Focus on Jesus JESUS, OUR EXAMPLE
For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps. 1 Peter 2:21.
All through His life, including His perfect sinless behavior, including His miracles, including Gethsemane and the cross, Jesus lived through a power from above Him. It was always through the faith relationship of prayer and communion with God that Jesus experienced this power.
Not even by a thought did He yield to temptation. So it may be with us (The Desire of Ages, p. 123). His sinless life was given as our example (ibid., p. 49). By His own obedience to the law, Christ proved that through His grace, the law could be perfectly obeyed by every son and daughter of Adam (Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, p. 49). Jesus' life in you will produce the same as in Him (ibid., p. 78). We are to overcome as Christ overcame (The Desire of Ages, p. 389). "The Saviour was deeply anxious for His disciples to understand for what purpose His divinity was united to humanity....God was manifested in Him that He might be manifested in them. Jesus revealed no qualities, and exercised no powers, that man may not have through faith in Him. His perfect humanity is that which all His followers may possess, if they will be in subjection to God as He was." --Ibid., p. 664.
Don't let anyone tell you that we cannot perfectly obey the law of God. There's too much evidence that this is not true. And it all comes from Jesus and the life that He lived, and the teachings that He gave concerning His own life and how He lived it.
Jesus becomes an example to us, if we consider the issue of sin in terms of relationship rather than simply behavior. The real issue is relationship with God, and dependence on Him, versus choosing to try to control ourselves. Jesus was our example in living His entire life through dependence upon God.
When I study this subject, I feel as though I'm on holy ground. It is humbling to realize that Jesus came and lived like I have to live. Does this make me feel as though I'm far behind? It surely does. Does it discourage me? No, because Jesus has given too much evidence already that He loves us and will continue to help us understand how He lived His life, so that we too can overcome. We can take courage from thattoday.
For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps. 1 Peter 2:21.
All through His life, including His perfect sinless behavior, including His miracles, including Gethsemane and the cross, Jesus lived through a power from above Him. It was always through the faith relationship of prayer and communion with God that Jesus experienced this power.
Not even by a thought did He yield to temptation. So it may be with us (The Desire of Ages, p. 123). His sinless life was given as our example (ibid., p. 49). By His own obedience to the law, Christ proved that through His grace, the law could be perfectly obeyed by every son and daughter of Adam (Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, p. 49). Jesus' life in you will produce the same as in Him (ibid., p. 78). We are to overcome as Christ overcame (The Desire of Ages, p. 389). "The Saviour was deeply anxious for His disciples to understand for what purpose His divinity was united to humanity....God was manifested in Him that He might be manifested in them. Jesus revealed no qualities, and exercised no powers, that man may not have through faith in Him. His perfect humanity is that which all His followers may possess, if they will be in subjection to God as He was." --Ibid., p. 664.
Don't let anyone tell you that we cannot perfectly obey the law of God. There's too much evidence that this is not true. And it all comes from Jesus and the life that He lived, and the teachings that He gave concerning His own life and how He lived it.
Jesus becomes an example to us, if we consider the issue of sin in terms of relationship rather than simply behavior. The real issue is relationship with God, and dependence on Him, versus choosing to try to control ourselves. Jesus was our example in living His entire life through dependence upon God.
When I study this subject, I feel as though I'm on holy ground. It is humbling to realize that Jesus came and lived like I have to live. Does this make me feel as though I'm far behind? It surely does. Does it discourage me? No, because Jesus has given too much evidence already that He loves us and will continue to help us understand how He lived His life, so that we too can overcome. We can take courage from thattoday.
RSS Feed
