18. The True Foundation—[Matthew 16:18 quoted.] The word “Peter” signifies a loose stone. Christ did not refer to Peter as being the rock upon which He would found His church. His expression “this rock,” applied to Himself as the foundation of the Christian church (The Signs of the Times, October 28, 1913).
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22, 23 (Luke 22:31, 32). Satan Between Peter and Christ—See what the Lord said to Peter.... He said, “Get thee behind me, Satan.” What was Satan doing? He came right up face to face with Peter and between the Lord and Peter, so that Peter even took it upon him to reprove the Lord. But the Lord came close to Peter and Satan was put behind Christ. The Lord told Peter that Satan had desired him, that he might sift him as wheat, but He says, “I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not.” If Peter had learned the lessons he ought to have learned, if he had stood right with God at the time of his trial, he would have stood then. If he had not been indifferent to the lessons Christ taught, he would have never denied his Lord (Manuscript 14, 1894).
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Satan Spoke Through Peter—When Christ revealed to Peter the time of trial and suffering that was just before Him, and Peter replied, “Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee,”(Matthew 16:22) the Saviour commanded, “Get thee behind me, Satan.”Matthew 16:23. Satan was speaking through Peter, making him act the part of the tempter. Satan′s presence was unsuspected by Peter, but Christ could detect the presence of the deceiver, and in His rebuke to Peter He addressed the real foe (Letter 244, 1907).
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Satan′s work was to discourage Jesus as He strove to save the depraved race, and Peter′s words were just what he wished to hear. They were opposed to the divine plan; and whatever bore this stamp of character was an offense to God. They were spoken at the instigation of Satan; for they opposed the only arrangement God could make to preserve His law and control His subjects, and yet save fallen man. Satan hoped they would discourage and dishearten Christ; but Christ addressed the author of the thought, saying, “Get thee behind me, Satan”(Matthew 16:23) (The Review and Herald, April 6, 1897).
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24 (Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23; see EGW comment on Matthew 11:28-30). Travel Christ’s Road—Those who are saved must travel the same road over which Christ journeyed. He says, “Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”(Mark 8:34) The character is to be formed according to the Christlikeness (Manuscript 105, 1901).
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The Cross Lifts—We are to lift the cross, and follow the steps of Christ. Those who lift the cross will find that as they do this, the cross lifts them, giving them fortitude and courage, and pointing them to the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world (The Review and Herald, July 13, 1905).
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(Job 19:25.) Up From the Lowlands—The cross lifts you up from the lowlands of earth, and brings you into sweetest communion with God. Through bearing the cross your experience may be such that you can say, “‘I know that my Redeemer liveth,’ and because He lives, I shall live also.”Job 19:25. What an assurance is this (Manuscript 85, 1901)!
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(Matthew 7:13, 14.) At the Dividing of the Way—The cross stands where two roads diverge. One is the path of obedience leading to heaven. The other leads into the broad road, where man can easily go with his burden of sin and corruption, but it leads to perdition (Manuscript 50, 1898).
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(Matthew 12:30; Luke 11:23.) Living for Self Dishonors Redeemer—Christians who live for self dishonor their Redeemer. They may apparently be very active in the service of the Lord, but they weave self into all that they do. Sowing the seeds of selfishness, they must at last reap a harvest of corruption.... Service for self takes a variety of forms. Some of these forms seem harmless. Apparent goodness gives them the appearance of genuine goodness. But they bring no glory to the Lord. By their service His cause is hindered. Christ says, “He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.”Matthew 12:30; Luke 11:23.
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Those who bring self into their work cannot be trusted. If they would lose sight of self in Christ, their efforts would be of value to His cause. They would then conform the life to His teachings. They would form their plans in harmony with His great plan of love. Selfishness would be banished from their efforts.... Self-denial, humility of mind, nobility of purpose, marked the Saviour′s life ... [Matthew 16:24 quoted] (Manuscript 2, 1903).
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1-3 (Mark 9:2-4; Luke 9:28-31). Fittest to Minister to Christ—The Father chose Moses and Elijah to be His messengers to Christ, and glorify Him with the light of heaven, and commune with Him concerning His coming agony, because they had lived upon earth as men; they had experienced human sorrow and suffering, and could sympathize with the trial of Jesus, in His earthly life. Elijah, in his position as a prophet to Israel, had represented Christ, and his work had been, in a degree, similar to that of the Saviour. And Moses, as the leader of Israel, had stood in the place of Christ, communing with Him and following His directions; therefore, these two, of all the hosts that gathered around the throne of God were fittest to minister to the Son of God (The Spirit of Prophecy 2:329).
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6. The Young in Christ—[Matthew 18:1-6 quoted.] The little ones here referred to who believe in Christ, are not simply those who are young in years, but little children in Christ. There is a warning contained in these words lest we shall selfishly neglect or hold in contempt our weak brethren; lest we shall be unforgiving and exacting and judge and condemn others, and thus discourage them (The Review and Herald, April 16, 1895).
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15-17 (Joshua 7:10-26). Some Are Not to Be Retained—The names of those who sin and refuse to repent should not be retained on the church books, lest the saints be held accountable for their evil deeds. Those who pursue a course of transgression should be visited and labored with, and if they then refuse to repent, they should be separated from church fellowship, in accordance with the rules laid down in the Word of God....
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Those who refuse to hear the admonitions and warnings given by God’s faithful messengers are not to be retained in the church. They are to be disfellowshiped; for they will be as Achan in the camp of Israel—deceived and deceiving.
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Who, after reading the record of Achan′s sin and punishment, can think it according to the will of God that those who do wickedly, refusing to repent, are to be retained in the church? To retain them would be an insult to the God of heaven (Letter 215, 1902).
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13-15 (Mark 10:13-16; Luke 18:15-17). Memory Kept Children From Straying—Could the afterlife of that little group be opened before us, we should see the mothers recalling to the minds of their children the scene of that day, and repeating to them the loving words of the Saviour. We should see, too, how often, in after years, the memory of these words kept the children from straying from the path cast up for the ransomed of the Lord (The Signs of the Times, December 18, 1907).
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18-20 (Mark 11:12-14). Fruit-bearing Branches—The Lord was hungry. He represented a people hungering for fruit that they ought to have had, but did not receive from an apparently flourishing fig tree. The spiritual necessities were not supplied to satisfy the people whom Christ had pledged His life to save by His grace and righteousness.
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