365 Days in the Gospels and Spirit of Prophecy

March 7

Bible discovery

38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: 365DGSP 67.2

39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. 365DGSP 67.3

40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also. 365DGSP 67.4

41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. 365DGSP 67.5

42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away. 365DGSP 67.6

43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. 365DGSP 67.7

44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 365DGSP 67.8

45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. 365DGSP 67.9

46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? 365DGSP 67.10

47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? 365DGSP 67.11

48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. 365DGSP 67.12

Luke 6:27-36 365DGSP 67.13

27 But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, 365DGSP 67.14

28 Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. 365DGSP 67.15

29 And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloke forbid not to take thy coat also. 365DGSP 67.16

30 Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again. 365DGSP 67.17

31 And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise. 365DGSP 67.18

32 For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them. 365DGSP 67.19

33 And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same. 365DGSP 67.20

34 And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again. 365DGSP 67.21

35 But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. 365DGSP 67.22

36 Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. 365DGSP 67.23

Spirit of Prophecy Reading

The Desire of Ages pp.311-312: 365DGSP 67.24

God pours His blessings upon all. “He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.” He is “kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.” Luke 6:35. He bids us to be like Him. “Bless them that curse you,” said Jesus; “do good to them that hate you, ... that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven.” These are the principles of the law, and they are the wellsprings of life. 365DGSP 67.25

God's ideal for His children is higher than the highest human thought can reach. “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” This command is a promise. The plan of redemption contemplates our complete recovery from the power of Satan. Christ always separates the contrite soul from sin. He came to destroy the works of the devil, and He has made provision that the Holy Spirit shall be imparted to every repentant soul, to keep him from sinning. 365DGSP 67.26

The tempter's agency is not to be accounted an excuse for one wrong act. Satan is jubilant when he hears the professed followers of Christ making excuses for their deformity of character. It is these excuses that lead to sin. There is no excuse for sinning. A holy temper, a Christlike life, is accessible to every repenting, believing child of God. 365DGSP 67.27

The ideal of Christian character is Christlikeness. As the Son of man was perfect in His life, so His followers are to be perfect in their life. Jesus was in all things made like unto His brethren. He became flesh, even as we are. He was hungry and thirsty and weary. He was sustained by food and refreshed by sleep. He shared the lot of man; yet He was the blameless Son of God. He was God in the flesh. His character is to be ours. The Lord says of those who believe in Him, “I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.” 2 Corinthians 6:16. 365DGSP 67.28

Christ is the ladder that Jacob saw, the base resting on the earth, and the topmost round reaching to the gate of heaven, to the very threshold of glory. If that ladder had failed by a single step of reaching the earth, we should have been lost. But Christ reaches us where we are. He took our nature and overcame, that we through taking His nature might overcome. Made “in the likeness of sinful flesh” (Romans 8:3), He lived a sinless life. Now by His divinity He lays hold upon the throne of heaven, while by His humanity He reaches us. He bids us by faith in Him attain to the glory of the character of God. Therefore are we to be perfect, even as our “Father which is in heaven is perfect.” 365DGSP 67.29

Jesus had shown in what righteousness consists, and had pointed to God as its source. Now He turned to practical duties. In almsgiving, in prayer, in fasting, He said, let nothing be done to attract attention or win praise to self. Give in sincerity, for the benefit of the suffering poor. In prayer, let the soul commune with God. In fasting, go not with the head bowed down, and heart filled with thoughts of self. The heart of the Pharisee is a barren and profitless soil, in which no seeds of divine life can flourish. It is he who yields himself most unreservedly to God that will render Him the most acceptable service. For through fellowship with God men become workers together with Him in presenting His character in humanity. 365DGSP 67.30

The service rendered in sincerity of heart has great recompense. “Thy Father which seeth in secret Himself shall reward thee openly.” By the life we live through the grace of Christ the character is formed. The original loveliness begins to be restored to the soul. The attributes of the character of Christ are imparted, and the image of the Divine begins to shine forth. The faces of men and women who walk and work with God express the peace of heaven. They are surrounded with the atmosphere of heaven. For these souls the kingdom of God has begun. They have Christ's joy, the joy of being a blessing to humanity. They have the honor of being accepted for the Master's use; they are trusted to do His work in His name. 365DGSP 67.31

“No man can serve two masters.” We cannot serve God with a divided heart. Bible religion is not one influence among many others; its influence is to be supreme, pervading and controlling every other. It is not to be like a dash of color brushed here and there upon the canvas, but it is to pervade the whole life, as if the canvas were dipped into the color, until every thread of the fabric were dyed a deep, unfading hue. 365DGSP 67.32

“If therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness.” Purity and steadfastness of purpose are the conditions of receiving light from God. He who desires to know the truth must be willing to accept all that it reveals. He can make no compromise with error. To be wavering and halfhearted in allegiance to truth is to choose the darkness of error and satanic delusion. 365DGSP 67.33