And suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind and touched the hem of His garment.—Matthew 9:20

When you respond to the drawing of Christ, and join yourself to Him, you manifest saving faith. To talk of religious things in a casual way, to pray for spiritual blessings without real soul hunger and living faith, avails little. The wondering crowd that pressed close about Jesus realized no accession of vital power from the contact. But when the poor, suffering woman, who for twelve years had been an invalid, in her great need put forth her hand and touched the hem of His garment, she felt the healing virtue. Hers was the touch of faith, and Christ recognized that touch…. The faith which avails to bring us in vital contact with Christ expresses on our part supreme preference, perfect reliance, entire consecration. This faith works by love and purifies the soul. It works in the life of the follower of Christ true obedience to God’s commandments; for love to God and love to men and women will be the result of vital connection with Christ….

Jesus says, “I am the vine, ye are the branches” (John 15:5). Can we conceive of a more intimate relation than this implies? The fibers of the branch are identical with those of the vine. The communication of life, strength, and nourishment from the trunk to the branches is unobstructed and constant. The root sends its nourishment through the branches. Such is the believer’s relation to Christ, if he abides in Christ and draws his nourishment from Him. But this spiritual relation between Christ and the soul can be established only through the exercise of personal faith. “Without faith it is impossible to please Him” (Hebrews 11:6); for it is faith that connects us with the power of heaven, and brings us strength for coping with the powers of darkness. “This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith” (1 John 5:4)…. Our souls become strong in spiritual power; for we are breathing the atmosphere of heaven, and realizing that God is at our right hand, that we shall not be moved. We are rising above the world, beholding Him who is the Chief among ten thousand, the one altogether lovely, and by beholding we are to become changed into His image.—Selected Messages 1:334, 335.

Further Reflection: Is my faith in Jesus the result of a life totally consecrated to God?

From Jesus, Name Above All Names

For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps.—1 Peter 2:21

Those who talk unbelief will have a little enthusiasm when the sky is bright, and everything encouraging; but when the battle goes hard, when we have to hope against hope, and urge our petitions to the throne of grace through deep darkness, then the unbelieving ones will talk of the good land of Canaan, but will make prominent the dangers to be encountered. They will dwell on the strong walls, and the giants that we shall meet, when the language of faithful Caleb should be heard: “The land is an exceeding good land. If the Lord delight in us, then He will bring us into this land, and give it us.”

People of courage are wanted now; people who will venture something for the truth’s sake; individuals who will be sober, but not gloomy and desponding; persons who will watch unto prayer, and whose prayers will be mingled with living, active faith. We may be cheerful and even joyful. Even under temptation, our language may be that of faith and hope and courage. But no lightness, no trifling, should be indulged in; no low witticism should escape our lips, for these things give Satan great advantage. And we are living in the solemn hour of the Judgment, when we should afflict our souls, confess our errors, repent of our sins, and pray one for another that we may be healed.

If we are converted, we shall no longer represent Satan by warped, one-sided characters; but in character, in words, and in actions, we shall conform to the perfect model given us in the life of Christ. Unless we follow this perfect example, evil practices will confirm us in Satan’s snare. We cannot afford to dally with the tempter—to persist in one wrong habit, to cherish one darling sin. If we confess and forsake our sins; if we come to Jesus in penitence and humility of soul, acknowledging our inability to remove one spot or stain of sin, and relying wholly on the merits of a crucified Saviour, we may expect forgiveness; for His word is pledged. He has said that He will pardon our transgressions, and blot out our sins. We must dwell upon the matchless love and compassion of Jesus, and not upon our own unworthiness and sinfulness.—The Review and Herald, May 13, 1884.

Further Reflection: Is there anything in my life preventing me from following Christ fully?

From Jesus, Name Above All Names

“Therefore by their fruits you will know them.”—Matthew 7:20

The work for this time is to appeal to the Christian’s mind as the most important work that can be done. It is the question of cultivating the Lord’s vineyard. In this vineyard every person has a lot and a place, which the Lord has assigned him. And the success of each depends on his individual relationship to the one Divine Head.

The grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ and His tender relationship to His church on earth are to be revealed by the growth of His work and the evangelization of people in many places. The heavenly principles of truth and righteousness are to be seen more and still more plainly in the lives of Christ’s followers. More unselfishness and uncovetousness is to be seen in business transactions than has been seen in the churches since the pouring out of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. Not a vestige of the influence of selfish, worldly monopolies is to make the slightest impression on the people who are watching and working and praying for the second coming of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

As a people we are not ready for the Lord’s appearing. If we would close the windows of the soul earthward and open them heavenward, every institution established would be a bright and shining light in the world. Each member of the church, if he lived the great, elevated, ennobling truths for this time, would be a bright, shining light. God’s people cannot please Him unless they are surcharged with the Holy Spirit’s efficiency. So pure and true is to be their relationship to one another that by their words, their affections, their attributes, they will show that they are one with Christ. They are to be as signs and wonders in our world, carrying forward intelligently every line of the work. And the different parts of the work are to be so harmoniously related to one another that all will move like well-regulated machinery. Then will the joy of Christ’s salvation be understood. There will then be none of the representation now made by those who have been given the light of truth to communicate, but who have not revealed the principles of truth in their association with one another, who have not done the Lord’s work in a way that glorifies Him.—Selected Messages 1:113, 114.

Further Reflection: What good is knowing truth if I lack the love shown by Christ?

From Jesus, Name Above All Names

“They will respect my son.”—Matthew 21:37

With a father’s heart, God bore with His people. He pleaded with them by mercies given and mercies withdrawn. Patiently He set their sins before them, and in forbearance waited for their acknowledgment. Prophets and messengers were sent to urge God’s claim upon the husbandmen; but instead of being welcomed, they were treated as enemies. The husbandmen persecuted and killed them. God sent still other messengers, but they received the same treatment as the first, only that the husbandmen showed still more determined hatred.

As a last resource, God sent His Son, saying, “They will reverence My Son.” But their resistance had made them vindictive, and they said among themselves, “This is the heir; come, let us kill Him, and let us seize on His inheritance.” …

The Jewish rulers did not love God; therefore they cut themselves away from Him, and rejected all His overtures for a just settlement. Christ, the Beloved of God, came to assert the claims of the Owner of the vineyard; but the husbandmen treated Him with marked contempt, saying, We will not have this man to rule over us. They envied Christ’s beauty of character. His manner of teaching was far superior to theirs, and they dreaded His success. He remonstrated with them, unveiling their hypocrisy, and showing them the sure results of their course of action. This stirred them to madness. They smarted under the rebukes they could not silence. They hated the high standard of righteousness which Christ continually presented. They saw that His teaching was placing them where their selfishness would be uncloaked, and they determined to kill Him. They hated His example of truthfulness and piety and the elevated spirituality revealed in all He did. His whole life was a reproof to their selfishness, and when the final test came, the test which meant obedience unto eternal life or disobedience unto eternal death, they rejected the Holy One of Israel. When they were asked to choose between Christ and Barabbas, they cried out, “Release unto us Barabbas!” (Luke 23:18). And when Pilate asked, “What shall I do then with Jesus?” they cried fiercely, “Let Him be crucified” (Matthew 27:22).—Christ’s Object Lessons, 293, 294.

Further Reflection: When have I sought to silence the voice of Jesus because He rebuked some cherished sin in my life? Am I any different from the mob that yelled “Crucify Him!”?

From Jesus, Name Above All Names

You are good, and do good; teach me Your statutes.—Psalm 119:68

In the humanity of Christ there are golden threads that bind the believing, trusting poor person to His own soul of infinite love. He is the great Physician. In our world He bore our infirmities and carried our burdens. He is the mighty Healer of all diseases. He was poor, and yet He was the center of all goodness, all blessings. He is a reservoir of power to all to consecrate their powers to the work of becoming sons of God.

Christ has ever been the poor person’s friend. He chose poverty and honored it by making it His lot. He has stripped from it forever the reproach of scorn by blessing the poor, the inheritors of God’s kingdom. Such was His work. By consecrating Himself to a life of poverty, He redeemed poverty from its humiliation. He took His position with the poor that He might lift from poverty the stigma that the world had attached to it. He knew the danger of the love of riches. He knew that this love is ruinous to many souls. It places those who are rich where they indulge every wish for grandeur. It teaches them to look down on those who are suffering the pressure of poverty. It develops the weakness of human minds and shows that, notwithstanding the abundance of wealth, the rich are not rich toward God.

The characters of many have been molded by the false estimate placed on worldly rich people. The person possessed of houses and lands, lauded and deceived by the respect given him or her, may look down upon the poor person, who possesses virtues that the rich person does not. When weighed in the golden scales of the sanctuary, the selfish, covetous rich person will be found wanting, while the poor person, who has depended in faith upon God alone for his virtue and goodness, will be pronounced heir to eternal riches in the kingdom of God.—Manuscript 22, 1898.

Further Reflection: Why did Jesus choose to become poor, to make His lot with the powerless and the marginalized? How do I emulate Jesus’ love for the suffering and the oppressed?

From Jesus, Name Above All Names