Presenting a Biblical response by concerned former Seventh-day Adventists to the Sabbath School Bible Study Guide.

This website is NOT connected to the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The offical Seventh-day Adventist Church website is linked here.

HOME | 2012 | SECOND QUARTER | WEEK 6 | DAY 1 | DAY 2 | DAY 3 | DAY 4 | DAY 5 | DAY 6 | DAY 7

BibleStudiesForAdventistsHead

Commentary on "Personal Evangelism and Witnessing"

NICOLE STEVENSON

 

Day 5: Wednesday, May 9, 2012 - The Witness of a Righteous Life

 

Overview

Today’s lesson focuses on combating hypocrisy with “consistency”. The author writes that our words and our actions must line up in oder to be a good witness. He writes, “To profess to love God and then act as if you don’t is hypocrisy.” The main point of the lesson is that our words and actions must be harmonious. The author uses the passage in 1 Peter 3:1-15 to give an example of how we “win” our unbelieving onlookers to God. The author writes that “Christianity is not only a title that we claim but also an empowering relationship that we enjoy.”

 

Observations

One of the main points I would like to address in today’s lesson is the idea that consistency is the answer to hypocrisy. We will look at a couple passages of scripture to help us understand some of the realities of the Christian walk and then we will look at what scripture says about hypocrisy. I would also like to address the statement about Christianity being a “title that we claim” and an “empowering relationship.”

 

The Nature of the Christian Walk

“And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t.  I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.  But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it… O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?  I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!” Romans 7: 18-20, 24, 25

“Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead.” Phil 3:12,13

We can see from these passages of scripture that Paul’s walk included a lack of perfection and behavioral inconsistencies. Did this make him a hypocrite? No. In fact, the very fact that we see these confessions in scripture shows us something profoundly true for the believer. It is a part of our walk to stumble, but the example we see from Paul is that we share our struggle with each other, pressing on in honest confession and encouraging each other by remembering our victory in Christ!

 

Hypocrisy according to Scripture

Hypocrisy is not defined as inconsistency. The issue of hypocrisy is a lack of authenticity and confession of truth. In fact, consistency is quite compatible with hypocrisy. Consider the pharisees, for example. They had their system of religious traditions which they revered above the word and truth of God. They were so consistently devoted to their traditions, power, and their own understanding of God that even when they saw truth they refused to confess it! Many of them knew who Jesus was, but their hypocrisy is what kept them from confessing with their mouth.

“Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue;  for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.” John 12: 42-43

We can also see this fear of man over the fear of God at work in the parents who were called to testify of the healing of their son who was born blind and then healed by Jesus. When they were questioned they fearfully avoided making a confession of truth.

“’He is of age; ask him. He will speak for himself.’  His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had agreed already that if anyone confessed that He was Christ, he would be put out of the synagogue.” John 9 : 21b, 22

Lets look at other examples of hypocrisy in scripture:

“Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.” Matthew 6:2

“Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.” Matthew 6:16

“But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.” Matthew 23:13

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.” Matthew 23:15

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence.” Matthew 23:25

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness.” Matthew 23:27

These scriptures clearly reveal that the Pharisees were consistently concerned with how other people saw them behaving rather than with truth and what it is to be an authentic God fearing man. They were proselytizers (which simply means they were tenacious about winning converts to their religion) and radically exclusive in nature. Therefore the pharisees were teaching others to be concerned with their appearance as well (again, for the sake of winning converts) resulting in shutting them out of the kingdom of heaven. To these Pharisees, being a Jew was a prestigious title to be earned and validated with specific behaviors.

 

Is Christianity a Title?

We saw in Monday’s commentary that following Jesus was not a human “movement”. We do not receive a title by signing up for a way of thinking and living. Being a Christian is not the same experience as choosing a political party. The term “Christian” is not a title, but a description of our new nature in Christ Jesus. Granted, it was assigned to believers by non believers during the early years of the church. However, it is a term that describes the born again believer. We saw in Sunday’s commentary what it is to be a born again believer. We are a new creation! We are indwelled by the Holy Spirit and the old person has passed away. To be born again is much like the experience of the butterfly. We are different now, and once we are born of the spirit there is no changing it, for we are sealed by God’s spirit! Hallelujah!

The powerful relationship we experience with God is a natural result of having been summoned to life and placed in His family. It is not the result of consistent spiritual disciplines. Once a person is born again they must know that they will stumble. However, God will finish what He begins in us. We must not approach stumbling as hypocrisy but as “par for the course” and we must have mercy on each other. It is not our job to “save others” by alluring them to our faith with consistent right behavior. It is our job however to trust Jesus with our salvation, our life and our reputation, while living authentically, confessing openly that Jesus Christ is Lord, and sharing the unadulterated truth of God’s word with the world.

 

Summary Points

  1. Consistency is not the answer to hypocrisy. Authenticity and confession of truth no matter the outcome is the answer to hypocrisy.
     
  2. Christianity is not a human “movement” that we align ourselves with and receive a title to define our allegiance.
     
  3. Our relationship with Jesus is a result of having been born again, it is not the result of consistent spiritual discipline. We must not put the cart (behavior) before the horse (new birth) or we are shutting people out of the kingdom.

 

GO TO DAY 6

 

Copyright 2012 BibleStudiesForAdventists.com. All rights reserved. Revised May 1, 2012. This website is published by Life Assurance Ministries, Camp Verde, 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 6

Teacher's Edition Study Guide Week 6

Easy Reading Edition Study Guide Wk 6

SSNET Study Guide Week 6

Search the Complete Published Ellen G. White Writings

 

Please Support This Project

ONLINE DONATION LINK

quarterly20122EGW
quarterly20122