May29-June 4: Integrity: Wholeness and Holiness

Teaching Points

1. What is the definition of integrity? 

ANSWER:

• H8538--innocence.
• H8537—completeness, innocence, prosperity, uprightness

2. How is integrity or complete innocence closely related to being just or holy or righteous?

ANSWER:

• Prov. 20:7—The just walk in integrity.
• In Job 27:17 just and innocent are closely related.
• In Job 4:7, 22:19 and Psa. 94:21 righteous and innocent are closely related.
• Just means righteous, lawful
• Innocent means blameless, clean, clear, or guiltless
• When one is innocent he is righteous because he is guiltless or blameless

3. How does Job give us an example of integrity or holiness (just)? 

ANSWER:

• Job 2:3—Job continually clings or maintains his complete innocence. He is also upright, perfect and eschewing or turning away from evil.  
• Job 2:9—His wife sees his integrity and tells him to let go of it, curse God, and die. 

OBSERVATION:

• Integrity, holiness, righteousness, innocence, completeness, uprightness are all closely related and intertwined.
• Job illustrates these characteristics beautifully: he is upright, turns away from evil, maintains his innocence and refuses to blame God or turn against God when God allows bad things to happen. 

5. How can Job teach us the importance of clinging to integrity and shunning the wrong?

ANSWER:

• Job 2: 3, 9, and 10—Job responded to his wife’s temptation to let go of his integrity with integrity! He would not turn against God and curse Him for allowing evil to come but accepted God’s sovereignty.
• Job illustrates how to accept everything as from the hand of God in full trust. 

6. What attitude does Job demonstrate in his answer to his friends’ accusing him?

ANSWER:

• Job 27:4-6—He is still clinging to integrity, refusing to speak evil or reproach. 

7. What kind of love for God will give us the strength to hang on like Job when we lose everything and are being falsely accused?

ANSWER:

• Matt. 24:12, 13—enduring love that does not grow cold 

8. What is God’s remedy if we are lacking enduring love for Him?

ANSWER:

• Rev. 3:18-20—buy gold tried in the fire (1 Pet. 1:7), White raiment (Rev. 19:8), and eye salve (Ps 119:82—eyes failing for comfort of the word, Jn. 16:13—spiritual understanding from the comforter), repent zealously and open the door to Christ.  

OBSERVATION:

• Job’s response can show us how we should respond if we are truly following God and we lose everything—even having family and friends turn against us.
• Job’s attitude is the same attitude we should have in responding to being accused.
• Only enduring love for God will last through total loss with false accusations from family and friends.
• God has a solution to our weak and cold love—repent and open the door to Christ, buying the gold tried in fire, eye salve, and white clothing—symbols of faith, righteousness, and the Holy Spirit. 

SOP

• If men of tried courage and strong integrity are needed for this time, men who are not afraid to lift their voices for the right. To every laborer I would say, In all your official duties, let integrity characterize each act…. {Gospel Workers p. 141.2}
• And today, while the last message is being heralded to bring God's servants into harmony with every precept of his law, there will be scoffers and unbelievers; but every soul must stand in his own integrity. As Noah was faithful in warning the antediluvian world, so we must be faithful to the great trust that God has given us. Although there are scoffers and traducers on every side, we must not shrink from presenting the truth of heaven to this generation.  {Review and Harold, January 31, 1888 par. 6} 
• Many have been corrupted by the spirit and influence of the world. Their characters are becoming more and more unlike the divine model. They are being transformed to become instruments of unrighteousness. In striking contrast with this class are those industrious, honest, poor men, who ever stand ready to help the needy; who would rather suffer themselves to be defrauded by their wealthy brethren than to manifest so close and acquisitive a spirit as they manifest; who esteem a clear conscience, and integrity, even in little things, of greater value than riches. They are so ready to help others, so willing to do all the good in their power, that they do not accumulate; their earthly possessions do not increase. If there is a benevolent object to call forth means or labor, they are the first to be interested in it and to respond to it, and will frequently go far beyond their real ability, denying themselves some needed good, to carry out their benevolent purposes.  {Review and Harold, March 4, 1880 par. 5}  

CONCLUSION:

• Integrity is connected to innocence or holiness or righteousness.
• Job gives us an example of integrity and illustrates how we should value integrity above all else. 
• Job demonstrates that the key to integrity is a deep love relationship with God that is not broken by bad circumstances, false accusations from his friends, or his wife.
• In the last days we will soon face similar circumstances in losing all and being falsely accused by “friends” and “family”—will our love remain hot and endure?
• If our love is already lukewarm or cooling off, God has a solution: repent, accept His righteousness, receive the Holy Spirit, and have our faith and love strengthened by trials.

