Some Thoughts on the Discipline of our Trials

Quote: To live such a life, (as an effective Christian), to exert such an influence, costs at every step, effort, self-sacrifice, and discipline. It is because they do not understand this that many are so easily discouraged in the Christian life. Many who sincerely consecrate their lives to God’s service are surprised and disappointed to find themselves, as never before, confronted by obstacles and beset by trials and perplexities. They pray for Christ-likeness of character, for a fitness for the Lord’s work, and they are placed in circumstances that seem to call forth all the evil of their old nature. Faults are revealed, of which they did not suspect the existence. Like Israel of old, they question, “If God is leading us why do all these things come upon us?”

It is because God is leading them that these things come upon them. Trials and obstacles are the Lord’s chosen methods of discipline and His appointed conditions of success…in His providence He brings these persons into different positions and varied circumstances that may discover character defects which have been concealed from their own knowledge. He gives them opportunity to correct these defects, and to fit themselves for His service.

 

Except for crisis and trial in the life, defects in character may never be exposed and so may never be corrected. A comfortable life therefore is not something for which we ought to necessarily either pray for nor seek.  Hence Christ’s words; “seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added (food, clothing, housing, work etc) unto you.” (Matthew 6:33.)

 

Quote: We do not always consider that the sanctification we so earnestly desire and for which we pray is brought about through the truth and by the providence of God, in a manner we least expect. When we look for joy, behold, there is sorrow. When we expect peace, we frequently have distrust and doubt, because we find ourselves plunged into trials we cannot avoid. In these trials we are having the answers to our prayers. In order for us to be purified, the fire of affliction must kindle upon us, and our will must be brought into conformity to the will of God….God sees it best to put us under a course of discipline which is essential for us before we are fit subjects for the blessing we crave….perfection of character can be attained only through labour, conflict, and self-denial….He brings us into positions which are most trying to reveal what is in our hearts. The further the development of Christian graces He will place us in circumstances which will demand increased exertion on our part to keep our faith in lively exercise….

…All who in this world would render service to God or man receive a preparatory training in the school of sorrow. The weightier the trust and the higher the service, the closer is the test and the more severe the discipline….

…Those who are finally victorious will have seasons of terrible perplexity and trial in their religious life; but they must not cast away their confidence, for this is a part of their discipline in the school of Christ and it is essential in order that all dross may be purged away.

 

To him that overcometh  will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

 

To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.

 

To him that overcometh and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:

 

To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne

 

Quote: In times of trial, we must cling to God and His promises. Some have said to me,”Do you not get discouraged at times when you are under trial?” And I have answered,” Yes, if by discouragement you mean sad or cast down.” “Didn’t you talk to anyone of your feelings?” “No, there is a time for silence, a time to keep the tongue as with a bridle, and I was determined to utter no word of doubt or darkness, to bring no shade of gloom upon those with whom I associated. I have said to myself, I will bear the refiners fire; I shall not be consumed. When I speak, it shall be of light; it shall be of faith and hope in God; it shall be of righteousness, of goodness, of the love of Christ my Saviour; it shall be to direct the minds of others toward heaven and heavenly things, to Christ’s work in heaven for us, and our work upon earth for Him.

 

Quote: All our sufferings and sorrows, all our temptations and trials, all our sadness and griefs, all our persecutions and privations, in short, all things work together for good. All experiences and circumstances are God’s workmen whereby good is brought to us.

 

Ephesians 4:31  Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:

 

Folks, let us bear our trials with joy and confidence knowing that all things work together for good to them that love God and who are called according to His purpose. And let us not moan and groan under their weight that we may not be a discouragement to others. Rather, let us each one uplift the God of our salvation, leading others to the cross of Christ without laying stumbling stones in the way of searching souls.

 

PS. All quotes from EG White.

Related articles

• Why is This Happening? (gospelbondservant.com)
• The Discipline of Grace (Chapter 1.2) (maochamna.wordpress.com)
• The Faith Struggle (gospelbondservant.com)

The 4th Commandment

The Sabbath is different from all the other commandments. However, being different, does not make it any less a commandment. Let me explain. In any society, whether they have had contact with missionaries or the western world or perhaps no contact with anyone in the outside world, would over a period of time develop a code of ethics by which to live under. These will eventually develop into laws, and may very well get to a stage where they actually resemble the ten commandments. Except for the Sabbath of the 4th.
There is simply no way any society anywhere could come up with such an idea. For one, it marks the week. The week is a time period which is a unique witness to creation. Every other time period known to man is based on natural cycles of either the moon or the sun or the stars. That is in fact why they were created: that they may be for signs and seasons etc. But the weekly cycle is based on nothing other than the word of God. And yet it has endured. There have been attempts over the centuries to change it; someone one time tried to implement a 10 day week, but failed.

