Themes in the Gospel of John
The Source of Life
Lesson #9 for November 30, 2024
Scriptures:John 1:4,12-13; 6:61-68; 10:10; 14:6; Numbers 13:23-33; Matthew 4:1-4.
- Repeatedly, in the Gospel of John, Jesus answered the question about His existence by saying that He was/is the I AM. That was clearly a reference back to the statement inExodus 3:14 when Christ Himself said to Moses: “‘I am who I am.’” (Good News Bible*) That same divine Being became a Human Being and witnessed to us the truth about God the Father. (Exodus 3:14;John 1:14)
- Jesus made a number of statements about who He was. The great “I AM” is one but not the only description of Jesus. He is also the Light of the world, the Bread of life, the Gate and the Door for the sheep, the good Shepherd, and the True Vine.
John 14:6: Jesus answered him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one goes to the Father except by me.”—American Bible Society. (1992). The Holy Bible: The Good News Translation* (2nd ed.,John 14:6). New York: American Bible Society [abbreviated as Good News Bible].†‡
- What do you believe Jesus was trying to say when He said He was the “I AM”?
[From the Bible study guide=BSG:] More than any other Gospel writer, John distinguishes himself as the one who refers to the incarnate Son of God as the great “I AM.” This title, as we learned in an earlier lesson, is a divine reference to God. In John’s Gospel, Jesus proclaims, for example, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). When we walk in the Way, who is Jesus, He teaches us His truth that leads to eternal life. Jesus is our only way to the eternal God. The Father will never cast out anyone who sincerely comes to Him in repentance.―Adult Teachers Sabbath School Bible Study Guide* 119.†‡§
- If God in the form of the human Jesus, the divine Christ, is the “only” One who has the ability to give us eternal life, shouldn’t we cling to Him? Shouldn’t that relationship become the most important thing in our lives? Or, would we honestly choose Satan’s misery and eternal death?
- Was it because of that statement of Jesus recorded inJohn 14:6 which we just read that in apostolic days, those who followed the instructions and lifestyle of Jesus were called followers of the “Way”?
- Because Jesus was not only human but also divine, He is/was the only Human Being who had/has life in Himself.
[From the writings of Ellen G. White=EGW:] Still seeking to give a true direction to her [Martha’s] faith, Jesus declared, “I am the resurrection, and the life.” In Christ is life, original, unborrowed, underived. “He that hath the Son hath life.”1 John 5:12. The divinity of Christ is the believer’s assurance of eternal life.—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages* 530.3.†‡ [He was the Source!]‡
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- In writing his Gospel many years after all three of the synoptic Gospels had been written, John started with this startling truth:
John 1:1: In the beginning the Word already existed; the Word was with God, and the Word was God.—Good News Bible.* [Some churches do not accept this truth.]‡
- During His lifetime, Jesus, although He had divine power, never used that power for His own advantage. (DA3) However, when He was dead and buried in the tomb, having shown that the result of sin is separation from God (also known as God’s wrath), there was no longer any reason for Him to hesitate in using His divine power; and He raised Himself to life.
[EGW:] When the voice of the mighty angel was heard at Christ’s tomb, saying, Thy Father calls Thee, the Saviour [sic-Br] came forth from the grave by the life that was in Himself. Now was proved the truth of His words, “I lay down My life, that I might take it again.... I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again.” Now was fulfilled the prophecy He had spoken to the priests and rulers, “Destroy this temple [My body], and in three days I will raise it up.”John 10:17, 18; 2:19.—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages* 785.2.†‡
[https://egwwritings.org/read?panels=p130.3866&index=0]‡
- The idea of everlasting life occurs 17 times in the Gospel of John. These references point to a salvation and existence with God forever, not some spiritual, immaterial concept.
- The Greek word zoē (life) appears 36 times in the Greek version of the Gospel of John. That is about one-fourth of the uses of that word in the entire New Testament. Zoē most often refers to everlasting life. The One who gave life to humans in the beginning also has the power to give it again at the resurrection to eternal life.
John 3:15-16,36: 15 “So that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. 16For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life….”
36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever disobeys the Son will not have life, but will remain under God’s punishment.—Good News Bible.*† [See the handout: “God’s Wrath/Anger….” on www.Theox.org.]‡
[https://www.theox.org/images/uploads/bbk/KHart_BTGG_PDF_Gnrl_Gods_Wrath_or_Anger_16.pdf]‡
- This truth about eternal life is represented in many ways in the Gospel of John. SeeJohn 14:14,36; John 6:27,40,47,54,68; andJohn 10:27-28.
