I would like to begin this by saying I am surprised at the lies and deceptions the world is falling for today. The truth is so plain and clear. and it seems the enemy makes man fall with such little effort. Like all the serpent had to say was, “You shall not surely die,” and just like that, Eve was sold. The serpent’s lie had no foundation or evidence, but it was exactly what Eve wanted to hear, and that  was all that mattered. I would like to say that I marvel at the world being so easily deceived today, but what about me? Have I told myself lies in order to make sin appear right in my own eyes? I am ashamed to say, “Yes, I have.” What makes me think other people rationalize away sin until it is right in their own eyes? What makes me think others know the truth but willfully try to fool themselves? It’s because that is exactly what I have done, and I am a part of the web of humanity. 

You may think you can condemn such people, but you are just as bad, and you have no excuse! When you say they are wicked and should be punished, you are condemning yourself, for you who judge others do these very same things. Romans 2:1 NLT

I love studying my Bible near the bay or gulf in the beautiful Tampa Bay area.

I just watched a video on Youtube, trying to tell me why the Sabbath is no longer important. The arguments were so weak, and yet most of the world falls for these arguments because that is exactly what they want to hear. The problem is not deception as much as it is a lack of love for the truth. When we don’t have a love for truth, not much deception is needed to get us to fall. Not much deception was needed for Eve to fall. All the serpent had to say was, “You won’t die.” He did not give any evidence. Lies don’t need evidence in order to deceive. They just need to be what we want to hear. That makes them compelling enough. The serpent told Eve she would be like God, which totally ignored the fact she was already created in God’s image. Eve failed such a simple test with such simple lies. 

That’s what makes sin sting so hard when the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin. We knew better. We weren’t really deceived by the serpent as much as we were deceived by our own creative thinking, twisting things around in our mind until we deceived ourselves into thinking sin is right. After all, we are good Christians. We would never sin intentionally, right? That’s why it is so important to twist thing around in our mind so that we deceive ourselves into thinking wrong is right. Then we can sin ignorantly, right? Wrong! Paul just told us in Romans 2:1 we have no excuse. We can’t claim ignorance when we fool ourselves. 

Well, Paul does concede that Eve was deceived, but Adam was not. 

And it was not Adam who was deceived by Satan. The woman was deceived, and sin was the result. 1 Timothy 2:14 NLT 

So we have Eve deceived without much effort, while Adam was not deceived at all. When I read this passage yesterday, at first I thought I was going to have a real sermon here about Adam claiming to be deceived when he was not really deceived. But when I compared this passage with Genesis 3, I found Adam never even claimed to be deceived. 

The man replied, “It was the woman you gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it.” Genesis 3:12 NLT 

Adam suggests he was tempted, but he was never deceived. Adam, not being deceived, had to rationalize and twist his thinking to make eating the fruit seem logical, even though it was contrary to God’s Word. Eve was deceived, but her thinking was not far behind Adam’s. God never says, “It’s really my fault, I should have warned you better.” He never says, “I should not have allowed the serpent to lie to you. It was too great a deception.” No, the test was simple, and God’s Word was plain and simple. It only became complicated when Adam and Eve wanted to disobey. They had to rationalize and twist their own thinking around to make it complicated and confusing so they could now sin “ignorantly.” After all, no one wants to sin intentionally. That’s why it’s so important that we fool ourselves first. 

If Adam was not deceived, why did he allow himself to sin? Why did he fool himself into thinking disobedience was a good idea? Paul, who told Timothy that Adam was not deceived, also gives Timothy the reason why Adam allowed himself to sin. 