The Book of Judges; the Big Picture.

In our church study group, we have been looking at background characters in the OT, such as Caleb, Abigail, Uriah, and Rizpah. Many of the characters we’ve been studying are to be found in the book of Judges, among more renowned characters such as Samuel, Samson, Gideon and Deborah. In my personal study of that particular book of the Bible, a picture formed in my mind of the tremendous potential and promise that the young nation of Israel had so long as they remained faithful to their calling and obedient to their God. The book of Judges in the OT canon is a history of Israel’s emergence as a nation in the Middle East. What could have been a history of victory, of establishment, and one that brought knowledge of the love and power of God to all the nations round about, sadly, turned out quite different. The Bible, if anything at all, is almost brutally honest.

On Social Morality and Law and Order

Any media outlet that expresses public opinion in any form, for example talk-back radio, is awash with concern over the current state of crime, violence, social addictions and morality. Much of the debate centers on law, what changes need to be made if any, and how to enforce those changes once made, or simply retain the status quo but strengthen penalties for transgression.

A few years ago our government was embarrassed by revelations that it had broken the law over some election issues. This was not just the ruling party, but also opposition parties who were found to be guilty, some quite seriously. The eventual response to this, after much discussion and pointing of fingers from all directions and red-faced obfuscating and fudging of issues, was a retrospective change to the law.

Righteousness

Whatever righteousness is, it comes highly recommended.

Mt 5:6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

Mt 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

First point we must all realise, is that the ‘righteousness’, referred to above is Christ’s own righteousness. Not our own, not someone else’s, not the church’s. Isaiah said our own righteousness is worthless, so what we must answer is the question “what is Christ’s righteousness?” For it is that righteousness that we must hunger and thirst for, it is that righteousness we must seek for on equal priority to His kingdom.

We all, as professing Christians, have accepted Christ’s kingdom. We have all acknowledged His propitiation and atoning death. But His righteousness? What is that? And how do we get it?

Worship

I see worship not so much as something we do, although that plays a part, but rather as something we are. Not a state of doing, but a state of being, and it is what we are that motivates what we do.
There are secular people in the world who wouldn’t dream of breaking God’s commandments. While they might not keep them all, there are certainly some who would find utterly repugnant that they should cheat on their wife or husband, nor even consider looking upon any other to lust after them.
There are others who are meticulous in honesty, they would never lie , cheat on their taxes, nor steal form anyone.
There are others who are so content with their lives that covetousness may as well be a foreign language.
And there are still others who may do all of the above and also dote on their parents and love and care for them right up to the grave.
Yet none of this could be construed as worship. Obedience yes, but our righteousness is as filthy rags.

The Sabbath

The Sabbath commandment, the 4th, is most certainly different from all the other commandments. A great divergence of opinion exists regarding the relevance of the fourth commandment, even those who would agree that the Sabbath commandment need not be observed by Christians today, disagree on why.

However, being different, does not make it any less a commandment. Let me explain. In any society, whether they have had contact with missionaries or the western world or perhaps no contact with anyone in the outside world, would over a period of time develop a code of ethics by which to live under. These will eventually develop into laws, and may very well get to a stage where they actually resemble the ten commandments. Except for the Sabbath of the 4th.
There is simply no way any society anywhere could come up with such an idea. For one, it marks the week. The week is a time period which is a unique witness to creation. Every other time period known to man is based on natural cycles of either the moon or the sun or the stars. That is in fact why they were created: that they may be for signs and seasons etc. But the weekly cycle is based on nothing other than the word of God. And yet it has endured. There have been attempts over the centuries to change it; someone one time tried to implement a 10 day week, but failed.
The Sabbath is the same. It is not based upon any moral principle as such, but purely and simply on the word of God.

