This is an aside, but if you are following along via the Youth Edition of Steps to Christ, I have just realized that some of the chapters appear to be reprinted (unless my copy is just a misprint). If anyone can explain this to me, holla!
So I am basing the rest of the agenda on the original manuscript. Again you can find that version online by simply going to www.stepstochrist.us.
To begin with, this chapter identifies the simple reality that a person must be born again (John 3) in order to become a child of God. As a result, we start walking with God as a baby/child. The Bible clearly states that “spiritual things are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14) and as we grow both without and with Christ our discernment expands.
This chapter could be entitled The Abiding Presence of Jesus, because that is the primary focus. Once again Ellen over emphasizes the importance of keeping our entire focus on Jesus and not on self. By beholding Him, we will be changed!
Here are some quotes that really jumped off the page for me:
The child cannot, by any anxiety or power of its own, add to its stature. No more can you, by anxiety or effort of yourself, secure spiritual growth.
In the matchless gift of his Son, God has encircled the whole world with an atmosphere of grace, as real as the air which circulates around the globe. All who choose to breathe this life-giving atmosphere will live, and grow up to the stature of men and women in Christ Jesus.
Many have an idea that they must do some part of the work alone. They have trusted in Christ for the forgiveness of sin, but now they seek by their own efforts to live aright. But every such effort must fail. Jesus says, “Without me ye can do nothing.” Our growth in grace, our joy, our usefulness,--all depend upon our union with Christ. It is by communion with him, daily, hourly,--by abiding in him,--that we are to grow in grace. He is not only the author but the finisher of our faith. It is Christ first and last and always. He is to be with us, not only at the beginning and the end of our course, but at every step of the way.
So you are not to look to yourself, not to let the mind dwell on self, but look to Christ.
This next quote is so important as we are growing up into Christ. The closer we get to Him, the more we will recognize the plans and strategies that Satan uses. Here she makes it plan how Satan functions in our live and tell me if this is not true!
It is Satan’s constant effort to keep the attention diverted from the Saviour, and thus prevent the union and communion of the soul with Christ. The pleasures of the world, life’s cares and perplexities and sorrows, the faults of others, or your own faults and imperfections,--to any or all of these he will seek to divert the mind. Do not be misled by his devices. Many who are really conscientious, and who desire to live for God, he too often leads to dwell upon their own faults and weaknesses, and thus by separating them from Christ, he hopes to gain the victory.
When Christ took human nature upon him, he bound humanity to himself by a tie of love that can never be broken by any power save the choice of man himself.
When Christ abides in the heart, the whole nature is transformed. Christ’s spirit, his love, softens the heart, subdues the soul, and raises the thoughts and desires toward God and heaven.
Jesus prayed for us, and he asked that we might be one with him, even as he is one with the Father. What a union is this! The Saviour had said of himself, “The Son can do nothing of himself;” “the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.” Then if Christ is dwelling in our hearts, he will work in us “both to will and to do of his good pleasure."* We shall work as he worked; we shall manifest the same spirit. And thus, loving him and abiding in him, we shall “grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ” (Ephesians 4:15).
May we never forget that it is ALL ABOUT JESUS. Growing up into Christ is all about learning to trust Jesus with everything. He will never force us to worship Him and obey Him, but by simply surrendering to Him, He will live out His life in us! What a wonderous gift and opportunity we have to experience the very presence of God living in us! May we not take it for granted.
So we continue today looking at chapter 6, The Test of Discipleship. This is really where the rubber hits the road because when Jesus died and rose again, He did not go out saying, “Go make more Christians”, He said, “Go, make disciples” (Matthew 28).
The question begs to be asked, What is a disciple? Simply put, a disciple is a student. Jesus is often referred to in the Bible as a Rabbi, which means teacher. Putting it all together, when we decide to follow Jesus by putting all our faith, hope, trust and love into Him (His life, teachings, death, resurrection), we become a “student” of the Master Rabbi Jesus.
There are going to be a lot of quotes in this one! It is a great chapter. Be sure to read it and if you need a copy check it out at www.stepstoChrist.us!
To know whether or not you are a student of Jesus, Ellen states, “while we must not trust at all to ourselves or our good works, our lives will reveal whether the grace of God is dwelling within us. A change will be seen in the character, the habits, the pursuits. The contrast will be clear and decided between what they have been and what they are. The character is revealed, not by occasional good deeds and occasional misdeeds, but by the tendency of the habitual words and acts.” In another one of her writings, Ellen states that it is not the occasional misdeed, but the trajectory of a lifetime. A true disciple or follower of Jesus will notice that the rhythm of their lives is stepping to the beat of a new drum(er), so to speak. Or for you more methodologically conservative folk, the rhythm of your life will now be set to a non-syncopated rhythm.
