Our Wonderful God

                OCT.-DEC. /1979

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                          ContrIs
                                1. The Ancient of Days
                                2. The Lord Most High
                            3. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
                             4. Emmanuel—God With Us
                                    5. The Holy One
                                  6. The God of Love
                                 7. The God of Peace
                               8. Wonderful, Counsellor
                                  9. The Lamb of God
                              10. My Father and My God
                                11. The Lord of Hosts
                                 12. The God of Help
                                   13. King of Kings

      Editorial Office: 6840 Eastern Ave., NW, Washington, D.C. 20012

                            Lesson Author: Edwin R. Thiele
                               Editor: W. Richard Lesher
                       Editorial Secretary: Florence L. Wetmore
                        Circulation Manager: Arthur R. Mazat
                             Art and Design: Pacific Press    Scripture references other than from the King James Version used in this quarterly are as follows:   NEB. FromThe New English Bible, copyright © by the Delegates of the Oxford University Press, and the Syndics of the Cambridge University Press 1961 and 1970. Used by permission of Cambridge University Press, New York City,    RSV. From the Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1946 (renewed @ 1973), 1952 and ©1971, by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and used by permission.    TEV. From the "Good News Bible in Today's English." Old Testament copyright © 1976; New Testament copyright © 1966, 1971, 1976 by the American Bible Society. Used by permission.

                       Braille lessons available. See page 112.

      Copyright © 1979 by Pacific Press Publishing Association

God is the outstanding fact of the universe. Man's greatest need is to understand Him better.and to have God'simage restored in him. Without such an understanding it is not possible for man to be truly happy or to be at peace with himself or his fellows. Because men failed to understand God and because they failed to recognize Him and give Him the homage that is His due, humanity has brought woe upon itself and doom upon the world.
In the Bible God has given a revelation of Himself through His witnesses—the patriarchs, the prophets, and the apostles. And in these last days we are particularly favored by the marvelous revelation that God has given of Himself through His chosen messenger, Ellen G. White. But the most outstanding revelation the world has had of God is through His Son, Jesus Christ, who came to this earth to live the life of God in human flesh and to give God's message to men through human' lips.
When man becomes acquainted with God, he discovers that He is indeed a wonder- ful God—a God of goodness as well as greatness, of love as well as wisdom, of mercy as well as justice, of compassion as well as power. He is the God of the poor and meek of earth as well as of the wealthy and the great, a God of men of all colors and races who stand before Him as equals and are equally loved by Him. This wonderful God is our God today, the God of yesterday as well as tomorrow.
The purpose of the lessons this quarter is to help us become better acquainted with our wonderful God and to serve Him better. Thus in this earth we may learn to become like Him, and fit and privileged to become His closest associates throughout eternity.
The Bible and the spirit of prophecy will be our main sources for detailed informa- tion concerning our wonderful God. The title of each lesson is a biblical,name for God.
The men who wrote the books of the Bible were men who were acquainted with God and who were spokesmen for Him. They heard God, they talked to Him and  walked with Him, and made Him known to those about them.
In our age God had a special messenger to whom He revealed Himself and through  whom He spoke to man. As a result we may have modern conceptions of God  concerning our own ways and the times in which we live, expressed in the language  of today. In the writings of Ellen G. White, termed "the spirit of prophecy," we  constantly come into touch with God. To what extent this is true may be seen by a  glance at the Comprehensive Index to the Writings of Ellen G. White. There, under the  heading "God," are found 20 pages of references with about 70 entries per page.  Under the heading "Christ" 86 pages of references occur, and under the heading "Holy Spirit," there are 30 pages. Anyone who desires to become acquainted with modern revelations concerning God and His ways dares not ignore this source. It will  constantly be employed in these lessons.




                                                                                      7

                                      DAILY HIGHLIGHTS
                                      1. The Eternal God
                                         (Ps. 90:1, 2)
                                      2. The Only God
                                         (Isa. 44:6-8)
                                      3. The Universal God
                                         (Isa. 14:26, 27)
                                      4. The Living God
                                         (Jer. 10:10, 11)
                                      5. The Omnipresent God
                                         (Ps. 139:7-10)
                                      6. The Greatness of God
                                         (1 Chron. 16:24, 25)

                   "Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations.
                 Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst
                 formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to
                 everlasting, thou art God" (Ps. 90:1, 2).

                    In this psalm, Moses presents an impressive picture of the
                 transitoriness of man's existence in contrast with the eternity of
                 God. The life of man is limited. He comes and goes like the
                 grass; he spends his years as a tale that is told, but God abides
                 forever. Notice the striking affirmations of the timelessness of
                 God in Psalm 90:1, 2, 4.

                   How does John the revelator refer to the length of Christ's
                 reign? Rev. 11:15.

                   The kingdom will have no end. In this regard it differs from all
                 earthly kingdoms. Our God will reign without ceasing.

                   How does Daniel envision the kingdom set up by God? Dan.
                 2:44.
                   Only one kingdom can last forever and that is God's kingdom
                 because only God can continue ruling forever.

                   What does Paul say concerning God's being? 1 Tim. 6:16.

                    Paul places before Timothy the challenge to remain true to
                 God, fighting the good fight of faith (1 Tim. 6:12). He is to do this
                 in the sight of God who is to be honored forever and ever, who
                 alone has immortality. Timothy is not serving one who is here
                 today and gone tomorrow. There is stability in eternity.

                    The eternity of God means the eternity of His principles of
                 righteousness and peace. When we make the eternal God our
                 habitation, we may be sure that we can never be moved. Change
                 and decay are characteristics of everything around us, but God
                 never changes. When God abides with us, we can abide in Him
                 forever.
                    "I AM means an eternal presence; the past, present, and
                 future are alike to God. He sees the most remote events of past
                 history, and the far distant future with as clear a vision as we do
                 those things that are transpiring daily."—Ellen G. White Com-
                 ments, S.D.A. Bible Commentary, vol. 1, p. 1099.

 FURTHER STUDY     Isa. 40:6-28; Jer. 10:10-16.

                   The Bible makes it clear that there is only one God—the God
                 who created man and who is thesupreme Ruler of heaven and
                 earth. That the Lord is the only true God is emphasized
                 throughout God's Word.

                  What other texts in Scripture describe the uniqueness of
                 God? Isa. 45:5; 43:10; 1 Cor. 8:6; Ps. 86:10.

                   From earth's earliest ages after the Fall men have worshiped
                 gods other than the Lord who rules the heavens and the earth.
                 The Babylonians, Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans invented
                 such gods and erected temples to them. But they were gods
                 without power or authority, and were no more worthy of wor-
                 ship or respect than the wood or stone of which they were made.

                   What is the first commandment of the law of God? Ex. 20:3.

                   "Jehovah, the eternal, self-existent, uncreated One, Himself
                 the Source and Sustainer of all, is alone entitled to supreme
                 reverence and worship. Man is forbidden to give to any other
                 object the first place in his affections or his service. Whatever
                 we cherish that tends to lessen our love for God or to interfere
                 with the service due Him, of that do we make a god."—
                 Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 305.

                   "Satan accomplished the fall of man, and since that time it
                 has been his work to efface in man the image of God, and to
                 stamp upon human hearts his own image. Possessing su-
                 premacy in guilt, he claims supremacy for himself, and exer-
                 cises over his subjects the power of royalty. He cannot expel
                 God from His throne, but through the system of idolatry, he
                 plants his own throne between the heaven and the earth, be-
                 tween God and the human worshiper."—Ellen G. White Com-
                 ments, S.D.A. Bible Commentary, vol. 1, pp. 1105, 1106.

                   The Creator of the universe is its lawful Lord, and the maker of
                 the world is its rightful King. God is everywhere in supreme
                 command. (See Col. 1;16, 17.)

                  Does anything happen in the world that God is unaware of?
                 Matt. 6:26-32.
                   "Nothing can happen in any part of the universe without the
                 knowledge of Him who is omnipresent."—Ellen G. White Com-
                 ments, S.D.A. Bible Commentary, vol. 3, p. 1141.
                   "The same creative energy that brought the world into exis-
                 tence 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."—Counsels to Teach-
                 ers, p. 185.

                   What striking contrast does Isaiah make between God and
                 His creation? Isa. 40:15, 17.
                    It is comforting to know that the Supreme Ruler above is the
                 Friend of man. Human beings everywhere are objects of His
                 saving grace. "God is no respecter of persons: but in every
                 nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is ac-
                 cepted with him" (Acts 10:34, 35).
                    "The life of Christ established a religion in which there is no
                 caste, a religion by which Jew and Gentile, free and bond, are
                 linked in a common brotherhood, equal before God."—Testi-
                 monies, vol. 9, p. 191.

                   What Bible characters not of the Jewish race are singled out
                 as having acknowledged the one true God?

                   Rahab the innkeeper of Jericho (Joshua 2:3, 11), Naaman the
                 Syrian commander (2 Kings 5:9, 15), Nebuchadnezzar the
                 Babylonian king (Dan. 2:47), Cornelius the Roman centurion
                 (Acts 10:1, 2), the Roman centurion at the cross (Luke 23:46, 47),
                 Ruth the Moabitess (Ruth 1:16), and the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts
                 8:27-37).

 FURTHER STUDY     Isa. 52:7-10; 54:2-5; Micah 4:2-13; Zech. 4:6-14.

                   "The Lord is the true God, he is the living God, and an
                 everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the
                 nations shall not be able to abide his indignation. Thus shall
                 ye say unto them, The gods that have not made the heavens
                 and the earth, even they shall perish from the earth, and from
                 under these heavens" (Jer. 10:10, 11).

                   The living God of the Hebrews is set forth in striking contrast
                 to the man-made gods of the heathen which have no life. (See
                 1 Sam. 17:36; 1 Kings 18:26-29; 1 Thess. 1:9.)
                   The term "living God" means more than that God is alive. It
                 also means that God gives life. That is why the psalmist says:
                 "With my whole being I thirst for God, the living God" (Ps. 42:2,
                 NEB). (See also Ps. 63:1.) The psalmist knows that, as the
                 parched animal drinks water and is refreshed, so we can come
                 to the living God and receive renewed energies.
                    There is also the connotation of watching and caring and
                 acting, something a living God could do but the idols never. We
                 may be thankful that we have a living God who can be trusted to
                 care for our every need.

                   By what name did God reveal Himself to Moses? Ex. 3:14.

                   The four Hebrew letters composing this name have no related
                 vowels. Some have pronounced them Jehovah or Yahweh. The
                 devout Jew considers the name too sacred to pronounce. The
                 name suggests that God is the ever-present, ever-active God,
                 the One who is ready to help when the need arises.

                   With whom did Peter link Jesus? Matt. 16:16.

                 • Jesus claimed that He is the Life-giver. (See John 6:47; 10:10.)
                 He is the bread of life (John 6:51). He is the door and the
                 shepherd (John 10:9, 14).

                    "It was Christ who from the bush on Mount Horeb spoke to
                 Moses saying, 'I AM THAT I AM.... Thus shalt thou say unto the
                 children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.' Ex. 3:14. This was
                 the pledge of Israel's deliverance. So when He came 'in the
                 likeness of men,' he declared Himself the I AM. The Child of
                 Bethlehem, the meek and lowly Saviour, is God 'manifest in the
                 flesh,' 1 Tim. 3:16. And to us He says: 'I AM the Good Shepherd.'
                 'I AM the living Bread.' I AM the Way, the Truth, and the
                 Life.' "—The Desire of Ages, p. 24.

                    God is everywhere. There is no place where man may flee
                 from His presence, nowhere that His power is not at work, in the
                 highest heavens or in the deepest parts of the earth.
                    By the omnipresence of God we mean that God is not limited
                 by space as we are. We can be in only one place at a time, but He
                 can be everywhere at the same time. It is not that He spreads
                 Himself out everywhere—as the pantheist would suppose—but
                 He is wholly present everywhere. This concept is beyond our
                 comprehension, but so is everything else about God!
                    God has given abundant assurance in His Word that He is ever
                 present with His children. To His followers Jesus said, "Lo, I am
                 with you alway, even unto the end of the world" (Matt. 28:20).
                 Through His prophet Isaiah God spoke words of courage, "Fear
                 thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I
                 will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee
                 with the right hand of my righteousness" (Isa. 41:10). In the final
                 crisis God's people will be able to say, "The Lord of hosts is with
                 us; the God of Jacob is our refuge" (Ps. 46:7).

                   What desire did God express to Israel through Moses in
                 Exodus 25:8?

                   The church building today has, in some ways, taken the place
                 of the tabernacle of Old Testament times. There the Lord meets
                 with His people. There we can meet with Him and hear His voice
                 speaking to our hearts. God can be to us more than mere theory.
                 Wherever we may be, walking and talking with Him can be a
                 matter of personal experience. With my spiritual ear I personally
                 can hear God speaking to me, telling me that He loves me and is
                 with me, directing my ways, and speaking confidence and joy to
                 my heart. When Jesus returns in glory, I can be with those who
                 say, "Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will
                 save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for him, we will be glad
                 and rejoice in his salvation" (Isa. 25:9).

 FURTHER STUDY     Patriarchs and Prophets, pp. 115, 116.

                  Men of God have been deeply moved as they have pondered
                His greatness and goodness. The greatest stars are the prod-
                ucts of His hands. The mightiest angels were made by Him. All
                the creatures of earth exist because of Him.

                  What are some of the ways in which we can see God's
                greatness?

                   1. God's goodness—Ps. 31:19.
                   2. God's works—Ps. 92:5.
                   3. God's thoughts—Ps. 139:17.
                   4. God's personal care-1 Sam. 12:24.
                   God intends that we should think often of Him and of His
                wonderful works. Doing so, we would approach Him with fitting
                awe, respect, and acclaim. "Praise ye the Lord. I will praise the
                Lord with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright, and in
                the congregation. The works of the Lord are great, sought out of
                all them that have pleasure therein. . . . He hath made his
                wonderful works to be remembered: the Lord is gracious and
                full of compassion"(Ps. 111:1-4).
                   God is great in all His attributes—in His love and power, His
                gentleness and mercy, His justice and goodness. Everything
                about Him can be expressed in superlatives. His goodness
                makes Him great.
                   The greatness of God makes men meek and reverent in His
                presence. "True reverence for God is inspired by a sense of His
                infinite greatness and a realization of His presence.... The hour
                and place of prayer are sacred, because God is there."—
                Prophets and Kings, pp. 48, 49.
                   The greatness of God inspires His children to strive toward
                 greater heights of attainment. "Be ye therefore perfect, even as
                your Father which is in heaven is perfect" (Matt. 5:48). As God is
                 perfect in character, so man should be perfect in his. As God is
                 perfect in His workmanship, so man should put forth every
                 effort to be perfect in his. "As God is perfect in His sphere of
                 action, so man may be perfect in his human sphere."—Coun-
                sels to Teachers, p. 365.

                                                                                15

                                      DAILY HIGHLIGHTS
                                      1. The Supreme Ruler of All
                                         (Rev. 5:13)
                                      2. The Creator of All
                                         (Col. 1:16, 17)
                                      3. The Infinite God
                                         (Ps. 147:5; Rom. 11:33, 34)
                                      4. The All-powerful God
                                         (Eph. 1:19-21)
                                      5. The Judge of All the Earth
                                         (Gen. 18:25)
                                      6. The Accepted God
                                         (Jer. 31:34)

                      The Bible makes it clear that God is the one Supreme Ruler of
                   this world and all the universe. It is He who rules in the heavens,
                   and it is He who is sovereign over the earth.

                     What position does David attribute to God? What posses-
                   sions? 1 Chron. 29:10, 11.

                      These words of David are part of a prayer he offered at the
                   time that he presented to his son Solomon the plans for a temple
                   in Jerusalem. David had indicated what he had prepared for the
                   temple and what he had given, and he called upon the people
                   also to be generous with their offerings. This they were; and
                   every one was happy at the results (verse 9). This prayer is one of
                   the most beautiful in the Old Testament, and it represents how
                   devout people feel when they stand in the presence of God.
                   Words are hardly adequate to express all the supreme qualities
                   that God possesses.

                     By contrast, how does David portray himself and his
                   people? 1 Chron. 29:14-19.

                     Man has nothing in himself, but in God he has everything! Yet
                   he has one obligation, to keep God's commandments and stat-
                   utes (verse 19). The Supreme Ruler is the Supreme Benefactor if
                   we are faithful to Him.

                    What control does Daniel say that God has over rulers in this
                   world? Dan. 4:17.

                     Although the world is in rebellion against God, the time is
                   coming when the forces of evil will be overthrown and God will
                   take complete control. (See Rev. 11:15.)

                     What will Jesus do when He returns as King? Matt. 25:31-34.

 FURTHER STUDY       The Acts of the Apostles, p. 180; Patriarchs and Prophets,
                   p. 305.

                  Paul excludes nothing from God's creation. It includes
                heaven and earth; it may or may not be visible; it may be any
                order of supernatural being included under such terms as
                "thrones" or "principalities." Then he points out that Creation
                was accomplished through Christ and for Him. That is, Christ is
                the agent of Creation and its goal. (See John 1:3.) Furthermore
                Christ is the One in whom all things are held together. There
                could hardly be any stronger statement to indicate the com-
                prehensiveness of Creation and its total dependence upon Him.
                Here is a doctrine by which to test all theories of origin, all
                philosophies of existence.

                  How does nature testify to its Creator? Ps. 19:1-6.

                  Only a being of infinite wisdom, power, and love could have
                brought the world into being. God's works testify of this. In the
                sunset, the snowflake, the rose, we can see His sense of beauty.
                In the mountains that tower above, the abyss that yawns be-
                neath, the seas that circle the globe, and the stars in their
                circuits through limitless space, we can see something of God's
                infinite power.

