Persecuted but not Forsaken
Lesson 1, 1st Quarter December 27 - January 2, 2026.
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Sabbath Afternoon September 27
Memory Text:
“Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice".
"Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.”
KJV — Philippians 4:4, Matthew 5:10-12
“Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake. Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.” KJV — Luke 6:22, 23
“Hear the word of the LORD, ye that tremble at his word; Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name’s sake, said, Let the LORD be glorified: but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed.” KJV — Isaiah 66:5
“And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers: they shall bow down to thee with their face toward the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD: for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me. Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered? But thus saith the LORD, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children. And I will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood, as with sweet wine: and all flesh shall know that I the LORD am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.” KJV — Isaiah 49:23-26
Sunday, December 28
Paul, the Prisoner of Jesus
Read Ephesians 3:1 and Philemon 1. What is the significance of how Paul characterizes his imprisonment?
“‘For this cause I, Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,’—He can well say that. It was the preaching to the Gentiles that made him a prisoner.” 16LtMs, Ms 179, 1901, par. 1
“Read these words to your hearers and impress them upon their minds. Read also the fourth chapter of Ephesians. Read most solemnly these chapters. The instruction they contain means so much to us. Many have become hard-spirited because they are verily strangers to the working of the Holy Spirit. There needs to be a great reformation in the lives of believers, in their words and works and spiritual understanding. We need to catch the inspiration of the angels in the heavenly courts. We need daily to breathe the atmosphere of heaven. 21LtMs, Lt 60, 1906, par. 11
“O how my heart trembles for us all. Unless the hardheartedness is melted away by the grace of Jesus Christ, we shall never know what heaven is. I am pained beyond measure when I see and feel the hardhearted methods of dealing with the Lord’s heritage. I feel so ashamed in behalf of Christ, as I see how little respect and reverence are shown toward the purchase of His blood. 21LtMs, Lt 60, 1906, par. 12
“To those who are so free to exercise their human authority, I am charged to say: Go no further until you know how to deal with the purchase of the blood of Christ. There is need of the converting power of God in every family. Were this power present, there would not be seen a lack of sympathy; instead, there would be seen a most earnest receiving of the grace of Christ to impart to others. 21LtMs, Lt 60, 1906, par. 13
“Let every root of bitterness be weeded out of the heart. Let most thorough work be done with self. Let the men who are in office keep their hearts under the control of the Holy Spirit. Let them not treat men as if they were hardly a sack of oats—men who have minds that God has been and is working. Let them be careful of their actions. They cannot with God’s approval pull down, uproot, and transplant men who understand what it means to be taught and moved by the Spirit of God. 21LtMs, Lt 60, 1906, par. 14
“So much coarseness, such a lack of Christian politeness, has come into the lives of men who stand in official positions that my heart is sick and sore, and I can but weep to see how little of the tenderness of Christ they bring into their dealing with the children of God, the purchase of the blood of His only begotten Son.” 21LtMs, Lt 60, 1906, par. 15
Monday, December 29
Paul in Chains
Read 2 Corinthians 4:7–12. In this passage, what reveals how Paul was able to endure the trials he faced? What seems to be the focus of his life?
“His sufficiency was not in himself, but in the presence and agency of the divine Spirit that filled his soul and brought every thought into subjection to the will of Christ. The prophet declares, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee.” Isaiah 26:3. The heaven-born peace expressed on Paul's countenance won many a soul to the gospel. AA 510.1
“Paul carried with him the atmosphere of heaven. All who associated with him felt the influence of his union with Christ. The fact that his own life exemplified the truth he proclaimed, gave convincing power to his preaching. Here lies the power of truth. The unstudied, unconscious influence of a holy life is the most convincing sermon that can be given in favor of Christianity. Argument, even when unanswerable, may provoke only opposition; but a godly example has a power that it is impossible wholly to resist.” AA 510.2
Read 2 Corinthians 6:3–7. What spiritual resources did Paul have available to help him face these difficulties?