APPLICATION QUESTIONS:

• Do you hate evil so much that you turn away from it or do you love watching, hearing, or doing it?
• When things don’t go your way how do you respond toward God?
• Do you love and trust God so much that when everything goes wrong you still love God and trust Him with everything?
• Are you repenting and accepting Christ’s gifts of righteousness, faith, love, and the Holy Spirit?
• How would you rate you love for God: hot, lukewarm, or cold?

May22-28: Temperance

Teaching Points

1. Whose are we and what difference does this make? 

ANSWER:

• 1 Corinthians 6:19-20—We are God’s temple bought with Christ’s blood?
• We can no longer do whatever we please; we must ask God first.

2. What does God tell us about what we eat, drink, and do?

ANSWER:

• 1 Corinthians 10:31—Do all to God’s glory.

3. How does God feel about body and mind destroying activities? 

ANSWER:

• 1 Corinthians 3:17—Those who destroy their body temple God will destroy.

OBSERVATION:

• We do not own ourselves; we are God’s temple bought with the price of Christ’s blood.
• Because we are not our own, we cannot treat our bodies however we please.
• God calls us to glorify Him in all that we do.
• If we choose to destroy our body temples, God will destroy us. 

5. How can we learn to avoid harming our bodies?

ANSWER:

• 2 Peter 1:5, 6—add to knowledge, Temperance.

6. How is this temperance described in 1 Corinthians?

ANSWER:

• 1 Corinthians 9:24-27—Strict temperance or self-control like an athlete training for a race.

7. How can we gain the temperance or self-control to win this race?

ANSWER:

• Hebrews 12:1, 2—Focusing on Jesus and laying down our burden of sin, remembering what Jesus went through at the cross. This will give the strength and courage to be self-controlled in and for Christ.  

OBSERVATION:

• We can learn how to stop destroying our body temples by learning God’s knowledge and adding temperance or self-control to it.
• The temperance we need to run the race of life and win is very similar to the self-control needed to win an earthly race.
• Hebrews tells us that we should lay down every sin and burden and focus our eyes on Jesus and the cross.
• When we do this we are exercising self-control or discipline in Christ’s strength. 

SOP

• If the moral sensibilities of Christians were aroused upon the subject of temperance in all things, they could, by their example, commencing at their tables, help those who are weak in self-control, who are almost powerless to resist the cravings of appetite. If we could realize that the habits we form in this life will affect our eternal interests, that our eternal destiny depends upon strictly temperate habits, we would work to the point of strict temperance in eating and drinking. By our example and personal effort we may be the means of saving many souls from the degradation of intemperance, crime, and death. Our sisters can do much in the great work for the salvation of others by spreading their tables with only healthful, nourishing food. They may employ their precious time in educating the tastes and appetites of their children, in forming habits of temperance in all things and in encouraging self-denial and benevolence for the good of others.--"Testimonies," Vol. 3, p. 489.  {PH136 7.2}
• We should be at the head in the temperance reform. . . . The reason why many of us will fall in the time of trouble is because of laxity in temperance and indulgence of appetite.  {PH136 7.3}
• "Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the price? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air; but I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection, lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway." In running the race, in order to obtain that laurel which was considered a special honor, those who engaged in running were temperate in all things. They where temperate, that their muscles, and their brains, and every part of them, should be in the very best condition to run. If they were not temperate, they would not have that elasticity that they would have if they were temperate in all things. If temperate, they could run that race successfully. They were more sure of receiving the crown. But notwithstanding all their efforts in the direction of temperance, and to subject themselves to a careful diet, in order to be in the best condition, yet they only ran at a venture. They might do the very best they could, and yet after all not receive the token of honor; for another might be a little in advance of them, and take the prize. One only received the prize. But we can all run in the heavenly race, and all receive the prize. It is not an uncertainty. It is not to run at a risk. We must put on the heavenly graces, with the eye directed upward to the crown of immortality, keeping the Pattern ever before us. He was a Man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief. The self-denying life of our divine Lord we are to keep constantly in view. His life of poverty, humbleness, and self-denial, we must not forget. And then as we seek to imitate him, keeping our eye upon the mark of the prize, we can run this race with certainty, knowing that if we do the very best we can we shall certainly secure the prize. Men ran to obtain a corruptible crown, one that would perish in a day. All this self-denial practiced by those who ran these races was to obtain a corruptible crown, which was only a token of honor from mortals here.  {ST, September 18, 1879 par. 9} 

CONCLUSION:

• We belong to God. He created us and He bought us with His blood. 
• God wants us to glorify Him in how we take care of our bodies and minds. If we choose to destroy our bodies God will destroy us.
• Temperance is vitally important in running the race of life it is illustrated by athletes preparing for a race.
• Jesus is the one who gives the strength to lay down our burden of sin and run with patience because we remember what Jesus did for us on the cross.