                  On what basis should man reflect his Creator? Gen. 1:26, 27.

                  Man himself provides the most telling picture of the Creator.
                The wisdom and love of man reflect the wisdom and love of God.
                Man's physical form in some small way reflects something of
                the form of God. Mar's sense of justice, mercy, and truth par-
                takes of the matchless and holy character of God.
                  But also in man may be seen the evil image of the enemy who
                has sought to destroy in man the image of God. The greatest
                work of the Creator is that of restoring man to His own image.
                (See 1 John 3:2.)

                  "Man was to bear God's image, both in outward resemblance
                and in character.... His nature was in harmony with the will of
                God.... He was holy and happy in bearing the image of God and
                in perfect obedience to His will."—Patriarchs and Prophets,
                p. 45.

                       "0 the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowl-
                     edge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his
                     ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the
                     Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?" (Rom. 11:33, 34).

                        Since man is finite, he cannot grasp the meaning of infinity.
                     But he can begin to feel its magnitude when he thinks of all the
                     knowledge in the world, both past and present, and recognizes
                     that God has comprehended it all. We bow today before the
                     superior knowledge of authorities in fields of learning, but God
                     is the authority of authorities. When we think of how narrow a
                     field is included in the expertise of the expert, and how vast the
                     area of possible exploration, then we begin to marvel at a God
                     who has the expertise of an innumerable number of experts,
                     and that there is no area of which He is not an expert. In
                     speaking this way we are but using human terms. God's knowl-
                     edge is infinite, and we cannot but bow before such a God in
                     utter humility.

                       How does this Infinite God relate to you and me? Jer. 31:3.

                        However complex our problem may be, God can unravel it.
                     However difficult I may be to understand, God can enter into the
                     deepest recesses of my mind and appreciate every nuance of
                     my thinking and feeling. There is nothing too difficult for Him.
                     And since He loves us with an everlasting, unfathomable love,
                     we can commit our ways to Him with absolute confidence that
                     he will work everything out for our best interests.
                        "If you come to God, feeling helpless and dependent, as you
                     really are, and in humble, trusting prayer make your wants
                     known to Him whose knowledge is infinite, who sees everything
                     in creation and who governs everything by His will and word, He
                     can and will attend to your cry, and will let light shine into your
                     heart and all around you; for through sincere prayer your soul is
                     brought into connection with the mind of the Infinite."—
                     Testimonies, vol. 3, p. 323.

 FURTHER STUDY        The Ministry of Healing, pp. 431-435; Education, pp. 169, 170;
                     Counsels to Teachers, p. 66.

                  Note that God manifests His power to "us-ward," that is, in the
                direction of our interests. If our all-powerful God left us to our
                own devices, His power would mean nothing to us.
                  Contrast how man has treated Jesus with the way God raised
                Him from the dead. Left to his own devices, man does not know
                what is to his best interests. Man rejected Christ (see John 1:11),
                but God has made Christ the means of man's salvation.
                   Infinitely greater than any power of earth is the power of God.
                He is the Source of all power in the heavens or in the earth. The
                power of the mightiest sun or the almost unbelievable power in
                the smallest atom has its origin in Him. The power in the minds
                and bodies of men came from Him and is sustained by Him.

                 Where can we find indisputable evidences of God's power?
                Rom. 1:19, 20.

                  As we ponder upon the infinite power of God, we stand before
                Him with awe and reverence. "By his spirit he hath garnished
                the heavens.... Lo, these are parts of his ways: but how little a
                portion is heard of him? but the thunder of his power who can
                understand?" (Job 26:13, 14).

                  How can man receive power to accomplish his daily tasks?
                Isa. 40:29-31.

                  What special power is available to every Christian? Acts
                1:8.

                  "Our heavenly Father has a thousand ways to provide for us of
                which we know nothing. Those who accept the one principle of
                making the service of God supreme, will find perplexities vanish
                and a plain path before their' feet."—The Ministry of Healing,
                p. 481.

                                                                                 21

                      Abraham was concerned about the safety of Lot, his nephew,
                   now living in Sodom. Would God destroy a righteous man and
                   his family along with the wicked? It seemed unthinkable. Yet
                   what evidence was there that this would not happen? The story
                   in Genesis 18 shows us Abraham pleading with his heavenly
                   visitcr—who was Christ—that God would not destroy a whole
                   city for the sake of ten righteous people in it.
                      The heart of man calls for justice to be done to all, to the
                   righteous as well as the wicked. As it is right for the wicked to be
                   condemned, so it is also right for the righteous to be freed from
                   condemnation.
                      While the Bible teaches that God is the Creator and the Su-
                   preme Ruler of the universe, it also teaches that He is the
                   Supreme Judge who will exercise His saving grace in behalf of
                   the salvation of the righteous and mete out final judgment upon
                   the wicked and rebellious.

                     How will the world be judged and by whom? Acts 17:31.

                     On what basis will Jesus judge men and divide them into two
                   groups? Matt. 25:32-46.

                      "Those whom Christ commends in the judgment may have
                   known little of theology, but they have cherished His principles.
                   Through the influence of the divine Spirit they have been a
                   blessing to those about them. Even among the heathen are
                   those who have cherished the spirit of kindness; before the
                   words of life had fallen upon their ears, they have befriended the
                   missionaries, even ministering to them at the peril of their own
                   lives. Among the heathen are those who worship God ignor-
                   antly, those to whom the light is never brought by human in-
                   strumentality, yet they will not perish. Though ignorant of the
                   written law of God, they have heard His voice speaking to them
                   in nature, and have done the things that the law required. Their
                   works are evidence that the Holy Spirit has touched their hearts,
                   and they are recognized as the children of God."—The Desire of
                   Ages, p. 638.

 FURTHER STUDY       The Great Controversy, pp. 479-485.

                  "They shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and
                every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all
                know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them,
                saith the Lord" (Jer. 31:34).

                  God has made it clear that His efforts for the restoration of this
                earth from rebellion to loyalty will succeed. The iniquity of this
                world will ultimately destroy it, and this old world of evil will be
                replaced by a new world of righteousness. Christ's sacrifice for
                sinners will not be in vain. This world created by God will be
                restored to its original purpose. Man created in the image of
                God will be morally re-created in that image.
                  In ancient times God gave Abraham the promise, "In thee
                shall all families of the earth be blessed" (Gen. 12:3). Because of
                his fidelity Abraham became the forerunner of many faithful
                witnesses who would turn multitudes to God. "Faithful among
                the faithless, uncorrupted by the prevailing apostasy, he stead-
                fastly adhered to the worship of the one true God."—Patriarchs
                and Prophets, p. 125.
                  "Wherever he pitched his tent, close beside it was set up his
                altar, calling all within his encampment to the morning and
                evening sacrifice. When his tent was removed, the altar re-
                mained. In following years, there were those among the roving
                Canaanites who received instruction from Abraham; and
                whenever one of these came to that altar, he knew who had
                been there before him; and when he had pitched his tent, he
                repaired the altar, and there worshiped the living God."—
                Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 128.

                   By what process were the disciples at Pentecost, and their
                listeners, led to accept God and His full salvation? Acts 2:1-41.

                   Note the following steps:
                   1. The disciples were united in aims and purposes.
                   2. They were endowed with the Holy Spirit.
                   3. They spoke in such a way that they communicated effec-
                tively their message.
                   4. People's hearts were touched.
                   5. People were told what to do, and they did it.

                                                                                 23

         Part 1     "Hear, 0 Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord" (Deut. 6:4).
  THE TRUE GOD
                    Down through history men have worshiped many gods. But
                  there is only one Supreme Deity.
                    "In striking contrast to the nations about them, who were
                  polytheists, the Hebrews believed in one true God. This profes-
                  sion of faith has been the watchword of the Hebrew race for
                  more than 3,000 years (see Mark 12:29). The apostle Paul states
                  the same truth as a tenet of Christianity (1 Cor. 8:4-6; Eph.
                  4:4-6)."—S.D.A. Bible Commentary, vol. 1, p. 974.

                    How may the true God be characterized? Isa. 43:1, 11, 15.

                     The true God is Creator and Redeemer. He is the One who
                  brought all things into existence in the first place. And He is the
                  One who has provided a way of salvation for fallen man. He is
                  able to tell the end from the beginning. God has perfect
                  knowledge—He knows the past, the present, and the future. It
                  may be conceived that a superior person would know a great
                  deal about the past and the present. But when it comes to the
                  future, only God can penetrate its mysteries and know exactly
                  what will happen. The confirmation of prophecy in its fulfillment
                  is the evidence of its divine source. Only one being is such a
                  God.

                   In what other way than through Scripture can I know about
                  God? Rom. 1:20.

                     Nature speaks to us of God. (See Ps. 19:1.) It tells us that there
                  is a God who brought it into being, because it did not create
                  itself. It also tells us about the greatness of God, because only
                  the true God could have brought into being the vast universe
                  with all its galaxy of stars. Only the true God could have de-
                  signed all the aspects of nature with its infinite detail and mi-
                  croscopic structure. There can be nothing more salutary to man
                  than to look beyond nature to the true God and to worship Him
                  who made the stars and the world and everything that is in it.

                    "God made man perfectly holy and happy; and the fair earth,
                  as it came from the Creator's hand, bore no blight of decay or
                  shadow of the curse. It is transgression of God's law—the law of
                  love—that has brought woe and death. Yet even amid the suffer-
                  ing that results from sin, God's love is revealed."—Steps to
                  Christ, p. 9.

 RJRTHER STUDY      Education, pp. 99-101.

                   In this baptismal formula it is notable that the word "name" is
                in the singular, and then there follows the names, Father, Son,
                Holy Spirit. Is this a hint of three in one?
                   The word "persons" used in the title of today's lesson must be
                understood in a theological sense. If we equate human person-
                ality with God, then we would say that three persons means
                three individuals. But then we would have three Gods, or tri-
                theism. Historic Christianity has given to the word "person,"
                when used of God, a special connotation: a personal self-
                distinction, which gives distinctiveness in the persons of the
                Godhead without destroying the concept of oneness. This idea
                is not easy to grasp—or to explain! It is part of the mystery of the
                Godhead. It is this revelation which makes the monotheism of
                Christianity different from that of Judaism or Islam.

                  What hints do we have in the Old Testament of a trinity?
                (Gen. 1:1-3.)

                   The Hebrew word for God in this passage is Elohim, a plural
                form. Yet the verb bara, "created," is in the singular form. God
                speaks, that is, He uses the Word, in creation. (See John 1:1.)
                And the Spirit of God "moved upon the face of the waters." Here
                there seems to be an indication of, at least, more than one
                person. Note also the use of "us" and "our" in this pronounce-
                ment, "Let us make man in our image" (Gen. 1:26). Some have
                suggested that this is the "we" of royalty, but it would seem
                strange for Deity to address Himself, or that He would be as-
                sociating other created beings in the creation of man. It seems
                more reasonable to accept this as a hint of persons in the
                Godhead planning a common strategy.
                   The Old Testament makes reference to the Angel of the Lord,
                 a being who is referred to as having the attributes of God.
                 (Compare the story of Hagar in Genesis 16:7-13 and Genesis
                48:16, where Jacob refers to the Angel as having redeemed
                 him.) The Messianic promise is of a Son whose names apply to
                 Deity (Isa. 9:6). The Holy Spirit is also mentioned. (See Isa. 11:2;
                 42:1.) The concept of the Trinity is far from being developed, but
                 the elements seem to be there.

FURTHER STUDY     Evangelism, pp. 614-617.




                                                                                  27

                    Jesus taught His disciples to address God as their Father. He
                 made the relationship very personal. They could have this rela-
                 tionship because they were born again. But to those who be-
                 lieved on Jesus, to them was given power "to become the sons
                 of God" (John 1:12).

                   What vision did Daniel have of God the Father? Dan. 7:9,10.

                    "The Ancient of Days is God the Father.... It is He, the source
                 of all being, and the fountain of all law, that is to preside in the
                 judgment. And holy angels as ministers and witnesses, . . .
                 attend this great tribunal."—The Great Controversy, p. 479.
                    Such a picture of the Father should strike one with awe. Our
                 Father loves us with an everlasting love, but we must ever be
                 careful not to be unduly familiar with Him. The hymn expresses
                 it beautifully:
                    "Before Jehovah's awful throne,
                      Ye nations bow with sacred joy;
                    Know that the Lord is God alone;
                      He can create, and He destroy."
                         —Isaac Watts,
                        Church Hymnal, no. 1.

                   Who is the express image of the Father? Heb. 1:2, 3.

                    Sometimes we misunderstand the Father by forgetting that
                 Jesus came to reveal His Father; we must remember that when
                 we see Jesus in His sacrifice and love we are also seeing the
                 Father at work. We must never separate the work of one from
                 the work of the other. God is not demanding, and Jesus plead-
                 ing. They both demand and They both plead.
                    "Christ came to reveal God to the world as a God of love, full
                 of mercy, tenderness, and compassion. The thick darkness with
                 which Satan had endeavored to enshroud the throne of Deity
                 was swept away by the world's Redeemer, and the Father was
                 again manifest to men as the light of life."—Testimonies, vol. 5,
                 pp. 738, 739.
                   The world is at enmity with God because it misunderstands
                 Him. It is for us to change that conception by being God's
                 ambassadors. (See 2 Cor. 5:17-21.)

 FURTHER STUDY     Testimonies, vol. 5, pp. 737-746.

                  John wants us to be sure that in Jesus, the Son of the living
                God, we recognize full Deity. He was God incarnate. (Read
                verses 1-4.) He was one with the Father and existed with Him
                from eternity.

                  How did the Jews show that they understood the claim of
                Jesus to deity? John 5:18. (See Mathew 22:43, 44.)

                  What was the relationship of Jesus to the Holy Spirit? John
                15:26.

                  Jesus said that He would send the Comforter. In another
                passage He says that the Father will send the Comforter (John
                14:26). Thus there seems to be perfect collaboration between
                the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

                  What was the close working relationship between the Fa-
                ther and the Son? John 5:19-22.

                   It is interesting to note that the Father and the Son not only
                work together, but They assume parallel functions. The Father
                raises the dead; so does the Son, and He gives life to whom He
                will. As for judgment, the Father seems to have given this au-
                thority to the Son, so that there will be mutual honor. (See verse
                23.) Everlasting life is dependent on hearing what Jesus says
                and believing in the Father (verse 24). Both Father and Son have
                life in Themselves (verse 26).

                 After the resurrection, what did Thomas call the risen
                Christ? John 20:28.

                  There was no doubt in Thomas's mind about the deity of
                Christ—after he had examined Christ's scars. Jesus told
                Thomas that he had been given the privilege of the direct touch
                in order to believe. Then Jesus commended as blessed those
                who do not have the privilege of visual contact and yet believe
                (verse 29).

                                                                               29

                   This threefold benediction shows that in the days of the apos-
                tles the doctrine of the Trinity was fairly well understood and
                accepted. It was for later centuries to work out philosophical
                and other aspects of the teaching, but the main ideas were
                already present with the apostolic church.

                  What part did the Holy Spirit have in the birth and baptism of
                Jesus? Luke 1:35; 3:22.

                  Notice that in both of these verses reference is made to the
                Three Persons of the Godhead.

                  What evidence is there that the Holy Spirit is a person and
                not a mere influence?

                   The Spirit speaks (1 Tim. 4:1). The Spirit makes intercession
                (Rom. 8:26). The Spirit invites (Rev. 22:17). These are all ac-
                tivities of a person. Furthermore, Paul warns us not to grieve the
                Holy Spirit (Eph. 4:30).
                   "The Holy Spirit is Christ's representative, but divested of the
                personality of humanity, and independent thereof. Cumbered
                with humanity, Christ could not be in every place personally.
                Therefore it was for their interest that He should go to the
                Father, and send the Spirit to be His successor on earth. No one
                could then have any advantage because of his location or his
                personal contact with Christ. By the Spirit the Saviour would be
                accessible to all. In this sense He would be nearer to them than if
                HeThad not ascended on high."—The Desire of Ages, p. 669.
                  ?f-
                   What important function does the Holy Spirit serve in the
                church? Eph. 4:11-13; 1 Cor. 12:28.

                  "We cannot use the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is to use us.
                Through the Spirit God works in His people 'to will and to do of
                His good pleasure.' Phil. 2:13. But many will not submit to this.
                They want to manage themselves. This is why they do not re-
                ceive the heavenly gift. Only to those who wait humbly upon
                God, who watch for His guidance and grace, is the Spirit
                given."—The Desire of Ages, p. 672.

 FURTHER SWOT     The Desire of Ages, pp. 671, 672; The Acts of the Apostles, pp.
                47-56.

      Part 6   "Without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God
THE MYSTERY was manifest in the flesh, justified in Spirit, seen of angels,   OF THE GODHEAD preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received
             up into glory" (1 Tim. 3:16).

                  Paul is impressed with the fact that there are many mysterious
                aspects of Christian teaching. A mystery is not an impenetrable
                secret, but a secret that is made known only to the initiated. A
                man must first be willing to accept the evidence placed before
                him. He must be open to receive the light that comes his way.

                  What basic element is necessary as we approach the truths
                revealed in the Bible? Heb. 11:6.

                   There are many aspects of God's nature that we cannot un-
                derstand; nor should we expect to understand them, since God
                far transcends man, and man's powers of understanding are
                limited by the capacity of his mind. Nevertheless it is important
                to believe what has been revealed.
                   The monotheistic religions other than Christianity tend to
                limit God by a human concept of oneness. Yet even in the
                common walk of life we recognize the difference between sim-
                 ple and complex forms of life. How shall amoebas understand
                 man? and how shall man understand God? Why could not the
                complexity of the Godhead include the concept of three per-
                sons without destroying unity in a way that is beyond man's
                ken? We must avoid any view that limits God or makes Him what
                He is not.

