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Commentary on "Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow"
Day 1: Sabbath Afternoon, March 27, 2010
Overview
This lesson introduces the quarter’s emphasis on the Adventist “health message”. This first week seeks to establish a foundation of being anchored in God as a basis for honoring Him with one’s body. The General Conference Health Ministries Department authored this quarter’s lessons, and they introduce the first week by referencing the complexities of deep space, quoting Zophar in Job 11:7: “Can you search out the deep things of God? Can you find out the limits of the Almighty?”
They then point out that this same God “is the One who in the person of Jesus bore not only our humanity but our sins, as well.”
The first day’s lesson ends with this question: “With a truth like this ever before us, how could we not love this God and offer Him our very best praise and worship?
In the E. G. White Notes for Day One, Ellen White is quoted from The Health Reformer, July 1 1872, explaining that “A variety of exercise will all into use all the muscles and aid in their perfect development, all having equal strength to perform the distinctive work for which God designed them. Then can we comply with the exhortation of the inspired apostle, ‘I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye preset your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.’”
Observations
The first day’s lesson focuses on general revelation: God’s self-disclosure through creation which reveals His divine nature and eternal power (Rom. 1:20). General revelation, however, is not all that’s needed for saving faith. The lesson encourages the student to offer God their “very best praise and worship”. Yet this sort of praise and worship is not possible apart from being made alive in Christ. It will not result from observation of creation alone.
Conviction of God’s deity and creative sovereignty leads one to trust Him and receive the Lord Jesus by faith. This crucial fact is missing and leaves the student in an unresolved dilemma: I know I’m supposed to love God and offer Him my best praise. How do I manage to feel that kind of love?
Without being made alive by receiving Jesus and being born again, this love is impossible.
Finally, Ellen White’s quote misses the point entirely. Her quotation of the text beseeching us to present our bodies as living sacrifices is not referenced, but it is Romans 12:1. This text has absolutely nothing to do with proper exercise and function of the body. In fact, such a juxtaposition of “agenda” with Romans 12:1 is nothing short of manipulation.
The text, in context, refers to offering oneself to God as a soldier might report for duty to a commanding officer. It is exhorting believers to report for duty to the Lord Jesus, being willing to accept His orders for one’s life and one’s days and hours. The text has nothing whatsoever to do with proper use of the physical body.
Summary
- General revelation is not sufficient for saving faith.
- General revelation is to convict one of God’s divinity and eternal power, causing one to desire to know Him and to prepare one’s heart to receive the special revelation revealed in His word.
- One cannot offer God one’s “very best praise and worship” if one merely knows of Him. He must be born again and personally know Him.
- Romans 12:1, reminding us to offer ourselves as living sacrifices, has nothing at all to do with proper use and function of the physical body.
- Ellen White misuses Romans 12:1 to emphasize physical discipline. This juxtaposition of her “agenda” and the meaning of the text in context is wrong and teaches an untruth, inappropriately using the Bible to support a message the text does not support.
- Romans 12:1 tells believers to offer themselves to God for duty, ready to receive His specific marching orders for them each day as their suitable act of worship.
Copyright 2010 BibleStudiesForAdventists.com. All rights reserved. Revised March 25, 2010. This website is published by Life Assurance Ministries, Glendale, Arizona, USA, the publisher of Proclamation! Magazine. Contact email: BibleStudiesForAdventists@gmail.com.
The Sabbath School Bible Study Guide and the corresponding E.G. White Notes are published by Pacific Press Publishing Association, which is owned and operated by the Seventh-day Adventist church. The current quarter's editions are pictured above.
Official Adventist Resources
Standard Edition Study Guide Week 1
Teacher's Edition Study Guide Week 1
Easy Reading Edition Study Guide Week 1
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