Progressive Conquest of Evil

Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. James 1:12 It is not the order and will of God to shield His people from temptation... When truth takes possession of the heart, the Christian will be brought into conflict... There are opposing elements in his own household, even in his own heart, and nothing but the free Spirit of God can ensure of him the victory. The beginning of yielding to temptation is in the sin of permitting the mind to waver, to be inconsistent in your trust in God. The wicked one is every watching for a chance to misrepresent God, and to attract the mind to that which is forbidden. If he can, he will fasten the mind upon the things of the world. He will endeavor to excite the emotions, to arouse the passions, to fasten the affections on that which is not for your good; but it is for you to hold every emotion and passion under control, in calm, subjection to reason and conscience. Than Satan loses his power to control the mind. The work in which Christ calls us is to the work of progressive conquest over spiritual evil in our characters. Natural tendencies are to be overcome... Appetite and passion must be conquered, and the will must be placed wholly on the side of Christ. We pray to our heavenly Father, "Lead us not into temptation," and then, too often, we fail to guard our feet against leading us into temptation. We are to keep away from the temptations by which we are easily overcome. Our success is wrought out by ourselves through the grace of Christ. We are to roll out of the way the stone of stumbling that has caused us and others so much sadness. OHC

20 - God's Commandment Remain Unchanged

"Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work; But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord Thy God: In it thy shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the Lord made haven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hollowed it." The Fourth Commandment, Exodus 20:8-11

1. Can any alerations be made in what God does?

Ecclesiastes 3:14 ____________________________________

2. Are His past requirements still required now?

Ecclesiastes 3:15 ___________________________________

3. When Go blesses something, how long will it be blessed?

1 Chronicle 17:27 ___________________________________

4. He hath blessed: and I canot do what?

Numbers 23:20 ___________________________________

5. Why did the Lord bless the seventh day?

Exodus 20:11 ____________________________________

6. By whom did God make the worlds?

Hebrews 1:2 ____________________________________

7.How involved was Jesus in the whole creation process?

Colossians 1:16 ____________________________________

John 1:3 _________________________________________

8. What then is Jesus' relation to the Sabbath?

Mtthew 12:8 ________________________________________

9. What do we know about our Lord?

Hebrews 13:8 ______________________________________

10. Looking nearly forty years beyond the crucifixion, what day was Jesus concerned about?

Matthew 24:20 ____________________________________

The seventh-day Sabbath is mentioned 59 times in the New Testament. And in no instance does the

Bible say that God ever removed its sacredness. By contrast the first day of the week is mentioned only

8 times in the New Testament, and not a single case does the Bible attach any sacredness to it.

11. According to Paul, what is the basis of the Sabbath rest?

Hebrews 4:4 ______________________________________

12. Paul confessed that he believed all things written where?

Acts 24:14 __________________________________________

13. On what day did he go to the house of worship?

Acts 13:14 __________________________________________

14. Gentiles wanted him to preach to them when?

Acts 13:42 _________________________________________

15. Who came the next Sabbath to hear God's word?

Acts 13:44 __________________________________________

16. On what day was prayer wont to be made?

Acts 16:13 ___________________________________________

17. How does the Bible tell us that gathering for public worship on the Sabbath was

Paul's regular practice?

Acts 17:2 __________________________________

18. How often did Paul present the Scriptures to both Jews and Greeks?

Acts 18:4 ___________________________________

19. How thoroughly did Paul instruct his converts?

Acts 20:27 ________________________________

20. Of whom would men arise, speaking perverse things?

Acts 20:30 ___________________________________

21. To what class of people was he speaking?

Acts 20:17 ___________________________________

22. When would this take place?

Acts 20:29 ___________________________________

Peter also predicted the rise of false teachers in the church who would

bring in "damnable heresies" (2 Peter 2:1).

23. In vision, Daniel was shown a power that would arise which would think to change what?

Daniel 7:25 ___________________________________

24. Paul told the early believers not to expect the end of the world

except there come what first?