                  Why is it important to know God insofar as He has been
                revealed? John 17:3.

                  The Christian is what he is because he has accepted the
                revelation of God in the Bible, and he knows that he lives under
                the protection and guidance of a wonderful God who is prepar-
                ing a wonderful future for him.

                  "The Father is all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and is
                invisible to mortal sight.
                  "The Son is all the fullness of the Godhead manifested....
                  "The Comforter that Christ promised to send after He as-
                cended to heaven, isthe Spirit in all the fullness of the Godhead,
                making manifest the power of divine grace to all who receive
                and believe in Christ as a personal Saviour."—Evangelism, pp.
                614, 615.



                                                                               31

                     John's language is simple but very deep. One needs to study
                   these verses in great detail in order to draw out the full meaning.
                   For instance, do you fully understand the expression "Word"?
                   Do you see how important the "Word" is? We really do not know
                   Jesus unless we recognize His divinity, His part in Creation, His
                   relation to the Father, and what He has done for man.
                     Jesus is the Word of God. The Word is an expression of God.
                   Through Jesus God expressed Himself to angels and to men. In
                   Jesus is found the expression of the inmost, the dearest, the
                   most vital, the most enduring thoughts of God. Jesus is so
                   completely identified with His Father that He can be considered
                   as His word.

                     When Philip wanted Jesus to reveal the Father, what an-
                   swer did Jesus give? John 14:9.

                     When we become acquainted with Jesus, we become ac-
                   quainted with God. If we desire to become acquainted with the
                   love, the goodness, the ways of God, there is no better way to do
                   this than to become acquainted with Christ. He is God's very
                   word, a perfect expression of His Father.

                     How do we know that the Father and the Son are distinct
                   persons? Matt. 3:17; John 20:17.

                      Because of the complete identification between God and
                   Jesus, between Father and Son, there are those who look upon
                   Them as one and the same person. But that is not true. Jesus
                   was a perfect expression of God, but He was a separate person
                   from the Father.

 FURTHER STUDY      Education, pp. 73-77.

                   Christ's creation of the world was an event of outstanding
                importance to every human being, to all created beings.
                   "It was Christ that spread the heavens, and laid the founda-
                tions of the earth. It was His hand that hung the worlds in space,
                and fashioned the flowers of the field.... 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."—The Desire of Ages, p. 20.
                   "When God said to His Son, 'Let us make man in our image,'
                Satan was jealous of Jesus. He wished to be consulted concern-
                ing the formation of man, and because he was not, he was filled
                with envy, jealousy, and hatred. . . .
                   "Until this time all heaven had been in order, harmony, and
                perfect subjection to the government of God."—Early Writings,
                p. 145. Now, however, the harmony of heaven was broken.
                Satan was cast out to take up his abode in the newly created
                 world, purposing to carry his rebellion throughout the universe.
                   Man, created in the image of God, was enticed into disobedi-
                ence. He lost his innocence and happiness and was doomed to
                 suffer the penalty of death.
                   God, however, still loved the world that had rebelled against
                 Him. A plan was devised whereby man could be reclaimed from
                 sin and restored to loyalty and holiness. Jesus came to the world
                 to save it.

                  What was the tragic reception given to Jesus when He
                came? John 1:11.

                  The scene is beyond understanding, almost beyond belief.
                Here was something that must not be, that just could not hap-
                pen, but it did. The Creator of the world was rejected by the
                world He had come to save!

                  Why does the world reject Christ? John 7:7.

                                                                                 35

                     In the plan for man's salvation from sin, there was complete
                   unity between the Father and the Son. Both loved the world.
                   Both gave Themselves to carry through the plan for man's
                   redemption agreed upon before the foundation of the world.
                   God sent the Son and the Son volunteered to go. The result of
                   this unity of purpose and effort was the death of Jesus on the
                   cross and the offer of eternal salvation for man.

                     What facts did Jesus present to show the close unity that
                   exists between Him and the Father? John 10: 15, 17, 30, 36.

                     In the relationship between the Father and the Son there is
                   always the closest possible unity in all things. This is true in
                   thought and purpose, in plan and effort.
                     Jesus said, "I and my Father are one" (John 10:30). "The
                   Father is in me, and I in him" (John 10:38). "He that hath seen
                   me hath seen the Father" (John 14:9).

                     Why does Jesus reflect so perfectly the will and character of
                   the Father? Col. 1:15; Heb. 1:3.

                     In the creation of the world, Father and Son worked together.
                   "God ... created all things by Jesus Christ" (Eph. 3:9). "There is
                   but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him;
                   and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by
                   him" (1 Cor. 8:6).
                     "The unity that exists between Christ and His disciples does
                   not destroy the personality of either. They are one in purpose, in
                   mind, in character, but not in person. It is thus that God and
                   Christ are one."—Testimonies, vol. 8, p. 269.

                     "Jesus revealed no qualities, and exercised no powers, that
                   men may not have through faith in Him. His perfect humanity is
                   that which all His followers may possess, if they will be in
                   subjection to God as he was."—The Desire of Ages, p. 664.

 FURTHER STUDY       That I May Know Him, p. 38; Patriarchs and Prophets, pp. 36,
                   37, 40.

                  It is a great mystery that the God of heaven appeared on earth
                in the form of human flesh. (See 1 Tim. 3:16.) The God who
                created the world made the dust which composes the earth.
                God formed man of the dust. Yet God became man when He
                came to earth. That mystery is the very heart of Christianity.

                  What prophecy was fulfilled when Jesus was born? Matt.
                1:21-23. (See Isa. 7:14.)

                   No more joyful or important tidings could have come to man.
                God was to come down from heaven to earth to live as a human
                being. The Son of God was to become the Son of man so that
                children of earth might again become sons of God. "As many as
                received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of
                God, even to them that believe on his name" (John 1:12). Divin-
                ity became humanity in order that sinful humanity might be
                accepted by God and restored in His image.

                  Why did Jesus come 10. this earth? 2 Cor. 5:21.

                   Jesus came to earth at a time when men had sunk to the
                lowest depths of vice and iniquity. He took on human flesh after
                it had been weakened by thousands of years of wickedness. But
                never once did He yield to sin; never once was He overcome by
                the powers of evil. He came both to die for men and to show
                them how to live by the aid of His divine power. As He was
                victorious against the powers of evil, so He wanted men to know
                that they also might be victorious.
                   "He gave His only-begotten Son to come to earth, to take the
                nature of man, not only for the brief years of life, but to retain his
                nature in the heavenly courts, an everlasting pledge of the
                faithfulness of God. 0 the depth of the riches both of the wis-
                dom and love of God! 'Behold, what manner of love the Father
                hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of
                God' (1 John 3:1)."—Selected Messages, bk. 1, p. 258.
                    Christ will retain His humanity forever. He will always be God,
                and He will always continue to be man.

                     This is the chorus of praise and victory sung by the redeemed
                  as they stand about the throne at Christ's final coronation. (See
                  The Great Controversy, p. 671.) The saints are there because
                  Christ has redeemed them from death. They were sinners,
                  doomed to eternal death. But now they enjoy eternal life and
                  glory because Jesus has paid the price for their redemption.
                  That price was His life and blood. He died that man might live.
                  He gave up all that they might inherit all. He came from heaven
                  in order that heaven might be theirs eternally. He came from
                  heaven to earth that earth itself might become heaven. He left
                  His position on the throne with His Father that they might reign
                  in glory. Now Jesus, crowned universal King, is accorded the
                  universal acclaim He rightly deserves.

                    How has man been redeemed? 1 Peter 1:18, 19.

                    Christ is the "lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the
                   world" (John 1:29). He is the provision that God had made
                  before the creation of the world (1 Peter 1:20; Rev. 13:8). This is
                  a very important concept to consider. God is not Creator first
                  and Redeemer second. He did not become Redeemer after
                  Adam had sinned. He planned for redemption before creating
                  man. It is not that we want to limit God by a time factor, but it is
                  important to recognize in God an eternal Redeemer as well as
                  an eternal Creator.
                    Satan laid hold to the claim, "prince of this world." Jesus
                  came to earth to dispute that claim and to redeem man from the
                  enemy's hold. As He faced the cross, He said, " 'Now is the hour
                  of judgement for this world; now shall the Prince of this world
                  be driven out. And I shall draw all men to myself, when I am lifted
                  up from the earth.' This he said to indicate the kind of death he
                  was to die" (John 12:31-33, NEB).
                    Christ's death on the cross purchased eternal life to the righ-
                  teous and insured a just judgment for the wicked. The hour of
                  man's redemption by the blood of Christ was the world's great
                  hour of destiny.

 FURTHER STUDY     Selected Messages, bk. 1, pp. 308-310.

                  Paul makes it clear that Christ had come from highest heaven
                to the lowest depths of earthly humiliation. But God could not
                leave it that way and be just. Jesus now occupies an exalted
                position, a position which is eminently His due, a position that
                everyone will recognize.
                  It is notable that in the world people often fight their way to
                preeminence. This is not true of Christ. People bow in humble
                submission to Christ because they find in Him a love that excites
                wonder, surrender, and adoration.

                  What will the Lamb do for the victorious saints? Rev. 7:17.

                   "All who have borne with Jesus the cross of sacrifice will be
                sharers with Him of His glory. It was the joy of Christ in His
                humiliation and pain that His disciples should be glorified with
                Him. They are the fruit of His self-sacrifice. The outworking in
                them of His own character and spirit is His reward, and will be
                his joy throughout eternity. This joy they share with Him as the
                fruit of their labor and sacrifice is seen in other hearts and lives.
                They are workers together with Christ, and the Father will honor
                them as He honors His Son."—The Desire of Ages, p. 624.
                   Jesus served the world, but the world rejected Him. Jesus was
                cast out by the world, but God received Him to glory. He, whom
                men hated and shunned, God loved and placed on the throne of
                the universe to receive universal acclaim.

                  "No one was so exalted as Christ, and yet He stooped to the
                humblest duty. That His people might not be misled by the
                selfishness which dwells in the natural heart, and which
                strengthens by self-serving, Christ Himself set the example of
                humility.... While they [the disciples] were contending for the
                highest place, He to whom every knee shall bow, He whom the
                angels of glory count it an honor to serve, bowed down to wash
                the feet of those who called Him Lord. He washed the feet of His
                betrayer."—The Desire of Ages, p. 649.

                                                                                  39

                     This verse is part of a song of victory that was sung by Moses
                  and the children of Israel after they had crossed the Red Sea and
                  witnessed the destruction of the Egyptian armies. While they
                  had been in Egypt, they had seen many gods. They had seen the
                  gods put to shame by the plagues that had been called down
                  because the Egyptians would not let the children of, Israel go.
                  But now they had witnessed how God can work on behalf of His
                  people. He not only did wonders, but He was "glorious in holi-
                  ness." What does this expression mean?
                     The key idea seems to be separateness, and as applied to God
                  means that He transcends His created works. He is the Supreme
                  Diety to whom nothing can be equal. To worship any other is to
                  worship the lesser one, and that is sinful. Holiness also has a
                  moral quality and suggests that God is morally excellent. Fin-
                  layson says: "Since holiness embraces every distinctive attri-
                  bute of Godhead, it may be defined as the outshining of all that
                  God is. As the sun's rays, combining all the colours of the
                  spectrum, come together in the sun's shining and blend into
                  light, so in His self-manifestation all the attributes of God come
                  together and blend into holiness."—J. D. Douglas, ed., The New
                  Bible Dictionary (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Wm. B. Eerdmans Pub-
                  lishing Co., 1962), p. 530.

                   What words did Jesus use to address the Father? With what
                  words did the disciples speak of Jesus? John 17:11; Acts 4:30.

                     The Holy Spirit has the adjective used with His name, and thus
                  all Three Persons of the Godhead are called holy.

                   What word did Mary, the mother of Jesus, use to refer to
                  God's name? Luke 1:49.

                    How careful should we be in the use of God's name? Ex.
                  20:7.

                     "This commandment not only prohibits false oaths and
                  common swearing, but it forbids us to use the name of God in a
                  light or careless manner, without regard to its awful signifi-
                  cance. By the thoughtless mention of God in common conver-
                  sation, by appeals to Him in trivial matters, and by the frequent
                  and thoughtless repetition of His name, we dishonor Him."—
                  Patriarchs and Prophets, pp. 306, 307.

 FURTHER STUDY      Steps to Christ, "What to Do With Doubt," pp. 108-110. 42

                  Moses was commanded to show respect in the presence of
                God. In those days reverence was shown by taking off one's
                shoes. This custom still prevails in some parts of the world. In
                other parts of the world men show respect by removing the hat,
                and ladies by covering their heads. It is not the particular mode
                that is important; it is the fact of reverence.

                  How was reverence to be shown at Mount Sinai? Ex. 19:
                10-13.

                   God's presence can be terrifying. (See verse 18.) All nature
                trembles at the presence of God, how much more should sinful
                man enter into the presence of God with holy fear.
                   The sanctuary was to be a symbol of God's presence with His
                people (Ex. 29:42, 43). It was to,be a holy place. The garments
                used by the priests were holy (Ex. 39:41). All the vessels were
                holy, and the altar was most holy (Ex. 40:9, 10). Wherever God is,
                and whatever is dedicated to the Lord, is holy.
                   In the same way the temple was holy (Ps. 65:4). The New
                Jerusalem is the Holy City (Rev. 21:2). All heaven is holy (Ps.
                20:6).
                   "Humility and reverence should characterize the deportment
                of all who come into the presence of God. In the name of Jesus
                we may come before Him with confidence, but we must not
                approach Him with the boldness of presumption, as though He
                were on a level with ourselves."—Patriarchs and Prophets,
                p. 252.
                   The Bible makes it clear that there is a difference between that
                which is hallowed and that which is common. We ignore those
                differences to our eternal loss.
                    "To the humble, believing soul, the house of God on earth is
                 the gate to heaven. . . .
                       .. Common talking, whispering, and laughing should not be
                 permitted in the house of worship, either before or after the
                 service. . . .
                    "... If when the people come into the house of worship, they
                 have genuine reverence for the Lord and bear in mind that they
                 are in His presence, there will be a sweet eloquence in
                 silence."—Testimonies, vol. 5, pp. 491, 492.

                                                                                43

                   Since the law points out sin, and sin brings death, it may be
                 thought that the law is evil. But that is not true, and Paul makes
                 that abundantly clear in his letter to the Romans.

                   Who is the author of the Ten Commandments? Ex. 20:1.

                   It is because God is holy, and just, and good that the com-
                 mandments are also holy, and just, and good. They are a tran-
                 script of His character.

                   Why do people generally dislike the laws of God? Rom. 8:7.

                    Anything that goes contrary to the desires of man in his fallen
                 nature is unpleasant to him. Man wants to be free to do what he
                 pleases, and what he pleases to do is often not for his own good
                 or for the good of others. What man needs to learn is that
                 transgressing the law of God means death, and if he wants to be
                 free to enjoy life, he must learn to live in harmony with the laws
                 of God.

                   By what two phrases does James describe God's law?
                 James 1:25; 2:8, 12.

                   James is clear in pointing out that the only path to real free-
                 dom is that which is bound by the law. It sounds paradoxical!
                 But experience has shown it to be true. Only by observing the
                 laws of harmony is good music composed; only by observing
                 the rules of the game may a race be run and won. Without law
                 there can only be chaos and frustration.

                   What was the attitude of Jesus to the law? Matt. 19:17; 5:17.

                   What, according to the psalmist, are some of the benefits of
                 keeping the law? Ps. 119:165; 19:7, 8.

                    "The very fact that Christ bore the penalty of man's transgres-
                 sion is a mighty argument to all created intelligences that the
                 law is changeless; that God is righteous, merciful, and self-
                 denying; and that infinite justice and mercy unite in the ad-
                 ministration of His government."—Patriarchs and Prophets,
                 p. 70.

 FURTHER STUDY     Patriarchs and Prophets, pp. 303-314.

                  The weekly cycle has no relationship to any phenomenon of
                nature, like the day, the month, or the year. It has its origin in a
                holy God, who created the world in six days and rested the
                seventh. What did God's sanctifying, or making it holy, really do
                to the day? It set it apart for a holy use, for a holy communion
                with a holy God.

                  What did Jesus say about the Sabbath and its Lord? Mark
                2:27, 28.

                  Man has made the seventh day a day of evil omen, or a day of
                fasting, or even a day of going to market, or finding one's own
                pleasure. Jesus pointed out that the day "was designed to bring
                men into communion with God."—The Desire of Ages, p. 286.
                Jesus showed that bringing release from sin or disease is in
                harmony with the purpose of the Sabbath. A day of mere rites
                and ceremonies could be wearisome, and the whole objective
                of bringing good to man could be set aside by such a practice.

                  Of what is the Sabbath a memorial? Ex. 20:10,11; Deut. 5:15.

                  The fact that Deuteronomy gives another reason for the keep-
                ing of the Sabbath does not negate the fact that the Sabbath is a
                memorial of Creation; it points out that there may be other
                reasons for keeping the Sabbath, reasons that have to do with
                our deliverance from sin. There is a hint of this in the fact that
                the Sabbath is a sign of sanctification. (See Ex. 31:13.) That is, it
                celebrates our deliverance from the bondage of sin, our re-
                demption, and our re-creation in regeneration. The Sabbath is
                not only an institution of the church, but it is also a weekly sign
                of a personal relationship with a holy God.

                  On what basis is man offered joy and happiness? Isa. 58:
                13, 14.

