Daily Lesson for Tuesday 21st of May 2024

The judgment is a prominent theme throughout the Bible. “For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:14, NKJV). Jesus pointed His hearers to a future time of judgment, when “ ‘every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment’ ” (Matthew 12:36, NKJV). The apostle Paul adds, God will “bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts” (1 Corinthians 4:5). The angelic messenger said to John, “The hour of His [God’s] judgment has come” (Revelation 14:7, NKJV).

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Since Christ comes to give out His final rewards, there must be a judgment before that, to show who will receive what reward when He comes. When Christ returns, there is no second chance. Every human being has had sufficient information to make their final, irrevocable decision for or against Christ.

“When the work of investigation shall be ended, when the cases of those who in all ages have professed to be followers of Christ have been examined and decided, then, and not till then, probation will close, and the door of mercy will be shut. Thus in the one short sentence, ‘They that were ready went in with Him to the marriage: and the door was shut,’ we are carried down through the Saviour’s final ministration, to the time when the great work for man’s salvation shall be completed.”—Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, p. 428.

We need not fear the judgment. Through Christ, forgiveness is ours, freedom from guilt is ours, power to live godly lives is ours, and final victory is ours.

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Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.  For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.  Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:14-16 NKJV)

While working on the sort isle at UPS, I was working alongside a Baptist seminary student named David. David was always cool, calm, and collected. One day I was overwhelmed with the high volume of packages on the sort isle belt, and our supervisor was pressuring us. Under the stress and the pressure I broke and lashed out in a very un-Christlike way. After regaining my composure, there I was sorting packages next to David, who of course remained calm. cool, and collected. I was embarrassed by my behavior,  especially since everyone knew I was a Seventh-day Adventist Christian. I told David I was very sorry for the way I acted and how terrible I felt. He sighed in sympathy with my feelings, and said, “It’s really difficult to keep your Christianity around this place. It is so hard with all the stress and pressure we face every day.” I was so comforted by David’s understanding, but then I also realized David had never lost his composure. He kept his Christian composure together while sympathizing with my weakness, and embarrassing outburst. 

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This is where my High Priest gives me hope. 

While enduring all the temptations we endure, Jesus sympathizes with our weakness and forgives our sin, even though He never gave in to the same temptations. When we sin we can come boldly before the throne of grace and receive mercy and forgiveness. How quick our Savior is to forgive!

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 NKJV

Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.  And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.” Luke 17:3-4 NKJV

Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do… Luke 23:34 NKJV

If someone sinned against me, told me they repented, and then sinned again against me seven times in one day, I would be prone to tell them they are not genuinely repenting. After all, repenting is turning away from sin, right? It seems to me if my brother told me seven times in one day that he repented I would not believe him. Instead, I would give him a lecture on what true repentance means. But it appears to me that in Luke 17:3-4 Jesus is acknowledging that one can truly fall and repent and fall and repent 7 times in one day? And must be forgiven? How quickly and freely Jesus forgives us when we come boldly to the throne of grace asking for mercy! 

I know to some of you this seems like cheap grace and a license to sin, but it is not. First of all, historically, I think many Adventists have accused their brothers and sisters of wanting cheap grace and forgiveness, instead of seeking true repentance and turning from sin. The more I live the more I understand my brothers and sisters are not looking for cheap grace at all. My brothers and sisters are actually very discouraged by their sinful addictions and are tired of hurting Jesus and others. They don’t want to continue their addictions. They just don’t believe they can truly ever have victory. Cheap grace is not their desire, but in deep, dark despair they see it as the only solution. 

This is where my High Priest gives me more hope. 

Cody was a recovering drug addict with whom I had been studying for several weeks. One night I came to his home for our weekly Bible study and found that Cody was very discouraged because earlier in the week he had a weak moment and did drugs again. He was so disappointed because he thought he had the victory. Now he was doubting God could ever forgive him again after falling so low after so many weeks of victory. Immediately I shared with Cody Psalm 51:17.

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart— These, O God, You will not despise. (Psalm 51:17 NKJV)

I shared with Cody that his heart was broken and contrite. God can never despise a broken and contrite heart no matter how many times that heart has already been broken for the same sin. If a heart is broken and contrite God will never despise it. I shared with Cody, that while Satan was discouraging him from seeking God’s presence, that at this time God’s presence was the only safe place for him to be right now. 