“Paul’s heart was filled with a deep, abiding sense of his responsibility; and he labored in close communion with Him who is the fountain of justice, mercy, and truth. He clung to the cross of Christ as his only guaranty of success. The love of the Saviour was the undying motive that upheld him in his conflicts with self and in his struggle against evil, as in the service of Christ he pressed forward against the unfriendliness of the world and the opposition of his enemies. GW 61.1
“What the church needs in these days of peril, is an army of workers who, like Paul, have educated themselves for usefulness, who have a deep experience in the things of God, and who are filled with earnestness and zeal. Sanctified, self-sacrificing men are needed; men who are brave and true; men in whose hearts Christ is formed, “the hope of glory,” [Colossians 1:27.] and who with lips touched with holy fire will “preach the word.” [2 Timothy 4:2.] For the want of such workers the cause of God languishes, and fatal errors, like a deadly poison, taint the morals and blight the hopes of a large part of the human race.” GW 61.2
Tuesday, December 30
Paul in Philippi
Read Joshua 1:4–6 and Hebrews 6:17, 18. At that moment, the Promised Land was exactly that, a promise. Yet, God calls it an inheritance. What does it mean to be the heirs of God’s promises?
“The time had come for the gospel to be proclaimed beyond the confines of Asia Minor. The way was preparing for Paul and his fellow workers to cross over into Europe. At Troas, on the borders of the Mediterranean Sea, “a vision appeared to Paul in the night: There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us.” AA 211.1
“The call was imperative, admitting of no delay. “After he had seen the vision,” declares Luke, who accompanied Paul and Silas and Timothy on the journey across to Europe, “immediately we endeavored to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them. Therefore loosing from Troas, we came with a straight course to Samothracia, and the next day to Neapolis; and from thence to Philippi, which is the chief city of that part of Macedonia, and a colony.” AA 211.2
“‘On the Sabbath,’ Luke continues, ‘we went out of the city by a riverside, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither. And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshiped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened.’ Lydia received the truth gladly. She and her household were converted and baptized, and she entreated the apostles to make her house their home.” AA 212.1
“The apostles did not regard as in vain their labors in Philippi. They had met much opposition and persecution; but the intervention of Providence in their behalf, and the conversion of the jailer and his household, more than atoned for the disgrace and suffering they had endured. The news of their unjust imprisonment and miraculous deliverance became known through all that region, and this brought the work of the apostles to the notice of a large number who otherwise would not have been reached. AA 218.2
“Paul's labors at Philippi resulted in the establishment of a church whose membership steadily increased. His zeal and devotion, and, above all, his willingness to suffer for Christ's sake, exerted a deep and lasting influence upon the converts. They prized the precious truths for which the apostles had sacrificed so much, and gave themselves with wholehearted devotion to the cause of their Redeemer.” AA 218.3
Wednesday, December 31
Paul and Colossae
Read Philemon 15, 16. See also Colossians 4:9. What course did Paul gently urge Philemon to pursue with Onesimus?
“Among those who gave their hearts to God through the labors of Paul in Rome was Onesimus, a pagan slave who had wronged his master, Philemon, a Christian believer in Colosse, and had escaped to Rome. In the kindness of his heart, Paul sought to relieve the poverty and distress of the wretched fugitive and then endeavored to shed the light of truth into his darkened mind. Onesimus listened to the words of life, confessed his sins, and was converted to the faith of Christ. AA 456.1
“Onesimus endeared himself to Paul by his piety and sincerity, no less than by his tender care for the apostle's comfort, and his zeal in promoting the work of the gospel. Paul saw in him traits of character that would render him a useful helper in missionary labor, and he counseled him to return without delay to Philemon, beg his forgiveness, and plan for the future. The apostle promised to hold himself responsible for the sum of which Philemon had been robbed. Being about to dispatch Tychicus with letters to various churches in Asia Minor, he sent Onesimus with him. It was a severe test for this servant thus to deliver himself up to the master he had wronged; but he had been truly converted, and he did not turn aside from his duty. AA 456.2
“Paul made Onesimus the bearer of a letter to Philemon, in which, with his usual tact and kindness, the apostle pleaded the cause of the repentant slave and expressed a desire to retain his services in the future. The letter began with an affectionate greeting to Philemon as a friend and fellow laborer:” AA 456.3
“The apostle reminded Philemon that every good purpose and trait of character which he possessed was due to the grace of Christ; this alone made him different from the perverse and the sinful. The same grace could make the debased criminal a child of God and a useful laborer in the gospel. AA 457.1
“Paul might have urged upon Philemon his duty as a Christian; but he chose rather the language of entreaty: ‘As Paul the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ, I beseech thee for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my bonds; which in time past was to thee unprofitable, but now profitable to thee and to me.’” AA 457.2
“It was not the apostle's work to overturn arbitrarily or suddenly the established order of society. To attempt this would be to prevent the success of the gospel. But he taught principles which struck at the very foundation of slavery and which, if carried into effect, would surely undermine the whole system. “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty,” he declared. 2 Corinthians 3:17. When converted, the slave became a member of the body of Christ, and as such was to be loved and treated as a brother, a fellow heir with his master to the blessings of God and the privileges of the gospel. Ephesians 6:6.” AA 459.3
Thursday, January 1
The Churches of Philippi and Colossae
Read Philippians 1:1–3 and Colossians 1:1, 2. How are the churches in Philippi and Colossae described, and what significance does the depiction have?