                   Unless man can find pleasure in communing with a holy God
                 on earth, he will never enjoy communion with God in the earth
                 made new where the Sabbath will continue to be kept. (See Isa.
                 66:23.)

                                                                                  45

                     A holy God issues a holy call. This is not on the basis that we
                   are "holy" or deserve to be "called." We are far from this, but by
                   His grace and through the merits of Jesus Christ this has been
                   made possible. Here we see the goodness of God and His desire
                   that we should share in His holiness.

                     By what term does the writer to the Hebrews address his
                   fellow Christians? Heb. 3:1.

                      Some Christians are reluctant to be called holy. This may be
                   because they have met Christians who have claimed holiness
                   and yet have lived lives which were far from being holy. The fact
                   is that the nearer we come to the pattern that Jesus has set for us
                   the more humble we become. We should not run away from
                   holiness, but we should be sure that the experience we enjoy is
                   genuine and God-given.

                     By what word does the apostle Paul address the Christians
                   to whom he writes? Rom. 1:7; 1 Cor. 1:2; Eph. 1:1.

                     The word "saint" is not a popular word for the believer in
                   Christ today. For one thing it has been used to refer to outstand-
                   ing members of the church who have been officially canonized,
                   and thus cannot be used of everyone. That is why some modern
                   versions of the New Testament in English avoid using the word
                   "saint." The word "saints" is translated "his dedicated people"
                   (Rom. 1:7, NEB), "his own people" (Rom. 1:7, TEV), and "God's
                   holy people" (1 Cor. 1:2, TEV).

                     In what only did Paul find cause to glory? Gal. 6:14.

                      Paul lived a life that we may be proud to emulate. But the fact
                   is that Paul recognized that he was nothing in himself. (See Gal.
                   2:20.) He could glory only in the cross because that was the
                   symbol of the salvation that had been purchased for him, and it
                   was the reason why he could be what he was.
                      "Paul realized that his sufficiency was not in himself, but in
                   the presence of the Holy Spirit, whose gracious influence filled
                   his heart, bringing every thought into subjection to Christ."—
                   The Acts of the Apostles, p. 251.

 FURTHER STUDY       The Acts of the Apostles, pp. 563-567. 46

                  What is God's desire for His people? Lev. 11:44, 45;1 Peter
                1:16.

                  This is a high standard. Created in the image of God, man is to
                reflect fully his Maker.

                  Why is this standard so important? Heb. 12:14.

                  God cannot let any standards down. Only the pure in heart
                can see God. (See Matt. 5:8.)
                  "Into the city of God there will enter nothing that defiles. All
                who are to be dwellers there will here have become pure in
                heart. In one who is learning of Jesus, there will be manifest a
                growing distaste for careless manners, unseemly language, and
                coarse thought. When Christ abides in the heart, there will be
                purity and refinement of thought and manner."—Thoughts
                From the Mount of Blessing, pp. 24, 25.
                  "Holiness is not rapture: it is an entire surrender of the will to
                God; it is living by every word that proceeds from the mouth of
                God; it is doing the will of our heavenly Father; it is trusting God
                in trial, in darkness as well as in the light; it is walking by faith
                and not by sight; it is relying on God with unquestioning confi-
                dence, and resting in His love."—The Acts of the Apostles, p. 51.

                  How can the Christian attain this ideal? Phil. 4:13.

                   "As the will of man co-operates with the will of God, it be-
                comes omnipotent. Whatever is to be done at His command may
                be accomplished in His strength. All His biddings are enablings."
                —Christ's Object Lessons, p. 333.
                   "There must be a power working from within, a new life from
                above, before- men can be changed from sin to holiness. That
                power is Christ. His grace alone can quicken the lifeless facul-
                ties of the soul, and attract it to God, to holiness."—Steps to
                Christ, p. 18.

                                     DAILY HIGHLIGHTS
                                     1. God Is Love
                                        (1 John 4:16)
                                     2. God's Law of Love
                                        (Matt. 22:36-40)
                                     3. God's Love Toward Sinners
                                        (Rom. 5:7, 8)
                                     4. God's Loving-kindness
                                        (Ps. 103:2-4)
                                     5. God's Universal Love
                                        (John 3:16)
                                     6. God's Never-failing Love
                                        (Hosea 11:8)

                      Love is the very nature of God. Everything He does is
                   prompted by love. His love may be seen in all His works. The
                    wondrous love of God is revealed in things of the world about
                    us, in the infinite expanses of the heavens above. If we would
                   see love, we must see God. And no man can see love without
                   seeing God. He who feels the touch of God feels the touch of
                   love.
                      Human vision is limited, and we do not always see love in the
                   ways and works of God. We live in a world where other powers
                   are at work that are not from God, and they must not be con-
                   fused with God. Children do not always perceive their parents'
                   love in deeds of the greatest wisdom and most tender concern.
                   The more fully human eyes are opened, and the more com-
                   prehensive man's understanding becomes, the more clearly he
                   is able to see that God indeed is love.
                      Were it not for a God of love, there would be no world and no
                   men to inhabit it. Were not God a being of love, He would not be
                   the embodiment of infinite wisdom and power. God's power
                   exerts itself always, and only, in love. God's love is creative and
                   not destructive. God's wisdom manifests itself in constant out-
                   pourings of love in gifts to make men happy and to keep them
                   well.
                     Love is personal. It must have someone to love, someone with
                   whom to share. Unless it can expend itself in deeds of affection
                   toward others, it is not happy and it is not love. Love craves love
                   and creates love. The more it manifests itself, the wider will be
                   the circle of happiness and love.

                     How basic is love to a Christian? Eph. 3:17-19.

                     All the highest attributes in the souls of men are due to love,
                   and due to God. Mercy, sympathy, justice, goodness, truthful-
                   ness, and unselfishness all come from love and cannot exist
                   without it. These attributes find their fullest expression in God.
                   He is "merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in
                   goodness and truth" (Ex. 34:6).

 FURTHER STUDY      Steps to Christ, "God's Love for Man," pp. 9-12.

                  There can be no greater law than love. Love embraces every
                duty of man—to God, and to those in the world about him. If a
                man has supreme love for God, he will do all that God com-
                mands. If he loves his fellowmen, he will do nothing against
                them.
                  In heaven, the law of angels is the law of love. They need no
                other law, for their every thought and deed is always, and only,
                love. With fallen man, however, that is not the case. The details
                of right and wrong in his relationships with God and man need
                to be set before him in more specific detail. That is why God's
                law of Ten Commandments was given, with the first four point-
                ing out his love and duties to God, and the last six, his love and
                duties to man.

                  What is the basis of our love for God? Deut. 5:6; Ex. 20:2.

                  The saving acts of God in our lives form the basis of our
                relationship to God. God nad brought Israel out of Egypt with a
                mighty arm and so the Israelites were under obligation to rec-
                ognize Him as the one true God. They were to remember His
                acts of Creation (Ex. 20:11) and deliverance (Deut. 5:15). They
                would be moved to respond in grateful love.
                  You and I have experienced God's hand in our lives, so the
                least that we can do is to thank Him and to love Him. As God
                bade Moses to say to Israel, "Ye shall be holy: for I the Lord your
                God am holy" (Lev. 19:2), one of the specifications was, "Thou
                shalt love thy neighbour as thyself" (verse 18). Love was as
                important in the days of Moses as it was at the time of Christ. It
                was ever the basis of God's law as it is ever the foundation of
                God's eternal throne.

                  How do we show that we love God? John 14:15; 1 John 5:2, 3.

                                                                                  51

                      God has manifested His love in untold ways—in His works of
                   creation and preservation, in bringing into existence holy be-
                   ings who are to be eternally happy, in maintaining an endless
                   universe by boundless wisdom and love. But God's greatest
                   demonstration of love was the love He manifested toward sin-
                   ners who were in rebellion against Him.
                      Sinners need love, but they do not deserve it. What they
                   deserve is death, but it is from death that God purposes to save
                   them. Only love could have prompted that purpose. Justice
                   demanded that guilty man should die. But God's love provided a
                   substitute.
                     God loves not only good men but bad men, not only one man
                   but all men. God loves men who did not love Him. He loves men
                   who rejected His love and spurned His mercy, who love sin
                   rather than righteousness, and who chose ways of death rather
                   than ways of life. God loves men who would despise and reject
                   His Son, who came to save them. He loves them even though
                   they would put His Son to death on a cruel cross, demanding
                   death for the Prince of Life but clemency for a servant of the
                   prince of evil. And God would still love them in spite of their cry
                   that the blood for such a foul deed be upon themselves and their
                   children!

                     Because of God's great love, of what may the Christian be
                   confident? Rom. 8:38, 39.

                     Paul lists a number of elements that might be strong and
                   might be considered able to prevent God from reaching men
                   with His love. But Paul holds them up to ridicule. Not one of
                   them.is more powerful than God, not one of them can be con-
                   sidered an obstacle to God's saving grace.
                     And it took just such love to save us. Nothing less would have
                   sufficed. Unless God had been willing to give up His Son for
                   sinners, they could not have been saved. Unless Jesus would
                   have given up His throne and His life for sinners, they would
                   have perished in their iniquity. "We, like the rest, lay under the
                   dreadful judgement of God. But God, rich in mercy, for the great
                   love he bore us, brought us to life with Christ" (Eph. 2:3, 4, NEB).

 FURTHER STUDY       Christ's Object Lessons, "Two Worshipers," pp. 156, 157;
                   "This Man Receiveth Sinners," pp. 186-192. 52

                  The word translated "lovingkindness" has been translated in
                a number of different ways: "mercy," "kindness," and "good-
                ness" in the KJV. The RSV translates it "steadfast love." Two
                related ideas are "covenant" and "faithfulness." (Compare
                S.D.A. Bible Commentary, vol. 3, pp. 719, 720.)
                  The thought of the psalmist seems to be that God has given a
                covenant to His people and has been faithful to it, and this
                relationship can be considered as honorable and glorious as
                the wearing of a crown.
                  God's ways are ways of incomparable kindness, and His gifts
                are those of the most tender love. No mother ever displayed
                greater love for her child than does God for His children. Where
                God is, there His loving-kindness is revealed and His goodness
                and mercy are displayed.
                  Wherever we find loveliness and harmony, grandeur and vir-
                tue, it is because of God's goodness and love. If only the eyes of
                our spiritual vision were opened, we would everywhere see
                evidences of God's tender, all-pervading, never-failing love. We
                would see God's love in rain as well as sunshine, in the clouds
                above and the grass beneath.

                  What is the basis of true happiness? Ps. 144:15.

                  The psalmist mentions several things that can make for hap-
                piness (see verses 11-14). But they are all summed up in one
                blessing, God is our Lord. He is the source and wellspring of all
                happiness.
                  God's greatest desire is that all men be truly happy, and
                eternally remain that way. He created men in His own likeness
                that they might be happy—happy in Him, in themselves, and
                happy with all the world about them. "Man, created for fellow-
                ship with God, can only in such fellowship find his real life and
                development. Created to find in God his highest joy, he can find
                in nothing else that which can quiet the cravings of the heart,
                can satisfy the hunger and thirst of the soul."—Education, pp.
                124, 125.

                  What special blessings come to the man whose relationship
                with God is right? Ps. 103:1, 3, 5.

                                                                                53

                      This text has been described as "the gospel in a nutshell." It
                    indicates the wide scope of God's love—the world; it tells us of
                    the sacrifice involved—He gave His only Son; it points out the
                    purpose of God's act—that all who believe in Him should not
                    die, but have eternal life.
                      All men are loved by God, and all men experience His bless-
                    ings. This is true of the wicked as well as the righteous, the poor
                    and humble as well as the mighty and the well-to-do. Men of
                    every clime, every race, every creed are loved by Him. Wherever
                    prayer is offered, God is ready to hear.

                      What does Matthew 5:45 teach about God's love?

                      Man usually discriminates in his love, but that is not true of
                    God and must not be true of those who claim to be Christian.
                    The Christian standard of relationship to other people is that of
                    God the Father, who distributes His gifts bountifully without
                    regard to worthiness or response. The main criterion is that of
                    need. The good and the bad alike need sunshine and rain, and
                    God supplies them impartially. Does my enemy need my wit-
                    ness? If so, then it is my responsibility, as a Christian, to reach
                    out a helping hand and do what God would do if He were in my
                    place.

                      What did Jesus say about His Father's care? Matt. 10:29-31;
                    6:26-31.

                       Everything, animate or inanimate, constantly experiences the
                    care of God. "The Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies are
                    over all his works" (Ps. 145:9). "The eyes of all wait upon thee;
                    and thou givest them their meat in due season. Thou openest
                    thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing" (verses
                    15, 16). "The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all
                    that call upon him in truth" (verse 18).
                      God sent Israel into Canaan with the admonition, "Be strong
                    and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the
                    Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee,
                    nor forsake thee" (Deut. 31:6).

 FURTHER STUDY       The Ministry of Healing, pp. 25-28.

                  Admah and Zeboiim are two cities of the plains that were
                destroyed with Sodom and Gomorrah. (See Gen. 14:2; 19:25,
                29.) Fire and brimstone rained down from heaven (Gen. 19:24)
                and the "smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a
                furnace" (verse 28).
                  There comes a time when God must punish evil. But it is not a
                pleasant task for a God of love.

                  What is God's attitude to the sinner? Eze. 18:31, 32; 33:11.

                  God's grace is amazing! Tenderly, and with gentle persis-
                tence, He pleads with sinners. The wicked need only to respond
                and in repentance turn away from their sins, and God is willing
                to accept them. He will forget the past, however wicked it may
                be, because God is more concerned with the present and the
                future than He is with the past.
                  The question God asks, Why will ye die? is a very pertinent
                one. Would any sane person choose death? When life is offered
                on such easy terms, it is utter foolishness to reject it.

                  Why does God seem to delay His second coming? 2 Peter
                3:9.

                  It would seem that God would rather break His word than
                cause any one to perish! God is not slow to do what He has
                promised, but He is willing to give every opportunity for the
                sinner to repent and thus be ready for His coming.

                  What kind of a person is the man who truly loves? 1 Cor.
                13:4-7.

                  Here is the standard of perfection outlined for the Christian. Is
                he willing to endure trying circumstances and not lose his
                temper? Is he looking for ways and means to help people,
                generous with his time and money? Does he accept his talents
                and station in life without envy 'although he sees someone else
                more talented and successful?

                                        DAILY HIGHLIGHTS
                                        1. Peace From Jesus
                                           (John 14:27)
                                        2. Peace and Holiness
                                           (Heb. 12:14)
                                        3. Peace and the Law of God
                                           (Ps. 119:165)
                                        4. Peace—A Fruit of the Spirit
                                           (Gal. 5:22, 23)
                                        5. Peace and the Sword
                                           (Matt. 10:34)
                                        6. The Peace of God's Children
                                           (Phil. 4:6, 7)

                     Peace is God's gift to men. Jesus is "The Prince of Peace"
                  (Isa. 9:6). "He is our peace" (Eph. 2:14). "He will bring peace"
                  (Micah 5:5, TEV). Without God men can not know peace. When
                  Jesus was born, the angels sang "On earth peace, good will
                  toward men" (Luke 2:14).

                   What is the source of peace for the believer? Col. 1:20-22;
                  Rom. 5:1.

                    Through Christ and His cross the enmity between sinners and
                  God is broken, and reconciliation with heaven is restored.
                    "The effect of God's provision of righteousness by faith is to
                  bring peace to the sinner's once troubled and alienated soul.
                  Before the experience of justification the sinner is in a state of
                  enmity against God, as shown by his rebellion against God's
                  authority and his transgression of God's laws. But after he is
                  reconciled, he has peace with God. Before, while still under a
                  sense of the guilt of sin, he has nothing but fear and unrest in his
                  conscience. Now, with his sins forgiven, he has peace in his
                  heart, realizing that all his guilt has been taken away."—S.D.A.
                  Bible Commentary, vol. 6, pp. 522, 523.

                    What famous blessing is often invoked upon a congregation
                  and what particular blessing is desired? Num. 6:24-26.

                    It is the holiness and righteousness of God that make Him a
                  God of peace. So it is the uprightness of His children that makes
                  them people of peace.

                    What is the nature of the peace that comes to the Christian
                  through Christ? What will it do? Phil. 4:6, 7.

                    "The believer is not called upon to make his peace with God;
                  he never has nor ever can do this. He is to accept Christ as his
                  peace, for with Christ is God and peace."—Selected Messages,
                  bk. 1, p. 395.
                    "There is peace in believing, and joy in the Holy Ghost. Believ-
                  ing brings peace, and trusting in God brings joy."—Testi-
                  monies, vol. 2, pp. 319, 320.

 RJRTHER STUDY      The Desire of Ages, pp. 302-306.

                   The injunction to "follow peace" suggeststhat it is not easy to
                live at peace; it requires a goal that is pursued with diligence,
                with no regard to obstacles. The Christian aims to be in the state
                of peace without conflicts.
                   It should be noted that peace means more than the absence of
                war or trouble. It means that justice has been satisfied, that
                everyone is at rest because everyone has reached that state
                where there is no more jealousy, greed, or hatred. There are no
                more disputes or grievances to settle. Peace is, therefore, a
                positive attribute of having attained the highest good. All of this
                is yet future.
                   But in the present we are to be at "peace with all men." Is this
                a practical aim? Some people are easy to get along with; some
                people are impossible! Or can the Christian be at peace, even
                with an enemy? At least the goal is there, and the Christian can
                never be satisfied with his efforts until he has come to some
                agreement of living in peace with every person that comes into
                his life.

                  How can anyone have perfect peace? Isa. 26:3.

