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Further Thought: Through the centuries some people have argued for what is sometimes called “natural law.” Though it comes in many shapes and forms, the idea is that we can derive from the natural world moral principles that can help guide our actions. In one sense, as Christians who believe that nature is God’s “Second Book,” we could accept that there’s some truth to this. For instance, see Paul’s discourse in Romans 1:18-32 about what people should have learned about God from the natural world. At the same time, too, we can’t forget that this is a fallen world, and we view it with fallen, corrupted minds. So it should be no surprise that we could come away with wrong moral lessons from nature. For example, one of greatest mortal minds in antiquity, the Greek philosopher Aristotle, argued for slavery based on his understanding of nature. For him, nature revealed two classes of people, one of which was as “inferior to others … as … a beast to a man.” So for them, a “life of slavish subjection is advantageous.” This is just one of many examples we can find of how worldly principles, values, and ideas conflict with those of God’s kingdom, which is why—regardless of where we were born and brought up—we need to study God’s Word and from it derive the morals, values, and principles that should govern our lives. Nothing else, of itself, is reliable.
Thoughts To Ponder:
1. Jesus calls us to forgive all who hurt us. This includes our own families. Think about someone close to you who has hurt you. Though your scars might always be there, how do you reach a point where you can forgive?
2. Think about Sunday’s questions about the clash between your society’s values and those of the Bible. How are we as Christians to work through these differences?
3. Dwell more on the idea of greatness as having the humility of a child. What does this mean to us as Christians?
4. As Seventh-day Adventists Christians, we believe in obeying God’s law, the Ten Commandments, and rightly so. What, though, should the story of the rich ruler tell us about why it’s not enough, and that true Christianity while including obedience to the law of God, includes more?
Thoughts To Ponder:
1. Jesus calls us to forgive all who hurt us. This includes our own families. Think about someone close to you who has hurt you. Though your scars might always be there, how do you reach a point where you can forgive?
2. Think about Sunday’s questions about the clash between your society’s values and those of the Bible. How are we as Christians to work through these differences?
3. Dwell more on the idea of greatness as having the humility of a child. What does this mean to us as Christians?
4. As Seventh-day Adventists Christians, we believe in obeying God’s law, the Ten Commandments, and rightly so. What, though, should the story of the rich ruler tell us about why it’s not enough, and that true Christianity while including obedience to the law of God, includes more?