The morning
Manna will be provided at 6am. Thanks. Studying In
the Crucible with Christ in the SSnet.org series Lesson 4, may the Holy
Spirit be the speaker to your heart. The Topic today
is: "Ellen White on Character Building and the End Times" The Opening
Hymn will be 229 "Spirit of the Living God" The Sabbath
School Quarterly, downloadable from SSnet.org in the Teacher's Edition
is on page 50 and for the laymen edition or Standard Edition, on page
36. The SSnet.org
site allows anyone, anywhere to read the lesson in their own language. Choose
your own language to see God speaking also to your heart. ---The oops-theologians
of Reformed Theology and influenced Reformed Theology Adventists, do not like
to talk about character development in the process of sanctification. ---It is today
appropriate to ask what Ellen White said about it. ---She is in
conversation with a the Operator of Heaven in a direct line. That conversation
data is very important for us. Even 130 years later. ---She had a
"heavenly phone". We have a Smart-phone but which is only earthly.
Her focus was sensitive and enlarged for revelations by God. Our focus shrunk
less than that of a goldfish. Ours 8.2 seconds. Goldfish 12.1
seconds! ---How can we
focus on divine things when we are accustomed to "flash-flash" =
next-next-next with our fingers. "Oh, religion. Flash = next!" ---Our eyes do
not read, we scan or browse by main word jumping. Jump to the last paragraph
and read a few words, guess the content and think we know what it says.
Move-on. ---But, we
don't. We missed the fine nuances. We cannot develop in character. Character
and biblical reading goes hand in hand. ---When Ellen
White was asked in an interview by young M. E. L. Andreasen from Chicago
University about the method of writing Desire of Ages, she answered him that
she had to study her content just like any one of us. Meaning, if she does not
pay attention to the content God gave her for herself, she will not be saved! ---To be
utilized by God is not character development. Character development requires
effort. It is not transferable. It is acquired to hardship experiences and
overcoming joys personally and individually. ---Education
225 and The Youth's Instructor, January 16, 1896 is of great importance
outlining in Adventist theology what character development is and what it is
not. ---It is with
enabling grace, it is by a saved individual, it got rid of all sinful habits
and acquired habits by one's own past foolishness. That is Ellen White at her
best. ---Not so with
Reformed influenced theologians and members. ---Romans 7:18
"For I know that in me (that is in my flesh) dwells no good thing: for to
will is present with me, but to perform that which is good, I find not". ---Is it Saul
or Paul? ---Augustine
and most Reformed theologians and H. LaRondelle Perfection 221-223
argues for Paul. ---Paul
scholars: LaRondelle (Adventist), George Knight (agnostic turned Adventist),
I. Blazen (Adventist scholar in 1980 in SBT journal), Augustine, Luther,
Calvin, Wolfinus, Owen, Delitzsch, Hodge, W. Kümmel. ---Saul
scholars: Chrystostom, Africanus, Bengel, De Wette, Hengstenberg, Neander,
Muller, Adventist fighter Stuart, R. Gundry and myself. ---How do you
read Romans 7? With the whole Bible and the whole Word of God. Principles of
salvation from the rest of the Bible should be placed over Saul in Romans 7 and
he is supposed to comply with the biblical way of salvation or fail. He failed
in Romans 7 because he was Saul. It is almost a writing of his diary when he
was still Saul. Very eager to work for God killing Christians! ---He did not
say: "Original Sin in me is killing." No, he said "The Sin
[Satan himself] in me is killing". Sin is personified because it also
"deceives" (verse 11). ---The Reformed
Theologians wants to read Romans 7 by itself fusing their ontology with Paul's
writing and experience, allocate it to after his regeneration and making it a
continuous struggle of the Christian until Jesus Comes. In conflict with Paul's
other overcoming statements [also in Romans like, erase corruption in us,
remove thinking and doing of evil desires successes. ---Where did
Paul preach total overcoming? Romans 13:14 "But put on the Lord Jesus
Christ and make no provision [before thinking, pre-planned] for the flesh, unto
lusts or desires". ---How much
provision is "no" provision? 1%, 2%, 99%? 100%? ---It appears
there is no room for any. ---Besides Saul
talks of victory in Christ in Romans 7:25 "But thank be to God through
Jesus Christ our Lord. "Who can save me from this body of death". ---It is
possible that the Sin he is talking or referring to in the latter part of
Romans 7, is the father of death, Satan as "the Sin".