                  Peace is not only a relationship with our fellowmen; it is
                primarily a relationship with God. It means that we are not
                worried about the present or the future. We are not afraid of
                judgment. We have no sense of guilt. Only the man who is right
                with God can be at peace with himself and the world.

                 According to the writer of Hebrews, what other attribute
                must go along with peace? Heb. 12:14.

                  Peace is very closely connected to holiness, and holiness is
                closely connected with God. It is not a matter of peace at any
                price! The Christian must pursue his goal of peace only in ways
                compatible with his principles. Genuine peace is a matter of the
                heart and the spirit.
                  Peace within produces happiness. God's people are a happy
                people because they are a peaceful people. Heaven will be a
                place of happiness because it is a place of peace. "The meek
                shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abun-
                dance of peace" (Ps. 37:11).

                                                                                 59

                     God's law is the secret of peace, within and without, in this
                   world and in heaven, today and throughout eternity. Peace can
                   prevail only where and as long as God's law prevails.
                     The principles on which the law is based are principles which
                   would keep man at peace with God, with all the world about
                  Him, and with himself. No man can find happiness or peace
                  without this law. If he disregards any of its precepts or violates
                  any of its commands, he creates trouble for himself and brings
                  turmoil to those about him. If he loves these commandments
                  and lives them out in his life, it will be gain for himself and
                  others, for it is thus that happiness, justice, and peace will be
                  maintained.
                     Lawmakers throughout the world would have little to do if
                  men could learn to respect and obey God's law. Officers of the
                  peace would not be needed. The problems that afflict our cities,
                  the crime that is plaguing the land, the lawlessness that is
                  threatening the very existence of civilization would be done
                  away if men could only be brought to respect God's law.
                     God designed His law to preserve a close and happy fellow-
                  ship between Himself and all created beings. If any of its first
                  four precepts are violated, there is conflict between man and
                  God. If any of the last six commandments are broken, there is
                  conflict, not only between man and his fellows, but also be-
                  tween man and God.

                    What is the source of fightings and wars? James 4:1-4.

                     War erupted in heaven because Lucifer violated the very first
                  principle of the law in his endeavor to set up his throne above
                  the throne of God. Because man disobeyed, Eden was deprived
                  of peace, and man was robbed of the tranquility and happiness
                  that God had placed in his soul. Sin brought unrest.
                    Heaven will be the eternal abode of all happiness and peace,
                  because all who abide there have God's law of peace written in
                  their hearts and they live it out in their lives.

 FURTHER STUDY      The Desire of Ages, p. 308; Thoughts From the Mount of
                  Blessing, "The Spirituality of the Law" (Matt. 5:17), pp. 46-48.

                     Peace is not natural for sinful man. When he was first created
                in God's image, man had peace; but when sin entered, peace
                departed. Instead of enjoying the presence of God and placing
                complete trust in Him, man became afraid of God and tried to
                hide from His presence.
                     It is ever the baleful work of sin to drive man farther and
                farther from God, and more and more to erase the divine image.
                Instead of love he is filled with hate; instead of joy there is
                discontent and sorrow; instead of peace there is anxiety and
                hostility. In the midst of the most peaceful scenes of nature man
                may find irritation and irascibility within his soul. With sunshine
                all about him there may be darkness within.
                     The fearful, doubtful heart of man needs restoration. It needs
                to come back to peace and God. Man needs God, and God
                wants man. Man needs peace, but he doesn't know how to find
                it. Inwardly he wants to do right, but his evil heart does not allow
                 it.

                 What is Paul's description of the experience of the natural
                man who wants to do right? Rom. 7:19, 23, 24.

                   Although man's natural heart is against God, against right,
                against peace, it need not remain so. God has provided a rem-
                edy. He has sent His Holy Spirit into the world to convict man of
                sin and give him strength to overcome. Instead of the works of
                flesh, he is to enjoy the fruits of the Spirit. In place of hatred,
                variance, wrath, and strife, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, and
                peace.

                  In order to enjoy real peace, what kind of mind must a man
                have? Rom. 8:6.

                  "The mighty power of the Holy Spirit works an entire trans-
                formation in the character of the human agent, making him a
                new creature in Christ Jesus. . . . The peace that dwells in the
                soul is seen on the countenance. The words and actions ex-
                press the love of the Saviour."—Ellen G. White Comments,
                S.D.A. Bible Commentary, vol. 6, p. 1117.

                                                                                   61

                     Christ's words point to the nature of His conflict against
                   Satan. The Prince of Peace is engaged in a death struggle
                   against the prince of darkness. Begun in heaven, that struggle
                   continues on earth.
                     The crushing of Lucifer's rebellion was not merely a battle for
                   power or authority. It was primarily a war against wrong. Righ-
                   teousness can never compromise with wickedness. Truth must
                   ever be arrayed against error, light against darkness, justice
                   against injustice, peace against war.

                     What victory assured final peace? Rev. 12:7-10.

                      Christ's war against evil must and will be fought to the end,
                   until the dragon is so decidedly beaten that he will never raise
                   his wicked head again. Evil must be completely eliminated.
                      People need to learn the nature and ultimate outcome of this
                   struggle. Both the righteous and the wicked need to learn what
                   is going on and why; who the contestants are and what they
                   stand for; and what this struggle involves for themselves and
                   the world, for unfallen beings throughout the universe, and for
                   the honor and stability of God's throne.

                     What danger does the Christian always face? 1 Peter 5:8.

                     Christ's word about the sword had a sure, early, and sad
                   fulfillment. His own disciples were to experience it. John the
                   Baptist had already fallen, and Stephen was soon to fall. Peter
                   and John in prison (Acts 4:1-3), the apostles in the common jail
                   (Acts 5:18), the scattering of the church before the persecuting
                   Saul (Acts 8:1-3; 9:1, 2), the vexed church at the hands of Herod
                   and the death of James with the sword (Acts 12:1,2), the numer-
                   ous persecutions of Paul (see 2 Cor. 11:23-26), and the banish-
                   ment of John to Patmos (Rev. 1:9)—all point to the certainty that
                   the teaching of righteousness is met by the bitter hostility of the
                   forces of evil. Jesus died because of the wrath of the dragon. In
                   the last days God's people will experience that wrath again
                   (Rev. 12:17).

                     How may the dragon be overcome? Rev. 12:11.

 FURTHER STUDY       The Acts of the Apostles, pp. 84-86; The Great Controversy,
                   pp. 46-48.

                   God possesses perfect peace because of His perfect holiness.
                 Peace comes to the believer as a gift from Him.
                   While the wicked know not peace, the children of God are
                 freed from their own hostility.

                   What should be the aim of every Christian?

                    God's people are peaceful people, and their ways are ways of
                 righteousness. (See Isa. 32:17, 18.) "Great shall be the peace of
                 thy children" (Isa. 54:13). "Mark the perfect man, and behold
                 the upright: for the end of that man is peace" (Ps. 37:37). "In his
                 days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so
                 long as the moon endureth" (Ps. 72:7). "The meek shall inherit
                 the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of
                 peace" (Ps. 37:11).

                  How does the wise man describe the man who gets wisdom,
                 understanding, and peace? Prov. 3:13, 17.

                    It should be noted that wisdom for the wise man was iden-
                 tified with God and righteousness. "The fear of the Lord is the
                 beginning of wisdom." "I lead in the way of righteousness"
                 (Prov. 9:10; 8:20).
                     Peaceful people are happy people, and holy joy will mark the
                 paths of God's children.
                     God calls His people to peace—peace with Him and with each
                 other. "God hath called us to peace" (1 Cor. 7:15). "As much as
                 lieth in you, live peaceably with all men" (Rom. 12:18). "Be of
                 one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be
                 with you" (2 Cor. 13:11). "Let the peace of God rule in your
                 hearts" (Col. 3:15).

                   "Those who take Christ at His word, and surrender their souls
                 to His keeping, their lives to His ordering, will find peace and
                 quietude. Nothing of the world can make them sad when Jesus
                 makes them glad by His presence. In perfect acquiescence
                 there is perfect peace."—The Desire of Ages, p. 331.

                     With whom could the Creator of the world, the One infinite in
                  power, wisdom, and knowledge, have taken counsel when He
                  brought the world into being? He alone knows and understands
                  all. Only He can teach all others, but has no one who can instruct
                  Him. Only He can give unerring counsel to all, but has none to
                  direct His ways.

                    What contrast does Solomon make between the man who
                  seeks counsel and the man who does not? Prov. 12:15.

                     God is the embodiment of wisdom as well as love. This is true
                  of the Son as well as the Father. In the eighth chapter of Prov-
                  erbs the coming Messiah is identified with wisdom. "Counsel is
                  mine, and sound wisdom: I am understanding; I have strength"
                  (Prov. 8:14). "I love them that love me; and those that seek me
                  early shall find me" (verse 17) is said as much of the Saviour as it
                  is of wisdom. Quoting Proverbs 8:22, God's messenger says,
                  "The Son of God declares concerning Himself: 'The Lord pos-
                  sessed Me in the beginning of His way, before His works of old.
                  I was set up from everlasting.' "—Patriarchs and Prophets, p.
                  34. Wisdom was with God before He founded the world, and
                  Jesus was there at His side.

                   What kind of people receive counsel and guidance from
                  God? Ps. 25:9.

                     God being the embodiment of wisdom, all His counsel is wise.
                  And God being the embodiment of love, all His counsel is good.
                  It is wisdom for man to listen to counsel of wisdom. He might
                  have kept His wisdom to Himself; but had He done so, He would
                  not have been God, for love called for the sharing of His wisdom
                  and counsel with those in need.
                      "Let God teach you His way. Inquire of Him daily to know His
                  will. He will give unerring counsel to all who seek Him with a
                  sincere heart."—Testimonies, vol. 9, p. 276.

                    If God has counsel for me in His Word and I fail to read it or
                  heed it, what may I expect as a result? .

 FURTHER STUDY     Education, pp. 126, 127, 133, 134. 66

       Part 2     How does God draw us to Himself?  COUNSEL OF LOVE
                  "I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with
                lovingkindness have I drawn thee" (Jer. 31:3).

                  True love does not forget. It always seeks to help, never to
                hurt. One of the best ways in which love can manifest itself is by
                giving counsel. Gifts of counsel are often of greater value than
                any other gifts. They cannot be measured in terms of material
                value, although at times they are of the highest material value.
                  Heavenly counsel provides us with the greatest values we can
                obtain in life.
                  Counsel from people is not always prompted by love and is
                not always wise. People may give counsel to others which they
                would not want for themselves. Counsel from people may be for
                the purpose of benefiting the giver rather than the receiver.
                  God's counsel is always prompted by love, and is always
                helpful and wise. Accepted, God's counsel may seem to hurt at
                the time, but its fruitage is always good.

                  What does God do to those whom He loves? Rev. 3:19.

                  Jesus at times administered counsel in terms of stern rebuke,
                but when He did, it was prompted by love. "He spoke the truth,
                but always in love. He denounced hypocrisy, unbelief, and in-
                iquity; but tears were in His voice as He uttered His scathing
                rebukes."—Steps to Christ, p. 12.
                  As persons and situations differ, so counsel varies. What is
                good counsel for one may prove to be poor counsel for others.
                When men follow counsel intended for others in entirely dif-
                ferent circumstances, the results they reap may be ill instead of
                good. But God must not be blamed for man's lack of judgment
                or discernment.

                  What counsel did Jesus give to a rich young ruler? Matt.
                19:21.

                   Counsel from Heaven is always for man's best interests. "God
                does not require us to give up anything that it is for our best
                interest to retain. In all that He does, He has the well-being of His
                children in view. . . . Man is doing the greatest injury and
                injustice to his own soul when he thinks and acts contrary to the
                will of God."—Steps to Christ, p. 46.

                  Why did Jerusalem reap desolation? Mall. 23:37, 38.

                                                                                  67

                     Although Paul's words were directed to Timothy, they are of
                   value to all who aspire to being God's helping hand or minister.
                     Timothy was a young minister with his future before him. In
                   his future work he might be merely mediocre; he might be a
                   failure; or he might be an outstanding success. Paul loved
                   Timothy as his own son and gave him the best counsel he could
                   so that he might make a success in his work for God.

                     How should a young pastor conduct himself in relation to
                   other people and the doctrines of the church? 1 Tim. 4:12, 15,
                   16.

                      "Paul urged Timothy to meditate upon those things that are
                   pure and excellent, that his profiting might appear unto all. The
                   same counsel is greatly needed by men of the present age.
                   I urge upon our workers the necessity of purity in every thought,
                   every act. We have an individual accountability to God, an indi-
                   vidual work which no one else can do for us. It is to strive to
                   make the world better. While we should cultivate sociability, let
                   it not be merely for amusement, but for a higher purpose."—
                   Gospel Workers, p. 125.

                     What counsel does Paul give about money? 1 Tim. 6:10.

                     "The Bible condemns no man for being rich, if he has ac-
                   quired his riches honestly. Not money, but the love of money, is
                   the root of all evil. It is God who gives men power to get wealth;
                   and in the hands of him who acts as God's steward, using his
                   means unselfishly, wealth is a blessing, both to its possessor
                   and to the world."—The Ministry of Healing, p. 212.

                     What truth did Paul note to encourage Timothy to be fear-
                   less? 2 Tim. 1:7, 8.

                     When one is on the side of right, on the side of God, there is no
                   reason to fear. Note how Jesus was unafraid in the storm and
                   before the two demoniacs. (See Matt. 8:23-34.)

 FURTHER STUDY      The Acts of the Apostles, pp. 499-508.

                    What similar thought was expressed by Jesus in Matthew
                  6:33?

                    No better counsel can be given than to make first things first.
                  True religion requires an ordering of priorities. Eternity is at
                  stake. If a man loses heaven, he loses everything. If a man does
                  not find God in this world and fails to love in accord with His
                  ways, he not only loses the finest and best that this life can offer,
                  but eternal life as well.

                    Why is it not necessary for a Christian to worry about his
                  daily needs? Matt. 6:25-30.

                     "God's law is the law of love. He has surrounded you with
                  beauty to teach you that you are not placed on earth merely to
                  delve for self, to dig and build, to toil and spin, but to make life
                  bright and joyous and beautiful with the love of Christ—like the
                  flowers, to gladden other lives by the ministry of love."—
                  Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, p.97.
                     The present world of sin is doomed to pay the wages of sin,
                  and that is destruction. Evil men are simply destroying them-
                  selves and the world in which they live.
                     When men forget God and His commandments, they forget
                  the only force that can hold the world together, the only means
                  by which happiness, well-being;and peace can be preserved,
                  and life itself maintained.
                     Man needs to learn that there is a God in heaven, and that he
                  owes allegiance to Him—an allegiance which he can neglect
                  only at the expense of his present well-being and eternal happi-
                  ness. To his Creator man's supreme homage is due. That fact
                  man must never forget. Forgetting it, he forgets himself, he
                  forgets others, he forgets the world in which he lives—and must
                  pay the price of his neglect. But neglecting righteousness and
                  God, man forfeits goodness and love, and only with these is it
                   possible for him to live forever.

                   What is Micah's summary of God's requirements for man?
                  Micah 6:8.

FURTHER STUDY        Matthew 5:1-48; 6:1-34.



                                                                                     69

                   The Christian does not need to be rich in this world's goods,
                 but he does have to have spiritual riches. The symbolism of gold
                 and raiment and eyesalve may be interpreted as follows: gold—
                 faith that works by love; white raiment—Christ's righteousness;
                 eyesalve—the ability, through the Spirit of God, to distinguish
                 between truth and error.

                   Why is it necessary for the Christian to be on his guard at all
                 times? Matt. 25:13.

                    God has given many details concerning the kind of people the
                 saints should be in order to be in readiness for His coming.
                 Some characteristics are as follows:
                    Vigilant (1 Peter 5:8). Jesus gave similar advice to Peter! (See
                 Matt. 26:41.)
                    Sober (1 Thess. 5:6). The daytime is a time to work, not to
                 sleep. (See John 9:4.)
                    Holy (2 Peter 3:11, 14). Jesus urged readiness too. (See Luke
                 12:35-38.)
                    Pure (1 John 3:3). Only the pure in heart can see God. (See
                 Matt. 5:8.)
                    Diligent (2 Peter 1:10, 11). Although we are called and chosen,
                 we must never cease to be careful lest we fall.
                    Obedient (Rev. 22:14). An alternate reading gives "wash their
                 robes." We need to have the robe of Christ's righteousness to
                 enter the kingdom.
                    Truthful (Rev. 21:27). "There shall in no wise enter into it any
                 thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or
                 maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of
                 life.
                    Confident (Heb. 10:35). There may be periods of waiting and
                 uncertainty, but our faith must remain firm.
                    Patient (Heb. 10:36, 37). Christ's coming is as certain as day
                 following night. Wait for it!
                    Overcoming (Rev. 2:7). The Christian is a faithful warrior for
                 Christ. Victory is assured.
                    Steadfast (Rev. 3:11).

 FURTHER STUDY    Testimonies, vol. 9, pp. 11, 13, 16, 17.

                  We seldom feel that the time has come to give up life. We want
                to see the fruitage of our work or to see our children (and
                grandchildren!) growing up.
                  Blessings are not accidents. They do not come from following
                our own inclinations, but from following the counsel of God.
                  The Lord desires only good for His children. Sometimes this
                good is accomplished by misfortune, illness, or pain. But often
                when we forget God and turn aside from His directions and
                counsel, we then lack the faith necessary to accept these as
                being for our good.
                  God's Word is a volume of heavenly counsel given to guide us
                and keep us, to bring victories out of defeats, to replace sorrow
                with joy, and to change unrest into peace.
                  When God gives counsel, He often points out what the result
                of obedience or disobedience will be.

                 How did God advise Israel of both blessings and curses?
                Deut. 28:1, 15.

