A New Life

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FRIDAY

November 5

Further Study:

“The Bible has little to say in praise of men. Little space is given to recounting the virtues of even the best men who have ever lived. This silence is not without purpose; it is not without a lesson. All the good qualities that men possess are the gift of God; their good deeds are performed by the grace of God through Christ. Since they owe all to God the glory of whatever they are or do belongs to Him alone; they are but instruments in His hands. More than this—as all the lessons of Bible history teach—it is a perilous thing to praise or exalt men; for if one comes to lose sight of his entire dependence on God, and to trust to his own strength, he is sure to fall. . . . “It is impossible for us in our own strength to maintain the conflict; and whatever diverts the mind from God, whatever leads to self-exaltation or to self-dependence, is surely preparing the way for our overthrow. The tenor of the Bible is to inculcate distrust of human power and to encourage trust in divine power. “It was the spirit of self-confidence and self-exaltation that prepared the way for David's fall. Flattery and the subtle allurements of power and luxury were not without effect upon him. Intercourse with surrounding nations also exerted an influence for evil. According to the customs prevailing among Eastern rulers, crimes not to be tolerated in subjects were uncondemned in the king; the monarch was not under obligation to exercise the same self-restraint as the subject. All this tended to lessen David's sense of the exceeding sinfulness of sin. And instead of relying in humility upon the power of Jehovah, he began to trust to his own wisdom and might.”—Ellen G. White, Conflict and Courage, p. 177.

Discussion Questions:

In your class, have individual members identify roles or positions in which they have or have had power or influence. Discuss what can be done to safeguard against a misuse of power in these positions. How can we help someone who we see is in danger of misusing authority or influence?      Look at the ethnic, cultural, and socioeconomic makeup of your Sabbath School class. How welcome would people from other groups or nonchurched people feel in your class? What could you do as a Sabbath School class to reach out to “foreigners”?      Uriah—honest, loyal, principled—gets murdered by his own king, whom he faithfully served. David—dishonest, treacherous, deceitful—gets the beautiful woman as a wife and lives for many more years. Discuss.     As a class, go over Psalm 51 and discuss what it teaches about forgiveness. How can we learn to accept forgiveness for ourselves when we might be guilty of sins as bad as David’s here?

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		I N S I D E Story
		A New Life by SEGUNDO GENARO ESCOBAL I began using drugs when I was a teenager in Peru. Drugs led to stealing, which led to prison. I was released and drafted into the military. Then I moved to Brazil, where I slept on the streets and sold handicrafts to buy drugs. One day my brother found me chewing coca leaves on the street. We used to do drugs together, but he had changed. "I've found Jesus," he said. "And I want you to meet Him too." He invited my family and me to live with him and learn about God's love, but I doubted that God had any use for a drug addict. He invited me to attend evangelistic meetings, and I agreed to go. My wife went as well. During the meetings I accepted Christ into my life and asked to be baptized. But when the pastor learned of my drug problems, he hesitated to baptize me immediately. I became angry and rebelled against God. I fell even more deeply into sin. Then David, a man from the church, came to study the Bible with me. But I was drunk when he came, and I refused to see him. David sat down and talked to my children about God. He sang and prayed with them. I heard everything from where I was hiding. Finally David left, but he returned every week without fail. Because of his love, I surrendered my life to Christ. I prayed for deliverance from drugs, but God didn't take the cravings away instantly. One day I had to run an errand, yet I knew I was too weak to leave home without buying drugs unless I had God's help. I prayed until I felt God's strength fill me. I passed friends who invited me to have a drink or a smoke or some drugs. I hurried by, not daring to stop. After I finished my errand, I caught a bus home. At every bus stop I prayed for strength not to get off the bus and buy drugs. I finally reached home and fell asleep, emotionally exhausted. When I awoke the next morning, I had no urge to drink or take drugs. I knew that God had answered my prayers. God changed my life completely. Now instead of searching for drugs, I look for people who need Jesus. I give Bible studies two or three times a week, visit people in the hospital, and do whatever God puts in my path. My wife and children also are active in church outreach. God has turned our lives completely around. We are so happy now, complete in Jesus. SEGUNDO and his family share their faith in Manaus.
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