Friday 6 January
The first quote from Ellen G. White, Steps to Christ, pg. 21 talks about the love like no other God has for us His children ‘a love stronger than death’ demonstrated by His precious gift of Jesus Christ to us. ‘The Saviour’s life and death and intercession, the ministry of angels, the pleading of the Spirit the Father working above and through all, the unceasing interest of heavenly beings, – all are enlisted in behalf of man’s redemption.’
Second quote From Ellen G. White, Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, pg. 110 describes all that comes with accepting God’s gift of Jesus Christ when choosing to follow him. We become members of God’s family – able to access ‘everything in the Father’s house’. ‘All the treasures of God are opened to you, both the world that now is and that which is to come. The ministry of angels, the gift of His Spirit, the labors of His servants – all are for you. The world, with everything in it, is yours so far as can do you good.’
Answers to Discussion Questions
- Asking what I should give back to God for all the gifts He has given as David did in Psalm 116:12 brings to mind the parable of the talents. Listing all my blessings and gifts makes me appreciate God’s provision and care. There are blessings shared by many of us alongside my own unique personal gifts. This teaches me to be extremely thankful to God for every gift – ‘spiritual’, ‘temporal’, in common with all of God’s children and unique to me.
- Scriptures on God being our Sustainer:
- Jesus, the brightness of God’s glory and image of Him upholds everything by His powerful word. After purging our sins He sat down our Majesty’s right hand in heaven. (Hebrews 1:3)
- In Job 38:33-37 God speaks to Job in a series of questions pointing to His all-powerful, all-knowing, ever-present nature as Creator and Sustainer of earth and everything in it.
- God does whatever pleases Him in heaven and earth. (Psalm 135:6)
- God existed before everything outside of time and space. He is the reason for the existence and continued existence of everything. (Colossians 1:17)
- ‘We live, and move, and have our being’ in God because we are his children. (Acts 17:28)
- God sustains heaven and earth under His keeping until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. (2 Peter 3:7)
The biblical truth of the entire universe existing only because of God’s sustaining power helps us to understand we are indebted to God for everything. Our obligations to God are to use all He has blessed us with for His glory. Knowing this makes us appreciate that we depend on God for everything. Our dependence on God for everything makes us realise we ought to show gratitude, through how we use our blessings.
- God’s gift of Jesus and the plan of salvation is the greatest gift of all because without it our existence would be meaningless, with no fulfilment or hope. We would have nothing if we didn’t have this gift and the great hope it offers us. The atheist writer defining humans as nothing but ‘hunks of spoiling flesh on disintegrating bones’ without the gift of the gospel has a point because death is the consequence of sin. With Jesus saving us from sin we’re living in grace, hope, and purpose. Our lives here on earth though temporary are revived by Jesus’ power until the day He changes our earthly bodies to be like ‘His glorious body.’ (Philippians 3:21)