                 The world is full of opposites. There is a right and a wrong
                way, a narrow and a broad path. We choose the way we go, and
                we enjoy or suffer the consequences.

                  How may one be assured of knowing the right way? 2 Tim.
                3:14, 15.

                  The one who follows the right road and honors God with all
                that he has received can be assured of plenty. (See Prov. 3:9,
                10.) In fact, he will receive guidance so as to continue in the right
                way. (See Prov. 3:6.)

                  What was God's response to Judah when they did not walk
                in the right road? What did they miss? Isa. 48:18.

                  In Isaiah 30:1-7 God's rebellious children who had taken
                counsel, not with God but with Egypt, were informed of the
                woes that would come upon them. Having turned to the
                Pharaoh rather than to God for help, they would discover that
                the result would only be shame, confusion, and reproach.

                   Throughout the Bible God is pictured as One who hates sin
                 but loves the sinner. He despises the wicked deeds men do but
                 retains His love for those who do them. It is His purpose to
                 destroy sin but to save the sinner. Everything He can do, He will
                 do to save sinners from the fate which is their due.

                   What illustrations does the psalmist use in Psalm 103: 8-14
                 to express God's great love for humankind?

                   What kind of thoughts does God have for His people? Jer.
                 29:11.

                    Man is totally unworthy of such love. When he sins, he is in
                 rebellion against God. Surely an individual guilty of the gross
                 misdeeds prompted by the evil heart of man deserves punish-
                 ment rather than pity. But God in His love offers forgiveness and
                 salvation that man does not deserve.
                   If God were not a God of compassion, there would be no hope
                 for sinners. The entire human race would face certain and utter
                 destruction, doomed to suffer the penalty justice requires for
                 sin. But there is hope, because the love and compassion of God
                 has found a means of satisfying His justice.
                    God looks on sinful man not as he is but as he should be,
                 might be, and will be, when redeemed from sin and rescued
                 from its deadly grip.
                    "We must not think of God only as a judge ready to pronounce
                 sentence against us. He hates sin; but from love to sinners He
                 gave Himself, in the person of Christ, that all who would might
                 be saved and have eternal blessedness in the kingdom of
                 glory."—Testimonies, vol. 5, p. 633.

                   "Do not think that perhaps God will pardon your transgres-
                 sions and permit you to come into His presence. God has made
                 the first advance. While you were in rebellion against Him, He
                 went forth to see you. . . .
                      .. Christ teaches that salvation does not come through our
                 seeking after God but through God's seeking after us.... We do
                 not repent in order that God may love us, but He reveals to us His
                 love in order that we may repent."—Christ's Object Lessons, pp.
                 188, 189.

 FURTHER STUDY    Steps to Christ, "God's Love for Man," pp. 13-15.

                    God is a God of both mercy and justice. Justice demands that
                 the transgressor pay the penalty of his transgression. Death is
                 that penalty. So if justice alone were to prevail, all would die, for
                 all have sinned. There would be no other alternative.
                    God, however, is merciful, and His mercy makes it possiblefor
                 the condemned sinner to live. Justice could not be sacrificed,
                 for the requirements of justice must be met. God, in Jesus, paid
                 the penalty for all who repent of their sins and accept Jesus as
                 their Substitute. All others are guilty and pay the penalty them-
                 selves.
                    God's mercy is great, but His justice is real. If man refuses to
                 accept the provisions made for his salvation, God will demand
                 full justice, for He will not "clear the guilty."
                    We owe it to ourselves and to God to keep ever in mind His
                 wonderful goodness and mercy that makes possible the salva-
                 tion of all repentant sinners. The biblical writers keep such
                 pictures of Him constantly before us.

                   Why is it safe to turn to the Lord in time of difficulty, and also
                 after we have sinned? Deut. 4:29-31; 2 Chron. 30:9.

                   What truth points out the mercy of God? Rom. 5:8.

                   What good advice is recorded by Isaiah in regard to our
                 relationship to God? Isa. 55:6-9.

                    "More and more, as the days go by, it is becoming apparent
                 that God's judgments are in the world. . . . He is warning the
                 inhabitants of this earth of His near approach....
                       . . The time of God's destructive judgments is the time of
                 mercy for those who have had no opportunity to learn what is
                 truth. Tenderly will the Lord look upon them. His heart of mercy
                 is touched; His hand is still stretched out to save, while the door
                 is closed to those who would not enter."—Testimonies, vol. 9, p.
                 97.

                                                                                   75

                    Man was not redeemed from sin without a high price being
                 paid for his redemption. It cost the Father His Son, and it cost
                 the Son His life, His crown, His all. Jesus was the Lamb that was
                 slain.
                   Both Father and Son knew what the price would be and
                 weighed the cost. Jesus, at "the counsel of peace" with His
                 Father, volunteered to give up His own life for the life of the
                 sinner. "It was a struggle, even with the King of the universe, to
                 yield up His Son to die for the guilty race."—Patriarchs and
                 Prophets, p. 63.

                   What Old Testament patriarch knew what it was like to offer
                 his son as a sacrifice? Gen. 22:1,2. What was Jesus' comment
                 on this experience? John 8:56.

                    Some have been called upon to make the sacrifice of a son to
                 die for their country. It is not an easy experience. Some parents
                 would rather die and have their children live. But the supreme
                 sacrifice becomes the measure of supreme love and devotion.
                 Are we willing to respond to God in the same way as He has
                 responded to us?
                    For the Son "this was a voluntary sacrifice. Jesus might have
                 remained at the Father's side. He might have retained the glory
                 of heaven, and the homage of the angels. But He chose to give
                 back the scepter into the Father's hands, and to step down from
                 the throne of the universe, that He ,might bring light to the
                 benighted, and life to the perishing."—The Desire of Ages,
                 pp. 22, 23.
                    Before Jesus came to earth, He knew what suffering, humilia-
                 tion, and shame it would bring. He knew that He would be
                 despised and rejected of men; insulted, spat upon, treated as
                 the vilest of criminals, and die upon the cross. But He was
                 willing to pay the price.
                    The sacrifice made by Christ is likened to that of an innocent
                 lamb placed upon an altar. Until Christ came in person to offer
                 Himself upon the cross, the system of sacrifices kept ever be-
                 fore the repentant sinners the high price their salvation would
                 cost.

 FURTHER STUDY    Selected Messages, bk. 1, pp. 321-323.

                 When Christ died on the cross, He died not as a holy God but
               as a sinful man. He died not because He Himself had sinned, but
               because He had taken upon Himself the sins of others which did
               not belong to Him.
                 When Christ died, He died as the worst of criminals, making
               full atonement for all the sins of all the world.
                 There was no other way for man's redemption than for Him
               who knew no sin to suffer its punishment.

                 What are the results of Christ's sacrifice on the cross?
               1 Peter 2:24.

                 "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.' "—The Desire of Ages, p. 25.

                 What piercing cry points up the agony of Christ on the
               cross? Matt. 27:46.

                  God could never forsake His beloved, sinless Son; but He who
               was holy could not accept that which was evil. The sins of the
               ages resting on Christ brought separation between Him and His
               Father as He died for sin.
                  "The Saviour 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 sac-
               rifice. 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."—The Desire of Ages, p.
               753.

                                                                              77

                      Sinners are not at peace with God, but at enmity. Sin fights
                   against God, rebels against conformity to His law and His will.
                   Death is the penalty for sin. Christ came into the world, however,
                   to rescue man from the penalty of death and to restore him to
                   peace with God. Love He offers for enmity, pardon for condem-
                   nation, reconciliation for alienation.
                     All this is what is meant by justification. A person is accepted,
                   not because of what he has done for God, but because of what
                   God has done for him. Justification is accomplished in a
                   moment—the first moment that man accepts the salvation
                   Christ offers him. It changes man's standing before the judg-
                   ment bar of heaven. His sins are pardoned, and he is accepted
                   as a member of the family of heaven, in peaceful and happy
                   relationship with God. All this is achieved by faith in Christ and
                   an acceptance of His ways.
                     "God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world;
                   but that the world through him might be saved" (John 3:17).
                   Justification is the opposite of condemnation, and Christ's pur-
                   pose was to justify, not to condemn.

                     What is a false road to justification? Gal. 2:16.

                      We are "justified freely," we are told, "through the redemp-
                   tion that is in Christ" (Rom. 3:24). "Whom he called, them he
                   also justified (Rom. 8:30). Sinners are justified by Christ im-
                   mediately when they accept Him—there is no waiting until
                   sainthood has been achieved.
                      "We have no righteousness of our own with which to meet the
                   claims of the law of God. But Christ has made a way of escape
                   for us. He lived on earth amid trials and temptations such as we
                   have to meet. He lived a sinless life. He died for us, and now He
                   offers to take our sins and give us His righteousness. If you give
                   yourself to Him, and accept Him as your Saviour, then, sinful as
                   your life may have been, for His sake you are accounted righ-
                   teous. Christ's character stands in place of your character, and
                   you are accepted before God just as if you had not sinned."—
                   Steps to Christ, p. 62.

                     Contrast the disobedience of one man, Adam, with the
                   obedience of one man, Christ. Rom. 5:18, 19.

 FURTHER STUDY       Selected Messages, bk. 1, pp. 389-393.

                 The effect of sin is to destroy the image of God in man. The
               effect of the gospel is to restore man to God's image. The
               purpose of Christ in coming to the world was to reveal God's
               character to men, to die for their sins, and to make it possible by
               His grace that this character might be reproduced in them. If
               man is to live eternally in a holy heaven with a holy God, he must
               be holy. (See Heb. 12:14.) The transformation from sinfulness to
               holiness is called sanctification.

                 What does Jesus suggest as the way by which a person can
               be sanctified? John 17:17.

                 "It is the work of conversion and sanctification to reconcile
               men to God by bringing them into accord with the principles of
               His law."—The Great Controversy, p. 467.
                 The holy law of God will be written in the hearts of the saved.
               This process is sanctification.

                 What will be the prayer of the man who desires to be
               sanctified? Ps. 51:10.

                 Man must learn to do right, not only because he is told to do
               so, but because he wants to do so. To do works of righteousness
               and holiness must become desirable for him. He will obey be-
               cause it will be in harmony with his renewed nature to obey. The
               thoughts of God are to become his thoughts, and the ways of
               God, his ways. This is the work of sanctification.

                 What did Jesus say He did for our sakes in order that we may
               be sanctified? John 17:19.

                  This work is not accomplished in a moment. It is the work of a
               lifetime. Nowhere in this life will it be possible for man to say that
               he is perfectly holy, completely like God. He is saved in heaven
               not by his own holiness or his own works of righteousness but
               by the grace of God and the righteousness of Christ which is
               imputed to him.

                                                                                  79

                                       DAILY HIGHLIGHTS
                                       1. God and His Saints
                                          (Mal. 3:16, 17)
                                       2. God and His People
                                          (Deut. 7:6-8)
                                       3. God and the Individual
                                          (Ps. 91:2)
                                       4. The Nearness of God
                                          (Ps. 145:18)
                                       5. The Goodness of God
                                          (Ps. 34:8-10)
                                       6. Invincible Love
                                          (Rom. 8:38, 39)

                      There are people on earth who fear God, who speak to each
                    other concerning Him, and who worship Him together. The
                    Bible calls them saints. God recognizes them as His own, and
                    they recognize Him. He loves them and they love Him. They are
                    called His children. They have fellowship with each other and
                    with God. Very close and tender is this relationship.
                      The picture of God that Malachi presents is of One who keeps
                    careful records. None will be forgotten, because their names
                    are written in a book. (See also Ex. 32:32, 33.) Only the unrigh-
                    teous will have their names blotted out of the book of life (Ps.
                    69:28). Those whose names are written in the book will be
                    delivered from all evil (Dan. 12:1).

                      How should the saints relate to one another? Heb. 10:24, 25.

                       If any people on earth deserve to associate themselves closely
                    together in bonds of happy and meaningful fellowship, it is the
                    saints of God. They did this in Old Testament times, and also
                    after the Saviour came to earth. They enjoy this fellowship and
                    profit from it. God watches over them in this fellowship and
                    blesses them in it.
                       The saints are not to fix their eyes on themselves and their
                    own affairs; they are to look at the needs of those around them
                    and to encourage everyone to be more loving and more active in
                    good deeds. Saints are not to be concerned only with personal
                    salvation, but also with the salvation of others. This means
                    faithful attendance at meetings where they can encourage one
                    another and give public testimony to their unity and common
                    faith. This becomes more important in Christian life as the
                    second advent approaches.

                      What should be the attitude of those that love the Lord? Ps.
                    97:10-12.

 FURTHER STUDY       Steps to Christ, "The Privilege of Prayer," pp. 100-102.

                  God wants a people who are different from other people,
               different in the sense that they will have nothing to do with false
               gods and false worship. They will not do anything to com-
               promise their relation to God by making alliances or intermarry-
               ing with the heathen (verses 2, 3). They remember this covenant
               relationship with God and walk humbly before Him.
                  Lest God's people become proud of their special position and
               the blessings they enjoy, God reminds them that they are cho-
               sen, not for any qualities of their own, but merely because of
               God's love (verse 8). Whatever we enjoy of earth's bounties, it is
               only because of God's goodness and love.

                 What qualities of Abraham qualified him to be the father of
               the faithful? Gen. 12:1-4, 7, 8; 13:4, 14-18; 14:20; 15:6; 18:17-19.

                 Abraham believed God, and this was counted to him for righ-
               teousness. But it was God who took the initiative in calling him
               and making great promises to him. He obeyed the Lord. Wher-
               ever he went, He set up altars to worship God. He paid tithe.
               Abraham was not perfect. He failed to give a proper witness in
               Egypt (Gen. 12:10-20). But God was with him because he did not
               stagger at God's promises.
                 What the world knows of God today, it knows very largely
               because of Hebrews who knew God and did not want the world
               to forget Him. Among them were such individuals as Moses,
               David, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and many others. Their witness for
               God, made known by Christian endeavor and missions, has
               carried a knowledge of Him throughout the world.

                 What assurance do we have that God will help us as His
               people? Isa. 41:8-10; 43:5-7, 10.

                     What words in the following passages of Scripture indicate
                   a personal relationship with God? Ps. 23:1-3; Job 19:25-27;
                   2 Tim. 1:12; 4:8.
                      David had been a shepherd caring for sheep and the lambs.
                   As he thought of himself and his relation to God, he could not
                   think of a better illustration than that of God as the Great
                   Shepherd. Can you think of a modern occupation in an urban
                   society which would parallel that of a shepherd? Would he be a
                   banker, a lawyer, a guardian, a trustee? How do these occupa-
                   tions fail to fulfill the qualities of a shepherd?

                    Where did Isaiah have a personal encounter with God, and
                   what were the results? Isa. 6:1-13.
                     All the wonderful things God has done for others He desires
                   and has promised to do for me. What I must do is to allow the
                   eyes of my spiritual vision to be opened and to respond to God
                   when He addresses me.

                     What words in the following texts indicate that a personal
                   relationship with God is open to all? Rev. 3:20-22; John 1:9;
                   Rom. 1:16.
                     What is the secret of experiencing the reality of God's pres-
                   ence? Jer. 29:13.

                   The expression "to call upon" the Lord means to worship
                Him, to recognize His strength and man's dependence. Man is
                always in need of help. To whom shall he turn in his need? He
                may be tempted to turn to his fellowman or even to one who
                holds a high station in life. But the psalmist warns against this.
                (See Ps. 118:8, 9.) There is only One to whom a man can turn and
                find his needs amply supplied.
                   The challenge to the worshiper is that his worship shall be "in
                truth"—in sincerity and singleness of heart. The Christian must
                never divide his loyalty or fail in trust and confidence. Some-
                times the Christian is tempted to put his trust in a bank balance,
                or in friends, in his skill, or astuteness. It seems easier to have
                confidence in what can be seen and felt, rather than in God who
                is invisible and apparently intangible. But a faith that is the
                "evidence of things not seen" (Heb. 11:1) must actuate him in all
                his relations with God, and then he can be sure God will never
                let him down.

                 How did Moses encourage the children of Israel that God
                would keep on leading them? Deut. 31:6.

                  The Lord used similar language to strengthen Joshua
                (Joshua 1:5, 6).

                  Under what circumstance did Jesus say that He and the
                Father would make Their abode with men? John 14:23.

                  Does God mean what He says? Will He be true to His word?
                But why does He so often repeat His promises? Do times ever
                come when we personally need it?
                  "Never feel that Christ is far away. He is always near. His
                loving presence surrounds you.!'—The Ministry of Healing,
                p. 85.
                  Nothing that in any way concerns our peace is too small for
                Him [God] 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."—Steps to Christ, p.100.

                                                                                 85

                   In view of the goodness of God, how should man respond?
                 Ps. 107:8, 9; 105:1, 2.
                   How many are the blessings of God! But how sparse are
                 man's expressions of praise! How measureless is the love and
                 goodness of God, but how feeble the gratitude in the heart of
                 man! If God is good, why not recognize it and thank Him for it? If
                 we enjoy blessings from Heaven, why not lift up our voices in
                 grateful praise?
                   As we look at the world about us, how much can we see there
                 of the goodness of God—in nature and in the heart of men? All
                 goodness everywhere has its origin with God. Men are good
                 only because God is good. Every deed of kindness, every act of
                 mercy, every thought of compassion is only a reflection of the
                 goodness and love of God.

                   Where can we see evidences of God's goodness? Ps.
                 145:9-12.

        Part 6     What does Romans 8:38 and 39 teach about God's love?   INVINCIBLE LOVE
                   "I am persuaded, 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" (Rom. 8:38, 39).

