SSLS 2017-02-10
2017 1st Quarter
Lesson 6, February 4-10, The Holy Spirit and Living a Holy Life
Friday, February 10
“Ye shall be holy: for I the Lord your God am holy.” KJV, Leviticus 19:2.
“If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.” KJV, Hebrews 12:7-11, emphasis added.
“A mere profession of discipleship is of no value. The faith in Christ which saves the soul is not what it is represented to be by many. ‘Believe, believe,’ they say, ‘and you need not keep the law.’ But a belief that does not lead to obedience is presumption. The apostle John says, ‘He that saith, I know Him, and keepeth not His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.’ 1 John 2:4. Let none cherish the idea that special providences or miraculous manifestations are to be the proof of the genuineness of their work or of the ideas they advocate. When persons will speak lightly of the word of God, and set their impressions, feelings, and exercises above the divine standard, we may know that they have no light in them.
“Obedience is the test of discipleship. It is the keeping of the commandments that proves the sincerity of our professions of love. When the doctrine we accept kills sin in the heart, purifies the soul from defilement, bears fruit unto holiness, we may know that it is the truth of God. When benevolence, kindness, tenderheartedness, sympathy, are manifest in our lives; when the joy of right doing is in our hearts; when we exalt Christ, and not self, we may know that our faith is of the right order. ‘Hereby we do know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.’ 1 John 2:3.” (Ellen White, Thoughts from the Mount of Blessings, 146, 147, emphasis added.)
“We are not left in ignorance and darkness to travel an uncertain path. O, let us be grateful to our Heavenly Father for the great love wherewith He has loved us in making known His will; and to Jesus, who gave His precious life that He might have power to pardon transgression and sin. He will impart to us His character, so that we may follow His example of loyalty to God, and, through the grace which He will freely give us, become obedient to all of the divine law. And Jesus will be our strength as we follow on to know the Lord, walking in His precepts.
“There are voices many that would lead us from the path cast up, the royal way of life and holiness; the way in which Jesus would lead us for the salvation of our own souls, and to make us labourers together with Himself. It is our part to exert all the powers that God has given us in doing His will, and when a stumbling block is placed in our way, to make it a new errand to the throne of grace. We may thus gain divine wisdom to walk in perfect obedience to a ‘thus saith the Lord,’ and to co-operate with Christ and heavenly angels in leading other souls to obey God’s commandments, which we know ‘are not grievous.'” (Ellen White, Bible Echo, June 10, 1895, emphasis added.)
“Those who have genuine love for God will manifest an earnest desire to know his will and to do it. Says the apostle John, whose epistles treat so fully upon love, ‘This is the love of God, that we keep his commandments.’ The child who loves his parents will show that love by willing obedience; but the selfish, ungrateful child seeks to do as little as possible for his parents, while he at the same time desires to enjoy all the privileges granted to the obedient and faithful. The same difference is seen among those who profess to be children of God. Many who know that they are the objects of his love and care, and who desire to receive his blessing, take no delight in doing his will. They regard God’s claims upon them as an unpleasant restraint, his commandments as a grievous yoke. But he who is earnestly seeking for holiness of heart and life, delights in the law of God, and mourns only that he falls so far short of meeting its requirements.” (Ellen White, Review and Herald, April 26, 1881, emphasis added.)