For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths. 2 Timothy 4:3-4 NLT 

Adam was not deceived by the serpent. He intentionally fooled himself, which when you intentionally fool yourself, you are not really fooled at all. We reason within ourselves until we hear exactly what we want to hear. Anti-Sabbath and Anti-Adventist Youtube videos are not deceiving or fooling anyone. People are deceiving and fooling themselves, because they want to be deceived. God’s Word is clear. The law is clear. It only gets complicated when we want to make it complicated so that sin appears “right.” We only fall for lies and deceptions after we reject the truth. “They follow their own desires and will look for teacher who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear.” We are not deceived and then reject the truth. We reject the truth and then are deceived. What the world needs is a love for truth, and then everyone will stop deceiving themselves. What I need is a love for truth and then I will stop deceiving myself. 

Here is what is so amazing about God’s grace. Adam was not deceived, and God still gave him grace. Adam sinned willfully and intentionally, and God still forgave him! Grace is no license for sin, yet God’s grace can forgive and transform the most vile and blatant sinner. God did not forgive Adam because he had a good excuse. He had no excuse, and God still forgave him. Those who listen to blatant lies on Youtube videos have no excuse. I have no excuse.  Paul tells us in Romans 2:1 that we are all without excuse. Romans 3:23 tells us we all have sinned. Romans 3:24 tells us we all are justified freely by God’s grace. 

My prayer for 2023 is that we all will fall in love with the truth. Only a love for truth will keep us from being deceived. Only a love for the truth will keep us from fooling ourselves into sin and rebellion against God and His law. 

Amen!(1)

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Some people believe that by changing the environment the individual will be transformed. Definitely, we should avoid places and circumstances that can make us more vulnerable to temptation (Psalm 1:1, Proverbs 5:1-8). But our problem with temptation and sin can be solved only by the transformation of our own hearts (or minds). Christ touched the core of the issue when He stated, “For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come — sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly” (Mark 7:21-22, NIV). This means that our minds need to be transformed in order for our behavior to be changed.

Read the following texts: 1 Corinthians 2:16; Psalms 24:3-4; Romans 12:2; Philippians 4:8; and Colossians 3:2. What does it mean to have the “mind of Christ”?

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The Lord had promised that under the “new covenant” He would put His law in the minds of His people and write it on their hearts (Jeremiah 31:31-33, compare with Hebrews 8:8-10, Hebrews 10:16). It is no surprise, then, that in the Sermon on the Mount, Christ broadened and deepened the meaning of God’s commandments to the level of thoughts and intentions (see Matthew 5:17-48). So, we can gain victory over temptation only by God’s transforming grace and, at the level of thoughts and intentions, we should claim that promise so that we can stop sinful thoughts.

We will always have sinful natures until Jesus comes. But if we are in Christ, we are fully covered by His righteousness. Although we are not yet perfect, we are considered already perfect in Him (Philippians 3:12-15). “When we are united to Christ, we have the mind of Christ. Purity and love shine forth in the character, meekness and truth control the life. The very expression of the countenance is changed. Christ abiding in the soul exerts a transforming power, and the outward aspect bears witness to the peace and joy that reign within.” — Ellen G. White, Selected Messages, book 1, p. 337.

Only by a daily surrender, a daily death to self, a daily determined effort, by faith, to be obedient to Jesus can we have this kind of transformation in our lives.

<–Monday Wednesday–>

Amen!(2)

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The dualistic theory of a mortal body with an immortal soul has generated various theories about the human body. For example, for ancient Greek philosophers, the human body was the prison of the soul, which was liberated by death. In an echo of this pagan concept, many Christians today believe that the body is the temporal housing of the immortal soul, which will be reintegrated with the body at the resurrection. By contrast, pantheists make the human body divine; they believe that God and the universe are one and the same. For them, all things are God and the human body is part of the one single integrated and universal divine substance. Surrounded by conflicting theories on the subject, we must stand firm on what the Bible teaches regarding the nature of humanity.

Read 1 Corinthians 6:19-20,  and 1 Corinthians 10:31. How can the understanding that our bodies are “the temple of God” and “the temple of the Holy Spirit” positively influence our lifestyle?