                   Paul goes from one extreme to the other, from death to life,
                 from height to depth, and he finds that there is absolutely
                 nothing that can oppose the love of God and make it ineffective
                 in reaching man. God's love, like Himself, is an invincible, im-
                 penetrable power that can surround us so that no evil can reach
                 us, no superhuman effort can ever snatch us out of its grasp. In
                 God's love we are absolutely safe.
                    God's invincible love can never fail. Neither sin nor Satan can
                 stop it. When Satan caused men to sin, he hoped God's hatred
                 for sin would turn into hatred for man and result in his complete
                 destruction. But instead of destroying man, God gave His Son to
                 save Him.

                  What comparison does Paul make between man's love and
                 God's love? Rom. 5:6-8.

                   In innumerable ways God has continued to demonstrate His
                 love for the human race. Every child of earth has been a recip-
                 ient of that love. In every age God has given new assurances and
                 demonstrations of His love.

                   With what human illustration does God indicate that He
                 cannot forget His people? Isa. 49:15.

                    The context of verse 15 indicates that God's people have
                 sometimes felt forgotten and even forsaken. They have passed
                 through periods when it looked as though they were at the
                 mercy of adverse circumstances. They have prayed for deliver-
                 ance, but God has not effected any changes. Is there any hope
                 for them?
                    But God says that He has not forgotten His people. It is more
                 likely for a mother to forget her infant child than for God to be
                 unmindful of His people.
                    God's ways are not our ways, just as His thoughts are not our
                 thoughts. (See Isa. 55:8, 9.) God is ever constant. In His good
                 time and in His good way He will work for His people. We must
                 be patient, ever trusting, ever believing, knowing that God is
                 working out His purposes for our good.

                 The angels of heaven are the attendants of Christ and are
               under His command. When Satan rebelled and was cast to
               earth, a majority of the angels remained loyal to Christ. (See
               Rev. 12:4, 7, 8.)
                 Since the first rebellion, all the loyal angelic host has been
               closely connected with Christ in continued warfare against the
               dragon. In the conduct of the work of Heaven many activities
               involve the entire universe, but none are of greater importance
               than those having to do with the winning back to God this world
               which Satan seeks to hold. The angels are closely connected
               with Christ in the conduct of this work, ever anxious to be sent
               on embassies of mercy to win sinners back to God.
                 "Our Saviour .. . is surrounded with heavenly intelligences,
               cherubim, and seraphim, ten thousand times ten thousand of
               angels.
                  "All these heavenly beings have one object above all others,
               in which they are intensely interested—His church in a world of
               corruption. All these armies are in the service of the Prince of
               heaven, exalting the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of
               the world. They are working for Christ under His commission, to
               save to the uttermost all who look to Him and believe in
               Him."—Ellen G. White Comments, S.D.A. Bible Commentary,
               vol. 7, pp. 967, 968.

                On what two special occasions did angels minister to
               Christ? Matt. 4:11; Luke 22:43.

                What will be one of the tasks of the angels at the end of the
               world? Matt. 13:41, 42.

                 "We are to be laborers together with the heavenly angels in
               presenting Jesus to the world. With almost impatient eagerness
               the angels wait for our co-operation; for man must be the chan-
               nel to communicate with man. And when we give ourselves to
               Christ in wholehearted devotion, angels rejoice that they may
               speak through our voices to reveal God's love."—The Desire of
               Ages, p. 297.

                                                                             91

                   Angels have their homes in heaven, but they are often on
                 earth. They are at the command of Jesus to serve man. They
                 bring the blessings of heaven to the needy of earth. They con-
                 nect man in his weakness with God in His strength.

                   What did Jesus say was one of God's provisions for "little
                 ones"? Matt. 18:10.

                    "Little ones" may not only be children. They could very well
                 be those who are weak in the faith. God is very much concerned
                 about the safety of everyone, especially those who are not able
                 to care for themselves. (See Ps. 91:11, 12.)
                    "Angels of glory that do always behold the face of the Father
                 in heaven, joy in ministering to His little ones. Angels are ever
                 present when they are most needed, with those who have the
                 hardest battles with self to fight, and whose surroundings are
                 the most discouraging. Weak and trembling souls who have
                 many objectionable traits of character are their special
                 charge."—The Ministry of Healing, p. 105.

                   How did an angel release Peter from prison? Acts 12:7-10.

                   How did the same angel bring death to Herod? Verse 23.

                   "The same angel who had come from the royal courts to
                 rescue Peter, had been the messenger of wrath and judgment to
                 Herod. The angel smote Peter to arouse him from slumber; it
                 was with a different stroke that he smote the wicked king, laying
                 low his pride and bringing upon him the punishment of the
                 Almighty. Herod died in great agony of mind and body under the
                 retributive judgment of God."—The Acts of the Apostles, p. 152.

                   How only can we be aware of the work of angels on our
                 behalf? 2 Kings 6:17.

                   "Angels are constantly ascending and descending this ladder
                 of shining brightness, bearing the prayers of the needy and
                 distressed to the Father above, and bringing blessing and hope,
                 courage and help, to the children of men. These angels of light
                 create a heavenly atmosphere about the soul, lifting us toward
                 the unseen and the eternal."—The Acts of the Apostles, p. 153.

 FURTHER STUDY    Education, pp. 304, 305.

                  The most important news that has ever come to the world was
                the announcement that the birth of the Saviour of the world had
                taken place. The tidings were entrusted to an angel and were
                announced to the humble shepherds of Bethlehem.

                  What other instances are recorded of angels communicat-
                ing important messages for God?

                  Both Joseph (Matt. 1:21) and Paul (Acts 27:22-24) received
                divine instruction by means of an angel messenger.
                  "Heaven and earth are no wider apart today than when
                shepherds listened to the angels' song. Humanity is still as
                much the object of heaven's solicitude as when common men of
                common occupations met angels at noonday, and talked with
                the heavenly messengers in the vineyards and the fields. To us
                in the common walks of life, heaven may be very near. Angels
                from the courts above will attend the steps of those who come
                and go at. God's commands."—The Desire of Ages, p. 48.
                   The apostle Paul represents what every missionary can be by
                God's grace, a means of bringing hope and courage to those
                who do not know God. Paul, on the ship that was scheduled to
                take them to Italy, suffered physically like anyone else. But he
                had one privilege that few could share.
                   How grateful men should be for our wonderful God who
                sends His angelic messengers with news for the children of
                earth from His seemingly unreachable heaven!

                  What is one reason why men are admonished to entertain
                strangers? Heb. 13:2.

                                                                                93

                    Not all the missions of angels bring happiness and blessing.
                 At times angels are sent by God with messages of judgment or
                 doom. Thus it was with Sodom. Because of its iniquity, God saw
                 fit to withdraw His protection and mercy, and the city met its
                 doom. Angels carried out His purpose. At the same time angels
                 were working to save Lot and his family. Their patience and
                 insistence is an example of how God is anxious to save us from
                 the destruction of this world.

                   How did an angel destroy the efficacy of a great army?
                 2 Chron. 32:20, 21.

                     "The God of the Hebrews had prevailed over the proud Assyr-
                 ian. The honor of Jehovah was vindicated in the eyes of the
                 surrounding nations. In Jerusalem the hearts of the people were
                 filled with holy joy. Their earnest entreaties for deliverance had
                 been mingled with confession of sin and with many tears. In
                 their great need they had trusted wholly in the power of God to
                 save, and He had not failed them."—Prophets and Kings, pp.
                 361, 362.

                   What part did an angel have in punishing Jerusalem?
                 1 Chron. 21:14, 15.

                  Of the three options, David chose to fall into the hands of God.
                 He knew that God was just, but also merciful (verse 13).

                   What terrible judgMents fall on the earth when seven angels
                 pour out seven vials containing God's wrath? Rev. 16.

                   It must never be thought that wicked men or a wicked world
                 are beyond the judgment of God. When iniquity is carried to a
                 point beyond which Heaven can no longer permit, angels of
                 judgment are sent to withdraw God's protecting mercies and to
                 permit evil to reap the bitter harvest it has sown.

 FURTHER STUDY     Patriarchs and Prophets, pp. 157-160; The Great Controversy,
                 pp. 35, 36, 614. 94

                  This view is of vital import to the world today. It is a simple
               statement of a very important fact. Angels unseen by men are
               commissioned by God to hold in check throughout the earth
               powers which could prematurely explode into outbreaks which
               would engulf the entire world in final destruction. Satan incites
               men everywhere to outbursts of wrath and violence. But angels
               from God hold them in check. Had it not been for the restraining
               activities of the angels, earth's troubles would long since have
               erupted into conflicts that would have ended only in Armaged-
               don.
                  "Men cannot discern the sentinel angels restraining the four
               winds that they shall not blow until the servants of God are
               sealed; but when God shall bid His angels loose the winds, there
               will be such a scene of strife as no pen can picture."—Testi-
               monies, vol. 6, p. 408.

                 How was Daniel saved from death in the den of lions? Dan.
               6:22.

                 "God did not prevent Daniel's enemies from casting him into
               the lions' den; He permitted evil angels and wicked men thus far
               to accomplish their purpose; but it was that He might make the
               deliverance of His servant more marked, and the defeat of the
               enemies of truth and righteousness more complete."—
               Prophets and Kings, pp. 543, 544.
                 "From the story of Daniel's deliverance we may learn that in
               seasons of trial and gloom God's children should be just what
               they were when their prospects were bright with hope and their
               surroundings all that they could desire. Daniel in the lion's den
               was the same Daniel who stood before the king as chief among
               the ministers of state and as a prophet of the Most High. A man
               whose heart is stayed upon God will be the same in the hour of
               his greatest trial as he is in prosperity, when the light and favor
               of God and of man beam upon him. Faith reaches to the unseen,
               and grasps eternal realities."—Prophets and Kings, p. 545.

                                                                               95

                                        DAILY HIGHLIGHTS
                                        1. God's Great Power to Help
                                            (Eph. 3:20)
                                        2. God's Willingness to Help
                                            (Isa. 41:10)
                                        3. God, the Protector of
                                            His People
                                            (Ps. 27:1-5)
                                        4.• Manifestations in Emergencies
                                            (Isa. 59:18, 19)
                                        5. God Guides His People
                                            (Ps. 48:14)
                                        6. Worthy of Trust
                                            (Nahum 1:7)

                      When we want someone to do something for us, we go to
                   someone who is able to do it. If we want a watch repaired, a
                   motor fixed, a house built, we go to someone with competence.
                   When we need help, the part of wisdom is always to go to
                   someone who is able to help.
                      We are conditioned to think that, in these days of scientific
                   progress, there is no limit to what science can do. We talk of the
                   miracles of medicine and technology. We think that all we need
                   to do is to invest more money and time and the answers will be
                   found. But the fact is that man is limited by time and conditioned
                   by his environment. With all his efforts and skill he faces death
                   and the end of the world. If he is wise, he will look beyond the
                   immediate and recognize a God who is there to help, and there
                   is no limit to what He can do.
                     Do we fear the power of wicked men or nations? "Behold the
                   nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small
                   dust of the balance" (Isa. 40:15).

                     What was Paul's attitude to his weakness? Why? 2 Cor. 12:9.

                     Do you doubt your ability to meet the requirements God has
                   set for those who are to live with Him in glory? Commit yourself
                   "unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present
                   you faultless before the presence of his glory" (Jude 24).

                    What gift did Isaiah assure Israel they could receive from
                   God? Isa. 40:28-31.

                     To "wait upon the Lord" is not simply to do nothing. It is to
                   look to God for guidance and strength. In Him and not in our-
                   selves is the secret of success in our struggles with ourselves,
                   with our environment, and with the task that God has given us to
                   do.
                     Does the church feel that Christ's command to give the gos-
                   pel to all nations is too great a task? Let it recall His promise:
                   "Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." "All
                   power is given unto me in heaven and in earth" (Matt. 28:20, 18).

 FURTHER STUDY      Messages to Young People, pp. 51-53; 105-108.

                   Every child of God may have implicit confidence in God's
                 willingness to help and in His ability and purpose to strengthen
                 and uphold. His one thought toward His children is always to
                 help them. As a mother loves her child and would make any
                 sacrifice in its behalf, so with God.

                   How certain was the psalmist that God would provide for
                 him? Ps. 27:10.

                   Home ties are usually very strong. They give us a sense of
                 security. It is frightening to be thrown out into the world. But
                 God is always mindful of our needs. (See Mark 10:29, 30.)
                   God loves His children with a love that is guided by His
                 wisdom and His desire to help. Our desires and prayers are not
                 always commensurate with His goodness, wisdom, and love.
                   "God is too wise and good to answer our prayers always at
                 just the time and in just the manner we desire. He will do more
                 and better for us than to accomplish all our wishes. And be-
                 cause we can trust His wisdom and love, we should not ask Him
                 to concede to our will, but should seek to enter into and ac-
                 complish His purpose. Our desires and interests should be lost
                 in His will."—The Ministry of Healing, p. 231.

                   What assurance may we have concerning the watchcare of
                  God? Ps. 121:4-7.

                     "In His loving care and interest in us, often He who under-
                  stands us better than we understand ourselves refuses to permit
                  us selfishly to seek the gratification of our own ambition. He
                  does not permit us to pass by the homely but sacred duties that
                  lie next to us. Often these duties afford the very training essen-
                  tial to prepare us for a higher work. Often our plans fail that
                  God's plans for us may succeed.. ..
                     "In the future life the mysteries that here have annoyed and
                  disappointed us will be made plain. We shall see that our seem-
                  ingly unanswered prayers and disappointed hopes have been
                  among our greatest blessings."—The Ministry of Healing, pp.
                  473, 474.

                      What may be the confidence of every child of God? Ps. 91:2.

                       Ellen White, commenting on Psalm 91, wrote: "The righteous
                     understand God's government, and will triumph with holy glad-
                    ness in the everlasting protection and salvation that Christ
                     through His merits has secured for them. Let all remember this,
                     and forget not that the wicked, who do not receive Christ as
                    their personal Saviour, understand not His providence."—Ellen
                    G. White Comments, S.D.A. Bible Commentary, vol. 3, p. 1150.
                       "While Satan is constantly devising evil, the Lord our God
                    overrules all, so that it will not harm His obedient, trusting
                    children. The same power that controls the boisterous waves of
                    the ocean can hold in check all the power of rebellion."—Ellen
                    G. White Comments, S.D.A. Bible Commentary, vol. 3, p. 1141.
                       If we are God's children, then our enemies are His enemies,
                    our battles His battles, and our weaknesses and shortcomings
                    are girded with His strength.
                       "He who slumbers not, who is continually at work for the
                    accomplishment of His designs, will carry forward His own
                    work. He will thwart the purposes of wicked men, and will bring
                    to confusion the counsels of those who plot mischief against
                    His people. He who is the King, the Lord of hosts, sitteth be-
                    tween the cherubim, and amid the strife and tumult of nations
                    He guards His children still. He who ruleth in the heavens is our
                    Saviour. He measures every trial, He watches the furnace fire
                    that must test every soul. When the strongholds of kings shall be
                    overthrown, when the arrows of wrath shall strike through the
                    hearts of His enemies, His people will be safe in His hands."—
                    Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, p. 121.

                 We live in a world where those who endeavor to serve God
               must expect manifestations of the power of the enemy and
               reveal ings of the power of God. An alert enemy is ever at work,
               ready at any moment to pounce upon and devour his prey. Left
               to themselves alone, the children of God would be no match for
               the relentless foe. But the battle is not theirs alone; it is God's.
               The honor of God is at stake as well as the fate of His children. In
               every crisis the Lord is with His people, ready to defend and
               deliver. That was the situation with Israel at the Red Sea; with
               the Jews in Persia in the days of Esther, Mordecai, and Haman;
               and Elijah in the days of Ahab and Jezebel.

                 How effective is the wrath of man against the power of God?
               Ps. 76:10.

                  At these times of greatest emergency God displays Himself in
               His matchless majesty. Never are the wonders of our wonderful
               God more magnificently revealed than when the saints are weak
               and God shows Himself to be infinitely strong, when the enemy
               is exerting himself to the utmost to destroy and God reveals
               Himself to save. At such times the children of God know of
               certainty that the Lord omnipotent is their God. The wicked also
               are forced to admit that the Lord Jehovah is God, and that it is to
               Him that all honor and praise is due.
                  "God has always wrought for His people in their greatest
               extremity, when there seemed the least hope that ruin could be
               averted. The designs of wicked men, the enemies of the church,
               are subject to His power and overruling providence. He can
               move upon the hearts of statesmen; the wrath of the turbulent
               and disaffected, the haters of God, His truth, and His people can
               be turned aside, even as the rivers of water are turned, if He
               orders it thus. Prayer moves the arm of Omnipotence. He who
               marshals the stars in order in the heavens, whose word controls
               the waves of the great deep, the same infinite Creator will work
               in behalf of His people if they call upon Him in faith."—
               Testimonies, vol. 5, pp. 452, 453.

                                                                               101

                    Man, with the limitations of his knowledge and foresight, is
                  constantly in need of divine guidance. In His Word God has
                  repeatedly promised to guide His children, and we find there
                  many examples of those who have been guided by Him, such as
                  Abraham, Moses, David, Peter, John, and Paul.

                    How personal is God's guidance? Ps. 32:8.

                      Guidance with the eye is a close and intimate guidance. It is
                  more than giving instructions and leaving a person to carry
                  them out. It means watching the person continually to make
                  sure that every move is correct. It is the guidance that a father
                  would give a son, freely, willingly, and with a deep concern for
                  the son's best interest.
                      "There are three ways in which the Lord reveals His will to us.
                  ... 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 follow-
                  ing the promptings of an unsanctified heart, until the senses
                  have become so confused that eternal things are not dis-
                  cerned, 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. If you are in doubt
                  upon any subject you must first consult the Scriptures."—
                  Testimonies, vol. 5, p. 512.