And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them. (Exodus 25:8) NKJV

You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance. (Psalm 32:7 NKJV)

While writing about his sin and need of forgiveness David says God is his hiding place. Did you know that the sanctuary is the only safe place for sinners to be? When you sin, Satan is not your friend. When you get lung cancer from smoking, the cigarette manufacturers are not your friends. Jesus is the only friend for people with lung cancer due to smoking. Jesus is the only friend for sinners! The sanctuary is the only safe place for sinners. 

As we saw in Hebrews 4:14-16, we can come boldly before the throne of grace and find mercy and forgiveness. But wait. There is more hope. Hebrews 4:141-6 tells us we can also find grace to help us in time of need. What is grace?

Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name, (Romans 1:5 NKJV )

Grace empowers our obedience. 

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.  For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:8-10 NKJV)

Grace empowers us to do good works. 

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men,  teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, (Titus 2:11-12 NKJV)

Grace empowers us to live righteous godly lives right here and now in this present age. 

Titus 2 goes on to tell us

“He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin… (Titus 2:14 NLT) 

Several years ago I was walking through Al Lopez Park in Tampa. A section of the park dedicated to cancer survivors and those still fighting cancer. It features a walking path that has different monuments along the way containing various inspirational quotes for people fighting cancer. One message especially caught my eye. It simple read, “There are people who have survived every form of cancer.” Some cancers are obviously more deadly than others. However, no matter what form of cancer someone has been diagnosed with, there is already someone who has survived it. Titus 2:14 tells us no matter what temptations we are facing, no matter what addictions we are fighting, there are already people Jesus has freed from those same temptations and addictions. 

Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16 NKJV)

When we fall into sin there is hope. We can go to Jesus and find mercy and forgiveness. But I know you do not want to keep hurting Jesus, others or even yourself, so there is more hope. You can go to Jesus and find grace to overcome. Jesus can forgive you and heal you, even if it means coming back for healing 7 times in one day. Remember Jesus is the only safe place for sinners! And I know you are not looking for cheap grace. You want actual healing, it’s just that  you may have already fallen so many times you may doubt healing is actually possible. It is possible. 

Cody stopped studying with me. However, a few years later he started studying with a new Bible Worker who replaced me after I left that area. Cody was rebaptized. I reached out recently. Cody is still active in his church family and has been drug free over 15 years now. 

Paul tells us in Hebrews 4:14-16 we have hope and more hope. When we want to overcome there is hope. God’s grace can deliver us and free us from every kind of sin. However if we do sin, there is hope. God’s mercy gives us grace and forgiveness. Are you tempted? Look to Jesus. Have you already fallen again? Look to Jesus. Our High Priest gives us hope and then more hope. After all, 

But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, Romans 5:20 NKJV

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Daily Lesson for Monday 20th of May 2024

The priests ministered every day of the year, but on the Day of Atonement, called Yom Kippur in Hebrew, the eyes of all Israel turned toward the sanctuary. Leviticus 16:1-34 and 23 give explicit instructions for the Day of Atonement. All regular activity ceased. Everyone fasted. While the high priest entered the presence of God for them in the Most Holy Place, the people examined their hearts. They sought God in humility and heartfelt confession.

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Anyone who was not “afflicted” on the Day of Atonement would be “cut off,” no longer part of the chosen people (Leviticus 23:27,29). On the Day of Atonement, the high priest took the blood of the Lord’s goat into the sanctuary and, after sprinkling it on the mercy seat, applied the blood to the horns of the golden altar and of the brazen altar, completely cleansing the entire sanctuary. When he had made “an end of reconciling,” the high priest placed his hands on the live goat and confessed Israel’s sins. Then it was led into the wilderness to be separated from the camp forever (Leviticus 16:20-22).

The blood was transferred into the sanctuary during the daily services, showing the recording of sin (Jeremiah 17:1) and God’s taking responsibility for its ultimate disposition. Now, on the Day of Atonement, it was transferred out of the sanctuary and placed on the head of the scapegoat Azazel, representing Satan and revealing his ultimate responsibility for the sin problem.

This goat was led far into the wilderness so that, at the close of the Day of Atonement, God had a clean sanctuary and a clean people. In the heavenly sanctuary, Christ ministers for us first in the Holy Place, and now, in the Most Holy Place since 1844, at the end of the 2,300 days.

We will get through this great judgment because of Jesus, our Substitute. As Ellen G. White said, we are “justified by His righteousness, in which we had no share.”—The Desire of Ages, p. 25. As a result of this righteousness—credited (imputed) to us—we afflict our souls, which is a turning away from sin. That means we have not come to a comfortable acceptance of evil nor are we excusing or clinging to cherished sins. Instead we are growing in grace and living a life of holiness.

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