SSLS 2017-04-28

2017 2nd Quarter

Lesson 5, April 15-21, Living for God

Friday, April 28

“Great care should be shown in regard to making public the errors of students. To make public exposure of wrong is harmful in every respect to the wrongdoer and has no beneficial influence upon the school. It never helps a student to humiliate him before his fellow students. This heals nothing, cures nothing, but makes a wound that mortifies.

“The love that suffers long and is kind will not magnify an indiscretion into an unpardonable offense, neither will it make capital of others’ misdoings. The Scriptures plainly teach that the erring are to be treated with forbearance and consideration. If the right course is followed, the apparently obdurate heart may be won to Christ. The love of Jesus covers a multitude of sins. His grace never leads to the exposing of another’s wrongs unless it is a positive necessity.” (Ellen White, Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, 267, emphasis added.)

“There is nothing in Christianity that is capricious. If a man will not exercise his arm it becomes weak and deficient in muscular strength. Unless the Christian exercises his spiritual powers he acquires no strength of character, no moral vigor. Love is a very precious plant, and must be cultivated if it flourishes. The precious plant of love is to be treated tenderly. If practiced it will become strong and vigorous and rich in fruit-bearing, giving expression to the whole character. A Christ-like nature is not selfish, is not unkind, will not hurt the souls of those who are struggling with satanic temptations. Enter into the feelings of those who are tempted, that the trials of temptations shall be so managed as to bring out the gold and consume the dross.

“For want of patience, kindness, forbearance, unselfishness, and love,—the revealings of the opposite traits flash forth involuntarily, when off guard, and unchristian words and unchristian exhibitions of character burst forth, sometimes to the ruin of a soul. ‘Rejoiceth not in iniquity;’—mark it, the apostle meant that where there is a cultivation of genuine love for precious souls it will be exhibited for those most in need of that patience which ‘suffereth long and is kind,’ and which will not be ready to magnify a small indiscretion or direct wrong into large, unpardonable offenses—will not make capital out of others’ misdoings. The love for souls for whose salvation Christ died, will not do that which will expose the errors and weaknesses of the erring before others.” (Ellen White, Gospel Herald, May 1, 1898, emphasis added.)