Escuela sabática | El pecado en la iglesia | Lección 4 - Comentario + Biblia + Elena de White

Paul felt that the Lord’s requirements must be obeyed and His judgments avoided. Like him, we must strive to the utmost to receive the crown of life, which will bring eternal honor to every victor. We must not be content with living meaningless lives. What is humility? It is that feeling of sinfulness and unworthiness that leads us to repentance. We need to be convinced of the evil of a disease before we feel the need to be healed. Those who do not grasp the sinfulness of sin are not in a position to appreciate the value of atonement and the need to be cleansed from all sin. The sinner measures himself by himself and by those who, like him, are sinners. He does not contemplate the purity and holiness of Christ. But when the law of God imposes conviction on his heart, he says with Paul, “I was once alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.” Romans 7:9… God created man for His glory. He will not tolerate, He cannot tolerate the presence of sin in His domain. If there are individuals in the church who are willfully sinning against God, every possible means must be used to lead them to repentance. If this is not done, God's name is dishonored. He is too pure to approve of iniquity… Adam's sin might be considered by churches today as a mere mistake, something to be forgiven immediately and forgotten. But God's standard is high and His Word unchanging, and therefore all selfish and covetous practices are an abomination in His sight. The hearts of believers need to be purified, sanctified, refined, and ennobled… Look up, my brothers and sisters. Has the gospel lost its power to impress hearts? Is it because the regenerating influence of the Spirit of Christ has died that hearts are not being purified, sanctified, and prepared by the Holy Spirit? No, the sword of the Spirit, the Word of the living God, is still with us; but it must be wielded with zeal. Let us use it as the saints of God did in days of old. Through its living and life-giving power, it will open a path to hearts… The Lord invites us to a reformation in our lives… When the church awakens, decisive changes will take place. Men and women will be converted and so filled with the Spirit of God that they will go from country to country, from city to city, proclaiming the message of truth. With hearts overflowing with fervent love for souls, they will open their Bibles and present the Word, the “it is written” (Lift Up Your Eyes, January 2, p. 14).