Reminding me of the passage in Romans 8:6 where Paul states that “For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace”, Ellen continues to add, “Who has the heart? With whom are our thoughts? Of whom do we love to converse? Who has our warmest affections and our best energies? If we are Christ’s, our thoughts are with him, and our sweetest thoughts are of him. All that we have and are is consecrated to him. We long to bear his image, breathe his spirit, do his will and please him in all things.” With absolutely no desire to boost in my flesh, I can honestly say that Jesus is my greatest hope, my greatest thought, my greatest desire, my favorite topic to talk about, etc.... What about you? Is He your everything?
Remember when I said that there were going to be a lot of quotes? Take a gander at these paragraphs:
There are two errors against which the children of God--particularly those who have just come to trust in his grace--especially need to guard. The first, already dwelt upon, is that of looking to their own works, trusting to anything they can do, to bring themselves into harmony with God. He who is trying to become holy by his own works in keeping the law, is attempting an impossibility. All that man can do without Christ is polluted with selfishness and sin. It is the grace of Christ alone, through faith, that can make us holy.
The opposite and no less dangerous error is, that belief in Christ releases men from keeping the law of God; that since by faith alone we become partakers of the grace of Christ, our works have nothing to do with our redemption.
But notice here that obedience is not a mere outward compliance, but the service of love. The law of God is an expression of his very nature; it is an embodiment of the great principle of love, and hence is the foundation of his government in heaven and earth. If our hearts are renewed in the likeness of God, if the divine love is implanted in the soul, will not the law of God be carried out in the life? When the principle of love is implanted in the heart, when man is renewed after the image of Him that created him, the new covenant promise is fulfilled, “I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them."* And if the law is written in the heart, will it not shape the life? Obedience--the service and allegiance of love--is the true sign of discipleship. Thus the Scripture says, “This is the love of God, that we keep his commandments.” “He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him."* Instead of releasing man from obedience, it is faith, and faith only, that makes us partakers of the grace of Christ, which enables us to render obedience.
We do not earn salvation by our obedience; for salvation is the free gift of God, to be received by faith. But obedience is the fruit of faith.
If you are struggling today with your performance, I want to simply invite you to give up. Your righteousness is as filthy rags (see the prophet Isaiah). If you think that Ellen White was a legalist, please read these paragraphs again! I re-quote, “He who is trying to become holy by his own works in keeping the law, is attempting an impossibility.” In and of yourself you cannot do it. However, according to 1 Corinthians 6:19, “your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit”! This is only available for the believer. What does this mean? It means that the very Spirit of God actually makes His dwelling place INSIDE YOU! And it is only by HIM LIVING IN YOU that you can walk as He walked. AND with Him living in you, you will begin to, as the Psalmist David says, “delight in the law”! That is what Hebrews 10:16 is all about, “I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them.”
I could go on and on about this chapter. Please read the book! Let me know your thoughts, questions, comments, prayer requests, etc.
What do you believe in? What do you put your faith, hope, trust, and love in? The Bible defines faith as “the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). That being said, what do you hope for? I’m not talking about a new car or a bigger house, I mean what are your greatest and deepest hopes? If you believe in God, contemplate what evidence you have of Him working in your life?
Ellen states that, “As your conscience has been quickened by the Holy Spirit, you have seen something of the evil of sin, of its power, its guilt, its woe; and you look upon it with abhorrence. You feel that sin has separated you from God, that you are in bondage to the power of evil. The more you struggle to escape, the more you realize your helplessness. Your motives are impure; your heart is unclean. You see that your life has been filled with selfishness and sin. You long to be forgiven, to be cleansed, to be set free. Harmony with God, likeness to him,--what can you do to obtain it?
“It is peace that you need,--Heaven’s forgiveness and peace and love in the soul. Money cannot buy it, intellect cannot procure it, wisdom cannot attain to it; you can never hope, by your own effort, to secure it. But God offers it to you as a gift, ‘without money and without price.’ It is yours, if you will but reach out your hand and grasp it. The Lord says, ‘Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.’ ‘A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you.’ “ (Isaiah 55:1; Isaiah 1:18; Ezekiel 36:26)
What I love about her statements here is that the peace that passes all understanding that God want’s to give to you is not something that you can earn or buy, but it is a gift. Just like salvation, all we have to do is simply believe it by faith.
