Lesson 1 for July 4, 2015

God created man He gave him free will Man sinned God was the first missionary We are missionaries too

“So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” (Genesis 1:27) Humans are not a consequence of chance. Our life is not senseless. God revealed our origin and our destiny; the reason why we exist and how we should live. 1.We are the crown of Creation. Everything created before them was made for us. 2.God created man in a different way than the rest of Creation: “Let us make…” 3.We were created in the image of God, according to His likeness and morally free. 4.We were given dominion over the whole Creation to take care of it as stewards of God.

“And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, ‘Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.’” (Genesis 2:16-17) God created us free to choose: to love or not to love, to obey or not to obey. If we could only love and obey, would we be really free? “God desires from all His creatures the service of love—service that springs from an appreciation of His character. He takes no pleasure in a forced obedience; and to all He grants freedom of will, that they may render Him voluntary service.” E.G.W. (Patriarchs and Prophets, cp. 1, pg. 12)

Adam and Eve were free to choose, and they chose to disobey God’s command, “You shall not eat.” They lost their freedom when they sinned. Sin transformed our nature so we can’t stop sinning by our own.  The lust of the flesh.  The lust of the eyes.  The pride of life. Choosing to obey every day is only possible with divine help. We are called to make the right choices everyday concerning several realms of sin. See 1 John 2:16:

“Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, ‘Where are you?’” (Genesis 3:9) They tried to solve their problems with fig leaves. They chose to avoid God’s presence when they felt it. God took the initiative. He became the first missionary. He called them and explained the plan He formed to save them (Genesis 3:15). He gave His only Son, that we could have eternal life (John 3:14-16). “The Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:6; 2 Corinthians 5:21).

“Christ might, because of our guilt, have moved far from us. But instead of moving farther away from us, He came and dwelt among us, filled with all the fullness of the Godhead, to be one with us, that through His grace we might attain to perfection. By a death of shame and suffering He paid man’s ransom. What self-sacrificing love is this! From the highest excellency He came, His divinity clothed with humanity, descending step by step to the very depths of humiliation. No line can measure the depth of this love.” E.G.W. (The Upward Look, June 26)

“You are the salt of the earth… You are the light of the world.” (Matthew 5:13-14) God passed the “baton”—His missionary initiative—to us: “As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” (John 20:21). Jesus used two metaphors to explain how He wants us to do our mission:  Salt of the earth. Every Christian must mingle with the world and to “infect” others with his example.  Light of the world. Every Christian must light this spiritually dark world. We must teach the plan of Salvation to others.

“‘Ye are the salt of the earth,’ Jesus said. Do not withdraw yourselves from the world in order to escape persecution. You are to abide among men, that the savor of the divine love may be as salt to preserve the world from corruption. Hearts that respond to the influence of the Holy Spirit are the channels through which God’s blessing flows. Were those who serve God removed from the earth, and His Spirit withdrawn from among men, this world would be left to desolation and destruction, the fruit of Satan’s dominion. Though the wicked know it not, they owe even the blessings of this life to the presence, in the world, of God’s people whom they despise and oppress.” E.G.W. (The Desire of Ages, cp. 31, pg. 272)