- Let us be very clear: Only Christ has the ability to give eternal life. No creature has that ability; no angel and no human being can do that.
- After that marvelous miracle of feeding the 5000 men, not counting the women and children, Jesus recognized that His statement about His body being Bread and His Blood giving life was not understood by most of the people who wanted to make Him their human king. By this, Jesus meant that His life and His death followed by His resurrection were the source of eternal salvation when we correctly understand them and accept them.
- Ellen G. White made this profound statement about the spiritual necessity of “feeding upon” the Bread of Life:
[EGW:] To eat the flesh and drink the blood of Christ is to receive Him as a personal Saviour [sic-Br], believing that He forgives our sins, and that we are complete in Him. It is by beholding His love, by dwelling upon it, by drinking it in, that we are to become partakers of His nature. What food is to the body, Christ must be to the soul. Food cannot benefit us unless we eat it, unless it becomes a part of our being. So Christ is of no value to us if we do not know Him as a personal Saviour [sic-Br]. A theoretical knowledge will do us no good. We must feed upon Him, receive Him into the heart, so that His life becomes our life. His love, His grace, must be assimilated.—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages* 389.3.†‡
[https://egwwritings.org/read?panels=p130.1871&index=0]‡
- We need to ask the question: Why did Jesus come to this earth? The Gospels and the rest of the New Testament answer that question in various ways. The most important thing that Jesus accomplished by coming to this earth was to reveal the truth about God the Father to us and to the rest of the universe. By accepting this truth, we have the opportunity to reject the selfishness that leads to eternal death and to accept the truth that leads to eternal life. This is what God wants of us.
John 10:10: “The thief comes only in order to steal, kill, and destroy. I have come in order that you might have life — life in all its fullness.”—Good News Bible.*
- Jesus came to this earth to represent God the Father. He promised His disciples that when He left them, He would send the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, to be with them and bring conviction upon them as well as upon those to whom they spread the gospel.
John 16:7-8: 7 “But I am telling you the truth: it is better for you that I go away, because if I do not go, the Helper will not come to you. But if I do go away, then I will send him to you. 8And when he comes, he will prove to the people of the world that they are wrong about sin and about what is right and about God’s judgement.”—Good News Bible.*
- In the garden of Gethsemane and, later, on the cross, Christ taught the ultimate truth.
[EGW:] [On the cross:] 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 [on the cross] with the terrible weight of guilt He bears, He cannot see [perceive] the Father’s reconciling face. The withdrawal of the divine countenance from the Saviour [sic-Br] in this hour of supreme anguish pierced His heart with a sorrow that can never be fully understood by man. [Isaiah 59:2] So great was this agony that His physical pain was hardly felt. [Imagine the physical pain He had!]
Satan with his fierce temptations wrung the heart of Jesus. The Saviour [sic-Br] could not see through the portals of the tomb. Hope did not present to Him His coming forth from the grave a conqueror, or tell Him of the Father’s acceptance of the sacrifice. He feared that sin was so offensive to God that Their separation was to be eternal. Christ felt the anguish which the sinner will feel when mercy shall no longer plead for the guilty race. It was the sense of sin, bringing the Father’s wrath upon Him as man’s substitute, that made the cup He drank so bitter, and broke the heart of the Son of God.—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages* 753.1-2.†‡
[https://egwwritings.org/read?panels=p130.3718&index=0]‡
- Jesus survived and became the Victor by relying upon the evidence previously shown Him by the Father. No human senses could perceive it at either the garden of Gethsemane or on the cross, but Jesus relied upon the evidence previously given to Him by His Father.
[EGW:] Amid the awful darkness, apparently forsaken of God, Christ had drained the last dregs in the cup of human woe. In those dreadful hours He had relied upon the evidence of His Father’s acceptance heretofore given Him. He was acquainted with the character of His Father; He understood His justice, His mercy, and His great love. By faith He rested in Him whom it had ever been His joy to obey. And as in submission He committed Himself to God, the sense of the loss of His Father’s favor was withdrawn. By faith, Christ was victor.—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages* 756.3.†‡
[https://egwwritings.org/read?panels=p130.3735&index=0]‡
- Thus, Jesus died the second death that is a direct result of sin and separation from God. He demonstrated the death that we all deserve to die if we refuse to separate from our sins.