In talking about the paralytic who laid by the pool of Bethesda she states, “he believed Christ’s word, believed that he was made whole, and he made the effort at once; he willed to walk, and he did walk. He acted on the word of Christ, and God gave the power. He was made whole.” In another book Ellen states that “many of us are waiting for God to do for us, that which He has already given us the power to do for ourselves” (source unknown). What would our lives like like if we were to put our trust in the promises of God.
What I love time and time again throughout this book, is Ellen’s emphasis that in and of ourself we cannot earn salvation or make ourselves better and that when we try to do it is in vain and meaningless. She states on page 51 of the Youth Edition of Steps to Christ that, “you cannot change your heart and make yourself holy. But God promises to do all this for you through Christ. You believe that promise. You confess your sins and give yourself to God. You will to serve Him. Just as surely as you do this, God will fulfill His word to you. If you believe the promise,--believe that you are forgiven and cleansed,--God supplies the fact; you are made whole, just as Christ gave the paralytic power to walk when the man believed that he was healed. It is so if you believe it.”
So the simple question for you to follow the Steps to Christ is will you believe His promises? Maybe your response today is, “I believe, but help my unbelief.” If that is your prayer, consider yourself on the path to eternal life walking each step with Jesus!
Some have said that justification is done in a moment, but sanctification is the work of a life time. If that is true, repentance can be likened to justification because the moment a sinner repents, they are justified in the eyes of God. Consecration can be likened to sanctification because as an individual learns to consecrate themselves daily to God, permission is granted for God to work out His good and perfect will in the sinners life. This is what sanctification is all about.
Ellen writes, “He sets before us the height of blessing to which He desires to bring us, through His grace. He invites us to give ourselves to Him, that He may work His will in us. It remains for us to choose whether we will be set free from the bondage of sin, to share the glorious liberty of the sons of God.” If you miss this, you may become easily confused thinking that this is all about you and what you do or do not do in order to gain God’s favor. The key here is to keep in mind that “HE sets… HE desires, through HIS grace”! In other words, it is all about what Jesus desires for us. Please keep in mind that He desires to fulfill His good and perfect will in your life (Romans 12:2).
Take a moment to read the first chapter of Ephesians (especially through :14). When you do so, count the times that you are responsible for anything when it comes to salvation, righteousness, perfection, etc. Last time I check, which was about 20 seconds ago, you and I are only responsible for ONE thing!!!!! It is found in :14 and it occurs when we “believed in Him.” That is what consecration is all about, actually believing in God in the good times and the bad, at the beginning of, during and at the end of every day, putting our entire faith, hope and love into Jesus!
By beholding Him, we will become changed.
In the last paragraph of this chapter, Ellen states that, “By yielding up your will to Christ, you ally yourself with the power that is above all principalities and powers. You will have strength from above to hold you steadfast, and thus through constant surrender to God you will be enabled to live the new life, even the life of faith.” Are you ready to live the consecrated and victorious life? Simply surrender all to Jesus!
As we start today, I wanted to point out that I am also shooting a companion video blog to go with these comments below. You can see it at YouTube: VagaBondservant.
Okay peeps… so this chapter is a long one, but soooo good! My hope is that you are truly following along with reading the entire chapter, even before you come to this site. And PLEASE if you have any comments or points of clarification, don’t hesitate to ask by clicking the comment link below or by emailing me directly at matthew@matthewgamble.com.
So Ellen states right off the bat, “How shall a man be just with God? How shall the sinner be made righteous? It is only through Christ that we can be brought into harmony with God, with holiness; but how are we to come to Christ? Many are asking the same question as did the multitude on the day of Pentecost, when, convicted of sin, they cried out, ‘What shall we do?’ The first word of Peter’s answer was, ‘Repent.’ At another time, shortly after, he said, ‘Repent . . . and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out.’ “ (Acts 3:19)
Repentance is actually a gift from God. It means a turning away from. I remember when I first started following the teachings of Jesus. I was so overwhelmed at times because at the core of my being I was so selfish (still am in some respects!). All I was into was worldly pleasures and worldly gain. As I started growing closer to Jesus and understanding Him more, I was more and more convicted of sin in my life. Simply put, Jesus invited me through the Holy Spirit convicting me, to turn away from sins in my life. He didn’t leave me hanging to do it all on my own, however. He led me and is still leading me to become more like Him and less like sinful self.
What it comes down to is a simple yielding of myself to Jesus. Ellen states, “But when the heart yields to the influence of the Spirit of God, the conscience will be quickened, and the sinner will discern something of the depth and sacredness of God’s holy law...” What does this yielding look like? The Psalmist David writes, “Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your loving kindness. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me” (Psalm 51).
