A Time of Rare Spiritual Opportunity,
February 3
When they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Romans 1:21.
When they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Romans 1:21.
Notwithstanding the wickedness of the antediluvian world, that age was not, as has often been supposed, an era of ignorance and barbarism. The people were granted the opportunity of reaching a high standard of moral and intellectual attainment. They possessed great physical and mental strength, and their advantages for acquiring both religious and scientific knowledge were unrivaled. It is a mistake to suppose that because they lived to a great age their minds matured late; their mental powers were early developed, and those who cherished the fear of God and lived in harmony with His will continued to increase in knowledge and wisdom throughout their life.... As the years of human beings have decreased, and their physical strength has diminished, so their mental capacities have lessened....
The antediluvians were without books, they had no written records; but with their great physical and mental vigor, they had strong memories, able to grasp and to retain that which was communicated to them, and in turn to transmit it unimpaired to their posterity.... Far from being an era of religious darkness, that was an age of great light. All the world had opportunity to receive instruction from Adam....
Skepticism could not deny the existence of Eden while it stood just in sight, its entrance barred by watching angels. The order of creation, the object of the garden, the history of its two trees so closely connected with human destiny, were undisputed facts. And the existence and supreme authority of God, the obligation of His law, were truths that people were slow to question while Adam was among them.
Notwithstanding the prevailing iniquity, there was a line of holy men and women who, elevated and ennobled by communion with God, lived as in the companionship of heaven. They were people of massive intellect, of wonderful attainments. They had a great and holy mission—to develop a character of righteousness, to teach a lesson of godliness not only to the people of their time but for future generations. Only a few of the most prominent are mentioned in the Scriptures, but all through the ages God had faithful witnesses, truehearted worshipers.—Patriarchs and Prophets, 82-84.
Notwithstanding the wickedness of the antediluvian world, that age was not, as has often been supposed, an era of ignorance and barbarism. The people were granted the opportunity of reaching a high standard of moral and intellectual attainment. They possessed great physical and mental strength, and their advantages for acquiring both religious and scientific knowledge were unrivaled. It is a mistake to suppose that because they lived to a great age their minds matured late; their mental powers were early developed, and those who cherished the fear of God and lived in harmony with His will continued to increase in knowledge and wisdom throughout their life.... As the years of human beings have decreased, and their physical strength has diminished, so their mental capacities have lessened....
The antediluvians were without books, they had no written records; but with their great physical and mental vigor, they had strong memories, able to grasp and to retain that which was communicated to them, and in turn to transmit it unimpaired to their posterity.... Far from being an era of religious darkness, that was an age of great light. All the world had opportunity to receive instruction from Adam....
Skepticism could not deny the existence of Eden while it stood just in sight, its entrance barred by watching angels. The order of creation, the object of the garden, the history of its two trees so closely connected with human destiny, were undisputed facts. And the existence and supreme authority of God, the obligation of His law, were truths that people were slow to question while Adam was among them.
Notwithstanding the prevailing iniquity, there was a line of holy men and women who, elevated and ennobled by communion with God, lived as in the companionship of heaven. They were people of massive intellect, of wonderful attainments. They had a great and holy mission—to develop a character of righteousness, to teach a lesson of godliness not only to the people of their time but for future generations. Only a few of the most prominent are mentioned in the Scriptures, but all through the ages God had faithful witnesses, truehearted worshipers.—Patriarchs and Prophets, 82-84.
Created in God’s Image, February 3
And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. Genesis 1:26.
The life of Christ is to be revealed in humanity. Man was the crowning act of the creation of God, made in the image of God, and designed to be a counterpart of God; but Satan has labored to obliterate the image of God in man, and to imprint upon him his own image. Man is very dear to God, because he was formed in His own image. This fact should impress us with the importance of teaching by precept and example the sin of defiling, by the indulgence of appetite, or by any other sinful practice, the body which is designed to represent God to the world....
In order to understand the value which God places upon man, we need to comprehend the plan of redemption, the costly sacrifice which our Saviour made to save the human race from eternal ruin. Jesus died to regain possession of the one pearl of great price.... The life of God’s children is a life of self-denial, of self-sacrifice, a life of humility. Those who are not partakers of His sufferings cannot hope to share in His glory.... We are to be judged according to the manner in which we use the knowledge of the truth which has been presented to us.
The Lord gave His only begotten Son to ransom us from sin. We are His workmanship, we are His representatives in the world, and He expects that we shall reveal the true value of man by our purity of life, and the earnest efforts put forth to recover the pearl of great price. Our character is to be modeled after the divine similitude, and to be reformed by that faith that works by love and purifies the soul. The grace of God will beautify, ennoble, and sanctify the character. The servant of the Lord who works intelligently will be successful. Our Saviour said, “Greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.”
What are these “greater works”? If our lips are touched with the living coal from off the altar, we shall reveal to the world the wonderful love manifested by God in giving Jesus, His only begotten Son, to the world, “that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
The mystery of the incarnation of Christ, the account of His sufferings, His crucifixion, His resurrection, and His ascension, open to all humanity the marvelous love of God. This imparts a power to the truth. The attributes of God were made known through the life and works of Christ. He was the representative of the divine character (The Review and Herald, June 18, 1895).
God’s creation is but a reservoir of means made ready for Him to employ instantly to do His pleasure (The S.D.A. Bible Commentary, Ellen White Comments 1:1081).