2 Thessalonians 2:3 _____________________________

25. What two names did he call the one who would lead out in this falling

away? 2 Thessalonians 2:3. ____________________________

Carefully study 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12. This man of sin who would cause the church to fall away

would actually put himself in the place of God (verse 4). The mystery of iniquity was already

at work in Paul's day, but was not allowed to fully develop as long as a certain other

power was in existence (verse 7). Notice that this falling away would involve serious deceptions

(verse 9 - 12). The prophetic development of this apostasy is the subject of the next two lessons.

26. God wants all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of what?

1 Timothy 2:4 _______________________________________

27. For what weak reason do some reject God's commandments?

Mark 7:9 _____________________________________

"Man shall no live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God."

Matthew 4:4

28. The times of our ignorance God winked at; but now He commands men everywhere to do what?

Acts 17:30 ________________________________________

29. How should I respond when I learn the truth?

Psalm 119:60 ________________________________________

For further study: Booklet F

In the Light of God's Word...

• I understand that it was Jesus who created the world and set apart the 7th day as the Sabbath.
• I understand that neither Jesus nor His apostles ever abolished the Sabbath or sanctified another day in its place.
• I choose to follow the example of Jesus and keep the Sabbath holy.

Next Lesson: Winds, Waves, and Beasts from the sea.

Feeling Not a Safe Guide

The just shall live by his faith. Hab. 2:4.

Many pass long years in darkness and doubt because they do not feel as they desire. But feeling has nothing to do with faith. That faith which works by love and purifies the soul is not a matter of impulse. It ventures out upon the promises of God, firmly believing that what He has said, He is able also to perform. Our souls may be trained to believe, taught to rely upon the Word of God. That Word declares that "the just shall live by faith" (Rom 1:17), not by feeling.

Let us put away everything like distrust and want of faith in Jesus. Let us commence a life of simple, childlike trust, not relying upon feeling, but upon faith. Do not dishonor Jesus by doubting His precious promises. He wants us to believe in Him and unwavering faith.

There is a class who say, "I believe, I believe," and lay claim to all the promises which are given on condition of obedience, but they do not the works of Christ. God is not honored by any such faith. It is spurious. Another class are trying to keep all the commandments of God, but many of them do not come up to their exalted privilege in claiming the promises that were given for them. God's promises are for those who keep His commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.

I find that I have to fight the good fight of faith every day. I have to exercise all my faith, and not rely upon feeling. I have to act as though I knew the Lord heard me, and would answer me and bless me. Faith is not a happy flight of feeling; it is simply taking God at His word - believing that He will fulfill His promises because He said He would.

Hope in God, trust in Him, and rest in His promises, whether you feel happy or not. A good emotion is no evidence that you are a child of God, neither are disturbed, troubled, perplexing feelings an evidence that you are not a child of God. Come to the Scriptures and intelligently take God at His word. Comply with the conditions and believe He will accept you as His child. Be not faithless, but believing. OHC

19 - Remember Now thy Creator

In Revelation 14:6-12 we find three angels bearing solemn messages to the inhabitants of the earth. The first proclaims that the hour of God's judgment has come. (Remember, the judgment began at the end of the "2300 days" of Daniel 8 and 9) The second angel announces the fall of modern spiritual Babylon. And the third warns against worshipping the beast and his image and receiving his mark.

Once the messages have been proclaimed to all the world, "the harvest of earth" is reaped (see Revelation 14:15), and "the harvest is the end of the world." Matthew 13:39.

The three angels' messages, therefore, constitute Heaven's final appeal to humanity in these last days of earth's history. As such, they deserve the full attention of all who would prepare themselves for the final events.

"And the GOSPEL of the kingdom shall be PREACHED in all the world for a witness unto ALL NATIONS; and then shall the end come." Matthew 24:14.

"And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting GOSPEL to PREACH unto them that dwell on the earth, and to EVERY NATION, and kindred, and tongue, and people." Revelation 14:6.