- Have we learned the primary lesson Jesus came to teach the universe? Do we know the Father? Do we know what God’s character is like? Do we know that God the Father is just like Jesus? Jesus was teaching the entire universe about God. (Ephesians 3:9-10)
John 1:18: No one has ever seen God. The only Son, who is the same as God and is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.—Good News Bible.*†
[EGW:] Had God the Father come to our world and dwelt among us, veiling His glory, humbling Himself, that humanity might look upon Him, the history that we have of the life of Christ would not have been changed in unfolding its record of His own condescending grace. In every act of Jesus, in every lesson of His instruction, we are to see and hear and recognize God. In sight, in hearing, in effect, it is the voice and movements of the Father.—Ellen G. White, Letter 83, 1895,* par. 25 [Letters and Manuscripts,* vol. 10, 1895, Letter 83, par. 25.] [10LtMs 1.2160].†‡Ω Compare That I May Know Him 338.4.
[https://egwwritings.org/read?panels=p14060.5690031&index=0]‡
John 14:9: Jesus answered, “For a long time I have been with you all; yet you do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. Why, then, do you say, ‘Show us the Father’?”—Good News Bible.*† [If we know Jesus, then we know what the Father is like! God is just like Jesus!]‡
- How do you understand the following words?
John 8:31-32: 31 So Jesus said to those who believed in him, “If you obey my teaching, you are really my disciples; 32 you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”—Good News Bible.*† [How does the truth set one free?]‡
- Faith comes to us by hearing the Word of God. (Romans 10:17)
[EGW:] …. The Bible opens to us the words of life; for it makes us acquainted with Christ who is our life. In order to have true, abiding faith in Christ, we must know Him as He is represented in the word. Faith is trustful. It is not a matter of fits and starts, according to the impulse and emotion of the hour; but it is a principle that has its foundation in Jesus Christ. And faith must be kept in constant exercise through the diligent, persevering study of the word. The word thus becomes a living agency; and we are sanctified through the truth.—Ellen G. White, Fundamentals of Christian Education* 433.2.†‡ [If we choose to do God’s will, we are completely free.]‡
[https://egwwritings.org/read?panels=p32.1734&index=0]‡
[EGW:] Under the inspiration of the Spirit, the apostle [Peter] represents Christians as those who have purified their souls in obeying the truth. Just in accordance with the faith and love we bring into our work will be the power brought into it. No man can create faith. The Spirit operating upon and enlightening the human mind, creates faith in God. In the Scriptures faith is stated to be the gift of God, powerful unto salvation, enlightening the hearts of those who search for truth as for hidden treasure. The Spirit of God impresses the truth on the heart. The gospel is called the power of God unto salvation because God alone can make the truth a power which sanctifies the soul. He alone can render the cross of Christ triumphant. (Manuscript 56, 1899)—Ellen G. White, Manuscript 56, 1899,* par. 17. [Letters and Manuscripts,* vol. 14, 1899, Ms 56, par. 17.] [14LTM 1.4995]; Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary,*€ vol. 7, 940.3.†‡Ω [Do we let God do that in us?]‡
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[https://egwwritings.org/read?panels=p96.539&index=0]‡
[EGW:] …. Faith is not the ground of our salvation, but it is the great blessing—the eye that sees, the ear that hears, the feet that run, the hand that grasps. It is the means not the end. If Christ gave His life to save sinners, why shall I not take that blessing? My faith grasps it, and thus my faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen. Thus resting and believing, I have peace with God through the Lord Jesus Christ.—Ellen G. White, Letter 329a, 1905,* par. 4. [Letters and Manuscripts,* vol. 20, 1905, Lt 329a, par. 4.] [20LtMs 1.2669]; In Heavenly Places*¶ 104.2.†‡
[https://egwwritings.org/read?panels=p14070.8117010&index=0]‡
[https://egwwritings.org/read?panels=p38.753&index=0]‡
[BSG:] The humanistic approach to faith states that we must find a foundation, the criteria for faith, and then believe. In contrast, the biblical approach states that faith is the foundation, a gift from God (Eph. 2:8, 1Cor. 1:17–24,1 Cor. 2:1–6). We start with the foundation of faith, and then from there we grow in understanding and grace.―Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide* for Tuesday, November 26.†‡§
- It is often believed that we must first repent and confess our sins, then we can accept salvation through faith. However, faith and repentance are both gifts from God.