“A repentance such as this,” Ellen writes, “is beyond the reach of our own power to accomplish; it is obtained only from Christ...” That being said, go to God and ask from Him the gift of repentance. Later she states, “Ask Him to give you repentance, to reveal Christ to you in His infinite love, in His perfect purity.”
At the end of the day, I believe that all Jesus is trying to do is help each one of us come to the place where we recognize our deficiency and learn to TRUST Jesus wholly and completely. If you’ve ever wondered what the Bible is about, what going to church is all about, what paying tithe is all about, what singing songs of praise is all about, in my humble opinion it all comes down to God wanting to teach us to TRUST Him with everything and in so doing stop putting our faith in ourselves.
Lastly, remember that “It was sinners that Christ came to save. We have not to reconcile God to us, but--O wondrous love!--’God in Christ is reconciling the world unto Himself.’ “ We simply must come to the place where we cry out to God like blind Bartimaeus (Mark 10:47-48) and Jesus will be faithful to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Remember that in Revelation 3:19, the Bible tells us that because Jesus loves us, he will rebuke us and discipline us, so be excited and repent! Repentance is an invitation that God gives us and is GREAT NEWS!
This is such a crucial chapter in this book. If a person doesn’t come to the place where they recognize that they are not all that they desire to be, then God/religion/Jesus won’t mean a thing to them. Jesus dying for their sins wouldn’t make sense unless they recognize and take ownership of the fact that in and of themselves, they are unable to live a life without selfishness.
Last week on a plane ride, I met a lady by the name of Loretta. Within a few minutes of talking she discovered that I used to be an atheist and was now a follower of Jesus. She, a full time women’s advocate and humanitarian, told me that she was raised a believer but was now an atheist. As we talked she told me that she believes that the morality of humanity is “evolving” in a positive direction. Honestly I could hardly believe my ears as it seems to me that the morality of man is not moving forward, but rather digressing.
Ellen mentions that “Man was originally endowed with noble powers and a well-balanced mind. He was perfect in his being, and in harmony with God. His thoughts were pure, his aims holy. But through disobedience his powers were perverted, and selfishness took the place of love. His nature became so weakened through transgression that it was impossible for him, in his own strength, to resist the power of evil.” So in the beginning we were created in the image of God to live a life of selflessness and love. Through sin, however, selfishness became paramount and now we are no longer able to resist the power of evil.
Furthermore she states that “It is impossible for us, of ourselves, to escape from the pit of sin in which we are sunken. Our hearts are evil, and we can not change them. ‘Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean?--Not one.’ ‘The carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be‘ (Job 14:4; Romans 8:7). Education, culture, the exercise of the will, human effort, all have their proper sphere, but here they are powerless. They may produce an outward correctness of behavior, but they can not change the heart; they can not purify the springs of life.”
I hope that this doesn’t come across as judgmental, but I am fearful of some approaches that the SDA Church takes when it comes to evangelism. Sometimes it seems that we focus on education and human effort to get the life in order. And while people may look/talk/act better, does that mean that the heart is right with Jesus? In the next paragraph, Ellen states that “The idea that it is necessary only to develop the good that exists in man by nature, is a fatal deception.” Could it be that many are being led astray as the emphasis is placed on their behavior and not the life and death and resurrection of Jesus?
I love the Apostle Paul’s words when he exclaims, “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:24-25 ESV). In John 14:6 we are reminded that, “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” If we could earn our way to Heaven, then Jesus wouldn’t have had to come to this planet to die for our sins.
I encourage you today to simply acknowledge your sins to Jesus, accept His free gift of salvation, and now walk with Him in newness of life!
For the next 13 consecutive days I am (by God’s grace) going to be posting a daily blog based on a chapter out of the devotional by Ellen White, Steps to Christ. If you would like to obtain a copy of the book or read along online, you can do so by CLICKING HERE. Please keep in mind that different versions of this book, which has been translated in over 140 languages, contain different page numbers. As a result I will not be referencing pages numbers so as not to confuse you. The version that you can download both on your iPod and in print form (PDF) from the site above is the 1892 version of the book, which didn’t contain this first chapter that we are going to look at today.
CHAPTER 1: God’s Love for Man
The book starts with a very simple, yet profound statement, “Nature and revelation alike testify of God’s love.” At the beginning of this chapter, Ellen primarily focuses on the aspects of nature that testify of God’s love. She states that “even amid the suffering that results from sin, God’s love is revealed.... The thorn and the thistle--the difficulties and the trials that make his life one of toil and care--were appointed for his good as a part of the training needful in God’s plan for his uplifting from the ruin and degradation that sin has wrought. The world, though fallen, is not all sorry and misery. In nature itself are messages of hope and comfort. There are flowers upon the thistles, and the thorns are covered with roses.” Is it not amazing how God brings such blessing out of tragedy in our lives?
