THIS IS TRUE OF OUR PHYSICAL NATURE

[skyblue888]

Those who are to give the last message of mercy to the church and to the world must understand what it means to eat Christ's flesh and to drink His blood, as it pertains to both our physical and spiritual natures.

Let us begin with our physical nature. We can discuss the spiritual nature later.

"Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you." John 6:53.

Mrs. White quotes these words and says, "This is true of our physical nature."

What did she mean? What does it mean to eat His flesh and to drink His blood as far as our physical nature is concerned? Notice these words: "Not only is Christ the Originator of all, but He is the life of everything that lives." Education, p.197. "All created beings live by the will and power of God. They are recipients of the life of the Son of God." 1 S.M.301. This is physical life, not eternal life!

But how does Christ get to be our physical life? Where do we get the life which builds up our bodies and sustains our trength? Is it not from the provisions for our daily life? Is the life which we get from the the sunshine, from the pure, sweet air, and from the food which builds up our bodies and sustains our strength, the life of Christ for our physical nature?

"The youth need to understand the deep truth underlying the statement that with God 'is the fountain of life.' Ps.36:9. Not only is He the Originator of all, but He is the life of everything that lives. It is His life that we receive in the sunshine, in the pure, sweet air, in the food which builds up our bodies and sustains our strength. It is by His life that we exist, hour by hour, moment by moment. Except as perverted by sin, all His gifts (sunshine, pure, sweet air, food and drink) tend to life, to health, and joy." Education, p.197,198. (parentheses mine)

How many of us realize that when we sit at the table to eat and to drink (especially if we are eating and drinking according to the message of health reform), when we breathe the pure, sweet air and bathe in the sunlight, that we are receiving the life of Christ for our physical life, and, therefore, the words of Jesus, "Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink His blood, you have no life in you," are true of our physical nature! John 6:53.

Mrs. White quotes John 6:53, and says, "Never one, saint or sinner, eats his daily food, but he is nourished by the body and the blood of Christ. The cross of Calvary is stamped on every loaf. It is reflected in every water spring. All this Christ has taught in appointing the emblems of His great sacrifice. The light shining from the that Communion service in the upper chamber makes sacred the provisions for our daily life. The family board becomes as the table of the Lord, and every meal a sacrament." Desire of Ages, p.660.

Wow! Isn't this an amazing fact? That never one, believer or unbeliever, eats his daily food but he is nourished, literally nourished by the flesh and the blood of Christ, which is just another way of saying that he is living by the life of the Son of God! Thus we read, "All created beings live by the will and power of God. They are recipients of the life of the Son of God." Selected Messages, Vol.1, p.301.

Now, of course, this is not eternal life but only physical life!

How did the life of Christ get to be in the sunshine, in the pure, sweet air, and in the food which builds up our bodies and sustains our strength? Notice these words:

"It is the word of God, the impartation of His life, that gives life to the seed; and of that life, we, in eating the grain, become partakers. This, God desires us to discern. He desires us to discern that even in receiving our daily bread (daily provisions for our daily life) we may recognize His agency and may be brought into closer fellowship with Him." Education, p.108. Wow!!!

Indeed, this is a deep truth but it is a truth that the Lord desires us to discern! You remember how Mrs. White said that the Lord took John the Baptist in the desert "that he might learn of nature and nature's God." see 1 S.M.410.

In other words this takes us back to Genesis. Mrs. White, commenting on the first chapter of Genesis, makes this beautiful comment which is in perfect harmony with what we have read so far. When the Lord spoke the word, "Let the earth bring forth grass, and herb yielding seeds, and trees bearing fruit," His life was imparted to the trees and vines of His creation:

"The Lord has given His life to the trees and vines of His creation. His word can increase or decrease the fruit of the land. If men would open their understanding to discern the relation between nature and nature's God, faithful acknowledgments would be heard. Without the life of God, nature would die." E.G. White, Bible Commentary, Vol.1, p.1081.

"The life of Christ that gives life to the world is in His word." D.A.390.

And this is only in regard to our physical life!

Next time we will discuss what it means to eat the flesh of the Son of Man and to drink His blood in regard to our spiritual nature! But before we do, I would really appreciate your comments, whether you agree with the above or not! Please be honest and don't be afraid to say if this is the first time you are exposed to this teaching. Please tell me if you are having a hard time accepting or seeing what has been presented. It may very well be that we need to spend time contemplating, reflecting, reasoning, carefully comparing statement with statement, before we make a decision. I believe it is an important topic since the Lord Himself has stated that He desires us to discern this!

Thank you and God bless you all.

sky

[skyblue888]

Many of us have been eating and drinking without discerning the Lord's body. "Never one, saint or sinner, eats his daily food, but he is nourished by the body and and the blood of Christ." D.A.660.