APPLICATION QUESTIONS:

• What things in your life are out of hand?
• Do you feel out of control because you are bound to a habit you can’t break?
• Are you asking that God will help you to glorify Him in all that you do?
• Are you focusing on Christ’s death on the cross for you and is it causing you joy to lay down your sins and run patiently? 

May15-21: The Atmosphere of Praise

Teaching Points

1. Read Gen. 1:6 and answer the following.

QUESTIONS:

• What did God make on the second day?
• Why is it so vital for us to have?
• Why was it so important for God to make it the second day?

2. What is the firmament and what does it include?

ANSWER:

• Gen. 1:6—it must have water in it.
• Gen. 1:14—It has lights.
• Gen. 1:20—The birds fly in it.
• Strong’s # H7549—the expanse or visible arch of the sky.

3. What is displayed in the firmament? 

ANSWER:

• Ps. 19:1—The firmament shows God’s handiwork and glory.

OBSERVATION:

• Air is vital to existence.
• God knew that He needed air and water separate on the second day to prepare for the next steps in Creation.
• We can only survive a few minutes without air.
• Air contains molecules that make up water and often carries water vapor.
• The birds fly in the air.
• Using the broader definition for firmament being the visible arch of the sky it makes sense that lights (stars, sun and moon) can also be seen or included.
• The firmament shows us God’s glory and handiwork. 

5. Is there a spiritual atmosphere or firmament?

ANSWER:

• Ps. 150:1—Yes, We should praise God in the firmament of His power.

6. God has an atmosphere of praise around Him. We also have an atmosphere or influence around us. What does God compare a true Christian’s influence to?

ANSWER:

• Dan. 12:3—Those who are wise will shine as the brightness of the firmament.

7. How do these wise soul-winners affect the atmosphere of heaven?

ANSWER:

• Luke 15:7—There is joy in heaven. 

OBSERVATION:

• We are commanded to praise God in the firmament of His power.
• God and each of us have an atmosphere of influence which can be changed.
• Those who are wise will have brilliancy about them.
• Our choices can also affect the joy of heaven—Saved souls bring joy to heaven—therefore those who win souls can bring joy to heaven and thus affect the atmosphere of heaven. 

SOP:

• Sleeping rooms especially should be well ventilated, and the atmosphere made healthy by light and air. Blinds should be left open several hours each day, the curtains put aside, and the room thoroughly aired. Nothing should remain, even for a short time, which would destroy the purity of the atmosphere.  {2SM 462.3}
• Although there may be a tainted, corrupted atmosphere around us, we need not breathe its miasma, but may live in the pure air of heaven. We may close every door to impure imaginings and unholy thoughts by lifting the soul into the presence of God through sincere prayer. Those whose hearts are open to receive the support and blessing of God will walk in a holier atmosphere than that of earth and will have constant communion with heaven. {Pr 10.2}
• Atmosphere Provides Health and Vigor.--Above all things, parents should surround their children with an atmosphere of cheerfulness, courtesy, and love. A home where love dwells and where it finds expression in looks, in words, in acts, is a place where angels delight to dwell. Parents, let the sunshine of love, cheer, and happy content enter your own hearts, and let its sweet influence pervade the home. Manifest a kindly, forbearing spirit, and encourage the same in your children, cultivating all those graces that will brighten the home life. The atmosphere thus created will be to the children what air and sunshine are to the vegetable world, promoting health and vigor of mind and body.--CT 115 (1913).  {1MCP 63.4}
• Christ, the Great Physician, has given a prescription for every believer. He must eat the food provided in the Word of God. And the faith that works by love to God and man is dependent not only upon the food we eat but upon the air we breathe. If we associate with those who are evil, we breathe an atmosphere tainted with the malaria of sin. Be sure, by association with the meek and lowly followers of Jesus, to breathe a pure, holy atmosphere.  {OHC 255.6}

CONCLUSION:

• God created the atmosphere or air around us on the second day because all life depends on this.
• God reveals to us His glory and handiwork in the firmament or atmosphere.
• Just like there is a physical atmosphere around us there is also a spiritual atmosphere around each of us and in heaven.
• This atmosphere can be good or bad and what we choose can affect the amount of joy in heaven. 
• God wants us to praise Him in the atmosphere or firmament of His glory.
• The wise—those who turn others to righteousness—will shine brilliantly like the firmament. 

APPLICATION QUESTIONS:

• Are you taking time to enjoy the fresh clean air that God created for you?
• What atmosphere are you creating around you and in heaven?
• Are you asking that God will help you to live in an atmosphere of praise and bring joy to others?
• Are you bringing joy to heaven by dedicating your life to saving souls?