Can you think of a time when something tragic occurred in your life, later revealed God’s glory? In my life, I know that I look back at all the pain that I was in as a teenager confused and depressed. A life of stealing, lying, cheating, partying, etc. was turned around when Jesus revealed Himself to me.
Going back to the second part of the opening line of this book, Ellen then states, “The word of God reveals His character.” She mentions regarding nature that it “imperfectly represent(s) His (Gods) love.” Further she states that “the enemy of good (Satan) blinded the minds of men, so that they looked upon God with fearl that thought of Him as severed and unforgiving. Satan led men to conceive of God as a being whose chief attribute is stern justice,--one who is a severe judge, a harsh, exacting creditor.” It is because of this flawed view of the character of God, that we have the Bible to set the record straight. Jesus says, “When you’ve seen me, you’ve seen the father” (John 14:9). If you want to know what the character of God is really like, look to Jesus.
“He took man’s nature, that He (Jesus) might reach man’s wants. The poorest and the humblest were not afraid to approach Him. Even little children were attracted to Him. They love to climb upon His knees and gaze into the pensive face, benignant with love.”
Here are a few more lines that really jumped out to me:
“His life was one of self-denial and thoughtful care for others. Every soul was precious in His eyes.”
“In all men He saw fallen souls whom it was His mission to save.”
“He became ‘a Man of Sorrows,’ that we might be made partakers of everlasting joy.”
He (God the Father) permitted Him (Jesus) to leave the bosom of His love, the adoration of the angels, to suffer shame, insult, humiliation, hatred, and death.”
“But this great sacrifice was not made in order to create in the Father’s heart a love for man, not to make Him willing to save. No, no! ‘God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son.’ John 3:16. The Father loves us, not because of the great propitiation, but He provided the propitiation because He loves us.... ‘God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself’ (2 Corinthians 5:19).
“Nothing less than the infinite sacrifice made by Christ in behalf of fallen man could express the Father’s love to lost humanity.”
“Jesus is ‘not ashamed to call them (you) brethern (brother)’ (Hebrews 2:11).
Blessings to you as you read this powerful chapter. Please let me know what stuck out to you as well as if you have any questions about this chapter.
Since Tuesday of this week I have been in West Virginia at the Mountain View Conference Campmeeting speaking to the youth. We have been richly blessed to have the students from Miracle Meadows join us as well.
The theme for this week is “Give it Up! Give it All! Give it Now!” As a result we have been talking about giving it all to Jesus. Learning to trust Him with everything!
In the evenings we have been looking at scripture from Genesis to 1 John 2 to Romans. God has really shown up and I can honestly say challenged me that much more in my faith and commitment to Him.
In the morning sessions we’ve been looking at what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. The first morning (Wednesday) we looked further into how to deepen our prayer experience. Thursday morning we looked at deepening our prayer experience. And Friday we looked into the core elements of what it means to worship God with our whole heart. This ended with a great discussion of music and what is and isn’t appropriate.
Blessings to you all! I look forward to keeping in touch!
And don’t forget that on Monday (6/29) I will be sharing a daily blog based out of Steps to Christ.
So some people have told me that I am much more tame online than in person. Here is a bit of entertainment for you ADHD fans out there! Just go to Menu and click on View Flick.
For more information you can check out flickaday.com.
This week I am in Baltimore, MD sharing a series of messages with the overarching theme of “What Would Jesus Really Do?” The series take a look at the life and teachings of Jesus to determine whether or not what Jesus taught is applicable and relevant to our lives. Obviously I believe that the answer is a resounding YES and it seems that those who are coming out would agree. The series is being hosted by the Brooklyn SDA Church in Baltimore. You can find more information on the website.
If you are in the area, we want to encourage you to come out and join us. If you are unable to make it in person, the messages will be available on the church’s website soon. We are at the church starting promptly at 7pm each evening and Saturday mornings as 11am for a full-church service.
Location: Brooklyn Seventh-day Adventist Church
3533 Fourth St.
Baltimore, MD 21225
Contact: Pastor Nelson
Phone: 410-354-0027
Email:nelsray@juno.com
For the next 13 consecutive days I am (by God’s grace) going to be posting a daily blog based on a chapter out of the devotional by Ellen White, 
This week I am in Baltimore, MD sharing a series of messages with the overarching theme of “What Would Jesus Really Do?” The series take a look at the life and teachings of Jesus to determine whether or not what Jesus taught is applicable and relevant to our lives. Obviously I believe that the answer is a resounding YES and it seems that those who are coming out would agree. The series is being hosted by the 