Hello All,
(Just a general disclaimer that I must insert here at the beginning. I am but a lay person, like most of you. And these weekly “thoughts” are but my own. Not the definitive word on this or any topic. Just my own conclusions derived from my own study and faith in God. The greatest hope I have for these weekly “thoughts” is to have them be a springboard for further study on your part. Not to be a weekly treatise to be blindly accepted. So, please read them with this intent, this motive in mind).
A new “Adult Sabbath School Study Guide” lesson quarterly for our second quarter of 2023 titled “Three Cosmic Messages”, and our first lesson titled “Jesus Wins-Satan Loses”. Once again, we look at the “Three Angel’s Messages”. It has been a recurrent theme of our Bible Study Guide, off and on over the years. Afterall, we Adventists take our “marching orders” from this message. It is fitting, then, that we look at this once more, with the help of the Principal Contributor, Mark Finley (with interjections from the editor, Clifford Goldstein, I am sure).
The title for this first week says something that almost all Christians would support. “Jesus Wins- Satan Loses". This is repeated in the first line of Tuesday’s lesson, “As depicted in the Bible, Jesus has never lost a battle with Satan”. On the surface, that seems correct. But, upon reflection, is that true? Did Jesus lose any battle with Satan? Is there any soul for whom Christ died that did not come home to Him and the Father? How about Judas? How about Annas and Herod? What about most of the Pharisees? So, so many souls that will not come home. So, so many battles with Satan Jesus has lost. In fact, the Father, too, has lost many battles. He lost a third of His angels along with His wonderful angel, Lucifer. The Father has lost, too.
Does this mean the Father is impotent? No. It means we, all of us, have free will. We chose. And our choice can override God’s will for our lives… or complement God’s will for our lives. We can say “no” to God and “yes” to Satan. Christ’s battle for our souls can be lost. And has been lost... for untold numbers of His children.
So, the title for this week’s lesson should likely be modified. Even in His victory, Jesus loses BIG. He loses so many children, through no fault of His own. He loses because we will not let Him “win” us back to love and trust. And that may be a better title for this week’s lesson. “Jesus wins every battle we give Him – Satan loses every battle we turn over to God”. That may be a more accurate title.
As we consider the issues in the Great Controversy this quarter, let us remember God’s plan. “For God had allowed us to know the secret of his plan, and it is this: he purposes in his sovereign will that all human history shall be consummated in Christ, that everything that exists in Heaven or earth shall find its perfection and fulfilment in him.” (Ephesians 1: 9-10 Phillips). God’s plan is repeated again in Chapter 3: 6 “And this is God’s plan: Both Gentiles and Jews who believe the Good News share equally in the riches inherited by God’s children. Both are part of the same body, and both enjoy the promise of blessings because they belong to Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 3:6 NLT). All of God’s dealings throughout the entire Bible is for this purpose. All the rules and regulations. All the commandments. All the blood, sweat and tears. All is to win us back to trust.
But more. It is not enough that we are merely won back to trust. He does not want us as trusting, trembling servants. He wants us as trusting and understanding friends (see John 15:15). Friendship is not won by force or fear. Friendship is something offered voluntarily and freely. And so God works for this end. To have the whole universe brought back to mutual trust and trustworthiness, to mutual friendship, all freely given. Remember this as we study the “Three Angel’s Messages”. That most fearful of all messages in Scripture. Why would our God who values nothing so much as our friendship freely given, give such a fearful message at the close of time? May we work on this as we study this quarter.
With brotherly love, Jim