                    What was David's prayer for guidance? Ps. 31:3; 27:11; 43:3.

                    "Those whp decide to do nothing in any line that will dis-
                  please God, will know, after presenting their case before Him,
                  just what course to pursue. And they will receive not only wis-
                  dom, but strength. Power for obedience, for service, will be
                  imparted to them, as Christ has promised."—The Desire of
                  Ages, p. 668.

                   Can a man of little faith have a strong trust in God?
                   God's people have faith in God and place their trust in Him.
                They live happily, sleep peacefully, and work successfully be-
                cause of their trust in God.
                   Trusting God, God's children put His ways above their own
                ways, His wisdom above theirs, His judgment above their own.
                They accept His strength to replace their weakness, His perfec-
                tion for their own shortcomings. All the resources of Heaven are
                theirs who place their trust in God.
                   Man's judgment and knowledge are imperfect. But the man
                who obeys God because he trusts Him accepts the wisdom and
                ways of Him who has never made a mistake.
                   No one need ever be disappointed in placing implicit trust in
                God. God always knows what is best and what will work out for
                man's own good and the greater good of His cause on earth.
                "No good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.
                0 Lord of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee" (Ps.
                84:11, 12).

                 What in man's experience contributes to lack of trust in
                God? (See 2 Cor. 1:9; Heb. 3:12.)

                  Disbelief and sufficiency have ever stood as barriers to a
                trusting relationship with God. However, there is no limit to
                what a man may accomplish who goes forward with full confi-
                dence in God and complete reliance on His strength. Thus it was
                with Paul. "I can do all things through Christ which strength-
                eneth me" (Phil. 4:13). Paul was well aware of his own weak-
                nesses, but he was also acquainted with God's infinite strength
                that was placed at his disposal.

                  What did trust in God mean to the psalmist? Ps. 118:5-9.

                  "God will do great things for those who trust in Him. The
                reason why His professed people have no greater strength is
                that they trust so much to their own wisdom, and do not give the
                Lord an opportunity to reveal His power in their behalf. He will
                help His believing children in every emergency if they will place
                their entire confidence in Him and faithfully obey Him."—Patri-
                archs and Prophets, p. 493.

                                        DAILY HIGHLIGHTS
                                        1. The Lord Is King
                                           (Isa. 33:22)
                                        2. Kin& Eternal
                                           (1 Tim. 1:17)
                                        3. King of Glory
                                           (Ps. 24:7, 8)
                                        4. Final Victory
                                           (Dan. 2:44)
                                        5. A Reign in Righteousness
                                           (Isa. 32:1)
                                        6. Jesus, Our Worthy King
                                           (Rev. 5:12, 13)

                    This text not only proclaims that God is King, but also de-
                 clares that He is Judge, Lawgiver, and Saviour.
                    This multifaceted aspect of the responsibilities of a king is not
                 true of many, if any, kings today. Most rulers have checks placed
                 on their powers. This seems to be necessary because of the
                 limitations of any man. But the Lord who is our King is able and
                 functions in these as well as other ways.

                   How did Abraham expect that the Judge of all the earth
                 should act? Gen. 18:25.

                   Note that it would be an injustice for the righteous to suffer
                 with the wicked. Note also that the wicked can be given extra
                 grace because of the presence of a few righteous people. Have
                 you thought that, when you are fully surrendered to God and
                 obedient to Him, your neighbors profit from your presence
                 among them?
                   God is not interested in condemning the world and destroy-
                 ing it (John 3:17). But when people refuse to accept God's
                 mercy, then punishment is inevitable.

                   What is the relation between judging and the law? James
                 4:11, 12.

                    A king could also be a savior to his people. He could protect
                 them from their enemies. Not all kings were always capable of
                 this. But our God is a King who will never fail to save those who
                 come to Him.

                   What did the children of Israel forget? Ps. 106:21.

                   Many of us have good "forgetters," but we should never
                 forget the way that God has led us in the past and His promises
                 for the future. (Read Psalm 103:1-6, where we are reminded of
                 the many blessings that God has bestowed upon us.)

                    "When man fell by transgression the law was not changed,
                 but a remedial system was established to bring him back to
                 obedience. The promise of a Saviour was given, and sacrificial
                 offerings pointing forward to the death of Christ as the great sin
                 offering were established. But had the law of God never been
                 transgressed, there would have been no death, and no need of a
                 Saviour."—Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 363.

                  In this doxology Paul mentions some important characteris-
               tics of God—He is forever sovereign, untouched by change or
               decay, beyond the reach of human eyes, and the only one whose
               wisdom is impeccable.

                Contrasted with the wages of death, what is the gift of God?
               Rom. 6:23.
                  Life is a very precious commodity, and God desires that we
               shall have it abundantly (John 10:10). He is the only source of
               life (John 11:25). The knowledge of God leads to life eternal
               (John 17:3). It is very fitting, therefore, that our God should be
               represented as an eternal King.
                  The concept of eternal kingship rules out the possibility of
               unwelcome change or an order passing away. It speaks of
               stability and continuity, that which creates trust.

                 What does the psalmist say about God's kingdom in Psalm
               145:13?
                 God's kingly authority governs all time and space. In other
               words He is the sole ruler of the universe, and as such demands
               our compliance and worship.

                 What does God say about Himself in Malachi 3:6?

                 "Change and decay in all around I see; 0 Thou, who changest
               not, abide with me!"—Henry F. Lyte, Church Hymnal, no. 50.
               (See James 1:17.) Because God remains eternally the same, we
               have the assured hope that He will fulfill His promises.
                 By contrast we can see how fickle man has been. Laban
               deceived Jacob and changed his wages ten times (Gen. 31:7).
               We cannot put our trust even in princes. We can never be certain
               of anything in this life, particularly riches (1 Tim. 6:17)! We can
               only be certain that God is ruling heaven, that all things are in
               His control, and that we are under His care if we put our trust in
               Him.

                 "Lead on, 0 King Eternal, we follow, not with fears,
                 For gladness breaks like morning where'er Thy face appears;
                 Thy cross is lifted o'er us; we journey in its light;
                 The crown awaits the conquest; lead on, 0 God of might.
                        —Ernest W. Shurtleff, Church Hymnal, no. 362.

                     "King of glory" and "glorious King" are one and the same in
                    meaning. Our wonderful God is a King all glorious.

                      What request did Moses make regarding God's glory? Ex.
                    33:18.

                       God's glory is seen in His gracious character. Some people
                    think that glory is an outward manifestation of light, a display of
                    riches and power. But God's glory has to do with His inner
                    being. What He is makes Him glorious. God made all His good-
                    ness to pass before Moses.
                       Jesus pointed out the difference between an inherent glory
                    and one that is "put on" when He contrasted the lily of the field
                    with Solomon and all his finery. If we want to reflect the glory of
                    God, we need to allow God to remake us, and then we can
                    radiate the glory of God in our lives.

                      What does Jeremiah warn against in Jeremiah 9:23, 24?

                      A true knowledge of God will show that man cannot boast of
                    anything. All that he has comes from God. Many do not under-
                    stand this, and they take pride in their accomplishments. But
                    what a man can do in his own strength is as nothing compared
                    with what he can do in the strength of the Lord.
                      God's glory is seen not only in His goodness and mercy. It is
                    seen also in the conflict with evil. When sin first entered heaven,
                    God was all good in pleading with Lucifer and his angels. But
                    the time came when there could be no room for rebellion in
                    heaven. A war broke out in which Michael and His angels fought
                    against the dragon and his angels. (See Rev. 12:7-9.) Then there
                    was the struggle on the cross, when it seemed as though Satan
                    had gained the victory. But with the resurrection God was vindi-
                    cated. Truth will always triumph over evil. The King of glory is
                    "mighty in battle." Because He is strong, we may be strong too.

                      "A mere profession of faith in Christ, a boastful knowledge of
                    the truth, does not make a man a Christian. A religion that seeks
                    only to gratify the eye, the ear, and the taste, or that sanctions
                    self-indulgence, is not the religion of Christ."—The Acts of the
                    Apostles, p. 317.

                 In this world kingdoms have risen and fallen. Shall this go on
               forever and ever? God's answer is No. The time is coming when
               God can brook no more delay. Everyone will have decided
               which side of the conflict he is taking, and God will destroy the
               wicked and vindicate the righteous.

                 Who does Daniel, in another vision, state are the final vic-
               tors? Dan. 7:27.

                 "Here is a reassuring glimpse of the final outcome of all the
               turmoil and persecution through which the saints have passed.
               Blessed thought! Christ is soon to return for His saints and
               usher them into their everlasting kingdom and reward."—
               S.D.A. Bible Commentary, vol. 4, p. 834.

                  According to Peter, how will God finally act? 2 Peter 2:4-9.

                   Lot, with all his faults, was vexed with what he saw around
                him. But the solution to the problem was not in his power.
                Sometimes we get jealous for reform, and want to turn the world
                upside down. But we are not always wise enough to understand
                what the problem really is. In our relations with other people we
                are not in a position to judge or execute judgment. "Vengeance
                is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord" (Rom. 12:19).

                  How soon will God set up His kingdom? Rev. 22:20.

                  Jesus told His disciples to watch for the signs of His coming
               (Matt. 24:42). We know we are living in the last days because the
               prophecies have almost all been fulfilled. It is not for us to know
               the time of His coming (Acts 1:7), but we are to be ready since
               His coming will be unexpected (Matt. 24:44).
                  "More than eighteen centuries have passed since the apos-
               tles rested from their labors, but the history of their toils and
               sacrifices for Christ's sake is still among the most precious
               treasures of the church. This history, written under the direction
               of the Holy Spirit, was recorded in order that by it the followers
               of Christ in every age might be impelled to a greater zeal and
               earnestness in the cause of the Saviour."—The Acts of the
               Apostles, p. 593.

        Part 5     "Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes
   A REIGN IN    shall rule in judgment" (Isa. 32:1).   RIGHTEOUSNESS
                   Man has always looked forward to a reign in which righteous-
                 ness prevails. Rulers have made broad promises. Citizens have
                 overthrown kingdoms in which injustice has been rampant. But
                 the ideal has never been reached.

                   How are the people to react when the Lord reigns? Ps. 97:1;
                 Ps. 99:1.
                   Rejoicing and trembling are apparently conflicting emotions.
                 But trembling suggests a spirit of reverence rather than of fear.
                 Recognition of a holy God, a God as great as our wonderful
                 God, demands a posture of humility and waiting. No one wants
                 to move except to do what is right. At the same time the heart is
                 bubbling up with joy because the great day has come, the day of
                 seeing right prevail, of mutual love and caring. This is a day we
                 have anticipated, and now it is here. .

                   What is one element that will cause rejoicing? Ps. 9:14.

                   Being saved is a goal that some of us hardly feel possible for
                 us. Paul felt that he was the chief of sinners (1 Tim. 1:15). But
                 God's grace is abundant (verse 14). Joshua the high priest was a
                 "brand plucked out of the fire" (Zech. 3:2). But God had made
                 every provision for him. Thus it will be with us, and we shall
                 rejoice that God has saved us in spite of ourselves.

                   What was God's promise to Israel regarding iniquity at the
                 time of the Lord's reign? Isa. 33:22, 24.

                   It can be our privilege to live during the Lord's eternal reign
                 only because of God's forgiveness. God is eager for us to live in
                 His kingdom. Jesus has extended a gracious invitation (John
                 14:1-3). John the revelator had a glimpse of the earth made new
                 and recorded the invitation of the Spirit (Rev. 22:17). Paul says
                 that the suffering we may have in this world is no hindrance to
                 us when we consider future glory (Rom. 8:18, 19). Our minds
                 must be set not on the things around us but on the things above.

                    "With unutterable delight the children of earth enter into the
                 joy and the wisdom of unfallen beings. They share the treasures
                 of knowledge and understanding gained through ages upon
                 ages in contemplation of God's handiwork."—The Great Con-
                 troversy, p. 677.

                 The scene is the final coronation of Christ after the thousand
               years. He had occupied the throne with God before the fall of
               man, but He had given it up when He came to earth as man to
               give up His life for man's salvation.
                  Now Jesus is to reign again as Lord over all the universe. And
               all the universe is there to witness His coronation. All the un-
               fallen beings are there from other worlds and all the angels of
               heaven. The fallen angels are also there, outside the walls of the
               New Jerusalem, with Satan their leader. All mankind is likewise
               there, the righteous within, the wicked without the city.
                  As Christ is crowned King of kings and Lord of lords—as He is
               given a name "above every name"—all, both good and evil, bow
               in homage before Him.

                 Why is Christ worthy of the highest honors that can be
               bestowed upon Him? Rev. 5:9, 10.

                  "As Christ in His expiring agony upon the cross cried out, 'It is
               finished' (John 19:30), a shout of triumph rang through every
               world and through heaven itself. The great contest that had
               been so long in progress in this world was now decided, and
               Christ was conqueror. His death had answered the question
               whether the Father and the Son had sufficient love for man to
               exercise self-denial and a spirit of sacrifice.... With one voice
               the loyal universe united in extolling the divine administration."
               —Patriarchs and Prophets, pp. 69, 70.

                                                                                111

                        First Lesson    CHRISTIANITY REACHES ROME. Memory Text, Rom. 1:1-7.
            1. City of Origin (Rom. 16:1, 2)
          2. Date of Writing (Rom. 15:25, 26)
  3. Announcement of Intended Visit (Rom. 15:23, 24)
         4. Paul Reaches Rome (Acts 28:16)
              5. The Salutation (Rom. 1:7)
            6. World Reputation (Rom. 1:8)



                   Second Lesson
    JEW VERSUS GENTILE. Memory Text, John 1:17.
           1. Old Testament Salvation (Lev. 18:5)
2. Old and New Testament Religion Compared (John 1:17)
       3. Classifications of Jewish Law (Lev. 27:34)
                4. The Judaizers (Acts 15:1)
          5. Council Decision (Acts 15:19, 20, 28)
            6. The Galatian Heresy (Gal. 1:6, 7)




             Lessons in Braille The regular Adult Sabbath School Lessons are available free each month in Braille and 162/3 rpm records to blind and physically handicapped persons who cannot read normal inkprint. This includes individuals who because of arthritis, multiple sclerosis, paralysis, accidents, old age, and so forth, cannot hold or focus on normal inkprint publications. Contact the Christian Record Braille Foundation, Box 6097, Lincoln, Nebraska 68506.

     U©
       The 1980 Missionary Books of the Year

                            THOUGHTS
                A NEW YOU IN SPRINGTIME
                      by Dick Winn           by Lewis R. Walton
                                             The author compares springtime to
                                             creation, and explains why he is    A unique treatment of the dynamics of         disenchanted with the arrogance of
  salvation as experienced in human          scientists who speak for evolution.    lives. With a focus on total restoration      He describes the fall of Adam and Eve,
   of the sin-damaged character, this        the plan of redemption and why it
 book deals with God as the restorer         had to work out the way it has—includ-
    and how He forgives the penitent         ing the crucifixion. Explains the    sinner, then renews his characteristics       relevance of the Sabbath to creation
   and tendencies into harmony with          and redemption. Expresses hope
     His will, and finally will give him     in the second coming. Full of award-    a totally new life in the earth made new.     winning color photography.

                                                                     Tunisia                                               ISRAEL
                                                                                                                 Israel   MISSION
                                                         Algeria

                                                 NORTH AFRICAN
                      h
                 Spanisa,                           MISSION
                 Saha



                                                 Mali
                                                                            Niger
                              Mauritania                                                    Chad
  Cape Verde                                     NORTNWISt AFRICAN MISSION
    Islands


        Guinea                                                                               WES CENTRAL AFRICAN
        Bissau

   SENEGAL-                                                                             Central &Mean
 GUINEA BISSAU-                                                                           Republic
  CAPE VERDE                                                            Cameroon
    MISSION
                                                                                    Congo
                                                                            Gabon

                                                 ,
                                  EVANGHISTICCENTE                                                                                  INDIAN OCEAN

                                                                                       Angola

                                                                                       ANGOLA
                                                                                        UNION                             Mocambique



                                                     Church     SS                                                                  Madagascar Unions                              Population Churches Members Members                                MOZAMBIQUE Angola                     6.770.300                182     43.558     55,789                            UNION Austrian                   7,520.400                 44      2.708      3,609 Bulgarian                  8,722,000                 62      2.991      2.891 Czechoslovakian           14,862,000                134      7.549     10,210 Franco-Belgian            63,140.000                132      8,521      7372 German Democratic         16.786.000                307     10.823     12,755
                                                140      4.987      4,501
                                                                                                                      1510*: Hungarian                 10,332.100 Indian Ocean              10,080,000                156     10,754     16.781                                           HOSPITAL'at Andipa Mozambique                 8.519.000                 96     19,270     35.912 Romanian                  21,245,000                523     51,597     52,857                                              (Completion) South German              30,200,000                215     13,314     14,125 Southern European        112,427,000                156     13.829     12.849 Swiss                      6.333,000                 59      4.060      3.501 West Central African      19.300.000                 82     19,993     31,736
                      31,405.100                185     12.487     14,409

                                                                                    EURO-AFRICA West German Yugoslavian               23,860,000 .              273     10,542     11,010 Israel Mission             3.571,000                  4         62         49 North African Mission     40,869,000                  3         36         31 Northwest African Mission 15,976,000   DIVISION TOTALS ,7,4•7 as as of Septxr.•• 1978)
                              451,907,900   2,763
                                                 10        583
                                                      237.664
                                                                      678
                                                                 291,065              DIVISION