Here is the word of God, the word of righteousness, the word of life, to you “now,” “at this time.” Will you be made righteous by it now? Will you live by it now? This is justification by faith. This is righteousness by faith. It is the simplest thing in the world. It is simply whether the word of God shall be true in you “now” or not. God spoke to Abraham, “Tell the stars if thou be able to number them: ... So shall thy seed be.” And “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” “Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him; but for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on Him that raised up our Lord Jesus from the dead; who was delivered for our offenses, and was raised again for our justification. Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” ARSH November 10, 1896, page 717.6

“Now,” “at this time,” it is true; it is true in Him. Now, at this time, let it be true in you. ARSH November 10, 1896, page 717.7

In closing, Ellen White has some thoughts for us on living the Gospel and God’s word which should be helpful to us and our desire to be living by the Word of God:

“The Lord requires those who claim to be his servants to reveal the principles of heaven in all their work. They are to show kindness to all men, cherishing patience, long-suffering, forbearance, generosity. This is living the gospel, and only to those who thus serve Him will God say: “Well done, thou good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.” RH December 1, 1896, Art. B, par. 15

The Word is our instructor. All who will be doers of the word, in sincerity and truth, will behold His glory, — “the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” Then there is indeed a new birth, a transformation of character. “Of His fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.” This makes us living epistles, “known and read of all men.” “He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true. For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him. The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into His hand. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life; and he that believeth not on the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” RH December 1, 1896, Art. B, par. 18 EGW

The truths of the word of God meet man's great practical necessity, — the conversion of the soul through faith. These grand principles are not to be thought too pure and holy to be brought into the daily life. They are truths which reach to heaven and compass eternity, yet their vital influence is to be woven into human experience. They are to permeate all the great things and all the little things of life. Received into the heart, the leaven of truth will regulate the desires, purify the thoughts, and sweeten the disposition. It quickens the faculties of the mind, and the energies of the soul. It enlarges the capacity for feeling, for loving. ST January 20, 1909, par. 3

When in our Christian experience the word of God becomes our meat and our drink, the righteous character of Christ will be revealed in us. Beholding Him in the study of His word, we learn to love and practise His virtues and living the word of God before a world fallen through sin, we are changed into the same divine image. When we really receive Christ as our Redeemer, our life becomes one with His life. We are born again, not of flesh, but of the Spirit; and day by day we learn to reveal more fully the sacred principles that mark the sons and daughters of God. Partakers of the life of Christ, we are partakers of His nature, and reproduce in our lives the very characteristics that made His life that of no other man. ST January 20, 1909, par. 4 EGW

May the Word of God become our meat and our drink, and the righteous character of Christ be revealed in us through the power of the Holy Spirit. And as we behold Him in the study of His Word, may we by faith, the faith of Jesus, truly desire to be living by the Word of God!

Blessings,
John and Monica Campbell