“Let us all make this spirit ours. The apostle feels grateful that the Philippians have become converts to the faith, and after giving them his benediction, he expresses his interest, “I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making request with joy.” [Verses 3, 4.] This should be the attitude of the ministers to the churches newly come to the faith; and this should be the attitude of the churches in good works and Christlike character, that the ministers who have labored for them may be able to make request to God for them with joy. The apostle sees reason, because of the sincerity of their faith, to have confidence that He which has begun a good work in them will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. They were keeping the day of Christ constantly in view. This is to be our work. 13LtMs, Ms 187, 1898, par. 46
“By pen and voice we are to encourage the churches newly come to the faith. There was harmony, a Christian fellowship, a tender union between Paul and Timotheus for those newly converted Christians. To them the prospect was cheering that they would continue in the good work begun for them. “Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart: inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in defense and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace.” [Verse 7.] He binds up his newly converted with his own heart’s affections. 13LtMs, Ms 187, 1898, par. 47
“In his letter to “the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse,” written while he was a prisoner in Rome, Paul makes mention of his joy over their steadfastness in the faith, tidings of which had been brought him by Epaphras, who, the apostle wrote, “declared unto us your love in the Spirit. For this cause,” he continued, “we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness.” AA 471.1
Thus Paul put into words his desire for the Colossian believers. How high the ideal that these words hold before the follower of Christ! They show the wonderful possibilities of the Christian life and make it plain that there is no limit to the blessings that the children of God may receive. Constantly increasing in a knowledge of God, they may go on from strength to strength, from height to height in Christian experience, until by ‘His glorious power’ they are made ‘meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light.” AA 471.2
Friday, January 2
Further Thought
“You will see that the tenor of this letter is not marked with complaining but with thankfulness and praise to God. This letter is addressed “To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be with you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints, for the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel.” Colossians 1:2-5. 15LtMs, Ms 88, 1900, par. 2
“Here is presented the greatest reasons why we should always be full of gratitude, cultivating love for God and always expressing that love in every prayer offered for the saints. This means that we should be ever mindful of the words of the gospel, the truth which has come to us to soften, to subdue, and melt our hearts into tenderness, giving evidence in words that we have that faith in our hearts that works by love and purifies the soul. 15LtMs, Ms 88, 1900, par. 3
‘Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth: as ye also learned of Epaphras our dear fellowservant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ; who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit.’ Verses 6-8. 15LtMs, Ms 88, 1900, par. 4
“This is the fruit the Lord expected everyone to bear, a love for Christ; and the same love that Christ has expressed for the souls He came to save we must all cherish and express in our lives and in our characters. Then we shall not have any murmuring, any faultfinding, any criticism. The expression of dissatisfaction hurts every soul who speaks disheartening words. We have so much to dwell upon that is cheering, encouraging, uplifting. 15LtMs, Ms 88, 1900, par. 5
“The apostle was encouraged by the good report, born of the love in the Spirit of those who knew the grace of God in truth; the faith was a genuine article. It worked like the good leaven as the truth of the gospel always works when received with all its precious grace into the heart. 15LtMs, Ms 88, 1900, par. 6
“What a testimony every one can bear if he will only open the windows of the soul heavenward and close fast the windows of the soul earthward—windows through which are wafted into the heart the earthly dust and rubbish which mar the experience that the Lord designs every believer in Christ to have! We are privileged to contemplate all heavenly things and to behold them with the eye of faith.” 15LtMs, Ms 88, 1900, par. 7