[BSG:] John wrote his Gospel so that we would believe in Jesus and that by believing we may have eternal life in His name (John 20:31). InJohn 1:12, 13, this process is described in two steps. First, we receive Him, that is, believe in Him. Second, He gives us authority or power to become God’s children, described in verse 13 as being begotten by God. Thus, there is a human and divine aspect of becoming a Christian. We must act in belief, receive Him, and be open to the light, but He is the one who regenerates the heart.―Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide* for Tuesday, November 26.†‡§
- Paul recognized how strange and almost unbelievable his message was by using the following words:
1 Corinthians 1:17-24: 17Christ did not send me to baptize. He sent me to tell the Good News, and to tell it without using the language of human wisdom, in order to make sure that Christ’s death on the cross is not robbed of its power.
18 For the message about Christ’s death on the cross is nonsense to those who are being lost; but for us who are being saved it is God’s power. 19The scripture says:
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and set aside the understanding of the scholars.” [Isaiah 29:14, LXX=Septuagint=the Greek translation of the OT]
20 So then, where does that leave the wise? or the scholars? or the skilful [sic-Br] debaters of this world? God has shown that this world’s wisdom is foolishness!
21 For God in his wisdom made it impossible for people to know him by means of their own wisdom. Instead, by means of the so-called “foolish” message we preach, God decided to save those who believe. 22Jews want miracles for proof, and Greeks look for wisdom. 23As for us, we proclaim the crucified Christ, a message that is offensive to the Jews and nonsense to the Gentiles; 24but for those whom God has called, both Jews and Gentiles, this message is Christ, who is the power of God and the wisdom of God.—Good News Bible.*‡
- Who could possibly believe that Someone actually won the great controversy by dying? Remember, Jesus was crucified as a traitor against the Roman government.
- If someone were to ask you what your faith is based upon, how would you respond?
- Unfortunately, not everyone responded in the appropriate way to Jesus and His teachings. Some rejected the light.
John 1:5,10-11: 5The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has never put it out….
10 The Word was in the world, and though God made the world through him, yet the world did not recognize him. 11He came to his own country, but his own people did not receive him.—Good News Bible.* [Words for country and people are not in the Greek; they were supplied by the translators.]‡
- Unfortunately, our modern world has come to believe that the way to approach truth is to question everything until you have proven whether or not it is true.
[Zinke & Hegstad quoted in BSG:] “The contemporary humanistic way of thinking begins with doubt. People question everything in order to determine what is truth. That which survives the fire of cross-examination they accept as rock-solid knowledge, something on which to place one’s faith. Some apply the same method to the Bible, calling everything into question from a scientific, historical, psychological, philosophical, archaeological, or geological perspective in order to determine what is truth in the Bible. The very method itself starts with and builds upon doubt in the veracity of Scripture. Christ asked, ‘When the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?’ (Luke 18:8).”—E. Edward Zinke and Roland Hegstad, The Certainty of the Second Coming (Hagerstown, MD: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 2000), p. 96.―[as quoted in Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide* for Wednesday, November 27].†‡§
- Do you see evidence in Scripture that Jesus is/was the divine Messiah in contrast to the mistake that so many make, leading to death by rejecting the evidence in Scripture?
- InNumbers 13:23-33, we read about the response of the people to the reports brought back by the 12 Israelite spies who visited Canaan. God had already told the people that He would take them into that land. But, they chose to believe the false reports of the 10 spies. So, who decides on which side each one of us is going to find ourselves?
John 3:18-21: 18 “Those who believe in the Son are not judged; but those who do not believe have already been judged, because they have not believed in God’s only Son. 19This is how the judgement works: the light has come into the world, but people love the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds are evil. 20All those who do evil things hate the light and will not come to the light, because they do not want their evil deeds to be shown up. 21But those who do what is true come to the light in order that the light may show that what they did was in obedience to God.”—Good News Bible.* [Are we doing evil? Or, good?]‡
- If we choose to reject the words of Jesus, we are choosing to condemn ourselves. SeeJohn 3:36; 5:24,38; 8:24; and 12:47. Consider the story of Eve. Her human senses suggested to her that she should try the fruit. After all, it seemed to have given the serpent the ability to speak! She thought that the loving God she had come to know would not reject or destroy her for simply tasting the fruit. And Adam followed her example.
