Sunday
December 16
1. AN EXAMPLE OF REPENTANCE
a. What warning should we take from the experience of the disciple Peter? Matthew 26:33, 69–74.
b. How have the scenes of Gethsemane inspire us to deeper repentance than we had ever before experienced? Matthew 26:33, 69–75; Hebrews 12:3, 4.
“Peter denied the Man of Sorrows in His acquaintance with grief in the hour of His humiliation. But he afterward repented and was reconverted. He had true contrition of soul and gave himself afresh to his Saviour. With blinding tears he makes his way to the solitudes of the Garden of Gethsemane and there prostrates himself where he saw his Saviour’s prostrate form when the bloody sweat was forced from His pores by His great agony. Peter remembers with remorse that he was asleep when Jesus prayed during those fearful hours. His proud heart breaks, and penitential tears moisten the sods so recently stained with the bloody sweat drops of God’s dear Son. He left that garden a converted man. He was ready then to pity the tempted. He was humbled and could sympathize with the weak and erring. He could caution and warn the presumptuous, and was fully fitted to strengthen his brethren.”—Testimonies, vol. 3, p. 416.
Monday
December 17
2. TURNING TO GOD’S WAYS
a. Name one admonition that requires special emphasis today. 1 John 2:15–17.
“There is something to repent of. Worldly-mindedness, selfishness, and covetousness have been eating out the spirituality and life of God’s people.
“The danger of God’s people for a few years past has been the love of the world. Out of this have sprung the sins of selfishness and covetousness.”—Testimonies, vol. 1, p. 141.
b. Why is God’s word a key for true conversion? Hebrews 4:12–16.
“Conversion is a work that most do not appreciate. It is not a small matter to transform an earthly, sin-loving mind and bring it to understand the unspeakable love of Christ, the charms of His grace, and the excellency of God, so that the soul shall be imbued with divine love and captivated with the heavenly mysteries. When he understands these things, his former life appears disgusting and hateful. He hates sin, and, breaking his heart before God, he embraces Christ as the life and joy of the soul. He renounces his former pleasures. He has a new mind, new affections, new interest, new will; his sorrows, and desires, and love are all new. The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life, which have heretofore been preferred before Christ, are now turned from, and Christ is the charm of his life, the crown of his rejoicing. . . .
“The works of holiness, which appeared wearisome, are now his delight. The word of God, which was dull and uninteresting, is now chosen as his study, the man of his counsel. It is as a letter written to him from God, bearing the inscription of the Eternal. His thoughts, his words, and his deeds are brought to this rule and tested. He trembles at the commands and threatenings which it contains, while he firmly grasps its promises and strengthens his soul by appropriating them to himself. The society of the most godly is now chosen by him, and the wicked, whose company he once loved, he no longer delights in. He weeps over those sins in them at which he once laughed. Self-love and vanity are renounced, and he lives unto God and is rich in good works. This is the sanctification which God requires. Nothing short of this will He accept.”—Testimonies, vol. 2, pp. 294, 295.
Tuesday
December 18
3. HEEDING THE TRUE WITNESS’ COUNSEL
a. What assurance do we have when we zealously repent of our lukewarm state? Acts 3:19, 20.
“Heed the counsel of the True Witness. Buy gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich, white raiment that thou mayest be clothed, and eyesalve that thou mayest see. Make some effort. These precious treasures will not drop upon us without some exertion on our part. We must buy—‘be zealous and repent’ of our lukewarm state. We must be awake to see our wrongs, to search for our sins, and to zealously repent of them.
“I saw that the brethren who have possessions have a work to do to tear away from these earthly treasures and to overcome their love of the world. Many of them love this world, love their treasure, but are not willing to see it. They must be zealous and repent of their selfish covetousness, that the love of the truth may swallow up everything else. I saw that many of those who have riches will fail to buy the gold, white raiment, and eyesalve. Their zeal does not possess intensity and earnestness proportionate to the value of the object of which they are in pursuit.