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Both Adam and Eve were created in God’s own image and likeness (Genesis 1:26-27), which was reflected not only in their character but also in their physical aspect. Because that image was marred and even hidden by the presence of sin, the work of redemption is to restore human beings to their original condition, including their physical health, to the degree possible for beings unable to partake of the tree of life.

This restoration is a lifetime process that will be completed only at Christ’s second coming, when the corruptible puts on incorruption and the mortal becomes immortal (1 Corinthians 15:53-54).

The apostle John wrote to his friend Gaius, “Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, just as it is well with your soul” (3 John 1: 2, NRSV).

If we recognize that a human being is an indivisible entity, and that religion embraces all aspects of human life, then we should consider our physical health also as a religious duty. We should be guided by the inspired principle, “Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31, NKJV). But remember that we still live in a world where good people can do their best and yet suffer the consequences of a sinful human nature and a sinful environment. So, we should trust in God and do our best, and we leave the results with God.

<–Sunday Tuesday–>

Amen!(0)

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Read Luke 2:52. What four dimensions of Jesus’ growth are mentioned in this passage?

Jesus was the perfect Human Being, and His growth comprised all basic dimensions of human existence. According to Luke 2:52, “Jesus grew in wisdom [mentally] and stature [physically], and in favor with God [spiritually] and man [socially]” (NIV).“His mind was active and penetrating, with a thoughtfulness and wisdom beyond His years. Yet His character was beautiful in its symmetry.

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The powers of mind and body developed gradually, in keeping with the laws of childhood. As a child, Jesus manifested a peculiar loveliness of disposition. His willing hands were ever ready to serve others. He manifested a patience that nothing could disturb, and a truthfulness that would never sacrifice integrity. In principle firm as a rock, His life revealed the grace of unselfish courtesy.” — Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, Pages 68, 69.

Read Matthew 4:23. How can the threefold ministry of Jesus — to teach, to preach, and to heal — be carried on by us effectively today?

If we recognize that a human being is an integrated and indivisible person, then we cannot restrict our religion to spiritual matters only. The truth actually embraces our whole being, covers our entire life span, and comprises all dimensions of our life. Our physical and spiritual elements are so powerfully integrated that they really cannot be separated. And though, as fallen beings, we will never be equal to the depiction of Jesus as presented above, we are by God’s grace to emulate it, because, “to restore in man the image of his Maker, to bring him back to the perfection in which he was created, to promote the development of body, mind, and soul” (Ellen G. White, Education, Pages 15, 16) is the work of redemption. This is what God seeks to do in His people as part of the process to prepare them for His return.

<–Sabbath Monday–>

Amen!(0)

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Sabbath Afternoon

Read for This Week’s Study: Luke 2:52; Matthew 4:23; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; Psalm 24:3-4; Acts 8:4-24; 1 John 3:1-3.

Memory Text: “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 5:23, NKJV).

The book of Revelation speaks of two major “globalizations” prior to the Second Coming of Christ. Revelation chapter 13 describes the globalization of error, when “all the world” will marvel and follow the beast from the sea (Revelation 13:3, Revelation 13:7-8, Revelation 13:12, Revelation 13:16, NKJV). Revelation chapter 14 highlights the globalization of truth, when the “everlasting gospel” will be preached “to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people” (Revelation 14:6-7, NKJV). During those “distressing times” (2 Timothy 3:1, NRSV), “every wind of doctrine” will be blowing (Ephesians 4:14, NKJV) and people will “turn away from listening to the truth and wander away to myths” (2 Timothy 4:4, NRSV). “Through the two great errors, the immortality of the soul and Sunday sacredness, Satan will bring the people under his deceptions. While the former lays the foundation of spiritualism, the latter creates a bond of sympathy with Rome.” — Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, p. 588.

Until these final events unfold, we must remain firm in our belief in all the truth that we have, which includes the nature of humanity and of death, as we seek to be guided by the Holy Spirit with the purpose of being ready for Christ’s glorious appearing.

Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, December 17.

Sunday–>

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