1. According to the passage, whom are we not to worship?
Revelation 14:9 __________________________________

2. In what terms is the One whom we are to worship identified?
Revelation 14:7. _________________________________

3. Upon what basis is God declared worthy to receive glory and honor and power?
Revelation 4:11 __________________________________

Throughout the Scriptures, the fact that God created all things is presented as that which sets Him above all false gods, and makes Him alone worthy of our worship (1 Chronicles 16:25-26; Jeremiah 10:11-12; Isiah 45:18).

While modern scientists vainly attempt to disprove creation, the first angel of Revelation 14 proclaims a message designed to draw the attention of the world to "Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters."

4. The worshippers of God are identified as keeping what?
Revelation 14:12 ________________________________

5. What do the commandments of God say about creation?
Exodus 20:11 ___________________________________

Notice that the angel of Revelation 14:7 uses the wording of the fourth commandment to call the world back to the true worship of God.

6. When the heavens and the earth were finished, and God had ended His work, what did He do on the seventh day?
Genesis 2:1-2 _________________________________

7. What two things did God do to the seventh day?
Genesis 2-3 ___________________________________

To 'sanctify' means: "To reserve for sacred use; consecrate. To make holy. To cause to be piously observed or revered." The American Heritage Dictionary.

8. Why did God make the seventh day special?
Genesis 2:3 ___________________________________

9. Did the Creator rest because He was weary?
Isaiah 40:28 ___________________________________

10. Then for who's benefit did He make the Sabbath?
Mark 2:27 ___________________________________

11. The Lord rested on the seventh day, blessed it, and did what else to it?
]Exodus 20:11 ________________________________

To "hallow' means: "To make or set apart as holy." The American Heritage Dictionary.

12. Since he made it holy, we must remember to do what?
Exodus 20:8 _________________________________


The Seven-day weekly cycle

Sunday = 1st Day
Monday = 2ed Day
Tuesday = 3ed Day
Wednesday = 4th Day
Thursday = 5th Day
Friday = 6th Day
Saturday = 7th Day, SABBATH DAY

The lengths of days, months, seasons, and years are determined by the movements of the earth and moon in relation to the sun. But the seven-day weekly cycle is not a known astronomical unit of any kind. Its existence can be explained only by the fact that God declared and established it when He created the world.

IDENTIFYING THE BIBLICAL SABBATH

Crucifixion Friday "The day before the Sabbath" Mark 15:42
Jesus Rested in the Tomb "The Sabbath Day" Luke 23:56
Resurrection Sunday "The Sabbath was past" Mark 16:1

13. On whose day was John in the Spirit?
Revelation 1:10 _____________________________

14. Which day does the Lord claim as His?
Isaiah 58:13 ______________________________

15. Which day is the Sabbath of the Lord?
Exodus 20:10 ______________________________

16. Jesus referred to Himself as Lord of what?
Mark 2:28 _______________________________

17. Did Jesus keep His Father's commandments?
John 15:10 ______________________________

18. Did Jesus observe the seventy-day Sabbath?
Luke 4:16 _________________________________

19. He that says he abides in Him ought to walk how?
1 John 2:6 _________________________________

20. What has God designated as a sign of the relationship between Him and His people?
Ezekiel 20:20 _________________________________

21. What is necessary in order to activate a testament?
Hebrews 9:16 ________________________________

22. At the time of Jesus' death, was there still a Sabbath commandment?
Luke 23:56 ______________________________

23. Once a covenant has been confirmed by the death of the testator, can any alterations be made in it after that time?
Galatians 3:15 ____________________________

24. Will God Himself ever change it?
Psalm 89:34 _____________________________

25. Who will enter in through the gates into the Holy City?
Revelation 22:14 ____________________________

26. Does that include keeping the commandment about the Sabbath?
James 2:10 ______________________________

In the Light of God's Word ...

• I understand that Revelation 14 contains a last-day message for all the world.
• I understand that the Sabbath was made for man at the creation of the world.
• I understand that the Sabbath of the Lord is the seventh day of the week, Saturday.
• I choose to keep holy the day God has made holy.

Next Lesson: God's Commandment Remains Unchanged