The morning
Manna will be provided at 6am. Thanks. Studying In
the Crucible with Christ in the SSnet.org series Lesson 6, may the Holy
Spirit be the speaker to your heart. The Topic today
is: "The call to make attempts to overcome successfully". 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 76 and for the laymen edition or Standard Edition, on page 50. 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. ---John Wesley
wrote on the Christian's pursuit of holiness in his Sermons and his Works. ---When he came
to the subject of sinlessness after justification or regeneration, he heard of
Count Zinzendorf who said that if someone is converted, they sin no more.
Never. Even if they sin. ---Wesley wrote
letters to people to say that total freedom from the guilt of sin and the power
of sin is there but from the being of sin not. ---He said that
the being of sin is not removed from us. He said that it is unbiblical to say
that we are not tempted still, that our thoughts are not teased to sin, and in
this explanation of the presence of evil in the saint after conversion, was the
same as Calvinists, Lutherans, Barth, Berkhouwer, LaRondelle (Adventist) and
Knight (Adventist). ---But just as
Ellen White, Wesley also said that it should in the long run, not remain that
way since the voice to evil will become more quiet and finally still,
resistance stronger, overcoming more sure. It is this last part where
LaRondelle and Knight sever ways with Ellen White and Wesley. ---Wesley said
that he knew Calvinists in London that said total sinless perfection is never attainable.
Wesley then said that if you do not believe sinless perfection is possible,
then you cannot reach perfection. ---Origen, the
churchfather in 215 AD was converted but struggled with lusts in his body. So
he read today's scripture from Matthew 5:29 and thought the Lord said remove
the evil in your body and be saved. He did. He took a knife and castrated
himself. ---"Jesus
isn't calling us to harm our bodies physically. Rather, He is calling us to
control our minds and therefore our bodies". Says the lesson today. ---Wesley said
that we must strive to love God with all our heart and love everyone as
ourselves because that is what Perfection is all about. ---I will add that when temptation of the mind comes [which is Satan using our scars of the past to fabricate his imaginations mixing it with memories of the past] then immediately claim Romans 13:14 and just say: "but be you clothed with the Lord Jesus Christ" and Satan is immediately driven away and peace comes over your mind and body. Very powerful!