Three Spiritual Laws that Govern Life

3 Spiritual laws that govern life.

“For I delight in

Law One: ……….The law of God.

after the inward man”…..(Romans 7:22)

Paul has nothing but love and respect for God’s law. He considers it ‘holy, just and good’. It is Paul’s earnest and deepest desire to honour that law, and to keep all the commandments,

” but I see another law in my members, warring against the law (of God) of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to….” (v23cont.)

Law Two:………..“The law of sin…

“…which is in my members.

Paul delights in obedience, but finds that in the carnal nature resides a law which makes it impossible, the law of sin. Paul confesses his wretchedness and guilt. “Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” he cries.

“I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh, the law of sin.” (vs 25)

But if Paul is bound by the law of sin, despite his best intentions to obey the law of God, how then can he overcome? The answer is just 2 verses later. There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For…

Law Three:……….the law of the Spirit of life…

in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” Romans 8:1,2.

Three laws. The law of God which is holy, just, and good.
The law of sin which binds the carnal man making it impossible to obey the law of God.
The law of the Spirit of life which through the grace and power of God makes it possible for the reborn child of God to obey the law of God, if he relies on and walks after the Spirit and not after the flesh.

The law of sin has no power over them who are completely surrendered to Christ. That is why elsewhere Paul can assert that to those who walk in the Spirit they are transformed by the renewing of their minds, and are recreated into the image of the character of Christ. A character that is obedient and a mind (like Christ’s) which delights in the law of God and rejoices that by faith in the power and grace of God he may be obedient to all the commandments.

Galatianism or Judaising

The Galatians who were being deceived into accepting the ‘Judaizers’ rather than the simplicity of the gospel, certainly had a problem. The problem was not that they were keeping the sabbaths and feasts of the old sanctuary services, (as Paul himself still observed them) , but rather that they were trusting in that observation as a means to being justified. Similar in fact to those who in Jeremiah’s time were saying “The Temple of the Lord, the Temple of the Lord are these”; trusting in historical links to Abraham and Moses rather than in God Himself.

Would anyone dare suggest that it was not wrong to steal? If I as a Christian teach that stealing is morally indefensible which of you would accuse me of legalism? If however I taught that by being honest, I would then be justified before God, then your accusations of ‘Judaising’ and legalism etc would be justifiable.

There have been claims that there are certain denominations and individuals are guilty of legalism and ‘Judaizing’ when promoting the Sabbath or in defending it. How do you know that they are trusting in their works for their justification? Maybe they are simply obeying what they sincerely believe to be the commandments of God and are obeying them because they love Him?

While there may be some in my denomination that think they are justified by their obedience, not only would the church officially disagree with them, but so would I.

Grace, law, faith, obedience.

Grace, Obedience, Law, Faith.

Of all the problems in doctrine that plague the modern church, the relationship between the above four principles is the most hotly debated, and yet the most essential to be understood.

And being so hotly debated reveals the paucity of perception, and the lack of understanding among Christians today. So allow me if I may to shed what I hope is a little light on the subject, with the prayer that we may come to some understanding and avoid the many pitfalls and dangers that can arise from taking to unnecessary and possibly dangerous extremes on the issue.

So let me start at the beginning.

2 Co 5:17 Wherefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature: the old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

When we consider the above text, we may not perfectly understand how such a thing can happen, yet in faith we accept the testimony of God’s word to be true, and despite the mystery of the process, the result of being a new creature (being ‘born again John 3:3) can be clearly seen in its effects upon the human heart. A change will be seen, in some cases seemingly overnight, in others maybe a more gradual process, but a change nevertheless. This change will be seen in the character. The contrast will be clear and distinct. From darkness to light, ignorance to knowledge, unbelief to understanding, indifference and even hostility to faith and love. The change will be seen in the habits, not in the occasional misdeeds or good deeds, but rather in the growing habitual tendencies of words and practice.

Anyone is capable of a generous donation to charity, an act of unselfish kindness, even those who are, in their innermost being, quite selfish. Self-esteem may produce the appearance of a well ordered and well mannered life. Athletes with a passion for success can be extremely disciplined and focused. A love for reputation and a desire for honor may inspire one to separate oneself from the very appearance of evil. So how are we to know whose side we are on? How are we to know to whom we belong? With whom are our thoughts? Who do we love to talk about? Who has our deepest affections and is the recipient of our warmest praises?