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| FRIDAY | March 12 |
| “It is not enough for us to believe that Jesus is not an impostor, and that the religion of the Bible is no cunningly devised fable. We may believe that the name of Jesus is the only name under heaven whereby man may be saved, and yet we may not through faith make Him our personal Saviour. It is not enough to believe the theory of truth. It is not enough to make a profession of faith in Christ and have our names registered on the church roll. ‘He that keepeth His commandments dwelleth in Him, and He in him. And hereby we know that He abideth in us, by the Spirit which He hath given us.’ ‘Hereby we do know that we know Him if we keep His commandments.’ 1 John 3:24; 2:3. This is the genuine evidence of conversion. Whatever our profession, it amounts to nothing unless Christ is revealed in works of righteousness.”—Ellen G. White, Christ’s Object Lessons, pp. 312, 313. |
 How can we avoid the trap of legalism, that of thinking that our works will save us or that of cheap grace, thinking that our works have nothing at all to do with our salvation? How do we strike the right balance here? Which ditch do you tend to lean more toward, cheap grace or legalism?  What is the inherent danger of having our lives driven by the desire to do good works? What can this lead to, and how can we avoid it?  Think of a person you know who seems to be “righteous.” What is this person like? How does he or she act? How does he or she treat people? What does this person talk about? What can you learn from this person?  We tend to think of righteousness in individual terms, which is correct. But is there not a community element, as well? Can our church community be “righteous”? If so, how? What would a “righteous” church community look like? How does yours compare with the ideal that you’ve come up with?  If salvation by faith means more than merely making a profession of faith in Christ and having our names registered on the church roll, then what does it really mean? What is “faith” in the biblical sense of the term? |
| I N S I D E Story | ||
| A Child's Song by MA YE PORTER Asap peeked into the hospital ward in her hometown of Kavieng, Papua New Guinea. The doctor wasn't there, so she slipped inside. She knew that the doctor didn't want her to be around sick people, but Asap was on a mission. The patients looked so sad, and she wished she could do something to cheer them up. Sing! A voice seemed to whisper. So Asap walked from bed to bed singing songs she had learned in Sabbath School. One old man, Salatiel, smiled as Asap approached his bed. "What church do you attend, Girlie," he asked teasingly. "The Adventist church," she answered. "What day do you attend church?" he asked. "On Sabbath, the seventh day," she said innocently. Her simple answer surprised him. He gave her his Bible and said, "Show me a verse that says that Saturday is the Sabbath." Five-year-old Asap couldn't read, but she opened the Bible and pointed to a verse. "Here," she said to the man. "Read this." Salatiel read the verse Asap had pointed to. He blinked and read it again. "The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord" (Exod. 20:10). "Go get your father," he told Asap. "Hurry!" Asap scampered from the hospital and soon returned with her father. "1 want you to see this miracle," Salatiel said, pointing to the verse Asap had shown him. "Surely the Sabbath is the Lord's day of worship!" he said. Asap's father studied the Bible with Salatiel, and by the time the old man was well enough to return to his village, he had accepted many new Bible truths. "How am I going to explain this to my pastor and others in my village?" Salatiel asked. Asap's pastor offered to go with him to help him. Many people listened as Salatiel and the pastor explained the Sabbath and other Bible truths, and soon several asked to be baptized. The pastor invited Asap and her family to attend the baptism, and when it was SalatiePs turn to be baptized in the sea, little Asap took his hand and led him to the water. Today a new group of believers worship in a little bamboo church in their village—all because a little girl obeyed when the Holy Spirit whispered, "Sing!" Someone needs your help to find the Savior today. And every day your mission offerings help to share your faith with people you may never meet. MAYE PORTER and her pastor-husband have served as missionaries throughout the South Pacific Division. Currently they share their faith on Norfolk Island, off the coast of eastern Australia. | ||
| Produced by the General Conference Office of Mission Awareness. email: info@adventistmission.org website: www.adventistmission.org |
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