- So, why do so many people choose the wrong instead of the right? It is because they are drawn by the naturally selfish approach that Satan himself took in heaven. But, we know what the end of that approach will be.
Romans 6:23: For sin pays its wage — death; but God’s free gift is eternal life in union with Christ Jesus our Lord.—Good News Bible.*†
- Do you agree with the views expressed in the following from the Bible study guide?
[BSG:] Some, however, fallaciously argue that there was no real need for Christ to come to this world. But who else could have taken our sins away and clothed us with the robe of God’s righteousness? Who else could have given us life in the place of our death? No one but the all-righteous and life-giving Christ. He valiantly fought our two most deadly enemies, sin and death, and conquered both. His victory becomes ours when we truly believe in Him. Thus, we can trust Jesus when He promises, “ ‘And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day’ ” (John 6:40, NKJV).―Adult Teachers Sabbath School Bible Study Guide* 120.‡§
John 6:40: “For what my Father wants is that all who see the Son and believe in him should have eternal life. And I will raise them to life on the last day.”—Good News Bible.* [Are we daily getting a better and better understanding of Jesus?]‡
- So, what is the role of logic and reasoning in choosing what is right? Do we have adequate evidence that the Bible should be trusted?
- Let us be very clear and blunt: If we have “everything” in the world but have not Jesus, we are lost.
Matthew 6:33: “Instead, be concerned above everything else with the Kingdom of God and with what he requires of you, and he will provide you with all these other things.”—Good News Bible.*
[BSG:] The psalmist assures us, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want” (Ps. 23:1). In other words, when we have the Lord as our priority, He provides for our needs. The Lord knows well what we truly need in life, and He is happy to do right by us. But His top priority is for us to have a saving relationship with Him.―Adult Teachers Sabbath School Bible Study Guide* 120.†‡§ [Is that the top priority in your life?]‡
Psalm 23:1: The LORD is my shepherd;
I have everything I need.—Good News Bible.*
- Do you feel that the disciples in their association with Jesus Christ had an advantage over those of us who only have access to the written words of Jesus? We have more available!
[EGW:] The word of the living God is not merely written, but spoken. The Bible is God’s voice speaking to us, just as surely as though we could hear it with our ears. If we realized this, with what awe would we open God’s word, and with what earnestness would we search its precepts! The reading and contemplation of the Scriptures would be regarded as an audience with the Infinite One.—Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church,* vol. 6, 393.2.†‡
[https://egwwritings.org/read?panels=p118.2147&index=0]‡
- In our day, we do not have the privilege of seeing Jesus or hearing Jesus in person. However, we do have His words and the words of His followers. These words of the Bible are effectively God speaking to us. Remember that not even one of the disciples had a copy of the Bible!
Romans 4:1-8: 1 What shall we say, then, of Abraham, the father of our race? What was his experience? 2If he was put right with God by the things he did, he would have something to boast about — but not in God’s sight. 3The scripture says, “Abraham believed God, and because of his faith God accepted him as righteous.” 4Those who work are paid wages, but they are not regarded as a gift; they are something that has been earned. 5But those who depend on faith, not on deeds, and who believe in the God who declares the guilty to be innocent, it is this faith that God takes into account in order to put them right with himself. 6This is what David meant when he spoke of the happiness of the person whom God accepts as righteous, apart from anything that person does:
7 “Happy are those whose wrongs are forgiven,
whose sins are pardoned!
8 Happy is the person whose sins the Lord will not keep account of!”—Good News Bible.*
- Romans 4:1-8, talking about the experience of Abraham, teach us that faith is a gift from God. There are other Scriptures that seem to give a slightly different approach. How do we explain the apparent contradiction between Paul’s words above and James’s words?
