“A little while longer the light is with you. Walk while you have the light.”—John 12:35

The gospel of Christ is aggressive and diffusive. In the day of God not one will be excused for being shut up to his own selfish interests. There is work for every mind, and for every hand, work adapted to different minds and varied capabilities. Everyone who is connected with God will impart light to others. If there are any who have no light to give, it is because they have no connection with the Source of light. Is it any marvel that God does not visit the churches with greater manifestations of His power, when so large a number are shut up in themselves, engrossed in their own interests? It is thus that their piety becomes weakened, and they grow bigoted and self-caring; but by working for others they would keep their souls alive. If they would become co-laborers with Jesus, we should see the light in our churches steadily burning brighter and brighter, sending forth its rays to penetrate the darkness beyond our own border.

Oh, if the church would arise, and put on her beautiful garments, the righteousness of Christ, what a change would be realized in her influence, and in her spiritual condition! The jealousies and fault-finding, the heart-burnings, the envy and dissensions, the strife for supremacy, would cease. A close sympathy with Christ and His mission of love and mercy, would bring the workers into sympathy with one another, and there would be no disposition to cherish these evils, which, if indulged, are the curse of the church. In giving attention to the work of saving souls, they would be stimulated themselves to greater piety and purity; there would be a unity of purpose, and the salvation of precious souls would be felt to be of such great importance that all little differences would be completely swallowed up.

The Lord holds the church responsible for the souls whom they might save. If His people were to see themselves as God sees them, they could not endure to look their responsibilities and delinquencies in the face. Self-reproach would overwhelm them…. If you claim to be the children of God, you are your brother’s keeper. God has entrusted to you sacred truths. Christ abiding in the individual members of the church is a well of water, springing up into everlasting life. You are guilty before God if you do not make every effort possible to dispense this living water to others.—The Review and Herald, October 12, 1886.

Further Reflection: What blessing from God does my church desperately need?

From Jesus, Name Above All Names

All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.—Revelation 13:8

As we read of Luther, Knox, and other noted Reformers, we admire the strength, fortitude, and courage possessed by these faithful servants of God, and we would catch the spirit that animated them. We desire to know from what source they were out of weakness made strong. Although these great men and women were used as instruments for God, they were not faultless. They were erring people, and made great mistakes. We should seek to imitate their virtues, but we should not make them our criterion. These persons possessed rare talents to carry forward the work of the Reformation. They were moved upon by a power above themselves; but it was not them, the instruments that God used, that should be exalted and honored, but the Lord Jesus who let His light and power come upon them. Let those who love truth and righteousness, who gather up the hereditary trusts given to these standard-bearers, praise God, the Source of all light.

If it should be announced that angel messengers were to open before humanity the treasures of the knowledge which relate to heavenly things, what a stir would it create in the Christian world! The atmosphere of heaven would be about the messengers, and how eagerly would many listen to the words that should fall from their lips! Men and women would write books calling attention to the angels’ words, but a greater Being than angels has been in our world; the Lord Himself has come to reflect upon human beings the light of heaven. He has announced Himself as one with the Father, full of grace and truth, God manifest in the flesh.

The Lord Jesus, who is the image of the invisible God, gave His own life to save perishing humanity, and, oh, what light, what power, He brings with Him! In Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead, bodily. What a mystery of mysteries! It is difficult for the reason to grasp the majesty of Christ, the mystery of redemption. The shameful cross has been upraised, the nails have been driven through His hands and feet, the cruel spear has pierced to His heart, and the redemption price has been paid for the human race. The spotless Lamb of God bore our sins in His own body upon the tree; He carried our sorrows.—Selected Messages 1:402, 403.

Further Reflection: What would it feel like to become sin when I have never sinned? How did Jesus feel as my sins slowly invaded His perfect purity?

From Jesus, Name Above All Names

The Lord has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all.—Psalm 103:19

When Satan declared to Christ, The kingdom and glory of the world are delivered unto me, and to whomsoever I will I give it, he stated what was true only in part, and he declared it to serve his own purpose of deception. Satan’s dominion was that wrested from Adam, but Adam was the vicegerent of the Creator. His was not an independent rule. The earth is God’s, and He has committed all things to His Son. Adam was to reign subject to Christ. When Adam betrayed his sovereignty into Satan’s hands, Christ still remained the rightful king…. Satan can exercise his usurped authority only as God permits.

When the tempter offered to Christ the kingdom and glory of the world, he was proposing that Christ should yield up the real kingship of the world, and hold dominion subject to Satan. This was the same dominion upon which the hopes of the Jews were set. They desired the kingdom of this world. If Christ had consented to offer them such a kingdom, they would gladly have received Him. But the curse of sin, with all its woe, rested upon it. Christ declared to the tempter, “Get thee behind Me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve.”