In other words, in the bread of the Lord's supper, we do not receive the body of the Lord any more than we do in an ordinary meal, providing of course that the meal is of that which the Lord Himself gives us to eat. The Lord's supper contains a lesson on health reform, in that it teaches us how to eat and drink. It sets the pattern for every meal! "This is My body." "This is My blood."

Since according to 1 Cor.11:30, failure to discern the Lord's body is the cause why many are weak and sickly, and why many die, it follows that if the Lord's body were discerned, the opposite would be the case. If men discerned the Lord's body in the provisions for their daily life, they would find strength and health!

The Lord Jesus took bread, gave thanks, and said, "This is My body." This occured when they were eating. The bread was the ordinary unleavened bread that they had on the table, and such it was after Jesus had given thanks; then He took the cup, and said, "This is My blood." It was ordinary grape juice that they had on the table, and such it was after Jesus had given thanks.

It is utterly useless to spend time arguing, what is true enough, that the catholic priest has not the power to change the bread into the body of Christ; for the Scripture tells us that it is that already. "This is My body." There is no magic whatever about the matter. To be sure, the partaking of the body and the blood of Christ in the Lord's Supper is absolutely independent of any action of any priest or minister!

Therefore, as we partake of the provisions for our daily life, we are to remember that we live by the life of God and that the Lord's Supper is a public confession of the fact, for "It is His life that we receive in the sunshine, in the pure, sweet air, and in the food which builds up our bodies and sustains our strength." The words of Christ in John 6:53 are true of our physical nature.

The knowledge of this truth sanctifies and glorifies eating and drinking. He who lives in constant recognition of it, eats and drinks to the glory of God. He eats and drinks by faith. The man who does not day by day recognize the flesh and blood of Christ in His gifts, eats and drinks damnation to himself. 1 Cor.11:29.

"Man that is in honour and understandeth not, is like the beast that perish." Psalm 49:20.

Thus it is written, "Eat and drink in remembrance of Me."

Again, this is a "deep truth" but nevertheless, "This the Lord desires us to discern." See Ed.108.

Please, give me some feedback. Thanks.

sky

[skyblue888]

These, I believe, are the subjects we need to zero in on:

1. Daily appropriating by faith the merits of Christ. "We must daily apply to the merits of a crucified and risen Saviour that we may become vessels fit for the Master's use." Faith and Works, p.86. "The merits of Christ are the foundation of the Christian's faith." G.C.73. Why? Because "The merits of His sacrifice are sufficient to present to the Father in our behalf" in order to receive "the Gift that brings all the other blessings in its train." D.A.672. The Lord opens our ears that we may hearken unto the Voice of His word in order to bring the Gift of His righteousness, which righteousness accomplishes everything. This is eating Christ's flesh and drinking His blood unto eternal life. D.A.660. "I the Lord speak righteousness." Isa.45:23. "The words that I speak unto you, they are Spirit and they are life." John 6:63. "The Spirit is life because of righteousness." Rom.8:10.

2. To acquaint ourselves with God which is to acknowledge His presence and power in all created things. "The only key to the mysteries that surround us is to acknowledge in them all the presence and power of God." "The Holy Spirit is the presence and power of God." D.A.606; Signs of the Times, Nov.23, 1891. In other words, the Spirit is "the unseen, mighty Intelligence that is working in and through all." Education, p.,14. "Nature in her work testifies of an intelligent presence and active Agency of a Being who moves in all things according to His will." Ministry of Healing, p.416.

3. We need also to discern Christ's flesh and blood in the provisions for our daily life, for "It is His life that we receive in the sunshine, in the pure, sweet air, in the food which builds up our bodies and sustains our strength." Education, p.197,198. Thus "Never one, saint or sinner, eats his daily food but he is nourished by the flesh and the blood of Christ." D.A.660. In other words, "Not only is Christ the Originator of all, but He is the life of everything that lives." Education, p.197. "All created beings live by the will and power of God. They are recipients of the life of the Son of God." 1 S.M.301.

4. We need to understand and teach that "the principles of God's dealing with men are ever the same." G.C.343. The first principle of which is that "God does not stand toward the sinner as an executioner of the sentence against transgression. He leaves the rejectors of His mercy to themselves, to read that which they have sown. The Spirit of God, persistently resisted, is at last withdrawn from the sinner, and there is no power to control the evil passions of the soul, and no protection from the malice and enmity of Satan." G.C.36.

[skyblue888]

I am hoping we can discuss the above topics freely. There is no doubt that these subjects are little understood. Few understand the difference between pantheistic theories vs the true knowledge of God. Few understand the relation that exists between nature and nature's God! Now is the time to compare notes. Now is the time examine ourselves to see whether we are in the faith or not, whether we really know God as it is our privilge to know Him! And "To know Him is eternal life."