![]() ![]() ![]() The lesson then asks "How does God shape our characters?" Again, it would be more accurate to ask "How does God help us shape our character". every day, by our choices even in the so-called “little things,” we are choosing either for or against Jesus." And with what the Ellen White quote states: ".Our daily lives are determining our destiny." This suggested refinement is more in line with what today's lesson subsequenlty states when it says ". Today's lesson states that "There will come a day when every human being on planet Earth will make their final, irrevocable decision, either for or against Jesus." However, consistent with the principle expressed in Revelation 22:11, it would be more true to say that there will come a day when every human being on planet Earth will have made their final, irrevocable decision, either for or against Jesus. So, what is our first choice that we need to pick which leads to our salvation? We choose to surrender ourselves to God and let His Holy Spirit work as our divine agent to lead our life. Pure doctrine will blend with works of righteousness heavenly precepts will mingle with holy practices. The character will be purified and elevated. The life of him in whose heart Christ abides, will reveal practical godliness. ![]() “God is love and he that dwells in love dwells in God, and God in him.” (1 John 4:16). This process of sanctification comes through the working out of the principle of love. That can only be done if we are fully controlled by His Spirit. We honor God by allowing Him to shape our character to conform to His image. Obviously, we can't shape our character out of what our heart wants, for the heart is deceitful above all things (Jer. Similar to the old saying, "You are what you eat," your daily choices and decisions that you put into your mind will gradually shape your characters. Our daily choices determine whether we are either for or against Jesus. We do not have to make those little choices by ourselves. That is where a relationship with God comes into play. Growing in grace means that we need help in making the little choices. In our spiritual lives, we each make little stepwise choices every day and when we make those choices selfishly they add up until we ultimately find that we have made a big choice that we cannot back out from easily. The issue is that sometimes processes lock up because they have each made choices where they can neither move forward of back out. In computer science, we often look at the multiple processes that are taking place in the computer as little choices about moving from one state to the next. The problem with choices is that they are often broken up into little choices that we don't worry to much about until we find that our little choices have backed us into a corner. Consequently, I did not get around to writing a comment this morning. We changed fron Summer time to normal time early this morning and the change has had me out of synch all day. How does God shape our characters? What means does He use for us to grow in grace? What can we do to more fully allow the Holy Spirit to transform us to be more like Jesus? Our daily lives are determining our destiny.” - Last Day Events, p. The work of transformation must be done now. White has said: “Jesus does not change the character at His coming. “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments” ( 1 John 5:3, NKJV). Now, today, and every day we must choose to be faithful to Christ and to His commandments. It’s not likely that someone constantly making the wrong choices in their life now, will suddenly, at the final crisis, come down on the side of Jesus, especially when the force of the whole evil world is against them. Of course, every day, by our choices even in the so-called “little things,” we are choosing either for or against Jesus. Revelation moves to one glorious climax where every person is led to decide for or against Christ. In the context of His soon return, our Lord adds, “He who is unjust, let him be unjust still he who is filthy, let him be filthy still he who is righteous, let him be righteous still he who is holy, let him be holy still“ ( Revelation 22:11, NKJV). Three times in Revelation 22:1-21 Jesus says that He is coming quickly ( Revelation 22:7, Revelation 22:12, Revelation 22:20). Jesus’ promise that ”this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world” (NKJV), given in Matthew 24:14, finds its final fulfillment in Christ’s last-day message, in Revelation 14:6, which says that the gospel is proclaimed to ”every nation, tribe, tongue, and people“ (NKJV). Image © The Classic Bible Art Collection – Formerly Standard Publishing at
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