By the one who had revolted in heaven the kingdoms of this world were offered Christ, to buy His homage to the principles of evil; but He would not be bought; He had come to establish a kingdom of righteousness, and He would not abandon His purpose. With the same temptation Satan approaches men and women, and here he has better success than with Christ. To human beings he offers the kingdom of this world on condition that they will acknowledge his supremacy. He requires that they sacrifice integrity, disregard conscience, indulge selfishness. Christ bids them seek first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; but Satan walks by their side and says: Whatever may be true in regard to life eternal, in order to make a success in this world you must serve me…. While he allures them with the hope of worldly dominion, he gains dominion over the soul. But he offers that which is not his to bestow, and which is soon to be wrested from him.—The Desire of Ages, 129, 130.

Further Reflection: What do I say to people who see the wicked prospering while the righteous suffer?

From Jesus, Name Above All Names

For it is evident that our Lord arose from Judah, of which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priesthood.—Hebrews 7:14

Skepticism could not deny the existence of Eden while it stood just in sight, its entrance barred by watching angels. The order of creation, the object of the garden, the history of its two trees so closely connected with humanity’s destiny, were undisputed facts. And the existence and supreme authority of God, the obligation of His law, were truths which people were slow to question while Adam was among them.

Notwithstanding the prevailing iniquity, there was a line of holy men and women who, elevated and ennobled by communion with God, lived as in the companionship of heaven. They were men of massive intellect, of wonderful attainments. They had a great and holy mission—to develop a character of righteousness, to teach a lesson of godliness, not only to the people of their time, but for future generations. Only a few of the most prominent are mentioned in the Scriptures; but all through the ages God had faithful witnesses, true-hearted worshipers.

Of Enoch it is written that he lived sixty-five years, and begat a son. After that he walked with God three hundred years. During these earlier years Enoch had loved and feared God and had kept His commandments. He was one of the holy line, the preservers of the true faith, the progenitors of the promised seed. From the lips of Adam he had learned the dark story of the Fall, and the cheering one of God’s grace as seen in the promise; and he relied upon the Redeemer to come. But after the birth of his first son, Enoch reached a higher experience; he was drawn into a closer relationship with God. He realized more fully his own obligations and responsibility as a son of God. And as he saw the child’s love for its father … he learned a precious lesson of the wonderful love of God to humanity in the gift of His Son, and the confidence which the children of God may repose in their heavenly Father. The infinite, unfathomable love of God through Christ became the subject of his meditations day and night; and with all the fervor of his soul he sought to reveal that love to the people among whom he dwelt.—Patriarchs and Prophets, 84.

Further Reflection: What would happen in my spiritual experience if I meditated daily on the gift of Jesus to fallen humanity?

From Jesus, Name Above All Names

For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword.—Hebrews 4:12

It is God’s purpose that the poor and uneducated shall have, in His Word, a sure guide in the path of righteousness. If they are sincere, and desire earnestly to know the will of God, they will not be left in darkness. It is the privilege of everyone to understand the Word of God for himself. The great truths necessary for salvation are made as clear as noonday; and none need mistake and lose their way except those who follow their own judgment instead of the plainly revealed will of God. A single text has proved in the past, and will prove in the future, to be a savor of life unto life to many a soul. As men and women diligently search, the Bible opens new treasures of truth, which are as bright jewels to the mind.

If the unlearned are not capable of understanding the Bible, then the mission of Christ to our world was useless….

The command to search the Scriptures, Christ addressed not only to the scribes and Pharisees, but to the great multitude of the common people, who crowded about Him. If the Bible is not to be understood by every class of people, whether they be rich or poor, what would be the need of the Saviour’s charge to search the Scriptures? What profit would there be in searching that which could never be understood? What would be the consistency of this command, if the searching of the Scriptures would not dispel the clouds of error, or lead to an understanding of the revealed will of God?

Let everyone who has been blessed with reasoning faculties take up the Bible and search its pages, that they may understand the will of God concerning themselves. In this Book divine instruction is given to all. The Bible is addressed to everyone—to every class of society, to those of every clime and age. Everyone should read the Bible for himself. Do not depend on the minister to read it for you. The Bible is God’s Word to you. And Christ has made this Word so plain that in reading it, no one need misunderstand. Let the humble cottager read and understand the Word given by the wisest Teacher the world has ever known, and among kings, governors, statesmen, there is none greater than He.—The Signs of the Times, July 11, 1906.

Further Reflection: How has studying the Bible changed my mind?

From Jesus, Name Above All Names