James 2:18-24: 18 But someone will say, “One person has faith, another has actions.” My answer is, “Show me how anyone can have faith without actions. I will show you my faith by my actions.” 19Do you believe that there is only one God? Good! The demons also believe — and tremble with fear. 20You fool! Do you want to be shown that faith without actions is useless? 21How was our ancestor Abraham put right with God? It was through his actions, when he offered his son Isaac on the altar. 22Can’t you see? His faith and his actions worked together; his faith was made perfect through his actions. 23And the scripture came true that said, “Abraham believed God, and because of his faith God accepted him as righteous.” And so Abraham was called God’s friend. 24You see, then, that it is by people’s actions that they are put right with God, and not by their faith alone.—Good News Bible.*†
[BSG:] Even repentance is a gift from God, for it is a response to the promptings of the Holy Spirit to submit to Him. Many make the mistake of waiting first to have both faith to believe and the repentance to come to God; but these twin gifts are already there, awaiting our reception and application. There is no need to wait in order to receive them. Peter and the apostles affirmed this reality inActs 5:31: “ ‘Him [Christ] God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins’ ” (NKJV). So why does the sinner need to wait any longer? Come to Christ with the faith He has given you, and receive His gift of repentance to live His life today!―Adult Teachers Sabbath School Bible Study Guide* 121.†‡Ω§
Acts 5:31: God raised him [Jesus] to his right-hand side as Leader and Saviour [sic-Br], to give the people of Israel the opportunity to repent and have their sins forgiven.—Good News Bible.*‡ [If Jesus stops pleading, are we all lost?]‡
- Each one of us chooses for ourselves what the results of our lives will be. Will we be motivated by selfishness? Or, by love?
John 3:18-21: 18 “Those who believe in the Son are not judged; but those who do not believe have already been judged, because they have not believed in God’s only Son. 19This is how the judgement works: the light has come into the world, but people love the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds are evil. 20All those who do evil things hate the light and will not come to the light, because they do not want their evil deeds to be shown up. 21But those who do what is true come to the light in order that the light may show that what they did was in obedience to God.”—Good News Bible.*
[EGW:] Could those whose lives have been spent in rebellion against God be suddenly transported to heaven and witness the high, the holy state of perfection that ever exists there,—every soul filled with love, every countenance beaming with joy, enrapturing music in melodious strains rising in honor of God and the Lamb, and ceaseless streams of light flowing upon the redeemed from the face of Him who sitteth upon the throne,—could those whose hearts are filled with hatred of God, of truth and holiness, mingle with the heavenly throng and join their songs of praise? Could they endure the glory of God and the Lamb? No, no; years of probation were granted them, that they might form characters for heaven; but they have never trained the mind to love purity; they have never learned the language of heaven, and now it is too late. A life of rebellion against God has unfitted them for heaven. Its purity, holiness, and peace would be torture to them; the glory of God would be a consuming fire. They would long to flee from that holy place. They would welcome destruction, that they might be hidden from the face of Him who died to redeem them. The destiny of the wicked is fixed by their own choice. Their exclusion from heaven is voluntary with themselves, and just and merciful on the part of God.—Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy* 542.2.†‡
[https://egwwritings.org/read?panels=p132.2459&index=0]‡
- Jesus faced the temptations of Satan in a different way than those who rebel against God. He defeated the Devil by saying, “It is written….”
[EGW:] In stooping to take upon Himself humanity, Christ revealed a character the opposite of the character of Satan. But He stepped still lower in the path of humiliation. “Being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”Philippians 2:8. As the high priest laid aside his gorgeous pontifical robes, and officiated in the white linen dress of the common priest, so Christ took the form of a servant, and offered sacrifice, Himself the priest, Himself the victim. “He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him.”Isaiah 53:5.
Christ was treated as we deserve, that we might be treated as He deserves. He was condemned for our sins, in which He had no share, that we might be justified by His righteousness, in which we had no share. He suffered the death which was ours, that we might receive the life which was His. “With His stripes we are healed.”—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages* 25.1-2.†‡
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- Let us be absolutely clear: Our eternal destiny hangs upon our trust in Christ and His words of life as recorded in the Bible.
©2024, Kenneth Hart, MD, MA, MPH. Permission is hereby granted for any noncommercial use of these materials. *Electronic version. †Bold type is added. ‡Text in brackets is added. ΩBrackets and the content in brackets within the paragraph are in the Bible study guide or source. §Italic type is in the source. ¶Compared with the first source, this source has punctuation and/or capitalization differences only. €This source has minor wording differences compared with the first source and may also have punctuation and/or capitalization differences. [sic-Br]=This is correct as quoted; it is the British spelling.
Last Modified: November 10, 2024 Email: Info@theox.org