“I saw these men while striving for the possessions of earth; what zeal they manifested, what earnestness, what energy to obtain an earthly treasure that must soon pass away! What cool calculations they made! They plan and toil early and late, and sacrifice their ease and comfort for earthly treasure. A corresponding zeal on their part to obtain the gold, white raiment, and eyesalve will bring them in possession of these desirable treasures and life, everlasting life, in the kingdom of God. I saw that if any need eyesalve, it is those who have earthly possessions. Many of them are blind to their own state, blind to their firm grasp upon this world. Oh, that they may see!
“ ‘Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me’ (Revelation 3:20). I saw that many have so much rubbish piled up at the door of their heart that they cannot get the door open. Some have difficulties between themselves and their brethren to remove. Others have evil tempers, selfish covetousness, to remove before they can open the door. Others have rolled the world before the door of their heart, which bars the door. All this rubbish must be taken away, and then they can open the door and welcome the Saviour in.”—Testimonies, vol. 1, pp. 142, 143.
Wednesday
December 19
4. THE PROCESS LEADING TO VICTORY
a. What understanding and task are the key to spiritual victory among God’s people? Isaiah 55:8, 9; 58:1. How are some deceived in seeking to escape this reality? 1 Kings 18:17.
“Some, in their tempted condition, charge the difficulties and perplexities of the people of God to the testimonies of reproof that we have given them. They think the trouble is with the ones who bear the message of warning, who point out the sins of the people and correct their errors. Many are deceived by the adversary of souls. They think that the labors of Brother and Sister White would be acceptable if they were not continually condemning wrong and reproving sin. . . .
“Some will not receive the testimony that God has given us to bear, flattering themselves that we may be deceived and that they may be right. They think that the people of God are not in need of plain dealing and of reproof, but that God is with them. These tempted ones, whose souls have ever been at war with the faithful reproving of sin, would cry: Speak unto us smooth things. What disposition will these make of the message of the True Witness to the Laodiceans? There can be no deception here. This message must be borne to a lukewarm church by God’s servants. It must arouse His people from their security and dangerous deception in regard to their real standing before God. This testimony, if received, will arouse to action and lead to self-abasement and confession of sins. . . .
“The people of God must see their wrongs and arouse to zealous repentance and a putting away of those sins which have brought them into such a deplorable condition of poverty, blindness, wretchedness, and fearful deception. I was shown that the pointed testimony must live in the church. This alone will answer to the message to the Laodiceans. Wrongs must be reproved, sin must be called sin, and iniquity must be met promptly and decidedly, and put away from us as a people.”—Testimonies, vol. 3, pp. 258-260.
b. What happens when we consent to open the door of our heart to Christ? Revelation 3:20 (last part).
“As soon as we consent to give sin up, to acknowledge our guilt, the barrier is removed between the soul and the Saviour.”—Selected Messages, bk. 1, p. 325.
Thursday
December 20
5. HEALING AND ACCEPTANCE WITH GOD
a. What hopeful, comforting message accompanies the counsel to Laodicea? Revelation 3:19; Jeremiah 3:22, 23.
“Oh, the love, the wondrous love of God! After all our lukewarmness and sins He says: ‘Return unto Me, and I will return unto thee, and will heal all thy backslidings.’ This was repeated by the angel a number of times. ‘Return unto Me, and I will return unto thee, and will heal all thy backslidings.’
“Some, I saw, would gladly return. Others will not let this message to the Laodicean church have its weight upon them. They will glide along, much after the same manner as before, and will be spewed out of the mouth of the Lord. Those only who zealously repent will have favor with God. . . .
“We can overcome. Yes; fully, entirely. Jesus died to make a way of escape for us, that we might overcome every evil temper, every sin, every temptation, and sit down at last with Him.
“It is our privilege to have faith and salvation. The power of God has not decreased. His power, I saw, would be just as freely bestowed now as formerly. It is the church of God that have lost their faith to claim, their energy to wrestle, as did Jacob, crying: ‘I will not let Thee go, except Thou bless me’ (Genesis 32:26). Enduring faith has been dying away. It must be revived in the hearts of God’s people. There must be a claiming of the blessing of God.”—Testimonies, vol. 1, pp. 143, 144.
Friday
December 21
PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. What should we learn from the victory Peter gained from his experience?
2. What fruit accompanies genuine conversion?
3. Name some obstacles that could be blocking the door of the heart.
4. Why is the message of reproof also a message of hope?
5. Explain the hope offered by the True Witness to the Laodiceans.